Oak Leaves - Fall/Winter 2022

“We now understand childhood to be a miraculous process of social-emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual growth that thrives on wide experience, healthy challenge and active initiative. And the adults in our community

mirror a joyful zeal for growth and learning that drives their creation of the learning environment for our students. ”

- Rich Nourie, Head of School

ANNUAL REPORT

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Every day, I go to work in a community that is joyfully focused on learning and growth in every moment of every day, in every nook and cranny of our buildings and campus, and for absolutely everyone here, from three-year-olds to those of us with graying hair and grandchildren and everyone in between. It is a thrilling endeavor to have such a pure and generative focus at the heart of our community. Generative because new learning always leads to new ideas to try, new initiatives and new growth.

The shorthand of educational basics across generations was “the three R’s: reading, writing and ‘rithmetic.” Indeed the founding mission of AFS in 1697 was to provide a “useful education with a moral grounding,” which meant basic literacy, a trade and simple virtues for daily living. It was a simple education for a much simpler time and the overall environment was one of austerity and no nonsense.

As the circle of a “useful education” continually widened over the centuries to include complex literacies that would encompass a broader terrain of human knowledge and a far more complex world, so too did our ideas in Friends education broaden to a much more expansive idea of human potential and the full development of children. We now understand childhood to be a miraculous process of social-emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual growth that thrives on wide experience, healthy challenge and active initiative. And the adults in our community mirror a joyful zeal for growth and learning that drives their creation of the learning environment for our students.

And so, the AFS experience each day is one of inspired curiosity, exploration, engagement, building, initiative and creation that defines the classrooms; the art studios and performance spaces; the playgrounds, creek, gardens, beehives and arboretum; the Berman Athletic Center and playing fields; the adventures of field trips, global travel, Eighth Grade Independent Studies, Ex Programs and Senior Capstone; and the interplay of diverse voices and experiences in every setting at AFS and the sacred space of our 326-year-old Meetinghouse itself.

In this issue of Oak Leaves, you will encounter stories that illuminate learning in several spheres of community life under the question of “What makes a curriculum?” At AFS, it may be more apt to ask, “What’s not in the curriculum?” Everything at AFS is built around learning and growth and where it leads in creating an ever more joyful, just, peaceful and productive community, an outstanding foundation for the lives ahead of our children.

RICH NOURIE HEAD OF SCHOOL

ON THE COVER

Richard F. Nourie, Head of School

Devin Schlickmann, Director of Admission and Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement

Jay Kadash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Lisa Budd, Director of Alumni Engagement and Communications Associate Matthew MacNaughton, Assistant Director of Communications and Editor of Oak Leaves

Leapfrog Group, Publication Design

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6 AFS IN PHOTOS

Photography by Geanine Jamison

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography by: Jeff Fusco, Geanine Jamison, Ryan Samson, Maria White

Oak Leaves is a publication of the AFS Communications and Development Offices.

Abington Friends School main switchboard: 215.886.4350

For more photos and news, visit us online at abingtonfriends.net

1THE FOURTH CENTURY OF QUAKER EDUCATION

Deeply held Quaker values inform how we approach teaching and learning at AFS. Our students are encouraged to have bold convictions, to be curious about the world they live in and to develop creative solutions to problems. And yet, our identity as an authentic Quaker institution cannot remain static as the world around us grows, evolves and transforms.

In the Spring, Abington Friends School launched our new Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2027 entitled The Fourth Century of Quaker Education. Scan to read more about it online.

3TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE

This past Spring, three long-time educators, mentors and friends at Abington Friends School announced that they would be moving on from AFS. With more than 70 years of AFS experience among them, we celebrate everything they have done to make our community a vibrant and warm space for our students. Join us in wishing them all the best on the next stage in their journey!

RENIE CAMPBELL

THE FARMHOUSE

2Everyone can rejoice, as the Farmhouse is open again for the 2022-2023 school year. A longtime fixture on the AFS campus, many students now know it as a place to buy snacks, study with friends and relax during breaks.

For more on the Farmhouse, see “A History of the Farmhouse from 1690 to the Present” by Ray Schorle, available in On This Same Ground: Voices from Three Hundred Years of Abington Friends School.

An excerpt: “Archeological evidence shows the farmhouse was built between 1690 and 1710… The original building was a twobay house with one large first floor room and two entrances, one on the south side and one on the north. The main floor had a larger fireplace for cooking and keeping the room warm. This was an early kitchen, living room and probably a bedroom for the children or parents of the house.”

For 30 years, Renie Campbell has been a significant part of the lifeblood that runs through AFS. She has witnessed and helped steward AFS through significant transitions and transformations. She has contributed to our community as an English Teacher, English Department Chair, Upper School Dean of Students, and for the last six years, Director of Student Support. In this role, she coordinated a team to ensure the growth of the whole student.

MEGAN HOLLINGER

Chair of the Arts Department Megan Bellwoar Hollinger has been the mastermind behind so many of our plays and musicals, producing more than 40 productions and elevating and maintaining a level of an award-winning program with over 100 Cappies nominations. Her sophisticated eye and collaboration have brought the next level of excellence to our theatre program. Megan has dedicated her leadership, talents and compassion to AFS for 25 years.

KATHY LOPEZ

An expert in the development and teaching and learning of six and seven-year-olds, Kathy Lopez has had an incredible impact on AFS. Her commitment to stewardship of the environment, her dedication to lifelong learning, and her love of her students are core to who she is. Kathy has taught more than 300 young students here at AFS!

ABINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL

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Congratulations Class of 2022!

This past June, the community gathered in the Grove of the Meetinghouse to celebrate the 325th graduating class at AFS. Those in attendance got to hear inspiring words from Adrienne Sheares (’05), now an entrepreneur who has worked for clients such as AARP, Discovery Education, The Root, Vote.org, and more.

“When you’re knocked off your planned path, it’s okay to be scared, and it’s okay to be a little angry. But don’t stew in those feelings for too long. Because your new path is waiting for you. And your destination will be better than you ever imagined.”

Springtime at AFS

On a gorgeous day in late Spring, the whole school gathered in the fields behind the Berman Athletics Center to partake in our Quaker value of Stewardship toward the Earth on Arbor Day. Members of Grades 1 and 12 grabbed a shovel to help plant their class trees before passing the tradition on to the next group.

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ABINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL

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Bringing Antigone into Modernity Playwright Sophocles brought Antigone to the stage in 441 BCE with themes of civil disobedience, rule and order, politics and love of family. We find ourselves as a society dealing with some of the same issues many years later. In March, CJ Miller, Middle School Theater teacher and Antigone director/writer brought the story to life for the AFS community with his own adaptation of the script. In addition to making it Middle School appropriate, CJ’s adaptation weaved modern events into the story that paralleled the oppression the original character Antigone faced.

Beautiful Happy Sad

The AFS community was treated to a phenomenal production of Lost Girl by the Upper School. This marks the final AFS production directed by Megan Bellwoar Hollinger, All-School Arts Department Chair, before leaving at the end of the 2021–2022 school year. “I am so grateful to end my tenure at AFS with this beautiful show, and this wonderful group of students,” Megan said.

More Than a Science Fair

After a two-year hiatus, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Night returned in striking form as students dazzled teachers, parents and each other with fun and exciting displays. Among the activities were maple syrup tastings from the AFS Maple Tapping Tree Project, robotics showcases and presentations on topics such as Accident Reconstruction and Water Contamination.

ABINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL

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Eighth Graders Showcase their Passions

The Eighth Grade Independent Study projects of 2022 culminated in an evening of presentations, creative performances and a fair of learning on display in the Berman Athletics Center. The subject matter of the various projects was as interesting and unique as our students. In-depth study in geology, ballet, poetry, music, karate, painting, videography and more were exhibited.

Roos Forever

AFS Varsity Girls Lacrosse made history this past spring as the first-ever AFS Girls Lacrosse team to qualify for the Friends Schools League playoffs. Led by seniors Ally Muller ’22, Maya Muller ’22, Gabby Warner ’22 and Maggie Waldman ’22, the Roos finished with a playoff-clinching score of 8-4, catapulting AFS to its best-ever finish in the Friends Schools League at 5-2 and in a 3-way tie for 2nd place.

ABINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL

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Smashing Records

Varsity Track & Field hit the ground running at the Friends Schools League Championship Meet to cap off one of the most impressive FSL seasons in AFS history. AFS athletes recorded 50 season-best performances and broke six school records en route to a 3rd place finish for the boys team and a 4th place finish for the girls team. School record setters include: Kate Chrzanowski ’24 in pole vault, Mallory Farr ’25 in shot put, Sakinah Abdus-Salaam ’24 in triple jump, Alden Co-Doyle ’22 in pole vault and discus and Matthew Greenidge ’23 in 110 meter hurdles.

Pancakes in Lower School

Over the course of the year, Lower School students got to witness — and then enjoy — a rare treat: the lifecycle of maple syrup! Lower Schoolers collaborated with Upper Schoolers to tap trees in the winter, learning all about the science behind tree tapping and transforming it into syrup. Of course, the real joy came in Spring when students got to taste the fruits of their labor during a pancake feast. Andrea — please tell us it’ll happen again next year!

W hat makes a

Curriculum?

How teachers help students find joy in the work of learning

From the moment AFS students arrive each morning to the time they depart, our students are participating in the fullness of Quaker schooling. They join sports teams and participate in our experiential learning programs. They study in the library, exercise in the athletics center and grab lunch with friends. AFS students are influenced not only by what happens in the classroom but by what happens in club rooms, at the Farmhouse and in the Meetinghouse. At AFS, the curriculum is more than just classwork: It’s the work of education.

In this issue, we look at the ways in which the curriculum at AFS is built by our incredible faculty working tirelessly to fill the halls of the school with bold and exciting opportunities for growth and learning. Our teachers supervise clubs and lead classes on adventures; they build new experiences and refresh old ones. Their educational vision pulls from textbooks, live problems and even their own personal lives to ensure our students find joy in the work of learning. From how teacher’s think about their classroom space to the joys and challenges of creating a brand new class experience, these stories showcase discussions with faculty members about the many ways that student learning occurs throughout the school.

Curriculum?

Teaching as a Hive

From great program to year-long class

Classes do not just materialize in a ready-made syllabus. They are the product of weeks and months of careful consideration, research, meaning-making and collaboration. And even then, not every course fits into a curriculum, especially when there are only so many hours of school in a day.

But when the stars align, new classes can be an incredible source of energy and renewal for the school. And that’s exactly what Upper School Spanish Teacher Brian Cassady, Upper School English Teacher Sheila Pai, and Director of Student Support and Wellbeing Dan Taboada experienced when they transformed the FarmEx program into a year-long class called Small Farms.

