Winsor Bulletin Winter 2021

WINSOR BULLETIN | WINTER 2021

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY Winsor faces the challenges of 2020

CONTENTS

LET’S HEAR IT FOR SCHOOL SPIRIT! The Winsor Wildcat was overjoyed to be back on Pilgrim Road, and to lead by example by sporting a new mask.

IN THIS ISSUE

16 An Extraordinary Gift

Sarah Carter Crawford ’56 bequest creates a legacy

18 Generous Minded

Alumnae boldly give back

20 Separate, Together

Reimagining programs and practices, Winsor united during COVID-19

30 A Community in Conversation The mindful work of achieving inclusivity

38 Celebrating the Class of 2020 IN EVERY ISSUE

2 From the Head of School 3 From Pilgrim Road 46 Alumnae News 60 First Person

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

The Winsor School HEAD OF SCHOOL

Sarah Pelmas

The Power of Community

I

t is difficult to distill 2020 into words. And to try is to use some words that many of us might rather not hear again—words like “challenging” and “unprecedented.” The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2020 was unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetime, and it was something for which none of us had exactly prepared. It quite literally changed everything, overnight.

Students and faculty packed up their school bags on March 12, never expecting that a year later, we’d still be in the throes of it, unable to gather freely with friends and extended family, and needing to wear a mask to leave the house, attend school, or engage in activities. Settling in to remote working and learning, we began to seek new ways to stay connected, and we all became experts on cognitive load. In equal parts, we came to praise the technology that made it possible to continue participating in school and work, while planning our escape off the grid, desperate for a return to our old lives. And when it seemed times couldn’t be more difficult, the nation—and indeed the world—was upended in May. We watched in horror as George Floyd was killed at the hands of the police, and the lives of other Black people, including Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, were similarly, inexcusably extinguished. These events drew outrage, and demanded that every individual and institution face issues of racism, bullying, bias, and injustice head on, and ask fundamentally difficult questions. They also made clear the need to chart a new course in order to fulfill the promise of equity and justice for every person, regardless of race, gender, or individual identity. There is much difficult work ahead, work requiring that we face our individual and collective pasts with courage, and that we come together as families, communities, and as a nation. But if there is a silver lining as we look to 2021, it is this: we have been reminded that life is fragile, and to be cherished. We have also learned the enormous power and importance of human relationships and community connections. We learned that we are stronger than we thought, and capable of nearly anything when we stand together. We all make mistakes, and we can and will learn from them, if only we commit to one another and to the work. For our school, this commitment is a constant source of hope, even on the darkest days.

We are a community dedicated to improvement—not only for our own lives, but for the lives of those around us, and the lives of those we may never meet. —sarah pelmas

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CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

Sue Kim

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Jennifer Bub P’23, ’25, ’27 DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Melody Komyerov

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNAE ENGAGEMENT

Beth Peterson ’80, P’11

CREATIVE DIRECTION & DESIGN

2COMMUNIQUÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

Kristie Dean, Kathleen Dooher, Jörg Meyer, Winsor Communications BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020–2021 PRESIDENT

Allison Kaneb Pellegrino ’89, P’21, ’22 VICE PRESIDENT

Lori Whelan P’23, ’25 TREASURER

Bart Epker P’13 ASSISTANT TREASURER

David E. Goel P’23 CLERK

Elizabeth Bennett Carroll ’89 Eman Ansari P’20, ’24, ’28 John R. Barker P’21, ’23 Rachel Casseus ’02 Larry Cheng P’23, ’25, ’28 Mark Condon P’16, ’18, ’18, ’21 Wendy Cromwell P’21 Jennifer Dolins P’23 Audrey McAdams Fenton ’93, P’26 Mary Gallagher ’94 Claire Pasternack Goldsmith ’01 Jonathan Goldstein P’22, ’24 Mary Beth Gordon P’23, ’26 Charles Hebard P’24 Lisa Jackson P’23 Sam Kennedy P’23 Jessica Lutzker P’25 Mallika Marshall P’27 Joseph J. O’Donnell P’05, ’07 Sarah Pelmas Marion Russell ’91, P’22, ’25 Jill Shah P’25 Kerry Swords P’23, ’27 Perry M. Traquina P’09, ’13 The Winsor School does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, creed, national origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, scholars programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs.

FROM PILGRIM ROAD

An “Unprecedented Year” Begins Students returned, by Class, for orientation the first week of September to acclimate to the changes on campus and in the buildings, and to learn about the health and safety protocols in place to support the reopening of school. Masks, social distancing, and adherence to the required safety protocols meant things were looking a little different, but there was no mistaking the joy students felt about being back on campus for inperson learning and some long-overdue time to reconnect with friends and faculty.

Rani Balakrishna ’21 enters the courtyard during the Opening Ceremony.

FROM PILGRIM ROAD

Senior Class President Alex Lee ’21

Opening Day Ceremony Despite the unconventional circumstances, Opening Day Ceremony followed the traditional program, with remarks from the head of COLLECT Mishael Quraishi ’21, senior class president Alex Lee ’21, and Head of School Sarah Pelmas. Completing the tradition-filled morning, SASS leaders Caroline Cromwell ’21, Catherine Friendly ’21, and Ellie Pellegrino ’21 led a school cheer; Senior Small members Katie Burstein ’21, Anne Joseph ’21, Kate McCurley ’21, Anjali Palepu ’21, Mishael Quraishi ’21, and Jordyn Young ’21 led the singing of “Jerusalem”; and Lower School Council co-leaders Maddie Cheng ’25 and Katina Handrinos ’25 rang Miss Winsor’s bell to signify the official start to the school year.

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TUTORING PROGRAM PERSEVERES DESPITE PANDEMIC When the Greenwood Club’s long-standing tutoring program at the Greenwood School in Dorchester was halted due to COVID-19, club leaders Salma Ibrahim ’21 and Naomi Mekonnen ’21 were eager to find a virtual solution. Tutoring the K-6 students at the bi-lingual English-Spanish school, many of whom are English language learners, Winsor students “have the opportunity to work with the same kids for an extended period of time, which allows the tutors to see the progression of their students over the course of seasons or years,” says Salma. “Seeing my two assigned students grow as readers and writers over the four years I have participated in the program has been the most rewarding part. I became deeply invested in their journey as English students and built deep personal connections. No other club or activity at Winsor has left the same impact on me.”

After determing that the hybrid and remote learning models made it too difficult to continue the program this year, Greenwood put Winsor faculty advisor Ms. Gangi in touch with the Academic Coordinator at Immigrant Families Service Institute (IFSI) which provides targeted academic support and enrichment to children of immigrant families. IFSI has a well established virtual academy that offers tutoring to K-12 students in many subjects, including musical instruments. Following the introduction, an invaluable new partnership was formed, enabling Winsor students to continue the community outreach and student tutoring work they love. “It has allowed me to use my own skills to help others and make meaningful connections outside of the Winsor community,” shared Prudence Sullivan ’24, who is teaching guitar to a 5th grader.

DRUMATIX JOINS ALLSCHOOL ASSEMBLY

Virtual Fall Concert Inspires On Wednesday, October 21, the Performing Arts Department presented Winsor’s first virtual Fall Concert featuring Lower and Upper School musicians. The event was an inspired and moving showcase of talent and collaboration. The lineup included material ranging from Vivaldi and “Jerusalem”, to The Chicks “March, March”, to a rocking tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen, to a poignant performance of “Imagine” by Senior Small. It was a masterful display, made possible by incredible classroom, behind the scenes, and technological work.

A special thank you to Ms. Brady Lopez, Mr. Marshall, Ms. Connor and the entire Performing Arts Department. Undaunted by the challenges of teaching and creating music when students and classes are both in-person and virtual, they leveraged the tools available, inspired students to do the same, and the result was an astounding success! BRAVO!

DrumatiX is a Boston-based tap dance and percussion group, created by award-winning choreographer, dancer, and musician Noa Barankin.

DrumatiX delivers a brand new blend of dance and drumming using: tap dance, everyday objects, large drums/ barrels, body percussion, technology, audience interaction, and tons of humor. Although the assembly was virtual, students were eager to participate in the fun. DrumatiX has performed in numerous New York venues including Lincoln Center and Symphony Space, and in New England venues including the Mosesian Center for the Arts, the Strand Theatre, Arts at the Armory, and the Beantown Tapfest.

Each year, the opening all-school assembly is brought to Winsor by Young Audiences of Massachusetts.

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FROM PILGRIM ROAD

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Spirit Week and UTL Reimagined

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lthough students were unable to all be on campus together for the highly anticipated Spirit Week, Red Day and Under the Lights (UTL), a few adjustments to the traditions of the week ensured that Wildcat spirit remained alive and well. Lower School students dressed to theme on Monday, and for Red Day on Tuesday, and the LS teams were each divided into Wilds and Cats teams for intra-team play on Tuesday afternoon. Then Upper School students dressed to theme on Thursday, and pulled out all the stops on Friday for Red Day, followed by their own intrateam matchups of Wilds v. Cats “Under The Lights” on Friday evening.

1. Front (l-r): Katherine Torres ’22, Emily Krueckeberg ’22, Franchesca Vilmenay ’22. Back (l-r): Miracle Hodge ’22, Evie Wells ’22, MaryKate Hart ’22

4. Ava Nace ’21, Caitlin Smith ’21, Kelsey Abbrecht ’21

2. (l-r): Kaitlin Kolb ’21, Josie

6. Brigid O’Connor ’22

Mastandrea ’22, Clara Hagedorn ’22

3. Lower Schoolers showed their

school spirit.

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5. Ariana Rowe ’24

7. Julian K. Braxton 8. Katherine Torres ’22

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3 4

6

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FROM PILGRIM ROAD

2020 VIRGINA WING LECTURER LAUREN WOLK VISITS WINSOR

(l-r): Lily Levitzky ’23, Kelsey Abbrecht ’21, Anika Banerjee ’22, Tia Sheth ‘22

Four Squash Players Named U.S. Scholar Athletes

C

ongratulations to Winsor squash players Kelsey Abbrecht ’21, Anika Banerjee ’22, Lily Levitzky ’23 and Tia Sheth ’22. The four were recipients of the distinguished U.S. Squash Scholar Athlete Award for 2019-2020 following an outstanding season in which the entire Winsor team stepped up their level of play, and finished tied for 5th in New England with Noble & Greenough School.

The U.S. Squash Scholar Athlete program recognizes the hard work and commitment necessary for student athletes to maintain excellence both on the court and in the classroom. Students who earn Scholar Athlete recognition demonstrate dedication to academics, achieving a 3.5 GPA or higher, while maintaining an active Squash schedule, participating in a minimum of three accredited junior squash tournaments, or an approved number of scholastic matches over the course of the season. Kelsey, Anika, Lily and Tia were among the 391 exceptional student athletes to receive the award.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, Winsor welcomed author Lauren Wolk, this year’s chosen Virginia Wing lecturer, to speak virtually with students about her book, Wolf Hollow, which was the all-school summer read for Winsor students, faculty, and staff.

In her remarks, Ms. Wolk offered wonderful insight into the writing process and the evolution of her moving, thought-provoking book.

Students submitted questions for Ms. Wolk prior to the assembly, and following the Q&A session, she closed with words of gratitude. “I have met with thousands of readers across the world, but your questions were among the most thoughtful and insightful— proof of what great readers you are.”

Encouraging students to continue reading, exploring, and discovering, she signed off saying, “I salute you.”

The Virginia Wing Lecture Series was established in 1987 by Bradford Washburn, Director Emeritus of the Boston Museum of Science, during Miss Wing’s final year as Director. This year will mark the start of a new tradition to feature the author of a carefully selected all-school summer read.

OVERHEARD

“ Children are wise, brave, smart and resilient. We need to trust you with the truth and allow you to help figure out what to do with it.”

— “Wolf Hollow” Author and Virgina Wing Lecaturer Lauren Wolk to students during assembly

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PHOTO BY COLLEEN CHRZANOWSKI

Dr. Lisa Damour on Parenting During Turbulent Times On Thursday, September 17, the Winsor Parents’ Association welcomed best-selling author, advisor, columnist, and podcast co-host Dr. Lisa Damour to speak with the community. Renowned for her expertise and explanation of the psychological science key to understanding how stress and anxiety operate, both under everyday conditions and at times of heightened concern and disruption, Dr. Damour spoke with families about parenting during these turbulent times.

To help parents manage the heightened anxiety, Dr. Damour outlines a clear, systematic approach that includes: understanding the logic behind our natural, neurological response to uncomfortable situations and the resulting physical symptoms; deep breathing (literally); and reframing. “Take the time to figure out what’s going on,” she says. “We help the feeling come down to size when we get it right.”

When it comes to managing chronic stress brought on by the prolonged pandemic, the compounding daily disruptions, and continued social unrest, self-care has never been more essential. “We all need 3 things: someone to tell our worries to, someone to tell our secrets to, and a place where we can go to feel connected and accepted,” she says. And we need to adopt positive coping strategies, and avoid negative coping habits that only provide short-term relief.

In closing, Dr. Damour reminded parents that now, more than ever, kids need parents to really listen to them; to acknowledge how hard things are, and that their fears and feelings are normal; and to reassure them that they are O.K. And they need parents to express confidence in them, their ability to cope, and the job they are doing dealing with such difficult circumstances. “We can’t do enough of that right now.”

For more of Dr. Damour’s research, and access to additional resources including her useful one-sheets, monthly columns, weekly podcasts, and news coverage, go to www.drlisadamour.com.

A PRELUDE TO ELECTION 2020 Leading up to the 2020 Election, Winsor hosted two timely, virtual, all-school assemblies.

