spring bulletin 2009
DESCRIPTION
Spring Bulletin for alumni, parents, and friends of The Park School.TRANSCRIPT
Board of Trustees 2008–09
Officers
Kevin J. Maroni ChairPaula A. Johnson Vice ChairRichard Banks ’74 SecretaryLisa Black Franks ’78 Treasurer
Marcus CherryTeresa ChopeJohn ConnaughtonWilliam B. DruckerRichard EdieAbigail JohnsonBrian KavoogianWilliam H. KremerMartin J. MannionAnne MarcusStuart MathewsAmy Lloyd McCarthy ’86Pamela McLaurinNicole MurrayHappy RoweCarmel ShieldsGarrett Solomon ’86Harold SparrowSuzie TapsonLanny Thorndike ’81Ralph Wales
Ex Officio
Jerrold I. KatzHead of School
Cynthia A. HarmonAssistant Head for Program & ProfessionalDevelopment
Jane H. CarneyAssistant Head for Finance & Operations
Board Chairs Emeriti
Kennett F. BurnesDavid D. CrollCharles C. Cunningham, Jr.George P. Denny IIIDavid G. FubiniM. Dozier GardnerJohn L. Hall IIJ. Michael MaynardAnne Worthington PrescottDeborah Jackson Weiss
Headmaster Emeritus
Robert S. Hurlbut, Jr.
Alumni Committee 2008–09
Minnie Ames ’86 Co-ChairAli Epker Ruch ’89 Co-Chair
John Barkan ’85Peter Barkan ’86Bob Bray ’53Lisa Amick DiAdamo ’86Mark Epker ’86Rachel Levine Foley ’85Abigail Ross Goodman ’91Anne Collins Goodyear ’84Jennifer Segal Herman ’82Jeffrey Jackson ’95Julia Lloyd Johannsen ’93Greg Kadetsky ’96Richard Knapp ’90Amy Lampert ’63Abbott Lawrence ’85Nia Lutch ’97Melissa Daniels Madden ’85Allison Morse ’89Chip Pierce ’81Meredith Ross ’86Jordan Scott ’89Rebecca Lewin Scott ’89Garrett Solomon ’86Anna Sullivan ’95Kathrene Tiffany ’96Eve Wadsworth ’95Diana Walcott ’85Phoebe Gallagher Winder ’84
Park is a coeducational school thatadmits qualified students withoutregard to race, religion, nationalorigin, disabilities, sexual orientation,or family composition. Our educa-tional policies, financial aid, andother school-sponsored programsare administered in a nondiscrimina-tory manner in conformance withapplicable law.
Cover art:
In Dr. Chris Hartmann’s seventh grade
pre-algebra class, students investigate
2-dimensional geometry on graph paper
and in the computer lab using a software
program called The Geometer’s Sketchpad.
As a concluding project for this unit,
seventh graders create tessellations from
squares and rhombuses. A tessellation
“covers a plain surface by repeated use
of a single shape, without gaps or
overlapping.”
This stylized butterfly pattern is based on
a design created by Carina Young ’10. To
create their tessellations, the students
begin with a rhombus or a square, then
take away a piece of the original shape
(in this case, a triangle) and add that same
piece somewhere else. The yellow line
indicates the original square; the grey indi-
cates the triangles Carina removed; and
the pink triangles outside the perimeter of
the square are what she added to create
the butterfly.
In this issue:
2 Letter from the Head of School
There’s something happening here.
4 Ren-dezvous with Humanity
by David Perry, Social Studies Department Chair
9 An Angle on Park’s Math Curriculum
by Kate LaPine
16 Alumni Profiles in Math
Colin Arnold ’99Ali Burnes Balster ’90Alex Kehlenbeck ’98Yrinee Michaelidis ’00Tina McVeigh ’74Jonathan M. Richardson ’76Betsy Walcott ’81
30 Alumni Notes
48 Foundations for the Future capital campaign
Forging Ahead, Because We Must!
The Park SchoolSpring Bulletin 2009
EditorKate LaPine
Assisted by Liz Ballard andEliza Drachman-Jones ’98
DesignIrene Chu
PhotographyAlycia Braga PhotographyEliza Drachman-Jones ’98Flo FarrellTom Kates ’84Kate LaPineDavide PerryJohn Rick
PrintingJaguar Press
The Bulletin is published twice yearlyfor the alumni, parents, and friends ofThe Park School. We welcome yourcomments and ideas.
The Park School171 Goddard AvenueBrookline, Massachusetts 02445
To contact the Bulletin:Kate LaPineDirector of [email protected]
To report alumni news:Eliza Drachman-Jones ’98Director of Alumni [email protected]
To support Park:Rob CrawfordDirector of [email protected]
To report address changes:Sarah BragaDevelopment Office [email protected]
hese words from a song by BuffaloSpringfield were an anthem of sortsfor many of us who grew up in the
confusing swirl of events of the late 1960sassociated with the Vietnam War.
We are now challenged by a new kindof uncertainty that is particularly foreignto the usually predictable world of inde-pendent schools. How will the currentglobal economic crisis affect Park School?How will it affect our lives and the livesof our children?
Independent schools educate just a littleover one percent of the children in thiscountry. Is the financial model that hassustained them in the past still going towork in the future? In 2008–09, Park isrecognized as a leader in program quality,in faculty compensation, in support forour teachers’ continuing professionaldevelopment, and in ensuring that all ofour students are growing up as membersof an economically diverse community.Over the past fifteen years, in particular,this growth has been facilitated by arapidly growing annual fund, net revenuefrom expanded summer programs, and theearnings generated by a steadily growingendowment. During the current schoolyear, approximately 25 percent of our$16.8 million operating budget is derivedfrom sources other than tuition.
Thanks to good management and goodtiming, we at Park have not yet felt all ofthe effects of the recession that are beingexperienced by some of our peer schools.We began this school year with a major
construction/renovation project fullyfunded and complete. Our endowment—which was valued at about $38 millionon June 30, 2008—has been investedconservatively, so that our loss of about28%, while awful, is not catastrophic.Demand for admission remains extremelystrong (392 applications this year for58 available seats). We have an extraordi-narily talented and dedicated faculty andstaff. Our school will open in 2009–10with no changes in program or servicesto students.
So, how has Park been affected by thecurrent economic downturn? Three majorareas stand out for me.
First, we are seeing a significant increase inrequests for financial aid from continuingfamilies. As Park’s Board of Trusteesdeveloped the School’s operating budgetfor the upcoming academic year, theyvoted a commitment to meeting the docu-mented needs of continuing families first,before extending financial aid to newlyadmitted students this spring. To meet theexpected “new” need, the financial aidbudget was increased by 7.5 percent to$2,253,000. It appears, as of this writing,that approximately twenty students whosefamilies are paying full tuition in 2008–09will be eligible for some financial aid in2009–10. Next year, 130 children (23.6percent of the student body, up from 22.1percent this year) will receive financialassistance from the School. As we moveforward in working with current families,what we can commit to each and everyPark parent is that his or her individual
There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.
2 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
T
A L E T T E R T O T H E P A R K C O M M U N I T Y
story will be listened to and consideredcarefully, that we will offer available aidbased on a consistent formula, and thatthose facing changing circumstances willhave their privacy respected by thoseof us charged with managing the financialaid process.
Second, Park’s Administration and Boardof Trustees will work together over themonths ahead to proactively and thought-fully develop a new financial model forthe School. We must be prepared for arange of possible scenarios as we lookbeyond the 2009–10 academic year.Already, we have imposed a moratoriumon new capital projects and we havefrozen many operating expenses for theupcoming school year at 2008–09 levels.We will plan for uncertainty by carefullyexamining additional sources of revenueand potential reductions in expenses. Wecan commit to every member of the Parkcommunity that we will remain mission-focused. Our priority will be to protectprograms and services that are central tothe experience of students across GradesPre-Kindergarten through IX.
Third, the pervasive mindset of anxietyis finding its way into conversationsamong teachers, parents, and alumni.Something is happening here. What it is ain’texactly clear. If I call a special faculty meet-ing, some teachers immediately assumethat it is to announce a reduction in posi-tions. Growing numbers of parents havebegun to express anxiety about signingtheir children’s enrollment contracts,knowing that they are not eligible for aid
now, but worrying about whether theywill remain in a position to meet theirobligations over the course of the entireupcoming school year. People at Park—like everywhere else—are anxious anduneasy. Yet we have great strengths todraw upon as a community as we createthe future at Park School.
As head of school, I recognize the chal-lenge of leadership in times like these. Iam committed to continuing to articulatethe importance of our mission, to plan-ning thoughtfully, to sharing timely, accu-rate information with all who might beaffected by the hard choices that may lieahead, and to staying focused on the corevalues of simplicity and sincerity thathave long been at the center of the Parkcommunity.
Thank you for your confidence and yourongoing support for Park.
Jerrold I. KatzHead of School
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 3
4 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
ongzi, known to most of us here inthe West as Confucius (551-479
B.C.E.), espoused the importance of thevirtue of ren, translated by most sources asmeaning “humanity.” The word “human-ity,” of course, carries a few meanings.Among these are “human beings” and“humaneness.” Most sources I haveencountered interpret this latter definitionas meaning “compassion,” both toward allof humanity and to nature as well. As asocial studies teacher, I harbor a lifelongfascination with and passion for seeking adeeper and broader understanding ofhumanity. What I think I have learnedover the years has, I believe, led me, mostof the time, to view humanity with greaterhumanity.
I have taught social studies at Park for22 years. For all but a few of those years, Ihave taught Park’s Grade VIII studentsabout China. In April 2008, I embarkedon a two-week study tour to China(Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Souzhou, andthe areas surrounding these cities) withnineteen teachers and tour leaders. This,my first trip to China, was offered andorganized by Primary Source, an organiza-tion that specializes in professional devel-opment for teachers. Their motto is“educating for global understanding,” andthat is, indeed, what they do, throughcourses and study tours focusing on thecultures and histories of east and southeastAsia, Africa, Latin America, the MiddleEast, and the United States. As my keeninterest in China’s history and culture goesback even further than my time at Park, itthrilled me deeply to have had a chance tovisit, in person, this land and people thathave drawn my interest for so long.
In Park’s Upper Division, we, too, edu-cate “for global understanding” throughour social studies program, focusing ourcurricula on Africa, the United States,China and Asia, and Europe in Grades VI,VII, VIII, and IX, respectively. Amongother age-appropriate, educational goals,we seek to cultivate in our students aglobal perspective and to promote theunderstanding that, as anthropologistWade Davis put it, “other cultures are notfailed attempts at being you. They areunique manifestations of the humanspirit.” Or, as Kongzi could have put it, we
by David PerrySocial Studies Department Chair (1987– )
K
Ren-dezvouswith
Humanity
Park encourages its faculty to pursue a wide rangeof opportunities for continuing education. The professionaldevelopment budget provides funding for classes, workshops,
conferences, and at times, special study tours.
Crossing Beijing’s Tiananmen Square approaching the Meridian Gate, an entrance to theForbidden City, the home of China’s emperors for 500 years
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 5
aim to have our students strive to bepeople of ren—humane, compassionate,knowledgeable, and wise human beings—and to value these virtues in themselvesand in others.
From the moment I met my tour groupat Logan Airport, to our arrival back inBoston sixteen days later, I felt myself tobe a sailor of sorts on a vast sea of human-ity— in both senses of the word. In thefirst sense, human beings, I experiencedhumanity writ large, as China’s populationof 1.3 billion people. My experientialunderstanding of this number grew andpersisted throughout my time in theMiddle Kingdom. In the second (but by nomeans secondary) meaning—humaneness—I experienced humanity writ intimately,as in a family of three sharing life’s journeytogether and sharing of themselves with astranger from another culture. Over thecourse of my brief time in China, throughall of the historical sites, delicious meals,and my feeble attempts at speaking Man-darin, it was the presence of people that,like the air and the weather, were atmos-pheric and perpetual.
I am, in many ways, a country boy atheart. I cherish open spaces—mountains,lakes, rivers, deserts, oceans, beaches, anddeep woods—places where there are fewother humans and where nature dominatesand permeates my experiences in theseplaces. Those who know me know thattime in wild places feeds my soul in impor-
tant ways. I live and work in a vibrant,seemingly densely populated part of a vastnation of 300 million people. This canmake carving out time by myself in naturechallenging, but I have a lot of experiencein overcoming these challenges in my homelandscape. Nothing in my experiences withboth solitude and society, however, hadprepared me for the human reality, theocean of humanity that is urban easternand northern China. Throughout most ofmy travels there, I confronted, that is cameface-to-face with the number—1.3 billion—that is China’s population. We Americansencounter that statistic frequently. Butwhat does this number mean? One answeris that about one out of every five humanbeings on the planet is Chinese. But whatdoes that mean? I’m not sure that I know,but I try and imagine this to help. I imag-
ine that everywhere I encounter other peo-ple—driving to work, teaching my classesat Park, sitting in a faculty meeting, ridingthe “T,” sauntering through my neighbor-hood in Millis or walking along the streetsof Boston—I try to imagine four timesthe number of people. This gives me sixtystudents in a class instead of fifteen, amuch longer commute to work, etc. As itturns out, at least from what I learned inmy travels, this is a fairly accurate measureof things. James, my host for an overnightstay in Xi’an, teaches at an elite middleschool in Xi’an. He has sixty students ineach of his two classes. These numberswere also in evidence at the other schoolsthat our group visited and at almost everystop along the way.
Even the city of Xi’an itself, describedby our tour guide as a medium-sized citywith a small feeling, has eight millionpeople. Once China’s ancient capital, mod-ern Xi’an’s pedestrian and motor traffichad grown so thick in the city that under-ground walkways were built to handle theflow of foot traffic without impeding themovement of motor vehicles and bicycles.I found this tunnel system most effectivefor getting around near our hotel. I couldeasily travel through these walkways to agiant shopping mall, a Starbucks Coffeeshop, the historic Muslim quarter, and adelightful urban park. And I was mostgrateful that the exit signs off of the mainsubterranean path were written in both
The Imperial Vault of Heaven in BeijingMorning exercises for students at the Dandelion School, an independent schoolfor the children of migrant workers in Beijing
At Park, we aim to have our students
strive to be people of ren—
humane, compassionate, knowledgeable,
and wise human beings—
and to value these virtues in
themselves and in others.
6 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
The Bell Tower in Xi’an’s city center, as seen from my hotel room window
Mandarin and English. In my time travel-ing them, these wide passageways (a littlewider than the width of a two-way street),were always traveled by many people.
One way that this scale of humanityhas influenced my thinking is in wonderinghow the Chinese government evenapproaches doing its part to help meet theneeds of that many people in terms ofsocial services, infrastructure, healthcare, orfood. I don’t have an answer to that ques-tion, but I was most impressed by the factthat, in my experience with domestic trainand air travel in China, everything wasclean, efficient, comfortable, and on time.We can’t seem to manage that here withone-quarter the number of people. ButChina has had lots of experience withmanaging things in a large nation (as wellas a lot of experience with large-scalefamine and civil war). The last time thatChina’s population was the same as thecurrent population of the United Stateswas around 1800.
Now, my experience with transporta-tion in China was limited, and, to be fair,the traffic jams that we sat in on our tourbus in Beijing made Boston traffic seemlike a drive in the country. And that auto-motive snarl came with only a small per-centage of Chinese people owning cars.But here, too, the daunting human mathcomes back to my mind, as even a smallpercentage of 1.3 billion is an awful lot ofcars— too many for Beijing’s roadways
to handle smoothly, or to make its carbonfootprint sustainable.
China’s environmental issues remindme of another memorable issue of my timein Zhongguo (the “Middle Kingdom,”China’s name for China). While there, Ibecame increasingly aware of the subtleways that our own media shape our percep-tions of China in negative ways—not bylying, but by leaving out some seeminglyimportant pieces of information. Forexample, the fact of China’s damagingenvironmental impact is frequentlyreported in American media, and I sawevidence of this in my travels. In additionto the sharp rise in automobile (and busand truck) use, and the inevitable air pollu-tion that literally follows this use, perhapsthe most damaging fact is that China gen-erates most of its electricity for its 1.3 bil-lion people (there’s that number again. . .)by burning coal—and not in “clean coal”
The Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section, about 80 km north of Beijing
While China is far from making
its carbon footprint sustainable. . .
I also saw some wonderful
“green” initiatives, too.
plants. But what I also saw were somewonderful “green” initiatives, too. For one,China and the Chinese seem to recycleeverything—paper, plastic, glass, metal, etc.Even in large cites, I saw ubiquitous,clearly-labeled, well-maintained bins forpeople to place recyclables in, and I alsosaw people using these bins. I also began tonotice, during those long forays in traffic,objects on most high-rise rooftops thatlooked like barrels perched atop some sortof slanted flat panel. I asked about themand learned that they are water tanks andsolar collectors, and I also learned that thatis how most people living in those high-rises heated their water. And yet, even withthese impressive initiatives that China’speople seem to have embraced wholeheart-edly, my thinking drifts back to that num-ber, that 1.3 billion who, even with the bestecological practices, will, no doubt make adeleterious impact on the Zhongguo.
