bulletin - summer 2012

For more information on upcoming events, please visit www.porters.org.

Porter’s Leads: A Leadership Weekend for girls entering grades six through eight | August 25-26

Independent School Admission Workshop | September 15

Porter’s Preview Days | October 8 and November 12

Reunion Weekend, Celebrating the classes of 2’s and 7’s | October 12-14

Family Weekend | October 25-27

Miss Porter’s School60 Main StreetFarmington, CT 06032

Please deliver by June 28, 2012

Address Service Requested

NoN-Profit org.

U.S. PoStage

PaiD

farmiNgtoN, Ct

Permit # 11

mi ss porte r ’s s c h ool

bulletin

special feature: ayaNNa Hall ́ 11 PreSeNtS oPraH WiNfrey WitH HoNorary oSCar aWarD.

SUMMER 2012

THE COMMUNITY ISSUE RETURN TO FARMINGTON!THE COMMUNITY ISSUE RETURN TO FARMINGTON!

TH

E B

ULLE

TIN

• MISS P

OR

TE

R’S SC

HO

OL

• SUM

ME

R 2012

CO

MM

UN

ITY

bulletinmiss porter’s school

The Bulletin of Miss Porter’s School Volume 37, Number 2

Miss Porter’s School 60 Main Street

Farmington, CT 06032 Phone: (860) 409-3500

Fax: (860) 409-3517 www.porters.org

Head of School Katherine Gladstone Windsor, Ed.D.

Director of Communications Siobhan Federici, editor

Senior Director, Institutional Advancement

Julia J. McCormack

Communications Assistant Jennifer Eburg

Manager, Digital Initiatives Chris Noll

Graphic Design CEH Design, Inc., Bethel, CT

©2012 Miss Porter’s School

miss porter ’s school

bulletin

special feature: AyAnnA HAll ́ 11 Presents OPrAH Winfrey WitH HOnOrAry OscAr AWArd.

SUMMER 2012

THE COMMUNITY ISSUE RETURN TO FARMINGTON!

On thE cOvER: Ayanna hall ’11 and Oprah Winfrey. Photograph

courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.

Fraser Bennett Beede ’81

Elisabeth Cole Carpentieri ’57

Jean Marckwald Chapin ’56, P’82

Michael J. Cheshire P’95, ’97, ’99

Lucy Pulling Cutting ’54, P’78, ’81

Harry T. Daniels P’12

Anne Melissa Dowling ’76

Clover Macdonald Drinkwater ’64

Thomas Dudeck P’05, ’09

Barbara Higgins Epifanio ’79

Janet Isham Field ’66

John K. Greene P’81, G’12

Donna & Jeffrey Hires P’12 ex officio

Judith Milliken Holden ’68

Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57, G’11

Elizabeth Markham McLanahan ’81

J. Michael McQuade P’11

Darcy S. Mauro ’83

Anne Stillman Nordeman ’65

Gaier (Missy) Notman Palmisano ’69

Adam Rohdie

Katrina Weiss Ryan ’98

Barbara Bates Sedoric ’75, P’05

Karen T. Staib ’90

Diana Terlato ’86

Catherine (Rene) Whitney Welles ’79, P’08

Nancy White Wheeler ’90

John C. Wilcox P’10

Alice Hamblin Williams ’79, P’10 ex officio

Katherine G. Windsor ex officio

Ariel M. Zwang ’81

Board of Trustees2011-2012

Inne Kim Barber ’89


Gaylynn Burroughs ’95

Rajeev & Jacqueline Bhalla P’15


Sarah Clark ’80

Kimberly Crew ’85


Philip DeSantis P’12, ’15







Wendy Crisp Henderson ’83








Adam Rohdie




Diana Terlato ’86






2012-2013

the Coral fund

elaine Walker fiske 1964

Jean mcBride greene 1951

Kirke Hoffman Hall 1989

lucile Walker Hays 1956

Jane Vaughn love 1950

Katrina Weiss ryan 1998

the Weezie foundation

Kathryn eklund Wise 1984

Patricia Plum Wylde 1958

New commitments of $25,000 or more

September 23, 2011 - June 11, 2012

Headlines: Community standards . . . . 2

Bulletin Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Features

A Community CelebrAtes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

FAmiliAr FACes in new PlACes: tHe ACADemiC oFFiCe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

tHe sPirit oF innoVAtion & CollAborAtion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

slow Art: sAbbAtiCAl reFleCtions . . . . 10

Penn AnD Porter’s: A PArtnersHiP . . . . . .12

ArCHiVAl reViVAl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

sPeCial Feature

stAnDing oVAtion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

rePorter

Porter’s ACADemiCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Porter’s Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Porter’s AtHletiCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

on CamPus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

GiVinG BaCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Class notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

tHe main idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

summer 2012 Contents

Community StandardS

Miss Porter’s School is a community of scholars

and friends who live and learn together. Our

relationships matter, and the way in which we

approach our work, our play, and our shared lives is one of

friendship and fellowship.

When we reflect on our time at Miss Porter’s School, we

often describe our experiences and those of our students in

ways that are qualitative in nature. But, there are quantitative

ways to measure the culture of our school that add value to

the way in which we understand the very things we know

to be anecdotally true.

We must not shy away from a statistical comparison of

our school in relation to our peer schools. For in our

benchmarking, we afford ourselves the opportunity for both

recognition and re-evaluation through careful assessment of

our research.

It is for just this reason that at the beginning of this school

year, Miss Porter’s School completed a self-analysis by

comparing our data versus the success markers identified by

the National Association of Independent Schools. We were

pleased to find that our statistics rank in the near ninetieth

percentile for endowment; near seventy-fifth percentile for

parent giving; and exceed the fiftieth percentile for financial

aid, median faculty salaries, professional development and

technology. Our alumnae giving rate soars past the ninetieth

percentile statistic of 34 percent with our amazing 42 percent

participation in the 2010–2011 year. While our tuition is

among the very highest in this data pool, we are also among

the lowest in percentage of student attrition.

Let us not be afraid to ask, “What do we do well? What can

we do better?” In this reflection, we do just as we should - we

prioritize our students, their needs, and their experiences. We

ensure that the Miss Porter’s School community evolves in a

modern visionary way while retaining the high standards

set by our mission and the very best of our classical

liberal arts curriculum.

Sincerely,

Katherine G. Windsor, Ed.D.

Head of School

effective lessons for Girlsin the 2011–2012 school year, miss Porter’s school was

one of 18 participating schools in the national Coalition

of girls’ schools and the Center for the study of boys’

and girls’ lives joint initiative - the effective lessons

for girls study. the study, which focused on the

lessons that students and teachers find engaging and

motivating, will include responses from approximately

1800 students and 1000 teachers. miss Porter’s school

looks forward to reviewing the data collected from this

valuable study in the 2012–2013 school year.

Po

rte

r’s

|hea

dlin

es2

‘‘We must not shy away from

a statistical comparison of

our school in relation to

our peer schools. For in our

benchmarking, we afford

ourselves the opportunity

for both recognition and

re-evaluation through careful

assessment of our research.”

At Miss Porter’s School, our mission is at the very heart of what we do.

33

news From tHe FaCulty roomLanguages Teacher elena Castro presented Unmasking Systemic Racism at SPHERE’s Teachers Helping Teachers Conference.

Dean of Students laura Jalinskas and Associate Dean of Students Vera Polacek led a workshop on experiential leadership training at The Association of Boarding Schools' Annual Conference.

Director of Information Technology Karen mcKenzie traveled throughout Connecticut to present workshops about Porter’s initiatives with technology and iPads. She and History Teacher Heather mooney collaborated on a Council for the Advancement and Support of Education workshop entitled Teaching and Learning with iPads.

Art Teacher susan reeder moss was a co-presenter at the Connecticut Art Education Association’s annual conference. She presented on Connecticut and National Scholastic Awards, noting how to select and prepare entries for the show.

English Teacher and Varsity Soccer Coach Jamie Perry was honored as the Connecticut Preparatory School Coach of the Year.

Director of Admission liz schmitt, Senior Associate Director of Admission Kim mount, and Chief Financial Officer michael Bergin presented Unlikely Allies: School Partnership Leads to Innovations in Financial Aid at the National Association of Independent Schools’ Annual Conference.

Executive Assistant to the Head of School deb smith has been selected chair of the CAIS Commission of Head's Assistants, effective July 1, 2012.

During spring break, Chinese Teacher wen-lin su attended a training program organized and sponsored by the Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing, China.

Director of Visual Arts Grier torrence held a one-person show at the Bowery Gallery in New York City this winter. He then spent part of spring break at the Vermont Studio Center on a residency grant.

Mathematics Teacher Jessica watkin presented A Crisis of Confidence? How Participatory Action Research Alleviated Anxieties About Life Outside “The Bubble” at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools Conference. The presentation discussed work completed by students in Porter’s research methods class last year.

Director of Counseling Gretchen white and Studio Art Teacher susan reeder moss also presented at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools conference sharing their program, Club Med(itation): Why Mindfulness Matters.

Head of School Kate windsor presented From Mao to America: How Chinese Students Can Thrive in Your Classrooms at The Association of Boarding Schools’ Global Symposium. History Teacher Kam Hufstader and House Director Christine neville-smith also attended the conference.

Tricia Davol Named Visiting Teacher to Oprah Winfrey Leadership AcademyAssociate Director of Admission tricia davol was selected as a Cannady Visiting Teacher to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Ms. Davol, who began her tenure at Porter’s as a Spanish teacher, was one of just two educators selected for this program.

During her two weeks at the South African academy, Ms. Davol will teach classes, mentor the school’s teaching and admission staff, participate in school activities and give presentations to the local community. She will also have the opportunity to experience some of the region’s cultural attractions.

Bulletin | points

Community. It can be hard to define, but you know

it when you experience it. At Miss Porter’s School,

we respect and value our close-knit community. In

celebration of our relationships, I am pleased to present

a special issue of The Bulletin of Miss Porter’s School.

This edition includes submissions from a variety

of our community members to highlight the unique

perspectives that make our school our own.

Happy reading!

Siobhan Federici Director of Communications www.porters.org/publications

Tricia Davol

Po

rte

r’s

|headlines

Grier Torrence

Scholars, Artists, Athletes and Friends

the Community of miss Porter’s school

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

– Margaret Mead

Po

rte

r’s

|feat

ures

6

a CommunityCelebrates

Campaign Co-Chairs Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57, G’11 and Janet Isham Field ’66 toast

to school’s success!

Gillian Dudeck ’09, Tom Dudeck, Bobbi Dudeck, Jordan Dudeck ’05 Kate Windsor, Barbara Higgins Epifanio ’79, Burch Ford

Diane Foley, Nancy White Wheeler ’90 Ridgely Horsey Biddle ’80, P’10,’12

the Campaign for miss Porter’s school’s conclusion was feted at Farmington Gardens.By Allison ColemAn Frey, direCtor oF AlumnAe relAtions And reunion progrAms

7p

or

ter

’S|features

John Quealy, Cindy Bevivino Quealy ’89, Donna Hires P’12, Kate Windsor, Sharon McQuade P’11, Michael McQuade P’11

Liz Markham McLanahan ’81, Barbara Higgins Epifanio ’79, Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57, G’11, Janet Isham Field ’66, Judy Millikin Holden ’68, Missie Rennie Taylor ’64

Kirke Hoffman Hall ’89 Ted Henderson, Kate Windsor, Wendy Crisp Henderson ’83

Lou Hance, Alan Sherman, Jean Marckwald Chapin ’56, P’82

“ Years may come and years may go,

future all unknown, but through your travels

near and far, Farmington’s your home,” read

the cards accompanying guest favors of

Miss Porter’s School luggage tags.

Barbara Bates Sedoric ’75, P’05, Bruce Bates P’75, G’05, Kate Windsor, Barbara Higgins Epifanio ’79

Sloan Frazer Pendleton ’85, Nancy Westervelt Mulvey ’77, P’05,’07, Cindy Bevivino Quealy ’89, Alice Hamblin Williams ’79, P’10

po

rte

r’S

|feat

ures

8

By Carol SantoS, aSSoCiate head of SChool

Earlier this school year, Academic Dean Dora Quintana

Plough announced her retirement, with her years of service

to Miss Porter’s School to conclude in June 2012. Upon the

news of her decision, the school launched a full-scale search

for an accomplished, dedicated and visionary academic

leader.

