Oak Leaves by Abington Friends School

oakleaves Spring 2013

Parent/ Participant How our talented parents enrich our community every day Adi贸s Se帽ora Alumni Reunions Class Notes

THE AFS

annual fund Meet the Community Challenge! The more you give, the greater the match: help us reach our $450,000 goal.

EVERY GIFT MATTERS The Community Challenge funders will match every gift at every level. Please visit www.abingtonfriends.net/giving/TheCommunityChallenge

in this issue 2

Letter from Head of School

4 10

Life at AFS: Six Month Scrapbook

AFS Upfront

Adi贸s Se帽ora

Oak Leaves is a publication of the AFS Development and Communications Offices. Richard F. Nourie Debbie Stauffer Jon Harris Judy Hill Gabrielle Giddings Jordan Bastien

Head of School Associate Head of School Assistant Head for Institutional Advancement Director of Communications Director of Marketing Director of Alumni Affairs

Peapod Design Cover photo by David DeBalko

Publication Design

26 30

Parent Heroes

Alumni Events

Classnotes

letter from the

head of school When Robin and I joined the Moses Brown School community in Providence, RI, as parents of seven-month old Michael, it felt like our first connection to a place as a family. Just a year earlier, it had been just the two of us, a happy young couple, but really two rather free and unencumbered individuals. It was at Moses Brown that we arrived as parents and became part of a zcommunity of other new parents. We were delighted to be among others who were learning together, worrying together and celebrating all the wonderful firsts of infants and toddlers. Significantly, Moses Brown was also, like AFS, a Friends school, a place with a deep and particular focus on being a community of shared and meaningful values. Community is indeed one of the Quaker testimonies, a recognition that we reach our potential as individuals only in the context of well-developed community. Here are the words of Janet Scott, a Friend writing in 1980: We know ourselves as individuals but only because we live in community. Love, trust, fellowship, selflessness are all mediated to us through our interdependence. Just as we could not live physically without each other, we cannot live spiritually in isolation. We are individually free but also community

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bound. We cannot act without affecting others and they cannot act without affecting us. We know ourselves as reflected in the faces, action and attitudes of each other. As new Friends school parents we felt that we were called to not only be part of but to play a role in creating a place that was meant to be ideal for children as learners and their families, as is very much true here at Abington Friends School. When families come to AFS, they are joining other families in what is for most a rich journey of friendship, growth, discovery, support and challenge over many years. George Gerbner of the Annenberg Center at Penn speaks of schools as being the “last folk communities” in our 21st-century world. In past times, the neighborhood, congregation, Elks club or bridge circle were places of connection and community. In our era, school is the place that connects families, most powerfully in schools like ours that are built on intentional, shared values. Here at AFS we are drawn, in unusual and invaluable diversity, to a place that values intellect and spirit, peace and justice, profound respect for others, joy in learning and the deep challenge of embracing the complexity, ambiguity and ultimate sacredness of the world around us. I love this expression of Friends’ approach to collective adult care of children in community: Care of the children... should be the responsibility of every Friend. Let us share with our children a sense of adventure, of wonder, and of trust and let them know that, in facing the mysteries of life, they are surrounded by love. Both parents and meetings need to guard against letting other commitments deprive children of the time and attention they need. Friends are advised to seek for children the full development of God’s gifts, which is true education. (New England Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 1985.)

And so we are a place that invites all to join in the enterprise of creating community for our children and for our families. This edition of Oak Leaves lifts up examples of the many, many families who exemplify this spirit at AFS. All featured were quite reticent to be so, citing many other families as more “deserving”. But all agreed ultimately to be part of this issue persuaded by the importance of the tenets of community that make AFS such a powerful and healthy place for learning, growth and friendship. As Robin and I reflect on this, our last year as AFS parents, with our youngest graduating in June, we are profoundly grateful for the gift of community that has added so much to our family’s life. We are also grateful to be among those who never graduate and get to see new generations come every year to re-create our 316-year-old school.

life at AFS:

month scrapbook

Halloween Always one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the AFS calendar, our annual Halloween Parade provides student and teachers alike the opportunity to unleash their creativity and sense of humor. Though Hurricane Sandy delayed our parade for a couple of days, the lineup of skeletons, tacos, artists and more was as exuberant as ever.

LIFE AT AFS : SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

Homecoming » More than 100 alums returned to campus for Homecoming on November 21. After gathering for breakfast in the John Barnes Room to reconnect with friends and former teachers, our alums joined the Upper School students in the Meetinghouse for a special Meeting for Worship. Many shared about how familiar and welcoming AFS felt to them now that they had embarked on their real-world journeys. Several cited the lessons AFS had taught them about communicating well, listening, being open and receptive and making the most of the resources around them.

This year’s concert in memory of Diana Parks Marshall ’61 and Virda Parks Marshall featured violinist Eunice Kim and violist Ayane Kozasa. Eunice and Ayane treated an audience of Upper School students (as well as 3rd and 4th graders) to a lively concert including pieces by Martinu, Bach, Hindemith and Mozart. After the concert, the musicians joined Upper School Strings Teacher Beth Guerriero and her students for a master class.

On the Razzle

Marshall Concert

After Meeting, some alums made their way to the soccer fields for the traditional Homecoming soccer game, while others took advantage of a new offering this year—an afternoon of improv theatre and jazz served up in the Black Box theater and Muller Lobby by Megan Hollinger and Chris Buzby.

Audiences were spellbound by the Upper School production of Tom Stoppard’s sparkling comedy On the Razzle, a frothy, fast-paced, farcical romp from England’s greatest living playwright.

Kids Care » Students in Amy Newman’s Upper School ceramics class had their work on display at Chestnut Hill’s Woodmere Art Museum, as part of its Kids Care exhibition. A collaborative project of Woodmere Art Museum, WXPN’s Kids Corner and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Kids Care exhibits artwork by hundreds of children from the Philadelphia region. At the end of the exhibit, the pieces were wrapped and delivered to children at St. Christopher’s as holiday gifts.

Election Post Mortem « AFS alum Dan Siegel ’06 returned to campus with fellow alums Charles Ellison ’92, a political strategist and analyst, and Jeremy Sullivan ’94, a historian and teacher for an election post mortem hosted by Upper School History Teacher Drew Benfer. The three talked about their respective roles in the political process—Dan as a campaign field worker, Charles as a strategist and Jeremy as a historian—before launching into a lively discussion about the presidential campaign.

Campbell Room Dedication » We honored Dave and Gwen Campbell and family for their generous financial contribution that enabled us to expand our vision for the Jane Frieder Wilf and Mark Wilf Learning and Resource Center. The Wilf Center’s beautiful, light-filled classroom is named in honor of the Campbells. Randy Schwartz, the director of the Center, holds the title of Campbell Chair of Learning Resources.

LIFE AT AFS : SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

Winterfest

Lower School Gift Drive

We gathered to celebrate the season with music, song, performances, holiday decorating and the telling of the traditional Winterfest poem. Upper School students served as masters of ceremony as the Upper School chorus sang, the Jazz Band played and students from all divisions sang songs celebrating our rich cultural diversity. This year’s festivities took a surprising turn when the community performed a spirited tribute, “flash mob” style, to Cyndi Silverman, who is retiring this year after 31 years at AFS.

For the fourth year, our Lower School partnered with Youth Service, Inc. to organize a division wide toy drive this holiday season. Collection boxes were set up for toys to be dropped off, and in all around 150 gifts were donated by our families.

december

Craft Fair «

The title of this year’s Lower School winter program was “Water Dance,” and all the singing, dancing, music making and movement were inspired by this watery theme. This was the first winter program featuring our early childhood students, who proved to be a delightful addition to the proceedings.

Colonial Crafts

Winter Program

Former AFS Art Teacher Barbara Handler was among the artisans exhibiting their crafts at the annual Community Craft Fair at AFS.

The 4th grade began their study of Colonial crafts with a day of hands-on workshops where they learned the arts of calligraphy, cornhusk doll making, candle making and embroidery.

MLK day of Service »

Greenberg Lecture

Our day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. drew more than 400 people to AFS on January 21. Following an inspiring program in the Meetinghouse, we began an energetic morning of volunteering in the Lower School and the Muller cafeteria. Together we decorated cookies, cooked meals for Aid for Friends, put together winter care kits, made scores of hats and scarves and teddy bears, built bat houses, made sandblock instruments, sorted library books, created “theater in a box” projects, and wrote letters on behalf of Amnesty International.

Chinese New Year

This year’s Greenberg Lecture featured two experts on the Middle East, AFS alum Michael Rubin ’90 (pictured) and Samer Abboud. Rubin is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a recognized expert on Iran. Aboud is an assistant professor of history and International studies at Arcadia University. The two scholars were brought together by the AFS History Department on the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War to talk about the legacy of that chapter in history. Senior Ivan Glinski moderated the discussion, which was held in the Meetinghouse in front of the entire Upper School on January 28. The Evan James Greenberg ’91 Lectureship was established by Evan’s family to honor his memory with an annual program on conflict resolution and peace studies.

Our international students from China helped us celebrate Chinese New Year with a weeklong slate of activities throughout the School. See AFS Upfront for details of this joyful midwinter festival.

LIFE AT AFS : SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

Talent Show » On a cold February night, some of our talented faculty, staff, parents and Meeting members gathered in the cafeteria to share their musical and literary talents. In what has become a much loved tradition, Head of School Rich Nourie (at right) closed out the night, this time with a stirring rendition of “American Pie,” accompanied by his daughter Sarah, an AFS senior.

Blood Drive «

Varsity Boys’ Basketball Champions

Members of the AFS Community Service Council and the American Red Cross are grateful to the 65 individuals (40 students and 25 faculty and parents) who collectively donated 65 pints of blood during our February 12 blood drive. Four students—Maddie Vouros, Jenna Blum, Julia Shepard and Lily Roth—served as all-day volunteers, with Lily gamely donning the blood drop costume.

