old trail school magazine - spring 2010

Old Trail SchoolM AGA ZINE

SPRING 2010

Celebrating Fine Arts page 4

AdMINIStRAtIoN

John S. FarberHead of School

Michael W. DuffMiddle School Director

Stephen DrosdeckIntermediate School Director

Luann WilliamsPrimary School Director

Susan HoldingDirector of Admission

John S. HeapsDirector of External Programs and Web Development

Delores J. QuinnChief Financial Officer

MAGAZINE StAFF

Julie MillerEditor

PhotographersMike DuffViki HenschenJulie MillerJacquie TinnemeyerBob Vogel

ContributorsJudy BrookhartBonnie ChildsViki HenschenKathi Howard Jacquie Tinnemeyer

EdItoRIAl StAtEMENtOld Trail School Magazine is published three times per year by Old Trail School and is sent to parents, grandparents, alumni and friends.

NoN-dISCRIMINAtIoN PolICyOld Trail School admits students of any race, religion or national origin and provides all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of any of the above in administration of its education and admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics or other school-administered programs.

PhilanthroPy at its Finest!

Intermediate School students hosted their second annual Craft Fair and Bake Sale Fundraiser on March 2. More than 100 students in grades three through five made and sold items. There were brownies, cupcakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, pixie sticks and other yummy treats baked and sold by students. Other students made and sold craft items including: origami, beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings, headbands, duck tape wallets and ties, friendship bracelets, decorated frames, shamrocks, slime, bookmarks, lego projects, cloth bags and pencil pinwheels.

There was a 20 percent increase in students/merchants participating this year and the total amount raised was $1,425. The Intermediate School Advisory Council (ISAC) created a list of 10 possible charitable organizations to receive the funds. They surveyed their classmates and each grade level identified four or five (Haiti Relief and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were common at all grade levels.) Grade level representatives will make the final decision on how to divide the donations.

The Young 5s class also participated in the event, selling pink lemonade and baked goods. Students and their very generous parents and teachers staffed their table and raised $150 that will be donated to the school-wide Hearts for Haiti project.

Students and families throughout the School mobilized quickly following the earthquake tragedy in Haiti in January. A variety of activities were created to raise funds for the relief effort. These included:

•HeartsforHaitipinsmadeandsoldbyYoung3sclass •HeartsforHaitibookmarksmadeandsoldbypreschoolers •LemonadestandparticipationbyYoung5s(seeabove) •Actsofserviceathomebykindergartenstudentstoraisemoney •SocksandSnacksforHaitiDay(donationsgiven)byfirstgraders •SnowDayafternoon(donationsgiven)bysecondgraders •CraftFair/BakeSale(seeabove)bythird,fourthandfifthgraders •DodgeBallTournamentfundraisersponsoredbyMiddleSchool

students

The Trail to Service Foundation and the DiversityTeamalsoparticipated in the national Teens for Jeans event that collected used jeans to be sent to Haitian children and teenagers. Old Trail School collected 200+ pairs of jeans and the national total was nearly 625,000 pairs.

Old Trail SchoolM AGA ZINE

www.oldtra i l .org 3

CoNtENtS

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FRoM thE hE Ad oF SChoolCelebrating Fine Arts at Old Trail School

FINE ARtS FE AtuRES• Performing Arts• Visual Arts• Faculty• Scholastic Art Awards• Permanent Art Collection• Families in the Arts• Alumni in the Arts• Arts and Child Development

CA MPuS hIGhlIGhtS• Blue Heron Day Recap• Chinese New Year Auction Recap• MathCounts• Power of the Pen• Geography Bee• Winter Sports

AluMNI NEwS & ANNotAtIoNS• Welcome Visitors• Alumni Reunion – Save the Date• Thanksgiving Eve Event

dEVEloPMENt• Annual Fund Update• Golf Outing

IN MEMoRIA M/FRIENdS/ MEMoRIAl & tRIbutE GIFtS

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A scene from the Old Trail School Madrigal performance from December 2009. From left to right: Top: Aaina Gupta, Colin Barsella, Michael Innamorato, and Jake Hochschwender. Middle: Elise Krueger, Prince Peter Thewissen, Princess Virginia Swift, and Bailey Fair. Bottom: Sarah Forhan

ON THE COVER:

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fe ature | Fi n e A r t s

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TR AIL SCHOOL

Our school year has been exciting so far. Most recently, we were officially informed that Old Trail School passed its 10-year ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) Accreditation with “flying colors.” Every aspect of the School was carefully reviewed by a visiting committee, comprised of independent school teachers and administrators. I am pleased to share the following areas of strength that were recognized by the team. The ISACS Visiting Team commended Old Trail School for its:

1. Faculty who are talented, dedicated, and passionate teachers focused on the well-being of their students.

2. Nurturing school climate that instills an enduring sense of confidence and respect.

3. Strong overall financial health.

4. Development of a campus that maximizes the natural beauty of its surroundings.

5. Foresight in creating four new early childhood programs.

6. Commitment to the environmental health of the School and the importance of sustainability in a changing world.

7. Celebration of student artwork and commitment to preserving and showcasing creativity.

It is no surprise that the last major commendation, the celebration of student artwork, is the special theme of this issue of the Old Trail School Magazine. For years, a hallmark of Old Trail School has been cultivating and showcasing student creativity. Whenever I give a tour to visitors, I receive positive feedback and compliments about the artwork that is prominently displayed in our common spaces, hallways and classrooms. Our Student Art Show, held every spring, is a culmination of a year’s creativity and features one piece of artwork created by every student. We are proud of this terrific endeavor on the part of our students and faculty.

As I compose this article in mid-

February, the winter weather is

certainly upon us, for we continue to

shovel mounds and mounds of snow.

Mother Nature has been showering us

with an abundant array of snowflakes

and our school setting has become a

true Winter Wonderland.

JohN FARbER, hEAd oF SChool

CElEbRAtING FINE ARtS At old tRAIl SChool

Our dedication to the performing arts is evidenced by an array of activities and opportunities for students to express themselves through music and drama. At an early age, music is part of the curriculum. Later, students may choose among strings, band, choir, show choir, the Madrigal, acting improvisation, stagecraft, hand chimes and other musicals and concerts. From a visual and performing arts perspective, our comprehensive curriculum is unparalleled. In fact, our programs are equal to those of some high schools.

I hope you will enjoy this issue, which is a true testament to our visual and performing arts programs. Let us all take pride in the wonderful, creative accomplishments and talents of our students and alums.

A special thank you to all of our Old Trail School grandparents that supported the recent Grandparent Annual Fund Challenge to support the School’s Performing and Visual Arts Programs.

5www.oldtra i l .o rg

FINE ARtSart produced or intended primarily for beauty, rather than utility

— the Albany Institute of history and Art

Welcome to a special Arts issue of the Old Trail School Magazine. Arts education has been an integral part of an Old Trail School education since the school was founded. Old Trail School students have been blessed with receiving an outstanding performing and visual arts education as part of their overall curriculum. The importance that the School places on instilling a love for the arts in all students is demonstrated on a daily basis throughout the school year. Our comprehensive performing and visual arts programs feature five art studios, three performing arts classrooms, two performing arts studios and the stage in the gymnasium.

Our youngest students make stained glass window hangings. Kindergarten students create self-portraits throughout the year. Third grade students can hardly wait to get to fourth grade so that they can join the instrumental strings program. Seventh and eighth grade students crack themselves up as they ad-lib as part of their improv class. The possibilities are many and the faculty is top-notch, providing a comprehensive, cutting-edge program for all the students.

We hope you enjoy this overview of the programs that encourage our students to shine!


6 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TR AIL SCHOOL

Performing ArtsOld Trail School’s performing arts program is a child-centered curriculum that engages students of all learning styles. We provide sequenced and thematic activities to develop the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domain of the learners in preschool through eighth grade. The performing arts department fosters academic excellence, personal development, confidence, and social responsibility.

General music education in the Primary School consists of the philosophy of Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze and traditional music theory. Some curriculum integration occurs within these grades as well as musical experiences by individual classroom

teachers. Kindergarten, first and second graders attend music class twice a cycle. Students leave the Primary School having experienced a rich introduction to music, which prepares them for the expanded performing arts curriculum in the intermediate grades.

Third graders have two classes per cycle, for 50 minutes each. Fourth grade classes meet three times per cycle for 40 minutes (one general music class and two instrumental ensembles). Ensemble choices in fourth grade are strings and recorder. Fifth graders have music four times a cycle; two are ensemble and two are instructional. Ensemble choices in fifth grade include band, strings and choir. The intermediate music programs give students a solid foundation to build upon when entering Middle School. Intermediate School students perform in one musical program per year, and fourth and fifth graders participate in instrumental concerts each year.

As students progress through the Middle School, their performing arts experiences are enhanced and their opportunities multiplied. There is a logical progression in the curriculum from the Intermediate School into sixth grade as students continue to have two required general music classes included in the six-day schedule. Sixth grade also continues the choice of an ensemble opportunity (chorus, band or strings) which meets in both small and large sections to facilitate and differentiate instruction.

Students are encouraged to develop age-appropriate expertise in the ensemble groups. This expertise includes a proficient level of manual or vocal dexterity, a proficient level of sight reading, and a proficient level of ensemble skills.

In the seventh and eighth grades, students are required to take one performing arts elective each year. While continued participation in the two main instrumental ensembles is encouraged, students may also choose such music electives as Show Choir, Musical Production, Madrigal Production,

Hand Chimes or GarageBand. Additional theater arts electives include Acting, Acting Improvisation and Stagecraft.

Each of these elective courses is designed to provide an outlet for creativity for students, to give them a credible foundation and appreciation for performance arts and to kindle and inspire the desire to pursue further study through high school and beyond.

The following are programmatic highlights at each grade level in our performing arts classes:

PreschoolStudents are introduced to beat and pitch and sing simple songs. They experiment with a variety of instruments to identify a wide range of sounds and use their own vocabulary to describe the music they hear. Their instruction usually culminates in a spring performance for an audience of family, friends and students.

Young 5sThe performing arts curriculum features age-appropriate, child-centered musical experiences and lessons integrating playing, singing, moving, creating and listening. Elements of music are taught through a variety of styles, composers and cultures. Children perform in the winter program.

