Derryfield Today, Spring 2009

today

Derryfield

THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

NEWS FROM SPRING TERM 2009

Commencement 2009 > Going Global > Mind the Gap

You Go, Girls!

Members of the middle school girls’ softball team are all business as they come off the field between innings. For recaps of our varsity teams’ seasons, go to page 14.

contents Table of

2008-2009 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Steven Burke Chair Bedford, NH

DERRYFIELD TODAY

John Allard ’83 Manchester, NH

Annie Branch Director of Communications

Bradley Benson ’78 Derry, NH

Diane Allen Staff Writer

Robert Chin Windham, NH

Griffin York & Krause Design

Craig N. Sellers Head of School Manchester, NH

Christine Cikacz Chester, NH

Puritan Press, Inc. Printing

Cathryn Vaughn ’91 Secretary Manchester, NH

James Davis New Boston, NH

CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Louis Fink Bedford, NH

Kate Erskine

Preston Hunter ’98 Bedford, NH

Bruce Berk, Lauren Bradley ’09, Jacob Harwood ’10, Emily Johnson ’09, Matthew Porat ’10

Laurie Lamp Bedford, NH

Taylor Nagel ’08

Paul LeBlanc Manchester, NH

COMMUNICATIONS BOARD

Donna K. Lencki Candia, NH

Diane Allen

Nigel Donovan Treasurer Bedford, NH

SPRING 2009

features FEATURES

Global Travel

18

by Annie Branch

Whitney Lockwood Berdy ’00 David Lockwood Manchester, NH

John Bouton

Thomas Manson New Boston, NH

Annie Branch Laurie Lamp

Gap Year

26

by Taylor Nagel ’08

Jan Steele

33

by Diane Allen

departments DEPARTMENTS

Message from the Head Around Campus Commencement Recap Cougar Athletics

2 4 8 14 16 22 26 33

Constantinos Mokas Manchester, NH

Bianca Nicolosi ’09

Christopher Morgan Amherst, NH

ADVANCEMENT

Jeffrey Pollock Manchester, NH

Diane Allen Alumni Coordinator

Update on Alumni

Janice Romanowsky Hampstead, NH

Annie Branch Director of Communications

Life After Derryfield

Richard Sigel ’81 Manchester, NH

Gail Gordon Advancement Office Coordinator

Faculty Profile

William Zorn Hooksett, NH

Alice Handwerk Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations

FRONT COVER: Seniors are all smiles as they line up for the 2009 Commencement Exercises.

Jennifer Melkonian Assistant Head for Advancement

BACKGROUND: Jonathan Lencki ’14 on the ropes course at Derryfield.

Breakthrough Spotlight

TOP: Emily Anderson ’10 performs in the spring concert.

Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at 603.669.4524, ext. 2261 or send an email to abranch@derryfield.org. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director of Communications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

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head

Message from the

An Inspiring Faculty chance on you, who supported you and, ultimately, who s our school moves further into a variety of exciting inspired you. programs—our global aspirations included—we are I am talking about the heroes and role models of the well served to remember that our faculty are our everyday, and this point is particularly important to grasp— mission in motion. Our programs, no matter how urgent, I don’t mean a kind of traditional movie or cartoon hero, such well‑funded, or wisely conceived, cannot be stronger than as a character who has organized his or her life around some‑ our faculty’s ability to lead them. No doubt many of our thing supernatural. I am talking about real people who have alumni and former parents see this connection with particu‑ organized their lives around teaching, around lar clarity; you routinely tell me about “...you routinely tell me learning, around students—in a real sense, your relationships with your teachers around you. You are award‑worthy both and the inspiring culture they create at about your relationships because of who you are—your determination, Derryfield, before you mention particular with your teachers and your character, your capacity to take thought‑ content knowledge you may (or may not) remember years later. the inspiring culture they ful risks—and because the extraordinary people in this room are teachers of the highest I am pleased that this issue of Derryfield create at Derryfield...” caliber.

Today celebrates our great strides in devel‑ And so, as we begin today, I want to make sure to give our oping global awareness around our campus, and I am equal‑ students an opportunity to say thank you to the adults at ly pleased that our faculty continue to inspire our students, Derryfield, and ask our students to join me in leading that no matter the topic. In fact, this issue of Derryfield Today was thanks. on my mind as I spoke in the Nancy S. Boettiger Theatre As you can imagine, the ovation from our students was during Awards Day a few months ago. The following is the instant and profound. Great teaching continues to be a cen‑ text of part of my talk to our students: tral part of The Derryfield School story. I am pleased and I want to thank the faculty and staff who have created an grateful that our faculty have embraced thinking globally environment at Derryfield where so many students have with their usual, award‑worthy commitment to inspiring excelled. We don’t really have a similar awards day for faculty our students. and staff—in two weeks we present acknowledgements for longevity, and that is important, but it is not quite the same.

But it is my belief that for every award presented today, there is at least one adult faculty or staff member in our community— Craig N. Sellers and really, probably several—who stood by you, who took a Head of School

A

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Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

AUGUST – NOVEMBER

events I M AG E S F R O M T H E S P R I N G For more photos, visit our online gallery in the ‘Exploring Derryfield’ section of www.derryfield.org.

calendar

AUGUST Breakthrough Celebration

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DRT Presents Bat Boy

14 & 15

Fall Varsity Preseason Begins

17

SEPTEMBER Class Retreats

1&2

First Day of Classes

3

Back to School Picnic

11

Back to School Night

17

All-School Talent Show

25

Tennis Tournament

26

Country Fair

26

Jan Steele Reception

26

Reunion Class Parties

26

OCTOBER Grandparents’ and Special Guests’ Day

2

NOVEMBER Lyceum Gallery Reception

6

Middle School Musical

6&7

Admission Open House

15

Breakthrough Super Saturday

21

Alumni Games

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DERRYFIELD

repertory

theatre

Clockwise from top right: Tyler Zorn ’14 prepares for a pitch in a middle school baseball game. n Seniors are all smiles at a luau celebrating their last 100 days at Derryfield. n Dustin Kahn ’10 hams it up in a Shakespeare performance for class. n Adam Spierer ’09 works on a project in Engineering and Design. n Alysha Phaneuf ’09 puts the final touches on her sculpture. n Seventh graders gather for a photo after conquering the ropes course.

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Come see members of the Derryfield Repertory Theatre perform on campus in July and August. The cast includes several Derryfield thespians. For more information, visit their webpage in the Exploring Derryfield section of www.derryfield.org.

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STORIES Founders’ Day Warmer Now, Thanks to HATS Alumni Essay Contest Derryfield News Online Tennis Dominates

2009 WRITING AWARDS NON-FICTION AWARDS: 1st: Claire Dickey ’10 2nd: Jennifer Mandelbaum ’10 HM: Erin Ferguson ’10 HM: Philip Melanson ’10 HM: Jacob Harwood ’10 FICTION AWARDS: 1st: Claire Dickey ’10 2nd: Margaret Steer ’09 HM: Christina de Bruyn Kops ’09 HM: Elizabeth Aliotta ’12 POETRY AWARDS:

Founders’ Day The Derryfield School celebrated Founders’ Day on Friday, May 1, with Gary Hirshberg ’72, son of Founders Louise and Howard Hirshberg, as the featured speaker. The CE‑Yo of Stonyfield Farm encouraged stu‑ dents to ask “why not?” in looking at life’s problems and in challenging myths. John Robinson ’86 received the Distinguished Alumni Award. John’s PBS documentary, Get Off Your Knees, premiered in June and will be available nationally in the fall.

In her Founders’ Scholar Address, Bonnie Frieden ’09, 2008 Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar, presented the communi‑ ty with a challenge to resist defining peo‑ ple by whether or not we automatically like them. “When you understand that there are always gaps in your knowledge to prevent you from making any legitimate judgment on others, you’re free to simply enjoy people, enjoy whatever qualities they have that might make you smile or learn something, despite the things you might not like about them.” She ended her address by introducing Brandon Wilson ’10 as the 2009 Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar.

1st: Claire Dickey ’10 2nd: Patrick Synan ’09 2nd: David Thirkill ’09 HM: Kaitlyn Kane ’10 HM: Christina de Bruyn Kops ’09 Derryfield Founders gathered on Founders’ Day.

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Children in the Ukraine wearing Heather’s hats (photo courtesy of John Paetkau).

Warmer Now, Thanks to HATS Heather Monty has never met the children at the orphanage in Sumy, Ukraine, but they will always share a bond.

During winter, those children are now warmer thanks to fleece hats Monty sent to them through HATS, which stands for Helping Across The Seas—an effort she started when she was in middle school.

Five years later, HATS has grown into a global operation with hundreds of students who do the sewing at Lurgio Middle School and a network of tourists, mission‑ aries, and other travelers who moonlight as hat curriers.

Monty, now a junior at The Derryfield School, has dispatched hats not only to Ukraine, but also to Lithuania, Nepal, Zimbabwe, and other far‑off countries, as well as areas in New Hampshire and the United States—wherever children are in need of hats.

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

AROUND CAMPUS

Though she is separated by distance and other barriers, she feels close to the children who wear her hats and who have sent her thank‑you letters. “We will always have the connection that I did something to make them happy and in return they did something to make me happy,” Monty said. “I think it’s especially interesting that we don’t speak the same language and we don’t even have the same lifestyle.”

HATS began with a childhood inter‑ est in sewing and a thankful nurse at an elementary school. When she was 12, Monty churned out a batch of fleece hats with a sewing machine—too many to keep at home. Her parents suggested she call the Goffstown School District and ask where she could give the hats.

She was referred to Bartlett Elementary School, where she found that some stu‑ dents were so cold during recesses in the winter, that they were making excuses to come in and see the school nurse.

After she dropped the hats off, the gratitude of that nurse left an impres‑ sion. “All of a sudden it struck me,” Monty recalled. “Kids my very age in a neighboring town don’t have some‑ thing that I take for granted.”