“FarmEx started as a way to get students to see the campus as a living space,” says Sheila. “It was one of our experiential learning offerings: Students could take time outside of class — like for theatre or athletics — and spend time getting their hands dirty in the campus farm, putting on their beekeeping suits, and learning about local and national issues, like the perils of factory farming or the differences between native and invasive species.”

While FarmEx was an incredible experience, the lack of dedicated, in-school working periods made it difficult to plan too far ahead, and it was not always possible to coordinate everyone to be in the same room (or field) at the same time.

What makes a

“There’s something to be said for carving out time during the school day to do this important work,” says Brian. “When teaching a class, you have to make sure you have enough material to last a semester. But that was almost the easy part for the Farm, since there’s always work to be done.”

With a class as big as Small Farms, it would be almost unthinkable that it would be led by just one teacher alone. There were at least three important but distant physical spaces — the Farm, the Beehives, and the Classroom — and a class’s worth of work to be done in each of them. From tending the gardens to composing essays, the students would certainly have their hands full, but that’s assuming a teacher could be in three places at once.

The scope of the class’s ambition made it clear that if they wanted to make this work, they had to have at least three people leading the charge. Brian, Sheila and Dan agreed that it would be worth whatever growing pains it would take to get there.

“I was immediately up for it, because team teaching is such an incredible experience for us as educators,” says Sheila. “There’s a way in which it’s like a microcosm of the learning environment, because each teacher provides a different viewpoint, a different lens to see the same classwork. So you end up leaving each class saying ‘Even though I saw the lesson plan, I learned something new today.’”

For the three class leads, team teaching lets them lean on each other as direct support. When they’re together, they can jump in to add energy on particular topics as they come up, handing off ideas as easily as passing a ball. Then, they can split apart when they need to do separate, smaller group projects: Brian can take one group to the beehives while Dan leads another group to work on the planters and Sheila leads a third group in readings.

Having more than one teacher also gives students access to a broader array of teaching styles and personalities in the classroom, offering an opportunity to connect with their teachers in new ways.

“You never really know with whom a student is going to resonate,” says Sheila. “Some students are going to want to work with Brian, some students are going to align more with Dan’s interests and expertise. A few students came up to me and said ‘Oh, I really love herbalism. I want to learn more about remedies.’ And that’s available to them.”

“This year is a pilot,” says Brian. “But it’s such a unique class. It includes students from all four grades in the upper school, which is pretty special. So students who go through the class one year can come in the next year and say, ‘So what are we learning this year?’”

By having some of the same students come through the class repeatedly, the teachers hope to provide a place where students can bring what they learned in previous years to bear in later years. In effect, students may be able to take Lower Schoolers on Creek Walks, show Middle Schoolers around the Bee Yard, or even lead younger classmates in discussions. In this way, students will also get a chance to see what it’s like to teach with the team.

“The great thing about this class is that the seasons are always changing,” says Dan. “We get to really see a timelapse, month over month, year over year. We get to see how the beehives hibernate and fight to survive in the winter. We get to look at the cycle of renewal, and watch as they come back, in all hopes, in the Spring. We get to look at soil health and permaculture in the Fall, and sustainable growing practices. The weather is always changing — but with us three leading the class, we have a full range of interests and ideas to ensure we are ready to take advantage of every opportunity our small farm has to offer for learning, growth and well-being.”

“There’s something to be said for carving out time during the school day to do this important work.” – Brian Cassady

Curriculum?

There is no quilting without unraveling

.

How teachers weave pieces of themselves into their classrooms

During a sunny week in late June, a group of artists came together on Madeline Island in Wisconsin to learn about the craft of improv quilting. Among them was Lower School Art Teacher Amanda Milz. Amanda had become enamored with the reliable steadiness of the quilt — the way the fabric can be drawn from unsuspecting places, the rhythm of sewing each piece together, the finality of attaching the backing. Every stitch and every fold brings the quilt closer to its final form — a collection of cloth and thread that is unlike anything the quilter has ever seen or made before.

“In improv quilting, it’s not about envisioning a final product from the beginning,” says Amanda. “Instead, you set up parameters for the project, maybe a color that you want to use or a shape you want to create. Then, those elements inform your process as you approach each section piece by piece. In a way, you learn how to make each quilt as it comes together.”

For Amanda, teaching is a similar process. Instead of following strict lesson plans, Amanda looks to give her students a space for cultivating skills and encouraging problem solving. In one instance, Amanda might put together mini-lessons on how to use different materials — wood, clay, paper — and a few ideas about how to arrange them. But after that, she finds that the students will point her toward the next direction.

“You never really know what a student is going to respond to,” she says. She discussed how one group of students in 3rd grade really loved working with 3D paper – modeling it, touching it, connecting it.

“One student traced parts of his body on paper and then assembled it into a full 3D model of his body. The other students responded so strongly to it that I decided ‘Okay, time to switch gears.’” Later that week, they started a wearable paper unit — a project that would have been inconceivable just a week before.

But lessons themselves remain an important part of the classroom. In the same way that her time at Madeline Island helped her put together a foundation for her quilting, Amanda sees immense value in bringing students along together on bigger planned projects.

What makes a

“Lessons are so critical for building skills,” says Amanda, “but I like to think that the skills are kind of like these quilting parameters. They’re not there to block your creativity: They’re there to be your foundation so that they don’t feel stuck but still end up with something that makes them say: I did this!”

Students and their parents rarely get a glimpse of teachers beyond their classrooms, but often teachers draw on their personal interests. Art teachers in particular hone their own skills and crafts in their free time, and their creative activities inevitably inform their teaching.

“I’m a painter by trade, but quilting kind of snuck up on me,” reflects Amanda. “At the start of the pandemic, I took my sewing machine out to make masks, but I had always wanted to make a quilt. And there I was, stuck at home. So I made my first quilt for my son, and I really loved the expectedness of it; I knew that if I sat down, and cut these squares and sewed them together I would end up with this beautiful rectangle. It was super concrete and real and reliable in a time of total chaos.”

Since then, Amanda has incorporated the principles of improvisation into her quilting. And while she is getting better at it, striking the right balance between freedom and guidelines can be tricky. If the parameters are too constricting, then you can freeze up and disrupt your creative process. But if they’re too wideopen, then the possibilities can overwhelm you.

“And that’s how it is for students also,” says Amanda. “Finding that sweet spot that helps you be creative and productive.”

“A quilt is kind of like a puzzle. You’re taking pieces of things, tearing them apart and then putting it back together. If that’s not relatable, I don’t know what is.”

“A quilt is kind of like a puzzle. You're taking pieces of things, tearing them apart and then putting it back together. If that's not relatable, I don't know what is.”

– Amanda Milz

Curriculum?

Brewing a Third Place

Using current culture to keep curriculum fresh

Where did Upper School teachers Dina Cohen (French) and Megan Bellwoar Hollinger (Theatre) get the idea to lead students on a journey to create their own pop-up coffee shop on campus? “It started with an interest in coffee culture,” says Dina. “But I think we really gravitated toward the idea of the ‘third place.’ That didn’t come first, but it became the focus.”

Dina and Megan conceived of the project as an Ex-Term class titled “Creating the ‘Third Place’ — a Deep Dive into Café Culture.” Taking place the last two weeks of the school year, Ex-Term is an opportunity for Upper School students to go on mini-adventures guided by pairs of teachers, called “co-pilots,” to learn more about a particular subject. But what started as a simple idea — something to do with coffee culture — expanded far beyond a simple cup of brew.

“There are so many ways to enter this space as educators,” says Megan. “For us it became about entrepreneurship and design and, yes, coffee. We became really discerning and hyper-critical about our coffee: sourcing, roasting, blends.”

Dina and Megan were motivated by the concept of the “third place,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenberg to describe a space that exists as a groundswell of community.

“This third place is not your first place, which is home, or a second place, which is work,” explains Megan, “but a third place, where you go to spread ideas, spend time with friends — start revolutions! It’s your spot, like the bar in Cheers.”

The Ex-Term experience took them all across the greater Philadelphia area to local cafes that would provide inspiration for their own. The students would observe each cafe as an individual space, analyzing it and responding to the differences in the cultures of each place.

“Each place has its own approach,” says Dina. “Take, for instance, The White Horse in Jenkintown. It’s all about sustainability. From the lengths they go to to source everything to the processes they have to make their own milk, it’s incredible.”

After going to almost 10 different coffee shops and cafes and learning how to roast coffee from AFS’ own Upper School English Teacher Andrew Bickford, the time came for the group to set-up their own pop-up coffee shop.

What makes a

“They were just on fire with it from the beginning,” says Megan. “We got to use the Farmhouse building as the location for the pop-up, which was an amazing opportunity. But they learned very quickly that we had a limited budget. It really forced them to be creative.”

The students got to work very quickly designing their own beverages based on what they enjoyed personally and what was popular in the cafes they had visited.

The cafe appeared as if from overnight, and it was packed from the beginning. “There were so many people who showed up,” says Megan. “It really became a little hub in the school that appealed to our different senses. Nice music, a diffuser, artwork, a comfortable couch. They were very intentional about creating an atmosphere of respect, setting the right mood. They sourced student-created art from Amy’s art room and featured it. So it wasn’t the student commons. It was asking for a different kind of behavior.”

Throughout the Ex-Term, every student got behind the counter and learned to make espresso drinks, so they each got an opportunity in the pop-up.

“We talked about how we would need systems,” remembers Megan. “Like, you need to take the order, you need to give the order, you need to make sure to restock. And everyone was kind of like ‘Okay, okay, whatever, whatever.’ But then when it started, this flood of everyone arrived and our group had to go ‘Oh, it’s time to get serious.’”

“Of course, there wasn’t enough space for 12 students to sit behind the counter at the same time,” says Dina, “so we had a couple of shifts. The first shift would leave and the second shift would need to reestablish everything. And I was really impressed with their resilience and creativity.”

In the end, would they have done anything differently?

“We sold out of coffee drinks within, like, the first 45 minutes,” says Megan. “They just kept coming! I don’t think the kids had any sense of how that was going to go down.”

Dina laughs. “We weren’t prepared for that much success!”

As they explained, part of the issue was that the group did not have access to an espresso machine, and had to figure out how to make a lot of strong espresso coffee drinks without one.

“There were a lot of late nights brewing jugs and jugs of coffee — which we then ran out of in 45 minutes,” admits Megan. “But that's okay. Even after that brief window, we still had hot coffee.”

“When you’re a teacher, you’re always working backward and forward,” says Dina. “You have an idea, a plan for something, but then sometimes things don't go the way you expect. And I think the students got a taste of that. But they put on something magnificent that the whole community could be proud of. And — I think — many of them hope it will make a return.”

