Sanford Magazine Winter 2007

Servi C e: Giving orReceiving?

O

ver the course of my nine years as the Head of School, you have grown accustomed to certain themes recurring in my articles and letters. Among those themes, you know that the value of a well-rounded, student-centered program often will be mentioned alongside the power of great teachers to influence the lives of young people and their parents. Another vital area of focus has been the responsibility we hold as a school community to think beyond the narrow boundaries of this beautiful campus and consider how we might contribute to the greater good of society. Fortunately, the mission of Sanford School always has spoken to the need to educate students broadly, with a strong sense of moral and civic responsibility.

In recent years, more and more opportunities have been presented to our students to complement their on-campus academic training with service and outreach in the greater community. Each of our three divisions has on-going programs with retirement facilities, social service agencies, regional and national health organizations, and charities in order to make real-life connections that enable our students to expand their horizons. Thanks to the initiative of many members of the Sanford faculty, our school is “living its mission” in a pro-active manner. For example, the support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina continues to this day and will continue to be in the consciousness of our community well into the future.

Over the last two school years, a new tradition has been established which has set Sanford apart from other educational institutions in this region. The Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday is now a day of service for students, teachers, and staff at Sanford. Projects have been organized on and off campus which give our community an opportunity to help others in need and, in so doing, show the ultimate respect to Dr. King whose life of service inspired millions of people around the world to come together in peace to work for the common good.

Although I certainly lack the oratorical skills of Dr. King, I did take the opportunity on his day, a day of service at Sanford, to pose a question to our students: “Who inspires you to serve? Whom do you try to emulate? If not Martin Luther King, who serves as a role model when you ‘commit a random act of kindness?’ ” Asking these questions of our youngest students is, at best, planting a seed. For others listening that day, it was my hope to provoke some thinking and some action. The “who”, of course, might be a public figure, or it might simply be a person the student sees every day. What possesses an individual to take action that will benefit others without any expectation of thanks or remuneration?

Having posed this question and issued a challenge to our students, I decided to go public with my answer, especially in light of a decision I made last fall to become an organ donor. So many of you have asked me to write about that decision that it seems appropriate to connect the dots with the theme of this article.

For me, the answer to the question, “Who inspired you to serve?”, is very clear. It was my father, Dr. Douglas W. MacKelcan. A few of you knew him because he spent his life serving the people of New Castle County as a family doctor. He was a self-effacing

These upper school students are working on designing a website. The web design course curriculum includes discussion topics such as Internet safety, social networking, possible ramifications of online publishing, and computer ethics.

introducing http://www.digitalsanford.org

MySpace Is Everyone’s Space: Keeping Parents Informed about Digital Culture

By Theresa Gawlas Medoff

ust when we parents thought we were starting to catch up technologically with our kids we ’ d learned to navigate a web site, to instant message, maybe even to upload photos web 2.0 burst onto the scene. suddenly we were hit with unfamiliar terms like podcast, wiki, blog, and youtube teens were becoming addicted to social networking sites like myspace and facebook before we even realized these “ places ” existed!

introducing http://www.digitalsanford.org/student.html

he same advances that have made the Internet more dynamic have also made it more challenging to use safely. It’s no longer enough to warn our kids not to reveal personal information online and not to respond to email from people they don’t know.

“There are so many different pieces of the online social network with which parents need to be concerned. We felt it was a part of our responsibility as educators to help parents keep ahead of the ever-sharper technology learning curve,” says Head of Middle School Eph Humphreys.

The launching of DigitalSanford.org marks the beginning of an ongoing conversation and collaborative effort in the Sanford community about how technology affects education and how we can best teach our students to use technology wisely and safely. (The Web site can be accessed through its own address or by linking through the official Sanford Web site, www.sanfordschool.org).

Director of Technology Suzy Hoffmann and Webmaster

Tristan Hoffmann ’01 developed a prototype of the Web site DigitalSanford last spring as part of a presentation to the Board of Trustee’s Education Committee. The committee encouraged them to develop the site further as a resource for the Sanford community.

“It used to be the joke when the VCR was blinking 12:00 that only the kids knew how to set the time. But at least we parents knew that a problem existed. Parents today don’t even know that we don’t know,” says Education Committee Chair Maryann Younger. “We felt that Sanford definitely had a role in helping parents to understand how technology affects kids today. It’s the same as if we sponsored a lecture series on how to handle a teenager.”

