Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
2012-2013 Report of Giving
The 2012-2013 Report of Gifts is published by the BB&N Office of External Affairs: Woodie Haskins, Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Alexandra S. Ablon P’17, Director, The BB&N Fund | Janet B. Rosen, Director of Capital Programs Design: Jeanne Abboud Design | Photography: Lisa Abitbol, Andrew Fletcher, Tom Kates, Bridget Malachowski, Eric Nordberg ’88, Shawn Read, Brian Tetrault
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
every day extraordinary
2012-2013 Report of Giving
CONTENTS Message from the Head of School
3
Message from the Chair of the Board
5
Extraordinary Volunteers & Donors
6
Extraordinary Impact of Giving
8
2012–2013 Financial Highlights
10
Extraordinary Dedicated Alumni/ae
12
Extraordinary Passionate Faculty
14
Extraordinary Student Experiences
16
2012-2013 Report of Giving Online In an effort to remain fiscally and environmentally responsible, this year’s complete Report of Giving is accessible through the BB&N website, including donor and volunteer lists that traditionally appear in the Report of Giving. We hope you enjoy the enclosed letters, reports, and voices of students, faculty, parents, and alumni/ae that convey the enormous impact that your philanthropic support and volunteerism have on BB&N’s ability to carry out its mission. We invite you to view the full report online at:
www.bbns.org/annual-report We want to hear from you. For questions or comments, contact the Office of External Affairs at 617-800-2729.
Dear Members of the BB&N Community, It is a pleasure and honor to introduce this 2012-2013 Report of Giving, with its theme that philanthropic and volunteer support helps make “every day extraordinary” for students and faculty at BB&N. I am delighted to report that BB&N received more than $7 million this past year in Annual Fund, endowment, and capital commitments. The many ways in which your generosity has impacted our School are highlighted in the pages that follow. Taken collectively, your philanthropic support builds and strengthens the fabric of BB&N. Great schools and strong cultures are built piece by piece, layer by layer, over time. What you support today really does impact tomorrow—the tomorrow of our students and the tomorrow of our School. In the big arena of education there is a lot of talk and focus on 21st-century skills. Indeed, two years ago, one of the values—a guiding principle, if you will—that BB&N adopted as part of our revised Mission and Values statement was specific to this point: “We value a program that reinforces key characteristics for 21st-century success—especially creativity, curiosity, resilience, and teamwork.” The resilience we seek to cultivate in our young people roared forth last April amid the events that had rocked Boston and the BB&N community. Molded by the strength, support, and solidarity we felt with each other, students and faculty came together on May 3rd. Sporting blue and yellow BB&N Strong t-shirts, we all stood a little taller that day. As we laughed and smiled, in some cases acting a little goofy together, we were drawn to reflecting how important this place and these people are to us. And then—thanks to terrific parent volunteers—we ate ice cream! I still get chills thinking about it all. Along with resilience, other characteristics for 21st-century success were on ample display at BB&N all year long, offering a glimpse into the exceptional daily life at our School. n
Creativity: Eight Upper School students won national accolades in the 2013 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and our Middle Schoolers continued to impress on stage as they won acting and stage management awards at the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s 2013 Drama Festival for their performance of Bob: A Life in Five Acts.
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Curiosity: In Beginner North last spring, a student’s curious question, “How are cities made?” sparked a “city project” opportunity to teach the children refined, thoughtful research practices. The result was a still-enduring city built of blocks, as well as a 100-page book on the topic. And on the other end of the Lower School campus, I recall witnessing quite vividly the power of curiosity among our fifth graders as they Report of Giving
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disembarked from the bus last April following their two-day visit to Project Oceanography in Groton, Connecticut, chattering excitedly about their handson exploration of marine science and, especially, spider crabs.
BB&N Board of Trustees
2012-2013
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and off the field at BB&N’s Homecoming, a day and tradition that was made all the more memorable last October thanks to the wonderful enthusiasm and originality that our student leaders brought to the event planning and the partnership among parents and alumni/ae.
Bracebridge Young, Jr.
