oakleaves Fall 2012
A Hub for
Learning Our new learning resource center is up and running AFS School Committee Alumni Reunions Class Notes
THE AFS
annual fund What does your gift mean? Together we can reach our goal of: $450,000 and 75% parent participation
EVERY GIFT MATTERS Help us re-imagine the Annual Fund! Share your ideas and testimonials at http://www.abingtonfriends.net/giving/annualfund
in this issue 24
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A Hub for Learning
Life at AFS:
Six Month Scrapbook
AFS Upfront
Annual Report
Guiding Hands: The AFS School Committee
Oak Leaves is a publication of the AFS Development and Communications Offices. Richard F. Nourie Debbie Stauffer Jon Harris Judy Hill Gabrielle Giddings David Eldridge Jordan Bastien
Head of School Associate Head of School Assistant Head for Institutional Advancement Director of Communications, Editor Director of Marketing Director of Annual Giving Director of Alumni Affairs
Peapod Design
Publication Design
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Alumni Reunions
Classnotes
In Memoriam
1
letter from the
head of school Every opening of the school year at AFS is a time of joyful energy as children, families and faculty, fresh from summer, come together eager to see one other, meet newcomers and look ahead to a new year of growth, friendship and learning. The start of this school year was especially energized by several ideas from our Strategic Vision coming to fruition after a year of active collaboration among teachers, School Committee members, architects and builders. The ambitious, creative spirit of our school community is beautifully reflected in these accomplishments, some of which include: • A state-of-the-art new home for our nationally recognized Early Childhood program, with classrooms beautifully designed for young learners, filled with natural light, areas for exploration, the arts, building materials and a program rooted in the fertile imaginations of 3, 4 and 5 olds. The centerpiece is a nature playground, the first in our state certified by the National Arbor Day Foundation, featuring a pond, gardens, areas for building, digging, planting, running, climbing and playing. • The creation of a grades 5-8 Middle School, with newly renovated spaces for a new team structure for teachers and students in 5th and 6th and then in 7th and 8th grades. The new program creates a
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OAK LEAVES FALL
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bridge for 5th and 6th graders from late childhood to early adolescence, introducing them to a new level of intellectual work while allowing for plenty of play, including afterschool athletics and the performing arts program of Middle School. • A Media and Design Lab to support new programs in applied sciences for Upper School featuring courses in programming, design and engineering and afterschool offerings in robotics, broadcast journalism and print publications. Super powerful computers and software offer professional tools for students working in this collaborative, creative and problem solving set of disciplines. • The Jane Frieder Wilf and Mark Wilf Learning Resource Center helps us launch an innovative program in support and enrichment for Upper School students. In the luminous, sunlit space of the Campbell Family Classroom and adjacent conference room, 9th graders develop their research, organizational and time-management skills to create high quality high school work. The new center is featured in this edition of Oak Leaves and we look forward to giving similar coverage to the other initiatives in upcoming issues. Also featured in this issue is a profile of our School Committee and their deep role in the leadership of the School and in keeping us grounded in our Quaker values and our living connection to the Meeting. It is this culture of reflection, reverence and continual search for truth, in tandem with our outward vitality, that makes AFS such a powerful community for learning and development. I reflected on this essential connection between School and Meeting in my remarks to the Class of 2012 in June. In closing, here’s an excerpt to accompany the beautiful photos of that evening in the next few pages: “There is a powerful moral vision behind your Quaker education that lifts up an expansive, generous, ever hopeful and encouraging view of who we are as human beings, of our true identity, of what it can look like when we are free to live in the fullness of our creator’s vision for us.”
Yesterday, as I was gathering my thoughts for this afternoon, I walked over from school to the Meetinghouse for some reflective time. I found myself thinking a lot about the path from School to Meeting and how often you have made that journey, some of you for 13 years. I love that walk, each week, through every season of the year. The walk is ever changing as the leaves change color and fall away in autumn, as the graveyard fills with snow, with spring rains and sunshine and then an explosion of new growth in May. I especially love watching the 4 year olds on the path each week. They splash in every puddle, collect leaves, notice everything! While the walk changes every week, as does each day of school over on campus, the destination of the walk, the Meetinghouse itself, remains remarkably constant. It is this still, centered, quiet space that has witnessed and held 315 years of students, families and teachers. The change that has surrounded that simple room is astounding, but the space within is largely the same. At the center of our community as a school is a wellspring of spirit, of peace, a place unperturbed, undisturbed, undistracted by the busyness at the surface of our lives. Our connection to this place keeps us grounded as a community. In silence, we strip away the chatter and get focused, centered, prepared to listen, to reflect, to observe, to let the light in our beings speak to us.
“At the center of our community as a school is a wellspring of spirit, of peace, a place unperturbed, undisturbed, undistracted by the busyness at the surface of our lives. Our connection to this place keeps us grounded as a community.”
There is a powerful symmetry between the Meetinghouse as the well at the center of our community and the light and inner life that dwells within each of you. When we nurture our connection to our inner lives, to the core of peace, strength, perspective, generosity and love that reflects the divine spark in each of us, we approach the wholeness that represents us at our fullest, finest and healthiest as human beings.” My best to all for the upcoming holidays.
3
life at AFS:
The Muller stage came alive with the highly spirited Middle School production of Seussical, the musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss. The story, which centers on Horton the elephant, and his efforts to protect the people of Who-ville, also features characters from many other Seuss books, including the Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, JoJo, Mayzie LaBird, and the Sour Kangaroo.
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OAK LEAVES FALL
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During the annual Upper School Candlelight Dinner, the torch of leadership was symbolically passed to the class of 2013. The evening celebration included student appreciations of their advisors, a delicious meal and a moving candle lighting ceremony in the Meetinghouse.
Sixth Grade Viking Raid
»
Seussical the Musical
»
Candlelight Dinner
»
month scrapbook
To fully inhabit the Viking mindset, Middle School Social Studies Teacher Mark Smith had his sixth grade students carry out a Viking raid pillaging (temporarily) desks and chairs from other classrooms in the Middle School.
Arbor Day «
Korean Wedding « With two Upper School volunteers standing in as bride and groom, the third grade witnessed the rituals of a traditional Korean wedding, as part of their unit on Asia.
On Arbor Day, April 30, the whole school— students, faculty, staff and families— gathered to celebrate the blessings of spring and reaffirm the School’s commitment to caring for the earth. For graduating seniors and their first grade pages, this is the first in a series of events culminating in Commencement. Juniors also step up on Arbor Day to accept their leadership responsibilities for the coming year.
»
A Murder, A Mystery and A Marriage
Science Night
»
The Upper School presented a lively production of this musical adapted by Aaron Posner and James Sugg, filled with toetapping bluegrass music and witty dialogue and lyrics, from a short story by Mark Twain.
Students from Lower to Upper School shared the results of science projects engaged in throughout the year.
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4th/5th Grade Fair »
5th Grade Poetry Night
»
Fourth graders joined the fifth grade this year for their traditional spring fair, held in the Lower School playground, since with the redesign of the Middle School both grades would be moving on from Lower School this year.
EGIS Night
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A much-anticipated night on the Lower School calendar, 5th Grade Poetry Night provides an opportunity for some of our youngest poets to share their poems (and those of poets they admire) in front of an audience of peers, parents and teachers.
AFS eighth graders took the spotlight as they presented the results of their yearlong adventure in self-directed learning. Projects for the Eighth Grade Independent Study ranged from learning to play the ukulele to grappling with the art of graffiti painting.
Jump Rope
»
Farewell Friends! »
Third through fifth graders jumped rope to raise money for heart disease research as part of the Jump Rope for Heart campaign.
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LIFE AT AFS : SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK
We said a tearful farewell to two beloved AFS teachers at a special reception at Arcadia University. Director of College Guidance Larry Wilkins and Upper School Art Teacher Barb Handler both retired this year after many years of sharing their extraordinary gifts with the AFS community. They will both be deeply missed!
may
Roo Fest » Present and past members of the AFS community assembled at our May 5 Roo Fest to catch up with one another and enjoy carnival games, pony rides, kids crafts, delicious food and a plant sale. Musical entertainment was provided by our gifted upper schoolers as well as Head of School Rich Nourie with his band The Reckless Amateurs.
LS Program «
Medieval Feast
»
Our Lower School community came together for a joyful and inspiring performance of music and dance to celebrate the culmination of the school year.
Sixth graders celebrated the completion of their unit of study on medieval life with a grand Medieval Feast that featured a wedding ceremony, poetry readings, a magnificent banquet and a series of entertaining and original puppet shows.
8th Grade Moving Up » We honored our eighth grade class in a special gathering in the Meetinghouse where an appreciation of every student was read and the class passed the light of leadership on to the 7th grade class.
june 7
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LIFE AT AFS : SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK
On June 13, family and friends gathered in the Grove on a beautiful late spring day to honor the 62 members of the Class of 2012. The junior class formed the traditional daisy chain and first-grade pages enchanted all assembled as they walked down the aisle to join the seniors on stage, where they sang the traditional song, “Make New Friends.” Our senior student speakers Elliot Williams and Zach Atkins spoke powerfully about their years at AFS and Jesse Dougherty introduced Keynote Speaker and AFS alum Charles Ellison ‘92. A political strategist and analyst with nearly two decades of applied expertise in politics, public policy, campaigns, elections and social media, Ellison is managing editor of Politic365.com and the Washington correspondent for The Philadelphia Tribune.
Ellison spoke about how AFS awakened and fed his love for politics and civic engagement and encouraged our graduating seniors to be informed and be involved. Maddie Durbin presented the class gift, a contribution toward new campus signage, to Upper School Director Martha Holland. Musical accompaniment included the Upper School Chorus singing “The Irish Blessing.”
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New Parents Meeting for Worship We welcomed parents new to the AFS community with a special Meeting for Worship followed by a luncheon in the Grove, with student speakers and musical entertainment provided by junior Alex Woods and freshman Lucy Silbaugh.
AFS Outside Our youngest students had a grand time jumping, dancing, splashing in water and digging in dirt, as our new nature playground and outdoor classroom took shape in Lower School.
Book Fair Âť Once again, the Book Fair took up residence in the Faulkner Library and many took advantage of this opportunity to browse a specially selected treasure trove of books for all ages. The traditional Human Chess Match added to the entertainment. Students in all divisions also enjoyed visits from authors to their classrooms, including David Lubar (at right).
