Tower Hill Bulletin - Spring 2021

Tower Hill Bulletin Spring 2021

VISION FORWARD Task forces chart the future of Tower Hill The impact of hybrid learning on teaching Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign nears goal

On the Cover COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE Teresa Messmore Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Wolf Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Kirk Smith Marketing Specialist ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Kristin Mumford Director of Advancement and Enrollment Management Laura DiVincenzo Advancement Operations Manager Heather Weymouth Lowry ’97 Director of the Annual Fund Linda Ogden Administrative Assistant Melissa Pizarro Associate Director of Advancement Matthew Twyman III ’88 Director of Alumni Relations and Associate Director of Admission PHOTOGRAPHY Kirk Smith LAYOUT Amy Wolf The Tower Hill Bulletin magazine is published twice annually to share how alumni, faculty, staff and students embody the school’s motto Multa Bene Facta, Many Things Done Well.

Send Class Notes to thsalumni@towerhill.org with a high-resolution photo.

TOWER HILL SCHOOL 2813 W. 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19806 302-575-0550 | towerhill.org HEAD OF SCHOOL Elizabeth C. Speers 2020-2021 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Eric Johnson, M.D., Chair Benjamin du Pont ’82, Vice Chair Jack Flynn, M.D., ’81, Secretary Marna Whittington, Ph.D., Treasurer Suzanne Ashley Kimberly Wright Cassidy, Ph.D. Régis de Ramel Robert DeSantis Heather Richards Evans ’80 W. Whitfield Gardner ’81 Laird Hayward ’02 Henry Mellon Catherine Miller David Nowland ’85 Lisa A. Olson ’76 Kenneth A. Simpler Genelle Trader ’70 Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 Carmen Wallace ’93 Gina Ward Earl Ball, Ed.D., Emeritus

Tower Hill School does not discriminate in its educational, admissions and personnel programs and policies or activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender identity and/ or expression, disability or any other characteristic protected under applicable state or local law.

2 federal, Tower Hill Bulletin Spring 2021

A Lower Schooler explores global wind patterns. On these pages, Head of School Bessie Speers welcomes a student back to campus on Sept. 8, 2020. Photos by Kirk Smith.

Tower Hill BULLETIN

SPRING 2021

IN THIS ISSUE 6 Vision Forward

THREE SCHOOLWIDE TASK FORCES ADVANCE TOWER HILL’S STRATEGIC PLAN

16 Hybrid Teaching

TOWER HILL FACULTY MEMBERS ADAPT TO TEACHING REMOTE AND IN-PERSON STUDENTS

20 Class of 2021

SENIORS DEMONSTRATE RESILIENCE AND POSITIVITY DURING EXTRAORDINARY YEAR

40 Athletic Hall of Fame

SIX HILLERS TO BE INDUCTED INTO INAUGURAL THS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

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From the HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Tower Hill community, We have learned many lessons through this pandemic, one of the most important being the value of personal presence and proximity to one another. In the future, someone will comb through the Tower Hill archives and discover evidence of a very different year—from a Centennial to a pandemic! Questions asked may include: “What actually happened during 2020-2021 and how did the school continue on? How did it affect college placement? Were students able to play sports and participate in extracurricular activities? Did even the 3-year-old Tower Tots wear masks all day?!

What innovative things took place that were new and different? How did the events in the country around systemic racism and social justice affect Tower Hill, and what did the school do to ensure a firm commitment to inclusivity and anti-racist education? With so much going on socially and politically during a pandemic, what was the student experience like and how did it change or strengthen Tower Hill’s mission?”

A little more than a year ago, Tower Hill students and families departed for spring break not knowing what the full extent of the pandemic would bring. While the Class of 2020 was able to graduate in person in a distanced fashion on DeGroat Field last June, all students and teachers completed the entire spring remotely. Over the summer our health, academic, facilities and various other COVID response teams worked tirelessly to prepare for the 2020-2021 academic year, building distanced classrooms in both gymnasiums, devising new patterns around campus that would mitigate spread and facilitate successful contact tracing, and investing in the very best health and safety protocols.

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Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

Unlike many schools locally, regionally and nationally, Tower Hill School has offered in person teaching and learning since Sept. 8, five days a week, uninterrupted, with required testing every two weeks for all students, faculty and staff. We followed expert medical guidance and relied on our health team’s research and knowledge. We remained committed to our protocols, we were not afraid to stand firm and err on the side of safety, and we just kept going, one day at a time.

Frankly, the most moving part of the entire year has been to witness just how much students and teachers really want to be in person. Students and teachers have learned new skills and the importance of reading one another’s eyes! The stamina, perseverance and flexibility of Tower Hill teachers and students have won the day, and without question, the mission of Tower Hill has been reinvigorated, recognizing that the bedrock of who we are as a school is based upon the strong rapport between teachers, students and coaches.

While Zoom has provided some opportunities for us all, nothing can replace the in-person qualities of a school community. Our desire for authentic rapport and community with one another has increased. As we have navigated the isolation of the pandemic, Frederick Buechner’s words ring true: “You can survive on your own; you can grow strong on your own; you can prevail on your own; but you cannot become human on your own.” Schools will continue to play a critical role in providing us the means to become fully human.

It has also been inspirational to witness teachers, trustees, students and administrators continue to take the long view and to roll up their sleeves to do critical ongoing strategic work through our three Task Forces.

The ability to continue on despite headwinds is what has kept the Tower Hill community united. Unity is our word of the year, and the Tower Hill community has surely remained united!

Within this Bulletin, you will see evidence of academic excellence, innovative teaching and learning, and beloved traditions reimagined safely that have continued on through this historic year. While not able to visit campuses in person, the Class of 2021 has received acceptances to stellar colleges and universities including Yale University, Boston College, Johns Hopkins University, Occidental College, Tulane University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia.

You will also read about the important ways that Tower Hill alumni have been engaged in combating COVID, as you read about Cary Lai ’94 and his terrific work. Congratulations to our Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni Award recipients, Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74 and Curtis Smith ’99 respectively, whom you will learn more about. Tower Hill alumni across the country have engaged with each other and their alma mater in new and fun ways, through Virtual Career Day and Tower Talks—from wine tasting to celebrating the women’s suffrage centennial. Next fall at Homecoming we plan to create Tower Hill’s first ever Athletic Hall of Fame, as you can read in the sneak preview about honorees. Speaking of athletics, Tower Hill’s girls’ swim team won the state championship for the second year in a row, and the boys’ varsity basketball team made school history by competing in the semifinals of the state tournament this winter. Go, Hillers!

As we prepare to celebrate the Class of 2021 this June and take time to reflect on all we have learned as a school community, we are especially grateful for your support. We are nearing the finish line for the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign, which includes transformational gifts that will impact teachers and students for years to come. There is surely more work to be done, at Tower Hill and in our country. We must remain humble and vigilant, committed to looking outward, to being a school of Wilmington and the world, to ensuring a more just and equitable community, to speaking the truth, to denouncing bigotry and hate, and to bringing out the best in one another as human beings.

As we surely salute you, our Tower Hill families, alumni and friends far and near, I hope you will join me in saluting Tower Hill teachers, staff and my tireless administrative team, who all deserve a standing ovation for their dedication and belief in Forever Green through this pandemic year!

What’s ONLINE instagram.com/ towerhillschool

352 likes towerhillschool In celebration of the first president from Delaware, a #ThrowbackThursday to when President (then Senator) @joebiden spoke at Tower Hill in 1991! #potus46 #inauguration

201 likes towerhillschool In November students were treated to a historic recipe from Tower Hill’s archives—THS’ famous sticky buns!

twitter.com/ thsde

TEACHER APPRECIATION 18 likes On behalf of Home and School, THANK YOU to our incredible teachers for all they do for our students every single day. We appreciate you a latte!

facebook.com/ thsde

Onward we go—Tower Hill united,

Elizabeth C. Speers Head of School

PRE-K GINGERBREAD HUNT 72 likes Oh snap! PreK’s gingerbread cookies escaped from the oven in December, but luckily our students were able to catch them before they got too far.

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

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Around SCHOOL

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Tower Hill Educators Collaboratory

MLK Day of Service

At the beginning of the school year, faculty members attended colleague-led seminars for the second annual Tower Hill Educators Collaboratory—a day of professional development for teachers—with topics including the reading process, building a culture of student voice, gamification of classroom content and more. Pictured above is Middle School teacher Chris Theim.

On Jan. 18, the Tower Hill community honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by collecting food, personal care items, disposable masks, coats, pajamas, winter items, and educational and art supplies for The Delaware Food Bank, Mom’s House of Wilmington, The Ministry of Caring and Lutheran Community Services. Pictured above is Head of School Bessie Speers with three Upper School volunteers.

Vaccine Science

Health and Wellness

After completing a unit on cells, ninth graders in Penny Rodrick-Williams’ biology class learned about the immune system. Students made paper models of the new coronavirus vaccine, which relies on RNA, a type of genetic material similar to DNA. The students were able to model what happens during the vaccination process as well as what happens during subsequent exposure to the virus.

Psychologist and New York Times columnist Lisa Damour, Ph.D., spoke to faculty in January via Zoom about the psychology key to understanding how stress and anxiety operate, both under everyday conditions and at times of heightened disruption. She discussed how to keep pressure and tension from reaching toxic levels and how to support students during times of ongoing challenge, including the pandemic and civil unrest.

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

NBA Math Hoops

Fifth and sixth graders practiced their fundamental math skills this year while enjoying the game of basketball. Using players’ current stats, students learned about decimals, percentages, strategy, problem solving and more while playing the NBA Math Hoops board game. Faculty member Kristie Campbell introduced the activity, which is part of a nationally recognized program. Watch a video at towerhill.org/bulletin.

Forum Speaker Series

Mindful Mondays Middle Schoolers are beginning every week with Mindful Monday Mornings. Check out a video in which Director of Mindfulness Andrea Sarko explains the benefits of mindfulness at towerhill.org/ bulletin, and then follow along to take a mindful moment yourself!

Zoom Q&A with Sen. Chris Coons ’81 NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith gave an overview of the 2020 election on Oct. 1 as part of the Forum Speaker Series. Her presentation was followed by a Q&A session, with students asking questions about the presidential debates, the vote-by-mail process, polling insights and more. The theme of this year’s Forum is The Voice of the People: The Power of Citizenship and Voting. The Forum was established in 1998 through the generosity of ​the Rappolt family.

In the fall, fourth graders in Anna Elliott’s class wrote to Sen. Chris Coons ’81 about various concerns they had—everything from the environment to COVID-19 relief to Delaware animal adoption centers—and how their senator could help. Coons answered their questions live via Zoom. Watch the video at towerhill.org/bulletin.

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Spring 2021

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During the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in January, Solomon Miller ’25 shares an inspirational message.

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Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

THREE SCHOOLWIDE TASK FORCES ARE ADVANCING TOWER HILL’S STRATEGIC PLAN, FOCUSED ON SOCIAL JUSTICE, PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS AND CURRICULAR DIFFERENTIATION

BY TERESA MESSMORE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Following the wave of excitement around Tower Hill’s Centennial Celebration in September 2019, school leaders were poised to ask, “What’s next?” The school was certainly well positioned to consider Tower Hill’s impact for a second century: A $19.19 million campaign had launched, annual giving and enrollment were up, and faculty and students were engaging on the national level in innovations in education.

Amid the challenging times, the two task forces provided the opportunity to peer out of the trenches and envision a different, brighter future. As much—if not more—as ever, the necessity of these task forces was clear. These groups met several times via Zoom during the spring to delineate goals and deliverables, brainstorming possibilities and researching developments at other schools.

The board of trustees and Head of School Bessie Speers delved into discussion about how to best advance Tower Hill’s mission while implementing the schoolwide strategic plan. Conversations spanned defining a public purpose as a school, differentiating Tower Hill in the future, introducing an online component to education, further developing character education, pursuing local partnerships, inspiring students to be entrepreneurial and more.

While adjourned over the summer months, the need for an additional task force became clear. The social justice movement spurred by the death of George Floyd and spotlighted by demonstrations around the nation resonated with students, faculty, administrators and alumni. Director of Social Justice Dyann Connor provided opportunities at the close of the school year in June and during July for students, parents and alumni to discuss current events—and also to take a hard look at where Tower Hill was making progress toward racial justice and where there was significantly more work to accomplish. Joined by co-chair and trustee Carmen Wallace ’93, Connor formed a Social Justice Task Force made up of more than 80 alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff. The task force comprises three subcommittees—Curriculum, Policies and Procedures, and Recruitment and Retention—working collaboratively on essential initiatives to continue to build a more inclusive, equitable school community.

“It was critical that we continued to ask bold questions from a position of strength and look toward the horizon,” Speers said.

In that spirit, she and the board decided to convene two task forces composed of trustees, administrators and faculty to outline plans of action moving forward: One focused on curricular differentiation led by trustee Catherine Miller, and one focused on public partnerships led by trustee Robert DeSantis. The task forces scheduled initial meetings in the spring of 2020, and then, the pandemic hit.

The school’s day-to-day focus shifted to protecting the health of students and employees, switching to remote learning and gauging the economic ramifications of the pandemic. A global crisis of historic proportions made for difficult circumstances in which to imagine future opportunities for Tower Hill.

