Oak Meadow TodayOak Meadow School News & Annual Report Fall 2013

INSIDE

Faculty Spotlight STEM Initiative at OMS

Crayons 4 EthiopiaClass of 2013Annual Report

OakMeadowToday

WRITER/EDITOR/DESIGNERArielle Driscoll

PHOTOGRAPHYKimberly BoschiLaura DempseyArielle DriscollVivek GuptaKim Neal Photography

ASSISTANT EDITORSSally BluteLaura DempseyErin Palmer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSBarbara BradyBeth Dube

Oak Meadow Today is published annually for our graduates, past and current parents and grandparents, students and friends of Oak Meadow School. Oak Meadow is rooted in the child-centered Montessori philosophy, which fosters excellence, personal growth, and cultural awareness while nurturing children’s spirits. A diverse community of life-long learners, we cultivate confident, independent and compassionate human beings by providing the tools and experiences needed to embark on rich, meaningful journeys as responsible citizens of the world.

For further information, visit www.oakmeadow.org.

Comments and alumni news may be emailed to adriscoll@oakmeadow.org.

Board of Trustees

Barbara Brady, ChairMike Princi, TreasurerDarlene Vanstone, Clerk

Buck ChintamaniJohn CollinsJessica DonohueBeth DubePeter Gow

Lyn GoldmanVivek GuptaTom HotchkissLori LocascioSara MartinianJamie Ross-CoryLaura StockfischAnita TarantinoRachel Tadmor

Management Team

Bill Perrine Head of SchoolArielle Driscoll Director of Marketing & CommunicationsMargaret Gebhard Director of Finance & Operations

Matt Glenn Assistant Head of School Erin Palmer Director of Admission & Parent Relations

Parents Association

Kimberly Boschi, ChairKristen Rabinowitz, Vice-ChairDenise McKenna, TreasurerAmanda Price, Secretary

Elana ChandlerArt HennesseyBrenda MahnkenTamsin MansleyAmy OsenarLatha RaoCourtney TillEmily Welch

Meghan AntonangeliMelissa BaernGolden Bryant

Cover photo by Kim Neal Photography

Fall 2013

contentsFall 2013

Letter From the Head 2 Re-branding Oak Meadow 3

Faculty Spotlight 4

Recycled Instruments 6

Oak Meadow’s STEM Initiative 7

Around Oak Meadow 8

Class of 2013 10-11

Alumni Night 12

Graduate News & Notes 13

2012-2013 Annual Report 14-17

2

letter from the head of school

Dear Oak Meadow Community,

The 2012-13 school year brought with it many exciting advancements. One conversation that began last year and continues today is that of our school identity. What sets us apart? What do we offer that others do not? These differentiators are at the core of our value proposition and we continue to work on defining them.

During a recent keynote speech at an Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) conference, author and consultant Dr. Cathy Trower identified seven key changes taking place in education today. I nearly jumped out of my seat when I realized how aligned they are with Oak Meadow’s philosophy of education. These trends are as follows:

The change from…• Teaching to learning• What is taught to how students learn• Standardized to customized• Seat time to think time• Linear to asynchronous• Passive to active• Delivered to discovered

Dr. Trower described what is already very familiar to us at Oak Meadow and what other schools are working toward. Because so many of these tenets are integral to our program, and the Montessori Method, we sometimes take them for granted; however, it is precisely these characteristics—active learning, discovery, customization, and how students learn—that differentiate Oak Meadow’s program. Because these are not trends to us, they exist in the fabric of everything we do and they continue to drive innovation. In fact, the Montessori approach to learning has essentially been promoting the critical value of this approach to education for more than a century, and now brain researchers and educators are coming to the same conclusions. The language may be different, but the themes are the same.

This year our priorities revolve around strengthening and growing the academic program. Our STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiative takes full advantage of the need for students to discover and be active in the classroom, and is geared toward reaching students of all ages. We are also taking big steps forward in technology this year by augmenting our existing array of classroom materials with iPads, Chromebooks, and new projection systems. These technologies will enhance teaching and learning opportunities, and allow teachers to further customize their lessons. Finally, with our new early dismissal Wednesdays, the faculty now has time to work collaboratively on developing these and other curricular priorities. It has been a busy and exciting start to the year.

As you might know, many small-market schools have recently been forced to look carefully at their value proposition because of declining enrollments. While Oak Meadow has not escaped this challenge, I am proud to say our value remains high and we are well positioned for the future. Why do I believe our value remains high? Because we continue to invest in our program – teaching students how to learn, customizing learning to take advantage of each child’s innate curiosity, and actively engaging students in the learning process. This is what differentiates our school and positions us extremely well for the future. Dr. Trower’s words reinforce the fact that our foundation remains rock solid – rooted in timeless wisdom and ever-evolving.

Sincerely,Bill PerrineHead of School

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news

Last fall as Oak Meadow entered its 35th year, the school began discussing the importance of visual identity in today’s ever-changing market. By November, Oak Meadow had hired Crane MetaMarketing to join us for a two-day session on our school identity, which included focus groups of parents, faculty, and staff, and meeting time with the management team. Prior to the visit, Crane MetaMarketing Senior Strategist Tiffany Hendryx completed extensive research on Oak Meadow’s history, vision, and market. Together with Independent school guru (and new Board member) Peter Gow, she shared recommendations for helping Oak Meadow strongly position itself in a challenging market. Hendryx, an expert in school marketing and current Montessori mom, was careful to ensure that all recommendations helped showcase Oak Meadow not only as a strong school, but also as a strong school with a strong Montessori program.

