DERRYFIELD TODAY 2020
NEWS FROM THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL
ACADEMIC VISION
EQUITY & BELONGING
THINKING FORWARD
21st Century Skills & Multimodal Learning
A Call to Action
Honoring 2nd Generation Visionaries
IN FOCUS IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC, DERRYFIELD’S MASCOT, MOOSE THE COUGAR, TOOK COUNTLESS TRIPS TO SPREAD SOCIALLY DISTANCED, SAFE JOY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. HERE, MOOSE VISITS BOARD CHAIR BRAD BENSON ’78 AT HIS STORE, BENSON LUMBER & HARDWARE, TO KICK OFF THE #DERRYFIELDCARES CAMPAIGN.
contents DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
Message from the Head .............. 2 campus notes Classroom ................................... 4 Philanthropy and Leadership................................... 6 Art................................................ 8 Athletics ....................................... 12 Breakthrough Manchester .......... 18
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Class of 2020............................... 20 Annual Report ............................. 48 alumni news Class Notes ................................. 60 In Memoriam ............................... 68 Life After Derryfield...................... 72 Giving Profile .............................. 73
DERRYFIELD TODAY Dawn Kilcrease, Editor Director of Marketing & Communications Annie Branch, Designer/Photographer Director of Digital Communications Contributing Writers Katherine Lynch ’10 Brian Handwerk P ’24, P ’26 Dawson Shyne Julia Ladd The Derryfield School is a coeducational, non-sectarian, college-preparatory day school currently serving 390 students in grades 6–12 from over 50 communities.
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The mission of The Derryfield School is to inspire bright, motivated young people to be their best and provide them with the skills and experiences needed to be valued, dynamic, confident, and purposeful members of any community.
EQUITY & BELONGING
Derryfield Today is published by The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at 603.669.4524, ext. 2201 or send an email to dkilcrease@derryfield.org. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director of Marketing & Communications The Derryfield School 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104
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For more information about the School, please visit our website at derryfield.org.
COVER PHOTO:
A Google Meet patchwork quilt of the many highlights of 2020. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD 2019–2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mary Halpin Carter Head of School Bradley Benson ’78 Chair Christine Cikacz Vice Chair Shannon McGinley Secretary Neal Winneg ’78 Treasurer Lori Evans Alderin ’00 Stephen Carter Sheila DeWitt Kelley Gage Sally B. Green Lauren J. Hines Steve Johnson William Kelsey Susan Rand King ’81 James R. Lamp Paul J. Leyden Harold Losey Emily R. Newick ’97 Jamie Pagliocco E. Charles Sanborn David A. Thirkill Garvin Warner TRUSTEES EMERITUS Ellie Cochran ’69 David Lockwood Pam VanArsdale Bill Zorn
LEADERSHIP Mary Halpin Carter Head of School Susan Grodman Associate Head of School
PHILANTHROPY & ENGAGEMENT Anna Moskov Director of Philanthropy and Engagement Jenna Bee Philanthropy Advisor Greg Lange Alumni and Engagement Manager Jennifer Lorrain Director of The Derryfield Fund and Alumni Relations Jordan Cady Philanthropy Office Coordinator
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he 2019–2020 school year was one to remember; and if we had a professional archivist on staff, that scholar could write a book just on this piece of Derryfield’s history. We shared so much to celebrate and savor, from the opening of our three new facilities to the life’s work of Dennis Holland to the resilient creativity of our faculty and staff who turned Derryfield into a virtual school almost overnight in response to COVID-19. I remain awestruck by the spirit, connection, and generosity of every member of the Derryfield community. What a blessing and a privilege it is to be part of this group. In September 2019 we unveiled a new academic program vision, a new daily schedule to support it, and a plethora of new programs and classes. We replaced our entire AP curriculum with our custom designed Advanced Topics curriculum. We welcomed students to our new Science & Innovation Center, Athletics & Wellness Center, and a marvelous new tennis complex. The pace of the day was calmed, leaving more room for passion pursuits in the form of Exploration classes ranging from beekeeping to podcasting to personal finance to rugby. By the end of the winter term, though, there were increasing signs of the impending global pandemic. In typical Derryfield fashion our leadership team had a plan in place in a matter of days and our outstanding faculty and staff accepted the challenge with grace and consistent excellence. The next big hurdle was the ongoing work of connecting with our students and families and keeping that Derryfield community spirit alive. We accomplished this with virtual meetups, advisories, and community meetings. Our events were adapted to webinar formats and we had Senior Celebration, Eighth Grade Send Off, and more. We reached out with Fireside Chats to stay connected with our families, and our Thursday Night Live webinar series for college admissions gained a national audience. We visited eighth graders and seniors at their homes with celebratory lawn signs and gifts. During the summer we conducted Listening Sessions with different alumni, students, faculty, staff, and parents in order to better understand the racial reckoning unfolding in our cities and towns and Derryfield’s role in it.
Amidst all of this, our Thinking Forward campaign concluded, having transformed the culture of philanthropy at Derryfield. Thank you to all of our trustees, donors, volunteers and alumni. You have made the Derryfield campus an even more extraordinary place for the countless young people who call it home. The 2020–2021 school year is in full swing. We were open every day of the fall term to all the students who chose to attend on campus and the 30+ who attend virtually. Our leadership team and Board of Trustees spent the spring and summer planning for a safe reopening. Our teachers and staff have been tireless in their efforts to uphold our School’s educational quality even as the pandemic morphs around us. While reinventing almost every aspect of operations, we have also set our sights on the many bright prospects ahead for Derryfield. A young alumna, who is taking a gap year from her university to help Derryfield as a teaching assistant, told me that there was nowhere she would rather be this year. When she thinks of community, she thinks of Derryfield. True, our masks, spacing and sanitizing are odd. But I wish you all could spend the day on campus to feel that the spirit of hope and unity is alive and well here, maybe made even stronger by our students’ appreciation for all they have here. I hope you enjoy this issue of Derryfield Today and I invite you to follow us on social media to brighten your days. Warmly,
Mary Halpin Carter, Ph.D., P ’13, P ’16, P ’18 Head of School
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THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL 2019-2020: A Year in Review
20 New Advanced Topics Courses
CHUTES AND LADDERS® D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
campus notes CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HONORED FOR DESIGN INNOVATION
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ver the course of nearly 17 months, Derryfield School partnered with Eckman Construction to completely revitalize major areas of campus. The two groups shared a vision of changing the old athletics area into a student-driven innovation center, while moving sports and wellness to a brand new building on the former site of the tennis courts. These two projects for Derryfield, the Athletics & Wellness Center and Science & Innovation Center, required the collaboration of experts at Eckman Construction with the Derryfield team, including CFO Scott McPherson and Director of Facilities Alex Vazquez. The project benefited from the inside perspective of Eckman vice president and Derryfield alumnus Preston Hunter ’98. “It was great to be able to work with the staff and board members. We really understood the culture of the school. We knew the people and had those relationships.” Unlike many construction projects witnessed in the New England region, the Derryfield/Eckman partnership not only accomplished its goals to breathe life into two vital areas of student involvement, but did so under budget and ahead
of schedule. Due to the superior execution of the proposals by Eckman Construction, the partnership decided to submit the Athletics & Wellness Center and Science & Innovation Center projects for the 2020 Excellence in Construction Awards, a yearly honor given by builders in the NH and VT chapters for various categories associated with the field. The submission from the Derryfield/Eckman partnership competed in the design-build category, which is given based on a few merits: the performance of the construction manager, the type of project, size and scope, the needs that it met for the owner, and the owner’s satisfaction with the overall project. Jarod Cain, the marketing manager for Eckman Construction, spent the better part of the last few months organizing and progressing through the submission process. It is with great pleasure that we announce that the partnership between Eckman and The Derryfield School has received the Excellence in Construction 2020 award for the design-build category.
Maker space
Science lab
Gymnasium
Athletic & Wellness Center 4
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Weight room
FACULTY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED FOR LEADERSHIP & ENGAGEMENT IN EDUCATION
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s Derryfield blazes new trails in developing a 21st century teaching and learning model, the teachers driving the innovation continue to rise above their peers in schools across the country. This past summer, two of those faculty members received special annual awards from Online Education Strategies for Independent Schools (OESIS) for leadership and engagement in their respective areas, as well as participation in classes from the program. OESIS is a network of over 600 independent schools and thousands of faculty brought together for the purpose of 21st century adaptation within schools through innovation of pedagogy, engagement, curriculum, and culture. Among the sea of involved and enthusiastic educators in OESIS, Derryfield’s Lindley Shutz and Samantha Mandeville stood out as worthy of special commendation by the organization. As Assistant Head for Academic Programs, Lindley has helped lead Derryfield in the process of reviewing and redesigning curriculum to ensure that all students are equipped with the necessary skills for success in the rapidly changing 21st century. Although she remains humble about her own influence in the process, Lindley proudly wrote an article for the OESIS magazine, Intrepid, last May focused entirely on her fellow Derryfield
teachers and their “unabashed ambition and joy in improving student learning.” This ambition has led to a culture of learning in Derryfield that is “meaningful, relevant, and transformative” under the guidance of Lindley Shutz. For these efforts and all her contributions during this past summer’s online OESIS classes, Lindley received the annual award for “the Academic Administrator whose leadership is able to implement the school’s vision for innovative learning to program, faculty, and students while generating engagement and enthusiasm.”
the PBL pathway opened the door to numerous possibilities for creating a more authentic learning environment, which she then brought back to Derryfield to invigorate students. If you walked into a geography class taught by Ms. Mandeville, you would be greeted by activities such as a map skill unit transformed into a zombie apocalypse unit that entertains while educating students on the movement and spread of disease. This engaging, applicable, and authentic approach to curriculum by Samantha demonstrated to OESIS and her peers at Derryfield that she was well deserving of the Intrepid Innovator Award.
Meanwhile, in the front lines of first upper and then middle school history classrooms, Samantha Mandeville has worked tirelessly to promote an educational environment steeped in the understanding of “why [students] are learning the content.” Samantha summed up her reasoning best when she explained, “the skills developed in social studies are immediately applicable to the ‘outside world,’ whether it’s analysis of news, communication skills between people, or expressing empathy towards one another.” Over the summer, Samantha tackled three of the classes offered through the OESIS program: Introduction to Flex-Blended Learning, Critical Thinking and Argumentation, and the Introduction to PBL Pathway. According to her,
Samantha Mandeville
MOCK TRIAL CLUB ENJOYS CONTINUED SUCCESS
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hile the Mock Trial Club has had a presence in the Upper School for a few years, the team has found success under the leadership of a strong group of upper classmen and the guidance of Political Science teacher Mary Karlin and Global Issues teacher Ryan Tanner-Read. The Mock Trial format matches teams of Prosecuting Attorneys and witnesses against opposing teams of Defense Attorneys and witnesses. These teams are judged by a panel of adults, many of whom actively practice law. The experience combines debate skills with improv
acting skills in a courtroom simulation that keeps all participants on their toes. The Derryfield team typically travels to the Yale Invitational, and later competes in the New Hampshire Invitational Tournament, held this year at Souhegan High School. This year, Derryfield secured its spot in the roster of competition awards, with Nat Pagliocco ’21 and Ruthie Zolla ’21 each earning “Best Witness” among dozens of witnesses from around the state. These awards were particularly gratifying, as this was the last time that Nat and Ruthie could compete in Mock Trial at the high school
level. The club concluded its season at the capstone “States” competition—the most rigorous competition of the trial year—in February.
Derryfield Mock Trial participants at the New Hampshire Invitational Tournament. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
PHILANTHROPY & LEADERSHIP NEW AND DEPARTING BOARD MEMBERS
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he Derryfield School’s 2020-2021 Board of Trustees will be led by Bradley Benson ’78 as Chair, Christine Cikacz as Vice Chair, Shannon McGinley as Secretary, and Neal Winneg ’78 as Treasurer. The School is pleased to welcome new members to the Board and extends a thank you to our departing board members for their dedication and service. NEW TRUSTEES Brent Powell: Brent is no stranger to Derryfield, having worked here from 2002–2019, and his three children Charlotte, Isabel, and Henry all attended Derryfield for middle school. His thoughtful and organized approach elevated the Derryfield curriculum, bringing innovation, project based learning, and a new schedule to best serve the community. As a member of the leadership team, he always led by example and was the first Derryfield teacher to teach an online Malone course. What he learned through that experience, and shared with other faculty members, is now a cornerstone of our academic program! We look forward to having his wisdom and expertise on the Board.
Renee Dudley: Renee has been a dedicated parent volunteer and community member since her oldest, Nate, joined Derryfield in the middle school. Her coordination of Grand Friends’ Day, the Back to School picnic, and many other social events, has helped to welcome hundreds of new families to Derryfield. And as a registered nurse, she has partnered with Derryfield for years as a substitute nurse. We are thrilled to have Renee’s professional expertise on the Board, along with her natural ability to bring the community together and have fun! DEPARTING TRUSTEES Paul Leyden, 2010–2020: During his tenure on the board Paul demonstrated his leadership in innumerable ways. He was Board Chair, and served tirelessly on the Governance and Campaign Steering Committees. Even after his daughters Meredith ’11 and Charlotte ’16 graduated, Paul and his wife Lauren could be found at community events, plays, and house parties. In every meeting he attended, Paul asked good questions, helped solve problems, and
brought his warm personality to build consensus and a path forward. The Thinking Forward campaign would not have been possible without his leadership! Chuck Sanborn, 2011–2020: Since joining the Derryfield community in 1975, Chuck has served in just about every role at the School: faculty, Head of School, college counselor, parent, alumni parent, trustee and more. With a wealth of institutional knowledge, Chuck is an amazing Derryfield historian and archivist, and a longstanding library volunteer. As a trustee Chuck chaired the Breakthrough Ad-Hoc Committee and more recently served on the Philanthropy & Engagement Committee. He was awarded the 2019 Cikacz Family Philanthropy Award, a fitting tribute to his dedication and gifts to the School.
CIKACZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPY AWARD
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Charles Sanborn was honored as the 2019 recipient of the Cikacz Family Philanthropy Award at the annual Leadership Reception last September. Beginning at Derryfield in 1975, Mr. Sanborn spent the next 28 years serving as a humanities faculty member, department head, college counselor, coach, advisor and acting Head of School. Once retired, he continued to volunteer in the Milne Library and served as a trustee from 2011 to 2020. When introducing him at the event, Chris Cikacz P’08 highlighted Chuck’s continued involvement and devotion to Derryfield even in retirement; his willingness to always lend a helping hand, and his commitment to elevating philanthropy at Derryfield. In her remarks honoring Chuck, Head of School Mary Halpin Carter noted, “he created the culture that exists here at Derryfield, where Derryfield is so authentic and pure of heart.” 6
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Chuck and Wendy Sanborn with their family at the Leadership Donor Party. Established in 2017, The Cikacz Family Philanthropy Award is awarded annually to a person or family in our community who through their philanthropy is committed to transforming Derryfield and paying it forward to the next generation.
FOUNDERS’ DAY MOVES ONLINE
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ith Derryfield going virtual this past spring, a new format was needed for numerous events, including Founders’ Day. In this year’s virtual assembly, Derryfield students heard from Merv Weston, one of Derryfield’s Founders, and Julia Tilton ’20, the 2019 Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar, who introdued Katharine Gage ’21 as the 2020 Founders’ Scholar. Mr. Weston, who is now 97 years old, spoke in a video about his role in the founding of Derryfield and about the early days of the School, when it consisted of rented classrooms at the Manchester Boys’ Club downtown and a handful of faculty members. He remarked upon the School’s growth over the years and the wonderful community it has become, saying “Today, Derryfield is an amazing School. We are very proud of it and I have to attribute this to Phil Hugny [Derryfield’s first Headmaster], Peter Freedman, and his wife Eleanor. I am constantly amazed at what happened to the little Derryfield School that we started.” Additionally, Mr. Weston noted his involvement alongside Peter Freedman in the founding of the Manchester, NH chapter of the NAACP, showing Derryfield’s commitment since its founding to social justice. “I was very active at that time in the civil rights movement. The same people who worked with me on civil rights also got involved in becoming donors to The Derryfield School.”
DAY OF CARING Julia Tilton ’20 gave her Founders’ Scholar Address, focusing on the value of kindness. She spoke of her experiences at Derryfield, noting that “At Derryfield kindness often occurs in the classroom, a setting where we are taught that debates can be civil and disagreements can be respectful. Over the years I’ve found that even when debates get heated, my peers still find the courage to be considerate.” Julia also spoke of her experiences as an athlete and of the times when “kindness emerged from more unexpected places here at Derryfield.” Describing her freshman lacrosse season, she said she spoke very little all season and, feeling intimidated by the older players, didn’t have a lot of confidence. She continued, “As I think back to that season, I remember the acts of kindness that illuminated those days, like bright flames. Kindness, I learned that season, is not always easy. Sometimes it means going out of your way and stretching beyond the confines of your comfort zone. But making that choice...can make all the difference to someone, whether you know it or not.” Julia then introduced Katharine Gage ’21 as the 2020 Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar. Katharine is a member of the varsity Field Hockey, Nordic Skiing, and Track teams; is involved in environmental causes on and off campus; has written for Lamplighter; and has wowed audiences at the annual Talent Show with her skills on a unicycle.
When COVID-19 arrived in New Hampshire, so many in the Derryfield community transitioned into roles of serving others. Derryfield received dozens of stories of current families, alumni, and friends who were caring for the broader community, family members, and each other. In an effort to uplift our community and celebrate our core value of CARING, we hosted a digital Derryfield Day of Caring on April 22. Using an online platform, the Derryfield family shared stories of caring, created videos and written messages of encouragement for our graduating seniors and faculty, and supported a student-led mask making initiative. In addition, we hosted a “Gifts From the Heart” auction that included special items such as honey from the Derryfield beehives, music lessons, and homemade essentials. All auction proceeds were directed to student subsidies. Apart from the auction, nearly 90 donors donated approximately $24,000 to The Derryfield Fund.
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CREATIVE ARTS
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he fall theatre season kicked off with a successful production of Disney’s Frozen Jr. The show utilized the acting, singing, and dancing talents of 35 students, as well as seven more who comprised the amazing crew. All of their hard work paid off with robust ticket sales, resulting in large, enthusiastic crowds attending both performances. Continuing a tradition for Derryfield sixth graders, the fall performing arts class, a requirement of the curriculum, put on a classic, How to Eat Like a Child. Many students had never performed on stage, but several were won over by the experience. The upper school musical was a dance-intensive production of Legally Blonde. All signs pointed to a successful run when the show opened to a nearly sold out boisterous and enthusiastic crowd. The momentum carried through the weekend with near sold out shows and rousing standing ovations for the immensely talented cast. Behind the scenes, the backstage crew was equally key to the success of the show, executing flawless transitions.
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D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CREATIVE ARTS WAR OF THE WORLDS
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aculty, staff, students, and families have re-engineered many parts of their lives this spring, and the Derryfield Performing Arts Department is no exception. The 13-student cast of Twelve Angry Jurors met for one rehearsal before Spring Break and expected to resume when they returned to campus. As we know, that return did not occur, but that didn’t stop the Derryfield Players from creating another masterpiece. As soon as they heard they wouldn’t be back on campus after break, Performing Arts Chair Bill Westenberg and the students rallied around an alternate plan: a radio broadcast of H.G. Welles’ War of the Worlds. The broadcast was envisioned, developed, and performed as an adaptation of Orson Welles’ classic broadcast, which was famous for catching many of its listeners off guard when it originally aired in 1938.
Mr. Westenberg reports that the students “immediately and enthusiastically accepted the opportunity to learn something new and went about it with the same energy, creativity, discipline and diligence that they would have for Twelve Angry Jurors.” Members of the cast acknowledge that their first foray into the world of voice acting was challenging, but very rewarding. In a time where they were missing their teachers and classmates, the students were grateful to connect and collaborate on a project that brought so much joy to the community. The performance aired on Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m., via the Anchor platform, in living rooms across Southern New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and beyond. “The show was received enthusiastically by the listening audience,” Mr. Westenberg says, “and we've been asked if we will do more radio productions!” Stay tuned!
THE CREATIVE ARTS FIND ANOTHER HOME IN NEW COMMUNITY SPACE
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creative arts have always been front and center at Derryfield, both in the curriculum as well as the physical spaces on campus. Students walk through the Lyceum Gallery on their way to classes every day and see their peers' work there on a regular basis. So it was no surprise that the Innovation Loft in the new Science & Innovation Center was only open a few weeks before it hosted its first Pop Up Art Show.
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VISUAL ARTS IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
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t’s March 2020. Students head home for the last time this school year. Teachers scramble nationwide to adjust lesson plans for online learning. Zoom becomes the newest phenomenon in education. Meanwhile, the Visual Arts Department at Derryfield brainstorms unique ways to continue teaching students and providing them the opportunity to express creativity while remote. Becky Barsi, Chair of the Visual Arts Department, worked overtime with fellow middle and upper school teachers Martha Roberts and Rebecca Karp to invent new methods of Visual Arts education to keep students engaged at home. Unlike certain school subjects, Visual Arts historically requires access to materials, handson teaching, and exhibitions to showcase artwork all in person. In order to pivot to online learning last Spring, Becky Barsi and her colleagues became masterminds of outside-the-box thinking. Even before the students went remote, the department provided home art kits for painting. Along with those prepared art kits, teachers got creative with assigning projects that could use a variety of materials. In one of her sixth grade classes, Ms. Karp had students do a project in which they explored Andy Goldsworthy while using existing recycled materials that could be found in their homes. Ms. Barsi encouraged students to participate in a challenge posted by the Getty Museum where they had to find an image on the museum’s website and recreate it using materials found around the house. Online exhibitions of artwork became the preferred method for the Visual Arts Department to showcase the creativity of the community. With extra effort last spring, Ms. Barsi was able to set up a Google site as an online exhibition for Visual Arts students, and she plans to continue this throughout the year. Since in-person gatherings remain unavailable this school year, the three department visionaries put together a semi-annual Derryfield Creates exhibition which is usually held every few years. Regarding this event, Ms. Barsi explained that “We request our
community members to show us how you are creating.” This collaboration effort became the website Derryfield Creates 2020, which features all sorts of original, inventive endeavors from the past year. As Derryfield turned its gaze towards the fastapproaching winter and a return to remote learning, Ms. Barsi said the biggest difference compared to the spring was having more time to prepare. Every student in winter term art classes had art kits to take home before Thanksgiving break began. She invested in document cameras and ring lights so that students can view live demonstrations and then apply their knowledge and work independently. This allows the teachers to hop around to each student in breakout rooms to do individual check-ins and critiques. Last March, many schools nationwide were caught unprepared, and even canceled their arts programing, but Derryfield’s Visual Arts department adapted quickly. In preparing to return to a virtual model this winter, our program may look a bit different, but we are excited that our students have the opportunity for creative expression.
Ms. Barsi hosted Open Studios on her Google handle.
Exhibits from the Derryfield Creates website.
The sixth grade ukelele class performed for a virtual community meeting. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ATHLETICS
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beautiful start to the fall helped our field hockey team to another final four run after winning the regular season title. Coach McCaigue in his last year as head coach, and senior All-American and Michigan recruit Lindsey Stagg, helped to guide the team to another really successful season. The golf team also found success going 30–0, winning the D-III state title at the Mount Washington Course in Bretton Woods. Seniors Colin McCaigue (Middlebury College) and Gunnar Senatore (Hamilton College) led the team to victory. Not to be outdone, the boys’ cross country team won the Granite State Conference Championship for the second year in a row, both our boys’ and girls’ soccer teams made it back to the playoffs in D-III, and the rowing team took home medals from New Hampshire Championships.