“COVID came calling soon after the task force was formed, but like the rest of the school’s operations, we forged ahead,” DeSantis said. “Our work supports Tower Hill’s strategic plan, which promises that our faculty and students will be deeply connected to their community and will view themselves as change makers and problem solvers.”

TASK FORCES

VISION FORWARD

“It is essential that we work together as a team to ask those difficult questions, to think critically about the solutions, and to collaborate in all ways possible to bring about change that will ultimately benefit the entire Tower Hill community and beyond,” Connor said.

While these three task forces have separate charges, many themes discussed have common threads, and collaboration between them will help further Tower Hill’s mission now and in the future. The following pages provide updates on the task forces’ progress to date, with work continuing into the 2021-2022 school year.

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Spring 2021

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SOCIAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE Carmen Wallace ’93 Trustee Chair

Dyann Connor Administrative Co-Chair, Director of Social Justice

Purpose: As part of Tower Hill’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the Social Justice Task Force is working collaboratively with more than 80 students, alumni, parents, faculty and administrators on essential initiatives to build a more inclusive, equitable school community. Three subcommittees—Curriculum, Policies and Procedures, and Recruitment and Retention—are developing suggestions for a specific and clear plan for progress in this realm. This includes creating systemic change with tracking measures and success criteria, such as standards of curriculum that include social justice; a framework for drafting anti-racist, antibigoted policies; and assessment tools to track success. The task force and subcommittees are meeting throughout the 2020-2021 school year and share updates at towerhill.org/socialjustice.

Curriculum Subcommittee Led by: Anthony Pisapia Associate Head of School and CIIO The Social Justice Task Force Curriculum Subcommittee is committed to eradicating racist and biased curricula as well as expressions of racism and other expressions of bigotry. The subcommittee is collaborating to develop curriculum guidelines that are explicitly anti-racist and incorporate multiple voices and perspectives from a wide range of communities and identities. Comprehensive guidelines will give our school a framework to interrogate the content, resources, materials and methodology of any discipline so that Tower Hill School can counter racism and other forms of bias and bigotry that may be embedded in both the curriculum and hidden curriculum. Ultimately these guidelines will be used to create a culturally responsive curriculum that includes “windows” for students to learn about others and “mirrors” that reflect their own experiences in the world.

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Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

Andrea Glowatz Dean of Teaching and Learning Last fall and winter, the subcommittee began identifying anti-racist curriculum components and guidelines for including broad perspectives and voices. One example of curriculum enhancements underway is the roll-out of the Upper School Student Voices Seminar, held monthly to educate students and continue having critical conversations about race, systemic oppression and ways to create a more just and respectful community. Faculty members Rachel Ashbrook and Tara Fletcher have collaborated to teach African American history to Grades 9 and 10, and Director of Social Justice Dyann Connor is facilitating education for Grades 11 and 12 on the history of racism and systemic oppression. Additional curricular improvements will be phased into all three divisions of the school.

TASK FORCES

Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee Led by: Matt Twyman ’88 Director of Alumni Relations and Associate Director of Admission

Art Hall Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School This subcommittee includes representation from many different constituencies to provide multiple viewpoints, large scale vision and guidance for the school’s recruitment and retention efforts.

Additionally, the committee will provide advice and make recommendations on programming, initiatives and services affecting the recruitment and retention of faculty.

The subcommittee will: • Provide recommendations to the school’s recruitment and retention programs • Align with the institution’s strategic plan and provide recommendations for recruitment and retention to the dean of recruitment and hiring • Propose new initiatives and engage in discussions around creating and participating in recruitment and retention activities Subcommittee members are researching how other organizations are conducting inclusive recruitment efforts to increase diversity, both in the corporate and education sectors. One idea is to use an assessment tool of inclusivity and multiculturalism to better understand the work environment at Tower Hill for people of color and gauge progress over time to share with potential new hires. The subcommittee is also looking at how exit interviews can inform retention efforts, as well as the degree to which Tower Hill’s salary and benefits are competitive.

Members will conduct research on the effectiveness of recommendations, consult with experts and share feedback as recommendations are finalized this spring.

Policies and Procedures Subcommittee

Led by:

Eric Norman Chief Financial Officer Eduardo Silva Assistant Head of Upper School

The goal of the Social Justice Task Force Subcommittee for Policy and Procedures is to review and update all school policies and procedures so that every member of our community is seen, heard, reflected and treated fairly. Beginning with divisional and employee handbooks, the subcommittee will work together to identify and develop policies and procedures where a more proactive and solid stance is necessary in order to swiftly and systematically eliminate any instances of racism, bias and/or bigotry. With a lens toward diversity, equity and inclusion, the subcommittee will work on schoolwide policies for students, staff and faculty that memorialize in both practice and policy a systematic shift in the school’s culture.

At a December meeting, subcommittee members received an introduction to bias incidents reporting among peer schools and at Tower Hill. They learned, for example, that when acts of bigotry, bias and racism are being heard by the Upper School disciplinary board, a member of the Social Justice team must be present. The task force also discussed consequences for racial incidents and crafting policies that create clear community expectations.

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

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SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM UPDATES

English teacher and Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Asha Smith opened a Black History Month assembly for the Upper School about African Americans in STEM fields. Students learned about both the gross underrepresentation of Black Americans in STEM majors and careers, as well as their notable inventions.

The annual LEAD (Leaning into Equity, Awareness and Diversity) Conference for seventh and eighth graders at Tower Hill and regional schools featured keynote speaker Mykee Fowlin, Ph.D.

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Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

Upper School students partnered with DISTINCT, a Home and School Association committee supporting diversity and inclusion, to create a mural honoring the LGBTQ+ community. The artwork was displayed by the school’s main entrance this fall in honor of LGBT History Month.

Social Justice Student Government leaders Sam DuPree ’21 (pictured) and Katie Sullivan ’21 collaborated with Director of Social Justice Dyann Connor and Equity and Inclusion Coordinators Anna Miller and Asha Smith to facilitate a student-led conversation about hate speech.

TASK FORCES A mural of American politician and civil rights activist John R. Lewis (1940-2020) was hung in the school’s foyer in honor of Black History Month. The project was initiated by parent Yvonne Deadwyler on behalf of PAATH and DISTINCT, and parent volunteers developed design ideas with Lily Pedano ’21 and art teacher John Bartlett.

Pedano was the main painter of the mural, with help from Billy Nunn ’21 and Katie Sullivan ’21 (pictured above).

In October faculty and staff attended the ARC of Justice anti-racism conference. Howard Stevenson, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania and Sandra Chapman, Ed.D. (pictured), founder of Chap Equity, spoke about creating an inclusive and anti-racist educational institution.

Director of STEM Initiatives Liz Brown, Ph.D. (pictured) and the Social Justice team shared lesser known Black scientists and inventors during Black History Month assemblies.

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

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PUBLIC PURPOSE AND PARTNERSHIP POSSIBILITIES TASK FORCE

Purpose: This task force is charged with bringing a proposal forward for the creation of a sustainable Tower Hill academic outreach program that serves youth in Wilmington, branding Tower Hill as the school that best serves Wilmington in this particular way. The group will research programs such as Horizons and Delaware Scholars, as well as exploring other viable partnerships, in order to determine what is best for Tower Hill. The goal is for Tower Hill to become known locally, regionally and nationally as the school that has that amazing public/private “blank” program, positioning it as a leader within the independent school realm of private schools with a clear public purpose.

Robert DeSantis Trustee Chair

Matt Twyman ’88 Administrative Co-Chair, Director of Alumni Relations and Associate Director of Admission

The Public Purpose and Partnership Possibilities Task Force is exploring the creation of an academic outreach program that would make a difference in the local community while also distinguishing Tower Hill. The first thing the task force had to decide was what problem to try to address and what need to try to meet. Members decided to focus on the academic achievement gap in the Wilmington area.

“We considered many options for engaging with our community, and also looked at what other independent schools throughout the country are doing,” DeSantis said. “Interestingly, nearly everyone is doing something. Relatively few of our size are doing anything that is especially bold, and fewer still are focused on academic outreach, which is something we intend to do.”

After much research and discussion, the group narrowed its focus to three options. The first is building upon and enhancing the existing Service Learning Program. The second option is to identify a single school, school district or community organization and develop a formal partnership

through which Tower Hill would bring its resources to serve other students. The third possibility is for Tower Hill to enter an agreement with an organization that has already developed a program designed to close the achievement gap, and then work with that organization to establish a scalable program that Tower Hill could make its own.

This spring the task force is assessing how big an impact each option could have, as well as the opportunities each initiative would present to Tower Hill students and how that option fits the school’s culture. Continuing work will include seeking stakeholder input, outlining operational and financial implications, and preparing a formal recommendation to the board of trustees. The end result will help Tower Hill more fully engage with the broader community.

“Private schools are stronger and better off if we have a public purpose,” Head of School Bessie Speers said.

CENTER FOR INNOVATION

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Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

In tandem with the Learning for Life program, the Middle/ Upper School library is being re-imagined to modernize learning spaces and increase opportunities for collaboration.

Thanks to a lead gift to the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign, along with additional philanthropic support, renovations begin this summer. Check the next Bulletin for more on this exciting new project!

TASK FORCES

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF TOWER HILL TASK FORCE

Purpose: This task force will spend time envisioning the future of Tower Hill, building upon the strategic plan, with a particular focus on differentiation. As a school of Wilmington and the world, the group will focus on what curricular aspects are most important to invest in to ensure that Tower Hill differentiates itself in an ever-changing and competitive market. These curricular aspects may currently exist or may be new for Tower Hill. The group’s work will include research of curricular initiatives and differentiators at benchmark schools, including several site visits. A deliverable will include recommendations based on what is most mission appropriate, sustainable and unique for Tower Hill.

Catherine Miller Trustee Chair

Teresa Messmore Administrative Co-Chair and Director of Communications and Marketing

The Envisioning the Future of Tower Hill Task Force, representing faculty and staff from all three divisions, started at its first meeting in April 2020 by reviewing the school’s mission statement and key pillars of the strategic plan. Themes that emerged as members discussed how Tower Hill can best position students for the future included: valuing student individuality; expanding interdisciplinary offerings; building communication and analytical skills; and rethinking limitations in student schedules. The task force then reviewed findings from parent surveys completed in 2019 to understand what parents valued and then researched differentiators at other schools around the country, such as STEM, entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, global perspective, experiential learning, ethics, diversity and inclusion, gender-based learning and more.

“We looked at innovation that was happening around the country,” Miller said. “We also considered qualities that we’d like to see in our students that

we feel would help them stand out—today, when applying to college and later in life.”

The program that the task force developed is called Learning for Life at Tower Hill, an interdisciplinary program that cultivates critical thinking and problemsolving skills through experiential learning and application. Teachers can apply to an innovation fund to receive additional time, budget, resources and support to create and implement projects that meet a set of criteria. The opportunity is open to faculty in Lower, Middle and Upper School to impact a high number of students in a coordinated progression.

“No matter when a student would enter Tower Hill, they would have the benefit of these experiences,” Miller said. “We’re really excited to inspire students, and we’re hoping that this program literally and figuratively brings the learning that they’re already experiencing in the classroom to life.”

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

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IN APPRECIATION OF

SCHOOL NURSE HEALTH AND WELLNESS LEXY HERBEIN, R.N.

PHYSICS TEACHER HELPS BRING ROBOTICS AND TOWER TERM TO UPPER SCHOOL

BY AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

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Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

Photo by Erwin Chen ’20

SCHOOL LIFE PEOPLE

Tower Hill is one of the few schools in Delaware and the region that has been open in-person for all grades, five days a week, uninterrupted, since September.

This is thanks to the meticulous preparation and care of School Nurse Lexy Herbein, R.N., who spearheaded the school’s health response to the pandemic and implemented public health guidance amid dynamic circumstances. She led the health team in reconfiguring the health suite to manage possible COVID-19 cases; establishing daily health screening, contact tracing and quarantining protocols; instructing faculty, staff and students in safety and cleaning measures; and advising the community of current scientific research on disease transmission and vaccine safety, in addition to all of her regular responsibilities. Tower Hill serves as a model for safe, in-person school instruction thanks to her expertise, principled approach and tireless efforts.

Following are remarks made by Associate Head of School Anthony Pisapia, who has overseen the school’s COVID response and also been key to the safe return to campus, in appreciation of Herbein and the Health Office at the Thanksgiving Assembly on Nov. 24, 2020: COVID-19 has shown us that there are quite a few heroes in our midst. Heroes are all around us like the scientists developing vaccines, the doctors and nurses helping patients recover, the many people delivering supplies and providing testing, and the teachers teaching us. So many heroes have stepped up in this time of need. I would like to talk to you about one of those heroes today.

School Nurse Lexy Herbein is a big part of the reason we are all on campus together today. Her heroism has come in the form of countless hours spent this summer talking to experts in health, doctors, epidemiologists and representatives at the state. Her heroism is on display every day in the protocols we all use to keep one another safe: hands, face, space. And her heroism shows up in long weekends spent contact tracing and ensuring that we don’t accidentally put one another at risk. So whether she is putting a Band Aid on your knee, or helping us all learn about health, Nurse Lexy is forever a hero to us in all that she does.

Nurse Lexy’s care for our community is her superpower, and I would like to thank her today. Please give Nurse Lexy and her assistant, Jessica Hart, a round of applause!