KindergArtenRhythm and form are introduced in kindergarten and students begin to master pitch and beat. They begin to lean about musical notation and are able to identify sources of a wide variety of sounds and instruments. They get excited to learn simple folk dance and movement to describe forms in music and participate in a winter performance.


first grAde Students are introduced to tone color, dynamics and tempo. They concentrate on the mastery of rhythmic, simple form and the structure of music. Square dancing and dancing of various cultures are introduced this year as well as learning about families of orchestra instruments. Curricular integration with other subject areas involves insects, human body and the desert and a winter performance is the highlight of the first half of the school year.

second grAdeMelody and harmony are introduced as students begin to study more complex structure, design and forms of music. They complete a unit on orchestra instruments by sight and sound and are introduced to choral techniques including articulation, style, variations in meter, tempo and dynamics. Areas of curricular integration include: oceans, Black history and polar regions. Students participate in the winter performance.

third grAdeExpressive qualities of music are introduced in third grade with solfege, hand signs and traditional notation in choral reading. Students continue learning about choral techniques and have increased performance experiences. They begin to master folk dance, square dance and interpretive movement and curricular integration includes colonial music, dance, spirituals and westward expansion. Students participate in the Dancing Wheels residency workshop and program each spring. Students participate in the winter performance and also perform at the Earth Day Assembly.

fourth grAdeStudents are introduced to ensemble participation and are able to choose to play a stringed instrument or a recorder and have increased concert performances. They learn about listening maps, complex musical forms and structures and delve into

musical composition, improvisation, jazz and American musical traditions. They participate for their last year in the winter performance and also perform at the Earth Day Assembly.

fifth grAdeWorld and American music are studied in fifth grade. World music studies focus on percussion, multicultural history, diversity exploration and the influence of world music. The American music curriculum includes: composition, folk songs, introduction to popular music, the music industry and jazz and blues. Chorus, keyboarding and hand chimes, and band participation are part of the curriculum and students play recorders and collaborate with their studies as part of the International Fair. Strings, band and chorus students participate in spring concerts. This year the fifth and sixth grades are participating in the first ever Music Olympics. Each class is divided into two teams with events ranging from recorder playing to rhythm reading to musical chairs. The top three teams from each grade will be recognized at a Head of School Assembly in the spring.

sixth grAdeThe exploration of World and American music continues in sixth grade with an emphasis on learning about popular music, exploring historical relevance, learning multicultural songs and composers. The American music unit includes popular music, an introduction to music in popular culture, improvisation and Broadway. Students have the opportunity to play and hear region-specific instruments including hand drums and rhythmic dances.

Students enjoy ensemble participations, live performances, analyzing music and continue in strings, band and chorus. Strings, band and chorus students will have spring concerts.

seventh & eighth grAdesOne performing arts elective is required each semester in seventh and eighth grade. One music-based class is required each year. Students may opt to take more than one performing arts elective in a semester. There are unique opportunities for students in GarageBand and acting improvisation. This spring, the show choir will perform at the elective concert on April 29. The acting plus students (with stagecraft students providing backstage support) will perform May 21. The play this year features putting the wicked witch from fairy tales on trial for her crimes. The audience will decide the verdict. The witnesses are all characters from popular fairy tales. Electives for seventh and eighth grade students include: acting for production, acting improvisation, stagecraft, chorus, hand chimes, GarageBand, musical/madrigal production, string orchestra and wind ensemble.


visuAl ArtsThe Old Trail School visual arts program reflects the importance of creative expression at every age. We provide students in kindergarten through eighth grade with fundamental skills, knowledge, and frequent studio experiences, paired with museum visits, allowing them to develop as visual artists and thinkers. The program employs a multitude of media and techniques, coupled with the study of global artists and movements, exposing students to the interaction of various forms of artistic expression and their impact in our world. The program strives to instill in students the artistic abilities to create, express and communicate their ideas along with the sensitivity to interpret and appreciate other works as well. Each year the program builds upon itself and expands the fundamentals, giving students an ever-growing foundation of skills. Successful creation of works of art enhances the students’ self-confidence as they grow with experience from grade to grade.


The Primary School visual arts program is taught in a newly-renovated studio with quality materials. Students receive instruction two times in a six-day cycle for 40 minutes each. Projects include clay, wire, printmaking, painting and weaving. Student work is stored in a portfolio and sent home at the end of the school year. Appropriate terminology, proper use and maintenance of tools and materials and visual problem-solving begin at this level. Students receive quarterly assessments in creative problem solving, skill in use of materials, and effort.

As students progress into the Intermediate Division, longer and more complex lessons require additional commitment and allow for increased decision making. In addition to practicing and improving previously learned techniques and skills, students are introduced to new supplies and more sophisticated methods and concepts. Meeting two to three times a cycle, students are expected to apply these concepts with increasing confidence and use art vocabulary when discussing works of art as they progress through the division. As a result of varied experiences with many different media, students begin to recognize their strengths and preferences in visual art and are ready to accept the challenges of the Middle School program.

In Middle School, the visual arts curriculum expands to encompass a more global view of the world of art. Internationally renowned artists and the movements they inspired are studied in the context of their time. Emphasis is on their place in history and the evolution of their influence and its impact on the art world of today.

Continuing to build on their prior studio experiences, students use a variety of techniques and media to create

works of art, some of which is influenced by specific artists. They gain a

deeper understanding and appreciation of art, both aesthetically and as a means of communication.


In addition to their general art class, which meets three times per cycle, seventh and eighth grade students may choose semester-long art elective courses. These courses provide small groups of students the opportunity to explore a different medium, such as photography, or metals, or to further develop existing skills, such as weaving or painting. Upon graduation from Old Trail School, students are prepared for the most rigorous high school visual arts programs.

Visual arts is integral to the Old Trail School community, as evidenced by: displays on numerous bulletin boards; school publications that include student art work; the permanent student art collection, which grows annually and is hung in offices throughout the facility; professional, public art works, such as the stone sculpture in the courtyard, the buffalo, the ceramic tile mural in the dining room, and the collection of original children’s book art in the library hallway. Additionally, the school has hosted artists-in-residence, a program that allows students to interact with artists while they are working.

The Old Trail School visual arts program provides students with a solid foundation of skills and an appreciation for art. We believe that a properly designed and implemented visual arts program complements and enhances the core subject curriculum, when applicable, resulting in well-rounded students with the deepest appreciation for all they have learned.

The following are visual arts programmatic highlights at each grade level:

Our formal visual arts program begins with students in the Young 5s class. Earlier, students in the younger classes receive instruction in their classrooms working on drawing, painting, tracing, cutting, folding and gluing. They create collages, self-portraits and still-life drawings.

Young 5sStudents explore a variety of developmentally appropriate art materials in the art studio and practice new skills to build confidence and competence.

KindergArtenStudents explore the qualities of paper, wire, clay and wood to create a series of sculptures and develop confidence and self-reliance as they move about the art continued on next page

studio. They listen to Japanese music and use bamboo brushes and watercolors to paint kites on rice paper. They are excited and proud to share their portfolio of artwork at the end of the year.

first grAde First graders use line, shape and color to express noise and movement when making cardboard relief sculptures following the example of artist Frank Stella. They form clay birds based on their study of Ohio winter feeder birds and paint “pretty papers” to incorporate in an insect collage based on the illustrations of Eric Carle.

second grAdeStudents experience a magical moment when they pull their first print in class. They see the benefits of developing a thoughtful plan in the design of a personal “Queendom/Kingdom” where people, animals and the earth live in harmony. They also extend a traditional paper weaving and embellish using a variety of paper techniques.

third grAdeThird graders use a printing press for the first time. They experience the joy of color



and pattern while drawing carousel animals and marvel when they take a weaving off the loom and it stays together. They solve a visual problem in nine different ways using a quilt drawing and realize that mistakes can be turned into opportunities.

fourth grAdeStudents combine many clay techniques to make a terra cotta animal pot. They make aesthetic choices when they select earth tone yarns for branch weaving and practice mixing colors outdoors and matching colors in the local landscape. fifth grAdeStudents are taught to appreciate the process of making art as much as the final product. They study the art of Wayne Thiebaud and Carrie Mae Weems to help them understand composition and color. They also explore the cultural contributions to the arts by African American slaves in a clay face jug unit and Tibetan Monks in a mandala unit. Students weave strips of fabric into poultry netting to give new meaning to the traditional loom while reinforcing their understanding of weaving techniques learned in previous grades. Students create a three-dimensional paper sculpture without a blueprint or a plan, stressing the importance of working toward an unknown end.

sixth grAdeSixth graders learn how to use value to draw three-dimensional objects and feel a sense of accomplishment upon completing successful self-portraits. While learning about artists Jasper Johns and Chuck Close, students consider how an artist’s place in time and circumstances influence his or her art. They practice basic skills with cutting tools in printmaking and combine symbols to show humor in the creation of a giant playing card.

seventh grAdeStudents are expected to understand and apply appropriate principles and elements of design into their work. They can begin to make more connections between their work and the work of other artists and they take greater risks at this level and are trusted to properly use tools in a safe and skillful manner. At this age, students are starting to move into the realm of abstract thought where

knowing how to give and receive criticism become an integral part of the creative process. The linoleum carving unit spans several class periods and demands that students stick with a project for a long time before reaping the benefits of their labor.

eighth grAdeThe eighth grade art curriculum places great emphasis on drawing; an extensive study of perspective drawings where students create a cityscape in pencil and then recreate their city in pen and ink. Additionally, value study designs, which are still life drawings in ebony pencil as well as pastel, help students develop a keen sense of space, greater attention to details and a deeper understanding of light source. Students also explore the art of drawing cartoons before creating their own original cartoon character. Students explore vast amounts of art every spring in Washington D.C. Museum visits reinforce what students have learned in the classroom, expose them to international contributions in the art world and introduce them to some of the most contemporary art being produced.


bRIGhtENING ouR SChoolartwork is a Permanent feature at Old trail School

Media such as relief prints, paintings, ceramics, weavings, wire and paper sculpture and digital artwork can be seen in every nook of Old Trail School from the hallways, to John Farber’s office, to the restrooms. The amount of work displayed and the variety of techniques represented are indeed impressive. Take a closer look! You will realize that the work is not canned artwork or copied prints of well-known paintings. It is the original artwork of Old Trail School students!

The displayed artwork, created by current and past students, makes up Old Trail School’s permanent Student Art Collection. A feature unique to our school, the permanent collection was started in 1988 by an Old Trail School parent. During the past 22 years, the collection has grown to more than 100 pieces reflecting the broad curriculum of the Old Trail School Visual Arts Department. The results of each school year’s visual arts classes are displayed during the annual Spring Art Exhibit that features one piece of artwork from each preschool through grade eight student. The show’s wide range of ages is a strong reflection of the art department’s purpose of building on artistic skills each

year, following similar processes using different, more advanced materials and concepts.

Patty Wyman, visual arts coordinator and art teacher says, “The art pieces are shown in displays mixed up by grade level and medium, asserting that work done by small children is just as valuable and purposeful as artwork done by older students.” The varied displays also allow older students to reflect back on their earlier projects and appreciate how much they have progressed.

While the student show is on exhibit, two art specialists from the community are invited to attend and select three to five pieces to be added to the permanent

collection. The specialists come from an art education or museum background and have included professors from The University of Akron and Kent State University, art teachers from Western Reserve Academy and Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts and experts from the Akron Art Museum.

Students whose art is chosen for the collection are asked to give their work as a permanent gift to the school. The pieces are displayed in the display case in Firestone Lobby during the fall, and then moved to a permanent home somewhere in the school. “We often get school staff requesting a piece for their office,” says Wyman.

One such piece, (shown at left) belonging to Tessa DiTirro ‘07 is on display in the Development/Admission Office hallway. “I love that my legacy will live on at Old Trail School within the permanent collection,” Tessa says. “It’s very special to me.”

Old Trail School’s permanent art collection is also a “lending collection.” As many as 20 pieces have been displayed at locations such as Mustard Seed Market and Laurel Lake Retirement Community, reflecting the whole community’s appreciation and respect for the arts.

Framing of the artwork has come to include the student’s name and grade, and funding for the permanent art collection has become a staple of the art department budget, a testament to the importance of art education and preservation at Old Trail School.