To say the least, China, as a nation,faces many challenges domestically in theyears ahead. But what is life like for indi-vidual Chinese? Of course, I cannot answerthat question definitively, but I can relatewhat I experienced with the family that Istayed with overnight in their home on theoutskirts of Xi’an. My experience with myhost family will stay with me for a longtime. Here I was, a stranger from the otherside of the world, and my hosts welcomedme as though I was a family member thatthey had never met. “James” (my host’s
Magnificent dumpling feast at a Xi’an restaurant famous for its dozens ofvarieties of dumplings, including a dark, walnut shaped one made from walnutflour and filled with walnut filling
A dumpling-folding lesson with “Jerry” at his family’s home in Xi’an
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 7
James had originally planned for all ofus to hike up a small mountain about ahalf-hour drive outside of Xi’an—but thesteady rain foiled that plan. Once I con-vinced James that I didn’t mind the rain,the two of us headed out for a walk. Wewent through the old village gate to wherethe paved road ended and a steep, down-ward-sloping dirt road led to a brand new,multi-lane road and a paved, modern parkby the Chan River. The rain had turnedthe dirt road to a slick and sticky mud andclay mix that clung to the bottoms of ourshoes in slabs. I began to understand, per-haps, how those beautiful Neolithic potswere made at Banpo (an important archeo-logical site that Park’s Grade VIII learnabout and that my tour group visited) just afew miles downstream from where we were.James remarked that having the earth ofsuch an ancient village on one’s shoes was agood omen.
We made it to the river without acomplete mud bath. Once there, wetromped happily along the river on a dirttrail, eventually circling back to James’shome by way of the busy main street ofShihlibo, a section of Xi’an that few touristsvisit. The sight of this white man walkingalong its main street drew many startled,lengthy stares. I grew concerned, at onepoint, for the safety of a couple of bicyclistswho, while gazing with puzzled fascinationat the apparently bizarre sight of me,appeared headed for a collision with a
parked truck. Fortunately for them, theyaverted their gazes and their bikes just intime to avoid crashing.
As James and I walked, our conversa-tion ranged from our shared love of hikingin mountains to contemporary Chinesereligion, to Chinese and American educa-tion, to sharing English and Chinese wordsfor things (for example, I learned that mydaughter’s name in Chinese is “Liao Shu”).Two-and-a-half hours after we had begun,we had made a circle and found our wayback to James’s home. And we had bothfound a friend in a former stranger fromthe other side of the world.
Back at James’s family’s cozy home, Ilearned that we would be making dump-lings for dinner. Alice had prepared the fill-ing (ground pork, Chinese cabbage, andseasoning) and the dough. And together,James, Jerry, and I rolled the dumplingsinto a couple of shapes. I, of course, neededa lesson from James and pointers fromJerry to get the hang of rolling a gooddumpling. Usually, two of us would roll thedumplings while the third would take a pic-ture of us rolling the dumplings. We made afew dozen dumplings, using all of the fillingand almost all of the dough. They would beour main course for dinner.
As I later learned, our meal togetherwas a typical northern Chinese meal.We dined in my host family’s living room(traditionally, kitchens are not used fordining in China, and dining rooms gener-
English name), his wife “Alice,” and theirseven-year-old son “Jerry” live in an apart-ment which they own on the eighth floorof a building that is part of a cluster ofbuildings that form a twenty-first centuryChinese village. This complex of high-risehouses is the contemporary home of anancient village called Li Jiao Bu, which ispart of an outlying section of Xi’an calledShihlibo.
David Perry, “Jerry,” and “Alice” with the BellTower in the background
“James” with his American guest and new friend, David Perry
ally do not exist in Chinese homes), and weenjoyed a cornicopic cold appetizer courseof grape tomatoes, cucumber, Chinesebroccoli and soybeans, cold roastedchicken, cold, cooked, marinated pork, anda plum dipping sauce. This feast-in-itselfwas followed by our dumplings, and we atealmost all of them. The entire meal was—as was almost everything that I ate while inChina—delicious!
Following dinner, James and I drankseveral toasts together— to friendship, ourtime learning from each other, to family—with Chinese-made red wine. Traditionally,toasts in China are made with a potent ricebrew that westerners historically have diffi-culty digesting. And the northern Chinese,in my experience, love to make and drinktoasts. So James, perhaps in deference tomy delicate western digestive system,insisted that we toast with red wine, whichis gaining popularity among Chinese, espe-cially in cities. As we sipped our wine,James, Alice, Jerry, and I shared pho-tographs of our families and extended fam-ilies, and we took photographs of oneanother to remember our time together.An awkward moment surfaced when, insharing pictures of my children, it occurredto my hosts that I had both a son and adaughter— two children. I saw a look ofsad longing cross the faces of Alice andJames, and James explained that theyyearned to have a larger family, but they
were limited by China’s one-child policy.James studied the pictures of my childreneven more intently at that point, andimpressed upon me how lucky I am to havemy family. Hearing his wise words, I feltmy own pangs of longing, longing to holdmy children, and deep gratitude for myfamily and the role that they, especiallymy wife, Beth, played in making it possiblefor me to travel to China. No words wereneeded for us all to understand the powerof those moments and how sharing thembrought we former strangers closertogether. James and I silently and simulta-neously looked at each other and lifted ourglasses together in one more toast.
“We” cleared our dinner dishes.Actually, my hosts cleaned up as my offer tohelp was firmly refused, and I knew not toargue this. I then presented my hosts withgifts to thank them for welcoming me intotheir home. I feel safe in concluding thatRed Sox Nation now has one more outpost,in Xi’an, as Jerry did not take off the hatthat I gave him for the remainder of myvisit. Alice then gave me a couple of hand-made (by her sister) stuffed animals tobring to my children. We all thanked eachother repeatedly, and then settled in forlots of laughter at the movie Shaolin Soccer. Ididn’t need a translation to understand theuniversal language of slapstick. After thefilm, we all got ready for bed. Jerry, for thatnight, would sleep in his parents’ room, as
he had given me his room to stay in. It hadbeen a long, whirlwind of a day. Monthslater, I am still absorbing all that it held. Islept well.
In the morning, we enjoyed a lightbreakfast of steamed buns filled with meatand vegetables, soymilk, and hot tea. I tooka brief, delightful, solar-heated hot shower,dressed, and packed up my belongings.James had called us a taxi, and we headedinto the center of Xi’an (where my group’shotel was). We had some time before I hadto meet my tour and say goodbye to myhost family. I introduced them to Starbuckscoffee, and they showed me around a beau-tiful park in the center of Xi’an. We tooksome more photographs, and Jerry contin-ued to wear his Red Sox cap proudly. Atlast, we meandered our way back to myhotel to say goodbye. Our farewell filled usall with sadness at parting so soon, joy tohave found friendship in one another, andgratitude for our time together.
Confucius once advised, “Behavetoward everyone as if you were receivingan important guest.” The old masterwould have been pleased with and proudof the hospitality that I received fromJames, Alice, and Jerry. So far from myhome, they made me feel completelywelcome and at home, an important guestof the Middle Kingdom.
8 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
A musical welcome at Pangliu Village school, outside of Xi’an
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 9
An Angle onPark’s Math Curriculum
by Kate LaPine
SAMPLEPROBLEMS
?Curious to see how your
math education compares to
Park’s? Here are some
geometry problems for you
to try—don’t worry, we
won’t grade your answers or
ask to see your work!
Do you credit Park with teaching you the three “R’s”? In thisissue of The Park School Bulletin, we take a look at ’Rithmetic.In 2009, students learn much more than this elementary formof mathematics, which modern teachers would call Number.Try a few of the problems and see how you do!
We are also pleased to present profiles of several Park Schoolalumni who continue to use mathematics in their daily work—a range of engineering to neuroscience, public health to para-medicine.
10 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Grades K–2: Up, Up and Away
Children will compare distances, measure dis-tances using non standard or standard units, useangle measures, and collect, organize, analyze,and interpret data.
Materials:
• Two rubber band rocket launchersEach launcher can be made using a protrac-tor and a ruler. The ruler is taped tothe protractor at the given angle so that thecentimeter side of the ruler is on the bottomedge and forms one side of the angle. Theruler should be taped to the protractor insuch a way that the straight edge of the pro-tractor may be held flat against the floor.The rubber band is then wrapped around theend of the ruler and stretched along the cen-timeter side to span the designated centime-ter measure in preparation for launch.
• Sets of rubber bands in various lengths andthicknesses
• Measuring stick or tape (standard units)
• Popsicle sticks or uniform lengths of string(nonstandard units)
Keep tract of results as you do the following:1. Decide on how to measure how far therubber band goes.
2. Decide how much “thrust.”3. Decide thickness and length of rubber band
You can do some trials to determine the aboveand then run some trials changing the angle ofthe launcher. What gets the best results? Howare the launch results the same? How are thelaunch results different? What might lead tothese differences?
P R O B L E M
2
RUBBER BAND ROCKETSHow can we make a rubber band flylike a rocket?
In this investigation, children will use
rubber bands to explore how changing
a variable affects the distance the
rubber band rockets travel. K–2 stu-
dents can use 30- and 60-degree angles
and compare. Children in grades 3–5
can choose the launch angles that they
wish to investigate and will make their
own launchers. Practice “shooting”
rubber bands with their fingers as well
as experimenting with other ways to
“shoot” the rubber bands.
Answer:Aparallelogramisaquadrilateral(4sidedfigure)withoppositesidesparallel.Asquareisaparallelogramwith4equalsidesand4rightangles.Arhombusisaparallelogramwith4equalsidesandequaloppositeangles.
Thus,SQUARE=RHOMBUS=EQUILATERALQUADRILATERAL=PARALLELOGRAM
Samantha says this figure is called a rhom-
bus. Felix says it is called a square. Josh
says it is a parallelogram. Can they all be
right? How is that possible? Explain.
P R O B L E M
1
Geometry. Does the word bring back memories (or nightmares!)
of proving postulates? Remember lines, planes, proofs, congruence, similarity, paral-
lels, perpendiculars, area, circles, polygons, and coordinates? Park’s ninth graders
study all of this and more in a rigorous, traditional high-school level geometry class.
What kind of preparation do Park students receive before proving theorems?
Well, they have had A LOT of practice by the time they open their Geometry for
Enjoyment and Challenge textbooks! Beginning in Kindergarten, each student
spends at least an hour a day on mathematics. “That much time affords in-depth,
substantive study of the topic, with more time to work on problems. We expect
more from children than we used to, but it’s more than that. Students are given time
to learn and understand, not just memorize the procedures,” explains Katrina Mills,
Park’s Math Specialist for Grades K-V.
It turns out that math teachers nation-wide have revamped their approach
to teaching mathematics. In 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
(NCTM) released an important paper called “Curriculum and Evaluation Standards
for School Mathematics,” which put forth many recommendations for improving
the quality of mathematics education in grades K-12. The paper underscored the
need for all students—not just the talented ones—to be exposed to the richness
of the full range of mathematics: Number & Operations, Geometry & Measurement,
Patterns & Functions, and Data Analysis & Probability.
The NCTM envisioned mathematically literate students who are confident in
their ability to do mathematics; who know a variety of techniques to approach and
to work on problems; and who are able to communicate and to reason mathemat-
ically. Based on the recommendations set forth by the Standards, several new math
curricula were developed. “This paper marked a real change in pedagogy and a
content shift as well,” says Katrina. The Council recommended increasing emphasis
on estimation, measurement, and using hands-on “manipulatives” and appropriate
technology to help students move gradually from the concrete to the abstract, like
the ninth grade geometry course.
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 11
Grades 3–6: We Have Lift Off
Children will measure and compare distancesusing standard units, measure angles with aprotractor, find the range, mode, and mean of aset of data, and collect, organize, analyze, andinterpret the data.
Materials: Same as previous
1. Decide how to design the launcher to makethe rubber band fly best.
2. Design an experiment to compare the effectsof changing controlled variables, such aslaunch angle.
3. Decide how to measure the distance trav-eled.
4. Decide on “thrust.”Organize how to collect data. Run trials andrecord results. New experiments can bedesigned to test other variables.
Taken from Teaching Children Mathematics
Learning Math in Kindergarten through Grade V
lementary school teachers started to pay attention to more
than getting kids to learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and
divide. “Before, geometry and data analysis were considered filler,
something that were always taught in the last few weeks of
school—if at all—because teachers focused on teaching Number,”
says Katrina. While computational fluency remains a major goal,
now there is substantive work in these other areas of mathematics
throughout the elementary grades.
In the 1990s, teachers at Park began incorporating many of
the recommendations into their classrooms but individual teachers
selected their own curricular materials. Children certainly learned
mathematics, but there were wide differences in approaches and
which elements were emphasized. Partly in response to this incon-
sistency, the School formally sought out a single mathematics cur-
riculum to use in Kindergarten through Grade V. As the NCTM
Standards state, “ A curriculum is more than a collection of activi-
ties: it must be coherent, focused on important mathematics,
and well articulated across the grades.” After several years of eval-
uation, Park selected the Investigations in Number, Data, and
Space® curriculum for the Lower and Middle Divisions.
“We’re asking kids to have a much deeper understanding of
mathematical concepts than we ourselves learned in grade school,”
Katrina says. Students still learn the basics, still memorize their
multiplication tables, but they have a better sense of how multipli-
cation works and can apply that understanding to real-life situa-
tions. The Standards emphasized problem-solving strategy,
especially for long-term, open-ended problems without clear-cut
formulations and without definite answers. Like real-world situa-
tions, these problems can be worked on individually or by groups
of students for days or weeks, a striking contrast to a classroom of
students working alone to solve drill and practice problems. “The
kids are engaged in the mathematics they are learning, not just
memorizing what we tell them.” Somewhat surprisingly, built into
the Investigations curriculum are many layers of professional
development so that teachers are engaging in the mathematics
along with their children. The implementation has had a profound
effect on teachers. Fifth grade teacher Courtney Bonang remarks,
“I’m a much better mathematician now because the curriculum has
transformed the way I work with numbers. I can only imagine that
if I’m 38 and am having this experience after three years of work-
ing this way, kids who are getting this exposure through grade
school are at such an advantage. I say to my students all the time,
“Poor me; I only learned the algorithm.” I hope my genuine thrill
with my own learning is coming across to my students.” Veteran
second grade teacher Phyllis Ong adds, “I realize that many of my
students in the past who were considered successful were really
just parroting back facts and algorithms they had memorized with
no real understanding. With Investigations, I see kids who really
understand what they are doing, who can manipulate numbers, and
who can truly figure out solutions to problems in multiple ways.”
How Does This Approach Work as Preparation forNinth Grade Geometry?
ath lessons at Park hum with activity. In Grade V, children
are building meter cubes with balsa wood sticks in order to
measure their classroom in square meters. On another day, chil-
dren in first grade are putting a set of wooden blocks called
“geoblocks” into a sock. Then the children take turns reaching in
Which rocket launcher gets
the best results?
How are the launch results
the same? How are they
different?
E
M
Examples
Illustration A: Geometric quilt squares created on the computer bystudents in Grades K-II.
Illustration B: Students get practice in switching between two- andthree-dimensional shapes.
Illustration C: Using specific line and angle measurements, MiddleDivision students instruct the turtle in LogoPaths to create geometricshapes.
df 50lt 90fd 25rt 90fd 50
lt 30bk 75rt 120bk 75rt 120home
repeat 4[fd 75 rt 90]
repeat 45[fd1 rt1]
and try to name the shape based on the number of vertices, faces,
and types of angles they feel. Everywhere, children are working
together and working independently. It is clear that the mathe-
matics is rich and the children are deeply engaged in what they
are doing.
In each grade, the curriculum addresses the main topics
of Number & Operations, Patterns & Functions, and Data Analysis
& Probability, and even the youngest students encounter the
Geometry & Measurement unit. “We’re teaching geometry in
Kindergarten and we’re calling it ‘geometry,’ Kindergarten teacher
Toni Gilligan states matter-of-factly. “Five-year-olds need to
develop their spatial sense and deepen their understanding of the
two- and three-dimensional world. They explore the geometric idea
that shapes can be combined or subdivided to make other shapes.
Using tiles (2-D) or blocks (3-D), children put shapes together and
take them apart, deepening their understanding of different
shapes’ attributes and how shapes are related. And, often the chil-
dren who are proficient in Number have to re-adjust in order to
think spatially.”
Five- to seven-year-old students develop a real knowledge
of how shapes are related (part to whole) and they learn many
important features such as sides, vertices, and angles. They use
manipulatives and a geometry software program called Shapes to
explore how different shapes can be combined to form others,
experiment with geometric transformations (rotations, translation,
reflection), make patterns, and investigate symmetry. (See
Illustration A) Second graders, who can identify the sides of a poly-
gon and are familiar with the concepts of congruence and symme-
try, have to figure out ‘What makes a rectangle a rectangle?’ and
‘How are rectangles different from squares?’ Katrina contrasts this
to her own education. “I clearly remember my teacher drawing two
pictures on the board and saying ‘Learn this rule: a square is a rec-
tangle but a rectangle can’t be a square.’ Our kids have to visualize
what they’re learning, they are figuring out how to think logically.
