Summer
UNDER THE ELM 2026 A HARFORD DAY SCHOOL PUBLICATION
DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE
IN THIS ISSUE
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WELCOME
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AWARDS CEREMONY
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NEWS
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MOVING UP CEREMONY
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FACULTY & STAFF MILESTONES
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GRADUATION 2026
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BLUE & GREEN CLASSIC
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BLUE & GREEN GAMES
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GRANDPARENTS’ & SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY
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HDS CLASS OF 2022
On The Cover: 2026 Blue and Green Games
In Memoriam Correction The In Memoriam section published in the Spring issue of Under the Elm contained errors that we would like to correct. Virginia Dresher Meoli’s name was listed incorrectly. Mrs. Meoli was a cherished friend of Harford Day School and not a former parent or grandparent, as was stated. In addition, Lawrason Riggs Sayre was a beloved former parent, not a former trustee. We deeply regret these inaccuracies and any confusion or distress they may have caused. We extend our sincere apologies to the families, friends, and loved ones of Mrs. Meoli and Mr. Sayre, and we are grateful for the lasting contributions each made to the Harford Day School community.
715 Moores Mill Road Bel Air, Maryland 21014 410-838-4848 harfordday.org
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Welcome Susan Bond Kearney Head of School
Welcome to the Board Dear HDS Families and Friends, Now that summer is here and the school has settled into a slower rhythm, I’m pleased to share the second annual summer digital issue of Under the Elm with you. Spring at HDS once again reflected the traditions and energy that define our community. The Blue and Green Classic brought everyone together, starting with a schoolwide family fun run and continuing with a successful golf tournament. Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day is always a highlight, filling our campus with laughter and connection across generations.
The Awards Ceremony and Moving Up Day offered meaningful moments of celebration as students marked important milestones. We closed out the year with a beautiful Graduation Day and lively Blue and Green games, a memorable send-off for our 8th graders as they begin their next chapter. We also take time at the end of the year to recognize our faculty and staff. Whether celebrating five, twenty-five, or more years of service, their steady commitment shapes the experience and growth of every student who walks through our doors. Their impact is present in every classroom, event, and everyday moment at HDS. I wish you all a summer filled with rest, renewal, and plenty of time for discovery and joy. We look forward to welcoming you back under the elm this fall.
Go Blue. Go Green. Go Dragons! Warmly,
Susan Kearney Head of School
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Harford Day School is pleased to welcome current parent and alumna Sarah Klein ’97 to the Board of Trustees. We are grateful for Sarah’s longstanding commitment to the Harford Day community and look forward to the insight, leadership, and dedication she will bring to this important role. Sarah serves as Vice President of Customer Experience for Klein’s Family Markets, where she oversees front-end operations, e-commerce, and community relations. A respected business and community leader, she is Chair of the Greater Bel Air Community Foundation and serves on the boards of the Canton Railroad Company, the Harford County Sheriff’s Foundation, and the Harford County Public Library Foundation, among several other organizations. She is also an active member of Maryland Golf and Country Clubs, serving on its Board of Governors and chairing committees dedicated to enhancing the member experience. As a Harford Day alumna, Sarah has maintained a strong connection to the school throughout the years. She and her husband, Doug Hentz, are the proud parents of Vera, a current Harford Day student. We are honored to welcome Sarah to the Board and look forward to the many ways she will help advance the school’s mission.
Thank you for your Service With sincere gratitude, we honor departing Board of Trustees member James Haven for his years of dedicated service to Harford Day School. His time, leadership, energy, and unwavering commitment have made a meaningful difference in our school community. We are deeply grateful for all he has done to support and advance the mission of Harford Day School, and we wish him all the best in the years ahead.
News
Earth Day Projects Support the Humane Society Our school-wide Earth Day and Harford Humane Society service project was a huge success! Thanks to the incredible support and participation from our school families and community, we collected a large number of recycled materials that were transformed into enrichment items and toys for animals at the Humane Society. During Earth Day week, students worked hard creating bird feeders, small animal hideaways, cat toys, and dog toys using many of the donated recyclable items. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn how we can care for both our environment and animals by reusing materials in creative and purposeful ways. We also welcomed Erin from the Harford Humane Society during Earth Day week. She spoke with the students about the importance of caring for animals, how the Humane Society helps animals in need, and ways we can all make a positive difference in our community. The students loved learning more about animal care and compassion! The Humane Society was incredibly thankful for all of the handmade enrichment items and toys we were able to donate for their animals to enjoy. They even shared some pictures with us of the animals using the donated items. Please see the attached photos! We are so proud of our students and grateful to all of our families for helping make this initiative such a success.
