Strength The Magazine of Annie Wright Schools
Celebrating Traditions &
Innovations
Spring 2015
INSIDE
Âť 36 in the 253:
The Best of Tacoma
The X Factor Dear Annie Wright Community, This edition of Strength highlights some of our iconic teachers of the past. For generations of students, their names evoke warmth and even adoration. As I talk to alumni around the country, their affection for the Annie Wright teachers who impacted their lives so positively and enduringly is palpable and heart-warming. One of my most important responsibilities at Annie Wright is to hire and retain the very best teachers. My colleagues and I have considered at great length not only what makes an excellent teacher, but also how to identify one. What is the secret sauce, the X factor that creates iconic teachers? Of course, by definition, iconic teachers are highly unusual people – it is part of what makes them so memorable. There may not be one defining common characteristic for exceptional teachers, but I believe there are consistent qualities, including:
PASSION & EXPERTISE: I suspect that when you think back to the very best teachers in your lives, you recognize now that they were likely experts in their field – they absolutely knew what they were talking about, loved the subject, and could demonstrate their expertise on a daily basis.
EFFORT & DEDICATION: You may now acknowledge that your very best teachers worked hard. It is impossible to be an excellent teacher without putting in the time and effort inside and outside the classroom.
AUTHENTICITY & CONFIDENCE: Your favorite teacher was almost certainly authentic – he or she was comfortable with you and had the confidence to let his or her guard down now and then.
CARE & CONNECTION: You may realize now that your best teachers were extremely caring. This can be revealed in different ways – one of my favorite teachers was actually quite gruff; compliments and warmth were in short supply, but I knew that he really cared about us. Caring teachers developed a meaningful relationship with you and really knew you.
HUMOR:
And finally, in my English vernacular, I would wager that you could have a laugh with your best teachers. They had a sense of humor. Even my gruff teacher would unexpectedly reveal a cheeky, funny side, and we loved him more for it. Over the decades, Annie Wright has been blessed to have many teachers like this. I do not believe that this tradition of teaching excellence is by chance. The 1885-1886 Annie Wright Catalogue and Prospectus notes “Not only the intellect, but the character, manners and morals of the pupil are subjects of earnest care and solicitude, teachers being selected with reference to their personal influence over the pupil as well as to their capabilities as teachers.” While the charming language is somewhat archaic, the sentiments expressed by the pioneering principal, Mrs. Lemuel Wells, are timeless. We certainly want our teachers to enhance the intellect of our students, but more than that, we want them to have mutually respectful, positive relationships with children. I hope you are now friends with some of your
Head of Schools Christian G. Sullivan former teachers. I still find it hard to call some of my former teachers by their first names, but I am getting there (perhaps by the time I retire!). The joy of friendships with my grown up former pupils is even more special. I admire and envy Diane Soucey and Jim Timson as they travel the world and see their former pupils in the process, and as I travel myself, I am in awe of the impact that Bev Brown and others have had on generations of Annie Wright students. Happily, the great tradition of securing, supporting and retaining exceptional teachers at Annie Wright is alive and well. Teachers in each division are nurturing the intellects of our students and developing relationships that will stand the test of the decades to come. In addition, our visionary Board of Trustees is focusing on attracting and retaining excellent faculty as a strategic priority. Stay tuned for more about this and other vital and exciting initiatives in the coming months. Best,
Christian G. Sullivan Head of Schools
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Strength Spring 2015
Celebrating Traditions & Innovations
11 Treasured Traditions 14 Tradition Meets Innovation: The Maker Movement
Lisa Isenman, Editor
16 Building a World Class Firewall
Christian G. Sullivan, Head of Schools
17 Introducing Our New Director of Middle School
Susan Bauska, Assistant Head of Schools
18 Postcards from the Year
Jake Guadnola, Director of Upper School
20 Annie Wright Auction: Mission Accomplished
Bill Schuver, Director of Middle School Victoria Ball, Director of Lower School
22 Get Ready for May Day 2015
Mary Sigmen, Director of Finance and Operations
25 Annual Fund: A Quick Guide
Jennifer Haley, Director of Enrollment
26 36 in the 253: The Best of Tacoma
Stacey Guadnola, Director of Development
33 Alumni News
Rex Bates, Director of Business Development
34 Bev Brown Wins Alumni Achievement Award 36 Alumni Spotlights: Celebrating Innovation 38 Ms. Soucey and Mr. Timson win the Bishop Paddock Award 39 Gatherings 42 Class Notes 48 In Memoriam
ON THE COVER Prekindergarten Class of 2028 student Serenity Porso leant her arm to this 1925 May Day flower girl, perfectly posed for a selfie around 75 years before the iPhone was invented and selfies became ubiquitous in popular culture.
Submissions: Strength is published twice a year by the Annie Wright Schools communications office. Submissions of story suggestions, articles and photos are always welcome and may be sent to news@aw.org. Class notes and alumni submissions may be sent to the alumni office at alumni@aw.org. Annie Wright Schools 827 North Tacoma Avenue Tacoma, Washington 98403 P: 253.272.2216 | F: 253.572.3616 | www.aw.org THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Contributors Rex Bates Janet Blair ‘75 Taylor Cassell ’09 Allison Fitz, Class of ‘19 Angela Heath Lisa Isenman
Sally Gilpin Martinez Bailey Murray Kiran Singh ‘07 Christian Sullivan Bob Williamson
Board of Trustees John Long - Chair Julia Cho - Vice Chair John Parrott - Treasurer Amy Paulose ’95 - Secretary MaryAnn Anderson Mo Copeland Jim Defebaugh Kelly Givens Tom Hanly Suzanne Hattery
John Lantz Marcia Moe Jamie Murray Chris Sakas Cathy Schneider Gary Severson Pamela Hyde Smith ‘63 Renee Trueblood Scott Vipond
Global Alumni Board Shannon Grant ‘96MS (Co-President) Margot Grant ‘00MS (Co-President) Genevieve Grant, Class of ‘17 (Student Representative) Kay Bishop ‘60 Colleen Borst ‘00 Judy (Tytler) Buennagel ’82 Taylor Cassell ‘09 Kate Dorr ‘96 Judy (Yengling) Forkner ‘63
Stephanie Gann ‘10 Tracey Gibson ‘92MS Carol Hagen ‘92 Aidan Haley, ‘01MS Alyssa Harvey ‘06 Holly (Bamford) Hunt ‘89 Ariel Lyon ‘00MS Gracie Orr, Class of ’15 MaryAlice Parks ‘04 Sara Pelster, Class of ’15 Kiran Singh ‘07 John Tinsley ‘01MS
Katie Zech, Highstreet Advertising, Inc., Designer
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Traditions &
THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | Spring 2015
INNOVATIONS by Lisa Isenman
It is tempting to relegate tradition to the past and bestow innovation on the present and future, but, as the cheeky anachronisms here and on the cover illustrate, tradition and innovation have been intrinsically bound throughout Annie Wright’s history. Innovation was at the heart of the pioneering spirit that established Annie Wright as a school to educate girls when Washington was not yet a state, and traditions, some more than 100 years-old, are integral to the culture and identity of the school today. Both tradition and innovation are woven into the strands of our history, from the original vision in the late 19th century to the current strategic planning that will help shape the next decade and beyond. In the following pages, read how both traditions and innovations have shaped Annie Wright over more than 130 years.
Laying the Cornerstone, 1924
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learning Solid foundations, academic rigor, well-roundedness and sound character have always been central to an Annie Wright education. While Latin and religious instruction have been phased out, English, math, science, history and physical education have been core requirements since the 19th century. Fundamental knowledge and skills of a classic, college-preparatory education are still the building blocks on our historic campus. Insiders, however, also know that despite its formal exterior and steadfast traditions, Annie Wright is one of the most innovative schools in the region. Inquiry-based learning, advanced technology, creative co-curricular programs and international mindedness make Annie Wright a standout in the South Sound, the country and the world.
Inquiry-based learning Board member MaryAnn Anderson chose Annie Wright for her daughter, Maren (Anderson) Johnson ‘05, because it was a school where she could “fall in love with the question.” Later, based on this focus on inquiry-based education, Annie Wright found a natural fit with the International Baccalaureate programs. Here are some differences between inquiry-based and traditional approaches to student learning: Traditional
Inquiry-Based
» receives knowledge » focuses on content » follows directions » works individually » learns from teachers
» pursues knowledge » focuses on skills » solves problems » works collaboratively » learns from teachers, experts and peers
Read about the maker movement, which embodies inquiry-based learning, on page 14.
current Grade 6 classroom 4
THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | Spring 2015
Exceptional Faculty: An Annie Wright Tradition
Inquiry-based learning comes to life
A fundamental and enduring strength of Annie Wright is its exceptional faculty. According to an 1895 prospectus, when tuition averaged $25 per year, “...a home feeling is fostered by the daily, familiar intercourse with the teachers.” This value is stronger than ever today. Scores of Annie Wright teachers have made a profound impact on their students’ educational experiences and futures. Some of those exceptional educators are profiled in this issue, including Bev Brown (page 34) and Diane Soucey and Jim Timson (page 38).
Grade 5 students use the school’s new studio, green screen and an iPad to create a short film about migration.
Day School
Grade 5 students concluded their migration unit with a silent film festival. The unit, which asks students to explore how human migration is a response to challenges, risks and opportunities, involved reading, writing, art, film and research, including interviews of immigrants, family members and experts. Students started the unit by developing empathy. Their first assignment was to spend no more than five minutes packing their essential belongings into a single shopping bag to prepare to survive the journey and prolonged stay in a refugee camp.
Upper School
Interested Upper School students gathered for a salon style discussion on human rights, facilitated by Library Media Specialist Joe Romano and Alumni Relations Director Sally Gilpin Martinez. Also in attendance were alumnae Kiran Singh ‘07, an environmental health technician, and, via Google Hangout video chat software, Pamela Rubin ‘79, a women’s trauma counselor, lawyer, author and consultant on women’s access to justice. Each girl has a personal interest in a career in human rights. Green Tie Class of ‘15 senior Alexis Joshua, for example, said, “I’m really invested in my Latin culture and want to learn about and help the indigenous population.” The discussion evolved and included various paths, fields, challenges, rewards and more in human rights careers. The girls drew on their classroom studies of global issues and took advantage of communications technology, professional expertise and alumni connections in this lively discussion.
Schoolroom in the former Annie Wright building near Wright Park, 1915
A discussion via Google Hangout telecommunications software highlights innovative use of the Library and Learning Commons’ historic Sutton Room.