On the topic of women’s role in politics, the media, and the electorate, The 19th*’s Andrea Valdez, Abby Johnston and Amanda Becker held a virtual round table discussion.

Founded in 2020, The 19th* is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, online news outlet reporting on the intersection of gender, politics, and policy and it takes it’s name from the “unfinished business” of the 19th Amendment.

Next, Boston City Councilor and Mayorial Candidate Andrea Campbell shared her passion for public service and civic engagement. In a time when “greater intentionality and more action is needed to bring an end to injustice and inequality,” she underscored the importance of local government, being informed, taking a stand, and getting involved.

Simran Khanna ’18

Introducing FNL! This fall, Winsor hosted three Friday Night Live! community events, featuring contributions from over 60 students, faculty, staff, and alumnae. Curated by Performing Arts faculty, produced by theater tech students, and hosted by the Winsor dance captains, the virtual event showcased artwork, performances, and the talent, interests, and humor of the Winsor community. A lively, modern-day variety show, it was a fun opportunity for people to come together and share their creative spirits. Pictured: Simran Khanna ’18 appearing in Lucie Kapner’s ’18 screen dance from the 2018 Winsor Dance Concert.

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FROM PILGRIM ROAD

WELCOME NEW FACULTY AND STAFF

Planet Protectors raise awareness about Climate Change

Winsor is pleased to welcome the following group of incredible new faculty, administration, and staff members. Some joined us over the spring and summer, while others began their tenures in the fall of 2020.

Cultivating Community Through Clubs PLANET PROTECTORS

Members of the Lower School club Planet Protectors made signs to raise awareness about the importance of taking action in defense of our planet.

ROBOTICS

“Constantly adapting and being flexible, the Winsor Wildbots team continues to further our learning in the midst of a pandemic. We have, of course, come across many challenges,” the team’s first post of 2020-2021 begins. Undaunted, the team is meeting on Saturdays in two groups, a morning group and an afternoon group, with the option to join remotely. Using Slack to stay organized and Zoom to stay connected, the tech-savvy team is looking forward to the new season.

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“We are excited to test more prototypes, build and code, and continue our journey through this season’s challenge!”

Anna Fravel, Senior Philanthropic Advisor

MOCK TRIAL CLUB

Although the Massachussetts Bar canceled the season due to the pandemic, two local attorney coaches coordinated independent tournaments that the Bar supported, and a young Winsor team practiced and participated virtually. According to faculty coach Kate Grant, who coached the team to a first place finish at the State Tournament in 2019 and a turn at Nationals the same year, a large number of new freshmen and sophomore students joined the club and fearlessly volunteered to take parts--a good sign for the future of Winsor Mock Trial.

Audra McFarland, Director of Admission and Financial Aid

Rosalyn (“Rosy”) Cohane-Mann, Lower School science faculty

Julia Connor, performing arts faculty

Jennifer (“Jenny”) Albright, Upper School science faculty

Mark Brooks Hedstrom, Upper School science faculty

Mary Butcher, Lower School math faculty

Melody Komyerov, Director of Marketing and Communications

Laura Krier, Upper School English faculty

Samantha Lovewell, Andrew Marshall, Assistant Director, Young performing arts faculty Alumnae Engagement (Choral Director) and Leadership Giving

Stephanie Mauge, Upper School Spanish and French teacher

Evan Joy McLaurin ’12 (“Ms. Joy”), Lower School health.

Hema Ramachandran, Assistant Director of Admission and Program Coordinator

Teresa Rodriguez, Director of Family Relations

Olivia Waring, Upper School science faculty

Danielle Smogard, pre-professional librarian

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FROM PILGRIM ROAD

Celebrating First-Gen Americans

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n Wednesday, November 11, Winsor’s First Generation Experience Affinity Group led an inspired assembly, timely and celebratory in the wake of the November election which placed the 1st first-generation American in the White House as Vice President.

A video, months in the making, opened the progam, featuring a group of first-generation Winsor students responding to a series of questions to shed light on the struggles and strengths of being first. Although from different nations around the globe, including Columbia, Taiwan, Nicaragua, Nigeria, India and Korea, the students share common ground, from facing “the challenge of trying to balance and fit into two cultures simultaneously,” to embracing the best of both worlds (which in all cases includes enjoying their culture’s culinary delights!). They also share a sense of gratitude and optimism.

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Articulating what it means to be first generation, affinity group co-leader Katherine Torres ’22 eloquently said, “It means being a bridge. I am a bridge between two cultures. And it’s beautiful,” adding, “I love being first gen. It’s made me who I am today, and connected me to so many different people.”

The video closed with the students planting a tree on the Winsor campus, planted to represent their families uprooting from their native lands, and planting roots deep in the soil of this new country. “The tree is our gift to Winsor, the school that has helped our families inch closer to the American dream they came to this country for.”

Next, the students shared a presentation about immigrants in America and ways to support immigrant rights.

Then they lightened the mood with humorous truisms in the presentation, “Things First Gen Americans are CEOs Of,” covering everything from how being translators for their families

at a young age put them ahead of the game; to the “one-time fun limit”— because all your time should be spent on homework!

An engaging panel discussion followed, featuring Dr. Dehlia Umunna P’20, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School and head of the Criminal Justice Clinic, Michelle Wu, Boston City Councilor, and Mr. William Yepes-Amaya, Middle School Spanish Teacher at Shady Hill School.

Reflecting on his own struggles for acceptance as an immigrant and a gay man, Mr. Yepes-Amaya shared, “You hold both, privilege and oppression.

You need to hold them both up to acknowledge your full self.” Always an educator, he underscored that “history isn’t something that happens in books. History is something that’s happening every day.”

A pioneer for change, Dr. Umunna finds the current shift toward unapologetically embracing one’s culture encouraging. But when it comes to equality in opportunity and under the law, there remains much work to be done. “Becuase I was an immigrant, I am consicous of the frailties and inequities.” Having started her career as a public defender, she is steadfast in her mission. “I will always be a voice to the voiceless, and I will always speak for the marginalized.”

For Councilor Wu, the desire to ensure all people feel safe, welcome, and supported in their community is “central to who I am and why I’m in city council, running for mayor.”

When a family member faced a mental health crisis and needed help, she realized “how big the gaps were. We have so many resources, but we aren’t connecting them to people who need them.” A fact she hopes to change.

SARA MACAULAY NAMED THE NEW ELEANOR THOMAS NELSON ’49 CHAIR IN FINE ARTS Long-time Winsor arts faculty Sara Macaulay was named the Eleanor Thomas Nelson ’49 Chair in Fine Arts during a virtual all-school assembly on Wednesday, September 16. Head of School Sarah Pelmas presented Ms. Macaulay with the esteemed honor, and Ms. Macaulay’s husband, two daughters, and extraordinary artist-alum Claire Ganiban ’18 joined the zoom to celebrate with her.

View the online news for full remarks by Ms. Pelmas, and learn more about Ms. Macaulay’s passion for the arts and teaching in our Meet the Teacher video spotlight on the Winsor website at www.winsor.edu. Congratulations, Ms Macaulay!

The Eleanor Thomas Nelson ’49 Chair in Fine Arts was established in 2003 with a bequest from Eleanor Thomas Nelson’s estate. The chair honors Ms. Nelson’s commitment to Winsor and her lifelong love of the arts. She was not only an alumnae, but a parent of two daughters who graduated from Winsor in 1977 and 1978, and she volunteered countless hours to costume work for the Fine Arts program. In her honor, Winsor’s costume room bears her name. The Chair was previously held by only one other faculty member who was a legend in the Winsor community, Ms. Lisa Taillacq, who retired in the spring of 2020 after 42 years at Winsor.

Lower School Science Cell-terpieces In October, Class II students used recycled materials to create models of cells, and presented the models as centerpieces during lunch. Each cell-terpiece was accompanied by a key sheet, and a unique QR code that linked to a short video, created by the student, explaining their project.

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FROM PILGRIM ROAD

Grace DeStefano ’24

Sarah Jane Gavin ’22 and Lexie Pellegrino ’22

Alexis Vilmenay ’21 and AnAn Desimone ’23

For the Love of Sport

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he fall sports season got underway virtually, with teams meeting via Zoom to begin virtual practices. By mid-September, teams moved to hybrid schedules, practicing in person on the days the students were on campus for school, and practicing virtually on remote learning days. Although Under The Lights (UTL) was still intra-team competition, Winsor was able to move forward with scheduling scrimmages with a limited number of schools during the final weeks of the fall season. Working together on protocols, and adher-

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ing to current state guidelines, the participating schools agreed to abide by all the set terms to ensure the safety of every athlete. “The shared goal for these scrimmages,” noted Head of School Sarah Pelmas, was “to provide an opportunity for healthy competition and a positive game-like experience for everyone involved.” With no spectators, and no recording of wins, losses, or records, the season was certainly unlike any other. But the athletes relished the opportunity to compete, and gave 100% on the course, the field, and the court.

WELCOME NEW TRUSTEES JENNIFER DOLINS P’23

Jen Dolins pursues her interests in equitable access to education and children’s health through her involvement with non-profit organizations in the Boston area. Currently, Jen serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Beacon Academy. Jen also serves on the Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) Storybook Ball Committee and recently joined the MGHfC Advisory Board. She and her husband Mark reside in Chestnut Hill with their two daughters, Grayson and Avery ’23.

CLAIRE PASTERNACK GOLDSMITH ’01

Claire Goldsmith is Executive Director of the Malone Schools Online Network, a consortium of independent schools across the US collaborating to offer high-level electives for talented juniors and seniors in real-time, virtual seminars. Claire has been a Winsor Corporator since 2013. She holds a BA from Harvard College in History and Literature as well as a Master’s degree in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Claire is married to Brian Goldsmith and has two children, Eliza, and Teddy.

JESSICA LUTZKER P’25

Jessica is a member of the Harvard Business School Admissions Board. Prior to working at HBS, Jessica had a

career in consumer marketing.

A graduate of Duke University and Harvard Business School, Jessica is a current Trustee at The Park School, where she serves as co-chair of the Development Committee, and a Trustee at Beacon Academy, where she is co-chair of the Governance Committee. A former board member at Raising a Reader, she and her husband Josh reside in Brookline with daughter, Emily ’25 and son, Sam. LISA JACKSON P’23

Lisa is Managing Partner at the Imago Dei Fund. Lisa earned her undergraduate degree from Howard University. She then earned her Masters and Doctorate in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. At Winsor, Lisa has been an active volunteer and served on the PA from 2016-2019.

She also serves on the Brookline School Committee and as Board Director for the College Advising Corps. Lisa lives in West Newton with her husband, Alden, and their two children, Coleman and Cleo ’23.

MALLIKA MARSHALL P’27

Mallika is an urgent care physician at MGH, an Emmy-award winning medical reporter for WBZ-TV News, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications. Mallika graduated cum laude from Harvard College and earned her medical degree with

honors from the University of California, San Francisco. She has served on the Board of Directors for The Meadowbrook School of Weston, the Urgent Care Foundation, and Dress for Success Boston.

Mallika lives in Weston with her husband, Jason, and their three children: James, Jackson, and Savanna ’27.

MARION PANTAZELOS RUSSELL ’91, P’22, ’25

Marion serves as Supervising Psychiatrist at Wellesley College and maintains a private psychiatric practice in Wellesley. After graduating from Winsor, Marion attended the University of Vermont, then earned her Master’s in medical science and her medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine. In her work at Wellesley College, she focuses on college mental health and the challenges faced by emerging young adults. She carries this work into her private practice where she has a particular interest in treating anxiety disorders. Marion is a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a member of the College Mental Health Caucus, and the American College Health Association. At Winsor, Marion has served as a class giving coordinator for her alumnae class for over ten years, as the Class III coordinator, and as the Annual Giving Coordinator in FY19. She has also served on the Alumnae Board and Corporation since 2014. She resides in Newton with her husband, Mark, and their three children: Sophia ’22, Catherine ’25, and Luke.

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PROFILES IN GIVING

An Extraordinary Gift Dedicated to helping others, Sarah Carter Crawford ’56 leaves Winsor its largest bequest in history

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or many of us, our “personal best” tells of one moment of adrenaline, one medal, one relished victory. For Sarah Carter Crawford ’56, a personal best was not a superlative, nor a transient moment atop an apex. Carter— as she was known—seemed to spend her life inviting opportunities to set another personal best whether through athletics, a full career, a commitment to community service and volunteer work, or philanthropy.

An accomplished athlete at Winsor and Smith College, she never hung up her sneakers or gear, and never ceased in her pursuit for fulfillment and joy. After college, Carter worked in finance, then in advertising. She married, and divorced. In 1975, she changed careers and entered sales for a local television channel in Los Angeles. Seven years later, after a critical illness, her life changed when she moved to Fairbanks, Alaska as general sales manager at KTVF; a move she recalls as having saved her life, and created a new one.

In Alaska, she returned to her life-long love of sports and competition—running, weightlifting, motorcycling, skydiving, softball, soccer, golf, lacrosse, and even picking up her first ice hockey stick at 45. The winner of many Running Club North age-division awards, Carter was an avid ambassador for fitness for all women, encouraging and cheering other athletes in their efforts to

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reach their personal bests.

Off the pitch or track or rink, Carter—known at Winsor and frankly, everywhere she went, as funny, ebullient, and at times delightfully irreverent—applied herself to helping others. Upon retirement, she founded Crawford Communications, but it was her passion for the stock market (after her father fulfilled her high school graduation request for one share of AT&T stock) that led her to funding numerous nonprofit organizations locally and across America.