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Spring 2021

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With a camera positioned on her whiteboard, Middle School math teacher Fatima Sabre teaches a lesson to students in-person and at home.

HYBRID TEACHING

USING TECH TO TEACH IN-PERSON AND REMOTE STUDENTS SIMULTANEOUSLY

BY AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

In Meghan Donlon’s first grade classroom, students sit at their own desks, six feet apart, each with his or her own set of math cubes for an addition and subtraction lesson. At home, two students have their own sets and are displayed on the SMART Board for the rest of the class to see.

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definitely challenging at first. You had to make sure the students at home had access to the materials you were going to be using in the classroom and make sure those students were able to participate and be engaged in a lesson.”

In a normal year, the students might be crowded around Donlon at a table as she demonstrates a task with her own set of cubes. But this year is not normal. In order to safely show her class—including the students at home—the task at hand, Donlon has an overhead camera over her set of cubes for her students to see.

In order to prepare for hybrid learning this fall, the school did a lot of research in order to determine technology needs, Associate Head of School and Chief Information and Innovation Officer Anthony Pisapia said. The school spoke with experts in the audio-visual field as well as with colleges and universities who have more experience with hybrid and virtual learning.

While the majority of students and teachers have been on-campus for most of the 2020-2021 school year, about 7 percent have been learning from home regularly, with others tuning in remotely when needed.

The results were cameras, microphones and speaker units in each classroom, as well as additional computers so that teachers don’t need to plug their own devices into the SMART Boards—everything is already set up and ready to go.

“In the beginning it was a bit challenging only because I was so used to either solely teaching all the students in-person, or we had the Zoom experience in the spring,” Donlon said. “Doing it hybrid was

The building of that infrastructure happened over the summer, with Josh Boughner, Matt Coyle, Charles Sharon and others on the technology team outfitting nearly 100 classrooms with the technology.

Tower Hill Bulletin

Spring 2021

While she’s always used technology in her classroom, Middle School math teacher Fatima Sabre said she’s never relied on it as much as she has this year. In particular with math, it can be difficult to see what students are doing at home, so rather than have students take a picture of their notes, she’s using the program Desmos, which allows students both in-person and at home to submit answers, share explanations and discuss problems with each other.

SCHOOL LIFE

“What it allows is that if you can’t be there that day, we have a solution where you can Zoom in, and it allows us to be responsive to the health needs of the community in a way that keeps us all safe,” Pisapia said. “If you need to be home, if you came in contact with someone with COVID or your test came back positive, you can stay home without losing that connection to Tower Hill.”

“COVID is really a terrible and unfortunate thing, and what we were certain of from the very beginning is we did not want to pause learning in any way for our students,” Pisapia said. “What’s been fantastic this year is we’ve seen that our students have not fallen behind in any way. We’ve been able to keep an incredible amount of forward momentum. Our standardized test results are where they need to be, college admissions are where they need to be, and we’ve been able to keep running and keep ticking as Tower Hill is meant to, providing the most excellent experience that we possibly can.”

“There have always been lots of interesting and free applications we can use for math, but many teachers didn’t use them very often,” Sabre said.

“Hybrid learning has helped me realize how useful these programs can be—both to students in-person and students online. They can make math more interesting and more fun.”

For most teachers, there was a learning curve when it came to learning how to use the technology. Training teachers to use Zoom—the video communication platform Tower Hill uses—began last February, about a month before the entire school shifted to distance learning. Hybrid training began in August, with departments and divisions meeting with the technology team to learn about what the technology could do, how to set it up and how to configure it.

Even for teachers like Donlon, who has a technology background, hybrid teaching certainly had its hiccups in the beginning, but she said the experience has taught her to be more flexible.

“I definitely feel that this year has taught me so much more than I have ever been taught as a teacher,” she said. “I think my takeaway with the hybrid is you really have to be flexible in the classroom. I had to figure out how to incorporate hands-on activities safely for students in-person and make sure my kids at home had the materials they needed.”

Top to bottom: First grade teacher Meghan Donlon introduces a lesson to in-person and remote students; a first grader uses math blocks during a lesson on addition and subtraction.

While a lot has changed this year, one thing that hasn’t changed is the education Tower Hill students are receiving.

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ASSIST SCHOLARS STUDYING AT TOWER HILL DURING THE PANDEMIC Q&A WITH AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

What has your experience with sports and clubs been like?

We don’t have sports and clubs back home. You come to school, you go to your classes and then you’re off to do your things. Sports has been a really interesting opportunity. If people back home were given that option, maybe people who were not as prone to do well academically would have another option for doing something well. Even for being in shape, it’s good. It gives you a feeling of feeling good in your body and seeing that you’re capable of stuff. You can demonstrate to yourself that you can push your limits. Clubs have been a really good experience to bond with people and meet people who are not in your classes.

LIA CHILARU ’22, MOLDOVA What has your experience been like as an international student at Tower Hill?

So far I can say that my experience at Tower Hill has been a great one considering the circumstances like COVID. I am amazed by what the Tower Hill community has done to keep us in school and give us the opportunity to experience in-person learning at an American high school. Even though we don’t get to experience the American dances and things like that, we are still getting the gist of what American life would be like if COVID wasn’t happening. I really enjoy being a part of the Tower Hill community. If I was living here permanently, I would want to attend Tower Hill.

What has your experience with academics been like?

It’s a really enjoyable experience. The relationship with the teacher isn’t as strict as back home. You’re more free to tell your opinion and let everyone know what you think. There’s a lot of freedom in expressing yourself.

At the same time I would say you’re not even noticing that you’re getting the information that you are. It’s an enjoyable way to get to learn stuff, because you don’t even realize you’re learning. I experienced that with history back home; I would have to put in a lot of effort to learn my history lesson outside of school because the teacher wasn’t making it interesting.

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What would you say to an international student about attending Tower Hill?

Tower Hill is a community that has a lot to offer you as a student and as a future international adult. You get a good education here. Maybe it’s different from your own country, but that can be a really eye-opening experience. You get to motivate yourself to push through the difficulties to make everybody proud of you and yourself proud of you. It’s not going to be as easy as everybody thinks; there will definitely be ups and downs. Being away from your family and friends is challenging, but the Tower Hill community is so warm and welcoming, and that makes it better.

What would you say to encourage a student to study abroad?

Just do it. This has provided me with an educational experience that is going to have good consequences for life as an adult, and it’s going to open so many doors for me that maybe if I stayed back home would be closed forever.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I would say a big thank you to ASSIST for giving me the opportunity of coming to Tower Hill and coming to America. I was supposed to go to a Canadian school at first, and they declined because they didn’t want an exchange student during a pandemic.Tower Hill was the one that opened the doors and gave us hope to come here. You get a lot of open doors—that’s what Tower Hill gave me and that’s what Tower Hill gives every student who comes here. You get to experience a high quality education that gives you a better perspective on life.

SCHOOL LIFE Why did you decide to study internationally?

I got the idea from a friend of mine whose brother studied in Canada, and that was the first time I had heard about it and actually knew someone who did a year abroad. I just liked the idea to go somewhere. It was kind of like a new adventure. I definitely wanted to improve my English. It’s just been a life-changing experience. I’ll remember this year for the rest of my life. That alone is enough of a reason to go.

TIMOTHY LOCKHART ’23, GERMANY What has your experience been like as an international student at Tower Hill?

It’s been very interesting. It’s nice to get to know a new culture. America is widely popularized in Europe, but it’s very different here in person. We know a lot about high school in America from movies, but it’s not the same as it is in real life, so it’s been interesting so far. I’ve never been to high school in America before, and it’s very different than I would have expected. The people are extremely nice compared to Germany, and I would say they’re more outgoing.

I would definitely say that the Tower Hill community is very supportive. If you don’t understand something you can always just ask, and I think that’s very important. You also always feel welcomed. You never feel that this isn’t the right place for you.

You’re always part of the community. That’s very important. Of course the academic level is high, and there are lots of different opportunities, whether it’s clubs or any hobbies you have you can do here somehow—they make it possible. It’s a great program academically, and with athletics there are three different seasons where you can try three different sports.

What are some of the benefits of the homestay program?

Well compared to a boarding school, I think it’s easier to learn the culture when you’re staying with a family. Christmas movies, for example. A lot of Christmas movies in America we don’t have in Germany, so that kind of tradition was new. In general it’s interesting to see how a family lives, and I think it’s very different depending on which part of America you live in. It’s just easier and a better way to learn the culture with a host family than if you’re on your own at a boarding school.

What has your experience with sports and clubs been like?

I did football in the fall, and now I’ve started swimming. I’m really glad we still had a football season. I really enjoyed the team feeling. I swam in Germany, and it’s not really a team sport, so that was nice about football. I also got to know the people better. It’s like a community. In general the school is a much stronger community than my school in Germany because we spend so much time together.

I spend most of my day from Monday to Friday in school, whether it’s athletics or academics.

American football was a new concept to me. I didn’t realize how much it involved watching and remembering plays—I thought it was more “tackle the guy and that’s it.” There’s a lot more brain involved than I thought. I was interested in football, and I also thought, “If I’m in America I might as well play football because there’s no other country I can do it in.”

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CLASS OF 2021

SENIORS DEMONSTRATE RESILIENCE, POSITIVITY DURING EXTRAORDINARY YEAR

BY AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Senior year of high school is memorable for so many reasons. It’s the culmination of a student’s high school experience, it’s a time when students grow and become ready for college, and it’s a time when students experience many “lasts”—their last Tree Trim, last Homecoming, last school dance.

and events couldn’t happen this fall, at least not in the traditional way, the SGA student leaders— Crivelli, Nina Knitowski ’21 and Claire Dignazio ’21—worked with faculty and administrators to reimagine beloved events in safe ways—or even create new ones altogether.

But this year’s senior class is experiencing a first: their first time going to school on campus during a pandemic.

“Perhaps the biggest way the senior class has persevered during COVID has been the efforts SGA has taken to ‘keep the show going!’” Head of Upper School Megan Cover said, with a few examples being creating a cider and doughnuts event on Hayward House lawn, reviving the SGA newscast and keeping some Homecoming traditions alive.

“Senior year is the year that you’re always looking forward to,” said Nicole Crivelli ’21, one of three Student Government Association (SGA) leaders.

“It’s when your relationship with teachers will be the best, and it’s really the year when you can get closer with your grade. Despite having to deal with the big challenge of the pandemic, I’m still getting a lot out of my senior year. I’m grateful we’ve been in school every week this school year.”

While no doubt challenging, members of the Class of 2021 have stepped up to this extraordinary year with grace, poise and positivity. While many traditions

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Crivelli said one of her main roles as a student leader is to serve as the conduit between students and faculty, bringing student wishes and needs to the attention of the faculty, and then working with teachers on solutions to those issues. They’ve also led Morning Meetings each day, in-person to fellow seniors in the theater and virtually via Zoom to underclassmen in classrooms and students learning from home.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS LIFE From left to right: Nicole Crivelli ’21, one of SGA’s three student leaders, speaks during Upper School Morning Meeting; seniors receive gift bags at a Senior Sunrise event organized by parents in December; Music Department Chair Drew Keim, pictured with Kieran Petrunich ’21, leads a game of Bingo, one of many fun initiatives added for Upper School students in the 2020-2021 school year.

In small and big ways, the three SGA leaders have done what they can to bring positivity into school, whether that be by adding art and music to Morning Meeting, creating Jeopardy games to play during their assembly period or even bringing food trucks to campus. In a time when it’s easy to focus on the negatives, this year’s senior class has instead decided to focus on the positives.

“Coming into this year I didn’t have high hopes, but we’ve been really fortunate,” Crivelli said. “We thought that it wouldn’t really feel like a senior year, but it truly does with all of the things that Tower Hill has done to keep the school day as normal as possible, and with varsity athletics running. We’re really fortunate specifically to go to Tower Hill and be a part of this class. We’re a super tight-knit group.

This was a huge learning experience to go to school during a pandemic, and it’s all about the community that we’ve surrounded ourselves with. We’ve kept our spirits up.”

Knitowski said this year has shifted her perspective.

“I generally am a positive person, but this year that’s definitely been tested in some ways,” she said. “I like to think of the things I’m grateful for and step out of my own situation because it’s easy to get bogged down in the stress of things that don’t feel like they’re going right. If I take a step back and think about all the things that I’m grateful for—like my friends and family and Tower Hill—that really helps me. The pandemic has given me time to reflect and focus on the good things. It’s made me more grateful for the time I’ve spent with my friends. It also made me realize that so much can change so fast, but I’ll be able to get through it.”

Cover agreed that the Class of 2021 has demonstrated extraordinary resilience this year.

“I would probably say that what stands out the most is the way in which they’ve kept their heads up despite hearing the word ‘no’ more than they’re used to,” Cover said. “They’ll hear no, but then come back and say, ‘OK, if not this then how about ...’ And that’s honestly what I’ll remember most about this class.”

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“To be a critical thinker is essential, and in order to be a critical thinker, we have to be constantly questioning and learning. We have to learn as much from our students, if not more, than we actually teach.”

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SCHOOL LIFE

FACULTY FOCUS

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING AND LEARNING SPECIALIST KELLY HUNTER, ED.D.

BY AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

“Think globally, act locally” is the motto Kelly Hunter, Ed.D., takes to her role as a teaching and learning specialist in Tower Hill’s Middle School.