Rosetta Lee Diversity speaker and bullying expert Rosetta Lee came to talk with our students and faculty about identity, difficult conversations and cultural competency. Rosetta also gave a special presentation on bullying for our parents.
october 10
LIFE AT AFS : SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK
afs upfront AFS Robotics Team Makes Playoffs In March our rookie robotics team scored a major victory, making it to the playoffs in the FIRST Robotics District event held at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. When senior Ryan Rosen asked Upper School Physics Teacher Duran Perkins for help starting a robotics team in October, 2011, he didn’t know that his request came at exactly the right time. With a generous gift from members of the AFS community and a wonderful sponsorship from JC Penney, Abington Roobotics was given an opportunity to become part of the FIRST robotics competition. This year’s game was called Rebound Rumble. Modeled on basketball, the student-built robots had to make baskets in one of several possible ways: shooting, dunking or rolling. The most striking thing about this robot is that it was built in only six weeks. Meeting after school, teachers Duran Perkins and John Silvers spent many hours alongside 15 AFS students, building, testing, finding solutions that didn’t work, building solutions that finally worked and tweaking the design. They were helped at some key moments by the very competitors that they faced on the field, including SCH, Wissahickon High School and Dauphin Technical School. “Our team’s mentors, the team from SCH, shook our hands afterwards,” says Duran. “Congratulations were offered all around. Then the question, with an expected answer: ’You’ll be back next year, right?’ AFS didn’t waste any time saying, ’You bet!’”
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Jazz Ensemble Wins Awards at Hershey Festival The AFS US Jazz Ensemble performed as part of Music in the Parks, May 4 at an adjudicated festival in Hershey, PA. Our ensemble received first place in its division (High School, under 350 students enrolled), received an “Excellent” rating for their performance of Birdland (by Weather Report), Salt Peanuts (by Dizzy Gillespie) and Some Skunk Funk (by Randy Brecker). AFS senior Dustin Hill (tenor sax) received the only solo award presented to the most outstanding high school soloist at the event, for his solo in Some Skunk Funk.
Chinese Students Finish Busy and Enriching Year For the 2011-2012 school year the AFS Upper School community welcomed 13 students from China through the program Ivy International. The partnership made for an enriching school year that led to new learning, new opportunities and new insights for everyone involved. “Diversity matters,” says Upper School Director Martha Holland. “It would be so easy to let the media tell us how to think about everything and everyone. We hear about corruption and major violations of human rights. But getting to know our Chinese students provides us with a balance to those overwhelmingly negative messages. Listening to their stories and hearing their responses to our stories provides us all with a valuable perspective, a human perspective,” she says. “We all begin to see that our world view is limited and incomplete.” Martha has been astounded by the Chinese students’ spirit of adventure, courage and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. “For many of them, English is their third or fourth language,” she says. “High school is already a challenging enough time, but to add the adjustment to a new culture and language is simply amazing,” she says.
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AFS UPFRONT
AFS Outside Takes Shape The groundwork for our new outdoor classroom and play areas for AFS Outside was laid over the summer months and our youngest students are already reaping the rewards. AFS Outside is our exciting vision to create a nature playground and outdoor learning environment specifically designed for Early Childhood and Lower School students as well as the 5th/6th grade program. Phase one is the first nature playground in Pennsylvania designed and accredited by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The nature playground and outdoor learning environments are envisioned as part of a school wide outdoor learning program that will powerfully connect children in sustained and meaningful ways with the living world while fully realizing the enormous potential of our beautiful campus. Early in the summer we broke ground on the Kindergarten and Early Childhood playground and over the following months created and installed many of the nature playground elements (including areas for sand play, dirt-digging, building, music and art) for Phase I of our AFS Outside vision, for our youngest students. This collaboration has included our faculty and staff, our students, our families and our administration, along with the Arbor Day Foundation and our team of architects.
AFS Alum and Filmmaker Paul Brian Osorio Pays Visit Filmmaker and AFS alum Paul Brian Osorio visited the School on October 4 to spend time with our Upper School students and to talk about his career as a documentary filmmaker, ethnographer and professional film/video cameraman. Osorio, who attended AFS in Lower and Middle school credits the School with instilling in him an appreciation of other cultures. After graduating from high school in the Philippines, Osorio earned his bachelor’s degree at Temple University, majoring in Cultural/Visual Anthropology (with a certificate in Mandarin Chinese). Sharing several of his short films, Osorio talked about his travels to India, the vital role of his mentor and how he pieced together a career over time, taking on commercial work as a way to fund his real passion, documentary film work. The students, who sat down to lunch with Osorio were fascinated to learn about his career and asked many questions, from the technical (“What kind of camera do you use?”) to the philosophical (“How do you balance your artistic desires with the need to be culturally accurate?”).
New Media and Design Lab Opens Thanks to several generous donations, super powerful computers and Auto-CAD software arrived over the summer for our new Media and Design Lab, which is located next to the Faulkner Library and will support several new engineering and programming offerings in the Upper School. The M&D Lab supports a robust new curricular thread focused on design, problem-solving and creativity and we’re excited to see where students and teachers will take these new tools. New engineering and design-based electives include Introduction to Engineering, Computer Aided Design and Feedback Systems and Control Loops. The Media and Design Lab will also give students the tools, equipment and training they need to produce high quality digital, print and web based media.
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New Faces Jordan Bastien Director of Alumni Affairs
Her daughter Rowan (3) is now in Carol and Danielle’s Catbird classroom in Early Childhood, while her son Luc (5) has joined Raji and Alicia’s Kindergarten class. “The teachers are magical and the spaces are so beautiful,” says Jordan. Joining the AFS Development Department has been just as energizing and eye opening for Jordan. “Everybody is amazingly passionate about what they do and excited to make it better,” she says. “People aren’t tied to the status quo, but are interested in new ideas and in the best way we can do things.”
“It’s all about connecting the people who share a love for the thing you’re helping to build.” That’s how Jordan Bastien describes her new role as AFS Alumni Director. And it’s also how she talks about her previous career running contemporary art galleries in New York City. There, Jordan worked with collectors, curators and the media to build a network of patronage for the artists she represented. At AFS, she looks forward to developing equally fruitful connections with, and among, our talented alumni body. Jordan, who majored in Art History at Princeton University, has lived in Philadelphia for three years with her husband, Pierre. Her introduction to Quakerism came when she heard that Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting was planning to build a new meetinghouse incorporating a Skyspace by world-renowned light artist James Turrell. Fascinated by that project, Jordan volunteered her time to help raise funds for its completion, and in the process became equally captivated by what she learned about Quakerism. Jordan was initially drawn to AFS as a parent. “We attended an Open House on the recommendation of a friend and I was totally blown away,” she says. “It was heads and shoulders above anything else we’d seen.”
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AFS UPFRONT
David Eldridge Director of Annual Giving “I want to be a Quaker, Love Dave.” That’s how David Eldridge addressed the Baltimore Yearly Meeting in a letter when, as a 3rd grader at Friends School of Baltimore, he realized he wanted to become a member of the Meeting.
From her office in Tyson House, Jordan aims to help alumni continue the unique individual connections and pride in the school they felt as students. One of the aspects of AFS she has quickly come to appreciate is how the School develops and supports students’ particular interests and talents and helps them “find their uniqueness.” She plans to tailor alumni events to tap into some of those interests— be it reading, cooking or documentary
“Everybody is amazingly passionate about what they do and excited to make it better. ” filmmaking—so alumni can experience and learn together. “Especially with Philadelphia alumni, I’m trying to keep it experiential, with a variety of micro events.” Jordan also looks forward to keeping alive the Alumni Basketball Game, Homecoming and other cherished alumni events. Right now, Jordan says her top priority is getting to know our alumni every way she can, in person, by phone and email and through social media sites including Facebook and LinkedIn. “I’m busy figuring out who they are and what will be useful services for them to continue being a Roo for life.”
Since then, David, who joined our community as Director of Annual Giving in July, has found himself continually drawn back to Friends schools. After spending his high school years at George School, David attended Swarthmore College, a historically Quaker institution. After stints teaching history and social studies at George School and Delaware Valley Friends School, David, who comes from a family of educators, decided to make a break and pursue social work. Having earned both his MSW and Ph.D. in social welfare from the University of Pennsylvania, however, he found himself pulled back into Friends school administration, first at Haddonfield Friends School, then at Friends School Mullica Hill, and finally as annual giving director at Westtown. David, who now lives in Wynnewood with his wife, Lisa, and their three daughters, sees fundraising as a critically important part of Friends schools. When you give a gift of money, he notes, it means something personally and it conveys something.
Though much has changed during her years away, Lisa is also struck by what has remained the same. “I was very drawn to AFS when I first stumbled on it, and I have always felt it to be a very welcoming community,” says Lisa. “And even though I’ve only been back a little while, already I can tell the parent body is very engaged, so it’s a pleasure to work with them. I don’t feel like I’m going it alone.”
“Something is exchanged between someone giving a gift and someone receiving it. It’s an expression of belief in the mission of the School. In Quaker terms it’s a form of energy that’s going to be doing something both for the organization and the person giving the gift.” At Westtown, David started a successful student philanthropy program and one of the reasons he is so excited to be at AFS, he says, is that the students here are curious and interested and ready to learn about philanthropy and financial support. “I just had an experience at a student community service meeting where a student stood up and said, ‘I’m going to help out at the Annual Fund Phonathon but is there anything else we can do to help with annual giving?’ She had no idea how unusual and wonderful that was.” David envisions annual giving as something like an annual barn building in the manner of the Amish. “Thinking about the different giving levels. You need people to be collecting the wood that others will carve into the pegs and then there are the really experienced people who are sitting there on top of the beams putting the pegs in. Those are the major donors, but they need the pegs to pound into the beams. And we also need people to transport the pegs. Helping guide the construction of this year’s barn is really exciting for me.” David’s goal for his first year is to start reimagining annual giving at AFS, “What should we call it? What do we want to say about it? How do we inspire people to give? What stories do we have about what gifts to AFS mean to us? This will be a yearlong process and next year we’ll roll it out. I see my role as organizing various ways to end up with all these different pieces we’ll put together as a fresh, new and exciting program.” A second big focus for David is participation. “Participation begins at a dollar,” says David, “and that dollar gift is equal to the $27,000 gift in terms of meaning, spirit and the vote that it represents. The bigger the gift is the more it can do, but it’s all money and everyone is connected in making that gift at whatever level feels right.”
In her first few weeks on the job, Lisa has been getting to know Home and School and meeting with as many clerks as possible. Working closely with All School Clerk Carla Patton she has been piecing together details of the Book Fair (October 11-13), this fall’s potluck dinners and other community events on the school calendar.
Lisa Budd Coordinator of Special Events and Parent Volunteers For Lisa Budd, stepping onto campus this summer as a new employee felt strangely familiar. Not so strange, really, when you consider that our new Coordinator of Special Events and Parent Volunteers has worked at AFS before, from 2001 until 2006. Prior to leaving to spend more time with her young children, Lisa taught French in Upper School, coached soccer and lacrosse in Middle School and became an integral part of the Development Department, in a role similar to the one she now occupies. Having been away for six years, Lisa is thrilled to see projects she had worked on raising funds for now fully realized. “The library was just being built when I was here before,” she marvels. “Now it looks like it’s been here for years. There’s life in it. The same with the gardens on Student Street. It’s rewarding to see how the School got all these projects up and running.”