Chair
Charles A. Brizius
Vice Chair
Shelly Nemirovsky
Vice Chair
Eric S. Slifka ’83
Vice Chair/Secretary David Randolph Peeler
Treasurer
Thom Greenlaw
Assistant Treasurer J. Stuart Ablon ’88 Deborah Ancona Beth Myers Azano ’95 Joseph Chung Janine Cozier Thomas Dingman Diala Ezzeddine Jason P. Hafler ’00 James P. Honan Andre John ’83 Cory Little Philip H. Loughlin Louise Makrauer Joel C. Monell James F. Mooney III Jeffrey Moore Erica Gervais Pappendick Janet M. Storella ’74 Frederica C. Turner ’91 David B. Williams ’78 Rebecca T. Upham
Head of School
Teamwork: There is no better word than “teamwork” to describe what I saw on
These are just a few examples of the strength of BB&N’s program, a program that has been further strengthened in countless ways by your support. Of course, though, it doesn’t stop there. Other highlights of the 2012-2013 school year included: n
The completion and opening this fall of The Family Cooperative childcare center for our faculty and staff, which has been a dream of mine as well as many others for the past decade and illustrates BB&N’s commitment to our faculty and staff;
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BB&N’s highest-ever allocation for financial aid of $6.68 million;
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The honoring of some extraordinary faculty members—Middle School History Department Chair Bill Rogers, 4th grade homeroom teacher Bill Hritz, and Kindergarten homeroom teacher Maria Barton—by being named recipients of Master Teacher Chairs and a Future Leader Instructorship.
A common thread among these initiatives is that they all rely deeply on your participation and philanthropic support. You’ll see the strength of our School through the pages of this report. I get to see the impact of your generosity every day in the experiences of our students in classrooms and art studios, on playing fields and stages. And I also see the lasting impact that philanthropic support has had on the lives of our alumni/ae across the country and the world. Thank you for your generosity. By making every day extraordinary, you’ve helped shape the present and future of the community that is BB&N. With deep appreciation,
Rebecca T. Upham Head of School
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Dear Members of the BB&N Community, It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees this past year, and I am delighted to report that the 2012-2013 academic year was marked by strong financial management and student and faculty achievement. I am grateful to Rebecca Upham, my Board colleagues, the faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and the many devoted BB&N families—both past and present—for their ongoing dedication and commitment to this outstanding institution. It is extremely gratifying to be part of such an engaged community. BB&N’s reputation is inextricably linked to the quality of our students and faculty. Our goal is to continue to attract the most capable and talented students from diverse communities throughout the greater Boston/Cambridge area. Our admission statistics for 2012-2013 only serve to reinforce our success in this realm. We were also able to provide strong support to our highest institutional priorities through our fundraising efforts, having surpassed our Annual Fund goal and successfully completing the funding for the onsite faculty/staff childcare center. The establishment of this center sent a very clear message to our outstanding and dedicated faculty and staff that we value their talents and their many contributions to our community. We also experienced a 9% growth of our endowment this past year. This is all good news. While we remain focused on bringing together a capable and diverse student body, we have also been spending considerable time thinking about ways to energize and envision the type of culture that we want to create and maintain within our three campus communities. We recognize that a rigorous culture, one that is focused on academics and achievement, is not necessarily inconsistent with having fun. We are working diligently to reaffirm and embrace school traditions and a culture where all community members work to their highest potential, while finding significant ways to enjoy being together. As a parent of three current students, it has been gratifying to see how much my children have thrived and grown, each in his or her own way, as members of the BB&N community. It has been personally rewarding over the years to attend many of the school celebrations, such as the reinvigorated Homecoming, the gathering at the Head of the Charles, One School-One World, Circus, MLK Day Brunch, the Diwali assembly at the Lower School, the dedication of The Family Cooperative childcare center, and a wide variety of plays, concerts, presentations, and athletic events. When I am part of a BB&N event and feel the energy and infectious enthusiasm generated by those gathered, I feel a deep sense of pride in the School and the members of the community. I know how fortunate my family and I are to be a part of the vitality and spirit of BB&N, and hope that you feel that way as well. I will continue to do all that I can to help make BB&N all that it can be. Thank you for all that you do for this special community of learners. With all best wishes for a happy and healthy school year,
Bracebridge Hemyng Young, Jr. P’14, ’14, ’17 Chair, Board of Trustees
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“Our family supports BB&N because it is a winning proposition. We are confident that every dollar we donate or encourage others to donate is used to directly enhance the opportunities available to our daughter, her fellow students, and her amazing teachers. I know each of us would jump at the chance to spend a day listening to the lectures in the classroom or playing on the athletic fields.” —Cherise Bransfield P’15, 2012-2013 Upper School Annual Fund Chair
“Being given the opportunity to attend BB&N is the greatest privilege I have ever had. Your support through the scholarship that I received for the 2012-2013 school year allows me to be a part of the BB&N community that I love.” —BB&N Student, Class of 2015
30% of this year’s Annual Fund was raised by volunteers.