Hunter has taught all ages all over the world— everywhere from France to London to the Lakota Sioux reservation to Mississippi. She has worked with learners in a number of Delaware and Pennsylvania private schools, and she has strong ties with the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctoral degree, taught courses for teacher certification programs, hosted trainings abroad and developed online courses. Although Hunter has worked all around the globe, it was the “think globally, act locally” mindset that brought her to Tower Hill this past fall.

“When my daughter started here last year, I saw the tremendous difference it made for her to be in an environment like Tower Hill,” Hunter said. “I’ve had this wonderful opportunity to learn from educators around the world, and when I saw a position open here, I knew that I could continue to add value locally. I thought it was a great time to join the team, so I was thrilled to be offered the position in Middle School.”

In fact, it was her daughter’s experience with TowerHill@Home last spring that truly inspired her to join Tower Hill.

“I was so inspired by what I saw in the spring at what the educators here did so that students didn’t miss a beat,” Hunter said. “I wanted to be a part of that team. That’s the kind of place I wanted to be inspired by and continue to grow as an educator.”

As a teaching and learning specialist, Hunter provides all students with the skills that they need to grow and be challenged at whatever level they might be in a particular academic subject. She also helps them to identify what their strengths are and to “add more tools to the toolbox” to develop their academic skills. It’s not just the academics she’s providing; skills like prioritization and organization are skills students will use in all areas of their lives now and when they move on to college and beyond.

These skills, Hunter said, are especially important in an independent school setting.

“You have students who are going to become our future leaders and our future change agents, and equipping them with those skills to draw on their strengths and apply them is incredibly important,” she said. “We live in a world where this generation of middle schoolers—we don’t even know what their job situation is going to look like, just like 20 years ago we couldn’t imagine many of the jobs that exist today—so it’s important to equip them with those lifelong learning skills of tapping into their strengths, so that they will be successful in whatever’s to come.”

While Hunter said she’s been fortunate to work with students of all ages—everyone from early childhood all the way through adults and grandparents who are trying to learn English as a second language—it’s middle schoolers whom she enjoys working with the most.

“I have found that because middle school, to me, is the most challenging, it’s also the most rewarding,” Hunter said. “It’s the one that challenges me to become a better educator and constantly learn.”

On a typical day Hunter will work one-on-one with students and in small groups on a variety of topics during study halls, and she also provides study skills workshops to entire grade levels. While there’s a routine to her job, she said, she needs to be incredibly flexible to meet the needs of where students are and what they’re coming to her for. She needs to constantly stay up-to-date on what all the different classes are covering. Because of that, she never stops learning.

“To be a critical thinker is essential, and in order to be a critical thinker, we have to be constantly questioning and learning,” Hunter said. “We have to learn as much from our students, if not more, than we actually teach.”

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PROSTHETIC PARTNERSHIP

UPPER SCHOOLERS PARTNER WITH TEMPLE UNIVERSITY FOR STEM WORKSHOP

BY LIZ BROWN, PH.D., DIRECTOR OF STEM INITIATIVES

It is a typical Wednesday night for Tower Hill: Students are coming home from sports practices, eating a quick dinner and settling down for an evening of homework and studying. For a group of Upper School students, however, this evening takes a slightly different form as they will be participating in Zoom workshops aimed at building an adaptable wheelchair for small animals with limb amputations. Others are designing a face mask that can be worn during strenuous physical activity, and still more are working to support amputees by building a mechanism by which they can more easily open cans and jars.

These students are working in partnership with Temple University Prosthetics and Orthotics (TemPO), a student-run organization that performs community service through the design, building and implementation of prosthetics. Founded by Tower Hill alumna Morgan Rollins ’17, the group has previously designed a prosthetic limb for a dog, run workshops for students at Temple’s campus and joined Tower Hill last year for the inaugural G-7 Girls’ Summit on STEM. It may seem an unlikely partnership to foster during a pandemic. After all, successful collaboration

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involves close interactions with students in high school and college, hands-on work with 3D printing and soldering, and trial and error in an experimental setting. Just as we have adjusted our teaching and learning methods to accommodate our new challenges, TemPO has pivoted to an entirely virtual platform for the 2020-2021 school year, allowing Tower Hill students to participate in yearlong programs building animal wheelchairs, face masks and other adaptive technologies. During their weekly Zoom meetings, students learn to use 3D printing software, design blueprints for their future builds and make prototypes in their own bedroom, built from materials from their cabinets and more specialized materials on loan from TemPO. Beyond these more intense yearlong programs, more than 35 Upper School students have participated in evening workshops to learn the basics of prosthetics work, explore 3D design and printing through computer software SolidWorks, and learn to solder.

Working with the TemPO cohort, Tower Hill students used their new soldering skills to make 100 adaptive button switches, a tool that allows for easier

SCHOOL LIFE

engagement with technology and for those with motor disabilities.

In addition to attending shorter virtual workshops on SolidWorks and soldering, Olivia Jordan ’24 is working on the animal wheelchair team. She reports excitement at learning to “draft blueprints and solder electrical components” and has spent the bulk of her time working on drawing designs for the prototype wheelchair they plan to begin building this spring.

Connor Cuddy ’22 and Will Zakielarz ’22 have devoted their time to the adaptive prosthetics groups, specifically tackling the challenge of designing a mechanism that allows people with one arm or limited arm mobility to open cans and jars.

After weeks of work, the team has brought their early plans to life by building a prototype device.

Beyond this experience, Connor hopes to bring his new knowledge to further study in the biomedical field, but feels “the possible mass production of a device to benefit people is the greatest inspiration.”

Though nothing about this school year seems typical, THS students are forging ahead with determination to explore new skills and find ways to support community needs even if they can’t be there in person. Future collaborations with TemPO could include student on-site visits to Temple University that will foster the further development

of prosthetic devices and spark excitement among students for generations to come. For now, however, these students return to their Zoom windows, grab their supplies and show us all that even a pandemic cannot interfere with the joy of learning.

Watch a video at towerhill.org/bulletin

Opposite: Olivia Jordan ’24, Paige Zhang ’22 and Isabela McIntosh ’24 work on building a wheelchair for a dog. Top right: initial drawings for the animal wheelchair prototype, provided by Jordan. Above: Jordan works on her prototype while Zooming with Temple University students.

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ACADEMICS NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS

Eight Tower Hill seniors—Alicia Cai ’21, Vincent Cai ’21, Claire Dignazio ’21, Nicholas Lenhard ’21, Sanjay Raju ’21, Reece Ratliff ’21, Keally Rohrbacher ’21 and Richard Wang ’21—were selected as National Merit Scholarship Finalists based on the results of the PSAT taken in the fall of their junior year. These students had the opportunity to compete for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million. Eight more—Dylan Bemis ’21, Selina Chen ’21, Olivia Langlois ’21, Jessica Ma ’21, Krish Malhotra ’21, Gabriel Santos ’21, Emmett Simpler ’21 and Miguel Soares ’21—were named Commended Students. Congratulations!

AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION Mathematically minded eighth graders competed in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC 8) in November. The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in Middle School mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for Middle School students to develop positive attitudes toward analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers.

NAIS CONFERENCE Lower School psychologist Amy Cuddy, Ph.D., and teaching and learning specialist Jessica Douglass spoke at the National Association of Independent Schools virtual conference in February about reading and engaging social energy in the classroom.

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SCHOOL LIFE SHAKESPEARE ESCAPE ROOM Watch a video at towerhill.org/bulletin of English teacher Rachel Ashbrook explaining how she created a virtual escape room of the Globe Theatre in London to introduce ninth graders to Shakespeare. Students learned about the Bard and London’s Globe Theatre before delving into Much Ado About Nothing. The virtual escape room engaged both in-person and remote learners with interactive puzzles and clues using the ThingLink app.

BRAIN DANCE IN LOWER SCHOOL The mind-body connection is strengthened through BrainDance, an approach theater teacher Rachel Marlowe uses with kindergartners to bring focus, social-emotional development and fun to the school day. Watch a video at towerhill.org/bulletin.

STREAM WATCH In October fifth graders went on their first Stream Watch of the year. During science class, the students walked down to the Brandywine and collected data to monitor the health of the stream. Students visually observed the characteristics of the stream, sketched and took notes about various plants and animals, conducted water chemistry tests, and collected and identified macroinvertebrates.

FRESHMAN SEMINAR PROGRAM To help ninth graders get acclimated to the rigor of Upper School, topics like leadership, sleep, healthy relationships, stress management, mental health, nutrition and study skills are discussed in the Freshman Seminar program. Watch a video at towerhill.org/bulletin.

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ATHLETICS

FALL AND WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS All of our Hillers sports teams had successful fall and winter seasons! Despite mask requirements, a delayed and shortened fall season, no JV teams and no fall state tournaments, all fall teams competed with grit and ended their seasons with winning records—and winter teams had impressive results at state championships.

FOOTBALL The football team had a successful 3-2 season. Head coach Kevin Waesco broke the football all-time win record at Tower Hill with 119 wins, surpassing Coach Bob DeGroat, when the Hillers defeated Wilmington Charter 33-15 on Oct. 31.

FIELD HOCKEY The field hockey team finished its season 7-1.

Congratulations to members of the field hockey team who earned all-state honors: Maggie Bailer ’21 - 1st team Caitlin Smith ’23 - 2nd team Annie Malatesta ’21 - 2nd team CROSS COUNTRY The cross country team had a successful season, and the girls’ team finished its season undefeated! Cross country captain Paige Zhang ’22 finished second with a time of 21:15 in the Brandywine Creek State Park Open Cross Country Championship. The event, which is open to all ages, is held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The all-time record on this course is 18:23, and a time of 21:30 is usually a top-10 finish on this course for a female runner.

Zhang helped to lead the girls’ team to an undefeated season, and she was also undefeated as an individual.

COLLEGE ATHLETICS On Nov. 17, Rylie Heflin ’21 signed a letter of intent to play golf at Duke next year. Congratulations, Rylie!

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL The girls’ basketball team ended the season with a 2-6 record, with many young players who will be back next year.

WRESTLING Drew Pratt ’23, Zayd Narvel ’21, Jack Duffy ’24, Anthony Lucian ’23, Jake Pena ’22, Keally Rohrbacher ’21, Richard Wang ’21 and Jacques de Ramel ’22 competed in the wrestling state championship in February. Lucian guaranteed a top-8 finish in the state at the initial meet and then placed sixth in the consolation bracket.

INDOOR TRACK Months of hard work, running in freezing rain, snow and bitter cold, and shoveling the track paid off for the boys’ and girls’ track team! On March 3, the Hillers competed in the Indoor Track “Polar Bear” Championship, which was held outside in Dover. The girls’ team placed 8th overall, and many Hillers placed in individual events.

VOLLEYBALL The girls’ volleyball team finished its season 7-2.

Congratulations to Chloe Sachs ’23, who was voted to the 3rd team All-State Volleyball Team for the 2020 season.

BOYS’ SOCCER The boys’ soccer team finished its season 7-1. Coach Chris Aitken was voted DISC Soccer Coach of the Year. Congratulations to members of the boys’ soccer team who earned all-state honors: Phin Pilson ’21 - 1st team Tommy Vanni ’23 - 2nd team Billy Nunn ’21 - 3rd team

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Tower Hill Athletics is now on Facebook! Follow along at facebook.com/hillerssports.

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BACK TO BACK

STATE CHAMPS

Back row: Sharon Reynolds, Lauren Gilbert ’22, Lila Fanelli ’24, Lindsay Kalish ’22, Lainey Mullins ’23, Sydney DeBaecke ’22, Julianna Malick ’23, Phoebe Gray ’24 and James Erhardt. Front row: Katie Sullivan ’21, Brooke Griffin ’23, Kayley Knackstedt ’22, Grace Gilbert ’24 and Victoria Phillips ’24

The girls’ swim team won the DIAA State Championship for the second consecutive year! In addition to the team win, Lainey Mullins ’23 won the 200 and 500 freestyles; Sydney DeBaecke ’22 won the 200 individual medley and came in second in the 100 backstroke; Grace Gilbert ’24, Brooke Griffin ’23, DeBaecke and Mullins won the 200 freestyle relay; and Kayley Knackstedt ’22, Griffin, DeBaecke and Mullins won the 400 freestyle relay.

BOYS’ SWIM TEAM PLACES THIRD The boys’ team placed third in the state championship for the second consecutive year. In addition to the boys’ third place team finish, Tom Conaty ’23 won the 50 freestyle; Matthew Spruance ’21 came in third place in the 100 butterfly and sixth place in backstroke; Jack Semmer ’22, Kieran Petrunich ’21, Spruance and Conaty came in third place in the 200 medley relay; and Spruance, Petrunich, William Zakielarz ’22 and Conaty were state champions in the 200 freestyle relay.

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James Erhardt, William Zakielarz ’22, Kieran Petrunich ’21, Matthew Spruance ’21, Yaseen Belkadi ’22, Tom Conaty ’23, Jack Semmer ’22, Jake Frietze ’22 and Sharon Reynolds

SCHOOL LIFE

HISTORIC SEASON BOYS’ BASKETBALL COMPETES IN FINAL FOUR

The boys’ basketball team made it to the Final Four in the DIAA State Tournament for the first time in Hiller history! The Hillers played #1 seed Sanford on March 11, losing 40-39 in the final seconds of the game. Congratulations to Coach Pat Kaiser ’02 and the entire team on an amazing, historymaking season!