Director of Technology Suzy Hoffmann leads a technology education program for parents in the middle school library. Parent workshops are conducted in the morning and evening hours to reach as many families as possible. In addition to providing both electronic and face-to-face information for parents, Mrs. Hoffmann also works with Sanford faculty members to develop, discuss, and administer school-wide technology policies for both students and employees.

DigitalSanford.org gathers together in one place definitions related to digital culture, resource links, and news and analysis about the promises and challenges of our digital culture. Like any good Web site, it will continue to grow and evolve. When Mrs. Hoffmann introduced the site to middle school parents at a November workshop, she encouraged them to submit questions from which she will build the FAQ section.

Some of the issues that arose during the workshop included parents’ concerns about social networking. MySpace is the social networking site most commonly used by high school-age students. College students are more likely to use Facebook. A nonscientific poll of Sanford faculty and students suggests that more than 50 percent of upper school students have MySpace pages. Typically, a teen creates a page that includes basic personal information as well as interests, updates on personal news, and perhaps photos. The teen’s friends can write messages directly to the MySpace page.

The rapid adoption of social networking raises concerns that students might be opening themselves up to a host of problems, including cyber stalking, cyber bullying, and identity theft, not to mention that a teen might naively reveal inappropriate information about his or her personal activities. “It’s kind of like opening up your private journal to everyone. Kids don’t always understand that,” Mrs. Hoffman says. “They get the mistaken idea that there’s no one on the receiving end, so they can do what they want.” What many teens (and adults) do not realize is that college admissions counselors and prospective employers sometimes vet an applicant by Googling his name and searching for his MySpace site. Parents are advised to check their child’s social networking site routinely to ensure that it does not contain anything inappropriate or compromising.

Belle Natali, Kathy Dabkowski (who is also the Lower School Librarian), Raymond Para, and Jeff Simonton joined other parents for a recent technology education workshop.

introducing http://www.digitalsanford.org/activities.html

Ps, wan2 no wat ur kids R sAyn 2 thir frenz?

The popularity of texting and IMing (instant messaging) has created a whole new shorthand vocabulary. If BRB and LOL are the extent of your knowledge, check out the dictionaries and translation features on these web lingo sites: transL8it.com, netlingo.com and lingo2word.com.

Juniors Andrew DeSantis and Courtney Jones both took safer approaches to their MySpace pages. They use only their first names, and they do not provide any email address, geographical references, or personal information. While Andrew’s page is viewable by anyone, only a specified list of “friends” can send him messages. Courtney went a step further and locked her entire page to all but her friends list. “A lot of kids are a little naive,” Courtney says, “but most of us know what’s out there. You just need to be careful with the personal information you make available.”

That’s a lesson that Mrs. Hoffman wants younger students to learn, too, which is why the first digital information session was for parents of middle schoolers. Sessions for lower and upper school parents are also in the works. Kids are beginning social networking through email and instant messaging at younger ages, Mrs. Hoffman notes. A new Internet-linked toy called Webkinz seems to be pushing the age even lower. Kids as young as kindergarten have become enamored by the Beanie Baby-like stuffed animals that come with a code that enables the owner of the “pet” to play games on a specially designed Web site that also allows them to interact online with other friends who own Webkinz. “On the one hand, you can argue that the games are teaching computer skills and responsibility, because the children have to earn money in order to “buy” things for their pet,” Mrs. Hoffman says. “On the other hand, it’s driving down the age of social networking”—and the age at which parents need to educate their children about the potential dangers lurking out there.

“Children have always experimented, and we’ve always had to give them guidelines,” notes Head of Lower School Nancy Hebard. “It’s just that now there are more and different things that we need to monitor.”

Experts recommend that home computers be kept in central locations so parents can monitor their children’s use. Parents

a primer on Web 2.0

blog—Short for Web log. An online journal published on a Web page. Popular blogging sites are xanga, blogpod, blogger, and livejournal. Anyone can sign up for space to publish a blog on these sites. Pictures, video, and links can be attached to entries. In addition, users can “friend” other blogs, which allows them to read a page of all the latest entries from a variety of different blogs. Also used as a verb.

chat room—Similar to instant messaging, chat rooms allow users to send real-time messages to other chat room users. The advent of social networking has lessened the popularity of chat rooms.