Monty realized there was something she could do about that. But, as she entered high school, Monty was run‑ ning out of fleece. With help from her parents, she sought out donations of fleece. Malden Mills, in Lawrence, MA, offered its fleece if the Montys would drive down to its factory to pick it up.

Heather and her father, Ed Monty, were welcomed by ten six‑foot‑high

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rolls of fleece—too much to pack into their four‑door sedan. “I was really overwhelmed,” Monty said.

It took a truck to get all of the fleece back to New Hampshire.

In the last two years, Monty has enlisted a family and consumer science class at Lurgio Middle School to help keep up with the demand for her hats.

The students make the hats after they finish their own projects in the sewing unit of the class, taught by Kristi Parker. The hats count toward the effort portion of their grade.

Parker estimates that as many as 200 seventh and eighth graders participate each year. “It’s a win‑win for everyone.

She gets to distribute hats and it gives the students something to do,” Parker said. “They’re excited to have someone who can use and appreciate them.”

Monty now concentrates on the busi‑ ness end of HATS—collecting the fleece, getting material to the school, and distributing finished hats to con‑ tacts around the world.

Monty asks only one thing in return from those who receive the hats: they must send her either a photograph of children wearing them or some other memento. “They drawings that I get from people and just the pictures— they’re so touching,” she said.

“That’s what keeps me going.”

At The Derryfield School, Monty has plenty of other obligations. She is on the women’s varsity crew team and devotes about two hours every week‑ day to practices. Competitions can consume weekends. In addition, Monty, who is an honor student, finds time to serve on the school disciplinary committee, be a managing editor for Excerpt, the school arts and literary magazine, and volunteer for the Key Club, which requires fifty hours of community service a year.

But despite her many activities and academics—not to mention the approach of college—Monty is deter‑ mined to keep HATS going.

“For me, it’s not how many countries I can get to, or how many stories I can collect,” she said. “It’s more about how many lives I can touch and how many kids I can help.”

To donate fleece or volunteer as a courier, email Monty at hats.help@com‑ cast.net.

Reprinted from the May 30, 2009, issue of the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Written by Stephen Beale.

Heather Monty ’10 working on hats at her sewing machine (photo courtesy of Union Leader).

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Alumni Essay Contest The following is Bianca Nicolosi ’09’s win‑ ning essay from the third annual Alumni Essay Contest answering the question, “What lasting effects do you think your time at Derryfield will have on your future?” Bianca will be attending Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications in the fall.

So far I have been accepted to six of the seven colleges I applied to, which proves a Derryfield education opens many doors. My teachers have pre‑ pared me to write with evidence, read to discover reoccurring themes, and be prepared to discuss what I believe in.

Yet, it is the environment both in and

water. At Derryfield, I learned to not be afraid to try something new.

Although I am confident, I have always been a little uneasy about what my classmates would say if they knew I am a Girl Scout. Would they think I was a geek for attending troop meet‑ ings, paying dues, and selling cookies?

Being in Girl Scouts kept me connected to my friends from Hampstead and was kind of my secret. This past fall, I was working on my Girl Scout Gold Award. My goal was to interview Hampstead veterans and document their stories. While I was working on the project I was taking War and Literature, so I decided to share my

outside of the classroom at Derryfield that really makes the difference. My time at Derryfield has taught me to try new things, be myself, reach for my goals, and find a way to balance the tasks at hand.

If you would have told me I would trade my toe shoes for a coxbox, I would never have believed it! Sports were never of much interest to me, but when my friends persuaded me to join the crew team, I took a chance. As a coxswain, I became a team player. My boat mates were like an extended fami‑ ly. We ate lunch together, traveled on the weekends to races, and were there for each other both on and off the

KEEPING UP-TO-DATE

derryfield newsonline Want to know more about what’s happening at Derryfield every day? Check out the online news portal by clicking on ‘News & Events’ on www.derryfield.org. Here are the introductions of a sampling of stories from the spring term.

Fashion Designers Take the Stage Most students head to college unsure of their majors because they don’t yet have a clear direction in life. A few of our stu‑ dents recently put their prospective futures to the test....

Roman Holiday 2009 Taking Latin as a sixth grade student remains a requirement of The Derryfield Middle School. What continues to surprise us is the number of students who contin‑ ue with Latin as their chosen foreign language in seventh and eighth grade, and even through high school....

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Middle School Spelling Bee Who says kids can’t spell anymore? On Thursday, April 30, middle school English teacher Paul Whitmore and 24 English students from eight middle school English classes gathered in the auditorium to dispel this concern....

Kiva: How We Can All Make a Difference Jessica Flannery, co‑founder of Kiva, visit‑ ed Derryfield on May 4 to speak about her journey from college graduate searching for meaning in her life to co‑founder of Kiva, a micro‑lending non‑government organization (NGO) that lends money to impoverished entrepreneurs....

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

AROUND CAMPUS

project with the class. I anticipated sneers and laughter that I was a Girl Scout; that was not the case. My class‑ mates and teachers were interested in hearing the experiences the veterans shared. At Derryfield, I learned it’s okay to be different.

“Shoot for the moon; if you miss, you will land among the stars.” I could not find a job last summer and decided to write about my struggle.

My opinion piece was published in the Concord Monitor and was read by the New Hampshire Commissioner of the Department of Labor. He has contacted me and is helping me find a job in radio or television this summer.

When I wanted to look for an ISP in this field, there were no

Camille Smith ’09 serves in a match this spring.

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contacts at Derryfield, but that did not stop me. I began sending my radio clips from summer camp to different stations and got an internship with SHARK 102.1 FM. At Derryfield I learned to reach for my goals.

Derryfield taught me to never give up and to be creative when things do not go as planned. I have learned how to find a balance between schoolwork and after‑school commitments. This is a life skill I will take with me.

Tennis Dominates It’s never a surprise when Derryfield tennis teams win state championships.

In fact, it is almost expected among the other Class M‑S teams. How did they get so good and how long can it last?

Winning thirteen of their last championship opportuni‑ ties, the boys’ team won their seventh in a row this year beating top‑seeded Gilford 6‑3. Our top three players, Henry Morgan ’11, Carsten Christandl ’09, and Anuj Vadalia ’11, could not be defeated, and Derryfield boys retained the New Hampshire Class M‑S championship title for 2009.

Lydia MacKenzie ’09 and Nicole Zohdi ’12 won the girls’ State Doubles Tournament by defeating the #2 seeded team at St. Thomas Aquinas. Nicole, a freshman, went on to be named player of the year by the Concord Monitor. The team as a

whole, led by Head Coach Gus Moral, took the State Championships, their fifth since 1998, while making the finals in all but one of the remaining years. With a record of 71‑3 over the past five seasons, the team was unde‑ feated three times. “I only consider a season as undefeated if they win the title,” says Coach Moral.

So what is the magic that makes these teams so powerful? Head Coach of the boys’ team, Bruce Berk, has his ideas. “It’s a little bit of talent plus a lot of good athletes. Give me a basketball player or a soccer player with good footwork, and I can make them a good tennis player.” But with seven seniors having just graduated, what will the future hold for this remarkable pro‑ gram? Aforementioned Henry Morgan and Anuj Vadalia will be juniors in the next academic year. Coach Berk fore‑ sees Henry in the top ten in the State and considers Anuj one of the strongest athletes at Derryfield. “He has unlimited potential if he can find the time to commit to tennis.” Coach Berk sees rising juniors Garrett Coler and Spencer David on the edge of the starting lineup and feels confident that with the support of Henry and Anuj, they will combine to continue the win‑ ning legacy of their predecessors.

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recap

Commencement

Alumni Award Given to a member of the senior class whose support and service to The Derryfield School best exemplifies the spirit of Derryfield as deter‑ mined by members of the graduating class and the faculty.

Rose Z. King ’09

Alumni Service Award Given by The Derryfield School Alumni Association to recognize an alumnus/a who has made a major contribution to the School.

Gerard Murphy ’98

Art Award Given to the students who show outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of art.

Colette M. Chretien ’09 Shireen S. Patel ’09

Citizens Bank Scholar Award Presented to an upper school student who is a graduate of the Breakthrough Manchester program, in recognition of academic excellence, exemplary service, and commitment in Breakthrough Manchester and The Derryfield School community.

Lauren A. Bradley ’09

Class of 1994 Award Presented to the member of the senior class whose personal integrity, caring manner, and quiet strength inspire school spirit and higher aspirations in all of us.

Alysha M. Phaneuf ’09

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The Class of 2009 In an otherwise cold and rain‑soaked week, the sun shone on a very special day at Derryfield. On Saturday, June 13, we welcomed the Class of 2009 into our ever‑growing alumni community. With every bit of pomp and circumstance that we anticipate on this wonderful day of tradition, the class processed to their places on stage and awaited their cue to sit from Class Marshall Maddie Kramer ’10. Head of School Craig N. Sellers welcomed the standing‑room‑only crowd and the Rev. Dr. Emily Geoghegan, mother of alumna Sarah Umberger ’06, gave the Invocation.

It was now time for the Class of 2009 to take over.

Christina de Bruyn Kops ’09 began her Welcome Address by thanking her father for sending her to Derryfield. Christina presented three things she’s learned. “First, there are always going to be people who don’t like it when someone is smarter than they are. So, when you are really good at something and other people are intimidated by it, don’t let that stop you from doing what you are good at. Second, if you’re going to procrastinate, you can’t then stress out about getting everything done.” Her third lesson focused on “start‑overs,” which “allow you to get out of the rut you were stuck in because everyone knew how you had always been.” Christina suggested that coming to Derryfield was the first of several future start‑overs.