These students take what know about the attributes of shapes and
make this discovery for themselves. They’re going much deeper
than we ever did.”
The Investigations curriculum is designed to build on con-
cepts introduced in earlier grades, so in fourth grade, the main
geometry unit expands on the students’ knowledge of 2-D and
3-D shapes. For example, students have to construct a 3-D rectan-
gular pyramid out of paper and then design another with three
times the volume. (See Illustration B) To enhance their familiarity
with the characteristics of a variety of shapes, third, fourth, and
fifth graders visit the School’s computer lab to experiment with
LogoPaths. In this software program, students have to instruct a
turtle to move through a maze or to create a shape by determining
angle measurements and length. In addition to learning the geo-
metric principles of length, perimeter, and angle, students also
engage in rudimentary computer coding. (See Illustration C ) With
five years of geometry under their belts, fifth graders are able to
identify quadrilaterals by attribute and classify them in more than
one way. They measure angles of 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150
degrees, and measure perimeter, area, and volume—deepening
their understanding of the relationship between volume and
linear dimensions. How many fifth graders can a cubic meter hold?
12 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 13
Brookline Math League
aving logged nearly 900 hours of math-
ematics over their years in school, fifth
graders are eager to join Park’s math team
for Grades V and VI. In the town-wide Math
League, fifth and sixth graders compete
against teams from other Brookline elemen-
tary schools. Three times a year, the ten
teams gather for a meet that features five
events: team problem solving, and four indi-
vidual events: arithmetic operations, bases,
geometry, and patterns.
“Thirty fifth and sixth graders attend
our weekly practice,” says Steve Kellogg,
who has been teaching math at Park since he
joined the faculty in 1983. Park’s involve-
ment in the League began when Tom Smith,
who taught math for many years before
becoming the School’s Director of
Technology, entered the first team in 1980.
Since those days, the department chair has
coached the Park team. “Anybody can be on the Math Team,”
Steve explains. “If they come to all the practices, I guarantee they
will compete in a meet. While winning is not our objective, we do
really well. The team generally wins two events every meet and
once a year wins the whole meet.” It’s true—Park’s trophy case is
full of awards from the League!
The House Project
hen students enter Park’s Upper Division in Grade VI, there
is a palpable shift in expectations for the eleven- and
twelve-year-olds. Academic work in the sixth grade is a balance
between assignments that demand a new level of depth and more
abstract thinking and the teaching of specific skills and strategies.
Mathematics is a case in point.
“We want sixth graders to understand the concepts behind
every problem they do,” Steve Kellogg clarifies. “This course is
preparing the students for pre-algebra, which they will encounter
in Grade VII.” Sixth graders study number theory, scale and mea-
surement, ratio and proportion, percent, area and volume, and sim-
ple equations. Teachers have students practice traditional and
non-routine problem-solving strategies daily.
One of the most unconventional and memorable compo-
nents of the sixth grade curriculum is the House Project. Since
1973, sixth graders have been applying geometry (calculating
angles, perimeter, area and volume) and other mathematical con-
cepts to design and build model houses. Bill Satterthwaite, “Mr.
Satt” to legions of math and science students at Park from
1970–87, got the idea at a math workshop. Since then, the project
has evolved in the ensuing 36 years.
In the 70s and 80s, students produced their houses at
home. There was great variation in the materials used and level of
parent participation. Students with architects for parents were at a
Breaking a three-way tie, Park’s 2008-09 Math Team took first place in the final meet of the seasonwith a perfect score in the team problem-solving event. Two sixth grade students, Neekon Vafaand Alex Leighton, won trophies for three perfect scores in three events. Way to go, Team!
H
W
Answer:
20/x=80/y
20y=80x
60/x=80/80-y
4800–60y=80x
4800=80y
60=y
20y=80x
20(60)=80x
15=xNote:Ifyouchangethedistancebetween
thepoles,xisalways15!
P R O B L E M
3
Two poles, 60 feet tall and 20 feet tall,stand on opposite sides of a field. The polesare 80 feet apart. Support cables are placedfrom the top of one pole to the bottomof the opposite pole. How far above theground is the intersection of the cables?
14 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
distinct advantage! Alice Perera Lucey ’77, who teaches English
and social studies and serves as a secondary school counselor for
Grades VI-IX, tells the story of when she found herself in a terrible
bind the night before the project was due. “I had cut out all the
pieces to build my model, only to find that there was not one shred
of scotch tape in our whole house. (And this in the days before
CVS was open till 10:00pm!) Screaming, I went to my mother for
help. She looked at me matter-of-factly and said that she was not
going to save me from my poor planning. I was desperate. I
scoured every cabinet in our house and found one adhesive that
might work. The next day, I brought in my poor house project
assembled with Band-Aids!”
Nowadays, the Math Department oversees the whole project
in-house and provides standard materials to every student. With a
caveat to stay within a budget of $200,000, each sixth grader
designs and “builds” a house in the two weeks before Spring Break.
First, they must understand the budget: it costs $100/square foot
for most construction, $125/square foot for bathrooms, and
$150/square foot for kitchens. Next, the students start sketching
different shapes that would work for a 2,000 square foot house,
taking into account features such as bathrooms, windows, and
steps. Then, they calculate how to draw scale models of their
houses at 1/4 inch to one foot. For a 2-D view similar to a blue-
print, they draw the perimeter and footprint of their homes on
graph paper. Students often find it helpful to draw an elevation of
their building to help make the leap from two dimensions to three;
it can be difficult to know where to put walls where before there
were only lines. Finally, sixth graders must accurately cut walls out
of cardboard and assemble their houses on top of the graph paper.
Grades VII and VIII
n Park’s Upper Division, math classes are sectioned homoge-
neously to enable students to be with peers who learn at a
similar pace and who are performing at the same level. Seventh
graders study pre-algebra, including operations with integers,
algebraic expressions and equations, data analysis, and geometry,
and eighth grade students take first-year algebra. Elaine Hamilton,
who has been teaching math at Park since 2006, comments,
“Technology has really changed how students learn these concepts.
Devices such as graphing calculators and spreadsheets allow kids
to see things much more quickly and then manipulate the data.
The technological tools cut out the drudgery and the tedious
tasks and allows them to work on the higher level questions.” The
technology enables teachers to better accommodate different
learning styles and ask thought-provoking questions to really test
students’ knowledge.
Seventh and eighth graders also have the opportunity to
join the Upper Division Math Team, which practices weekly
throughout the fall and winter in preparation for the regional
MathCounts competition. Elaine coaches four students and four
alternates as they compete against other schools in the district.
The first round is a “sprint” where the students have 40 minutes to
answer 30 questions, then a round where they have six minutes to
answer two questions. In the final round, the four team members
Top: House Project Veteran Alice Perera Lucey ’77 helps a sixth gradestudent get a straight line. Bottom: Aaron Yemane ’11 and Zack Bennet-Engler ’11 put the finishing touches on their house.
I
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 15
collaborate to answer ten questions in 20 minutes. Questions in
MathCounts competitions are an assortment of algebra, trigonome-
try, geometry, probability and statistics.
Grade IX Geometry
ark’s ninth graders are doing what Euclid did in 300 B.C.,”
Steve Kellogg explains. The course emphasizes formal proofs
and some indirect proofs. In mathematics, a proof is a convincing
demonstration (within the accepted standards of the field) that
some mathematical statement is necessarily true. Proofs are
obtained from deductive reasoning, rather than from inductive or
empirical arguments. That is, a proof must demonstrate that a
statement is true in all cases, without a single exception. An
unproved proposition that is believed to be true is known as a con-
jecture. The statement that is proved is often called a theorem.
Once a theorem is proved, it can be used as the basis to prove fur-
ther statements. Ninth graders get to work on many types of prob-
lems, including discovering and exploring theorems on their own
using a software program called the Geometer’s Sketchpad.
All the exposure and practice with geometry concepts
beginning in the younger years lays the foundation for grasping the
sophisticated ninth grade curriculum. “A lot of what we’re doing
now is familiar to me from the geometry and patterns events on
the Math Team in fifth and sixth grade,” Isa Moss ’09 articulates.
Steve presented the following example. “Younger kids would show
that a triangle has 180 degrees using an informal proof like cutting
out the corners/angles of a triangle and lay them out on a straight
line. (See Illustration D) But in the Grade IX geometry class, stu-
dents have to prove that there are 180 degrees in a triangle by
using the Alternate Interior Angles proof.” (See Illustration E)
While not formally billed as a “capstone” course, students
recognize that it functions as one. “Geometry in ninth grade really
puts together everything we’ve learned here at Park,” Henry Lucey
’09 told me. (He happens to be Alice Perera Lucey’s son, but I did-
n’t ask about his House Project adventures!) His classmate Josh
Ruder agreed, “In previous grades we mostly studied 2-D shapes,
simpler stuff. This course builds on what we’ve learned before. Its
harder and more complex, more abstract.”
Answer:
Ac=πr21256=(3.14)r2
400=r2
20=rboardsare40x12=480
480x3=1440
1256+1440=2696squareinches
P R O B L E M
4
A circular table has an area of 1,256 square
inches. To enlarge the table, you can open
it in the middle and place rectangular
boards, called leaves, in it. Each board is
12 inches wide and is rectangular in shape.
What is the new area of the whole table if
3 of these leaves are added?
(Use 3.14 for π)
“P
Illustration E: The Alternate Interior Angles Proof of the Triamgle AngleSum Theorem
TheoremIf ABC is a triangle then m∠ABC + M∠BCA + m∠CAB = 180 degreesProof
In Triangle ABC, construct line l through points A and B and line k
through point C and parallel to line l. Since lines l and k are parallel,
m∠BAC = m∠1 and m∠ABC = m∠3 (Alternate Interior Angles).Also, on line k angles 1, 2, and 3 form a straight angle and
m∠1 + m∠2 + m∠3 = 180 degrees. Using this equation, we cansubstitute m∠BAC for m∠1, m∠BCA for m∠2, and m<ABC form∠3 to prove that m∠BAC + m∠BCA + m∠ABC = 180 degrees.
Illustration D: Informal proof that the inner angles of a triangle = 180°
T
16 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Colin Arnold is afirefighter-paramedic forthe city of Berkeley,California. Following tenyears at Park, heattended Noble andGreenough School andgraduated from theUniversity of California,Berkeley in 2005 with aBA in anthropology. He
joined a local ambulancecompany where hesupervised county opera-tions and became anationally registeredparamedic in 2007. Helives in Oakland,California.
Sixth grader Colin Arnold withhis four-story house project!
ALUM
NI
PROFILE
his line of work is all about being prepared. Every day,
we walk into situations having no idea of what we
may find. The key to a successful call is being able to
maintain control of the scene, and without a strong pres-
ence (and perhaps a touch of ego), this can become very
difficult. I believe that the confidence that I rely on daily can
be attributed in part to Park. This is ironic, because I
remember being a very insecure kid in school. But Park
taught me to think independently, which helped build the
foundation that I depend on so heavily now.
It turns out that I also rely upon the math I learned at
Park. I remember well the weekly quizzes that Mr. Howard
gave us in fifth grade. He would give us one minute to do
100 basic multiplication problems. On Mr. Walsh’s eighth
grade algebra tests, which were always hand-written, he
would ask a question about an creative topic that had
nothing to do with algebra. He would read our answers out
loud after collecting the tests, which inevitably involved
jokes about him. And Mr. Kellogg’s geometry class in ninth
grade really hooked me. I took pride in the formulas and I
still remember the pneumonic “C.P.C.T.C.” although I have
long since forgotten what it stood for; I think it had some-
thing to do with triangles. [Mr. Kellogg weighs in: “Right
you are, Colin! C.P.C.T.C. stands for Corresponding Parts of
Congruent Triangles are Congruent. The theorem states
that if two or more triangles are congruent, then all of their
corresponding parts are congruent as well.”]
I still use his class to this day when it comes to the fire-
fighting side of the job, but that’s a whole different story.
Probably the most common application of mathematics
for a paramedic is calculating drug dosages. We use a
narcotic analgesic called Fentanyl to treat pain. This medica-
tion comes packaged as 100 micrograms in two mL, and
> COLIN ARNOLD ’99
>
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 17
the usual dose is one microgram per kilogram. This means
that we have to first convert the patient’s weight from
pounds to kilos, and then calculate how many milliliters of
solution to give based on the concentration of the drug.
While it’s not the rocket science that I know some of my
fellow Park alums are versed in, it gets challenging enough
when you have a very sick person with you in the back of
an ambulance. It gets even more complicated when you
are dealing with pediatric, elderly, or hypothermic patients.
Their bodies metabolize the medication in a drastically
different way from the norm, so the dose has to be
altered. There are a lot of people in Northern California
who can thank Mr. Howard for teaching me how to
multiply and divide fractions quickly in fifth grade.
Paramedics usually don’t have time to look up a drug
dosage or check a patient’s medication, so every day we
review protocols and learn about new prescription drugs
so that when the time comes, we will know the informa-
tion. In our county, paramedics are licensed to dispense 24
different medications that have a wide range of uses—
from reversing particular types of overdoses, to cardiac
emergencies, to asthma and allergic reactions. Knowing
the effects, side effects, therapeutic index, and medica-
tions that interfere with the effects of each of those
medications is absolutely essential.
A Park School “lifer,” Ali
recalls her math classes
with Emily Tucker and
Steve Kellogg as “inspira-
tional with plenty of
opportunities to figure
things out” for herself.
After Park, Ali graduated
from Milton Academy, and
then took a year off to
travel. Upon returning to
the States, she enrolled
at Cornell University’s
Engineering School where
she majored in “Opera-
tions, Research, and
Industrial Engineering.”
Since college, she has held
a variety of positions at
Precision Castparts Corp
(PCC), an aerospace manu-
facturing company.
Currently, she spends three
days a week at the com-
pany’s Grafton facility as a
planning analyst. The
Balsters live in Hopkinton
with their two children,
Katie (3) and Lila (16
months).
18 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
ALUM
NI
PROFILE
> ALI BURNES BALSTER ’90
ogical problem solving. That’s really what drew me
to the field of engineering, not visions of working in
a lab wearing a white coat. My dad planted the
seeds for me; he worked at a chemical company and
loved delving into the detail of the manufacturing and
engineering processes. I was intrigued and wanted to
challenge myself. During orientation at engineering
school, somebody actually said, “look to your right and
your left. Only one of you will graduate.” I couldn’t
believe that we were being treated that way—for the first
time, I didn’t feel like my educators were on my side. I
now realize how lucky I was to attend two wonderful
schools, where every teacher I encountered was fully
invested in my education and believed in my ability to
succeed. That moment at orientation, because I’m
extremely stubborn, I decided that I was going to be one
of the ones to make it. Engineering school was hard. I
was clearly a minority, not only because I am a woman
(one in seven, at the time), but also because I was deter-
mined to have a social life and a fun college experience.
With my B.S. in hand, I was eager to join the work-
force and start applying what I had learned to real-life
problems. I landed at PCC, a Fortune 500 company that
manufactures critical components for the aerospace,
power generation, and general industrial markets. I love
manufacturing: the constant action, the literal and visual
sense of accomplishment, the variety of challenges.
My work with PCC has afforded me many opportuni-
ties: I have worked in six of their plants, from Portland,
Oregon to Edinburgh, Scotland, holding titles from
“Manufacturing Engineer” to “Materials Manager.” For
the past three years, I have been a planning analyst at our
plant in Grafton, Massachusetts. I am challenged daily at
L
Ali with daughters Katie and Lila
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 19
I love manufacturing:
the constant action, the literal
and visual sense of
accomplishment, the variety
of challenges.
work, but am also able to enjoy a three day work week.
The Planning Department sets the strategy and drives
operations to manufacture parts on time at the lowest
possible cost to meet customer demand. This includes
everything from raw material procurement through collec-
tion of cash. Circumstances are constantly changing due to
changes in customer demand, corporate directives, and
equipment uptime. A recent example: a couple of months
ago, our sister plant in Houston had an equipment failure
which put their forging press out of commission for
approximately six months. Very quickly our Grafton facility
had to determine how to absorb that work onto our
presses so that PCC wouldn’t lose out to competitors. I
was asked to prepare a viable operating plan based on
these new and unforeseen circumstances. Before the
outage, both the Grafton and Houston presses were oper-
ating at least five days a week, 24 hours a day. Given the
new circumstances, we had to revisit the batching logic,
maximum tonnage, furnace size, heat temperature, and
crew size. Using multi-variant mathematical modeling
techniques, I was able to devise some possible strategies
to achieve the goal. In the end, we are executing a plan
that is optimal given the unusual circumstances.
In all of my work assignments, it’s not a math skill or
a particular calculation that I have found the most useful.
Rather, it’s the interpersonal and communication skills
(which I learned at Park) that have been invaluable to my
professional life. I believe that Park, unlike Milton or
Cornell, educated the whole person. In the math class-
room, Mr. Kellogg and Ms. Tucker not only made sure that
I understood each concept, but also when and how to use
it, and why it was true. And one of the most useful
lessons was when they would challenge us to teach each
other. I learned that the trickiest part of learning math was
communicating a concept to someone else. When I
mastered that, I knew that I truly understood!