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FALL SPORTS Field Hockey (15-1-1): D-II Semi-Finalist CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Lindsey Stagg ’20 Lindsey Stagg ’20: 2ND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN, D-II ALL-STATE (1ST TEAM), D-II PLAYER OF YEAR; SENIOR TWIN STATE TEAM Isabella Matarese ’20: D-II ALL-STATE (2ND TEAM), D-II SENIOR ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM Anna Quinn ’20: D-II SENIOR ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM Charlotte Gleichauf ’21: D-II ALL-STATE (1ST TEAM) Crew: New Hampshire Championships 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Rylan Morgan ’21 and Ian Gargasz ’21 Rylan Morgan ’21, Ian Gargasz ’21: JUNIOR BOYS' DOUBLE, 2ND Place Andrew Leblanc ’21: JUNIOR BOYS' SINGLE, 1ST Place Henry Howe ’20, Rylan Morgan ’21, Ian Gargasz ’21, Charles Renvyle ’21, Aaron Agulnick ’20: JUNIOR BOYS' FOUR, 3RD Place Golf (30-0): D-III State Champions CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Ryan Santosuosso ’20 Colin McCaigue ’20: D-III PLAYER OF YEAR, D-III ALL-STATE (1ST TEAM) Gunnar Senatore ’20: D-III ALL-STATE (1ST TEAM) Madison Molina ’22: D-III ALL-STATE (3rd TEAM) Sam Hines ’23: D-III ALL-STATE (3rd TEAM) Boys’ Soccer (6-9) CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Brady McGinley ’20 Girls’ Soccer (6-9-1) CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Olivia Strong ’20 and Zoe Cousineau ’20 Boys’ Cross Country: Granite State Conference D-IV, 1st Place CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Lucas Gendron ’21 Eric Chapdelaine ’20: GRANITE STATE CONF. ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM Girls’ Cross Country: CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Emma Pyles ’20
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ATHLETICS
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WINTER SPORTS Boys’ Basketball (13-10): D-IV Quarter-Finalist CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Ridge Gonzalez ’20 and Colin McCaigue ’20 Max Byron ’20: D-IV ALL-STATE (2ND TEAM); Scored 1000th point Girls’ Basketball (13-5): D-IV Quarter-Finalist CLASS OF 1970 AWARDS: Olivia Strong ’20 Emmy Plage ’21: D-IV ALL-STATE (1ST TEAM) Shawna Lesmerises ’21: D-IV ALL-STATE (HM) Alpine Skiing: Boys 4th, Girls 5th in D-IV CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Sophie Brandt ’20 and Henry Howe ’20 Hailey Ramundo ’23, Frankie Brandt ’21, Logan Goldberg ’23 and Henry Howe ’20: MEET OF CHAMPIONS Nordic Skiing: Boys 3rd, Girls 3rd in D-IV CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Emma Pyles ’20 and Andrew Watson ’21 Katherine Gage ’21: TEAM NH EASTERNS Swimming: Girls 4th in D-III CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Kyra Chen ’20 and Natalie Young ’20 Kyra Chen ’20: STATE MEET, 50 FREESTYLE, 1ST PLACE Ice Hockey (13-4-1): D-III Semi-Finalists CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Ryan Caparrelli ’21 Gymnastics Emma Ward ’20: ALL AROUND, 6TH; BEAM, 6TH PLACE; BARS, 5TH PLACE
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ATHLETICS
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OVID-19 couldn’t stop our athletes from building and preparing for brighter days. Each of our upper school teams continued to meet weekly where athletes participated in physical challenges and improved their knowledge of their individual sports. Most of all, our dedicated coaches adapted to a new athletic landscape which made the traditional way of coaching temporarily impossible and created new and innovative ways to still deliver content, skills and fun to their athletes. As a community many of our faculty, students and parents also participated in weekly live workouts classes and our 30 Days to Fitness challenge.
Many senior athletes had surprise deliveries, despite not being able to compete in the spring.
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SPRING SPORT AWARDS Boys’ Tennis CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Tyler Critz ’20 Girls’ Tennis CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Caroline Desmarais ’20 Boys’ Lacrosse CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Matt Weimer ’20 Girls’ Lacrosse CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Olivia Strong ’20 Crew CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Andrew Leblanc ’21 Baseball CLASS OF 1970 AWARD: Ridge Gonzales ’20
COLLEGE ATHLETES Nine Derryfield seniors signed letters of intent to play their sport for their chosen colleges: Lindsey Stagg, University of Michigan, Field Hockey Jacob Scholten, Bentley University, Lacrosse Gunnar Senatore, Hamilton College, Golf Colin McCaigue, Middlebury College, Golf Natalie Young, Bates College, Swimming Leya Wang, Carnegie Mellon University, Volleyball Kyra Chen, New York University, Swimming Zoe Cousineau, United States Coast Guard Academy, Soccer Emma Pyles, Connecticut College, Cross Country
END-OF-YEAR AWARDS COACHES’ AWARD Olivia Strong ’20, Colin McCaigue ’20
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Katharine Gage ’19, Max Byron ’20
INDEPENDENT SPORT AWARD Emma Ward ’20: GYMNASTICS Leya Wang ’20: VOLLEYBALL
LAMPLIGHTER AWARD Emma Pyles ’20, Ridge Gonzales ’20
KEN PIATT AWARD Lindsey Stagg ’20
SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD Anna Quinn ’20, Tyler Critz ’20
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
BREAKTHROUGH’S EPIC VIRTUAL SUMMER!
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reakthrough’s spirit persevered despite the odds working against us with the onset of COVID-19; Breakthrough, like Derryfield, was able to pivot to a virtual program. In partnership with the Breakthrough National Collaborative and The Derryfield School, we brought our students an epic summer of virtual programming and community building. We were there for our students and families when they needed us most! The academically rigorous six-week summer program is the foundation of Breakthrough’s six year, tuition free, college access program. Each week was filled with four mornings of academic adventures in a synchronous classroom ranging from chemistry labs on water pollution to literature debates featuring the characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun. Every Friday brought virtual community building activities and friendly competition including some time honored favorites like Olympics day, the Boston field trip, and visits to colleges such as Cornell, Duke, and UVM. Every day was bookended with advisory, where students and Teaching Fellows connected and were able to laugh, listen, and learn together. Our Teaching
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Fellows—students themselves and primarily education majors from colleges across the country—are role models for success and not only empower our students with academic skills, but also build leadership, resilience, advocacy, and perseverance. Here are some of the declarations of appreciation shared by students and families: ■ “Everyone is a teacher and a student here; how
you teach is completely different from how you learn to teach.” –Mia
■ “I learned that there are always people at
Breakthrough, even when it is online, that will always be by my side and I will be by their side when we are down.” –Kim
■ Seattle, a 9th grade student, thanked
Breakthrough for being synchronous this summer! This was not the case at middle school, but during the summer Breakthrough was live for her every day.
■ The mother of 7th grader Santiago shared the
favorite part of her day was overhearing the end of day advisory and thanked us not only for
the patience of our Teaching Fellows, but even more importantly, the laughter that resonated from her son’s room as she herself worked remotely. ■ “My proudest moment of the summer is
speaking up because I did not really speak out at the beginning of the summer, but now I am not afraid to speak out.” –Bayleigh
■ A grandmother and guardian shared, “This
year, I’ve seen my child thrive, push herself to do things that she would usually be so shy of doing which made her stronger, bolder, and believing in doing anything she works hard for, chasing her dreams. YOU, Breakthrough, the student relationships, and community is what makes it worth it. You have made a positive difference and made us prioritize what is most important...family, community, beliefs, hope, and...Breakthrough!”
■ “All online schools should really be like this—
Breakthrough has hands down the best program!” –Pharell
■ “Breakthrough is like the night sky, there are
so many shining stars in it!” –Yakira
BREAKTHROUGH COLLEGE-BOUND’S FIRST GRADUATING CLASS!
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our years ago, Breakthrough Manchester partnered with Southern New Hampshire University to expand our three-year program and create a six-year seamless path to college for our students. The spring of 2020 brought our program full circle as we recognized our first class of graduating high school seniors, a number of whom were honored to speak at their respective graduations! We are thrilled with the outcomes of our College-Bound Pioneers! These nine seniors submitted 83 applications to 46 different colleges and received 63 acceptances. Each of these students was accepted into at least three schools! ALL of our seniors are now beginning their journeys as college freshmen! Their potential is inspiring! They exude the spirit of Breakthrough and we can’t wait to track their college successes and how they make their marks on the world beyond!
Join us! Take a virtual look at a summer day at Breakthrough: https://vimeo.com/442137376 D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
class of 2020
COMMENCEMENT 2020: HOW TO SCIENCE THE SHAVING CREAM OUT OF A PROBLEM
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eave it to Commencement Faculty Speaker, 24-year Derryfield science faculty veteran, and proud papa, Jeff Cousineau (Zoe ’20) to pull in science and movie references to describe qualities that the Class of 2020 will need in the future. Jeff said to the graduates, “If you want something, you have to do the work. There will be setbacks, but you will need to keep moving forward. That is having grit. Just like NASA astronaut Mark Whatnay in the movie The Martian. When faced with his dire situation, Whatnay says, ‘I’m left with only one option, I am gonna have to science the shaving cream out of this.’” For those who were present at commencement on August 1, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. on a warm turf field, Cousineau’s comments struck multiple chords. We all need some grit. COVID-19 had shut down Derryfield’s campus on Friday, March 13, robbing the seniors of their on-campus experiences: the spring play, athletic games, the prom, in-person Independent Senior Projects, the final assembly, and so many other traditions. Teachers missed their students. Parents missed seeing their Derryfield friends. Commencement, it seemed, was also in jeopardy. But after a spring of nothing but grit, the Derryfield “make it happen” team did, indeed, create a graduation experience like 20
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no other! Families brought only their closest loved ones to the ceremony; seats were reserved, distanced; and attendees were masked. Graduate Julia Tilton ’20 welcomed the families and faculty, encouraging everyone to “reflect on the lessons this year has offered us—lessons about racial injustice and the struggle for equality, about global leadership, about personal selflessness, and about education. In 2020, we understand that education is a privilege.” Commencement speaker Caroline Desmarais ’20 paid homage to her grandfather who embodied the saying that “hard work beats talent, if talent doesn’t work hard” and who taught her through the example of his own life, and the dedication he showed to hers, that giving up in the face of hardship is not an option. Advice from wise relatives was a theme for the day, as Head of School, Dr. Mary Halpin Carter reflected that “Commencement is a day of gladness and how much more so this year because we had to wait for it. These are trying and tragic times—all the more reason to listen to the wisdom of my father-in-law, who used to say ‘Take your cookies, when they’re passed.’ Well this commencement is a big tray of cookies, isn’t it, and we’ll take it!”
Aaron Agulnick ’20 and Anna Quinn ’20 teamed up to offer a Moment of Gratitude and to present the Class Gift. The Class of 2020 gifted their remaining class funds to two efforts near and dear to their interests. One is the “Equity and Belonging” initiative at Derryfield which seeks to support professional development, curriculum expansion, and teaching and learning about social and racial justice. The second is Breakthrough Manchester, a program that works to close the opportunity gap for under-resourced Manchester students on the path to college. Concluding the ceremony, Matt Weimer ’20 offered kudos to his classmates for their ability to persevere through the unexpected spring, to reshape and thrive in their Independent Senior Projects, and to find silver linings in the challenges they faced. Commencement 2020 may not have been normal, but it was an incredible celebration: of perseverance and strength, positivity and love. In the end, as a community, we had solved one problem, and then the next one, and the next, until we had, truly, “science’d the shaving cream” out of this moment!
AWARDS COMMUNIT Y AWARDS
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS
ACADEMIC AWARDS
HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARDS
Zackary Horton
Lindsey Stagg
Sydney Chodosh
Silvana Parra Rodriguez
The Ken Piatt Memorial Award
English
The R. Philip Hugny Award
Christopher Lynch ’21
Yash Patel
Matthew Weimer
The Matthew L. Young ’88 Scholarship
Dennis F. Holland Mathematics Award
The Ralph J. Scozzafava Award
Ridge Gonzales
Tyler Critz
Isaac Plotsker
The Clifford R. Nyquist Memorial Award
Barbara J. Stahl, Ph.D. Life Science Award
The William B. Pfeifer Award
Mike Yuan
Yash Patel The Marcus D. Hurlbut Award
Alumni Award
Anna Quinn Mayor's Award
Caleb Kramer Class of 1994 Award
Ruby Amorim ’22 Henrietta Mesches Memorial Award
Mackenzie McCarthy ’22 Richard Crafts Memorial Music Award
Andrew LeBlanc ’21
Physical Science
Zackary Horton STEM - Engineering
ATHLETIC Ridge Gonzales Emma Pyles
David G. and Barbara J. Stahl Award
Kevin Li
JUNIOR CLASS AWARDS
Colin McCaigue Julia Tilton
Clarence Chen ’21
History
Rensselaer Medal
Rose Speigel Natalie Young
The Scholar-Athlete Awards
The Wellesley Book Award
Art
Samantha Induni ’21
Caroline Desmarais
SERVICE AWARDS
Ruthie Zolla ’21
STEM - Computer Science
The Harvard Book Award
Drama
Andrew LeBlanc ’21
Zoe Cousineau Nina Li
The Dartmouth Book Award
Music
The Lamplighter Athletic Award
Tyler Critz Anna Quinn
Erin Glosner Silvana Parra Rodriguez Emma Pyles Anna Quinn
Aaron Agulnick Latin
Anna Lapadula Julia Tilton
* All class of 2020, unless otherwise noted.
Spanish
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CLASS OF 2020 COLLEGE DECISIONS Joseph MacDonough Rochester Institute of Technology
Trey Sovie Wentworth Institute of Technology
Molly Margolis Purdue University
Rose Speigel New England College
Isabella Matarese The University of Tampa
Lindsey Stagg University of Michigan
Colin McCaigue Middlebury College
Konstantinos Sterling University of Miami
Emma Abate Kenyon College
Duncan Donovan University of Puget Sound
Brady McGinley Boston University
Olivia Strong Boston College
Aaron Agulnick University of California
Sam Duan Boston University
Erica Moore Northeastern University
Danielle Taub George Washington University
Catherin Ahnen James Madison University
Jacob Ehret Florida International University
Silvana Parra Rodriguez Princeton University
Anna Templeton University of Vermont
Austin Best Fairfield University
Joshua Ehret Florida International University
Yash Patel New York University
Julia Tilton Vanderbilt University
Harrison Bogursky Trinity College
Suha Elsheikh Simmons University
Hannah Perlberg Syracuse University
Leya Wang Carnegie Mellon University
Olivia Bollengier Lewis & Clark College
Erin Glosner American University
Isaac Plotsker Boston College
Emma Ward Utah State University
Emerson Bracy Colby College
Ridge Gonzales Bentley University
Emma Pyles Connecticut College
Matthew Weimer Wake Forest University
Sophie Brandt University of Utah
Caroline Hines Tulane University
Anna Quinn George Washington University
Elana Weintraub Point Park University
Maxwell Byron Colby College
Zackary Horton Stevens Institute of Technology
William Ryan Trinity College
Summer Xia Kenyon College
Eric Chapdelaine Northeastern University
Henry Howe Colorado College
Ryan Santosuosso The University of Alabama
Natalie Young Bates College
Kyra Chen New York University
Jada Johnson Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
Jacob Scholten Bentley University
Caroline Yu Boston University
Sydney Chodosh Middlebury College
Samantha King College of Charleston
Gunnar Senatore Hamilton College
Mike Yuan University of Rochester
Tiana Content Southern New Hampshire University
Caleb Kramer Denison University
Dhilan Soundar CUNY Hunter College
Lucas Coriaty University of New Hampshire
Mikayla LaCreta Savannah College of Art & Design
Zoe Cousineau U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Anna Lapadula Boston University
Tyler Critz Boston University
Coda Letourneau Mount Holyoke College
Emma DeGregorio Santa Clara University
Kevin Li University of Michigan
Caroline Desmarais Montclair State University
Nina Li Berklee College of Music
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RESILIENCY AND ADAPTABILITY: FINDING JOY DURING CHALLENGING TIMES
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raduating during a pandemic was nothing any one member of the Class of 2020 anticipated happening when they first stepped foot on campus at The Derryfield School. There was a lot of adaptation to the remainder of the school year by students, teachers, and administration when everything was pushed to be virtual in March. Because of the risk of transmission, many of the large events had to be taken virtual as well, including many of the events for the graduating Class of 2020. The Senior Celebration is an event traditionally held in the spring, which begins with an informal gathering with food and chatter, which then moves to the Auditorium. Once there, the graduates, their families, 12th grade advisors, and administration gather for speeches honoring the class. Each student’s advisor then goes up to give a short speech, poem, or other presentation about their advisee. Many share happy memories of their time at Derryfield, and share hope and praise for the future ahead. However, due to the pandemic and the virtual nature of schooling at the time, those overseeing the project had to get creative to make sure the show still went on! The 2020 Senior Celebration was held via Zoom, and filled with enlightening and positive speeches from Dr. Mary Carter, Ben Dougherty, and Jeff
Cousineau. The highlight of the presentation on Zoom was a video highlighting “Then and Now” photos of the Class of 2020. At the conclusion of the presentation, parents and students were instructed to visit the “quilt”, a webpage set up specifically for the class of 2020 where they could view their advisor’s senior testimonial to them, dowload, and save it for years to come, as a souvenir and testament to what they’ve learned and done at The Derryfield School. Susan Grodman said about the event, “The feedback I received was positive—not the same as being in person, but what was nice was really being able to watch/listen to all the testimonials at your own pace, vs sitting in the auditorium for a long program!”
DR. CARTER REFLECTS ON THE 2020 SPECIAL DELIVERY BUS TOUR
The McGinley family with Moose the Cougar.
Seniors also got to celebrate their achievements in the Senior Parade, where students and families decorated their cars and drove through campus to see teachers and friends as a final hoorah. Grodman described the event as “emotional” as students were able to say goodbye to their friends and teachers in person after the long stint in quarantine with virtual learning, only being able to see the faces of their peers through Zoom calls and via emails. While the Commencement events of 2020 were certainly unexpected, and required a lot of effort by many faculty members to pull off, they will certainly be memorable for the graduates of the Class of 2020.
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e were a surprising spectacle—a small white and maroon school bus, a petite head of school in a Derryfield jacket, and a large cougar mascot. What was striking was how happy the kids were to see us and how emotional many of the parents were. As the mom of a Dartmouth senior, I can relate. You empathize with your child for all that was lost of their senior spring, but don’t have much agency to make it better. Then here comes this ‘clown car’ of adults willing to be silly, giving your child a personalized lawn sign and a stuffed animal baby cougar. We laughed, we got bus sick, we got lost on rural back roads, we got hangry and there was nowhere to buy a snack, but mostly we felt it was an honor to be part of an important life milestone for good young people in uncertain times. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CLASS OF 2020 COLLEGE PROFILES Silvana Parra Rodriguez
Matt Weimer
Manchester, NH Princeton University
Hollis, NH Wake Forest College
Throughout my time at Derryfield, I was surrounded by a supportive and collaborative community that encouraged me to explore all aspects of my academic and extracurricular interests while daring to step outside my comfort zone and take risks. I chose to attend Princeton because of its strong undergraduate focus and extensive community service and research opportunities that will allow me to continue to grow as a critical thinker and begin my path to becoming a physician. I am grateful to have received so much support and guidance from Ms. Teeters, Ms. Gagne, and all of my teachers as I navigated through the daunting college process and made a final decision from my wide range of options.
Emerson Bracy Concord, NH Colby College I chose Colby because they “Dare Northward.” Colby members are always challenging the status quo. Whether it be achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2013 (the 4th college to do so) or creating a critically acclaimed documentary about decision making at protests (The Maribor Uprisings 2017), the Colby community is always ahead of the curve because they care to be. Every conversation that I’ve had with a student, teacher, or admission representative reflected a desire to understand the world outside of Colby. I am excited to dare northward. Derryfield completely supported me through the college application process. Mr. Barnard not only pointed me to Colby, but gave me all the tools to make a stellar application for it. Both Mr. Cousineau and Ms. Shutz were willing to (and did) write me great recommendations without any hesitation. Ms. Shutz also helped me craft a college essay which I was proud to submit. 24
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Derryfield prepared me for college because, on top of providing a stellar learning environment where we learned to solve the world’s most complex problems, analyze our surroundings in a different light, and understand both sides of an argument, Derryfield offered what feels like hundreds of opportunities for me to expand my resume and try new things like Model UN, South Africa Exchange, and the NHIAA Student Leadership Committee, to name a few. I chose Wake Forest University for a variety of reasons. On top of its reputation for a rigorous yet rewarding liberal arts curriculum, I was also impressed by the extensive research opportunities, highly successful D1 NCAA sports, location, small class sizes, Pro Humanitate spirit, and, perhaps most importantly, the high medical school acceptance rate, in which 79% of WFU students who apply to medical school are accepted.
Leya Wang
Hooksett, NH Carnegie Mellon University I chose CMU because of its inclusivity and diversity in both programs and the student body. CMU is a unique university where technology and humanity intersect. The combination of their leading business programs and top-ranked engineering and computer science majors perfectly suits my interests. What I love most about CMU apart from its academic reputation is its innovative spirit and focus on collaboration and leadership. I greatly appreciate Derryfield’s emphasis on hands-on, project-based learning and critical-thinking training, which stimulates students’ imagination and creativity. With the education that I received from Derryfield, I believe it will be a smooth transition from high school to college. It also laid a solid foundation for abundant cultural, career, sport, and research opportunities in the future.
Kevin Li
Ridge Gonzales
China The University of Michigan
Manchester, NH Bentley University
The University of Michigan fulfills my many interests well because of its ample course selections and diverse student body. I am able to enroll in a residential program called the Living Arts Engine to continue my love for art while engaging with other students with similar interests. More importantly, UMich’s strong Engineering program will prepare me well for future computer science research and work. Apart from its amazing academic programs and faculty, Derryfield’s college application team has been particularly warm, patient, and helpful to me. The greatest gain for me from Derryfield though is a more open mind, better critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a part of a community. All of which will benefit me in college and beyond.
I chose Bentley University because of the endless business opportunities that the school provides. With an array of programs and classes, I’m looking forward to diving deeper in the business world and see what interests me the most. Not only did the academics stand out but the various connections that Bentley holds will lead to numerous internships and jobs that I will definitely use to my advantage. Not only did Derryfield help me find myself during the college application process but during my entire high school career. For me, Derryfield strengthened my identity as a person and as a student by providing me with challenging school work and collaborative work with my peers.
Emma Pyles
Zoe Cousineau
Amherst, NH Connecticut College
Manchester, NH U.S. Coast Guard Academy
My first week at Derryfield, I was stopped by a teacher in the hall. As a nervous new student, I was sure I was in trouble. However, the teacher simply wanted to introduce himself since we had overlapping free periods. The concern that the faculty has for each student is part of what makes Derryfield so special. I chose Connecticut College because of its similarly welcoming environment. I feel confident and prepared as I head to college, and for that I am so grateful to the teachers at Derryfield. In every class that I have taken at Derryfield, the teachers have encouraged students to ask questions, welcomed differing opinions, and emphasized seeking extra help. All of these aspects of a typical Derryfield classroom will enable me to succeed in college, no matter the subject.
Throughout my time at Derryfield, I was challenged as a student, person, and leader. I was given opportunities to step outside my comfort zone while still feeling safe if I failed, which was one of my favorite aspects of the Derryfield community. Everyone has cheered me on during my best times, and picked me up during my worst. My teachers were invested in my growth and wanted to see me succeed in every aspect of my life. During my seven years at Derryfield, I was given the opportunity to explore all of my passions and create a well rounded resume that spanned all of my interests. I decided to attend The US Coast Guard Academy because I wanted to continue to challenge myself in all aspects of my life. My family jokes that I am attending ‘Military Derryfield’ because like Derryfield, USCGA aims to produce intelligent leaders of character that serve their community in meaningful ways. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
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Derryfield’s 2019-20 school year was all about innovations—some meticulously planned and others entirely unexpected. The Derryfield Academic Vision, implemented in the fall of 2019, cultivates agile, resilient problem solvers. Before the year was out the COVID-19 pandemic made those skills more immediately and critically important than anyone could have foreseen; unplanned innovation became the order of the day.
ACADEMIC VISION: PREPARED FOR THE PIVOT S
cones, smoothies, and STEM fueled an Innovation Breakfast that had Derryfield’s sparkling new Science and Innovation Center bustling with bright ideas last February. Students mingled with entrepreneurs and business leaders in the makerspace, discussed their RED X design projects, and soaked up some real-world inspiration. The School’s cutting-edge new facilities are a perfect match for the exciting course offerings of the Derryfield Academic Vision, an educational sea change towards student-centered and project-based learning. But just a few weeks after the breakfast, when COVID 19 hit, these new spaces sat empty while teachers and students stayed home to transition into a new mode of virtual learning. Students traded the new hands-on, learning spaces for Google Meet and Zoom classrooms at Virtual Derryfield. Yet a visitor would quickly see that some things remained the same. “If you were to drop into a DS virtual classroom, you would see a Brady Bunch quilt of students and teachers connected by laughter, lively debate, project pitches, and challenging discussion,” explained Assistant Head of School for Academics Lindley Shutz. “No matter the mode, it’s transformative teaching and learning with that Derryfield twist of joy.”