English and Latin teacher Richard Anthony, chosen by the Class of 2009, was next on stage with the Commencement Address. Mr. Anthony chided that his address had none of the attributes he looks for in grading written pieces in his classroom, but somehow found the common thread of “traf‑ fic” to tie his address together. Mr. Anthony mixed philoso‑ phy with humor as he was almost able to disguise his deep respect for the graduating class.

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

COMMENCEMENT RECAP

Choral Director Laurel Devino took this last opportunity of the academic year to introduce her Concert Choir. Seniors from the platform joined their fellow vocalists for heartfelt renditions of Shenandoah and In the Beginning.

Anne Rynearson ’09 followed the musical interlude with her Valedictory Address. Encouraging her fellow classmates to enter their respective post‑Derryfield establishments with open minds, Anne asserted that the accumulation of knowl‑ edge must be done without prejudgment. “If balance, if fair‑ ness, is not maintained, our knowledge is tainted, and we will remain grounded in the mud of inanity. We must realize that an inflexible outlook on life will cut us off from higher truths.” She challenged the class to face the new challenges which lie ahead with an open mind quoting from Jurist Learned Hand, “Liberty is never being too sure you’re right.”

Class President Rose King presented the class gift. A three‑part donation reflecting the thoughtful caring for the School that meant so much to these graduates, the gift will be split between the prom account, financial aid, and the Annual Fund. This act of generosity segued into the presen‑ tation of diplomas by Board of Trustees Chair Steven M. Burke, father of Leah ’09 and Steven ’10.

Meg Steer ’09 compared getting through high school with juggling in her Farewell Address. To make the point, she juggled three balls on stage—and didn’t drop one!

Describing how balance has helped her through her juggling act over the past four years, Meg said, “One of the things I will take away from my high school experience is that this balance is most prominent between what you want to do and what you know you must. And in my opinion, the only thing you must do is to better each place you come across, and accomplish this with passion and with love.” Meg advised members of her class to do something they love, but balance it with personal responsibility to the world.

Craig Sellers offered closing remarks, the Concert Choir led in singing the School song, Dr. Geoghegan gave the benediction, and the Class of 2009 left the auditorium and received their guests on the Art House walkway. A brief reception followed on the upper school patio, and this year’s Commencement became history. Congratulations Class of 2009!

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Community Service Awards Honoring those seniors who have given unselfishly of themselves in extending time, interest, and concern to the School and the community.

Yasmín R. Adam ’09

Jacob E. Romanowsky ’09

Kelsey I. Kanik ’09

Sandra M. Stonebraker ’09

Bianca M. Nicolosi ’09

Dartmouth Book Award Given to that member of the junior class who, through pursuit of academic achievement as well as through participation in athletics and other extracurricular activities, has demonstrated a commitment to excellence and has otherwise exerted a positive impact upon the quality of student life.

Alexandra Donovan ’10

Drama Award Given to a student who shows outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of drama.

Stephanie A. Hogan ’09

English Award Given to the students who show outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of English.

Anne R. Rynearson ’09 Margaret P. Steer ’09

2009 Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar The Peter S. Freedman Founders’ Scholar Award is presented annually to that member of the junior class who has best combined academic achievement with personal responsibility, independence, and ethical sense.

Brandon Wilson ’10

French Award Given to a student who shows outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of French.

Anne R. Rynearson ’09

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COMMENCEMENT RECAP

Harvard Book Award

Class of 2009

Given to a junior who displays excellence in scholarship and high char‑ acter, combined with achievement in other fields.

Matthew Porat ’10

Yasmin Adam .......................................................................... Wheelock College Lauren Bradley ............................................................................... Knox College Leah Burke ................................................................................... Bates College Claudia Camerino .......................................................................... Colby College

History Award Given to the students who show outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of history.

Bonnie J. Frieden ’09 Anne R. Rynearson ’09

Colette Chretien ...................... Tufts University, School of the Museum of Fine Arts Carsten Christandl ............................................................... Syracuse University Ryan Clauson ........................................................................ University of Miami Allison Cohen ..................................................................... High Point University Mickey Cunliffe ....................................................... University of New Hampshire

Dennis F. Holland Mathematics Award Given to the students who show outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of mathematics.

Christina A. de Bruyn Kops ’09 Scott R. De Noble ’09

Leah Danny .............................................................................. Wheaton College Christina de Bruyn Kops ............................................................... Rice University Scott De Noble .................................................. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Katherine DiPastina ................................................................ Cornell University Tara Doherty ................................................................... Daniel Webster College

R. Philip Hugny Head of School Award Given in memory of Mr. Hugny, first Headmaster of The Derryfield School, to that member of the graduating class who, through all‑ around service, has made valuable contributions to the School.

Alysha M. Phaneuf ’09

Christopher Dupuis ............................................ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Justin Eldridge .............................................................................. Trinity College Arianna Enos .......................................................................... Hofstra University Valeriy Filatov ...................................................................... American University Mackenzie Fleming ...................................................... Plymouth State University Sadie Fowler ......................................................................... Providence College

Marcus D. Hurlbut Head of School Award Given in honor of Mr. Hurlbut, fourth Headmaster of The Derryfield School, to the senior who, by caring, leadership, and force of character, has been an inspiration to others.

Stephen J. Reichheld, Jr. ’09

Bonnie Frieden ................................................ Washington University in St. Louis Jacob Friedenberg .............................................................. University of Vermont Tiffany Goudreau ..................................... University of Hartford, The Hartt School Alexa Hasselman .............................................................. Jacksonville University Stephanie Hogan ....................................................... Carnegie Mellon University

Simeon Kass Award for Writing and Humanistic Inquiry Honoring Sim Kass, beloved mentor to two Derryfield alumni, Matt Boelig ’01 and Derek Boelig ’05, the Simeon Kass Award for Writing and Humanistic Inquiry is presented to a senior who demonstrates out‑ standing writing skills, an appreciation of other cultures, a burning inquisitiveness, and the disposition to take a position and challenge received opinions. A panel of faculty reviews applications for this annual scholarship.

Daniel Jin ....................................................................... Northeastern University Emily Johnson .............................................................. University of Puget Sound Luke Jorgensen ................................................. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Kemal Kadic ............................................................ University of New Hampshire John Kalliel .................................................................... Northeastern University

Valeriy V. Filatov ’09 Kelsey Kanik ...................................................................... University of Vermont Rose King ..................................................... University of St. Andrews (Scotland)

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Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

COMMENCEMENT RECAP

Matriculation List

Latin Award Given to a student who shows outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of Latin.

Sandra M. Stonebraker ’09

Curtis Lamp .......................................................................... Clemson University Lydia MacKenzie ................................................................... Gettysburg College Frederick Manson ......................................................................... Bates College Matthew McCormick ............................................... University of New Hampshire

Lamplighter Athletic Award

Spencer McCormick ....................................... Hobart and William Smith Colleges George Mokas ............................................................................ Boston College

Given to the boy or girl who, through spirit, attitude, loyalty, and over‑ all performance, has been an inspiration to his or her teammates and a credit to the School.

Bianca Nicolosi ............................................................................ Ithaca College

Sean M. O’Reilly ’09

Sean O'Reilly .................................................... Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Aviva Paiste .......................................................................... Brandeis University Shireen Patel ........................................................ Rhode Island School of Design

Mayor’s Award The Mayor’s Award is presented to that member of the graduating class who has, throughout his/her tenure at The Derryfield School, demonstrated a high level of dedication to the ideals The Derryfield School stands for and has exhibited leadership traits worthy of emula‑ tion by his/her peers.

Ryan Petit ..................................................................... Florida Southern College Alysha Phaneuf ........................................................................... Drew University Patrick Rachel .................................................... United States Military Academy

John R. Kalliel ’09

Stephen Reichheld ................................................................. Colgate University Marcel Robinson ................................................................. Point Park University

Music Award

Jacob Romanowsky .......................................................... University of Rochester Anne Rynearson ...................................................... Claremont McKenna College

Given to the students who show outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of choral and instrumental music.

Andrew Selwyn ...................................................................... Champlain College

Marcel A. Robinson ’09 Christina A. de Bruyn Kops ’09

Andrea Sheldon .................................................................. University of Vermont Zachary Silversmith ................................................................. Cornell University Gavin Slusher .................................................................... Lewis & Clark College

Clifford R. Nyquist Memorial Scholarship

Margaret Steer ......................................................................... Williams College

Established in Clifford’s memory by his family, this college scholarship award is given annually to a member of the graduating class who has demonstrated unselfish and enduring friendship to all, as well as gen‑ uine respect for diverse ideas and beliefs, and deep personal integrity and fairness. The recipient must have demonstrated a purposeful involvement in The Derryfield School and a meaningful commitment to our local and global communities.

Sandra Stonebraker ................................................................ Skidmore College

Lauren A. Bradley ’09

Camille Smith ............................................................................... Trinity College Adam Spierer ................................................................................ Colby College

Anna Stuart ....................................................................... University of Vermont Patrick Synan ................................................................................. Bard College David Thirkill ........................................................................ American University Aimee Valliere ................................................................. Daniel Webster College

William B. Pfeifer Head of School Award Given in honor of Mr. Pfeifer, third Headmaster of The Derryfield School, to the senior who, by loyalty, presence, and total commitment, has helped make Derryfield a better place to be.

John R. Kalliel ’09

Finn Westbrook ..................................................................... Gettysburg College Hannah Wilson ............................................................... Northeastern University

www.derryfield.org

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COMMENCEMENT RECAP

Physical Science Award Given to a student who shows outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of physical science.

Scott R. De Noble ’09

Ken Piatt Memorial Scholarship Award Given in memory of D. Kenneth Piatt ’82 to the boy or girl who com‑ bines excellence in athletics with outstanding achievement.

Leah J. Burke ’09

Rensselaer Medal Given to the outstanding student in mathematics and science in the junior class.