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Volleyball, 2014
athletics It’s hard to imagine the early 20th century middie- and bloomer-clad students sweating in PE class, but health and fitness have always been central to the Annie Wright experience. Prior to the late 1970s, in addition to physical education classes, Blue and Gold intramural teams competed throughout the year. The Seminary Athletic Council was established in 1940 to “promote good sportsmanship in all activities and keep a watchful eye on younger students.” By the mid 20th century, intramural sports included archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, hockey, ping pong, skiing, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Intramural competitions culminated at Field Day, initiated in 1912 and later integrated into May Day. Interscholastic competitions replaced intramural competitions in the late 1970s. The Gator, a seemingly anomalous choice of mascot for the Pacific Northwest, was adopted during the 1980s, inspired by popular Izod Lacoste shirts and by Southern bred faculty member Beryl Horton. Current competitive sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, volleyball, tennis and track. Starting in Preschool students learn to swim in the original underground pool.
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Volleyball, circa 1936
The Gold intramural team in 1947. Each team had cheerleaders and mascots – Aloysius the penguin for Blue, and Goldie the Bulldog for Gold. Future Hollywood star Betty Garrett was Gold Team captain in 1936. THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | Spring 2015
The Meaning of School Spirit To me the idea of school spirit is that you get out of a thing what you put into it. If we are lukewarm about the school we attend, take part in as few activities as possible, and are thinking all the time about what good it will do us, we will be disappointed. If we haven’t done our little bit toward making a school victory possible, whether by actually taking part in it, or by being there and lending our moral support, we aren’t going to get a great thrill out of the victory when it’s won. The more school activities we take part in, the more the school will seem to belong to us. School spirit means a firm belief that my school is the best in the country. But it also means that I, as a person, must do all I can to keep it that way. — Janet Gould, Grade 8, 1931
School spirit is often limited to pep assemblies on the day of the big game, but in the friendly community of Annie Wright Schools, it means much more. Although Annie Wright students come from as far as India, China, and Korea, and as close as Tacoma, we all unite to form one community. Together, our school takes pride in our academics. With both our schoolwork and outside activities, we give nothing less than our best effort. We show enthusiasm and confidence when presented with a challenge, because it is a commitment to the teachers and fellow students to keep a positive attitude. Our school spirit is shown when we stand by our decisions and support our classmates, whether it is in their first basketball game or their music recital. Don’t get me wrong – our school loves the Gator, but we also express our spirit through continuous effort and determination to be the best we can be. — Allison Fitz, Grade 8, 2015
Photography: From Anarchy to Annie Wright The Annie Wright archives house thousands of images dating from the late 19th century to the present day. From professional sittings to selfies, these photos provide a rich medium to capture our traditions and innovations. Virna Haffer, a well-known portrait photographer, shot senior pictures during the 1940s and 50s. Born Virna May Hanson in 1899, she grew up in the anarchist utopian community of Home on the Key Peninsula in the Puget Sound. The community grew to include a mixture of nudists, radicals, vegetarians, atheists, new age spiritualists, free lovers and free thinkers. At the age of 15, she moved to Tacoma to work as a photographer’s apprentice. She began shooting portraits commercially in the mid 1920s and went on to a successful career in fine arts photography. A retrospective of her work, “A Turbulent Lens: The Photographic Art of Virna Haffer,” was held at the Tacoma Art Museum in 2011. Shirley Smith ‘41, one of many senior portraits by Virna Haffer
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humor Though some may argue that it was largely absent during the more draconian days of education, humor has been a consistent thread in the fabric of Annie Wright Schools. Mrs. Sarah K. White, headmistress 1889-1899, glowingly described her vice-principal Mrs. A. H. W. Raynor:
Miss Jenkins enjoyed the humor in dressing up with the girls for Halloween. In 1952 she was the Sheik of Araby (from a 1921 jazz standard) with the girls as her harem.
“She had a fund of humor, the saving grace of which helped us over many hard places, and she often said in her humorous way that there was more of ‘vice’ than ‘principal’ in her make-up.” Former Headmistress Ruth Jenkins, feared and beloved by two decades of students 1942-1963, was renowned for her keen and self-effacing sense of humor. “She had a very infectious laugh and could see the humor in many things,” said Marilyn Lepape ‘52. Marilyn herself remembers participating in practical jokes including stealing a classmate’s door (“All we had to do was unscrew the hinges”) and putting a pickled grasshopper from the science lab in Miss Jenkins’s drawer (“Her secretary caught us red-handed - I should have known better!”). Former Headmaster Bob Klarsch recounted a story from Miss Jenkins involving an Upper School dance. “Ruth used to sit in the corner balcony over the Great Hall and supervise,” he said. “One night the dance had begun and all the girls were under the balcony, while the boys were over on the other side. No one was dancing. Ruth got a string and wrote a note and lowered it down in front of the girls. It said: ‘If you don’t start dancing you’ll end up like me.’ That got the ball rolling!”
Mr. Klarsch, left, with television crews. All of the students gathered on the hillside and unveiled their “April Fools’” banner shortly after. 8
In the 1980s Mr. Klarsch himself experienced a legendary, all-school prank on April Fools’ Day. The brainchild of art teacher and alumna Jill Jueling ’71, the prank involved making fake dinosaur bones that were “discovered” in 1985, when the hillside was excavated to build the Kemper Center. Chaplain Jack Fallat, then Director of Lower School, coordinated an all-school gathering on the hillside for Mr. Klarsch’s discovery of the bones, unearthed by the contractors, who were of course in on the prank. THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | Spring 2015
College counselor Zach Hansen, data specialist David Andrews and director of Upper School Jake Guadnola perform “Let it Go” from the animated film Frozen at this year’s lip sync, an Annie Wright tradition for more than a decade.
“It was hilarious. The kids had a wonderful time playing a prank on their headmaster, and it turned out to be one of the happiest memories of my teaching career at AWS,” said Ms. Jueling. “It was a great prank,” said Mr. Klarsch. “I really appreciated the creativity that went into the thing and having all the kids be part of it – a great all-school joke on the old boy.” Debbie Goodall, then communications director, contacted the local papers and television stations and got wide coverage of the event. Her son, Jake Guadnola, is one of the young men on the hillside in the background. These days Jake, now director of Upper School, is himself subject to pranks from faculty and students. His own humor, showcased in events such as the annual lip sync competition, permeates the climate of the school. Jake’s office after a recent prank
Find and Search Your Yearbook Online New! All of Annie Wright’s Shield yearbooks, starting from the first one published in 1931, are now available and searchable online. Visit www.aw.org/yearbooks to get started.
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outlook Back in the Wild West, Annie Wright Seminary was a haven for young women, and from the early days it welcomed students not only from Washington Territory, but also from neighboring states, Hawaii and British Columbia. During World War II, the school accepted its first international students (from Estonia and Latvia), and opened its doors to boys after the earthquake that destroyed nearby Lowell elementary school in 1949. The school’s pioneering history led to a tradition of innovative education for international mindedness. In 1956, for example, a group of Annie
Wright students visited Japan and participated in activities in the Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP), an Anglicansponsored non-profit near Mt Fuji. International learning opportunities continued. To date, Annie Wright has offered exchange programs with China, Japan, Chile, New Zealand, Spain and more. While promoting worldliness, the school remained for many years relatively isolated from the local community. Increasingly, however, Annie Wright is looking outward. The school has developed meaningful
service programs that both benefit the local community and inspire students to become leaders in action, as well as strong partnerships with a range of local organizations. Developing and expanding the schools’ scope and sphere of influence, promoting diversity, and becoming a hub of educational innovation and expertise are initiatives central to our next strategic plan, now in development. Stay tuned for more news of how Annie Wright continues to look outward, while purposefully maintaining its cherished traditions.
Communications Boarders used to wait days, weeks or even months for news of home. These days, video chatting, social media and texting make communication instant.
a letter from 1906
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A domestic boarder and a Vietnamese boarder text with their mothers.
THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | Spring 2015
Treasured traditions Following are histories and descriptions of just three of our many beloved traditions. For a more comprehensive list and the opportunity to share your own knowledge of Annie Wright traditions, visit www.aw.org/traditions.
Spade Originating in 1891, the spade is Annie Wright’s oldest tradition. The subject of a frenzied search lasting weeks or months, it is traditionally used by the graduating class to plant a tree at the school. This description from nearly 85 years ago still holds true today: One of the oldest and most cherished possessions of the Seminary is the spade. The spade itself is almost completely hidden under the numerous ribbons of green, white, purple, red and various other colors which are attached to the handle. It is used by each graduating class in the planting of its tree. On Class Day – at which time this ceremony takes place – it is presented to the incoming seniors but is immediately taken from them and hidden. This practice of hiding the spade originated with the class of 1902 when Millie Hubbard and Mary Kantz, two of its members, hid the spade for the class of 1903 to find. They not only hid the spade, but composed a set of rules which govern the hunting of it. Some of these rules are that the spade must be found previous to mid-nite of Hallowe’en and it must be hidden over a floor and under a roof. — Elizabeth Emerson ‘31 Once they have found the spade, the graduating class is entitled to senior privileges. Upon graduation, the seniors tie their own colored tie to the spade. If the class does not find the spade before Halloween, they do not receive their privileges and must tie a black tie around it. More recently, seniors who did not find the spade had to share privileges with the junior class. After they find the spade, seniors submit a list of privileges for approval. Here are partial lists of these privileges from 1945 and 2015:
1945 » Seniors have sweaters in their class color, either cardigan or pullover, which they may wear on Mondays and Fridays.
» » »
The walkline privilege permits seniors to go downtown unchaperoned in groups of three on Saturday and for afternoon walks in the neighborhood. If the “late” privilege has not been abused, they have only to sign their names in the office in order to stay up until ten-thirty on one night a week. The front hall stairs are referred to as “senior stairs,” and may be used only by faculty and seniors.
2015 » Seniors may wear our senior sweatshirts on Thursdays and Spirit Fridays and college sweatshirts on
Spirit Fridays after March. Green cardigans may be worn on any day of the week. Seniors may wear black athletic shoes or ankle-length, leather black boots.
» » »
Seniors may have off-campus lunch during the school week as long as we sign in and out. At the teacher’s discretion, individual seniors may be excused from finals in certain classes if the teacher feels the student has a high enough grade. Seniors will receive three homework passes to be used throughout the year.
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Tie And House Colors Tie colors have been central to the identity of Upper Schoolers for more than 75 years. Students in the same grades and those in multiples of four share tie colors, which stay with them forever. Ask an Annie from the Class of ‘38 to the present to identify someone’s grade or graduation year, and she will inevitably say, “Oh, she’s a GREEN (...or blue, yellow or red) Tie.” Upper Schoolers wear their tie, actually a satin ribbon, loosely around their necks in a bow, as part of their everyday uniform. This year, the seniors are Green Ties, juniors are Blue Ties, sophomores are Yellow Ties and freshmen are Red Ties.
Each outgoing senior class welcomes the incoming freshmen, who share their tie color. This photo of the Class of ‘11 was presented to this year’s graduating Class of ‘15 when they were admitted as freshmen.