As associate head of school, I was happy to lead the selection

process and began by soliciting input from the faculty

and faculty committees. The insight, wisdom and varied

perspectives of the six-member hiring committee aided in

the narrowing of the applicant pool from 85 candidates to the

final selection of new leadership for the academic program at

Miss Porter’s School.

I am proud to announce that current English Teacher Rick

Abrams will serve in a new role as dean of curriculum and

faculty development, and current Director of Studies Rachel

Countryman will assume the role of dean of academic life.

Through 14 years of his professional development at Porter’s

as faculty member, athletic task force member, Nancy

Klingenstein Simpkins ’73 Teaching Chair, chair of the

professional development committee, coach and unofficial

faculty ambassador, Rick’s qualifications, talent and

passion made him the undisputed leader among the pool

of impressive semi-finalist candidates. Rick’s vision for

curriculum and faculty development fills an important need

for the development of the school’s academic program

during a time of holistic curricular review.

In addition to her 11 years as the director of studies, Rachel

Countryman’s combined years of experience in college

counseling and admissions as well as her familiarity with

the roles of the academic dean position will serve her well

as our next leader of student academic life. Rachel’s proven

effectiveness as a sought-after advisor, parent liaison and

mediator among students, parents and teachers is a true gift

to maintaining the integrity of the academic program at

Miss Porter’s School.

Together, Team Rick and Rachel will ensure the promise of

our mission to educate young women to become informed,

bold, resourceful and ethical global citizens and to shape a

changing world.

Rick Abrams and Rachel Countryman

Familiar Faces in New Places:

The Academic Office

Gracias * Merci * Gratias *It is a bittersweet moment for

Miss Porter's School as we

both say good-bye to retiring

Dora Quintana Plough and

celebrate her contributions

to our community for the

last 32 years. Dora, who

has served as a languages

teacher, department chair,

and most recently academic dean, also held The Ward

L. Johnson Teaching Chair from 2001-2012. Dora

will be honored for her work by the naming of The

Dora Quintana Plough Writing Prize (formerly The

English Writing Prize), to be awarded to the senior

who exhibits commitment and passion for writing that

is serious, profound, and continuing.

By riCk ABrAms, ChAir oF the proFessionAl development Committee

Throughout the fall of 2008, a

group of teachers gathered weekly

to form a vision of how Miss

Porter’s School could best develop

its faculty. We sought to promote a

culture of innovation and growth that

could be mutually supportive and

draw on the collective experience

and talents of our teachers. These

discussions led to the creation of the

Professional Development Committee,

a representative and entirely faculty-run

cooperative (in the sense that members

are in it for their own and for the greater

benefit) whose mission is to support its

colleagues in their efforts to improve

their craft.

In general, the committee’s work has

taught us how necessary professional

development is to the vitality of school

life and, as a consequence, to the

best experience for our students. We

have also learned how integral strong

community is to professional growth

and vice versa. As famed UCLA

basketball coach John Wooden said,

“It is amazing what you can accomplish

when no one cares who gets the credit.”

In the spirit of innovation and

collaboration, the Professional

Development Committee has developed

a number of projects, the most

noteworthy of which is a formative

faculty evaluation process. Rather

than making the assessment the end

result, our program begins with an

honest self-evaluation. Based on this,

the teacher then devises a personalized

path for improvement which the other

participants critique and support.

Through this approach, participants

learn that the best way to grow oneself

is by investing in the growth of our

colleagues. We do this by visiting

one another’s classes, discussing

challenging issues, monitoring

progress, giving one another feedback,

and imagining possibilities. As a result,

we end up growing together in ways

we could not have imagined, and a

wonderful benefit to the process has

been mutual affection among the

team’s members.

At Porter’s, teachers both draw on and

strengthen community as we work

together to pursue the mission of the

school. And this is partly because in

doing so we see one another at our best;

we see one another for who we really

are, beyond titles and professional

labels that otherwise section us apart.

Thus, strong community is the sign

that we are doing things the right way,

challenging, inspiring and helping one

another in the interest of providing the

best possible school for the girls.

9P

or

ter

’s|features

T H E S P I R I T O F

innoVation and CollaBorationthe Professional development Committee

of miss Porter’s school

Po

rte

r’s

|feat

ures

10

D o I offer myself to an inner

city program? Volunteer on a

sustainable farm? Do I go to Bali

to work in a friend’s pottery center?

The list of ideas grew long.

My Merriam-Webster told me that

the sabbatical year is “a

leave, granted for rest,

travel, and research.”

The Sabbath, the Biblical

seventh day devoted to

rest and reflection, offers

the sabbatical recipient a

model for seeking renewal

and an opportunity to refill

the well, a pause to let the

groundwater seep back

in. The more I plotted all

the things I could do from

January to June, the more my instincts

pointed to stepping back and paying

attention to the Sabbath in sabbatical.

So what, exactly, did I do? First, I

slowed down. I read books. I visited

friends who are hard to schedule into

Porter’s life, and I spent monthly visits

with my parents in New Hampshire,

grateful to be present with them after

their challenging health problems of

the last few years. I wrote real letters

and sent them off by snail mail. And I

cooked, pretty fabulous food, if I can

say so. I began a meditation practice

and went to yoga classes. I shoveled

snow, lots of it, and I gardened in the

gray, drizzly spring when melting

turned all things familiar again.

And I began to work—first making

mosaics, picking through and piecing

together shards of old pots and beach-

combing treasures as a way of finding

direction when the possibilities were

endless. I had time to build connections

with other artists. I wrote everyday,

long hand in a notebook, reflection for

no one but me. I consciously practiced

“slow art” with no expectations, no

dollar signs in my head, no reason not

to take the risky path. My home studio

is unheated, and so in the winter, my

dining room was transformed into a

place for my wheel and work tables.

Without notions of production work,

I could explore an idea and scrap it all

into the slip bucket at the end of the

day. The experimentation process is

slow: make the piece, dry it, bisque fire,

glaze, and fire again before you have

your answer. It is a never-ending part

of being a potter, and one of

the fascinations that keeps

hope burning and anticipation

exciting for every time the

glaze kiln door is opened.

These new pots were grounded

in human form and movement.

Thrown on the wheel, the clay

was then twisted, cut, darted,

and pressed into forms that

have gentle shifts in direction.

How much could I push the

clay around before it lost the

freshness of direct gesture? Many of the

pots were closed in as double-walled

forms, meaning that there was trapped

air space within the pot. This gave the

pot a more substantial almost solid

rock-like feel, though a number of the

larger ones blew up or cracked in the

initial bisque firing.

Returning to an idea of 2008 Prescott

Visiting Artist Jack Troy, I considered

how each piece was changed by

being in use. A flower was needed to

complete a vase, a hand to complete a

mug. I kept myself surrounded by tulips

slow Art:Sabbatical Reflections

a miraculous sabbatical was offered to me for the spring semester of 2011. it was a chance to dream about what i would do if i were not engaged with life at Porter’s. what would i do, who would i do it for, and what would it mean to the school in the end?

By SuSan ReedeR MoSS, aRt teacheR

Susan Reeder Moss

throughout the winter. One bouquet

provided two weeks of trials for my

new vases as the tulips transitioned

from upright buds, to graceful opening

arcs, to dipping over to almost touch the

table as the blossoms embraced their

space with open arms.

Paired with the opportunity for daily

studio work, I also signed on for a six-

month yoga teacher training program,

a physical, holistic, and introspective

study that truly made a synergistic

companion to making art. Becoming

a student again was invigorating,

and even as I got up to speed with

a challenging physical practice that

pushed me to expand my own physical

edge, I found the true benefit was in

the heart of the program that stressed

connection and being in the world.

We practiced being better listeners,

speaking the truth without injuring

others, staying present and open-

minded, deepening compassion, and

seeking to give to others through

service and generosity. Now, none

of these concepts are new to us in

boarding school life, particularly in

our world of teaching girls, but it was

reinforcing to see the importance of the

core of our school so much at the heart

of this program too.

I appreciated that the teacher training

was about learning from actively

doing, and not just talking about it

or anticipating what was next. “Trust

the process” is a central concept of

teaching arts as well, and the active

doing was as key here as it is in the Olin

studios. Perhaps the most unexpected

benefit of the yoga program was the

time for introspection. Holding space

for becoming more thoughtful and

present in our lives and more truthful

with ourselves and others—with the

expectation that we would—was a

powerful model.

Upon my return to campus in

September, I came upon notes that I

had saved from another one of our past

speakers. Robert Vilas, then director of

counseling at Bowdoin College, had

addressed the faculty about the culture

of success and its narrowing definition.

He noted how our society rewards

what we do rather than who we are and

charted dominant and marginalized

social values. It struck me then that

I had spent my sabbatical aspiring to

live in the marginalized values of the

Vilas’ chart. I chose to follow internal

personal instinct over trying to measure

up to the external blueprint of what

I thought might impress the world. I

searched for personal meaning over

trying to achieve recognition and

prestige. I focused on relationships over

competition and being over doing.

With such a variety of personal and

elusive pursuits, how can I make

the value of this experience truly

understood? Rest, reflection, research,

and renewal were indeed the rewards of

the sabbatical semester, and I am

enormously grateful for the trust and

generosity of Miss Porter’s School

in making this possible. I have new

insights and firmer convictions as a

result of this precious time of study

and introspection. The opportunity has

enhanced my teaching practices and

commitment to the school as well as

my personal intellectual engagement

and creativity in my life as an artist and

within the school. I am both deeply

honored and filled with gratitude.

Slowly, this gift of time formed a

complex and satisfying chapter in my

life as an artist and teacher, the heart of

which is best summed up by a favorite

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov quote that I

posted prominently in my studio:

“If you want to work on your art,

work on your life.”

Editor’s note: Susan’s essay is

excerpted from her full sabbatical

report. To see a slideshow of additional

images of Susan’s work, please visit

www.porters.org/artgalleries.

11P

or

ter

’s|features

11

Po

rte

r’s

|feat

ures

12

P rior to coming to Miss Porter’s School, I had the

opportunity to join a team of assistant heads and

deans of faculty from six of the most reputable

boarding schools in the nation to conceive of a boarding

school consortium in partnership with the University of

Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Our charge:

to administer a Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed.)

internship program for aspiring teachers.

Committed to the expectation that our graduates will

shape a changing world, Miss Porter’s School

understands the need to develop the next

generation of outstanding teachers.

Those new to teaching require

innovative training as we

expand our knowledge about

learning, the implications of

technology, and increase our

attention to globalization.

Thus, Miss Porter’s School

has partnered with The

Lawrenceville School, The

Hotchkiss School, Deerfield Acad-

emy, Milton Academy, Northfield

Mount Hermon, St. Paul’s School and the

University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School

of Education to design and oversee the Penn Residency

Masters in Teaching Program (PRMT).

PRMT will offer a comprehensive, workplace-based

educational experience for participants. Whereas most

teacher education programs offered through universities

are constrained by two parameters—they are largely

pre-service and must meet the demands of the local

regulatory environment—boarding schools offer teachers

access to a greater range of pedagogical approaches. This

creates a rare opportunity for schools of education and

boarding schools to collaborate to craft a ground-breaking

teacher education program.

Drawing on research from their Graduate School of

Education and the broader University of Pennsylvania

community as well as on the experience, expertise,

mentorship and vast resources provided by the network

of boarding schools, PRMT will deliver inventive, non-

traditional programming partly at Penn, partly at the

participating boarding schools, and partly online. This design

allows program fellows two-year paid, full-time teaching

internships with housing while pursuing a master’s degree as

part of a cohort of about 25 fellows. The integrated model,

similar to a hospital teaching model, will provide both an

academic foundation and on-the-job training.