Brandon Wilson ’10

Rhode Island School of Design Award Rose Z. King ’09

Rotary Cup The Manchester Rotary Cup Award is given to a senior who is giving of himself or herself through strong community service and who shows the greatest promise of making a difference in the world through strength of character and qualities of leadership.

Bianca M. Nicolosi ’09

Scholar-Athlete Award Given to the senior boy and girl who best com‑ bine athletic ability with intellectual curiosity and academic achievement which, in the eyes of their teachers and coaches, distinguish them as being worthy of Scholar‑Athlete recognition.

Katherine M. DiPastina ’09

From top to bottom: Adam Spierer ’09 and Gavin Slusher ’09 celebrate with their

Curtis R. Lamp ’09

advisor Doc Simpson. n Dick Anthony delivers the commencement address. n Senior girls are all smiles before the ceremony.

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Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

COMMENCEMENT RECAP

Ralph J. Scozzafava Head of School Award Given in honor of Mr. Scozzafava, second Headmaster of The Derryfield School, to the senior student who, scholastically and athleti‑ cally, best represents the ideas and ideals of The Derryfield School.

Margaret P. Steer ’09

Spanish Award Given to the students who show outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of Spanish.

Christina A. de Bruyn Kops ’09 Shireen S. Patel ’09

Barbara J. Stahl, Ph.D. Life Science Award Given to a student who shows outstanding interest, motivation, and accomplishment in the study of life science.

George A. Mokas ’09

Wellesley Book Award Given each year to that junior girl who has contributed most to the life of the School through leadership and good citizenship, while maintain‑ ing a high scholastic achievement.

Ariel Berk ’10

Matthew L. Young ’88 Memorial Scholarship To perpetuate the spirit and positive influence of Matthew Lawrence Young, Class of 1988, on the Derryfield family, this scholarship is awarded annually to that member of the junior class who, through enthusiastic participation in activities, significant contribution to the well‑being of others, and scholarship, has had an enduring impact on the Derryfield community.

Heather Monty ’10

From top to bottom: Sadie Fowler ’09 bids farewell to Ed Lemire. n Marcel Robinson ’09 shows off his diploma. n Meg Steer ’09 incorporates juggling into her farewell speech.

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13

athletics

Cougar

COACHES’ AWARD Camille K. Smith ’09

Spring wrap-up

Mickey M. Cunliffe ’09 Matthew P. McCormick ’09

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Katherine M. DiPastina ’09 Matthew P. McCormick ’09

Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse

Boys’ Varsity Baseball

Season Record: 6-8 NH Championship Quarter-Finalists (Division III) Alex Donovan ’10, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award Kate Jorgensen ’11, All-State (Honorable Mention) Cameron Lencki ’10, Co-Captain, All-State (2nd Team) Charlotte Walters ’11, All-State (2nd Team)

Season Record: 15-1 NH Championship Quarter-Finalists (Class S) Steve Burke ’10, All-State (1st Team), All-Conference John Kalliel ’09, All-State (3rd Team) Curtis Lamp ’09, All-State (2nd Team) Sean O’Reilly ’09, All-State (2nd Team), Class of 1970 Award Matt McCormick ’09, All-State (1st Team), All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award Steve Reichheld ’09, All-State (3rd Team)

TOP TEN CLUB

Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse

Leah J. Burke ’09

Season Record: 13-5 NH Championship Quarter-Finalists (Division III) Chris Hettler: Coach of the Year Mackenzie Fleming ’09, Co-Captain, VT/NH Senior All-Star Ryan Clauson ’09, Co-Captain, All-State (1st Team), Class of 1970 Award Chris Coppinger ’10, All-State (1st Team) Ben Calegari ’10, All-State (2nd Team) Zach Morgan ’10, All-State (2nd Team) Ian Will ’11, All-State (2nd Team) Nate Milne ’11, All-State (2nd Team) James Donovan ’10, All-State (Honorable Mention)

Ryan M. Clauson ’09 Mickey M. Cunliffe ’09 Katherine M. DiPastina ’09 Christopher M. Dupuis ’09 Justin B. Eldridge ’09 Mackenzie J. Fleming ’09 Kemal Kadic ’09 Curtis R. Lamp ’09 Matthew P. McCormick ’09 George A. Mokas ’09 Sean M. O’Reilly ’09 Patrick D. Rachel ’09 Stephen J. Reichheld, Jr. ’09 Gavin S. Slusher ’09 Camille K. Smith ’09

Boys’ Varsity Tennis

Girls’ Varsity Softball Season Record: 2-14 Lauren Bradley ’09, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity Crew NEMA: 2nd boat - 2nd Gavin Slusher ’09, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Girls’ Varsity Crew NEMA: 2nd boat - 2nd NEIRA: 1st boat - 7th Heather Monty ’10, Class of 1970 Award

Season Record: 14-2 New Hampshire Champions (Class M/S) Carsten Christandl ’09, Co-Captain, All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award Henry Morgan ’11, All-Conference, Class S Player of the Year Anuj Vadalia ’11, All-Conference Finn Westbrook ’09, Co-Captain, All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award

Margaret P. Steer ’09

Girls’ Varsity Tennis OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN INDEPENDENT SPORT AWARD Garrett Mayo ’11 – Gymnastics

14

Season Record: 14-0 New Hampshire Champions (Class M/S) Lydia MacKenzie ’09, Doubles State Champions, All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award Emily Mastrogiacomo ’10, All-Conference Camille Smith ’09, All-Conference Nicole Zohdi ’12, Doubles State Champions, All-Conference, Class S Player of the Year

OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): Mackenzie Fleming ’09 controls the ball. n Matt McCormick ’09 takes a swing at bat. n Alex Donovan ’10 takes off with the ball. n Maeve Mitchell ’11 winds up for a pitch. n Maddie Kramer ’10 in a scrimmage against Concord. n Garrett Coler ’11 warms up for a tennis match. n Matthew Porat ’10 in the coxswain’s seat of mens’ first boat (photo courtesy P. Hubbell). n ABOVE: Emily Mastrogiacomo ’10 returns a hit in a match.

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

C O U G A R AT H L E T I C S

www.derryfield.org

15

spotlight Breakthrough

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES FOR SENIORS The Breakthrough class of 2009 will head off to their first year of college in the fall!

We are proud of their hard work since they began Breakthrough as fifth graders.

Below is a partial list of colleges and universities that have accepted Breakthrough seniors this year:

Boston College Boston University City Year Boston Columbus College of Art & Design Guilford College Hampshire College Hart College Knox College Mount Ida College Naropa University New York University Northeastern University Point Park University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Roger Williams University Southern New Hampshire University Syracuse University University of Massachusetts - Amherst University of New Hampshire Yale University

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Thank You, Derryfield PFA! Thanks to the inspiring support of many Derryfield families, $29,250 was raised for Breakthrough during the PFA Auction on April 4, 2009. This kind of support allows us to offer our program tuition‑free to all of our families, for seven years of service. Breakthrough student Cesar Zamudio, a sixth grader at Southside Middle School, delivered the following thought‑ ful testimonial about his experience at Breakthrough.

Good evening, my name is Cesar Zamudio and I want to tell you what Breakthrough Manchester has done for me. Breakthrough is a great opportunity because you can learn and enjoy it all at the same time. Breakthrough is a commitment that is well worth it, because it gets you on track for college.

Before Breakthrough, I didn't know a lot of subjects. Sure, I knew math, English, sci‑ ence, and social studies, but I didn't know everything I could know. I wanted an extra challenge. I wanted—and needed—to know more.

My first Breakthrough summer was a great experience. I admired my teachers— Sam, Maeghan, Lauren, and Carlos— because they were only a little older than me, so they could understand what I was going through. Also, the rest of the Breakthrough students were more open to different opinions because we ALL wanted

Cesar Zamudio speaks at the PFA Auction.

to learn. At Breakthrough, it was like a whole new school year, but WAY better!

At Breakthrough, I learned things like the order of operations in math, many gods in the world of mythology, and Punnett squares in genetics. It was just what I needed!

Now, I am a whole different person. I am now more intelligent, and I know how to do more things, such as working as a team. Now, when a teacher asks me some‑ thing, I know it off the top of my head, because I learned it from my Breakthrough teachers.

Breakthrough has made me a better per‑ son, and it is an awesome opportunity. I’m glad to say that my brother and I will be the first people in our family to go to col‑ lege, and I owe it all to Breakthrough Manchester.

Thank you!

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

BREAKTHROUGH SPOTLIGHT

Volunteers Make us Run! Thank you to all of our volunteer school‑year session teachers and tutors from Derryfield. Combined, they have given over 1600 hours, teaching, tutor‑ ing, and mentoring our Breakthrough middle school students during the 2008–09 school year. We are grateful for their generosity of time and energy to make our school‑year program both beneficial and fun for our students. In addition, we want to recognize Sandy Townsend and Reina Reidy for their support and guidance as school‑year mentor teachers.

Emily Anderson Catalina Benech Lauren Bradley Leah Burke Steve Burke Nicole Chenelle Mickey Cunliffe Christina de Bruyn Kops Jamie Ducharme Justin Eldridge Erin Ferguson Bonnie Frieden Taylor Goudreau Katherine Grisanzio Hunter Holbrook Daniel Jin Kemal Kadic Ellie Kaufman Emmy Keller Rose King Travis Kula Cameron Lencki Hunter Manson Adrian McLeod Philip Melanson

Aseebulla Niazi ’11, Noah Allain, Ryan Gamblin, and Duc Tran enjoy popsicles on the final Super Saturday.

Rachel Moss ’11, Madison Platte, Cameron Lencki ’10, Becca Hall, and Philip Melanson ’10 celebrate a great school year.

Drew Mokas Rachel Moss Aseeb Niazi Maddie Northcutt Maeghan Provencher Kristen Ryan Anne Rynearson Tayla Satkwich Kim Selwyn Elise Shattuck Anuj Vadalia

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

visitors’

days

Have you ever wondered what Breakthrough is all about?