During Ex-Term, teachers are free to develop their own experiences within a few guidelines: They have to be experiential, interdisciplinary and not traditionally academic. And most importantly, there needs to be a culminating experience or product to show off what the group learned.

That culminating experience was the key, says Megan, to unlocking a fuller understanding of the Ex-Term.

“Dina and I knew that we wanted to have them do their own pop-up,” she explains. “So we worked backward from that to make sure they had the information, resources, and time to implement what they learned from these visits.

“It’s exhausting for the teachers. But for the kids, those last two weeks of school are always the hardest. How do you keep them engaged? You have to offer them the opportunity to do something real, an experience that’s going to teach something that they couldn’t get in a traditional class. That’s how you’ll get them to come to the experience with enough energy to keep the teachers running — that and enough coffee.”

Dina and Megan were motivated by the concept of the “third place,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenberg to describe a space that exists as a groundswell of community.

What makes a

Curriculum?

Capturing College in a Class

Onboarding 11th Graders in the College Process

Last Spring marked the launch of a new College Guidance Seminar for students in Grade 11. In this conversation with the college guidance office, Director of College Guidance Mal Goss and Associate Director of College Guidance Joanna Upmeyer discuss the need for the new course, the evolving landscape of college admissions and the broader role of college guidance at AFS.

Q: How do you see the college guidance office at AFS fit in with the broader curriculum?

MAL: This last year was the first year that we had the College Guidance Seminar Class, which happens in the spring for 11th graders. This class was really born out of a desire to help them understand the college process more clearly, to equip them with the tools to navigate that process and to reinforce the idea that college is not the end goal, but a launching pad that can help you on your journey, just like high school, just like extracurriculars, just like hobbies.

Q: As you just mentioned, you both are co-teaching a class that has just entered the curriculum at AFS — the 11th Grade College Guidance Seminar. What was it like making the college process an explicit part of the curriculum at AFS?

MAL: What’s tricky about this class is that there is no prerequisite. In other disciplines, you can go into your classroom with a set expectation of what students should know. When I was teaching 11th grade English, I knew what happened in 10th grade English, I knew what skills they learned, I knew what books they had read. But when it comes to college, there’s so much to know, and to learn and to be misguided in and to do deep dives on. So our goal was to figure out the right balance of work for those students who are the youngest of three or four kids who’ve already done a college process and those students who are maybe first generation and their family does not understand the process in as much detail and everyone in between.

Q: It sounds like the class is structured to be very responsive to student’s needs. How do you make sure that the right content meets the right group of students?

MAL: I think like any class, you start relatively broad and you see what resonates with the students. Not everyone’s going to know everything. Some of our activities in the beginning of the semester were asking very meta questions like the history of higher education or why it looks the way it does — which very few students know about.

JOANNA: One thing that was really successful was that we started the class with a chalk talk activity — what teacher doesn’t love a good chalk talk? And we opened up the floor and asked everyone to share the big questions around the process: How do you feel about this? Because our hope was that this class could make the college process a more collective experience rather than an individualized stress.

And I can’t speak for every student, but I know that there were some students who walked away saying: “It’s really helpful to see that other people feel the same way that I do about the process,” whether that’s excited, or anxious, or overwhelmed, or feeling like they don’t know enough. We wanted to set that foundation, that no matter how you feel in the class you aren’t alone.

Q: The college application process plays a central and often stressful role in high school students’ lives. How do you, through the class and otherwise, try to reduce that stress?

JOANNA: I think some students can feel very overwhelmed because it can be such a long and multi-step journey; they feel like there are a lot of hidden variables and secrets. But we want to remind everyone that the things you can control are where you should focus your energy.

For example, Mal spent weeks and weeks this summer going on trips and networking with different college admissions officers, getting to know these processes from college counselors and hearing the inside scoop. Being up to date on these trends is really important so that we can give that information to families. And we plan to incorporate this into our class and keep a lot of it very hands-on and practical. Many colleges are just now starting to ask for what’s called a “self-reported academic record,” so we’re guiding students through how to create one of those. We’re helping students navigate what sort of majors might appeal to them, which will ultimately help them to choose what schools they want to apply to.

MAL: Likewise, I would say the personal essay is even more important now than it was in the past, which is a product of a few things. Almost all colleges have become test-optional, and many will likely remain that way indefinitely, so that is a data point they can no longer use. The impact of so many students being academically capable at the colleges they apply to — even, and especially, at the very selective and highly rejective colleges — is that colleges really need to rely on thinking about what kind of community member a student will be; much of that can be found in the essay through what they decide to write about, how they write about the topic, the tone they take.

We have students read through example essays and we talk about what's working and not working in them and do some brainstorming exercises to help them come up with topics and think through what story they want to tell in their essay.

Q. What impact has the new seminar had on the process?

MAL: I feel as though it’s definitely moved to make the process smoother and more integrated into the rhythm of school life. For example, the college process officially begins with an 11th grade kickoff college night in November. We assign them a counselor in January, but they also have to meet with their counselor before they sign up for their senior courses. That way, we can talk about their course selection to make sure they are fulfilling graduation requirements, but also to look at how their course load matches their target schools and really get that college conversation going.

JOANNA: I think faculty and advisors have been very supportive. A lot of people think that the college guidance process is all in this office, but it’s really a team effort from the advisors, the student’s teachers, yes the counselors, but also the parents and the students themselves.

“This class was really born out of a desire to help them understand the college process more clearly, to equip them with the tools to navigate that process, and to reinforce the idea that college is not the end goal, but a launching pad that can help you on your journey”

– Mal Gross

ANNUAL REPORT

Dear Friends,

It is always an honor to publish this Annual Report of Donors, to publicly recognize and thank our community members who have joined together to help lift up our school through their philanthropic support. The list herein represents the many generous individuals and families who made a gift to AFS in this past fiscal year (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022) and includes hundreds of alumni, current and former parents, School Committee members, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff.

We are deeply grateful to each of our donors and pleased to report that annual contributions totaled more than $1.2 million this past fiscal year to The Fund for AFS and to scholarship support through The Friends Collaborative and other programs.

This past year was also notable in that it was the final year of five-year pledge payments from many members of our community who helped fund and build the Richard N. Berman Athletics Center. These multi-year pledges highlight the quiet but essential support…the dedication… of our adult community to our students, their health and well-being. Even though the Berman Center has been a hub of student life since fall of 2019, it has been the quiet and steadfast support of donors as far back as 2017 that made it possible.

It is this same steadfast support that will fuel us in Envisioning the Fourth Century of Friends Education, the bold and inspiring Strategic Plan that AFS launched this past spring. This year, we already have begun to breathe life into the three essential themes that comprise this vision: Inspiring Authentic, Transformative Learning through Experiential Learning; Cultivating Resilience, Independence and Resourcefulness; and Fully Envisioning and Living the Promise of an Equitable, Inclusive Community. This five-year Strategic Plan will require, and I know will inspire, our full community effort. I am confident that AFS is up to the challenge of being a vibrant philanthropic community in order to live our fourth century of Quaker education with energy and promise!

On behalf of our students, faculty, staff and administration, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who made a gift in the 2021-2022 school year. We hope that every member of the AFS community will consider joining these donors this year. With your support — everyone, together — we are excited to continue to accomplish great things.

With gratitude, DEVIN

SCHLICKMANN ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR INSTITUTIONAL

ADVANCEMENT

HEAD OF SCHOOL SOCIETY

JOHN BARNES CIRCLE ($25,000+)

Ross, SC and Lori Shanken P’17 P’20 P’24

Faulkner Family Foundation

Gail Faulkner and John Oyler P’95 P’97 P’98 P’00

Juliet Faulkner Perry ’95 and Grant Perry

Jocelyn Faulkner Casey ’97 and James Casey Lucinda Faulkner Friedman ’98 and Scott Friedman

Henry Faulkner ’00 and Angela Faulkner

Mrs. Edward J. Goodman P’99 G’33 G’35, Hilary Goodman Sperling ’99 and Brian Sperling P’33 P’35

OAK TREE CIRCLE ($10,000 - $24,999)

Allison Kanofsky Berg ’89 and Larry Berg

Marcia Boraas and Eugene Lugano P’10 P’13

David, SC and Gwen Campbell P’11 P’14 P’21

Lynn Des Prez ’66

Susan Salesky Rudin ’57 SC

Rodney and Tracey Sandmeyer P’08 P’11

Anonymous (1)

TYSON HOUSE CIRCLE ($5,000 - $9,999)

Marc and David Berman P’19 P’20

Clifford Hudis ’77 and Jane Hudis

Donna Bleznak Keller and Stefan Keller P’23

E. Kevin and Margaret McGlynn P’09 P’11

Irvin, SC and Marilyn Schorsch P’20

David Taylor G’26

Diane Vernon P’76, SC

The Garrison Family Foundation

Mark and Heather Garrison P’05 P’07 P’08 P’12

Susan Garrison and Michael Campbell C. Jeffrey Garrison P’08

Kristen Garrison

Lawrence and Pamela G. Phelan Sandmeyer Steel Company

THE FUND FOR AFS

is a necessary and essential component of the school’s operating budget. Virtually anything that you see or hear on campus is supported in some way by the Fund for AFS, including a wide range of experiential learning opportunities, sets, lighting and sound for our award winning theater productions, sports equipment and uniforms for our competitive Friends League teams, oil paints and film for our talented arts students, equipment for our Robotics team and everything in between. In addition, the Fund for AFS helps make possible our exceptional tuition assistance program, which makes an AFS education affordable for more then 50% of our students and families.

The Fund for AFS runs on the school’s fiscal year calendar, July 1 – June 30. Over the course of the 2021-2022 fiscal year, more than 600 members of the AFS community showed their commitment to keeping our school strong by making a gift to the Fund for AFS or one of our annual giving programs.