Carter was honored with innumerable service awards from organizations for which she devoted her energy and time, one of which she was especially proud: her role as president of the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. Carter is also listed in several “Who’s Who of American Women.”

Wherever she went, it seems, she left an indelible mark. So, it should come as no surprise that when she passed away, Carter left the largest bequest in Winsor’s history.

She spent years planning her legacy gift with her personal advisors and with Winsor. Carter lived modestly and was deeply aware of the inequities around her; she felt it her duty to give to others, especially those less fortunate, whether through philanthropy or volunteerism.

Understanding that a Winsor education was instrumental in shaping her values, she chose to leave an unrestricted bequest knowing and trusting

that her legacy would be put to good use by the school she cherished.

To honor Carter’s wishes and her extraordinary legacy, Winsor has named an endowed scholarship fund after her mother and her: The Gribbel Carter Scholarship.

Winsor also honored her commitment to a more equitable society and her deep appreciation of Winsor’s teachers by establishing two separate endowed funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and for faculty professional development.

What’s extraordinary about Carter’s legacy to Winsor was not only its size—over $4 million—which would have surprised Carter herself, but that it was received during a time of general economic uncertainty. No doubt, it would have elated her to know how transformative her legacy would be to providing opportunities to future generations of talented Winsor students.

Her lifelong friend, Nancy Bassett Smith ’56, with whom Carter spent summers at camp in Maine and arrived in Class VI as new girls, remembers Carter’s moxie. “She was always such a bubbly person, so warm. Recently, I looked back at our yearbook and with her photo was the quote, ‘Be always merry as you can, for none delights in a sorrowful man [woman].’ Those words sum her up to a T!” Among the life-long list of accomplishments, proud moments, generous gifts, and personal bests, no doubt her astoundingly generous legacy to Winsor would top the list.

Victoria Tilney McDonough ’83 is a writer based in Alexandria, VA.

Carter’s Winsor yearbook photo and entry, circa 1956.

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GENEROUS MINDED

Grapes for Good Hadley Douglas ’92 and family continue to transform the wine industry

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t was 2015, and TJ and Hadley Douglas ’92 were thriving.

Business at The Urban Grape, their Boston wine, spirits, and craft beer store, was flourishing.

Tastings were booming. Yet the couple was discouraged.

“Ninety-eight percent of our sales applicants were white. Ninety-eight percent of delivery-driver applicants were Black,” says Hadley. Despite

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hiring female and LGBTQ staff, the store was “never able to make headway” in terms of racial parity.

Nationally, just two percent of wine-industry professionals selfidentify as Black; TJ, a Black man himself, “was too often the only one in the room” at industry events, even within his own store, says Hadley.

The couple decided to create a scholarship comprising wine-industry

education, mentoring, and work experience for students of color.

By 2019, they’d enlisted the Boston University Elizabeth Bishop Wine Studies Program, Chef Tiffani Faison, and distributor M.S. Walker.

They were ready to change the (wine) world.

Then came 2020. COVID-19 hit Massachusetts in early spring. On May 25, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, and demonstrations erupted. In early June, Boston protests degenerated, and looters vandalized The Urban Grape.

Determined to wring “something positive” from the destruction, Hadley and TJ launched the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color on June 22, the store’s tenth anniversary.

“Launching the Award was a way to turn things full circle, and the only way we could wrap our heads around what happened,” says Hadley.

“Ultimately, we don’t want that moment in June to be our legacy; we want what we did and made afterward to be our legacy.”

Their store has re-opened, and two inaugural Awardees have been named. After the couple reaches $200,000 in fundraising, they’ll endow the fund. Ultimately, they’d like to start a nonprofit and launch nationally…and so transform pain into progress, sour grapes into wine.

Now that deserves a toast.

Juliet Eastland ’86 is a writer in Brookline, Mass.

Interested in donating to the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color? Contact BU’s Metropolitan College.

PHOTO BY KRISTIE DEAN

Hadley and TJ Douglas with their sons outside their Urban Grape store

FIDALGO FUND ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE EVERY STUDENT CAN THRIVE

PHOTO BY KRISTIE DEAN

“We want to open the door for other girls like us, so they too can flourish and thrive no matter where they live, or what their parents can afford,” says Janice Fidalgo ’14, reflecting on what inspired her, sister Joceline Fidalgo ’07, and siblings Joyceana, Emanuel, and Joshua, to found Winsor’s Ana Maria Fidalgo Fund, named in honor of their mother.

For Joceline and Janice, Winsor was always about more than a good education. Joceline shared, “Winsor gave us opportunities that we would

Ana Maria Fidalgo with Joceline ’07, Janice ’14, and her granddaughter

otherwise not have had access to. Our mom is a fighter, a survivor and she reminded us daily that we could do anything we wanted to do, go anywhere we wanted to go, and be anyone we wanted to be; but first we needed a strong education. We needed schools that would nurture our creativity and spark curiosity. We needed strict teachers and deadlines, but also mentorship and guidance. Winsor was that place. The education we received at Winsor set us up to be critical thinkers, strong leaders and most impor-

tantly, empowered women.”

“While there, we constantly found ourselves working to navigate a space and community so different from the one we grew up in. Most of the other students didn’t look like us, their parents didn’t sound like ours, and their houses were not close to ours. Yet, despite all of these differences, inside of those walls we were able to eat at the same tables, take notes with the same glitter pens, and play the same sports. Because of the financial support our family received from Winsor, I did not have to worry about missing out on a field trip or not being able to attend the following year because of a tuition raise. Winsor cared for academic excellence but also for our general well-being.”

Grateful, and eager to show their gratitude, a fund at Winsor seemed a natural choice. Says Janice, “Our mother has sacrificed beyond compare to give us the life we have now and she deserves to be recognized for it. Her legacy and reach will carry on and expand, so that other children can have the same opportunities.

Every girl deserves to pursue her interests, explore new activities, and not have to worry about how the next bill will be paid. There are so many bright, talented girls who live in the city who would not have a chance at Winsor without this sort of aid.”

The Ana Maria Fidalgo Fund assists in providing scholarships for Black+ Winsor students to help offset tuition and other school-related costs. If you would like additional information, or to contribute to the fund, please contact Beth Peterson ’80, P ’11 at epeterson@winsor.edu.

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S E P A R A T E ,

TOGETHER Reimagining Community During COVID-19.

Resilient and undeterred, the Winsor community rallied together to face the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring, despite the separation, students and families stayed optimistic and engaged, and our reimagined year-end traditions bolstered spirits and kept the community connected. Summer@ Winsor raised the bar, with an array of creative virtual offerings inspiring over 400 students to log on and join the experience. Blazing a trail for other institutions to follow, Winsor launched the 2020-2021 academic year with a robust hybrid model. Ensuring flexibility across digital and inperson learning, and following strict health and safety protocols, Lower Schoolers returned to campus on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Upper Schoolers on Thursdays and Fridays.

Classes are lively, groups and clubs are meeting, athletics and performing arts are back in action, and weekly assemblies offer fresh perspectives and enriching performances. Masks, facilities changes, and social distancing have life on campus looking very different, but Wildcat spirit is alive and well.

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A Whole New World

Marisa Greenwald ’02 and Kate Elfers ’14 joined Julian Braxton’s City on the Hill class to talk about the current state of healthcare in America, with a focus on Boston.

Going virtual in March 2020 was wholly unexpected.

Leveraging technology to its best advantage, faculty and students found new ways to engage with material, welcomed speakers from around the country, and united to celebrate spring’s time-honored traditions.

Class VIII students, joined by members of their families, logged in to join Head of School Sarah Pelmas for the annual Awards Celebration.

HIGHLIGHTED CLASS

ENCRYPTION AND ESPIONAGE When math faculty Thomas Wensink’s post-calculus class went virtual, he challenged his students: adopt an online alias, work in teams, communicate online via encrypted code, and try to decipher the other teams’ messages to unlock the secret meeting location. “It was such an innovative way to use technology to our advantage, and something we wouldn’t have been able to do in the classroom,” said Danya Dubrow-Compaine ’20.

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On May 15, five seniors took to the virtual podium to compete in the 107th Annual Hemenway Prize for Speaking Competition.

Months of cross-curricular work and collaboration by Class IV culminated with another Winsor first: a virtual Class IV Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet. Students had to set aside traditional expectations, and leverage their expanding toolkit of technological skills to continue to collaborate with their peers from home. Employing their own costumes and props, they delivered a refreshing take on the beloved classic.

ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

HONORING PAM BROOKS ’70

Class VI continued the tradition of making the senior class banner, and honored Class VIII during a joyous virtual banner reveal.

Upper School Middle Eastern Literature welcomed Melody Moezzi, an activist, attorney, visiting professor at UNC Wilmington, and award-winning author.

SISTERS led an inspired all-school assembly honoring speical guest and trailblazer Pam Brooks ’70, the first student of color to graduate from Winsor, and her peers, who paved the way for other students of color—and for the evolution of the Winsor community. “We are Winsor because of you,” was the refrain from the group of students who prepared remarks and exuded gratitude for Ms. Brooks and for Pamela Parks McLaurin ’71, P’12 who blazed a trail alongside Ms. Brooks and others, and went on to help transform Winsor into the vibrant, diverse community it is today during her 18-year tenure as Winsor’s Director of Admission and Financial Aid. Ms. Brooks, the daughter of activist parents entrenched in the civil rights movement, reflected, “My world view was pretty much mapped for me given the nature of my family’s involvement. Bringing that worldview to Winsor was my task. To help those young women, and those teachers, and those administrators. That was the task that I readily assumed...Spaces like Winsor had to change, and I was committed to that change.”

Reveling in the changes in the Winsor of today, she encouraged the students to embrace their identities; to “read those books that speak to you...and play your music...[and] remember that these are the words that give us promise, hope, and joy. They affirm ‘I am understood.’”

Encouraging unity, she said, “Be good to one another.

Look each other in the eye, and say you love one another.”

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Summer@Winsor Winsor rallied to create an opportunity for new and existing students to engage When it became clear that the pandemic would limit summer social interaction, and most in-person summer camps and programs were canceled, faculty and staff came together in late spring to develop Winsor’s first virtual summer program, Summer@Winsor.

Students satisfied their intellectual curiosity throughout the summer and incoming Winsor students were able to experience the hallmark of the Winsor experience: a community of engaged learners. “We know the students got the chance to take classes that matched their interests,” says Brian Didier, director of Summer@Winsor. “Teachers also stretched themselves beyond their comfort zones into new disciplines and new subject areas while honing their remote teaching skills. And our wonderful TAs got a taste of what it’s like to teach.”

Many courses gave students the opportunity to explore new, inspiring, and thought-provoking topics including: Truth and Consequences: A Critical Look at Media Bias, Girls of the World, The City and the Pandemic, Mythological Monsters, Ghoti-FISH, Engineering for International Development, It’s Elemental!: The Chemistry in Everyday Life, Contemporary to Classic: Comparing The Humming Room to The Secret Garden, Lights, Camera, Fraction!, Music in Film, and many more.

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46 30 100+ 400+ faculty and staff

teaching assistants

individual classes

students participated

Many summer courses provided a refreshing creative outlet, including imagining mythologcial creatures, drawing, capturing 10 faces in 10 days, painting, and exploring art journaling styles. Pictured are samples of the stunning array of student work.

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Fall’s Hybrid Return Alexandra Gorham ’21 reported on the new schedule in the following piece, written for the Winsor Banner Most Winsor students are already accustomed to the hybrid schedule and unusual room placements that are unique to this year. In September, we launched into the new school year and immediately adapted to the new routine, but now that we are two months into the year, let’s take some time to see how it was created.

After the rapid design of last spring’s distance learning schedule, Winsor was well prepared to develop a schedule for this year’s hybrid model. Though last spring’s model was generally successful, especially given the time constraints around its formation, Winsor knew that some changes had to be made to make the schedule more effective for this school year and allow for a return to in-person learning. The scheduling team, comprised of Ms. Labieniec, Ms. Ramos, Ms. Geromini, and Mr. Crompton, worked in conjunction with the academic planning group, which included Ms. Caspar, Mr. Braxton, Ms. Jones Phinney and Mrs. Markenson, to decide what changes to make.

The guiding principle of this year’s schedule is its flexibility across digital, hybrid, and in-person learning, so the team determined early on that the schedule must have symmetry so the week could be split in half in the hybrid model. The team felt that the symmetry had to be within a week, so the days in school for any given student could remain the same every week and give families a sense of regularity.

Additionally, the upper school and lower school schedules had to sync

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up for crossover teachers and schoolwide events such as assembly. As lower schoolers typically take more classes than upper schoolers since health, STEM, and PE are mandatory, the schedule had to include a larger number of “carriers,” blocks that could fit a full course, than the seven day schedule had. Thus, the current schedule has eight class blocks rather than seven, as was typical last year. Finally, the scheduling and academic teams wanted to address the concerns of ambiguity and inconsistency in assignment due dates.

Thus, the synchronous–asynchronous pattern for work was created to bring more consistency and “cadence” to students’ workloads.

Over the summer, the scheduling team was tasked with creating three different versions of the schedule (one in-person, one virtual, and one hybrid) in just a few weeks. According to Ms. Labieniec, the team had to wait until the release of health guidelines at the end of the summer to create those plans during a “very intense period of planning [and] communicating with the academic planning group.” The schedule evolved at the same time as new health guidelines were released, so the three schedules needed to be elastic and flexible. In early August, the outline for the schedules was ready to be presented to Ms. Pelmas’s planning task force, the faculty, and eventually parents and students. Given the infection rates in Massachusetts, Winsor’s space, the size of the student body, and many other factors, Winsor ultimately chose the

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hybrid model to start the year. However, the remaining two models may still be used later in the school year if we transition to fully online or in-person learning.