Find out at one of our summer Visitors’ Days.

Thursday, July 23 (8–9:30 a.m.)

Tuesday, July 28 (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.)

RSVP to Kate at kerskine@derryfield.org.

www.breakthroughmanchester.org

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travel

Global

The World Is Our Classroom

by Annie Branch

espite the skill of our teachers, the challenge of our curriculum, and the strength of our facilities, certain things just can’t be learned in the classroom. As technology transforms the way we live and our world becomes a global econo‑ my, international borders are becoming less of a challenge to bridge. A longtime advocate of service learning at Derryfield, Susan Grodman was charged with the new role of developing a global travel program for the School. Her inter‑ ests combined to build not just fun vacations, but truly meaningful experiences for our students as they took risks in new places. Members of those trips describe what they learned, whether it was in North Carolina or on the other side of the world.

D

Matthew Porat ’10 — Nepal Retired faculty member Candy Chaplin’s organization Nepal Children’s Health and Education Foundation supports Nepalese schools and villages. This year, two students traveled to Nepal to work with NCHEF. There is little doubt that my life will never be quite the same after a trip to Nepal this past March. Upon reenter‑ ing the United States, Boston traffic seemed civilized and dogs were once more cared‑for pets. No riot police stood guard to orchestrate the arrests of Tibetan protestors. It clarified for me the active role we must play in combat‑ ing the destitute and abject conditions of the majority of the world. Yet, despite the squalor and anguish in parts of Katmandu, the kindhearted‑ ness and resilience of the Nepali peo‑ ple are simply incredible.

I found it fascinating to see the direct results of the efforts of NCHEF and The Derryfield School over the past few years on the lives of the peo‑ ple in the villages of Bung and

www.derryfield.org

Chheskam. Finally meeting teachers and students that I have been connect‑ ed to through NCHEF was truly an incredible feeling. Their gratitude for our support was entirely overwhelm‑ ing, from a ceremony that left us draped with leis, to the performance of traditional Nepali dances.

Unfortunately, despite the romantic, utopian images of these Himilayan communities, there is still underlying suffering. This reality became readily apparent as villagers stopped at the medical clinic in Bung, hearing a west‑ ern doctor was seeing patients. After Dr. Dolly had examined several adults and children, a young mother entered carrying a toddler wrapped in a blan‑ ket. The child had fallen over a terrace and onto a wire, slicing deep into his leg near his groin. Without a sterile environment, Dr. Dolly asked that the baby be taken to the hospital, but the length of the journey made that impos‑ sible. Boiled water was the only way available to clean the wound. Without

anesthesia or adequate supplies, the procedure took significantly longer than it would have in the United States. The cries of the baby will be for‑ ever indelible in my memory.

It was in the cries of this young child that I realized the impact this experi‑ ence had on my life. The cries were a loud call to action as I experienced the developing world and its inherent troubles. Undoubtedly, my experiences in Nepal will have a lasting effect on my life and certainly furthered my education in unimaginable ways.

Emily Johnson ’09 — Romania School Counselor Jo Davidson has a long‑ standing relationship with an orphanage in Romania. This year she took five students to work with the girls in the orphanage.

At Derryfield we are bombarded by numbers: the first five digits of pi are 3.1415; there are 822 pages in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick; Martin Luther translated the Bible in 1522; etc. But after this past spring, there is a number

19

G L O B A L T R AV E L

I learned that has been given a unique‑ ly human touch: there are 44 million orphans in this world.

I spent the second half of my senior spring break in the company of Pami, Geta, Sanda, Delah, Gabi, Dia, Dora, and Nati, eight beautiful, talented, and unique Romanian girls, who live in an orphanage in Beius. There is nothing that makes these children at all deserv‑ ing of the struggles they face. Delah is incredibly athletic, attentive, and when she thinks no one is looking, an amaz‑ ingly free spirit. Nati wants nothing more then to be loved every second of every day. Dora will act as strong as Superman, and then become the most loving child you’ve ever met when she melts into tears in your arms as she realizes she’s loosing you. Pami has the most beautiful heart, but if you don’t give her the time to show it to you, you’d never see. You can’t see any of this sitting in any classroom, even ones as nice as Derryfield’s.

As students, we all try our best to connect with the material with which we are presented. But even the most effective class discussion cannot com‑ pare with the hands‑on experience of

20

meeting these kids, all of whom are trying desperately to show you how great they are. There is no way to go back to seeing these girls as a number after discovering how fantastic they are as individual people.

Derryfield is constantly reminding us how blessed we are to be part of a community where we are individuals and not numbers. The most important lesson I have learned from Derryfield is that we owe it to the world to pass that blessing on by never letting people just as amazing as us be seen as a group of numbers. Even if there are 44,000,000 of them.

Bruce Berk — China Derryfield is developing a sister‑school relationship with the Blue Tassel School in Suzhhou, China. Our students spent time there, experienced a homestay, and volun‑ teered teaching at a school in Beijing.

All students at Derryfield study Chinese history during the ninth grade. The March trip to China, how‑ ever, offered a different challenge— one in which our fifteen participants needed to go beyond the lessons of the classroom, and be willing to be open minded, to persevere, and to take posi‑ tive risks. We could not have been more proud of this group. They ate everything put in their path, perse‑ vered through challenges of hygiene, and learned to adapt at a moment’s notice. Lessons learned varied from the unimportant (one CAN live without a cell phone for two weeks) to being an American role model to their Chinese peers. On several occasions they taught,

sang in both Chinese and English, and even took part in a spirited discussion of “What Defines Success” with their Chinese counterparts in front of an audience of over 200.

They worked at embracing Chinese culture and taking leadership posi‑ tions. Eating Chinese food once a week in an American restaurant is a far cry from consuming Chinese food three times a day. Yet this group enthusiasti‑ cally ate every new food they encoun‑ tered, including scorpions. They were fierce bargainers. Never did Ms. Foster and I suspect that, after a short lesson on haggling, this young group would “fight” Chinese merchants to within an inch of their capitalist lives. More important, however, were lessons about governments and leadership.

Students learned that communism is a political system and not a culture. Our students were overwhelmed by the kindness, warmth, and hospitality of the Chinese. Equally as important, they spent time in two different schools teaching English. Lesson plans were tried with both success and failure; revamped and strengthened. Derry‑ field students were forced to think, literally, on their feet, and were stretched in ways they had not imagined. For example, one night we prepped them with instructions that they would be co‑teaching with Chinese teachers, except then the teachers left the entire session up to our students. On another occasion, at a moment’s notice, they found themselves asked to perform in a home for elderly Chinese. In both instances they were great.

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

G L O B A L T R AV E L

Our sincere thanks to Susan Grodman for planning a life‑changing program for these students, and to our Chinese hosts who made this experience such a memorable one.

Lauren Bradley ’09 — N. Carolina For the third year, Derryfield students and faculty traveled south to work with Habitat for Humanity.

This spring break was different and, thankfully, more fun than other ones I had previously taken in my past six years at Derryfield. Instead of going to Myrtle Beach, SC, to see my grandpar‑ ents again, or lounging around the house doing nothing for the week, I had decided to go on the Habitat trip with a group of Derryfield brethren.

We trekked down to North Carolina and were a huge contributor in finish‑ ing two houses that were almost ready to move into, but were still waiting for the job to be completed. We used exceptional teamwork to work on the houses, and our spirits never were down because we were always talking or singing songs while we worked.

This spring break experience has touched me deeply because many com‑ munities were thankful that we were helping, even though we lived close to a thousand miles away. It made me see

www.derryfield.org

that even though we were just doing this for “fun,” we were helping very needy families that were in a tough spot. This experience has made me think about how I could help on a larger scale, and encouraged me to continue to do charity work such as this, both in college and beyond.

Jacob Harwood ’10 — China It can very rarely be said that the defining moment in one’s life occurred at age sixteen, in a place thousands of miles from home, and with a populace whose values, ideals, and language are so intrinsically foreign. My life, howev‑ er, falls into this rare category and can be defined by the impact that two fifteen‑year‑old Chinese girls had on me. Carrie Foster, one of the faculty advisors on the trip, remarked on the contrast between a 6’1” American varsity rower and the two 5’0” Chinese girls who seemed to have adopted him. That 6’1” American was me, hesi‑ tantly stepping into the classroom in a teaching role for the first time; conver‑ sationally fluent in Spanish but speak‑ ing no Chinese, I simply had no idea where to start. After having been rejected by the boys in my small group for my lack of knowledge of LeBron James and his statistics, Vian Vian and Rose decided that I wasn’t so scary after all and we began to systematical‑ ly mutilate each other’s language.

Words simply cannot convey the feelings that each of us felt for those three days—the sense of belonging when I stepped off of the bus each morning and was attacked by two bun‑

dles of happiness and energy, breaking the cultural bounds and striving to make a friend in somebody with whom they found it hard to verbally communicate but somehow seemed to convey so much through simple ges‑ tures. In China, genders are very, very separate—girls hold hands with girls, boys with boys, but never with the opposite sex until at least their nine‑ teenth birthday. Knowing this when they each grabbed one of my hands and led me to lunch every day, and when we shared a tearful goodbye bear hug, meant more to me than any‑ thing ever has, bar none.

“I do not know if I can ever be able to talk you again, Jack (sic). I will never forget you.” I simply cannot convey the heartbreak of this final email from Vian, whom I have not heard from since she left school for work. I can only pray that I have made as much of a difference in her life as she has made in mine. I learned more about myself, about who I truly am, and how I can impact the world, in the three days spent at the Dandelion School for the Children of Migrant Workers than I did in eleven years of traditional schooling.

21

alumni

Update on Emma Page Rich, daughter of Page Fairman Rich ’92 and her husband, David

Are You on Facebook?