MEETINGHOUSE CIRCLE

($1,698 - $4,999)

Merck Partnership for Giving

Kenneth and Diane Ahl P’01 P’05

Jordan and Deanna Berman G’04 G’06 G’08 G’19 G’20

Robert Bettiker, SC and Robert Grundmeier P’24

Nina and David Bisbee P’16

Karin Borgmann-Winter P’14

Rebecca Ethridge Bubb ’02 SC and Michael Bubb ’03, P’33 P’35

Mitz Carr ’83

Paula Cohen Corbman^ P’03 and Scott Corbman

Eileen Doherty and Gary Furda P’24

Albert and Alicia Kent P’26

Peter Kollros and Barbara Konkle P’00 P’03

Judith and Craig Outten P’17

Bernard and Mary Grace Panzak P’17

Mira Rabin and Thomas Whitman P’19

Jane Rovins and Jonathan Korein P’07 P’15 G’27

Arlen and Marijke Shenkman P’25 Gabrielle Tubach ’57

Christine Washington P’94 G’23

1697 CIRCLE ($1,697)

Jonathan Makler ’95 and Elise Makler Rich^ and Robin^ Nourie P’10 P’13

FRIENDS CIRCLE ($1,000-$1,696)

Jennifer and Kai Aguilar P’21 P’23

Thomas Bengtson

Steven and Ilene Berman P’04 P’06

Amy Brantz Bedrick and Edward Bedrick P’15 April Byrd P’28

Jeanne Calloway^ and Isaac Saposnik P’32 Regis, SC and Ana Carvalho P’28 P’31

Priya Jairaj Check ’91 and Darren Check ’92

Karen Cheney and Tom Avril P’16 P’21

Sarah Clarke and Kirk Smothers P’25

Stephen Collins P’07 P’10

Rebecca Drees Coyne ’89 and Daniel Coyne Rachel and David Darwin P’31 P’34

Alexandra and Nicholas Davatzes P’23 P’27

Jeanne DiVincenzo P’07 P’10

Kreszentia Duer ’67 and Brian Barger

Laurie Toll Franz ’88

Elizabeth Sears Gadsden ’71

Phyllis and William Gallagher P’98 P’00 P’02 P’05

Abby Gatenby, AFSA, and Robert Gatenby, P’99 P’04

Lauren Gold ’13

Elizabeth and Robert Henske P’06 P’08

Robert and Charlene Hills P’06 P’08

Maria Kiernan and Salvatore Rotella, Jr. P’20

Mathai and Mary Kurien P’10

Hongbo Li and Wenman Wu P’22

Bruce Lockman P’01 P’05

Michele Lockman P’01 P’05, AFSA

William and Susan Lockwood P’90 P’92

Andrea and Thomas Macey P’17

Anne and Phillip Martin P’27

Lynne Koolpe Mass, AFSA, and Burton Mass, G’20

Claire McCusker and Jonathan Levy P’19

Alexander and Kimberly Mills P’22 P’24

Anne Peterson Ogan ’65 and Nick Ogan Donald Perelman and Elise Singer P’06

The Grover Washington Jr. Protect the Dream Foundation Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation

Victoria Decker Rosskam ’71, AFSA

Robert Sanchez P’03 P’05

Sandy Sborofsky and David Calloway G’32

Devin^ and Megan Schlickmann

Adam Schorsch ’03 SC and Melissa Ward Schorsch ’03

Robin Shane and Jonathan Shandell P’22 P’25

Richard Simon ’82

Debbie Stauffer, AFSA, and Carol Palmer, AFSA, P’08

Anne Moch Steinberg and David Steinberg P’17 P’19

Ann Thompson and Patrick Mutchler P’07 P’11

Trustees, Abington Monthly Meeting

Vanguard Group Foundation

Brian Wolk ’03

David and Susan Wolk P’07

Michael Wolk ’07

Xiaote Zhu ’13

Anonymous (1)

HOW THE RIGHT FIT CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

AFS Parents Mark O’Donnell and Jamey Delaplane

on Giving Through the Friends Collaborative

When AFS parents Mark O’Donnell and Jamey Delaplane were searching for a new school for their rising 8th grader, they knew they had their work cut out for them. They wanted a school that supported its students, challenged them, nurtured their ambitions and prepared them for the future. But more than that, they wanted a school and a school community that their daughter Ally would be excited to attend every morning and where she'd feel supported and at home.

“Nowadays, we’re incredibly proud AFS parents,” says Mark with a laugh. “But when we started looking for a new school for Ally, as is often the case in Philadelphia, we knew families with children who went to a broad range of area schools and considered lots of options. So we didn’t really know at the beginning which one was going to win out.”

What started as a fall whirlwind, visiting and researching a broad range of independent schools, ended with a quiet moment during an Admission Open House when they saw how much Ally really resonated with the campus.

“A large part of AFS’s magic and success in growing great learners is its team of faculty and staff, many of whom are long-tenured and at the top of their field,” explains Jamey. “Ally really loved the small, intimate class size and loved having the chance for one-on-one time. She was a strong math student, and she really connected with your teacher Justin Solonynka, who is a rockstar math teacher. He’s an incredible asset; and when we began to dig a little deeper, we found AFS was full of teachers just like him.”

For Mark and Jamey, seeing how strongly Ally responded to the learning environment at AFS made it clear that they wanted to demonstrate their philanthropic support for AFS and its faculty. To that end, the two are big boosters of the Friends Collaborative, an organization that helps people and businesses receive a Pennsylvania state tax credit for the charitable contributions to Abington Friends School and other independent Friends schools.

“Your household can donate an amount equal to one’s annual PA state income tax obligation, and 90% of that will be returned as a tax credit from the state,” says Mark. “So for every $10 we donate under the program, $9 is returned to us within a matter of months. It’s almost too good to be true.”

Since it began, Mark and Jamey have made sure to participate at their maximum level. Through their contributions, they hope to make sure that AFS continues to be well equipped to serve its students and take care of its professional community.

“We’ve seen up close in our own lives and the lives of our daughters the power of a Quaker education to develop thoughtful, creative, independent, broad-minded thinkers and citizens. With all the challenges of the world, it is clear we need as many of these as possible! For this reason, we feel called (and encourage others) to give generously to continue these fine traditions and this level of excellence.”

From Left to Right: Mark O’Donnell, Ally Delaplane ’24, Jamey Delaplane, Kylie Delaplane

GIFTS OF $999 AND BELOW

Hakim Abdus-Salaam and Karima Alderman P’24

Thea Abu El-Haj and Steve Rosenzweig P’17

Angelica Adams, AFSA, ’09

Bianca Adams ’14

Sonia Adams P’09 P’14

Kathy Adams-House ’65 and Jeff House

Gerry and Richard Adelman P’99

Rachel Adler ’14

Sarah Adler ’12

Alicia and Christopher Agoglia P’14 P’16

David Ahl ’01

Richard Ahl ’05 and Samantha Rothberg

Subha Airan-Javia, SC and Luv Javia P’27

James and Anne Alden G’12

Marjorie Adams Alexander ’54

Jamie and Jeffrey Alper P’27

Jean Nicholas Alsentzer ’51 P’75

Joseph and Patricia Ambrose Julie Amento ’13

Marilyn Amento P’12 P’13

Lisa^ and Drew Ammirati P’35 P’37

Barbara Berger Aronson ’70

Susan and Paul Arruda G’27 G’29

Benjamin and Jane Ashcom P’84

Racquel and Winston Assaye P’26

Skip and Naomi Atkins P’07 P’12

Gretchyn and Troy Bailey P’15

Cindy Balick P’13 P’19 P’19, SC

Nathan Balsham ’84

David and Patricia Baron P’05

Garland and Donna Barr G’25

Michael and Isobel Barth P’03

Antonia Batts P’13

June Bear G’03

Joanne Beck G’24

Robin Becker ’69

Barry Bedrick, AFSA and Susan Bedrick

Wendy and Daniel Bender G’27

Drew^ and Tiffanie Benfer P’24

Doris Benfer G’24

Frank Benner, AFSA and Mary Anne Benner P’05 P’09 G’35

Barry and Kathleen Berkenstock Scott Berman ’08

Faulkner P’95 P’97 P’98 P’00

Arthur Bernstein ’80

Alex Bezahler ’09

Max Bezahler and Amy Celentano P’09

Bonnie and Barry Bickman G’28

Kenneth Biehn P’83

Miriam Bolger P’16

Jeffrey Bond^ and Courtenay Harris Lowell and Richard Booth

Jodi Bornstein and Patrick Cobbs P’24

Ann Botell-Barnard, AFSA, and Scott BotelBarnard P’98 P’06

Colleen and Edmund Bowman P’13

Box Tops for Education

Allison Boyle, SC

Reid Bramblett and Frances Sayers P’26

Stewart Bramson G’27

Sally Goldschmeding Branch ’64

Joan Brantz G’15

Kimberly and Timothy Brock P’30 Wendy Browder P’89, AFSA

Jennifer and Kenneth Brown G’32

Marilyn Brown P’96

Mildred Brown G’23

Shawnee Brown and Dennis Johnson P’24

Mary Buckman ’74

Karen and Boyce Budd G’22 G’27

Lisa^ and Michael Budd P’22 P’27

Jordan Burkey^

Sandra Burney G’21

Paul Butler P’06 P’09 P’09

Christopher Buzby, AFSA and Alison McCormick, AFSA

Jermaine Rogers and Theresa Byrd P’31

Melissa^ and James Calder P’32 P’35

Zev Calloway-Saposnik ’32

Kathleen and Daniel Cameron P’16 P’20

Renie^ and David Campbell P’02 P’04

Emily Camp-Landis P’22

Penny Cannella

Erwin and Linda Carner G’26

Valerie Carr G’19

Lynn Carroll and JoAnn Puccella P’24 Christine Carson P’96

Brian Cassady^ and Erin Bengtson^ P’33 P’35

Michael and Maureen Caulfield P’09

Steven Chadwin, AFSA, and Sherrea Chadwin

John and Deborah Chagin G’29 G’32

Carolyn and Erica Chavis P’25

Sean and Song Chen P’28

Arthur and Marcia Chernoff P’01

Jang-Yuan and Yin-Ling Chien G’25

Alice Atkinson Christie ’63

Christopher Churchill P’08

Roger Clark G’30

Thomas and Terri Clark P’11

Maxine Coates G’26

Amy and Michael Cohen P’20

Dana Stott Cohen ’68

Dina^ and Edan Cohen P’26 P’26

Marsha Cohen ’82 and Peter Lubowitz

Sheryl Cohen and John Miles P’23

Kathleen^ and Vincent Coleman

Laura Conkey ’69

Bette Conover and Michele Clausz

Adam Cooper ’89

Stephanie Copelin and Mark Abboushi P’25

Brad Coren ’92

Holly Corn ’71 and Jonathan Kaufeltf

Edith Eberly Corson ’47

Elizabeth Lamb Creighton ’60

Maria and William Cromar P’23 P’25

Stacey and Daniel Cunitz P’22

Desmond Daniels ’17

Mary Lotz Dare ’67 and Craig Dare

Joan Ebert Davies ’61

Carolyn Parry Decker ’57

Margaret and Anthony Deguzman P’24 P’25

Howard Delfiner ’85 and Julie Stern-Delfiner

Donna Delowery P’03 P’06

David and Meryl Dessen P’00 P’03

Magna and Ramon Diaz G’22

Shaun Dougherty ’95 and Lindsey Lockman

Dougherty

Marsha and Joseph Dratch P’00

Eileen Dunn and Sean Graber P’26 P’29

Sallie Durant G’27 G’27

Michelle Dusold and Fredrick Ortega P’25

Stephen and Susan Dutot P’25

Susan Roy Dymek ’81

Anne Egan G’21 G’25

“I have so many great memories from AFS as a parent –the Middle School musical, the creek walks, the science fairs. There was always something every year that made it special for whatever child was in that grade.”