In Hendryx’s words, “A school’s graphic identity—which includes such components as the nameplate, color palette, photo choices, and other visual cues—can be considered the school’s parallel to your home’s ‘curb appeal.’” Equally important, she said, is a school’s website. “A school’s website is its most important marketing medium, and it must convey your one-of-a-kind purpose, personality, and value so that every visitor can understand the transformative power of an Oak Meadow education in each student’s life.”

With a committed team, Oak Meadow began the process of creating a new visual identity, which included an adjustment to the school name, the design of a new logo, and the build of a new website. Head of School Bill Perrine wrote to parents in May, “The oak tree remains the perfect metaphor for who we are as a school - ever-evolving and rooted in timeless wisdom… The new school name, Oak Meadow School, simply shortens our current name and allows us to reach a wider market, thereby exposing more students to our program and to the beauty of the Montessori philosophy. Make no mistake, this name change does not mean we are changing the program; rather, we plan to be even clearer about our alignment with Montessori principals and communicate this in ways that resonate with a broader audience.”

Thanks to the folks at Sage Hill Design, particularly Kelly Pellisier, Oak Meadow’s new look was born. As Mr. Perrine stated in his letter, the oak tree truly embodies the school – with roots in Montessori and ever-evolving leaves much like our program. With the design complete, the next phase began with the build of a new website through Silverpoint (now FinalSite), which provides web solutions especially for schools. The six-month build managed by the Oak Meadow Office of Communications, was an all-encompassing project that allowed for improved functionality and content, and now positions Oak Meadow for a technologically-charged market.

While our look has changed, our school has not. Oak Meadow continues to thrive as a community of joyful and life-long learners. We welcome you to visit our website or pick up a shirt with the new logo!

Same Great School, New Look!Behind Oak Meadow’s Re-branding Process

Head of School Bill Perrine stands with the new Oak Meadow School road sign.

4

faculty spotlight: wendy stuart

“Wendy, do you want to be a ballet dancer?”

“No, I want to be an actress.”

It all began at age five for Oak Meadow drama teacher Wendy Stuart. The daughter of a talented ballet dancer turned piano instructor and an architectural engineer, Ms. Stuart grew up in Roslyn Heights on Long Island in a creatively inspiring

household. Amidst the era of children’s variety shows, she was a guest on The Sandy Becker Show, a popular children’s program that ran in the New York area for many years, during which she performed two numbers, singing and dancing to “Hop Hop Bunny Rabbit, Hop Hop” and “I’m a Honolulu Baby,” and helped out in a Mercurochrome commercial. By second grade, Ms. Stuart performed in Mr. Barney’s Beard as “Mrs. Barney,” and from there on out her destiny was drama.

During her childhood, Ms. Stuart enjoyed acting in theatrical performances at her elementary school including Julius Caesar and The Mikado, and in the fourth grade, she began studying drama outside of school at the North Shore Community Arts Center. At age 12, she began attending Buck’s Rock Work Camp (now Buck’s Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp), founded by Ilse and Ernst Bulova, European educators who studied under Maria Montessori. Dr. and Mrs. Bulova fled Nazi Germany and founded Buck’s Rock Work Camp in 1942, sharing their then quite progressive educational philosophy at a camp that focused on farming, crafts, music, and drama. It was at Buck’s Rock that Ms. Stuart soon found her love of directing, and began her directing career with a production of Jean-Claude van Itallie’s satire American Hurrah. During her many summers at Buck’s Rock, Ms. Stuart moved from camper to counselor-in-training and later the youngest junior counselor on staff.

By the time Ms. Stuart graduated high school she was an established actress and director, having acted in Summer Tree and Camelot among others and having directed her high school’s performance of Animal Farm, and was the recipient of the George E. Bryant Creativity Award for excellence in drama. Following her graduation, she moved to London to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama, after which she auditioned for and earned her entrance into Boston Conservatory. But Ms. Stuart yearned to be in the heart of it all in New York City, so she moved on to study with esteemed acting teachers Sanford Meisner and William Epser at The Neighborhood Playhouse School at East 54th St. in Manhattan. She also spent time studying directing with the late Curt Dempster, the founder and creative director at the famed Ensemble Studio Theatre on West 52nd St.

As time went on, and she began to start a family, Ms. Stuart moved to Boston and began performing in various shows around the city. And it was in Newton that she began teaching children the joys of drama, beginning first at several community centers and schools, and moving on to summer programs at Newton Music School and Cambridge School of Weston. She spent seven years working at the Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge teaching and directing Shakespeare productions including Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and

The Tempest, which she thoroughly enjoyed given her passion for William Shakespeare. At the Shady Hill School, she taught drama and directed musicals including How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Honk!, and Strike Up the Band.

Finally, in 2004 Ms. Stuart arrived at Oak Meadow. Originally, she was hired to start a drama program for the Middle School, but shortly after she arrived she was able to explain the benefits of a more comprehensive drama program to include first through eighth graders. It’s no secret that the benefits of drama classes are life-long. MBA programs, including those at MIT’s Sloan School, are bringing “experiential exercises, interactive improvisations and real-life simulations” to their classrooms according to a December 14, 2010 Businessweek Blog posting.