Derryfield is! Search for The Derryfield School on Facebook and join the fun. It’s the best way to keep up with the School and reconnect with classmates. 530

The news contained in this section covers the period of April 6, 2009 – July 13, 2009.

For more recent news, or to post a note, please log on to the Derryfield Portal at www.derryfield.org.

fans to date and growing fast!

1968 MJ Peabody is still spending half of the year in a village in the northwest of England where she sees Rebecca Millimet regularly. MJ was pleased to become a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsman in rug‑hooking this year. She is looking forward to visiting Derryfield this summer to see the Class of 1968’s granite bench in memory of class‑ mates Doug Peabody and Peter Wynot.

1970 John Korona is currently President/CEO of Mansfield Bank. His younger daughter graduated from Pepperdine University in May 2009. He is thrilled that tuition pay‑ ments are over!

1972 Gary Hirshberg spent a lot of time on the Derryfield campus this spring, providing the Founders’ Day address, and then at the tennis courts on three occasions as the assistant coach of his daughter Danielle’s Concord High School varsity tennis team.

Gary was the Commencement speaker at

Members of the Class of 1983 gather for their 25th Reunion.

22

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

UNH and Middlebury in May, and has been busy traveling the country pro‑ moting Food, Inc., a made‑for‑cinema documentary about America’s food system in which Gary appears along with authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser.

1973 Jean Melrose Wright is taking a mas‑ ter’s level course from Earth Exped‑ itions (www.earthexpeditions.org), traveling to Costa Rica in late July to study the ecology of the lowland and cloud rain forests and learn ways to connect sciences and mathematics to classroom experience. The course pulls together a variety of teachers of differ‑ ent ages and stages of learning and helps them craft a more effective cur‑ riculum through participatory educa‑ tion experiences. “Kind of like what I got at Derryfield, a long time ago.”

1975 Mark Fleisher reports, “Beginning my third career, I am just finishing course work for my M.Ed. from Rhode Island College in Providence, getting ready to teach in elementary schools. I will be student teaching at Henry Barnard School in the fall. It’s a very forward‑ thinking laboratory school on the RIC campus — a great situation with amaz‑ ing colleagues from whom to learn. I have left behind an early career as an aquatic toxicologist, and a more recent

www.derryfield.org

18‑year career working in the non‑ profit world, with several dynamic dance companies, first Ballet New England in Portsmouth, NH, then Festival Ballet Providence in Rhode Island.” n Mark Hornor lives with his wife and two children in Cupertino, CA. Four languages are spoken in his household: English, Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese.

1977 Jeff Girolimo and Michael Keegan spent a great day at the Virginia International Races in Alton, VA, for Jeff’s 50th birthday. Jeff is now living in North Carolina with his wife and two children, while Michael has homes in Florida and California, but they still maintain a great friendship.

1978 On June, 26, 2009, LTC Dave Grosso relinquished command of the International Special Training Centre after a two‑year assignment in Pfullendorf, Germany, and moved with his wife, Claire, and their three chil‑ dren, Jacob, Allison, and Matthew, to Colorado Springs, CO. In August 2009, Dave will deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to serve as the Deputy Commander for a Brigade Combat Team (4000 Soldiers) from the 82nd Airborne Division for one year in Afghanistan.

1982 Walt Milne is an anti‑money launder‑ ing analyst with Citizens Bank in the risk and fraud area, monitoring the movement of funds into and out of the bank and reporting suspicious activity to the federal government. He is also wrapping up his graduate courses in forensic accounting and fraud exami‑ nation at SNHU this summer.

1984 Edward Haletky just finished the sec‑ ond book in his virtualization series (and his third book overall). VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security, Pearson Education, a Prentice‑Hall company, is available at your bookstore and on Amazon. Edward has been named a VMware vExpert for 2009.

SAVE THE DATE

remembering

ken

The Class of 1982 and The Derryfield School request your presence at the Re‑dedication of the Ken Piatt Scoreboard Saturday, September 26, 2009 one o’clock The Derryfield School Turf Field Athletic games and alumni events to follow.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1983 Reunion Members of the Class of 1983 gathered to celebrate their 25th Reunion.

(L to R): John Allard, Sean Stone, Amy Stone, and Woody Dugan.

(L to R): Mary Beth Neville Masci, Lucy Boyer, Jason Boyer, Woody Dugan, and Martin Goulet.

(L to R): Myles Gettings, Denise Laguerre, Carman Grotton Alenson, and Reed Van Rossum.

(L to R): Emma and Annie Schulman, Andrew Schulman, Peg O’Brien, Kristen Norton Mugnai, and Diane Sanborn Arabian.

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1985

1986

Ursula Davis has been working at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center as a registered nurse for almost three years. Starting in the operating room, Ursula moved to the office of clinical transformation working on the Electronic Health Record project.

Ursula is a first‑time homeowner in Lebanon, NH, and is engaged to Charles H. Robson, Jr., a registered nurse at New London Hospital in New London, NH. A June 2010 wedding is planned. n Cathy Thomas Kaplan and her husband, Dan, live with their children Miranda (9) and Henry (7) in Concord, NH. Cathy is the concert and publicity manager for the Concord Community Music School, studies piano, plays the flute, and is learning to play the cello. Her artistic endeavors took her to the White House last Christmas after being selected to design an ornament for the White House Christmas tree. She hopes to have a website soon through which to sell her artwork, and plans to display a number of watercolors at Bagel Works in Concord (February 2010). Cathy recently joined the Board of the Montessori Children’s Center of Concord and volunteers at Beaver Meadow School.

Heather Koerber Nunes warns her classmates, “I recently lent Derryfield a copy of the video of our graduation for John Robinson’s documentary.

BEWARE! Outrageous ’80s soon exposed.”

1988 Kathleen Slattery Booth and her hus‑ band, John, have started their own pro‑ motional marketing business called Quintain Marketing. “When I’m not working on that, I still do some inter‑ national development consulting on the side and have two online courses that I teach. I’ve also gotten involved in triathlons and competed in my first one this spring. Next up, the Iron Girl in August. Wish me luck!” n Matt Wasdyke and his wife, Rebecca, wel‑ comed Madeleine Cecelia Wasdyke into the world on April 19, 2009. “She’s our first child and we are incredibly happy. At two months old she’s already grown and changed so much.

It’s absolutely amazing to watch.” Matt has also recently connected with some other Derryfield folks on Facebook.

“Despite feeling like I’m too old for it, it’s been fun catching up on news and sharing photos.” n Marianne Ansdell Stone and Ollie Stone ’90 announce the birth of their fourth daughter, Sophia Charlotte. She was born June 15 at 1:37 a.m. Leah, Ashleigh, and Heather are enjoying their new baby

Derryfield Today – Spring 2008

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

sister as they all settle into their new routines. n Alexandra Terninko and her family have left Arkansas and are happily ensconced in the DC area.

“Hurray for Takoma Park!” n Jennifer Scott lives in southern Florida heading up academic and institutional services for Colloquy, a new division of Kaplan and the Washington Post Company that creates and supports online degree programs for colleges and universities.

Daughters Arden and Miranda are five and four. Jennifer is sorry not to be able to make it back up north for the 20th reunion (looks like a blast!) but is definitely planning on the 25th!

1990 Alison Rooney tells us, “My commu‑ nications business continues to grow in Philadelphia, where I serve a number of local museums, architecture firms, universities, and hospitals. I’m plan‑ ning an ‘unwedding’ in October with my fiance Gavin—which means we’re getting married, but mostly we just care about making sure everyone gets to eat well at the reception. We live together in southern New Jersey with our dog and two cats. I just finished taking a course reading Joyce’s Ulysees (and am glad it’s over).”

Cathy Thomas Kaplan ’85, whose ornament hung on the White House Christmas Tree.

1989

1991

Neil Cremin and his wife, Nicole, just had their second daughter, Maggie Ryan Cremin, on June 14, 2009. Mom, dad, big sister Lucy, and Maggie are all doing well.

Randall Krantz continues living in Geneva, Switzerland, while working on climate change and sustainability issues with the World Economic Forum. He writes, “I’m still enjoying the weekends for the last few weeks of a great ski season. I will be looking for‑ ward to an active summer, running, and cycling in the Alps and getting married to my girlfriend in Chamonix, France, in September.” n Major James Galluzzo graduated from the Intermediate Level Education program at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, in June with a spe‑ cialization as an Army Strategist. He recently co‑authored a paper for the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the United States military’s engage‑

Neil Cremin ’89 with his wife, Nicole, and their daughter, Maggie Ryan Cremin.

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ment policy with China. In July he becomes the Senior Human Resources specialist for the Third Infantry Division’s Sustainment Brigade in Fort Stewart, GA, and is expected to deploy to Iraq in the next year with the change in force structure and mission. While at Fort Leavenworth, he has been work‑ ing on obtaining his private pilot’s license in his spare time in a Cessna 152. n Jess Englund was married to Andrew Jones on September 20, 2008.

Their wedding was on the top of Killington Mountain in Killington, VT. Amanda MacMillan Mead served as Jess’s matron of honor. Added to the Joneses’ “to do” list was the purchase of their new home in South Royalton, VT.

continued on page 28...

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LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

Mind the Gap

by Taylor Nagel ’08

Rather than head off to college after her graduation from Derryfield in 2008, Taylor Nagel decided to spend some time travel‑ ling and doing community service around the world. She chose to commit the first half of her gap year to volunteering in Ecuador, and spent the second half teach‑ ing and hiking in Nepal. She came back to visit Derryfield between the two trips to share her gap year experience with seniors who were considering their college options.

Having now completed both adventures, she shares her experience in this issue of Derryfield Today. Taylor will be heading to American University in the fall.

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or my gap year, I chose two com‑ pletely different locations in the world to travel to. I spent September through the end of November in the jungle of Ecuador.