Congratulations to the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team, who came back from behind against Friends’ Central on February 9 to win the Friends Schools League Championship for AFS (bringing our all-sport total to 32)

afs upfront Prize Winning Poets AFS poets again impressed judges in high school poetry contests this year. Three of the six winners of last fall’s DeSales University Poetry Festival Contest were students from our Upper School. Senior Terez Sanogo was named overall winner for her poem “Floating,” a riff on Jim Harrison, an honor that carries with it a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to DeSales. Junior Cassie Fiorino and senior Emma Moreno also received Honorable Mention. Junior Mini Racker, whose poem was also praised, joined the other three for the prize ceremony at DeSales on October 26, where Terez read her poem and the group participated in poetry workshops with other high schoolers and published poets. Terez, who has been at AFS since 7th grade says that having Mary Lynn as a teacher

last year inspired her fledgling love of poetry. “The fact that she’s a poet herself definitely helps when it comes to guiding us in our poetry.”

exploring various facets of writing and poetry of various genres at once and it gives me a different lens through which to look at literature.”

In January, junior Reggie Kramer won the 2013 Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key award for poetry. For his poem, “Those Left Behind, 22 Young Men, The Survivor,” Reggie created the historical persona of a soldier and imagined the truths of that character’s wounded psyche. “I’m a history buff,” says Reggie, “and I like to explore history through various mediums.”

Senior Sophia Got won the Gold Key award in the Personal Essay/Memoir category for her personal essay “The Sherlock Holmes Way of Life,” in which she shared some of the most important lessons life has taught her.

Reggie also credits Mary Lynn with awakening his interest in poetry and helping to refine his talent. “She’s a great teacher,” he says. “We often do poetry warm-ups. Instead of going straight into the text. We’re

AFS UPFRONT

“They both used the power of language and storytelling to share the powerful human emotions that accompany the greatest losses,” says Mary Lynn “It’s not easy to shape a sequence poem or a memoir piece, but they brought all their writing skills to bear and created really evocative pieces. Their English teachers are quite proud of them!”

Jazz Legend Buster Williams Visits Campus In January we had the honor of welcoming a very special guest to campus. Jazz bassist Buster Williams, a living legend from Camden, NJ, visited AFS for a 3-day artist in residency to spend time with the School’s music ensembles and classes, working with students from 3 years old to high school seniors. Buster Williams is known to fans of the jazz greats for his amazingly fluid bass playing and stylings. He has performed, toured and/or recorded with Art Blakey, Chet Baker, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan and more. Here at AFS Buster plunged into a hectic schedule of jam sessions, workshops and rehearsals. As a jazz musician, Buster brought a unique perspective to our classrooms and stages, encouraging our students to free themselves up, create space in their music and to take risks. “This is the place to take a risk,” he told a group of Upper School singers. “This is Las

Vegas. What happens here stays here.” Improvisation, he said is like flotsam and jetsam on the water. “You can float on top of everything that’s going on and be as expressive as you want to be.” AFS Music Teacher Chris Buzby, who organized this extended visit, was delighted with the opportunities this visit gave our students. “They are learning how to put real world music skills into action,” he says. “Buster is giving them a lot of very specific feedback, whether it’s in strings, wind, vocal, brass or rhythm.” Our students bravely put themselves on the line, eager for feedback from a master. “It’s terrifying,” said junior Alex Woods after playing a piano part for Buster. “But terrifying in a good way because you know you’re going to learn something.” On the last day of his residency, Buster performed on the Muller stage with his trio, The Buster Williams Trio, along with saxophonist George Barron. That evening, Buster appeared as a special guest at our Middle and Upper School Concert, and was joined by jazz tenor saxophonist Odean Pope.

Chinese New Year AFS celebrated the Chinese New Year in Febuary with the help of our students from China. Also known as Spring Festival, Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday celebrated in China, and our international students designed a slate of activities to bring some of the excitement of the holiday to our campus. As well as teaching their fellow students and teachers to write their names and words of good luck in Chinese, and demonstrating the art of calligraphy, the students also served dumplings and talked about Chinese New Year traditions at our Many Voices One Community Day. Later in the week they distributed red envelopes throughout the divisions with messages inside them wishing good luck and prosperity. The festivities wrapped up with a spirited badminton tournament in the Hallowell gym.

The Great Debaters In a particularly robust year for Model UN, our students have proved their debating skills both near and far. A committed group of five Model UN delegates took part in a one-day event at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on January 12. With a total of 60 plus delegates, AFS took two of the three awards (MVP: Senior Ivan Glinski, Best Speaker: Senior Rebecca Fisher). “I really enjoy learning about other countries and real world issues,” says Rebecca. “Feeling like I’m solving problems is satisfying.” The biggest challenge? “Getting resolutions passed that a lot of countries with different agendas can agree on and that are in the best interests of the majority of the countries represented.” In February, 14 AFS students joined 1,700 other delegates at the annual Johns Hopkins Model United Nations Conference in Baltimore. Some of our students represented Belgium on General Assembly committees, while others participated in simulated historical events. Joining the specialized committees were senior Ivan Glinski in “Catalonian Secession” and senior Scott Bown in “House of Thrones.” Scott Bown came away with the Best Delegate Award, and took home the coveted gavel, for his portrayal of the king of the House of Baratheon.

AFS UPFRONT

Nature Playground Receives National Certification Our recently opened early childhood nature playground and outdoor classroom has received national certification from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation last fall, making it the area’s first Nature Explore Classroom. Nature Explore Classrooms are part of the Nature Explore program, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation developed in response to the growing disconnect between children and nature. Certified Nature Explore Classrooms integrate research-based outdoor learning opportunities into children’s daily lives. “Abington Friends School has shown tremendous leadership in growing the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Susie Wirth, Nature Explore Outreach Director. “Their commitment to providing research-based and nature-rich learning offers a wonderful example to educators throughout the country.” Our outdoor classroom and nature playground was built as part of AFS Outside, a school wide outdoor learning program designed to powerfully connect children in sustained and meaningful ways. The nature playground opened at the beginning of the 2012 school year. Our new site serves as both playground and classroom, creating a vital space for outdoor activities in all weather and offering the varied experiences of exploration and imaginative play that are such critical development experiences for young children. The playground includes platforms for creating imaginative settings such as tree forts; areas for building with all sorts of natural materials, spaces for making art and music; and plenty of open areas for running, climbing and playing games. What was once a traditional playground has been transformed into an inviting outdoor space that encourages learning, discovery and play in a beautiful, natural setting. Metcalfe Architecture and Design, a Philadelphia firm, designed the final element in the nature playground and outdoor classroom, a much-anticipated outdoor play structure. Evocative of sailboats and castles, and much, much more in the imagination of a 3 or 4-year-old, the play structure was an instant hit, with children peeking out from the slatted wooden walls, skipping down the ramps, digging in the wood chips and devising all manner of games and imaginative play.

Adiós Señora! Señora is honestly the only reason I was able to make it through my five years of Spanish. She always put aside time for me when I was having trouble and she never once let me struggle and have to face a test by myself. Not only did she help me with Spanish but she also reminded me how to care for others and embrace differences between people. I'm forever grateful for everything that she has taught me and I wish her well on her new journey. Alexa Bowman ’13 I remember coming into AFS the same year as Señora. … Her classes were fun, colorful and laid back which was so welcoming and inviting. I loved the fact that our children, Saul and Cali had the privilege of being her Spanish students during their Upper School years. I think Señora got a kick out of that too! We wish her the best of times in this next chapter of her life! With love, Sam, Candi, ’83, Saul, ’10 and Cali, ’13 Mangel

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, this will be Cyndi Silverman’s last year at AFS. After careful thought and reflection she has decided to retire in June. Cyndi first joined our community in 1981, and in her 32 years here she has touched hundreds of lives as a teacher, a colleague and a friend. Señora, as she is affectionately known, has earned admiration as an exceptional Spanish teacher who has inspired her students to reach new levels of language proficiency. She has also been a powerful force for connection, working closely with students to promote ongoing dialogue and understanding as the school continues its important diversity work. An advocate for students and a beloved friend to many throughout the school, Cyndi has leaned into difficult conversations and challenged us all to look at our biases while bringing the community closer together with her warm and positive spirit. She will be much missed, and we wish her well in her life beyond AFS. 14

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One particular memory comes to mind. In Middle School my daughter Christina and another girl in the class were having a protracted and painful period of disagreement and misunderstanding. You stepped in and sat down with them ... We don't know all of what you said or exactly how you supported each girl, but we do know that by the end of that day you took them out to the local coffee shop for a treat and they returned to school arm in arm. The magic you worked that day helped them to start on the path to a better relationship and also taught them some lessons about how to incorporate respect for others into their daily lives. All the best, Peter and Bonnie Schorsch

My love of the language grew each year, and my love of learning about different cultures also grew, especially after a trip to Cancun during my junior year with her. We traveled the ruins and learned about the region. Señora, being the spunky, free-spirited person she is, also gave me the courage to be myself. I now still speak Spanish daily with the students and parents in the school where I teach. I also just completed my master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and hope to get my ESL certification. I will never forget where I learned to enjoy speaking such a beautiful language, or where I learned how beautiful the human spirit can be. Thank you Señora! Enjoy retirement. Tayler Chaves Adams ’97 Cyndi Silverman was a teacher, friend and colleague whom I highly prized and valued during my tenure as Head of Abington Friends School. She not only was a wonderful colleague, but a very fine Spanish teacher of two of my daughters. She had warmth, wit and wisdom, and she cared deeply about each individual and the community as a whole. Cyndi was a steadfast supporter of the School's diversity efforts, and she continuously reached out to any student in need of care and support. During my 52 years in the field of education, I met few—if any—faculty who held each and every student in higher esteem. She was candid with me when she questioned school policy and highly supportive when she was in concurrence. Never, did she fail to stand forward with her views and perceptions, and never did she ever speak behind anyone's back. She loved what she taught, and she cared deeply about whom she taught and how they learned. Cyndi's retirement will leave a great void in our community, but her 30+ years as a faculty member will leave a deep and lasting impression. God's speed to Cyndi as she moves forward with her personal plans, and

When we put out the call for farewell tributes to Cyndi, the response we received was overwhelming. What you see here is just the tip of a very large iceberg.