As the mother of three young children (ages 8, 6 and 3), Lisa knows how busy life can get, and while one of her priorities is encouraging parents to volunteer, she has a pragmatic approach. “I don’t want people to feel they can’t volunteer because they can’t commit the time. If you can just give one hour, we welcome that. And you don’t have to worry that you’re going to get sucked into staying for two more hours. I’m sensitive to people’s time.” With about half of our Home and School clerks currently in their second term, Lisa is also on the lookout for new clerks. “The best way to figure out what it entails and if it’s something you’d be interested in,” she says, “is to get involved.”
“I was very drawn to AFS when I first stumbled on it, and I have always felt it to be a very welcoming community,”
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guiding hands W
e often talk about Abington Friends School being “under the care of the Meeting.” That care began in March, 1697, when John Barnes, a wealthy tailor who belonged to Abington Monthly Meeting, donated 120 acres of his estate “for and towards erecting a meetinghouse for Friends and toward the maintenance of a school under the direction of Friends.”
The AFS School Committee works tirelessly to support the mission of the School and to keep it healthy and viable for centuries to come.
A Conversation with School Committee Clerk Margaret Sayers
Three hundred years later Abington Friends is still under the care of the Meeting, which oversees the School through one of its standing committees, the School committee. Comprised of 17 dedicated individuals, including members of Abington Monthly Meeting, parents and alumni or past parents, School Committee supports the goals and program of the School and is the legal body ultimately responsible for the financial health and operation of the School. Committee members attend eight School Committee meetings each year and serve on various subcommittees. We recently saw a transition in the leadership of School Committee, with Peter Schorsch stepping down from the position of Clerk last summer. With a total of 21 years of service to School Committee, Peter demonstrated a sustained commitment. deep values and hard work that have been deeply appreciated by both the School and the Meeting. As Head of School Rich Nourie shared at the time, “Peter has been a voice of encouragement, healthy challenge and good judgment for me in our frequent meetings and discussions over the years. He has led by example in giving extraordinary time, talent and personal resources to serve the mission and vision of the School and I have been honored to work with him.”
Q
Margaret Sayers, who succeeds Peter in the role of School Committee clerk has been a natural and active leader in both School and Meeting communities for several years, and has become known for her warm relational skills, clear thinking and strong affinity for Quaker community, faith and practice. Margaret is a child and adolescent psychologist in private practice. She is also (with her husband, Steven) parent to two AFS students, Kenan in seventh grade and Douglas in ninth grade.
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OAK LEAVES FALL
2012
How long have you been a part of the AFS community?
A My son Kenan entered PreK in 2004 and six weeks later we moved his sister from public school, so we’re starting our ninth year here.
Q
How did you become connected with the Meeting?
A When we sent Kenan to AFS I hadn’t really done due diligence learning about Quakers. Once we moved our daughter Douglas here I started going to the Sundays at Seven program to learn more. Liz Moseley and Kay MacInnes were running it. These women were former teachers at the School and two of the loveliest people I’d ever met. They drew me in totally. So then in the spring I started attending Meeting and the following fall I started bringing the kids to First Day School. If you watch the two of them, Kenan sits like a Buddha and Douglas sighs and wiggles and fidgets, but Douglas would come every Sunday happily while Kenan would probably rather not come. It’s a great group of kids, especially for Douglas. She’s really found a cohort there.
Q
What resonates with you about Quakerism?
A The idea that no one is going to tell me what to think and believe suits me very well, and I’m free not to be certain what I think or believe. The emphasis on compassion and service fits nicely with my own personal beliefs. I used to say I wasn’t a very spiritual person, but at AMM they don’t buy that. They tell me I’m very spiritual, that’s where my compassion comes from, that’s where my service comes from.
Q
How did you start to get more involved in leadership within the School?
A I got involved in the Families of Students of Color affinity group and then became co-clerk of that group, and I think through that Rich got to see me in a leadership role. When [former School Committee Clerk] Peter Schorsch called me and said, ‘I’m calling to talk about School Committee,’ I thought he was asking me to recommend people for School Committee. I finally had to say, ‘Are you asking me to be on School Committee?’ So that was a surprise. I served three years, initially on the Quaker Life and Membership committees.
Q
When you were asked to step up and become School Committee clerk, did you say yes right away?
A This is a big time commitment and I do have a full-time job and children and I like to sleep and occasionally exercise. I did have to go home and talk to my husband, who was very supportive and even offered to do the thing he hates most in the world, which is grocery shopping. I said yes pretty quickly.
Q
What do you enjoy most about your work with the School Committee?
A It is really a pleasure to watch Rich in his element. He is so enthusiastic about education, about spirituality, about the whole child. Serving on School Committee is a lot about ensuring the financial security of the School and adhering to our mission, but all of that feels like joyful work when you’re supporting the School that Rich envisions.
Q
What makes School Committee a successful working group?
A One of Peter Schorsch’s guiding goals while he was clerk was to strengthen School Committee and make sure it was composed of strong, passionate, participatory individuals. He did that very successfully, so we have a really good working group and we have the necessary areas of expertise covered. We have people with strong finance backgrounds, strong Quaker life backgrounds and strong development backgrounds. We also have a lot of alumni parents including ones who became committed after their kids graduated, including Rod Sandmeyer, Rob Delany and Ann Thompson. It’s a really strong group of people who are passionate about the School, know the School and its culture and know how much work goes into being on School Committee. The School and Meeting have a shared vision of Quaker education. We all want the same outcomes, so I think what’s really key is lots of open communication and
transparency. I think School and Meeting would both like to find a way to bring more Quaker students into the School and not just from Abington Meeting. The School and Meeting are both very invested in the School being here for another 300 years. The Meeting thinks about the School as its greatest outreach. It’s a way people are brought into Quakerism, as in my situation, and a way Quaker values are taken out into world. Since we’re not evangelists our best way to bring our message out is to spread our values and send people out to do good work. I’m always hearing about alums out doing great work in the nonprofit world or working to cure cancer.
Q
How do you see your role as clerk evolving and how would you describe your leadership style?
A Right now I’m trying to grow into being clerk of School Committee. To be honest I sort of imagined there would be a day at some point in the future when I might be asked to be clerk, but not now. And really the only thing that enabled me to say yes was the strength of the people on School Committee and my complete faith in Rich. I think of my role on School Committee as largely focusing on process. I don’t have the expertise to do all of the work that needs to be done so I have to trust that the individuals who do have expertise are doing what needs to be done to facilitate communication among the committees and, in partnership with Rich, with the Meeting and School at large. It’s really important to me that all voices on School Committee are heard and as in any gathering there are people with big voices and people with quiet voices, but everyone is there because they have something to contribute. So I think learning to listen to and understand dissenting voices is crucial. Because I am so passionate about both the School and Meeting communities it’s very important for me that everybody gets along and that conflicts are handled well and that all the good work that has gone into building the strong relationships that exist now are preserved.
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the AFS school committee Ken Ahl
Allison Boyle
Years on SC: 12 Life outside of SC: Ken is a tax attorney and partner with the law firm Archer & Greiner, P.C. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: Ken’s two sons, David and Ricky, graduated from AFS. Reasons for serving: “Both of our sons were AFS students from 1st grade through 12th grade and I became involved in serving AFS as a parent. The school has done much more than educating our children; it has made them thinking, caring and involved individuals. It made them into good listeners, great writers and responsible citizens. AFS does such a good job in preparing its students for life, I could not stop serving after our sons graduated. I hope other parents of alums will feel a similar commitment to stay involved.” Areas of focus: Finance, Outdoor Education, Assistant Clerk Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “To work with a wide range of outstanding people from varied experiences and with different talents, but all focused on helping the School achieve its goals and mission.”
Years on SC: 12 Life outside of SC: Allison works as a consumer service representative for PepsiCo. She has also been a fundraising professional serving the non-profit sector for 30 years. In addition, Allison serves as a volunteer for the blind and visually impaired community. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “I am a member of Abington Monthly Meeting. I serve on the Development, Membership and Quakerism committees. Both of my parents served on School Committee.” Reasons for serving: “While the Religious Society of Friends is not evangelical by nature, I believe the work we do in Friends education, and the students we send into the world, is our mission work. This is the way in which we spread the Light. I am public school educated, and my greatest wish is that some of our AFS student body will choose to work in the public school system and make a difference in the lives of others.” Areas of focus: Development, Membership, Communication Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Anything I can do to contribute to the lives of our young people is a contribution to our future. I am extremely fond of my fellow School Committee members and cherish my relationship with our Head.”
Marc Berman Years on SC: 2 Life outside of SC: Marc works in the wholesale automotive parts industry and has also served in a leadership role with Philadelphia Family Pride, the area’s LGBT parent organization, for the last eight years. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “Our sons started in the Early Childhood division when they were almost three. Nine years later, they are both in Middle School. AFS has been a great fit for our family.” Reasons for serving: “It feels great to give back to the community that has enriched our family’s lives. We appreciate the school’s dedication to education, compassion and diversity.” Areas of focus: Membership, Outdoor Classroom Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Having witnessed the dedication of the faculty and administration over the last nine years from a parent’s point of view, it has become even more meaningful to experience this from the School Committee perspective. This very special place is the result of the great deal of work on the part of the administration. To be able to support their efforts, through service on School Committee, has been most rewarding.”
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GUIDING HANDS
Dave Campbell Years on SC: 11 Life outside of SC: Dave is president of Benjamin Obdyke, a company that markets and distributes exterior residential building materials in the US and Canada. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “My connection to the School is primarily through my children. All three of my children have attended AFS for various periods of time. My oldest daughter Dana was a lifer who graduated in 2011.” Reasons for serving: “I serve because I believe in the School’s mission and educational philosophy. I am inspired by the Head of School, Faculty, Staff and fellow School Committee members—their capability, commitment and hard work.” Areas of focus: Real Estate (clerk), Finance Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “I enjoy the challenge of addressing and solving problems, of seeing and taking advantage of opportunities, and being inspired by work being done by others in the school community.”
Robert Delany Years on SC: 7 Life outside of SC: Rob is managing director and chief financial officer of The PFM Group. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: Parent of two alumni. Reasons for serving: “Passion for education and the care that the school brings to our students, their families and the community.” Areas of focus: Finance (clerk), Treasurer, Tuition Assistance Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Knowing that my help and participation supports the School as they advance their mission.”