The village is located at the 35 kilome‑ ter mark on a dirt road that ends in jungle. There I volunteered at the Juan Leon Mera School with other volun‑ teers from the Arajuno Road Project and I taught everything from English to Spanish grammar to geography. I had no choice but to speak Spanish with the students at the school; and because I was willing to speak with the kids and they were more than happy to correct any mistake I made, I learned more Spanish in those three months than I could have ever learned in a class. There were only twenty stu‑

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dents at the school and I got to know each student as more than just a face in the classroom. In Ecuador, I felt that I had actually become more than just a glorified tourist. I felt like I had become a part of the community. Not only did I know the students, but I was able to get to know their families, too.

Because I was living in the village, I would see Pablo working on his land with his father in the afternoons, I would see Julio and Gilda swimming in the pond, and I would hear Edwin laugh as I walked by his house. I was completely immersed in their commu‑ nity. Being a part of a place that is so completely different than what I am accustomed to was an exciting experience.

Nepal was a completely different experience. What I learned from my experience is that there are two differ‑ ent versions of Nepal. The first is the one that most tourists see; the Nepal that is full of the most amazing moun‑ tains, beautiful Hindu temples and Buddhist Stupas, and some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. The other is the Nepal that is not really ‘Shangri La.’ There is an obvious divi‑ sion of wealth, leaving many people impoverished and others living in lux‑ ury. These problems are compounded by the issues that come from a govern‑ ment in transition. I was lucky enough to see both sides of Nepal because I lived in a large village in the hills called Besisahar. Besisahar receives a very small number of tourists each year, most of whom are passing through to start the Anapurna circuit

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

trek. With that said, my living there was definitely a novelty. When I first arrived at the Jana Bikas Lower Secondary School, I was met with an incredible welcoming ceremony in which I was covered in tika (red pow‑ der) and given flower leis and tradi‑ tional scarves. I taught English to the students, and my classes each had approximately 50 students. Not only had I never taught a class with that many students, but also I could only say about seven words in Nepali (and those seven words proved to be useless in the classroom). Each day was cer‑ tainly a challenge—at one point I was explaining photosynthesis to my fifth grade science class when I realized that they didn’t understand the English, let alone the concept of photosynthesis. I often found myself dancing and draw‑ ing to explain what I was teaching. It was easy to get frustrated when nobody, including the other teachers, could understand what I was trying to say. And it was frustrating when I would try to speak Nepali and people would just laugh. Despite those initial frustrations and the obstacles that came up throughout the entire four months, I came to appreciate their laughter at my expense and I enjoyed the experiences I had. It would be easy to say that I loved every minute and that it was not a challenge, but that would be a lie. There were moments when I questioned why I was there and if I was even making a difference, but in the end I know that I did. It was hard to know how the students in my classes felt about me as a teacher, but

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Above: Taylor’s students in Nepal pose for the camera. Below: Hiking in Nepal with a trip mate.

Opposite: Taylor with her students in Ecuador.

when the end came close and I told them that I would be leaving, they were actually sad to see me go.

A big part of this year has been about learning to go with the flow and understanding that not everything will go as planned. It would be a lie to say that it was easy to live in developing countries, because it takes some patience and adjusting. When I first arrived in Ecuador, I was supposed to start teaching that same week, but when I got to the volunteer project I was told that the school had not yet finished registering its students and that I wouldn’t be able to start teaching for another week. So I spent that week painting the school and doing other manual labor. At first I was frustrated, but I quickly learned that it wasn’t worth it. I learned that not having elec‑ tricity and running water and having large bugs in my bed were not such big deals. In Nepal, I had to understand that it was going to take some time before anyone at the Jana Bikas School could figure out what I should be doing. I learned that waiting for a bus for several hours does not, in fact, mean that the bus is really late. Because I’ve

grown up with everything being easily accessible and things happening more or less when they are supposed to, it would have been easy to just get frus‑ trated, but I learned that it was almost never worth it. It took time to under‑ stand the cultures and customs in both Ecuador and Nepal, but learning about these places has been one of the best parts of this year for me.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

came home from the hospital on Valentine’s Day and her sisters joined her ten days later. Life is busy but wonderful!”

1995 Ben Glahn ’95, his bride, Kaja Shonick, and Lisa Glahn admire young Carter Glahn, held by dad, Brooks ’91, at Ben’s wedding. ...continued from page 25

1992 Meghan Kenny holds the 2008–2009 Tickner Writing Fellowship, a one‑year creative writing teaching position, at the Gilman School in Baltimore, MD. She had a story published in the Spring 2009 issue of The Kenyon Review and one forthcoming in the Summer 2009 issue of The Florida Review. n Page Fairman Rich, her husband, David, and their son, Noah, welcomed a new addition to their family on April 17, 2009. Emma Page Rich joins the rest of the Riches at their home in Suffolk, VA.

dent in charge of operations at Northern Peabody, LLC. My wife, Stephanie, and I ‘unschool’ (child‑led learning per John Holt) our three children, Finnegan (6), Bryar (5), and Cavan (2), and we expect our fourth in early June.” n Identical triplets were born on January 28, 2009, to Stacy Denham Willenbucher and her hus‑ band, Greg. She reports, “The girls arrived six weeks early but in good health. Annabel Grace weighed 5 pounds, Hayden Elizabeth weighed 4 pounds, 13 ounces, and Piper Jane weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces. Hayden

Alex Chan and his bride, Mary Lee, were married on May 31, 2009, at Tribeca Rooftop in New York City.

Derryfield alumni in attendance were Cavan Siu and Josh Levine. n Ben Glahn was married to Kaja Shonick at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, on May 23, 2009. ”Scott McAuliffe and Brooks Glahn ’91 were, unfortunately, the only Derryfield peo‑ ple there, but we had a great time!” n Lesley Keiner Herzberg has accepted a position as collections manager at Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock, MA. “I miss Matt and my dog (who is living with my parents at the moment), but I think everything will work out for the best once Matt gets a job in the area. My new job is a big responsibility for one person. They had to consolidate two positions (registrar and curator) into one so I am responsible for 22,000

1993 Sean Doherty writes, “I am working in Manchester, NH, where I am president of the Hansen Fox Co. and vice presi‑

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Stacy Denham Willenbucher ’93 and her husband, Greg, welcomed (L to R) Annabel Grace, Hayden Elizabeth, and Piper Jane, into the world on January 28, 2009.

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

SAVE THE DATE

alumni weekend FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 Community Golf Outing (tee times TBD) Community Soccer (depending on interest) Student Talent Show ($5 at the door) 7:00–9:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 Alumni Crew (depending on interest) Dunlap Invitational Tennis Classic 8:30–11:00 a.m.

Stephanie Wallace Turner ’01 with her husband, Greg, and their wedding party, including Becca Connolly ’01 (second from left) in Jamaica.

Country Fair 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Re-dedication of the Ken Piatt '82 Scoreboard

objects and eighteen historic buildings.

I have some help from interns, but it is still a lot of work!”

1996 Erica Felicella recently appeared in the new book Through the Eyes of New Photographers alongside fifty‑seven other photographers from around the world. Up next, she is off to Colorado to hang some work in a show at the Center for Fine Art Photography. n Tom Wilder graduated from Albany Law School in May 2008 and was admitted to the New York State Bar this past January.

1997 Lucien Maverick Girard was born January 14, 2009, to Matt Girard and his wife, Casey.

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2000 Melinda Garrett reports, “I’m actually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, right now liv‑ ing and volunteering down here for a month. I’m working with a small group in a favela in Santa Teresa teach‑ ing photography to kids. I’m also assisting a group in the favela with a community art project, called the Morrinho. It’s a miniature of their favela that kids there started building over ten years ago with bricks and cement blocks. It’s now over 300 square meters and represents all the favelas in Rio. The ‘kids’ that started it are now men in their twenties who travel (mostly around Europe) exhibiting the model (they rebuild one when they exhibit). They just received a govern‑ ment grant from the city of Rio to build a cultural center around the Morrinho and teach youth in their favela photography and filmmaking.

So I’m working with them, assisting them with their English and in setting

1:00–1:30 p.m.

Varsity Boys' Soccer Game 1:00–3:00 p.m.

Alumni Tours of Campus 2:30–3:00 p.m.

Annual Alumni Association Meeting 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Class with Master Art Teacher Jan Steele 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Art Reception Featuring works by Jan Steele 5:00–6:00 p.m.

Reception to Honor Jan Steele and Faculty Anniversaries Laurel Devino, Andy Moerlein, Jack Sanford, Kate Erskine, Ray Provencher, Bernadette Robinson 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Reunion Class Parties Individual gatherings for the Classes of 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, and 1994 are being scheduled for different times around the weekend. The Classes of 1999 and 2004 are holding their events on Friday, November 27. Please visit www.derryfield.org for updated plans and look for an invitation in your mailbox.

QUESTIONS? Contact Diane Allen, Alumni Coordinator, at 603.669.4524, ext. 6102 or at diane.allen@ derryfield.org.

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CONGRATULATIONS

new

parents To Matt Wasdyke ’88 and his wife, Rebecca, a daughter, Madeleine Cecelia, on April 19, 2009.

To Marianne Ansdell Stone ’88 and Ollie Stone ’90, a daughter, Sophia Charlotte, on June 15, 2009.

To Neil Cremin ’89 and his wife, Nicole, a daughter, Maggie Ryan, on June 14, 2009.

To Page Fairman Rich ’92 and her husband, David, a daughter, Emma Page, on April 17, 2009.

To Stacy Denham Willenbucher ’93 and her husband, Greg, triplet daughters, Annabel Grace, Hayden Elizabeth, and Piper Jane, on January 28, 2009.

To Matt Girard ’97 and his wife, Casey, a son, Lucien Maverick, on January 14, 2009.

To faculty member Rob Fogg and his wife, Melissa, a son, William Payne Wallace, on June 21, 2009.