Dean Shepherd ’23, Davis Bland ’22, Jaeden Fitzhugh ’21, Anthony Muscelli ’23, Archit Kambhamettu ’21, Patrick Sullivan ’23, Donoven Mack ’21, Robby Saunders ’24, Charles Habgood ’23, Leo Malik ’23, Dylan Shepherd ’23, Ricky Deadwyler ’21, D.J. McClendon ’22, Marty Coyne ’23 and Kenyon Motley ’22

A TRIBUTE TO COACH PATRICK KAISER ’02 “Last night’s boys’ semifinal basketball game was a genuine heart-breaker. I can’t remember having cried at a TH athletic contest in years, and I’ve seen thousands. I knew Patrick Kaiser ’02 when he was being toted around in his mom’s belly from class to class, field to field, and court to court. He literally grew up at TH. I watched him run through the PreK hallways and play basketball in the afternoons for years while his mom coached volleyball. I watched him excel as a three-season athlete. As a varsity quarterback, I taped his fractured mangled little finger (on his throwing hand with which he refused to have surgery) on a daily basis. I watched him get knocked down more ways than one and get right back up. I watched him evolve as a Lower School teacher to a Middle School teacher, and I witnessed the start and rise of his multi-sport coaching career right up until last night. He came up through Tower Hill having been taught and coached by some the greatest icons in TH history, and his mother is one of them. He is part of a legacy, which is how Tower Hill was built, why Tower Hill still stands and why Tower Hill has the reputation it does. He is as genuine and as authentic as Tower Hill legacy can get. Bleeding green and white, like his mom. So, having coached a phenomenal semifinal game against a historic Goliath team only to lose by one point in the final seconds ... is why this was such a heart-breaker. Institutional memory is important, and legacies like these that are few and far between are the hallmark of Tower Hill. They need to be told, and they make Tower Hill what it is today. Congratulations to you and your team, PK!” —Chris Morrow, Upper School faculty

Photo by Jim Graham

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OPENING DAYS

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3 1. Kindergarten teacher Michelle Coulter waves a “smile stick” at the opening faculty meeting.

2. A Lower Schooler smiles behind his mask as he goes to school. 3. Lower School students learn classroom rules. 4. An Upper School student goes over a class syllabus. 5. PreK teacher Theresa Shorey shares an inspiring message with colleagues at the opening meeting. 6. Upper School students take notes as classes begin.

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THS IN PHOTOS

OPENING DAYS

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9 10 7. Middle School science teacher Luisa Sawyer explains the new technology in her classroom. 8. An Upper School student raises his hand during class.

9. Middle School Spanish teacher Ida Leader teaches in a newly constructed classroom in Weaver Gym. 10. Head of Lower School Susan Miller and Tower Hill’s tiger mascot greet students. 11. Lower School students get a tour of the newly renovated dining facility, Kullman Commons.

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HALLOWEEN

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6 1., 3., 5. and 6. Lower School students parade around Markley Track; the event this year was streamed live for families to watch. 2. Assistant Head of Lower School Amy Bickhart and Head of Lower School Susan Miller help virtual learners participate in the parade. 4. Kindergarten teacher Patty Vattilana dresses up as a “Dunkin’ Donut.”

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THS IN PHOTOS

THANKSGIVING

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1. Seniors create a “web of unity” at the annual Thanksgiving assembly. 2. Director of Mindfulness and Middle School history teacher Andrea Sarko leads an all-school mindfulness activity. 3. School Nurse Lexy Herbein, R.N., and nursing assistant Jessica Hart are recognized. 4. Fourth graders, eighth graders and seniors gather on DeGroat Field for the Thanksgiving assembly; all other grades tune in via Zoom from their classrooms. 5. Administrative assistants Stacy Palmer, Kerry King-Brown, Cheryl Saxton, Tracey Bradley and Linda Ogden are recognized.

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TREE TRIM

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1. A Lower School student adds her ornament—filled with hopes and dreams for the future—on one of the traveling unity trees that made its way across campus the morning of Tree Trim. 2. Shazi Jadali ’21 shares remarks at the tree lighting ceremony. 3. Theater Department Chair Matt Kator pushes a unity tree into a Lower School classroom. 4. Middle School science teacher Sharon Reynolds and remote students pose in front of the tree. 5.

Middle School students pose with the tree. 6. Sam DuPree ’21 listens to speakers at Tree Trim.

THS IN PHOTOS

ARTS

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3 1. Students work on projects in the woodshop. 2. A Middle Schooler practices the violin in orchestra. 3. Theater Department Chair Matt Kator leads a lesson on creating food props in eighth grade theater class. 4. A Lower Schooler sings and does sign language in music class. 5. Lily Pedano ’21 works on a portrait in Advanced Studio Art. 6. Theater teacher Tori Healy leads an improv activity in sixth grade theater.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS 1

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1. Daily physical education, albeit in masks, brought students many benefits. 2. Kory Trott ’07 gave a presentation on “Research Ethics: Conducting Ethical Research During a Pandemic.” 3. Dan Barouch, M.D., spoke to students about his work on COVID-19 vaccine development. 4. During Winterim, a twoday Upper School program focused on well-being and life skills, faculty and students enjoyed a little pet therapy. 5. Middle School students demonstrate proper physical distancing at a “This is 6 ft” reminder.

6. Lower Schoolers made models of COVID-19, with sprinkles representing the spikes on the virus. 7. The Communications Office and health team created a Returning to Campus video modeling health and safety practices.

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1. Director of Service Learning Andrea Sarko, pictured with her children, organized a personal items and canned food drive benefiting Lutheran Community Services over the summer. 2. A Middle School student makes Halloween treat bags for children at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

3. A Middle Schooler makes sandwiches for Emmanuel Dining Room. 4. Lower Schoolers count the number of food donations collected during Hiller Harvest, which supported Lutheran Community Services; Lower Schoolers collected over 1,000 items!

5. Assistant Head of Upper School Eduardo Silva and Upper School history teacher Amanda Jennings assist at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. 6. Upper School students organize items donated during the MLK Day Drive, which supported The Delaware Food Bank, Mom’s House of Wilmington, The Ministry of Caring and Lutheran Community Services.

THS IN PHOTOS

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SERVICE

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Tower Hill Athletic Hall of Fame With more than 70 state titles, multiple Hiller Olympians and a century-long commitment to physical education, Tower Hill has a storied history of excellence in athletics. To celebrate the achievements and contributions of exceptional athletes and coaches, the school is launching the Tower Hill Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.

The Hall of Fame will be made up of members of the Tower Hill community who have distinguished themselves as extraordinary student athletes, coaches, faculty, administrators and contributors. A committee of alumni, coaches and faculty past and present reviewed 30 nominations, weighing criteria such as athleticism, awards received, leadership and overall impact on sports at Tower Hill. After spirited discussion and much deliberation, the list narrowed to the following six members of the inaugural class. We salute the following Hillers for their contributions to Tower Hill’s athletic legacy, and we look forward to celebrating these inductees at a special ceremony during Homecoming this fall.

Save the date

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HOMECOMING

RULY CARPENTER ’58

Ruly Carpenter ’58 was first-team all-state for an undefeated football program, third-team all-state in basketball and a semi-pro outfielder into his mid-twenties. He went on to own the Phillies and is a member of both the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame and the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.

Carpenter is pictured fourth from right (#16).

STEVE HYDE ’59

Former faculty member and coach Steve Hyde ’59 lettered in football, basketball and baseball and was the boys’ athletic award winner in 1959. He coached football from 1974 to 1988, earning six conference titles, and baseball from 1974 to 2000, earning 12 conference titles as head coach. He is the only inaugural inductee to both attend and coach at Tower Hill.

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NANCY KEITH LEFEVRE ’53

Nancy Keith LeFevre ’53 holds the Tower Hill record for most varsity letters at 16: six in field hockey, five in basketball, three in softball and two in tennis.

Top left: LeFevre is pictured in the first row, fourth from right. Bottom left: LeFevre is pictured in the second row, far left.

BETTY RICHARDSON

Betty Richardson’s 16-year field hockey coaching career at Tower Hill extended from 1974 to 1989.

Her field hockey teams won four Delaware state championships, her first coming in 1974—the first year of state championship competition. Three of her four wins were consecutive, 1980-1982. She also had three second place finishes and a total of nine “final four” finishes. She also served as Tower Hill’s director of girls’ athletics.

Far left: Richardson pictured with Mary Stuart Gamble Freydberg ’83 after the field hockey team’s third consecutive state championship in 1982.

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HOMECOMING

KEN WILLIAMS ’76

Ken Williams ’76 was the first Delaware high school athlete to triple jump 46 feet, and he holds the state record in the 180-yard low hurdles. He won nine state track championships and set meet records in all three of his events (high hurdles, intermediate hurdles and triple jump) at the NCC meet his senior year. A member of the basketball team, he broke Al Nichols’ career basketball scoring record. On the football team, he was a running back who was twice all-conference on both offense and defense. He is a member of the Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame.

In the team photo, Williams is pictured fifth from the right (#40).

CAITLIN VAN SICKLE ’08

A 2016 Olympian, Caitlin Van Sickle ’08 was Delaware’s most decorated high school athlete in 20072008. She was Delaware’s player of the year in both field hockey and lacrosse, as well as secondteam all-state in basketball, where she was the Hillers’ point guard for four years. She was named all-American defender in field hockey three times at UNC, which she helped to the 2009 national championship. She was a member of the U.S. Olympic field hockey team in 2016 and was a member of the U.S. National Team over the past five years.

Right: Van Sickle, who spoke at the All-School Opening Assembly in 2016, pictured with Head of School Bessie Speers and former head varsity field hockey coach and P.E. faculty member Robin Adair Harvey.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

PIXAR PRESIDENT JIM MORRIS ’73 SPEAKS AT VIRTUAL HOMECOMING 2020 As part of Tower Hill’s first virtual Homecoming and Reunion, Pixar President Jim Morris ’73 gave a Virtual Tower Talk for the Tower Hill community on Oct. 24 via Zoom (pictured above).

Morris has overseen films like Inside Out, Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, Cars 2 and 3, Incredibles 3, Coco and, most recently, Soul. He also produced Wall-E, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2009.

Prior to joining Pixar, Morris worked for 17 years at Lucasfilm, where he supervised a staff of 1,400 artists and technicians and oversaw the creation of the special effects for Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Pirates of the Caribbean and three Harry Potter films, among others.

During his presentation, Morris shared about his time at Tower Hill, his career path, his love of feature and animated movies and Pixar’s approach to filmmaking.

In particular, he reflected on his time spent in Tower Hill’s black-and-white photo lab that was adjacent to a chemistry classroom and how that piqued his interest in photography and film.

“The great thing was that I had several teachers at the time who actually let me submit movies instead of papers, so I had support from the school to make

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these little films,” Morris said. “Instead of my U.S. history paper I turned in a film instead, and I actually felt like I’d gotten away with something, even though I probably spent 50 times the hours on the film as I would have on the paper.”

Growing up in Delaware, which Morris said wasn’t exactly the film capital of the world, he never really thought about film as something other than a hobby and something that intrigued him. In fact, it wasn’t until he was a junior in high school and planning to go to college for psychology that his English teacher, Jim Wood, encouraged him to go to film school instead.

“It hadn’t occurred to me that I could do that,” Morris said. “I wouldn’t be doing this at all had it not been for Tower Hill and those opportunities and the support from everyone.”

During the Virtual Tower Talk, Morris also gave a sneak peek of Pixar’s latest film, Soul, which was released on Disney Plus on Christmas Day. The presentation was followed by a question and answer session. Watch the full Tower Talk at towerhill.org/ alumni.

HOMECOMING

VIRTUAL TOWER TALKS

Beginning last spring, many alumni have shared their experiences through Virtual Tower Talks on topics ranging from art, medicine, writing, cooking and more.

KATE LEMAY, PH.D., ’97

Kate Lemay, Ph.D., ’97 gave an insider’s look to curating an exhibition and an early celebration of the women’s suffrage centennial. Lemay is a historian at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery where she curated “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence” and authored its accompanying catalog of the same name, published by Princeton University Press.

GERARD BALTAZAR, D.O., ’98

On the COVID frontline since his neighborhood in New Rochelle became an American pandemic epicenter, Gerard Baltazar, D.O., ’98, a trauma and intensive care surgeon at NYU Langone Health, has treated and performed medical research for critically-ill COVID patients at multiple centers.

DAVID LARNED ’95

David Larned ’95, a portrait, landscape and still life painter, gave a tour of his art studio. Larned has a successful career in portraiture and landscape painting, with subjects including Delaware First Ladies and corporate CEOs, and received many accolades, including his distinction as a repeat semi-finalist in the National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait Competition.

ANISHA ABRAHAM, M.D., M.P.H., ’86

Anisha Abraham, M.D., M.P.H., ’86 discussed her new book, Raising Global Teens: Parenting in the 21st Century. The book explores the hot topics that adolescents experience today in the context of our modern, mobile world.

ELIZABETH MCMILLAN SPLAINE ’86

Elizabeth (Beth) McMillan Splaine ’86 is the author of the Dr. Julian Stryker series of Blind thrillers, as well as Devil’s Grace, which was released on Nov. 11 and was the winner of the When Words Count writing competition.