Carol Frieder Years on SC: 6 Life outside of SC: Carol retired in June after 12 years as vice-chair of Girard College. She is still involved with the students at Girard and is a docent with the Philadelphia Orchestra student concerts. Carol also works with AFS music students who volunteer their time to work with the students in public and private schools in preparation for upcoming programs at the Philadelphia orchestra. Connection to AFS and/or Meeting: “I have been associated with AFS for over 46 years. Our relationship with the School began when my husband and I made the decision to enroll our oldest daughter in 3rd grade at AFS. Sam and I would both agree that it was the most important decision we made for our four children, all of whom are alumnae of the School. My professional association with AFS began as a teacher, followed by director of admissions, financial aid, college guidance, interim head of Lower School, interim head of Preschool and director of alumni affairs.” Reasons for serving: “I want to give back to a community that has meant so much to our entire family over many years.” Areas of focus: Membership (clerk), Quakerism Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Working with the thoughtful and collegial group on School Committee to do what is best for the students—making sure that we are fulfilling the vision and mission of the School. The experience of helping to develop a strategic plan and working toward fulfilling the goals of the plan.”
Kathy Dwyer Years on SC: 1st year Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: Kathy is a member of Abington Friends Meeting and serves on several committees there including the John Barnes Trustees, which provides ongoing financial support to AFS. Life outside of SC: Kathy is a corporate law attorney, practicing for nearly 20 years and now working in-house at SunGard Data Systems Inc. Reasons for serving: It was through her experience with the John Barnes Trustees that Kathy’s interest in AFS was first piqued. Areas of focus: Quakerism, Tuition Assistance Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: Kathy is most interested in the Quakerism subcommittee, so that she can become more informed about the role of Quakerism at AFS and also become more active in promoting the connection between the Friends Meeting and the School.
Mark Garrison Years on SC: 10 Life outside of SC: Mark owns ReviewNet Corporation, a company that provides pre-employment tests to evaluate candidates for information technology jobs. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “I am a member of the Meeting. I serve as Treasurer of the Meeting, and as President of the John Barnes Trustees. The John Barnes Trustees own the land of the School and the Meeting and also hold investments whose income is used primarily to support AFS. My children all attended AFS at one point or another.” Reasons for serving: “I believe Quaker schools help provide a way of thinking that is broader than public school. But like most institutions, AFS faces challenges in the market for education. School Committee’s role is to define and approve strategies for the future, and I like helping AFS to deal with these challenges.” Areas of focus: Development Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “It is hard to choose only one. Probably the people. Over my time on School Committee, I have met and become friends with some amazing people who shared a passion for AFS. I got to work with them on important things for AFS. I was the Development Clerk when the money was raised for the Faulkner Library and Student Street, and some of the people that made that happen were truly remarkable.”
“It’s a really strong group of people who are passionate about the School, know the School and its culture and know how much work goes into being on School Committee.” 19
Claudia Lewis
Deborra Sines Pancoe
Rod Sandmeyer
Years on SC: 3 Life outside of SC: Claudia works as an international education consultant. She consults to non-profits in 25 countries, helping them to launch and develop their programs. Connection to AFS and/or Meeting: “I’m a member of Abington Monthly Meeting, and serve on a couple of AMM committees. I’m also the mom of an AFS 5th grader.” Reasons for serving: “I have a deep commitment to education and children in general. AFS has always been such a remarkable community to me—a true example of what is possible when amazing people strive to do their very best for children. I love being a part of the ongoing evolution of this lovely place, and I feel so honored to be able to contribute in whatever way I can.” Areas of focus: Quakerism, Outdoor Education, Tuition Assistance Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Knowing that I am part of a team of folks who are deeply committed to the health and strength of the School and that elements of our work will, hopefully, support and reinforce the incredible work of Rich Nourie, the teachers and the administrative team.”
Years on SC: 1st year Life outside of SC: Deborra is associate director for the Friends Council on Education, where she works to nurture the Quaker identity of Friends schools through consultations, workshops and peer network meetings. Deborra is also an educator with more than 25 years experience in independent schools, and she holds an elected position on the Borough Council of Jenkintown. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “I am a member of Abington Friends Meeting. I worked at AFS from 2004 to 2011 in a variety of roles: Upper School assistant director, interim director of Lower School, Quakerism teacher and director of Quaker life.” Reasons for serving: “The AFS community embodies the principles of Friends education to which I have a strong commitment: respect and honoring the Light in each person, an emphasis on service to society, a focus on intellectual and spiritual inquiry in a rigorous and experiential academic program, and a commitment to being a diverse community that reflects the wider society. My service on School Committee is to continue to support the School in these efforts.” Areas of focus: Quakerism (clerk), Real Estate Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “I expect that I will find the work fulfilling because I will be helping the School move forward with its strategic plans for growth and sustainability.”
Years on SC: 3 Life outside SC: Rod is executive vice president of Sandmeyer Steel Company in Northeast Philadelphia. He also serves on the boards of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and CUE, an Organization for Positive Employee Relations. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “When my daughter Lindsay graduated from The Montessori School, she looked at a number of schools and found the best fit and best transition from Montessori at AFS. When Diana visited a few years later as a sixth grader, she felt the same connection. Over nine years they (and we) participated in soccer, track, theater and so many other activities. One theme that was consistent over nine years with both girls is the closeness and strength of relationships with many of their teachers.” Reasons for serving: “I have seen, through friends and family, both public schools and other private schools and we continue to believe in the AFS experience. I am very impressed with the commitment and dedication of both the teachers and the administration. It’s very exciting to be a small part of it, and we especially want to give back to the teachers that were so influential to our daughters.” Areas of focus: Finance Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Giving back to the School, especially the teachers, and knowing we are doing our small part to provide the type of education to others that our daughters received.”
Craig SanPietro
Years on SC: 1st year Life outside of SC: Craig is a 90% retired computer engineer and business founder/owner. Craig is restoring to operation two 19thcentury gristmills on the Wissahickon Creek, one in Upper Gwynedd and one at the Morris Arboretum. Craig also serves on Caltech's Mechanical Engineering advisory board. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “My daughter Lara entered AFS as a 7th grader in 2000, graduated in 2006 and graduated from Earlham College in 2010. She is now working for the State Department and in an International Peace & Conflict Resolution masters program at American University. I've been an Abington Friends Meeting Member for 10 years, with 7 years as Worship & Ministry co-clerk, 2 years as Finance co-clerk, and I also serve as assistant treasurer/executive committee member of the National Friends General Conference.” Reasons for serving: “I strongly believe in the importance of education in general, AFS in particular and the benefit to non-Quakers of exposure to Quaker principles and their search for meaningful and fulfilling lives. I hope that my business and financial experience and five years as the Miquon School Board VP and treasurer can benefit AFS.” Areas of focus: Finance, Quakerism
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GUIDING HANDS
Mitchell Sargen Years on SC: 11 Life outside of SC: Mitch is an attorney who works for AIG. He also teaches criminal law, business law, ethics and business courses at Penn State Abington and in the LaSalle MBA program. Mitch is active in the World Affairs Council. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “Our sons Joshua and Michael graduated from AFS in 2001 and 2004. They both had great experiences there. This is my way of giving back to the School. I am also a member of the Meeting.” Reasons for serving: “Giving back is a major part of it. I think it’s a great community and I really want to assist them. Education is very important to me. I have a passion for education and a particular interest in AFS.” Areas of focus: Secretary, Development, Membership, Diversity Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “I would say probably twofold. One is the diversity that we’ve accomplished within our community in terms of the student body. We’re still working on it among faculty and staff, but we’ve come a long way. Second, we’ve more than doubled what we’ve raised for the annual fund.”
Kathy Singer
Michael Sperger
Years on School Committee: 3 Life outside of SC: As Abington Quarter coordinator, Kathy visits and worships with the 11 monthly meetings and worship groups in Abington Quarter. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “Our family is convinced Quakers since 1996 and have been very active in Abington Meeting since that time. We are musical and play music at different meeting events, functions, etc. I am a pianist, lead singing, and sometimes coordinate a small choral group at the Meeting. My connection to AFS is through the Meeting, and also through my 21 years experience as a Friends educator.” Reasons for serving: “I have been involved with Quaker education since 1987. I believe Friends education is both an outreach for the Religious Society of Friends and a way to develop spirit based leaders for the world. I am excited about the relationship between the Meeting and the School, and also by the initiatives the school is embarking on, such as the outdoor classroom, the move of the pre-school to become part of the Lower School, and the team approach to Middle School.” Areas of focus: Quakerism Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “Experiencing Quaker education as a part of the group that does long term thinking for the School’s overall development. This enriches my understanding of Friends education beyond that of a teacher and a parent. It also gives me the awesome task of ‘touching tomorrow.’”
Years on SC: 3 Life outside of SC: Michael works for SAP, which is based in Newtown Square. Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “I am a current AFS parent. Nick is in 10th grade, Maria is in 7th grade and Anna is in 4th grade. That means one kid in each division, so we get to be a part of just about everything in the life of the School.” Reasons for serving: “I love AFS. I have been deeply impressed with the way this school has figured out each of my kids—and they are three very different people. I am in awe of the fact that AFS has been here for more than 300 years. The School has done so much for our family that I felt we needed to give AFS our best in turn. So while Chelsea has been the ‘public face’ of the Sperger family with Home and School all these years, when I was asked to serve on School Committee I happily accepted.” Areas of focus: Development (clerk), Membership, Tuition Assistance Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “I have a whole new perspective on AFS and especially its faculty and administrative leaders. When you start coming to campus a lot of evenings, you start noticing how many teachers and staff are here too. I get to spend time with folks like Deb Stauffer, Jon Harris and Marnie Christian. Most families won't see them very often; I get to see them all the time, doing what they do best—serving this school with passionate devotion. Every time I set foot on this campus, I get excited again about what we're all creating here as a community.”
Ann Thompson Years on SC: 1st year Life outside of SC: “My background is in education, I have worked as a middle school teacher and later as a school psychologist in both the public and private sectors. Currently I referee basketball, read, exercise and travel between here and our home in Louisville, KY.” Connection to AFS and/or the Meeting: “After moving to Philadelphia from Atlanta in 1993, my two sons enrolled in AFS as Pre-K and Kindergarteners. Our family made an instant connection to the values, pace and learning environment. John, Michael and Casey combined for 18 years of daily contact for me.” Reasons for serving: “I was reluctant at first. My background coupled with my love affair with the faculty and values of AFS was impetus enough to say yes.” Areas of focus: Membership, Development Most rewarding aspect of work on SC: “My most rewarding work with School Committee is yet to come. But in the meantime I'm enjoying my mentor Carol Frieder and the other SC members. They are a talented, dedicated group of people to be associated with. I am excited to be part of AFS again.”
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Abington Friends School
annual report of gifts
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Annual Fund
Highlights In 2011-2012 we raised $420,182 870 donors from every constituency participated Annual Fund gifts ranged from $1 to $30,000
Dear Friends, In reflecting on the 2011-2012 school year from a development perspective, I can take a great deal of pride in our community’s philanthropic nature. Not only did we have a significant number of people who supported AFS in a generous way but we also had donors who, through their leadership gifts, helped us realize our plans for the campus.