To faculty member Judy Reynolds and her husband, Kyle, a daughter, Gabriela Marie, on July 13, 2009.

CELEBRATING

alumni

weddings

(L to R): David Hildebrand ’03, Jonathan Bourgeois ’89, Allison Messier ’02, and Anne Lucas ’02 at Fenway Park for Derryfield’s annual alumni Red Sox game.

up their plan of what they’ll be doing with the grant. So far it’s been amazing and I’m looking forward to the rest of my time here!” n Dena Marrinucci was awarded her Ph.D. from The Scripps Research Institute on February 13. She is still living in San Diego and enjoying the sunshine!

Jess Englund ’91 to Andrew Jones on September 20, 2008, in Killington, VT. Alex Chan ’95 to Mary Lee on May 31, 2009, in New York, NY. Ben Glahn ’95 to Kaja Shonick on May 23, 2009, in Salzburg, Austria.

Stephanie Wallace ’01 to Greg Turner on April 18, 2009, in Jamaica .

Sumner Laventure ’03 to Keith Wells on May 27, 2007, in Manchester, NH. Robby Zeller ’04 to Sarah Desrochers on May 31, 2009, in Tuftonboro, NH. Becca Heard ’05 to Pramod Yadav on June 13, 2009, in New Castle, NH.

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2001 Stephanie Wallace married Greg Turner on a beach in Jamaica on April 18, 2009. The happy couple met at Fairfield University, where they both graduated in 2005, and now live and work in Boston. Becca Connolly served as a bridesmaid.

2002 Melanie Hebert writes, “After graduat‑ ing from Calvin College in 2007, I spent a year living in an intentional community and working in Grand Rapids, MI, as a nursing assistant, which was an incredible experience (one I highly recommend for all of the future pre‑meds at Derryfield!). I’ve migrated back east and currently am in my first year at New York Medical College just north of the city enjoying this new journey.”

2003 Molly Scotch is going back to school for a master’s in reading and literacy at Teachers College of Columbia University. n Sumner Laventure mar‑ ried Keith Wells from Merrimack, NH, on May 27, 2007, in Manchester. They

Derryfield Today – Spring 2008

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

now live in Springfield, MA. Keith just got back from a second tour of duty in Iraq and Sumner is a restaurant man‑ ager for Marriott. n A proud dad tells us that Marc Morgan graduated from Columbia University in 2008 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. Upon graduation, he accepted a position with the international engineering firm of Hatch Mott MacDonald and worked in New York City until March 2009.

Marc then agreed to a company trans‑ fer to Los Angeles to work on a $5 bil‑ lion renovation project for Los Angeles International Airport. In addition to his Columbia degree, he also earned a sec‑ ond B.S. in physics from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. This was also completed in 2008. n Kate Davison writes, “In September, I was hired as the second assistant coach for the Dartmouth women’s rowing team.

I am really enjoying coaching on the college level and working with some very talented coaches and athletes! We are just beginning our spring racing season, and I am very excited. This summer I will be coaching at the USRowing Under‑16 Development Camp in Connecticut. Thanks to Derryfield crew for getting me my start! In addition to coaching, I am teaching dance at BYPC in Bedford and working at Rowing News Magazine in Lebanon. Hope everyone is doing well!”

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2004 Abby Feinberg, now known as Abby Chase, had a great run at the Worcester Foothills Theatre playing Eloise in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and loved living the gypsy/actor life. n Ashley Westbrook reports, “I’ve been working at a family medicine clinic and urgent care in West Yellowstone, MT, for the past year. I live about three blocks from the west entrance to Yellowstone — it’s pretty great! I’ll be starting a physician’s assistant program in Billings, MT, in July, which will last just over two years, then who knows where I’ll head after that.” n Julie Katz has moved back to New Hampshire after completing a culinary program in Philadelphia and will be working in the food service and event industry. n Robby Zeller and Sarah Desrochers were married on May 31, 2009, at Camp Sentinel in Tuftonboro, NH. In attendance were Beth Frieden, Samantha Keefe, Nick Couraud, Dan Freeman, Cale MacMichael‑Magruder (best man), and Julia Spiegelman... and, of course, Mr. Zeller.

2005 Andrew Todd graduated with honors on June 30 from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He successfully completed his B.S. in computer sci‑ ence/informatics. n Becca Heard was married to Pramod Yadav in New Castle, NH, on June 13, 2009.

Boston Reception Boston-area alumni gathered at The Black Rose on April 19.

(L to R): Hannah Arnold ’99, John Arnold ’00, and Steve Sideris ’00.

(L to R): Kristen Geiger ’02, Julia Hutchinson ’02, Anne Lucas ’02, Bill Madden, and Ali Geiger ’00.

(L to R): Sanjay Madan ’94, Emily Gewehr ’95, and Peter Bielagus ’95.

(L to R): Matt Purtell ’97, Chris Norwood ’99, Julia Hutchinson ’02.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

Alumni Siblings Several alumni returned to campus in June to watch their siblings graduate. Below are just a few.

(L to R): Eric Spierer ’06 and Adam Speirer ’09

(L to R): Sandra Stonebraker ’09 and Leslie Stonebraker ’05.

2006 Jaclyn Leeds was in South Africa for the spring semester studying at the University of Capetown and having an incredible experience. She writes, “I am studying ethnomusicology, psy‑ chology, and social anthropology, all from a South African perspective. I just had my first performance with the South African College of Music Chamber Choir and am in the midst of preparing for a solo voice competition in mid‑April. I am volunteering every day at a tuberculosis hospital and have had many wonderful conversations with patients who have become good friends, and played with so many cute kids. The weather is always stunning, and I am leaving in the morning for a ten‑day safari through Kruger National Park and Swaziland (to add to the zebras, ostriches, baboons, and ante‑ lope I have already seen on the side of the highway)! My time here has been very eye‑opening, but I am having the time of my life.”

enced painters who are willing to work pretty much anywhere, no matter how big or small the job may be.”

Faculty Faculty member Rob Fogg and his wife, Melissa, welcomed William Payne Wallace Fogg into the world on June 21, 2009. All are happy and healthy, and mama and papa are thrilled! n Faculty member Judy Reynolds and her husband, Kyle, wel‑ comed a daughter, Gabriela Marie Reynolds, born on July 13, 2009, at 6:42 p.m. She was 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and 20 inches long. It was an extra surprise for those waiting for the news, as they had initially thought it was going to be a boy! Judy reports, “We are all doing well and big sister, Ana, is proud.”

2007

(L to R): Marcel Robinson ’09 and Tyree Robinson ’06.

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Pat Gaffney reports, “Next semester I am going to a school in Australia called Bond University. Clint Davis and Ralph Wunderl are also attending Bond with me, so that should be a great time. This summer myself, Clint, Ralph, and Brett Logan ’08 are starting our own painting company called Prodigy Painting. We are all experi‑

Steve Flagg ’03 with a rescued puppy in Iraq.

Derryfield Today – Spring 2009

T H E D E R R Y F I E L D S C H O O L B I D S FA R E W E L L

profile

Faculty

Jan Steele arcus Hurlbut was headmas‑ ter, Peter Allen chaired the Fine Arts Department, Bruce Berk was fully bearded, and Richard Anthony had a mustache. Much else was different twenty‑five years ago when Jan Steele began teaching fine arts at The Derryfield School. Her stu‑ dio was located in the “Art House,” for example. The future business office housed Jan’s paints, inks, and chalk.

What is now the advancement office was home to ceramics classes.

According to Jan, however, one thing hasn’t changed. “I am not exag‑ gerating when I say that the kids at Derryfield are the greatest, as are the parents, faculty, staff, and administra‑ tion. What I will miss the most are the friendships I have made over these twenty‑five years.” Something tells us, however, that these friendships will not be lost. Take, for example, some of the following alumni quotes as evidence.

M

“Ms. Steele’s art and art history classes served as the foundation to my career today. It was her fun and casual, yet completely engaging, introduction to art history that led me to major in the subject at American University, study abroad in Rome, and eventually to my current position at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City.”

– Katie Griffin ’00

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“Ms. Steele is a one-of-a-kind person and I would say that all the students who have passed through her doors have learned valuable skills to create works of art. I can also feel comfortable in saying that I think all these students have learned a respect for Ms. Steele that is unique to most academic institutions.”

– Charles Lister-James ’08 “Her art classes were by far some of the classes I looked forward to the most each day. She had a great sense of humor and was always trying to get to know all of her students. I can just imagine how much she’ll be missed by the community.”

– David Moore ’04

This is just a small sampling of the expressions of gratitude collected by Andy Moerlein for a surprise presenta‑ tion during VAPA Night. As a result of Jan being honored as an outstanding art teacher at Rhode Island School of Design one summer, she is now the recipient of an annual RISD book which is presented on VAPA Night to a deserving Derryfield art student. This year’s recipient was Rose King ’09. After the presentation Jan waited for Andy’s cue to leave the stage. However, both Andy and Rose remained, and three other art students joined them. They began reading the alumni memories and accolades, and the audience reacted with a standing ovation in Jan’s honor.

Jan Steele works with students in her classroom.

Through her last days at Derryfield, Jan was overwhelmed with the love and affection she received from the entire community. She will be further honored on Saturday, September 26, as she leads an art class that will be open to all. Following the class, we invite you to join Jan at an art show featuring a collection of her works. Round off the evening at a reception in her honor, at which time we will also pay tribute to current faculty and staff celebrating milestones in their Derryfield careers.

Thank you for your twenty‑five years of love, skill, good humor, and smiles, Jan. We will miss you more than you can know.

– Diane Allen

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2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1396 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, NH PERMIT NO. 290

Spring Concert Christina de Bruyn Kops ’09 performs during the spring concert.

Parents of alumni: If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Advancement Office at 603.669.4524 of the correct mailing address. Thank you.