“I really enjoyed all of the different arts classes that I took at Old Trail School,” says Tessa. “It really enriched my school day and I miss my art classes now that I’m in high school.”

www.oldtra i l .o rg12 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TR AIL SCHOOL


FINE ARtS FACultyOld trail School is very fortunate to have highly skilled and experienced faculty members as part of the Performing and Visual arts faculty.

Performing Arts

nAtAlie mAllisNatalie has been a teacher for four years with three of those spent at Old Trail School. Prior to coming here, she completed her first year of teaching in the Garfield Heights City Schools District at Maple Leaf Intermediate School teaching fourth and fifth grade general music and also re-instituted the

beginning band program. At Old Trail School she enjoys the opportunity to teach to her strengths. She is the managing director and music director of the Garfield Heights Youth Theatre (students in grades 3-8). She performs on stage throughout the community in many capacities. Recent theatre credits include: Meg in ‘Crimes of the Heart’ at Brecksville Theatre on the Square, Sarah Brown in Brunswick’s production of ‘Guys and Dolls,’ and Anita in ‘West Side Story’ at Huntington Playhouse. Recent solo experience: Alto soloist with the Kent State University Choral Society and touring soloist (Sweden and Denmark) with the Bowling Green State University Alumni Chorale. Natalie is passionate about her art and the arts, “The arts matter. My decision to pursue music education as a career reflects my interest in music as an art form and my commitment to the education and well-being of children. My hope is that students will possess the ability to make music on their own without someone else being there to instruct them; also, to develop a life-long appreciation of music as an art,” she said.

vicKie nAgelVickie has been a teacher for 38 years, 34 of them at Old Trail School. She teaches second through fourth grade general music, fourth grade recorder, fifth grade beginning band and team-teaches sixth grade general music with Natalie Mallis. Vickie loves teaching at Old Trail School because of

her wonderful students. She also teaches classes at The University of Akron (Integrating the Expressive Arts in Early Childhood Education.) She plays piano for a Korean/American church where she also directs the children’s choir that sings in both languages. She is an avid seamstress and gives private lessons in piano, guitar and flute. Vickie is dedicated to arts education saying, “The arts make us human. The arts teach us how to problem solve, resolve team work issues, learn about other cultures and what makes them similar or different from ours. We learn to respect the arts of all walks of life. The arts teach us how to get in touch with our creative side and how to explore other’s creativity.”

melAnie PAttersonMelanie has been a teacher at Old Trail School for 15 years. Prior to coming here, she was the theater director for Hudson High School, founding theater director for ACT. She co-directed plays and was a reading and language arts specialist in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. She was also a

substitute teacher in many districts in Northeast Ohio and California. She teaches performing arts classes which include Acting Plus Production, Acting Improvisation, and Stagecraft. She is the director and designer for Middle School productions and co-chairs the performing arts department. Her favorite part about teaching at Old Trail School is her students. She is a member of the Hudson Society of Artists and enjoys painting. She recently did some design and much of the artwork for her daughter’s new home and created all the gardens in her backyard. About the performing arts she says, “Art is what defines our humanity and our humility. It is the reflection of our culture, our values, and the time in which we live. There is so much to be said about the whole development and learning processes of a child. A curriculum should reflect all types of learning opportunities to address all types of learners. One of the reasons I love teaching theater in Middle School is because I see so many students realizing that they have a voice to which even adults will listen.” She is also proud of our graduates. “I so enjoy seeing that many Old Trail alums take their theater experience and capitalize on them in high school and beyond. I am always so proud of their successes.”

stefAniA stefAniuKStefania has been teaching for 25 years and this is her first school year at Old Trail School. She teaches music to preschool through first grade students and strings from fourth through eighth grades. She taught high school general music and choir for three years in England and two

years at a music school. She also taught at an independent private boarding school teaching violin/viola and string orchestra. In the U.S. she taught at Catholic elementary schools for 18 years (general music, choirs, strings and orchestra.) She taught at the Arts Academy in Cleveland for two years, teaching general music, recorders, strings, choir and French.

SCholAStICS ARt AwARdS 2010The National Scholastic Art Awards for secondary schools is conducted annually for the encouragement and recognition of student achievement in visual art. The program provides students in grades 7-12 the opportunity to receive public recognition, awards, and scholarships for outstanding artwork.

The Art Department, including Mr. Duff, selects a limited number of pieces from our seventh and eighth grade students to enter in the regional competition. Almost 3000 pieces from our regional area were entered; only 10 percent of those received either a Gold Key or Silver Key award. Those works have been on display on the Stark campus of Kent State University. Gold Key works then go on to New York for the national competition in the spring.

This year, of the 50 Old Trail School pieces that were submitted, 22 – almost half – earned either a Gold or Silver Key and an additional 12 received Honorable Mention awards. These works were produced in many different art elective courses as well as the general art classes, showing that our students are strong artists in a variety of media.

Congratulations to all of these talented students:


visuAl Arts

Jeff eAsonJeff has been a teacher for 14 years and at Old Trail School for 12 years. He earned a BFA in painting from Syracuse University and graduated summa cum laude. He holds an MA in art education and an MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He has also worked as a graphic artist in Chicago for the Society for Visual Education and worked in two

museums -The Madison Art Center and The Elvehjem Museum of Art — both in Madison, Wisconsin. He is having work exhibited in Columbus in May at the Mac Worthington Gallery and is a judge at the Hardesty Park Art Show every summer.

KAthY sAPienzAKathy has been a teacher for 28 years, 21 of those at Old Trail School. She teaches visual arts to grades three through six and also art electives (weaving, vessels). Before coming to Old Trail School she taught French at The Ellis School in Pittsburgh for seven years. One of the things she likes most about teaching art is being able to use many different media with the children. “I love

watching them work and am amazed at how creative they can be,” she said. In her spare time she works with fibers, weaving on her large floor loom at home or knitting. About the arts, she says, “The arts are critical to developing skills for the present and future. Through art, we learn how to look at problems in different ways, how to solve problems in multiple ways, how to use specific techniques or tools to achieve a desired outcome. We learn to appreciate and analyze our visual world. We learn many ways of expressing thoughts, ideas, and feelings. We learn how other cultures throughout history have used art, giving us the opportunity to further understand each other across cultures and across time.”

PAttY WYmAnPatty has been a teacher for 29 years, 27 of them at Old Trail School. She teaches visual arts to young fives, kindergarten, first, second and fourth grade students and is the Art Department co-chair. She also teaches after school programs at King Elementary in Akron and the Canton Art Institute. She enjoys being with the children and the collegial atmosphere at Old Trail

School. “Visual arts education creates creative problem solvers, builds empathy and respect for others, makes children more aware adults (to detail, surroundings, environment, beauty),” says Patty. “At Old Trail School, you don’t hear children say ‘I can’t or I’m not good at art.’ They all feel successful to some degree in the studio.”

HoNorAble MeNTIoN

Abby Anacki Elizabeth Dirska Elise Krueger

Leah Bonyo Andrew Domonkos Jack McKenzie

Jonathan Boutsicaris Dania El-Shaar (2) Ankur Parikh

Erica Denallo

SIlver Key

Anna Armao Aaina Gupta Alexis Schaeffer

Alex Cecchini Michael Papanikolaou Ryan Stifler

Erica Denallo Niko Sawan

GolD Key

Anna Armao Elizabeth Dirska Julianne Lavanty

Ben Bowers (2) Jason Eulberg Alexis Schaeffer

Alex Cecchini Max Forsyth Kyle Scott

Tyler Dietrich Lauren Kolar Abby Wyman (2)



14

FAMIlIES IN thE ARtS Participating in the arts and art-related activities outside the school is very common among our Old trail School families……

chArles BeneKe - father of caleb, grade seven and grace, grade four Charles graduated from Kenyon College and worked for four years in New York City as a graphic designer and free lance art director designing book covers. He attended The University of Connecticut, receiving his master’s in fine arts in printmaking and mixed-media. Charles taught for four years at the University of Wyoming before taking his current position at the Myers School of Art at The University of Akron where he is the Area Coordinator for Foundation 2D Design. He teaches Foundation 2D Design, Introduction to Lithography, Intermediate/Advanced Printmaking, Photogravure and Book Arts. He has exhibited his work in solo and group shows internationally, nationally, and regionally. He has recently shown at The American University in Cairo and the Cairo Opera House, Cairo, Egypt; Off Grounds Gallery, Charlottesville, Virginia; IMPACT 4 International Printmaking Conference, Berlin, Germany and Poznan, Poland; The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Zygote Press, Cleveland, Ohio.

the BoWers fAmilY – Kal, grade eight, Ben, grade seven and natalie, grade three (mom Amy too!) Involvement in the arts has been an important part of the Bowers family. All three children are members of the children’s choir at Bath United Church of Christ and perform regularly in the church’s plays and musicals. Last spring, all three children performed in Godspell (Kal was Jesus, Ben was Judas and Natalie was a worshipper.) Kal is committed to acting as well as singing and has performed in two Weathervane Theatre productions as well as starring as Augustus Gloop in the Chagrin Valley Little Theater’s production of Willy Wonka in December 2009. His on-stage mother and co-star was Amy, his real-life mom, who played Mrs. Gloop. The family attends an Americana Music Festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, called “Merlefest.” Amy serves on the board of the Akron Symphony known as the Greater Akron Music Association, and the family is a member of the Akron Art Museum.

the BucK fAmilY – macy, grade one and laney, grade threeLaney came up with the idea to have an art show at their home, sell their work and donate the money to charity. They worked on their projects at home (they have an “art room” – a transformed bedroom that they painted with their dad – four different colored walls, supplies galore), as well as at grandma’s, and included many “works” they created throughout the school year in art class. A few Old Trail School teachers and friends have attended the show as well. The girls have sold everything from paintings to flower vases to bookmarks. In the summer of 2009, the girls held the second show, inviting family, friends and neighbors. This year the proceeds amounted to $192 and the girls donated it all to charities they selected.

the crAig fAmilY – matthew, Kindergarten and nathan, grade fourThe arts have been important in the Craig family since Nathan and Matthew’s grandmother studied to become an accomplished artist as a youth in Michigan. More recently, their father, Steve, carried on support of the arts in Ohio, founding the Peninsula Art Academy in 2004: a non-profit art school with classes (children and adult), lectures, working studio space, gift gallery, exhibit hall, and concert stage on West Mill Street in Peninsula. Mother, Lisa, and the entire family support a variety of local music genres and venues, including FolkNite and BluesNite at the Peninsula Art Academy and the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom. Other current interests include forming classes and lectures in the decorative arts, landscape design and the culinary arts.