“My classes are designed to work with children who won’t necessarily pursue drama at the higher grades,” said Ms. Stuart. She explained that her exercises are like “layers in a cake” and encompass relaxation, concentration, imagination, and transformation; they promote physical awareness, memory, team building, and emotional recall, all of which are skills necessary for any moment in one’s education or career. “We begin with basics, and at each program level we build upon what we have learned in the last program level,” she explains. “The complexity of what I am teaching expands as the children are developmentally prepared.” Improvisation, for example, does not begin until the fifth grade, as students are not developmentally prepared for it in the earlier grades. “They have to create the ‘where,’ ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘when’ and it is difficult to give that structure in the earlier grades.”

Not all students find comfort in drama class right away, which is why Ms. Stuart allows them to be members of the audience and to provide constructive feedback to those on stage. “These kind of lessons are so important for anyone working with people,” she explains. “We do not just simply coexist, we respect and accept. In drama, everyone is of equal importance, weight, and consideration. Even if you’re not on the stage, you’re working with the students on the stage. I place emphasis on thinking creatively, building trust, imagination, and stretching one’s self, all of which are essential skills in this world.”

by Arielle Driscoll

Wendy Stuart with the 2012-13 cast of Miss Nelson is Missing

5

welcome

Oak Meadow Welcomes

Matt Glenn as New

Assistant Head of SchoolWe are happy to welcome new Assistant Head of School Matt Glenn to Oak Meadow School. Mr. Glenn began in July of 2013 and hit the ground running. He comes to us from the Bancroft School in Worcester, Mass. where he served as an instrumental music teacher starting in 1999, and an administrative intern with Bancroft Head of School Scott Reisinger starting in 2011. During the summer of 2011, Mr. Glenn attended the National Association of Independent Schools’ School Leadership Institute. In his 14 years at Bancroft, Mr. Glenn held various leadership positions including Chair of the Faculty/Staff Council ’06-’07, Chair of the 2006 NEASC Accreditation Subcommittee, and Chair of the 2012 Bancroft Diversity Committee just to name a few. From 2008-2010, Mr. Glenn also served as the marching band director for the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. Prior to his work in Worcester, Mr. Glenn worked as a summer program residential director, band director, and music instructor. We are excited to welcome Mr. Glenn aboard, and hope you have the pleasure of meeting him next time you’re visiting the school.

–Arielle Driscoll

Destination Imagination Team, Girl Power 6, Attends Global FinalsLast spring, Oak Meadow Destination Imagination (DI) team, Girl Power 6, qualified for DI Global Finals in Knoxville, TN. Global Finals is considered the world’s largest “creativity celebration” with more than 10,000 participants and 1200 teams. Girl Power 6 competed in the “In Disguise” Challenge at the elementary level with 76 other teams, and finished in a tie for 5th place, an extraordinary accomplishment for a young, first-year team. Congratulations to Girl Power 6 members Lily Coles, Nyla Horne, London Kinder, Rachel Kinder, Eugenia Kovtun, and Reilly McKenna, as well as to their DI Coach Denise McKenna!

6

programmatic spotlight

by Arielle Driscoll

Recycled Instruments

Last year, Oak Meadow’s Music Teacher Stephen Pixley had his 6th-year music class test-drive a brand new curricular unit on musical instrument building using largely recycled

materials. Mr. Pixley, a trained violin builder, noted that, “instrument builders worldwide are finding ingenious ways to repurpose the valuable resources readily available in landfills. Common examples across many cultures include the use of discarded PVC pipes, often called urban bamboo, for flutes, window glass for chimes, plywood or plastic jugs for instrument bodies, oil barrels for steel pan drums, and fencing wire for stringed instruments.” Given that building construction and demolition waste accounts for one of the largest percentage by volume of landfill waste, Mr. Pixley decided to have his students utilize scrap wood leftover from the construction of The Rizzi Center four years ago. “For an introductory group project, each student hand-carved, tuned and painted a unique xylophone key out of poplar boards that had been put into storage after the school’s new wing was completed,” Mr. Pixley reported. “Future 6th-year classes will add more keys so that we may creatively and collectively continue to add to our school’s set of xylophones, which are used in other music classes throughout the year.”

Re-purposed salvage materials were one of the main resources highlighted for the students as they moved on to their individual, independently-chosen final projects, which included a Native American flute from PVC, a rain stick from a mailer tube, a glass harmonica from thrift store wine glasses, crash cymbals from pizza pans, and an electric guitar from a broken Middle School chair. The most unusual materials were used in two clarinets made from broken floor lamp stands attached to bells hand-carved from spinning bobbins recovered from an historic New Hampshire textile mill. Mr. Pixley’s class not only learned the value of repurposing discarded materials, but also had the hands-on experience of designing their own instruments and learning to use hand tools to craft them; a multi-faceted lesson of great benefit.

Jamieson Dube OMS ‘15 on Portfolio Day 2013 with his electric guitar made from recycled materials.

Torin Osenar: Crayons 4 EthiopiaThird grader Torin Osenar was eating at a local restaurant with his family and enjoying the free pack of crayons he was given as he sat down to the table. Torin asked his father what he thought the restaurant did with the crayons once they were used. When he found out that the crayons were often tossed in the trash, he went to the manager and asked if he could create a donation bin for the crayons so that he could provide children in need with crayons.

Over the summer, Torin attended Ethiopian Culture Camp. While there, he attended Liz McGovern’s presentation on WEEMA International, a non-governmental organization working in southwestern Ethiopia. He also learned that Ms. McGovern would be traveling to Mudula, Ethiopia in November and asked if she might be willing to bring his collection of crayons to children in Ethiopia; she was thrilled to help out.