Despite the wide range in intern program design

across the variety of boarding schools, PRMT

is the only program to offer a joint master’s

degree in secondary teaching and

learning. It is among the very few

to incorporate an intern cohort and

school consortium that inherently

expands the mentoring network

for both the fellows and the

participating school and program

faculty. The program faculty will

consist of both standing University

of Pennsylvania faculty and faculty

from the boarding school consortium, who

will receive compensation and recognition as

instructors of this University of Pennsylvania Graduate

School of Education program. While the curriculum is still

under construction, faculty are gearing up for teaching

within the proposed curriculum modules: reflective practice;

pedagogical content knowledge; history, culture, and

social contexts of boarding schools and participating in

professional learning communities. Additionally, curriculum

expectations will include classroom observations, digital

portfolios, and an action research project.

The initial cohort for PRMT will matriculate in June 2012

through an application process that began with an application

for a PRMT internship at one of the participating boarding

schools. Miss Porter’s School has begun our involvement

with PRMT applications for a math/science fellow. Further

information about the program and the application process

can be found at www.porters.org/careers.

Penn and Porter’s: A PartnershipBy CArol sAntos, AssoCiAte heAd oF sChool

13p

or

ter

’S|features

Throughout the fall and winter months, the Archives

at Miss Porter’s School had several historical items

exhibited at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn.

“Hotchkiss and the Great War, 1914–1918” was a fascinating

look at how boarding school students participated in the

war effort, either by joining military or support troops or

by supporting the effort through fundraising efforts at

home. Porter’s was one of three girls’ schools asked to

send archival items that would illuminate the ways in which

young women participated in World War I.

In addition to serving as nurses and volunteers in Europe,

Farmington girls did a great deal to aid the war effort.

Ancients from across the United States employed

local Farmington sewing-societies to raise money to

build a YMCA recreational center at Fort Devens, Mass.

Additionally,

meatless meals were served

once a week. Mrs. Keep, then

headmistress, sent the money

saved to various war-related charities.

Several of our Ancients were directly involved in the war,

including Ruth Stillman 1901. Miss Stillman’s autograph

book, in which several soldiers left elaborate drawings,

and a six by eight-foot silk American flag hand-sewn by

students, faculty, and staff were two key pieces of the

Hotchkiss exhibit. Additional items on display from the

Archives included photograph albums, diaries, and letters

received in French from Belgian soldiers on the front.

Efforts of Ancients in World War I Acknowledged

W hen Sarah Porter ran her school, religious life had

its center in her Bible talks, which took place every

Sunday. After Miss Porter passed away, a group of

seniors took charge of these talks. By 1910, the Bible talks

had become Little Meeting. Small at first, these meetings

became a popular event and grew to be a Tradition,

integral to the life of the school. In fact, it was the Little

Meeting Committee that first crafted our honor code.

While younger generations of Ancients may fondly

remember Little Meeting as a gathering where songs

are sung, skits performed, and community members

acknowledged and thanked, the Little Meeting that

exists in recent history bears little resemblance to

the aforementioned original. In 2011, the Keepers of

Tradition, a group of 12 seniors charged with maintaining

school Traditions, decided to resurrect the spirit and

purpose of Little Meeting by reading a paper written by

an Ancient from the Little Meeting Archives collection at

morning meeting each Friday. This proved to be a popular

event, and this year’s Keepers maintained the practice.

A variety of papers from 1940-1966 have graced the

Hacker Theater, directing our community to topics such as

“Self-Control,” “The Spirit of Farmington,” “Effort,”

“The Golden Rule,” “World Peace,” and “Humor.”

Perhaps the most memorable of these readings was done

by Virginia (Daisy) Hilliard ’12 and Caroline Dillingham

’12. On a dark winter day, these two students recited a

prayer written by Harriet Moffat ’40 that contained the

following plea, “Now that we have once more finished a

week of tests, keep us from becoming lazy.” After a hearty

chuckle, everyone headed for Milk Lunch feeling a little

more refreshed.

Little Meeting’s legacy is obvious today in the deep

connection our students feel to our school, its Traditions,

and each other. It is this legacy that has inspired the

Keepers of Tradition to remind our community of its

values and its cherished Ancients by bringing their work

into our daily lives.

Little Meeting: From 1910 to 2012

ArchivAl revivAlBy ann Befroy, Ph.D., languageS teaCher

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ayanna Hall ’11 presents the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award to oprah winfrey at the academy of motion Picture arts and sciences Governors awards

T he vision statement of Miss Porter’s School

concludes with the saying, “Within our legacy

lies our future.” This phrase reminds us to look

to our history as a guide as we chart the next decades

of our school. We must rely on the work of those who

came before us to strengthen our

foundation moving forward.

Like Sarah Porter, Oprah Winfrey believes in the

power of education for young women. We count her

among the visionary leaders of Miss Porter’s School

in that her scholarships fundamentally transformed

how we thought about our school and about ourselves.

Because of her generosity, we were able to commit to

fully-funded financial aid for Oprah Winfrey Scholars.

For these young women, this holistic aid package

translated into their ability to fully develop as campus

leaders. Their contributions to Miss Porter’s School—

through Ms. Winfrey’s philanthropy—multiplied her

gift tenfold.

In November, Ayanna Hall ’11 was the invited guest

of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

to the 2011 Governors Awards and one with a very

special assignment: to present Oprah Winfrey with

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary

Oscar. In celebration of Ayanna’s opportunity and

accomplishment, and with gratitude for Ms. Winfrey’s

contributions to our community, The Bulletin of Miss

Porter’s School is proud to share excerpts of Ayanna’s

Governors Award remarks with our readers. Photographs are courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For a video of Ayanna’s presentation, please visit www.oscars.org.

OStandingvation

15P

or

ter

’s|special feature

vation

good evening. My naMe is ayanna Hall.

I was born and raised in Harlem, N.Y., with a family

that only had one income to support the four of us.

I attended public schools all of my life, and did well, but

by the time I reached my sophomore year in high school I

realized that I wasn’t doing my best because I wasn’t being

challenged to do so.

In order to challenge myself, I told my parents that I wanted

to attend boarding school. I was accepted to Miss Porter’s

School, in Farmington, Conn., but the price tag, even with

financial aid, was a bit steep. I am blessed with parents who

were willing to make the sacrifices that would allow me

to attend the school, but at the same time, my mother was

facing serious surgery, and there was little money left for

such an expensive education. We feared that my dream might

not be realized.

However, the day before my mother’s surgery, she received

a phone call telling her that I was one of five students

to be awarded a scholarship through the Oprah Winfrey

Foundation to attend Miss Porter’s School for all of my years

of attendance. We all understood the magnitude of the award,

but I don’t think anyone could have fathomed how much my

life has changed because of it.

Miss Porter’s School challenged me, and I worked harder

than ever before. I was still nervous about what college

I would get into after being in such a rigorous academic

environment, but I continued to work hard and have faith

that I would end up at a college that was right for me. I went

into the college process applying to seven schools, and I was

accepted to each one. I graduated from Miss Porter’s this past

June with a 3.6 average, and I am now attending Barnard

College of Columbia University while working

part-time at the Apple Store as a technician. It’s amazing how

one phone call could make all of this happen.

A few weeks ago, Ms. Gayle King called me, and asked

me: if I could thank Oprah, what would I say? I thought to

myself, there’s no way that I can thank her with just words.

This is a woman who put me through high school, allowed

me to be the very best me while I was there and to reach for

goals that I never thought possible until now.

So no, I can’t just say thank you. What I can do is show

Ms. Winfrey by my actions the gratitude that I feel towards

her for her support, even though I was a stranger to her until

this very moment. I can only hope that I become half the

woman she is. But I know that when I can, I’m going to

share my gifts with the world just like she was willing to

share hers with me.

It is an honor to be here, to help present the Jean Hersholt

Humanitarian Award, and to say on behalf of the more than

65,000 other students she has sent to school: the words aren’t

adequate...but thank you, Ms. Winfrey. Thank you.

Maria Shriver, who introduced Ayanna’s presentation, looks on as Ayanna is greeted by Ms. Winfrey.

Ayanna presents Ms. Winfrey with her award.

RE

po

RtE

R|a

cade

mic

s16

Community Update

By Tora Bonnier ’12, andrea Consuegra ’12, and Jenna dalTon ’13

As a student, what did you want to know about your high school?

This is the question the research methods class asked in the

first year of our study. We called it, “The Porter’s Paradox:

Confidence in the Face of Conflict,” and we surveyed

students and Ancients on different aspects of self-confidence.

To maximize our response rate, we surveyed the student

body during class, and sent email surveys to 3468 Ancients,

of whom almost 600 responded. Our questions addressed

subjects ranging from social self-confidence to empowerment

to the effect of stereotyping.

Our survey findings showed that although Ancients felt a

lack of empowerment before they attended Porter’s, more

than 65 percent of those who responded claim to have felt

empowered throughout the various stages of life during

and after Porter’s: undergraduate study, graduate study,

career and retirement. Further, 69 percent of respondents

indicated that they believed their self-confidence was

developed as a unique result of having attended Miss Porter’s

School. This high percentage was seemingly corroborated

anecdotally throughout a focus group we conducted with

Ancients from the class of 2005; our participants stated

repeatedly that they were the only women in their college

classes speaking up.

Many current students also indicated that their self-confidence

was attributable to their Porter’s experience, but 40 percent

reported that while they were self-confident, they felt their

confidence could have been equally as developed if they

attended a different high school. Troublingly, 45 percent of

seniors reported worrying that having attended an all-girls’

school would have a negative impact on their social abilities.

To address these findings, our class split into two action

teams this school year, christened “Team Ancient” and “Team

Boy.” The members of Team Ancient worked with Director

of Alumnae Relations Allison Coleman Frey to foster closer

relationships between current students and Ancients. The

team’s goal included keeping Ancients informed of school

news while easing students’ anxieties about life after Porter’s

by having Ancients serve as role models, sharing their stories

and successes. We were invited to give feedback to shape the

annual Imagining Life event and to brainstorm other ways to

connect with interested Ancients.

The members of Team Boy worked on fostering healthy

relationships between students at Porter’s and Avon Old

Farms. Although more than half of the Porter’s student

body reported satisfaction with current interactions and

believe that Porter’s has nurtured social self-confidence to

interact with all people, the large minority of girls who felt

the opposite described current coed activities as “awkward”

and “inauthentic.” Team Boy members worked with Dean

of Students Laura Jalinskas to brainstorm new opportunities

such as coed community service and surveyed our student

body about which activities they would prefer. The group

was even invited to speak to the Avon Old Farms Board of

Trustees about our findings and recommendations.

Our hope is that between fostering student-Ancient

relationships and promoting a better coed environment,

we can help Porter’s girls graduate feeling more confident

in themselves inside and outside of the classroom. It is our

class’ hope that we can harness the confidence that Ancients

feel and distribute it amongst the students before they leave,

helping them embark even more bold and resourceful, ready

to shape a changing world.

Jenna Dalton, Tora Bonnier and Andrea Consuegra

the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives research methods class shares their analysis findings

17r

eP

or

ter

|academics

By Amy rogers, direCtor oF College Counseling

it happens every year. As seniors flood back to Farmington after spring break,

so too does the college news. The frosty months of nervous anticipation, of the “I’m

not going to get in anywhere” sighs, give way to sunny squeals of excitement that

come in over email and in person as girls rush upstairs in Main to share their good news

with their college counselor. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” cried one happy senior

this spring, “Thank you for helping me get into my dream school. I never could have

gotten in without you!!”

One of the loveliest things about working at Porter’s is the appreciation the girls have

for being here, and the generosity with which they share it. It is unmistakable when you

regularly watch girls return their dishes to the conveyor belt in the dining room and take

the time to lean in and yell, “Thank you for dinner!” to the workers on the other side. But

when it comes to thanking their college counselors for their college acceptances, they

have it all wrong.

What I wish I could get the girls to understand is college counselors don’t get them into

colleges, the girls do that on their own. And it didn’t start with the first college meeting in

junior year, or the first SAT, it started the moment they set foot on campus. It began with

the choice to come to Porter’s, to step off the conventional path and to join a community

where girls are challenged and pushed, where girls can try and fail, and try again.