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the guc fAmilY – lexi, grade oneThe Gucs are an artsy family! Lexi’s father, Carlton, has a long history as a sound designer for various theater shows and events. His primary company, Stage Research, is a theatre based company – creating and selling various show control software worldwide. He is also a musician and has performed for many area musicals. Lexi’s mom, Karen, also has a background working behind the scenes as backstage crew, deck stage manager and stage manager for several local community theatres. In fact, that’s how mom and dad met! Lexi has been encouraged to get interested in the arts and has taken acting and musical theatre classes at Hudson’s Young Actors Studio and at Weathervane. The family also frequents local theatres and playhouses.

the hAught fAmilY – isaac, KindergartenIsaac is in the process of becoming an amateur break dancer, creating and practicing his own moves to hip hop and rap music at home. His favorite “stage” is a cardboard box. He hopes to take actual lessons sometime soon. Christine Haught, Isaac’s mom, is an interior designer whose talent and passion for design took root in childhood, when she spent hours designing furniture and interiors for her doll’s homes – but only after interviewing each doll regarding what she would like in her home! She has been featured on television and provides services including pre-architectural consultation for new construction, as well as renovation, restoration and design for existing and historic homes.

the nonno fAmilY – stela, PreschoolThe arts are a big part of Stela’s life, as both of her parents and grandfather make careers in the visual arts. The family has a design business in Bath. Louis+Partners Design is located just up the street from Old Trail School in a 1838 farmhouse converted to a full design studio. Louis+Partners Design is one of the nation’s top retail and restaurant design firms, creating the visuals and environments for some of the most recognizable brands. Stela can be found at the studio on weekends when her parents, Kara and Christopher, are working on projects. With an overabundance of art supplies at her hands, she explores by working with different materials. Most of her creations find their way into other designers’ desk drawers and file cabinets, making Monday morning comical. Occasionally she’ll offer up some rather surprising critiques when she spots work pinned-up that she either likes or dislikes. Her parents are happy to see her enthusiasm within the visual arts field and she also expresses much interest in singing, dancing and very creative play!

the stAcY fAmilY – Jordan, grade two and Jillian, grade sixJillian and Jordan are members of the Summit Choral Society. The Choral Society is in its 20th year of providing music education and vocal training to children that culminates with participation in its touring level (high school age) that travels the United States and abroad to perform. This experience has had a profound effect on the Stacy family as they have discovered the joy of being part of a group that works hard and is dedicated to bringing beautiful choral music to our community! It has caused their family to pause and be thankful for the wealth of arts present in a relatively small community!

“all these experiences, musical, theatrical, and scholarly,

coalesced into an education to sustain us through life.”

– doRothy SEIbERlING ‘39



16

AluMNI IN thE ARtS

mArY seiBerling huhn ‘37“From the time I entered Old Trail School in the third grade,” Mary says, “there was such an inspiring array of activity in all the branches of the arts that it was as if I was slowly becoming aware of them for the first time.” Playing characters in Lewis Carroll productions altered Mary’s very character, inspiring her to love books and change her outlook on comical ironies. Mary continues to sing songs she learned for the Christmas concerts, and still has a pastel still-life made by a former art teacher.

Mary and her sister Dorothy Seiberling ’39 both remember re-enactments of Winnie the Pooh, with Mary as Eeyore, Dorothy as Piglet, and Katy Donley Christopherson ’39 as Pooh. Dorothy thinks of her time at Old Trail School often, remembering classical music like Handel and Mozart, and the wide variety of dramas from Shakespeare to the Ladies of Cranford. But mostly she remembers that she learned to have confidence in a performance and to understand other lives and times. Dorothy says, “All these experiences, musical, theatrical, and scholarly, coalesced into an education to sustain us through life.”

elissA eisinger mcAleAr ‘58Elissa’s Old Trail School art classes inspired her to continue her education, taking painting and art education classes at Kent State University and Ohio University. Elissa continues to enjoy art, painting with oils and acrylics, organizing craft projects with the Parks and Recreation Department, teaching elementary school art, and working with hydrus watercolors. “I am forever grateful for the start that Pat Piche’s classes and OTS gave me in art even though it is not a career from which I’ve earned a living,” Elissa says.

“I look forward to many more years of painting with the numerous friends I have met in my classes and painting chapter.”

lorindA Knight silverstein ‘59In February, the mayor of Spokane, Washington, honored Lorinda for her work with local arts programs including the Lorinda Knight Gallery, the Spokane International Film Festival, and the MAC, Spokane’s local museum of Arts and Culture. Some of Lorinda’s favorite Old Trail School art memories include creating a Halloween-themed woodblock print and being the graphics editor of the 1959 yearbook.

roBin gArrett ‘66Robin saw the Old Trail School art room as a haven for students who did not fit into “dominate social norms” and she appreciated the support and encouragement art teacher Jodi Klein gave to both talented and not-so-talented students. “In far too many educational settings the arts are considered of lesser importance than the sciences and humanities,” Robin says. “It is to Old Trail’s credit that the arts are fully valued.”

deBorAh roe lothes ‘70Deborah was introduced to many elements of the arts at Old Trail School that still inspire her today. She has kept her first finger painting from kindergarten and a wooden doll bed she made; she continues to work with clay and glazes, a process she learned in first grade; she plays the six and 12 string guitars that she started playing in fourth grade; and sings and dances with her three-year-old granddaughter, abilities she developed in Rhythms class.

Winkie Peterson Covintree ’63 does calligraphy and paintings of campus scenes for Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania.

WinKie Peterson covintree ‘63Winkie fondly remembers a wonderful art teacher, Betty Culley, a talented, accomplished, glamorous and somewhat exotic artist. She encouraged students to try many different art forms including drawing, clay, printmaking, and painting, and often the students had pieces in the Scholastic Art exhibits at O’Neil’s in downtown Akron.

“Mrs. Culley also taught art history as an elective,” says Winkie, “and I felt very privileged to get a head start on a subject that was not commonly offered in high school. I had difficulty with history, but seeing it through art was different.” Encouraged by Mrs. Culley, Winkie earned a B.F.A. in painting at Syracuse University. She taught art for many years at the Friends School in Detroit, and remains active as an artist/calligrapher and teacher.

Music and drama are also great memories for Winkie: rehearsing for the chorus three times a week preparing for events like Candlelight in the winter and Baccalaureate in the spring, playing Androcles in Androcles and the Lion, and acting as stage manager for The Importance of Being Earnest which the students performed at the Women’s City Club. Her drama teacher, K. Virginia Wood, particularly loved theater. Winkie says, “Directing plays at OTS, using her interesting collection of furniture in the sets, and pushing us to heights we thought were amazing, she produced wonderful memories for us.”

In addition to her classmates, Winkie’s experience in the arts was the highlight of her three years at Old Trail School. Winkie says “I don’t think I have gone through a day of my life without thinking of something I learned or began learning at Old Trail, especially in the arts, and the teachers and students with whom I shared that journey.”

Bill henrY ‘74I wanted to share my story about Old Trail School’s art program and an inspiring teacher named Tim App. Tim is now quite a renowned artist and professor. He teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art and his work is included in a number of significant museum collections. I believe his mother still lives in Akron. Tim was not what you would expect to see in an Old Trail teacher, especially in the early 70’s. He had long hair, wore very casual clothes and insisted that his students call him by his first name. Tim was my art teacher during fifth and sixth grade (1970-1972). I entered Tim’s classroom as a boy with messy handwriting, an inability to draw a straight line and the victim of continuous negative reinforcement from my previous art teacher who could best be described as “old school.” My previous art teacher had consistently made me feel as if I had no business with a crayon or a paintbrush in my hand and had made art a subject I abhorred. My artistic confidence was nonexistent…..all because I couldn’t paint pretty pictures or draw realistic cats and dogs. I have no doubt that I was tentative (at best) when I entered Tim App’s classroom.

Thankfully, Tim’s teaching style was completely different. To him, straight lines and realistic figures had nothing to do with success in art. I began to enjoy experimenting with various media and learned to enjoy and appreciate art despite my limitations as defined by previous instructors. Tim even encouraged me to enter a photography contest. While I didn’t win any awards (the Kodak-Scholastic Arts Competition), I was proud to have entered. I began to take photos more frequently and found myself more comfortable with a camera than a paintbrush. My training in art ended when Tim left Old Trail and I took no art classes at Revere High School. However, as a senior in high school, I decided to enter the Kodak-Scholastic Arts Competition again. To the surprise of the art teachers, I won the most awards of any entrant in the state. I ended up winning some more awards including the Ohio Governor’s Art Award (one of the top works of student art in the state) and one of my photos was selected to hang in the governor’s office. I flirted with the idea of studying filmmaking and photography in college, but ultimately selected a more “conventional” educational path.

I put my photography on the back burner for a number of years. About 15 years ago, my interest rekindled and I have increasingly devoted more time to my photography. My photography has attracted some acclaim in both competitions and publications. Several years ago, I entered a series of photographs in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s NEO Show competition (formerly called the May Show). Of almost 1,300 entries, my series of photos was one of 80 works of art selected for inclusion in the show. As it turned out, I was the only “hobbyist” represented in the show. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was about being included in the show and how much fun it was to be treated as a serious artist at openings and other art related events. When I think of influences that made the experience possible for me, Tim App is at the head of the list. Tim helped me develop an artistic vision, to gain confidence in my creative abilities, to savor my capabilities rather than curse my limitations and to be proud to show my work to others. I am certain that neither of Tim nor I realized the power of his teaching back in the fall of 1970. Regardless, I am thankful for the work he did with me and appreciate the positive approach he took toward my artistic endeavors. (Bill’s daughter, Isabella Daverio, is an Old Trail School third grader.)


BrooK riddicK ‘86 After photography class at Old Trail School with Mr. Wilson, it was many years before Brook picked up a camera again. “When I did, I remembered Mr. Wilson’s comments in class about what it meant to take a picture and stop a moment in time…to tell a story with that image,” Brook says. Brook doesn’t remember if he received a good grade in the class, but it did spark an interest in photography. As

an adult, Brook became a travel photographer, showing at galleries in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Portland, and still enjoys it as a hobby and a small side business.

continued on next page

bill created this piece in art class and it currently resides in his office.

Photography work by brook riddick ’86 has been in various shows and travel books.

mort AlBert ‘89“Without a doubt Mrs. Nagel’s music class created a strong and permanent love of music for me,” Mort says. During his time at Old Trail School, Mort began playing the recorder and dulcimer, and went on to play keyboards and the piano. “I even played in successful rock bands throughout high school and college with [classmate] Jason Dutt,” Mort says.

Mort Albert ‘89 and his family: Jeanine, Zeke (age 5),

Liam (age 14), AJ (age 4), and Mort.



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Kurt Kleidon ‘91Kurt credits Old Trail School with helping to inspire and support the development of his creativity. He has since minored in art, gotten his master’s in creative writing, and launched a website for his photography: www.myartforgood.com.

mollY vollmAn mAKris ‘95Molly has great memories of performing in Stone Soup and playing the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz at Old Trail School. She studied dance education at New York University and has worked as a dance teacher and an educator of urban teachers. “The beauty of OTS was that the arts were respected and utilized throughout the curriculum,” Molly says. “I instruct my students to incorporate drama, dance, and the visual arts in their classrooms and to introduce urban youth to the arts whenever possible.”

hAYden gilBert ’04 Having performed in the Madrigal and The Music Man, Hayden’s most memorable performance at Old Trail School was Wart in The Emperor’s New Clothes, which he credits as the reason he is acting today. “I can still remember wearing a red fedora with my costume,” says Hayden. “I asked Mrs. Paterson if I could keep it, and she said ‘as long as you remember your lines you can keep the whole costume.’ Well, I made sure to not even stutter….I still have the red hat today.” During this performance, Hayden developed an acting process that he uses today as a theater major at Oberlin College. He does commercial work nationally, radio voiceover

Chaz ballish ’86 has danced in more than 30 ballets

including The Nutcracker, shown here.