Torin’s work was not done there. He needed to pay for Ms. McGovern’s extra luggage costs. So Torin, a photographer, sold framed photos at Blackbird Cafe in Groton, and also placed a donation box at the register with a letter explaining his mission.

Over several weeks, Torin was able to raise the funds necessary to transport the crayons overseas.

Ms. McGovern and WEEMA International also work with an organization called Ethiopia Reads, and have partnered on several schools. Torin’s crayons will be delivered to children at three of those schools, many of whom have never seen a crayon before in their life. Now, Torin has introduced this community service project to his classmates in Lower Elementary, all of whom will join him in collecting more crayons and raising the necessary shipping funds to get them to Ethiopia.

–Arielle Driscoll

Torin Osenar and one of his

donation boxes

7

programmatic spotlight

by Arielle Driscoll

Over the past several years, the acronym STEM has begun to infiltrate all things education reform. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, is actually an initiative that began

centuries ago, and some might argue it began with Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, an esteemed Swiss educator who believed that science education, in particular, should be based around hands-on, experiential learning and experimentation. Sound familiar? It should. Oak Meadow’s teachers have been using this mode of education through the Montessori Method for years. Recently, however, with the boom of STEM and STEM-related jobs, educators around the country are looking at ways to enhance lessons in science, technology, engineering, and math, by creating projects that incorporate all four fields.

While STEM has been a rather new buzz word in the news media, Oak Meadow Middle School Science Teacher Kirsten Wright and Math Teacher Barbara Orlowitz have been implementing STEM related labs into their classrooms for the past four years through their science and math labs for six through eighth graders. One recent afternoon, Wright had her students using their cell phone cameras to take a photo through a microscope of water droplets taken from a variety of local ponds. Students used the magnified photos first in science class to analyze aquatic invertebrates. Later, they brought their photos and microscopes to Catherine Karp’s art class to create scientific drawings. “The way things have been taught in the past,” said Wright, “may lead students to believe that science is hard and only certain people can understand it, but through STEM lessons students realize that they not only understand science, but also have fun with it.”

Another recent project challenged students to recreate the 2010 BP oil spill. Students researched the technology that created the spill, discovered the problems that may have occurred, and used the scientific method and mathematical modeling to theorize about what would happen to wildlife over time. “The STEM initiative really fosters innovation, collaboration, and creative thinking,” said Orlowitz. “These are the qualities with which we want our students to leave Oak Meadow.”

As their labs and projects continue to grow, Wright and Orlowitz have seen such a transformation in the way students are learning about science, technology, engineering, and math, that the two have decided to earn their STEM Certification to help implement a more comprehensive STEM initiative for all program levels at Oak Meadow. Through the Christa McAuliffe Center for Education and Teaching Excellence at Framingham State University, Wright and Orlowitz are attending classes and webinars, and will receive their Curriculum Authoring and Certification in STEM by next spring. The certification program is a partnership between Framingham State University and PTC Creativity Lab, a “philanthropic education program” whose goal, according to its website, is to provide “K-12

STEM Initiative Promotes Ingenuity, Innovation

educators integrated STEM curriculum, instructional toolkits, and world class engineering software.”

The partnership between STEM-related companies and universities is one that is growing across the nation in an effort to improve the way through which K-12 students learn, and one that will hopefully make a lasting impression. This year, Wright and Orlowitz are running a STEM Professional Learning Community (PLC) during Wednesday early dismissal professional development time for faculty and staff. Within the PLC is representation from all program levels, as well as art, technology, and physical education, which allows the group to work together to develop STEM activities that can be experienced by all students within the Oak Meadow community. In addition, Wright and Orlowitz have an ongoing forum through which to share information from their certification program.

“It’s not about finding the right answers,” said Orlowitz. “It’s about the process of design and trying to creatively and collaboratively wrestle through tough questions that connect what we learn in the classroom to the real world.” Giving students the skills to believe in themselves and their own abilities is key to the STEM initiative. Because the STEM initiative has been met with such success at the higher grade levels at Oak Meadow, Wright is collaborating with teachers in the Children’s House and Elementary programs to help them implement STEM lessons in their own classrooms. “From the time students walk through the door in Children’s House they are inherently scientists,” said Wright. “So much of the world is a new experience and adventure for them. Young children naturally have the need to know and explore. They are problem solvers, innovators, and scientists from birth. Oak Meadow’s evolving STEM program is just one way that we continue to feed the child’s desire to learn, and nurture the capabilities in each and every student.”

An Oak Meadow Middle School student uses her phone to take a magnified photo.

8

around oak meadow in 2012-2013

The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.–Maria Montessori

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2012-2013 parents’ association

At the heart of our community is Oak Meadow’s Parents’ Association (OMPA). Through their dedication and hard work, members of OMPA help enrich the Oak Meadow community serving as a support to students, families, and faculty at all program levels, and as a model to our students for personal commitment and active citizenship. Oak Meadow families participate at school as library volunteers and room parents, among many other things. OMPA members are essential to the planning, organization, and management of many of our favorite annual events including OaktoberFest, the Cookie Swap, Cultural Heritage Festival, and Spirit Week to name a few. Thank you to the 2012-2013 OMPA board and all of the parents who helped make last year a great one!