TYLER AKIN ’02

Tyler Akin ’02, chef-partner at Le Cavalier at the historic Hotel Du Pont, hosted a Virtual Tower Talk and cooking demonstration. Akin and participants prepared short rib bourguignon, a signature dish at Le Cav.

VIRTUAL WINE TASTING

Hosted by Brian Allard and Gerret Copeland ’57, Tower Hill community members were virtually transported to the beautiful Napa Valley for a special evening of live conversation and wine tasting with Bouchaine Vineyards.

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ALUMNI AWARDS

The 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award and Young Alumni Award were presented during Tower Hill’s Virtual Homecoming on Oct. 24. Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74 received the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award, and Curtis Smith ’99 received the 2020 Young Alumni Award. Both are pictured below during the Zoom event, which can be viewed at towerhill.org/bulletin.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74 is the CEO of 3D printing company Carbon and former CEO of DuPont. DuPont’s board of directors elected Kullman president and a director of the company in October 2008 and chief executive officer in January 2009. She was the 19th executive and the first woman to lead the company in its 212year history. During her seven years as CEO, Kullman led the company’s focus on growth in emerging international markets and championed the power of DuPont science and global market knowledge to transform industries. Prior to joining DuPont in 1988, Kullman worked for Westinghouse and General Electric.

Kullman served on Tower Hill’s board of trustees from 2007 to 2020 and served as vice chair from 2010 to 2019.

She also chaired the compensation committee from 2018-2020 and was on multiple committees throughout her trustee tenure. In addition to being a Tower Hill alum herself, Kullman’s three children—Maggie ’08, David ’12 and Stephen ’12—are graduates of Tower Hill.

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

After graduating from Tower Hill, Curtis Smith, Jr. ’99 attended the College of William & Mary, where he ran track and received a degree in information technology. In 2003, he moved to Oklahoma to work as an IT analyst for the ConocoPhillips Company. In 2007, he accepted a special agent position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was assigned to Fresno, California, after completing new agent training. After a subsequent assignment in Los Angeles, he was promoted to a supervisory position in Washington, D.C., and he is currently a supervisory special agent in the bureau’s New York Field Office. Smith’s FBI career has focused on cyber and criminal investigations, and he was an FBI certified computer forensic examiner and cyber investigations instructor. Outside of work, he has retained his interest in track and field, volunteering as a coach on several occasions when his schedule allows, including at the youth, high school and college level.

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HOMECOMING

2020 ZOOM REUNION PHOTOS Save the date IN-PERSON REUNION FOR CLASSES ENDING IN 0, 1, 5 AND 6 WILL TAKE PLACE ON OCT. 2, 2021 Class of 1970

Class of 1960

Class of 1965

Class of 1975

Class of 1980

Class of 1990

Class of 2000 Tower Hill Bulletin

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VIRTUAL CAREER DAY

Many Tower Hill alumni and parents shared their professional experiences with Upper School students in October for Career Day. Students attended virtual panels on law, nonprofits, science, self-employment, education, finance, medicine and technology. Since this year’s event was virtual, alumni from all over the country were able to share their experiences.

CALIFORNIA

Andrew Fong ’99 San Francisco (Technology)

ARIZONA

• Jennifer Jewett Misra ’98 Scottsdale (Non-Profit)

WASHINGTON

• Marianna Hyman Wickman ’90 Seattle (Technology)

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TEXAS

• Eva Cambre Bisso ’91 Houston (Self-Employed)

ALUMNI

STAY CONNECTED WITH ALUMNIFIRE Several Hillers have already joined our new alumni networking platform, Alumnifire! Through Alumnifire, you can be a mentor, provide informational interviews and/or offer career advice to current Tower Hill students. Alumnifire also serves as a way to connect with fellow alumni and Tower Hill’s professional community. Sign up at towerhill.org/alumni.

NEW YORK

OHIO

• Hannah Grossman Singerman ’00 Cleveland (Self-Employed)

• Gerard Baltazar, D.O. ’98 New Rochelle (Medical) • Elizabeth Fortunato ’02 Brooklyn (Self-Employed) • Kathryn Fortunato ’02 Brooklyn (Self-Employed) • Zion Thomas ’13 Brooklyn (Technology) • Marcia Layton Turner ’83 Rochester (Self-Employed)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Michael Kelley ’88 Kennett Square (Financial Services) • Giselle Johnson Booker ’99 West Chester (Medical) • Heidi Johnson Davis ’01 Philadelphia (Medical)

NEW JERSEY

• Erica Bickhart Berger ’08 Jersey City (Education)

MARYLAND

• Alexander Denstman ’00 Belvedere Air (Nonprofit)

FLORIDA

• Catherine Brown-Butler ’82 Orlando (Financial Services) Camille Williams Evans ’97 Orlando (Law) • Matthew Gehrke ’94 West Palm Beach (Self-Employed)

DELAWARE

• Ashley Altschuler ’90 Greenville (Law) • Peter Bradshaw Wilmington (Financial) • Catherine Glen ’09 Hockessin (Medical) • Janel Hall ’16 Wilmington (Education) • Lisa McQueen Wilmington (Science) • Benjamin Messmore, Ph.D. Wilmington (Science) • Melissa Martinenza Newell ’99 Wilmington (Medical) • Kirsten Olson ’89 Wilmington (Education) • Andrea Trippitelli Valentine ’89 Wilmington (Education) • Samir Yezdani, M.D. ’09 New Castle (Medical)

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ALUMNI

CARY LAI, PH.D. ’94

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Q&A WITH AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Cary Lai, Ph.D., ’94 is an associate professor in the Biology Department at the University of San Francisco (USF). Prior to USF, he worked as a scientist in the biotechnology field at Genentech and LakePharma. He earned undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry at M.I.T., completed his Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley in the Molecular and Cell Biology Department and was a postdoctoral fellow at M.I.T. Why do you do what you do?

I loved certain aspects of doing research at biotechnology companies—for example the excitement of scientific discovery and working on projects that could turn into the next important cancer or HIV drug. What I always missed was teaching and mentoring students though, something that I first got experience doing as a part of my Ph.D. studies. The most satisfying aspect of my job as a professor at USF is helping to train the scholars and scientists of this next generation.

Has the biotechnology program at the University of San Francisco adapted its curriculum and/or research in an effort to combat COVID-19?

Many of my current and former students who work in the biotechnology field quickly shifted to developing new tests and therapies for COVID-19.

For example, one of my former students, Shahrad Daraeikia at Centivax Inc., helped developed COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies that are in clinical trials right now as a treatment for infected patients. Another one of my former students, Sarah Ives at Distributed Bio, was awarded a Gates Foundation grant for her work on universal viral vaccines and was featured in the Netflix docuseries Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak.

What was the transition to remote teaching like last spring? What was your experience teaching remotely like this past fall?

The transition from in-person teaching to online teaching was rapid and unexpected. The San Francisco Bay Area was the first locality in the U.S. to issue a shelter-in-place order last March, and there was no way that I would have predicted that would happen just days before the order. My lecturebased classes quickly shifted to being taught online through Zoom. My lab-based classes offered a bigger

challenge, and I had to adjust the contents of the courses quickly to account for the lack of in-person labs.

USF has continued with only remote classes through the fall 2020 semester, although research labs with a limited number of graduate students were able to reopen on campus mid-summer. We plan on beginning to hold in-person lab classes again in the spring 2021 semester. All in-person classes and research involve smaller numbers of students in the labs with social distancing and personal protective equipment used.

What was your experience like at Tower Hill?

I was at Tower Hill for the full 14 years—from prekindergarten all the way through 12th Grade.

Being at one school for so long was really a special experience—I treasure the fact that I was able to grow up with so many of my classmates from early childhood all the way through young adulthood.

How do you feel that Tower Hill influenced your life and career?

The most valuable part of my Tower Hill experience were the wonderful teachers that I had through those years. Now that my daughters are in school, I see the pivotal role that a good teacher can make on their education and development.

Just as one example, one of my favorite classes was AP European History with Dr. [Ellis] Wasson. As someone who has always been STEM-focused, I was never particularly interested in the subject matter of this class, and I never took another history class after that one. Despite that, I still utilize things that I learned from Dr. Wasson in my life and work regularly today—particularly his lessons on presenting opposing arguments.

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Back row: Joelle Evans, Shawniqua Williams Roberson ’90, Helen Easterling Williams; Front row: Albert Roberson, Joshua Evans, Camille Williams Evans ’97, Joey Evans

THE WILLIAMS FAMILY

FORMER TRUSTEE HELEN EASTERLING WILLIAMS, ED.D., SHAWNIQUA WILLIAMS ROBERSON, M.D., ’90 AND CAMILLE WILLIAMS EVANS, J.D., ’97 Q&A WITH HEATHER WEYMOUTH LOWRY ’97, DIRECTOR OF THE ANNUAL FUND

HELEN EASTERLING WILLIAMS, ED.D.

Helen Easterling Williams, Ed.D., is the dean of the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP). Williams, a lifelong educator, has served over three decades in higher education leadership. Prior to assuming her role at GSEP in August 2014, Williams was the president of Health Education & Welfare International, a firm that provides consultative services designed to improve the health, education and welfare of individuals, faith-based organizations, higher education institutions and elementary and secondary educational organizations. She served on Tower Hill’s Board of Trustees from 1995-2006.

Tell me about your experience on the Tower Hill Board of Trustees.

I was the first African American female on Tower Hill’s board. I actually was not invited to be on the board; my husband at the time was invited, and he said “Oh, you got this wrong. The one you need is my wife. She’s the one that you need on the board, not me.”

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decided this was an opportunity that I should take. I needed to represent the families of color at Tower Hill and thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for me professionally. I served on the scholarship committee and the finance committee, and I learned an awful lot. That experience served me well, and it continues to serve me well as I serve on other committees.

I had a really good time working

with Tim Golding and others to bring diversity to the forefront at Tower Hill. With the help of the Forum established by the Rappolt family, we brought Danny Glover to speak. It was phenomenal work. We also developed PAATH, Parents of African-Americans at Tower Hill.

We wrote the founding documents for that, and it was approved by the board. I’m glad to know PAATH is still going!

SHAWNIQUA WILLIAMS ROBERSON, M.D., ’90

Williams Roberson has served on a number of boards and committees throughout her career, currently serving on the American Academy of Neurology Guidelines and Meeting Management subcommittees, the editorial board of Neurology Today, the Professional Advisory Board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Middle and Eastern Tennessee, the VUMC Early Career Physician Council and the VUMC Department of Neurology Diversity Committee.

ALUMNI

Shawniqua Williams Roberson, M.D., ’90 is an epileptologist and clinical neurophysiologist with dual appointments in the Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. Her focus of work lies at the intersection of clinical neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, engineering and critical care.

Williams Roberson completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She later earned her M.D. with Honors in Research at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Who were some of your favorite teachers?

Mr. Golding was my college counselor, and he recommended I apply to MIT. That was so way far out of my thought process, but the idea that someone would think highly enough of me from an academic perspective, highly enough to push me a little bit, and say, “Hey, go take it a step up!”—that was awesome. He was just extraordinarily influential and

important in my life. A number of people there—Cory Bailey, Debbie Kaiser, Bob DiNigris, Stu Markley and Jack Smith—I think each saw potential in me that I was blind to.

Before coming to Tower Hill in fifth grade, I visited a history class taught

by P. Edward Hughes, and he was someone who I remember very well.

I was very intrigued by his social and cultural history class. Cathy Curry and Bernadette Richardson were amazing. They arranged a

two-week summer trip to France, and Madame Richardson arranged for me to stay with her sister in France for extra time after the Tower Hill trip ended. While it was supposed to be two extra weeks in France with Madame Richardson’s sister, it turned into six weeks due to an airline strike! It was a very influential trip as it was during that time that I had this epiphany that I needed to come back, and I did later in my career.

CAMILLE WILLIAMS EVANS, J.D., ’97

A banking and financial services attorney by trade, and community builder by passion, Camille Williams Evans, J.D., ’97, managing partner at Virtus LLP, most commonly serves as counsel to banks, issuers, borrowers and trustees on private and publicly offered project and public finance transactions. Her transaction experience includes the sectors of general government, aviation, healthcare, tollroads, utilities, K-12 education, higher education, special districts and nonprofits.

Evans was most recently recognized in the 2020 edition of Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite™, in the Banking and Financial category, an honor bestowed on just over 1% of active Florida Bar members. She was also recognized in the 2021 and 2020 editions of Best Lawyers in America; as one of Orlando Magazine’s 2020 Best Lawyers; one of the Orlando Business Journal’s top “40 Under 40” in 2016; and as one of Onyx Magazine’s 2017 Women on the Move.

She obtained her B.A. in public policy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D., cum laude, from Florida State University College of Law. Who were some of your favorite teachers?

I had an incredible experience with Mr. Golding. The fact that I was as high performing of a student as I was, I didn’t always feel that way.