And in the spring, when our gardens are filled with students lifting their voices in song,

so too begins my annual chorus: “It was you who reached out for all of those extra help

session in ninth grade biology and finished the year with a hard-fought B+. You are the

one who took a chance and tried out for the winter musical in

sophomore year. You landed the role that introduced you to a

passion for singing and led to voice lessons you have dedicated

yourself to for the past two years.

“You are the one who always had time for others, despite your

busy schedule, who gave of herself as a remarkable Junior

Advisor. You took a risk and ran for a Nova Nine position, giving

a heartfelt and genuine speech in front of the entire school

community. And though you may not have won the election, you bounced back and

found other ways to lead. Here you are in your senior spring, earning honors grades in AP

Biology, performing with the Perilhettes, debating in Model UN, and throwing pots for the

Art Sale, and you got into college.”

When the girls stop by the office full of thanks, I sing their praises for they have earned

it—and the reminder. I always conclude “You did this. Feel proud.” The response is usually

the same. There is a momentary flash of awareness, a fleeting glimpse of self-satisfaction.

It is gone as quickly as it appeared; replaced by a shrug, a smile, and a final “Thank you,

thank you so much!” and they are back out the door. But in that instant, I know that the

lessons learned at Miss Porter’s School that may be too great for them to fully realize in

this moment are the very ones that have readied them for all that is next to come.

aSpringtimeChorus

‘‘Thank you for helping me

get into my dream school.

I never could have gotten

in without you!”

i n 2009, it was rumored that Apple was going to release

a tablet-like device that would change everything. It

wasn’t the first time that this rumor circulated the tech

world, but it was the first time that an actual device was

showcased and had a name to go with it. In the spring of

2010, the iPad was launched and the

buzz on campus was high.

Without hesitation, I ordered one for

my own research and development.

It was quickly apparent that the iPad

would significantly impact teaching

and learning and enhance the Porter’s

experience. Interest level about what

the device was and what it could

do was high, and members of the

community wanted to know more.

With curious students and even

the technology-reluctant educators

intrigued, a pilot program was born.

Thirteen iPads were purchased: one for

each academic department and the

rest for members of the administrative

teams. The only expectation for pilot

program members was to play with

the iPad and see if it would be useful in their work. Within

the first few weeks, members saw immediate opportunities

for integration. They were encouraged to show their

colleagues their discoveries and to meet with me weekly

to share their progress and knowledge.

In the fall, the group presented their findings to the board

of trustees. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was evident

to all that this device needed to be in the hands of all of our

students and teachers. At the time, Apple had not really

considered all the ways in which the iPad could be used

as an educational tool; to succeed with an iPad initiative,

Porter’s would need to navigate the path of appropriate

and engaging iPad use independently and cultivate it in

a way that was inviting. To this end, we would require the

device for all entering ninth grade students in the 2011–2012

school year.

Porter’s was about to embark on an

exciting paradigm shift by becoming a

device-required school and head into

uncharted territory by integrating the

iPad into the ninth grade curriculum.

In a letter to ninth grade families,

Head of School Kate Windsor and I

shared the following:

“By integrating technology into our

liberal arts curriculum, Miss Porter’s

School affirms our promise to educate

young women ‘to become informed,

bold, resourceful and ethical global

citizens’…By expecting our newest

students to begin their work with

the tools to implement technology in

every aspect of their education, we

ensure their understanding of a skill

set so vital to young women today:

facility with technology, communication, analysis and

access to global concepts…Goals and benefits of the iPad

program include:

• the incorporation of iPads into daily classroom work to

provide a compounding effect on the curriculum content:

the very medium used for content delivery provides a

teaching opportunity

• the issuance of required texts in digital format whenever

possible, allowing students to have all of their texts with

them at all times while simultaneously reducing the costs

associated with textbook purchasing

• the continued assertion of Porter’s commitment to

environmental responsibility through reduced paper

consumption inside and outside of the classroom.”

With the start of this school year, we were on our way, and

the iPad program saw more success that we could have

predicted. Teachers and students are working together

creatively in collaborative ways that have exceeded our

expectations and our imaginations!

Editor’s note: Please look forward to learning more about

the iPad program and the classroom experience in the next

issue of The Bulletin of Miss Porter’s School.

re

Po

rte

r|a

cade

mic

s18

Introducing the

iPadHow Porter’s Became

an iPad Campus

By kAren mCkenzie, direCtor oF

inFormAtion teChnology

Students integrate the use of the iPad in daily course work.

C an a high school student

venture into the wide world of

technology? I’m proof of it!

The summer following my sophomore

year, my older sister, Elizabeth ’10, was

getting ready to go to college. I offered

to utilize my strong organizational

skills to create a planning document

for her. The result—a fairly detailed list

created in word processing software and

printed—was organized by categories

and was very comprehensive.

Elizabeth used the list as she prepared

to go to college, and when her friends

heard about it, they asked for copies.

They loved it! Midway through my junior

year, I realized there was a need for

users of the list to access it and update

it in a convenient manner. An idea

was born.

My love of technology made me think

about transforming the paper checklist

into an easy to use, interactive app. I

had spent the previous two summers

working for my dad as a programmer so

I had the background and skills in this

type of work.

The College Checklist App started with

a list of 178 items, across nine categories

of daily dorm life: room setup, desk

supplies, bath, and more. The actual

work to build the app involved coming

up with the name,

settling on the

color, selecting the font, creating the

check mark and other icons in various

sizes that appear throughout the app.

I figured out the needed features and

installed software on my computer

to create the layout of the screens.

During this time, I worked closely with

my father to build a prototype. He has

a software and consulting business,

and he helped with the programming

language. We discussed ideas for

features and how to implement them.

My family members helped me form

my company, Craes, LLC (a take on

my initials and middle name), and we

attended legal meetings to determine

the organizational structure before

settling on a limited liability corporation.

I researched advertising via Google and

Facebook, and I learned that Google

advertisements required a website

associated with the app. Thus, my

website, www.latestcraes.com, was

launched to provide users a place to go

for instructions and support.

May 2, 2012 marked the one-year

anniversary of my app going live on

the iTunes® website. My year has been

marked with several successes: I have

sold over 1000 copies of The College

Checklist, launched The College

Checklist for Guys, and applied to the

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to

name a few highlights. Additionally,

versions of The College Checklist apps

were developed for Barnes & Noble

NOOK®. I worked closely with the

Barnes & Noble marketing team, and

they began featuring my app as one of

their “Top Picks in Apps.” This spring,

Barnes & Noble named The College

Checklist one of their Best New Apps,

including it in an email to thousands of

NOOK owners as one of “May’s Most

Entertaining Apps.”

I am excited to continue to work on my

business and to market The College

Checklist apps. There are strong sales

opportunities every summer as seniors

graduate from high school and begin

preparing for college. This summer,

Elizabeth will join me to help with

marketing, including both traditional and

social media.

This fall, I will attend Villanova

University and plan to double major in

mathematics and economics and minor

in French. I will be using The College

Checklist to help me prepare

and pack for college!

Latest CrAesBy CAroline rAe stAuB ’12

“ The app development process was much more difficult than

I imagined. I spent many hours designing, building and testing

the app, but it gave me a great understanding of what is

involved to have an idea and see it through to create a business.

I was able to capitalize on my strengths – organizational

skills, technology and design.”

19r

eP

or

ter

|academics

Caroline Rae Staub ’12

re

Po

rte

r|a

rts

20

Gotta Dance!dance Workshop performed in local celebrations,

including the 2011 distinguished achievement in dance

awards at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural arts Center

(the Kate) in old saybrook, Conn., the Connecticut

dance alliance’s eighth annual celebration of

dr. Martin luther King, Jr., and ted Hershey

dance Marathon 2012, held at the Charter oak

Cultural Center in Hartford, Conn.

A Designing SummerJunior Francesca Childs will design

a line of jewelry with artist laura

Zindel of laura Zindel design.

Francesca has spent her last four

summers working in the laura

Zindel designs pottery studio,

glazing pottery and placing decals

on the fired work. after seeing

Francesca’s jewelry pieces, which she creates using wire,

sheet silver, and various stones, Ms. Zindel asked Francesca

to help design a jewelry line. “this opportunity means a

tremendous amount to me,” shares Francesca. “to have a

job that is based on a passion of mine is a unique chance.”

the new line will be designed over the summer of 2012.

tHe art oF aCHieVement

This year’s annual Bowlathon Sale raised

$2800 for Foodshare • Seven students

performed in the Connecticut Northern

Region Music Festival, including anna

lee ’12, shreya sachdev ’12, Kathryn

reindel ’12, June Conti ’13, reagan

Henke ’13, ariel Chu ’14, and emily

wertheimer ’15 • Eight students earned

Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards, with

mackenzie Johnson ’12 , emily Knutson ’12,

mairi Poisson ’12 (American Vision Award

winner) and yvonne Zhang ’13 earning Gold

Key Awards, inkyung Chung ’12 and

ymani Francis ’12 earning Silver Key

Awards, and Francesca Childs ’13 and

Jessica shannon ’12 taking home

Honorable Mentions • Photographs by

Virginia (daisy) Hilliard ’12 and Kaitlin

(Katie) Johndrow ’13 were among the

140 entries selected for display in Drexel

University’s College of Media Arts and

Design Photography High School Contest

exhibition • emily Knutson ’12 was awarded

the Nancy Braender Award at the Canton

Gallery on the Green’s NEXT: Emerging

Talent art show reception •

The Scholastic Art & Writing

Awards recognized Caroline

mcCance ’12 and amber

Kinui ’13 for their

creative talent • For

the second

year in a row, ali

demopoulos ’13

was selected for the

11th annual “Write

On” young playwrights’

competition sponsored by the

Hartford Stage.

21r

eP

or

ter

|arts

The Players/Mandolin Performance Troupe

welcomed parents, students, faculty and

friends to the Miss Porter’s School fall and

winter theater productions. Students offered

up their comedic skills in Vital Signs

by Jane Martin and impressed with

their musical performance in

The Secret Garden, by Marsha Norman

and Lucy Simon, based on the novel by

Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Scenes from Vital Signs

Scenes from A Secret Garden

Evenings at theTheater

Pitcher Victoria Cabral ’12 Signs with Division I Hofstra University

re

Po

rte

r|a

thle

tics

22

Senior Victoria Cabral signed with Hofstra University

to join the school's Division I softball team.

Victoria, a pitcher, served as co-captain of Porter’s

varsity softball team. She was an all-conference

selection her junior year and was a two-time team

MVP. Prior to attending Porter’s, Victoria pitched

in the Connecticut Bomber organization, and last

summer she played on the Firecracker Fury Gold

Showcase team.

"Victoria has been an impact player on the Porter's

varsity softball team since her freshman year," shared Head Coach Melanie Joseph.

"She is a very dedicated athlete who believes in working hard and supporting her

teammates."

Highlights of her 2012 season included pitching a perfect game against Stoneleigh-

Burnham and being selected to represent Porter's at the Western New England Prep

School All-Star Game, where she was chosen most valuable player by her all-star team.

On Wednesday, January 11, senior Caroline Jadovich scored her 1000th point

during the varsity basketball team's game against The Hotchkiss School.

Caroline, who plans to attend Connecticut College in the fall, is just the second

athlete in school history to reach this milestone. "The entire Porter's community

congratulates Caroline on her tremendous achievement," shared Head Varsity

Basketball Coach Joe Chetelat after the game.

Caroline then went on to break the school’s top-scoring record for basketball. In

her three years at Porter’s, she achieved a staggering 1248 points, breaking the

previously-held record of 1105 points held by Julia Baily ’06.

She Shoots, She Scores! Caroline Jadovich scores 1000th Point for Porter’s; Breaks school record

Chief Financial Officer Michael Bergin, Head of School Kate Windsor, Caroline Jadovich, Beth Jadovich and Director of Athletics Carolyn Polley celebrate Caroline's accomplishment

23r

eP

or

ter

|athleticsPorter’s basketball, swimming and diving, and squash teams finished at the top of the Founders league for winter sports this past season.The swimming and diving team placed second in the Founders League with big wins over

Choate, Hotchkiss, Kent, Loomis, and Westminster. The team finished the regular season

with a 13–2 record and achieved numerous season best and personal best times and scores.