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
FALL 2019 The Derryfield Academic Vision, implemented in the fall of 2019, cultivates agile, resilient problem solvers. Over the last four years the School planned this academic redesign to better equip students for the 21st century’s complex problems. The new academic vision strives to prepare our students to tackle challenges with a resilient, entrepreneurial spirit. The long-planned curriculum changes that greeted students in September included: ■ 14 new Advanced Topic courses, in which students collaborate in
sustained interdisciplinary research, often working with experts in their fields ■ over 30 new Exploration courses, which are ungraded passion
pursuits like robotics, beekeeping, game theory, Math Club, Model UN, and mountaineering ■ the LEAD program, in which students build ethical leadership and
emotional resilience skills ■ a new schedule with longer class times ■ a required Visual Foundations course for ninth graders developed
by the Creative Arts team to introduce them to the power of visual communication, a keystone in 21st century skills ■ a new required Computer Science course for tenth graders
developed by the STEM team “Last year as we lived that new program our teaching and learning transformed,” said Ms. Shutz. “Increasingly, teachers moved toward design thinking and problem solving. We could not have anticipated that our initial integration of those pedagogies and of technology, such as creating multimedia projects and connecting with real world experts digitally, would become central in the short term.” Before the year was out the COVID-19 pandemic made those skills more immediately and critically important than anyone could have foreseen. In March, the COVID-19 pandemic made unplanned innovation the order of the day. Nobody could have foreseen that the need for nimble, resilient problem solving would become quite so immediately essential. Yet it is on display every day, even for things formerly taken for granted like how best to hold a chemistry lab or build a robot or maintain the strong community bonds of student groups.
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Exploration Courses How do you know if a piece of art is authentic or forged? How do you deploy science to solve a mystery? In the Inspiration Loft of the Science and Innovation Center, 40 students laugh and chat while their knitting needles click and they work on hats to warm them come winter. In an upper school classroom, students research the forensics of art. In middle school, students study criminal forensics like CSI investigators. How can you bring peace to your day while simultaneously doing something kind for someone else? In over 25 new courses, students partner with Manchester non-profits, propel over our ropes course and up our climbing walls, reconsider videogaming from a theoretical perspective, and more. Exploration Courses, part of the new Academic Vision, were created with the intention of opening doors for students to new skills, new passion pursuits, and new ways of connecting with the community outside of Derryfield. Ungraded, students can explore, take risks, and venture into new arenas.
HISTORY: REAL OR FAKE? Taught by history teachers Dr. Mary Karlin and Dr. Brandon Gauthier, this course allowed students to explore the commercial world of historical artifacts. Using money from a micro grant, students were invited to buy Soviet propaganda from eBay then work with the Currier Museum of Art to determine whether or not the piece was a real historical artifact or a fake. Students developed a strategy to determine the artifact's provenance and to create a convincing story about the piece to resell it. In addition to Currier Museum curators, students were encouraged to contact professors, Derryfield art teachers, and those with a background in art history or forensics.
MORAL FIBERS Step into the Inspiration Loft, and you would find students knitting brilliant woolen and cotton colors into hats and scarves and sweaters of all sizes. As one student said, this is so calming, like meditation, but better because we can talk and I have a hat at the end. Taught by Teaching Fellow and Field Hockey Coach, Kelsey Federico, and Head of School Assistant Dana Laviano, Moral Fibers invited students to knit for a cause. From beginners to experienced knitters, students learned new patterns and techniques to make hats, scarves and headbands. Chosen items, including caps for newborns, were then donated to organizations selected by students.
BOARDGAMING What better way to relax and practice some strategy? According to Math Team Leader and teacher Chris Induni, “The right types of games can be challenging, strategic, fun, and social as well as demonstrating design elements,” Mr. Induni explained. This course introduced students to a number of games ranging from Blokus and Mexican Train to Takenoko and Catan.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Introducing students to the diverse network of community organizations and the power of non- profits, this Exploration course invited directors and founders of local nonprofits to share their stories. Students also volunteered at a number of places, including Webster School and the soup kitchen at New Horizons, where they grew to more deeply understand who is served by food pantries, dispelling myths around who becomes homeless. At Webster School, they spent time in ELL (English Language Learner) classrooms, helping kids with their school work and playing at recess. The Exploration course was led by Associated Head of School Susan Grodman and Chao Ngo, Program Director for Breakthrough Manchester.
ZEN AND THE ART OF ROCK CLIMBING When physics teacher and serious mountaineer Chris Little reached out to students to join his Exploration course, he asked,“Do you have a love of climbing? Fear of heights?” because the class not only lets experienced and novice climbers learn more about the craft of climbing, but is also aimed at teaching students how to manage fear through mindfulness. Students used both the school’s indoor and outdoor climbing facilities, learning how to research and plan climbs on real rock. They learned about safety, climbing movement, technical skills, different types of climbing and the physical fitness of the sport. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
PUTTING THE
LEAD
IN LEADING FOR THE COMMON GOOD
THE IMPORTANCE OF DEDICATED CLASS TIME
E
merging from the Academic Vision implemented in the fall of 2019, LEAD (Leadership, Ethics and Development) courses were created in line with the Center for Leading for the Common Good at Harvard University and with Derryfield’s core value of Character: to cultivate ethical, community oriented leaders who are innovative solvers of real world problems.
C
ultivating compassion alongside academic knowledge has been central to Derryfield since its founding, Though the program Leadership for the Common Good all Derryfield students, in grades 6-12, explore the meaning and practice of ethical leadership through classes and extracurriculars. There are three primary areas through which the program aims to develop students’ capacity as leaders: developing self awareness, strengthening character, and understanding and exercising influence. Developing leadership skills and a personal and community understanding of the common good occurs in all areas of school life. Among them are: ■ Middle School students are guided by the Learner’s Portrait, which
identifies key skills to be developed in grades 6-8, and Upper School students develop a Pathway, in which they identify key interests, courses to pursue, mentors, and opportunities for internships and coursework. This is a reflection revisited with advisors and through the LEAD courses to guide students in developing a dynamic path through their upper school experience. ■ Exploration courses offer opportunities for passion pursuits.
In each year, 6th through 12th graders engage in experiences to explore ethical decision making, team building, vibrant and welcoming class and school culture, and emotional resiliency. The new director of the program, Laurie Byron, said, “Our hope in LEAD classes across the grades is to help students foster a deep sense of self understanding, so they can identify ways in which they can be leaders within the Derryfield community and beyond. In a student-centered curriculum, LEAD teachers design developmentally appropriate lessons, activities and discussions that enable students to learn and practice lifelong leadership skills.” Each grade has a curriculum structured around a theme: In the middle school, sixth grade is “Breaking the Ice;” seventh grade is “Embracing Community;” and eighth grade is “Self-Advocacy.” Team building on the ropes course, community service with New Americans, reflections on leadership styles, managing anxiety, and other health lessons provide students self knowledge and opportunities to contribute to the community. In the upper school, ninth grade LEAD classes develop around the themes of “Building Community;” tenth grade, “Ethical Decision Making;” eleventh grade, “Influence/Immersion;” and twelfth grade, “Purpose.”
■ The Derryfield Leadership Summer Institute invites students to turn
core values into community action. ■ Students attend national and local workshops and conferences on
equity, inclusion, leadership and special topics. ■ Throughout the curriculum, students study profiles in leadership
in history, cultivate empathy and the capacity to consider multiple perspectives, and develop skills in collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. ■ Beginning in the fall of 2020, our new Director of Global Education,
Brandon Gauthier, Ph.D., will be working with faculty to integrate global competencies into course work and our global programs. 30
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In the senior year course on “Purpose,” students focus on the college process in the fall. During writing workshops and meetings with their college counselor, seniors reflect on their experiences, defining what is important to them as they explore their next steps. In the winter, they craft resumes, practice interviews, and develop their Independent Study Project, which takes place in April and May. In the past, students have done internships in fields of interest, such as artificial intelligence, emergency medicine, veterinary medicine, finance, and teaching, as well passion pursuit projects. This year, 100% of the senior class will participate in the ISPs. When Derryfield graduates step into the world, “We hope they feel confident in knowing how to navigate a rapidly changing world and how to build and contribute to their community,” explained Assistant Head of School for Academics Lindley Shutz.
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n March 2, the day of New Hampshire’s very first positive COVID-19 test result, Derryfield teachers began experimenting with Google Meet in their classrooms to get the jump on a possible outbreak the WHO hadn’t yet declared a global pandemic.
lectures and instead guide a more personalized process driven by learners. That emphasis really paid dividends when classes moved off campus. Teachers created daily multimedia plans for each class, outlined goals, and provided links to needed materials and resources that let students set their own space.
Just ten days later students went home on a Thursday afternoon not realizing it would be their last day on campus for the 2019-2020 school year. During spring break the faculty and staff launched an ambitious two-week action plan to transition the School to virtual learning. Fortunately, Derryfield was especially wellequipped to make this quick and unprecedented pivot. The School has cultivated an innovative, problem solving culture that was primed to tackle the challenges of virtual learning with an entrepreneurial spirit. Professional development with longtime resources for Derryfield, OESIS and the Malone School Online Network, accelerated teachers’ skills in creating community and meaningful learning experiences to enable our teachers to teach online and in person simultaneously. Derryfield’s teaching philosophy is also an excellent fit for adaptable learning that’s agile across all platforms, able to take advantage of the opportunities presented in the virtual space. For three years leading up to spring 2020 the faculty had been innovating and developing a new Academic Vision based on collaboration, creativity, problem solving, and communication. The School has prioritized student-centered learning, in which teachers eschew repetitive
SPRING 2020
As you’ll read in this issue of Derryfield Today, many classes lent themselves extremely well to learning in a virtual space. In fact, the School sought and found new opportunities among these challenges, as befits a community of enthusiastic learners. Teachers developed new collaborative projects in which students took on different roles, worked independently, and then came together with their teachers at the decisive moments when learning happens to unify their thinking and work together. Whether collaborating to produce a radio play, launch a virtual hedge fund, or explore biology inside the cell, classes in the time of COVID presented an opportunity to become proficient at virtual team building, a lifelong skill that will remain part of the Derryfield curriculum long after full time virtual learning ends. “I think for many of our students there was an exciting sense of being more self responsible, and then bringing your work back to the larger group,” said Assistant Head of School for Academics Lindley Shutz. “We often use the phrase ‘you’re in the driver’s seat of your own learning’ and I think students were really experiencing that firsthand. It could be intimidating, but for a lot of them it was ultimately very empowering.”
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
Advanced Topics Biology The COVID-19 pandemic kept immunology on the front page throughout the spring of 2020. But students in Derryfield’s AT Biology course didn’t just read about new ways to fight disease, they invented them, while putting their heads together with experts from some of the nation’s leading research institutions. AT Biology is co-taught by Taylor Moon and Andy Myers. During his half of the course Dr. Myers focuses on biotechnology, teaching research methods and honing the skills that students will need for labs in college and beyond. Dr. Moon’s share of the course focuses on microbiology and immunology and centers on a significant challenge. She asks each student to come up with a new application for the monoclonal antibodies now being produced in labs to treat diseases and other conditions. “I end up with amazing, creative scientific ideas from students who really have become super knowledgeable,” Dr. Moon says. Students present their concepts to their peers and, thanks to virtual technology, to a panel of expert PhDs working in leading research laboratories from Johns Hopkins University to the NIH. These experts volunteer their time to give feedback to the students, helping them sharpen their thinking while polishing their proposals and mentoring them in a way that’s implicit. “I think it's’ important for students to meet those people and see that these career paths exist,” said Dr. Moon. In addition to their antibody application each student develops a sales pitch, which must be made as a standalone presentation or written document. “That work goes to a group of people who are in financial careers, and they decide Shark Tank style which of those proposals is most fundable,” said Dr. Moon.
Advanced Topics Investment Math James Watt designed AT Investment Math to answer a question students have been asking for generations, “When am I going to have to use this stuff in the real world?” With an eye towards lifetime financial literacy, students tackle fundamental principles of investing and the workings of capital markets, perform technical analysis of security prices, and use professional TradeStation software to research companies, invest virtual dollars, and obsessively watch their portfolios. “Every day the class is different because the markets are constantly changing,” said Mr. Watt. A class project called Hedge Fund requires students to leverage their newfound knowledge and skills in fierce competition like that found in real world finance. “It’s the culmination of our work, in which two groups create hedge funds and go head-to-head to win the business of potential clients,” Mr. Watt explained. Hedge Fund roles vary widely. There’s an algorithm development team, where students with computer programming skills create the kinds of products currently in vogue to find and exploit edges in the markets. An accounting team researches what a real hedge fund’s books look like and creates an accounting report, while a legal team makes sure brain capital doesn’t leave the organization by drawing up contracts and nondisclosure agreements. Thanks to virtual learning, the class’s connectivity to real world finance extends beyond the classroom walls and the borders of New Hampshire. This allows entrepreneurs, financial analysts, and other experts to visit the class virtually and share their specific experiences. 32
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Tenth Grade Computer Science The apps and programs running our society aren’t confined to our computer screens, and understanding how they work is crucial for everything from protecting our privacy to recognizing ‘fake news.’ To build computer literacy all tenth-grade students take this important course that explores computational technology’s impacts on all aspects of our society including ethical and contemporaneous topics like artificial intelligence, visual and alternate reality, cryptography and security, and who controls big data. During spring 2020 the course, like all others, was taught virtually. Unlike other courses, however, it worked so well that teachers Mary Ann Watt and Peter Talpey decided to permanently move aspects of Tenth-Grade Computer Science into an online mode. Students take the course at their own pace, on their own schedule, under a mastery learning model. Teachers create goals and targeted outcomes, make resources available, and use check-ins to track progress. Occasional online meetings bring the group together to brainstorm larger topics like who should control data. Last year’s students were assigned to find and review privacy policies. Many were shocked to find out the kinds of personal information companies collected—and what they planned to do with it. “If we don’t make students think about these things, even if they uncomfortable, they won’t be able to face them head on,” Mr. Talpey said. Working with Python programming language students also learn basic data and control structures. “The key objective for me is just knowing that they can dive in and figure out how to make the computer help solve the problem that they want to solve,” said Mr. Talpey. But the scope of knowledge available online also means that students can go as far and wide as they want in the field, so that gifted and motivated computer scientists--and non technophiles--progress without limits. “It’s a way of finding those talented students who didn’t know they were interested in computer science,” he said. “It’s fun telling them, ‘Wow you solved that problem quickly. You’re primed to think about these problems in the right way and you should really consider going further.’”
Eighth Grade English “Speak with authority!” David Baroody regularly exhorts his eighth-grade English students with that mantra, but the spring of 2020 challenged them to find new ways to use their voices. The course focuses on collective and individual identity and the rite of passage, a very traditional theme for scholars at this key developmental age. But Mr. Baroody explores the topic with 21st century tools. “My goal is to provide different methods of expression, written, oral, static visual, and videography, to help grow their narrative expression,” he said. By the time students began online learning in March they’d had experience with all these storytelling methods as both consumers and creators. They’d also built fundamental skills in project management, organization, and academic decision making that would allow them to succeed in a much more independent environment. “Really, the spring became an internship of sorts where they had to figure out what worked, put it in place, and keep making forward progress,” Mr. Baroody said. “Journaling in Strange Times” required students to write thoughtfully in response to short prompts about their early COVID existence. Each student also created a “Tiny Moments Documentary" of video vignettes speaking to their own day-to-day pandemic experience through visual storytelling. Though the group had already enjoyed meeting regularly by Zoom, seeing scenes from their classmates’ pandemic lives at home was a more intimate look at how much their experiences had in common. “Watching them I just felt more connected to my community here at Derryfield,” Leah Munoz said. “What they were frustrated about, I was frustrated about. What I was grateful for, they were grateful for. And I’m thankful I had that experience through this remote learning time because it made me feel much less alone.” D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
Keeping Our Community Strong in a Virtual World The turbulence and uncertainty felt throughout the spring of 2020 made it more important than ever for Derryfield to live one of its core values: community. Expectations changed frequently as hopes of a quick return to River Road, initially thought to be within a few weeks, and then months, grew less likely. As the world went virtual and people were increasingly isolated in their homes it became essential to find creative ways to stay connected. A survey of Derryfield students last spring revealed that 95% of them were satisfied with the online learning experience. Students expressed how happy and lucky they felt to be a part of the Derryfield community when many had siblings, cousins, and friends that had very different experiences last spring. That sense of pride and acknowledgement of gratitude for Derryfield was echoed by many throughout the community, from families to faculty and staff. How did Virtual Derryfield succeed? The School started from a position of strength, and it took open minds, innovation, and a lot of hard work to keep Derryfield’s sense of community strong even while the campus was empty. In the end, Derryfield’s community remained strong because it meant so much to so many people.
LIVE, FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM
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aced with the challenge of maintaining both academic rigor and Derryfield’s sense of community in a virtual world, Dr. Carter recalled that instead of feeling daunted, she felt confident. That optimism wasn’t a product of wishful thinking; it came from the dedication, effort, and expertise of Derryfield’s leadership. To ensure that families and students could continue to have live experiences with the community’s leaders, Dr. Carter conceptualized a modern version of the Fireside Chats President Roosevelt once used to gather Americans together during a different era of crisis. These events regularly welcomed the community to explore and discuss the various aspects of Virtual Derryfield—even when all the answers weren't available. “In spite of the lack of clarity, I know and trust our students and families, our faculty and staff, and our Board,” Dr. Carter said. “I have confidence in them. There are many uncertainties we deal with in life, but I know that with team work and research you can be successful.” Having leaders who admitted honestly that there wasn’t always an answer, yet relayed transparency about what they didn’t know, instilled trust and in turn confidence. Equally important to Dr. Carter, the chats gave everyone a chance to share a much needed spirit and sense of humor that’s an essential part of Derryfield life. “Uncertainty does not mean we cannot have a good day,” she said. “Unprecedented challenges can be faced, and laughter can still be had.” With hard work, a willingness to innovate, and that ever-present sense of humor, Derryfield pulled off something incredible and unique in the world of schooling—a supportive virtual community with a true sense of belonging that stretched from Bedford to Beijing.
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THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE
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he college counseling process can be overwhelming for the most organized student in a normal year, and COVID looked like it might change everything when it came to applying to college. Fortunately, Director of College Planning Brennan Barnard is one of the great resources students and families gain access to when part of the Derryfield community. During virtual learning he helped to broaden the School’s reach by creating a college counseling forum that proved so valuable it regularly drew hundreds of attendees from far and wide. Mr. Barnard, like the rest of the faculty, saw the need to reinforce the sense of community and connection last spring and knew families needed guidance more than ever. In response he created Thursday Night Live (TNL), an open forum promising ‘straight-talk with college admission leaders.” He invited representatives from colleges across the country to talk about critical issues around college admission and the ways colleges were responding to COVID. Students were also able to ask the questions that were keeping them up at night, about everything from essays to testing to extracurricular involvement. TNL was enthusiastically attended not only by the Derryfield community but by people across the globe from Canada to China and Brazil, with more than 500 registered participants. The virtual ability to expand the community so widely was one COVID silver lining. Another, Mr. Barnard explained, was that TNL’s virtual format reminded students and families of the humanity in admissions. Because they were able to see admissions officers in their homes, experiencing the day to day struggles of quarantine just like themselves, Thursday Night Live helped bring people together to foster connections and relationships through honest conversations.
STAYING TOGETHER & STAYING WELL
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uch of Derryfield’s life and learning takes place outside of the classroom. Students gather in the studio, on the stage, or on the playing field. Clubs meet to pursue favorite passions and discover new ones. Student leaders convene to help to guide the School’s direction. None of these community activities could occur normally during virtual learning; but abandoning them entirely was simply not an option.
Seniors created a class Tik Tok video for Virtual Community Meeting.
Advisories, in which small groups of students meet with their faculty mentor, continued to meet virtually twice a week to play games, talk about current events and simply check in with each other. The cherished tradition of snack sharing wasn’t possible, but some advisories took a page from cooking shows like Chopped and worked through shared recipes in their own kitchens. Student council continued to meet as usual, where students developed virtual social activities to stay connected. Not content to maintain the status quo, students even launched some new initiatives as the world around them changed. The Upper School Equity Club organized a series of virtual discussions on racial injustice that took place over the summer, and began putting plans in place for a pair of conferences in the new school year. Organized sports were shelved in the spring 2020. But because they knew how vital it is for the wellbeing of brains and bodies to get moving, the athletic department came together to develop the “30 Days to Fit” program.
Health and Wellness faculty created at-home exercise videos.
Dr. Carter 'met' regularly with the community during Fireside Chats.
Athletic Director Chris Hettler explained that in order to give students options, both the time of day and the types of the virtual workouts offered varied throughout the program. Mr. Hettler, Mr. Hastings and Mr. Lauteri led different types of core, weight lifting, and strength training classes, while Mrs. Leclerc and Ms. Bee led yoga classes. All of our instructors found clever ways to use the spaces and items within the assumed limits of students’ homes and catered their workouts accordingly. The results did more than help students stay in shape, some participants actually saw their overall fitness improve while learning from home in a pandemic! Bringing the entire student body, faculty, and staff together in one space is one of the key ways Derryfield celebrates its community. Weekly Community Meetings, known to alumni as assembly, continue these all school traditions of news updates, performances from musicians and singers, and celebrations of achievements like the end of athletic seasons and student recipients of community awards. Last spring, community meetings were held each week and streamed live every Monday afternoon at the end of the school day. Among other highlights, students and faculty shared speeches entitled “This I Believe,” in which they explored some aspect of how they have experienced a Derryfield core value in their own life. In 2020, an important new benefit of community meeting was the way it enabled all members of the community to share in the shelter at home experiences of their peers. That connection helped to remind all of us that while virtual learning could sometimes make one feel isolated, it was actually a memorable time that everyone experienced together.
College admission leaders from around the country shared their insights on Thursday Night Live.
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
&
EQUITY
BELONGING
Actively opposing racism and creating a sense of belonging for all have been core parts of Derryfield’s culture since the turbulent days of the 1960s when the School was founded. Many of the Founders were dedicated civil rights activists and some were instrumental in launching Manchester’s chapter of the NAACP. Today, during an exciting era of social change, the School’s commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging is stronger than ever before. “Our founders helped pave new ways to address racism in their time, and I challenge all of you to do the same in our time,” Dr. Carter told the School during a 2020 summer that saw nationwide protests for social justice. “We need to continually aim high to become an educational institution that deeply advances racial justice.”
Derryfield’s leaders are also acting strategically to diversify the student body, build a more multicultural faculty and staff, and make the school more financially accessible to all. These initiatives are aimed at nurturing a sense of true belonging for everyone, while celebrating diversities like race, religion, gender/gender identity, sexuality, disabilities, and more.
Throughout the Derryfield community people are answering that call and acting to create positive change. Faculty and staff are reexamining curriculums and creating meaningful conversations about equity and belonging. Parents, family members, and alumni are enthusiastically engaging with the School on these critical issues, adding their important and diverse perspectives to help move Derryfield forward.
To honestly assess the School’s progress Derryfield has adopted the National Association of Independent Schools Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) tool. AIM is a survey platform that helps to measure how a school’s constituents feel about their level of belonging. “It lets us see what we’re doing well and where we need to improve and how that changes, hopefully for the better, over time,” explained Laura Russell, chair of the Faculty and Staff Equity and Belonging Committee.