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Harford Day Engaged with the World A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful families for your incredible generosity and support during the Book Drive. Your contributions are helping inspire a love of reading and making a meaningful difference. We truly appreciate your kindness! Thanks to your donations, we collected an incredible 1,521 books—enough to fill 21 boxes of reading joy. These books will be shared with 4 local schools, 2 local daycares, and 1 local pediatric office, helping to spread a love of literacy throughout our community.
On Monday, May 18, during the Bel Air Town Board Meeting, students from Harford Day School, along with art teacher, Mrs. Tracy Lyon, were recognized during the presentation of awards for the 2026 poster contest. Students were tasked with rendering pencil drawings of Bel Air historic sites. The first place prize went to Amreet for her drawing of the Bel Air Armory.Honorable mentions were presented to Naleah for her drawing of the Hanway House, Trip for his drawing of Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Rory for her drawing of First Presbyterian Church. Winners received certificates and a gift bag from the Town of Bel Air. 5
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Each year, the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution hosts a Poster Contest for students in grades 3–5 and a Brochure Contest for students in grades 6–9. The Poster Contest challenges students to create a poster featuring an important person or event from the American Revolution, while the Brochure Contest invites students to design a brochure based on the current year’s theme. This year, Harford Day was proudly represented by talented students Dexter, Marco, Mila, Carol, Lauren, and Nalin. All six students earned either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place honors in the county-level competition. Dexter’s first-place poster and Carol’s first-place brochure will now advance to the next level of competition, and we look forward to hearing the results.
Faculty & Staff Milestones
Sally Crowl | 25 YEARS
Becky Poole | 10 YEARS
Donna Kamyszek | 25 YEARS
Tracy Schoene | 20 YEARS
Jess Meerholz | 10 YEARS Faculty/Staff Members Not Pictured Lindsay Buckleman | 5 YEARS Lisa Sullivan | 5 YEARS
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The Annual Blue & Green Classic
The Annual Blue & Green Classic Harford Day School’s signature spring tradition returned on Monday, April 27th, bringing together the community for a full day of athletic competition, celebration, and connection. In its 34th year, the Golf Tournament was once again joined by a 6th Annual 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run, held in loving memory of Patrick Boyle. Months of planning by the events committee culminated in a lively and well-attended day. From the energy of the race to the camaraderie on the golf course, both events reflected the spirit of teamwork and school pride. Participants and guests enjoyed great weather, enthusiastic sponsors, delicious food, and memorable experiences throughout the day. With more than 500 participants, the Blue & Green Classic once again demonstrated the strength and generosity of the Harford Day community. Thanks to this incredible support, the event raised over $125,000.00 in support of the Annual Blue & Green Fund. Gifts to the Annual Blue & Green Fund directly enhance teaching and learning at HDS, making a lasting impact across all divisions of the school. The success of this fundraiser is a testament to the dedication of our families, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. Harford Day School extends its heartfelt appreciation to all who contributed, participated, and helped make the day such a success. To learn more about getting involved in future events, sponsoring, or volunteering, please contact Director of Advancement Lauren Milan at 410-809-2402 or lmilan@harfordday.org.
Go Blue. Go Green. Go Dragons.
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Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day
Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day:
A Cherished HDS Tradition Each year, HDS opens its doors to celebrate the meaningful connections between students and the grandparents and special friends who play an important role in their lives. This treasured tradition transforms the school into a place of shared joy, where visitors are welcomed into classrooms for a morning filled with interactive activities, student performances, refreshments, and memorable photo opportunities.
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Throughout the event, the campus buzzes with excitement as students proudly share their learning and experiences with their guests. The atmosphere is warm and festive, highlighting the strong sense of community that defines HDS. Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day remains one of the most anticipated events of the year—an occasion that fosters connection, celebrates relationships, and creates lasting memories for all who take part.
2025-26 Awards Ceremony
Celebrating Achievement and Growth Our Annual Awards Ceremony was a wonderful celebration of the hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments of our 5th and 8th grade students. Surrounded by proud families, teachers, and classmates, students were recognized for their academic excellence, leadership, citizenship, creativity, and sportsmanship throughout the school year. As our 5th graders prepare for the exciting transition to middle school and our 8th graders look ahead to high school, this event marked an important milestone in their educational journey. Their achievements reflect not only their individual efforts but also the encouragement and support of their families, teachers, and the broader HDS community. We are proud of everything you have accomplished and look forward to seeing the continued growth and success that lies ahead.