IM (instant message)—A way in which two people who are online at the same time can converse by sending real-time messages back and forth to each other. The most common instant messengers are AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo Messenger, and MSN Messnger. Studies have shown that students of today are more likely to communicate by IMing, while their parents rely on e-mail.

podcasting—A way to transmit media files (pictures, audio, video) automatically to interested users. Users sign up for a podcast through one of the podcasting services (iTunes, Google Podcasting, Yahoo Podcasting, etc.) and can download new content as soon as it is added. Content usually can be downloaded to the users’ computer and transferred to an audio player.

social networking—Interacting with friends old and new through Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Users can post personal profiles, photos, and blogs that other users can access, comment on, and link to.

Users can shield their profile and the interaction capabilities from all but a select group of friends or they can allow it to be accessed by anyone.

web video—A user-recorded video posted on a Web site to share with friends or the world at large. The most popular video upload website is YouTube.com.

wiki—A Web site whose content is generated and can be altered by users, often without restriction. The most popular of the lot is the online encyclopedia ‘wikipedia,’ but there are also wikis for more specific subjects and social groups. Wikis have proven to be a quick way to generate useful online content. However, because users define and update entries, wikis are not always reliable sources of information.

introducing http://www.digitalsanford.org/parent.html

Fourth-grader Kelsey Mendell used the Internet to gather research for her PowerPoint presentation, which is being shown on a Smartboard. In lower school, student usage of the Internet is closely monitored by faculty members.

should also set parameters about how much time can be spent online and when. Various programs exist to restrict and monitor children’s Internet access as well. Andrew and Courtney both say that they use the computer for socializing only on weekends. During the school week, the computer is used exclusively for homework.

It is also imperative that parents talk to their children about protecting themselves by not revealing personal information to anyone they don’t know, by never agreeing to meet in person someone they have met online, and by alerting an adult if they ever receive inappropriate or suggestive messages, reminds Jen Nightengale, Middle School Technology Instructor.

Establishing safety guidelines is essential because parents can’t monitor their children’s use at all times. Mrs. Hoffmann cites a study showing that 75 percent of teens access the Internet at friends’ homes.

“The fact that they’re up in their room and there’s no computer or phone line doesn’t mean that they aren’t communicating,” says Mark Wagner, Head of Upper School. “They can use their cell phone to take digital video and send it to a friend or even connect to the Internet. If your child has these capabilities and you don’t know—that’s how they can get in trouble.” Wagner knows of instances where rumors have spread through MySpace pages and where embarrassing photos and videos have been shared without the subject’s knowledge. “I don’t think the kids really think these things through,” he adds. This kind of unintentional damage to the reputation of self and others is one of the more pressing worries with teens and social networking. “They need to know that when they put stuff out there, all

sorts of people will see it, whether they intend them to or not,” Wagner adds. People can also link to or copy and disseminate material, giving it even wider reach.

As we progress with Web 2.0 (and 3.0 and so on) and more such issues arise, it is imperative for parents to stay on top of the technology in order to guide their children.

Early feedback indicates that DigitalSanford is indeed filling a need in the Sanford community. Since launching in late November, it has received 389 unique hits (that is, from 389 different IP addresses; Sanford has 551 families). “I don’t know of any other school that has taken the approach that we have—creating a Web site to keep parents, students, and faculty informed of news and issues related to Internet use by children and teens,” Mrs. Hoffmann notes.

Kristen Kuhn, president of the Home and School Association and mother of John Michael, grade 6, and Christian and Kallista, kindergarten, praises the quality of the introductory workshop and the Web site. “I consider myself pretty computer literate, but I was surprised by how much I didn’t know.”

She plans to share DigitalSanford.org with the three other Delaware independent schools (Tatnall, Tower Hill and Wilmington Friends) that are members of a parent-led awareness group. “The purpose of our group is to bring parents up to date with what’s going on with students, and at a time when Facebook and MySpace have become so popular, DigitalSanford certainly helps to educate parents about these issues,” she says.

Mrs. Younger adds, “I’m proud that Sanford is leading the way on this issue.”

Sophomore Mehndyi Gbadyu receives assistance from Network Administrator Dave May. Even in upper school, areas with Internet access are supervised by adults.

Technology in the Curriculum

introducing http://www.digitalsanford.org/school.html

any parents are surprised and impressed by their children’s ease with technology. Part of that comfort comes simply from growing up surrounded by and using computers, video games, cell phones, video cameras and MP3 players. But it also results from deliberate instruction at school.

Students in junior kindergarten through first grade have direct computer instruction once a week, while those in second through fourth grades have the class twice weekly. The lessons are tied to topics students are learning about in other classes. Third graders, for example, researched a pioneer while learning about the Oregon Trail.