And students have been among the first—and the most energetic—to advocate for action. A student-led discussion about gender at the 2020 While we all hope that these initiatives can “They were acutely attuned to the racial Equity Conference. events that were happening in the spring; help build an ever greater sense of equity many of them involved in different protests, in and belonging at Derryfield, we recognize movements like Black Lives Matter,” said Dr. Diane Hotten-Somers. “And there that they are only steps on a journey of learning. As that journey continues was a real need for students to have a place at Derryfield to process all of these efforts, and the new ones to come, the School will be guided by a this.” community spirit summed up by Dr. Carter. “Derryfield strives to prepare our students to be empathetic and purposeful members of any community, Students created that space by leading several virtual discussion groups which includes an understanding of the value of diverse perspectives, lived over the summer, which generated so much interest in working to advance experiences, and humanity of every person.” equity and belonging that two strong student organizations, the Multicultural Student Union and the Upper School EQUITY club, have taken up this important challenge with renewed energy. 36
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UPPER SCHOOL EQUITY CLUB
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any Derryfield students are eager for a venue to explore issues of diversity and social justice, and a vehicle to create real change in the School and beyond. Because of this energy and enthusiasm, Derryfield’s Upper School EQUITY club is enjoying unprecedented success. The club, which expanded the scope of the former Gender Equity (GEQual) Club, has rededicated itself to promoting discourse on intersectional issues, incorporating race, gender, sexuality, religion, able bodiedness, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and other areas where inequity is a fact of American life. “We wanted to become a more inclusive space for all students, and we wanted them to be eager and willing to listen and contribute, even if their experiences were different from other students’,” said co-director Ruthie Zolla ’21. “The first step is speaking about the hard and taboo things that generations before us did not discuss.” For several years the club has hosted a statewide equity conference; hosting speakers like Eric Barthold of Man Up Open Up, who present ideas that challenge students, families, and other attendees to think critically about how to create a culture of equity in our school community. In one of the very last on-campus events before the COVID19 imposed shutdown, 2020’s Equity Conference hosted self-advocacy expert and personal coach Skyler McCurine of Le Red Balloon. With interest in EQUITY at an all-time high the club has recently formed a Gender Equity Committee and a Racial Equity Committee, and has plans for each group to hold a separate conference on campus. Josue Perez ‘23 joined the Racial Equity Committee. “It is very important for me, as a person of color, to talk about issues that affect me a lot,” he explained. “The Racial Equity Conference is also an opportunity for me and other members of the committee to talk about issues, such as racial discrimination, lack of representation, and disadvatanges, that affect us, to our classmates.” Senior Ruthie Zolla believes the club will help empower the next wave of Derryfield community activists to put words into action, and implement new policies that further an equitable and inclusive school agenda. For her part Zolla is crafting a clause for the student handbook, defining, explaining, and regulating racist behavior. “That is the legacy I hope to leave, so that every student of color feels more protected by our school's constitution, and so that racism is explicitly denounced in our school's values.”
Sarah Naje ’23 (center) and Josue Perez ’23 (right) have been instrumental student leaders in the discussion about equity.
THE MULTICULTURAL STUDENT UNION
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arah Naje ’23 says she’s an advocate for being your true self while finding a sense of belonging in the Derryfield community. Those are the beliefs that led to her involvement helping to launch the MSU. “These activities give us the opportunity to give everyone what they deserve: a voice and to be heard,” she said. "Getting involved in these clubs give you a sense of awareness and different perspectives to look through on all kinds of discussion and issues as well.” The new Multicultural Student Union (MSU) is a student-driven initiative that grew out of spirited faculty-student discussions held over the summer on the issues of racial justice, equity, and inclusion. “Several students wanted a safe space for people of color, as well as those interested in understanding and exploring cultural diversity, to talk about issues of concern as well as to celebrate cultural diversity” said Jenny Boesch who with Laurie Byron serves as a faculty advisor to the group. Inspired by the strong interest shown among their peers, a core team of students dedicated part of their summer months to developing and refining ideas for the organization, which they introduced to the School during Community Meeting. Jen Pei ‘23's fantastic "This I Believe" speech prepared the ground by reflecting on her experiences growing up in a culture shaped by Disney princesses. Sarah Naje then introduced the MSU and welcomed students who had interest in the organization. The new club is already off to an amazing start. The group hosts regular meetings and is planning a social media site for sharing ideas and hosting informal chat groups. MSU leaders will also be attending a virtual, weeklong conference in December hosted by the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Sarah Naje and the other MSU leaders hope to be forces for change not only at Derryfield but also beyond campus and throughout the community. Ms. Boesch reflected that even before the club was officially formed she was impressed by how much thought these students had already given the issues of racial justice, equity and inclusion. “They are a passionate but thoughtful group and have understood the importance of honing their message from the beginning,” Ms. Boesch said. “Their hope is to be inclusive and celebratory of cultural diversity while at the same time having a space for honest, frank discussions.”
Guest speaker Skyler McCurine at the 2020 Equity Conference.
That can be a difficult balance, even for adults! But by recognizing its importance the students of the MSU are well on their way to building an organization that can be a force for advocating change and celebrating multicultural diversity on campus and wherever members of our community represent Derryfield. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CURRICULUM DIVERSITY
From the Humanities to STEM
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tudents of all backgrounds benefit from a diverse curriculum because it better prepares them to be citizens and leaders in a multicultural society. Across Derryfield’s academic programs, from the humanities to the STEM disciplines, our teaching increasingly includes perspectives and discussions of gender, race, and other aspects of equity and belonging. “I think that if we can help kids have these opportunities where they actually get to see life from a perspective that they have no access to, it will allow them to start to be able to ask the questions that need to be asked and to engage in dialogue,” said upper school English teacher Dr. Diane Hotten-Somers. In the humanities those discussions often start with students being able to see themselves in what they read and study. And with a diversity of perspectives presented in literature, they also learn to see things through the eyes of others, which is key to developing understanding and empathy. Diverse authors offer students different lenses through which to view these topics and a shared experience through which they can discuss and examine them. English faculty choose from a diverse library of texts to help students explore themes of race, ethnicity, identity, justice, gender norms, and belonging. World cultures courses help students explore nations and people beyond our shores, while others delve into what it means to be an American through the very different experiences of all who call this country home. In history, students build a foundation for civic responsibility by understanding the complexities of the past. World Justice topics range from Jim Crow America to the Holocaust. Upper School students explore
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the history of Asia and Europe, social upheaval, and global issues like environmental sustainability. While studying the past, students also learn how historic injustices continue to inform the world in which we live today. Service projects with new Americans living in Manchester, for example, enable our our sixth and eight graders to experience this firsthand. Gender parity is an ongoing priority in the School’s STEM departments where the faculty, including leadership positions, is nearly evenly divided between men and women. Teachers have also been implementing initiatives aimed at attracting more girls to STEM fields where they have been traditionally underrepresented. The Science Department has hosted the TechWomen Ambassadors program which invites women working in technology to Derryfield to discuss different paths to careers in STEM. Science Department Chair Mary Ann Watt has conducted a monthly “Open Circuit” forum designed to bring together girls from all grades interested in STEM. And to help inspire our students about possibilities in real world STEM careers, a group of girls shadowed professionals at a Manchester software company for a day. Preparing our students to be future leaders means teaching them to be anti-discriminatory and receptive to a diverse range of experiences and ideas. In every area of the curriculum, the faculty is addressing these issues to ensure that Derryfield graduates truly represent the Schools’ philosophy that “academic achievement without compassion and concern for others is meaningless.”
FACULTY GOES TO SCHOOL ON EQUITY AND BELONGING
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ecognizing that there is more work to be done, Derryfield’s faculty and staff have embraced an equity and inclusion training program that explores issues like implicit bias, equity and organizational change, and culturally responsive hiring. The initiative is a key part of the School’s commitment to building a truly diverse and inclusive community not only in the classroom, but in the cafeteria, on the court, and even beyond the boundaries of campus. “I feel like the faculty has really been increasing their capacity to have these conversations and ask questions about how we are creating a sense of belonging,” said Laura Russell, chair of the Faculty and Staff Equity and Belonging Committee. Faculty groups met virtually three different times over the summer to study timely and challenging writings that offered a variety of perspectives on these issues and reflect on their own learning in the area of justice and inclusion. They held open discussions to explore ideas about how those views and philosophies might inform their teaching at Derryfield and aid their understanding of the experiences of people of color at Derryfield. When the school year approached, all faculty and staff kicked off the year by attending a daylong workshop led by Liza Talusan, a leader in helping organizations plan and implement strategic change in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and leadership. Derryfield also encouraged faculty and staff to attend conferences including the National Diversity Practitioners’ Institute, which helps educators create a framework to aid equity and belonging efforts at their institutions, and implement best practices to achieve real results. The Multicultural Educators Forum (MEF) at Fenn School also welcomed several Derryfield teachers. By coming together as a larger community of independent schools, these committed professionals can help each other learn how best to further multicultural education on a global scale. Dr. Diane Hotten-Somers was just one faculty member who also attended (virtually) equity conferences hosted by ISANNE and AISNE. “These events were really great opportunities to learn about how to facilitate challenging conversations around the political moments that are upon us right now,” she said. The experience shows how valuable lessons learned by collaborating with colleagues can be brought directly back to Derryfield, where they can help build a diverse, just, and inclusive community in which everyone feels a true sense of belonging.
Liza Talusan led a faculty workshop on challenging biases.
Funding the Mission While the School has numerous strategic plan initiatives in place to promote equity and belonging in the culture, there was not a way to support them directly—until this year. Now donors to The Derryfield Fund can designate their gifts to Equity & Belonging, just as they might to areas like Support a Scholar, Adapting Facilities & Technology, or Passion Pursuits like athletics and the arts. “This allows an annual gift to be used directly for the things that we do every year to support our strategic plan initiative,” said Director of Philanthropy & Engagement Anna Moskov. Donations might pay for students to attend a diversity leadership conference, or for faculty training on how creating a sense of belonging can inform their teaching. The gifts are also used for valuable classroom and other resources that benefit the entire community’s efforts to aggressively advocate for equity and a sense of belonging. Derryfield is also putting resources from the endowment and The Derryfield Fund to work ensuring that the School is accessible to as many families as possible. Equitable tuition is an investment in building a more socioeconomically, racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse community in which everyone can thrive, learn, and prepare for the real world. “Our equitable tuition model is a significant step towards addressing equity at Derryfield,” Ms. Moskov explained. The program matches each student’s tuition rate to their family’s unique financial profile, placing a Derryfield education within reach of more students from across the socio-economic spectrum. Equitable tuition is a bottom-line commitment to ensuring that financial constraints don’t prevent Derryfield from welcoming the most talented and diverse student body possible. In honor of a 30-year relationship with Breakthrough Manchester, the Board of Trustees has committed to a new scholars program which is currently under development, and will be ready for implementation for the 2021–2022 school year. Look for an announcement soon with more information about this exciting program that will help us bring up to eight Breakthrough students, or other academically motivated and under-resourced Manchester area students, to Derryfield. Finally, in addition to building a more diverse student population and inclusive community, the administration is increasing its efforts in recruiting adults of color to the faculty and staff. The School has attempted, but frankly struggled, to increase racial diversity among the employees. To aid these efforts Derryfield has engaged two search firms specializing in identifying candidates of color. Also, beginning next year, the School will launch a teaching internship program to help train a new generation of educators. The program will host up to five young or mid-career teachers in development and may include credits towards a Master’s Degree, with the hope of attracting young professionals of diverse backgrounds who will more accurately reflect the diversity of the student body.
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
2
nd
A GENERATION OF VISIONARIES The Thinking Forward campaign wrapped up this spring, and with it came new science and athletic facilities, a new traffic pattern, and new property across the street for the tennis complex. As we celebrate the completion of the spaces and the campaign, we need to look back at how we arrived at the finish line.
I
n 2010–2011 Derryfield participated in the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) re-accreditation process. The findings were glowing in most areas: student experience, quality of the faculty and administration, and the dedication to the mission of the School. But it also shed light on our challenges; facilities were a major concern. The School hadn’t undertaken a comprehensive academic facilities improvement project since 1996 with the campaign and construction of the Middle School. As a result, we had outgrown our Upper School; teaching facilities, dining facilities, library, and indoor athletic facilities did not match the way teachers teach today. We had developed new programs that didn’t have space, and our science department was limited in what they could offer due to insufficient lab and classroom spaces. We began to plan backwards by designing a whole campus that would address many of these challenges in a way that created intentional outdoor spaces as well. In 2014 the Board of Trustees embarked on a Master Facilities Plan to identify the greatest facility needs, which identified the following spaces: new dining facility, new indoor athletic facility, reception/gathering space, upper school renovation, new learning common/modern library, studio & creative arts space, renovating the McIninch Room, community courtyard, welcoming entrance, and a loop road. Estimates in 2014 to complete the entire Master Facility Plan were $33 million, so the Trustees started to explore how we could create a plan for a capital campaign, and identified which projects to address first. In 2015, the Thinking Forward campaign was launched, which resulted in a recordsetting $7 million raised towards these projects.
The success of this campaign, which exceeded all prior fundraising efforts, was possible because so many people came together. Donors who had historically given Derryfield $100 a year were now thinking about how they could make a $10,000 gift over 5 years. Families set up monthly gifts to make it possible; many made annual pledge payments, and several families discovered the benefit of donating appreciated securities. No matter the method, people found creative ways to make the vision a reality and we are forever grateful. Our alumni came together in ways never before seen in the history of our young school. Jimmy Rich ’92, Sean Stone ’83, Dave Larivee ’84, and Dave Grosso ’78 led two initiatives to raise funds and dedicate the tennis complex and competition basketball court. Reaching out to alumni across the generations, the leaders in each initiative had the support of many others who connected with their classmates and sent letters to gather support. Campaign leadership also found new ways to engage with donors. They knew that we were going to have to instill a deeper culture of philanthropy in order to be successful in this multi-million dollar initiative. They were going to have to talk to donors about significant gifts, often the largest gifts these families had ever considered. A spark was ignited when Bill Zorn, co-chair of the campaign, made his own personal commitment of $100,000. What Bill didn’t know at the time was that there had only been two families in the history of the school who had done that before. His leadership inspired others to enthusiastically join him, and when we completed the campaign we had more than 30 families who made gifts of $100,000 or more—forever elevating the culture of philanthropy at Derryfield. The following families made significant gifts and we honor them as Second Generation Visionaries. Following in the vision of our founders, these generous families and individuals have propelled the Founders’ vision forward for the next generation.
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CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Co-Chairs Shannon McGinley P ’15, ’17, ’20, ’24 William Zorn P ’11, ’14 Brad Benson ’78, P ’15, ’17 Christine Cikacz P ’08 Ellie Cochran ’69, P ’01 Kelley Gage P ’21 Lauren Hines P ’20, ’23 Dave Larrivee ’84 Paul Leyden P ’11, ’16 Emily Newick ’97 Jamie Pagliocco P ’21 Jimmy Rich ’92 Pam VanArsdale P ’03, ’05
BILL AND MICHELLE ZORN
Campaign Co-Chairs Bill Zorn and Shannon McGinley
Bill's two children, Alex ’11 and Tyler ’14, went to Derryfield, but his involvement with the School did not end on graduation day. Knowing the tremendous impact Derryfield had on his children and family, he was delighted to give back. An accomplished attorney and Derryfield board member from 2008 through 2017, Bill brought his thoughtful analysis and planning skills to the campaign, along with his experience volunteering on other successful capital campaigns. Bill shared that he stepped up as a leader of the Thinking Forward campaign because of the phenomenal experience that his sons had at Derryfield. “The dedication of the faculty, and the student to teacher ratio, allowed each of them to grow in ways that surprised the whole family.” Bill has been inspired by Dr. Carter’s leadership and the exceptional members of the Board of Trustees, and he envisions many more years of Derryfield challenging and nurturing students in ways they would never expect.
SHANNON AND DOUG MCGINLEY
The parents of five boys, Patrick ’15, Corey ’17, Brady ’20, Quinn ’24 and Aidan, Shannon McGinley and her husband Doug have been highly engaged members of the Derryfield community since 2009. Shannon joined the Board of Trustees in 2013 and has been a passionate advocate for the School's needs. She loves what the School has to offer and is eager to see what unfolds when the campus facilities accommodate the needs of our faculty. As an enthusiastic basketball family with a penchant for STEM and robotics, they look forward to seeing the programs flourish and thrive with the proper facilities. As campaign co-chair Shannon brought her thoughtful questions, and deep community connections to everything she did. Shannon’s authentic and consistent presence at school helped her to raise awareness about the projects and get people engaged in the process. Shannon and Bill were a tremendous team— keeping the committee focused on success and a pathway to the finish line!
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CAMPAIGN REPORT SECOND GENERATION VISIONARIES Anonymous (5) Linda and Brad Benson ’78 Michael Broad ’69 Peter Carlson ’83 Financial Aid Fund Celebrations Distinctive Catering, Inc. Chris and Michael Cikacz David and Ellie Cochran ’69 Dr. Kristina Isakovich and Mr. Richard Critz DeWitt Family Grunbeck Family Foundation Matt Halvorsen ’88 Lauren and Michael Hines Barbara and Paul Labonte Laurie and Jim Lamp Lauren and Paul J. Leyden Tracy and Joe Matarese Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco Colleen and Vadim Plotsker Sarah and Jimmy Rich ’92 Gay Shanahan ’76 and Jim Goldenberg Founders David G. and Barbara J. Stahl, Susan Stahl Hardy ’70, and Nancy Stahl Wilsker ’73 The VanArsdale and Dewey Family Margaret Wheeler and Garvin Warner René Whiteley and Travis Warren Marty Nagy-Wentz and Jack Wentz The Winneg Family Michele and Bill Zorn
CHRIS AND MICHAEL CIKACZ
TRACY AND JOE MATARESE
Tracy and Joe believe that education is enormously important for enrichment in life. “Education is not just about learning math and English. These new facilities not only provide world class spaces, but elevate the program.” Since their daughter started at Derryfield in 2013, they have seen the well-rounded approach to education and admire that whether your interests lie in athletics, in the theater, in math, or the humanities, “Derryfield can accommodate that; nothing is dominant.” Joe shared that “Derryfield is a model for others to see what is achievable.” The Matareses were inspired by the opportunity to elevate math and science at Derryfield, which will have “profound effects for society moving forward. It will attract more girls, which will increase a pool of talent. Society benefits when we have more scientists. When you have an opportunity to build a center like that it brings focus to the program.” At the same time, they value health, wellness, nutrition, and exercise. The new Athletic & Wellness Center is a great opportunity to teach students about health and wellness. Joe shared his philosophy on giving back: “Learn, earn, and then return. I spent a lot of my life learning, a good part earning, and if you have the opportunity to return it is very fulfilling. It’s important to pick things that matter, there are so many great causes. Derryfield has demonstrated a meaningful impact. When you think about the 400 students per year for 30 years who will be impacted by these spaces, that’s thousands of kids.”
Chris implores us to “remember that no matter what kind of beautiful buildings we build, the teachers and their relationships with students are the foundation of a Derryfield education.” The Cikacz family supports Derryfield so that the faculty has the resources and facilities they need to create extraordinary experiences for students. Their daughter Molly graduated in 2008 and they attribute much of her success to her teachers. Chris and Michael have watched Molly, along with many other students, learn to advocate for themselves, to explore new ideas, and to move through the world with confidence, thanks to their relationships with Derryfield faculty. 42
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LAURIE AND JIM LAMP
Laurie and Jim Lamp are the proud parents of four Derryfield graduates and are tireless volunteers. When their kids were students, they hosted admission events at their home, they helped at grandparents’ day, the annual auction, and so much more. They have both served as Trustees: Laurie from 2007 - 2009, and Jim from 2015 through today. As the Chair of the Buildings & Grounds Committee of the Board, Jim’s expertise can be seen throughout campus. Laurie says that “for a total of 28 years combined, Derryfield gave to our family. We’re paying it forward!” With support from families like the Lamps, the Derryfield tradition of paying it forward will continue for years to come.
JENNIFER AND BOB GRUNBECK
Jennifer and Bob are no strangers to philanthropy and giving back to the community. They have been involved in many organizations that they are passionate about, and when they joined the Derryfield community they jumped right in, finding ways to connect with other families, faculty, and staff. In their first year as Derryfield parents they hosted gatherings and learned quickly about the Thinking Forward campaign. They knew right away that they wanted to help. Since then, they have been advocates for the School and passionate about inspiring others to give. When asked why they jumped in right away, Bob shared that education is a priority area of support for their family, and they wanted to see Derryfield succeed in realizing the vision for the new facilities—spaces their children would be lucky to experience during their time at Derryfield.
ROSAMOND AND DAVID CARLSON ELLIE GOODWIN COCHRAN ’69 AND DAVID COCHRAN
Ellie and Dave are proud and loyal supporters of Derryfield. They have enthusiastically supported every capital campaign except for the very first one. Ellie says, “Each campaign has been impactful and moved the school forward, but this one was perhaps the most focused and I’m extremely proud of the strong alumni support.” The Cochrans’ generosity and commitment to our school has inspired giving in alumni of all ages. Their hope for the future is that Derryfield stands the test of time and remains relevant for every student. “Education is the best gift we give our children and a community is only as strong as the educational opportunities provided. I want to make sure that Derryfield continues to move forward, making a difference in our corner of the world.”
Roz and Dave Carlson suffered an unimaginable loss when their son Peter passed away in 2015. Peter was a Derryfield alumnus from the class of 1983, and he had been an educator in Manchester and Goffstown for over 15 years. They wanted to do something to honor the legacy of their son and his passion for education. Peter believed in the power of education to transform the lives of students, and Roz and Dave were interested in finding a way to set up a scholarship program for students to attend Derryfield. They established the Peter Carlson ‘83 Financial Aid Fund in 2017 to be used for need-based, highly motivated, qualified applicants, with preference to students from the public school district in Manchester and environs - where Peter worked for so many years. Derryfield is deeply honored that the Carlsons partnered with us to honor Peter’s legacy by changing the lives of young scholars and enabling them to attend Derryfield. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
2ND GENERATION VISIONARIES
THE VANARSDALE AND DEWEY FAMILY
When their daughters Sara ’03 and Kate ’05 started at Derryfield, the whole family got involved. Mom, Pam VanArsdale, jumped right in and started volunteering. She was one of the hardest working volunteers on the campaign to build the middle school back in 1996. Grandparents, Marjorie and Bud, saw how much their daughter and granddaughters were getting out of their Derryfield experience, so they got involved too. Their family came together across all three generations to support the Thinking Forward Campaign, in honor of the great experience that each of them had with the School as students, parents, and grandparents. They are proud to build on the vision of the Founders and the generosity of all the donors who came before them.
LINDA AND BRAD ’78 BENSON
Family is at the core of the Bensons’ Derryfield experience. Our current Board Chair, Brad ’78, recognizes that he and his two sons, Andrew ’15 and Christopher ’17, all received a great education at Derryfield. Each of them graduated enthusiastic about learning and had close relationships with their teachers. But for both generations of Bensons, what made Derryfield so special was that they went home to their family after school each day. Brad looks forward to future facility improvements so that the physical buildings continue to evolve as a reflection of the excellent work that happens within them. 44
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FOUNDERS DAVID G. AND BARBARA J. STAHL, SUSAN STAHL HARDY ’70, AND NANCY STAHL WILSKER ’73 The Stahl Family’s long and deep legacy at Derryfield lives in the many members of our community they have touched as Founders, scholars, teachers, advisors, students, and alumni at Derryfield. After Drs. Barbara and David Stahl helped found the School, Dr. Barbara Stahl remained a lifelong member of Derryfield’s Board of Trustees, helping guide the School’s development for 40 years. All four of their children attended Derryfield, spanning the first 14 years of Derryfield’s operation. Two of their daughters, Susan ’70 and Nancy ’73, stepped forward during the Thinking Forward campaign to help support the Derryfield Vision for the next generation. They joined the campaign in honor of their parents, particularly their mother, who they believe would be very pleased with Derryfield today. Susan and Nancy were also moved by their visit to the School last year and by Mary Halpin Carter’s expression of the School’s vision. Nancy reflected that her experience at Derryfield taught her not just to have goals, but how to work to realize them. She views supporting the Thinking Forward campaign as a way of ensuring that Derryfield can continue teaching those lessons to future generations. Susan acknowledges that, “Derryfield was groundbreaking when it was founded,” and hopes that we will “continue to break new ground in education for the next 50 years.” Susan said, “I am proud to be an alumna and I hope that future generations of students will feel the same way.”