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2025-26 Award Recipients CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR AWARD RECIPIENTS AND STUDENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
President’s Award for Educational Achievement - 5th Grade
President’s Award for Educational Excellence- 5th Grade
Honorable Mention- 5th Grade
President’s Award for Educational Achievement - 8th Grade
President’s Award for Educational Excellence - 8th Grade
Athletic Achievement Award- Carol Rabinowitz, Kendall Adams, Siena Shaffer, Eva Hart
Athletic Excellence Award (8th Grade)
Physical Education Award- Carter Cummings, Hope Eliason
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Sportsmanship Award- Siena Shaffer, Noah BelBruno
2026 Blue & Green Captains- Ryder Calvin, Eva Hart, Kendall Adams, Parker Gerhart
Thespian Award- Siena Shaffer, Lucas Watkins
Lyn Stacie Getz Performing Arts Prize- Josie Flaim
Set Design Award- Eva Hart, Lauren Plaisir
Art Award- Lucas Watkins
Music Award- Arion Todman, Tiago Escalante
Foreign Language National Exams (Spanish)- Honorable Mention Winners
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Foreign Language National Exams (Spanish)- Honorable Mention & Bronze Winners
Foreign Language National Exams (Spanish)- Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver Winners
Spanish Award- Brooklyn Tan
English Award- Jillian McLaughlin
History Award- Ryder Calvin
Mathematics Award- Carol Rabinowitz
Innovation Award- Thomas Stoeber
Students Elected to be Dexter, the school’s mascot, for 2026-2027
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2025-2026 & 2026-2027 Dexters
Academic Excellence Award- Brooklyn Tan
Middle School Faculty Award- Kendall Adams
Citizenship Award- Nael Lewis-Shakur
EPIC-G Empathy Award- Miranda Ramos, Josie Flaim
EPIC-G Perseverance Award- Eva Hart, Brooklyn Tan
EPIC-G Integrity Award- Presley Sappington, Carol Rabinowitz
EPIC-G Community Award- Siena Shaffer, Lauren Plaisir
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EPIC-G Growth Award- Parker Gerhart, Maddie Diop
2025-26 Student Council
THE SCIENCE AWARD-NOT PICTURED: The Science Award was awarded to Lauren Plaisir.
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Sara Brumfield Award- Lucas Watkins
Moving Up Ceremony
Celebrating New Beginnings
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The Annual Moving-up Ceremony The annual Moving-Up Ceremony was a joyful celebration as students advanced to the next stage in their educational journeys. An honored school tradition, one student from each homeroom in preschool and lower school, and two representatives from each grade in middle school, carry their grades’ flags and pass them to two new representatives from the rising class. Families, faculty, and friends gathered to celebrate this milestone that marks the ending of one school year and the anticipation of the school year ahead. The ceremony held special significance for our 8th grade graduates, who were honored for their years of dedication and perseverance before being officially welcomed as HDS alumni. As they prepare to begin an exciting new chapter in high school, they leave behind a legacy of leadership, friendship, and school spirit. May they carry with them the lessons, memories, and values they have gained, knowing they will always remain an important part of our school family. We congratulate all of our students on a successful year and wish them continued success as they embrace new opportunities.
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HDS Graduation 2026
Graduation speaker, Billy Chizmar ‘13
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Under a cloudless sky on Friday, June 5, Harford Day School celebrated the graduating Class of 2026 as Head of School Susan Kearney reflected on the unique experience of completing a preschool-through-gradeeight education. At Harford Day, where students complete their journeys at the end of eighth grade, graduation serves as both a celebration of the successful completion of their Harford Day experience and a commencement into new high schools and exciting futures. Following Kearney’s welcome, eighth-grade graduation speaker Arion Todman delivered his address with the wit and confidence of a seasoned high school or college graduate. He jovially recounted the embarrassing mistake of getting into the wrong vehicle during afternoon carline and how that innocent mishap highlighted the importance of learning from one’s errors. He told his fellow graduates, “And now, because of these hardships and difficulties, these mistakes and errors, these missteps and stumbles, we are able to look back and say we did it, we succeeded, and with no regrets.” Following Todman’s remarks, Kearney welcomed the 2026 graduation speaker, W. H. (Billy) Chizmar ’13, a New York Times bestselling co-author (with Richard Chizmar) of Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting and the author of numerous short stories and essays. His debut solo novel, THEM, is scheduled for release in August of this year.
Class of 2026 Graduates
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Billy attended Harford Day School from kindergarten through his graduation from middle school in 2013. He later attended St. Paul’s School, where he played lacrosse and ice hockey and served as captain of the football team. After graduating from Colby College, Billy returned to Maryland to continue his writing career. Harford Day is also grateful for his continued service as an assistant coach for the HDS boys’ lacrosse team.