Extraordinary
$2,778,132
A record was contributed to the 2012-13 Annual Fund by 2,104 parents, alumni/ae, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends, in support of faculty, students, and academic programs on all three campuses.
86% of current parents participated in the 2012-13 Annual Fund.
“Our children have been the beneficiaries of the transformative programs here at BB&N. Through our gift we will play our part in ensuring that this tradition continues, and that future generations of students will also benefit.” —Jeff Moore P’13,’14, Trustee and Co-Chair, 2013 Senior Parents’ Gift Committee
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“I volunteer at BB&N to give back and say Thank You to the institution that shaped my life and made me who I am.”
460 parents and alumni/ae served as fundraising volunteers.
—Frederica Turner ’91, P’25, Trustee, BB&N Lifer, with husband Alejandro Heyworth P’25
Volunteers & Donors
$885,000
Nearly was raised by Senior Parents to create the Honestas Future Leader Instructorship and to support other capital, endowment, and annual priorities.
Gifts to the 2012-2013 Annual Fund ranged from $1 to $100,000.
“Thank you for providing the financial support that gave our son the opportunity to develop into the young man he has become, with a strong mind, fit body, and a zest for life and learning that will sustain him in his future endeavors. BB&N—with its commitment to students, and benefactors to make changes a reality—has given us a gift that we will cherish for a lifetime.” —BB&N Parent, Class of 2013
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Technology upgrades included 120 iPads and accessories and 10 MacBook Air laptops for Lower School students, 13 MacBooks for the Middle School Library, 18 iPads for Middle School students, 21 MacBooks for Upper School science labs, and 18 MacBook Airs for portable use by Upper School students.
8 Vernier LabQuest Environmental Science Starter Packages and probes were purchased for use with the data collection portion of the 8th Grade Knights of Science field studies unit.
Extraordinary Generous parents and friends helped raise funds to purchase sails for the sailing team as they took to the Boston Harbor this past spring. The Annual Fund and other gifts also enabled the athletics program to purchase a shell for the girls’ crew team, a hockey rink safety net, soccer goals, batting practice cage, and new spin bikes for the Fitness Center.
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A new playground for Grade 5 and 6 students includes a mini-spacenet, supernova, zigzag overhead ladder, and other fun climbing structures.
impact of giving
“Midway through the summer entering into freshman year I was in need of a computer. Our parents tried to buy a new one but it was hard to find one that was affordable. The BB&N admission office called my home and offered us a laptop, one that was both new and equipped with all the things I needed for school. With the laptop, I was able to work more efficiently than I was before.” —BB&N Student, Class of 2015
The Family Cooperative early childhood center welcomed 28 infants, toddlers, and pre-school children to its new facility at 46 Belmont Street, made possible by the generous support of parent and alumni/ae donors including nearly 100% of Sixth Grade Parents who contributed $40,000 to help furnish the new Center. report of giving
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2012-2013 Financial Highlights 2012–2013 INCOME AND EXPENSES Sources of Income
Distribution of Expenses
Investment Income Endowment Support
6.3%
Other Programs
.5%
4.3%
Financial Aid
Capital Project Gifts
.6%
Annual Fund Gifts
15.9%
Non-Operating Costs