2012-2013 Oak Meadow Parents’ Association Board

Elana Chandler, Chair ~ Kim Boschi, Vice-Chair ~ Denise McKenna, Treasurer ~ Amanda Price, SecretaryMeghan Antonangeli Golden Bryant Peter Foley Art Hennessey

Kiana Kaymanesh Allison McKenzie Lai Latha Rao

Thank You!

10

graduation

C L A S SAdiraAmidon

Summer AslamBegan at OMS: 2004Loved: Chorus, Montessori Model UN, and acting in most plays including Miss Nelson is MissingFavorite OMS Subjects: Humanities and MathCurrent School: Middlesex SchoolLoves: Thirds soccer, the school newspaper, the Indie Music Club, and the Second Women’s A Capella Group (SWAG)“The work that I did [at Oak Meadow], especially in math, has prepared me well for the work I do at Middlesex.”

CJCarter

Sananda ChintamaniBegan at OMS: 2002Loved: Montessori Model United Nations, and acting in Twice Upon a Time and Julius CaesarFavorite OMS Subjects: Math and HumanitiesCurrent School: Middlesex SchoolLoves: Running cross country at Middlesex

Sera GoldmanBegan at OMS: 2004Favorite OMS Subjects: Humanities and MathCurrent School: Groton Dunstable Loves: Competing with a local dance team

Isabel Hacala

Began at OMS: 2003Loved: Playing OMS basketball for three years, and drumming lessons after schoolFavorite OMS Subjects: Humanities and MathCurrent School: Lawrence AcademyLoves: Playing on the LA soccer team and looking forward to wrestling in the winter“Oak Meadow was very beneficial in terms of academics. I was more than prepared for the transition from middle school to high school.”

Zachary O’Dell

11

o f 2 0 1 3Lauren

Andrews

Began at OMS: 2002Loved: Acting in many plays, including Miss Nelson is MissingFavorite OMS Subjects: Spanish, Art, and DramaCurrent School: Westford AcademyLoves: the Cirrus Club, WA’s outing club, and the Westford/Littleton Community Crew club“I enjoyed art at Oak Meadow because it was free time to create new things and learn new techniques. Also, I really liked drama because it was fun yet the activities we participated in were really challenging.”

Lily Callon

SeanDatar

Began at OMS: 2009Loved: Acting in Julius Caesar as “Puck,” running cross country, and playing basketball and soccerFavorite OMS Subjects: MathCurrent School: Lawrence AcademyLoves: Playing on the LA soccer team, and participating in clubs such as C.L.A.S.S. (compassion, leadership, and social service) and Umoja (Swahili for ‘unity’) the Diversity Club

Justin Dormitzer

Ethan Karp

MaeKovacs

LarissaSpencer

Began at OMS: 2002Loved: Playing OMS basketball for four years, acting in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Montessori Model United NationsFavorite OMS Subjects: MathCurrent School: St. John’s High SchoolLoves: Running cross country for St. John’s and looking forward to basketball and tennis

Paras Patnaik

graduation

12

reunion 2012

L to R: Sera Goldman, Meghan O’Connor, Mae Kovacs, Caley Dempsey, Barbara

Orlowitz, Ella Anderson, Larissa Spencer, and Sonia Tremblay L to R: Geoffrey Keane, Christian Strobel, and Chris Kaffine

John Scriven and Guhan Aravinthan

Charlotte Callon with Barbara Orlowitz

Pooja Patnaik, Barbara Orlowitz, and Karolyne Shieh

13

alumni news

Class of 2000Laura Marotta attended Oak Meadow from 1991-2000. She graduated with a BFA from Boston University while working at a Boston art gallery. She has since graduated from Tufts University with a Master’s in Art Education. She is currently a public school art teacher in Danvers, Mass. and living in Salem. She credits her years at Oak Meadow as “the most important foundation” of her education.

Class of 2005Elizabeth Hughes recently graduated summa cum laude from Colby College with a BA in Mathematical Sciences and Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience and a minor in Italian Studies. She is currently in graduate school at Pacific University in Portland, Ore. studying to become a Physician’s Assistant.

Class of 2006Stephanie Saywell is a senior at Bard College double majoring in Dance and Written Arts.

Brendan Kane graduated from Parker Charter School in 2010 and is currently a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan. He is an ordinance technician assigned to F-18D aircraft.

Class of 2007Amanda Howard is a

junior at Bowdoin College currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain and enjoying a total Spanish immersion experience. She is double-majoring in Spanish and Chemistry with a Neurochemical concentration. She credits Oak Meadow for instilling in her a love of Spanish. She spent the summer working as a student research assistant at Bowdoin’s neurology lab.

Class of 2008Shannon Saywell is a sophomore at Smith College and enjoys playing on Smith’s soccer and basketball teams.

Class of 2011Edward Hacala was recently featured in The Bedford Citizen for his success as an iPhone App Developer. According to the article by Doris Smith and Robert Batt, Edward’s first app was a game called Cat & Mouse: The Quest for Cheese, which he published at age 13. With the success of Cat & Mouse, he then went on to create Parachute Plummet and most recently Speed Swipes, the article stated.

Class of 2013Summer Aslam and Sananda Chintamani report that they are enjoying Middlesex and are two of only four freshmen in Math 6. Summer shared, “I think my favorite part of Middlesex is the classes, we learn so much. Oak Meadow really prepared us well. I’m making friends but I still miss everyone at OMS.”