20 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Alex Kehlenbeck entered
Park at age four in 1987
and was there for the next
ten years, through eighth
grade. He went on to
Phillips Academy for high
school and then received
his BS and MS in mathe-
matics from Stanford
University in 2005. Alex is
currently employed as a
software engineer at
Google in Boston where
he has worked on a
variety of research and
engineering projects.
ALUM
NI
PROFILE
> ALEX KEHLENBECK ’98
t was probably in middle school, in one of the daily
practices Alison Connolly used to run before each of
the Massachusetts Math League meets, when I
decided I would become a math professor. Those twenty
minutes of practice, rushing through as many of the
hardest “#3” problems as we could before recess was
over, were the highlight of most days (and not because of
the tasty snacks used to lure us there!) I imagined that
simulated the life of a professor and who wouldn’t want
to have a whole career of that? I even knew what my
specialty would be: number theory because that division
of the MML contests always had the most interesting and
surprising problems. And indeed, more than a decade
later I ended up doing my undergraduate and master’s
work studying elliptic curves and modular forms, subfields
of number theory that in spite of all their modern
complexity, can directly trace their roots back to
Pythagoras and his famous theorem about right triangles.
For many years a career in academia had seemed
certain, but along the way I discovered that the life of a
math professor wasn’t quite the cookie-filled affair I had
imagined it to be. As I looked at my options post-college,
technology, and finance—two of the most common
options among my peers— joined graduate school as
potential careers. Ultimately, I accepted a position with
Google that combined the theoretical appeal and logical
clarity that had drawn me to math, with the more prac-
tical and tangible outputs of engineering.
Today, I’m lucky enough to get to apply math in my
work every day. Whether it’s studying the pattern of
hyperlinks on the Web to improve search, or using combi-
natorics to analyze the performance of new algorithms, or
probability and statistics to figure out how reliable a
particular software design will be in the face of hardware
failures, math is at the very center of nearly all our work.
Indeed, sometimes the lines separating math, engi-
neering, and experimentation are so blurry they might as
well not even be there. In one research project I worked
on, for example, we were attempting to identify names of
people and companies on the Web. (Sounds simple, but
which is “Ann Taylor”?) We’d form a hypothesis about an
approach that might work (the math), then implement a
system to execute that hypothesis (the engineering), and
finally run experiments to determine how accurate our
hypothesis was (the scientific method). That cycle might
be repeated several times each day.
Two of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned came
from doing math at Park. In one series of math league
contests, the only problem I missed all year was a simple
one-point question that I thought I could do in my head,
I
Details matter, and always double-check
your work!
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 21
and without checking it afterwards. That gnawed at me
for weeks, and I haven’t forgotten since: details matter,
and always double-check your work. Its relevance is clear
whenever I remember that the wrong typo can send
millions of users’ queries hurtling into electronic oblivion,
never to be seen again.
The other lesson came in seventh grade, when two
classmates and I had a special math class once per week
with Steve Kellogg. One day he asked us to imagine pull-
ing a length of string taut all the way around the equator
of the earth, and then to imagine adding one extra yard
to the length of the rope. How far above the surface of
the earth would the rope then sit after making it taut
again? I won’t give away the answer, but it’s probably
much more than your intuition tells you.
The lesson was this: having a complete set of rules of
thumb to use when making estimates is very useful, but
don’t always trust them. I probably make at least a dozen
little mental estimates every day—how much network
traffic will this design generate? How much disk space will
we need for each million users? How much longer will
that web page take to load if we add an extra image to
it?—and having a set of rules of thumb that tell me if a
final answer is at all reasonable is invaluable. . . but always
double-check!
Whether it’s studying the pattern of
hyperlinks on the Web to improve
search, or using combinatorics
to analyze the performance of new
algorithms, or probability and statistics
to figure out how reliable
a particular software design
will be in the face of hardware failures,
math is at the very center of nearly
all our work.
22 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Yrinee Michaelidis entered
Park in Nursery (now
called Pre-Kindergarten) in
1989. She went on to
Noble and Greenough,
where she spent her junior
year in France with School
Year Abroad. As a student
pioneer at the newly-
formed Franklin W. Olin
College of Engineering in
Needham, she studied
mechanical engineering.
Yrinee was a member of
the second class to gradu-
ate from Olin and spent
two years working for a
start up in the entertain-
ment industry before
turning to product design
and development.
She currently works as a
consultant in Boston.
> YRINEE MICHAELIDIS ’00
ALUM
NI
PROFILE
Team Starfish: Yrinee, upperleft, with her freshman team-mates holding their “starfishwall climber”—one of only twocreations from the class thatclimbed the wall successfully!
>
ath has always been my passion. The beauty,
simplicity, and endless possibilities enthralled
me from a young age. As I got older, I loved my
math teachers Ms. Tucker and Mrs. Connolly for nurturing
me and helping me develop. In fact, ninth grade geometry
remains the favorite class of my entire education! Under
Mrs. Connolly’s guidance, we six girls in the honors
section felt unstoppable. Mathematics was empowering to
me, lent me confidence through teenage years and helped
me define myself. I still announce my membership to
MathCounts with a distinct tone of pride. Life is pretty
sweet as a nerd.
I wish I could say that I always wanted to be an engi-
neer. The truth is that I entered Olin College of
Engineering on a full scholarship without any knowledge
of what engineering was. It was so exciting! I discovered
that engineering is an awesome combination of problem
solving, logic, math, and equations attempting to define
the behaviors of the world. In my first year, I built a servo-
controlled wall walker that used suction to climb up glass;
learned about controls and programming, and most
importantly what it was to design, fabricate, and make
things. I fell in love with the feeling of creating—taking
raw materials like aluminum, steel, and plastics—and
daring to turn them into something else. And so it began,
my life as a maker—dabbling in engineering.
After my freshman year, I worked at Foster-Miller, Inc.,
doing research and development work for the defense
industry. I worked on “black projects” that require security
clearance, testing products for use in the military. It was
pretty exciting work and math was a part of everyday life;
I learned to use software in testing and relied on my basic
understanding of fluidics and the governing equations. I
M
Yrinee takes a break fromrebuilding Blue ManGroup’s Boston stage.
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 23
>
> spent 15 months at Foster-Miller including working there
part-time during the academic year. The practicality of
industry was a refreshing weekly break from the projects
and theory of school.
As a sophomore, the “User-Oriented Collaborative
Design” class changed my life. I fell in love with design
and recognized that mechanical and artistic design could
be combined to deliver functionality and aesthetics. I
started taking art and design classes in the hopes of
combining them with my more technical side. Sophomore
and junior year continued to be a blur of art, economics
(my minor), and highly technical mechanical engineering
classes, all present to balance each other.
Sitting in class, I wanted to be out in the world,
making an impact. But I dutifully learned the fundamentals
of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, statistics, and higher-
level math. These courses paved a career path that could
lead to so many different industries. But my junior year, I
entered the Disney Imaginations, an international design
competition for students that brought me to the world of
entertainment. I worked with a partner to design and
present our concept of a park-wide system of video
capturing that we called “YourStory.” We were flown out
to California where we presented our design to Disney
executives and—we placed second!
After graduation, I spent two years working for 5 Wits
Productions, a design and fabrication shop north of Boston
where I designed interactive displays for museums and
theme parks. I loved working at a start-up because I could
experience many parts of the company. I did a lot of
modeling and design with SolidWorks, some project
management, and a lot of fiberglass work as I created
projects for the International Spy Museum and the
Museum of Science in Boston. It was a great experience
and a really fun industry. It seems I’ve been bitten by the
start-up bug; I’m now working at another start-up doing
product design and business development, but I can’t wait
for my own shot.
Needless to say math is an ever-present part of my life.
Because of math, I was able to study engineering. As an
engineer, I learned to solve problems: big, small, concrete,
and abstract. And math is everywhere in everything I do—
in cost calculations and market analyses, temperature
readings and 3-D CAD modeling. I still don’t always know
what an engineer does, but thanks, Mrs. Connolly, geom-
etry is still my favorite and most useful subject!
Yrinee cutting fiberglass matfor a sailboat racetrack that iscurrently in use at theMuseum of Science, Boston.
24 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
After discovering her knack
for algebra at Park, Tina
took geometry, pre-calcu-
lus, and one semester of
calculus at Miss Porter’s
School. As a political sci-
ence and history major at
Tufts, she studied econom-
ics and took a single com-
puter class, but no college
math courses. Tina earned
two master’s degrees at
Columbia: one in interna-
tional affairs and a second
in population and family
health, which led to con-
ducting field research in
international family plan-
ning in Latin America.
Shifting her focus to
domestic health in 1987,
Tina held several positions
with the New York City
Department of Health,
including project director
for the maternal-infant HIV
transmission research pro-
ject. She then pursued her
PhD in measurement, eval-
uation, and statistics in
educational psychology at
Columbia Teacher’s College.
Her training in statistics
enabled her to design and
oversee research projects in
substance abuse at
Columbia and Rutgers. Six
years ago, Tina returned to
the New York City Depart-
ment of Health, and is cur-
rently the director of the
Psychiatric Epidemiology
Unit. She and her husband,
Henry Chin, live on the
Upper West Side with their
children Lizzie (7) and
Jamie (8 months).ALUM
NI
PROFILE
> TINA MCVEIGH ’74
Basically, I’m miserable at math—but I love data
analysis. It’s really not exaggerating to say that
eighth grade algebra with Mr. Satterthwaite
changed my life, although I did not know it at the time. I
have come to realize that there are different kinds of
math for different kinds of aptitudes. So while geometry
could make me gag, algebra lights a fire under me.
I encountered statistics for the first time in graduate
school and recognized that it was an extension of
algebra. Statistical modeling and data analysis is a social
application of math that helps answer really important
questions. The field of public health draws individuals
from the medical arena and those from the social and
political sciences. Using statistics, we social scientists
analyze data to measure the health of populations. How
healthy are people? What can be done to make them
healthier? What is the most effective intervention?
The City of New York conducts an annual telephone
survey of 10,000 New Yorkers that asks about drinking,
depression, weight, diabetes, blood pressure, exercise,
diet—all sorts of questions. I’m responsible for analyzing
these data (and information from other databases) for
questions that pertain to mental health and substance
abuse. I get to work on some really interesting projects:
social isolation among seniors, comparing kids who carry
weapons to those who don’t, risk factors for suicidal
ideation in youth, correlates of fear of an intimate
partner, prevalence of anxiety and depression, trends in
psychological distress in the years following the terrorist
attack on the World Trade Center, and relationships
between psychological distress and physical health, partic-
ularly diabetes.
I am also the principal investigator of a collaborative
retrospective longitudinal study of children born between
1994 and 2004. This study has been developed over the
past five years and involves acquiring and linking indi-
vidual level data on approximately 1.4 million children
from a variety of data sources including birth and death
registries, early intervention financial and administrative
databases, lead testing and inspection databases, and
department of education data including third grade test
scores and special education records. These data are
being merged with census tract-level data from the 2000
census to enrich our measurement of socioeconomic
status. We hope to complete the data matching and
merging process by summer 2009. The data will then be
analyzed to answer questions related to disparities in
access to early intervention services, long-term outcomes
Statistical modeling and data analysis
is a social application of math
that helps answer really important
questions.
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 25
of receipt of early intervention services, relationships
between birth weight, gestational age and utilization of
early intervention services, relationships between blood
lead levels and third grade test scores, birth characteristics
associated with autism, etc.
Regardless of the project, my work follows a fairly
predictable process: 1) start with identifying the research
question or problem; 2) follow with a review of related
literature; 3) identify the data needed to answer the ques-
tion. In most cases, I work off of data sets that have
already been prepared for analysis. Sometimes, such as in
the case of the isolated seniors work, I have to wait for
my data to be collected as part of a larger survey activity
carried out by another unit. Increasingly, my work involves
matching administrative data from multiple sources. I am
working with a great team of researchers from across the
agency to carry out the longitudinal study data match,
and in the process developing a set of practice guidelines
for use in subsequent matches.
Once the data are available for analysis, the fun
begins. I get to think about what statistical model best
answers the research question: what variables are impor-
tant, what groups to compare, and whether I should
incorporate neighborhood-level data or just look at indi-
vidual characteristics. As these questions get answered
the statistical model gets more and more refined until an
optimal solution emerges. Those results then get tran-
scribed into tables, interpreted, and incorporated into
testimony, program plans, policy documents, agency
monographs and peer-reviewed publications. My career in
public health research is extremely satisfying because I get
to collaborate on timely and important projects with
colleagues who are dynamic, bright, social activists who
also enjoy the mix of scientific rigor, intellectual stimula-
tion, and social purpose that our work involves, and I get
to play with X and Y every day!
26 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Jonathan attended Park
from Pre-K to Grade IX,
except for two years in
San Antonio, Texas while
his father took a research
sabbatical. He graduated
from the Commonwealth
School in 1980 and from
the University of
Pennsylvania in 1985 with
a BA in both mathematics
and physics. He went on to
earn a PhD in physics from
Harvard University in 1994.
Jonathan now lives in
Brookline with his wife,
Dorothy Richardson, a
child and family psycholo-
gist, and their two children
who attend Park, Ian ’17
and Ellie ’12.
ALUM
NI
PROFILE
> JONATHAN M. RICHARDSON ’76
I loved the proof that there are more
real numbers than fractions, although
there is an infinite number of either!
“Math” means different things to different people.
Most people think only of arithmetic, which is
certainly what is taught first. We first learn
integer arithmetic, then fractions, and finally long division.
Pretty boring stuff for the most part. Many go on to learn
algebra, geometry, and finally calculus. This is where
things start to get interesting, but often is the end of the
number line for most students. The math I found most
interesting in college was that which bordered on the
philosophical. I remember loving number theory. I was
fascinated by the difference between the different types
of numbers (transcendental, imaginary, etc.). I loved the
proof that there are more real numbers than fractions,
although there is an infinite number of either! I loved
studying Gödel’s theorem, which points to the limits of
logical systems. I regret not studying more statistics,
however, which have turned out to be of the greatest use
in my career.
So what got me into math? Well, Mr. Satterthwaite at
Park School, of course (among others). Studying math at
Park was fun, challenging, and a source of personal pride.
Park offered more than just math preparation, it instilled
in me a great curiosity for all things mathematical. I loved
calculus in high school, majored in both math and physics
in college, and eventually got a PhD in physics from
Harvard. The funny thing is that I didn’t want to go into
theoretical physics or math, but preferred experiments.
Since finishing my doctorate, I have become an applied
scientist, working with both scientists and engineers. My
understanding of physics, instrumentation, statistics, and
analysis has allowed me to contribute to a variety of
endeavors, including medical imaging and (most recently)
detectors for biological and chemical threats in the Sensor
Technologies and System Applications Group at the M.I.T.
Lincoln Laboratory.
So where is the math now? In my career it is applied
to sensor development and evaluation. Lincoln both
develops new technologies and helps to evaluate those
from other sources. It is our job to ensure that technolo-
gies and systems are rigorously evaluated before they are
considered for deployment. Evaluation is carried out
through a combination of analytical modeling, laboratory
measurements, and field trials. Modeling typically involves
understanding the physics of the sensor. Typically, models
are based on laboratory data. Finally, sensors are tested in
the field. If all goes well, the field data compares well
with model predictions (as determined by statistical
analysis of the data).
Computers and software have evolved into fantastic
tools for science and engineering. For software, I particu-
larly like Mathematica, which I used to alter the images
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 27
Jonathan produced the followingmontage by applying various
mathematical transformations tohis “boring headshot.”
>presented with this article. Before computers, every scien-
tist, engineer, mathematician, accountant, and anyone
processing numbers had to be good calculators them-
selves. I have great envy and respect for such people, as I
am not particularly so gifted in that respect (and may be
getting worse with age). I graduated college around the
time the PCs were introduced and have used them ever
since. I fondly remember programming the first MS-DOS
computers to run experiments and analyze data in grad-
uate school. Since then, the tools available have improved
enormously, providing not only powerful data analysis
and visualization, but formula derivation (“symbolics”) as
well. It’s a geek’s dream come true!
I made a tough decision many years ago not to go
into academia. My goal was to have a more balanced life,
with a bit of time for family and non-career pursuits. I
think I have achieved that goal, but I do miss teaching. I
have been very grateful for the occasional opportunity to
present one thing or another in my children’s classrooms
over the past several years. My most recent effort was
entitled “The Shape of Numbers,” presented to my son
Ian’s first grade class. In this presentation I talked about
how different numbers of objects can be arranged into
characteristic patterns. You can’t think of the number
three without thinking of a triangle, for example, and
four is about as square as you can get. Some numbers
can be arrayed as rectangles or squares whereas others
can’t (we call them prime numbers). At the end, I asked
the class to find their own patterns using various art
supplies and graph paper. I can report that Park continues
to offer excellent teaching in math and that the six and
seven-year-olds seemed truly enthusiastic about my
presentation.