In with the Old. In with the New. by Kiran Singh ‘07 There’s a new tradition in town! Now in its 11th year, the House Cup competition safely joins the ranks of Annie Wright’s long standing traditions. Reminiscent of Harry Potter, the House Cup unites the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools in the quest for camaraderie, public service and a shiny trophy. House Cup and house color activities originated in 2003-04 school year with Jean Young, Jean Picha-Parker and Patty Nielsen as a way of unifying the school and finding connections between divisions. The competition divides the school into four houses corresponding with their tie color: green, blue, yellow and red. Lower and Middle School grades are sorted by the tie color they would assume in the Upper School. Throughout the school year, houses earn points by competing in various events. Outgoing seniors welcome Kindergarten students into their House by presenting each of them with a tie or ribbon in their house color during the final walk-through rehearsal for May Day. The winning house is announced on May Day itself. Unlike Hogwarts, Annie Wright’s House Cup Competition features a little less quidditch and a little more community service. Houses have raised money to build wells, collected food for local food banks, and even collected pet food! Other events have included relay races, reading buddy pairings, scavenger hunts and trivia contests. The House Cup provides a unique opportunity for students of all grades to connect with each other and the local community. Stay tuned for the announcement of this year’s House Cup winner.
For more Annie Wright traditions visit www.aw.org/traditions.
A display case across from the Library & Learning Commons with the House Cup trophy and results
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THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
May Day May Day, originally celebrated as Field Day in 1912, is Annie Wright’s most treasured tradition. From 1924, when the school moved to its current site, the May Queen, chosen for her beauty and grace, processed regally to her “throne,” in the cloisters (now the Bamford Commons), flanked by satin-clad pages and flower girls. After the Maid of Honor crowned
the May Queen, younger students treated the court to entertainment including various types of dancing and acrobatics and a traditional Maypole dance. Today we are proud to celebrate many of the rituals of this more than 100-year tradition. The seniors still process to their position of honor before the school community, and the Maid of Honor still crowns the
May Queen. Entertainment includes choir and orchestra performances as well as the Maypole dance, performed by Grade 5. The ceremony now takes place in front of the school on North Tacoma Avenue, where the occasional car horn signals congratulations and celebration of this most special event. Faculty and students vote for a May Queen who is caring, engaged and a strong part of the Upper School community.
Dads’ Day Dads’ Day traditionally preceded May Day. This explanation was originally published in 1945: The Saturday before May Day is Dads’ Day, the time for Seminary fathers to see the school and meet each other. In the afternoon there is a baseball game on the hockey field, the excitement of which seems to outweigh the resulting aching muscles and sunburns of the guests. After an archery exhibition or a swimming meet, at which the Dads are spectators, everyone is ready for dinner. Instrumental and vocal music which the fathers generously supply makes this a gay occasion. Only the interest in the closing entertainment of the evening, provided by the Masque Players, succeeds in drawing the group from the merrymaking. Baseball at Dads’ Day, 1950 THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
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Grade 1 students created flashlights from scratch using plastic bottles, batteries, bulbs and wires.
Tradition Meets Innovation: The Maker Movement by Lisa Isenman and Angela Heath
The maker movement, like Annie Wright, falls at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Incorporating crafting, tinkering, DIY, industrial arts, electronics, technology, media and more, the maker movement blurs the lines between art and science. Maker Media, which launched the bimonthly Make magazine in 2005 and “Maker Faire” expositions the following year, ignited the movement, which is now heavily influencing business and education. A recent issue of their e-zine featured such projects as a collapsible archery bow from old skis, a DIY snow brick mold (“Build the best snow fort!”) and a door lock connected to the internet that responds to a vocal command to unlock (“OK Google, open sesame!”). Particularly exciting about the movement is the impact on learning. Affordable tools and a collaborative community inspire students to be creative problem solvers. In the classroom, maker activities engage students to learn through inventing and creating, and at Annie Wright, 14
these activities start with our youngest students. Grade 1 students, for example, created flashlights from scratch using plastic bottles, batteries, bulbs and wires. A student in Grade 3 used the 3D printer to make a model of a Roman aqueduct for his project on ancient civilizations. And students in Grade 4 used an invention kit called MaKey MaKey that turns everyday objects into touchpads and control devices. In addition the students created working machines involving wheels, pulleys, motors, belt drives and more, which they explained through carefully scripted videos. Though many of these types of projects are not new, the inquiry-based philosophy, in line with our IB curriculum, changes the process. The teacher becomes the facilitator rather than the director. The students become creative and collaborative problem solvers rather than direction followers. The blend of arts with science and tangible materials with technology make for an exciting spin.
The maker movement, beyond inspiring inventors, has the potential to redirect our children from consumers to creators. THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Books That Celebrate the Maker Movement by Bailey Murray Educational Technology Director Angela Heath is an expert on integrating the maker movement into the classroom and has led maker workshops for educators in the Portland and Seattle areas. Here is some of her recommended reading:
Tinkerlab: A Hands-On Guide for Little Inventors
by Rachelle Doorley “55 Playful Experiments that Encourage Tinkering, Curiosity and Creative Thinking” Tinkerlab provides ideas for simple projects with kids that emphasize sensory experiences and includes “recipes” with detailed lists of materials. TRY THIS: Goop (p 144) and Naked Egg Experiment (p 164)
The Art of Tinkering
by Karen Wilkinson and Mike Petrich “Meet 150+ Makers Working at the Intersection of Art, Science & Technology” The Art of Tinkering brings together art and technology with vivid explorations and stimulating projects. TRY THIS: Scribbling Machine (p 106) and Automaton (p 146)
Maker Dad by Mark Frauenfelder “Lunchbox guitars, antigravity jars, and 22 other FatherDaughter DIY projects” This how-to book, by the editor of Make magazine, uses affordable technology to bring together fathers and daughters for DIY activities. TRY THIS: Antigravity jar (p 4) and Ice Cream Sandwich Necklace (p 67) These books are available in the Annie Wright Schools Library & Learning Commons. Come check them out and learn more about the maker movement with Angela Heath and library media specialist Joe Romano.
Day Camp for students entering PK-Grade 7 = $195 per week 7:30-5:30 pm daily Swimming 3X per week Legos®, American Girl®, Range of specialty camps, including community service, art, and cooking (prices vary) Sports & other camps for older students Summer@Annie Wright | 827 North Tacoma Avenue | Tacoma, WA 98403 | 253.284.4159 THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Learn more at www.aw.org/summer 15
Above: Introducing the Annie Wright Schools Tech Team: educational technology director Angela Heath, network administrator Bob Williamson, technology manager Eric Shandrow and information systems specialist David Andrews.
Building a World Class Firewall: Q & A with Cybersecurity Guru Bob Williamson Annie Wright’s network administrator Bob Williamson, who has featured in case studies by Microsoft and Intel, recently presented his firewall solution for Annie Wright, chosen as a paragon of excellent cybersecurity, at a national conference in Las Vegas.
Q: In layman’s terms, what do you do at Annie Wright? A: I make stuff work. This includes a whole host of things including cybersecurity, creating/archiving users, backing up data, filtering spam, integrating with Google Docs, making sure email functions, and maintaining wireless, internet and our servers. The majority of what I do is behind the scenes and most users never think about it... unless there is an outage or hiccup, and then folks are quick to contact me! Fortunately these have been rare since I have started.
Q: What is the most important aspect of your job? A: Making certain all of the school data is safe and secure and that everyone at that school has a functional computer all day, everyday.
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Q: Why do we need a firewall? A: The firewall is our primary connection to all things internet: email, browsing, Skyping, YouTube, etc. Along with that, it filters all of the users from certain sites and stops dangerous downloads and viruses. It also protects all of our data from being stolen by the criminals running around the internet. We get attacked hundreds of times a day.
Q: What is innovative about our firewall? A: We have a new generation of firewall from a cybersecurity company called Palo Alto Networks. It delivers intrusion prevention, antivirus, anti-malware, identification and a host of other software in a single box. To get this range of stuff would require a number of separate units and much higher cost, not to mention more people to manage them.
Q: What is something that most students don’t know about you but wish they did? A: I used to skydive – a lot. I made over 140 jumps.
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Bill Hulseman Joins Senior Leadership Team as Director of Middle School Exceptional educator Bill Hulseman will join Annie Wright as director of Middle School beginning July 1. Mr. Hulseman has worked in Sacred Heart Schools in the Boston and DC areas, where he has served as teacher and administrator, leading social action and professional development programs. With a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and master’s degrees from both Harvard and Columbia Universities, Mr. Hulseman also advises and presents on a variety of subjects to national education associations and universities. After visiting Annie Wright last fall, Mr. Hulseman was most impressed by the students and faculty.
“It is clear to me that AWS is an environment where individuals are valued and relationships are nurtured – this affects learning and growth so positively,” he said.
He is looking forward to learning about the culture and community of the Middle School, implementing the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate, and making his home in the city of Tacoma. Head of schools Christian Sullivan is thrilled to have recruited Mr. Hulseman, currently at Stone Ridge School in Bethesda, Maryland, to Annie Wright. A rigorous search process brought four excellent candidates for finalist interviews, and Bill was the clear first choice. “While much was compelling about Bill’s candidacy, what stood out was his emotional intelligence with whatever constituency he met with here at Annie Wright,” he said. Mr. Hulseman will pick up the reins from current director of Middle School Bill Schuver, who after eight years at Annie Wright is moving to Colorado to become head of the Montessori School of Evergreen.
Bill Hulseman, director of Middle School
Mr. Schuver’s emphasis on integrity, fairness, kindness and honor have shaped the Middle School and set the stage for Mr. Hulseman’s similar value in social/emotional development.
Grade 8 self portraits: Holly Shadko, Cody Shaw and Eliana Sunderland THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
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Greetings from Annie Wright
Postcards from the Year Preschool / Playtime
PreK / Lab science Kindergarten / Bui ldi ng houses
Grade 1 / Making flashlights
Grade 3 / Food Day
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Grade 4 / Living Museum THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Grade 5 / Original Play
Grade 6 / Lunchtime
Grade 7 / Enjoying the sunshine
Grade 9 / Icebreaker gam e
Grade 8 / On stage
Grade 10 / Morning routine
Grade 11/ First day THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Grade 12 / College counseli ng 19
Annie Wright Auction:
D E H S I L P M O MISSION: ACC James Bond, Ethan Hunt and even Austin Powers have nothing on Annie Wright. This year’s auction, with a fabulous international spy theme, brought glamor, intrigue and adventure (and of course humor) to Tacoma’s North End.