Porter’s varsity basketball team trailed only the Taft School this winter, finishing second in

the Founders League. The team finished the regular season with a 13–5 record, earning a

bid to the New England Championship Class B Tournament. Porter’s had exciting regular

season wins over powerhouse schools Hotchkiss, Kent, and Loomis, but was eliminated in

the quarterfinals by class B rival Pomfret.

Finally, the squash team took third in the Founders League with decisive regular season

wins over Kent, Kingswood-Oxford, and Westminster.

Equestrian achievementsThree Porter’s equestrians competed at the IEA Region 3 Finals. Shana

Coffey ’13 placed fourth in open over fences, first in varsity open on the flat,

and was Reserve Champion in the varsity open championship; Stephanie

Denoyer ’12 placed seventh in varsity open over fences, fifth in varsity open

on the flat, and fourth in the varsity open championship; and Emily Green

’14 placed fifth in varsity intermediate on the flat. Shana’s performance also

qualified her to compete in the IEA Zone 1 Finals.

• Sophomore Hannah Liistro placed seventh at the New

England Division I Swimming and Diving Championships,

held March 3 at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H.

Hannah’s score of 318.80 broke the previous Porter’s

record of 316.40, held by Naima Ford ’07.

• Seniors Genelle Green, Caroline Jadovich, and Alexa

(Lexi) Menard were voted New England Preparatory

School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) basketball All Stars.

This was the first time in Porter’s history that three athletes

have been selected to represent the school in the NEPSAC

All-Star basketball game.

• On Saturday, February 25 and Sunday, February 26,

Porter’s varsity squash team competed at the New England

Class B Championships. The team earned a fourth place

finish out of sixteen teams with Sarah Walker winning her

flight to become a 2012 New England Champion.

• The varsity ski team finished first for girls teams

and seventh overall at the BSL Dave Rockwell GS

Championship. Senior co-captain Julia Levere

finished second for girls while sophomore Meg Ives

took seventh place.

A League of Their Own

Swim, Shoot, Ski, Squash!

on

|cam

pus

24

National Women in Sports Daylaura Gentile was the keynote speaker for

the National Women and Girls in Sports Day

program. Ms. Gentile is vice president of espnW,

ESPN’s first dedicated content and digital

business designed to serve, inform and inspire

female athletes and fans. Ms. Gentile graduated

from Duke University and earned an M.B.A.

from Boston College. As an undergraduate, she

earned All-America and All-ACC honors in field

hockey and was a two-time team captain. She

led Duke to their first appearance in the NCAA tournament and was named

to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary field hockey team.

Poet Sarah Kay Poet sarah Kay dazzled students and faculty

during an engaging and dynamic assembly.

A speaker at the TED 2011 Conference “The

Rediscovery of Wonder” in Long Beach,

Calif., and a speaker at the 2011 Cannes

Lions Creativity Festival in France, Ms.

Kay is a poetry writer and reader, a spoken

word poetry teacher, and the founder and

co-director of Project V.O.I.C.E. Begun by

Kay in 2004, Project V.O.I.C.E. encourages

people, particularly teenagers, to use spoken

word as a tool for understanding the world

and self, and a medium for vital expression.

Prescott Programdr. ron eglash served as Prescott

Program speaker this fall. Dr. Eglash is

a cyberneticist, university professor, and

author. He is widely known for his work in

the field of ethnomathematics, which aims

to study the diverse relationships between

math and culture.

Financial literacy dayVictoria Gonin served as keynote speaker for Financial Literacy Day.

Ms. Gonin has 25 years experience working for large global companies,

including IBM and IDG Publishing, in a variety of roles including sales,

marketing, business development, and recruiting. Ms. Gonin also

founded Womenade New Jersey and Womenade Boston, a women’s

collective giving circle that raises awareness and provides funds for

programs that have a positive impact on the lives of women and girls.

S e e n & H e A R D

Ancients also were on hand to contribute to Financial Literacy Day.

Sarah Kay and Dejahna James ’12

Laura Gentile

Alan Sherman, Head of School Kate Windsor, Dr. Ron Eglash

25o

n|cam

pusSenior Sydney-Zeferina Pugliares was

a guest blogger for Girl Up, an

innovative campaign of the United

Nations Foundation. Girl Up gives

American girls the opportunity to

become global leaders and channel

their energy and compassion to

raise awareness and funds for

United Nations programs that help

some of the world’s hardest-to-

reach adolescent girls. Enjoy her

contribution regarding a Porter’s Girl

Up fundraiser below!

Hi Everyone! My name is Sydney-

Zeferina Pugliares, and I am a Girl

Up BFF and have started one of

the first Girl Up Pilot Clubs at Miss

Porter’s School.

The Girl Up campaign mission reflects

the values of the Porter’s community

in that we both value education and

the empowerment of young women

who will “shape a changing world.”

This is why we wanted to give a

“High Five” to girls growing up in

developing countries so that they, too,

can reach their full potential as

educated young women.

Our fundraiser exemplified the Girl

Up “High Five” concept where each

fundraiser participant donated five

dollars to trace and cut out her

handprint, then paste it onto a large

canvas. Each girl then wrote what she

loved best about being a girl on her

handprint.

We then pasted all of the pink and

blue handprints onto a large canvas in

the shape of the Girl Up logo. In

creating this communal work of art,

we represented our support for girls’

education in the form of our “High

Fives.”

As a community, we raised over $370

to go toward educating girls just like

us in developing countries. The event

was a big success, and everyone who

participated had a great time.

Fashion, Recycled.Fashion gets creative with Morgan Grady-Benson ’13,

Madeline Pielmeier ’13, and Kelsey Perkins ’13 who are

sporting outfits crafted from recycled materials in honor of

Earth Week. All took a turn down the Porter’s runway for

a spirited “trashion show.”

In FarmIngtonlucy Pan ’14,

a student in studio

Art 1, captures a

glimpse into her

life at Porter’s via

cool collage.

L-O-V-E. Sometimes, it’s all you need! taKe Care.Diane Foley, director

of the Colgate Student

Health Center, gets

a celebratory hug

from House Director

Christine Neville-Smith

on National School

Nurse Day.

HIGH five

on

|cam

pus

26

Minks, Possums, & Squirrels... Oh My!

Miss Porter’s School creatively turned October’s surprise snowstorm and subsequent tree damage into an expression of school spirit through a custom wood carving.

Active carving occured during our Annual Arts Week and even our littlest community members offered a helping hand.

Giving Back 27G

IVIN

G|backBy SuSan Walker,

direCtor of gift planning and SteWardShip

M iss Porter’s School celebrated Founder’s Day with

the presentation of the Evan Burger Donaldson ’51

Achievement Award. The Donaldson Award recognizes

service to the larger community and is presented biennially

to an Ancient whose dedication to service to others is

exemplary. The Donaldson Award is commensurate with

the Daisy Pin as one of the school’s highest honors. The

2011 Donaldson Award was awarded to philanthropist and

conservationist Louisa Copeland Duemling ’54, P’79. Mrs.

Duemling is the first Ancient to receive both the Donaldson

Award and the Daisy Pin, which she earned in 1982.

After graduating from Miss Porter’s School, Mrs. Duemling

earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. Her

current and past service has included the President’s Council

of American Farmland Trust and the board of Washington

College’s Center for the Environment & Society. She has

served as a trustee of Miss Porter’s School, honorary trustee

of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, honorary trustee of the

Winterthur Museum - Garden & Library, advisory committee

member of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, trustee

of the Maryland/D.C. Chapter of the Nature Conservancy,

secretary and vice chair of the Nature Conservancy, and

member of the Trustees Council of the National Gallery

of Art. Mrs. Duemling has served as director of the

Corcoran Gallery, E.I. duPont deNemours & Company,

the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, World Resources

Institute, and the National Parks Foundation. She has also

served as special gifts chair of United Way of D.C., volunteer

at International Planned Parenthood, and member of the

board of managers at Mt. Cuba Center, Inc. In 2010, Mrs.

Louisa Copeland Duemling ’54 Earns Evan Burger Donaldson ’51 Achievement Award

Duemling received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters

from Washington College.

The Evan Burger Donaldson ’51 Achievement Award was

established to honor Mrs. Donaldson, an Ancient and trustee

who served others through hands-on work with organizations

such as Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children, the

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the New York Women’s

Foundation, and the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy,

as well as Miss Porter’s School. As the Daisy Pin recognizes

exceptional service on behalf of the school, the Donaldson

Award recognizes outstanding services to the larger

community. Recipients of this award have worked to better

the changing world we share and shape.

G I V I N G B A C K :

preVIouS eVaN BurGer DoNaLDSoN ’51 aChIeVemeNt awarD reCIpIeNtS

1998: elizabeth may ’72 – executive director, Sierra Club du Canada, environmentalist, writer, activist and lawyer.

2001: elizabeth Cushman putnam ’51 – founder, Student Conservation Association.

2003: agnes Gund ’56 – president emerita, Museum of Modern Art; founder, Studio in a School, a non-profit organization that places professional artists as teachers in New York City public schools.

2005: Isabel Van Devanter Sawhill ’55 – senior fellow and vice president, director of economic studies at The Brookings Institution; founder and board president, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

2007: India howell ’75 – founder and director, the Rift Valley Children’s Fund and the Rift Valley Children’s Village in Tanzania.

2009: tracy Gary ’69 – founder and president of Inspired Legacies; donor, activist and philanthropist.

Head of School Kate Windsor, Louisa Copeland Duemling ’54, Robert Duemling

Classmates and friends were present to celebrate with Mrs. Duemling.

GiV

inG

|bac

k28

Drawing on Her Enthusiasm for Miss Porter’s School:

Cynthia Vehslage Meyers ’81By elizABeth gormAn ’74, AlumnAe BoArd memBer

Most Ancients who volunteer for Miss Porter’s School spend their time contacting classmates, organizing Reunion, or coordinating local chapter events. Cynthia Vehslage Meyers ’81 does something different: she draws.

C ynthia’s charming and lighthearted

drawings have added pizzazz to Porter’s

fundraising materials since 2000. One

mailing for the Annual Fund reads, “Leaders

reach for the stars...If you believe in a school

where girls are leaders and learn that the

sky is the limit...then you believe in Miss

Porter’s School.” To accompany this text,

Cynthia’s drawing shows a group of girls

with butterfly nets, preparing to climb up a

ladder and catch a star. For another, Cynthia’s sketch of a girl

at a desk raising her hand illustrates the words, “If you believe

in...a school where girls learn the answers while they learn

to question...then you believe in Miss Porter’s School.” And

among Cynthia’s drawings for the Moonbeams Circle is one

of a woman peering intently at the moon through a telescope.

Cynthia is a professional artist whose drawings have been

published in TIME Magazine and The New York Times.

Recently, she illustrated the book Haiku for the Single Girl,

and through her company, Crowquill Press, she offers a line

of illustrated stationery that is available on www.etsy.com.

Looking back at her time as a student, what stands out for

Cynthia are the wonderful friendships she formed then and

still maintains today. As she

and her classmates have

moved into varied and

interesting professional

careers, Cynthia has found

that her MPS ties have formed

an invaluable “old girls network”

that enables Ancients to help each other. Notably, it

was her former roommate, Stephanie Cabot ’81, P’10

now a literary agent, who connected Cynthia with the

opportunity to illustrate Haiku for the Single Girl.

Cynthia attended Princeton University, where

she took art classes but majored in comparative

literature. She accepted a job in the graphics

department of a large New York City bank

during the boom years of the late 1980s, a

position she remembers as “a great playground.”

She then lived in San Francisco, working in

art galleries and drawing at night, and got a

big morale boost when she won a $10,000

drawing contest sponsored by TIME Magazine.

Returning to New York, she worked for the Museum of

Modern Art, and married her husband, Steven Meyers, a

corporate lawyer. They now live in Ridgefield, Conn., with

their daughter Lily, 15, and son Nicholas, 11. Each evening,

they gather around the kitchen table, where Cynthia draws

and the kids do their homework.