So what’s next? I wish I knew! I still enjoy having
active involvement in research, analysis, and field
measurements. I also enjoy working with people entering
the field and have sponsored one student pursuing his
master’s degree while at Lincoln. I hope to collaborate
with MIT main campus this year in the application of rela-
tively new microscopy techniques. Above all, it’s lovely to
have the opportunity to support my children as they learn
math and everything else.
> BETSY WALCOTT ’81
28 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
ALUM
NI
PROFILE
Betsy entered Park in 1970
(at the Kennard Road cam-
pus) and graduated in
1981 from 171 Goddard
Ave. From Park she went
to Milton Academy and
then to Harvard for her
undergraduate work.
She completed her PhD
in 1997 at the University
of California Irvine in
Biological Sciences, special-
izing in neuroscience.
Betsy is currently a
research fellow at The
Neurosciences Institute in
San Diego and lives in
Solana Beach with her
husband, Stephan Miller,
and their daughter, Lila,
who is four-and-a-half.
y interest in the brain began with a fascination
with individual differences in behavior, but a
college course on pharmacology hooked me on
the idea of studying the biological workings of the brain.
My broad interest is in synaptic and neuronal physiology,
or in plain terms, how nerve cells (neurons) in the brain
communicate with each other (via contact points called
synapses) to form the basis of learning and cognition. My
current project is focused on how the neurons in the
prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that sits right
behind your forehead—develop, and how development
proceeds differently in disorders such as autism.
When discussing the brain it is almost impossible not
to evoke mathematical concepts. The brain is made up of
hundreds of billions of neurons, each neuron making
synaptic connections with hundreds, if not thousands, of
other neurons. The numbers get very big very fast when
you think about the rapid interactions going on every
second within a tiny millimeter of brain tissue. We know
that the brain works by engaging many different
networks of connected neurons in complex spatial and
temporal patterns that somehow give rise to sensation,
thought, and behavior. That “somehow” is what neuro-
scientists study.
One of the most unusual aspects of the institute
where I work is that half of the researchers work in the
lab while the other half develop mathematical models of
brain systems and implement the models into brain-based
devices. These are machines (automatons) that have soft-
ware-based brains designed with the principles of real
nervous systems. They can navigate, sense the environ-
ment and most importantly, learn. Two-way interactions
are encouraged between the biologists and the modelers.
I feel fortunate to have found a great place to do research
where my findings at the more microscopic-level can
influence the more systems-level approaches to under-
standing global brain function and dysfunction.
Math is an essential tool in my research. I use it for
everything from preparing solutions to analyzing giga-
bytes of data. One example of how I use math requires a
little bit of explanation. Technically speaking, I am a patch
clamper. That means I make electrical recordings from
neurons in a small piece of brain tissue in a dish under a
microscope. I use rodent brains that are remarkably similar
to human brains. This type of recording can be performed
in humans but only in conjunction with brain surgery, so
for research into the brain at this level, we still need other
sources of tissue. Using the patch clamp technique, I can
listen in to what neurons are saying to one another.
Neurons speak using an elegant combination of electrical
M
When discussing the brain
it is almost impossible not to evoke
mathematical concepts.
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 29
Betsy, “patchclamping” in the labat The Neurosciences Institute.
Under the microscope, she ismaking electrical recordings from
neurons in a small piece ofbrain tissue “to listen in to
what the neurons are saying toone another.”
>
and chemical signaling. These recordings have enabled me
to measure how different types of neurons change
throughout normal development and to discover differ-
ences in neurons from a rodent model of autism.
When I am patch clamping, I have to make quick
calculations about the electrical properties of the cells, the
electrodes that measure the signals, and the concentra-
tions of drugs that I am using. While this is simple math, I
find it fun dealing with such tiny numbers as 10–12
amperes (picoamps) of electrical current and huge
numbers like 109 ohms (gigaohms) of resistance. Dealing
with metric scales and measuring numbers by the thou-
sands (e.g. pico, nano, micro, milli, kilo, mega, giga)
reminds me of a couple of experiences at Park. The first is
using Cuisenaire rods in Grade VI, wooden manipulatives
that helped us get a sense of scale and learn to do calcu-
lations. The other is a short movie called “Powers of 10”
that we watched several times over the years at Park. This
movie starts with a bird’s eye view of a man asleep on a
picnic blanket. Over the course of a few minutes the
camera steps further and further away from the man,
an order of magnitude at a time until the view is from
light years away from our galaxy. An updated version is
available at http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/
scienceopticsu/powersof10/ that goes down to the level of
electrons. To me, this is analogous to the many levels of
brain function from consciousness down to individual ions
that are involved in chemical signaling at the synapse and
beyond. I am grateful for having such enthusiastic and
creative math and science teachers like Mr. Tom Smith,
Mrs. Bernheim, and Mr. Kiernan and others who created a
learning environment where my neurons were so activated
that they formed memories that have remained engaged
for more than 30 years.
1933“The best news is I have,” writesRuth Crocker Young, “is the birth ofour first great grandson, born on the19th of November 2008. We are busycleaning out our 50-year collection ofthings, getting ready to move to aretirement home next year. When thesnowy winter is over we will go toour island on Lake Winnipesauke forthe summer.”
1937We were happy that Janice Ehrmannwas able to come and enjoy theAlumni Clambake in September, butmissed Bob Erhmann, who wasunable to attend this year. We learnedthat Bob and Janice celebrated their50th wedding anniversary with a bigparty this fall. Congratulations! Bobwrites, “My life is uneventful, butthat doesn’t prevent me from enjoy-ing it. Much of my time is spent car-ing for Janice, my wife, who isdisabled. Thank goodness forMartha, my younger obstetriciandaughter. We frequently go togetherto restaurants, movies, sciencemuseum and theatre.”
1938Class RepresentativePutty [email protected]
1967Class RepresentativeRowley [email protected]
1968Class RepresentativesRobert [email protected]
Vicky Hall [email protected]
1972Class RepresentativeAndrew Cable781-642-9910
1973Class RepresentativesRick [email protected]
Maggie Frank O’[email protected]
Rick Berenson sent the followingupdates: “1. We got a puppy namedHera after the Greek goddess (yayPark 4th grade!). She is a fourthgeneration labradoodle—a hypoaller-genic breed with a great personalitythat we highly recommend to theObamas! 2. Daniel (Park ’06, BB&N’09) has been admitted to Yale, but isawaiting results from his other appli-cation before deciding where to go.His sister, Alice (Park ’09) is a fresh-man at BB&N. 3. One of my startups,InCytu, is commercializing an in-situbioreactive device system developedat Harvard with applications in stemcell delivery and regenerative medi-cine. Its lead application is a mela-noma vaccine, which we hope to getinto the clinic in 2009.” At the AlumniClambake, Lesli Rothwell said she’sbeen doing a fair amount of paintingthis past year, mostly oils. With theNavigator Foundation, she is mount-ing art exhibits of 20th Century pho-tography that opened at EndicottCollege (Czech art) and GordonCollege (Russian art) in January. “Allis well,” reports Julia Talcott. “Wehave just built a printmaking/art stu-dio in my backyard here in NewtonCorner, which is a dream come true.I also have started teaching printmak-ing classes at the Arsenal Center forthe Arts in Watertown. Betsy Leahy
1948“I still have only fond memories ofPark School from 70 or so years ago,”writes Vera Converse Gibbons.
1950Class RepresentativeGalen Clough812-477-2454
Pamela Hill Biren sends this news:“Our far flung seven children andtwelve grands keep us busy visitingand just communicating. We workedhard to help Obama achieve his vic-tory and are hopeful for the futurewith his leadership and vision.”
1953Class RepresentativeBob [email protected]
1963Class RepresentativeAmy [email protected]
1966Class RepresentativeWigs Frank610-964-8057
Thanks to Debbie Shaw Link ’48 for sending in this wonderful photograph from1946 of seventh and eighth graders. Top Row L-R: Hugh Mitchell, PeterGundersen, Harry Beckwith, Oliver Rodman. 2nd Row: Herbert Horgan, TadAnderson, Peter Gulick, 3rd Row: Debby Shaw, Emmy Faulkner, Betsy Porter, 4thRow: Ruth Reynolds, Ginny Bridge, and Janet Warren
30 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Morton and Ty Burr appear regu-larly in my life and Susan StoreyFrank and Macy Lawrence Ratliffwhen I get lucky. Our older sonRamsey is at Colby College in Maineand loving it, twins Isabel andStoddard are in 9th grade at NewtonNorth High School. James Meigs, myhusband, is still working hard as aninternist and researcher in the area ofdiabetes and heart disease at MassGeneral. My parents, Hooker andJane, are doing well, still in the samehouse in Brookline. Can’t believe weall turned 50 this last year!” FromOrlean, Virginia, Douglas WiseHytla writes: “The barn is almostdone. Medora (20) just returned fromMendoza and Jon is finishing his firstsemester at Washington College.Hattye is a live wire and is half-waythrough sixth grade.”
1974 35th Reunion
Class RepresentativesRodger [email protected]
Margaret Smith [email protected]
Thanks to your Reunion Committee:Margaret Smith Bell, Alex Bok,
Rodger Cohen, Heather CrockerFaris, Polly Hoppin, Allene RussellPierson, and Beth HaffenrefferScholle, your 35th Reunion is rightaround the corner—please join yourclassmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009for this special occasion. For moreinformation please contactEliza Drachman-Jones in the AlumniOffice at [email protected] or617-274-6022.
Shady Hartshorne sends news thathe is “going to Alaska for three weeksto edit a show for the DiscoveryChannel. My wife, Laurie and I dotravel writing for GoNomad.comhttp://www.gonomad.com/corp/shadyandlaurie.html Laurie is still practic-ing massage and working at theSchlesinger Library at Radcliffe.”Congratulations to Tina McVeigh onthe birth of her son James HigginsonMon-Tsi Chin, who was born June20, 2008. “We are all adjusting to ourcramped quarters and nights with lit-tle sleep. Attached is a photo of Jamiewith his big sister Lizzie (age 6). Ilook forward to seeing everyone atReunion.” Ginger Erlich Thoerneris married to Mathias Thoerner, anarchitect from Munich. They live inEasthampton, New York and haveone daughter, Sophie, age 16. Gingergraduated from Harvard and is alawyer selling real estate.
1975Class RepresentativesColin [email protected]
Bill [email protected]
We were interested to read in theBoston Sunday Globe last Novemberabout Nick Lawrence’s show at thePierre Menard Gallery in Cambridge:“Nick Lawrence: Notes fromUnderground 1982-2007, a 25-yearSurvey.” As the Globe reported, “Theretrospective, which features close to150 works, culminates an ordeal thatbegan with a truly unhappy accidentin 2004, when Nick lost 20 years’worth of paintings: 1,200 artworks.”Today, Nick splits his time betweenCape Cod and New York. He hasstudios and owns DNA Gallery inProvincetown and in New York(Freight + Volume). Locals might beinterested in knowing that he stillowns Nick’s Moving Co., which hefounded in Somerville in 1988 “tosupport his early art habit.”
1976Class RepresentativeTenney Mead [email protected]
1977Class RepresentativeSam [email protected]
We were glad to hear from SarahEhrlich Aronin, who lives inLarchmont, New York with her fam-ily: husband, Eric, and Caroline (11)and Isabel (7). Marshall Berensonwrites, “After 18 successful years mywife, Kathy, and I have sold our flo-ral and event design business. We arelooking forward to new and excitingcreative endeavors. I will be returningto my musical roots and begin writ-ing and recording music. I will alsocontinue my leadership roles with thegastronomic organizations Les Amisd’Escoffier and La Chaine desRotisseurs.”
1978Class Representative Needed
“I’m getting ready to open the HighLine,” reports Josh David, “a park on
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 31
CLASS OF 1974 — 35TH REUNION!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
When Park School friends gather to share a complete lobster
feast, you’re bound to have a great time! Alumni from theClasses of 1953 – 2008 enjoyed good
eats, a tour of the school building,
and a chance to catch up with friends,
classmates and teachers. Special
thanks to the Park Alumni Committee
members who helped organize this
memorable event!
Alumni Clambake
5
6
1
2
3
4
8
11
7
9 10
12 13
1. Got butter? 2. The FaulknerHouse lawn provided the backdropfor the annual gathering 3. Enjoinglobster under the tent 4. Lucy AmesHirschfeld ‘18, daughter of MinnieAmes ‘86 and Brian Hirschfeld
5. Becky and Garrett Solomon ’86 with theirtwins, Cambell and Cooper 6. Brother andsister team, Jack ‘16 and Elizabeth Pierce ‘19,play some baseball 7. Peter Barkan ‘868. Chloe DiAdamo, daughter of Lisa AmickDiAdamo ’86 9. Tom and Margo Smithreconnect with alumni 10. Rob DiAdamo andson, Caleb 11. Rob Crawford, Director ofDevelopment, welcomes alums back to Park12. Melanie Hill and Mark Simmons ’8513. Minnie Ames ‘86 runs the registrationtable as Ali Epker Ruch ‘89 and Greg Kadetsky‘96 sign in
32
1981Class RepresentativesMatt [email protected]
Alex [email protected]
1982Class RepresentativeAllison Nash [email protected]
Alexandra Ehrlich manages theValentino boutique on NewburyStreet. “After three years of trying, Ifinally made the playoffs in my fan-tasy football league,” reports Rutledge
1979 friends and classmates Joan Morse, Wendi Daniels, and Hilary Hart had amini-reunion this fall.
an historic elevated railroad viaductin New York City. I’ve been workingon the project for ten years with co-founder Robert Hammond. If you’rein New York this summer, come takea look! You can also get more infor-mation at www.thehighline.org.”
1979 30th Reunion
Class RepresentativesLalla [email protected]
Sally [email protected]
Thanks to your Reunion Committee:Lalla Carothers, Kevin McCarthy,and Sally Solomon, your 30thReunion is right around the corner—please join your classmates onSaturday, May 9, 2009 for this specialoccasion. For more information pleasecontact Eliza Drachman-Jones in theAlumni Office at 617-274-6022 [email protected].
“In the last year, I have moved to anew house in Lexington, taken a newjob as a pathologist at WinchesterHospital, and changed my name backto Nina Frusztajer—all good things,but I have to say I’ll be happy if thisyear is not quite so eventful!” “Thisyear has been a good one for my hus-band, David, and me, with a fewchanges to the status quo,” reportsSally Solomon. “We moved fromCambridge (where David had livedfor 17 years) back to Brookline, myold stomping ground. A really bigmove was that I left my job atNortheastern University, where I hadbeen for 17 years (we figured we’dwork around a theme). I followed along-held interest of working directly
Josh David ’78 on top of the High Linein New York City.
with young children who have severebehavior problems, and spent a fewmonths at a specialized school teach-ing reading. And now…. I’m not surewhat my next step will be in the aca-demic-assistance field. As for brushes-with-Park during the year, Davidand I went to see a friend perform hismusic at a local café, and behold:There was Tom Smith, also perform-ing! It was terrific to see him. And,one of the highlights of the year wasattending Maggie Remensnyder’s
wedding to one of David’s bestfriends. I look forward to talkingabout all of this and more at our 30thReunion in May. I’m excited to seePark friends and reconnect.”
1980Class RepresentativeAndres [email protected]
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 33
CLASS OF 1979 — 30TH REUNION!
Myra Paci ’80 with her daughers Nora(6) and Adriana (10)
Remembering Alice by Myra Paci ’80
First of all there’s her name. Alice. With thetall, forthright A at the beginning followed bythat sibilant second syllable, whispering hermysterious power. And then the last name:Storey. When you were seven or eight yearsold you might confuse whether it was thething you read or a part of a building but ineither case it fit her because she was a worthysubject for a book and formidable enough tobe built of brick and mortar.
Over our elementary and middle schoolyears I often went to her house, first passingthrough the kitchen: a professional-lookingaffair with restaurant capabilities, invariablyfilled with a smattering of sisters, step-siblings, her step-father Charlie, and ofcourse her mom, Adair, grinning at mewickedly, sipping from a glass of wine, andmore often than not stirring a pot of some-thing on the stove that emitted a heavenlyperfume. Everyone would greet me heartilyand with slightly ironic smiles on theirfaces–here comes that skinny, mop-hairedPaci girl again. Alice and I would run upstairsto her bedroom, close the door, and listen forhours to—this is embarrassing to admit—Elton John. We’d swoon to his love songs,worry over his losses, and practice our dancemoves in the mirror to his pop beats. We’dtalk about our friends, our enemies, boys weliked. We’d maybe make a bead necklace orweave a bracelet—some miraculous skill Alicehad learned from her four older sisters. She’dyell back at them fiercely when they yelledthrough the door to turn Elton down.