Brett lindstrom ‘00I am an artist and have been my entire life. But it was not until one teacher believed in me that I found myself and my place in this world. That person was Mr. Eason, my art teacher at OTS. I am currently studying graphic design at the one of the most prominent art schools in the nation, The Ringling College of Art and Design.

Artists are often vulnerable to persecution for being weird. But this is due to the fact that they see the world in a completely different way than other people. Mr. Eason helped me “see with my own vision” and gave me the confidence to throw caution to the wind and be free with my work and my rebellious nature. I was a handful in the classroom to say the least but the faculty never gave up on me, Mr. Eason in particular. I owe him and OTS so much and I am proud to be a graduate of Old Trail School. My name is Brett J. Lindstrom and I am an Artist.

work locally, writes one-man shows, and is working on a project that allows the audience to vote on elements of the play. Hayden says, “The artistic experiences I shared with my peers at Old Trail are never far from my mind.”

KAtie JenKs ‘04Katie’s passion for acting began with performances at Old Trail School in The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Music Man. “It was on that stage that I realized how much I loved the theater,” Katie says. “I’m really thankful that I got those opportunities to perform because it showed me something that I would come to love for many years.” A theater major at Ohio Wesleyan University, Katie continues to perform in plays and plans to continue her training after college.

Alison KorolY ‘04As a ballet dancer at Nan Klinger’s Excellence in Dance and the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet, Alison appreciated that Old Trail School helped facilitate her creativity outside of the dance studio. “Whenever OTS had a strings concert or a spring musical, the teachers always found a way to incorporate my ballet,” says Alison. “I even choreographed a piece to the “Swan Song” in our rendition of Carnival of the Animals. I will never forget those experiences.” Alison deferred college for a year to dance with the Miami City Ballet School in Florida, and is now a ballet major with an outside field in arts management at Indiana University.

shAnnon drAucKer ’05 Shannon’s love of music is rooted in her Old Trail School experiences, where she

brett and one of his creations.

chAz BAllish ’86 A professional ballet dancer, Chaz has been involved with the performing arts in a big way for many years. Chaz danced in more than 30 ballets including The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, La Fille mal Gaurdee, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Coppellia, Giselle, La Bayadere, La Sylphide and countless original pieces, and has performed in 47 states and in more than 45 countries around the world.

Chaz gives Old Trail School credit for independent thinking and the ability to look beyond stereotypes. “We are all the sum of our experiences,” he says. “I would say my time at Old Trail taught me to think independently and to be open to all things. As a male dancer it was difficult to share my artistic calling with my friends…I don’t know what would have happened had I not attended OTS, but I can say the school’s open minded approach to all things helped inspire me to follow my dream around the globe.”

Chaz retired from dancing in 2002 and has graduated magna cum laude from the Charleston School of Law in South Carolina. “I can say unequivocally that the discipline I learned in the fine arts was paramount in my success in law school and in the legal field thereafter,” Chaz says.


learned to play clarinet as a member of an ensemble. Since then, clarinet has become a central part of Shannon’s life: she was principal clarinetist and concertmaster of the Western Reserve Symphonic Winds, a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and attended summer programs for clarinet at Boston University and the University of Michigan. Shannon is currently principal clarinetist and clarinet section leader of the Dartmouth Wind Symphony, a member of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Dartmouth Classical Music Raiders, and is strongly considering declaring music as her major.

lAuren Young ‘08 A recipient of the Kathleen Whitmer Art Award as an eighth grader at Old Trail School, Lauren was recognized for her creativity and interest in the arts. She most remembers the original cartoon figure she created. “I reflected myself through my artwork,” Lauren says, “portraying a ‘beast’ that can partially be seen as Otis the Buffalo with some blood drips on his horns and a tennis racquet in his hooves to represent my love of tennis and how in every match, I never go down without a fight.” Lauren draws in her spare time and takes art classes at Our Lady of the Elms where she feels a great deal of freedom in what she creates, whether drawing, painting, photography or working with textiles and ceramics. Lauren says, “I really enjoy having the independence to pursue my creative interests.”

sPencer olson ‘09One of Spencer’s many favorite Old Trail School arts memories was his performance in Seussical the Musical. Though he was nervous about what his friends would think of his being in a musical, he decided to go for it. “I will never regret that decision because I can remember how much fun it was,” Spencer says. “When you are in a musical at Old Trail you bond with everyone in the cast and you meet new people that you might not have known.” As a freshman at Hawken School, Spencer has been in An Inspector Calls and Footloose. ”I hope that the arts will move with me through high school…and into whatever career I choose,” Spencer says. “I cannot thank Old Trail enough for giving me an opportunity in their wonderful arts program.”

old trAil school Alums tAKe center stAge2006 classmates Paige Hicks, Anita Salley and rachel Scarponi appeared in Walsh Jesuit High School’s production of A Christmas Carol in November, and the March production of The Wizard of Oz with Jack Fielder ‘08.

Ceara o’Sullivan ’06 and Meg Martinez ’07 performed in Western Reserve Academy’s winter play, Dancing at Laughnasa.

Tessa DiTirro ’07 performed in Firestone High School’s March production of Sweeney Todd.

2009 classmates Isabella DiSanto, Kathleen Graham, Spencer olson and Madison Thomas, along with Jackie Graham ’06 were all cast in the Hawken School winter production of Footloose.

lauren young ’08 created this watercolor of abstract triangles in her eighth grade art class.

Peter Pan School Production – 1930s

What is Your favorite Old trail School Memory of the arts?

“In music we sang wonderful songs from I Got Plenty of Nothing to Panis Angelicus. The integrity and belief in the joys of the arts

have enriched my life ever since, what a gift!” – MARY BROWN WILINSKY ‘46

---------- d ----------

“I remember loving class with Patty Wyman, I still have a lot of the artwork I did back then.”

– KURT KLEIDON ‘91

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“Watching the middle school musicals, having music class in Mrs. Nagel’s up-the-stairs classroom and having musical instrument days, and finding my piece of art on display

during the Art Show week.” – SARA SHALOWITZ ‘97

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“My favorite memory from the performing arts at OTS was performing in the Madrigal Feast…this acting

experience really catapulted my interest in theater.” – CEARA O’SULLIVAN ‘06

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“Mr. Eason’s art class in eighth grade was probably my favorite because we did so many interesting projects, clay characters, carved designs for necklaces and amazing 3-D line drawings

where we created city landscapes.” – BRITTANY RAMSEY ‘06

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“My favorite memory is being in the school plays, they are a great way to meet new friends and have a great time.”

– JAKE BIESIADA ‘09



ARtS INVolVEMENt IS AN IMPoRtANt FACtoR IN ChIld dEVEloPMENt

By Katherine Howard, School Psychologist

In the past two decades, parents have been overwhelmed with an abundance of information in the lay press touting the benefits of the arts. Impassioned arts advocates, struggling to support arts education in the face of budget cutbacks, have often extrapolated substantially beyond the scientific findings about the value of the arts curriculum, making spurious claims. Let’s take a critical look at separating the hype from the real data that has been

collected on how involvement with the arts informs child development. We will use the term “the arts” to include the visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpting, ceramics), the musical arts (vocal and instrumental), and the kinesthetic arts (the performing arts of dance and theatre).

In the 1990s, researchers published a study suggesting that university students who listened to music by Mozart for 10 minutes before taking an intelligence test improved their test scores. In spite of the fact that this study only looked at college students and that the increase in test scores occurred only if the testing was completed within 15 minutes of the listening experience, the idea, which came to be known as “The Mozart Effect,” spread like wildfire. Commercial products were marketed so that, in utero, babies could begin to hear Mozart and, therefore, increase their brain power from the start!

It was not until 2000 that this wildfire started to extinguish, when Harvard researchers examined the research supporting arts education. They cautioned that the literature suggested correlations existed between arts involvement and academic success, but there was no evidence that there was a causal link.*

Between the highly-publicized study results and the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) which threatened all curriculum that did not appear to directly serve literacy and math skill acquisition, arts educators were desperately seeking to justify the enormous assets they believed accrued to children from training in the arts.

Four years later, in March 2008, the Dana Consortium published its results in a report called “Learning, Arts and the Brain.” While the report offered no concrete evidence that art directly increases “intelligence,” several of the studies comprising the report suggested that arts training could be related to enhancements in reading skill, math skill and attentional-focusing skills. For example, intensive music training was correlated

with improved geometry and map-reading skills, reading fluency and stronger phonological awareness. *

Hard data aside, it is almost inconceivable to imagine a world without the arts. As then-NEA Chairman Dana Gioia said in 2007: “Art is an irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world. There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories, or songs, or images. Art delights, instructs, consoles. It educates our emotions.”*

The anecdotal evidence is hard to dismiss. We watch a shy student practice his lines for the play and successfully deliver them during a performance. You can almost see his sense of self-efficacy, confidence and poise grow before your eyes. We witness a child who is not socially-engaged perform a complex piece on her instrument, receive positive peer-regard and achieve a kind of social validation after the concert she had not enjoyed before. We observe a child who struggles with written expression work on a self-portrait, capturing the essence of “who he is” in a stunningly accurate way. He has shared his insight and knowledge in a nonverbal way. These are our indicators that the arts are powerful catalysts for growth and expression and sense-of-self.

And, who among us can imagine a life without the sensory and emotional excitement of the arts. How could humankind survive without the passionate sounds of Vivaldi, Duke Ellington or Joni Mitchell to move our souls? How dull would the world be without Frida Kahlo, Dali or Giotto’s renderings of times and places real or imagined? In order to appreciate the arts, one must be exposed to the arts. Childhood is the time when the value of the richness the arts brings us can be inculcated easily.

It is likely that by offering the rich arts education we offer at Old Trail School, we are helping our students’ brains to develop pathways that facilitate other types of learning. But we also aspire to teach the arts so that our students will acquire a unique kind of mastery of self-expression and deepening self-knowledge. We want our students to be able to recognize and appreciate the artistic elements in life. And, finally, we hope that by thoughtful instruction in the arts, we may spur some of our students to become producers of art – art that will influence the sensory and emotional lives of generations to come.

*Source: Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development. Online publication. Posted by Greater Good Magazine, April 2009. www.sharpbrains.com


CaMPuS | Hi g H l i g H t s

bluE hERoN dAy

The Blue Herons returned to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and more than 550 people celebrated by eating a delicious pancake breakfast served by Old Trail School fourth graders on Saturday, March 6.

The third annual Blue Heron Day celebration was a great success. We had more than 40 early risers on the new pre-breakfast hike to the Bath Road Heronry and also 10+ stations in the gym with photos, crafts (staffed by fifth graders), hands-on demonstrations, live bird displays and more. Additional heronry hikes continued throughout the morning.

This year we were able to have Bath Road (near the heronry) closed to through traffic. This allowed the heron watchers the ability to move safely in that area. Another new feature this year included the appearance of Christina Wald, illustrator of Henry the Impatient Heron. Christina read the story to groups of children and also signed copies of the book. Children also enjoyed meeting “Biscuits and Gravy,” Bob Evans’ life-sized mascots.

Thanks to our partners at Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association for this group effort to raise funds for environmental education.