Spy Kids-themed Family Night launched the weekend with kids and parents gathering in secret agent headquarters (the Great Hall) and then dispersing to engage in spy missions including fingerprinting and a laser light maze. Guests were thrilled with “Mission: Possible,” the elegant Gator Gala live auction and dinner, and our community spirit was palpable with festive socializing and generous bidding. This year’s Fund-A-Need, “Arts Light Up the Brain,” raised more than $117,000 for our music, theatre and visual arts programs.
Very special thanks to the Annie Wright Schools Parents’ Association and all of the generous sponsors, donors and volunteers who made the weekend such a success. Our deepest gratitude goes to Lisa Jangard, who chaired the auction for the second year in a row, as well as her committee, including Bobbie Bailey, Jake Bailey, Jennie Bailey, Nick Bayard, Catherina Brown, Sarah Bryant, Susanna Buttorff, Kirsten Carlson, Tenley Cederstrand, Maria Cefalu, Jack Fallat, Caroline Flint, Erik Flint, Holly (Bamford) Hunt ‘89, Kelly Givens, Gayle Gray, Ken Jangard, Sandy Jeter, Chanda Kunz, Kimberly Lane, Shannon Mandel, Kristina Maritczak, Andy McMillin, Charlotte Neeves, Amanda Nelson, Sonia Pal, Ellen Palmer, Lynne Parrott, Tammy Piatok, Brenda Sanders, Tiffany Shaw, Lindsey Snow, Kathrine Svensson, Daria Walker, Deedee Walkey, Dana Wasyluka and Kristen Wynne.
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Special thanks to our local sponsors at the presenting and inspired levels:
Columbia Bank Bates Family Foundation Regal Logistics Wells Fargo Private Bank MultiCare ...and to all our generous sponsors. For a full list, please visit www.aw.org/auction.
Oh what fun! Embarking
The 50 year reunion Class of ‘65 on May Day in 1965 wearing their homemade dresses
Steeped in tradition and influenced by each new generation, May Day is magical every year. This year the Green Tie Class of 2015 will add their signature to this special day. At the same time, alumni are invited to enjoy the ceremony and celebrate May Day Reunion Weekend May 29 and 30. Exciting plans are underway for those whose graduation years end in 0 or 5. Help make your reunion a special occasion for classmates to reunite with these easy steps:
Search for your classmates. Scan this QR Code to download the free Alumni App for a complete alumni directory.
Open your May Day invitation, which should have arrived in the mail. Didn’t receive one? Please update your address at www.aw.org/connect.
Register by mailing back your RSVP card or simply go online to www.aw.org/mayday.
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Take advantage of the special group rates at local hotels, listed at www.aw.org/mayday.
Plan your weekend with our special feature “36 in the 253� on page 26, which has ideas for outings, hikes, culture, restaurants and more, including a special deal for alumni at local museums.
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on May Day 2015
Welcome class of ‘90 for your 25th reunion.
AWS Alumni App Adding value to the lives of alumni through social and professional networking. Annie Wright invested in the AWS Alumni App to facilitate alumni connections locally and all over the world. Here is what we envision:
» » »
Alumni hiring alumni. How? Log in using LinkedIn and search the directory by industry, company or job title. Alumni offering college-bound seniors a warm welcome and resources to help them navigate their new town or city.
» »
Alumni connecting with long-lost classmates. How? Simply search by name, city, zip or class. Alumni using the interactive map to find Annies anywhere in the world.
Alumni offering alumni who recently moved to their town or city advice on schools, doctors, entertainment and events.
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Join our Heritage Society Celebrate Annie Wright’s traditions and innovations by including Annie Wright in your estate plans. Your gifts, a vital legacy to the school, are a cornerstone of all future growth and stability. Learn more about our Heritage Society, which honors all who have committed to planned giving, at www.aw.org/ heritage_society, or contact Stacey Guadnola at 253.284.8601 or stacey_guadnola@aw.org.
a Grade 2 student with his grandmother on Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, an annual Annie Wright tradition
Grade 1 interpretations of Anansi, a Ghanaian spider-god considered to be the keeper of stories and a central character in West African and Caribbean folklore
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ANNUAL FUND:
The Quick Guide You Can Make an Impact Annie Wright’s beloved traditions and impressive innovations make it one of the most compelling school choices in the country. Combine this with world-class faculty, rigorous IB curricula and a truly child-centered mission, and our school shines on a world stage. In order to implement its excellent program and attract the best faculty, Annie Wright needs its Annual Fund. Here is a quick guide to show you why:
What is the Annual Fund? The Annual Fund is a community effort to support everything you love about Annie Wright, every year.
Oh, come on, what does that really mean? Ok - what it really means is that it makes up the difference between tuition dollars and the operating budget to support every part of who we are and what we do.
Why don’t you just raise tuition? Raising tuition would deter many fantastic families from coming to Annie Wright. In addition, the Annual Fund provides an opportunity for alumni and friends to continue to support the school and for everyone to give according to their means.
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Why should I give to the Annual Fund? Great question! There are hundreds of reasons, but we think these five are most compelling. Giving to the Annual Fund: shows you value excellent education
» » » » »
inspires teachers to dream big for their students helps develop leaders who make a positive, lasting difference in the world supports an iconic institution that strengthens our city and region enhances the reputation and increases the recognition of your school
I get it - but I’m not rich. No worries. By participating with a gift of any amount, you help build community and encourage major donors to join you in giving.
Anything else? As a matter of fact, yes. We could not do this without you. You make it all possible. THANK YOU!
Giving is quick and easy at giving.aw.org. If you prefer to use the postal service, here is a handy envelope for your convenience.
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36 253 in the
The Best of Tacoma
by Bailey Murray
photographs by Larry Abraham
Steeped in tradition, emanating innovation, Tacoma is a hidden gem and one of the best kept secrets in the Northwest. Whether the last time you visited was 1965 or you never left, T-Town has a tremendous amount to offer, from spectacular natural beauty to eclectic culture to delicious dives. Here are some ideas for spending 36 hours in our 253 area code. 26
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DAY 1 Start the day with visits to the Tacoma Art Museum and Museum of Glass, two mainstays in Tacoma’s thriving downtown museum district. In addition to traveling exhibitions, both museums feature remarkable works unique to the Pacific Northwest.
Tacoma Art Museum At the Tacoma Art Museum, check out “Eloquent Objects: Georgia O’Keeffe and Still Life Art in New Mexico.” The exhibit, which runs until June 7, features more than 60 paintings by renowned American artist Georgia O’Keeffe and her contemporaries. Be sure to also explore “Art of the American West: The Haub Family Collection,” which explores how concepts of the Wild West have developed over time and how they still impact us today, as well as the museum’s fabulous collection of Native American art and Dale Chihuly glass gallery, a nice segue to the Museum of Glass, a seven minute walk away.
New this year, the Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum have collaborated to offer Annie Wright alumni special bracelets for a discounted rate of $20 for full access to both museums, a $9 savings, over May Day weekend. This offer is good May 28-31. Reserve your ticket by May 22 by contacting Sally Gilpin Martinez at sally_martinez@aw.org or 253.284.5412. Pick up your bracelet at reception in the Tacoma Art Museum.
Chihuly Bridge of Glass The spectacular Chihuly Bridge of Glass leads to the Museum of Glass. A partnership between renowned Tacomaborn artist Dale Chihuly, the Museum of Glass and the city of Tacoma, the bridge is a 500-foot pedestrian overpass installed with a glass ceiling displaying more than 2,000 sea life-inspired glass pieces, two forty-foot crystal towers, and a wall of more than 100 Venetian, Japanese and Renaissance-inspired blown glass sculptures. An anchor of the modern Tacoma skyline, the tilted stainless steel cone of the Museum of Glass houses the 28
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Hot Shop, where you can feel the heat while watching live glassmaking. Across the atrium is the exhibition space, where currently an exhibit of Chihuly drawings vibrantly display the glass master’s artistic process. Don’t forget to visit the whimsical Kids Design Glass Too exhibit, a collaborative and interactive experiment began in 2004 and ending this July. The Hot Shop team selects one child’s drawing of an original creature each month to transform into a glass sculpture. Six of these works are currently on loan to Annie Wright, on exhibit in the entrance hall and in the Library and Learning Commons. Come check them out.
Immerse yourself in the Northwest glass art tradition by starting or ending your visit to the museums with a special self-guided Walking Tour of Chihuly in Tacoma. Free tour apps are available for Android, iPhone and Windows phone. Learn more and get started at www.aw.org/mayday.
Other museum options:
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For the kids: Children’s Museum of Tacoma, 1501 Pacific Avenue Originally opened in 1986, the museum moved to a specially designed modern space downtown in 2012. The five main areas include Woods, Water, Voyager, Invention and a studio for art and science activities. A full service coffee and snack bar sets a relaxed tone for parents too.
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although you may begin at any location on For the car buff: LeMay – America’s Car Museum, 2702 East D Street the tour, we recommend that you follow the order outlined here, starting at tacoma art Though less than three years old, LeMay is one of the world’s largest auto Museum and ending at the Swiss Pub. museums. The massive building, next to the Tacoma Dome, is home toof the 350 a podcast tour iscars, available at www.tacomaartMuseum.org. trucks and motorcycles from private owners and the LeMay collection (famous for a Guinness Book world record 3,500 vehicles in the 1990s). Aimed at preserving the history of the world automotive culture, this museum is quite a trip.
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For the history buff: The Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Avenue Welcome to the ear for art: Chihuly Glass Cell Phone tour, tacoma art Museum’s selfInteractive exhibits, high-tech displays, storytelling and a variety of artifacts guided walking tour of dale Chihuly’s art in tacoma’s Museum district. illustrate Washington’s rich and varied history. “Pomp and Circumstance: The on this tour there are 13 stops at five locaClothing of Transformation,” on display until June 21, features ceremonial Western, tions in tacoma’s Museum district. at each stop, enter the three-digit number listed on ear for art to label or on the map in this Native American, Asian American and Hispanic clothing from thethe1800s today, brochure. Press the star (*) key to interrupt a section and return to the main menu. from a submariner’s “poopie suit” to former governor Christine Gregoire’s throughout the tour, you will hear dale inauguration gown. Chihuly talk about his inspirations, collabora-
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After your museum morning, grab some lunch at one of these nearby local restaurants: Choripan Located inside the Museum of Glass, this little division of Asado restaurant also features Argentinian cuisine. Try the braised pork or the empanadas. The Social Bar and Grill, 1715 Dock Street Walk outside the Museum of Glass and turn left, past Martin Blank’s “Fluent Steps” fountain, for a spectacular view and outdoor seating. Local fare includes Hood Canal fried oysters, grilled pork tacos and a BBQ brisket sandwich. Indochine, 1924 Pacific Avenue Just a short walk back over the Bridge of Glass to Pacific Avenue, Indochine offers stylish Asian fusion fare. Try the pepper garlic prawns and potstickers. In the afternoon, switch gears and work off that lunch while experiencing the natural beauty of Tacoma. Water lovers: test your sea legs on a paddleboard or kayak, available to rent by the hour from Foss Harbor Marina, 821 Dock Street (253.272.4404) or Dolan’s Board Sports, 2000 Ruston Way (253.878.8024). Land lovers: get a first-hand view of Chambers Bay golf course, the site of the US Open June 15-21, on a three and a quarter mile walk with some serious hills and dramatic views. This paved trail loops around the course and down by the beach at Chambers
Bucatini, Marrow’s take on traditional spaghetti with clams, with pork belly, cilantro, fennel and lime
Creek Regional Park. Start on the Grandview Trail above the course (6320 Grandview Drive, University Place) and, after a steep climb back up, treat yourself to refreshments at the Chambers Bay Grill.