He did an excellent job of leading Tower Hill while creating educational opportunities that were more personal. We had things like urban studies and Mr. Robinson’s history of jazz class. One of the things that just stands out for me is that Mr. Golding was also my college advisor,

and the advocacy that I experienced through his role really stood out to me because while I had in-house advocates of several good teachers, the ownership of my success was not something I got at every turn. Mr. Golding for me was so refreshing because he was probably at times even more committed to making sure I was successful than I had the maturity to do myself. I also loved Señora Caimi, Señor Duprez, Ms. T [Tjersland], Coach Kaiser and even our athletic trainers who taught me

how to tape an ankle. Tower Hill did a good job of allowing teachers to have their space to really impact people’s lives. There was not as much of a hierarchy as you see at other places with silos of reading, writing and arithmetic. It was really that Multa Bene Facta concept where teachers also coached and were your advisors. Tower Hill gave students refreshing experiences that gave them the freedom and the comfort to learn yet still have high expectations of each student.

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An Investment in People, Programs and Partnerships

The Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign is raising $19.19 million, in honor of the school’s founding year of 1919, to fund initiatives critical to our success in the next century.

With $17,150,000 raised to date, Tower Hill is 89% of the way toward the goal. This comprehensive campaign bundles endowment support and capital and program initiatives with the Annual Fund.

The result is a single, integrated fundraising effort that strengthens and expands programs today and provides financial strength in the long term.

The Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign provides a path forward to accomplishing goals identified in the school’s strategic plan. The campaign has already resulted in the opening of the Experiential Outdoor Classroom, where Lower School students learn, play and grow outside in a dynamic educational environment. Financial aid is expanding thanks to the creation of eight new endowed scholarships, and faculty development offerings have broadened to empower teachers in meeting professional and pedagogical aims. The student experience is being enhanced through programs and partnerships now secure for years to come. The following pages provide campaign updates, and the next issue of the Bulletin will highlight the full impact of Tower Hill 100.

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CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES Investing in Faculty

PEOPLE Financial Aid and Affordability

PROGRAMS

Exhilarating Academic Program

PARTNERSHIPS

Building an Engaged and Diverse Community

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

8

New Endowed Scholarships

Experiential Outdoor Classroom Opened

$5 Million+ Added to Endowment

TOWER HILL 100

MAJOR GIFTS TO DATE

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KULLMAN COMMONS

NEW SPACE ALLOWS FOR FLEXIBILITY DURING PANDEMIC Kullman Commons, an expansion of the school’s dining facilities to enclose the courtyard adjacent to the dining room, was completed prior to the start of the 2020-2021 school year.

The space is named in honor of the Kullman family and in appreciation of their transformational leadership gift to the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign for faculty innovation and financial aid.

While the pandemic couldn’t have been predicted when the school broke ground on the space in the spring of 2019, the space has been essential this year, allowing for proper distancing between students during lunch. Kullman Commons is also used for study halls and for indoor gym time for Tower Hill’s youngest students when it isn’t possible to go outside.

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“The timing was really fortuitous—obviously when we broke ground we didn’t foresee the pandemic,” Associate Head of School Anthony Pisapia said. “It’s been an incredible asset to the school at a time when we really need all the space that we have.”

In non-COVID times, Kullman Commons will continue to be the heart of the main building.

“It’s a place where we can meet and gather, and it really fulfills the promise of our strategic plan, which is about building community and creating opportunities to learn together in new ways,” Pisapia said. “Kullman Commons is one of the most flexible spaces we have. It will be used in many ways that are connected to learning and our ability to be united as one school.”

TOWER HILL 100

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SECOND CENTURY CIRCLE DONORS SUPPORT TOWER HILL AT LEADERSHIP LEVEL

BY KRISTIN MUMFORD, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Second Century Circle participants, who support Tower Hill with gifts at the $1,000 level and above, gathered via Zoom in November 2020.

Tower Hill recognizes our generous leadership donors through the Second Century Circle, established in celebration of the start of Tower Hill’s next 100 years of excellence. Parents, alumni and friends can join the Second Century Circle by making a gift of $1,000 or more to Tower Hill each fiscal year, which begins on July 1 and concludes on June 30.

Participation in the Second Century Circle advances Tower Hill’s mission to prepare students from diverse backgrounds for full and creative engagement with a dynamic world. This crucial philanthropic support makes a profound impact on the educational experience of Tower Hill students and teachers today and into the future.

Any gift of $1,000 or above qualifies for the Second Century Circle, whether unrestricted or allocated to a specific area such as financial aid, academic programs, athletics, faculty development, campus preservation, the arts or technology and innovation.

Thank you to all our generous Second Century Circle donors, who will be listed in the Donor Honor Roll section of the next Bulletin!

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The Second Century Circle serves to: • SUPPORT Tower Hill School with leadership gifts of $1,000 or more • PROMOTE active interest and participation in the life of the school among alumni, parents and friends • ENCOURAGE an exemplary standard of giving in support of Tower Hill • PROVIDE opportunities for Circle members to engage with school leaders

TOWER HILL 100

MEMORIAL FUND ESTABLISHED IN MEMORY OF DWAYNE HICKS ’86 (1968–2020)

BY TRACY GRAHAM WENZINGER ’86

I met Dwayne on my first day of Middle School at Tower Hill. I remember his huge smile. I was one of 18 new students admitted in the fall of 1978 to THS. Dwayne had been a Hiller since Lower School. I think he made a point of welcoming each of the new students. Over the next eight years, I got to know Dwayne very well. I was proud to call him one of my best friends.

AN ATHLETE, A MUSICIAN, A POET Although we all learn to be well-rounded at Tower Hill, most of us tend to have a predominant strength.

Dwayne was truly Multa Bene Facta; he excelled in all areas. In sports, he earned 14 varsity letters in football, wrestling and track. In music, he sang in the chorus and played the drums. In academics, he was a solid student in all his subjects; his favorite was English, especially poetry. Perhaps because he was well-rounded, everyone knew Dwayne. He was either in one of your academic classes, sat next to you in band or chorus or was on your sports team. He would greet you with a smile and genuinely ask you how you were doing. He would offer you a helping hand.

THE BIG, GREEN FIGHTING MACHINE Even though he played varsity sports year round, he was the unofficial head of SPIRIT for the whole school. At pep rallies, between volleyball matches or halftime at a night basketball game, he would appear in a green cape and begin leading the crowd in a rousing T-H-S! He raised school spirit to an all time high. He was the BIG, GREEN FIGHTING MACHINE. LIFE AFTER THS After graduation, Dwayne went on to study business at both William & Mary and Delaware State. He continued playing football at college and ran the radio station in addition to studying business and marketing.

He went on to work for several insurance companies and later formed his own company. He helped ensure that companies did not overcharge consumers for products, especially in low income neighborhoods. He remained in a band, always the drummer.

Even though I moved to California for college, and later moved to Africa and then Europe to live, I always stayed in touch with Dwayne. He always greeted me with the same smile and sincere warmth as he did the first day we met. Unfortunately in the last few years he suffered several health crises, and last

October succumbed to COVID-19 while recovering from an operation.

When I reached out to our fellow classmates to share the sad news, Dwayne managed to give us one last smile. In his honor, the Class of 1986 has established a memorial fund in his name at Tower Hill.

All contributions to the Dwayne B. Hicks ’86 Memorial Fund support the Non-Tuition Student Assistance Fund at Tower Hill, which helps families who receive financial aid cover the additional costs of books, athletic equipment and technology needs, enabling these students to participate in all aspects of student life. To ensure this fund reaches the minimum endowment level of $50,000, thereby honoring Dwayne’s memory in perpetuity at Tower Hill, an anonymous donor has offered a $1:$1 match for all donations (to a maximum of $50,000) to this fund.

Starting in the 2021-2022 season, the annual Spotlight Wrestling Match will be renamed The Dwayne B. Hicks Memorial Spotlight Wrestling Match. At this annual match, the Dwayne B. Hicks ’86 Memorial Award will be presented to the Upper School wrestler who encompasses Dwayne’s core character values of generosity, perseverance and enthusiastic teamwork.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE If making your gift online at towerhill.org/makeagift, please select “Endowment” and specify the Dwayne B. Hicks ’86 Memorial Fund. Checks can be made payable to Tower Hill School with “Dwayne Hicks Memorial Fund” in the memo line and sent to the Tower Hill School Advancement Office, 2013 W. 17th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806.

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REMEMBRANCES BOB BEHR (1933-2021)

He was passionate about literature, both the canon and otherwise, teaching up to three different courses in a semester. He developed a curriculum on expository writing that landed him an assignment to teach a weekly Senior Composition seminar to all 12th graders, who termed it Behr Day. Classical scholars would remind us that Rhetoric is one of the seven liberal arts.

He was the editor of The Search for Black Identity, a textbook published by Independent School Press in 1970 that was used in more than 100 schools and colleges.

He created the Tutor Corps, focusing students’ energy on social service. At its height, close to one-third of Tower Hill’s student body spent an evening weekly at First & Olivet Presbyterian Church, at Fourth and Rodney Streets, each working with an elementary school student over the course of the year.

Bob Behr, who made Upper School students into better writers, and many of them into more accomplished athletes than they ever imagined, died on March 14 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he lived for the 40 years after he completed his two decades at Tower Hill.

With innovative training techniques, study of physiology and love of the sport, he had track and field coaching success that was unprecedented in Delaware and influential beyond the state’s borders, developing a small-school powerhouse and helping create competitive women’s track in Delaware.

A graduate of Williams College, where he was the New England college 440 champion, with school records that he never once mentioned to his students, he came to Tower Hill in 1962 after Air Force service as a pilot in the Strategic Air Command, on the suggestion of a classmate, the son of Herb Oviatt, Tower Hill’s dean of students and founder of the track program.

Within two years, he took the field’s smallest school to the New Castle County track championship, behind Chuck Hobbs ’65, Bill Neff ’65, Mac Thornton ’65, Alex Nichols ’64 and Ted Cronin ’64.

He coached the state’s first sub-50 second quarter miler (Hobbs), 13-foot pole vaulter (Neff), sub-4:20 miler (Jeff Brokaw ’69), sub-19.5 low hurdler (Ken Williams ’76), 49-foot triple jumper (Ty Roberts ’79) and 6-11 high jumper (John Carroll ’81). He was equally attentive to and demanding of his sub-JV runners.

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For 13 years, he was a sprinting consultant for the Phillies. For 15 years, he was the Delaware correspondent for Sports Illustrated.

In his spare time, he led the development of women’s track in Delaware, coaching Ginger Smith ’66 and four other local women to the Olympic Trials. Smith led a Tower Hill team with Carter Coates ’66, Gail Straub ’67 and Dede Hardy ’69 to the Penn Relays high school girls’ 4x110 relay championship. In 2017, he was elected to the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, where dozens of his former students gathered to honor him. His acceptance speech was concise and modest, without a wasted word.

In 1981, he returned to Williams, serving for 35 years in alumni relations and development, while also volunteering as an assistant track coach and developing a pioneering program in alumni-faculty travel tours. Throughout his retirement, he was the public address announcer at home track meets. He received the Joseph’s Coat Award, among Ephs’ highest alumni honors, at his 60th reunion.

He is survived by his wife Carolyn, an educator whose civic leadership included serving as chair of the local school board, two children, Brad and Alison ’91, and two grandchildren.

—Chuck Durante ’69

CHARLES GUMMEY (1941-2020)

Meg Gummey Lenher ’61, Charlie Gummey, Michael Gummey ’90, Charlie Quimby ’17, Harry Quimby ’17, Lea Gummey Quimby ’86 and Winkie Fairman Gummey ’61 at Graduation in 2017.

Former Tower Hill trustee, parent and grandparent Charles “Charlie” Gummey passed away on Dec. 23, 2020, at the age of 79. Gummey was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and spent his childhood in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, before attending Chestnut Hill Academy, Westminster School and Washington and Lee University.

Gummey served on Tower Hill’s Board of Trustees from 1984-2007, serving as president from 1996-2000, secretary from 1993-1996 and on the Development, Executive and Personnel Committees and the Committee on Trustees.

Gummey worked at the Wilmington Trust Company for 43 years, retiring in 2006 as a Vice President and Managing Director in the Trust Department.

In retirement, he served as Secretary of the Marmot Foundation, as well as a consultant for Wilmington Trust. He also served on the board as both President and Trustee for the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, the Wilmington Club, the Delaware Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and Delaware Wildlands.

His dedication to service was recognized through a series of awards, including the Brandywine Association of Fundraising Professionals Award, the Bank of America Local Hero Award and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Philanthropy Day Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gummey also received an honorary degree from Tower Hill and was a recipient of the school’s Founders’ Achievement Award.

“Charlie’s legacy has made an invaluable impact on Tower Hill School,” said Ruly Carpenter ’58, former trustee and longtime friend of Gummey. “Serving on the board with him was an honor, and he was the kind of person that didn’t give lip service—he just got the job done, and he got it done well.”

An avid outdoorsman and gifted athlete, Gummey enjoyed hunting, fishing, maintaining his Pennsylvania property and coaching his children and grandchildren in all sports. He also spent several summers on the coaching staff of the Grand Slam Diamonds, a local baseball team for college and professional bound players. While at Washington and Lee, he received honorable mention All-American recognition in both football and lacrosse and was inducted into the W&L Athletic Hall of Fame. Gummey was a constant fixture at University of Delaware football and baseball games and spent countless hours on the Tower Hill athletic fields watching his children and grandchildren compete for the Hillers.