Gail

Ross, SC and Lori Shanken P’17 P’20 P’24

Karolye Eldridge^

Charles Ellison ’92

Andrea Emmons^ and Won Yoon P’24

Mary Eno, AFSA, and Dan Wagner

Susan Esslinger, AFSA, and Scott Esslinger, P’07

Robert and Doris Fanelli P’04 P’07

Paul and Pnina Feiner G’22

Sharon Feiner P’22

Sally Fenley P’93, AFSA

Alicia Fernandez^ and Elda Perez P’22 P’24

Anne Fields^ Carol Fine ’79

Alfred and Pat Fisher G’33

Thomas and Clara Joe Fisher P’79 G’19

Alexandra and Jude Flannery P’29

Joyce Greenawalt Fleming ’60 and David Fleming

Nica Waters Fleming and Robert Fleming P’18 P’20

Lana and Leon Fogelman P’27

Molly McDonald Foley ’92 and George Foley

Phyllis Ford P’97 P’01

Deborah Fox Walsh

Susan Fox ’64

Stephen and Barbara Foxman P’07

Dawn Franklin

Jennifer French ’69 P’09

Karl Frey G’23

Sindy Paul Friedman ’75 and Oren Friedman

Carol Young Frisby ’55 and James Frisby, P’76

Judith Chestnut Fuss ’63

Michael Garfinkle and Terry Levitt P’07 P’11

Donna Garner G’20

John Garnevicus^ and Courtney Vowels^ P’29, P’31

Kathleen and Leonard Garza P’13 P’14 P’15

Arlene Wattis Gates ’59

Tirthankar and Sreemati Ghosh P’12

Gabrielle Giddings, AFSA, and Glenn Giddings P’17

Sigrid Wasum Gilbert ’57 and John Russell

Tony Godwin, AFSA, and Amy Godwin

Marla Gold and Debra Brady P’22

Sharon and Ken Goldberg G’33 G’35

Lauren Goldenberg ’80 and Leo Levin

Grace Gonglewski and Eric Schoefer P’21

Amy Gordon^

Margaret Carr Gossett ’88

Marian and Steve Graber G’26 G’29

Gwenn Pavlovitz Graboyes ’72 and Joseph Graboyes

Glenn Gray and Jillian Howden P’25 P28 P’31

Joyce Gray

Barry and Jeanette Green P’92

Beverly Green^ and Stephen Green, P’85 P’88

Robin Green P’06

Susan Greene ’80

Barak and Lisa Greenwood P’25

James and Carol Gross P’05 P’08

Philip Vinogradov, AFSA, and Diana Gru^ P’21

Margaret Guerra^ and Frank Fisher ’79, AFSA, P’19

William Guhl ’92

Ann Packer Guillot ’66

Audra and Matthew Gurin P’12 P’14

Nora Guyer, AFSA

Ariel and Mark Gyandoh P’32

Jennifer Bornholdt Hammond ’86, AFSA, and Craig Hammond

Fitim and Suzana Hamza P’24

Barbara Handler P’08, AFSA

Karen J. Hanson ’72 and McWelling Todman, P’10

Cathy High Harris ’64

Brian Harrity^

Barbara Hutchinson Hartman ’63

Victoria Hartung ’58

Nancy Oehrle Hassold ’49

Jeanette and Delbert Hausman P’16

Melanie Haworth and Denise Wilhelm P’29

Maureen Hayes P’28 P’33

Pamela Heacock ’78

Donor

Michael Hecht ’89 and Jennifer Hecht

Haley^ and Jason Hellmann P’35

Carl Hemenway P’04, SC

Edward and Cheryl Hennigan P’09

Marjorie Henry G’27

Melissa Henry P’27

Keisha^ and Douglas Hirlinger P’26 P’29

Nancy Abel Hoffenberg ’65

Megan Bellwoar Hollinger^ and Michael Hollinger P’15 P’23

Jane Stone Horn ’47 and Irving Horn

D’vorah Horn-Greenberg and Alan Greenberg P’06 P’09 P’16

Xiaofang Huang and Yong Chen P’19

Bonita^ and Anderson Huggins

Marion Hunt G’13

Christine Hunter^ and Lawrence Mass P’20

Suzanne Sachs Hunter ’59

Maija Jansson ’56

Bartley Jeannoute^

Shiri and Benjamin Jerner ’29

Brendon Jobs^

Johnson & Johnson Matching Gift Program

Joyce Leonard Johnson ’60

David Jordan G’18

Pamela Jordan P’25

Carolyn Julye G’22

Ellen Kahn ’79, AFSA, and Christopher Burke

Joel Kahn ’77

Laine^ and Fred Kaplan

Justin Kaplan and Diana Brody P’05 P’08

Heidi Kapusta and Bradford Diver P’23

Norma Alesbury Kelley ’48

Hossein Kholghi^ and Victoria Mikus

Kimberly and Daniel Kilpatrick P’22

Sheila Kilpatrick G’22

Jonathan Kleinman P’97 P’00 P’03

Jill Smith Klieger ’84

Dawson Knoblock and Kurt Knoblock P’37

Nancy Goldman Koenigsberg ’45

SC=School Committee *=Deceased ^=Faculty & Staff

“I can’t imagine not being involved at AFS in some way, whether it be on the School Committee or helping the school community to grow through giving. As much as we care about the experiences of our own kids, we also have a transcendent view and care deeply about all AFS students and know the impact that each of them can have on the community and the world.”

Henrik and Helena Korn

Karel Kovnat and Lee Adler P’12 P’14

Susan Kraut

Jonathan Kroser ’89

Manish Kurien ’10

Wayne Kurtz^ and Lisa Treadway-Kurtz^ P’14 P’18 P’22

Brian Lackman ’05

Sandra Laiss-Sarkisian and Aram Sarkisian P’30

Tanya^ and Brian Lancaster P’31

Georgene Lane P’89

Roseanne Liberti P’15 P’16, AFSA

Heidi Liivamagi P’34

Lauria Lindesay-Llewellyn G’23 G’26

William Lockwood III ’92

Charles Lockyer

David Loder

Christopher Logan ’76 and Heidi Logan

Erica and Stephen Loney P’24

Harry and Phyllis Longenbach G’08 G’15

Jeffers Loperby^

Kathryn Lopez^

Lenore Lucey G’29 G’31

Caron Olivieri Lukens ’78

Laura Lundy ’84

Valerie Lush and Betty Danley P’21

Jillian Ma^

Shuting and Hong Ma P’25

Rachel Botel-Barnard Manwaring ’00 and Jesse Mainwaring

Virginia R. Martin and Robert Comis P’98

Bonnie Dayton Masland ’59

Kim Massare^

Cris Maxwell^ P’07

Daniel Odom-Woodlin, SC and Ahashta

Johnson P’22 P’30

Faye Olivieri P’78

Viktoriya Osipova and Igor Nikulin P’19

Sheila Pai^ and Radha Marinelli

Deborra Sines Pancoe, SC AFSA and Craig Pancoe, AFSA

Kenneth Patrick P’03 P’06

Debra Pawluch ’78

Roberta Penniman P’09

Augusta and Preston Peoples G’24

Doris Wilson Perry ’59

Katherine Peterson G’29

Ruth Peterson

Jane Piecuch and David Fine P’20

Ralph and Cheryl Pinkus P’92

Jason Pizzi ’93

Jeffrey and Ellen Plaut P’23

Cameron Plenty P’18

Michelle^ and Thomas Podulka P’18 P’25

Ella Pokrifka ’17

Lynn and Joseph Pokrifka P’15 P’17 P’20

ProPharma Group LLC

Prudential Foundation Matching Gifts Program

Jeffrey Purcell ’79 and Laurie Purcell

Michelle and Michael Quirk P’23

Patricia Lapp Radey ’54

Jennifer and John Raynor P’30

Colette Mayfield P’10 P’11

Andrea Mazzocco and Daniel Colavito P’30 P’33

John McCabe, AFSA

Pamela McDowell G’25 G’27

Jacob McEntire ’10

Simon McEntire ’02

Carolyn Anderson McGuckin ’53

Michelle McKiernan and Stephen Conway P’32

Payne McMillan ’11

Christine McNamee-Smith G’32 G’34

Marianne Wehner Mebane* ’48

Devan and Andrea Mehrotra P’17 P’20

Elizabeth Menna ’06

Audrey Mento

Charles Meyer ’77

Marcella Miller Greaves and Alexis Greaves G’28

Tracy Mills and Kent Julye P’22

Louise Schutz Minor ’67 and Albert Minor

Laura^ and Matthew Mitchell P’19

Ernestine Moore G’23

Rebecca Phillips Morehouse ’62 and Stephen Morehouse

Jazmine Mueller and Glenn Mueller P’28

Richard Mulhearn G’26

Gigi Murphy G’29

Maryrose Myrtetus ’05 and Matthew Nunn ’05

Barbara and Ken Neuberger G’19 G’22

Shira Neuberger and Kelly Durand P’19 P’22

Lindsay^ and Paul Newlon P’27 P’31

Suellen Fisher Newman ’58

Richard and Maureen Nunn P’05

Alexandra Nuzhdin ’13

Oath Inc.

Dana O’Brien ’70 and John O’Shea

Susan Burich Redding ’67

Shalimar Reddy ’98 and Carl Ridenhour, P’18 P’33

Diane Benson Reed ’49

Russell Regalbuto^ P’02 P’11

Ann Fleming Reid ’68

Lindsay and Ross Reinhold P’25 P’26

Jane Foster Rhein ’40

Cherylann Rider

Maria and Eric Rieders P’11 P’14

Clark Riley

John Rison^

Mary Kay Rohlfing^ and Rob Napoli P’20

Elisa and John Rosenwinkel P’19

Elana Rosof P’22

Donghee and Mark Rosser P’23

Andrea Routzahn P’10

Darcy Clark Rowell ’71 and John Rowell

Thomas Rush and Jennifer Saltmarsh P’23 P’23 P’25

Donna Russo^ P’05

Glen Sacks and William Valerio P’14

Mindy^ and Stephen Sage P’17

James Samuels P’22

Mark Sandos ’91

Alan and Suzanne Saposnik G’32

Robert and Sally Sarkisian G’30

Martha Scache^

George Schaefer, SC

Matthew Schambers ’82 and Lisa Schambers

Steven Scharf ’79 and Renae Scharf

Christine Ward Schmidt ’67, AFSA

Barbara Danehower Schnur ’55 P’81

Deborah Schrager P’06 P’10

A THOUSAND MILES OF QUAKER EDUCATION

Lynn Des Prez ’66 Reflects Upon Her AFS Experience

In the fifty-six years since I graduated from AFS, so much has changed, and yet so much is the same.