deepest appreciation for her service to Abington Friends School—a level of commitment as valuable as any I have known. Most respectfully, Bruce B. Stewart, Head Emeritus, Abington Friends School and Sidwell Friends School Señora was by far my favorite teacher at AFS. She was energetic and immersed you in the Spanish language. In college, I was actually able to place out of the world language requirement, because of her teaching. I currently live in the suburbs of Minneapolis and through the public education system both of my children have been able to attend Spanish immersion elementary schools. I can't believe I have bilingual children! I know that I have Señora to thank! I would have never considered this program for my children if she had not instilled a love of learning Spanish in me! Melissa Dreidink Grossman ’87 Cyndi was absolutely delightful in every way to work with, getting our yearly Dragon Parades up and running. Her spirit and energy were contagious and she had such a

caring and fun connection with the students. Her laughter and smile shone bright even those years when time was so tight. Thank you Cyndi for sharing so many New Years (Spring Festivals!) with us...Gung Hey Fat Choy! You will be missed so deeply!! Kathy Lopez AFS Lower School Teacher I was in Señora’s first class in 1981. I always appreciated her gentle, nurturing way even though I was hardly one of her better students. She encouraged me as I got ready to visit Cuba in 1982, and I had a foundation to build on when I went to college and did my study abroad in Spain. Eventually I wound up reporting stories in parts of Peru and Argentina (and back to rural Cuba in 2000) and other places where people spoke only Spanish, so that start was really very helpful. I hope you enjoy your retirement, Señora! Todd Pitock ’83 Thank you Señora for loving each and every one of your students and for giving us a sense of “PRIDE” to help us better understand each other and love ourselves. Shalimar Reddy ’98

students that will never know you, never take one of your classes or understand the impact you had on molding and shaping the lives of AFS students. I know I am a better person for knowing you and I am grateful for that. Lisa Reeves Jones ’85

Señora was, and still is, the “understanding ear” for AFS students–and later when those former students return as alumni. She always has time for you and in her presence you feel valued. With her, you are safe to share your “most important things.” Te amo, Señora. Buena suerte y feliz jubilación! Jenny (Juanita) Bornholdt Hammond ’86

Senora managed to make learning fun. Her sense of humor and encouragement were wonderful to be around. The message I got was she loved what she was doing–and she enjoyed and loved us. Oh, and I learned Spanish too! Muchas Gracias Senora! Brynna Levin Sibilla ’85

I’ll never forget how active Cyndi was in the AFS community. She was there a countless amount of times to support the boys’ basketball team and participated in many other extracurricular activities. Never could she be replaced and she'll forever be a kangaroo. I wish her the best in her retirement. John Simone ’11

Señora, You have been a great influence in my life since I entered the school in 7th grade. Me ayudaste cada año con los activdades y academícos. Hemos hecho muchos tiempos Buenos. Espero que tengamos mas tiempos Buenos despues sales (look, correct use of subjunctive and present perfect!) Tambien me ayudaste lograr cosas, no pensé que podría hacer. Gracias para estando una guía important en mi vida. Ben Forman ’15

Before enrolling at Abington Friends, I felt that Spanish was a subject that I would never excel in. In the two years that I had Señora, she taught me so much. She instilled in me the belief that my mistakes weren't failures, but rather further opportunities for learning. She went above and beyond, staying after school with me to go over concepts that I struggled with. She gave me confidence in my Spanish abilities. This confidence has led me to not only study abroad in Segovia, Spain, but also to further pursue Spanish, declaring it as my minor. Thank you Cyndi! Dara Lazarus ’10

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Señora, You were a true blessing to the class of ’85 and the AFS community. You came to AFS when we were freshmen and we helped each other find our way. You helped us navigate through the hallowed halls of Upper School. Not just freshman year but our entire high school experience. Besides Spanish, you taught everyone to be thoughtful and kind. You made us laugh a lot and scolded us when we were out of line, which was quite often with my class. I feel a little sorry for the

I came to AFS as a sophomore and Senora was among the brightest and most welcoming faces when I arrived. During my time in the Upper School, and through my 6 years of working at AFSEP she was always a friendly voice of encouragement and support. Shaun Dougherty ’95 How many other kids yell “Señora!!!” to get their mom’s attention in a crowded store? I can confidently say…probably no one else but me. My mom might be leaving AFS, but will never truly leave the community because her legacy will continue to live on forever. As a former lifer at Abington Friends, I have witnessed the astounding impact she has made on so many students. Mom, you are magnetic and electric, inspiring and inspired, involving and involved. As you continuously “lean in” to conversation, you ultimately provide the freedom for students to grow, to explain and to develop. You encourage. You love. You get it. Spanish might be the language you were hired to teach, but there are so many other lessons that we learned from you during your time at AFS and that I continue to learn from you everyday. You are truly a leader who leads and a symbol of all that is right, that is true, and that should be embraced in this world. Mom, you have been and continue to be– the change you see in the world. I love you and I wish you the absolute best life retirement can offer you. Love, Ellie Silverman ’01

parent/participant AFS is blessed with a stellar lineup of generous parents who willingly share their talents with the community.

from a strawberry or a self-taught seamstress like Chelsea Sperger putting the final touches on 18 Colonial dresses she has made from scratch for the 4th grade Colonial Trade Fair, these folks enrich the classroom experience tremendously with real-world experiences impossible to duplicate without real-world skills.

When we think about the people who enrich our community and make life here better for our students every day, we naturally think first of our extraordinary teachers.

And then there are those parents who have been a part of our fabric for so many years that we simply cannot imagine AFS without them. Names like Bonnie and Peter Schorsch, Ann Thompson and Pat Mutchler, David and Gwen Campbell, Mark and Heather Garrison, and far too many others to list here. As well as trusting us with their children, they have thrown themselves into the life of the School, serving on committees, organizing events, shoring up fundraising efforts and actively shaping the future of AFS.

We also are continually grateful to our stalwart Home & School clerks—ably headed by Carla Patton—who knit this community together so skillfully and make us all feel a little more connected. And then there are our amazingly generous donors who help ensure that we have the financial resources to create the best possible learning environment for our students. We are also very fortunate at AFS to have a wonderful assortment of parents eager to bring their particular talents and expertise into our classrooms and offices. Whether it’s a scientist like Jeff Peterson walking a Lower School class through an experiment to extract DNA

We are proud to introduce you in these pages to some of our active parent participants. This is very much just a sampling, though. We could have highlighted twice as many heroes, probably three times as many, and still had folks deserving of your attention. We’ll feature some of them in future issues. For now, we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know these talented, generous and devoted friends of AFS and finding out why they do what they do.

The Seamstress Extraordinaire

Chelsea Sperger Parent to: 4th grader Anna (at left), 7th grader Maria and 10th grader Nick Area of participation: Chelsea volunteers throughout the School, helping with costuming for the 4th Colonial Trade Fair and the Middle School musical, leading the Girl Scout troop, organizing Post Prom and stepping up wherever and whenever she’s needed. Getting involved Nick started in first grade in 2003. I came to an open house and I was sold. I didn’t really start getting involved until the next year. I was room parent in second and third grade and lead Lower School clerk in 5th grade. Then I did Middle School clerking, then lead Middle School clerking and now I’m doing the Post Prom. I believe in that whole ‘It takes a village’ thing. If everybody does what they can, nobody has to do too much.

I started out being involved with Halloween and organizing pizza when they did the winter program. Anything a teacher needed help with I’d do, organizing field trips and stuff like that. Just really being there to help organize things. It’s a great way to get a glimpse of what their daily activities are. In the second grade I’d always go in and sew the teddy bears and it was a good way to see how the classroom runs and what your kids’ relationships are with other kids. It’s a nice way to peek in on what they’re doing.

The Tireless Team A full plate When Maria was in 4th grade I helped with the dresses for the Colonial Fair. That was so much fun and I’ve been doing it ever since. I love history so this is one of my favorite things. I taught myself how to sew in high school and it’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing. I’m pretty much self-taught. It’s mostly just a lot of seam ripping until I figure out what I’m doing. I’m also helping Betsy with costuming for the musical. Maria is in the musical. And I’m leading the AFS Girl Scout troop, which Anna is in. That’s been a new adventure this year. They meet here twice a month after school. There’s also a Daisy Troop and Brownies and a Junior Troop. It’s been fun. They’re a nice group of girls and it’s cool to spend time with them. I’m an active person. I get things done. I like being busy and having things to do. It’s good to get a sense for how things are tied together across the divisions and what’s coming up for Maria and Anna, and Nick’s still moving through, so there’s always something new and interesting to try. I certainly haven’t been involved in Post Prom before, but I figured why not. I love doing party planning. Traditionally, the Post Prom was put on by parents without a lot of input from the kids, but since it’s a party for them I feel like they should have an opportunity to voice their opinion. I think it’ll be a lot of fun to put it on for them.

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Mark and Heather Garrison Last June, with the graduation of their daughter Brittany, Mark and Heather Garrison came to the end of a chapter in their 16-year relationship with Abington Friends School. All four of their children (Chris, Lindsay, Liza and Brittany) attended AFS, and the Garrisons have been energetic, inspired and loyal supporters of the School, giving generously of their resources and time in many areas of school life. Mark currently serves on the School Committee, where he focuses on Development. Heather has also served on the School Committee, working on the Membership and Finance committees. She has been central to the School’s strategic planning in recent years. Heather has also been closely involved with athletics at AFS, working to support the program and help guide its future direction.

Oak Leaves: Tell me how you first found AFS. Mark: We were looking for independent schools and we were living in Lower Gwynned, so it was kind of far away. We happened to be in a business group with Peter Schorsch and he called me and said we had to come and look at AFS. So Heather came down and the first day she got here she said, ‘This is the place.’ Heather: It just felt like home. We did the visit and [former Head of School] Bruce

Stewart brought us into his office and once we met him I was like ‘How do we get here?’ He was so inspiring when he explained the philosophy of the school. It was a nurturing environment and it was what our kids needed. We brought the three of them over here and Brittany went to the preschool. So we got involved with the school at that point big time. In fact the first year I got involved with the Book Fair and ended up co-clerking for a couple of years. That was my indoctrination and I ended up meeting a lot of cool parents. I loved the people that I met and it became a community for me from the get go. We decided to move to Jenkintown because of our association here and because we felt our kids were going to stay here. Then we joined the Meeting not too long after that. We started by going to First Day School with the kids. The Meeting was so open arms in welcoming us, we felt that was another extension of the School for us. As time went on I became a room parent for each of my children’s classes. If you do it for one you have to do it for the others. I felt I was living in the Lower School sometimes. My philosophy raising my children was that I wanted to be part of their lives and to lead by example. I wanted to be involved with

their lives and the School allowed me to do that, which I thought was just wonderful.