The in-person portion of the schedule was crafted around the state and federal health and safety guidelines, some which were easier to accommodate than others, according to Ms. Ramos and Ms. Labieniec. According to Ms. Ramos, one of the biggest challenges the scheduling team faced was “trying to imagine what clean up and set up of each space would look like and how long people would need to complete cleaning protocols, as well as wash hands and take mask breaks.” The need for cleaning and setting up after every class forced the scheduling team to create large periods of passing time to allow for thorough sanitizing, especially in spaces like the art rooms and science labs. Another large challenge was “coordinating full-class or even multi-grade level events like lunch and flex.” Not only do these events pose even larger issues around cleaning and setting up spaces, Winsor does not have enough large spaces to hold these large groups safely. Thus, lunches and lower school clubs had to be split up into smaller groups of two classes at a time.

For Ms. Labieniec, “the hardest [guideline to integrate into the schedule] is actually the six feet guideline” because it forced Winsor to choose the hybrid option since the school could not completely physically distance all students and faculty if all were on campus at once. Additionally, allocating rooms to specific classes was especially difficult because some rooms became unsuitable for larger classrooms with the new rule. Even after the structure of the schedule was decided, the classroom assigning process had to begin.

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First, Mr. Crompton and Mr. Anderson measured every room in the school to determine the student capacity, remove extra furniture, and consider the ventilation and sanitization of the space.

Then Ms. Ramos put together the classes according to students’ requests, and informed the scheduling team about maximum class sizes as well as the number of classrooms that a given class would use (for instance many science classes have access to two lab spaces).

Finally, Ms. Labieniec, Ms. Ramos, and Ms. Geromini walked around the entire school with a 6 foot long stick to arrange the desks. Ms. Labieniec described the experience as “something of a math puzzle to figure out how to get the desks in the room so that everyone is six feet apart in the most efficient way.” Once the rooms had been set up, classes could be matched to specific spaces, and the schedule was finalized.

Despite their enormous effort, Ms. Labieniec and Ms. Ramos remained concerned about how the schedule would function in practice. Ms. Ramos recalls, “I think the most challenging part of making the schedule was creating it for something I couldn’t really even imagine. Having spent most of my spring at home, I really wasn’t sure what it would look like and feel like to wear a mask all day, to be around many other people and maintain social distancing, and to be able to sanitize according to our protocols.” She wanted to retain the positive experiences that Winsor students have had with the schedule in the past and tried extra hard to place students in the classes that they requested. Given the extra carrier in the schedule, a record high number of students are even able to overload on credits this semester. Ms. Labieniec was most stressed about the

balance between maintaining academic rigor and respecting students’ time at home and other responsibilities. She and the other team members worked incredibly hard to create the synchronous/asynchronous work pattern with

the interests of students at the forefront of the planning process. She also worried about how to ensure that many fun aspects of school, such as homerooms and lunch periods were maintained to balance out the workload while also “having to put restrictions on some of the aspects of community life that make the day enjoyable, in order to keep everyone safe.”

After two months of the hybrid schedule, it is clear that the scheduling team took their jobs incredibly seriously and designed the schedule to best serve the student body. The schedule preserves many activities that are characteristic of the Winsor experience while also allowing for continued academic rigor and discussion-based learning. As the hybrid schedule is now a success and our continued reality, we can thank all the members of the faculty and staff who dedicated their summer to making it possible. Thank you! Read more student reporting at www.winsorbanner.org

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ARTWORK BY EKUA HOLMES

A COMMUNITY IN CONVERSATION Incorporating generations of voices, Winsor tackles issues of race, inequity, and injustice.

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T

he year 2020 was marked by social and political unrest. In the wake of the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, powerful voices joined together to speak up, and previously silent voices demanded to be heard. The call for an end to racial and social injustice was immediate and clear.

And leaders and institutions in every public and private sector were forced to take a long hard look at their role in creating equal working, learning, and living spaces for every individual, regardless of race, religion, gender, or identity. For independent schools, this meant an honest assessment of curricular pedagogy, policies, practices, systems of support, and pathways to action to ensure a safe and inclusive environment exists where every student can thrive. It also meant facing difficult truths about explicit and implicit bias and inequity, and embracing difficult conversations, long avoided, about race, racism, and prejudice.

Since its founding, Winsor has taught students to tackle critical conversations with courage as a path to learning and deeper understanding, and has not shied away from looking at its own history. During Commencement in June, amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the heightening social justice crisis in our nation, Head of School Sarah Pelmas recalled the story of Winsor’s first students of color in the late 1960s, boldly told by Patricia Elam Walker ’71 in the last issue of the Winsor Bulletin. She talked about their challenges, determination, and role as trailblazers, paving a way for a bolder, more diverse Winsor. And as the essential work continues to create a more inclusive community, Winsor has turned again to its principles of equity and inclusion to reflect on areas of

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achievement and areas for improvement.

“Making the necessary changes will be hard work,” Ms. Pelmas shared in a letter to the community this summer. “We have to ask ourselves difficult questions about the systems we inhabit, and our role in preserving the status quo. We must educate our students and ourselves so we can dismantle the thinking and the systems that maintain institutionalized racism. We all live in those systems; we can all help make changes.” It is just the kind of work that Winsor is built for.

CURRICULAR CHOICES EMPOWER STUDENT VOICES

When English Department Head and faculty member Courtney Jackson joined Winsor in 1998, “Winsor prioritized discussion about issues of diversity and inclusion. It was one of things I loved about being at Winsor,” she says. “Over the past twenty years our curriculum and pedagogy have been evolving as a result of research, professional development, student feedback, and ongoing conversation as a faculty.” Beyond learning the facts in any given course, “we want students to develop skills. Critical thinking, writing, and empathetic understanding of others,” she says. And when the departments evaluate which texts students will read, the focus is on what best supports all the course goals, and that includes issues of race and equality and how they are directly or indirectly addressed in the material. Regardless of the subject matter, ensuring students see themselves in the curriculum is essential.

“During all my time at Winsor, we’ve been thinking about how to include a diverse set of voices. How do we make sure we are showing the students themselves in the curriculum? And we also want them to see a wide variety of characters, circumstances,” says Ms. Jackson.

“It’s a process. We are looking at it all the time. We evaluate when a particular text didn’t hit the mark, and whether it’s something we should try to teach again but approach differently, or whether it’s something we should remove.”

When Winsor’s department heads sat down to rethink the junior and senior elective classes several years ago, “we decided to emphasize social justice content and issues of race, and gender, and equality,” notes History Department Head Brian Didier. With a dynamic rotating schedule that allows for larger time blocks to dig into complex material, Winsor’s faculty is able to take student learning to the next level.

With courses like The Art of Protest, Politics and Identity, Human Rights, Human Culture and Genocide, students don’t just learn about social justice, they learn essential, action oriented skills.

In Julian Braxton’s City on the Hill class, for example, students reach out to Boston community members to hear their perspectives, experiences, and personal accounts of race and injustice.

In the Human Rights course, students write policy memos. “We challenge the students to push beyond understanding to start thinking about recommending change, and then to go out and do it,” Mr. Didier says.

In Class VI history, the second semester is structured to facilitate the study of more complex issues, with learning focused around three or four topic issues covering equality and freedom in place of a general survey course.

“We look at gender rights, and the civil rights movement, and address these and other social justice issues in the context of current events. The structure gives us tremendous flexibility,” says Mr. Didier, something that empowers both students and faculty to tailor the learning to meet

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students where they are, and to ensure the learning resonates. For example, “When we tackle the Constitution, and exploration of equality, we also take a look at the limits of those ideas,” Mr. Didier points out. “The Declaration was made primarily for white men.

What do students think about that? We want them to evaluate, and weigh that into their learning.” The same kind of ongoing curricular review and flexibility in the Lower School enabled long-time history faculty Libby Parsley to weave the The New York Times’ 1619 Project into the history curriculum in 2020 to

provide students a deeper understanding of America’s past as it relates to the enslavement of human beings.

The Science Department is uniquely positioned to take a more empirical approach in the analysis of race and other topics of identity says Department Head Kim Ramos. “Science is a really powerful tool to deconstruct racism, and to frame it as a social construct, not a scientific construct. Understanding that there is no scientific basis for race gives students the freedom to understand that culturally, things don’t have to be the way they are.” The science of race, and other

STEM topics students will encounter in everyday life, is the goal of the newly reimagined STEM and Society in the 21st Century course. And in Class III science, through experimentation and modeling, students build a scaffolded understanding of how the earth and its inhabitants change through geologic time and have affected each other. The curriculum includes analysis of the science behind our understanding of race.

In the World Languages Department, there has long been a focus on integrating cultural and historical learning into the learning of

O

ver his 22 years on the history faculty, Winsor’s Director of Community and Inclusion has raised the bar with his insightful, empathetic and empowering leadership, and created a truly lasting legacy.

Among the milestones: 1999: Joined the Winsor History Department faculty 2003: Guided trustees and faculty in rewriting Winsor’s Principles of Diversity, a foundational statement of values 2005: Named director of diversity 2007: Served as co-chair for the NAIS People of Color Conference in Boston, an event drawing over 3,000 educators of color to talk about leadership, empowerment, and 21st century diversity issues. Julian is now a fixture at conferences regionally and nationally.

2010: Evolved his job title to director of community and multicultural affairs to ensure the title reflected the need to affirm all cultures 2016: Became one of the first recipients of the Diversity Practitioners Medal of Honor, a national award honoring leaders “who live and breathe the role.”

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Under Mr. Braxton’s leadership, DEI programming expanded from transformative classroom and community programming, to include a platform of professional development that has come to serve as a roadmap for peer institutions. Today, faculty and staff engage in social justice learning, reflection, and discussion regularly through: designated summer reading, book clubs, attendance at the annual NAIS People of Color Conference and other regional and national conferences, participation in on-campus groups including SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) and WACR (White Allies Challenging Racism), and engaging with guest speakers and authors that visit Winsor each year.

But it’s in the classroom with students where Mr. Braxton really shines. Head of School Sarah Pelmas calls him “a master teacher” whose course on Politics of Identity has “revolutionized student thinking,” teaching them an essential lesson: figure out what’s important to you, and fight for it. Abigail Simon ’16, elaborates, “In just one semester, Mr. Braxton managed to powerfully shape my world-view and that of my classmates.” The “best part,” she says, was a culminating project in which he required students to ‘Take a Stand’ on an issue they care about. Nicole Cerulli ’16 adds, “Mr. Braxton conveys the sense that although the challenges our society faces are vast and at times overwhelming, he believes wholeheartedly that we will be the agents of change.”

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

Julian K. Braxton: Revolutionizing Student Thinking

language. “Beyond conveying the curriculum, I’m engaging the students, and am responsible for addressing the cultural disparities that arise through the course of study,” says World Languages Department Head Valentina Paez. “As an educator, I address them in questions. I put them at the center. Is there an elephant in the room? What is it that we aren’t saying or aren’t asking? We have to familiarize ourselves with that critical lens so we can see more freely.”

With only so much ground to cover each semester, it’s not possible to cover everything, but that, too, is part of the learning. “We want the students to ask the questions: Why are we learning about this? What am I supposed to take away? Why aren’t we talking about that? We encourage our students to be critical enough to always ask ‘Why?’,” says Mr. Didier. And since the electives change every year, “it’s a running conversation. We are constantly assessing and researching so we can continue to make thoughtful, meaningful change.”

NORMS CREATE SPACE FOR CRITICAL DIALOG

Along with ongoing curricular review, “We have also become increasingly aware of the need to be even more transparent about our goals with our students,” notes Ms. Jackson.

Course descriptions now contain specific inclusion standards, and norms are discussed at the start of each course to ensure the classrooms are safe spaces for discussion, and again at inflection points in the curriculum when material has the potential to raise topics or situations that might make students uncomfortable. “In our written standards, and in our classroom norms, we clearly state our values, and state them publicly.

And I think that makes a difference.

It underscores that it’s important to us and reaffirms our goal to make every student feel valued,” says Ms. Jackson.

So what happens when a topic arises, and the teacher or a student gets it wrong? “The interesting part is where we get it a little bit wrong. That’s where the learning really happens,” says Mr. Didier. “So we do everything we can to create environments where we all can make mistakes, and be vulnerable. It will always be a process, and an evolution.

And we are going to stumble in order to get it right. But we will continue to try, and to try to build the necessary trust with students to facilitate honest and productive conversations.” Because, as he points out, it’s when students fear judgement, or are “afraid of getting it wrong, they don’t want to speak out.

And the language is shifting dramatically today, which makes it even more challenging to feel you’ve got it right.” That’s why Ms. Jackson reiterates, “If we want them to feel safe expressing discomfort in the classroom, the invitation to make mistakes is so important. We recognize it’s hard, and it’s risk taking, and that’s the reason we endorse it wholeheartedly.

And why we have to model apologizing when we make mistakes.”

COMMUNITY AND INCLUSION BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

As essential as intentional curricular programming is ensuring the structures are in place to support students in their social and emotional development. “We try to teach students how important it is to actively and positively define yourself and how risky it is to allow others to define who you are, what your ability is, how much you are worth, or what you believe,” says Julian K. Braxton, Winsor’s Director of Community and Inclusion.