JAMIE AND JAMIE PAGLIOCCO
When you talk with Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco you discover that there are many reasons they support the School. They are passionate about education, and they find joy in discovering ways to give back. You can find them at every theater production helping in a myriad of ways, and as enthusiastic audience members. When asked why they were inspired by this campaign, they shared, “We support Derryfield so that the School can continue to educate bright kids who are truly remarkable human beings.” They are inspired by the faculty who work tirelessly in the classrooms, on the sports fields, and in the arts to develop students as well-rounded, kind, and caring individuals.
LAUREN AND PAUL LEYDEN
Paul and Lauren Leyden P’11, P’16 have been inspired by Mary Carter’s vision of excellence for the School. They envision a future where Derryfield remains a clear and established jewel on River Road. Paul says, “People before us gave so our daughters could have the experience they did. We give so children in the future will have the opportunity that they did-- to come to a place that is warm and accepting, that will challenge them, to learn in exciting ways, and to leave Derryfield proud of their experience.”
THE WINNEG FAMILY
The Winneg family are no strangers to Derryfield. Fran and Dick Winneg were among the founders who came together and invested in starting the School. Each year when Dick returned for Founders’ Day, he quipped that his original donation to Derryfield was the best gift he ever made. He was in awe of how the School has grown over the years. Their three children attended Derryfield, and their son Neal joined the Board of Trustees in 2016. Neal gathered the family together to make a family gift to the campaign; his parents and siblings all investing in paying it forward once again. According to Neal, his parents didn’t think twice about taking the risk to create a better educational opportunity for their children, and for that he remains grateful. He envisions a future where more alumni are engaged with their school, where growth continues, and where we maintain the tradition of caring for the well-being of all our students.
MICHAEL BROAD ’69
Michael’s parents were involved with Derryfield from the start, and his support is in their honor. He envisions a future for Derryfield in which students continue to encounter unique opportunities that they otherwise would not have in high school. Michael remembers the impact that teachers like Mr. Holland and Mr. Bailey had on his education and the lasting impacts they made on his life. He points to this as something that truly makes Derryfield special-- he knows that everyone who comes through Derryfield has those teachers who make a profound impact on their lives. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
2ND GENERATION VISIONARIES
MATT HALVORSEN ’88 SHEILA AND JOE DEWITT
Sheila and Joe are always so thoughtful in how they approach their giving. They reflect on their own experiences, and times that they benefited from the caring and generosity of others, and they consider how they can pay that forward for others in meaningful ways. The Dewitts’ hope is that Derryfield continues to grow and to achieve recognition for what we’ve become. They are inspired by Mary Halpin Carter’s visionary approach to leadership, which is also deeply grounded in fundamentals. They were delighted to watch the Thinking Forward campaign expand to include such incredible enhancement to our Science and Innovation programming, in addition to its initial focus on Health and Wellness. The Dewitts believe that this ability to pivot and adjust will be the key to Derryfield’s success in our changing world.
MARTY NAGY-WENTZ AND JACK WENTZ
Marty and Jack wanted to give back to help move Derryfield forward. “Those who came before us created a really great school and we benefited from the investments they made in Derryfield,” Jack says. “We felt we should do our part to help Derryfield create teaching, learning, athletic, and community spaces that matched the quality of the curriculum for the next generation of students.” When reflecting on their daughter Erika’s time at Derryfield, Marty and Jack recognize that Derryfield provided her with a truly unique experience. “She was well prepared for college, having already explored and balanced a wide variety of interests. At Derryfield she learned to advocate for herself, while expanding her skills and being kind and supportive of others.” 46
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As a business leader in New Hampshire, Matt has a unique perspective on the benefits of a strong independent school like Derryfield. He understands how the education at Derryfield is a solid foundation for future studies and careers. Matt has remained connected to fellow alumni in the area, and he welcomed the opportunity to hear about the campaign and how he could help. Matt’s hope for Derryfield is that it remains a great independent school and that students continue to feel free to express themselves.
ADDITIONAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $50,000-$99,999 Katie and Steve Burke Susi and Dwight Churchill Cogswell Benevolent Trust Susan and Steve Eldridge Norene and David Farr Bonnie and Terry Flahive Jaye R. and Charles S. Goodwin Louis Fink and Pamela Grich Christopher H. M. and Mary Halpin Carter Larrivee Family McLain Family Brian Miron Siobhan and Tom Quinn Sean William Stone ’83 Meg and Phil Tatro John ’85 and Tracey Van Hooser
$25,000-$49,999 Anonymous (2) The Lucy P. Sale Foundation, Joseph and Toy Cobbe Renee and Scott Dudley Julia Burdick and Nathan Faulkner Glosner Family Helle and Scott Goodrich David L. Grosso ’78 Samuel P. Hunt Foundation LaCroix Family Brenda and Richard Lombardozzi Kristen and Harold Losey Shannon and Doug McGinley Deb and Fritz Morgan Lucy and Daniel Potter Wendy and Brent Powell Kathy and Jon Ross The Steele Family, Bill, Sheila, Kelly and Ditty Audrey Augun and James Steiner
$10,000-$24,999 Anonymous (2) Catherine Riley Boege Donor Advised Fund Jason Boyer ’83 Celia and Nigel Donovan Sue and Bill Dunlap Joyia Rich Fazelat ’96 and Ahad Fazelat Hansi and Bill Glahn Dorothy M. & David P. Goodwin Family Fund at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Handwerk Family Hurlbut Family Scott G. Jensen ’81 Susan Rand King ’81 and Bill King Daneil Copertino Kuftinec ’87 and Robert Kuftinec ’87 Charles Li ’14 Tricia H. and John E. Lucas Lisa and Dan Muskat ’82 Northrup Family Kacey and Lee Ormiston Kirsten Vernon and Kevin Ramundo Sharon and Tom Rohlfs
Wendy and E. Charles Sanborn Lara Shilling Silent “E” Fund Tracy and Andy Sklarin ’92
$1-$9,999 Anonymous (7) Lori Evans Alderin ’00 and Adam Alderin Ginny Alfano Karen and John Allard ’83 Deb and Nancy Allen Diane Allen Tricia Ansdell and Michael North Diane Sanborn Arabian ’83 and Theodore Arabian Cyrena and John Arnold ’00 Kathy and Carter Barger Kerry and Rick Barto Becky and Bruce Berk Jackie and Ryan Bielagus ’94 Donna and Ev Bishop Connie and Bruce Blight Lori and Ray Boelig Caryl and Barry Brensinger Steve Burke ’10 Mark Burkush ’70 Matthew Butterick ’88 Ben Calegari ’10 A.J. Capowski ’79 Tracey and Charlie Carrier Jim Chen Betsy and Rob Cissel Citizens Bank Foundation Moira Delahanty Clark ’02 and Benjamin Clark Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Kristen Geiger Cochran ’02 and Andy Cochran ’01 Cleve Cogswell ’75 Dru D’Auteuil Molly Cikacz Day ’08 and Patrick Day Cassie Devine ’73 and Tim Kerrigan ’72 Suzie Devine ’75 and Andrew Schirmer Susan Stone Doherty ’82 and Tim Doherty Bennett Doherty ’14 Brinie Dunlap ’00 and Rob Childs Sarah and Adam Edwards Joyce Erb and David Erb ’76 Kristen and Ray Etzo Charlotte Evans ’08 Jane Crouter Eyre ’76 and Gavin Eyre Felicella Family Fiduciary Trust Company of New England in honor of Bill Zorn Debra Silberberg Finestone ’74 and Shya Finestone Sue Flagg Susan Law Fleisher ’77 and Adam Fleisher ’77 Roni Foster and Jon Foster ’79 Scott Freedman ’70 Bennett Freeman ’70 Kelley and John Gage Carolyn and Lou Gargasz
David Gelinas ’03 Myles Gettings ’83 Judith Rutty Godfrey and Jay Godfrey Carroll Goldsmith Ted Graf ’79 April Shaw and Alex Granok Sally Green Paulette and Chris Grondin Pattie and Don Grosso Barbara and David Haight Maria Diaz and Alex Haight ’88 Anne Hamblett and Rob Hamblett ’72 Kate Hanna Katie Williams and Brant Hardy Daniel Hazelton Patricia Heinzelmann and Karl Heinzelmann ’77 Cyndi Carr and Jim Hendrix ’77 Aran Hubbell ’11 Rachel Daum Humphrey ’87 and Scott Humphrey Kathryn Van Der Beken Hunter and Preston Hunter ’98 Johnson Controls Foundation Beth and Keith Jorgensen Peter Keeler ’99 Krista Keeler ’01 and Matt Bohenek Becky and Bruce Krasnof Barrett Lamp ’11 Maria Law ’75 Carolyn Goodwin Leary ’05 and Mike Leary Sadie Fowler Leonard ’09 and Kevin Leonard Shelley and Gary Lindner Jan Litvin and Mike Litvin ’71 Roz and David Lockwood Sandy Lockwood ’15 Genny and Scott MacKenzie Elaine Madden Becca Maglathlin ’00 and Peter Malkin Josie Martin ’73 Gertrude Martin Eve Rice and Tim Mattison ’69 Denise and David McAdoo Sarah and Lenny McCaigue Steff Solms McCusker ’84 and Dave McCusker Gayle McGinnis ’76 Lisa and Tim McGrath Sarah McLean and James McLean ’82 Mariel McLeod ’11 Jennifer D. and Gregory J. Melkonian Suzanne Meyer and Peter Meyer ’74 Cindy and Dave Migliori Nate Milne ’11 Beth and Deno Mokas Michelle Goulet Moore ’77 and David Moore Than Moore ’08 Francoise and John Morison Laura Morsch Anna and Boyan Moskov Catharine and Mason Newick Emily Newick ’97 and Steve Gaughan Kate Newick ’00 and Tyler Kipp Moni and Tung Nguyen Charla Ostergren and Mark Ostergren ’70
Terri Pastori and Richard Labbe Julie Jorgensen Paynter ’02 and Jon Paynter Kathleen Leber-Perron and Vince Perron ’79 Nancy Perron and Andre Perron ’78 Bill Pfeifer Michelle and Matt Pierson Marcy Pope and Buddy Pope ’76 Kitty Purington and Matt Purington ’84 Julia Sirois and Forrest Quimby ’72 Priscilla Rasanen and David Rasanen ’77 Geri and Brad Reed Rhenea and Dan Regan Kelly Steele Reis ’97 Nancy Rice and L. Scott Rice ’76 Peggy and Jon Richardson Cammy Richelli ’81 Debbie and John Richey Elizabeth Richey ’03 Davis Richmond ’86 Chris Rizos ’13 Becky Grosso Robinson ’79 and John Robinson Susan and Peter Rotch Keith Rousseau ’95 Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 and Erik Fey Mike Ryan ’71 Sandra Woods Sattler ’80 Kathy Schoonmaker Anne and Bill Schwarz Jerri Shaer and Robert Shaer ’72 Sally Shea Martha Martin Shethar ’76 and Alan Shethar Sarah and Rich Sigel ’81 Karen Silverstein William Skladony ’75 Heidi Fishman and Dave Smith ’74 Lynn Sorensen Rachel Spector and Mike Spector ’93 Elizabeth Standow ’76 Nancy Stearns Betsy and Bruce Stefany Sarah Fogal Sweatlock ’99 and Luke Sweatlock Joni Taube ’69 and Eliot Sirkin Nick Tepe ’91 Lisa Tourangeau Megan Tsai ’07 Leslie Tuttle and Ryan Tuttle ’93 Sally Tyrie and David Tyrie ’83 Anuj Vadalia ’11 Kim and Dick Vaillancourt Kathleen Mulkern and Reed Van Rossum ’83 Naomi Turner VanderWolk ’74 and Jeff VanderWolk ’74 September and Doug Voss Carol Walker ’76 and Timothy Buehrer Diane and Glen Wall Thomas Wiggin Katie Williams and Brant Hardy Susan Wu and John Yang Ellen Yoffa ’69 Guixiang Liu and Moazhen Yuan Sarah Stebbins Zepeda ’75 and Jose Zepeda D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
annual report LETTER FROM BOARD CHAIR BRAD BENSON ’78
DERRYFIELD OPERATING REVENUES (2019-2020 Operating Budget)
Dear Friends and Supporters of The Derryfield School, The 2019-20 school year was one for the history books. In the fall, the passing of Dennis Holland brought alumni and friends together to remember his life and impact as a coach, teacher, mentor and friend of Derryfield for 50 years. In the months following his passing, we came together again as a community to unveil the newly completed facilities. We honored Dennis with the naming of the Dennis Holland Competition Court in the Athletic & Wellness Center, and celebrated the brand new Science and Innovation Center and tennis complex. A few short months later, our entire global community was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. It challenged the conventions of education and connection, and all of our school’s typical operations.
4% 3% 88%
6%
Hard times are often the moments where individuals and communities find strength they may not have fully understood. I am forever grateful to the Derryfield community for gracefully navigating the highs and lows of the 2019-20 school year. Teachers adapted their methods; our students worked hard and showed a great deal of patience and resilience; our seniors sacrificed so much in their final months of high school; and the school leadership made countless tough decisions in rapid succession, always in close communication with the community about the changing and extremely challenging environment. Throughout it all Derryfield showed strength and resilience. Our seniors redesigned their ISPs so they could be completed from home. Derryfield figured out how to host an in-person, socially distant, commencement ceremony! We provided emergency tuition funding for families who were unexpectedly affected by the pandemic. And we celebrated the many ways we cared for each other and the greater community during our Day of Caring held in April. Derryfield continues to be strong despite the pandemic and resulting economic uncertainty. While there were inevitable impacts on our fundraising for The Derryfield Fund, we were able to end the year in a positive financial position. The Board, past and present, has stewarded the School through a number of highs and lows, and I know we’ll come through this as an even stronger team.
Net Tuition Derryfield Fund Endowment Income Auxiliary Revenue
DERRYFIELD OPERATING EXPENSES (2019-2020 Operating Budget)
14% 5%
Thank you to each and every person who was able to contribute to Derryfield in the 20192020 school year—whether it was to the capital campaign, to the endowment, to The Derryfield Fund, or other areas about which you are passionate. We would not be in this position of strength without the community standing strong behind us and with us.
79%
2%
With deep gratitude for your continued support,
■ Brad Benson ’78, Chair Board of Trustees
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Compensation General Operating Facilities Administration
THE DERRYFIELD FUND GIVING CLUBS The foundation of Derryfield’s fundraising efforts is The Derryfield Fund. Gifts to The Derryfield Fund enable The Derryfield School to offer students the best possible overall experience. Derryfield Fund dollars support essential initiatives, including the development of academic and extracurricular programs, faculty salaries, and financial aid. Listed below are generous donors who have made gifts to The Derryfield Fund between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. These lists have been prepared with care. If your name has been listed incorrectly or omitted in error, please email Anna Moskov at amoskov@derryfield.org so we may update our records. LEADERSHIP GIVING CLUBS Heads’ Circle $12,500+ Anonymous (1) Linda and Brad Benson ’78 ■ Chris and Michael Cikacz ■ Sheila and Joseph Dewitt ■ Lauren and Michael Hines Cheryl Lucas and Chris Hopey ■ Lea and Bill Kelsey ■ Shannon and Doug McGinley ■ Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco ■ Margaret Wheeler and Garvin Warner ■
Challengers’ Circle $10,000-$12,499
Renee and Scott Dudley ■
Founders’ Circle $5,000-$9,999 Anonymous (2) Cecilia Clemans and Jeanne Bailey-Clemans Kerry and Rick Barto Jason Boyer ’83 ■ Caryl and Barry Brensinger ■ Anne and Mitch Gagnon Mary Halpin Carter and Christopher H. M. Carter ■ Susan Rand King ’81 and Bill King ■ Laurie and Jim Lamp ■ Kristen and Mark Lande Lauren and Paul J. Leyden ■ Rosamond and David Lockwood ■ Kristen and Harold Losey Jen Moeckel Manisha and Jay Patel Marnie and Mike Plage Siobhan and Tom Quinn ■ Sarah and Tarek Radwan Kirsten Vernon and Kevin Ramundo Debbie and David Smith ■ Guohong Wang and Qisheng Zhu
Benefactors’ Circle $2,500-$4,999
Susi and Dwight Churchill ■ Ellie Goodwin Cochran ’69 and David Cochran ■ Ann and Joe Harrington ■ Gargi and Joydip Kundu ■ Sarah and Jason LaCroix Donna K. Lencki ■
Liu Xin and Tingzhao Li Amy and Chris Licata ■ Ursula and Steven Nadeau Sarah and Jimmy Rich ’92 Wendy and E. Charles Sanborn ■ Audrey Augun and Jim Steiner ■ The VanArsdale/Dewey Family ■ Stephanie Bacon and Hoyt Walbridge, Ph.D. Yan Xiang and Wen Wang Heather Wilding ’89 and Keith Wilding ■ Nancy Stahl Wilsker ’73 ■ Fran Winneg ■ Clea and Neal Winneg ’78 ■ Michele and Bill Zorn ■
Lamplighters’ Circle $1,500-$2,499
Anonymous Christine and Mark Anderson ■ Lori and Ray Boelig ■ Katie and Steve Burke ■ Matthew Butterick ’88 ■ Adela and Stephen Carter Bennett Freeman ’70 ■ Kelley and John Gage ■ Jaye R. and Charles S. Goodwin ■ Pamela Grich and Louis Fink ■ Susan Grodman ■ Marilee and Keith Handwerk Debra Repoza-Hogan and Bill Hogan James Houser Mi Young and Jamie Kim ■ Monica and Art Kingsbury ■ Barbara and Paul Labonte ■ Kelly and Scott McPherson Emily Newick ’97 and Steve Gaughan ■ Moni and Tung Nguyen Lucy S. and Daniel C. Potter ■ Wendy and Brent Powell ■ Sharon and Tom Rohlfs ■ Matthew Scotch ’94 ■ Lara Shilling ■ Chris and Tom Stevens Kathryn Lemmon and King Warburton ■ Kelly and Craig Weimer ■ Daoning Xia and Xiangxiu Wang Xiaoyan Yu and Honghai Zhang
Cougar Circle (young leadership alumni) Becca Connolly ’01 Brett McLarnon ’05 ■ James Adie ’13
Katie Albert Garos ’01 and Chris Garos ’00 Kristen Geiger Cochran ’02 and Andrew Cochran ’01 ■ Leah DeWitt ’12 Marshal Dong ’19 Matthew Porat ’10 Meredith Leyden ’11 ■ Molly Cikacz Day ’08 ■ Travis Russell ‘11 Victor Li ’17
GIVING CLUBS Maroon and White $1,000-$1,499
Anonymous (1) Maureen and Joseph Abate Kristen Geiger Cochran ’02 and Andrew Cochran ’01 ■ Becca Connolly ’01 Kristina Isakovich and Richard Critz ■ Kerry and Charles Desfosses ■ Marsha Dixon ■ Ling Wei and Lei Duan William Fredette ’78 and Paula Kuja Carolyn and Louis Gargasz ■ Katie Albert Garos ’01 and Chris Garos ’00 Judith Rutty Godfrey and Jay Godfrey ■ Barbara and David Haight ■ Susan Stahl Hardy ’70 ■ Maggie and Gary Jordan Kirsti and Paul Karpawich ■ Becky and Bruce Krasnof Mary Beth and Philip Lange Tricia Lucas ■ Patti and Neil Markwith Heather Petro and Steven Perlberg Matthew Porat ’10 Jan and Michael Romanowsky ■ Julie and Joel Rozen Stacy and Jesse Smith Sylvia and Jim Tenn
Patron $500-$999
Anonymous Kathy and Greg Abate ■ Christine and Garrett Adie ■ Deb and Nancy Allen ■ Rose-Lynn and Steve Armstrong ■ Susan D. Armstrong Samantha and Tony Baldini ■ Shannon and John Best Jane and Steve Bogursky Lynn Bollengier ■
Lesley and Andrew Carr ■ Deirdre and Norman Carr ■ Tracey and Charlie Carrier Toy and Joe Cobbe ■ Melissa and Philip Damiano Molly Cikacz Day ’08 ■ Michael Ekman ’69 ■ Joyia Rich Fazelat ’96 ■ The Felicella Family ■ Thomas Flahive ’03 ■ Matthew Galvin ’85 Hansi and Bill Glahn ■ May and Mark Gonzales Sally Green ■ Jennifer and Bob Grunbeck Jane and Bob Hale Alice J. and Brian K. Handwerk ■ Marc and Marie Hebert ■ Susan and Joseph Horton Sue and Bruce Howard Pat and Marcus Hurlbut ■ Michelle LaCreta Lucille and Robert Lemay ■ Krissy and Bill Letourneau ■ Jennifer Lorrain Brett McLarnon ’05 ■ Jennifer D. and Gregory J. Melkonian ■ Lori Mix and Allen Merriman ■ Linda Mackey Mitchell ’91 ■ Anna and Boyan Moskov ■ Terri Pastori and Richard Labbe Barbara and Hobe Rand ■ Davis Richmond ’86 ■ Travis Russell ’11 Judy and Phil Ryan ■ Carolyn and Patrick Scholten ■ Nancy Stearns ■ Esthia Giakovis-Sterling and Daniel Sterling Nancy Tarpley Julie and Phil Taub ■ John Van Hooser ’85 ■ September and Doug Voss ■ Kimberley Murphy Wilson ’80 Lisa Wolff Susan Wu and John Yang Sunshine Fund
Supporter $250-$499
Barbara and Kirk Abbott ■ James Adie ’13 Lori Evans Alderin ’00 Meredyth Patterson and Tim Barnard ■
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ANNUAL REPORT THE DERRYFIELD FUND GIVING CLUBS (CONTINUED) Pat and Ralph Beasley Sue and Bill Birchard ■ Chris Bissonnette ■ Tracy and Mark Blaisdell ■ Geoff Blanding ’04 ■ Rupsa and Matt Boelig ’02 ■ Patty and Rand Cayer Daniel Chen ’02 ■ Michelle and Brian Coombes ■ Dylan Cruess ’97 ■ Joanne DeBold ■ Sara Dewey ’03 and Noah Walker ■ Leah DeWitt ’12 Marshal Dong ’19 Husam & Sharon H. Farah Pamela Pappas Goode ’69 ■ John Griffith ’82 ■ Diane Hotten-Somers and Samuel Somers Scott Jensen ’81 ■ Nancy Johnson ’76 ■ Kevin Johnston ’84 Kristy and Scott Lamont Kevin Lane Meredith Leyden Topol ’11 ■ Victor Li ’17 Joshua Lucas ’00 ■ Keri Marshall and Peter Mahar Julia Davis Michelsen ’96 Marye Miller Deb and Fritz Morgan ■ Francoise and John Morison ■ Kate Newick ’00 ■ Sue and Pete Powell ■ Rhenea and Dan Regan ■ Peggy and Jon Richardson ■ Laura Russell and Frank Moltz ■ Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 and Erik Fey ■ Helen and Robert Schroeder Sasha Kuftinec and Mark Schwartzberg ■ William Skladony ’75 ■ Betsy and Bruce Stefany Megan Tsai ’07 Robert Valliere ’73 ■ Agnes and Mark Vaughn ■ Mary Ann and Alex Vazquez ■ Hui Yu Suzanne Zeller Furlong Family Fund