OL: Heather, can you talk about how you came to spearhead the School’s strategic plan not once, but twice? Heather: [Former School Committee Clerk] Hank Faulkner invited me to join the School Committee around 2000 and I was very honored. One year into that they asked me if I would clerk the next strategic plan for the school. We were trying to bring the school to the next level and we involved the whole community. I was fortunate to spend extended time with Ed Goodman, Sue Mackler and Bruce Stewart. I chose to involve as many people as possible in the process so I had a nice size committee and lots of meetings with faculty administration, parents and Meeting members. That was the first really organized planning process for the school. Bruce left, Woody [Price] came on board and it was time for another strategic plan and they asked me to do it again. It was an iterative process with big meetings and smaller meetings, and I learned a lot about the Quaker process and the fact that you can have a sense of the meeting without having full consensus. People think that in a Quaker meeting we’re going to have to sit there until we all agree. It’s not like that. You do have to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard and their point of view acknowledged. A sense of the meeting could be that someone doesn’t agree but they won’t stand in the way. That was something I learned and it’s been valuable for me moving forward.

Mark: Heather was also involved in every sports team as the main mom supporting the team in whatever our kids were playing, which was every sport they could. Our kids all did 3 sports for all of middle school. OL: Heather, you were also part of the Friends of AFS Athletics Committee a couple of years ago. Can you talk about that?

Heather: Rich asked if I would help with athletics. I worked with Jeff on the Friends of AFS Athletics Committee and we got a lot of parents who were interested in athletics doing a plan for how athletics should look at the school, pretty much from a facilities standpoint. That was a nice experience and I got to know a bunch of parents. We brought in a lot of voices. The light bulb went off when we started thinking about momentum projects. That’s how we got the Thode Gym renovation and the new scoreboards and some of the smaller things done. That list is still being ticked off. We figured if we got some stuff done it would make student athletes know we were serious about their future as athletes. We wanted to let them know that we care about them as athletes.

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It’s very fulfilling to be investing in something that’s going to be around well after you’re gone.

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OL: Mark, can you talk about your work in fundraising for the School? I’m one of those people who like to get involved but also like to set the bar and say this is how it has to continue. We try to raise people’s expectations as part of the community. If you’re going to be part of this community you have to give. I guess most of my involvement in my nine years on the School Committee has been as development clerk. When we did the capital campaign to build the library and Student Street it was very rewarding to go out and raise the money for that and get most of it. It made a huge difference. Most of my work was throwing parties, reaching out and talking to people and trying

to help get the Annual Fund where it needed to be. In Lindsay’s senior year everybody but one person gave. One of the biggest pieces was just talking to people and trying to get them to understand the expectation of giving back.

OL: You have recently given generously toward our STEM initiatives. What prompted you to want to support that particular area? Mark: I’m really in favor of the school making kids prepared to deal with the hands-on application of math and engineering and attracting kids who have those interests. It’s a cycle. I was an engineer and having that hands-on ability to apply the stuff you learn, there’s just no substitute. OL: Closing thoughts? Mark: There was a presentation we went to recently where the author asked a group of 95 year olds if they had to do it over again what advice would they give. They said they would have taken more time to enjoy the moment, taken more risks, and they would have spent more time becoming invested in something that was going to be there long after they were gone. I think of the School and the Meeting. It’s very fulfilling to be investing in something that’s going to be around well after you’re gone, and that’s been one of the underlying themes for me. 100 years from now AFS will still be here, and so will Abington Monthly Meeting. Heather: People will say, ‘Independent school caters to pretty privileged kids, why wouldn’t you do this in an inner city school?’ To me students who go through this school have more impact than I individually can have so if I make sure it thrives that has an impact on the future. There’s a multiplier effect. We’re investing in future investors. Mark: I’ve gotten as much out of this relationship as I’ve given. It’s what we say to our employees: ‘You should stay here as long as you get more out of it than we do.’ Heather: My kids have gotten a great deal out of the school and I’ve gotten a lot back. I’ve been inspired to read more, learn more, be more creative.

The Cell Biologist

Jeff Peterson Parent to: Kindergartener Oliver and 2nd grader Sophie Area of Participation: A cell biologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Jeff regularly visits the Lower School science room to conduct scientific experiments with the students. Finding AFS Neither my wife nor I went to private school so this was something new for us. We were quite diligent at looking at different schools. We were very impressed with the experience when we came to visit. Getting involved I began getting involved in first grade in Rosanne’s science class. Even then Sophie was begging me to come in and do something in the class. I think really the idea comes from further back though. My father was a chemist. I remember really strongly him coming in to my school at the middle school level to do a chemistry demonstration. I loved that and wanted to bring that experience to my kids as well. The other thing is the work that I do I really can’t bring kids in to see it. So this is a chance for them to see the things that I do

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professionally that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Ever since Sophie was in 1st grade I’ve been involved in Science Night. A lot of it is just about the experience of sharing something I love.

The motivation People have the false impression that science is about knowing facts but it’s really about the process of discovery, thinking about something and finding a way to test it. That sense of discovery you don’t get in a textbook. I want to bring the idea that it’s fun trying to explore new things and not just memorizing things that are already known. How it works Rosanne has a sense of the kind of work I do so when she’s anticipating talking about cells for example she lets me know the timetable and what they’ve already discussed in class and I try to bring in something she might not be able to bring in to the lesson.I’m a cell biologist so I study the basic unit of life, the cell. Last year we did an experiment at Science Night looking at how fluids can pass through plant cells. We took celery and fruits and vegetables and dipped them in food coloring and watched how it moved through the plant stems. I always bring my microscope. The kids like to see something they might not have been able

to see otherwise. I like to bring leaves, foods etc that they might not have seen at this level of detail. When you look at an apple under the microscope you see individual cells.

The rewards I love the students’ enthusiasm. They’re so excited and they have so many questions. I’m always nervous about whether I’ll have enough material to keep them engaged, but they always have so many questions. What’s really nice is that now I know the 4th graders really well having done something with them every year. They know me and they have no hesitation asking questions or getting involved. They’re quite sophisticated in the kind of things they ask. I get asked questions that are not something I would have thought of and it helps me see how they are seeing things. Sometimes they’re coming from a totally different angle. Geez how do we know what a molecule looks like? They’re great questions but they’re coming from a novel perspective. They’re happy to brainstorm and they make great associations from their own experiences. It’s a great thing because both my wife and I work so we can’t be so connected with a lot of the other activities. Now I have a great relationship with Rosanne and we communicate regularly throughout the year and I get to learn more about what’s going on in the classroom.

The Lifer

Bonnie Schorsch ’75 Ever since she can remember, Bonnie Schorsch has had a connection with Abington Friends School. Her mother, Edith Dawson Davis, taught Kindergarten and then first grade, and Bonnie started at AFS in PreK and stayed through 12th grade. It was at AFS that Bonnie met her future husband, Peter, who went on to serve as head of the School Committee from 2005-2012. All three of the Schorsch’s children have attended AFS, with Adam graduating in 2003, Christina in 2010 and their youngest, Hannah, set to graduate this spring. As well as being an AFS student, an AFS parent and a philanthropic leader in the community, Bonnie has also been an exceptional AFS volunteer, lending her wisdom, time and expertise to the School for more than two decades. Bonnie has served as Home & School Clerk and was integral to the creation of many AFS events including the Talent Show, the Used Book Sale and Post Prom. We sat down with Bonnie recently to learn more about her longstanding connection with the School.

Oak Leaves: You met your husband, Peter, while you were in high school at AFS. Tell me more. Peter transferred to AFS in 10th grade. We started a friendship and by the time we graduated, we were a couple.

I was raised Christian Scientist but my parents always felt an affinity for the Meeting and my mother taught here and used Quaker principles in the classroom all the time. When we got engaged there was no question that the Meetinghouse was where the wedding would be.

OL: When you had children, did you assume they would go here or did you look at other schools? We looked at every other school! We were young and we had no clue and we’d never thought about education. For my first child, Adam, who was 4 or 5 at the time, I went to every single school and I had very unique experiences. We finally consulted a very well known adolescent and Freudian psychoanalyst. He worked with schools a lot. He said, ‘Why aren’t you looking at AFS?’ We said, ‘We know it so well.’ He said, ‘Go back and look at it in terms of your child.’ We did, and we were just blown away. We were delighted and have been ever since. For each of our children it has been a perfect fit.

OL: Was there a lot that had changed about the School since you had graduated? All the big building projects, such as Lower School and Upper School had happened when we were there. So, physically the school was very much the same. Academically, spiritually and philosophically it also felt the same.

Michelle Lockman and I went on to start the Post Prom and began the Talent Show and the Used Book Sale to support the Post Prom.

OL: Was it hard to get buy in for the Post Prom? We had to finesse getting the students on board. They were so resistant at first! There was a culture of ‘We’re going to the shore!’ and it was worrisome to parents and to the school. We set up tables in the Upper School with candy and food and said, ‘Come to our meeting.’ We coaxed out of them what they’d like to do at a post prom, like go swimming, play racquetball. It took four years and then it was grandfathered in because the new incoming 9th grade had never known anything different. The School got more involved and now it’s mandatory that if you go to Prom you have to go to the Post Prom. You can’t bring in an outsider to run these kinds of events. You need someone who knows the school and knows the students. Parents who volunteer have that sensitivity and awareness of the school climate and of a particular class, because each grade has a different feel.