The whole scenario captivated me. I hadtwo older brothers, curly haired and slightlike me, not tall, imposing sisters with long,straight blonde hair (the attribute I mostcoveted in life) and a high quotient of cool.Like her sisters, Alice was a completely differ-ent physical animal from me. I can thank theprecision of childhood powers of observationfor still being able to visualize the round
Alice Storey Wille ’80 (1965–2008)
When Myra Paci ’80 learned that her classmate Alice Storey Wille had died ofcancer on June 7, 2008, she encouraged her classmates to honor Alice’s memoryin the pages of this Bulletin. Many thanks to Barbara Storey McGrath ’70 forsending photographs of her late sister.
smallness of her nostrils, the flatness of hernose, her neat, thin lips with their pronouncedbow, her square, even teeth, and perhaps mostvividly, her seemingly endless limbs. Her legsand arms extended as though to the horizonand bore a light, shiny filigree of golden hairs.I would admire the silver and rope braceletsthat only enhanced her narrow but hardlyfragile wrists. Her long, elegant fingersenchanted me. Her long, elegant feetastounded me. In the summer, her body wouldturn a golden tan, her hair a flaxen blonde,and her goddess-like stature would onlyincrease in my eyes.
One memory encapsulates so much ofwhat I feel about Alice. One day—was it in3rd, 4th, or 5th grade or maybe even later?—Ms. Knight, our exigent but quietly doting P.E.teacher, told us we were going to engage in a
series of endurance tests. I remember theroom: not the bright, cavernous basketballcourt with the honey-colored oak floor andhigh ceilings but a low, dark, unpleasant littleroom facing the front of the school. We had tomove through several physical tests: how manypull-ups could we do, how many push-ups,how many sit-ups, and so on. For the sit-upportion Alice and I ended up as partners, oneperson sitting on the other’s ankles while thesupine one performed the exercise. I managedfifty or so. I thought I’d done rather well andsettled down smugly on Alice’s ankles so shecould give it a try. I sat on her bony lower legsand watched first with indifference, then irri-tation as she easily surpassed my fifty, thenamazement as she continued indefatigablytoward 200 then 300, then worry as sheshowed fatigue but did not stop. The room
34 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Apple Faulkner and Alice in the back of the
Faulkner’s truck.
slowly emptied as our classmates finishedtheir tests and wandered off to the lockerrooms to shower, dress, and meet their rideshome. I’m sure one or two friends hung on,watching Alice, gape-mouthed in wonder ather strength and endurance. Ms. Knightstayed on as well of course, looking both con-cerned and impressed. Alice’s slim, musculartorso kept its rhythm down and up from themat, even when her round face was red andsweaty and displayed her exhaustion. But shewas determined, her jaw set, her blonde hairpulled back in a loose pony tail, her eyesfocused inward on her goal. She smiledwearily now and then when she passedanother hundred or one of us exclaimed indelighted amazement. When the winterafternoon’s darkness had already turned theglass door black, she reached one thousandand lay back triumphantly on the springygymnastics mat. She held her sore stomachmuscles and groaned, but looked—and was—utterly victorious.
I find it hard to believe that Alice isgone. She was an emblem of power for me asa child, both in her equine grace and easybraininess, and in the perhaps slightly lessbenign sway she held over so many of us inour class. She was without a doubt one of thequeen bees in the classroom for years: in foursquare and our more formal after-schoolsports, with the boys for whose attention wecompeted, and in the intricate hierarchy thatwe girls created for ourselves. When I leftPark School after eighth grade to jump-startmy high school years, I left with some regretthe exciting jockeying of our queen beepower games and with even more regret closefriends like Alice.
The last time I saw Alice was at her firstwedding back in the late eighties after collegeand recently following my father’s death.Unfortunately I was in a daze of grief thatkept me from being as fully present as Iwould have liked. But I kept in touch withher sporadically over the years and knew shewas experiencing some difficulties. My otherclose friends from our class—Apple Faulkner,Sudie Naimi, Jenny Swett—and I discussedhow we could reach out to Alice and help herbring herself back to health and to her shin-ing strength. Not much came of those talksthat I know of except perhaps a few morephone calls and emails to her. In my mind,she remained far away and maddeninglyimpossible to save.
Alice’s death shakes me not only for theloss of all she was, all her potential, but alsobecause it reminds me that I barely scrapedby to continue my own life after being diag-nosed with breast cancer in 2000. I fre-
quently wonder why I survived and Alice didnot. Discounting the particulars of our differ-ing cancers, why could she not have beengiven a reprieve as well? I mourn Alice, andgrieve for the bright future that I often hopedshe was on the verge of grasping with herlong, beautiful hands.
��
I think I would describe Alice as the original“Queen Bee.” People just buzzed around her,were attracted to her sense of humor, her wayof telling a story, her smarts and her longblonde hair. She was a gifted mimic, capturingvoices and quirks of speech with perfect tim-ing. She had a strong personality—bossy,even—but she was so much fun that you justwanted to follow her ideas, be near her. Atleast I did. I always remember that Alice hadthe best handwriting, the longest braids, thewidest stride for the 12-minute mile and agreat laugh. Alice made everything look easy.— Jessica Slosberg Benjamin ‘80
I remember hanging out in her bedroomexhaustively listening with intense passionto—yes, I am outing us—Billy Joel. On vinyl!I remember her thick silver bracelets, which Icoveted. And yes, I remember that flaxenblond hair and legginess and all the boys trip-ping all over and around her.—Elisabeth Subrin ’80
It’s so long ago, but like Myra, I have a veryvisual image of Alice. All lanky legs and armsand, of course, the smile—I can really pictureher smile. A very sunny personality. She wasalways enthusiastic and game for anything, Iremember.—Adrienne Brodeur ’80
A few memories of Alice seem to have stuckin my head; I remember her showing up toschool in fourth grade dressed like one of thegirls from Little House on the Prairie (which was abig hit at the time), and everyone got a kickout of that because she looked almost exactlylike one of the characters. She was always sopoised, and she had a great sense of humor.—Andres Hurwitz ’80
I recall Alice as an athletic, vibrant kid whowas always very hip and popular. Some yearsagoI read in the Bulletin that she had gottenmarried and was raising her daughter. Nodoubt her spirit and energy leftmany positiveimprints and I join withour class in extend-ing collective condolences to her family.—Erica Johanson DeBenedictis ’80
I remember that Alice was the last in line atgym show, which meant that she was the mostskilled, and that she was. Her routines wereso graceful and always included those movesthat so many of us were not able to perfect.She was so statuesque, long, lanky and heldherself with such poise at a time when poisewas not even part of the curriculum. Iremember spending time at her home, whichalways seemed to be a bit of a retreat as it wassuch a comfortable place, and I just remem-ber all of the older girls (the Storey sisters)lingering about. Four square, bombardment—you name it Alice was right in there leadingthe pack. It was so sad to learn about herdeath this year and I will always have fondmemories of Alice.—Jillian Rudman ’80
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 35
The Storey sisters together in 2006. From left to right: Barbara Storey
McGrath ’70, the late Mimi Storey Meley ’71, Susan Storey Frank ’73,
Eliza Storey Anderson ’76 and the late Alice Storey Wille ’80
The Park School
Reunion WeekendSaturday, May 9, 2009 – Sunday, May 10, 2009
3:00–4:00 PM: Tour the “Old Park School” on Kennard Road
4:00–5:00 PM: Tour today’s Park School
5:00–7:00 PM: All-class party in the new Park School Library
7:30 PM: Individual class dinners off-campus
To learn more, contactEliza Drachman-Jones, Director of Alumni [email protected] or 617-274-6022
1999 –10th Reunion
1994 –15th Reunion
1989 – 20th Reunion
1984 – 25th Reunion
1979 – 30th Reunion
1974 – 35th Reunion
1969 – 40th Reunion
1964 – 45th Reunion
1959 – 50th Reunion
Andrew Winter ’82 and family welcomed a canine friend to the clan this year.Pictured here are sons Ethan, Reed, and Mason with Stella.
Simmons. “I lost in the semi-finals.”Last summer, Andrew Winter’sfamily moved to Hanover, NewHampshire. “Our family has grownwith the addition of “Stella,” a femaleyellow Labrador. Ethan is in 6thgrade in the newly built middleschool, plays tackle football and elec-tric bass. Reed is in 4th grade, playstackle football and electric guitar.Mason is in 2nd grade, plays flagfootball and drums. We are rockingin the granite state. Please comevisit!”
1983Class RepresentativeLisa Livens [email protected]
European representative JonathanChaloff reports: “After 13 years inRome, I moved to Paris in 2007, drag-ging my two year-old daughter,Yamima, along.” The winner of thelongest commute is: SandyBergland! “I commute to Memphisfrom my home in Park City, Utah,where I am a pilot for FedEx. I flythe MD-11 domestically and interna-tionally. The class notes from the25th Reunion were great! Everyonelooks well.” We heard fromWalterDoyle this fall: “Being back in Bostonhas been great and I have run intomany of my fellow Park alumni
friends. I shared some fish with NickNyhan who just returned from sixmonths in Paris with his wife and twochildren. Nick is enjoying life inBrooklyn fixing-up a brownstone andwas volunteering some of his freetime to the Obama campaign whilehe awaits the arrival of his thirdchild.Will Robb came to town withsome extra Red Sox tickets this falland Rob Ball and I were luckyenough to get the call! It was a greatgame and Will and I took notes fromRob’s comprehensive database of RedSox facts and figures! I ran into IanO’Keeffe at the North End skatingrink where we both take our childrento skating lessons. Ian has four kids,is living on the Hill and is threateningto come and join me in the geriatrichockey league I play in—would befun to see if the O’Keeffe/Doylecombo can still make a couple playstogether after 25 years. I havebumped into and seen lots of othersaround town who are all doing welland busy raising wonderful families.Carl Prindle, Sarah CanerGaylord, Lisa Livens Freeman,Stephens Dunne, and many others.What a great class we have!” “Afterfive years in San Francisco and fiveyears in N.Y.C., I’m back inBrookline, a mile from where I grewup!,” writes Juliet Siler Eastland. “Isthis what they mean by the “circle oflife?” Busy as a part-time freelancewriter and full-time wife and mom to
two lovely daughters. Life is good.”Josh Wolman and his wife, Rachel,and their kids, Lily (6) and Graham(4) moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma thisyear. Josh is now the director ofadvancement at Holland Hall School.“Last year, in Washington D.C.,when I worked at Sidwell FriendsSchool, we saw classmate LaurieKohn and her family regularly. I wassorry to miss the reunion; though Iloved reading all about my class-mates, their families, and life experi-ences. I truly hope to be there formy 30th!”
1984 25th Reunion
Class RepresentativeAnne Collins [email protected]
Thanks to your Reunion Committee:Anne Collins Goodyear, BradMoriarty, Tara Albright Robinson,Elena Thompson, Laura ChurchWilmerding, and Phoebe GallagherWinder, your 25th Reunion is rightaround the corner—please join yourclassmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009for this special occasion. For more
36 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
A financial planner with his ownbusiness, Jonathan Kurtz lives inGreat Falls, Virginia with wife, Susan,and two children.
1986Class RepresentativesMark [email protected]
Jonah Givelber writes from Tacoma,Washington, “Life is going very well.Our boys, Julen (7) and Luka (4) areenjoying school. My wife and I aredoing well. Unfortunately, we won’tbe in Brookline at all this year, but, asalways, it remains close to my heart.”And we also heard from KennethKurtz. He is a physician, living inVillanova, Pennsylvania with his wife,Kari, and three children.
1987Class RepresentativesMary Sarah [email protected]
Geoff [email protected]
“I’m still moving full speed aheadto catch up with my sons, Aidan (3)and Sawyer (2),” admits NatalieCoggeshall Nelson. “There’s nothinglike experiencing the world throughthe eyes and heart of a toddler(or two!)”
information please contactEliza Drachman-Jones in the AlumniOffice at [email protected] or617-274-6022.
From Switzerland, Natascha GeilichArmleder writes: “I’ve lived here for16 years now! Sébastien and I havetwo children, Tassilo (4) and Cosima(3). I am also doing my masters incounseling. I hope to make it to theReunion, but it is doubtful, as I willhave just returned from the Statestwo weeks earlier. However I havebeen happy to catch up with some ofyou through Facebook.” “I am mar-ried on Long Island with three kids,”reports Donald Barrick. I have con-verted my wife, Nancy, and raised allthree kids: Emily (10), Christopher(7), and Brandon (3) as Boston fans.The kids all annoy their classmatesby wearing Sox and Pats parapherna-lia. I know I’m one of very few peo-ple who think it’s cool that the Soxhave a high prospect named LarsAnderson! Scary that he was bornwell after we left Park (we’re gettingold!)” Anne Collins Goodyear sendsword that “my husband Frank and Icontinue to enjoy living in Washing-ton, D.C. and working together ascurators at the Smithsonian’sNational Portrait Gallery. Frank is inthe Department of Photographs andI’m in the Department of Prints andDrawings. Later this spring and dur-
ing the summer, two exhibitions I’vehelped organize will be on view:“Inventing Marcel Duchamp: TheDynamics of Portraiture” (March27–August 2, 2009) and“Reflections/Refractions: Self-Portraiture in the Twentieth Century”(April 10–August 16, 2009). Hopeyou can come see them. If so, pleaselet me know. I look forward to seeingmy classmates and meeting spousesand children at our upcoming 25th(gasp) Reunion!” “Hello to everyonein the Class of ’84!” says KateMcNay Koch. She is still enjoying lifein rural Peru, Vermont with Bill andkids Mehana (8) and Will (7). In2007, Elena Wethers Thompsonmoved to Maryland with her family.“We are settling in with our two chil-dren, Tessa (3 1/2) and Ellis (21months). It’s an adjustment and Imiss Boston but it is nice to be closerto family. I finally joined Facebooklast month and have been connectedwith past Park classmates, which isgreat! Would love to be in touch withmany more and to see some of you atour spring reunion. I am going tostart a Facebook Group for our classso please look out for it and join thegroup. I still keep in touch withJessica Pearlman and AliciaLancaster Silva regularly. Hope you(my former classmates) are all doingwell and are happy.”
1985Class RepresentativesRachel Levine [email protected]
Hattie Dane [email protected]
Melissa Daniels [email protected]
Natascha Geilich Armeleder ’84 and family at the beach
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 37
CLASS OF 1984 — 25TH REUNION!
�
�Nia Lutch ’97, Sarah Swett ’98, Meg Lloyd ’98, andBri Connolly ’01 who have all been interns at Park!
1984 classmates Phoebe Gallagher Winder and LauraChurch Wilmerding
Josh Dorfman ’90 and Peter Amershadian Even the little ones know “Children Go Where I SendThee!”
Scottie Brigham Faeber ’57, Amy Lampert ’63 andRuthie Chute Knapp ’57
Laura Church Wilmerding ’84, Michael Wilmerding,and Bri Connolly ’01
Amanda and Abbott Lawrence ’85 with Tim Sullivan ‘85
�
�
Alumni, faculty, and staff celebrated
the winter holidays at Park on an
early December evening. Musical
performances by Park’s children’s
choir and PACE (Park’s Adult Choral
Ensemble) complemented the festive
atmosphere and hearty fare in the
library, which was transformed into
a convivial and cozy venue for the
occasion. Park’s Alumni Committee
organized a children’s book drive to
benefit Cradles to Crayons. The
School was delighted to welcome
back its alumni and friends to kick
off the holiday season!
ALUMNIHOLIDAY PARTY
DECEMBER 4, 2008
38 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Janice Allen conducts young singers in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade III
Sarah Swett ’98, Greg Kadetsky’96, and Nia Lutch ’97
Allison Morse ’89 andJonathan Mitchell ‘89
Ellen and Joe Koltun ’85 broughtlittle Gabriella to the party!
Gigi Saltonstall and Rich Knapp,both Class of 1990
�
�
1988Class RepresentativeLiza Cohen [email protected]
“Tree planting in Guinea, growingpeanuts, eating sufficient quantities ofdiverse tropical fruits, working withfolks to conserve biodiversityresources, and enjoying the shade(one of the immensely important ser-vices performed by trees) all continueto be my principal pastimes,” reportsJordan Kimball. “I cannot remem-ber who the Park School teacher waswho shared Shel Silverstein’s TheGiving Tree with us in the early years,but it was a key literary moment inmy life, which helped lead me to oneof my life-long objectives— to lovetrees for their supreme importance tolife on Earth, and help promote theirconservation and propagation. Muchrespect due to Park for planting treesthroughout the land.” Karen KurtzMatzkin, who is an attorney, liveswith her husband Drew and two chil-dren in Newton. Ramsay Westgatesends word from San Jose where heis in his fifth year teaching 11th &12th grade at The Harker School, aprivate K-12 high school. “Theschool is a snapshot of Silicon Valleylife, with most of my students beingfirst-generation-born American citi-zens, and largely coming from theIndian subcontinent or the Far East(China & Taiwan). My wife, Andrea,teaches at a nearby public highschool, and our daughter, Sarah (aprecocious and energetic dynamo),turned three in December. Love tohear from any Park alums living inthe Bay Area, and hope to make itback for reunion 25 since I missednumber 20.”
1989 20th Reunion
Class RepresentativesDahlia [email protected]
Rebecca Lewin [email protected]
Thanks to your Reunion Committee:Ali Epker Ruch, Allison Morse,Jordan Scott, and Rebecca LewinScott, your 20th Reunion is rightaround the corner—please join yourclassmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009for this special occasion. For moreinformation please contact
U.S. Court of Appeals for the SecondCircuit in early January 2009.”Congratulations to Aisha Yasin onher marriage to Lawrence IrvingCelester, Jr. On August 31, 2008, 150family and friends gathered at TheLord Thompson Manor inThompson, Connecticut for the
service and reception. Park Schoolalumni Jaime Quiros ’93, KeishaPowell, Christina DeVaughn, andTamika Smith cheered Larry andAisha on at the joyous event, andAisha’s siblings Tariq Yasin ’93 andMalaiqa Yasin ’97 were in the wed-ding party!