$483 was the average gift per donor 78 of our donors gave gifts equal to or greater than $1,000 100% of our School Committee members contributed to the Annual Fund 98% of our faculty contributed to the Annual Fund 68% of our parents contributed to the Annual Fund
For those of you who remember our visionary document, “Leading By Design, Education for a Changing World”, you will recall our intention for the development of the outdoor campus as a resource for learning and sustainability initiatives. You might also remember that we wanted very much to enhance our Upper School curriculum with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) offerings. Finally, we were also very keen on the completion of a learning center that was originally planned for in the Vision in Action campaign. The good news is that all this was accomplished. In fact, if you were able to visit our campus today, you would see how our students have been the beneficiaries of the convergence of philanthropy and strategic planning.
14% of our alumni contributed to the Annual Fund
Our deepest thanks to our 870 donors for being such an important part of the 2011-2012 school year.
Total Contributions to AFS for the 2011-2012 Fiscal Year:
$1,445,145
We are always eager to talk to you about the School and how you can help us achieve our goals. Over the last several years we have had lively receptions in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington DC and it has been wonderful to get acquainted with alums and friends who still hold fond memories of AFS. I remember especially a time last February when I was in Florida and met with Lucille Prock Dean ’33. She is 98 years old and regaled me with story after story about her time at AFS when it was an all-girls school. We also initiated an Alumni Lecture Series through which we invite alums to come back to campus and talk about how their career paths were shaped by their experiences at AFS. Our students particularly enjoy that part of our program so please call me if you would like to share your post-AFS story with students. In looking ahead, we are seeking ways to strengthen our culture of philanthropy. Our School Committee led the way at the beginning of this year’s AFS Annual Fund campaign by achieving 100% participation and also substantially funding the Annual Fund matching challenge program. Their challenge to our community, along with some other generous donors, is to match any increased gift compared to last year’s gift. So, if you gave $250 last year and you give $300 this year, your additional $50 counts toward the challenge. If you did not give last year, your entire gift to the Annual Fund counts toward the challenge. So, please consider this as you support AFS this year. Your increased gift is both a win for the School but also an incentive for others to help us secure the challenge pledges and meet our goal of $450,000. Each Annual Fund dollar supports every student every day and is a vital component to each successful school year.
Please visit As always, thank you very much for your support and I look forward to seeing you on campus.
http://www.abingtonfriends.net/ Giving/11-12AnnualReportofGifts to view donor honor rolls. We are grateful for everyone who supports AFS financially and in many other ways.
Jon M. Harris Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement
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a hub for
learning AFS Strategic Vision
With the opening of the new Jane Frieder Wilf and Mark Wilf Learning Resource
AFS is further enriching the learning lives of all our students.
Center,
A
fter a busy summer of construction, we welcomed the debut of the Jane Frieder Wilf and Mark Wilf Learning Resource Center in a large, light-filled space adjacent to our beautiful Faulkner Library. This project grew directly from our strategic planning process and we are thrilled to see it come to fruition.
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The gift that made the center a reality came from AFS alumna Jane Frieder Wilf ’84 and her husband, Mark Wilf, who live in Livingston, New Jersey. The Wilfs have been generous philanthropists to several organizations including Princeton University and Newark Academy. The centerpiece of the Center is the stunning Campbell Family Learning Resource Classroom, a sunlit space opening into the Faulkner Library that will serve as an academic hub of services for students in grades 9-12. Our longtime educational consultant Randy Schwartz has been named the Campbell Chair of Learning Resources and the director of the Center. Ninth grade students are now in the midst of a curriculum introducing them to Upper School study and research skills, teacher and peer tutoring support modeled on the services that have become expected on college campuses. The space is designed to provide resources to enrich student learning for all Upper School students, helping them to develop skills of active engagement, discernment, collaboration, initiative, leadership and continual learning.
We sat down with Randy recently, as she reflected on the busy opening weeks in the Wilf Center and the future of this exciting new resource for our students.
How have the first few weeks at the Wilf Center been going? I have been really thrilled. It’s just a lovely space. Kids love to work here, and you’ll see students here before and after school sitting using the computers. They love the space and they’re very respectful. It’s not a silent workspace but it’s relatively quiet. And teachers are choosing to spend some of their prep times here, so the kids see teachers working and looking happy and comfortable, and they also see that it’s a place they might find their teacher. It’s a place where a lot of things related to learning are going on.
The architect did an incredible job. One of the reasons I love it so much is that it’s clearly a part of the library, which has always been a center of learning. The flow to the library back and forth, physically and conceptually, makes perfect sense. It works well because it’s so light and inviting and it’s a very flexible space that can be set up like a classroom, a seminar room or for small group work.
Randy Schwartz, Campbell Chair of Learning Resources and the director of the Center
“It was designed with the idea that high school is very different from middle school. More sophisticated skills are needed.” What was the key idea behind the planning of the Wilf Center? It was designed with the idea that high school is very different from middle school. More sophisticated skills are needed, the reading load is much higher, denser and more expansive than in middle school, the kids are expected to juggle more things on their own than they were in middle school and they need help in planning time and prioritizing. They need a wider range of study techniques to really learn well. Because they’re teenagers they need lots of experience with all these skills before they’re going to be able to take them with them to college. It’s about getting them to think about their approach to schoolwork and helping them be aware of how they deal with challenges. In our first workshops, we’ve had students in here discussing which classes are most challenging and why. We’re trying
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to set the scene to figure out which strategy will work best for them. It’s more about the process of learning than the subject matter.
Do other independent schools have similar centers? Many other independent schools have pieces of a learning center. They have writing centers or math centers. Some are seen more as academic coaching centers. Our scope goes beyond that. We’re not primarily a tutoring center. It’s more about approaches to studying.
Tell me a little about the planning process. Plans began in earnest in December 2011 when we knew for a fact that the building was going to happen. We pulled together a really broad group of people representing every department in the Upper School, as well as our directors of technology, libraries, ECCO and diversity and our dean of students. We hit every aspect of student life to figure out how to make this the place we hoped it could be. We included a focus group with students, and we talked to department chairs and teachers who taught 9th grade. We decided the best place to start was with a specifically 9th grade program. Every year we’ll expand to another gradespecific program. How the Middle School might use the space is also on the agenda. When the space opened this fall we invited students to come through and take a survey about what workshops they would be interested in having. It gave us an idea of what the kids would like and gave them a chance to see and use the space before any big formal workshops.
As well as the 9th Grade Program, what other workshops do you have planned? Two big areas that students told us they needed help with were time planning and studying. For the time planning workshops we’re going to get kids to make a visual of how they spend their time and evaluate what they do and don’t have time for. For help with studying we’re going to offer them two kinds of study methods, one using note cards in different ways to learn more deeply
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A HUB FOR LEARNING
and another using graphic organizers to deepen their learning and to have them explore ideas rather than just memorize random lists. What we know from research is that teenagers typically get confused between being familiar with something and knowing it well enough to show it on a test or assignment. They think they know it but are actually just familiar with it. These methods will make it impossible for them to learn at a surface level. By setting them up to make more associations/connections, we’re helping them organize the information they have to learn and making it easier for them to study and show what they know. We’re also on the verge of starting a peertutoring program. The conference room has duplicate textbooks, pens pencils, study guides, teacher handouts and syllabi, so there are lots of resources for students and peer tutors. On the Wilf Center website we have a place where you can sign up to be a tutor, a place where a teacher can
recommend you to be a tutor and a place where people looking for tutoring can go. Peer tutoring has been successful in the past but we’re bringing it more to the forefront this year, with a dedicated space, forms that are easier to use and all the materials available.
How does this new role fit into the arc of your career in education? Throughout my career I’ve been really excited about learning. I started out teaching in 1st grade and I realized that it was a bit of mystery to me why some kids learned to read easily and some didn’t. So I went back to school to become a reading specialist. After that I kept branching out further and further into all different areas of learning. One of the ways researchers and educators have developed their skills has been from kids who didn’t learn. Great teaching approaches have come from what happens when there are deficits or weak areas.
A Gift in Time We were able to expand our vision for the Wilf Center through the generosity of Gwen and Dave Campbell, who made a significant financial contribution toward the building of the space. The center’s beautiful, light filled classroom is named in honor of the Campbells, and Randy Schwartz, the director of the Center holds the title of Campbell Chair of Learning Resources. As parents of three children who attended AFS, the Campbells have a long and deep relationship with the School. Gwen brought her leadership skills to Home and School for many years and Dave has been a valued member of School Committee for the last 11 years. Their oldest daughter Dana, a lifer, graduated from the School in 2011. I ended up getting interested in what prevented people from learning. The more I learned about that the more I realized that any ability or disability is always on a continuum. There’s a wide range of normal learning. If you look at extremes it’s just an exaggerated case of what you see in normal learning. This informs how we teach because we can recognize a subtler version. It helps us step into someone’s learning process and give them good direction.
“Kids love to work here, and you’ll see students here before and after school sitting using the computers. They love the space and they’re very respectful.” Because that was so interesting to me it led me to connect to a lot of teachers here over the years and we learned together about the kids. Through conversations about how kids learned we made our practices better over time. I feel this role allows me to work with them in a bigger, broader way. I’ve spent so many years collaborating with them on the what and the how of what they teach. The existence of this learning center and the position I’m in helps the School provide a deeper learning environment for all the kids. Everything that happens in this center is supporting their teaching as well as the kids’ learning. My new role is a lovely expansion of my previous role as consultant.
We asked the Campbells what has inspired their continued involvement with the School and their generosity to the Learning Center.
Dave: We obviously believe in the mission of the School. In terms of staying involved, over the years there have been different Heads of School that I’ve had a lot of respect for and I find I get inspired by working closely with really smart, committed people. Our interest in this kind of a resource goes back before there was even talk of a learning resource center. Our kids needed different kinds of support each in their own way. There was a strong commitment at AFS, a strong caring culture, but they didn’t have the infrastructure. When Rich came to us and said they had decided to expand the plan for the learning center, his vision dovetailed closely with what we think is important. Every child has different needs and the number one thing is to recognize that and put the resources there to assist the children to reach their full potential. Gwen: Every kid develops differently and in some cases they might have a weakness that makes it more difficult to address. Dave: I think a lot of it is just learning style and how you tap into it. Certainly with our daughter McKenna she has become very self aware about what she needs to do to be successful academically. She can articulate what her challenges are and what she needs to do. Gwen: One thing that’s important to us is that this gift is from the whole family. Anything like this we talk about as a family. Our daughter Dana said she would feel very good about us doing this. Jake is still a little young, he’s in 4th grade, but McKenna said, ‘Wow, That’s really cool!’ All of our charitable efforts are a family decision and everybody needs to be on board with what we’re doing.