Thanks to all of our fabulous volunteers and generous sponsors who made the day possible: The Thomas and Lisa Mandel Fund of the Morton and Barbara Mandel Family Foundation, Bob Evans, Cascade Auto Group/Subaru and the Bath Country Journal. We also appreciate donations and support from the following: Krieger’s Market, Main Street Muffins, Caruso’s Coffee and Paul Motts, a Cuyahoga Valley National Park educator, whose donation made the ice carving possible.

Additional photos courtesy of Jerry Jelinek Photography

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TR AIL SCHOOL22


AuCtIoN

Chinese New year, the 2009 old Trail School Parents’ Association annual auction, was

once again a wonderful success due to the efforts of so many dedicated volunteers.

We are fortunate to have so many creative parents who transformed our school into a

Chinese New year event complete with a fabulous dragon suspended from the gym

ceiling. The auction raised nearly $190,000 for the school.

2009 AUCTIoN TeAMS

Auction Team Advisor Bonnie Childs Treasurer Marie Baker ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM LEADERS Chris Hulsey, Bethany Krakora Auctioneer, Auction Night Chris Hulsey Catalog Advertising Janine Patterson, Janice Zockoll Catalog Entry Becky Horvath, Bethany Krakora, Susan Tipton Invitation Design/Printing Bethany Krakora, Janice Zockoll Catalog Proofreading Carolyn Bialosky, Karen Nathan Raffle Coordinator Marilyn Horth, Angie Remen Reservations and Bid Folder Prep Lanette Bradley, Dianne Squire Bid Sheet Prep Zeynep Ergungor Tax Letters Chris Hulsey, Lisa Kunzo Donation Management Lisa Handal, Becky Horvath, Christina Iemma, Michelle

Schaeffer, Susan Tipton Display Gift Certificates Chris Hulsey Silent Auction Display Certificates Whitney Forstner Faculty/Staff Door Signs Dianne Squire Day After Administration Janis Worley CREATIVE TEAM LEADERS Mary Kay Chlebina, Jennifer Kuchar, Lisa Marchetta Hall Displays Melisa and Dean Carmichael Centerpieces Andrea Naymon Lighting and Decoration Installation Michael Marchetta Lobby and Dining Room Display Dana Campbell Display Cases Andrea Powley Stairway Mary Kay Chlebina, Dana Campbell, Lisa Marchetta Hallway Lisa Mandel, Jill Papajcik Gymnasium Decorations Committee Student Creative Team Dana Campbell, Jennifer Kuchar, Rinda Oziomek DONATION TEAM LEADERS Theresa Johnson, Rinda Oziomek Business Theresa Johnson Parent Dianne and Terry Squire Vendor RInda Oziomek Trustees Amy Bowers Trustees Emeriti Tom Clark Faculty/Staff Barb DiTirro, Clare McGowan Classroom Projects Theresa Johnson Basket Coordinator Kathleen Burrell-Miller, Kenya Messer Grab Bags Jennifer Kuchar

“As an eighth grade parent, seeing

my son participate as a server was

the joy of my evening.”


OPERATIONS TEAM LEADERS Amy Bowers, Janis Worley Set Up Amy Bowers, Tracie Rose Live Auction Display Shelley Sutton, Stacey Bechtel Silent Auction Display Wendy Barnett, Jenny & Lee Buck, Teresa

Davey, Michelle Fair, Nancy Forhan, Paula Gross, Sue Miller, Susan Tipton, Janice Zockoll

Bar & Dinner Arrangements Laura Preston, Larkin Rogers 8th Grade Servers Kathy Warner Valet Parking Laura Preston Appreciation to Guests, Faculty, Staff Kyla Elderton Live Auction Facilitator Susan Black Live Auction Power Point Stacy Bechtel, Jonathan Dietrich Volunteer Coordinator Darleen Beaver Security Bonnie Childs Silent Closing Team Jodi Gabor, Vickie Nagel, Jacquie

Tinnemeyer, Beth Watson Clean Up Bob Bradley AUCTION UNDERWRITING SPONSORS CLASSROOM PROJECTS Cecchini Enterprises/McDonalds WINE Fran & Ed Kuchar VALET Lambert Buick Pontiac-GMC VOLUNTEER DINNER Clare & Todd Clarke, Chris & Bill Hulsey,

Janine & Dick Patterson SPIRITS Gayson Silicone Dispersions, Inc. LIGHTING EFFECTS Jody & John Innamorato, Jill & Dale Papajcik , Anonymous BEER House of LaRose AUCTIONEER Old Trail School Board of Trustees, Trustee Emeriti & Foundation Board

PlATINUMLambert Buick Pontiac-GMCDianne and Terry Squire

GolDClare and Todd ClarkeMarsha and John DellagneseGayson Silicone Dispersions, Inc.Christine and Jordan GrossmanTeri HillestadRose and Tom HlivkoChristine and Bill HulseyChristina and Joe IemmaMonty and Michael IemmaBonnie and Main KahookJanine and Dick PattersonPat and Bill Sadataki

SIlverAnonymousDeborah Armstrong and Daniel LittleSharon Leonard-Bonyo and Benson BonyoElena and Nicholas GutloveLisa and David HandalHeather and Michael HoffmanRebecca and Timothy HorvathJody and John InnamoratoEva Chia-Ning Koo and Thomas Kerr House of LaRoseThe Kozlowski CompanyJill and Stephen McLaughlinLynn and Tom MesterhazyJill and Dale PapajcikVikki and Helmut ScherzElizabeth ‘87 and Tim SheelerJulie and Craig StacyNazila Ghoubany and Mohamad SulaimanSusan and Kyle Tipton

broNZeAccurate Investigative ServicesAC Hi-Tech Inc.Sylvie Dubru and David AnckaertJulia and David Bianchi Gretchen and Matthew BirchChris ChelineDiscovery Tours Laura and Drew EnglesNancy and Alex Illitch

Jennifer Haslinger ‘82 and Jeffrey JohnsonKaczmar Architects Inc.Kirsten and Andrew KingBerrin Ergun-Longmire and Eric Longmire Minna and Krikor MalajikianMaria and Tom Manera Jamie and William McNutt Julie Micheletti and James GrayElizabeth and Daniel Miklos Kristin and Tom MunteanRInda and Mark OziomekNancy NorrisSaira Ismail and Kirk Stiffler Evelyn StiggersElizabeth Culotta and J.G.M. ThewissenTel-Com Systems of OhioSusan and Reid Wagstaff

Special recognition to John Novak and Kathi Krummel, past parents, for designing and making the dragon. Polly Keener ‘64, alum for her beautiful murals and Amy Fritz for her skill of Chinese lettering.

Special thank you and farewell to departing auction parents Mary Kay Chlebina, Theresa Johnson, Dana Campbell, Andrea Naymon, Dianne Squire, Paula Gross, Clare Clarke, Jill Papajcik and Shawnee Domonkos who have inspired us for many years by their devotion to the auction.

Every dollar raised benefits our school!

“I can’t envision another

event that would combine

the enormous volunteer

support, a great social

occasion and significant

fund raising all at once.”



The 28 classroom projects are one of the features that

makes our auction so unique. The projects are designed by

dedicated parents, who then assist the children and finish

the projects in time for parents to view and appreciate at

parent teacher conferences in the fall.

AuCtIoN Cl ASS PRoJECtS


June 14 - August 6

80+ offeringsAges 18 months - 14 years

Located in Cuyahoga Valley National ParkFlexible scheduling

Lunch, transportation and before/after care available

Fabulous faculty

Online Registration DiscountRegister Online by May 1, 2010 -

Save $5 per class

Would you like a detailed brochure? Call

330.666.1118 eXt. 469 register on our website -

oldtrail.org/summercamp.htm

S'cAmpOlD TRAil SchOOlSummeR cAmpimagine

explore

M AthCouNtS Old Trail School students participated in the 27th annual Akron area MATHCOUNTS competition in February. This year, Old Trail School hosted the event which welcomed sixth, seventh and eighth grade students from 12 area middle schools in Summit, Portage and Medina counties.

MATHCOUNTS is a national program dedicated to increasing the level of mathematic achievement and prestige among students in anticipation that they will select and prepare themselves for future careers in science and engineering.

The competition is composed of a series of individual, team, written and oral math tests. Two top teams and four top individuals advanced to the state competition and from there top individuals advanced to the national competition in Florida.

Old Trail School’s team finished in third place overall. Representing our school were eighth graders Alex Balli, Conor Burns and Lauren Kolar. Seventh grader Robby Gray was also on the team. The team is coached by Cheryl Baker.



thE MIGht y PENS RISE AGAIN!

The annual Power of the Pen tournaments began in January and once again our mighty seventh and eighth grade writers were up for the challenge. At the first tournament, Old Trail School writers faced off against writers from 17 other schools.

Competing were seventh grade students Anna Armao, Elizabeth Dirska, Robby Gray, Trevor Lin, Hannah McKenzie and Katie Prybyla with Rachel Sachs and Niko Sawan as alternates.

The veteran eighth grade team consisted of Lauren Kolar, Julianne Lavanty, Betsy Naymon, Rylee Nelsen, Alix Prybyla and Amy Squire with Nate Hanna and Lauren Jones as alternates.

We are so proud of our students. In this tough group of 190 competitors, our results were as follows:

Seventh gradeFirst Place – Anna ArmaoSecond Place - Robby Gray

eighth grade First Place – Alix PrybylaSecond Place – Rylee NelsenFifth Place – Lauren KolarNinth Place – Betsy Naymon

Elizabeth Dirska received a “Best of Round” award and Alix Prybyla received two “Best of Round” awards.

When the competition was completed, Old Trail School eighth grade finished in first place and our seventh grade finished in third place. The teams are coached by Erik Korvne and Marilyn Wilson.

The Regional Power of the Pen competition was held at Kent State University on February 20, 2010. Old Trail School placed fourth out of all the schools and received the Sweepstakes Trophy. This is based on the total cumulative points earned for all rounds of writing at all the tournaments (districts and regionals.) Individual honors went to: Amy Squire - a Special Memorial Award for outstanding performance at the regional competition and two Best of Round stories and first place overall; Lauren Kolar - second place; Alix Prybyla - eleventh place; Betsy Naymon - twelfth place; Rylee Nelson - Best of Round story in Round One. The teams are coached by Erik Korvne and Marilyn Wilson.

Each winter, students in grades four through eight participate in the National Geographic Bee in their social studies classes. Grade level geography bee winners were determined by seven rounds of questions. Each round focused on different aspects of geography, such as U.S. geography, continents, world’s largest cities, and cultural geography. Winning the bee for the entire grade was a great accomplishment for each of the following students: Juan Pablo Ibarra (4); Annemarie Bobinsky (5), Phoebe Duckmanton (6), Matthew Wenstrup (7) and Nikhil Edward (8). These students then advanced to the school-level final round of the National Geographic Bee where Annemarie was runner up and the winner of the 2009 OTS National Geographic Bee Winner was Nikhil. As our school winner, Nikhil then took the qualifying test for the state bee. As many as 100 of the highest scoring students were then invited to represent their schools at the state bee later this spring. Congratulations again to all of these students!

whERE IN thE woRld?