Eliza Drachman-Jones in the AlumniOffice at [email protected] or617-274-6022.
1990Class RepresentativesZac [email protected]
Alex [email protected]
Zachary Cherry let us know that hemoved to Palm Beach at the end of2008 to become the vice presidentof finance for Energy S.O., LLC.“We’re developing renewable energyproperties around the world. Hopeeveryone in the Park family is well.”We also heard from David Hans:“This fall, I co-founded a law firm inManhattan, which specializes inmedia law, intellectual property, andinsurance coverage disputes(www.smallmanhansllp.com). Weare currently representing formerCIA officer Valerie Plame Wilsonand Simon & Shuster, Inc. in a FirstAmendment dispute involving gov-ernment censorship of public domaininformation that Wilson sought topublish in her 2007 memoir, FairGame. The case will be argued in the
You can help Park get GREENER! We wantto increase our electronic communications withalumni and reduce our carbon footprint.
Please make sure that we have your updatede-mail address. Drop us a line with your name andclass year to [email protected]’d also love to hear your NEWS for the nextissue of the Bulletin!
Thank you!
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 39
A L U M N IE-MAIL DRIVE!
CLASS OF 1989 — 20TH REUNION!
1996Class RepresentativesNick [email protected]
Merrill [email protected]
Katayoun [email protected]
Kathrene [email protected]
Anna Capezzera sends us this news:“I moved to Silver Lake, in East L.A.,and landed a job with The MediaAccess Group at WGBH. It’s kind offunny that I moved all the way out toCalifornia and ended up with a jobbased in Boston. My job title is“Describer,” and I wish I had a con-cise way of explaining what I do. In avery simplified sense, we turn moviesand TV shows into a sort of book-on-tape, so that a blind person can heara full description of what’s happeningwhile the program is actually run-ning. It doesn’t take the place of dia-logue or soundtrack, it just gets addedin, so you can still hear the actualactors speaking and the music/soundeffects that were composed for theprogram. It’s a great job, and I enjoythe opportunity to see a number offilms before their release. Other thanthat, I’m definitely liking the mildwinters out here, and I saw HannahLabaree about a month ago when
Anna Sullivan ’95, Ashley Hall ’97, Suzy McManmon ’97, Ladd Levis-Thorne ’96,Astrid Levis-Thorne ‘98, and George Sargent ’96
1991Class Representative Needed
A belated congratulations to DavidCoggeshall who married Lori Evansin June 2007.
1993Class RepresentativesJessica Ko [email protected]
Jaime [email protected]
Emily Braucher writes fromBogota, Colombia: “I am doingresearch for my anthropology mas-ter’s on displaced women here inBogota. It is challenging work on achallenging topic but I am meetinginspiring and wonderful people.I am happy to be living with myboyfriend’s family here in the cityand come day soon I will make itback to Boulder, Colorado.” “I’mliving in Jamaica Plain with my wifeand beautiful one-year-old daughter,”reports Clark Freifeld. “I’m agraduate student at the MIT MediaLab.” Congratulations to LawrencePerera on his marriage to LynneDuquette last spring in Taos, NewMexico. We also heard from IvyRedd, who is working for a realestate company in Atlanta.
1994 15th Reunion
Class RepresentativesAlan [email protected]
Jake [email protected]
Thanks to your ReunionCommittee: Jen Berylson, JakePeters, Hilary Sargent, and KristenSullivan, your 15th Reunion isright around the corner—please joinyour classmates on Saturday, May 9,2009 for this special occasion. Formore information please contactEliza Drachman-Jones in the AlumniOffice at 617-274-6022 [email protected].
40 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
1995Class RepresentativesLilla [email protected]
Matt [email protected]
Alisha Crutchfield grew up onMission Hill and graduated from TheSteppingstone Foundation’s 14-monthacademic program in 1992, when sheenrolled at Park. After graduatingPark in 1994 and BB&N in 1998, sheattended UMass Amherst. She moved
to New York without knowing any-one and without a firm job, butbecame an intern at Def Jam Music.Outside of the typical administrativework, Alisha began helping to stylethe new artists. She assistedLudacris’s stylist for two years andnow is the CEO and head stylist forStylewise, a professional stylist com-pany to celebrities, as well as thefounder and CEO of Mogul ImpactEntertainment, a talent-bookingagency. She has styled clients includ-ing Kanye West, Vanessa Williams,Ludacris, Dave Chapelle, PattiLabelle, and Russell Simmons formagazines, movies and music videos.
CLASS OF 1994 — 15TH REUNION!
1998Class RepresentativesLydia [email protected]
Sarah [email protected]
From New Orleans, Dave Liebowitzwrites, “I am teaching high schoolEnglish and have been doing this forthe last two years. Despite some chal-lenges, it has been a great time, and Ilove the city. I still keep in touch witha few folks from Park and was sorry Imissed the reunion.”
1999 10th Reunion
Class RepresentativesColin [email protected]
Elizabeth [email protected]
Susanna [email protected]
Thanks to your Reunion Committee:Ally Connors, Grace Faturoti, AlexGoldstein, Margaret Gormley, BenHindman, Chloe Lewis, FranklinRoss, and Greg Vernick, your 10thReunion is right around the corner—please join your classmates onSaturday, May 9, 2009 for this specialoccasion. For more information pleasecontact Eliza Drachman-Jones in theAlumni Office at 617-274-6022 [email protected].
parkupdate
If you were “friends” with Park on Facebook,you may have noticed that our presencedisappeared suddenly. In January 2009, thePark Alumni Facebook Profile was shut downdue to Facebook.com protocol.
Since then, we have established a Park SchoolAlumni Association Fan Page. Please join usand learn about events, look at photos, and con-nect with fellow Park Alumni. To find this page,enter “Park School Alumni Association” into thesearch field and become a fan.
Links to Facebook and LinkedIn can befound on Park’s alumni website:www.parkschool.org/alumniConnect with other Park alumni today!
she passed through the area.” “Hellofrom Portland, Oregon!” writesJonathan Sheffi. “Well, after livingall over the west coast for four and ahalf years, it’s finally time to comehome. Last week I was accepted toHarvard Business School, and I ameagerly looking forward to it. I was inBoston when I heard, and celebratedwith many old friends, includingGreg Schwanbeck. I also recentlymet up with Zac Johnson when hewas visiting Portland for a few days,and with Julia Kung and Liz Priveswhen I was down in Palo Alto. Hopeeveryone else is doing well in thesetough times.”
1997Class RepresentativesSuzy [email protected]
Sarah [email protected]
Sarah Conway writes, “I had a niceholiday season in the U.S., includinga few days in Boston. I spent a great
1998 Classmates: Eliza Drachman-Jones, Daphne Johnson, Abbie Johnson,Jonathan Tucker, and Alex Aronson
deal of that time at the Lewis’ house,hanging with Anna, Chloe ’99, andEve ’04. One night I grabbed drinkswith Anna, Nia Lutch, and FredWarburg, and I also spent time withAnna and Fred on New Year’s Eve.Everyone is doing well—Anna is backliving in L.A. working at a consultingfirm, Fred is in finance in Boston, and
Nia is an intern at Park. I’m nowback in Bali, Indonesia where I con-tinue to work at a consulting firmspecializing in conservation finance.I have upcoming trips to the forestof Sulawesi in Indonesia, thePhilippines, Palau, Laos, and HongKong, some for work, some forplay. I’m also studying for my CFALevel III exam, which I will take(and hopefully pass!) in June. Ifyou find yourself in South EastAsia, please let me know!”Severine Fleming is directing TheGreenhorns, a documentary aboutyoung farmers in America. She isliving, farming, and bicycling in theHudson valley of New York.www.thegreenhorns.net. PaulNaddaff is currently working forPUMA North America as thesports marketing manager. He isfocusing on building awareness ofPUMA’s high-performance runningproduct line. Since starting a yearand a half ago, the running busi-ness has grown by 35%. Paul writesthat he is “still holding my monthlyBig Kids Dodgeball Tournaments—going five years strong!”www.BigKidsDodgeball.com. Paulalso tells us “I’m living out mydream of making cool toys/gadgets.I recently came up with an idea fora great remote control toy andhired an engineering firm to buildme a working prototype. I’m in theprocess of pitching the concept tomajor toy companies with the inten-tion of them buying the idea.” LizGrote Ouellet had a boy namedDylan Justin Ouellet on January 5,2009. Liz writes “He was sixpounds, three ounces, 19 incheslong, and we are enjoying everysecond with him.”
Jonathan Tucker ’98 bumped into histhird grade teacher, Ann Kopp, whiletraveling this year
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 41
Park Pub Night in BostonOctober 23, 2008
On a crisp fall evening in October,
20 Park alums gathered at Dillon’s
in Boston for Park Pub Night.
Friends from the Classes of 1990–2000
came together for a fun evening of
laughter and libations. A huge thanks goes
to the Park Young Alumni Sub-Committee
for planning and promoting this
great event. We are looking forward
to our next Park Pub Night in Boston
this spring—hope to see you there!
42 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
Read about Colin Arnold’s experi-ences as a firefighter-paramedic inBerkeley, CA on page 16 of thisBulletin. In November, Alex Goldsteinaccepted a new position as the PressSecretary for Governor Patrick’sExecutive Office of Labor andWorkforce Development. And, DavidKenner recently returned from twoyears in Lebanon, where he workedas a journalist for Now Lebanon andworked on a master’s at the AmericanUniversity of Beirut. His is now livingin Washington D.C., writing forForeign Policy magazine while finishinghis master’s thesis. Since graduatingfrom Yale, Rebekah Emanuel hasbeen pursuing answers to these twoquestions: What are the determinantsthat drive an injured party down aconstructive versus a destructive path?How can communities, laws, and insti-tutions help? She has studied in theMiddle East and Uganda, and willspend 2009-10 in Ireland on a GeorgeMitchell fellowship. In Ireland, shewants to explore: What can humanrights law teach us about creating andadjudicating processes that limit vio-
CLASS OF 1999 — 10TH REUNION!
Top to bottom: Jessica Whitman ’00 andSpencer Bush-Brown ’00; Merrill Hawkins ’96,Kathrene Tiffany ’96, Rich Knapp ’90 and JeffTulman ’90; Sarah Shoukimas, Sarah Conway,and Fred Warburg – all ’97
Top to bottom: 1998 classmates Meg Lloyd,Eliza Drachman-Jones, Matt Krouner, and SarahSwett; Carlos Castillo’07, Sarah Swett’98, andfriend; Alex Lutch ’02 and Nia Lutch ’97
more AP exams as a senior at theCommonwealth School.
2005Class RepresentativesLily [email protected]
Ashley [email protected]
Sabrina Lee, Olamide Oladipo, andGordie Sayre all graduated cum laudefrom Milton last spring. Sabrina, asHead Monitor, received the James S.Willis Memorial Award. Gordiereceived The Performing Arts Award,and Olamide was awarded TheGorham Palfrey Faucon Prize “fordemonstrated interest and outstandingachievement in history and socialscience.” We read in the Brookline TABlast fall that Simon Reale qualifiedfor the AP Scholar with DistinctionAward, earning an average grade of atleast 3.5 (out of a possible 5) on allexams taken and grades of 3 orhigher on five or more exams takenSpring 2008 as a senior at Nobles.Congratulations to everyone!
2006Class RepresentativeMcCall [email protected]
2007Class RepresentativesThomas [email protected]
across the street from Sara’o Bery.Occasionally she also runs into JesseCoburn and Alejandro Alvarado.
2003Class RepresentativeDiana [email protected]
At Spelman College, Rachel Redd isa theater major.
2004Class RepresentativesSteven [email protected]
Molly [email protected]
Jared Walske qualified for the APScholar Award, earning an averagegrade of at least three on three or
Congratulations to Rebekah Emanuel’99 on being awarded a GeorgeMitchell fellowship for 2009–10.
Fay Rotenberg ’00, Camilla Hammer ’03, Jay Manzi ’02, and Lee Rotenberg’02
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 43
On “Mountain Day” in September, Cushing Academy students Louisa Carroll ’07(left) and Colin Redd ’07 (second from right) posed on top of Mt. Monadnockwith other friends.
lence? What can transitional-justice-structures do to create empoweringoutlets for grief? What can socialanthropology teach us about how rit-ual, relationship, and communityguide people scarred by tragedy?Rebekah explains, Ireland “is anisland that has endured muchtragedy, and many have had to figureout what to do with grief. It is anisland where the same generation thathas seen active conflict is making thetransition to a thriving new set offutures.” Congratulations from all ofyour friends at Park!
2000Class RepresentativeJessica [email protected]
We saw Sara Redd and her dad atthe Alumni Clambake in the fall. Sarahas been teaching tennis and washeading off to business school atSimmons this January.
2001Class RepresentativesDiego [email protected]
Lenny Dosoretz is working inProvidence for the Attorney General.You can find Julia Rosenthal work-ing in New York City as a sales andmarketing assistant for MoltonBrown, a luxury skincare company.Rebecca Spiro writes “I am currentlya senior at Bowdoin College majoringin visual arts and art history andminoring in Spanish. I am not sure
where I will be or what I will bedoing next year, but teaching is alikely possibility. At Bowdoin, I am afreshman proctor, museum docent,senior interviewer for the admissionsoffice, and an active member of theouting club.” Rebecca also writes thatshe recently saw former classmateand close friend, Caitlin Dick, at theClayroom in Brookline, where wecaught up on life and painted pottery.“Unfortunately, since Caitlin and Itook a year off after high school,many of our classmates aren’taround, because they are working!We feel lucky to have one moreopportunity to relax before enteringinto the real world, and we are grate-ful to our classmates for providing apreview of what is to come. So whileI miss the good old days, I look for-ward to the future.”
2002Class RepresentativeAlex [email protected]
“I’m heading off to New Orleansafter graduation to participate in theTeach for America program,” reportsAlex Lebow. “I spent New Yearswith fellow Park classmates MattWeinberg, Sam Hawkins,Alejandro Alvarado, Molly Boskeyand Amy Kurzweil.” We hear that“Julia Spiro is in the English honorsprogram at Harvard and is planningon writing a thesis next year. Sheserves as the associate editor for theCrimson’s weekly magazine, FifteenMinutes, and also serves as a studentdocent at the Harvard Art Museum.”At Wesleyan, Meg Weisman is busywriting her senior creative writingthesis, singing a cappella, and living
Young AlumniBagel BreakfastDecember 13, 2008
Dozens of young alumni from theclasses of 2005–2009 crowded into thedining room on the morning of YuleFestival to reconnect with classmatesand reminisce with Park teachers.
Clockwise from top: 1. Emily Bloch and Johnny Murchison, both ’09;2. Eliza Cover ’09, Emily Meltzer ’08, Kendall MacRae ’08; 3. AlexJundanian ’07 and Jacob Aduama ’07; 4. Rebecca MacRae ’06, MonicaStadeker ’06 and Steve Kellogg; 5. Peter Boskey ’05 and Clara Dennis ’05;6. Augusta Winthrop ’09, Evan Joy McLaurin ’09, and Astrid Pacini ’09;7. Manizeh Afridi ’08 and Jacob Aduama ’07; 8. 2007 ClassmatesThomas Cope, Alex Jundanian, David Haviland, Ben Lampert, Brae Cabot,and Elyssa Carlson
3
2
4
5
6
7
8
44 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
1
Aisha Yasin ’90 married LawrenceIrving Celester in August.
2008Class RepresentativesManizeh [email protected]
Marielle [email protected]
As an eighth grader, Trace Smithspent four months away from Noblesto live and train at the one of themost rigorous ski academies in thecountry. At a severe disadvantage asonly a weekend skier, Trace placed14th at the Junior Olympics in springof 07. He has trained in Chile numer-ous times, in Panorama, Canada, andMt. Hood Oregon and raced allover east of the Mississippi. He owns12 pairs of skis for the differentevents, has raced as fast as 60 mphand gotten frostbite on his feet. Wow!
2010Park students at the Roxbury LatinSchool include Nick Spinale, whowas elected president of his 8th gradeclass, and Khalif Mitchell, whosends his warm regards.
2011Tenzin Thargay was electedpresident of his 7th grade class atRoxbury Latin.
Ryan Andrew Blute
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 45
Lawrence Perera ’93 married Lynne Duquette on March 20, 2008 in Taos, New Mexico. Park alums in attendance werePerera sisters Alice Lucey ’77, Lucy Adams ’84, and Caroline Barry ’79 as well as Alice’s sons and alums-to-be HenryLucey ’09 and George Lucey ’11 (not pictured here).