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alumni reunions Left: Susan White and Bobby Topkis. Right: Roger McMenamin and Bobby Topkis.
left to right: David Anwar, Todd Arno, Sarah Caldwell Caratini, Darren Check, Heather Cammarota Clark, Brad Coren, Heath Epstein, Molly McDonald Foley, Kia Johnstone, Kristine Byrne Long, Chaunda Ball Martin, Jason Neifield, Chay Rao, Trent Scott, Jodi Schwartz-Levy, Amy Fraulo Stern, Michell Yorkman (Chad Shusman is not in the photo but was in attendance.)
Class of 1987, 25th Reunion
Class of 1992, 20th Reunion
A large gathering showed up at The Kitchen Bar for our 25th high school reunion back in May. It was a great time for all that attended to reconnect and relive our glory days! Â It was as though time stood still. Looking forward to our next AFS reunion and hoping for an even greater turnout.
Members of the Class of 1992 gathered together at the Kitchen Bar in Abington on Saturday May 5, 2012. In many ways it was as if no time had passed at all, with the exception that we all could look back and realize how much our lives had continued to grow and be enriched by our AFS experience. So much of our experience was due to the friendships and connections made while we were there together and the terrific faculty and staff who supported us by educating and guiding our minds. It was wonderful to see so many classmates and one of our all-time favorite teachers, Kris Long.
In attendance were: John Anderson, Nicole Brooks, Gary Carter, Kim Gray Doughty, Deidre Pasternack Epstein, Elissa Cooper Goldberg, Missy Bleznak Javage, Mark Mailman, Roger McMenamin, Susan White Phillips, Stacey Kirsch Pinilis, Stephanie Schermer Richman, Lauren Summers Rosen, Deborah Rubin, Chris Scott, Samantha Brener Sklar, Adam Steel, Bobby Topkis, Gary Waldman, Lori Zatz.
Thank you to all of you who made the reunion a success and another AFS memory for all of us! We look forward to seeing you at the next reunion!
Bobby Topkis Molly McDonald Foley and Michell Yorkman
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upcoming
alumni events Homecoming 2012: November 21, 2012 NYC Area Alumni Event: December 6, 2012 12th Annual Alumni Basketball Game: January 12, 2013 Philadelphia Area Alumni Event: Winter/Spring 2013 Reunion Weekend and Roo Fest: May 10-12, 2013 Questions? Please contact Jordan Bastien, Director of Alumni Affairs at jbastien@abingtonfriends.net or 215-576-3966. Please see the AFS Website, www.abingtonfriends.net, or the AFS Facebook Group “Alumni of Abington Friends School� for additional event details.
classnotes Sigrid Gilbert with Gaby Tubach
1946
1957
Doris Semisch Shearer writes “I moved to Masonic Village four years ago and am enjoying every minute I’ve been here. I’ve acquired new friendships and enjoy the many activites available.”
Liz Cobourn Cole writes, “The Class of ’57 had its 55th reunion this past February. Susan Salesky Rudin, who sponsors a speaker series for the students each year, brought the President of the Central Park Conservancy to speak about the challenges of maintaining a natural place in our biggest city. A few of us stayed at Joan High Putney’s apartment at nearby Rydal Park. Those who were with us included Joan, Sue, Gwen Gehring, Sally Walker and her partner George Winship, Dr. Diana Post and husband Cliff Hall, Dr. Carolyn Parry Decker and me. We are fortunate to have so many classmates of our 21 graduates eager to reunite as a group.”
1949 Dagmar Strandberg Hamilton still has many ties to the Philadelphia area – extended family and former AFS classmates, who she is able to see when in town. She continues to divide her time between Austin, Texas, (where she is a professor emeritus at the University of Texas) and Maine, where she has a summer house on an island in Casco bay.
1954 A memorial service was held for Jane Cobourn Riley on April 28, 2012 at Abington Friends Meeting, where she remained a member all her life and is now buried in the cemetery next to her parents. Her husband of 56 years, Clark Riley, a Penn Charter graduate, lives at Lake Keowee in western South Carolina, where they had been retired since 1993. Jane would have been touched, as was her sister, Liz Cobourn Cole ’57, that five of her AFS classmates came to her service. They included Charlotte Whalen Steumpfig, Barbara Bower Kropp, Patricia Lapp Radey, Diane Shaffer Castor and Ellen Mahle Crompton.
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OAK LEAVES FALL
2012
Sigrid Gilbert writes, “cruising the Rhine River, one of the highlights was visiting 12th grade exchange student, Gaby Tubach, in her incredibly beautiful home town of Strasbourg, France. She looks great, is as charming as ever, and enjoys studying Art History. After helping me shop for gifts, Gaby joined me and my husband John for lunch on our ship, followed by a sightseeing cruise through Strasbourg. Saying goodbye was not easy.” Liz Cole seconds Sigrid’s strong ties with Gaby, writing, “Gaby has faithfully returned to our reunions over the years, and my husband, Dick, and I visited with her in Strasbourg and in Paris during two cruises we previously took through Germany and France. Gwen has also connected with her in Europe. Gaby is our friend and class member as much as those of us who spent all our grade school years at Abington Friends.”
John Russell with Gaby Tubach
1958 Suellen Fisher Newman is the founder and director of The Hudson School in Hoboken, NJ. She writes that the school will celebrate its 35th year this fall. Five of her grandchildren have attended the school, which is much like AFS in spirit and mission. Visit in person or at www.thehudsonschool.org
1960 Sara Knobelauch Dean writes, “I published a children’s book titled Ricky’s Garden Adventure this year. It’s listed on Amazon.”
63 50th Reunion If you would like to be part of planning the Class of 1963’s 50th Reunion please contact Jordan Bastien, Director of Alumni Relations, alumni@abingtonfriends.net or 215.576.3966.
1969 Laura E. Conkey writes, “I am in the first of a three-year gradual retirement plan from teaching physical geography at Dartmouth College. Hoping to sell my house in rural Hanover, I am now residing at the condo that my mother (Alice Conkey, former faculty member and administrator at AFS) lived in here in town before she passed away last January. We had a wonderfully moving memorial service at the AFS Meetinghouse in June, and we were especially happy to see former classmates there with us – from the Class of 1969: Sylvia Raab Dworkin and Jennifer French, along with Nan Harbison’s mother Ruth. Other alumni included classmates of my sisters Fran Conkey Trafton, Class of 1966, and Mary Conkey Mankins, Class of 1972.
flying international routes out of NYC. I am also deeply involved with the ICAO (International Civial Aviation Organization) and IATA (International Air Transport Association) groups for the North Atlantic and European regions. This year I was honored by being elected chairman of the IATA Europe delegation.”
Anne Tall Phinney writes, “Currently I am trying to publish a book that I have written about all of the wonderful animals that have come in and out of my life. To promote the book while waiting for publication, I have produced a blog where I share excerpts from the book. I hope that you will stop by and have a look! Thanks. Finding My Way to Moose River Farm: Never Never Land www.mooseriverfarm.com
where one of my first customers was classmate Susan Greene with her father. Photos and more infomation are on Sandy’s Cutie Pies’ Facebook page. In other news, my husband Bob is in his ninth year of teaching second grade at the Meadowbrook School in Abington, and daughter Anna is in 9th grade at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, where she is active in theater.”
1985 Mark Green pictured with daughters Hannah and Elizabeth, partner Barbara, stepchildren Aly and Tyler and dogs Aiden and Molly.
1980 Susan M. Greene writes, “I’m now an official nerd: I just got my masters in Library and Information Science from Simmons in Boston.”
1975 Marci Abramowitz Goldshlack is doing well with her new position as Training Manager for 3rd Fed Bank and continuing her consulting business on the side. In her spare time, she does standup comedy! Marci writes, “I can’t believe my twin boys started High School this year. Here they are at 14 years old...and yes they ARE twins!”
1986
Sandy Lieberman with her daughter Anna at their first CreekSide Farmers’ Market stand in August 2012.
1979 Len Gold writes, “My wife Rhonda and I are celebrating two great events this year: our 25th anniversary and our oldest daughter’s wedding. I am an airline pilot
Sandra Marcus Lieberman writes, “I recently started a small business called Sandy’s Cutie Pies, combining my passion for baking and my love for all things pie. I specialize in home baked individual pies made with fresh and natural ingredients, and enjoy experimenting with new recipes and pastry techniques. I began by taking orders for parties or gifts, and have expanded to supplying a small cafe, and selling at the CreekSide Farmers’ Market in Elkins Park,
Jenny Bornholdt Hammond writes, “I’ve started my third year here at Deerfield Academy in Alumni Relations. Since I get to travel for my work, I try to see AFS folks when I’m on the road in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York City and Boston. Let me know if you’d like to catch up (jennyhammond86@gmail.com)! Also, since moving to Western Mass., I’ve had opportunities to volunteer and speak at Smith College and joined the Deerfield Choral Society. Additionally, I happily discovered the Adoption Mentoring Partnership: a collaboration between the Rudd Adoption Research Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.The Adoption Mentoring Partnership matches adopted children with a same-race, same-gender, undergraduate student, who is also adopted – a topic that is a personal passion of mine. I’ll keep you posted as this volunteer opportunity develops!”
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93 20th Reunion If you would like to be part of planning the Class of 1993’s 20th Reunion please contact Jordan Bastien, Director of Alumni Relations, alumni@abingtonfriends.net or 215.576.3966.
1994 Katie Medori Barthelet writes, “My husband Bruno, son Luca (now 4 1/2) and I, welcomed our son and brother Gabriel into the world on May 5, 2011.”
1997 Mike Haberman writes, “I’m happy to share with you the newest addition to the Haberman Family. Justin Spero Haberman was born on Friday, August 31, at a fighting weight of 7lbs 4oz. Both Michele and baby Justin are home and doing well. Dad is thrilled. We were able to honor Michele’s Uncle with Justin’s middle name.” Brian Shaper writes, “I completed my MBA with a focus in Accounting this August from LaSalle University. I am still working at Merrill Lynch and am in the process of looking for a new job in compliance within the company. My girlfriend and I recently rescued a greyhound named Spanky, and have been having a lot of fun taking him on lots of adventures with us. I still live in the city by the art museum and have no intentions of moving as I love the city life.”
Ceremony, meditation with a Buddhist monk, and a Jewish ceremony. Jenna and Jeremy reside in New York City where he is a partner at 212 Media, and she is president of Press Play Productions and is about to launch a second company, I Will Save the World.
Laura Zingle writes, “I’ve been living in San Diego the last two years, pursuing an MFA in Stage Management from UC San Diego (one of the top two programs in the country). I recently joined Actors’ Equity Association (the professional union for actors and stage managers), and worked on the world premiere musical Hands on a Hardbody at La Jolla Playhouse, which is headed to Broadway in the spring. I still keep in touch with several friends from AFS, and miss being close enough to visit!”
2000 Dan Dratch is currently a history teacher at Church Farm School in Exton, PA. He and his wife Kristyna are the proud parents of one year old Joshua.