SwEEt tREAtS FRoM A SwEEt AluM PARENt

hEAlthy bodIES + hEAlthy MINdS = hEAlthy StudENtS

The kindergarten classes enjoyed a sweet treat in February when alum mom Christine Granata stopped in with her cotton candy machine and taught the children how to spin the treat. Special thanks to Christine for sharing her time and talent with our children for the past 21 years. She is mom to Tony ‘97, Angelo ‘01 and Alysa ‘04.

We are as concerned about our students having healthy bodies as we are about them having healthy minds. Our food service staff has transformed traditional school lunch into a healthy, delicious and sustainable delight for our students every day. What’s NEW in the Old Trail School Dining Room this year:

• Making fresh, homemade soups daily • Using herbs grown in our organic garden in recipes (soups,

pizzas, pasta sauce) • Preparing recipes from Old Trail School’s Valley Treasures

Cookbook • Adding fresh homemade baked bread, biscuits, rolls or muffins

every day

• Serving delicious “sassy water” each day which is made by adding mint, cucumbers, limes or lemons to ice water. The mint comes from the organic garden and lemons and limes come from the Living Classroom.

• Buying eggs from a local egg supplier in Cuyahoga Valley National Park that are lower in cholesterol and high in Omega3 oils.

• Creating very specific lunch menus that are available on our website.

• Serving many locally-grown/produced products including Smucker’s Jelly

Chef Audra and our kitchen crew work hard to offer food choices that are not only tasty, but healthy. They hope that our students will want to purchase lunch because it is nourishing and delicious. Our challenge is getting students to expand their comfort zone and try new foods. In February, we began having a samples table in the dining room every other Tuesday during lunch periods for Young 5s through fifth grade students. Sometimes the items to try are simply new veggies or fruit. Other times, the kitchen staff prepares very small portions of a dish that will appear on the menu later in the week. The samples table is staffed by eighth grade volunteers that help prepare the food and are able to speak knowledgeably about why it is good to eat and good for bodies. Please encourage your children to try what is offered, and then ask them what they think. We would love to hear their/your feedback.

Check out the menu on our website (http://www.oldtrail.org/pdfs/Lunch_Menu.pdf)



wINtER SPoRtSswimmingThe middle school swim season included one of our largest swim teams in recent history. Our seventh grade class was the largest class represented, while the eighth grade class provided the most talent. Our sixth grade swimmers offer a promising future for our swim team next year. Throughout our season, our school competed against other independent as well as public schools in the northeast Ohio area. Against these teams, we competed strongly and with increasing popularity. We are looking forward to being able to compete at a higher level in upcoming years. Great job middle school swimmers! The team was coached by John Conner and Kathy Novak. Team members: Seventh grade: Sean Arnold, Tyler Dietrich , Sarah Forhan, Maxwell Forsyth, Robert Gray, Teresa Iemma, Parviz Kanga, John Krakora, Hannah McKenzie, Andrew McLaughlin, Katerina Prybyla, Matthew Remen, Rachel Sachs, Owen Shome, and Abigail Wyman. eighth grade: Alex Balli, Kallen Bowers, Taylor Chlebina, Chloe Cusimano, Jason Eulberg, Bailey Fair, Nathaniel Hanna, Jake Hochschwender and Chase Papajcik.

girls’ BasketballThe seventh grade basketball season was a great success. The girls worked incredibly hard during practices and by the end of the season they were playing at a much higher level. This hard work and determination will suit the girls well next year when they are eighth graders. The team was coached by John Conner and Melanie Patterson. Team members: Hadiyah Ahmed, Leonida Bonyo, Tess Davey, Elizabeth Dirska, Dania El-Shaar, Sarah Forhan, Jessica Huang, Teresa Iemma, Hannah McKenzie, Katerina Prybyla, Rachel Sachs, Alexis Schaeffer and Abigail Wyman.

The eighth grade basketball season finished very strong. Throughout the season our girls competed against many of the independent schools across northeast Ohio and because of their hard work in practice these girls played quite strong in their games by the end of the season. These girls served as strong role models for our younger players and should feel very proud about how they represented our school. The team was coached by John Conner and Melanie Patterson. Team members: Abigail Anacki, Helen Burgess, Taylor Chlebina, Alexandra Clarke, Chloe Cusimano, Bailey Fair, Aaina Gupta, Lauren Jones, Elizabeth Naymon, Rylee Nelsen, Alixandra Prybyla, Amy Squire and Melanie Zmuda.


Boys’ BasketballThe seventh grade basketball team was 6-3 this year. Consistent scoring from Brett Kramer, Ian Teunissen, Graeme Warner, Tyler Wasser, and Sam Woods helped the team to many victories. The team was coached by Scott Trahey. Team members: Sean Arnold, Alex Cecchini, Jeremy D’Abreau, Nick Gutlove, Brett Kramer, Andrew McLaughlin, Ankur Parikh, Justin Pelc, Kyle Scott, Ryan Stifler, Brock Sutton, Ian Teunissen, Graeme Warner, Tyler Wasser and Sam Woods.

The eighth grade boys’ basketball team had a tremendous season defeating all of their opponents except Gilmour Academy. Best of all, the team was remarkably deep. All players contributed significantly to this success throughout the season. It would have been nearly impossible for someone unfamiliar with the team to tell who the best five or six players were because different stars emerged at each game. All members of the team scored throughout the season, and were feared throughout the league for a smothering defense that yielded dozens of steals and blocked shots setting up easy fast break baskets. The team was coached by Erik Korvne. Team members: Joe Blanda, T.J. Bobinsky, Conor Burns, Andrew Domonkos, Joey Durr, Jason Eulberg, Michael Innamorato, Jack McKenzie, Chase Papajcik, Michael Papanikolaou, Nanak Saran and T.J. Tate. Jordon Marich also made the team, but was injured for the season.

Each week our doors open to many friendly visitors– some for meetings, some to inquire about admission, others to see old friends. We are proud and pleased to have guests and friends join us! As our new Harrington McLaughlin Athletic Center approaches completion this June and the plants continue to get even larger in the ever-intriguing Living Classroom, you may want to stop by for a glimpse or even a tour. Please do! We want to welcome you with open arms when you visit! You can help us serve you best by: • Letting us know you are planning to stop by - 330.666.1118. Our receptionist

will direct your call to the most appropriate person for your visit or tour. • Remembering to silence your cell phones • Being patient until your favorite faculty member is “out of class” before

you visit. • Limiting your visit to two hours. • Updating your mailing and phone information with us before you leave.

We enjoy keeping in touch with our friends. Attention alumni – we may even ask to take your picture!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

wElCoME VISItoRS!Your current mailing information is important to us. Please let us know if you have a new USPS mailing address or email address.

NEw AddRESS?

Reading about Old Trail School friends and classmates is fun for all of our alumni. The next time you take a trip, celebrate a birth in your family, get married, receive an award or degree, move to a new home, write a book, land a new job or achieve a huge accomplishment be sure to share it with us! We are happy to spread your news! Send your news and photos to [email protected] or call 330.666.1118 x 482.

ShARE youR NEwS!


aLuMNI | A n n otAt i o n s

1940s and 1950srobert ‘48 and Christine Dietrich Freitag ‘52 were honored in January with an Award of Excellence from the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association. They were nominated by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County for their volunteer work dedicated to “making a difference….and improving their community.” The couple’s volunteer work includes: Friends of Metro Parks, the Cascade Locks Park Association, Scenic Ohio, Akron Planning Commission, Cuyahoga Valley Association, League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood, Akron Art Museum, Akron Woman’s City Club, United Way, Akron Garden Club, Junior League, Old Trail School and Citizens for Metro Parks.

Mary Ann linforth ‘58 shared some memories of her time at Old Trail School, particularly what a graceful generation the 1940s and 1950s were and how the teachers were all full of manners, wisdom, and honored traditions. She remembers Mrs. King’s dancing class and Candle Light, and dances with Western Reserve Academy. Mary Ann also marveled that her granddaughters’ paper doll reproductions of her own time are now called vintage.

1960sSandy Korman Auburn ‘63 and husband, Mark, made trips to New Zealand, Australia, and China in 2009, as well as their regular stay in Puerto Rico. Sandy continues her work as a freelance grant writer.

Winkie Peterson Covintree ‘63 is retired from teaching at the Friends School in Detroit. She teaches calligraphy workshops and is a freelance artist. She lives in Michigan with her husband, George, a Methodist pastor.

Christina Carrell Nicolson ‘63 continues to teach courses and workshops for gifted and talented students in Massachusetts.

1980sAmy Hamaker Fairhurst ‘86 and husband, Greg, had a busy December as all three of their young children celebrated birthdays: son, Greyson, turned three, and twin daughters, Annabelle and Charlotte, turned one.

erin Stover Shroyer ‘86 married Bradley Shroyer in Charlotte, NC, last summer.

1990slaszlo Tomaschek ‘94 and his wife, Veronica, welcomed daughter, Isabella Maria, on November 5. Isabella was 7 pounds and 20 inches long. Susanne Tomascheck, Old Trail School Latin and Spanish teacher, is Isabella’s very proud grandmother.

Andrea barkoukis Gefteas ‘96 was married in August 2009. Several Old Trail School alums were in attendance including: lindsey Doe ‘96, Adam ringel ‘96, Dean ringel ‘00, and eric ringel ‘04. Her siblings Athan ‘94 and leah ‘00 were members of her wedding party. Andrea and husband, Greg, live in Massachusetts.

Marie Hunter ‘97 lives in Bradenton, Florida, where she is a teacher at the Manatee Palms Youth Services. She also is a jewelry maker and sells her beaded bracelets and necklaces on Etsy…a global handmade and vintage marketplace.

Sara Shalowitz ‘97 is getting married in Virginia Beach in December 2010. She works for the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and will graduate in May with a master’s degree in criminology from George Washington University.

2000sleah barkoukis ‘00 is a graduate student at Georgetown University where she is pursuing a master’s degree in conflict resolution, an area of study focusing on international conflict.

Hilary Homenko ‘00 attends Law School at Case Western Reserve University. She previously worked as a Senior Analyst for Sg2 Health Care Intelligence in Chicago.

brett lindstrom ‘00 transferred from The University of Akron to Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. He is studying graphic design and loves living in Florida.

richard Heffern ‘01 graduated in May with a degree in Finance from Ashland University and is working as a Pricing Analyst in the Defense Division of Boeing. His brother, Michael ’03, is a junior at Ashland University.

Christina Carrell Nicolson ’63 works with talented students on workshops such as Extreme Earth and Egyptian Expedition.

laszlo Tomaschek ‘94 with wife Veronica and new baby Isabella Maria.

Athan ‘94, Andrea ‘96, and leah barkoukis ‘00 at Andrea’s wedding in August.


Natalie Komrovsky ‘01 is having a great time living in New Jersey with her grandfather. She commutes to New York City where she has an internship in the education office of the International Center of Photography and works at the New York Hall of Science.

emily Clark ‘02 is a senior at Miami University where she is working on her final two required courses before graduation. She is planning a spring break trip to Panama City with some friends from her sorority, and will spend the summer searching for a job. Emily also shared that she has worn her Old Trail School sweatshirt around campus a few times and found some other alums: the fraternity brother of one of her friends and the father of a member of her marketing group…what a small world!