Cynthia also volunteers at her local elementary school,

where she teaches a class on poetry and illustration to

third, fourth, and fifth graders, and helps them produce a

literary magazine.

Cynthia gives her time and her art to Miss Porter’s School

because she is enthusiastic about how the school has evolved

since her time there. In her view, Porter’s has only gotten

better. She notes the school’s achievements in increasing the

diversity of the student body and making it possible for girls

from less advantaged backgrounds to attend. More broadly,

she strongly believes in the school’s positive impact on girls’

growth and development. “Farmington is a place that

changes girls’ lives forever,” she says. “It’s a school where

people believe in you, and girls gain a sense of self-

confidence that stays with them.” For Cynthia, volunteering

not only allows her to reinforce her bonds with beloved

memories, but also enables her to contribute to educating the

leaders of the future.

Cynthia Vehslage Meyers ’81

29G

iVin

G|back

Mrs. Susan Block

Amy A. Brodigan 1978

Mr. Francis J. Carey

Margaret Porter Davis 1952

Barbara Baldwin Dowd 1967

Tracy Cooper Drippé 1979

Isobel L. Ellis 1981

Mary Hallock Fields 1962

Emily Symington Filer 1954

Wendy Taylor Foulke 1961

Mr. Graham H. Gavert

Margery MacMillan Hamlen 1962

Elisabeth Nicholson Holmes 1954

moonbeams Circle of miss Porter’s school Planned Giving society

Kirk Dyett Huffard 1961

Adrienne Osborne Ives 1950

Patricia Landon Kauders 1941

Anne McCutcheon Lewis 1961

Sally Winsor Miller 1952

Elizabeth Cushman Putnam 1951

Susan Z. Ritz 1971

Page Poinier Sanders 1961

Annie Ward Stern 1962

Joan McCance Warner 1952

Alice L. Wilding-White 1976

Mr. & Mrs. Edward M. Wrobel, Jr.

welcome, moonbeams Circle members

do you wisH For your leGaCy to ensure

tHe leGaCy oF miss Porter’s sCHool?

Make a gift that does not affect income and assets now

Unlimited Federal estate tax deductibility using any asset

Your gift can support an existing fund, possibly create a new fund, or endow your annual fund gift

Make sure your wishes are known and your legacy is secured

Call or email today to learn more:susan macColl walker Director of Planned giving and stewardship860-409-3626 susan_walker@ missporters.org

any age is the right age to plan for the future.

1941Patricia Landon Kauders

1948Barbara Mitchell Erskine

Peggy Nash Gifford

1950Edith Bass

Marcia Strickland

1951Melissa Rumbough

1953Margaret E. Harper

1954Anne Meserve Davis

Elisabeth Nicholson Holmes

Ellen McCance Parker

1955Pamela Yardley Paul

Beverley Ward Sutherland

1960Marilen Grosjean Tilt

1961Pauline Kammer Hudson

1964Abigail Bingham Endicott

Sally Dodge Mole

1973Patricia A. Kuchar

Nina S. Reeves

Rita Ingersoll Seltzer

1974Alice Maureen Freed

Patricia H. Mueller

1975Lynne Sillcox Stewart

1976Kerry Bryan Brokaw

1979Paige Jones Benedict

Anne Paisley

1981Dawn Duhe Ballenger

Kendall Kraft Conners

Valerie Greene Flynn

1983Audrey L. Klein

Susan Cassidy Maronde

Leslie Moseley Rioux

1986Jennifer Ross McNulty

1988R. Lanier Allen

Melissa Grey Jones

Carolyn Meltzer Simons

Beverley M. Sutherland

1989Celina Moore Barton

Kirke Hoffman Hall

Lisa Rahe Hough

1993Maria Ginebra Chase

Joli A. Moniz

1996Emily B. Hartley

1998Anita Foden de Mierisch

Bridgid Godbout Joseph

1999Hannah Adams

Kelly James

2000Stephanie Higgins Bealing

Kristin Alberti

2001Afton D. Bell

Allison B. Clarke

Maura A. Droney

Alicia B. Tiberio

Emma D. White

2003Kate E. Clifford

Abra J. Litmer

2004Francesca S. Brewer-Krebs

Gizelle L. Clemens

AnnaRose M. King

2005Jordan E. Dudeck

Kelly O’Brien

Emily M. Taylor

2006Elizabeth M. Bohinc

Sharifah S. Holder

2008Muryum K. E. Khalid

Sarah C. Lummis

Lauren C. McCay

Samantha A. Milbauer

Allison E. Miller

Catherine A. Rizzoni

2009Maria L. Anselmi

Andree H. L. Dean

Gillian M. Dudeck

Alexandra D. Ley

Rachel A. McGrath

Hanah Y. Suh

2010Kathleen M. Cronin

Nira A. P. Goncalves

Melissa C. Picon

Lucy K. Williams

2011Ayanna D. Hall

Clare J. Kenny

Chimebere D. Nwaoduh

Elizabeth A. Oberg

Maria E. Skinner

Renya Venkat

parent Leadership Committee VolunteersJeffrey and Donna Hires P’12,

Chairs

Jacqueline Bhalla P’15

Donald and Liz Blakelock P’11, ’12

Mark Boelhouwer P’15

Edwards Childs and Anita Dunlap P’13

Dave and Karen Cyr P’13

Bill and Teran Davis P’14

Philip and Patricia DeSantis P’12, ’15

Gaylord and Nicole Dillingham P’12

Richard and Lowri Foyle P’14

Andrew and Mary Frisbie P’15

Rick Grove and Terry Mady-Grove P’12

David and Joan Hill P’12

Lyle and Kelly Himebaugh P’14

Tom and Mary Ives P’08, ’12, ’14

Janice Joseph P’14

Jane Lennox P’14

Larry and Suzanne Levere P’12

Michael and Sharon McQuade P’11

Gerard and Dawn Murphy P’14

2011-2012 Annual Fund VolunteersG

IVIN

G|b

ack

30

Interested in serving as an Annual Fund

Volunteer?

Please email

[email protected]

to request more information.

31C

lass

|notes

Class|notes

3775TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairMargery Jones MacMillan

42 70TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairJosephine Ross Turner

46antoinette mayer Fallon writes,

“I have six grandchildren. Two are boys,

one at the University of Denver and one

is a graduate of George Washington

University. One girl graduated from the

University of Colorado, one is taking

a year off from Colby-Sawyer and has

a job, the 13-year-old is in sixth grade,

and the 11-year-old attends school

in Falmouth, Maine. All ski and play

sports. I can’t ski or play tennis now.

Hope to make it to Reunion in 2012.”

4765TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairNancy Bryan Taylor

marion (taddy) taylor dann writes,

“I am still very active, working three

days a week at Audubon Beaver

Meadow Nature Center – displays,

walks, meetings, festivals, etc. It is a

wonderful place!”

Joan Jessup eddy writes, “Have

bought into a retirement home in

Concord, Mass., in order to be near a

child and grandchildren in my ‘old age.’

Still in Florida trying to sell my house.”

mary (molly) slocum Harris writes, “I

am looking forward to our 65th Reunion!

Can you believe it?! taddy and Claire

have already said they will come and

I’m sure Bryan and Jessup will be

there, too. Hope as many will come as

are able.”

48Barbara mitchell erskine writes, “Bob

and I packed up our beloved apartment

in New York City in March of 2011 and

moved to safe ground in Essex, Conn.,

a continuing care community called

Essex Meadows. We’re getting

accustomed to country living with the

help of many terrific neighbors and

proximity to the Connecticut River and

Long Island Sound, and sailing friends.”

49sophie Bell donaghy writes, “We

see Beverly Burger alexandre and

eleanor (mimi) Koehler ingersoll,

who are both doing wonderfully. Will

miss trisha armstrong. Best to all my

classmates.”

5260TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsCarlin Whitney Scherer

Sally Winsor Miller

reunion (Gift) CommitteeMargaret Porter DavisPatricia Monroe EmeryVirginia Pepper PurvianceMary Lloyd RobbVirginia Wells TruesdaleNancy Allen Vaughn

Joan McCance Warner

margaret owens Carpenter writes,

“My beloved husband, Tim, died last

January. My children, grandchildren,

and six great-grandsons keep me

running!”

53Charlotte (starr) Holland

Hagenmeyer writes, “Our first great-

grandchild was born last August, and I

spent Thanksgiving in Charlotte, S.C.,

with my great-grandson, Luca, and his

family.”

54emily symington Filer writes, “Life

is good and full for me despite my

husband’s death on Easter after a

miserable illness. I love hospital

chaplaincy work and am still active

in the church and community. My

three French grandsons, friends, and

family have been gifts without price for

which I am grateful. I graduated after

four years from EfM (Education for

Ministry).”

55Beverley waud sutherland shared that

her daughter-in-law Katherine (Katie)

Cassidy sutherland ’89 won an AIA

Cla

ss|n

otes

32

New Hampshire Design Award for her

work on the Stonlea project, a net-zero

renovation of a Peabody & Stearns

house in Dublin, N.H.

5755TH ReunIOn

reunion Gift ChairElizabeth Reynolds Colt

reunion Gift CommitteeLucy Emory AmbachLuette Close Bourne Mimi Colgate KirkMarguerite Jamison SissonPamela Reid Trippe

reunion invitation CommitteeMelissa Foote CunninghamCynthia F. Ryan

reunion CommitteeLinda Boyer Gillies

Penelope (Penny) williams

Zimmerman writes, “Skip and family,

wife Genevieve and son Timothy, are

all finally ensconced in their new home

in Glens Falls, N.Y. He works for the

Red Cross in Albany. Andrew, Maura,

William and Maeve are still loving

Weston, Mass. I’m planning a trip

(driving) south to end up in Arkansas to

visit my brother in the spring.”

58laning Pepper thompson writes,

“I (finally!) have three grandchildren

now, ages 4, 3, and 2. They all live

fairly near me in the San Francisco

East Bay area, and I’m having a great

time being a grandmother to three

toddler girls.”

60mary t. emeny writes, “My second

grandchild was born last month. My

daughter is now in residency at Yale

Children’s Hospital. I took a trip to see

my son in China, traveling by plane,

train, car, bus, boat, and bike, and many

miles on foot. I started a (mostly online)

doctoral program in August. I am

working towards building a sustainable

community on the Texas high plains.”

6250TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairKatherine Carpenter McCallum

reunion Gift ChairsAnnie Ward SternElizabeth (Bitsy) Taggart Fitzsimmons

reunion Gift CommitteeBliss Caulkins Clark Mary Hallock Fields

Class notes ChairSelina Grew Rossiter

reunion CommitteeSanna Borge FeirsteinBarbara Bolton GratryDiana Hamilton Stockton

64

1 milbrey (missie) rennie

taylor shared a photo from a recent trip

to Iran. Pictured from left to right: ann

elliott Blanchard ’60, Missie Taylor,

and Jayne teagle Keith ’66.

66Virginia (Ginger) d. Clarkson writes,

“After living in Puebla, Mexico, for 15

years, my husband, Mark, and I moved

to his hometown of Houston, Texas. I

continue to teach Vipassana meditation

and to lead international trainings in

guided imagery and music. My MPS

roommate nancybell Coe and I met

recently for lunch in New York City.”

6745TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsLulie Pierpont EideKathryn (Kitty) Hart Lansing

melissa Bishop writes, “I have recently

been appointed as a member of the

Village of Deposit Planning Board.”

sandra mueller dick writes, “Still

painting and showing in galleries

(www.mueller-dick.com). Working at

the Musuem of Fine Arts as a gallery

instructor, and playing tennis. Looking

forward to Reunion!”

1

33C

lass

|notes

7735TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsNancy Westervelt MulveyAnita (Penny) Barker Weeks

reunion CommitteeCheryl Baity Allison Cooper HamiltonKatharine (Tina) H. McVeigh Evelyn TompkinsMarjorie (Marcie) Appleton Wallace

analisa n. torres was elected to the

Manhattan Supreme Court.

79diane liljehult tucker, the staff

naturalist at the Hill-Stead Museum,

was profiled in Farmington Life in a

column titled Lichen and Cider and

Deer, Oh My.