Head back to Tacoma to recover, then unwind with a cocktail, Washington wine or microbrew and local fare at one of many great spots in Tacoma. The Social and Indochine, listed above, are also great for dinner. Here are a few other favorites: Best Cocktails: Hilltop Kitchen, 913 Martin Luther King Way This hidden gem (literally - there is no obvious sign outside), is understatedly perched on the Hilltop. Savor an old fashioned (or try something from the bar’s “Boozy and Odd” menu) with the truffle queso popcorn. The boar tacos are out of this world.
The Puget Sound from Old Town, Tacoma
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Chambers Bay golf course, overlooking hole 15, dubbed “Lone Fir” after the only tree on the course
Best Innovative Fare: Marrow, 2717 6th Avenue Seasonal Northwest food and serious artisanal cocktails make this a popular place most nights. Animal (“Marrow”) and vegetable (“Arrow”) tapas style dishes are particularly fun to share, and the blackboard features an impressive list of bourbons. Best Happy Hour: Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Avenue This sophisticated urban space with stylish bar and striking glass art offers a modern bistro style menu with Northwest and Asian flair. Happy hour offers great deals on food and drinks and seems to be available at any hour in the bar area. Best View: Stanley & Seafort’s, 1929 South 72nd Street A Tacoma classic, this traditional chophouse and seafood restaurant sits at the top of Tacoma with a view of practically the whole city. Try their smoked fish or meats and a moscow mule, made with homemade ginger beer. Best Within Walking Distance of Annie Wright: Arthouse Cafe, 111 North Tacoma Avenue Try brick oven pizzas, lamb sliders and beet salad and enjoy live music most Friday and Saturday nights.
Best Themed: Tacoma Cabana, 728 Pacific Avenue Opened in 2012, this tiki-style restaurant and bar features specialty rum drinks and a fusion of tropical vacation food. Best with the Kids: Shake Shake Shake, 124 N Tacoma Ave. This retro burger joint also serves up gourmet shakes like miso butterscotch with salted caramel and frozen latte. Other favorites: Fun downtown vibe: Maxwell’s Speakeasy & Lounge Argentinian steakhouse: Asado Cafe: Rosewood Cafe Burgers & fries: Frisko Freeze (take-out only) Coffee and treats: Corina Bakery Ice cream/frozen yogurt: Ice Cream Social/Gibson’s Best Bars: Beer and Pub Grub Crown Bar, 2705 6th Avenue Dirty Oscar’s Annex, 2309 6th Avenue Doyle’s Public House, 208 St Helens Avenue Parkway Tavern, 313 North I Street The Spar, 2121 North 30th Street
Best on Expense Account: El Gaucho, 2119 Pacific Ave If you like a serious steak and a clubby, service-oriented experience, and aren’t put off by entrees in the $60 range, try El Gaucho. In addition to the signature tableside caesar salad and dry-aged steaks, try the Kumamoto oysters and Bananas Foster. THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Top of Tacoma, 3529 McKinley Avenue Visit www.aw.org/mayday for hotel deals and alumni reunion details.
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DAY 2 Grab your walking shoes and head over to Point Defiance. The 760-acre park contains more than 14 miles of trails comprising natural forest and saltwater beaches, along with a zoo, aquarium, a living history museum, extensive gardens and a boathouse. The Five Mile Drive outer loop is closed to traffic every weekend until 1:00 pm and offers magnificent views of the Puget Sound, the Cascade and Olympic mountains, Vashon Island, the Narrows Bridge and Gig Harbor.
Metro Parks Tacoma, which oversees Point Defiance Park, was recently accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association. It is one of only 135 agencies out of 12,000 to be recognized, putting it in the top 2% of park services nationwide. The association evaluated Metro Parks on 144 standards of best practices and overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. After exploring the park, stop for lunch at one of Tacoma’s old-timey waterfront restaurants, which command spectacular views of the sound, islands and mountains. Anthony’s seafood restaurant (5910 North Waterfront Drive) is right inside the park. Other options include the more upscale Lobster Shop (4015 Ruston Way), which does an elaborate Sunday brunch, and festive C.I. Shenanigans (3017 Ruston Way). These are also great sunset spots for drinks or dinner.
Lakewold Gardens More of a green thumb than a trailblazer? Replace one of these nature experiences with a visit to Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood. This beautiful early 20th century country estate with gardens designed by prominent landscape architect Thomas Church was the childhood home of Annie Wright alumna Merrill (Wagner) Ryman ‘53, and Kate Read ‘65 is currently a member of their board. A leisurely self-guided tour of the grounds, which are open Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 am-4:00 pm, takes about an hour and a half.
Did you know? Singer and actor Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, in a house his father built a couple of blocks from Annie Wright at 1112 North J Street. New York Yankees third baseman and shortstop Alex Rodriguez played for the Tacoma Rainiers before hitting the big leagues.
Point Defiance trail map, Metro Parks Tacoma
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OUTER LOOP ENDS HERE
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alumni news Upcoming Alumni Events: Save The Date May 29-30: May Day Alumni Reunion Weekend. See pages 22-23 for details. July 16 at 5:30 pm: 9-Hole Golf Social at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club August 5 at 5:30 pm: Portland Area Alumni Cocktail Party, hosted by Helena (Barbey) Lankton ‘68
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Iconic Art History Teacher Beverley Brown ’41 Wins 2015 Alumni Achievement Award We are thrilled to announce that Yellow Tie Beverley Brown ’41 will receive the 2015 Alumni Achievement Award at May Day on May 29. Bev was both a graduate of Annie Wright and a long-time teacher of English, religious studies and most notably art history. When Bev retired, the Beverley Brown Excellence in Teaching Award was created to both honor her legacy and to acknowledge an outstanding teacher each year. While a student at Annie Wright, Bev was passionate about art and music and was a member of the glee club, the Masque Players theatre troupe, and the choir. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon, where a passionate art history teacher inspired her for the first time about the subject, and her master’s in fine arts from the University of Puget Sound. Her teaching career at Annie Wright spanned 28 years, beginning in 1959 when she started teaching English classes. She taught Grade 5 for a short time before moving to fine arts. Later, she incorporated her interest in religion by spearheading the religious education program in the Lower and Middle Schools. It was her zeal for art, however, that seemed to have the biggest impact on her students. Known for her dedication, wit, sincerity, grace, irreverence, high standards and passion for art and travel, Bev inspired decades of students to explore history and world cultures through the study of art.
“I’m so grateful for my experience with Miss Brown at Annie Wright, which is what led me to study art history. I believe I learned more in four years at Annie Wright than I did at any higher education institution.” — Dr. Gretchen Simms ’84, art professor, Vienna, Austria
A Poem for Miss Brown by Kristen Credgington ‘89 May 21, 1986
A person so sharing A person so giving Full of the joy of life Full of joy for others So excited for their triumphs, So unhappy for their losses. Wanting everything that they want And wanting even more. Such a special teacher, Such a special person. Teaching lessons in art To teach lessons of life. With a rare love for her subject And with a love for her students. Giving so much to everyone. Giving and not taking. Thank you for friendship, knowledge and caring For we are friends forever, Not in hand but in heart.
Miss Brown teaching Grade 5 during the 1960s
Help Us Create a Memory Book for Bev If Bev Brown touched your life, please share your memories, thoughts, well wishes, and pictures with Sally Gilpin Martinez at sally_martinez@aw.org by May 30, 2015. They will be compiled in a memory book and presented to her as a gift.
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Bev Brown as an Annie Wright senior in 1941, as an Annie Wright teacher in 1979 and in her 90th year in 2015
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Bev’s buoyant joie de vivre has always been contagious; she gave us the travel bug and spread her love of art and architecture. Places she had visited sprang to life with her elegant and precise descriptions, and her devotion to mentoring students was extraordinary and genuine. Miss Brown had a reputation for being one of the most challenging teachers in the Upper School. She expected her students to work hard and take school seriously. Complaining about homework, we’d say to each other, “Well, she did go to Annie Wright!” In other words, because she herself had graduated from Annie Wright, her dual role of alumna/faculty member gave her the right to be both rigorous and revered. Bev’s religious education, art history, and history of the opera courses were provoking, demanding, and fascinating. In her classes we traveled the world and learned its history as expressed by the painters, architects and sculptors of each era. We visually explored history from primary sources, which made learning exciting for me. I remember a field trip to Seattle with her to attend a dress rehearsal of the opera. She wanted us to see what went on behind the scenes so we could better appreciate stage works. Afterward, we attended the performance. Bravo! On another trip we went with Raynor Guild (the student group that cared for the chapel) to the religious center where Eucharistic communion hosts are produced. These were not your typical class trips; these were as unforgettable and unique as Bev herself.
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Bev inspired young women to appreciate art and architecture in ways they had never considered, and to explore the world. One alum said recently that Miss Brown changed the trajectory of her life. She had that effect on people. Bev was, and is, a class act! Her bangles, gold rings, chains, and just a little bit of eccentricity pale against her joviality and joie de vivre. Her expectations as a teacher were high, but her impact on the students was even deeper. She set the bar high for students and colleagues alike. Bev is a unique and very special individual, and I am honored to have shared the hallway with her. One early spring day a few years ago, my son and I ran into Bev at a local area store. My son had never met Bev. I made sure to introduce him to her. Mack might have been 17 years old. Anticipating the May Day cocktail party, Bev asked him if he would attend. He stumbled, politely replying that as a minor he probably was not invited. With that, as only Bev could do, she whacked him on the arm saying, “Oh come on, live a little!” Walking away, he said to me, ‘I LIKE her!’
— Joy Phelps, Annie Wright Day School Admissions Director
I remember sitting in her class, enthralled, as she would point to slides on the screen, waving those beautiful, long, bejeweled fingers to the portion of the artwork or building we were studying at the time. We had many essay-question homework assignments and, invariably, when she returned mine I would see—in her slender, tall, spidery, red script—the word “Why?” I hadn’t explained fully. Another vivid memory is the time I wrote that a figure in a painting had “no expression.” She let me know in no uncertain terms that there is always an expression of some kind on someone’s face! She trained us to “read” art and buildings. She challenged us to think, and to think hard. I would go so far as to say that she woke us up. We woke up with the power to use our eyes to connect with our intellect and touch our hearts.