“Charlie Gummey had a certain twinkle in his eye, a wit and wisdom that I will miss dearly,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “He was one of the first people we met when we moved to Wilmington. His love for Tower Hill was true green.”

Gummey is survived by his wife of 56 years, Winkie Fairman Gummey ’61, his two children, Lea Gummey Quimby ’86 and Michael Gummey ’90, and four grandchildren, two of whom—Charlie Quimby ’17 and Harry Quimby ’17—are Tower Hill alumni.

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JAMES FLYNN (1933-2020) “You could always find Jimmy Flynn in the Tower Hill stands cheering on our teams,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “He made you feel like he knew you for a long time.”

Four of Flynn’s six children—current trustee Jack Flynn, M.D., ’81, Terry Flynn ’85, Dan Flynn ’89 and Michael Flynn ’91—are Tower Hill alumni, and six of his 16 grandchildren have attended Tower Hill.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Flynn Family Scholarship Fund at Tower Hill School, which was inspired by the sacrifices made by Jimmy and Fran Flynn, both Delaware teachers, to give their children extraordinary educations and to pay their vision forward.

The Flynn family—Terry ’85, Michael ’91, Dan ’89 and Jack ’81— with their father, Jimmy. Photo by Jim Graham.

Former Tower Hill football coach and parent James “Jimmy” Flynn passed away on Dec. 17, 2020, at the age of 87.

A star University of Delaware athlete and longtime Blue Hens coach, Flynn also served on coach Steve Hyde’s football staff at Tower Hill.

Flynn was honored to be inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, UD Athletic Hall of Fame, Delaware Track & Field Hall of Fame and Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

Flynn married Frances Bennett in 1962 and settled down to raise a family of five boys and a daughter.

Jimmy and Fran instilled in their home a love for education and the values of family, faith and good fun.

They were founding members of the St. Thomas More Oratory (the UD Catholic campus ministry), where the clan of eight were mainstays.

Flynn enjoyed volunteering in many formal and informal civic capacities, including at the St. Thomas More Oratory, the University of Delaware, the Scottish Games Association of Delaware and the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.

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“Our dad had an endearing passion for education and athletics, memorable to all those who knew him as a THS parent and THS football coach,” Jack Flynn, M.D., ’81 said. “His THS legacy lives on in the Flynn Family Scholarship, created to honor our parents’ belief in the transformative power of education.”

THE FLYNN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT TOWER HILL The fund was inspired by the sacrifices made by Frances and Jimmy Flynn, both Delaware teachers, to give their children extraordinary educations. The goal of the Flynn Family Scholarship Fund is to pay forward on their vision: that a Tower Hill education should be in reach for those willing to make it a priority. The fund assists with tuition for students entering or continuing in the Upper School at Tower Hill who have demonstrated academic excellence and ambition, with promise in athletics, music or the arts.

Tower Hill has some of the best teachers, facilities and educational leaders in America. The school’s reputation for producing well-educated and well-rounded students is widely recognized. A Tower Hill education should not be out of reach for any family who prioritizes and sacrifices to give their children an education that makes dreams come true. The Flynn family encourages all Tower Hill graduates to pitch in and pay it forward. They believe “to whom much is given, much will be expected.”

To make a gift online at towerhill.org/makeagift, please select “Endowment” and specify the Flynn Family Scholarship Fund. Checks can be made payable to Tower Hill School with “Flynn Family Scholarship Fund” in the memo line and sent to the Tower Hill School Advancement Office, 2013 W. 17th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806.

GEORGE MARTZ (1947-2021) Former art faculty member George Eugene Martz, age 73, died on Feb. 4, 2021, after a long, courageous battle with the complications of Parkinson’s Disease.

Born in April 1947 in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, Martz graduated from Springfield High School in 1969 and the University of Delaware in 1973. He began his teaching career at Laurel High School and joined Tower Hill in 1983, where he worked for 27 years. He had the skill and fortitude needed to instruct a broad range of grades, from first to 12th, and loved being able to develop his students’ talents from crayons to oil paint. In addition to teaching, Martz was a tenacious soccer and wrestling coach, coaching several Laurel and Hiller wrestlers to state level wins.

A distinguished artist in a variety of mediums, Martz excelled in oil paints. His paintings ranged from lyrical abstracts to landscapes inspired by his family farm in the Cumberland Valley, the high desert near Santa Fe, the coast of Maine, and the wetlands of Kent County and the Eastern Shore. He was an exhibiting member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, the National Collage Society and The [Artists’] Breakfast Club; a featured artist at The Station Gallery; and a long-standing volunteer art teacher at The Country House.

He is survived by his wife Nancy S. Martz of Centerville; his sister Kathryn M. Smith of Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania; his son, Peter G. Martz ’00 and his wife Melissa Martz of Loxahatchee Groves, Florida; his daughter, Megan Martz ’96 and her husband Alex Smith of St. Petersburg Florida; his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Sproesser Fiechter ’98, of Wilmington and stepson William Sproesser III ’02 of Rochester, New York. He is also survived by six grandsons, former wife

Beloved former faculty member George Martz displayed his work in the Founders’ Gallery in December 2018.

Andrea S. Scott, extended family members, and friends and students he held close to his heart.

“George represents what is very special about Tower Hill teachers with his deep ties to our school community,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “I always enjoyed seeing him at Grandparents’ Day.” Martz was exceptionally warm-hearted and kind, fun loving, and irreverent—traits that helped him as he dealt with his heart-breaking diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease in 2000. He deeply believed everyone has the spark of creative genius within—all it takes is a bit of encouragement to bring that spark to life. So many have made their own art, and gone on to sports achievements, because they knew him and were inspired to believe they could. A celebration of life is planned in April.

CONDOLENCES Kathryn Wood Watkins ’48 passed away on Sept. 15, 2020.

Eldon “Don” Homsey ’53 passed away on May 11, 2020.

Jeff Hill ’59 passed away on Sept. 29, 2020.

Anne “Nanno” Carpenter Bienstock ’60 passed away on Aug. 9, 2020.

Lynne Loeffler Hassing ’60 passed away on Jan. 13, 2021.

Peter Yerkes ’60 passed away on June 25, 2017.

Brad Reynolds ’60 passed away on Sept. 14, 2019.

Josiah Marvel ’62 passed away on Jan. 20, 2021.

Eugene “Gene” Gaddis ’65 passed away on Aug. 18, 2020.

Larry Hinson ’73 passed away on Oct. 7, 2020.

Marc Chevrier ’84 passed away on Feb. 6, 2021.

Dwayne Hicks ’86 passed away on Oct. 11, 2020.

Faith Jolley, former head coach of the girls’ tennis team, passed away on Dec. 3, 2020.

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CLASS NOTES ’50s

1957 Hugh Tulloch published a memoir, All At Sea, about his experience in the Navy.

’70s

1971 Heather McClean Nickodem and her husband moved to San Antonio, Texas, in April 2020 to help out their son and daughterin-law, who—due to COVID-19— were working from home with their young sons in tow. She writes, “My advice is to not sell your house and relocate during a pandemic, but fortunately all went well. As a retired teacher, I love teaching ‘Gramma’s Preschool’ in person, along with online schooling for our grandchildren in Chicago! And, as a retired military family, we love living in ‘Military City U.S.A.’ Completing my non-fiction book on priorities has been put on the back burner— because it’s not a priority. In it, the reader will be reminded that ‘family comes first.’ Stay safe.”

1974 Robert E. Knotts is a professor of international security studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Ellen Jamison Kullman, CEO of the 3D printing company Carbon, was honored at the Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence Awards in October.

1975 Last summer, Jim Ehret and his wife, Lori, moved out of their Wilmington, Delaware, main home. They are going to be based right on the Atlantic in Juno

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SEND US YOUR CLASS NOTES! What’s new? Have you changed careers? Won an award? Gotten married or welcomed a child into your family? Been published or promoted?

Hillers, we would love to hear what you or members of your class have been up to! Submit a class note online or email thsalumni@towerhill.org and it will be featured in The Lookout and in our Bulletin magazine.

Photos are welcome! Please send high-resolution .jpg images that are at least 1 megabyte in size.

Beach, Florida, and also travel back to their Avalon, New Jersey, house. Ehret says any classmate is welcome to stop by in Juno Beach or Avalon.

Jane Maroney El-Dahr remains at Tulane University in New Orleans as Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, head of the section of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology/ Rheumatology.

1976 Anne Casscells, co-president and chief investment officer of Aetos Alternatives Management, was honored at the Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence Awards in October as one of the 100 most influential women in Silicon Valley.

’80s

1986 Anisha Abraham, M.D., M.P.H., wrote a book, Raising Global Teens: Parenting in the 21st Century, which was released on Oct. 1. The book explores the hot topics that adolescents

experience today in the context of our modern, mobile world.

Abraham combines real-world examples with practical solutions, drawing on the latest research, her own experience and that of the many cross-cultural teens she has worked with over the last 25 years.

Abraham discussed the book at a Virtual Tower Talk in October; read more on page 45.

Elizabeth McMillan Splaine’s third novel, Devil’s Grace, was released on Nov. 11. The book is a medical thriller/mystery that dips its toes in the spiritual waters. Splaine spoke at a Virtual Tower Talk in December; read more on page 45.

1987 Julie McCausland, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.E.P., was a 2021 awardee of the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The award is for program directors “who find innovative ways to teach residents and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse

’90s

1990 Christa Jones Vogt was honored in January 2020 as Teacher of the Year for the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In March 2020, she advanced to a Top 5 city-wide finalist position for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Teacher of the Year, which earned her a seat on the Teacher Forum Leadership Council for the Superintendent.

She and her husband, CJ, whom she married in 2014, celebrated by traveling to Washington, D.C., where she visited with Nickie Julian Currie. She writes, “What goes up, must come down; this was one week before the school buildings in Virginia closed for the remainder of the school year.

Since then, like every teacher, I have been exhaustively (and exhaustedly) exploring ways to continue engaging my students in meaningful ways while helping them remain connected to one

another and their community through virtual and hybrid learning.”

Treatment, was appointed to the role of Joint CEO effective March 1, 2021.

1994 John Williams is currently serving as president of the Wilmington-based nonprofits the Christina Conservatory, Wilmington Rowing Center and the Downtown YMCA, which oversees the Central and Walnut Street Branches.

2009 Samir Yezdani, M.D., graduated from Temple Medical School and started his residency in diagnostic radiology.

1998 Jeff Hobbs’ most recent book, Show Them You’re Good, was reviewed by Wes Enzinna in The New York Times. Enzinna writes, “Show Them You’re Good is an admirable addition to the growing body of literature that humanizes the struggles and expands the scope of our understanding of the lives of immigrant youth at a time when they’re under near-constant threat of dehumanization.”

’00s

2000 Alex Denstman, SVP and Chief Growth Officer Ashley Addiction

ALUMNI

to care for others in this environment.”

’10s

2012 Faith Lyons Burns graduated from Harvard Business School in May 2020 and returned to McKinsey & Company as a senior associate in the Washington, D.C., office. In July 2020 she married John Burns of Lynchburg, Virginia, a fellow Jefferson Scholar whom she met while attending the University of Virginia. They now live in Washington, D.C., with their dog, Bailey.

2014 Thomas Schorn, II completed and obtained a master’s degree in financial planning from the University of Georgia.

2016 Abby Manning graduated from Wesleyan University in the spring of 2020 with a degree in neuroscience. She is now working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia and has set her sights on applying to medical school in the near future.

2019 Michael Gianforcaro, a freshman at Princeton, was featured in the December 2020 edition of Inside Lacrosse as the No. 1 goalie and a top-5 recruit coming into his freshman season.

Nickie Julian Currie ’90 and Christa Jones Vogt ’90 on March 7, 2020

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FAMILIES

Clockwise from top left: Beth Sackovich Striepe ’02 and her husband, Kevin, with sons Andrew “Andy” Marsden, born in August, and Arthur, 2 years old; Mary Hobbs Taylor ’09 and her husband, Jesse, welcomed a baby girl, Ellen Corcoran Taylor, in January. Ellen joins her big brother Paul; Monica Wilson Imbrenda ’10 and her husband, Mike, welcomed a daughter, Zoe Helen Imbrenda, in October; Liliana Krisch, daughter of Kathryn Sepelyak Kirsch, M.D., ’05 and Jonathan Kirsch, was born in September; Loring Weaver Knott ’08 and her husband, Austin, welcomed their daughter, Hayden Hammett Knott, in November.

Beth Sackovich Striepe ’02 and her husband, Kevin, welcomed their second son, Andrew “Andy” Marsden, in August. Andy joins his big brother Arthur (2 years old).

Liliana Krisch was born to Kathryn Sepelyak Kirsch, M.D., ’05 and Jonathan Kirsch in September.

Loring Weaver Knott ’08 and her husband, Austin, welcomed a baby girl, Hayden Hammett Knott, in November.

Mary Hobbs Taylor ’09 and her husband, Jesse, welcomed a baby girl, Ellen Corcoran Taylor, in January. Ellen joins her big brother Paul.

Monica Wilson Imbrenda ’10 and her husband, Mike, welcomed a daughter, Zoe Helen Imbrenda, in October.

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Tower Hill School 2813 West 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19806

Save the date!

TOWER HILL ANNUAL GOLF OUTING 68

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MONDAY, JUNE 14 DUPONT COUNTRY CLUB