OL: Tell me about how you first became involved in volunteering at AFS. Initially I volunteered at the Book Fair and when Adam was in 3rd grade and was doing the Creek Walk I realized we needed a boot exchange. We set up at the beginning of each school year. People would bring in outgrown boots and take away a pair that fit their child.

Are there special challenges to volunteering when your kids are in Upper School? When I used to volunteer in Lower School I was like, ‘Where are those Upper School parents?’ I just didn’t see them. People would say your kids don’t want you around anymore when they’re in Upper School. There’s a psychological shift as they become more independent. You step back because it’s the right thing to do. It did make the Post Prom a little tricky. Here I am chaperoning for my grown son and his date.

So I found ways like that to make a difference and I felt like I was being helpful. I was also a classroom parent for different grades. I volunteered for celebrations in Lower School that I found very gratifying. Other parent volunteers became very close friends along the way.

I didn’t give my kids the opportunity to get embarrassed by my presence. In Middle School I would hug them anyway and they would wince, but if you persevere they secretly like it and if you’re friendly to all their friends they get over it. By 9th or 10th grades they were seeking me out.

It’s really helpful to establish relationships with other kids in the class. When it gets to be high school and they’re having parties you already have relationships established.

OL: Has being so involved with the school given you insight into the partnership between families and teachers? When Adam was in Lower School I remember we had a Home & School program to train parents on how to approach a teacher. We talked about protocol. If your child has a problem start with the teacher then go to the dean of students and so on. You don’t start at the top and offend everyone. Through the years we’ve brought in many experts to talk to parents, and I’ve learned a lot. Those sorts of lessons apply not just to how to deal with a child’s teacher but also to deal with other situations out in the real world. I definitely got an education by volunteering as a parent at AFS. I think in many ways I learned as much as my kids did, though it was a different kind of education.

The Letter Writer When you first come to the School it’s all about your child, but then you realize it’s a big picture and your child will benefit when the whole environment benefits.

I grew up being able to be here with my kids. It helped me grow up in lots of ways. I gained a lot of skills and experiences I might not otherwise have had.

Karen Cheney Parent to: 4th grader Charly Avril (at bottom right), 9th grader Eleanor Avril Area of Participation: Karen serves as co-clerk of the Parent’s Committee for the Annual Fund

OL: Being involved with the School for so many years, you’ve worked with different leaders and administrators. Has that been a challenge? This place is bigger than all of us. I’ve never in any of the changes I’ve experienced ever felt a twinge of concern. The basic strengths didn’t change. There’s room within Quakerism for a lot of expression of different ideas and approaches and finding the uniqueness about this place.

Finding AFS I’ve been involved with the school for 10 years. Charly started in preschool at the age of 2. Eleanor [who was at AFS through 8th grade] started in kindergarten. We had moved to this area when Eleanor was finishing preschool. Jenkintown at the time had half-day kindergarten so we knew we weren’t going to do that. We started her here and there was no turning back.

I’m a florist, and in my profession some guard their information, others share. The more you share, the more room there is for more ideas. It’s the same I think in the School.

We felt welcomed in to the School and she was getting a great education and a rich experience and we didn’t think it was something we wanted to leave.

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Field Trips First I was probably a room parent right away. It’s nice when you’re in Lower School because there’s so much opportunity to be in the classroom and be with kids. I’m more of a behind the scenes person but I definitely like to get involved. Your kids love having you there when they’re young and they’re not embarrassed by your presence. In kindergarten there were so many field trips, I think there was one every month and both my daughters wanted me to go on them. I did find I couldn’t handle the school buses, though. I remember going to one of the watersheds and by the time I got off the bus I was so green from motion sickness! The day job I’m a journalist. Right now I’m working on a long project developing a university curriculum working with Suzy Ormond. We’re working on a personal finance course for freshmen at the University of Phoenix. It’s a total departure from what I normally do. I’m also working on an in-depth piece on bacteria for AARP magazine and I’m on the staff of Money magazine. My husband Tom works for the Inquirer.

Finding her niche I showed up at an annual fund meeting. Tom and I had given a gift to the school. AFS is incredibly good at acknowledging gifts and thanking you. For whatever reason, we fell into a hole. We gave a gift and didn’t get any acknowledgment so we wondered, ‘Did they receive it?’ I thought, ‘Well, clearly they may need help in writing thank you notes.’ My philosophy is if you see something that needs doing, just do it. So I came to the meeting and that was how I got started. I found out they had a good system in place and what happened with us was just a fluke. Anyway, I ended up helping with writing thank you notes for a while. And that’s largely what I’ve stuck to. The nice thing about the Parents Committee for the Annual Fund is that you can find the area where you feel most comfortable. If offering thanks is where you feel comfortable that’s fine and if you feel comfortable calling on Annual Fund calling nights you can do that. I’ve never done that. It’s also not a committee that meets very often so it’s not a great deal of time.

them more inclined to give a grant or be involved. They want to know we’re supporting ourselves. So often parents think, ‘I can’t give that much so I won’t give anything.’ When a large donor gives money to Drexel that makes the news, but those kinds of gifts are so rare. The bulk of giving is your average person giving what they can. You can’t wait for a large donor to swoop in. You have to do it yourself.

Stepping up As the years went on I became more involved. Mike Sperger approached me and asked me if I would be a co clerk with him. That was two years ago. It really means taking a larger role in organizing parent volunteers. We have a wonderful team of volunteers who every year write letters to the individual classes. It’s meaningful when you get a letter from the parent of a student your child has gone on play dates with. I organize that team and with David Eldridge, the new head of the Annual Fund, we’re trying to do a little more long-term planning and help develop a vision for the future.

The learning curve As I became more involved I started to lean more about the Annual Fund and how critical it is to the School. I had no idea. I didn’t come from a private school background so I didn’t realize the huge gap between what we as parents pay and what it actually costs. It’s about a 20 percent gap, so filling that gap is really important.

It’s fun working with Mike. He’s a real visionary person. He’s a philosopher who loves to think of the big picture. I’m more of his sidekick, the practical person. I’m the one who says, ‘What do we actually need to do?’

I also learned how important participation is at any level. It’s important because it shows how strong our community is if more of us are giving, even if its just five or ten dollars. Larger donors look at those numbers and see the percentage and see it’s a strong community and it makes

The rewards One of the other nice aspects of being on the Parents Committee is that you hear more about the direction of the school, the goals of the school, what we’re doing with the money, what we need it for. It’s the source of funds for so many things. Without

it, we would be a less rich community. We’re also looking at bigger projects and the bigger picture and future of the school. So it gives you a chance to look at the larger picture that you wouldn’t necessarily understand otherwise.

The revelation Rich Nourie has talked about the danger that you feel you’re buying an education. AFS has done a great job of not being part of that mentality. Yes, you are paying for a great education but you’re also stepping into a wonderful community that is so much more. AFS families give to so many causes. There is the danger of saying, ’Well, I’m already giving because I’m paying tuition. How is this charitable when we’re such a privileged community?’ But this is our community and we have an obligation. Yes I’ll give to causes that are international but this is our daily community. I believe in this school. The mission of the School really is larger than educating my child. We’re really trying to raise up our future leaders and we’re investing in that.

The Designer

Paul Trapido Parent to: Senior Zazie Ray Trapido Area of Participation: Paul has volunteered his time and expertise to help the School create a new signage and wayfinding system. Finding AFS Zazie came here in 7th grade. We had moved here from New York. We liked AFS first of all because of the emphasis on the arts and because it had more of a whole child approach than other schools. Those were the two key factors. And also it was more of a nurturing environment and more focused on cooperation than competition. The Lightbulb Moment We went to Commencement last year and when I heard that the gift to the School from

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the senior class was going to be wayfinding and signage I immediately thought ‘There’s something I could help with,’ because it’s something that I do and it’s not a common thing. I just walked over to Rich and said, ‘Do you need help?’ I knew the wayfinding needed improvement. Also I noticed it’s not just when you’re on campus that it can be confusing but also the way you get onto campus from the surrounding area can also be confusing.

A World of Expertise In my work life I design exhibits for museums and related institutions, and wayfinding is an offshoot of that. Work I’ve been involved in has included the Children’s Discovery Room at Monticello, the World War II Museum in New Orleans, the Petrosains Discovery Center in Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia. Since moving here from New York I’ve done a lot of local projects. I just completed a Supremes exhibit at the

African American Museum in Philadelphia and I’ve done projects at the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Rosenbach Museum and the Free Library.

The process Part of the process is that in the doing of it you learn a lot about how people go from one place to another on a daily basis. It’s not just about saying we need some signs but really understanding how people get around the entire campus. You have a number of different categories of users and their needs are very different. Someone who comes here once for an evening event is different from someone who is here every day. How do you deal with those different levels? The reason I felt I had to give something back and it was great that I could do it in a way that really used my knowledge and skills rather than just using my time and labor.

The Girl Scout Leader

Renee Tucker Parent to: 2nd grader Madison, 4th grader Michelle Area of participation: Renee started the Girl Scout Troop in Lower School three years ago and now leads the Brownie Troop for 2nd and 3rd graders. Getting Involved I was a room parent in both my kids’ classes. I helped with parties and field trips. I felt like it was part of my job as a mom to be involved in my kids’ day-to-day lives and be engaged in what they’re doing, seeing what they’re learning, making sure they’re getting the most out of their educational experience. Why No Troop? My daughter Michelle was interested in joining the Girl Scouts so we found a school that offered a troop out here [in Bucks County]. We would have to race home for the 4 pm meeting, though, so I started to try and figure out why we didn’t have a troop at AFS. I started making some enquiries. Finally I saw Rich shaking hands with everyone outside Lower School one day and I asked him, ‘Why can’t we have a Girl Scouts troop here?’ and he said, ‘I don’t see why not.’ Crissy Cáceres and others did some research over the summer to make sure it fit with the goals and principles of the School. Once it passed the test we were able to move forward.

Troop Training Once we got the go ahead I contacted the Girl Scouts organization and asked them how to start a troop. They have a head person who comes out and trains new troop leaders. She gave me the basics and I trained the other two leaders. It took a while, but now we have 10 Daisies [Kindergarten through 1st grade), five Brownies [2nd and 3rd graders] and 11 Juniors [4th and 5th graders], and we meet every other week. I am currently the Brownie troop leader.