Class of 2010Caroline Hickey, a senior at Cambridge School of Weston, recently shared some news: “On February 13, I shipped out with 11 other classmates to Panama for a month. The requirement for the trip was to complete Spanish level 3, and I had not yet done that. I was an exception to this rule, and this scared me because I was afraid I would not understand anyone or be able to communicate. Somehow, I managed. We traveled to Panama City, Bocas Del Toro (on the Caribbean side of the country), Cerra Punta (in the cloud forests in the middle of the country), Pedasí (the Pacific side of the country), and La Enea (also Pacific side). While in Bocas del Toro and Cerra Punta, we did science projects. In Bocas, I went snorkeling every day and in Cerra Punta I studied hummingbirds. In Pedasí and La Enea, we did homestays. My families were wonderful and understanding of the Spanish I knew. Panama is a wonderful country filled with beautiful landscapes and people. I am thankful and lucky that I was able to go. I hope that in college I will have more study abroad opportunities.”

Got News? Share it!

communications@oakmeadow.org

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2012-2013 annual report

A Board of Trustees reflection on any given year should elicit one basic question: Where are we relative to solidifying the strength of Oak Meadow in ways that will best ensure the continuation of today’s transformational experiences and potential for generations to come? My response to that question is that we are in a strong and exciting place.

From teachers, administrators, students and families to my fellow trustees and Bill Perrine, who I am proud to call our Head of School, I see unparalleled dedication to the true magic of learning, to the development of the mind and spirit, and to the critical connection of these things to the dynamic world around us. These qualities, along with the mission and vision of Oak Meadow, create a truly unique and inspirational learning environment that is both the heart of today’s school and the engine that will help drive it forward.

We live in an educational landscape whose most critical strategic trend is the effort of schools to change from a paradigm of dispensing subject matter to a focus on dynamic, multidisciplinary, collaborative, and engaging discovery as the enabler of deep learning. While a daunting transition to some, these ideas are what Oak Meadow and Montessori are all about. They are integrally tied to both our roots and our future capacity. Our strategic path and vision is not about changing to these concepts, but about continuing to enrich and enable them.

In FY 2013, in line with our Strategic Roadmap, the Board and Head of School set up a Financial Sustainability Task Force and continued work with a Marketing Task Force. These internal groups, comprised of board, administration, and parent members, explored opportunities to strengthen both our enabling business model and our ability to communicate the incredible opportunity that Oak Meadow offers. From a board and leadership level, thoughtful execution on both of these fronts is a critical responsibility.

The work of both task forces led to a deeper understanding of how we might strengthen our critical capacity as an educational institution. The Marketing Task Force worked with the school to think deeply about our unique offerings and identity, and about how we communicate them. As a result of the Financial Sustainability Task Force’s work, the board and school will be working to develop a Strategic Financial Plan that will outline scalable, resilient strategies for building financial strength within challenging economic times and a dynamic social context.

The coming year will bring with it the establishment of a Technology Task Force. This internal and multi-constituent task force will build upon faculty, staff, and administrative discussions to develop technology belief statements and principles that will help to inform the integration of technology at Oak Meadow in ways that complement the mission, pedagogy, and vision.

The mutually supportive combination of this long term, enabling work at the institutional level with the inspired work of our head of school, faculty, administration and staff in bringing to life the mission on a daily basis are what lead me to answer that one question about Oak Meadow’s strategic position and trajectory in the way that I do: We are in a strong and exciting place. Respectfully,Barbara M. Brady

2012-2013 Board of Trustees

Lyn Goldman, ChairMike Princi, TreasurerDarlene Vanstone, Clerk

Barbara BradyBuck ChintamaniJohn CollinsJessica DonohueBeth DubeVivek GuptaTom HotchkissLori LocascioJamie Ross-CoryLaura StockfischRachel TadmorAnita Tarantino

2012-2013 Board Committeesand Chairs

Audit Committee & Risk John CollinsCommittee on Trustees Beth DubeDevelopment & Advancement Beth DubeExecutive Committee Lyn GoldmanFacilities Committee Barbara BradyFinance Committee Mike PrinciFinancial Sustainability Task Force Mike PrinciMarketing Task Force Beth Dube and Tom HotchkissStrategic Planning Vivek Gupta

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In AppreciationI would like to take this opportunity to recognize last year’s Board Chair, Lyn Goldman, for her dedicated leadership on the board of trustees, and for all that she has contributed to the board since, and even before, the beginning of her first term in 2006. Last year marked Lyn’s last year as chair of the board, and this year will be the last of her tenure as a trustee. The year before she began serving her first term on the board, Lyn served as a parent member of the multi-constituency Community Task Force that worked to create Oak Meadow’s 2006-2011 Strategic Plan. During Lyn’s tenure on the board to date, she has served two times as chair of the board (2008-2009, during the School’s first capital campaign, and 2012-2013); chaired and served for many years on the Committee on Trustees; co-chaired the Strategic Planning Committee in 2010-2011 during Oak Meadow’s community-wide year of Strategic Vision work; and she chaired and led our 2011-2012 Head of School Search Committee made up of trustee, faculty, administration, and parent members. During her tenure on the board, Lyn has also served many years on the Development & Advancement Committee. To every role in which she has served, Lyn has brought a steadfast commitment to the best practices of governance and an inspirational level of dedication, professionalism, and collegiality that have served to greatly solidify the strength and future trajectory of Oak Meadow. Lyn’s

dedication to lifelong learning in general, and to Oak Meadow in particular, will leave a lasting mark on all of us who have had the pleasure of working with her and, certainly, on the governance of this school.