Parag Khandelwal ‘02 is finishing up his last semester at Northwestern and has been hired as an analyst in the investment banking division of J.P. Morgan in New York City. He continues to practice improv and sketch comedy, and has a new obsession with rock climbing. Parag tells us that he is very excited about moving to Manhattan: “With Boston, Maine and Chicago under my belt I’m pumped to try out a new city.”

Jaclyn Mure ‘04 continues to study nursing at Duquesne University, where she recently began her clinicals working in nursing homes. For spring break Jaclyn plans to head to Florida and escape the snow in Pittsburgh.

Andrew Swank ‘04 recently switched his major at Boston University from the College of Arts and Sciences to the School of Management. Andrew is a member of the BU wrestling team.

Shannon Draucker ‘05 is a freshman at Dartmouth University studying journalism and music. Congratulations to Shannon for becoming the recipient of the Cum Laude Society Paper Writing Competition for 2009. Her paper, Journalism Redefined, focused on journalism during the Vietnam War. Western Reserve Academy teachers submitted her paper for the award in the fall. In response to winning, Shannon says, “I am immensely honored to receive this award.

I have always had a passion for journalism and history and truly enjoyed bringing this paper to life. Receiving recognition from the Cum Laude Society for my research made the experience even more rewarding.”

Alex Droba ‘06 was named an Academic Knight at Archbishop Hoban High School for his excellence in scholarship, leadership, good character, Christian values, and service to the Hoban family and extended community.

blake Gross ‘06, a senior at Archbishop Hoban High School, was chosen as the sound designer/technician for the Ohio Educational Theater Association’s All-Ohio production Indian Blood. This will be performed at the state conference at Ashland University in March.

Ceara o’Sullivan ‘06 received Western Reserve Academy’s (WRA) Gold Medal at the fall athletic awards ceremony. This award is presented to a senior who dominates in his or her sport, receives recognition from outside the school community, serves as a positive role model, and shows commitment to WRA on and off the field. As a senior cross country runner, Ceara was ranked 208th fastest out of more than 5,000 varsity runners in Ohio, earned her the fourth team MVP award, was WRA’s only first team honoree in the Private School League, and was the fourth fastest cross country runner in the school’s history.

lesley Wellener ‘07 wrote to tell us about her very eventful junior year at Hathaway Brown. She is the online editor of the school’s newspaper, captain of the Varsity B Tennis Team, and started an exchange student/travel abroad club called Globetrotters. During the second semester Lesley is attending the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., a program that focuses on politics, business, foreign relations, language, and ethics.

lauren J. young ‘08 tells us that she is very proud to be at Our Lady of the Elms. As a junior she was first singles on the Varsity tennis team, and hopes to work in journalism for either a fashion or auto magazine. She is also a huge Cleveland Cavaliers fan.

Several Old Trail School alums were honored at Western Reserve Academy’s fall Athletic Awards Ceremony in November. In girls’ field hockey Jennifer blanda ‘07 was named All Northeast Ohio League First Team, Alex eliopoulos ‘08 All Northeast Ohio League Second Team, Allison Forhan ‘08 All Northeast Ohio League Honorable Mention and the Coaches Award was presented to lauren Wyman ‘06. In girls’ tennis Anne Forhan ‘06 was chosen Most Valuable Player and Carley Stewart ‘07 received the Coaches/Spirit Award.

Shannon Draucker ‘05 was the recipient of the Cum Laude Society Paper Writing Competition for 2009.

Once again this winter, 1958 classmates and their husbands got together in Fort Myers, Florida: (L to R) roberta Foot Jackson and Ed, Sarah Mabry o’reilly and BG, and Nancy Smith Carlson and Walt.

thANkSGIVING EVE AluMNI GAthERING

It has become tradition to invite our college-age (and a bit older) alumni to get together on Thanksgiving Eve. In past years we’ve had our party at an Akron-area restaurant or country club. This past November, thanks to a request from attendees at the 2008 gathering, we gathered at Old Trail School! For many, this was the first time seeing the Living Classroom, the Harrington Science Center and the expanded first grade classrooms. They flipped over the great additions!

Members of the Class of 2001 gathered around Otis and Ira at the Thanksgiving Eve Alumni

Gathering.

More than 30 alums attended the gathering. They all looked great and very happy. The Class of 2001 won a little prize for having the most classmates in attendance – they have a noticeable bond with each other!

list of Attendees:

Class of ‘98: Matt LaWell and Kevin Murphy.

Class of ‘99: Ally Goldsmith Tatlow, Alumni Council President

Class of ‘01: Evan Caruso, Rachel Dubin, Nate Forde, David Francus, Aalia Haque, Tom Klein, Natalie Komrovsky, Meredith Lowry, Kolton Morrison, Jenna Peskin, Alyssa Ramsey, Shannon Rice, Tiffany Villalba and Gabrielle Vojtech.

Class of ‘02: Frank Forde, Rebecca Francus, Victoria Goldsmith, Keira Williams, Mitch Dorfman, Andrew Francus, Elena Fox, Hannah Henschen, Sophie Hicks and Jaclyn Mure.

Class of ‘05: Alexa Deininger, Danielle Dorfman, Catherine Douglas, Gabe Henschen, Meghan Murphy, Haley Preston, Amanda Shaw and Sarah Wise.

M AkING hEAlthy ChoICES

For the third straight year, a group of alumni returned to campus to interact with our students. In early January, six college-age alums were panelists for one of the Healthy Choices sessions. The program runs from January through May and is made up of a series of guided discussions and informational sessions. It is designed to help our eighth graders make good choices as they move on to high school.

The alums responded to questions from the eighth graders on the topics of relationships, drugs and alcohol in high school and college. There were also several questions about handling academic pressure and choosing schools.

The panelists worked very well together as they offered personal experiences and advice to the class of 2010, sharing their past experiences remembering how it felt to be new students in high school and college.

The panelists included L-R:Kate Hlavin ‘02 - senior, Mt. Union CollegePiper beckwith Collings ‘02 - senior, Kenyon CollegeHaley Preston ‘05 - freshman, St. Lawrence Universityelena Fox ‘04 - sophomore, Kent State UniversityClifford Kocian ‘03 - junior, Wabash CollegerJ Assaly ‘04 - sophomore, Columbia University


aLuMNI | ne w s


M AkING thEIR dEbut

Old Trail School alums from the class of 2005 were presented as part of the annual Akron Children’s Hospital Charity Ball in December. The event is a significant fundraiser for the hospital and also recognizes volunteer contributions of the parents and grandparents of the debutantes. Money raised supports the hospital’s medical programs and services.

Old Trail School - Celebrating 90 Years of Inspiring Students

1930

19501940

1975

1960

20001985

19351970

1955

1980 19451990

1965

1990

Time to gather with your classmates and friends!

Old Trail SchOOlAlumni ReunionSaturday, October 16, 2010

Questions? Contact Viki Henschen, [email protected] or 330.666.1118 x482

Shown from left to right: Julie Berk, Lane Hochschwender, Haley Preston and Sarah Wise


“Education is our number one priority

and making sure Old Trail School has

the resources to provide the best

programs for our children is critical.

A successful Annual Fund Campaign

ensures that the operating budget can

pay for the programs. It’s that simple.”

– BRAD BOweRS

Brad, father of Kallen ‘10, Ben ‘11 and Natalie ’15, is serving as Chair of the Annual Fund for the second consecutive year. He and his team of spirited volunteers have been hard at work this fall and winter asking donors to support the mission of the School by contributing to the ever-important Annual Fund. Thanks to many loyal and new donors for generously giving!

Adding an energizing boost to this year’s Annual Fund was a challenge offered by David and Susan Banks, grandparents of the Malen brothers: Michael ‘13, Preston ‘16 and Charlie ‘20. In November, their challenge was announced to all grandparents. David and Susan matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 every new and increased gift or pledge made by grandparents to the Annual Fund by December 31, 2009. The challenge was successful and more than $50,000 was added to the fund. The funds raised support the performing and visual arts departments. A million thanks to David and Susan and all the challenge participants!

Our Annual Fund is built on the premise that all of us working together can create more possibilities for our children. Your contribution is important! Make your gift today – visit oldtrail.org and click Supporting OTS or use the enclosed envelope.

ANNuAl FuNd NEARS 90%

Join us for the

19th annual Old Trail School

Golf Outing

May 24, 2010 • Firestone Country ClubSponsorships available – Invitations are on the way!

For more information, contact Bonnie Childs ([email protected] or 330.666.1118 x307)


Joan Albright passed away on January 22 in Fairlawn. She was the wife of John Albright, a member of the Old Trail School maintenance and transportation departments from 1989-2004.

Anne Gaffney, grandmother of Colin ‘14, passed away in January in Akron.

vivian Carli Kistler passed away on January 6 in Akron. She was the mother of laine vereecken, Old Trail School second grade teacher.

June Hazlett, grandmother of Kyle ‘08, Kasey ‘12 and Kari beaver ‘15, died in October.

Dennis v. Holsinger passed away on December 22 in Wadsworth. He was the father-in-law of lori Pritchard Holsinger ‘79 and grandfather of Austin ‘10.

Gene Kale, grandfather of logan Snell ‘14, passed away in December.

Jody lynn lowry, mother of Marisa ‘98 and Meredith ‘01 died on December 25 in Akron.

betty M. McGettrick died on November 6. She was the mother of JoAnn Alexander, former Old Trail School Trustee and past Parents’ Association president, and grandmother of leigh ‘07.

rosemarie “rosie” o’Neill, mother of Old Trail School first grade teacher laura Dagilis, passed away on November 28 in Akron.

Helen rabb Paige ‘53, sister of Stephanie rabb Axner ‘56 died on November 7 in Akron.

Mignon Steere, mother of brock ‘93 and brian ‘95, passed away on February 11 in Akron.

richard Murray Stewart, grandfather of lindsey ‘99, Hailey ‘02 and Carley ‘07, passed away on November 3 in Fairlawn.

IN MEMoRIA M

In Honor of Mr. and Mrs. George KleinThe Ron Allen Family

In Memory of Kathleen WhitmerMs. Elizabeth Wharton Bailey

In Memory of Sue PavloffClass of 2009

In Memory of Brian GiancarliMr. James B. Cole

In Honor of John FarberMr. and Mrs. Thomas Deveny III

In Honor of Emily VoughtMs. Gerry Imai

In Memory of Darwin FarberAmy L. SquireMr. and Mrs. Terry Squire

In Memory of Helen Tomkinson JeterMrs. Anne M. Taylor

MEMoRIAl ANd tRIbutE GIFtSGIFtS RECEIVEd 10/19/09 – 1/13/10

FRIENdSScott and Jessica Trahey welcomed son, William John, born 8.9 pounds and 21 inches long, on January 22. Scott is a physical and health education teacher at Old Trail School.

David Graham, Old Trail School Housekeeping Supervisor, has a second grandchild! Claire Abbigail was born March 1 at 4:05 p.m., 7 lbs. 2 oz., 19 inches long.

2315 Ir a roadP.o. Box 827Bath, oh 4 4210 - 0827tel : 330.666 .1118Fa x: 330.666 . 2187

w w w.oldtr ail .org

Special thanks to printing sponsor Avanti Corporation

old trail school magazine - spring 2010

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