Girl Power We do a lot of community service projects in our meetings. Last year the Juniors collected cleaning products for an animal shelter and this year we did a Philabundance project making cards for food banks for the homeless. What’s the Attraction? Aside from the social piece of it, which I know they really enjoy, the girls like being part of a club, a group. They like to go on trips and learn different things and experience things they wouldn’t otherwise.

It’s amazing how attentive they are to different things we introduce them to. For me personally it’s an opportunity to spend time with my kids and their peers and delve into their worlds and see what their minds are thinking. I’m happy to be able to give this experience to my kids. I was never a Girl Scout. In fact I used to tell the other leaders I’m the ’un Girl Scout’ because I don’t like camping, I don’t like hiking, I don’t like arts and crafts. For the first few years I took on more of the administrative rather than hands-on leadership. Now this year my co leader is very quiet and she doesn’t want to lead, so we’ve reversed roles. I was very comfortable in my background kind of role but now I’m the main leader for the Brownies. So when parents say ‘I don’t want to come on this field trip,’ I say, ‘I don’t like hiking or camping or touching spiders either, but it’s the kids’ experience. We do it for them.’ I’m learning to find the joy in what the kids get through the experience of hiking. I’m learning to appreciate those things myself.

alumni events

Alumni Basketball Our basketball tradition has produced some great players, and the high-scoring, fast-paced game on Saturday, January 11, proved that they all still know how to put on a show! Graduates from the Class of 1987 all the way through the Class of 2012 participated, as did a number of AFS staff. The night was capped off in the Stewart Lobby with rounds of hoagies, memories, and a giant basketball-themed cake. Join us next year!

ALUMNI EVENTS

Roo Roundtables A new series of alumni lunches, Roo Roundtables, is bringing AFS alumni back to campus on a regular basis to share stories about their lives and work with our students. Last fall we welcomed Sam Wolf ’00 (pictured above) to campus for a pizza lunch with a group of Upper School students in the new Wilf Learning Center. Sam, who started a business called LuckyVitamin.com at the age of 22 and sold it to GNC eight years later, chatted about his inspiring entrepreneurial journey. “Find something you love and it won’t be work,” advised Sam. “The long hours won’t matter and you’ll be doing it because you genuinely want to.” The acquisition of his company by GNC, he says, allowed him to grow his business in ways he could not have foreseen. Now he oversees and manages LuckyVitamin for GNC, as a subsidiary. “Put together a plan,” said Sam, “but plan to deviate from it. Be agile. React quickly.”

Stewart Rodes ’03 (at right) also visited as part of the series to talk about his work as an intensive care unit nurse in Aurora, Colorado. Stewart talked about the path he followed to become a nurse, giving the assembled students a clear sense of the education and training needed. Responding to students’ questions, Stewart talked about the importance of taking care of oneself in a psychologically and emotionally draining

profession, as well as the importance of listening and communicating well with the doctors he works with. As a nurse on duty the night of the Aurora shootings last summer, Stewart and his colleagues treated more than 20 patients suffering gun shot wounds and other injuries. The experience, though stressful and difficult, brought home to him, he said, the rewards of doing a job you feel passionate about, and doing it well.

New York Alumni Event New York area alumni gathered in January for a cooking class with Philadelphia native Joey Campanaro, chef-owner of Greenwich Village gem The Little Owl. At The Venue—The Little Owl’s private event space—Roos from class years 1957 to 2003 learned how to make Chef Joey’s renowned gravy meatball sliders. After working hard on the dish everyone joined together to eat the delicious results. A wonderful time was had by all. Attendees: Jordan Bastien, Rich Nourie, Jon Harris, Jeanie Engelbach ’86, Robyn Abramson ’70, Adam and Melissa Schorsh ’03, Sally Walker ’57 and George Winship, Susan Rudin ’57, David Mallamud ’93 and Michelle Mallamud, Jarred Kirsch ’90 and Alejandra Kirsch, Sarah Deming ’91.

ALUMNI EVENTS

Alumni Spotlight RACHEL TILDEN ACQUAVIVA ’96

Rachel Acquaviva is the office supervisor for the Southeast regional office for CONCERN, a non-profit community-based child welfare organization dedicated to meeting the needs of abused and neglected children and youth. What does your office do? In our office we place children into foster families throughout the community. The organization was founded in 1978 and we have other sites throughout Pennsylvania. We serve primarily Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, so we have foster families throughout those counties. We’re always looking for good loving foster homes.

You studied art education at Temple after you graduated from AFS. Did you consider that as a career? Yes. I even came back and spent time with [recently retired AFS art teacher] Barb Handler observing her classes. The projects she came up with were amazing and really challenged us creatively. I realized during those classroom observations, though, that art education wasn’t for me. I’ve always liked the administrative side of a job and wanted to combine my passion for kids with my organizational skills and administrative background.

And you’re happy you landed at CONCERN? I’m so happy to have found it. We have about 25 foster families and 50 kids at any

given time. One of CONCERN’s main beliefs when it was founded was that kids would do a lot better living in a home rather than a residential facility. We want to keep them with loving family. As soon as you spend an hour with one of the kids it reenergizes you. I love working in a regional office. I know every one of our foster parents and all the kids. They’re not just faceless names. I know that person and their background and the struggles they’ve faced and the things they’re doing now.

I understand you’re married to a comedian Yes, I took very seriously the advice to marry someone who made me laugh. By day he works for an email marketing company and by night he works as a standup comic at clubs around the area. His name is Anthony Acquaviva and he will be performing at a fundraiser we’re holding for the Southeast region on May 17. He’s called on a lot of his comedian friends to perform, too, so it should be a great night. Website: www.concern4kids.org. Blog: www.concernsoutheast.wordpress.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ConcernSoutheast May 17 Comedy Show Fundraiszer: http://concernsoutheast.eventbrite.com

classnotes From Bruce Stewart, former head of AFS, and Andra Jurist After 52 years of service in the field of education, I have retired and moved to Chattanooga, TN, with my wife, Andra. We chose the location because our three grandsons, ages 13, 12 and 8, are here. We are enjoying the boys, the city and the beauty of living on the Tennessee River looking up at striking mountains. Our daughter and son-in-law are both physicians, with Peter being a native of Chattanooga. The boys attend the school their father and grandfather attended, McCallie. We treasured our years at AFS, and wish all those we knew and with whom we were colleagues and friends the very best in 2013 and beyond.

1940 Jane Foster Rhein managed the heroic feat of getting all eight of her perfectly adorable great-grandchildren together for a photograph. Congratulations on your wonderful family, Jane!

’48 65th reunion Anne Schreiber Collins is working with the Alumni Office to coordinate a reunion for the Class of 1948 in coordination with the May 11 Alumni Day festivities on campus. Please contact her directly or through the Alumni Office for details.

1952

’40 30

CLASSNOTES

Evelyn Steelman Doane writes, “While I am kept very busy as a real estate broker on Cape Cod, I am currently in Naples, Florida, for a few months enjoying the sunshine and playing lots of golf. With the wonders of technology I have sold several homes on the Cape while down here as well as having obtained some listings. I feel so fortunate to be involved in such an exciting profession while having so much fun! If anyone is interested in learning more about the Cape and especially

Reunion note: Attention all classes ending in 3s and 8s – it’s your Reunion Year! Please be sure to keep an eye out for details on the AFS website and in the mail about celebrations on Alumni Day, May 11, 2013. We can’t wait to see you!

Chatham, please visit my website at www.ChathamByTheSeaWithEvelyn.com. We are celebrating our 300th anniversary this year with many activities. The Fourth of July Parade is the quintessential old fashioned small town parade...delightful!”

’53 60th reunion Corinne Roxby is putting together a reunion for the Class of 1953 that will take place on the evening of Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Please contact Corinne directly or the Alumni Office for details. We hope to see those of you in the area at Alumni Day on May 11 as well! Details on AFS website. Registration required.

1955 Joan DePaul West writes, “We are now up to six grandchildren. Three of them are students at Haddonfield Friends School. It seems to be a genetic activity from me to my children to my grandchildren. Peace!”

1957 Class Notes submitted by Liz Cole To begin, happy news. Judy Hawley Hughes was married to Corey Leadbeater on December 27, 2012 and they are living in Upper Black Eddy. Congratulations to them both! Judy has a daughter, Megan, and a son, Sean. Her daughter Heather passed away two years ago. Judy has four grandchildren. Before retiring, she served as community administrator for a large condominium complex, and she is now a volunteer tutor to challenged adults. She works out regularly and says, “Life is good”.

Diana Post has retired as President of the Rachel Carson Council and is now Executive Director. She is excited to report that Roger Christie, Rachel Carson’s adopted nephew, will soon take the President’s chair. She tells us that Roger is committed to Carson’s message and will be a great addition to the Council. Diana will be RCC’s Executive Director until that new position is filled. The Council’s objective is to keep Rachel Carson’s message alive and to assist individuals with pest management while avoiding the use of toxins. Sue Salesky Rudin hosted a luncheon for classmates in New York City this past December. Gwen Gehring, Sally Walker and her friend George Winship enjoyed an extended visit while they watched ice skaters at Rockefeller Center through restaurant windows. To celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary to Jack Rudin earlier last fall, Sue surprised her husband with a flash mob presentation of “New York, New York” in the Apple building plaza. The performance was great fun and attracted a surprised and appreciative audience. Sue has two daughters and five grandchildren, whom she takes to faraway places such as Russia upon their high school graduation. Sue has, for a number of years, been a rope-holder for floats in school graduation. [A correction to a picture caption in the last Oak Leaves. Sigrid Wasum Gilbert ’57 writes, “Hello Jordan, In the photos I sent for the previous issue, adorable Gaby is the petite one (don’t I wish it was me), and I’m the tall one (whenever we were arranged either by height or alphabetical order in school Wasum, Whittlesey, and Wriggins were always at the end of whatever line). Thank you, and I love reading your Oak Leaves. Great job!]