Pillar $1-$249
Anonymous (10) Erika and Mike Alusic-Bingham Marcia and Steve Anderson ■ Diane Sanborn Arabian ’83 ■ Judy Ashton ’72 ■ Norma and Forrest Athey Emily Bacall Anne Marie McGarry and Doug Bacon Cynthia Bagley
50
D E R RY F I E L D T O DAY 2 0 2 0
Brennan Barnard ■ David Baroody Becky and Chris Barsi ■ Elma and Sejo Becirovic ■ Jenna Bee ’05 Sara Anderson and Michael Beesley ■ Becky and Bruce Berk ■ Peter Bielagus ’95 ■ Parker J. Blaisdell ’16 Elizabeth Crisp Blake ’75 Lindsay Starner Blanch ’01 Jenny Boesch and Timothy Dining ■ Tony Bonjorno Linda and Stephen Borofsky Ryan Bouchard ’97 ■ Annie and Rich Branch ■ Deirdre Bradshaw Branch ’71 ■ Molly and Pete Brandt ■ Debbie and Josh Bremberg ■ Louisa and Todd Burdette ■ Harry Burnham ’11 Maie and James Butler Laurie and Rich Byron Jordan Cady A.J. Capowski ’79 ■ Jennifer Carrobis Taylor Carrobis ’18 Alexander Chan ’95 ■ Hilary Chaplain ’74 ■ Candy Chaplin Nicole Chenelle ’11 Colette Chretien ’09 Moira Delahanty Clark and Benjamin Clark Julia and Scott Coleman Chuck Converse ’71 Susan and Richard Conway ■ Donna and Tony Coriaty ■ Judy and Gerry Couture Jeremy Crane ’92 ■ Wendy Athey Dairman ’90 ■ Charlene and Rob DeCesare Deb DeIeso and Steve Frechette Kay and Jim Desmarais Jenni and John Devine ■ Jean Devine ’76 Suzie Devine ’75 Scooty Devine ’16 Casey and Jonathan DeYoung Mike Dolan Diane and David Donahue ■ Jeanne and Mike Donnelly ■ Alex Donovan Pratt ’10 and Kevin Pratt ■ Laura and Ben Dougherty ■ Karen and Stephen Doyle ■ Krisha and Brian Dubreuil ■ Jenny and Graham Duck ’00 Amily Dunlap ’93 ■ Mia and Brad Ek ■ Gershon Ekman ’71 ■ Ken Eluto ’71 ■ Tyler Emley ’91
Kristen and Ray Etzo ■ Mary Brunette and Mark Feigl Mrs. Lucy Field Allison Fink ’08 David Flagg ’98 ■ Ann and Steve Foster ■ Jonathan Foster ’94 Kathryn and Roger Frieden Ann and James Gage Emily Gagne and James Fitch Amanda and Tyson Gagne Shelli Gay ■ Brooks Glahn ’91 Carroll Goldsmith ■ Pat Gomez Dana Gomez-Gayne ’96 ■ April Shaw and Alex Granok ■ Richard Green ’72 ■ Adam Grodman ’06 ■ Paulette and Chris Grondin ■ Trim and Steve Hahn Pat and Tom Halpin ■ Sue and Barry Hantman ■ Jeff Hastings Jim Hendrix ’77 ■ Patty Herbert ■ Lauren and Chris Hettler ■ Marilyn and Alan Hoffman ■ Ken Hopf Hannah Arnold Howard '99 and AJ Howard ■ Aran Hubbell ’11 ■ Brendan Hughes Karen and Ken Hull ■ Beatty and Susan Hunter ■ Ruska and Alan Hutchinson Joy Jaworski John Jellow
Alex Jenney ’11 David Jensen ’00 ■ Betty and Tom Jipson ■ David Kane ’96 ■ Kaitlyn Kane ’10 and James Boulton Kelsey Kanik ’09 Meryl Levin and Will Kanteres Becca Karp and Anik Cote ■ Peter Keeler ’99 Krista Keeler ’01 Patricia and Mark Kegel ■ Nate Kelsey ’18 Hannah Kelsey ’16 ■ Anne Marie Kenny and Tom Birch Roz KennyBirch ’13 ■ Jonathan Kfoury ’94 Dawn Kilcrease ■ Alice and Don Kosiarski Dan Kramer Madison Kramer ’10 Linn Girolimon Krikorian ’72 ■ Daneil Copertino Kuftinec ’87 and Robert Kuftinec ’87 ■ Pat and Paul Lamont ■ Barrett Lamp ’11 Curtis Lamp ’09 Emmie J. Lamp ’12 Greg Lange Elisabeth and Matthew Larson Erin and Derek Lautieri ■ Julie and Al LeBlanc ■ Juliane Katz Leckey '04 and Matthew Leckey Michele and Dan Leclerc ■ Mary and Fran Lee ■ Jaclyn Leeds ’06 Jodie Leen Judy and Ed Lemire ■
Cam Lencki ’10 Debbie and Bob Lievens Mike Litvin ’71 ■ Sandy Lockwood ’15 Nancy Lord ’70 ■ Annette and Charlie Lynch ■ Terri Lynch ■ Mollie Mattuchio MacDearmid and Cameron MacDearmid ■ Elaine Madden Cale Magruder ’04 Bob Mandel ’68 ■ Dale Martin ’90 Cylvia and Marco Masoni ■ Nancy and Gordon Massingham Scott McAuliffe ’95 ■ Leslie Fleisher McCarthy ’73 ■ Justin McCarthy Marty McCormick ’11 Andrea Schwartz McCullough ’01 ■ Stephanie Solms McCusker ’84 and David McCusker ■ Kristin and Terry McGovern ■ Kenna A. McLeod Debra McLoud Sidney McLean McNab ’84 ■ Jennilee and Chris McNeil ■ Deb and Doug Melanson ■ Morgan Melkonian ’00 and Matt Jerome ■ Chuba Menakaya Matthew Milne ’13 Nate Milne ’11 Judith Nelson Minzel ’69 ■ Alice Henly Mitchell and Parker Mitchell ’07 ■ Anna Mokas ’11 Taylor Moon Jennifer Donofrio and Dave Moore ■ Than Moore ’08 ■ Steve Morgan ’05 Colby Morgan ■ Laura Morsch Emily Karmen and Andy Myers ■ Katherine F. Myers ’06 Catharine and Mason Newick ■ Kathryn Worrell Newton ’68 Alfred Norton ’78 ■ Andrea and Ed O'Brien ■ Firas Omer ’11 Adair O'Reilly ’70 Mark Ostergren ’70 Burton H. Owen ’16 Nathaniel J. Pagliocco ’21 Peter Paquette ’68 ■ Emily Liu and Jianfa Pei Mary and Justin Perkins ■ Tracey and Keith Perkins Adam Pignatelli ’96 ■ Debbie Pinto Seth Pitman ’01 Barbara Novak Platt ’69
Mary Pollock Lindsay Pollock ’13 Kimberly Pollock ’11 Danny Pouliot Elleddra Presby Bob Puffer Leitha and Wade Reilly MaryBeth Blight Reis ’85 Susan Resnicoff ’87 ■ Judy and Kyle Reynolds ■ Page Fairman Rich ’92 ■ Elizabeth Richey ’03 ■ Carolyn and Stewart Richmond ■ Michelle and Jim Roberge Marcie Roberts ■ Donna and Michael Rodanas Kimberly and Joe Romo ■ Kathy and Jon Ross ■ Keith Rousseau ’95 Amy and Marc Roy Jan and Patrick Rutty ’84 ■ Lee Rynearson ’03 ■ Lauren Saidel-Baker ’07 ■ Tim Sattler ■ Ellen and Bill Saturley Mamta and Raju Saxena Paula Leonard-Schwartz and Steve Schwartz ■ Sara Schwartz Mohan ’99 ■ Daniel Schwartzberg ’13 Joan Izen and Joel Schwelling Ginger and Bob Searle ■ Justin Shaka ’00 ■ Tom Shanahan ’78 ■ Sally Shea Andrea Sheldon ’09 ■ Dongmei Wang and Xun Shi Stacey and Steve Shula Lindley Shutz and Michael Lynch ■ Sarah and Rich Sigel ’81 ■
Kathy and Paul Silvio Kayla Sirkin ’06 Dave Smith ’74 ■ Deb Smith Wright Smith ’05 Samantha Smith ’16 ■ Eric Spierer ’06 Sarah Stahl ’76 ■ Nevin Stevens ’12 Andrea and David Stevenson ■ Reina Stimpson Kathleen Stull ’08 Terry Sturke Christopher L. Sweeney ’84 and Christine B. Crabb ■ Meg and Phil Tatro ■ Ruth and Jeff Templeton ■ Ann and Scott Tierno ■ Martin C. Topol ’06 Amy Turcotte ■ Ritu and Saurabh Ullal Mindy Nenopoulos Verenis ’75 ■
Diane and Glen Wall ■ Barbara Kaegi Walls ’91 ■ Mary Ann and James Watt Sam Weathers ’14 Shelley and Bill Westenberg ■ Suzanne and Eric Will ■ Hannah Will ’08 ■ Tyler Wolf Steve Young Lucyann and Rick Zeller ■ Gabi and William Zolla Tyler Zorn ’14
▪ indicates five or more years of consecutive giving * indicates deceased
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ANNUAL REPORT THE DERRYFIELD FUND CONSECUTIVE GIVING 30 Years
Marcia and Steve Anderson Caryl and Barry Brensinger A.J. Capowski ’79 Ellie Goodwin Cochran ’69 and David Cochran Michael Ekman ’69 Bennett Freeman ’70 Hansi and Bill Glahn Pamela Pappas Goode ’69 Susan Stahl Hardy ’70 Jim Hendrix ’77 Nancy Johnson ’76 Nancy Lord ’70 Stephanie Solms McCusker ’84 and David McCusker Jennifer D. and Gregory J. Melkonian Susan Resnicoff ’87 Carolyn and Stewart Richmond Kathy and Jon Ross Sarah and Rich Sigel ’81 William Skladony ’75 Nancy Stahl Wilsker ’73 Christopher L. Sweeney ’84 and Christine B. Crabb Clea and Neal Winneg ’78
25 Years
Deb and Nancy Allen Becky and Bruce Berk Barbara and David Haight David Kane ’96 Debbie and Bob Lievens Rosamond and David Lockwood Tricia Lucas Bob Mandel ’68 Patti and Neil Markwith Catharine and Mason Newick Page Fairman Rich ’92 Davis Richmond ’86 Jan and Patrick Rutty ’84 Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 and Erik Fey Wendy and E. Charles Sanborn Sarah Stahl ’76 Nancy Stearns Mindy Nenopoulos Verenis ’75 Diane and Glen Wall Fran Winneg Lucyann and Rick Zeller
20 Years
Lori and Ray Boelig Jason Boyer ’83 Katie and Steve Burke Michelle and Brian Coombes Kerry and Charles Desfosses David Flagg ’98 Jaye R. and Charles S. Goodwin Ann and Joe Harrington Morgan Melkonian ’00 and Matt Jerome Betty and Tom Jipson 52
Judy and Ed Lemire Bob Mandel ’68 Sarah and Lenny McCaigue Walt Milne ’82 Judith Nelson Minzel ’69 Kimberly Kirkland and Randy Reis The VanArsdale/Dewey Family Kathryn Lemmon and King Warburton
15 Years
Chris Bissonnette Sue and Bill Birchard Tracy and Mark Blaisdell Annie and Rich Branch Matthew Butterick ’88 Mary Halpin Carter and Christopher H. M. Carter Chris and Michael Cikacz Molly Cikacz ’08 Gershon Ekman ’71 Ann and Steve Foster Pamela Grich and Louis Fink Susan Grodman Alice J. and Brian K. Handwerk Chris and Lauren Hettler Laurie and Jim Lamp Erin and Derek Lautieri Michele and Dan Leclerc Donna K. Lencki Leslie Fleisher McCarthy ’73 Deb and Doug Melanson Shelli Gay Mary and Justin Perkins Adam Pignatelli ’96 Lucy S. and Daniel C. Potter Elizabeth Richey ’03 Jan and Michael Romanowsky Lee Rynearson ’03 Andrea and David Stevenson September and Doug Voss Michele and Bill Zorn
10 Years
Barbara and Kirk Abbott Christine and Garrett Adie Christine and Mark Anderson Brennan Barnard Patricia and Tom Barstow Anne Marie Kenny and Tom Birch Ryan Bouchard ’97 Deirdre Bradshaw Branch ’71 Molly and Pete Brandt Kristen Geiger Cochran ’02 and Andrew Cochran ’01 Krisha and Brian Dubreuil Thomas Flahive ’03 Dana Gomez-Gayne ’96 April Shaw and Alex Granok Richard Green ’72 Patricia and Mark Kegel Monica and Art Kingsbury
D E R RY F I E L D T O DAY 2 0 2 0
Daneil Copertino Kuftinec ’87 and Robert Kuftinec ’87 Sasha Kuftinec and Mark Schwartzberg Lauren and Paul J. Leyden Joshua Lucas ’00 Shannon and Doug McGinley Brett McLarnon ’05 Jennilee and Chris McNeil Alice Henly Mitchell and Parker Mitchell ’07 Sara Schwartz Mohan ’99 Francoise and John Morison Kate Newick ’00 Andrea and Ed O'Brien Siobhan and Tom Quinn Rhenea and Dan Regan Marcie Roberts
Judy and Phil Ryan Lauren Saidel-Baker ’07 Justin Shaka ’00 Lara Shilling Lindley Shutz and Michael Lynch Audrey Augun and Jim Steiner Meg and Phil Tatro Julie and Phil Taub Ruth and Jeff Templeton John Van Hooser ’85 Margaret Wheeler and Garvin Warner Shelley and Bill Westenberg Hannah Will ’08 Suzanne and Eric Will
ALUMNI GIVING Class of 1968
25% Participation ($250) Bob Mandel Kathryn Worrell Newton Peter Paquette
Class of 1969
21% Participation ($3,616) Ellie Goodwin Cochran Michael Ekman Pamela Pappas Goode Judith Nelson Minzel Barbara Novak Platt
Class of 1970 12% Participation ($2,775) Bennett Freeman Susan Stahl Hardy Nancy Lord Adair O'Reilly Mark Ostergren
Class of 1971
17% Participation ($265) Deirdre Bradshaw Branch Chuck Converse Gershon Ekman Ken Eluto Mike Litvin
Class of 1972
9% Participation ($220) Judy Ashton Richard Green Linn Girolimon Krikorian
Class of 1973
10% Participation ($3,400) Leslie Fleisher McCarthy Robert Valliere Nancy Stahl Wilsker
Class of 1974
8% Participation ($175) Hilary Chaplain Dave Smith
Class of 1975
22% Participation ($600) Elizabeth Crisp Blake Suzie Devine William Skladony Mindy Nenopoulos Verenis
Class of 1976
12% Participation ($400) Jean Devine Nancy Johnson Sarah Stahl
Class of 1977 4% Participation ($200) James D. Hendrix
Class of 1978
19% Participation ($19,050) Bradley N. Benson William R. Fredette Alfred M. Norton III Thomas G. Shanahan Neal S. Winneg
Class of 1979
3% Participation ($100) A.J. Capowski
Class of 1980
4% Participation ($500) Kimberley Murphy Wilson
Class of 1981
9% Participation ($5,350) Scott Jensen Susan Rand King Rich Sigel
Class of 1982
3% Participation ($300) John Griffith
Class of 1983
8% Participation ($6,525) Diane Sanborn Arabian Jason Boyer
Class of 1984
12% Participation ($500) Kevin Johnston Stephanie Solms McCusker Sidney McLean McNab Patrick Rutty Christopher L. Sweeney
Class of 1988
4% Participation ($2,050) Matthew Butterick Juliana Graf Lear
Class of 1989
3% Participation ($3,000) Heather Wilding
Class of 1995
9% Participation ($411) Peter Bielagus Alexander Chan Scott McAuliffe Keith Rousseau
Class of 1996
7% Participation ($175) Wendy Athey Dairman Dale Martin James Richardson
13% Participation ($1,102) Joyia Rich Fazelat Dana Gomez-Gayne David Kane Julia Davis Michelsen Adam Pignatelli
Class of 1991
Class of 1997
Class of 1990
11% Participation ($750) Tyler Emley Brooks Glahn Linda Mackey Mitchell Barbara Kaegi Walls
7% Participation ($2,065) Ryan Bouchard Dylan Cruess Emily Newick
Class of 1992
3% Participation ($220) David Flagg
6% Participation ($2.800) Jeremy Crane Jimmy Rich Page Fairman Rich
Class of 1993
5% Participation ($176) Amily Dunlap Margaux D'Auteuil Peabody
Class of 1994
7% Participation ($1,685) Jonathan Foster Jonathan Kfoury Matthew Scotch
Class of 1998
Class of 1999
8% Participation ($350) Hannah Arnold Howard Peter Keeler Sara Schwartz Mohan
Class of 2000
13% Participation ($2,395) Lori Evans Alderin Graham Duck Chris Garos David Jensen Joshua Lucas Morgan Melkonian Kate Newick Justin Shaka
Class of 1985
13% Participation ($1,200) Matthew Galvin MaryBeth Blight Reis John Van Hooser
Class of 1986
2% Participation ($500) Davis Richmond
Class of 1987
13% Participation ($700) Daneil Copertino Kuftinec Robert Kuftinec Susan Resnicoff Kathleen Rutty-Fey
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ANNUAL REPORT ALUMNI GIVING CONTINUED Class of 2001
15% Participation ($3,605) Lindsay Starner Blanch Andrew Cochran Becca Connolly Jeremy Freeman Katie Albert Garos Krista Keeler Andrea Schwartz McCullough Seth Pitman
Class of 2002
9% Participation ($1,610) Matt Boelig Daniel Chen Moira Delahanty Clark Kristen Geiger Cochran
Class of 2003
9% Participation ($940) Sara Dewey Thomas Flahive Elizabeth Richey Lee Rynearson
Class of 2004
6% Participation ($345) Geoff Blanding Juliane Katz Leckey Cale Magruder
Class of 2005
7% Participation ($710) Jenna Bee Brett McLarnon Steve Morgan Wright Smith
54
D E R RY F I E L D T O DAY 2 0 2 0
Class of 2006
10% Participation ($381) Adam P. Grodman Jaclyn Leeds Katherine F. Myers Kayla T. Sirkin Eric D. Spierer Martin C. Topol
Class of 2011
7% Participation ($320) Parker Mitchell Lauren Saidel-Baker Megan Tsai
20% Participation ($1,522) Jonathan Burnham Nicole Chenelle Aran Hubbell Alex Jenney Barrett Lamp Meredith Leyden Topol Marty McCormick Nate Milne Anna Mokas Firas Omer Kimberly Pollock Travis Russell
Class of 2008
Class of 2012
Class of 2007
11% Participation ($840) Molly Cikacz Day Allison Fink Than Moore Kathleen Stull Hannah Will
Class of 2009
7% Participation ($130) Colette Chretien Kelsey Kanik Curtis Lamp Andrea Sheldon
Class of 2010
8% Participation ($1,400) Alexandra Donovan Pratt Kaitlyn S. Kane Madison O. Kramer Cameron J. Lencki Matthew T. Porat
5% Participation ($470) Leah T. DeWitt Emmie J. Lamp Nevin R. Stevens
Class of 2013
9% Participation ($385) James Adie Roz KennyBirch Matthew Milne Lindsay Pollock Daniel Schwartzberg
Class of 2014
3% Participation ($40) Sam Weathers Tyler Zorn
Class of 2015
1% Participation ($38) Sandy Lockwood
Class of 2016
7% Participation ($103) Parker J. Blaisdell Scooty Devine Hannah Kelsey Burton H. Owen Samantha Smith
Class of 2017
1% Participation ($300) Victor Li
Class of 2018
4% Participation ($105) Taylor Carrobis Nate Kelsey Isabell Plotsker
Class of 2019
1% Participation ($310) Marshal Dong
PARENT GIVING Class of 2020
Kathy and Greg Abate ■ Becky and Bruce Berk ■ Shannon and John Best Jane and Steve Bogursky Lynn Bollengier ■ Molly and Pete Brandt ■ Laurie and Rich Byron Kristina Isakovich and Richard Critz ■ Ling Wei and Lei Duan May and Mark Gonzales Lauren and Michael Hines Julia and Nelson Howe ■ Susan Rand King ’81 and Bill King ■ Dan Kramer Michelle LaCreta Krissy and Bill Letourneau ■ Liu Xin and Tingzhao Li Terri Lynch ■ Shannon and Doug McGinley ■ Jennifer Donofrio and Dave Moore ■ Heather Petro and Steven Perlberg Marnie and Mike Plage Colleen and Vadim Plotsker ■ Siobhan and Tom Quinn ■ Mamta and Raju Saxena Carolyn and Patrick Scholten ■ Esthia Giakovis-Sterling and Daniel Sterling Julie and Phil Taub ■ Ruth and Jeff Templeton ■ Daoning Xia and Xiangxiu Wang Yan Xiang and Wen Wang Kelly and Craig Weimer ■
Class of 2021
Samantha and Tony Baldini ■ Kerry and Rick Barto Molly and Pete Brandt ■ Renee and Scott Dudley ■ Kristen and Ray Etzo ■ Kelley and John Gage ■ Anne and Mitch Gagnon ■ Paulette and Chris Grondin ■ Tamatha and Steve Johnson Lea and Bill Kelsey ■ Sarah and Jason LaCroix Julie and Al LeBlanc ■ Amy and Chris Licata ■ Deb and Fritz Morgan ■ Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco ■ Marnie and Mike Plage Sharon and Tom Rohlfs ■ Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 and Erik Fey ■ Lindley Shutz and Michael Lynch ■ Stacy and Jesse Smith Debbie and David Smith ■ Ann and Scott Tierno ■ Guohong Wang and Qisheng Zhu Gabi and William Zolla
Class of 2022
Christine and Garrett Adie ■ Brennan Barnard ■ Elma and Sejo Becirovic ■ Shannon and John Best Laurie and Rich Byron Julia and Scott Coleman Karen and Stephen Doyle ■ Husam & Sharon H. Farah Emily Gagne and James Fitch Debra Repoza-Hogan and Bill Hogan Diane Hotten-Somers and Samuel Somers Susan Rand King ’81 and Bill King ■ Gargi and Joydip Kundu ■ Kristy and Scott Lamont Kristen and Harold Losey Keri Marshall and Peter Mahar Justin McCarthy Heather Wilding ’89 and Keith Wilding ■
Class of 2023
Kathy and Greg Abate ■ Emily Bacall Kerry and Rick Barto Laurie and Rich Byron Lesley and Andrew Carr ■ Patty and Rand Cayer Hui Yu and Zhurong Chen Melissa and Philip Damiano Charlene and Rob DeCesare ■ Lauren and Michael Hines Tamatha and Steve Johnson Erin and Derek Lautieri ■ Lori Mix and Allen Merriman ■ Jen Moeckel Jennifer Donofrio and Dave Moore ■ Ursula and Steven Nadeau Manisha and Jay Patel Emily Liu and Jianfa Pei Mary and Justin Perkins ■ Marnie and Mike Plage Kirsten Vernon and Kevin Ramundo Rhenea and Dan Regan ■ Leitha and Wade Reilly Debbie and Neil Rogers Amy and Marc Roy Helen and Robert Schroeder Dongmei Wang and Xun Shi Stacey and Steve Shula Kathy and Paul Silvio Olga Yurovskaya and David Thirkill ■ Xiaoyan Yu and Honghai Zhang
Husam & Sharon H. Farah Anne and Mitch Gagnon ■ Jennifer and Bob Grunbeck Alice J. and Brian K. Handwerk ■ Sue and Bruce Howard Debbie and William Irving Maggie and Gary Jordan Meryl Levin and Will Kanteres Rebecca and Bruce Krasnof Kristen and Harold Losey Shannon and Doug McGinley ■ Andrea and John Munoz Moni and Tung Nguyen Wendy and Brent Powell ■ Michelle and Jim Roberge Julie and Joel Rozen Mamta and Raju Saxena Stacy and Jesse Smith Mary Ann and Alex Vazquez ■ Susan Wu and John Yang
Class of 2025
Karen and Stephen Doyle ■ Mi Young and Jamie Kim ■ Erin and Derek Lautieri ■ Sarah and Tarek Radwan Helen and Robert Schroeder Ritu and Saurabh Ullal Xiaoyan Yu and Honghai Zhang
Class of 2026
Elma and Sejo Becirovic ■ Amily Dunlap ’93 ■ Elisabeth and Matthew Larson Annie and Rich Branch ■ Mary Ann and Alex Vazquez ■ Jennifer and Bob Grunbeck Alice J. and Brian K. Handwerk ■ Terri Pastori and Richard Labbe Julie and Joel Rozen Marnie and Mike Plage Kerry and Rick Barto Kristen and Mark Lande
Shannon and John Best ■ Debbie and Josh Bremberg ■ Patty and Rand Cayer
Class of 2024
Rose-Lynn and Steve Armstrong ■ Cecilia Clemans and Jeanne Bailey-Clemans Brennan Barnard ■ Renee and Scott Dudley ■ D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ANNUAL REPORT FACULTY & STAFF GIVING Debra J. Allen Brennan E. Barnard David Baroody Rebecca Barsi Jenna A. Bee ’05 Shannon Best Chris T. Bissonnette Tracy L. Blaisdell Mark A. Blaisdell Jenny Boesch Tony Bonjorno Annie Branch Pete Brandt Deborah Bremberg Louisa Burdette Jonathan H. Burnham Laurie L. Byron
Jordan Cady Michelle L. Coombes Jonathan DeYoung Michael Dolan Alexandra Donovan Pratt ’10 Benjamin Dougherty Mia Ek Amanda Gagne Susan D. Grodman Mary Halpin Carter Alice J. Handwerk Jeffrey M. Hastings Christopher J. Hettler Diane M. Hotten-Somers Karen Hull Joy Jaworski John Jellow
Betty Jipson Rebecca Karp Dawn Kilcrease Kevin Lane Greg Lange Derek A. Lautieri Michele A. Leclerc Jodie Leen Jennifer Lorrain Terri J. Lynch Marco Masoni Terrence McGovern Debra McLoud Christopher S. McNeil Scott McPherson Taylor Moon Anna Moskov
Andrew Myers Mary E. Perkins Daniel Pouliot Judith M. Reynolds Martha J. Roberts Laura Russell Kathleen W. Rutty-Fey ’87 Lindley A. Shutz Andrea M. Stevenson Reina E. Stimpson Amy Turcotte Alejandro Vazquez Diane A. Wall Mary Ann Watt William D. Westenberg Steve Young Rick Zeller
Laurie & Jim Lamp David and Rosamond Lockwood David J. and Stephanie Solms McCusker ’84 Jennifer D. Melkonian Don Monson ’96 Anna Moskov Alexandra Muskat ’15 Daniel Muskat ’82 Samantha Muskat ’17 William B. Pfeifer James F. Richardson ’90 Janice Romanowsky
E. Charles Sanborn Virginia P. Searle Craig N. and Cary N. Sellers Lara Shilling in honor of Gavin & Miranda Shilling Drs. Barbara J. and David G. Stahl* Nancy W. Stearns Sheila Steele Jean and Bill Tallman* Marjorie and Charles Van Arsdale* Pam VanArsdale and Bob Dewey Richard* and Frances Winneg
THE 1964 LEGACY SOCIETY Anonymous Lori Evans Alderin ’00 Ditty Steele Bannon ’99 Becky and Bruce Berk Annie Branch Caryl and Barry Brensinger Grace Massey and Michael Broad ’69 Steve and Katie Burke Mary Halpin Carter Danielle Chandonnet Michael and Christine Cikacz David and Ellie Goodwin Cochran ’69 Molly A. Day