To that end, Winsor supports students

in the formation of affinity groups and clubs that provide spaces where students can let their guards down, be their full selves, process challenges of belonging and identity, and make mistakes. A big piece of the inclusion puzzle, “simply put, affinity groups are about building community. The affinity groups have many goals but at the core it is to provide students an opportunity to share, celebrate, and collaborate. ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What do I want to become?’ are the fundamental questions that every student is seeking to answer in some way while at Winsor. Affinity groups provide another source of support as students of color answer those important questions.”

These groups are also essential as a vehicle to help give a voice and representation to students that might not feel empowered or comfortable to speak up when singled out, notes Ms. Paez.

“In the classroom, no student should be singled out as representing the voice of their culture. But those students need you to see color because they are having a different experience. So it’s not the what, but the how, in our engagement with the community as a whole and in what we teach that’s essential now, more than ever,” she says. When students raise issues and concerns as a unified group, “they come to us because they want a stronger partnership. They want to build a stronger bridge. And we have the power to bring about change for the better when we seize the opportunity as leaders to embrace what they say, and use it as an opportunity to fix what we might be missing.”

Currently, Winsor has eight formal affinity group programs specifically designed for students who identify as part of an underrepresented group or experience being in a numerical

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minority. In these groups, students find support, and their voices, and are empowered to speak up, speak out, and push for change. The longest standing of these is SISTERS (Black and African-American students), which had its beginnings in the 1990s, along with AsIAm (Asian students), SOMOS (Latinx students), Mosaic (multi-racial students), Jew Kids on the Block (Jewish students), SPARC (Students Promoting Acceptance of Religious Communities), Spectrum (LGBTQ+ students), and First Generation Experience. In addition to affinity groups, Winsor also has a number of clubs that support students exploring the meaning of identity.

Affinity groups “also provide students with wonderful leadership opportunities as the students lead forums on a variety of topics connected with 21st century issues. Planning an assembly or sharing stories within the group and outside of the group can be an empowering experience,” says Mr. Braxton.

These student-run assemblies are an essential part of a carefully constructed, intentional weekly program intended to bring new voices and perspectives to Winsor, and to give students the

opportunity to invite conversation, share more about their identities, and engage their peers. “Students need to see examples, role models, paths forward, alternate perspectives, and issues beyond Winsor,” notes Mr. Braxton.

THE WORK AHEAD

While classroom learning, community groups, and ongoing programming are essential, those who have raised their voices in recent months made one thing clear: the support structures and communication channels in place have not always been enough when a student doesn’t feel safe, or comfortable, speaking up in the classroom, or directly to an adult. In response, working groups and town halls facilitated discussions that resulted in the formation of several new boards to lead the next generation of DEI goals and programming.

In June, Mr. Braxton began working with the new Student Board for Equity and Inclusion, which will act as an invaluable advisory committee. As board member Salma Ibrahim ’21 explains, the “silenced stories and voices from students and alums of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community served as

About the Artist: Ekua Holmes A Boston native, Ekua Holmes creates art that is collage based and her subjects, made from cut and torn papers, investigate family histories, relationship dynamics, childhood impressions, and the power of faith and self-determination. She has created and led workshops, been a visiting artist and lecturer, and held artist residencies in public and private institutions throughout New England. For her work in children’s book illustration, Holmes has received numerous awards including a Caldecott honor and two Coretta Scott King illustrator awards. Her thoughtful pieces for this story reflect the individual (where all change begins,) facing one another (often in difficult conversations,) and the community (coming together and moving in the same direction while holding our unique cultures and ideals.)

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an additional motivator for the creation of a student-led board to address the needs of the hidden voices at Winsor.”

Aware of the work that needs to be done, and the need for more support, “We hope to foster a better culture of open dialogue and create more opportunities that involve the voices of the adults at Winsor,” she said, adding “In order to truly make progress, students and faculty alike need to feel comfortable asking questions, having genuine conversations, and offering constructive criticism and advice in good faith.” See the First Person profile on Page 60 to learn more about the board and its members.

Also created this year to provide leadership, broaden avenues for twoway communication, and drive Winsor’s anti-racist, equity and inclusion objectives are the newly formed Winsor Board Equity Task Force and Alumnae for an Inclusive Community (AIC.) Both groups will focus on intentionality and accountability for the work ahead. And Parents for an Inclusive Community (PIC) will continue to provide essential programming, including a Creating Belonging series for parents/guardians interested in exploring identity, allyship, and ways to combat racism and other forms of systemic oppression.

Looking ahead, the path forward is clear. To stay true to its equity and inclusion mission, Winsor must continue to listen, learn, and face issues of racism, bias, and injustice head-on.

“This particular time in history shows us that we need some reteaching, but that doesn’t negate all of the lessons we have learned,” says Mr. Braxton. “Today, we have the opportunity to both teach history and make history.” In a letter to the Winsor Community this summer, he shared, “I invite you to join us and participate in the work ahead.”

WINSOR WINTER 2021 37

COMMENCEMENT

38 WINSOR WINTER 2021

The Class of 2020 “ You are brave. You say what needs to be said, you act with conviction, you take risks, and you are guided by your values rather than by popularity.”

BY JENNIFER BUB | PHOTOGRAPHS BY KRISTIE DEAN WINSOR WINTER 2021 39

COMMENCEMENT

O

n Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Winsor celebrated the 67 graduates of the Class of 2020. The 126th Commencement was the first in Winsor history to be virtual, and families gathered to celebrate the students, and commemorate what will surely be remembered as a “landmark year.”

Members of the senior class, accompanied by their families, joined the zoom call from home. Head of School Sarah Pelmas opened the ceremony with remarks on the state of unrest in our nation, standing in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and calling for a moment of silence to honor Geroge Floyd, who was killed by police, and all those who have been victim to racism in this country.

Acknowledging the “very complex and troubled times we are in,” Ms. Pelmas reflected on how events like graduation, when a community comes together to celebrate, are even more important. At times like these, she said, “it’s not only good to celebrate, it’s utterly crucial that we do.”

Allison Kaneb Pellegrino ’89, P’21, ’22, president of the Winsor Corporation, also offered congratulations to the graduates, sharing her own wisdom and reflections. “This is a school that respects girls for what they have to have to say and write and share. This is a place where it’s cool to be smart. When you leave here take that mindset with you.” Encouraging students to go forward, and tackle new challenges head-on, she added, “I say this every year, but don’t forget about us on Pilgrim Road. Come back often and share what you’re doing and learning with all of us. We will miss you!”

Next, Isabel Leonetti ’20 delivered the class reading, selected from The

40 WINSOR WINTER 2021

Phantom Tollbooth. Then Class VIII president Isabella Sibble ’20 delivered an introduction for esteemed Commencement speaker Pamela Parks McLaurin ’71, P’12, whose speech was her last at Winsor before retiring in June after 18 years as Director of Admission and Financial Aid. During a time when social distancing has required virtual interactions to replace in-person connections, Ms. McLaurin gracefully bridged a gap the way only someone with such history with the class could have done. After all, as she reminded the graduates, she is the only member of the Winsor community to have interviewed every member of the class, getting to know them before they started on their Winsor journeys. With humor, great warmth, and tremendous clarity, Ms. McLaurin recounted her first interactions with

this incredible group, from what they shared about their families, to what they loved about Winsor. “Lulu loved the oldness of the buildings” and “Isabella even stood up to make her point! Doesn’t that sound like Isabella?”

In an endearing look back at the young women they once were, when they first set foot on Pilgrim Road as prospective students, she shared what each of them had proposed as the new club they would start if they were students at Winsor. And before closing, in the beautiful voice the Winsor community has come to know so well from her years as a leader of W.I.S.E., she sang an old song, fitting for the group of seniors who have worked hard, accomplished so much, and are poised to move on to the next chapter in their lives. The song’s refrain, an uplifting “you’ve been too long in one place, and it’s time to go.”

“ I know I need to stop and focus on the future instead of the past!

But how can I not remind you of what you saw in your futures?

You were amazing kids. You’ve grown into amazing women.”

—PAMELA PARKS McLAURIN ’71, P’12

Senior class speaker Asrah Rizvi ’20 reflected on a year, and a celebration, all the more bittersweet in light of the unexpected end to their time on campus as a class, and the need to say good-bye over zoom. She thanked her classmates for the constant support, allowing her to express herself, and her art. She recalled bonding over painting the homeroom, and the joy when the senior cheer won on Spirit Day.

“There’s nothing I can do to resolve the complicated feelings we all have graduating in the middle of a pandemic,” she said, but offered a few key things the past few months have made clear. First, she called on her peers to “be grateful for the privileges you hold, and use them as you are able to support others who need it,” recognizing the initiative many of her peers have taken to support businesses during the

pandemic, and to take a stand in the fight to end racism and ensure justice.

“It’s this kind of leadership our country needs right now, and I could not be more proud of our class.”

She also implored, “Take the time for yourself and your people, during the pandemic, and beyond,” reminding her peers to remember their roots, and prioritize staying connected with the people in their lives that matter. And finally, of this moment, she shared, “Know that you are worthy and ready and get hyped for what’s in store for your future! We have all been waiting for this moment!”

Ms. Pelmas gave the final remarks, sharing reflections on the accomplishments of the Class of 2020, and on the challenges and victories that lie ahead.

With a nod to breaking barriers of all kinds, including parallels to space flight,

WINSOR WINTER 2021 41

COMMENCEMENT

she remarked, “We literally do have to aim for the stars, for other worlds–we have to break barriers and hurl ourselves into the unknown,” adding that after all, “there is no way to fly to the heavens without dreaming big.”

Thanking the class for their courage and leadership, she shared, “We are better because of you. Individually, each one of us has learned something from you and been part of something unique and glorious because of you.

Together, you have shown us what leadership, resilience, and commitment look like. And it has not been without struggles, sometimes extremely daunting struggles. Your gifts and your accomplishments are all the more profound and extraordinary because of those struggles.”

Wishing the Class of 2020 a final farewell, she offered these words of encouragement. “I know that you will launch yourselves into space and you will continue to seek the truth in this world as well. We need you to do both—to ensure that this planet regains its health and that people learn to live in love and respect with one another, and also to strive for the impossible and the unknown, the worlds away from here, the ones we barely even dream of right now.

I know you can do this. I know you will make a difference. How do I know this? Because you already do.”

In closing, Jeremiah HickmanMaynard ’23, Shantel Texeira ’20, and Nazira Calhoun ’20 delivered an inspirational rendition of the traditional commencement song, “Lift Ev’ry Voice.” And Senior Small delivered a a beautiful recorded performance of “This is Not Goodbye,” as the seniors waved and reveled in the moment with family and friends.

42 WINSOR WINTER 2021

First row (sitting, l-r): Lucia Binder, Isabel Leonetti, Winnie Wang, Anahita von Andrian-Werburg, Brianna Feliciano, Hannah Hummel, Shantel Teixeira, Kiara Patterson, Lola Fearon, Jolean Ashman.

Second row (l-r): Ella Zimmermann, Alexa Amorosino, Colby Connors, Emily Vermeule, Ellen O’Hare, Indiana Aufranc, Sarah Albert-Rozenberg, Danya Dubrow-Compaine, Haley Kwoun.

Third row (l-r): Lara Simshauser, Caitlin Bracken, Lucille King, Katherine Loose, Nicole Masuoka, Avery Beber, Sophia Sherman, Alianna Taitano, Rachel Place.

Fourth row (l-r): Crystal Yang, Elizabeth Martin, Dora Friedman, Briggs Negron, Elizabeth Xu, Michelle Pu, Sadie Golen, Jordan Hamelsky, Cecilia Woo, Athena Blyth.

Fifth row (l-r): Alyssa Weninger, Caroline Schernecker, Lauren Price, Ashley Krawshuk, Greta Goldberg, Eva Shin, Ana Agarwal, Leanne Ansari, Rosaleen Carroll.

Sixth row (l-r): Christina Gong, Hana Karanja, Sophia Copeman, Nina Fisherman, Nazira Calhoun, Ryann Merseth, Asrah Rizvi, Michaela Stanfield, Margaret Furlong, Jenna Peterson.

Back row (l-r): Caroline Nolan, Ifeanyi Umunna, India Hyde, Isabella Sibble, Emily Kish, Emilia Fong-Gallagher, Reethika Digumarthy, Audrey Wu, India Glenn, Sophie Yates.

Honoring Achievements

T

his year’s annual awards celebration was held on June 8. Students, families, and faculty came together via a live broadcast to recognize achievements and honors in specific subjects, activities, and pursuits, and to pay tribute to the service of long-time faculty Ms. McLaurin, Mr. Sirochman, and Ms. Taillacq who retired in June.

At a time of recongizing individual accomplishments, Ms. Pelmas also reminded students of the power of the sisterhood and community that helps root and define the Winsor experience. “Take a minute and think about your teammates and partners, your friends and teachers and coaches, and all the people who encouraged you, helped you to get back on track when you felt discouraged, and cheered you on,” she said. “Throughout the year, and especially this spring, you all took care of each other and came together as a learning community. As we close the school year, I want to take a moment to congratulate and thank you.”