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’58 55th reunion We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

Nancy Dawson is living in France. She recently published an article in the Wall Street Journal about moving to France (her house in Perigord is pictured above).

1960 Wendy Wyatt-Loos writes, “I recently finished a novel written for middle school age children. After the endless editing process has come the nail biting undertaking of acquiring an agent, hopefully to be finalized in publication. FYI–some thinly disguised characters in the book are based on AFS classmates... and teachers! Stay tuned.”

1962 Rebecca Phillips Morehouse writes, “I would love to hear from 1962 classmates. We continue to live in Michigan but escape to sun and palms in February. Steve sails a little in May and October and I have joined

him now and then. Our two sons and their wives are all in Michigan now and we are really enjoying our 3- and 1-year-old grandchildren. We remain active in Ann Arbor Friends Meeting and our Yearly Meeting; I practice gentle yoga; and I think about all I have to do to lighten our load in a big house as we look down the road to a retirement community someday! Fond greetings to my friends and classmates.”

’63 50th reunion We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

Judith Chestnut Fuss writes, “Attention Class of ’63. This year we hit our 50th Reunion mark! Linda Friedrich Fogel and I are putting together plans for a get-together May 10-12. We need you to join us! This is AFS’s designated reunion weekend. Please send either Linda or me your email so we can keep you posted on details of the weekend. Looking forward to seeing all of you in May. Judy Fuss - jfuss148@gmail.com; Linda Fogel - lffogel@comcast.net.”

’68 45th Reunion We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

’73 40th Reunion We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

1975 Sindy Paul and five of the ponies (Chantilly, Moon Comet, Farnley Hi-Li, Squeaky and Crepe Suzette) she rode while at AFS were featured at the United States Hunter and Jumper Association Wheeler Museum Exhibit on “Ponies Through the Decades.” Her pony Chantilly, is a 2013 nominee for the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.

Sindy Paul on Chantilly, the pony nominated for the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.

Dave ‘Daggit’ Thomas is completing his 25th year as a 5th grade science teacher at Friends’ Central School. His wife, Deb Will, also a teacher at Friends’ Central, and he are celebrating their daughter Amy’s first year as a lead teacher of pre-Kindergartners at the Langley School in VA. Twins Rebecca and David are pursuing computer science studies at Harvey Mudd College and supervising at the Ardmore Peace-a-Pizza, respectively. Dave writes “Neal Goren visited with us when he and his family came east for Thanksgiving. It was great to see a close AFS friend again! Best to Everyone!”

1976 After completing graduate degrees in Communications, and Film and Video, Heidi Levine Morein taught a range of college classes, settling just a few miles from AFS to raise sons Julian and Aaron with husband Jonathan, a PR and marketing professional. Heidi has built a fairly high-profile life in community and public service, has been appointed to serve on several boards, and has served as judge and inspector of elections. Tapped by the local Democratic party, she ran for Commissioner in Cheltenham’s 7th ward, losing by only 28 votes (1.8% of votes cast), against a highly entrenched 16-year Republican incumbent. Heidi and Jonathan’s older son Julian

celebrated his bar mitzvah at the home of Marci Abramowitz Goldshlack, surrounded by family and friends. Marci also hosted one of Heidi’s political fundraisers, at which former Congressman Admiral Joe Sestak was a guest and supporter. To the Goldshlacks’ and Moreins’ delight, he lingered long into the evening to chat. The event was put together in part with help from Jared Solomon ’97. The Moreins’ younger son Aaron (poised for his own bar mitzvah this fall) was nominated by his teachers at the Elkins Park School for honors programs in science at Johns Hopkins, and with the Congressional National Young Leaders Conference. Both boys are in Cheltenham’s Cedarbrook Middle School, with Julian to attend Cheltenham High School in the fall. Julian and Aaron both volunteer at the polls, and Julian, dubbed “The Human Phone Bank” at the Elkins Park HQ led by Dan Siegel ’06, distinguished himself by making 1,200 phone calls for Obama and knocking on 100 doors. Heidi stays in close Facebook chat contact with classmates Amy DiMarco, Pat Scott, Lisa Kaplan O’Brien, Judy Rosenau Schwartz, Leeanne Rebic Hay, Andrew Pritzker ’78, among others, and sees Debra Pawluch ’78, Margo Smith ’77 and Peter and Bonnie Schorsch ’75 with some regularity, as well as Marci Goldshlack. Anne Hanson - who attended AFS along with elder sisters Alex Hanson ’74 and Karen Hanson ’72 - visited in December, from Boston. Heidi loves to hear from fellow classmates, and can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn and at waterofleith@aol.com.

’78 35th Reunion The Mighty Class of ’78 happily reunites on May 11 for a boisterous evening romp. For any and all classmates, and for those who knew us well, please join the fun. Contact Andrew Pritzker at qikfingers@aol.com for details.

’75 Melissa Friedman and Sindy Paul at the United States Hunter and Jumper Association Wheeler Museum exhibit “Ponies Through the Decades.”

CLASSNOTES

Nelson File writes, “As some of you might remember, I chose education as my career path after graduating from Hopkins in 1982. I taught Upper School at Friends’ Central for a couple of years, joined the Peace Corps serving in Nepal, got married, earned an MAT at Brown, returned to Friends’ Central

(this time in the Middle School) for three more years before setting out to work abroad. Our family’s journey of working overseas in schools continues with my recent appointment as Head of School at The Friends’ School in Hobart, Australia, starting in January 2013. After a short stint in Kinshasa, Zaire (early 90’s), 11 years in New Delhi, India (at The American Embassy School) and 9 years in Muscat, Oman (at The American International School of Muscat), we are looking forward to returning to a Friends’ school community while still experiencing life abroad.” In 2012 Daniel Stein composed the theme and underscore music for the PBS series “Market Warriors.” In Los Angeles since 1988, Dan co-founded the music production library MusicBox which provides music for “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “Pawn Stars,” and “Parking Wars,” as well as a variety of films and television shows. Recently, MusicBox was purchased by Canada’s largest independent music publisher, Ole Music.

’78

she spent the last few years living in NY with us and we had many opportunities to travel and spend family time together. On a professional note, in 2012, I was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Temple of Understanding, a UN-affiliated NGO supporting multicultural and interfaith dialogue for 50+ years. As Chair of the Marketing Committee, I am the ONLY diversity strategist on the Board. I was also invited to join the Advisory Board of the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC). Jim and I relocated to Philadelphia in February 2013. I am establishing the Greater Philadelphia presence of Next Level USA (www.nextlevel-usa.com), an innovative Swedish firm offering leadership development solutions and executive coaching strategies. As a Senior Leadership Developer and Partner I look forward to expanding our business relationships in the Philadelphia area. I’d love to reconnect with classmates and friends; my personal e-mail address is ellene.felder@gmail.com.”

’83 30th Reunion We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

1984

1979 This past year has been a bittersweet one for Ellene Felder-Scharnott and her husband James Scharnott. Ellene writes: “In June, 2012 we lost my dear mother, Mary Ellen Felder, several months after she suffered a severe stroke. I’m sure many of my classmates (from both AFS and OLDS) will remember her well. Fortunately

Karen Solomon Goodman writes, “We are very excited for our move to Arizona this summer. I have been happily married for 22 years to my amazing husband, Buddy. We have two terrific children, Hannah (18) and Daniel (16). Hannah will be attending ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications in August. Daniel will be in 11th grade and attending Cactus Shadow High School. Come visit!” Nate Balsham writes, “I teach Physics at Bensalem High School and am recently divorced.”

1985 Mark Green writes, “Hello All. I miss my independent school days as I have left The Putney School but have joined up with Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure based in Washington, DC to literally dedicate my life to the cause of finding cures for brain cancer. When I am not on the road I am working from home in Walpole, NH. I am faring well but it’s a tricky cancer. Daughter Hannah is rocking at Northfield Mount Hermon in MA as a junior and younger daughter Libby will attend Putney School or NMH as a freshman. My blog can be found at http://moosevt.wordpress.com. I continue to keep in touch with Ben Barnett, Bill Carr and Jennifer Bornholdt Hammond ’86, who is down the road at Deerfield Academy.

1986 For anyone who missed it in the last Class Notes or in the social media realm, Jenny Bornholdt Hammond and family are still in Western Massachusetts, braving the New England winters. Jenny writes, “I’m in my third year in Alumni Relations at Deerfield Academy. Josh (former AFS ’15) is a sophomore at Deerfield and made the JV Basketball cut, which is no easy feat. Thomas (former AFS ’17) is in eighth grade and plays basketball and, with strong encouragement from his parents, he will be making his debut in the chorus for the spring musical. As always, I try to connect with AFSers when I travel and was able to have coffee with Sean Gale ’86 in LA. And, of course, living closer to mom, my sister, Kristin Bornholdt Collins ’90 and her family in New Hampshire helps us connect during the holidays.

’88 25th Reunion We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

David Leeser left Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC and is now the Chief of Kidney and Pancreas transplantation at the University of Maryland. His children Harry and Lexie are now 17 and 13 and Harris is starting to look at colleges as he finishes his junior year.

1992 Jesse Balcer writes, “I am currently in my 10th season as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Chestnut Hill College. Additionally, I was recently promoted to Associate Director of Athletics. I have a wife, Amy Balcer, of nearly 16 years and three wonderful children named Isabella (15), Jesse Jr. (12) and Angelina (7).”

’92 ’93 20th Reunion Please visit the AFS Class of 1993 group on Facebook to learn about final plans made by your class. We hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

Jeff Greenhouse is living in Hoboken, NJ, with his wife Crystal. They have just welcomed their first child, Tyler Jeffrey Jiang Greenhouse into the world.