Lyn and her husband, Gavin, are proud parents of two Oak Meadow students, Sera OMS ’13 and Ava OMS ’17. Lyn, we all look forward to having you for one more year on the board, and to growing with the best practices and the dedication to excellence of which Oak Meadow is so deserving, and which you helped to solidify as part of our governing culture and principles. If any of you find yourself crossing paths with Lyn on the Oak Meadow campus (which you inevitably will!), please take the time to thank her for all that she has done and continues to do for this school. She would never expect it, but absolutely deserves it.

–Barbara Brady, Board Chair

A Warm Welcome2012-2013Jessica Donohue has been a parent at Oak Meadow since 2010 with twins currently in Upper Elementary. An economist, she currently serves as senior managing director and head of the State Street Global Exchange Research and Advisory Business. She is responsible for managing academic partnerships and a global team of research and IT professionals that focus on creating value added research for institutional asset managers and owners in the areas of asset allocation, risk management, and alpha generation. Jessica also has experience teaching undergraduate and graduate-level economics courses at the University of Minnesota and Brandeis University. In her first year on the Board, Jessica served on the Finance Committee.

Jamie Ross-Cory is an educator with more than 15 years of experience currently serving as the Director of Student Support and Language Arts Coordinator for K-8 students at Friends Academy in Dartmouth, Mass. She also has extensive experience teaching students in grades three through six. At Friends, Jamie has been responsible for implementing a literacy intervention program, as well as organizing professional development for teachers on core instruction aimed at prevention. She served on the advisory board that helped launch the Sally Borden School, a fully integrated school within a school at Friends Academy for students with language-based learning differences. A key mentor in Jamie’s career was a Montessorian who later went on to establish the Montessori Magnet School in Hartford, Conn., the first of its kind in the state of Connecticut. In her first year on the Board, Jaime served on the Strategic Planning Committee.

Anita Tarantino has been a parent at Oak Meadow since 2003, and currently has a daughter in both the Upper Elementary and Middle School programs. Anita has professional background in software development, most recently at Monster.com. As a parent at Oak Meadow, Anita has been a dedicated volunteer. She helped establish and

direct the Oak Meadow Library Committee, has served as the Chair of the Annual Fund, a member of the head of school search committee, and has been an active participant in the Parents’ Association. In her first year on the Board, Anita served on the Committee on Trustees and the Development and Advancement Committee.

2013-2014Peter Gow began his career in independent school education as a teacher and development officer at The Gow School, which his grandfather founded in 1926. With more than 40 years experience, Peter has worked at Providence Country Day School, Fessenden School, and most recently at Beaver Country Day School. His experience is vast and varied, having served as Academic Dean, Dean of Faculty, Curriculum Committee Chair, Faculty Trustee, and Latin and Ethics teacher to name a few. Peter has published numerous publications including Messaging and Branding: A How To Guide and An Admirable Faculty: Recruiting, Hiring, Training, and Retaining Teachers in Independent Schools.

Sara Martinian has been a parent at Oak Meadow since 2007 with a son currently in Upper Elementary. Sara is a senior-level human resources business executive with a focus on talent management and development, certified executive coaching, performance management, employee relations, talent acquisition, change management, succession planning, and workforce utilization. She also has experience in the non-profit sector with development and advancement, and serving as co-chair of curriculum at her church’s school. Sara is adept in supporting profitable growth and using innovation and solid human resource practices to create and perpetuate a results-based culture.

Board members Jessica Donohue, Jamie Ross-Cory, and Anita Tarantino began their three-year terms during the 2012-13 school year. In July 2013, we welcomed Peter Gow and Sara Martinian to the Board. All five members offer varied expertise and insight, and we are excited about all they will share with Oak Meadow.

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2012-2013 annual report

Since its inception ten years ago, the Oak Meadow School Annual Fund has contributed over $500,000 to Oak Meadow’s operating funds. Annual giving helped close the gap between the actual cost of educating our children and our tuition.

The initiative to increase our community-wide participation rate has proven to be successful. During the 2012-2013 campaign we saw marked increases in participation from faculty and staff, Middle School families, as well as Upper and Lower Elementary families. Increasing our levels of participation will enable Oak Meadow School to be considered for education grants and other funding opportunities, further enhancing the rich educational experience for every student.

Annual Fund contributions have helped make possible: improvements to facilities; playgrounds and community space; field trips; classroom enrichment programs and materials; new curriculum initiatives; parent education; and financial aid for deserving students. The Annual Fund also helped to support faculty and staff professional development, which continues to be critical in keeping up with new developments in brain research and educational best practices and breakthroughs. The 2012-2013 Annual Fund raised nearly $70,000. The Board wishes to recognize and thank Oak Meadow parent members of the 2012-2013 Annual Fund Committee who gave their time, energy and financial support to guarantee another successful year of giving.

Beth Dube - Chair, Kathleen Princi, Tim Donohue, Denise McKenna, Beth Hodgkinson, Kathy Lubar and Melissa Baern Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference and boldly underlines our community’s support for Oak Meadow. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the 2012-2013 Oak Meadow School Annual Fund.