Former Faculty NewsJeff and Rebecca Abrams (currentGrade I teacher) welcomed their newson Samuel Mitchell Abrams onJanuary 23, 2009. “Weekly conversa-tion keeps some of the rust off myability to speak French,” reports for-mer French teacher Lise Aubry. “My‘Painting with Spirit’ class makesMondays very special days and twobook groups keep me reading, one oflife’s greatest joys!” Matt and ErinKelly Blute (Director of AnnualGiving 2005-06) welcomed son RyanAndrew Blute on November 4, 2008.Erin writes, “It seems people allacross the country are referringto Ryan’s birth day as “historic,” so Iguess we’re not the only ones whothink he’s special!” Former librarian
Weddings1990Aisha Yasin and Lawrence IrvingCelester, Jr.August 31, 2008
1993Lynne Duquette and LawrencePerera ’93March 20, 2008
Arrivals1974Henry Chin and Tina McVeighJames (Jamie) Higginson Mon-Tsi ChinJune 20, 2008
1983Craig Eastland and Juliet SilerEastlandElla EastlandJuly 28, 2009
1984Oliver and Tara Albright RobinsonAnders Hazard RobinsonSeptember 3, 2008
Anders Hazard Robinson, son of TaraAlbright Robinson ’84
Rusty True Browder writes, “I con-tinue to love my role as K-8 librarianat the Lawrence School in Brookline.And what a pleasure to welcomePark librarians Dorothea Black andChristian Porter as they exploreoptions for Park’s gorgeous newlibrary!” Former Assistant Head ofSchoolWanda Holland Greenesends word that “Robert, David,Jonathan, and I are happily settled inSan Francisco. The weather is gor-geous, but a bit cold in the summer,and the city itself is filled with diverseneighborhoods and incredible people.Being the head of The HamlinSchool is everything I hoped it wouldbe. Lots of love to all my Park fam-ily.” (Read Wanda’s reflections on her tripto Washington in January for thepresidential inauguration on page 47.)Mary Jo Neish, who completed herstudent teaching requirement at Parkduring her senior year at Wheelockwrote with memories and news: “Ihad a really harsh master teacherwith my senior year experience so itwas really a windfall that Wheelockhad two experiences andI landed at Park and a great situationin the nursery school. I live in adarling cabin in the Santa CruzMountains in California. I had my70th birthday in September and amlooking into senior apartments inPortland near my daughter SarahKate because I have taken a few spillshere. I wish the entire Park family ahappy and healthy new year!”
Caleb Winder and PhoebeGallagher WinderCharlie WinderJune 21, 2008
1985Ellen Crowley-Koltun andJoe KoltunGabriella Adele KoltunSeptember 7, 2008
Amanda and Abbott LawrenceEstelle Prescott LawrenceNovember 8, 2008
1986Amy and Peter BarkanLila Rose BarkanAugust 19, 2008
1991Mina and Jim O’KeefeKaylee O’KeefeJanuary 8, 2009
Ogden Phipps and Ashley DoddPhippsOgden Mills Phipps IIAugust 12, 2008
1992Adrienne De VaughanJoshua Davis De Vaughn andJosiah David De VaughnNovember 23, 2008
1997Justin Ouellet and Liz Grote OuelletDylan Justin OuelletJanuary 5, 2009
Jamie Higginson Mon-Tsi Chin, son of Tina McVeigh ’74,pictured here with big sister, Lizzie.
Ashley Dodd Phipps ’91 sent us this photo of her children,Harper and Ogden.
Gabriella Adele Koltun, daughter ofJoe Koltun ’85
Adrienne DeVaughn ’92 sent in this great photo of her twinsJosiah and Joshua.
Dylan Justin Ouellet, son of Liz Grote Ouellet ’97
In MemoriamJean Mallory Childs ’45January 12, 2009
Elvira GrowdonJanuary 22, 2009Parents’ Association President(1980-1982)Mother of Allegra GrowdonRichdale ’83 and Whit Growdon ’91
Theodore C. Haffenreffer, Jr.December 27, 2008Father of Beth Haffenreffer Scholle ’74Grandfather of Liza Scholle ’10
Marjorie LeMayNovember 27, 2008Mother of Tamsin Knox ’70 andEugene Knox ’71Grandmother of Brendan Yucel ’10,Simon Yucel ’10, and MorganYucel ’08
J. Daniel NyhartDecember 6, 2008Trustee 1963-1974Father of Nicholas Nyhart ’70,Lynn Nyhart ’72, and AndrewNyhart ’76
Anne Wight Phillips’31February 12, 2009Mother of Asa Phillips ’72 andAnne Phillips Ogilby ’73
Erdna M. Reggio Rogers ’31February 8, 2009Sister of Nicholas Reggio ’40
Robert Morse Sturgis ’53February 13, 2009
Roger SonnabendDecember 7, 2008Father of Andrea Sonnabend ’66,Stephanie Sonnabend ’68,Jacqueline Sonnabend ’69, andAlan Sonnabend ’72
Ellen Simonds Stout ’41December 23, 2008Mother of William Stout ’70 andEllen Lee Stout ’72Sister of Amy Simonds Naimi ’49Aunt of Timothy Naimi ’79,Susan Naimi DiGiovanni ’80, andCameron Naimi ’84
Lydia XypterasNovember 29, 2008Park School Chef 1969-1972
Teresa WayeJanuary 1, 2009Mother of Alex Waye ’10 andNathaniel Waye ’18
46 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009 47
Ms. Holland Greene Goes to Washington
Wanda M. Holland Greene, Head of the Hamlin School in
San Francisco, was a beloved figure at Park from 1997–2008.
She wrote this essay for the Hamlin School community upon her
return from the presidential inauguration in January, and wanted
to share it with her Park School friends, as well.
father is Kenyan, and his mother is from
Kansas. A white woman gave birth to
him and raised him for some time in a
home with her white parents. So why do
you in America call him black?” Robert
and I began discussing with him and with
each other the “one-drop rule,” its roots
in slavery and segregation, and its impli-
cations for how people have defined race
in America. We explained that the “one-
drop rule” was a historical term that
meant that anyone with a trace of
African ancestry in America was consid-
ered black and therefore denied rights
and privileges. Our cab driver looked per-
plexed and saddened. There was no time
to finish the conversation.
At the art show, Robert and I
stopped in our tracks to gaze at a power-
ful painting that visualized the “one-drop
rule.” Barack Obama’s face stared out at
the viewer, and there was a medicine
dropper above his head from which
dripped blood, darkening the top half of
his face and leaving the bottom half pale.
In an ironic twist of fate, has the oppres-
sive “one-drop rule” been turned on its
head such that we now celebrate a mul-
tiracial man as the first black president?
Four weeks later, the cab driver’s ques-
tions are still exploding in my head.
My time in the cab and at the art
show reminded me of an excerpt from
Langston Hughes’ autobiography, The Big
Sea, where he stated: “You see, unfortu-
nately, I am not black. There are lots of
different kinds of blood in our family. But
here in the United States, the word
‘Negro’ is used to mean anyone who has
any Negro blood at all in his veins. In
Africa, the word is more pure. It means
all Negro, therefore black. I am brown.”
For certain, the issues of racial and cul-
tural identity are deep and complex, and
they are incredibly important and relevant
at Hamlin, our extraordinary school that
boasts a range of fabulous individuals
and families, many of whom are bilin-
gual, international, multiracial, and multi-
faith. How do we describe and talk about
ourselves and each other? Can we cele-
brate the beauty of our skin tones and
explore our souls beneath? Shall we join
together, boldly examining our biases,
and build the inclusive community we
t is February 20, and it has taken
me exactly one month to thaw
from the bone-chilling cold of
Washington, D.C. and to fully process the
experience of attending the 56th
Inauguration of the 44th President and
Vice-President of the United States of
America. Throughout the past four
weeks, I have often caught myself think-
ing about my three days in our nation’s
capital; each reverie is filled with the
magic and meaning of history — my own
and that of this country. I was born and
have given birth during the nervous
excitement of presidential election years
—1968, 2004, and 2008 respectively—
and President Obama was elected on
November 4, my late father’s birthday.
(Oh, how James David Holland, born and
raised in the Jim Crow South, would have
beamed with pride as he cast his vote for
an African-American man.) My memories
of being in Washington are mainly jubi-
lant, a few troubling, and others remain
floating and uncategorized. I have chosen
to capture in words four distinct memo-
ries—each one a bold and relentless
thought that keeps coming up for air,
refusing to drown in the rapid swirl of my
life. It has become increasingly clear to
me that I must rescue these ideas, savor
the details, and keep them close. Casting
these essential memories into a sea of
forgetfulness would be unwise and
ungrateful; this written reflection, there-
fore, is my very own “Washington monu-
ment” that will give history and memory
permanence.
The Dearly Departing
It is Sunday night, January 18. Our bags
are packed, and we have unearthed our
East Coast winter gear from the still-
packed boxes on the second floor. Robert
and I are ready to leave our sons for the
first time in their lives. David and
Jonathan have always risen in the morn-
ing to find one or both of their parents at
home, but Robert and I have decided
that we must both head to Washington,
D.C. to witness history being made.
Thanks to Senator Feinstein, a former
Hamlin parent and grandparent, we have
two seated tickets for the swearing-in
ceremony.
Hair!
It is Monday, January 19. Washington is
humming with the optimism and activity
of American citizens, and there is
Obamaparaphernalia everywhere. I
chuckle as people are lining up to take
pictures next to a life-size cardboard
cutout of the President-elect. Robert and
I hail a taxi to the Hart Office Building to
pick up the tickets from Senator
Feinstein’s office. As we step off of the
elevator, I exclaim, “I know that hair!”
Robert gives me a confused look. I
quicken my step and peer into a nearby
office, which happens to belong to a sen-
ator of Louisiana. Sure enough—I’m
right. The hair never lies. Standing before
me for the second time in the past two
months is RUBY BRIDGES. I say, “Hi,
Ruby!” (as if I’ve known her for years),
and I introduce her to Robert. She replies
with a smile, “Hi, Wanda!” I want to
melt because she remembers my name.
We talk only for a short time because she
needs to head across town for a book
signing, and I say goodbye after thanking
her again for such a wonderful and
inspiring visit to Hamlin in early
December. How poignant it was to see
how far the country has come— that lit-
tle African-American girl in Norman
Rockwell’s 1964 painting (“The Problem
We All Live With”) who faced angry and
villainous mobs as she walked into
Louisiana’s William Franz Elementary
School grew up to see an African-
American elected to the highest office in
the land.
Kenyan Cab Driver
It is Monday, January 19, about 2pm, and
Robert and I are headed to an Obama art
show on M Street in Georgetown. A gra-
cious cab driver (who backed up on a
one-way street to pick us up) greeted us
with a great smile and immediately
engaged us in conversation. He told us
about how difficult it was to drive
through the city with all of the street
closings, how he would make only a cou-
ple hundred extra dollars that week, and
how glad he would be when the city
resumed normal operations. Then he
said, “I am from Kenya. Barack Obama’s
I
talk about? Will we work diligently to
breathe life into our creed each day so
that every child benefits from a school
that values honesty, responsibility, respect,
care, and positive thinking?
The Sandwich, the Diaper, andthe Bottle
It is Tuesday, January 20. The peaceful
transfer of power has taken place, and it
is time to make our way back to our
friend’s home where we are staying. There
is an enormous throng of people blocking
the entrance and escalator down to the
Metro station, so Robert and I decide to
walk. As we lock hands and move away
from the crowd, I glance at the piles and
piles of garbage strewn everywhere.
Trashcans are overflowing with all kinds of
refuse, and I see a half-eaten sandwich, a
dirty diaper, and an empty Aquafina bot-
tle sitting on top of one receptacle. I have
a quick flashback to childhood when I
used to watch a commercial where a
Native American man cried one tear
because the beach was covered with litter
and someone threw garbage out of a car
window. I felt troubled by the sight of the
three items, which should not have been
in the same trashcan, and I felt like a true
California resident! For the past eight
months, I have worked in a school where
composting and recycling are second
nature to the adults and children, where
Lower School girls are adept at bringing in
a snack that doesn’t create trash, and
where Middle School girls are ecstatic
about a competition to save energy and
prevent climate change. With all the plan-
ning that went into the inaugural events, I
still can’t figure out why there weren’t
twice as many trash cans, and some blue
bins for recycling all of those water bottles
and soda cans. I also wonder whose job it
was to clean up America’s mess, how long
it took, and how much it cost.
Whether one is a head of school or
the President of the United States, leader-
ship is a lofty and sacred responsibility. We
are charged with serving people to the
best of our ability, protecting them from
hurt and danger, and helping them to live
their best lives. I loved returning home to
kiss my sons and to lead Hamlin, and I will
continue to embrace the important tasks
before me with intelligence, enthusiasm,
humility, joy, and courage. In the words of
President Obama, “Let it be said by our
children’s children that when we were
tested we refused to let this journey end,
that we did not turn back nor did we fal-
ter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon
and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth
that great gift of freedom and delivered it
safely to future generations.”
My dad would have said, “Amen to that.”
SUMMARY OF THE OBJECTIVES OFFoundations for the Future
Uses of Funds
Faculty $ 4,000,000
Facilities $16,000,000
Financial Aid $ 4,000,000
Total $24,000,000
Sources of Funds
Foundations for the Future $15,000,000
Tax-Exempt Bond Financing $ 9,000,000*
Total $24,000,000
* Park secured $9 million of 4.88% fixed-rate 30-year bonds. The bondsare interest-only for the first ten years, have virtually no covenants, andcan be prepaid at any time without penalty.
Foundations for the Future capital campaign —Forging Ahead, Because We Must!
bout three years ago, Park received its firstpledge for our $15 million Foundations for the
Future capital campaign. Since then, we have raised $11.9million in gifts from the community and $9 millionfrom tax-exempt bonds, built a new wing for GradesIV-V, renovated classrooms for Grades I-III, andwatched the global economy fall into a tailspin. Indeed,much has changed at Park and in the world since 2006.But today, Park’s mission-driven goal remains the same:to raise $15 million to ensure deep economic diversity inthe student body and to sustain our leadership amongpeer schools in our ability to attract and retain the finestteachers. The troubling economic climate only makesour goals more urgent; Park must raise the remaining$3.1 million over the coming year to sustain the distinc-tive qualities of our school community.
We see a path to achieving the goal, and it goes
through you.
Over the last several months, we have seen several indi-cators that Park can count on its community to continueto support the School through these troubled times.For example, as of this writing, our Annual Fund hasreached 90% of its $1.4 million goal, with four monthsto go until the end of our fiscal year. In October, ananonymous alum offered to give Park $500,000 for theCampaign if we can raise $500,000 in new pledgesfrom alumni, and we have already received $250,000—half of the target amount! All winter and spring,parents, alumni, and past parents have met with admin-istrators and development volunteers to discuss sup-porting our capital campaign. And, despite how theeconomic downturn has affected their own accounts,people are giving.
Of course, these examples buoy the efforts of ourstaff and multitude of volunteers. But in the end, wewill need the support of everyone reading this Bulletin inorder to reach our $15 million goal and assure Park’sshort and long-term strength. Please consider makingyour own gift at a level commensurate with your love forPark and your ability to contribute. A gift to Park—especially in 2009—makes a dramatic impact in thelives of students.
A
48 The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009
n the day after the Campaign Kickoff
in October, a Park School alum (who
wishes to remain anonymous) contacted the
School with an exciting proposition. If, by
December 31, 2009, Park can raise $500,000
in “new pledges” from alumni for the
Foundations for the Future capital campaign,
this alum will make an additional gift of
$500,000.
The timing of this challenge could not
be better. As we strive to complete our
ambitious capital campaign focused on faculty
compensation, financial aid, and enhanced
spaces for teaching and learning, alumni
support is critical. It is the donor’s hope that
this challenge will inspire alumni to make a
tangible impact at Park at a time when, more
than ever, the School needs the support of
its alumni.
The “rules” of this challenge are simple:
• Pledges must be made between October8, 2008 and December 31, 2009, and giftsmay be paid over a multi-year period.
• Every capital pledge that is eitherunrestricted or restricted to one of thecampaign’s objectives will count towardsthe challenge.
• Because of the critical importance ofPark’s Annual Fund, we request thatalumni who are regular donors to theAnnual Fund give to the Annual Fundfirst, and support the Alumni Challengewith an additional pledge.
• Park must raise the entire $500,000amount (in pledges) in order to receivethe $500,000 challenge gift. A lesseramount raised will not be matched.
The entire Park School community is deeply
grateful to the alum who dreamed up and
offered this challenge, as well as to the many
“early” donors who have already contributed
half of the $500,000 goal! We will reach out
to all alumni in 2009 to ask for help in raising
the remaining $250,000. Please consider giv-
ing as generously as you possibly can! To learn
more or to make a pledge or gift now, please
contact Rob Crawford in the Development
Office (email [email protected]
or call 617-274-6020).
O
Park School Alumni, Consider Yourselves Challenged!
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
P A I D
Boston, Massachusetts
Permit No. 55643
The Park School171 Goddard AvenueBrookline, Massachusetts 02445
Change service requested
Moved? Moving?Please notify Park of addressee’scurrent address, as the Bulletin andother bulk mailings are notforwarded by the Post Office.