2001 Becca Ball and her husband, Jack Blacketer, are living and working in NYC as well as touring with the Philip Glass opera, "Einstein on the Beach".
2002 Jordan Campbell is living in Manhattan and teaching Technical Theatre at Brooklyn Friends School.
03 10th Reunion If you would like to be part of planning the Class of 2003’s 10th Reunion please contact Jordan Bastien, Director of Alumni Relations, alumni@abingtonfriends.net or 215.576.3966.
1999 Jenna Arnold wed Jeremy Goldberg of Dallas, Texas, this past August at the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine. The 3-day event embraced a range of traditions, in true AFS spirit, ranging from Color Games, a Talent Show, an Indian Baraat, a Red Tent
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Ben Conrad has graduated from the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Philadelphia University. He received a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Temple University in 2008. Leslie Groverman writes, “I just moved back to the area from Boston. I am working at Barberella salon in Ambler, PA, as a hairstylist!”
2004 Jeff Attix writes, “I graduated from University of Baltimore School of Law in 2011, and have been living and working in Baltimore.”
2005 Matthew Ball is living in Providence, RI, and is working as a software engineer in Boston. Andrew Baranak graduated with a Masters of Industrial Design from Georgia Tech in the spring and is now living and working full time in Atlanta, GA, as a Research Scientist and Industrial Designer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. David Staples has returned to Philadelphia and is working in Airport Operations at Philadelphia International Airport.
2006 Emily Deutsch writes, “I finished grad school in May with a masters degree in education, specializing in reading. I’m now living in New Hampshire teaching at a preschool and loving it! If anyone’s in the area, let me know! I hope everyone is doing well!” Rachel Gitlevich writes, “I’m currently an animator on Adult Swim’s show ‘SuperJail!’. We’re wrapping up the third season scheduled to air at the end of September!”
2007 As of June 2012, Jane Esslinger has completed her first year of a two-year program teaching Spanish at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard parish, suburban New Orleans, for Teach for America.
Becca Foxman writes, “I recently graduated from the Cornell Hotel School. Currently I am working with Valley Shepherd Creamery to open an on-premise creamery and grilled cheese shop at the Reading Terminal Market some time in November. I will be operating manager and chef at the location. Before Cornell, I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with a degree in culinary arts. I left a job at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as a manager in order to work with Valley Shepherd.”
Jeffrey Kahn ’06 and Liz Myrtetus ’07 wedding From left to right: Steph Schorsch, Sam Feingold ’09, Maryrose Myrtetus ’05, Don Kaplan, Hannah Schorsch ’13, Matt Rosario ’06, Jacob McEntire ’10, Matt Lennon ’05, Caleb McEntire ’06, Hannah Kaplan ’16, Ben Kaplan ’19, Dan Siegel ’06, Liz Myrtetus ’07, Matt Nunn ’05, Jeffrey Kahn ’06, Niall Hood, Mary Lynn Ellis, Jackie Kahn ’08, Melissa Ward Schorsch ’03, Janet Frazer, Adam Schorsch ’03 ,Sloane Schorsch ’05, Nick Schorsch ’04 (Not shown: Jenny Burkholder, Harper Flak ’26, Rainey Flak, Lily Feingold ’12, Ariella Singer ’05, and John McCabe)
08 5th Reunion If you would like to be part of planning the Class of 2008’s 5th Reunion please contact Jordan Bastien, Director of Alumni Relations, alumni@abingtonfriends.net or 215.576.3966. Emme Solomon shared that she is writing a YouTube blog with recently retired AFS Art Teacher Barb Handler. Search Vlogsperiment on YouTube. Andrea Highbloom’s mom, Fran Highbloom, reports that Andrea “graduated from Penn last month...Phi Beta Kappa! It was very exciting! She accepted a position with Teach for America in Philadelphia. She will be teaching middle school or high school remedial math. Yes, we are very proud of her!” Jackie Kahn writes, "I am graduating from Simmons College this spring with a major in Arts Administration and Marketing. My fiance and I will be moving to Cincinnati, OH, and we will begin planning our
wedding! I am looking forward to taking some time off after graduation to relax, travel and then begin the job search, looking for a Development position at a museum or non-profit come August/September. Hope all is well at AFS and with alumni. I can’t believe it’s almost our FIVE year reunion class of ’08!"
Morgan Pfost writes, “Hello from the Big Easy! I graduated from Tulane this past May and am now working with Tulane Athletics to drum up support for our athletics programs. The city of New Orleans continues to shine and develop every day. Hurricane Isaac was a nuisance but everything is basically back to normal. I dearly miss AFS and hope all is well there. A shout-out to the class of 2008 as well.”
Rachel Sigman writes, “I have just completed my Bachelors of Music at Mannes the New School for Music this past May. At graduation I received the Lotte Pulvermacher-Egers Humanities Award. I was one of five students accepted into Rice University’s illustrious Opera Program at Shepherd School of Music. This fall I’m debuting in my first opera as Celia in John Musto’s ‘Volpone’. Yep, it’s been a good year.” Liz Soltan has been awarded a Fulbright to teach English in Malaysia after graduating from Cornell in spring ’12.
2009 Mariah Butler writes, “The last year of my life has been an awesome adventure! Last Valentine’s Day I embarked on a 3-month trip to Nepal. For 2 of those months I lived at the Himalayan Children’s Care Home in the city of Pokhara with 51 beautiful children. Some were orphans, some came from very poor families, and all were well behaved and so kind hearted. The children and staff are all from a small village called Upper Mustang, which is on the border between Nepal and Tibet, and are all Tibetan Buddhists. My duties mostly included childcare, helping with homework, and teaching the kids English. I absolutely adored it. Living there changed my life and opened my eyes to experiences I never imagined having. The last month of my travels was spent trekking in the Himalayas, rafting, exploring the capital of Kathmandu with new found friends and sitting in 10 days of silence, isolation and meditation on a Vipassana Meditation
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retreat in the mountains. This trip totally exploded my reality bubble. In 10 days, I am flying back to Asia. This time, I have accepted a 10 month contract in Beijing to teach 2, 3 and 4 year olds English. This experience is going to be totally different from Nepal, but as much of an eye opening adventure. After China, I plan to travel a bit more, then return to Philadelphia and finish the last two years of my degree in Education (with a minor in Art). Then who knows where the world will take me next!”
Andrew Miano writes, “I am in my senior year at Connecticut College. This summer I had the opportunity to spend the summer in the Arctic doing research at the Toolik Lake Research Station. I attached a cool photo of me while I was up there. Hope everything is going well at AFS!”
Ben Staples is a rising senior at Babson College in Babson, MA. He is on the Dean’s List.
2010 Sam Williams is loving life in NYC and pursuing a double degree in pre-med at Barnard and modern jewish thought from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
2011 Brittany “Recci” Botts writes that she has “launched the first chapter of Peace and Love at Spellman College, including the other two HBCUs in the college consortium, Clark and Moorehouse. It is entitled Peace and Love Atlanta University Center.” She plans to expland the movement to other colleges in the near future.
Send us your baby announcements and your offspring can have a Baby Roo T-shirt, too! Left: Upper School Director Martha Holland’s two nephews, Evan (left) and Tom (right), rockin’ the Baby Roo look.
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CLASSNOTES
2012 graduate notes Every spring, members of the graduation class come to the Alumni Office to enter their first class note and anticipate their life after AFS. Welcome, first-year alumni! Sarah Adler: “Interpersonal connections are just as integral to life as our other accomplishments. This is a lesson I’ve learned both from AFS and from you, my classmates. When I arrived in high school I was determined not to let outside validation control my life. I did not want to worry about norms and the opinions of others in considering what I did and I strove to validate my own actions through self-acceptance. While I feel I have done this, I think I have learned to appreciate the concept a little more deeply. It is not that I was looking for others to approve of me, but rather for a place where that wasn’t nessesary in order to be a part of the group. As a class I think we have succeeded in allowing our individual selves to flourish. We grew into a group tied together not by our sameness, but by our acceptance and interest in each other. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. I hope that we can continue to carry the lessons of self-acceptance and group-acceptance with us as we go on in life.”
Najah Ali: “Hope I was as memorable to all of you as you are to me.” Joey Amento: “Hello, it has been a wonderful summer for me and I hope it was the same for everyone else. I greatly enjoyed our time together during upper school, which was seemingly short. I hope everyone has a great time at college so far. This is a very exciting time and I hope everyone succeeds!” Zach Atkins: “See Tim’s note (I helped write it). For those who are interested, Princeton is not far, and on the way to New York. Stop by and visit! If you’re lucky, I’ll take you out to lunch. But don’t count on it.”
Elise Baranak: “I’m so proud of everyone and I’m so happy that I was able to spend my senior year with everyone in this class. Thank you for welcoming me so easily and being so friendly to me even though I was "the new girl" and I joined school at the most random time ever. I made some great friends and met some people that I know I won’t forget. I hope that college is going really well for everyone and I wish the best for all of you. We did it! Yay! :)” Monica Barth: “I miss my Class of 2012 family! Come visit me in California!” Sophie Blum: “I’m gonna miss everyone from my second home, especially the class of 2012!” Sonya Borowsky: “Class of 2012, CONGRATS WE DID IT! I hope everyone is having a great time in college! Senior year was so much fun! Hope to see everyone at Homecoming! =)” Jordan Burrell: “Classmates! What’s up everybody! It’s been a great 11 years and I’m so happy to have spent it with all of you. You were my second family and were there when I needed you most. I wish you all the best of luck in college and I really hope to see all of you back during alumni week, because I know that I’ll be there waiting for all of you. Thank you making me into the person I am today. I’m going to miss all of you!” Emma Calore: “It’s been so great getting to know you all. Best of luck in college and beyond!” Cristian Cepeda: “I hope everyone had an amazing summer and are ready for a new journey in life! I hope to stay in touch with all of you and if you see me playing soccer on TV please don’t hesitate to send me emails. JK LOL Hope everyone the best and like St. Francis De Sales once said, ‘Be who you are and be that well!’ Love you all y Viva Argentinaaaa!” Madddi Durbin: “Being a part of the Class of 2012 is something of which I am very proud. I am grateful to have been a part of the Family of 2012, and I will miss all of you very much. I know that everyone is off to do amazing things, and I can’t wait for the day we are all together again and to hear about everyone’s successes!”