General Operations
18.1%
5.1%
6.7%
Salaries and Benefits
Tuition and Fees
81.6%
60.9%
TOTAL
TOTAL
100%
100%
2012-2013 FUNDRAISING RESULTS BY CONSTITUENCY Annual Giving
Capital Giving
Total Support
Current Parents $1,819,936 $1,993,681 $3,813,617 Alumni/ae $727,251 $2,165,538 $2,892,789 Parents of Alumni/ae & Former Students $106,634 $84,200 $190,834 Grandparents $75,710 $874 $76,584 Current Faculty and Staff $16,695 $245 $16,940 Former Faculty and Staff $2,353 $250 $2,603 Seniors $1,575 $0 $1,575 Friends and Other Donors $5,371 $44,188 $49,559 Other Operating Support: Parents’ Association Events and Activities $16,735 $16,735 Golf Tournament $5,872 $5,872
Total Support:
$2,778,132
$4,288,976
$7,067,108
CURRENT PARENT PARTICIPATION IN ANNUAL FUND Percentage of Participation
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Beginners K Gr. 1 Gr. 2 Gr. 3 Gr. 4 Gr. 5 Gr. 6 Gr. 7 Gr. 8 Gr. 9 Gr. 10 Gr. 11 93% 95% 92% 95% 100% 83% 86% 88% 83% 88% 85% 80% 75%
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Top Five Classes IN Alumni/ae Participation – 2012-2013 Buckingham
Browne & Nichols
BB&N
1929 – 100% 1936 – 100% 1938 – 100% 1939 – 100% 1947 – 86%
1940 – 67% 1942 – 57% 1943 – 57% 1945 – 50% 1951 – 50%
2008 – 59% 1978 – 41% 1993 – 37% 2003 – 26% 1998 – 25%
2012-2013 REUNION CLASS RECORDS Browne & Nichols Class of 1963 50th Reunion Record $28,290 Annual Giving Total
BB&N Class of 1998 15th Reunion Record $22,785 Annual Giving Total
BB&N Class of 1978 35th Reunion Record $88,494 Annual Giving Total 41% Class Participation in Annual Giving
BB&N Class of 2008 5th Reunion Record $6,490 Annual Giving Total 59% Class Participation in Annual Giving
2012-2013 Annual Fund Gifts by Gift Level Gift Levels
No. of Donors
Total
$100,000 and Above
3
$50,000-$99,999
6 $315,000
$300,000
$25,000-$49,999
10 $285,000
$15,000-$24,999
25 $425,788
$10,000-$14,999
29 $300,143
$5,000-$9,999
55 $302,098
$2,500-$4,999
84 $233,583
$1,000-$2,499
192 $272,473
$500-$999
152 $100,581
$250-$499
199 $75,623
$100-$249
576 $91,635
$1-$99
773 $53,601
Total Annual Fund Gifts:
$2,755,525
Other Operating Support:
$22,607
Annual Fund Total
2,104
$2,778,132
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Alumni/ae ranging from the Class of 1945 to 2013 have downloaded the BB&N alumni/ae mobile app, allowing them to stay connected to BB&N and fellow alums around the world.
Android
Apple
David Williams ’78, Trustee, is a role model to 5th Reunion alumni/ae Nick Taylor ’08 and Erica Sandrock ’08. Both classes set Reunion gift records for class participation and money raised.
Extraordinary 8 of our newest alumni/ae in
the Class of 2013 have a parent who is also a BB&N graduate.
750
Nearly alumni/ae and friends attended Strawberry Night and other alumni/ae events both on and off campus last year.
Caitlin McCarey ’13 and Kate De Normandie McCarey ’81
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56 of our alumni/ae are also current parents and make a tremendous impact with outreach to classmates and current parent families.
“I volunteered for my 20th reunion and loved connecting with life-long friends during Strawberry Reunion weekend. I was able to attend BB&N thanks to generous financial aid from alumni/ae and parents. As a parent of a first grader, my husband and I continue to work on building community around the spirit of annual giving so that children may benefit as I once did.” —Alexis Boyle Egan ’93, P’25, 20th Reunion Gift Co-Chair and BB&N “Lifer,” with Chris Egan P’25
dedicated alumni/ae $90,000
More than was raised for the Marina Keegan ’08 Memorial Fund to create the Keegan Summer Fellowship program, including nearly $5,000 by Class of 2008 alumni/ae in honor of their 5th reunion.