Back then, there were no computers, smartphones, or any of the incredible technology students enjoy today. What’s more, there were only eighteen of us in my class — and no boys! Now the classes are bigger and more diverse. It’s wonderful!

Living in Houston for the last 15 years, I have not had many opportunities to visit. But when I could not come to AFS, AFS came to me. COVID-19 offered the opportunity to share meetings with Head of School Rich Nourie and enjoy his comforting and hope-filled comments. When AFS announced its lifelong learning series last year, I was excited to get online and join in the conversations with other alumni. It gave me a great opportunity to see all the new interactive experiential learning programs, the evolving use of technologies, and the ongoing quality of the faculty and students. As much as AFS has changed, I am reminded that students continue to share experiences together decades later.

One of my lasting memories remains Wednesday Meetings for Worship, when we would sit as quietly as possible for an hour before lunch and try to respect the spoken thoughts of each other (as uncomfortably our stomachs would rumble in the many moments of peace). I understand that such an experience repeats even to the present.

I still speak regularly with my classmates with whom I have cultivated lifelong friendships. Pam, Nia, Cristy, Marianne and I remember our favorite teachers. Ms. Bickley got us through English. Ms. Banning encouraged us through four years of Latin. Ms. Lib Smith urged adventure with our trip to Calgary and Banff. Ms. Tees taught us biology, dissecting frogs. We were schooled in the Triangle Building. Now the campus has expanded to provide so many more academic and physical opportunities for the students. I wish I could visit more often.

I contribute financially to AFS yearly as my way to say thanks for these memories, friendships, and belief in quality education. Relationships are necessary to cope

with life’s many challenges. We all worry about health and being alone, but my high school friends have been supportive throughout life, professionally and personally. I have witnessed AFS grow from one building to a bustling campus, and its beating heart and honor system instilled in us still resonates. It is important for each of us to support that growth.

I truly believe that we alumni need to continue supporting education. As I age, I am grateful that I can increase my yearly contribution to AFS and participate as a member of the Class of ’66. I am grateful to AFS for its imprint on my goal to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. All gifts make a difference.

The Senior Class Officers from the Class of 1966. From left to right, Theresa Hoerner, Lynn Des Prez, Anne Hutchinson. Seated, Fran Conkey.

Randy J. Schwartz, AFSA, and Jay Finestone

Gail Rosenau Scott ’64 and Thomas Quinlan P’85 P’87

Patricia Scott ’76

SEI Cares Employee Initiatives Grant

Judie and Paul Seibert G’24

Susan and Robert Seltzer G’30 G’34

Angela and Mujahid Shakur P’23 P’26

Toshiba Sharon^ and Wheatley Spence P’34

Ora Sheares G’05 G’08 G’10

Julia Shepard ’15

Lauren and Michael Shepard P’15

Fran and Hal Sheppard P’16

Burton Siegel P’99

Robert Silverman and Randi Leavitt P’05

Matthew Silverstein ’96

Robert and Beverly Sitrin P’02

Matthew^ and Antoinette Slagter P’17

Alan and Ruth Smith P’77 P’80 P’83 P’84 G’12 G’15

Arlis Smith P’22

Jane Smith ’80 and Jeffrey Ginsberg P’12 P’14

Mark^ and Sarah Smith P’32 P’34

Oscar and Mary Smith G’27 G’27

Oscar Smith and Desmona Durant-Smith P’27 P’27

Wendy Smith and Michael Posner P’25 P’30

Deirdre Rhoads Snyder ’62 and W. Lloyd Snyder

Phyllis^ and David Snyder P’25

Hyun Sohn and John Fox P’32

Sharyn Solomon P’97

Justin Solonynka^ and Courtney Gable P’29

Richard and Elizabeth Soltan P’08 P’10

Dong Son and Tuyen Le P’23

Jessica Stephan Spencer ’55

Tom and Carolyn Spencer

Michael and Chelsea Sperger P’15 P’18 P’21

Brian Spiewak ’03

Dale and Kristen Stirzel P’24

Carrie and Scot Stone P’30 P’32

Valerie and Jeffrey Stone P’20

Elyse Adler Stoner ’84 and Edward Stoner

Mary Strang ’46

Carolyn Blount Street ’44

Jeremy Sullivan ’94 and Amy Widestrom, P’27 P’30

David Campbell, P’11 P’14 P’21 SC

Sarah Sweeney-Denham, SC

Susan Gerlitz Tam ’64 and Phillip Tam

Peter Taylor ’76 and Roger Saint-Laurent Deloris and Raymond Thomas P’18

Yvonne Thomas-Curry and Kenneth Curry P’22

Anne B. Thompson ’57

Erin^ and John Timmer P’27 P’29

Eugenia Timmer G’27 G’29

Nicholas Tinari and Susannah Hunter P’33 P’36

Stuart and Zelda Topkis P’87

Frances Conkey Trafton ’66

Lobsang Tsomo and Lobsang Thupten P’24 P’26

Drew Tucker ’83

Carol and Leroy Turner G’36

United Way of Greater Philadelphia and SNJ

Troy Unverdruss ’00

Joanna^ and Nicholas Upmeyer P’32 P’35

Carina Urbach, AFSA and David Urbach P’19

Toni Vahlsing^ and Antony Dugdale P’18 P’20

Rebecca Van Buren ’68

Wayne Knight and Tina Vance Knight P’25

Ginger Gable Vitty ’53

Gary Waldman ’87 and Sloane Waldman^ P’18 P’22

Maggie Waldman ’22

Ros Waldman P’87 G’18 G’22

Dean and Audrey Wallace P’01 P’05

Katrina and Martin Washington P’30

Malikha Washington and Gregg Moritz P’23 P’24

Douglas Watford ’17

Gordon Watts ’84 and Kathleen Watts

William Weary, AFSA

Colin Webb ’95 and Lisa Webb

Mrs. Claire Rosenthal Weiner ’50 and Mr. Norman Weiner G’15 G’17 G’20

Maureen Weiner P’07

Norman Weiner P’07

Linda Hano Weintraub ’55

Macy Wendler and Mathew Turner^ P’36

Richard Wertime P’97 P’02

Brent Whitman ’80 and Doug Jensen

Susan Barnes Whyte ’71

Brandon Wilchcombe P’31

Byron and Cynthia Wilson P’05 P’08 P’10

Carol Wolf^ and Ana Maria Garcia P’21

Wesley Wolf and Catherine Hunt P’09

Dionne and Kenneth Woodbury P’24

Janet and William Woods P’14

Sally Atkinson Woolston ’65

Richard Wordinger, AFSA

Wendy Wyatt Loos ’60

Rachel Yakobashvili ’16

Laura Zingle ’99, AFSA

Robert and Marion Zingle P’99

Patricia Rosenau Ziplow ’78, AFSA

Marianne Zurn ’66

Anonymous (8)

SCHOLARSHIPS, NAMED FUNDS AND OTHER GIFTS

Trustees, Abington Monthly Meeting

Sonia Adams P’09 P’14

Elaine and Reed Asplundh P’22 G’31

Jordan and Deanna Berman G’04 G’06 G’08 G’19 G’20

Marc and David Berman P’19 P’20

Robert Bettiker, SC and Robert Grundmeier P’24

Nina and David Bisbee P’16

Mickey Black, Pine Forest Camp

Donna Bleznak Keller and Stefan Keller P’23

Christen and Scott Blore P’24

Marcia Boraas and Eugene Lugano P’10 P’13

Jenny Burkholder, AFSA, and John Flak P’24 P’27

David, SC and Gwen Campbell P’11 P’14 P’21

Brian Cassady^ and Erin Bengtson^ P’33 P’35

Stefannie Todd Coggeshall ’50

Reina and Michael Cohen P’23 P’26

Robert Cohen and Debby Peikes G’23 G’26

William Doerr

Eileen Doherty and Gary Furda P’24

Annette Eddowes-Kiernan and Matthew Kiernan P’21 P’23

Elizabeth Egan and Jeff Peterson P’21 P’25

Harris and Ellen Fishman P’18

FM Global Foundation

Audra and Matthew Gurin P’12 P’14

Edward and Mary Hayes G’19 G’21

Elliott Ingerman

Randi

Gabriel and Carolyn Jackson P’27

Ingerman

“I’m all about helping people recognize and realize potential. I see this place, Abington Friends, doing that every day.”

Looking for Ways to Support AFS?

Volunteering

PARENTS AND GUARDIANS: Volunteering through the Home & School Association will enrich your experience and support your child’s education at AFS. For opportunities, please contact Sloane Waldman at swaldman@abingtonfriends.net.

ALUMNI: If you are interested in providing mentor or intern possibilities, please contact Lisa Budd at lbudd@abingtonfirneds.net.

Giving

THE FUND FOR AFS: The Fund meets immediate needs of the school’s day-to-day activities and bridges the gap between what tuition covers and the actual cost of running the school. We ask our community to give to The Fund annually.

Donors can direct their gifts to what they love most at AFS, such as: Academic Innovation and Student Programs; Arts; Athletics; Tuition Assistance; Equity, Justice and Engagement; Campus Care; Area of Greatest Need.

The Fund gifts are payable before the end of the fiscal year, June 30. We value gifts of all sizes; your gift matters!

SPECIAL AND RESTRICTED GIVING

:

• Capital and Endowment Giving — Capital and Endowment Campaigns fund construction or renovation, special projects, programmatic enhancement, or the school’s endowment. Campaign gifts are typically pledged over three to five years and secure the school’s long-term health.

• Pennsylvania Tax Credit Giving Programs — AFS benefits from two Pennsylvania tax programs: the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), which enable businesses to offset their state tax liability by making scholarship gifts for children from underserved communities in Pennsylvania.

AFS is one of 22 member schools in The Friends Collaborative, which allows individual taxpayers and businesses to participate in the EITC and OSTC programs. Collaborative donors receive a state income tax credit by supporting tuition assistance. The Friends Collaborative fosters the growth of Quaker education by making it accessible to more families through these programs.

To learn more about giving opportunities, contact Devin Schlickmann at dschlickmann@abingtonfriends.net. Thank you!

TEACHER, PARENT, FRIEND

Jeanne Calloway P’32 Discusses Her Experience at AFS

After 15 years as a teacher at Abington Friends School, Lower School Classroom Teacher Jeanne Calloway still finds the end of summer classroom set-up rituals to be magical. At home in late August, Jeanne is packing folders for the upcoming first week with back-to-school information, activities, and — yes — some homework. Then, she finishes by labeling each folder with a student’s name.

“AFS is such an incredible place to lead a classroom,” says Jeanne. “As teachers, we are given the space to stage our classrooms and design our own lessons. There are so many resources and opportunities to collaborate. When I started here, it was abundantly clear that AFS cares about its students and its faculty.”