— Janet Blair ‘75 Bev celebrating her 90th birthday in February with former students Janet Blair ’75, Sheri (Dang) Jerman ’75, Judy (Tytler) Buennagel ’82 THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
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Alumni Spotlight:
Engineering for Humanity by Sally Gilpin Martinez
In Middle and Upper School, Geneva Goldwood was very unsure about a career path, but during her senior year she realized that she wanted to use math and science to help people. She decided that engineering was a sensible path to follow and started at George Washington University’s engineering school that fall. “I really credit the all-girls high school experience for giving me the courage and self-esteem to speak up in my college classes,” she said. It was very apparent to her which girls had attended co-ed schools, because they did not speak up in class as much. She graduated summa cum laude last year. In college Geneva won the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award and the Distinguished Scholar Award for engineering. Her senior design team also won an inter-departmental competition for the most innovative
project. Their project involved developing a device to improve nerve regeneration using a 3-D printed scaffold and lasers. As a sophomore, Geneva toured a company called K2M that developed implants and instruments for spine surgery. She thought, “I can do this – I can make this happen!” She interned Geneva Goldwood ’10 there throughout her senior year, which led to a full-time position as a product development engineer right after graduation. She graduated on a Sunday and started her job the following Monday.
“My dream to help people using science and math really came to fruition when I landed this position,” she said. “I love that I get to do a lot of different things at my job: one day I will do a 3D prototype, the next day I may meet with surgeons to discuss the prototypes they will need, and another day we will be in a business meeting with marketing people to figure out how to get our products out there.” In college Geneva was involved with the nonprofit organization Engineers Without Borders. Her company has a relationship with an orthopedic hospital in Ghana and donates parts for spine surgery. “When I reflect, I realize I didn’t think about engineering much in high school,” she said. “I didn’t think I could make something that mattered, but that isn’t true. You don’t have to know a lot of fancy math. When I was much younger, I used to always say, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to invent...’ followed by something cool that would make my life easier. But you don’t need to wait until you grow up to invent something. With the tools you have, you can invent something now.”
Geneva Goldwood ’10 using a cadaver to test prototype instruments for minimally invasive spine surgery 36
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Alumni Spotlight:
Fusing Education and Innovation by Taylor Cassell ’09
Shannon Grant ’96MS has always viewed Annie Wright as “a place of grounding – a place of reflection, nurturing, tradition and strength.” Now she has brought these values back to our community. As former alumni director, current Alumni Association co-president, and the driving force behind our Alumni App, Shannon combines her passions for education and innovative technologies to work for Annie Wright. Shannon’s current work involving architectural innovations to create inspiring learning spaces embodies this Strength magazine’s theme of “tradition meets innovation.” Shannon Grant ’96MS As director of client relations in charge of business development, strategic growth and marketing at the San Francisco architecture firm MKThink, Shannon collaborates closely with clients to re-envision new models of design and education. Despite being an architecture firm with the implicit goal of creating, MKThink’s mantra is “the greenest building is the building you don't have to build.” After they collect and analyze data, many times they talk clients out of new buildings and instead re-program the existing structures, enabling them to maintain tradition and minimize environmental impact.
individualize students’ learning experiences, brainstorming a 21st century classroom prototype with cutting edge technology, converting a liquor store into a pirate supply store and children's tutoring center in the heart of the Tenderloin (the most crime-ridden areas in San Francisco), and contributing to a technology platform called the Minerva Project, which brings small group seminars to students around the world. One of her main goals this year at Annie Wright is to bolster alumni connections through Facebook, LinkedIn and the AWS Alumni app.
“Last year, two AWS alumnae discovered through the Alumni App that they live in the same apartment building in the West Village in New York. The same building – how cool is that?! The technology merely discovers and enables connections,” she said. Shannon’s creative design spirit and passion for technological innovations, first spurred at Annie Wright, are only building momentum. It will be exciting to see what she does for our community and the world.
Innovative strategic goals are central to almost every design project at Shannon’s company. Examples include collaborating on a new technology model to
826 Valencia Pirate Supply Store, an eclectic shop selling pirate clothing and accessories to benefit the non-profit’s writing center and workshops for students ages 6 to 18 THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
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Diane Soucey and Jim Timson Win the 2015 Bishop Paddock Award by Rex Bates
Annie Wright Schools are honored to present the 2015 Bishop Paddock Award to retired teachers Diane Soucey and Jim Timson. The award, named after the Right Reverend John Adams Paddock (1825-1894), one of the founders of Annie Wright Schools, is the highest honor given for service to the school. Ms. Soucey and Mr. Timson will receive the award at a special ceremony in September. Ms. Soucey arrived at Annie Wright in 1973. Teaching always seemed to be in her blood. She earned a BA in history and went into teaching seamlessly after college. After arriving in Tacoma she added an MA in Educational Administration to her resume. At Annie Wright she taught courses throughout the humanities including social studies, history and English. Mr. Timson, who was renowned as a chemistry teacher but also taught ecology, biology, human anatomy and physiology, arrived at Annie Wright in 1974. He took a more circuitous route to teaching, starting with a stint in the US Army. One of the better decisions of his life was to study at Wayne State University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but also, in a school biology lab, first met Diane.
educational philosophies. We had to learn to respect those differences just as we would with any other colleague.”
For more than 30 years, Ms. Soucey and Mr. Timson taught across the hall from each other. When asked how they made being married and working in such close proximity work, Diane said, “We learned long ago to love our differences. Although our life goals are the same, we have very different teaching methods and very different
Shortly before he retired Jim left these words to all of his students over the years: “You all have made my life important. I loved working at Annie Wright and had a great run. The school is a wonderful place to have spent most of my working life. Thanks to the people who have touched my life and made it better.”
Since they retired six years ago, Diane and Jim have still been an important part of the school, visiting and helping reconnect to Annie Wright the hundreds of girls they taught over the course of their combined total of 71 years in the Upper School.
From Ms. Soucey and Mr. Timson’s former students: “They are amazing, caring, loving people that spent countless hours making a difference in my life.” — Summer (Smith) Green ’81 “I can honestly say that my life would not be the same without these two phenomenal people.” — Britt (Jueling) Neff ’90
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“Best of the best. How did we get so lucky?” — Mary (Swenson) Hill ’95 “Hands down two of the best teachers I ever had, including professors. What a privilege to have had them...Thank you for always challenging me and believing in me!” — Tyana Burslie ’99 THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Gatherings Global Alumni Board With the renewed energy of 21 engaged alumni, the Global Alumni Board meets monthly to spearhead innovative programs that connect alumni around the globe and across generations. Left to right: Tracey Gibson ‘92MS, Carol Hagen ’92, John Tinsley ‘01MS, Margot Grant ‘00MS, Ariel Lyon ‘00MS, Genevieve Grant (Class of 2017), Kate Dorr ’96, Head of Schools Christian Sullivan, Sara Pelster ’15, Kiran Singh ’07, Taylor Cassell ’09, Alyssa Harvey ’06 and Gracie Orr ’15. Read bios of the entire board at www.aw.org/Page/ Alumni/The-Global-Alumni-Board.
College Annies Come Back Young alumni gathered in the Great Hall to share their college experiences, stories, and advice with Upper School girls.
Photo Archiving Tea Alumnae donned white gloves as they handled some of the treasures recently unearthed from the Annie Wright archives, identifying people, years and events in photos.
Red Tie Class of ‘14 students Garnet Burk, Tessa Thurman, Margaux Arntson, Megan Absten and Tori Smith
London Area Alumni Cocktail Party Thank you to the Firn Family (Jim, Sharon, Emilie '05 and Annika '09) for graciously hosting the London Area Alumni Cocktail Party at the glamorous Royal Automobile Club.
Lois (Parker) Simonson '38, Marilyn (Earley) Lepape ‘52, Janet Blair ‘75, Britt (Jueling) Neff '90, Taylor Cassell '09, Kate Dorr '96, Evelyn Tomter (faculty 1977-2012), Karen Credgington (staff 1998-2002), Patricia (Pierce) Layden ‘57, Norma (Demick) Baker ‘45, Olive (Bell) Reid ‘45
Back row: Jim Firn, Paul Harather, Gretchen (Sylvia) Simms ’84, Karen Peterson-Fellows ’75, Joe Farish, Kelsey Bell ‘06, Amanda (Haslam) Munden ‘89. Middle row: Sharon Firn, Head of Schools Christian Sullivan. Front row: Teresa (Ferguson) McLaughlin ’82, Emilie Firn ‘05, Marieluise Maiwold ’95, Annika Firn ‘09.
Taylor Cassell ‘09, Ann Dickman ‘70 and Kate Dorr ‘96 THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
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Bay Area Alumni Happy Hour
Boston Young Alumni Dinner
Kay Bishop '60 graciously hosted the Bay Area Alumni Happy Hour at Perry's Restaurant. Thank you Kay!
Director of business development Rex Bates gathered with Boston area young alumni for dinner at Bangkok Blue restaurant.
Back row: Joan (Munroe) Beall ‘58, Mardi Leland ‘58, Marjorie (Becke) Moore ‘49, Mindy Chen ‘05, Shannon Grant ’96MS, Debra Hannula (Parent), Head of Schools Christian Sullivan. Front row: Kay Bishop ‘60, Tracey Geisler ‘77, Kyra Mungia ‘09, Michelle (Venetucci) Harvey ‘07 and Director of Development Stacey Guadnola.
Paris Cal '14, Serena Yu '14, Susie Zheng '13, Sarah Lee '13, Samantha Gabales ‘14 and Katrina Kalamar '14
Seattle Area Alumni Cocktail Party A big thank you to Susie (Backus) Stoller '66 for hosting an elegant party at the Sunset Club. There was an undeniable glow on everyone's faces!
Erin (Fletcher) Slayton ‘97 and Elizabeth (Dunn) Andreini ‘81 Grace “Missy” (Jones) Ross ‘66, Philip Stoller and Susie (Backus) Stoller ‘66
Carla Berst ‘73, Norma (Demick) Baker ‘45 and Bill Baker 40
Lindsey Shelley ‘01MS, Tal Edman ‘01MS, Adrienne Ottum ‘04 and Mona McPhee ‘89MS THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Bev Brown’s 90th Birthday Party Annie Wright alumni, faculty and staff gathered to help this year’s Alumni Achievement Award Winner Bev Brown ‘41 celebrate her 90th birthday.
Listening Tour Head of Schools Christian Sullivan and members of the alumni relations team have been traveling across the country, collecting memories from alumni. Your stories, positive and negative, weave a rich tapestry of Annie Wright’s history. We are thrilled to schedule more visits with alumni in these and other cities. Please contact Sally Gilpin Martinez at sally_ martinez@aw.org if you are interested. NEW! We are inaugurating a Story Booth, designed for alumni to share memories on video, at May Day Reunion Weekend. The Story Booth will launch on May 29 and remain open indefinitely.