SCHOOL PRIZES 2019-2020

The Swimming Cup Avery Beber ’20

The Cross Country Cup Winnie Wang ’20

The Crew Cup Haley Kwoun ’20

The Field Hockey Cup Rachel Place ’20

The Bremer Athletic Prize Michaela Stanfield ’20

The Soccer Cup Caitlin Bracken ’20

The Class of 1972 Prize Elizabeth Martin ’20

The Volleyball Cup Michelle Pu ’20

The Nancy Shelmerdine ’72 Memorial Prize Lillian Gibson ’21

The Basketball Cup Michaela Stanfield ’20 The Ice Hockey Cup Elizabeth Martin ’20 The Squash Cup Kelsey Abbrecht ’21

The Linda Alles ’71 Memorial Award Chloe Macaulay ’21 The Ann Nowell Kramer ’48 Drama Prize Nazira Calhoun ’20

The Brooks Parkman Woodard ’48 Memorial Prize Audrey Wu ’20 The Dance Prize Asrah Rizvi ’20 The Peggy Stuart-Coolidge ’32 Memorial Music Prize Audrey Wu ’20 The Clare Cutler ’62 Memorial Prize for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts—Acting Evangeline “Eva” LaFond ’24 The Clare Cutler ’62 Memorial Prize for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts—Tech Karla Sahin ’24 The Brooks Prizes for Poetry Reading Yuyuan Huang ’24 Yunyoung “Yuni” Chun ’23 The Annie Lawrie Fabens Crozier ’47 Memorial Prize Crystal Yang ’20 The Ruth Sabine ’24 Prize Thomasina Hare ’21 The Adele Bockstedt Spanish Prize Leanne “Lulu” Ansari ’20 The Frances Cabot Putnam ’15 French Prize Caitlin Smith ’21

The Nora Saltonstall ’11 Memorial Scholarship Danya Dubrow-Compaine ’20 The Ruth S. Thayer Prize Tristen Leone ’22 The World Languages Department Prize for Excellence in Mandarin Caitlin Bracken ’20 The Madras Science Prize Reethika Digumarthy ’20 The Richard P. Binzel Prize Leanne “Lulu” Ansari ’20 The Mathematics Prize Christina “Tina” Gong ’20 The Frances Dorwin Dugan Prize Danya Dubrow-Compaine ’20 The Class of 2002 Award Conserve Our World The Hemenway Prize Brianna Feliciano ’20 The Class of 1994 Leadership Prize Avery Beber ’20 Asrah Rizvi ’20 The Nina Cies ’68 Memorial Award Elizabeth Martin ’20 The Virginia Wing Outstanding Teacher Award Rudy Sirochman

WINSOR WINTER 2021 43

COMMENCEMENT

Senior Day Celebration

W

hen it became clear that Winsor’s commencement ceremony would not take place in the courtyard, under the tent, in accordance with tradition, planning began for an alternate way to give the graduates a proper Winsor send-off.

On Saturday, June 13, the Class of 2020 was celebrated during the first Winsor

44 WINSOR WINTER 2021

Senior Day! Seniors and their families were invited to drive onto campus, and Head of School Sarah Pelmas, Head of Upper School Ridie Markenson, Class VIII Dean Susanna Ryan, Director of Almnae Engagement Beth Peterson ’80, P’11 and Winsor faculty and staff were on hand for the festivities. In keeping with health and safety regulations, each student signed up for a 15-minute

window, and once on campus, they received their diploma, yearbook, individual printed portraits, and a few other special Winsor momentos. The weather was in full cooperation, and the seniors and their families took advantage of the opportunity to bid farewell to faculty, friends, mentors, and life on Pilgrim Road before heading off to begin their next chapter.

WINSOR WINTER 2021 45

ALUMNAE NEWS CLASS NOTES

46 WINSOR WINTER 2021

Abbigale Shi ’19

Alumnae Make the Best TAs This fall, some familiar faces have returned to Pilgrim Road to help ensure Winsor’s hybrid model for learning would run smoothly. In response to the need for added help in the classrooms to accommodate remote students and faculty, sometimes unexpectedly, a number of alumnae answered the call to join us as Teaching Assistants. These recent grads are helping moderate class activities, support technology usage, and oversee lunch and passing time. They bring their Wildcat spirit, and insiders’ knowledge, to every interaction, and are providing invaluable support and encouragement to current students during these unusual times. We are so lucky to have them back!

CLASS NOTES

Alumnae Board 2020-2021 PRESIDENT

Audrey McAdams Fenton ’93, P’26 VICE-PRESIDENT

Erica Mayer ’91, P ’25 SECRETARY

Suzanne Ranere Norris ’94 MEMBERS AT LARGE

Des Allen ’98 Hillary Brown ’80, P’17 Ashley Marlenga Herbst ’01 Susan Holzman ’67 Elizabeth Flint Hooker ’95 Lindsay Mullen Jeanloz ’00 Ruth Chute Knapp ’60, P’86, GP’21 Katherine McCord ’02 (CO-CHAIR, ALUMNAE GIVING)

Jillian Campbell McGrath ’02 Julia Broderick O’Brien ’56, P’87 Jennifer O’Neil ’93 Julie Rockett Paulick ’92 Elizabeth-Anne Finn Payne ’94 Mary Noonan Quirk ’05 Nancy Adams Roth ’66 Catherine Frankl Sarkis ’82, P’23 Ann Bainbridge Simonds ’66 Elizabeth Skates ’88 Miwa Watkins ’83 Meg Weeks ’04 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS LIFE MEMBER

Allie Flather Blodgett ’52 PAST PRESIDENT

Jennifer Morgan Peterson ’89, P’20, ’22, ’26 CO-CHAIR, ALUMNAE GIVING

Caitlin Crowe ’89

CO-CHAIR, ALUMNAE GIVING

Julia Livingston ’66, P’85, ’07 CO-CHAIR, YOUNG ALUMNAE COMMITTEE

Mary Aidan Hanrahan ’11

CO-CHAIR, YOUNG ALUMNAE COMMITTEE

Kerry Noonan ’07

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNAE ENGAGEMENT

Elisabeth B. Peterson ’80, P’11

Dear Winsor Alumnae, On Opening Day, Winsor’s Class of 2021 unveiled their home room theme: “Road Trip.” (pictured above) Valeria Knapp, Class of 1916, would applaud their spunk. Ms. Knapp was Winsor’s fourth Director and the first alumna to assume this role. Our Alumnae Board meetings normally take place in the Trustee Room named for her. As recounted by Dianne Haley in her book, Generous-Minded Women, A History of The Winsor School, Miss Wing described Ms. Knapp as a person who “used her superb mind to demonstrate daily that problems can be solved if you approach them with a sense of adventure and a conviction that change is possible.” Over its 134-year history, Winsor has persevered through many tumultuous periods. We will walk away from the current one stronger than ever.

A road trip is always sweeter with good company. Over 200 of us attended Alumnae Day 2020 from far and wide! Each upcoming event will be a wonderful opportunity to see friends and fuel the love of learning that Winsor encourages in each of us.

Thank you to our twenty-six Alumnae Board members, spanning over fifty graduation years, for your creativity in crafting new ways to bring our community together. We would especially like to thank our retiring board members— Christina Condron ’92, P’26, Marion Russell ’91, P’22 ’25 and Bryn Zeckhauser ’89, P’24 ’27—for their enduring commitment to Winsor.

At our September meeting, we welcomed five new members: Desiree Allen ’98, Ashley Marlenga Herbst ’01, Elizabeth Flint Hooker ’95, Katherine McCord ’02 and Elizabeth-Anne Finn Payne ’94. If you would like to nominate a classmate, friend or yourself please do let us know.

Wishing you good health and safe journeys, Audrey McAdams Fenton ’93, P’26

OVERHEARD

“ It was such an incredible education for young women. You learned to take your questions and your seeking seriously.” —Karilyn Crockett ’91 on Winsor during a WGBH interview 48 WINSOR WINTER 2021

STEM & Society

ALUMNAE BOOK CLUB IS BACK!

STEM & Society takes the study of science and applies it to the real world, bringing experts from various fields and sectors into the classroom to talk with students about how the research and outcomes are utlilzed and make an impact. Among the modules being covered include: Climate Change, Basic Science vs. Clinical Science (Speaker: Dr. Piya Ghose, UTA), Forensics, AI and Machine Learning, and Public Health and Public Policy (which featured Winsor’s own Maia Raynor ’12, Legislative Director for MA Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz.)

Past speakers have included Nergis Mavalvala (Astrophysicist, MIT), Ailis Tweed-Kent (Mass General, Cocoon Biotech Inc.), Jackie Kustan (Medical Illustrator and Animator), Stephanie Eby (Ecologist, NorthEastern), Kara Lavendar Law (Sea Education Association), Gabriela Gonzalez (TED Talks), and current and former members of the Winsor science faculty.

Last spring, the Winsor Alumnae Board re-launched the Alumnae Book Club.

Over three separate virtual gatherings in May, the group, led by Alumnae Board President Audrey McAdams Fenton ’93, P’26, had lively discussion of the novel The Guest Book by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Blake. A poignant family saga, The Guest Book illuminates the great divide—the gulf that separates the rich and poor, black and white, Protestant and Jew. During the final group meeting, the author made an unexpected appearance, joining the alumnae in their discussion, and making for an entirely unforgettable evening!

This fall, over three Wednesdays, the group gathered to discuss How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. Hailed as a “groundbreaking” approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves—by Time, and “the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind” by The New York Times.

Maia Raynor ’12

REMEMBERING RBG

Virtual Alumnae Day 2020

During virtual assembly on Wednesday, September 23, Winsor honored the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with tributes from students and faculty, and special guest speaker Mary Schnoor ’06, who was a clerk in Ginsburg’s office from 2017 to 2018. Describing Justice Ginsburg as the epitome of “generous minded,” Mary recalled the lasting impact of her time with the legendary leader, adding in closing, “We mourn the loss of a supreme trailblazer.”

On Saturday, October 24, over 200 alumnae joined Winsor’s first Virtual Alumnae Day and took advantage of the opportunity to reconnect and engage in meaningful dialog. In the morning, alumnae went back to school, logging in to join one of three virtual classes. Then, two virtual panels invited open discussion and offered valuable perspective, one on building an anti-racist community, the other on women and wealth. Alumnae also heard inspired remarks from 25th reunion speaker Melanie Kahn ’95, 50th reunion speaker Lea Donovan Watson ’70, Head of School Sarah Pelmas, and attended a moving celebration of life.

Adrienne Penta Lissner ’96, Managing Director and Executive Director of the Brown Brothers Harriman Center for Women & Wealth, participated in the ‘The Futue (of Wealth) is Female’ panel discussion, and shared, “It was fantastic to spend time talking with other Winsor alums about how women can confidently lean into conversations about wealth and planning. It’s an important discussion for all women to be part of in order to take charge of their own financial future.”

WINSOR WINTER 2021 49

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES

1950

Rita Platt Coney Moving to an apartment from my town house here at South Franklin Circle, a retirement community in Chagrin Falls Ohio. Husband Joe moved to assisted living a few weeks ago and the town house has gotten too big.

1952

Marjorie Forbes I feel fortunate that my condo complex in midtown Manhattan has its own 3-acre garden. It’s a godsend to get some fresh air and exercise in and meet up with friends who live here.

My musical life as an oboe player has changed drastically with no in-person chamber playing, however I’m continuing weekly lessons on Zoom with my wonderful teacher.

She is exploring apps which can eliminate the acoustic delay which makes it difficult to play with others simultaneously. I’m trying to not get depressed about Covid-19 which will 1

be with us for many months to come.

I’m thankful for all the digital means open to me for keeping my life and friendships going!

Antonia Colby Shoham Greetings from a few of us in the class of ’52. Far as I can tell, we’re doing fairly well—some a LOT better than others! ‘Amo’ lost her beloved husband, Allie is recovering pretty well from a stroke, Toni is recovering from a fall, and all of us are dying from boredom due to Covid-19! Yea, we READ, write, walk, and try to eat the right foods and not drink anything stronger than iced tea (with a tiny bit of Meyers rum in it.) Dianne plays bridge over the computer and Margie still plays her sax in her NYC apt. Betsy is still running an amazing food science class for adults and children. Jill cheers us all on by sending wonderful clips over the internet that contain swing music, riotous vignettes, and uplifting shots of animals and fabulous far-away places!

Hope everyone left is enjoying our 80s!! Love, Toni

Dianne Isaacs Weil My husband Tom died this past May of the virus. He had wonderful care at St. Patrick’s in Framingham.

We were married for 67 years and I am celebrating our long happy life together. We raised three children, and took many family trips. I love reliving those times viewing the 9,000 slides Tom took. The slides are on my screen saver, so that every day when I read my e-mail I see the photos. I play bridge online and I live in a spacious townhouse in Natick.

1953

Natascha Simpkins Halpert Stephen and I are staying home most days, confining our forays into the world to the supermarket, post office, and health food store. No casual shopping or restaurant dining for us! We’ve been focusing on our writing, seeing a few trusted family and friends, and being as creative as we can. My eldest, Laura Lorenz, is going great guns with her business, Photovoice Worldwide, an online

2

1: Allie Flather Blodgett ’52, Mary Lane Connolly Cairns ’52, Nancy Paige Parker ’52. 2: Nancy Greep ’62, husband Jon and sons Matt (28) and Scott (40).

50 WINSOR WINTER 2021

seminar for people who need a good technique for working with people with brain injury or other disabilities.

She has people from all over the world taking it, too. If anyone is interested, its web site is very informative.

Briefly, it is about using participatory visual methods in the service of health and disability. Do check it out at www.photovoiceworldwide.com.

Helen Cutter MacLennan My husband, Robert A. R. Maclennan, Lord Maclennan of Rogart, died on 17 January 2020 after a long illness. My addresses, emails etc. remain the same.

1955

Hester Moore Brooks I’m the proud great grandma of third great granddaughter, Daisy Adastra, born on August 23. In these days of pandemic lockdown, we mostly just exchange messages and photos, but my granddaughter is coming this weekend for a personal introduction!

1957

Mary Rhinelander McCarl I have just completed 50 cut paper collages, Fifty Flowers in Corona Time. They have taken me since mid-March.