Michael B. Ekman ’69 Hilda W. Fleisher* Elenore Freedman Mary-Ellen Goodspeed ’72 Sally Green Alice J. Handwerk James D. Hendrix ’77 Dennis Holland* Carol-Ann Jane Steven Joy ’68 Nancy G. Kane Tom and Liz* Kelsey Lea and Bill Kelsey
*indicates deceased
56
D E R RY F I E L D T O DAY 2 0 2 0
RESTRICTED GIFTING
MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES
The School receives a number of gifts each year for specific purposes that are designated as restricted gifts. This year we received generous gifts to support the track program, the crew program, financial aid, library support, and facilities improvements. Jamie and Albert Allard Jenna Bee ’05 Michael Broad ’69 Chris and Michael Cikacz Kristina Isakovich and Richard Critz Laura and Mick Cullen Jenni and John Devine Nan Scull and Kevin Doherty Renee and Scott Dudley Kelley and John Gage Anne and Mitch Gagnon Matthew Galvin ’85 Brandon Gauthier Judith Rutty Godfrey and Jay Godfrey Susan Grodman Jennifer and Bob Grunbeck Lauren and Michael Hines Mary and Jeff Karlin Judy and Jon MacLean Matt Melkonian ’96
Deb and Fritz Morgan Laura Morsch Andrea and John Munoz Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco Manisha and Jay Patel Kimberly S. Rabold and Lynn Turchi Kirsten Vernon and Kevin Ramundo Laurie and Cyrus Rilee Michelle and Jim Roberge Sharon and Tom Rohlfs Marlene and Steve Rotering Jan and Patrick Rutty ’84 Kathleen Sauer Stacy and Jesse Smith Jill Teeters and David Lamothe Heather Wilding ’89 and Keith Wilding Marti and Lou Young
ENDOWMENT GIVING Anonymous Ginny Alfano Roz and Dave Carlson Hal Freedman ’71 Elenore Freedman Susan Stahl Hardy ’70 David Henry ’01 Betty and Tom Jipson Benjamin Kaplan ’01 Lea and Bill Kelsey Tammy Klein ’01
Walt Milne ’82 Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco Julie Hilliard Posternack ’01 Susan Resnicoff ’87 Kathy and Jon Ross Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 and Erik Fey Shelley and Stan Wheeler Nancy Stahl Wilsker ’73 Marti and Lou Young
Adobe Alliance Holdings, Inc. BAE Systems Becton, Dickinson and Company Broadridge Matching Gifts Program Fidelity Foundation Matching Gifts to Education Program Gartner, Inc. GE Foundation Genentech Goldman, Sachs & Co. Matching Gift Program
Medtronic Foundation Microsoft Giving Campaign Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program Public Service of New Hampshire RBC Foundation UnitedHealth Group Verizon Foundation
THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL ENDOWMENT FUNDS FUNDS (After 2019-2020 Spending Policy Distribution)
Balance as of 6.30.2020
Endowment Fund Name General Endowment Faculty Enrichment Fund The E. Charles Sanborn Visiting Fellow Fund David G. and Barbara J. Stahl Fund Muriel and Edward Broad Endowment Fund Matthew Lawrence Young ’88 Memorial Scholarship Simeon Kass Award for Writing & Humanistic Inquiry Pagliocco Fund for the Performing Arts The Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar Fund The Clifford R. Nyquist Memorial Scholarship Visiting Writer Literary Fund Global Citizenship Award Funds in Support of Financial Aid The Malone Scholars Program Financial Aid Endowment Summit Packaging Endowment for Financial Aid Peter Carlson Financial Aid Fund Bailey Milne Endowment Fund Funds in Support of Breakthrough Manchester General Endowment Elkin Teaching Fellowship Fund Joel Vargas Achievement Fund
Endowment Total
$462,404 $406,590 $324,187 $306,929 $116,245 $95,881 $49,263 $101,781 $37,579 $35,154 $21,900 $17,705 $1,975,619 $2,452,389 $1,516,860 $452,687 $391,622 $203,145 $5,016,704
$1,721,770 $600,706 $143,395 $2,465,871
$9,458,193 D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
ANNUAL REPORT TRIBUTED GIFTING In Honor of Deb Allen
In Honor of the Class of 1994
Kelly and Scott McPherson
Matthew Scotch ’94
In Honor of Aiden Alusic-Bingham
In Honor of the Class of 1968
Erika and Mike Alusic-Bingham
Kathryn Worrell Newton ’68
In Honor of Nicea Armstrong
In Honor of the Class of 2020
Susan D. Armstrong
Susan Grodman
In Honor of Norma Athey
In Honor of Grace Coriaty
Norma and Forrest Athey Wendy Athey Dairman ’90
Donna and Tony Coriaty
In Honor of Matthew Bagley
Donna and Tony Coriaty
Cynthia Bagley
In Honor of Edward Bailey
In Honor of Lucas Coriaty In Honor of Zoe Cousineau ’20
Deb and Nancy Allen
Julia and Scott Coleman Lucille and Robert Lemay
In Honor of Rebecca Barnard
In Memory of Richard Crafts
Meredyth Patterson and Tim Barnard
Lisa Wolff
In Honor of Jenna Bee
In Honor of Tyler Critz ’20
Chris and Michael Cikacz Jen Lorrain Anna and Boyan Moskov Tyler Wolf
Toy and Joe Cobbe
In Honor of Brad Benson ’78
In Honor of Mia Dudley
Lauren and Paul J. Leyden
Renee and Scott Dudley
In Honor of Mark Blaisdell
In Honor of Nathan Dudley
April Shaw and Alex Granok
Renee and Scott Dudley
In memory of Grace Blanding
In Honor of the Faculty & Staff
Geoff and Meredith T. Blanding
In Honor of Harrison Bogursky Jane and Steve Bogursky
In Honor of Jordan Cady Chris and Michael Cikacz Brendan Hughes Jen Lorrain Anna and Boyan Moskov
In Honor of Michael Carrobis
In Honor of Bennett Doherty ’14 Nan Scull and Kevin Doherty
Mary Halpin Carter and Christopher H. M. Carter Diane Hotten-Somers and Samuel Somers Jennifer Donofrio and Dave Moore Jamie and Jamie Pagliocco Wendy and E. Charles Sanborn Eric D. Spierer ’06
In Memory of Scott Ekman Gershon Ekman ’71
Jennifer Carrobis Taylor J. Carrobis
In Honor of Brian Felicella
In Honor of the Class of 1997
In Honor of Tara Felicella
Stephen Gaughan and Emily Newick ’97
The Felicella Family
In Honor of the Class of 2011
In Honor of Ian Gargasz ’21
Travis J. Russell ’11
Carolyn and Louis Gargasz
In Honor of the Class of 2000
In Honor of Dr. Mary Halpin Carter
Jenny and Graham Duck ’00
In Honor of the Class of 2018 Nathanial S. Kelsey ’18
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The Felicella Family
Lauren and Paul J. Leyden
In Honor of Alexander Harwood-Karlik
Tracey and Charles F. Carrier
In Honor of Cathy Havinga ’78 Clea and Neal Winneg ’78
In Honor of Caroline Hines ’20 Debbie Pinto
In Honor of Samuel Hines ’23 Debbie Pinto
In Memory of Dennis Holland
Anonymous Kathy and Carter Barger Jenna A. Bee ’05 Jason Boyer ’83 Tracey and Charles F. Carrier Alexander Chan ’95 Daniel Y. Chen ’02 Moira M. Delahanty Clark ’02 Ellie Goodwin Cochran ’69 and David Cochran Michelle and Brian Coombes Patrick and Molly Day ’08 Jean Devine ’76 Bennett Doherty ’14 Kenneth Eluto ’71 Charlotte H. Evans ’08 Sue Flagg Brooks Glahn ’91 Paulette and Chris Grondin Scott and Rachel Daum Humphrey ’87 Pat and Marcus Hurlbut David H. Jensen ’00 Betty and Tom Jipson Peter C. Keeler ’99 Krista Keeler ’01 Laurie and Jim Lamp Emmie J. Lamp ’12 Maria Holland Law ’75 Jaclyn Leeds ’06 Judy and Ed Lemire Josephine C. Martin ’73 Stephanie Solms McCusker ’84 and David McCusker Walt Milne ’82 Laura Morsch Anna and Boyan Moskov Catharine and Mason Newick Mary M. Pollock Lucy S. and Daniel C. Potter Cammy Richelli ’81 Elizabeth Richey ’03 Debbie and John Richey Michael Ryan Sandra Woods Sattler ’80 Sasha Kuftinec and Mark Schwartzberg Martha Martin Shethar ’76 and Alan Shethar William Skladony ’75
Sarah Fogal Sweatlock ’99 Nicholas Tepe ’91 Marty Topol ’06 Megan Tsai ’07 David ’83 and Sally Tyrie Hilda and Thomas Wiggin Lucyann and Rick Zeller
In Honor of Zac Horton Judy and Jon MacLean
In Honor of Betty Jipson
Wendy and E. Charles Sanborn The VanArsdale/Dewey Family
In Honor of Isabel Kim Mi Young and Jamie Kim
In Honor of Olivia Kim Mi Young and Jamie Kim
In Honor of Caleb Kramer ’20
Dan Kramer
In Honor of Madison Kramer ’10 Dan Kramer
In Honor of Timothy Kramer ’06 Dan Kramer
In Honor of Micheal Leary
Jaye R. and Charles S. Goodwin
In Honor of David Lockwood Betsy and Bruce Stefany
In Honor of Rosamond Lockwood David A. Lockwood
In Honor of Greg Lange Chris and Michael Cikacz Jen Lorrain Anna and Boyan Moskov
In Honor of Jen Lorrain Chris and Michael Cikacz Anna and Boyan Moskov
In memory of Blake Marston ’01 Lindsay Starner Blanch ’01 David Henry ’01 Susan and Joseph Horton Tamara Klein ’01 Andrea Schwartz McCullough ’01
In Honor of Lenny McCaigue Siobhan and Tom Quinn
In Honor of Mackenzie McCarthy Justin McCarthy Bob Puffer
In Honor of Jennifer Melkonian
In Honor of Caleb Richmond
In Honor of Maxwell Smith
In Memory of Mark Younger
In Honor of Hannah Menakaya
In Honor of Hannah Richmond
In Memory of Jan Steele
In Memory of Matthew Young ’88
In Memory of Everett Merriman
In Honor of Sammuel Richmond
In Honor of Elizabeth Stefany
In Honor of Rick Zeller
In Memory of Gregory Morin ’01
In Honor of Gillian Roberts
In Honor of Julia Tilton ’20
In Honor of Anna Moskov
In Memory of Denis Roberts
In Honor of Amy Turcotte
In Honor of Shaylen Roberts
In Honor of Lynne Wagner
In Honor of Rex Rondanas
In Honor of Andrew Watson ’21
In Honor of James Rogers
In Honor of Anna Watson ’19
In Honor of Chuck Sanborn
In Honor of Matthew Weimer ’20
Samantha L. Smith ’16 Chuba Menakaya
Lori Mix and Allen Merriman Jeremy Freeman ’01
Chris and Michael Cikacz Jen Lorrain
In Honor of Leah Munoz Andrea and John Munoz
In Memory of Steven Novak Barbara Novak Platt ’69
In Honor of James Otey Shelli Gay
In Honor of Chloe Perkins
Carolyn and Stewart Richmond Carolyn and Stewart Richmond Carolyn and Stewart Richmond Marcie Roberts Marcie Roberts Marcie Roberts
Donna and Michael Rodanas Debbie and Neil Rogers
Judith and William Perkins
Lauren and Paul J. Leyden Betsy and Bruce Stefany
In Honor of Isaac Plotsker
In Honor of Lindley Shutz
In Memory of Allan Richardson
In Honor of Charlotte Smith
Isabell G. Plotsker ’18 Elleddra Presby
Annette and Charlie Lynch
Jane and Bob Hale James Houser
Betsy and Bruce Stefany Elaine Madden
Clea and Neal Winneg ’78 Marti and Lou Young Sue Flagg Judy and Ed Lemire
In Honor of Tammy Zinck Kelly and Scott McPherson
Kelly and Scott McPherson Kelly and Scott McPherson Mrs. Lucy Field Mrs. Lucy Field
Mary and Fran Lee
In Memory of Dick Winning Becky and Bruce Berk
In Memory of Matthew Young ’88 Marti and Lou Young
Jane and Bob Hale
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
alumni news and his wife Sarah recently welcomed a baby daughter, Madeline. ■ Joelle Emery is a 58kg weightlifter and advanced sports performance coach. She recently competed at the virtual National Championships.
1969
Ellie Cochran is working with classmates Jeff Cooper, Morey Goodman, and Pam Pappas Goode to gather the Webster School class of 1965 in the summer of 2021. A good number of their Derryfield class came from Webster.
2005
Carolyn Goodwin Leary ’05, Derryfield Latin teacher Mike Leary, and their son Lewis welcomed Bridget Mary to their family on August 19, 2020. ■ Kate Dewey and her wife Allison have a new daughter, Alden Penelope, born in August 2020.
1971
Ken Eluto is an Editor on the hit HBO program Succession and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his work on the Season 2 episode, “DC.”
1973
Tom Sadler received the American Fly Fishing Trade Association’s Jim Range Conservation Leadership Award.
1975
Elizabeth Crisp Blake retired after 37 years as a high school social studies and English teacher. She is still showing Border Terriers and lives in Davis, CA.
1988
Matt Halvorsen and his wife, Kate, celebrated the birth of their son, John Henry Halvorsen, on October 17, 2019.
Hilary Hornor Boynton ’92
1992
Hilary Hornor Boynton was named one of “20 Social Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2020” by Common, an accelerator and community for entrepreneurs focused on social responsibility. ■ Rachel Scott has been in the yoga world for 20 years and has published a new book, “Yoga to Stay Young.” In Rachel’s words, “it’s a great little book that supports folks who’d like to cultivate greater health, resilience and mindfulness in their lives.” The book is available on Amazon.
2006
Adam Grodman and wife Amy Elitzer celebrated the birth of their daughter, Ariela Frankie, on September 1, 2020. ■ Samantha Mastrogiacamo Rolecek and her husband Steven welcomed their second son, Thomas Steven, on August 26, 2020. ■ Marissa Pellegrini started her YouTube channel, Barely Keeping it Together with Marissa Pellegrini, which has over 2,000 subscribers. The lifestyle channel focuses on home decor and interior design.
2001
Patrick Santoso served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross, Vermont & New Hampshire Valley Region. ■ Andrew Cochran and wife Kristen Geiger Cochran ’02 welcomed daughter Vivian May Cochran on May 27, 2020.
2003
Sara Dewey and her husband, Noah Walker, celebrated the birth of their son, Alexander Linden Walker, on May 2, 2020.
2004
Whitney Krause James and husband Kofi James have a son, Carter Kingston James, who was born on May 8, 2019. ■ Brian Sanford Matt Halvorsen ’88 60
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Rachel Scott ’92
ALUMNI COUNCIL UPDATE The Alumni Council, the governing body of the Alumni Association, works to foster relationships between The Derryfield School and its alumni through engagement, leadership, and outreach. Andrew Cochran ’01 & Kristen Geiger Cochran ’02
Derryfield has had many changes this year. Faculty adopted new technology and found fun and creative ways to successfully and safely teach in-person and virtually. Students are thriving and have embraced a community with new standards and patterns of learning and behaving. In a challenging environment, our community came together to support and maintain the same Derryfield standards in an entirely reinvented way. DS is proud of these accomplishments, and it is thanks to students, families and alumni that the school has been able to do so well. Following suit, the Alumni Council is undergoing a few exciting changes as well: ■ The Council will transition from a “worker bee” group to an advisory group. Members will provide
feedback, ideas, connections, support, and guidance in shaping a robust and strategic alumni program. ■ The Council will advise a larger Alumni Program strategy vs. short-term activities. Over the summer,
Whitney Krause James ’04
Derryfield staff met to discuss and craft a long-term, strategic alumni program that, over time, will come to truly meet the needs of the Derryfield alumni body, as well as the current needs and resources of the School. ■ The Council will continue to meet via
Zoom for the foreseeable future. This allows Council members to remain safe, while also enabling more folks to attend and be seen. Meeting virtually allows alumni from potentially all over the world to join the Council and actively participate.
Carolyn Goodwin Leary ’05
We look forward to sharing more updates with year as the year goes on. Our first initiative, an alumni survey, will gather important information about you, our alumni, and help us continue to shape the alumni program going forward.
2019-2020 Alumni Council
Joyia Rich Fazelat ’96, Chair Lori Evans Alderin ’00 Peter Bielagus ’95 Ryan Bielagus ’94 Emerson Bracy ’20, Senior Representative Kira Chen ’20, Senior Representative Michelle Coombes, Faculty Representative Brian Decker ’94 Graham Duck ’00 Bennett Freeman ’70 David Grosso ’78 Gayle McGinnis ’76 Nate Milne ’11 Linda Mitchell '91 Nathaniel Moore ’08 Emma Pyles ’20, Senior Representative Kelly Steele Reis ’97 Davis Richmond ’86 Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 Mike Spector ’93 John Wallin ’96
Adam Grodman ’06 D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CLASS NOTES
Kristin Migliori Logan ’07 & Duke Logan ’07
2007
Jacob Duke Logan, son of Kristin Migliori Logan and Duke Logan was born on December 16, 2019. On top of that, Duke and Kristin started a new business venture, LIVENOTE, during COVID to personally connect with loved ones. LIVENOTE lets you easily attach a video message to QR code stickers, which you can put on anything—whether it's your holiday cards, birthday cards, thank you notes, birth announcements, invitations, or a gift. It takes less than a minute to connect your video with the QR code and attach the QR code sticker to your card or gift. No app needed. They got the site and technology launched to friends and family right after Thanksgiving, and are now working to get the sticker packs into some
Alumni couple Meredith Leyden Topol ’11 and Marty Topol ’06 at their wedding. 62
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Molly Cikacz Day ’08
local stores in Portsmouth. ■ Alice Townsend was married to Jacob Williams on August 10, 2019 on Nantucket in a small ceremony of family, friends, and dogs. Derryfield alumnae Taylor Krause Near, Alice’s sister Liza Townsend Mone ’04, and Anna Moser were in attendance.
2008
Molly Cikacz Day and her husband Patrick welcomed son Patrick Madden Day, Jr. to the world on April 3, 2020. ■ Danielle Potter and her husband, Christopher Dube, celebrated the birth of their son, Luca Christopher, on September 24, 2020. ■ Julia Maldonado won her second Emmy for the ESPN sports show, "Pardon the Interruption!" ■ Than Moore is an emergency medicine physician assistant at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington and recently founded Gowns for Good, a group that connects donated graduation gowns with healthcare workers who need PPE in the fight against COVID-19. Than appeared on "Live with Kelly and Ryan!" in June to talk about his initiative. To date, Gowns for Good has collected nearly 16,000 gowns for healthcare workers. ■ Jesse Grodman lives in Jerusalem, Israel, and just started a new job as a software engineer with a company called Immunai. Their goal is to map the immune system with single-cell biology and AI, power new therapeutic discoveries, accelerate drug development, and improve patient outcomes.
Sarah Blaisdell Skafidas ’12
2010
Alex Donovan Pratt married Kevin Pratt on July 11, 2020 in a small ceremony at her parents’ home in Bedford. ■ Maddie Kramer Collins welcomed her first son, Augustine Daniel Collins, in May. ■ Maeghan Provencher Maguire took a leave of absence from teaching and enrolled in a coding boot camp that many other members of the class of 2010 have gone through.
2011
Meredith Leyden Topol and Marty Topol ’06 were married in his parents' back yard in Wells, ME, with Sarah Topol ’08 officiating and Charlotte Leyden ’16 joining via Zoom from Colorado. Shortly thereafter they bought a house just south of Portland, ME, and are well on their way to being official Mainers! ■ Adding to the list of alumni couples in the class of 2011, Grace Alenson and Marty McCormick also tied the knot during the pandemic. ■
Taylor Krause Near ’07, Alice Townsend ’07, Liza Townsend Mone ’04, and Anna Moser ’07 at Alice's wedding.
2017
Jon Furlong will commission as an active duty engineer officer in the U.S. Army in the spring after he graduates from Georgetown University.
2018
Taylor Santosuosso took the year off from college and is living in Arizona competing on the winter horse circuit. ■ As a part of her Independent Senior Project at Derryfield, Grace Mikol founded Fueled By Kids, a nonprofit committed to ending childhood food insecurity in New Hampshire. Grace has continued to run her nonprofit since graduation. With the onset of COVID-19 in New Hampshire, her organization distributes approximately 2,400 meals and 3,000 snacks per week to Manchester children in need. Alex Donovan Pratt ’10 and her family, including James Donovan ’10, at her wedding to Kevin Pratt. MacKenzie Logan started her own Etsy shop, iShellOysters, which sells handcrafted designs featured on Hampton Harbor, NH oyster shells. She also set up the first annual Seacoast Holiday Book Drive, which has collected over 2,000 books thus far for children, families, and home-bound seniors in need during COVID-19 on the New Hampshire seacoast. ■ Jamie Ducharme authored a Time Magazine cover story, “The New American Addiction: How Juul Hooked Kids and Ignited an American Health Crisis” in September 2019.
2012
Sarah Blaisdell Skafidas and her husband Tommy welcomed to their family, son Mark Taylor, born on September 18, 2020.
2013
Since receiving his Bachelor’s degree, Arthur Krogman has completed a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer serving in Nevada, studied at Chatham University in Pittsburgh for his Master’s degree in Biology, and worked as an EMT. ■ Carolyn Kegel lives and works as an actor in New York City and recently recorded the voiceover reading for the audiobook version of the book Blood and Whiskey by Meredith
Allison. ■ Mitch Green and his sister Cat Green ’15 ran the Manchester City Marathon in November 2019.
2015
2019
Kallie Polgrean was a member of the Bates College Women’s Soccer team as a defender her freshman year. ■ Holly Rohlfs played as a member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Field Hockey team during her freshman year.
Elizabeth Ludwig is working as a jewelry designer for Macy's.