OPERATING REVENUE AS OF JUNE 30, 2013

Tuition & Fees

88.3%Auxiliary Programs

Annual

Fund

9.8%

1.8%

Interest &Dividends

0.1%

OPERATING EXPENSES AS OF JUNE 30, 2013

Personnel75.4%15.6%

Facilities

Classroom

5.4%

Administrative

3.6%

The DuBois Society ($2500 and above)Jessica and Timothy DonohueThe Erdogus-Brady FamilyPeter and Robin FoleyThe Goldman FamilyGreg and Michelle Pflaum

The 1977 Society ($1,000 to $2,499)Nijan and Teresa DatarThe Dube FamilyWilliam Holmes and Darlene VanstoneTom and Patti HotchkissThe Iyengar-Gupta FamilyDavid JohnsonSunny KoThe Lilliott FamilyKathy Lubar and George KinderRob Moran and Jessica Rowse MoranNorthern Bank & Trust Co.OMMS Middle School StudentsSusan Penry-Williams, Grandmother of Alyssa and Adira AmidonThe Princi FamilyVandana and Vivek SharmaCharlotte Sheedy and Miranda BarryThe Tadmor-O’Dell FamilyThe Tarantino FamilyWinthrop and Sarah WuThe Andrew Zhang Family

The Leadership Society ($500 to $999)The Bogosian / Martinian FamilyAlex Chaharom and Kiana KaymaneshThe Chintamani FamilyThe Collins FamilyKatharine and Charles DenaultPaul and Lisa EisenbergThe Faia FamilyMr. and Mrs. Robert HodgkinsonPaul and Amy OsenarFran and Sumner ParkerBill and Anne PerrineWayne and Michelle RonchettiWenying Su and Zhitao LuAvis U. Wright

The Oak Leaf Circle ($250 to 499)The Böttger FamilyDr. and Mr. Lawrence ClimoJoanna DeStefanisRichelle Dupont and Kevin O’ConnorMargaret Gebhard and Don PerkinsMary Haller and Kevin DonohoeTrish Jenisch and Jeffrey MillerDr. Kalyan Kalava and Ms. Chih- Yi LinDeb and Chris KovacsThe Kovtun FamilyFrank T. MacGrory, in honor of Jamieson and BrendanThe Marchetti FamilyThe Family of Johan MathewSteven and Denise McKennaOdilo MuellerThe O’Connell FamilyErin Palmer and Chris KoureyRichard Poyner and Lori LocascioThe Rabinowitz FamilyThe Rao FamilyDavid and Rachel StettlerThe Stockfisch FamilyParul and Paresh ThakkarThe Till FamilyJo and John VanstoneThe Jeremy Wen FamilyAnonymous (5)

The Acorn Circle $100 to $249)Erik Antelman and Golden BryantMeg and Jay AntonangeliDr. and Mrs. Carl BlondKimberly and Giovanni BoschiThe Chandler FamilyThe Coyne / Kaffine FamilyGeoffrey and Randa EvansThe Fidrych FamilyGinny and Tom FoleyThe Garcia-Zilinskas FamilyRob Greenberg and Brenda MahnkenCharles and Elizabeth HacalaChristopher and Elizabeth HickeyThe Hoover Family

Catherine and Arthur KarpThe Kelley FamilyJim and Jean KilianDavid LiHailong LiThe Lillie FamilyThe Lin FamilyLowell Janitorial Supply CompanySharon McNamaraCary and Abigail MillerJohn Moores and Joelle PrinceThe Nguyen FamilyRamakrishna and Aruna NistalaEllen Oak Richard and Carole PalmerCola Parker and Andy AndersonFrank and Laura PerrineThe Price FamilyJohn SheedySudhir Srinivasan and Padmini NarayanThe Strobel FamilyJames and Ann-Marie SugliaWilliam and Lillian TarantinoDavid and Rani TremblayThe Van Nest FamilyRobert L. VogtliJing Zhang and Jing LiuAnonymous (2)

Friends of Oak Meadow (up to $99)Barbara Anderson for Madeline and Taylor O’ConnellElisabeth AndersonThe Aravinthan FamilyJeanne AtkinsMaryann BroderickKylie CameronJohn and Jocelyn CapenEllen CarlsonBill and Fiona CarrThe Carter FamilyThe John Coles FamilyThe Dempsey FamilyMr. & Mrs. Glenn DiSarcinaArielle and Peter DriscollThe Erwin FamilyThomas and Laura HartThomas and Patricia HillMel and Jennifer JigantiThe Family of Dylan KaplanSanaa Kazi

Miao Lu and Yurong SunFrank and Kellie McElhinney ManciniNai NaiJanna OlsonThe Pixley FamilySamuel RichardsVaishali SabnisJohn Saywell and Lucy van LeeuwenDonna SiedlarMichael and Adele SullivanRita TsangKaren WatkinsLeila WendlerTanya WilsonMichael YedinakAnonymous (8)

Corporate Matching GiftsAMD FoundationAspect GlobalBank of AmericaCisco Matching Gift ProgramFidelity FoundationIBM CorporationJuniper NetworksPlymouth Rock FoundationRaytheon Matching Gifts for EducationState Street FoundationThomson ReutersVerizon Foundation

Gifts in KindJessica and Timothy Donohue

Your gift to the Oak Meadow Annual Fund is greatly appreciated. If we have made an error or omission, please accept our apologies and contact development@oakmeadow.org.

2012-2013 annual fund donor list

2 Old Pickard LaneLittleton, MA 01460

p: 978-486-9874f: 978-486-3269

www.oakmeadow.org

End of Year Carnival Fun!