1958

Daphne Harwood WHAT a year!! Turning 80, doing Covid-19 work-arounds, and watching with horror the run-up to the election and the outflow from George Floyd’s murder. I am feeling privileged to be able to witness this amazing paradigm shift. At the same time I am mourning all that is being taken away in this crisis. And

I am feeling terribly bleak about the future of the USA. My personal life is humming along. I’m reading, making quilted art, going through my ‘stuff ’ & winnowing. My kids & grands are all fine. Regret the thought of no Chilton Club gathering in our futures.

1962

Nancy Greep Currently I am retired (not my choice) from medical practice, except for volunteering at a free clinic in the park (Doctors Without Walls). I have been keeping busy with landscaping my retirement home in Santa Barbara.

We have a beautiful view of the ocean and it is so relaxing and inspiring to contemplate. I also have established a chapter of the Physicians for a National Health Program (single payer) in Santa Barbara. I am more passionate about health reform now that the pandemic has laid bare the shortcomings of our healthcare “non-system.” Health issues have caught up with me (just had my 6th (!) rotator cuff repair and now dealing with some cardiac (genetic) issues. I don’t like the feeling that my world and capabilities are narrowing, especially because I still feel young at heart. The picture is of me, my husband, and two grown sons. (Photo)

1963

Lesley Merriman Lyman I have been retired by circumstances beyond my control! I am still working with a couple of primary school kids with WhatsApp in reading, language arts, and math—an interesting challenge as far as keeping their attention. Thank goodness it’s only two hour-long sessions for one child

and one hour for the other per week.

I can’t imagine teaching online full time with that age group! I’m taking Spanish online with a wonderful professor in Medellin, Colombia once a week, and I Zoom with two other social groups. Daily walks on the wetlands and by the glacier with Jon or a friend balance my days. Thankfully, Juneau is a beautiful place to stay safe.

1964

Cornelia Pratt We lost our dear sister Nina Pratt ’66 last year. She had suffered from crippling depression for many years, and while we miss her fiercely, we are glad she is free from pain at last.

1965

Eleanor Motley Richardson My husband and I recently published my sixth book, “The Ingraham Diaries 1795-1875”, a transcription of daily journals by my husband’s 4th and 3rd great-grandfathers, father and son, in Rockland, Maine. The book is 1167 pages with 116 illustrations and sells for $90. It is a first-hand account of Rockland history for 80 years in the 19th century, or as we were taught at Winsor, definitely a primary source.

Peter and I spent our first summer in Naples, FL, fearing the many contacts in travel north. Our days were full of creativity: writing a newspaper column, knitting, painting a 6x6’ mural on the wall. Daughter Elise has been named Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.

1967

Anne Laverack Gallivan I am still recovering from my published unedited entry for our fiftieth reunion year. It was hit send as was,

WINSOR WINTER 2021 51

CLASS NOTES

or nothing, as my husband hurried me to leave home for a third ER bleeding episode after an oral biopsy.

Oh well. He spent that summer beating cancer, but developing cardiac issues during treatment. After eventual rehab and just five days at home, pneumonia took root, and he could not beat that. I left our forty-four year home in Vermont last year, and I am now happily settled in Sandwich, New Hampshire, even with this year’s challenges. The change was a good way to move forward. Did I edit this well, so as to avoid more embarrassment?

FUN while young and able-bodied...

TIME is our most precious currency.

If C-19 didn’t teach us that, we may never learn. Stay well, stay safe, and if you want to walk dogs in the Boston area—lmk!

1977

1986

Beth Weiner Ben-Avraham I’m a grandmother! My daughter Chana Yemima Datskovsky, whose birth was announced in the Winsor bulletin in 1987, had a boy on July 25, 2020. His name is Myron George Scheier. They are in New Jersey, and I live in Israel, so I won’t be able to see the little guy until after the pandemic is over, but I’ve seen lots of photos and had video chats with them.

1973

Elizabeth Garfield Greetings all! Major life changes: Moved to Seattle with sister Anne Garfield ’73 in August 1979. Taft Perry ’73 moved here around the same time.

Married A. Rand Zumwalt in May 1987. Had a son, Abe in 1989. Bought a house in 1998. Divorced in 2001 on December 12. I stopped being Elizabeth Zumwalt and resumed being Elizabeth Garfield on that day.

1981

Eiblis Goldings What a year. I planned to exit from the formal workforce and I did... just a few months later due to the intricacies of C-19. The freedom allows me the flexibility for full-time

JoAnne E. Reavis-Hurlston Still learning how to exist in this virtual world. In May, I was blessed to 1

become a grandmother to an incredible little boy. There is nothing like this level of love. I am still working as an Academic Supervisor at an all girls high school. I taught a summer school class and was able to connect with Margaret Weaver ’73 and Maria Damon ’73 (they graciously agreed to be guest speakers). The students were charmed that after 47 years there was still a connection.

Looking forward to 2023.

2

1. Deborah Ritter Aylward ’70 and Michael Aylward 2. Anne White ’85 and Chip Kelley

52 WINSOR WINTER 2021

1985

Anne White Married Chip Kelley, Belmont Hill ’79 in July, mid-pandemic, and moved to Maine!

Juliet Siler Eastland Like everyone, we are stumbling through these crazy times, though far luckier than many (still in possession of a roof over our heads, food, employment, and health). Lynn Harris Adelson ’86, who has faced more than her share of challenges recently, has been a rock for me. I’m doing a lot of political work for Sister District Project, focusing on state legislative races... in my free time (hah), taking care of my girls, worrying about upcoming school reopenings (and my husband’s return to the office), and attempting to keep up my jazz piano. A huge thank you to all the (s)heroes in our class, from the front lines to the grocery store—it’s going to take all of us both to flatten the curve and bend the arc (now THERE’S a counterproductivelymixed metaphor!).

Lynn Harris Usually my notes are perky, but this time I’m crushed to report that my mom, Florence Warshawsky Harris, died on May 6. (Stupid COVID.) What helped/helps TONS: the presence, support, and love of Winsor friends, including Juliet Siler

NEWSMAKER: ELIZABETH “LIZA” YNTEMA ’76

Using Data to Drive Advocacy

I

n 2015, Elizabeth “Liza” Yntema ’76 founded Dance Data Project® as a simple database, with the goal of tracking, via concrete metrics, the gender imbalance in artistic and administrative leadership in dance companies, venues, and organizations. Today, DDP has evolved into a global resource operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, raising awareness of inequity through analytical reports, advocacy, and programming. By showcasing women led initiatives, and using data to inform and enrich conversations, Liza and DDP are mobilizing others to take action, hold institutions accountable, and drive much-needed change.

Backed by mounting statistical evidence of widespread gender inequity across of variety of fields, Liza began to expand the scope of her work from its roots in DDP to galvinizing women to take control of their finances, and recognize their own power. The DDP website is now a centralized hub for resources. From ground-breaking research, to useful financial tools and guidelines, to news and interviews, the site also features DDP’s own Global Conversations, an online series of bite-sized interviews with industry insiders and experts. Topics range from the creative process, to addressing the changing social and political landscape with discussions on race, and the need to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic in order to survive in a post-COVID world.

In April, in honor of Financial Literacy Month, DDP leveraged resources from Ellevest to provide a platform encouraging financial literacy for women, and released a Financial Literacy Checklist (available on their website). With the hashtag #FinancialLiteracyWithDDP on Instagram, they posted blurbs from the checklist, along with facts about women, money, and all things finance. “As women, we are already underpaid compared to our male counterparts (in practically every field you find yourself— especially ballet),” DDP’s website shared, adding that “many of us are well-versed in finance, but we can all take steps to improve our financial literacy.”

At the core of all of Liza’s work is a focus on, and dedication to, advocacy. “All this evidence from our research is critical,” she shared on the Advocacy portion of the DDP website. “At the end of the day, however, all the rational argument in the world cannot stand against entrenched beliefs.” Asking the question of what actions can truly effect change, the DDP responded by establishing their first advocacy platform, #AskB4UGive, to publicly encourage board, foundation and donor education and responsibility. Their website offers a wealth of invaluable advocacy information, from a complete list of questions all donors should ask, to links to learn more about philanthropy and how women are changing the field.

Reflective about what drives her to continue blazing trails, Liza shared, “Creating something completely new, going up against embedded systems in an entire industry, is both exhilarating and terrifying. I now feel as though I use my Winsor education every single day, both as inspiration to keep going, but also for the essential, practical skills of analysis and framing of issues that is the bedrock of the Winsor class experience.” And looking to the future, she is optimistic about where she sees the gender equity movement in 10 years. In an interview in 2020 with Philanthropy Woman, as part of its Feminist Giving IRL series, she said, “I am so hopeful. With #TimesUp and #MeToo, to climate change, to organizing politically, women are in the resurgence. Our planet and our everyday lives will be better for it.”

To learn more about DDP’s mission and advocacy, and to access research, resources, interviews, and news, go to www.dancedataproject.com.

WINSOR WINTER 2021 53

CLASS NOTES

Eastland ’86, Emily Perlman Abedon ’86, Cindy Green Ayotte ’86, Dina Petringa ’86, Katie Swenson ’86, Hannah Lefkowitz ’86, and Lydia Siegel ’89. Thank you and all my best to everyone.

Pamela Webb Mearsheimer Coronavirus, the election and strife have been the news in 2020.

Fortunately I have a happier story: I became a grandma in 2020, when my grandson Charles Easton was born on May 26. My daughter and her husband live in the DC area, so I don’t see my grandson often; thank heavens for video chat. My husband and I now live in Michigan. We came here for a long weekend on March 13, the Covid shutdown happened, and

we are still here in October. I work as an accountant in Chicago and my husband teaches International Relations at the University of Chicago. We both work at home now, like so many other people. Our son, age 20, is a junior in college. I am grateful that my family is healthy and safe from Covid-19, I realize that could change at any minute.

ALUMNAE AUTHORS

Beth Abate Bacon ’83 COVID 19 Helpers COVID-19 Helpers gives kids the facts of the pandemic, but also offers hope and the reassurance that community members—including kids themselves— are helping to fight the virus. The book also offers tools for discussing issues associated with the global pandemic, and helps children understand that though they may feel isolated in these times, they are not alone. This book was selected by the Emory Global Health Institute as the winner of an international competition for children’s book about coping with COVID-19.

Dr. Elizabeth Nickrenz Fein ’95 Living on the Spectrum: Autism and Youth in Community Dr. Fine’s book draws on two years of ethnographic work in communities that bring together people affected by Asperger’s syndrome and related autism spectrum conditions. In moving and persuasive prose, Living on the Spectrum argues the limitations of current medical models for understanding these conditions, and explores the possibilities of autistic culture, by looking at how those on the spectrum make sense of their condition through shared social practices in the places where they live, learn, work, play, and love.

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Katie Swenson ’86 In Bohemia: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Kindness The day her fiancé died suddenly of a heart attack, Katie Swenson retreated to “Bohemia,” the third-floor loft that the couple had renovated in their home in Wellesley, and began to write. A visceral account of grief and the profound kindness that resonates around it, this is also the story of her hundred-year-old house, named the “Scarab” after the Egyptian symbol for rebirth, and the two courageous women who built it. Told with rare emotional power, In Bohemia is a meditation on love, family, and community.

Katie Swenson ’86 Design with Love: At Home in America Over the last 20 years, using proven design processes, artistic practices, and community engagement principles, the Enterprise Rose Fellows—a program of Enterprise Community Partners—have committed to long-term collaborations with residents in vulnerable communities, and drastically improved their quality of life. Captured in this collection of stories and intimate documentary photographs, their initiatives illuminate the possibilities when we work together, and how buildings can embody and support both relationships, and ambitions.

ALUMNA PROFILE: KATIE SWENSON ’86

A Writer’s Journey of Loss and Love

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n May of 2017, Katie Swenson’s beloved fiancé, Tommy Niles, died suddenly of a heart attack— just two months before their planned wedding day. Stunned and devastated, she started writing. “In that first year after his death,” she reflects, “writing and grieving seemed the same to me.”

Though the source of her word flow began at the headwaters of the deeply personal, that prolificacy poured into her professional life as well, ultimately leading Katie—a social justice architect, and mother of three daughters—to research, write and publish two books in three years. In Bohemia: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Kindness and Design With Love: At Home in America arrived at bookstores in October.

‘Bohemia’ is the name given to the third floor of Katie’s circa-1907, Wellesley home, ‘The Scarab,’ by its original occupants—the poet, Katharine Lee Bates, who famously wrote America the Beautiful, and her muse and soulmate, Professor Katharine Coman. Katie’s memoir weaves a thoroughly-researched exploration of the two Katherines’

extraordinary lives and love, with her own experience of renovating the space with Tommy. Design With Love takes readers around the country to explore the diverse array of affordable housing neighborhoods built over the past two decades by the Enterprise Rose Fellowship, a community design-oriented program that Katie led as the program’s director, before taking her current position as Senior Principal at MASS Design Group.

Katie credits her education at Winsor, where she garnered a love of books and learned how to write, for providing the foundation from which she was able to access the wide array of tools she has wielded on her literary journey.

Most importantly, it was in high school that she saw the way love, as a building block of shared spaces, can operate as a superpower—a theme that resonates in both her books.

Inspired by the volunteer work of her classmate, Adwoa (Cheryl) Spencer, Katie spent Jan Term at Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women. She then asked Miss Wing for permission to leave school early, once a week her senior year, to continue serving there. “Thank God she said yes!” says Katie. “That experience changed my life.”