Jeanne points to the many ways that students are engaged to take on different adventures and not shy away from challenges, from playing in the Headwaters playground to designing their own individual learning experiences. It all has confirmed for her that this was the place for not only her, but also for her son, Zev.

“I just knew that they would see him as I see him, so very clearly,” says Jeanne. “And everyone here does. My son really enjoys the academics in the classroom, the handson learning. But the teachers here don’t just stop with that. They also help him with the social and emotional learning, how to navigate outside of the classroom. And he’s made such great friends. I am just so proud of him and us as a community.”

“I’ve had so many opportunities at AFS,” says Jeanne. “We really invest in our teachers’ growth. They’ve supported me when I’ve gone to workshops about storytelling for young students, attended conferences on diversity in education, and even conducted my own personal research on math education.”

“I think that’s why I like to give back through The Fund for AFS,” says Jeanne. “I feel the love at AFS, truly. They support me and my family. And in whatever way I can, I’d like to show my support.”

Maria Kiernan and Salvatore Rotella, Jr. P’20

David Leeser ’88 and Jodi Leeser

Margaret Lockwood ’90 and William Ross

Susan and Terrance Lohr P’24 P’24

Mary Lynn, AFSA, and Paul Ellis P’01 P’03

Betsy Madway and Steven Goldstein P’23 P’27

Jonathan Makler ’95 and Elise Makler

Todd and Susan Makler P’92 P’95

Charles H. and Annetta R. Masland Foundation

Lynne Koolpe Mass, AFSA, and Burton Mass G’20

E. Kevin and Margaret McGlynn P’09 P’11

Colleen and Mark Mele P’19 P’21 P’23

Bethany Perry and Seth Newman P’19 P’21

Ruth Bornholdt Olsson P’86 P’90

Julie Phillips P’26

Andrea and Jack Platt P’17

Jeffrey and Ellen Plaut P’23

Conrod Robinson P’12 P’19

John and Laura Salmon

Rodney and Tracey Sandmeyer P’08 P’11

Sandra Laiss-Sarkisian and Aram Sarkisian P’30

The Pamlea Scott Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation

Arlen and Marijke Shenkman P’25

Richard Simon ’82

Margaret and Steven Sayers P’16 P’18 Ross, SC and Lori Shanken P’17 P’20 P’24

Justin Solonynka^ and Courtney Gable P’29

Anne Moch Steinberg and David Steinberg P’17 P’19

Elizabeth G. Smith Scholarship Trust Gregg Stein

Susannah Wolf and Douglas Gauck P’21 P’23 Youtheplanet

EDUCATIONAL

IMPROVEMENT TAX

CREDIT (EITC)

A Pennsylvania state tax credit program through which businesses can provide tuition assistance for qualifying AFS students.

Benjamin Obdyke Incorporated PEI-Genesis, Inc.

Steven and Ricki Fisher P’13

FRIENDS COLLABORATIVE

Through AFS’s membership in the Friends Collaborative, friends of AFS now have the opportunity to receive PA state tax credits for supporting tuition assistance for AFS students. This method of giving not only supports AFS students through tuition assistance, it provides a great tax benefit to the donor while maximizing their support.

Alan Balick P’13 P’19 P’19

Cindy Balick P’13 P’19 P’19 SC

Carol and Bruce Beaton P’10

Marc and David Berman P’19 P’20

Steven and Ilene Berman P’04 P’06

Karin Borgmann-Winter P’14

Regis, SC and Ana Carvalho P’28 P’31

Debra Cipriani and Glenn Boyd P’14

Deborah Co and Walter Weir P’22 P’27

Julie and Brad Copeland P’22 P’26 P’28

Richard Frankel and Jennifer Couzin-Frankel P’27

Matthew Eskin^ and Kristin Romens P’27 P’32

Susan and Stewart Fisher P’13

Dominique Gerard, AFSA, and Brian Knowles

Kevin and Janet Gift G’27 G’31

Theresa Hipp G’24 G’27

Mark Kahn ’75 and Lauren Kahn P’14 P’17

Amy and Larami Mackenzie P’23

Suzanne Martin and Scott Rubin P’24 P’26

Elizabeth McGettigan

Gemma and Jonathan Mears P’34

Colleen and Mark Mele P’19 P’21 P’23

Mark O’Donnell and James Delaplane P’24

Hetal and Vishal Patel P’30 P’27

Andrea and Jack Platt P’17

Lynn and Joseph Pokrifka P’15 P’17 P’20

Christine and Robert Pugh P’22 P’26

Steven and Marcella Ridenour P’99 G’32

Margaret and Steven Sayers P’16 P’18

Irvin, SC and Marilyn Schorsch P’20

Ross, SC and Lori Shanken P’17 P’20 P’24

Jacqueline and Jay Silverman P’19

Joanne Solakian and James Wang P’24 P’27

Anne Moch Steinberg and David Steinberg P’17 P’19

Sue and Rich Tressider P’18 Anonymous (1)

THE OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT PROGRAM (OSTC)

Similar to EITC, the OSTC program provides tax credits to eligible businesses contributing to an Opportunity Scholarship Organization.

Comcast Corporation IMC Construction

Independence Blue Cross Malvern Bank

UGI Storage Company

LIGHT KEEPERS SOCIETY

The Light Keepers Legacy Society honors those who have arranged to support AFS through a planned or estate gift.

Barry Bedrick AFSA and Susan Bedrick

Mary Helen Bickley*

Christopher Biehn ’83 and Julie Biehn

Marcia Boraas and Eugene Lugano P’10 P’13

Allison Boyle, SC

Sally Goldschmeding Branch ’64

Carl Brehmer* AFSA

Carol Brick ’62

Mary Buckman ’74

Alice Atkinson Christie ’63

Marsha Cohen ’82 and Peter Lubowitz

Stephen Collins P’07 P’10

Evelyn Steelman Doane ’52

Nathan Gaskill*

David Goodman* Marion Graham* Alexandra Hanson ’74

Robert and Charlene Hills P’06 P’08

Peggy Hurst* ’42

Julia Cheyney Knickerbocker* ’38

Donald Knight*

Peter Kollros and Barbara Konkle P’00 P’03

Elizabeth Mayers ’63

Kevin and Margie McGlynn P’09 P’11

Hilda Notley* P’79

Anne Peterson Ogan ’65 and Nick Ogan

Regina Hallowell Peasley*

Jane Cobourn Riley* ’54

LaRue Schutz* P’67

Elizabeth Smith* Mary Strang ’46 Marian Sullivan* Herbert Taylor* Anna Taylor* Evelyn Tyson* 1917 Natalie Tyson* 1914 Richard Wordinger AFSA Elizabeth Zeliff*

SC=School Committee

*=Deceased

^=Faculty & Staff

Donor lists reflect gifts made between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.

MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI OFFICE

In the past six years, I have seen many evolutions in our alumni engagement efforts, from alumni-driven adjustments in the timing of certain events and communications to the sudden pivots necessitated by the pandemic. Not only did faculty and staff adapt to these changes, but so did our wider community. We so appreciated the flexibility and willingness of our alumni to attend our modified and digital events over the past two years while remaining active members of the AFS community.

We have missed seeing alumni back on campus, but we managed to find new and creative ways to connect during the pandemic. Like so many, we turned to online tools like Zoom to bring our alumni community together. In the first year of the pandemic, we hosted our first virtual Alumni Meeting for Worship, and more than 60 alumni joined the meeting. During this time of reflection, many voiced the need to connect virtually to get through the challenging times as a community. What we thought would be a one-time virtual meeting for worship became a reoccurrence. This year, we are thrilled to be returning to traditional in-person alumni events on our beloved campus.

There is no denying that gathering in-person is irreplaceable, yet we know travel to campus can be more challenging for those who are at a greater distance. We have seen clear evidence that our virtual events expand our reach to many more alumni around the globe – we had alumni attend from Arizona to Israel! We even saw alumni who had not been back to campus in years or in some cases, ever. So, in 2022, we will take a hybrid approach to our events to strengthen connections with our alumni both near and far by offering a combination of virtual and in-person events.

We will continue to share AFS news through our monthly newsletter, Roo News as well as Oak Leaves and our recently launched alumni network platform AFSconnect. I encourage all AFS alumni, alumni parents and former faculty and staff to register with AFSconnect. We see an opportunity for alumni to engage with each other on a deeper and more meaningful basis through this network. Likewise, as we expand our Center for Experiential Learning, we hope to connect current students with alumni for mentorship and learning opportunities. By increasing the number of registered alumni, we plan to build an online career network, job and internship board to support students and alumni within the AFS community.

We are committed to forging strong, meaningful relationships with our alumni. We hope you will visit campus, join us for in-person or virtual events and register on AFSconnect. And, if this year is a milestone reunion for you, please reach out. The Alumni Office will support your class reunion, on or offcampus, virtual or in-person, to help bring your class together. Keep an eye out for communications about events this winter and save the date for our first AFS Community Trivia Night on May 19. We have so much to look forward to in our joyful AFS alumni community.

Warmly, LISA BUDD DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

CLASS NOTES

1956

CHRISTINE LAPP CLAYTON writes, “Here I am at Foulkeways, a continuing care retirement community. It’s just like going to school for seniors. I’m busy with art, ceramics, swimming, pickleball, flower arranging, meeting new wonderful people, and connecting with old friends. Enjoying life with my high school sweetheart. I am blessed. My very best to all.”

1965

NANCY ABEL HOFFENBERG u writes, “Residing in Delray, Florida, but getting away from heat, hurricanes, and politics by living in the Mexican mountain town of San Miguel de Allende for four months. The climate is incredible and there are so many courses, music, and art venues everywhere.”

1969

NANCY BARTON HEMMERICH writes, “My husband and I planned a dream vacation in Alaska this past August, but the near constant rain and getting COVID (probably from the flight there) made it a less than amazing trip. We did see lots of gorgeous mountains, including a clear view of Denali, but mostly saw fog and low clouds. A small camper may be in our future.”

LAURA CONKEY writes, “I have recently moved to be fulltime in Maine, where I have always hoped to end up. After 40 years in New Hampshire, I now feel like I’m “home.” New address 133 S Road, South Bristol, ME 04568.”

1972

EILEEN TERRY DUNKLEBERGER writes, “Kathy Lanning Saporito and I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas last fall to see The Rolling Stones. We were looking forward to our 50th reunion and were sad that it was canceled.”