2016
Carolyn Adie was accepted as a 2020-2021 Fulbright Scholar English Teaching Assistant in Andorra. ■ Charlotte Leyden graduated early from Montana State University in December 2019 and then packed up her horse and dog to move to Colorado. She lives in Fort Collins working a variety of agricultural jobs. ■ Sammi Smith worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Derryfield Creative Arts Department this Fall and started her own children’s entertainment company, Glow Princess Co., currently offering virtual and social distanced visits with storybook characters! ■ Frankie DeIesoFrechette graduated from Tufts University summa cum laude and started work at Tufts Medical Center as a Clinical Care Technician in Hematology/Oncology. Bates College Women’s Soccer team member Kallie Polgrean ’19. D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
CLASS NOTES simultaneously. I had amazing experiences and met some incredible people, but eventually burned out on the globetrotter lifestyle. I was still jealous of the people who had found a career they loved and were energized by the work they did. I was lacking any meaningful long term goals and a larger sense of purpose.
I was always a little jealous of the people around me that seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do in their careers. My brother Mickey, Derryfield class of 2009, is a prime example. He’s as passionate about fishing as anyone is about anything, and he’s been able to build a very impressive small business around what he loves to do (fishingwithmickey.com). I was always booming with pride while simultaneously wondering what was my calling? What was it that I was meant to do with my professional life? I knew that I enjoyed math, and my time at Derryfield cemented my passion for the subject. I went on to get a degree in Mathematics at the University of North Carolina Asheville. At the coercion of my professors, I applied and got into a Ph.D. Mathematics program at Colorado State University and received a graduate teaching scholarship. I quickly realized that getting a Ph.D. required a commitment that I just wasn't quite ready for at that point in my life. Dropping out of grad school felt incredibly liberating. I began climbing Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks at a rate of 3-4 per week. I moved to Seattle to work on a sailboat shipping company. When that fell through, I found myself working for a startup ski company and touring the west coast in an RV. I caught a severe case of the travel bug and ended up teaching math and science at a small private school in Cambodia. A couple of years later, I found myself in Argentina, making ends meet at a restaurant and nightclub as a barback, eventually working my way up to managing multiple locations
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Eventually, I found myself working as a technical recruiter, which gave me my first inside glimpse of the incredible world of modern business and startups. I was exposed to all kinds of jobs and positions that I didn't even know existed. Project Manager! Compliance officer! Head of People! Backend Engineer! Research Consultant! And, finally, Data Scientist. I was instantly hooked. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, data visualizations; all of it fascinated me. This was it! This is what I was meant to do! I was so excited that I quit my recruiting job and enrolled in a competitive data science boot camp. One year later, here I am. I've got a new set of modern skills that I can't wait to put to use. Now comes the hard part: landing that first job. I kept hearing the same advice over and over again: network, network, network. Thanks to my recruiting background, I was already an adept LinkedIn stalker, so I started to snoop. What I found absolutely blew me away. My Derryfield classmates are all so accomplished: doctors, lawyers, founders and business owners. They are research scientists and producers, team leaders and go-getters. I reconnected with old friends and reached out to Derryfield acquaintances I barely knew. Everyone responded positively, regardless of how close we had been in high school. They were all willing to take time out of their busy schedules to talk with me, give me advice, and help kick start my new career. Many of them submitted resumes for me, connected me with hiring managers, and even offered to write recommendations. I haven’t landed that dream job yet, but I've secured more interviews and I’m becoming more confident that eventually, one of them will stick.
I have a clear path forward and long term goals for the first time in my professional life, and it feels great. Soon I’ll be doing work that I love while making a positive impact on the world. I wish you all the best out there, whether you’ve found your passion yet or not. And if we’re not already connected, add me on LinkedIn! ■ Cooper Cunliffe ’05
Dodgeball Champion
2005 Winter Carnival dodgeball match.
DERRYFIELD NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES The Derryfield network is at your fingertips! Log in to the alumni directory online at derryfield.myschoolapp.com. Connect with 500+ alumni and counting by adding Derryfield to your education on LinkedIn.
REUNION DATES
Save the Date!
1970
1975
As a result of COVID-19, this past spring, we celebrated reunions virtually via Zoom. Nearly 100 Derryfield alumni joined in the fun—our most attended reunion celebration in Derryfield history! Participants received a special virtual care package with alumni recipes, Derryfield coloring pages and even a recommended reading list from our beloved school librarian, Ms. Jipson. The virtual format allowed for alumni all over the globe to attend—from Austria to Azerbaijan to Brazil and everywhere in between. We loved hearing about everyone’s families, career paths, travel experiences, hobbies and, most importantly, the Derryfield friendships you’ve nurtured since graduation. Classes of 1s and 6s: we look forward to celebrating with you this spring! Please save the date for your virtual reunion and be sure to update your contact information with the Alumni Office to receive upcoming event and participation details.
Virtual Reunion Dates Calling all alumni classes of 1s and 6s: mark your calendars to celebrate your reunion year with Derryfield and your classmates at a special Virtual Reunion this spring! All reunion classes, including our 50th Reunion class of 1971, will have the opportunity to meet via Zoom and mingle with classmates, hear updates from Derryfield administration and faculty, and receive special virtual Derryfield treats. We’ve even played a class-appropriate music playlist or two! Class of 1971: March 17, 2021 Class of 1976: March 18, 2021 Class of 1981: March 31, 2021 Class of 1986: April 1, 2021 Class of 1991: April 14, 2021 Class of 1996: April 15, 2021 Class of 2001: April 28, 2021 Class of 2006: April 29, 2021 Class of 2011: May 12, 2021 Class of 2016: May 13, 2021
1980
1990
1985
2000
2010
1995
2005 D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
DERRYFIELD FAMILIES Class of 2020 Alumni & Faculty Families
Left to right, top to bottom: Brett ’18, Eric ’20, and Luke ’16 Chapdelaine; Zack ’20 and Max ’19 Horton; Duncan Donovan ’20 and Ayn Whytemare ’84; Caleb ’20 and Tim ’06 Kramer; Isabell ’18 and Isaac ’20 Plotsker; Patrick ’15, Brady ’20, and Corey ’17 McGinley; Colin McCaigue ’20 with retired Athletic Director Lenny McCaigue; Max Byron ’20 with faculty member Laurie Byron.
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RETIRING FACULTY Rick Zeller As we celebrate the retirement of Rick Zeller, we share reflections on his years at Derryfield. “He is simply the heart that beats in the Middle School,” observes Mark Blaisdell. Mimi Coombes reflected on the many years they worked together and shared that she figured over the 27 years he worked at Derryfield, Rick taught and/or coached over 1,000 students, taught over 14,000 class periods, attended over 3,500 meetings, wrote three to four thousand midterm comments, wore endless zany hats, socks, and shirts, and corrected as many papers.
“Mr. Zeller can only be described as a kaleidoscope of personality and color,” shared Señora Marcie Roberts. Rick Zeller retired last spring after 27 years in the Derryfield middle school, having served as a history and civics teacher, head of the Middle School, soccer and lacrosse coach, and friend and mentor to many. Will the middle school ever be the same without Mr. Zeller’s Hawaiian shirts? Or how about his neon socks, colorful ties, or multi-styled Santa hats? Although Derryfield’s classrooms are still bustling with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders filled with exuberance, the hallways might seem a little less bright without Mr. Zeller’s zany sense of style. Zeller is zany, yes. But he is also multi-talented, empathetic, and dedicated. Rick enthusiastically taught Derryfield middle school students from 1993 to 2020. Long-time colleague Bruce Berk shared, “Thirty plus years ago, we were a bit nervous to hire a Buffalo Bills fan, but decades of middle schoolers are glad that we did.” Rick brought Geography and Civics to life for hundreds of students who, pre-Zeller, found these subjects boring. Rick was also the Head of the Middle School for several years, coached soccer and lacrosse, led middle school service trips to the Dominican Republic, and more. Mary Halpin Carter reminisces that “When I arrived at Derryfield, Rick was the Middle School Head. He brought an easy confidence to his leadership just as he did to his teaching.”
Service and kindness to others was a common thread through Rick’s time at Derryfield. Susan Grodman shared that when she started the service learning program, Rick was the first faculty member to volunteer to help, and when the international travel program started, he was again one of the first to lead a trip. A cornerstone of the Middle School experience is the Cultural Cafe, and he kept that program going for fifteen years. In the words of Bruce Berk, “Rick never raised his voice and always led with compassion.” He has always known that helping others and getting hands on experience is the kind of learning that leaves a lasting impression, often assigning the kids to “do something kind” for homework. Chuck Sanborn, Bruce Berk, Lenny McCaugie, and others welcome him with open arms to the retirement lunch club! In his “retirement,” Rick is teaching special education in the Canterbury Village elementary school. Mary Carter said that Rick’s eyes twinkled as he described how much fun it is to do this. We all agree with Dr. Carter's assessment of Mr. Zeller: “What a grand person Rick is—truly someone with a mission to challenge and support students in becoming their best selves.”
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
IN MEMORIAM Founders
Alumni Deborah G. Ford ’72 Deborah Gates Ford, of Wilmington, OH, died, July 23, 2019, at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. She was born on Aug. 7, 1954 in Manchester, NH, a daughter of the late William and Jane Whitaker Ford. Deborah was a very spiritual person who loved nature. Sailing, nature walks, and swimming were among her many interests. She had a passion for reading and had an extensive library. Deborah was a 1981 graduate of Wilmington College, and she later became an Adjunct Professor of Black and White Photography at Wilmington College.
Derryfield Founder Sylvia Chaplain (second from right) with her children, Ira ’71 and Hilary ’74, and Founder Ellie Friedman on Founders Day in 2019.
Sylvia Chaplain Sylvia Chaplain, formerly of Bedford, NH, passed away peacefully at her home in Weston, MA, on January 29, 2020, surrounded by her family. Sylvia was born October 22, 1925, in Brookline, MA, to Kolman and Regina Fleisher. She was raised in Brookline with her brother Edward (Eddie) whom she adored, and attended Brookline High. Sylvia went on to graduate from Cornell University as a Spanish major with a minor in government, then earned two masters degrees, one from Columbia University in Public Law and Government and the other from Harvard and MIT in Urban Studies and City Planning. Sylvia was deeply committed to social equity and justice, politics, and education. She served as Chairperson of the NH Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a member of board of directors of Child and Family Services of NH, a NH Democratic State Committee member,
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President of B’nai B’rith, Chief Executive of the NH Commission on the Arts, a member of the Board of Directors of the NH NAACP, Chairman of the NH Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, Director of the NH Council on World Affairs, NH Commission on the status of women, on the subcommittee on Health and Welfare, and on the steering committee of the NH Women’s Political Caucus, among others. An extremely active lifelong Democrat, Sylvia ran for U.S. Congress in 1972 and 1974. She had stories that she loved to share about being an alternate delegate at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and being led by Theodore Bikel in a candlelit march against police brutality; about joining a consciousness raising group in the early days of the Women’s Liberation Movement; about being asked by the governor to write the Civil Rights Law for the State of NH, and of her world travels with her children and her husband of 59 years, Philip K. Chaplain.
Thomas P. West ’76 Thomas “Tom” Powers West, 61, of Nashua, NH, passed away, January 20, 2020, in his home after a period of declining health. A Nashua native, Tom was born on Dec. 19, 1958, a son of the late Nashua industrialist Richard E. West and wife Ruth M. (Roeblad) West. Tom furthered his education at New England College in Henniker, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and studied under noted novelist and friend, Russell Banks. As a fiction writer, his work (though unpublished) was praised by Banks. In recent years, he was offered a chance to publish a short story in the New Yorker but could not accept because of his failing health. Tom was a lifelong journalist who worked for newspapers including The Derry News, Nashua Telegraph, Manchester Union Leader, and the Berlin News. In his leisure time, Tom was a Boston Red Sox fan and loved the music of the Grateful Dead. He was a lifelong dog lover, and also enjoyed fishing and the beaches of Cape Cod, MA and Daytona, FL.
Alumni James Starke ’78 James C. Starke, age 60, died July 16, 2020 after a short but courageous battle with cancer. He died at his childhood home in Amherst, NH, surrounded by those he loved and by those who loved him equally. The son of James C. Starke, M.D. and Mary L. Starke, Jimmy—as he was called by loved ones—was a successful entrepreneur and businessman, with an infectious free spirit and an impressive encyclopedic knowledge. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College in New London, CT, James settled back in New Hampshire where he was co-owner of Tradeland in Nashua and Principal in a thriving real estate business. An outdoorsman by temperament, he was continually inspired by the family’s camp on Lake Sunapee. In his final days, he spoke so affectionately about the beauty of the lake, the wonderful collective memories, and the impressive fireworks display he conducted from the family’s dock; he was a maestro of the bottle rocket. Robert Dastin '90 Longtime Chilean and Colorado kayakers are mourning the loss of one of their respective regions’ pioneering paddlers with the October 25, 2020 passing of Robbie Dastin. Dastin passed away in Chile at the age of 48 after some extended health problems. Dastin grew up in New Hampshire and went to college at the University of Colorado, where he brought his East Coast kayaking skills to bear on some of the Rockies’ stoutest runs. After spending a few years running Colorado’s rowdiest rivers, Dastin packed it up in 1995 and moved to Chile, where he ran a fourwheel-drive taxi company and had been located ever since—finding his life’s calling in exploring the rivers of the southern Andes.
kayak legend in the region. Always inquisitive about new runs and a true explorer, Dastin was the impetus and driving force behind many first descents of what are now considered Chilean classics, including such rivers as the Carhuello, Turbio, La Plata, Curringüe, Melado, Pascua, Llizán, Panqui, and more. Brenna O’Leary Reagan ’90 Brenna O’Leary Reagan passed away in December of 2019. During her time at Derryfield she was an avid and talented athlete, and beloved by her classmates and teachers. Members of the Class of 1990 celebrated her life by sharing memories and kind words during their virtual reunion celebration in April 2020. Alexander Harwood-Karlik ’03 Xan Harwood-Karlik passed away on November 27, 2019. He was a wonderful father, husband, son, brother, and friend.
Alexander Harwood-Karlik ’03
In November 2014, Xan was diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. Through chemo, radiation, surgery, and even after the disease progressed to Stage 4 in 2015, he stayed active and even took on a new hobby—kiteboarding. As his illness progressed, Xan shared his story publicly to encourage and inspire others. Xan was described by friends and family as a warrior. He brought his best fight to every challenge, whether it was at CrossFit, on the course of a Spartan race, or bringing everything he had to the partnerships he made with his peers at work.
Based out of Pucón, Chile, Dastin became known as “Robbicito” and quickly became a true D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
IN MEMORIAM Dennis Holland Memorial Court On the evening of Friday, January 24, 2020, members of the Derryfield community gathered for the second time in as many months to honor Dennis Holland, this time to dedicate the competition court in the new Athletic & Wellness Center in his memory. The Dennis Holland Memorial Court is the fruit of the labor of many of Dennis’s former students and players, led by Jimmy Rich ’92, Sean Stone ’83, Dave Larivee ’84, and Dave Grosso ’78, who worked together to raise funds in his honor. While he did not live to
see the court in action, he was aware of the plan and was honored by the endeavor in his usual humble way. The evening of the dedication was highlighted by double-header victories against Gorham by the boys’ and girls’ varsity baskteball teams. You could especially feel Dennis’ presence in the barn-burner boys’ game, which Derryfield won 63–59 in the final minutes. The impressive court and stadium seating for over 400 people certainly elevate Derryfield’s facilities, and is a fitting testament to the memory of a legend.
Clockwise from above: Roger Larrivee ’14, Derek Lautieri, Jared Schoneberger ’14, and Tariq Omer ’13 at the Grand Opening; Jimmy Rich ’92, Sean Stone ’83, and David Larrivee ’84 on the Dennis Holland Memorial Court; Shannon McGinley, Bill Zorn, David Grosso ’78, Mary Halpin Carter, Preston Hunter ’98, Gary Goudreau, David Larrivee ’84, and Brad Benson at the ribbon cutting; David Grosso ’78 spoke about his memories of Dennis.
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Remembering Dennis Holland
Beloved teacher, coach, mentor, and friend Dennis Holland passed away in October 2019 and was memorialized in an on-campus service attended by several hundred Derryfield alumni, students, parents, and faculty, past and present. Known for his lively turtlenecks, years-long streak of going for a run every day, and trademarked sayings like “Hey, Mack!”, Mr. Holland was a fixture at Derryfield for 50 years and will forever be a School icon.
Toward the end of his Derryfield career, Mr. Holland initiated the process of adding Caring as one of the School’s Core Values. Today, Caring is a value held in the highest regard here at Derryfield, as we seek to foster a community of equity and respect for all people. Mr. Holland quietly embodied this Core Value, with the immense kindness and generosity he showed to students and colleagues over the course of his career.
Outside of the classroom, Mr. Holland was best known for coaching the boys’ varsity basketball team for a number of years, including leading the 1983 squad to the State Championship, the first for Derryfield in any sport. David Larrivee ’84, a member of the 1983 team, spoke at the memorial service and shared these words about his coach and friend: “Dennis was a man of grace and dignity, a sense of humor, with resilience as the crossword clue; that described this man of honor, a passion for teaching, a class act we are all proud we knew. He asked very little yet gave very much, and embodied the spirit of DS.”
Longtime colleague and Derryfield librarian Betty Jipson shared about Mr. Holland at his memorial service: “Unique can be an overused word, but Dennis and Derryfield were a unique combination. There will never be another like him for our institution. As Dick Anthony remarked, ‘His gruff exterior fooled no one. In the student Derryfield world there would be no higher currency than a hug from him.’”
D E R RY F I E L D.O R G
LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD
Julia Cowenhoven ’10 & Tim Reichheld ’10 and forged ahead in preparation for medical school. I was accepted to the University of Vermont College of Medicine, where I spent an amazing, challenging, life-changing four years. Tim and I remained together the entire time through college and medical school, maintaining a long distance relationship for a total of eight years! Through medical school, I found that instead of otolaryngology, my passion lay in pediatrics. I matched into the Boston Children’s Hospital Combined Residency Program, and found myself come full circle in returning to Boston for my medical training.
Julia and Tim started dating in 2009, their junior year at Derryfield, and have been together ever since. They got their beloved dog Seamus in 2015, got married in 2018, and now live in Boston. Julia: I had long considered medicine as a career, ever since Dr. Sanford’s AP bio and anatomy courses, but was unsure of the long road ahead. As the first person in my family to become a physician, I didn’t have a road map laid out for me. What I did have was a group of mentors at Derryfield who taught me to think critically and push myself, and my parents who taught me that education is the most important foundation in life. It is easy to take for granted what a unique place Derryfield was and still is. Looking back, I think the most important quality I took away from my Derryfield education was the ability to be limitless. I never once questioned whether or not I could become a doctor, because I had a whole community of people telling me there was nothing I couldn’t do. After high school, I went to Northeastern University for my undergraduate degree as a health sciences major. Through Northeastern’s Career Co-op program, I obtained a position as a medical assistant at Boston Children’s Ear, Nose and Throat department. I decided then that I wanted to be an otolaryngologist 72
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I am now a second year pediatric resident physician and have been in training for almost six years. I am considering my next career move, which might involve an additional three year pediatric emergency medicine fellowship. It has been a long and difficult journey, but I consider myself so lucky to have had the ability to make it to this point in my life. As a young, first generation female physician, I am proud of my achievements, even on the days when I wonder if it was all worth it. I have such gratitude and admiration for my parents, who wisely prioritized giving me and my sister an excellent education. Neither of them completed college after high school, but they both went back later in life to complete their degrees. Though we didn’t grow up with a lot of money, they did everything they could to send their kids to the best schools and ensure us with a bright future. Sending us to Derryfield was one of the biggest gifts they gave us. Tim: After graduating from Derryfield, I started on a pre-med track as a biology major at College of the Holy Cross. I was inspired to pursue biology after taking Dr. Sanford’s Senior Honors Biology course and this major would fulfill many of the required courses for premed. I had always known that I wanted to be a doctor but I wasn’t sure which field I had wanted to go into. My parents are both orthodontists, and from a young age I had known I wanted nothing to do with teeth. That changed in college when weighing my options
about what medical field to apply to. I realized that dentistry would give me the best balance of science, art, personal relationships, patient care and the ability to be my own boss and run my own practice. After graduating from Holy Cross, I went on to pursue a dental degree at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. As Julia was in a five year program at Northeastern, being in Boston allowed us time to overlap in the same city for a year before she was accepted to UVM medical school. Tufts was a challenging program but well worth the effort. Before I knew it, I was treating patients in the clinic, working with my hands and being intellectually challenged on a daily basis. I was afforded the ability to go on mission trips to Haiti, do dental research in Australia and present at conferences in Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. During my time in dental school, I kept my options open about whether I wanted to specialize in the dental field or be a jack-of-all-trades general dentist. After much reflecting, I decided to follow in my family’s footsteps and apply for an orthodontic specialty. I was fortunate to stay at Tufts for my residency program. Orthodontics is an amazing specialty. Being able to have such a positive, life changing impact on patients, correcting not only their teeth but intercepting growth through orthopedic correction is humbling. Julia and I got married my first year of residency when she was in her last year at UVM. Who would have guessed that our senior superlative “most likely to get hitched after DS” would come true! In July, 10 years after my time at Derryfield, I finally finished school and graduated as an orthodontist. I currently practice with my Dad and brother, Steve (DS’09), in our practices in Lowell, Westford, Billerica and Acton, MA. Julia and I are proud of the mentorship and education we received at Derryfield and as lifelong students owe much of our academic success to the foundation which was started and fostered there.
GIVING PROFILE
sally green
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t all started with lacrosse and a Halloween snowstorm. When Sally’s middle child, Mitch, was in high school and they were attending local lacrosse tournaments, a parent suggested that Mitch come play some pick-up games. That’s where they met Coach Hettler who encouraged Mitch to come check out Derryfield. As they say, “the rest is history.” Mitch came to Derryfield the next fall as a junior. Two months into the school year, there was a Halloween snow storm and the loss of electricity had closed the Merrimack Schools. Mitch’s younger sister, Cat, came for two visit days while Merrimak was closed and, before she knew it, Sally had two students enrolled at Derryfield. “Both kids were ‘absorbed’ into the Derryfield community like they had always been there.” There was some initial trepidation about joining Derryfield. As a single parent, tuition would add an additional financial burden, and transportation to school would be challenging, but with the support of the Admission team Sally was able to create solutions. Sally found the Derryfield parent community to be very welcoming. “If you’re standing alone at an event, people are quick to welcome you and engage in conversation.” Sally’s philanthropic support of Derryfield started off with a small annual gift, and from there she has found creative ways to give back. “I don’t think I did anything my first year, but then a parent called me and I did something small. I tried growing it, by giving monthly it allowed me to give more over time.” Over
their years at Derryfield, she could see the transformation in her children, especially in Mitch. “[The faculty] were changing his life, and I wanted to make sure we could give back as much as possible. I can never repay changing someone’s life, but I feel like my support helps me contribute to help someone else’s life.” In the spring of 2020, Sally shared with Derryfield that she made a legacy gift by adding the School as a beneficiary of her life insurance policy. “I just always want to be a part of Derryfield. I want to give to the future. I want to know in the future, no matter where we are, if we’re here or not, that we’re a part of it.” When she talked to her kids about this decision, they were supportive and all on the same page (even her oldest child who didn’t attend Derryfield!). She encourages others to think about legacy giving. For her, naming Derryfield as a beneficiary of her policy was a 15 minute phone call. “It was really easy, and gave me a fulfilling type of feeling.” “My wish for future generations of Derryfield students is to always feel confident in who they are, and who they want to be as an adult. Derryfield supports families in guiding students. As a single parent, I needed that support. There were certain things I couldn’t do without the support of others. Other Derryfield dads were role models, inviting the kids to tournaments, fishing trips, etc. The Derryfield village was my support, and I had not felt that support outside my immediate family before. It’s okay to put your hand up and say ‘I need your help.’ It also feels great to be the one who can help.”
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Clockwise from left: Emergency Physician Assistant Than Moore ’08 started the non-profit Gowns for Good; Derryfield bid a sad farewell to Michele Leclerc, who served as school nurse for nearly 20 years; Lainee Shaughnessey ’14 (second from right), who worked as an emergency nurse in Seattle, has returned to serve as Derryfield’s new nurse.