1994 April Slavin St. Onge writes, “My husband, Derek, and I will celebrate 13 years of marriage in May. Our two beautiful daughters, Megan (7) and Reese (5), are the light of our lives and enrich our world with humor, silliness, wonder and love. In the fall we welcomed our newest family member, a furry four legged black lab/border collie puppy, who the girls named Eevee Stitch St. Onge. About a year ago, I was given a wonderful opportunity to advance my career by taking an HR Business Partner role with CGI Federal, a government contractor and IT

CLASSNOTES

’94 consulting company, and that has been very rewarding. Derek continues to work as an audio engineer for a news broadcasting network. When we’re not working, we enjoy quality family time, and we recently took a fun filled trip to Walt Disney World which we all loved. Thanks to Facebook, I’ve been keeping up with other AFS Alums. Hope everyone has a great spring and summer!”

in Philadelphia. The movie is currently in post-production looking forward to a holiday release. For more info visit: ARMcinema25.com.

’97

1996 The Alumni Office is pleased to announce that Matthew Pillischer has been chosen to deliver the keynote address at Commencement this year. Congratulations, Matthew, and thank you! All members of the Class of 1996 are cordially invited to attend Commencement as special guests of the Alumni Office. Invitation and details to follow.

1997 2012 was a busy year for Andrew Repasky McElhinney. Dr. McElhinney directed the play, Quaaludes and Champagne at the <fidget> collective. He also continued teaching his popular Rutgers University courses, Sex & Cinema, Modern Horror Movies, Love & Sex in Culture, The Literature of Childhood, and The Psychology of Horror. Over the summer, Dr. McElhinney directed his fifth feature film, Christmas Dreams. An elaborate and visual effects heavy holiday spectacular, Christmas Dreams shot on sound stages for six week and featured over 120 performers in the cast, making it the largest truly independent film ever created

’98 15th reunion Attention Class of ’98: Plans for our 15th reunion are in the works for Saturday, May 11. Join us during the day for a luncheon on campus, followed by drinks and light appetizers at a local venue that evening (adult only). Details will be emailed to the class and posted on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/AfsClassOf1998R eunionPage. Hope to see everyone there! Jill (Paul) Kaplan and Shalimar Reddy This past December Shalimar Reddy and Arienne Thaw-Bolton both had the honor of singing in the Festival Chorus with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops in their annual Holiday Pops Concert series at the Kimmel. Arienne writes, “We sang with a choir that accompanied broadway singer Carpethia Jenkins. This was my 6th year singing with the choir and its was great sharing this experience with a good friend with whom I sang both in middle and high school

chorus.” Shalimar writes, “Thanks to Arienne, who encouraged me to audition, singing has become a part of my life again. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget and hope to be a part of it for years to come.”

Oxford since 2011 and am working on a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. Hopefully after I graduate in 2015 I will be able to find a job close to home and come back to visit AFS more often! I miss you guys!

’00

1999 Michael Grabowski writes, “It’s been a crazy and busy time! Lighting lots of TV and enjoying the fun and fast pace. I spent most of August and all of September on the road-doing national broadcasts from both the RNC and the DNC, then some concerts and theater broadcasts...and right into Election Night coverage! Just when the year seemed to be winding down, I was promoted to Senior Lighting Designer at The Lighting Design Group, as well as given the opportunity to take the lead and be the first new Lighting Designer to work on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve w/ Ryan Seacrest” in 30 years. All of this leads to a busy start of the year: “Nikki & Sara Live” (on MTV), “Failosophy” (on MTV), “For What It’s Worth” (on VH1), and “The Jenny McCarthy Show” (on VH1) are all shows that are just airing or are ongoing for which I’m the series Lighting Designer.”

’99 2000 Ryan Foley writes, “I have been living abroad since 2006, first in Beijing, China, then in Oxford, England, followed by Turin, Italy and Iringa, Tanzania. While I keep wanting to move back to Philadelphia, so many interesting opportunities keep popping up and I can’t say no. I have been back in

spring/summer reunion event and we need your help! Make sure you’re part of our Facebook group (Abington Friends School– Class of 2003) and that we have your email address. We’ll be posting and sending questions and information, so keep your eyes open. In addition to the festivities being planned by Adam, Melissa, Emily, and Ashley, we hope you will join us on campus for Alumni Day on Saturday May 11! Details can be found on the AFS website. Registration required.

2005 2001 Russell Nadel writes, “I’m pleased to announce that my composition “Shabbat Cycle” for high voice and piano has been published by Transcontinental Music Publications and is available for purchase at www.transcontinentalmusic.com! This work won the 2010 Guild of Temple Musicians Young Composers Award a couple years ago, which put it on track for publication. I’m also glad to announce that my compositions “Orchard Sunset” and “Butterfly” will be professionally recorded on CDs to be issued later this year by Apple Orange Pair (New Haven, CT) and the Woodbridge Flute Choir (Woodbridge, VA), and that two choral works for treble voices, “Eldorado” and “Windy Nights,” will be published by Hal Leonard in their well-respected Henry Leck Creating Artistry series. Finally, I’m halfway through my second year teaching at The Potomac School in McLean, VA, as the Middle School Music Teacher, and feel extremely fortunate to have found a teaching position at a school so similar in spirit and values to AFS. Best wishes to all!

’03 10th Reunion Melissa Ward Schorsch writes, “This year we are officially old: It’s our 10-year reunion! A group of us—Adam, Ashley, Emily, and I—are getting things together for a

Alana Blumenthal writes, “I am staying very busy now that my role as Curator of the Loudoun Museum has expanded to include the management of all museum activities and operations. I also recently completed my first book, Images of America: Leesburg Revisited, which is due out in the fall of 2013. Jessica Sanchez and her son Mason Sanchez came to the AFS Alumni Basketball game in January. After attending she wrote “I’d like to think that I learned enough while I was at AFS to instill in Mason a love of learning, respect for self and others, and to always remember the joy of being a kid (just a couple things I learned while I was there).”

’05 Mason Sanchez, 2-year-old son of Jessica Sanchez ’05, lookin’ good in his AFS shirt!

Ariella Singer writes, “Hey AFS! I graduated from Duke University School of Nursing last May and am working as a registered nurse in North Carolina on an oncology unit. I live with my fiancé and we recently adopted our new border-collie-mix-best-friend Cooper.” Brian Lackman writes, “I earned my Masters of Science in Educational Leadership from Oklahoma State University in May and am currently serving as an Area Coordinator as well as the Coordinator for Residential Curriculum for Davidson College, in Davidson North Carolina.”

’08 5th Reunion Attention Class of 2008: It’s time for your 5th Reunion! This year we are trying something different for those alumni celebrating their first milestone reunion, which is to organize an event for your class around Homecoming rather than around Alumni Day. Please keep your eye on the AFS website and Facebook for more details.

Sarah Churchill writes, “I graduated from East Carolina University in December 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. I hope to start a career soon in hospitality design. I have returned to Philadelphia where I live with my fiancé, David Wright. He proposed to me on December 8, 2012, in North Carolina. We currently attend Meeting at Arch Street Friends Meeting House in Center City and we plan to get married in Spring 2014.”

’08 Morgan Pfost writes, “Hello from the Big Easy! Since graduating from Tulane this past May I have stayed on working in the Tulane Athletic Department. We just received big news that Tulane will be joining the Big East

CLASSNOTES

in 2014, joining some teams near AFS such as Temple, Georgetown and Villanova. I love meeting new people every day and am loving living in New Orleans! Shout out to the AFS class of 2008!”

Sarah “Mason” Garrison writes, “I will graduate with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May of 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology.”

program in January 2013 that addressed global challenges through the in-depth, analytic research of key issues and discussions with thought leaders from around the globe. The appointment includes a fully funded 10-week internship to perform global affairs work anywhere in the world during the summer of 2014. Sam was also awarded the Ethel Folger Williams Prize in German and is currently studying in Berlin, through August 2013.”

Rachel Sigman writes that she was accepted as one of five students to Rice University’s Opera Program on a full scholarship and debuted in her first Opera in November.

Jacob McEntire writes, “I spent this past summer in Nairobi, Kenya, working as an intern for a biogas startup company. It was pretty sweet!”

2009 Mariah Rose Butler writes “I have been living in Beijing, China for almost 6 months teaching English to adorable little preschool students. The job takes up most of my time and energy, but it is totally worth it. The kids are adorable and so smart! It’s been a lot of fun. Living in Beijing has been a challenge, with the recent pollution spikes and the overall crowded, dirty atmosphere of the city. But, while the culture here is very different from Elkins Park, PA, it is also very different from the picture that the American media paints of China. I have really appreciated the opportunity to see China through the eyes of a local Beijinger. I will be returning to the States in a few months to decide what comes next! I have a little bit more adventure in me before returning to school in Philly and finishing up my degree. Teaching English in a beachside town in Costa Rica, maybe, since that would be very different than spending a freezing cold, polluted winter in this concrete jungle. I hope all is well at good old AFS. I plan to be home from March/April until July/August, and I will definitely be stopping by to say hello.

2010 Samantha Burke’s mom, Marji, writes, “Sam was named a Fellow of the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Cultural Affairs at Wellesley College. She participated in an intensive, three-week interdisciplinary

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2011 Laura Michaels is currently majoring in English and minoring in History at Mount Holyoke College. Next year, she plans to study abroad at Queen Mary University in London, England. In her down time, Laura is writing her first novel. Sasha Lishansky writes, “My best friend Susie Meyer is starting a Latin Dance club at Colgate!”

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.

Upcoming Alumni Events Arbor Day: May 3, 2013. Planting trees, maypole and Morris dancing. Alumni Day: May 11, 2013. Honoring class years ending in 3 and 8. Please visit the AFS website, www.abingtonfriends.net, for additional event details. Commencement: June 12, 2013. All alumni may attend to celebrate our newest alumni. Keynote speaker: Matthew Pillischer ’96. Questions? Please contact Jordan Bastien, Director of Alumni Relations at jbastien@abingtonfriends.net or 215-576-3966. Have you joined the AFS Facebook Group “Alumni of Abington Friends School” yet? It’s easy and it’s a great way to stay informed about alumni events and to stay in touch with your classmates. Join today!

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Calendar Highlights Upper School Concert

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Arbor Day

Friday, May 3, 2013

Alumni Day

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Middle School Choral and Instrumental Concert

Wednesday, May 23, 2013

Early Childhood and Lower School Spring Program

Friday, June 7, 2013

Baccalaureate

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Commencement

Wednesday, June 12, 2013