8230TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsJennifer W. KoehlerLisa Sweeney BeaganAshley Jones Tagatac

reunion Gift ChairJennifer Bradley

reunion CommitteeMaureen D. BurkeStorrs Lamb CoteHelen Matheson HilliardGwendolyn Hornblow Homicki

reunion dinner ChairLindsay Buttner Carlisle

83susan Cabrara writes, “On November

5, 2011 I married Mr. Ron Crolla in

Ponte Vedra, Fla. We celebrated with

our friends and family and were both

lucky enough to have our parents in

attendance. We will continue to live in

Tallahassee, where I have an association

management company specializing

in professional societies and where

Ron is a systems analyst for the State

of Florida. We are looking forward to

seeing everyone at our 30th Reunion!”

8725TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsAubrey Thorne CareyMary Stanton Smith

reunion Gift ChairTina Crisp Miller

The Alumnae Board welcomed sung-yun Pai ’85, rosemary (rosie) s.

walker ’86, Jessica J. leonard ’97, and laura m. wagstaff ’01 back to

Farmington as speakers for the annual Imagining Life program, sharing their

experiences after Miss Porter’s School with a group of junior and senior students.

7240TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsRebecca Faunce McDermottElizabeth (Betsy) Miller Halaby

reunion CommitteePippa Groves GerardElizabeth PookLynn MattesonMary Willis Thompson

elizabeth miller Halaby writes, “I

am looking forward to Reunion for

the Class of 1972. rebecca (Becky)

Faunce mcdermott will start ‘enticing’

you soon!”

75

2 Paige Cullen James writes,

“We are members of the U.S. Senior

Women’s Golf Association, and our

annual championship is played each

fall. This year we played at Pinehurst

in North Carolina, and felt a group

picture was a good idea.” Pictured from

left to right: emily (missy) ridgway

Crisp ’59, Cynthia (Cynnie) alexandre

rogers ’62, Janet isham Field ’66,

Paige Cullen James, Joanne

Fleming Hayes ’64, Carol semple

thompson ’66, deirdre (dede)

Harder laveran-stiebar ’61,

a. Jaquett wing Heck ’68, lulie

Pierpont eide ’67, Joanne (Jody)

Babcock wilmerding ’69, edith

(edie) Parsons Gengras ’63, and

Katharine (Kate) richmond

trotman ’60.

2

Events&receptions

FARMIngTOn, COnn. | MARCH 31, 2012

Cla

ss|n

otes

34

reunion Gift CommitteeAlessandra Niceta RoseAshley Lemon ShawMargaret Blaydes Vitrano

reunion CommitteeTara Smith Gohlmann

Caroline Ferro writes, “I live in

Tennessee with my husband and four

sons (sorry, no future MPS students!),

ages 13, 11, 8, and 5. I have published

two e-books, Death & Taxes and Abuse

of Process. When not working or

writing, I spend a LOT of time on the

sidelines of various sports fields.”

amanda taylor writes, “I am living

in NYC with my two daughters, Katie

and Alexandra. I recently founded Yoga

Gives, a company that raises funds for

nonprofits through yoga classes and

events.”

89Please see the Class of 1955 for news of

Katherine (Katie) Cassidy sutherland.

90Former faculty member Carole

shmurak shared that her daughter

Jill (susannah) s. shmurak and her

husband, Baird Jarman, had a baby, Zoë

Annette Jarman, on August 30, 2010.

years. I returned to Harvard for my

master’s degree, then worked in London

for Orange Communications and Paris

for France Communications. I am now

in Oslo, Norway, working for REC

Solar. I shall maintain my Kentucky

address.”

melody Fader writes, “I recently

had a CD released. This is my first

commercially-released CD, and I’m

very excited to have it available to the

general public!”

96Lola Jane Shipman was born to nydia

durand shipman and Charles Shipman

on November 1, 2011. Her aunt is

Katherine shipman adler.

9715TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairKatherine (Kate) F. Osterman

reunion CommitteeLisa P. LazarusLorie McGeeDesiree S. NashElizabeth A. OlearChristina Johnson Smith

00

3 imani l. Brown writes, “My

wife and I are doing well these days.

9220TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsKimberly Nolen GetkerMadame Athena Chang

reunion Gift ChairMegan C. Lane

dinner ChairsJessica M. La Marche Kara Chomo Yeomans

amy Pollert diBenedetto writes,

“Living in Darien, Conn., with our two

sons–Lance (4) and Brooks (1). Hoping

to make to the Reunion! ”

94Heather d. Clark writes, “After

graduating from Smith I have lived

in Europe. I worked for The World

Economic Forum in Geneva for seven

SAn FRAnCISCO, CAlIF. | FebRuARy 29, 2012

Young Ancients from classes 1996 to 2009 gathered for a reception in

support of the Annual Fund. The reception was held at the Marengo on

Union in San Francisco.

Events&receptions

3

35C

lass

|notes

I’m currently working on my master’s

in nonprofit administration at the

University of San Francisco. I just

recently attended former MPS intern

Hillary Kane’s wedding in Bali, and had

a lot of fun at the San Francisco Young

Ancients event in February. In March,

I had a ‘B(r)unch of Old Girls’ event

at my home on a Sunday morning, just

because there are so many of us in the

Bay Area and we need to get together

more often. I miss you all. Feel free

to email me at brown.imani@gmail.

com.” Pictured from left to right: Claire

e. Henry ’02, Kristen J. metzger ’02,

Caedmon r. Haas ’99, Imani Brown,

and Kimberle s. Konover.

01

4 alicia sands tiberio writes,

“I married my wonderful husband,

Tim Tiberio, on August 6, 2011 in

Lakeville, Conn. We had a beautiful

wedding even though it poured rain

(it’s good luck) and a celebration at my

parents’ home! My sisters were maid

and matron of honor. My aunt nancy

sands maulsby ’63 attended, and a few

of my Miss Porter’s friends were also

there, including Jacqueline (Jackie)

a. ducci, Kristin Henkel Cistulli, Gina m. amodio, marte e. ostvik de

wilde, and Jessica B. starr, as well

as my advisor Carol Plough. Tim and

I are living in Manhattan and happily

enjoying married life.”

0210TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsCaroline K. HoldenKelley B. MooneyDinah L. SaglioAlexandra R. Sklansky

larissa Benedict Johnson writes,

“My husband, Garrett Johnson, and

I welcomed our son, Fox Benedict

Johnson, to our family on December 12,

2011 at 11:20 p.m. Fox was born 8 lbs.,

6 oz., and 21 inches long. Mom, Dad,

and Fox are all doing very well.”

5 Caitlin mclaughlin lischick

writes, “On June 25, 2011 I married the

wonderful Matt Lischick in Farmington,

Conn. I’m delighted to share a photo

from our reception at the Hill-Stead

Museum.” Pictured from left to right:

Charlotte C. Cowles ’03, miranda e.

Chapman, Kelley B. mooney, Caitlin

McLaughlin Lischick, Catherine d.

Pearson (maid of honor), Caroline K.

Holden, and Birch B. Hincks.

4

5

6

7

04

6 erica l. Ciszek writes, “A mini

Miss Porter’s Reunion at our wedding!

It was so great to reunite with my

Farmington ladies Catherine (Kasia)

i. rzepecki and ashley e. lowe on

September 10, 2011.”

7 morgan P. Clifford shared

this photo from a March 16 party

celebrating annarose m. King’s

engagement to Michael Telis, cousin of

samantha r. Horowitz. Pictured from

Cla

ss|n

otes

36

left to right: Gizelle l. Clemens, renee

B. seong, Carly matfus, AnnaRose

King, Samantha Horowitz, and Morgan

Clifford.

8 regina (Gina) Cesaro

leckie writes, “James Justin Leckie

and I married on September 17, 2011 in

Westhampton Beach, N.Y. Kristen m.

Healey was a bridesmaid.”

05

9 Judith (Judy) Joslow

Quintana writes, “I married Alex

Quintana on Block Island in June 2011.

Heron d. n. Haas was a bridesmaid.”

Pictured from left to right: maansi

Johri, tianyi (tina) Xu, Claire m.

torok, Alex Quintana, Judy Quintana,

Heron Haas, and sarah H. Faude.

075TH ReunIOn

reunion ChairsAna D. CalcianoAlexandra (Ally) M. HashemiCordelia M. Sklansky

10 laura F. spetalnick shares

a photo from the 2011 White House

Christmas party, which she attended

with her father, Matt Spetalnick.

09

11 Katherine l. estabrook writes, “Even though I switched schools between freshman and sophomore year, I was still able to

go abroad this fall, and it made for the best semester ever. I finally got to go back to Spain while studying in Madrid at the Syracuse University Madrid Center. I loved it so much that I’m working on interning during their summer session and getting to do some more traveling. Although I spent most of my time in Spain, I did get away to Scotland for a weekend, where I got to see some Porter’s girls. andrée H. l. dean and I had dinner with erin J. olesen my first night in Edinburgh and, in addition to spending most of the weekend with Andrée, I also got some quality time

8 9

10

11

37C

lass

|notes

with Gillian m. dudeck.” Pictured from left to right: Andrée Dean, Gillian Dudeck, and Katherine Estabrook.

11According to the school’s website, amanda C. rimsa was one of seven William Smith College field hockey players named to the 2011 Gladiator

by SGI/National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad, which recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher through the first se-mester of the 2011-12 academic year.

AMbleR, Penn. | MAy 1, 2012

Ancients, parents, grandparents, and friends gathered at “Northview,” the remarkable home and gardens of Jenny and Gus Carey P’07, ’15 to hear news from Farmington and visit with Head of School Kate Windsor.

gReenWICH, COnn. | MAy 2, 2012

Ancients, parents and friends enjoyed a Miss Porter's School reception at The Belle Haven Club.

Events&receptions

neW yORK CITy | MAy 1, 2012

Ancients enjoyed a private tour of The Steins Collect at the Metropolitan Museum of Art followed by a dessert reception at San Ambroeus.

From left to right: Felicia De Sanctis ’86, Julie Lewis ’73, Jeannie Hudson Witmer ’73, Kerry Dinneen ’73, Kate Windsor, Alexia Hamm Ryan ’84, Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57, Janet Isham Field ’66, Jeanie Marckwald Chapin ’56, Allison Coleman Frey, Rosita Sarnoff ’60, Polly Schwarz Merrill ’60, Margie Gram King ’60, Tish Roberts ’60, Margot Hawley Spelman ’53, Veronica Mallory Stubbs ’66, Liz Markham McLanahan ’81, Anne Stillman Nordeman ’65. Not pictured: Lucy Woolworth Lamphere ’76

Deborah Good, Tom Theobald P’84, Serena McKnight Bowman ’83

Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57,

G’11,Wendy Crisp Henderson ’83,

Bill Epifanio, Barbara Higgins

Epifanio ’79

Cla

ss|n

otes

38

Virginia ashcraft Cluett ’32Sister of Ann Ashcraft Alexander ’30 †

3/6/2012

margaret eaton taplin ’32Mother of Jennifer Sichel Dickerman ’58

Step-mother of Jennifer Taplin Jerome ’65

Aunt of Alice M. Kriz ’81

Aunt of Edith Dewey Murphy ’50

Step-grandmother of Anna H. Jerome ’95

11/16/2011

Helen dow lundquist ’37Sister of Mary Dow Meyer ’42

Cousin of Elizabeth Campbell Ward ’32 †

2/7/2012

amanda Cecil schuster ’3810/16/2011

Helena Pate Hanan ’39Mother of Sheila Hanan Lathrop ’67

1/29/2012

Joan martin tyner ’39Mother of Sandra Tyner Heath ’66

1/16/2012

Frances daggett aldrich ’42Daughter of Frances Gamble Daggett 1908 †

Mother of Frances Aldrich Llopis ’63

Mother of Abby Aldrich Gray ’68

Grandmother of Francesca A. Garrigues ’88

Aunt of Eleanor Gamble James 1912 †

Cousin of Camilla Edwards Noble ’24 †

Cousin of Lillian Noble Potter ’52 †

Cousin of Eleanor Perkins Robinson ’76

4/2/2012

rememBranCes

in memoriam

Howard m. love

Miss Porter’s School was sorry to

learn of the death of Howard M.