Rory Morton ’81
10 BB&N Ethan Rossiter ’93
faculty are alumni/ae of the school. Luke Vargas ’08 with Rachel Strodel ’14, and David Markey ’14, recipients of first Keegan Summer Fellowships
3,000 Facebook Friends and Fans, more than 600 members in our LinkedIn alumni/ae group, and nearly 350 Twitter followers. BB&N has nearly
Like so many other members of the BB&N faculty, Middle School Science teacher Kelley Schultheis is passionate about teaching inside and outside of the classroom as she also co-coordinates the annual Middle School community service trip to Belize. “The focus of the trip is around developing leadership skills and relationships in our host community, more specifically at the St. Jude’s School in Maya Center. I also hope that students’ assumptions about what we call ‘third world countries’ are challenged because I want them to feel inspired about the change that can happen when communities come together for a common purpose.”
$223,000 was spent on faculty professional
development in 2012-2013, benefiting more than 100 faculty across all three campuses.
—Kelley Schultheis, Middle School Science
Extraordinary “Through the Upper School Critical Languages Program Fund, we have been able to continue the Russian Exchange, have overhauled our curriculum with a new textbook system, taken part in the National Russian Essay Contest, and hosted a number of special events such as our ‘Maslenitsa’ holiday in March. I am constantly greeted with surprise that our School has such a thriving Russian program.” —Joshua Walker, Upper School Russian
6 different languages are taught at the BB&N Upper School, Middle School students are offered 3 languages, and Lower School students study 2 languages.
“Through my travel grant, I spent ten days touring Iceland and a week seeing highlights in Norway. I took away a lot of good examples to utilize in the economics classroom to help illustrate how both exchange rates and relative prices work to determine purchasing power abroad.”
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—Tim Kendrick, Upper School Mathematics/History; recipient of grant from the Gordon and Rowe Family Upper School Faculty Enrichment Fund
Kindergarten Homeroom Teacher Maria Barton was named the first recipient of the Edgar H. Nichols Future Leader Instructorship, funded through the recent Opening Minds Campaign.
“From the resources and teachings offered to me by the Upper School, I have achieved dreams beyond my own expectations, all made possible by your generous donations.” —BB&N Student, Class of 2013
“The Harkness conference [funded by the Harkness Teaching Fund] was the best workshop, if not the best professional development opportunity, I’ve attended. It has improved my listening skills and my strategies for creating a student-centered classroom. Using the Harkness teaching method has already proven useful in improving class participation and student involvement.” —Gustavo Carrera, Upper School History Department Chair
passionate faculty 85% of BB&N faculty hold advanced degrees.
“This summer I attended a week-long workshop during which K-8 math teachers were instructed and guided to explore different ways to bring mathematical concepts to life in the classroom. By the end of the week I felt both validated and inspired, having discovered that I am already doing many of the things that other teachers agree represent best practice, but that I can do more to make my teaching even better.” —Louisa Pitt, Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher
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Thanks to several donors, the Upper School Theater has a new AV system to provide real-time monitoring of shows for the actors, technical crew, and orchestra during rehearsals and performances; hearing assisted devices for audience members; and a lobby monitor to display current and upcoming productions and art shows. Other theater improvements include new costume shop storage, new stage curtains, and a stage shop dust collection system.
Extraordinary
Now in its 61 year, Bivouac provides a shared outdoor experience in the New Hampshire woods for all BB&N ninth grade students. st
“Even as I look forward to college, I cannot help but look back at my time spent at BB&N. Each time I do, I am overwhelmed by the gratitude I feel toward the teachers, administration, and staff at BB&N, and, of course to you for establishing this financial fund. Without your help I would never have spent the past five years in the invigorating community that is BB&N. I will be forever grateful.” —BB&N Student, Class of 2014
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450
pieces of art made by students on all three campuses were exhibited at MFA Day 2013.
$6.68 million was
awarded in financial aid grants in 2012-13, with an average grant of $27,300.
student experiences “I feel very special and honored to have the opportunity to say I am a part of the BB&N family. I wake up every morning excited to go to school and I want to thank you for making it possible.” —BB&N Student Class of 2017
66 Middle and Upper School teams played 827 interscholastic games during the 2012-2013 athletic season.
Thanks to hundreds of parent, student, and alumni/ae volunteers, the BB&N Circus raised to support Lower School financial aid.
$15,528
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B u c k i ng h a m B r o w n e & N i c h o l s S c h o o L 80 Gerry’s Landing Road Cambridge, MA 02138-5512
every day extraordinary
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