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True to his literary passion, Chizmar shared the lesserknown origin story behind Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” describing Frost’s friendship with the indecisive poet Edward Thomas. According to Chizmar, Frost, ever the prankster, composed his famous poem as part of a letter to Thomas, gently poking fun at his friend’s constant indecision. Chizmar artfully connected this story to his own eighthgrade English class with the notoriously challenging Mrs. Dallam, and recalled an instance when he took a risk by answering the question, “If someone describes a battle as being futile, is it worth fighting?” He wrote, “Yes, if the battle is for a good cause, I would keep fighting, even if it’s hopeless.” Chizmar reflected: “I didn’t think much of it in the moment, and I was mighty confused when my vocab quiz came back a few days later with a 101%. Somehow, I’d received a rare bonus point. Instead of marking me wrong for offering such an unorthodox answer, or simply checking it correct along with all the others, Mrs. Dallam went above and beyond. She recognized the seriousness of my small joke, and the bonus
point was her way of encouraging me to keep being myself, keep challenging expectations, and never give up.” Chizmar’s message resonated with the graduates, alumni, faculty, and parents gathered for the ceremony. It reflected the distinctive nature of a Harford Day School education— one that combines deep learning and hard-earned lessons with nurturing support and high expectations that cultivate confidence, creativity, and tenacity. Without intending to, both Todman and Chizmar advanced a common theme drawn from their Harford Day experiences: students travel individual roads together, learning that there is no single “right” path or predetermined destination. Middle School Head and Assistant Head of School Devin Wootton closed the ceremony by reflecting on the “noisy” Class of 2026 and the distinction between volume and loudness. He concluded: “As a group, the bigger, bombastic voices have softened, and the softer bass and treble notes have been turned up. As a result, we have gotten to experience all of the notes your group can play. We’ve gotten to hear not just an intensity of sound in a disparate cacophony, but a rich, full symphony.”
The Harford Day School Class of 2026
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2026 Graduates Kendall Grace Adams**
Ethan James Lukaszewicz
Noah Michael BelBruno**
Jillian Blythe McLaughlin*
Ryder Xavier Calvin
Gavin Elijah Pevear*
Carter Patrick Cummings**
Lauren Celine Plaisir*
Madeleine Eve Diop**
Carol Emma Rabinowitz*
Hope Teressa Eliason**
Miranda Amalia Ramos**
Tiago Antonio Escalante*
Presley Elizabeth Sappington**
Jackson Taylor Fink*
Brayden Dutch Schrader**
Christian William Fistler**
Siena Rose Shaffer**
Josephine Annabelle Flaim**
Nalin J. Simper*
Jordyn Brooke Floyd*
Thomas George Stoeber*
Parker Reilly Gerhart
Brooklyn Elizabeth Tan**
Eva Alexandra Hart**
Arion James Todman**
Finn Halim Alcasabas Kazi*
Brayden Anthony Todman**
Nael Karim Lewis-Shakur**
Lucas Pedro Watkins*
* Indicates President’s Award for Educational Excellence (GPA of 3.5 or higher plus standardized testing performance) ** Indicates President’s Award for Educational Achievement (GPA of 3.5 or higher)
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Blue & Green Games
Go Blue. Go Green. Go Dragons
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The Annual Blue & Green Games are a tradition that brings the entire school community together following Graduation. In this spirited event, the Blue Team competes against the Green Team in a series of fun and friendly challenges designed to celebrate school pride, teamwork, and the end of the academic year. It’s a highlight of the school calendar, filled with excitement, laughter, and lasting memories.
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CLASS OF 2022
Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon: Best Wishes to the HDS Class of 2022! Yuvi Arshanapally University of Miami
Addison Golding Hampton University
Lilah Parker University of Miami
Josie Bianco Princeton University
Jonas Hansen University of Pittsburgh
Ellie Persons University of Delaware
Brooke Bartenfelder Salisbury University
Kieran Hensley University of Colorado~Boulder
Lily Quigley University of South Carolina
Mikey Boyle Clemson University
Sophia Hipley
Gavin Reiley University of Notre Dame
Kaylee Bundy University of Denver Samantha Cullison University of South Carolina Sean Downey University of Maryland Anya Ehrsam Nate Giordano Stevenson University
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Adam Jahnigen University of Maryland Noah Jahnigen University of Maryland Arianna Johnson Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Cole Mosier Franklin and Marshall College
Julia Rehnberg University of Delaware Jonah Wade Emerson College Maddox Ward Ithaca College
Under The Elm Harford Day School 715 Moores Mill Road Bel Air, MD 21014 410-838-4848 harfordday.org
Blue & Green ANNUAL
FUND
The Annual Blue & Green Fund provides the resources needed to support Harford Day School’s highest priorities and most immediate needs throughout the year. As we begin a new fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), your gift helps strengthen every aspect of the Harford Day School experience for our students and faculty. Gifts are tax-deductible and may be made as a one-time contribution or in installments throughout the fiscal year. 27
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