Daniel Feinberg: “Congrats and good luck to everyone! I could not imagine my high school experience without any of you guys, gals or the Prince.” Ben Feldman: “Dear Class, How are you? I am fine. I have little doubt that you are all finding initial success at the various new things that you are doing. For some, it may be rock collecting. For others, consuming tape might be the task of the day. (If that’s you, consider getting in touch with TLC – they have just the television show for you to be featured on.) Whatever it is, I send good tidings and wish you continued luck. In the immortal words of Roy Halladay, ’It’s only gonna get funner.’” Brittany Garrison: “Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well and I can’t believe that we aren’t at AFS anymore! I’m at Rochester now playing lacrosse (got Ryguy and Laura here in Rochester with me at RIT!). I miss you all so much and can’t wait to hear about what you’ve been up to when I see you at Homecoming! ‘Stay classy’!” Medha Ghosh: “Love you all! Thanks for making my four years of high school a blast.” Daniel “Ziggles” Gorziglia: “Hopefully everyone enjoyed their summer and is slowly getting comfortable adjusting to college life. I miss you all and please stay in touch! Visit me in the Burgh when you can.” Jonathan Graulich: “Just like my man Justin Golden I’m going to miss Lisa from development.” Elizabeth Gurin: “I’m so happy that I got to know you all. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more welcoming class. I know you will go on to do great things, and I can’t wait to see you soon and hear about your exciting lives! Good luck and have fun!” Josh Holin: “Dear Class of 2012, we made it. Not you, not me, we. To single out any one person from this class would be a disservice to the class as a whole. If I were separated from you in the future, singled out, it wouldn’t be right. We have always stuck together as a family, and any individual’s accomplishments reflect on the class as a whole. We are the Class of 2012, and we will always have a place together in each other’s hearts for the rest of our lives. I will cherish my time here more than any of you may know. Or perhaps you do
know, because we lived it, together. I am beyond proud to say that I grew with you and got to watch you grow with me. I love all of you, and wherever life takes us we will always find the road back to each other.” Anya Hutter: “Hey 2012, I can’t tell you all how much I’ve loved being with you these past four years. You’ve accepted me into our big family and made me feel valued and welcome. I am so inspired by all of you and the huge talents and potential I’ve seen. I can’t wait to see what the members of this class achieve in the years to come. I’m leaving the country for a year but don’t forget how much I love and think highly of all of you. Don’t hesitate to stay in touch, and see you at Homecoming 2013!” Dan Hyland: “Ever notice that we kept saying that school is going by so fast, and yet we still have hundreds of memories? Timmy Israel: “Yo guys, It’s ya boy TI. I’m sure I’m missing you (the reader) right now, but hey we’ve all moved on to the next chapter of our lives. Mike Henske and I are chillin at Wesleyan and I can’t wait to see everyone at Homecoming. Live life to the max. Never give up. Always follow your dreams. Please Facebook me when you read this. Special shoutout to the captain, Wayne Kurtz!!!! AFS WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION!!!!! AOOOOOOO AOOO AOOOOOOO” Hara Kim: “Like I always wanted to be, I became a musician. My album is incredibly successful. Without AFS’s support, I would not be doing music now. Because of AFS, I found my talents and the things that I love.” Emma Long: “Class of 2012 – I have enjoyed spending my time here at AFS with all of you and I wouldn’t trade the experiences we’ve shared for anything. Although I have known some of you longer than others, I feel some sort of connection to each and every one of you and I know that you will all go on to do great things. I can’t wait to see you all in the future!” Rebecca Luborsky: “315, we did it! Congrats to everyone for making senior year awesome. Hopefully everyone had a great college experience thus far. I can’t wait to see everyone at Homecoming! Speical shout out to John McCabe’s advisory for being a great group of people getting to know through high school.”
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Regine Martin-Benn: “AHHH SENIORS WE MADE IT! I just want to say that I am proud of everyone and I hope that college life is everything and more we dreamed as a class it would be. I hope everyone is doing well and I can’t wait to see how everyone has grown and matured over the past year.!” Anna McPeak: “To the Class of 2012, whom I love very much, Rock On!! You have all made these past 16 years of AFS amazing! I would never trade any of it. Each of you is such an amazing person (I know it’s cliche but it’s true...stay with me) and I am honored that I am alongside you all, graduating this year!! To all of my lifers (Jordan, you can be included), you guys are my family. I have loved watching all of you grow into the amazing people that you are now!! Even through the little bumps in the road (Anna, when you broke your tailbone in the middle of the hallway, and Brittany, when you got a concussion from the trunk of your car during basketball). Shout out to Mr. C, the greatest gym teacher ever!! Shout out to Beavis, and Prius and Shmanna!! Ball so hard! I love you and you mean the world to me!!! I know that all of you are doing great things this coming year, and I fully expect to hear everything about it!! Come visit me often and please stay in touch. Love to you all and KEEP IT CLASSY!! :)” Anna Miano: “I will miss my AFS class of 2012 family!” Marlee Miller: “The processs leading up to graduation has been surreal for me. I hope to carry a piece of all of the people I’ve met at AFS with me out into the world. AFS has shaped me into the person I am today, and I am so thankful for that. Feel free to keep in touch! I would love to hear from you.” Micaela Morton: “Hey guys, I’m still dancing and Julien is still scared!” Leila Naitove: “Well, class of 2012, it’s been one heck of a ride, hasn’t it? I’ve been a part of the AFS community for 13 years, and please believe me when I say that there’s no group of people in the world with whom I would rather have spent them. Although we’ll be living in different places all over the country – all over the world - next year, we will always be a family (as has been attested on our class
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CLASSNOTES
board in Student Street for the entirety of the year). I wish you all the best of luck, and I will miss each and every one of you.”
Whitney Spaulding: “I have loved spending the last six years with all of you! You certainly made this experince unique....”
Alec Peabody: “Good luck my friends! I know you all will do well in college and any other pursuits you have!”
Hannah Stempler: “I can’t wait to hear all of the amazing things everyone has done this past year. Miss you all!”
Saabir Pinkney: “I hope all of you guys had a great summer and are enjoying the college life.”
Victoria Stitt: “We finally made it; we are high school graduates. I’ll see some of you after high school and maybe even after college. But for those that I’ll only briefly speak to during reunions, know that all of you have influenced me and I’ll remember my four years at Abington Friends School with the class of 2012. Much love to all of you.”
Priyanka Robinson: “I’m going to miss everyone so much! I hope to come back and visit often to see everyone. Thanks for everything, and good luck to everyone.” Eddie Rodriguez: “For all my friends and best friends of the Class of 2012 and to all my other best friends in the grades below, despite my short time as an AFS student I ask that you please remember me for the person that I was during my time here. I ask this simply because each and every one of you has changed me in some magical way; for this I thank you all from the very core of my heart and soul. Thank you for everything you’ve given me: for the endless laughs, the unrelenting encouragement, the loving praise for all accomplishments, and most of all for giving me a whole new family to love and cherish for the rest of my life. I will never forget you all and everything you’ve done for me. May God bless you all in every way possible.” Ryan Rosen: “I wish everyone the best of luck in college. Our class gift will change AFS forever. I will remember every one of you, even if some of you guys forget me.” Adrienne Rusinko: “h.a.g.l. (have a gr8 life)” Sam Russell: “Dear class of 2012, I miss you all and hope everyone is doing well! Don’t forget that I’m at Lehigh- only 45 minutes away. Come visit me anytime!” Max Salon: “Goodbye everyone! Hope you all succeed and enjoy college. I also hope you find great jobs and live happy lives.” Lando Saverino-Loeb: “I have had an incredible highschool experiance at AFS. I can’t thank my teachers, friends, and classmates enough for all they have taught me, and done for me during my time at AFS.”
Virginia Stroh: “Thank you for helping me grow. I will take all of my experiences from AFS with me wherever I go.” Mike Vishnevetsky: “I will miss all of you. You’ve given me so many wonderful memories that I will never forget.” Elliot Williams: “I wouldn’t want to go through high school with anyone besides you guys. When I’m old (no longer “Boi” Ell), I will remember you as the best kids I ever knew. I love you all.” Taylor Witter: “Dear Class of 2012, I would like to thank you all for a wonderful four years in high school. We have had our ups and downs and shared laughter and tears, but it was all worth it in the end. I wish you all success in whatever life brings your way and hope to see you at our reunion.”
Class Notes are compiled by the Alumni Office. You can submit a class note by contacting Jordan Bastien in the Alumni Office (215-576-3966 or alumni@abingtonfriends.net). Please submit photos as .jpgs at a resolution of 300 dpi or higher.
in memoriam Charlotte Anderson Charlotte Andersen, 91, a former teacher and interim director at Abington Friends School, as well as a US Navy WWII veteran, passed away on March 30, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is survived by her son, Paul; her daughter, Ruth; and her sister, Nancy C. Daniels. Charlotte worked and taught at AFS from the 1960s until 1981. Bruce Brownell, who taught at AFS during Charlotte’s tenure, remembers that she was always reading studies and looking for the next great thing in education. He particularly remembers a program she developed called Project Score, a reading and writing program that exemplified the school’s ongoing approach to passionate and critical literacy. Former colleague Ray Schorle partnered with Charlotte for many years to teach interdisciplinary curricula. Charlotte was also the inspiration for what would become the AFS theater program. Some students may particularly remember Charlotte’s’ work on the play "Peter Pan,” in which the kids really "flew" through the air. In addition to being an inspiring educator, Charlotte was a gifted writer and artist,
winning awards in both pursuits. Ferne Moffson, who met Charlotte while they were both performing at Stagecrafters in Germantown, recalls Charlotte as someone who had lots of energy. Ferne got her start at AFS substitute teaching for Charlotte, not because Charlotte was ever sick, but because she was always attending an interesting seminar or educational conference. Bruce Brownell recalls, “One of my most memorable moments with Charlotte was having dinner with her and her husband Arne at their house one summer. She had placed fresh-cut flowers in center of table, which, as it turned out, harbored a number of ants who in short order found their way all over. Charlotte refused to kill an ant. She cleared the table, folded up the cloth, and shook it outside so all the ants would be safe. She had a gentle heart, but was very, very strong. When Ed Thode died she had no difficulty stepping right up into the role of interim director and she did it so honorably.” In Charlotte’s last phone conversation with Ray Schorle she mentioned her fondness for the AFS community and all her colleagues and students she taught there. The AFS community holds Charlotte and her family in the light.
Bruce Brownell, who taught at AFS during Charlotte’s tenure, remembers that she was always reading studies and looking for the next great thing in education. Please submit obituary announcements of the greater alumni community to the Alumni Office. Submissions are welcomed with or without a photo (at 300 dpi or greater). Electronic submissions are preferred and may be sent to alumni@abingtonfriends.net.
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Horsham, PA Permit No. 90 575 Washington Lane, Jenkintown, PA 19046
Calendar Highlights Alumni Basketball Game: Martin Luther King Day of Service: Middle and Upper School Concert: AFS Community Talent Show: Middle School Play: Parenting in the 21st Century: All-School Science Night: Upper School Play: Upper School Concert: Arbor Day: Reunion Weekend and Roo Fest: Middle School Concert: Commencement:
January 12 January 21 January 30 February 9 March 7-9 March 16 April 11 April 18-20 May 1 May 3 May 11 May 23 June 12