Anchorage Tacoma, NEW STORY BOOTH Chicago Bellingham Seattle
Boston
Philadelphia
Portland San Francisco Los Angeles Palm Springs
Sedona Scottsdale
New York Washington DC Beaufort Winterhaven Clearwater
Head of Schools Christian Sullivan and the alumni relations team have recently visited alumni in these cities, as well as London.
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class notes 1930s Lois (Parker) Simonson ’38 Lois lives in the Park Shore community in Seattle and recently took up watercolor painting. She still drives her “stinkin’ Lincoln” to Broadmoor to play golf. She has four granddaughters and two greatgranddaughters, with another on the way.
Lois “Parkie” (Parker) Simonson ’38 with her recent paintings
Mary (Turrill) Ellis ’39 holding her Annie Wright cross at her home in Clearwater, Florida
Cis (Steel) Kirtland ’39 Cis lives in Santa Cruz, California, and is very active. Hiking, swimming, gardening, cooking “yummies,” and knitting with beautiful yarns keep her very busy. Cis also takes classes in figure drawing and portraiture and loves to travel to Hawaii.
Mary (Turrill) Ellis ’39 In February I had the great pleasure of a personal visit by Sally Gilpin Martinez. We toured St. Alfred’s, my parish church, with our organist/choir director Kevin Johnson to view all the fine murals by Christopher Still before enjoying dinner at our famous Bon Appetit overlooking the harbor at sunset. Mary and her late husband, Reverend Marshall Ellis, donated the beautiful Shield of Christ The King plaques hanging in our chapel in honor of Bishop Bayne.
1940s Elizabeth (Ayrault) Moses ’48 In the midst of keeping up with our eleven grandchildren—high-school and college graduations, graduate schools, new jobs, and new adventures—we became great-grandparents this past year to the newest member of our family, William Moses McFarland. Our family keeps us entertained and feeling young!
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Emily (McFadon) Vincent ’49 I did a five-week road trip across the country this past year. The highlight was the Warther Museum in Dover, Ohio. The founder, a knife carver, carved Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train out of ebony and ivory. His grandnephew carves ivory replicas of ancient Egyptian ships from 3000 BC to present. Fabulous!
1950s Virginia “Ginnie” (Ketcham) Lee ‘50 Ginnie currently lives in Bellevue, Washington. She has a daughter in Federal Way, a son in Newcastle, and a grandson who is attending Carnegie Melon University. Ginnie went to the University of Washington School of Nursing and then worked at Boeing, where she and her late husband both worked until retirement. Some favorite Annie Wright memories include the choir singing Christmas carols up and Ginnie (Ketcham) Lee ’50 holding down the dorm corridors to wake the Annie Wright wishing spoon everyone up on the morning that students left for Christmas break, sledding on metal lunch trays from the cafeteria, and the Wishing Spoon, which occasionally would appear at a student’s place setting at dinner time. The tradition was to hold the spoon handle side down and make a wish. Annette (Lottis) Jensen ’51 My husband and I have enjoyed several cruises and I am a volunteer at the pier when the cruise ships come to Hilo [Hawaii]. I would love to have any of my classmates contact me if they ever come to Hilo! Pat (Wolfe) Kauffman ’55 I can’t believe I can still fit in my class sweater! My husband, Craig, and I live in Anchorage and are both retired. We have three grown daughters and seven grandchildren. Hiking and traveling are two of our passions and we recently enjoyed a safari to Botswana.
Pat (Wolfe) Kauffman ’55 in her senior sweater
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West Midlands since 2004, but prefer to spend our time at our house in central Brittany (in France) where we plan to retire. Currently I am concentrating on my writing and recently completed my first novel – an historical thriller set in London of 1603 – to be published next year.
1980s
Cynthia (Fanshawe) McKean’s sculpture “Family of Man” at Coughlin Park in Saugatuck, Michigan
Cynthia (Fanshawe) McKean ’59 I have been living in Saugatuck, Michigan for thirty years where I create steel sculpture. You can find me at www. cynthiamckean.com.
1960s Jessi Ruth MacLeod ’60 Right now I am living Alexandria, Virginia. I have a daughter and son-in-law with three grandchildren who live near me in Virginia, and a son and daughter-in-law with two grandchildren in Albany, California. I also have four step-children in the Seattle and Eugene areas. Marie (Dodge) Eaton ’64 Finally retiring this June. Next September will be the first time since I was five years old that I will not be heading off to school in some capacity—student, teacher, administrator, learner!
1970s Karen Peterson-Fellows ’75 After leaving AWS and spending several years in advertising and TV production, I went back to The Evergreen State College to complete my BA in Japanese language and literature and a few years later received my Master’s in English literature (concentrating on early modern drama) at the University of Washington. I spent several years in Japan teaching at Miyazaki University and then at the University of Guam, where I had the privilege of working on the island of Kosrae, part of the Federated States of Micronesia, training indigenous teachers. During a sabbatical in the United Kingdom I met my husband, Peter Fellows. We have lived near Birmingham in the THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Judy (Tytler) Buennagel ’82 I traveled to England with Diane Soucey and Jim Timson this March. We spent three nights in London where we met up with local Annies, then we were off to the Cotswolds for a week to visit small towns and ramble. We stayed in Bath for three nights before returning to London. It was wonderful to reunite with friends from Turkey and have lunch with mystery novelist Barbara Nadel, whose books I discovered while living in Istanbul. You never know who you will meet while traveling! Teresa (Ferguson) McLaughlin ’82 My husband Dennis and I live with our twin 13-year-old daughters in Ascot, England. Dennis is the Group Chief Risk Officer of LCH.Clearnet, and the girls attend TASIS, an American/ International school. I retired from practicing law when the girls were born Painting by Teresa (Ferguson) McLaughlin ‘82 and now spend my time volunteering. This year I’m PTA president and will also serve as an alumna interviewer for Brown University applicants in Ireland. In my free time I enjoy painting and am currently preparing for an art show. Brigitte (Sauer) Johmann ‘83 I am happy to be back from Europe after 22 years. I am now teaching at a German/American school. The Pacific Northwest really is one of the most beautiful places in the world. (Brigitte looks forward to seeing her classmates at the May Day festivities and cocktail party). Gretchen (Sylvia) Simms ’84 I live in Vienna, Austria, which has been my home for more than twenty years. I am recently divorced and have three children. I earned my Bachelor’s in economics and both my master’s and doctorate degrees Gretchen Simms ’84 with children Thomas, Alexander, and Hannah Fodor in Düsseldorf, Germany 43
Laura Bales ’85 with her husband, Geoff Dugan, and sons Eli, 11, and Seth, 9, in June, 2014 at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle
The Given Family last summer in Florida: Elizabeth ’85, with her husband, Andrew, and children Charlotte, 15, and Matthew, 13
in art history. Currently, I teach modern and contemporary art courses in both English and German at the University of Vienna, Webster University, and the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. I’m so grateful for my experience with Miss Brown at Annie Wright, which is what led me to study art history. I believe I learned more in four years at Annie Wright than I did at any higher education institution. Laura Bales ’85 I moved to Singapore in 2008 with my husband, Geoff Dugan, and our two sons, Eli and Seth. We both work at Microsoft and the boys attend a local public school where they’re learning Mandarin. We are grateful to live in an international city where we have easy access to travel in Asia, can explore nature, and keep up our athletic pursuits like running and ice hockey (yes—even on the equator!) Visitors are welcome! I serve as the alumni city representative on the Annie Wright Global Alumni Board. Elizabeth (Capell) Given ’85 My husband, Andrew, works for General Atlantic, an American growth equity firm. I am Finance Director of a small arts foundation that offers art, music, and heritage classes/lectures and events in Hampshire in the South of England. We regularly travel back to Switzerland, where we lived very happily 20072009. I haven’t made it back to the Pacific Northwest since my honeymoon, over 18 years ago. With luck I’ll manage a trip before too many more years go by.
1990s Anita (Sangha) Hamar ’93 My handsome husband, Matthew, and I got married a few years ago. I am a Director of RCCG Jesus House Abbotsford and was recently accepted into University of Fraser Valley’s accounting program [in BC]. I also serve as a volunteer at Prison Ministry for Restorative Ministries of Fraser Valley. 44
Anita (Sangha) Hamar ’93 and her husband, Matthew, on vacation in September, 2014
Marieluise Maiwald ’95 I have become “quite British indeed” (she says in a nasal voice with her pinky sticking out), having lived here for about eight years. I work for an American university (Duke) and deliver their tailor-made executive education all around the globe. I enjoy keeping up with the European ball scene, Scottish reeling, and waltz events all over the continent. I love every moment of my life!
Marieluise Maiwald ’95
Brie McFarland ’96 Blue Ties, you’ll never guess what random thing happened. I was sitting in the chair in the front room of my house on Fulton Street [in San Francisco] and I look out the window and see a big bus that says “Annie Wright Upper School College Trip.” By the time I had processed what I was reading, the bus was pulling away so I didn’t get a picture. Apparently, junior classes at AWS get to take a trip to visit colleges in three states. We would have rocked that trip! Anyway, made me think of all you.
2000s Allison (Rone) Foreman ’98MS Allison and her husband, James, welcomed their third child, a daughter named Dagny, on August 18, 2014. She joins siblings Ingrid, 4, and Erik, 2. Allison finished an LLM in taxation at the University of Washington School of Law a few months before Dagny’s arrival, and has expanded her law practice to include tax advising since returning to the office post-baby. The family of five still lives in Wenatchee, Washington, where James manages the family orchard business. Any alumni with a taste for apples, pears, or cherries are welcome to pay a visit during harvest! THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Zeyad Baghdadi ’01MS, Jan Buennagel, Tal Edman ’01MS, and Lindsey Shelley ’01MS at the Seattle area alumni cocktail party
Naomi Yen ’04 in the Great Hall during an Annie Wright visit this year
Naomi Yen ’04 In January, Naomi visited Annie Wright for the first time in eleven years. She moved back to the States last year from Beijing, China, where she attended medical school at Peking University. Naomi is currently living in Bellevue, Washington, and is preparing for her board exam.
high school, my dream was to be a foreign correspondent. As someone recently pointed out to me, working as a grant writer in rural western Montana is sometimes not so dissimilar! I am grateful to the teachers, staff, and other students that made my four years at AWS colorful and full of experiences that have formed my frame of reference for life beyond the hedge.
Lindsey Shelley ’01MS After three years working as a securities trader at Boston’s top investment management fund, I took two years off from traditional employment to ski and travel. I moved back to the Pacific Northwest last September and have joined a sustainable finance startup called Community Sourced Capital, where I am helping small businesses access interest-free loans directly from members of their communities.