Love on November 16, 2011. Mr.

Love resided in Pittsburgh, Penn., at

the time of his death.

Mr. Love served the school as a

trustee from 1973 to 1976. He

was a graduate of Phillips Exeter

Academy and Colgate University,

and received his MBA from

Harvard University. Mr. Love

served as a lieutenant in the U.S.

Air Force, where he was awarded

the Commendation Medal. He was

president and chief executive officer

of National Steel Corporation.

Mr. Love is survived by his wife,

Jane Vaughn Love ’50; daughters

Marion Love Couzens ’75, Jane

Love McGraw, and Victoria

Love Salnikoff; and sons George

Hutchinson Love II and Howard

McClinitic Love, Jr.

FaCulty notes

12 While traveling over winter

break, wen-lin su, Chinese teacher,

gathered with lulu ouyang ’11, yiqi

(annie) tang ’11, and Peiran Zhang

’14 and their families in Beijing.

Standing, from left to right: Peiran

Zhang, Annie Tang, and Lulu Ouyang.

Sitting: Wen-Lin Su.

The school was sorry to learn that

Carole lishness passed away on April

6, 2012. Ms. Lishness worked in the

Alumnae and Development office for

18 years.

12

Virginia Barrie squiers ’426/20/2011

Barbara Babcock Johnson ’43Sister of Mary Babcock Pitts ’45

11/15/2011

adelaide Powel Bitting ’44Sister of Hope Powel Alexander ’43

Aunt of Hope Alexander Griscom ’66

Aunt of Elizabeth Alexander Goddard ’68

Aunt of Katherine Alexander Field ’70

Great Aunt of Elizabeth G. Goddard ’02

Great Aunt of Caroline H. Goddard ’05

12/5/2011

elsie Johnson mitchell ’442/10/2012

Catherine Chambers Boericke ’4512/31/2011

suzette alger Howard ’48Daughter of Suzette Dewey Alger ’24 †

Granddaughter of Suzette Hall Dewey 1903 †

Cousin of Louise Smith Bross ’57 †

Cousin of Suzette de Marigny Smith ’60

Cousin of Nancy Dewey Hoppin ’62

Cousin of G. Alexandra Boyer ’89

Cousin of Lisette J. Bross ’89

10/17/2011

Caroline morgan macomber ’50Daughter of Janet Croll Morgan ’19 †

Sister of Margaret C. Morgan ’44

Mother of Janet Macomber Williamson ’81

Sister-in-law of Elisabeth Harrison Morgan ’48

1/27/2012

Joan Pierce ’506/26/2011

diane Potter saunders ’54Aunt of Wendy Waldron Burton ’73

Cousin of Sheila Strong Waldron ’48 †

Cousin of Josefa Wilson Wrangham ’56

Cousin of Becca Wrangham Goff ’81

12/11/2011

ariel Guiberson agraphiotis ’569/5/2011

Kathleen m. dalburg ’81Cousin of Alexandra W. Arute ’09

Cousin of Victoria M. Arute ’14

1/3/2012

† deceased

In the Winter 2012 issue of

The Bulletin, Nina Auchincloss

Straight ’55 was incorrectly noted

as deceased. We are deeply sorry for

the error and for any distress it may

have caused to Mrs. Straight or her

family and friends.

39C

lass

|notes

Miss Porter’s School was sorry to

learn of the death of Caroline Morgan

Macomber ’50 on January 27, 2012.

Mrs. Macomber grew up in New York

City and resided in Washington, D.C.,

at the time of her death.

Mrs. Macomber provided extraor-

dinary leadership to Miss Porter’s

School, serving as a member, and

then Chair, of the Nominating

Committee (1969–71); as member,

and then President, of the Alumnae

Board of Directors (1972–76); and as

a member of the Board of Trustees

(1973-79) and ultimately as President

of the Board of Trustees (1979–85).

She held major roles in several cam-

paigns including chairing the 150th

Anniversary Campaign (1988–94).

During the 80’s Campaign she and her

husband, John D. Macomber, estab-

lished The Macomber Teaching Fund.

For her exemplary service to school

she was awarded the school’s highest

honor—The Daisy Pin—in 1986.

Mrs. Macomber's extensive

service to educational, cultural and

conservation institutions extended

beyond Farmington, Conn., to

Washington, D.C., and New York

City, primarily. Recently these

included the Phillips Collection, the

Pierpont Morgan Library and the

North Haven Conservation Partners in

Maine. She always served with great

distinction and effectiveness and her

contributions were long lasting and

valued by her fellow trustees.

Mrs. Macomber’s family has had a

long and important association with

school: her mother, Janet Smythe

Morgan 1919, her mother-in-law,

Elizabeth Ranlet Macomber 1915,

her sister Margaret Morgan ’44,

and her daughter Janet Macomber

Williamson ’81.

While a student at Farmington

she was president of school,

participated in The Players Club

and the Salmagundy board, and

was head of Little Meeting.

Nominated by Miss Porter’s School,

Mrs. Macomber was presented “The

Distinguished Friend of Education

Award” from the Council for the

Advancement and Support of

Education (CASE) in 1992. This

award recognizes “outstanding

contributions to or on behalf of

education.”

Mrs. Macomber is survived by her

husband, John Macomber; children

Janet Morgan Macomber Williamson,

Elizabeth Currie Macomber and

William Butts Macomber II and six

grandchildren.

in memoriam

Miss Porter’s School was sorry to learn of the death of

Paul M. Ingersoll on January 2, 2012. Mr. Ingersoll was

born and raised in the Philadelphia area and resided in

Bryn Mawr, Penn., at the time of his death.

Mr. Ingersoll served the school as a trustee from 1976 to

1978. He was a graduate of St. Paul’s School (Concord,

N.H.) and Princeton University, and served as a 2nd Lt.

with the 108th Field Artillery Battalion 28th Infantry

Division during the Korean War. Following the service,

Mr. Ingersoll worked at the Penn Mutual Life Insurance

Company and co-founded Canpak, Inc. In 1963, he joined

the Provident National Bank, where he served as assistant

vice president, senior vice president, and in 1974, became

president. In 1979, he started his 30-year career with the

international auction house Christie’s. Mr. Ingersoll was

a director on the boards of PNC Corp., Colonial Penn

Insurance Company, the Haverford Trust Company, and

Provident National Bank. He served as chairman of the

Mutual Assurance Company and president of Beaver

Management Company. He also served as a trustee at

the Children’s Aid Society of Philadelphia, the Library

Company of Philadelphia, the Children’s Hospital of

Philadelphia, the Atwater Kent Museum, the William

Penn Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art,

Drexel University, and the Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Mr. Ingersoll is survived by his wife, Eleanor Koehler

Ingersoll ’49; daughters Eleanor Ingersoll Sylvestro ’71,

Rita Ingersoll Seltzer ’73, and Frances Ingersoll ’78;

four grandchildren; his brother David S.J. Smith; and his

sisters Joan Ingersoll Coale ’52, Nancy Davenport, and

Lalla deRham. He was predeceased by his brother

Henry Ingersoll.

Caroline morgan macomber ’50

Paul m. ingersoll

ma

IN|id

ea4040

maIN|idea

At Miss Porter’s School, students discover power from

choice, draw strength from challenge, and find connection

in community.

Choice is setting your alarm to get up early to study rather

than burning the midnight oil.

Choice is hanging up the soccer cleats to pick up a field

hockey stick.

Choice is saying thank you to those who make our school

special.

Choice is living by a set of values and principles.

Choice is taking responsibility for your actions.

Choice is following your own path and not that of others.

Challenge is learning what it takes to prepare for an

assessment.

Challenge is sitting in front of the disciplinary committee

and resolving to make a better decision next time.

Challenge is working through a difficult situation with a

friend or roommate.

Challenge is taking a risk, falling on your face, and getting

back up again.

Challenge is navigating homesickness and concluding

that “this too shall pass.”

Challenge is facing that which you fear the most and being

prepared to deal with the outcome.

Challenge is saying hello as you pass someone you’ve

never met before.

Community is dance parties in the dorms, Big D, Little d,

and Traditions.

Community is feeling welcomed for who you are and

empowered to become who you would like to be.

Community is trusting that those around you have your

best interest in mind.

Community is feeling comfortable enough to voice your

opinion and confident enough to have it challenged.

Community is having friends you can call sisters and

faculty you can call family.

At Miss Porter’s School, there is a palpable sense of

belonging and of sisterhood that provides camaraderie in

times of joy and comfort in times of pain. We share a set

of common beliefs and work toward a common goal:

to shape a changing world. Here, your choices matter.

Here, becoming comfortable with challenge matters.

Here, community matters.

Choice, Challenge and CommunityExcerpts from Director of Admission Liz Schmitt’s Opening Day Address to New Girls

bulletinmiss porter’s school

The Bulletin of Miss Porter’s School Volume 37, Number 2

Miss Porter’s School 60 Main Street

Farmington, CT 06032 Phone: (860) 409-3500

Fax: (860) 409-3517 www.porters.org

Head of School Katherine Gladstone Windsor, Ed.D.

Director of Communications Siobhan Federici, editor

Senior Director, Institutional Advancement

Julia J. McCormack

Communications Assistant Jennifer Eburg

Manager, Digital Initiatives Chris Noll

Graphic Design CEH Design, Inc., Bethel, CT

©2012 Miss Porter’s School

m i ss po rt er ’s s ch o o l

bulletin

special feature: AyAnnA HAll ́ 11 Presents OPrAH Winfrey WitH HOnOrAry OscAr AWArd.

SUMMER 2012

THE COMMUNITY ISSUE RETURN TO FARMINGTON!

On thE cOvER: Ayanna hall ’11 and Oprah Winfrey. Photograph

courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.


Elisabeth Cole Carpentieri ’57


Michael J. Cheshire P’95, ’97, ’99


Harry T. Daniels P’12







Donna & Jeffrey Hires P’12 ex officio








Adam Rohdie




Diana Terlato ’86


Nancy White Wheeler ’90





Board of Trustees2011-2012

Inne Kim Barber ’89


Gaylynn Burroughs ’95

Rajeev & Jacqueline Bhalla P’15


Sarah Clark ’80

Kimberly Crew ’85


Philip DeSantis P’12, ’15







Wendy Crisp Henderson ’83








Adam Rohdie




Diana Terlato ’86






2012-2013

the Coral fund

elaine Walker fiske 1964

Jean mcBride greene 1951

Kirke Hoffman Hall 1989

lucile Walker Hays 1956

Jane Vaughn love 1950

Katrina Weiss ryan 1998

the Weezie foundation

Kathryn eklund Wise 1984

Patricia Plum Wylde 1958

New commitments of $25,000 or more

September 23, 2011 - June 11, 2012

For more information on upcoming events, please visit www.porters.org.

Porter’s Leads: A Leadership Weekend for girls entering grades six through eight | August 25-26

Independent School Admission Workshop | September 15

Porter’s Preview Days | October 8 and November 12

Reunion Weekend, Celebrating the classes of 2’s and 7’s | October 12-14

Family Weekend | October 25-27

Miss Porter’s School60 Main StreetFarmington, CT 06032

Please deliver by June 28, 2012

Address Service Requested

NoN-Profit org.

U.S. PoStage

PaiD

farmiNgtoN, Ct

Permit # 11

mi ss porte r ’s s c h ool

bulletin

special feature: ayaNNa Hall ́ 11 PreSeNtS oPraH WiNfrey WitH HoNorary oSCar aWarD.

SUMMER 2012

THE COMMUNITY ISSUE RETURN TO FARMINGTON!THE COMMUNITY ISSUE RETURN TO FARMINGTON!

TH

E B

ULLE

TIN

• MISS P

OR

TE

R’S SC

HO

OL

• SUM

ME

R 2012

CO

MM

UN

ITY

bulletin - summer 2012

Documents

p08 john

ayanna hall

porters preview days

community issue return

anne stillman nordeman

barbara higgins epifanio

barbara bates sedoric

presents oprah winfrey