1979

JILL GOLDMAN-CALLAHAN writes, “I retired from a career teaching art in Wellesley, MA, to follow my dream and open my own art studio at the Arts Umbrella in Concord, MA. I practice yoga, meditate and paint

every day, all practices I discovered at AFS. I make contemporary mixed media paintings that evoke a feeling of mystery. The best-selling author of Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore, calls my work, ‘Not a painting of, but a peek into…’ Visit my website Jillgoldman-callahanstudio. com. Come visit in-person, The Arts Umbrella Studio 303.”

1987

GARY WALDMAN writes, “I am proud to share that my youngest daughter graduated this spring from AFS and will attend Indiana University. My wife, Sloane, and I also celebrated the graduation of our other daughters from Syracuse University undergraduate and West Virginia University graduate program. Sloane is AFS director of parent engagement and I am still connected to the AFS community.”

1991

SHEVA SLOSBERG LYONS writes, “I have been happily married to my husband Brian for 22 years. I have two daughters, 21 and 18, and am so proud of them! I have owned my own business for five years: Romp n’Roll of Willow Grove. We are a kid’s gym that offers fun and educational gym, art, and music classes for kids threemonths through five-years old. We also are a birthday party venue. I am so lucky to do something I love! I hope my classmates are doing well.”

2005

DAVID STAPLES u writes, “We recently made the move from Philly to my wife’s hometown of New Orleans, where she works as a physician, and I will be assistant manager of operations at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. We have two rapidly growing boys, a four-year old and a 10-month old. Life is good!”

2006

EMILY WEISS (DEUTSCH) u writes, “Hello fellow alumni! I am still living in New Hampshire, right outside of Boston. I just had another baby girl named Sydney on July 4th! I am living

with my two daughters and husband. I will go back to teaching 2nd grade once my maternity leave is over! If anyone is ever in Boston, be sure to give me a call! OH WHAT?! OH SIX!!”

2012ORLANDO SAVERINOLOEB u writes, “The past couple of years have been a journey. After struggling for a couple years to get my foothold in the art world I can now proudly say that my high school and college dreams have become my reality.

In my senior year at Tyler School of Art I envisioned a gallery with artist studios and me presiding over it. Now I find myself as the technical director at HOT•BED gallery, a gallery with artist studios. I have been in charge of installing all of our shows and curating as well. We have done citywide exhibitions in conjunction with major institutions and organizations in Philadelphia. We recently completed a project managing the Plastic-free Philly Campaign with the Academy of Natural Sciences, BOMA, Drexel, and the PWD.

We have also been able to deliver impactful exhibitions in both of our in-house exhibition spaces. If you asked me five years ago where I would be, this is not the answer I would have given you. I have surprised myself as to what I am capable of and it feels great. I owe a lot of my work ethic to AFS. Honestly the rigor of the work we did in high school prepared me for the world better than most of my college classes, and I will be eternally grateful for that.

In addition, I have been in the second year of running my own art handling company: Philadelphia Art Handling. This has been a different type of journey but equally as fulfilling. I had installed artwork throughout Philadelphia and been able to see and experience things I never would have otherwise. From installing in private residences, the Chamber of Commerce, the Sonesta, Bellview, Philadelphia Art Alliance, InLiquid, one of the Louis Kahn Houses, to delivering art across state lines from DC to New York, and installing security devices on local institutions' permanent collections. I have developed a niche for myself and am trusted by artists and institutions throughout the city.

I haven’t stopped making my own work either and have recently shown in Paris with the DF Art Project and have

plans for new bodies of work and lighting design projects coming soon. I am proud to be an alumni of AFS and will forever display my AFS spinner above my studio door. Come by and see me at HOT•BED and the studio!

2016KATE WELLHOFER u writes, “I started stage managing while a freshman at AFS completely by accident and through that experience, what was supposed to be a hobby became my home. As most of my classmates (and teachers!) can attest, I spent all of my free time in the Muller Auditorium painting scenery, hanging lights or rewriting show tunes to be about technical theater. Now, almost 10 years since I first began stage managing as a freshman at AFS, I am an assistant stage manager on the musical Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway. I am so grateful for my time in AFS theatre and to my teachers for dedicating so many hours to my education. This one is for you.

2017

t RYAN ROMANO (& ESTHER LEE ’11) writes, “Recently, Ryan was completing his advanced pharmacy practice experience, a requirement for graduation from PharmD school, and got a great surprise! Esther Lee, class of 2011, was his preceptor. Esther graduated AFS when Ryan was in middle school. What a small world!”

ALUMNI FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION (AFSA) NOTES

BARBARA HANDLER u writes, “I was recently awarded 3rd place in the Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s Members Show, for my 16" x 16" painting, California Brown Pelicans. When I am not painting, I enjoy the company of my two grandchildren, Liam, almost 5, and Emma, 18 months.

IN MEMORIAM

MOLLY JEAN GREER ’52 u

Molly J. Greer, beloved aunt, great aunt, and great-great aunt, passed away June 8, 2022, at 88. Molly was an avid downhill and crosscountry skier. Stowe, VT, was her favorite skiing venue. She relocated to live in Stowe permanently in 1970. She was also an artist, painting and creating in watercolor and acrylic. She was tutored from a young age by her maternal aunt, Ruth Appeldorn Mead, founder of the Old Sculpin Gallery in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Molly loved the great outdoors and traveled the world hiking, canoeing, skiing and camping. She took great joy in her niece (Loanne) and two nephews (Bill and Bruce). She would take them hiking, teach them to ski and to draw and create art. Molly was a fiercely independent woman who built and designed two houses in Stowe.

t VICKI SLINGER ’80

Vicki Slinger (nee Strauss) passed away on April 27, 2022, 10 years after the death of her beloved brother Gary, class of ‘83. Vicki loved her high school years at AFS and was a great friend to all. She had a great sense of humor, loved riding around in her Karmann Ghia and always had a big smile on her face. She was a great athlete playing basketball, field hockey and lacrosse at AFS. Vicki was an avid Philadelphia sports fan, a regular concertgoer, especially for the Boss, and was happiest at the beach with family, friends and pets. Vicki was a passionate elementary school teacher in the Abington School District and most of all loved being a mom to sons Scott and Steven.

ROLAND CHRISTY ’88

Roland J. Christy III passed away in July 2022. He was 52. Roland was the beloved husband of almost 23 years to Monique H. Christy and the devoted, loving father of their three children, Roland IV, Douglas and Emily. He earned a B.A. from Albright University in

1992. He enjoyed a successful career in information technology, most recently as vice president of infrastructure for NewRez. He was a dedicated father who enjoyed spending time outdoors with his family and loved assisting with his kids’ sports and activities. He was a wonderful friend and neighbor and was always quick to lend a helping hand and could fix practically anything. Roland was a caring and selfless son who admired and supported his parents throughout his life. He cherished his friendship with his brother who was his best friend and was happiest when he could spend time at home with his family around him. In addition to his loving wife and children, Roland is survived by his parents Roland J. Christy Jr. and Jo Ann Christy of Buckingham, his brother William E. Christy and sister-in-law Alina of Buckingham.

AFSA

PAUL

MAKLER

Dr. Paul Makler, grandfather of Chris '92 and Jon '95 and AFS teacher of Greek, Latin, ‘Evil, Justice,’ and more, passed away in May 2022, at nearly 102 years old. Perhaps none of his former students and colleagues would be surprised to know that he was practicing piano, following the news and the markets and taking university courses online to the very end.

JAMES HALL

James A. Hall passed away on Friday, October 22, 2021. He was 79 years of age and a resident of Roslyn, PA. For 44 years, “Mr. Hall” was a math teacher at AFS. During his many years at AFS, he also drove the van to transport the children and helped in the cafeteria and kitchen with his wife Pat during the school years and during camp. Jim enjoyed bowling in a local bowling league, spending time and relaxing in Cape May, NJ, cruising to Bermuda, watching and rooting for all the Philadelphia sports teams and loved classic cars and attending car shows.

YANNICK TANGUY

Yannick Tatia Tanguy, 83, passed away on September 1, 2022. Yannick, a French teacher, taught at AFS from 1968 to 1986.

END NOTE

Building Resilience: Teaching Yourself to Do Hard Things

BY DAN TABOADA

My senses are overwhelmed. A cacophony of hacking and wheezing fills my ears, and I squint to see the trail as I pedal my bike through a snowstorm of pollen. To my left and right are numerous teenagers, blood trickling from their noses, working to maneuver heavily equipped hybrid bicycles. The fluffy orbs that cloud the air resemble slow-moving cotton.

(Later on, we will learn that this is the release of the mature seeds from black poplars and black cottonwoods, which fly off their branches in a good wind.)

Jeremiah Shepherd-Baker ’23 pedals up beside me and gasps, “Dan, where are we?” As if the pollen has clouded my brain as well as my respiratory tract, I can only reply, “I have no clue. Somewhere between Maryland and West Virginia.” We instantly break into laughter at the ridiculous exchange. The better question would have been, how did we get here?

In late May, 18 students and four chaperones embarked on an unusual trip. The plan: To travel from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., on bicycles. With teenagers. After almost two full years of limited travel, 360 miles of biking somehow seemed like just the thing to renew our languishing spirits and reconnect us with the larger world. This audacious — some may say foolhardy — trip was designed to instill a sense of purpose, growth and adventure. It accomplished all of those goals and more.

Last year, our school unveiled an ambitious Strategic Plan. As Director of Student Support and Wellbeing, my primary focus is on cultivating resilience, independence and resourcefulness. As a community, we need to create endeavors through which students can grapple with the complexities of the world and find their place in it. We need to encourage them to take risks in healthy and supported ways. This trek across the Mid-

Atlantic region was the perfect conduit for challenging our students to adapt, overcome and thrive.

The journey carried us across four states via the Great Allegheny Passage and the C & O Canal Towpath, two off-road trails built as part of a greater project to connect our country’s two coasts via bike routes. We trained throughout the spring to build the necessary endurance. We would need to ride 60 miles per day, scaling mountainous detours in 93 degree weather. Beyond the physical demands, what we couldn’t predict were the myriad challenges, small and large, to which we would need to adapt. It was inspiring to witness Cyle Rush’s endless persistence in cooking pasta for 22 people with only an electric skillet and a microwave. It was comforting to be surrounded by a caring community as we fixed flat tires and conquered scrapes and minor injuries. It was jarring to encounter symbols of our nation’s harrowing racial history in the midst of the natural beauty we traversed and the imagery that reminds us it still persists today. Yet despite the struggles, memories from that week are suffused with the smiles, laughter, prideful poses and new friendships that can only be formed through shared experiences.

It is hard to overstate the immense sense of pride and love I feel for these young people who chose to join me on such a transformative journey together. As AFS continues on a path towards innovating Quaker Education, it is my hope that all of our students will have the opportunity to participate in these life-changing moments of learning and growth. Such experiences prove to themselves and each other that they can rise to any challenge and answer affirmatively to the most important question regarding resilience: I can do hard things.