Emily Perlman Abedon ’86 is a contributing editor for Charleston magazine

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR NETWORK JUST GOT EASIER. Reconnect with classmates, see what they’re up to, and check out who they know. They might just need a new co-worker...

www.winsor.edu/alumnae/alumnae-connect Powered by

WINSOR WINTER 2021 55

CLASS NOTES

1987

Susannah Baruch I’m spending 2020 as a full-time consultant with the National Health Law Program, focused (as always) on reproductive health. Our class FB group is helping me hold it together, at least most of the time. Love to all.

1988

Boston’s New Chief Equity Officer

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n June 29, 2020, Karilyn Crockett ’91 was appointed Boston’s new Chief Equity Officer, heading the city’s new Equity and Inclusion Office.

During her powerful acceptance speech, which can be viewed on the Boston Globe’s website, Karilyn reflected on Boston City Hall’s history, and the failure to recognize the rights, voices, power, leadership and potential of people of color. And she vowed, “Today is also a day to state a new kind of pledge to listen, and move toward change.”

Sharing the story of her own family’s struggle, and steeled resolve, to create opportunity in Boston during times marked by the battle for desegregation, she said, “This city is my home. I am born and raised a daughter of the Dot. Dorchester is in my veins and in my heart.” And today, she said, “we find ourselves facing yet another set of storms. The twin crisis of the Coronovirus pandemic and America’s unfinished racial reconciliation have us all feeling raw, vulnerable, and exposed. The question is, what will we do?” Calling on the community to join her, she vowed to be the steward of a new era in which the city government is poised to listen. “I need everyone...to be bold, and move beyond what we may think is possible.”

In one of the Boston Globe pieces covering her appointment, Karilyn reflected on graduating from Winsor. “I was able to really flourish there,” she said. “It was such an incredible education for young women. You learned to take your questions and your seeking seriously. It just sets you up for college, for leadership, for life.”

Karilyn also spoke about her time at Winsor during a compelling interview on July 9 on WGBH. You can listen to a recording of the interview on www.wgbh.org.

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1993

Jane Stewart Hello everyone! I am working as an energy conservation specialist for higher education in Virginia, where I live with my husband and three children, Madeline, 15, Camille, 5 and Charlie, 3. We recently moved into a 100+ year old house and at the moment at any given time also live with adorable attic dwelling squirrels and starlings. I never manage to get back to Boston for reunions but would

PHOTO BY KRISTIE DEAN

NEWSMAKER: KARILYN CROCKETT ’91

Annie Keating Having been compared over the years with songwriting greats like John Prine, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt and Bob Dylan, I somehow found inspiration through the pandemic, emerging from the last 6 months with 15 new songs. With my band we will record a new full length album in December, prepping for what sounds to be a spectacular 2021 Americana release (those interested in pre-ordering the album get special access to unreleased demos, bonus tracks and more email info@anniekeating.com for more information on that.) This is my 8th full length album (in addition to the last two 6 song EPs). I live, write and record in Brooklyn, teach music, and perform internationally (when not in pandemic times) while raising my son and daughter.

love to hear from anyone traveling in the Shenandoah Valley area, particularly anyone employed in the humane pest control profession. Cheers!

2000

Sarah McGarrell I’m thrilled to share that seemingly moments before everything changed forever, on December 6, 2019, Mike Lackman and I were married in Venice, Italy! We had an amazing week with close friends and family, including Gwendolyn E. Warren ’00, M.D., Capt, USAF, MC. who made the trek to help us celebrate.

Debra Grossman Silverman Jay, Remy (our dog), and I moved to West Hartford in May 2020 (amidst everything happening in our world!) and are enjoying the change of pace from Boston. I continue to facilitate antibias trainings for the ADL, do camper recruitment for my overnight camp, and tutor. Would love to get in touch with any Wildcats in the WeHa area!

Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant.

Lacey is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Clear Ballot. We have many Winsor relatives including my sister, Rachel Bernstein ’11, my mother Leslie Cohn Bernstein ’81 and my aunt is Jennifer Cohn ’89.

Lacey’s sisters are Windsor Rose Ferrara ’90, Ainsley Rose Hayes ’95, Vanessa Rose ’00 and Hillary Rose Lincoln ’02.

2005

2012

Mary Noonan Quirk My husband Billy and I are happy to announce the birth of our second child. In March, we celebrated our daughter Stella’s second birthday and then a few days later welcomed our son, Theodore David Quirk, into the world. We are adjusting to being a family of four and look forward to introducing Teddy to the Winsor community someday soon.

2003

Norah Lewin Georges and I have decided to temporarily relocate from NYC to Cape Cod. Our job flexibility allows us to work remotely for at least the next year. Starting in quarantine and for the last six months, we have come to appreciate a new lifestyle of beach walks each morning with our baby Annabelle, and mountain biking when we can fit it in. We will celebrate Annabelle’s first birthday in September. If you are also in Cape Cod, I would love to connect.

1

2004

Maia Raynor-French I recently started a statewide initiative called Beacon BLOC (Building Leaders of Color) to address and dismantle racism and systems of oppression within the Massachusetts state house to equitably support and invest in staffers of color and communities of color.

2017

Susanna Monroe I am the music director for Vassar A Cappella group the Vassar Devils, and we released an album called Words Unsaid. It is available on YouTube and Spotify. My solo (Shatter) was chosen for the Voices Only 2020 Compilation Album, and I did my first radio interview when it was released!

2009

Carly Bernstein My fiancée Lacey Rose ’06 and I were engaged at Fenway Park on August 26, 2020. Both of us attended Trinity College. I am employed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a 2

3

1. Annie Keating ’88, recording her new album, Americana. 2. Mike Lackman, Sarah McGarrell ’00, Gwendolyn E. Warren ’00. 3. Lacey Rose ’06 proposed to Carly Bernstein ’09 in Fenway Park.

WINSOR WINTER 2021 57

CLASS NOTES

ARRIVALS AND ADOPTIONS

MARRIAGES AND CIVIL UNIONS

IN MEMORIAM

2005

1985

1935

Mary Noonan Quirk and William Quirk, a son Theodore David Quirk March 2020

Anne White Kelley and Chip Kelley July 20, 2020

2000

Sarah McGarrell and Mike Lackman December 6, 2019

Ann Soule Reed

1936

Elisabeth Shrigley Bundy

1937

Jane Harte Choate Anastasia Thannhauser Dunau

1938

Nancy Nichols Roggeveen

1939

DEI Leader Strikes Chord at SMG

Priscilla Wright Allen Gertrude Shaw Crittenden

n October 2020, Tiffany Warren ’92 was appointed to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of Sony Music Group, working with all of Sony Music Group’s global recorded music, publishing, and corporate divisions to expand the company’s ongoing equity and inclusion activities and policies.

In a recent article in Variety, SMG chairman Rob Stringer said, “I am delighted to have Tiffany join our leadership team. Her ground-breaking strategic vision, expertise and entrepreneurism will help us further our commitment to equity and long-term change inside our company and throughout the industry.” In the same piece, Tiffany shared, “I am honored to join Sony Music Group, as music has played such a culturally, morally and emotionally significant role in my life and the lives of many. Music has deeply impacted the shift society has taken to elevate diversity, equity and belonging, and Sony Music Group and its artists and songwriters have historically contributed to the soundtrack of these pivotal inflection points around the world.

I am humbled to contribute my experience to this remarkable legacy.”

For more than a decade, Tiffany held the position as Omnicom Group’s Chief Diversity Officer, and was a founder of ADCOLOR, the advertising industry’s leading organization to promote greater diversity in advertising, marketing, media, and technology.

1940

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Faith Killiam Warner Yvette Laneres Wilson Cynthia Thorndike Thackara

1941

Bettina Townsend Sawhill Ann Williams Wardwell Margaret Waite Arnold

1942

Phyllis Darling White Alice Hedge Brewer Marion Ware Jolliffe Susan Loring

1943

Sally Thacher Amory Elizabeth Prince Van Buren Elizabeth Sprague Manson

1944

Isobel Parke Jane Faulkner Fisher

PHOTO BY JÖRG MEYER

NEWSMAKER: TIFFANY WARREN ’92

1945

Martha Davis Barnes Meredith Pettit Barrueto Alva Hood Angle Katherine French

1946

Hilda Carey Fay Dabney Eleanor Lewis Campbell Sheila Paine

1947

Ann Leonard Macomber Constance Walker Haddleton Patricia Ross Pratt Elizabeth Storer Paynter

1958

1965

1959

1966

1961

1975

Judy Bishop Friend Judith Innes Carolyn Mitton Ford Louisa Shaw

1963

Gabriella Burrage Haroutunian Susanna Sedgwick Corsi

Anne Harwood Nina Pratt Norma Mabry

1984

Susannah Hunnewell Weiss

1948

Emily Weston Frankovich Mary Eaton Lee

1949

Frederica Williams Lawrence

1950

Jane Beals Butler Pollie Thompson Frothingham Judith Thompson Sapers

1951

Sandylee Weille Maccoby Harriet Williams Nicol Rebekah Porter Wells

1953

Barbara Paige Jackson Elisabeth Swan Weitzel

1955

Elizabeth Gwin Vestner Edith Stetson Hankins Anne King Palmer

1956

Sarah Gribble Crawford

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Thinking Global Curiosity about, and concern for, people, places and issues around the world have long been nurtured in Winsor students and woven into a Winsor education.

Dating back to a century ago, the archives show record of a steady stream of visitors invited to campus to share their interest in and first-hand knowledge of matters from around the globe. Visitor topics ranged from Serbia and Excavating in Crete (“with lantern slides”!), to A Visit to the Coffee Plantations of Brazil and A Trip to the East—Japan, China, Australia and India. In addition to enriching student learning, the school demonstrated from its early days the generousminded and outward-looking ideals that are reflected in today’s Winsor community, extending support to others locally, nationally and internationally. In one such example, during the particularly challenging days of World War I, the school engaged in years of ‘creative fundraising’ in order to provide support to 25 French orphans, holding an event featuring Dr. William Sydney Thayer as the speaker. In a more recent example, in 2018 Professor Xolela Mangcu, Professor of Sociology at the University of Cape Town, joined Julian Braxton’s African History class.

WINSOR WINTER 2021 59

FIRST PERSON

Fostering a Culture of Open Dialogue Meet the members of the new Student Board for Equity and Inclusion

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n June, the new Student Board for Equity and Inclusion was formed to advocate for student voices. Pictured: (top, l-r) Emma Charity ’21, Helen Buckley-Jones ’21, Nora Estrada ’21, Lillian Gibson ’21. (bottom, l-r) Salma Ibrahim ’21, Alexis Vilmenay ’21, Isabella Dehni ’21, and Anne Joseph ’21.

What was behind the origin of the Board?

“In and outside of school, Winsor students are fighting for the equality of all people, but often feel disempowered to make any change within their school community,” notes Isabella. “I wanted to create and be a part of this board in order to give younger students the support I wish I had. We truly aim to amplify the voices of all students.” Salma adds, “Our hope is to serve as a go between for students and the administration on DEI issues. In order to truly make progress, students and faculty alike need to feel comfortable asking questions, having genuine conversations, and offering constructive criticism and advice in good faith.”

How would you define your mission?

“We are seeking long-term, sustainable change, so that we can prevent instances like those discussed in the Hidden

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Voices posts from happening in the first place,” says Helen.

“We want to foster a culture of safe, conscious, and open dialogue within the Winsor community, and educate students and teachers about DEI issues by hosting trainings, events, discussions, and speakers. And finally we want to create safe platforms for voices, particularly student voices, to be heard.” As Lillian adds, “the hope is to fill gaps in Winsor’s push to be a more inclusive community and have a strong focus on students and issues they all care about. We will seek to build connections with the faculty department heads to make the most out of the board that we can.”

What’s up first for the Board?

In November, the Board hosted two workshops at the AISNE Middle School DEI Conference entitled From the Top Make it Drop: The Impact of Social Media on Body Image and The Age of Instagram: Activism in a Digital World. “Talking to middle schoolers about race, gender, activism, and more was a really memorable experience, and we’re grateful we had the opportunity to facilitate those discussions,” said Anne. The Board also helped plan Winsor’s 2021 annual MLK event, and ongoing, will be seeking opportunities to connect with parents and alumnae.

“ WINSOR WAS FIRST ON MY LIST,” says Julia Connolly ’97 when planning for a legacy gift in her will. “I will be forever grateful for my parents’ decision to send me to Winsor, the skills I learned there, and the confidence those skills have inspired in me.”

PHOTO BY KRISTIE DEAN

A seasoned consultant in environmental cleanup and the redevelopment of chemically contaminated former industrial properties, Julia is pursuing a passion developed at Winsor.

Citing Class VI Chemistry with Ms. O’Meara, and a Class VII expository writing project on the Superfund Regulation in Ms. Skeele’s class as essential influences, she says Winsor helped her learn “how to think critically and synthesize information,” and the foundations of “writing and speaking clearly and convincingly, skills that are critical to my work.”

Have you remembered Winsor in your will or retirement plan? Let us know and we’ll welcome you to the Lamp of Learning Society.

Please be in touch with Beth Peterson ’80, P’11, 617-912-1321 or epeterson@winsor.edu. www.winsor.edu/giving

THE WINSOR SCHOOL 103 Pilgrim Road Boston, Massachusetts 02215 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED If you have received this for your alumna daughter who is living elsewhere, please let us know by contacting Alumnae Relations at (617) 912-1321 or alumnae@winsor.edu.

SAFETY FIRST To enable a return to campus, classrooms were rearranged, hallways and public spaces were reconfigured, state-of-the-art technology was added to many classrooms, and Wildcat posts serve as a constant reminder: Please wear a mask!

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