Helen Glancy-Brown ‘05 Helen Glancy ‘05 married Fraser Brown at Farm Street Church in London, England, on December 20, 2014. AWS alumna Maren (Anderson) Johnson ‘05 was her matron of honor. Also in attendance were AWS alumnae Emilie Firn ‘05, Annika Firn ‘09 and Alyssa Harvey ‘06. According to Alyssa, who is now Annie Wright’s Upper School admissions director, “It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, and we were so thrilled to celebrate with her!”
Zeyad Baghdadi ’01MS I currently work in the field of finance in Federal Way, Washington, but I will be leaving soon to return to school to pursue a career in medical imaging. Other than my professional career, I still spend my time with friends I’ve known since preschool at Annie Wright. Elizabeth (Porter) Ettenger ’05 I graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2009 with a degree in journalism. I married my college sweetheart in 2011, and soon after we picked up and moved to the wilds of Montana for my husband’s job (admittedly a hard sell at the time). Now, four years later, we have grown to love Montana. Professionally, I have worked in many different capacities with nonprofits ranging from Teach for America to Planned Parenthood to Head Start. Currently, I am the Director of Philanthropy at the Daly Mansion. I also own my own grant-writing and public-relations boutique where I am engaged in varied and dynamic work with a variety of nonprofit organizations. In THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015
Elizabeth (Porter) Ettenger ’05 and her husband in front of St. Mary Falls in Glacier National Park, Montana
Emilie Firn ’05 Emilie is a freelance documentary film producer and director in the Seattle area. Since finishing her MA in documentary film, she has worked with Seattle startup ChefSteps and worked on
Emilie Firn ’05, Annika Firn ‘09, Helen GlancyBrown ‘05, Alyssa Harvey ‘06 and Maren (Anderson) Johnson ‘05
Alyssa Harvey ‘06, Helen Glancy-Brown ‘05 and Maren (Anderson) Johnson ‘05
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Emilie Firn ’05
Kelsey Bell ’06 with her fiancé, Joe Farish
documentary films such as The Breach and Crazywise. Emilie is an associate producer for the The Human Face of Big Data, a documentary film that explores the extraordinary revolution of “big data” and what it means for the future of the world. Screenings of the film will begin this year in North American cities. Visit www.emfirno.com for more information about these films and other work by Emilie. Katherine Hannula-Hill ’05 Katherine lives in Rochester, New York. Her short story “Ella” won second place and was chosen to be published in the Zimbell House Publishing, LLC anthology The Fairy Tale Whisperer, which showcases twelve emerging authors with their takes on some of our favorite fables. Kelsey Bell ’06 After graduating from Washington State University in 2010, I moved to the United Kingdom to earn my master’s in European law and political economy from the London School of Economics. While at LSE, I was inspired to pursue my legal career in England and met my now-fiancé, Joe Farish. Joe is originally from northern England, graduated with an engineering degree from Cambridge University, and is the CTO at a tech startup. I currently work as a paralegal and specialize in intellectual property law for the telecommunication, media, and technology sectors. Following my final round of lawschool exams next year, I will become a practicing solicitor. (Funnily enough, during my junior year at AWS, both Jake Guadnola and Diane Soucey predicted that I would become a lawyer!)
2010s Naomi Baba ’10 In March I went to Rome and fell in love with Italy. It was such an amazing city and I can’t wait to go back. My travels inspired me to take an Italian language course and to explore internship opportunities there. In September I finished the preclinical period (two years) of medical school (and did quite well on my very difficult final exam!) Li Murphy ’10 Harvard University announced that Li Murphy ‘10 was recently awarded a Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship. Li was one of a small number of Harvard seniors given the opportunity to explore a particular region of the world and work on something meaningful to them. “I am very excited,” Li said of the opportunity. “It is a great honor, and I am really looking forward to planning an incredible trip!” Lucas Agnew ’07MS Recently, I helped start Millennials for Jeb, a political action committee. The purpose of my PAC is to create support for Jeb Bush’s presidential candidacy while also attempting to raise the level of civic engagement among the millennial generation.
Li Murphy ’10, Annie Wright director of business development Rex Bates and Wynnm Murphy ‘14AA in Boston last winter 46
Katherine Hannula-Hill ’05
Naomi Baba ’10 in Rome last March
Lucas Agnew ’07MS
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Kathy Kimpel ’12 and Beatrice Ionascu
Haley Parks ’13 on the set she designed for a production of Lord of the Flies
We launched in February and received some national media attention, including a profile in The Washington Post. More info at: www.millennialsforjeb.com. Kathy Kimpel ’12 Kathy is a junior at Bryn Mawr, and Beatrice Ionascu—an Annie Wright ASSIST exchange student from Romania for one year—is currently studying at NYU Abu Dhabi. (Bea is the one covering her ears!) The two girls and Kathy’s father met in Boston recently while Bea was studying for a term at the main campus in New York. Haley Parks ’13 I am a sophomore at Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. I am studying for a BFA in theater design and technology from the drama school. Many of you might know my mom, Allison Parks, a teacher for over twenty years at AWS. Over the past five months I have been working on a production of Lord of the Flies, as my first-ever scenic design credit. I would not be here today if it weren’t for Annie Wright. Feel free to contact me at hmparks@syr.edu.
Tom Keskey, father of Zoe Keskey ’14 and Sophia Keskey ’12, wears his Annie Wright “You Go Girl!” race shirt to do a little AWS advertising at the Marine Corps Marathon. It worked! “I had two people on the course say ‘Hi Tacoma’ because they knew AWS!” he said.
Zoe Keskey ’14 on a kayak trip off the coast of Maine over fall break
Zoe Keskey ’14 I’m going to school at Middlebury College in rural Vermont. I am currently on the pre-med track, most likely majoring in neuroscience with a Spanish minor. When I get back to Middlebury during our winter term, I’ll be starting almost daily training to become an EMT at the local station.
Class Notes: A Longstanding Tradition A sampling of class notes from the 1902 “Hyak” Yearbook: Class of 1889 Mrs. James Ashton is enjoying her European tour. She is now in Rome, where she explores the Forum nearly every day. Miss M. Estelle Purenton is principal of one of the public schools in Spokane. Class of 1893 We hear that Miss Aimee Porter is to be married this month. Class of 1898 Miss Minnie Estelle Turner, who is giving vocal and Italian lessons in Seattle, visited the seminary during Commencement week.
Annie Wright Yearbook from 1902
Class of 1900 Miss Alice Benson is to pursue her college course for a year in Berlin.
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In Memoriam Virginia (Oakley) Brinsfield ‘44 Jean (Lenham) Hansen ‘43 Georgine Knickerbocker, former faculty Joan (Latimer) Maurer ‘42 Emily (Pitchford) Maxwell ‘36 Mary Lou (Turner) Renz ‘61 Roger L. Rue, former trustee Greg Wong (alumni parent) Patricia Colyer ’65 William “Howie” Meadowcroft, former trustee Patricia Lee Petrie Colyer ’65 June 16, 1947-March 31, 2015 Patricia Lee Petrie (Krilich) Colyer was born June 16, 1947, in Tacoma, WA to Ben R. Petrie and Lucy Jane Petrie. She passed away March 31, 2015, in Auburn, WA surrounded by her children, Diane Colyer Edwards, Todd Colyer and Jaime Colyer Sebrell ‘95. Jaime will be at May Day on May 29 celebrating her 20th reunion. She looks forward to visiting with those of you who will be at May Day celebrating your 50th reunion, and hearing stories of your time with her mother while at Annie Wright Schools. Patricia grew up in Gig Harbor and graduated from Annie Wright Seminary, now Annie Wright Schools, in Tacoma, WA in 1965. She was an accomplished professional woman, CPA and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. She worked in public and private accounting for a variety of organizations in the Seattle/Tacoma area. In addition to lifelong interests in cooking and reading, Patricia enjoyed crafts (ceramics, sewing, and knitting) and travel (Hawaii, Mexico, South Africa and Italy). In her youth, Patricia was an accomplished water-skier. She also possessed a generous heart and sharp mind. Green Tie Jaime Colyer Sebrell ‘95 established the Petrie-Colyer-Sebrell Endowed Scholarship at Annie Wright Schools in memory of her mother. For scholarship contributions, please contact Stacey Guadnola at stacey_guandnola@ aw.org or 253.284.8601.
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Mrs. Knickerbocker in her Grade 1 classroom at Annie Wright in 1969
Georgine Knickerbocker April 9, 1925 - February 14, 2015 Many Annies will remember Georgine Knickerbocker, who taught Grade 1 at Annie Wright during the 1960s and 70s. She passed away on Valentine’s Day after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.
Mary Lou Renz October 20, 1943 - January 3, 2015 Mary Lou (Turner) Renz ‘61 passed away peacefully in her Roberts Creek, BC home with family close by. Mary Lou faced her diagnosis of cancer with courage, dignity and grace, supported in life by her faith, family, friends and loving husband Fritz Renz. Born in Tacoma, Mary Lou graduated from Annie Wright School in 1961. She studied at Willamette University and abroad in Spain, Germany and the UK. Before marrying Fritz in 1987, she graduated with a BS in Psychology and BA in English Literature from the University of Puget Sound. She lived a creative and full life, was an avid reader and writer, and loved the outdoors, the arts, family and friends. Between them, Mary Lou and Fritz have five children and nine grandchildren. Condolences may be left at vsoutside@hotmail.com or 4438 48th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98118.
Alumni: We would love to hear from you Please share your recent news of family, jobs, hobbies, awards, honors, exhibits, travel and class gatherings. Photos encouraged! Submit a class note online at www.aw.org/connect or contact the alumni office at alumni@aw.org or 253.284.5412.
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Inquiry Days Each Upper School advisory group had three days and $300 to explore any topic they found interesting. Parameters of the project included research, interviews of experts and a deliverable in their choice of media. Through the process of engaging in inquiries of their choice, students learned that the fundamental skills applied in school can help them do anything. Examples of topics include ice cream-making, the history of Washington, and health and well being. Advisory B delved into food photography. See more of their mouthwatering results at www.advisorybfoodies.blogspot.com.
ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS 827 North Tacoma Avenue Tacoma, Washington 98403
Kindergarten at Annie Wright Schools is the same class you knew and loved as a student…ONLY DIFFERENT! Today's kindergarteners
» » » » » » »
Love learning in our inquiry-based IB program Start their day with greeting, meeting & sharing Practice reading, writing, spelling & math Hone fine motor skills such as cutting & glueing Swim every week & have PE twice weekly Explore the world through science, art, music & Spanish Unleash their creativity in our technology lab & maker space
Do you know a child who is ready for Kindergarten at Annie Wright? Contact Joy Phelps at joy_phelps@aw.org or 253.284.8602 to learn more.