With the help of their teachers, students in kindergarten and first grade access pre-screened Web sites to do research. Beginning in about second grade, students are given more freedom in researching study topics on the Internet.

“The younger the student, the more controlled the access,” says Head of Lower School Nancy Hebard. Just the sheer volume of information available can be overwhelming to youngsters, but it is also vital that they learn to judge the accuracy and veracity of a Web site. That type of instruction continues throughout the school years, as middle and upper school students learn to research and write reports and analytical papers.

Many of today’s parents count themselves lucky if they took a typing class in high school. Sanford fifth graders use the program Ultrakeys to learn the keyboarding skills that will be essential come sixth grade, when all writing must be done on the computer. Every sixth grader is assigned an AlphaSmart word processor (purchased by the Home & School Association) to use throughout the year.

Use of computers is integrated into the curriculum throughout middle school. Fifth graders create newspapers about the states they are researching. After their science-based Cape Cod excursion, sixth graders presented their findings through digital storytelling, combining photos, narration and a soundtrack. A program called Inspiration allows students to journal and brainstorm and then organize their thoughts in charts and other graphical representations. Eighth graders use Timeliner in social studies to order historical events. Programs such as Absurd Math challenge math students to greater levels of understanding.

“All these different ways of representing information gets students’ brains thinking and seeing in new ways,” notes Middle School Technology Instructor Jen Nightengale.

Technology is integral to schoolwork in upper school as well, but students are less likely to use the computer lab as a class because they are already well versed in most applications.

Of course, the most common computer use is for word processing. “Its use has become so accepted that it is almost invisible, but the ability it gives students to revise is not inconsequential,” says Head of Upper School Mark Wagner. All upper school students are required to take a course in computer programming, computer technology or digital art. In many classes, students are required to make presentations using PowerPoint and other digital media. The program Blackboard is widely used to post course syllabi and electronic versions of classroom handouts.

Technology is ubiquitous in science classes as well. For example, students might collect data using a digital thermometer that connects to the computer and then present their results in a spreadsheet. Of course, photography, web design, and computer art classes use computers and digital technology extensively. In addition, upper school students use computer technology to layout the yearbook, to produce the newspaper and other publications, and to run the radio station.

Dozens of computers are available to upper school students in the computer lab and the library, both of which are connected to the Internet, and in the writing lab. Every student has a folder on the local network so they can access their work anywhere on campus, Wagner adds.

Katie Moloney and Lower School Technology Instructor

Pat Martin collaborate on a project in the lower school’s computer lab.

OnCampus

Greenhouse

renovation and beautification enhance campus and curricula

thanksgiving feast

JK thanksgiving feast

Lower School roller Skating Party

The Upper School Science Department was thankful for a school grant that enabled them to renovate the greenhouse attached to the math science building. This space can now be used to enhance the biology and chemistry courses with this living botany lab. Senior artists Lauren Park, Jin Chen, Henry Tucker and Niel Rosenthalis, under the supervision of Upper School Science Teacher Jennifer Muller ’90, were inspired to use their talents to further beautify the greenhouse.

Grayson Dodd prepares to eat her traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Trevor Long is ready to roll.

Sanf O rd Sna PS h OTS . Sanford Snap S hot S . Sanf O rd Sna PS h OTS

Convocation united kindergartners Lara Yarkadas (left) and Jacob Lafferty with their senior buddies Jessica Richey (second from left), and Brendan Giza-Sisson.

The newly renovated greenhouse is enjoyed by many members of the Sanford community thanks to the efforts of Henry Tucker, Jen Muller, Niel Rosenthalis, Jin Chen, and Lauren Park (seated, center).

Unless otherwise noted, all of the people in the photographs are identified from left to right.

halloween

brought characters and camaraderie to all three Sanford School divisions.

Upper School Lower School Middle School

The Middle School once again transformed its library into a Wax Museum where fifth-grade students portrayed scenes from children’s classical literature. Check out the back cover to see some of the scenes from this annual Halloween event.

Mia DiCamillo, Lindsey Moyer, Talia White, Megan Snyder and Lily Connolly are on their way to the Wax Museum.

Lower School teachers Mimi Royer and Kristy Patton aren’t afraid of the goblins and ghouls.

Pirates Saran Singh and Evan McLaughlin

Beachgoers Tessa Tyler and Courtney Jones

Ballerinas Emi Burleigh and Angelique Castro

Is Jillian Reinhardt really wicked?

OnCampus Sanford hosts auctions to Benefit Nancy Sawin

Sanford School played host to two very special auctions last fall. As many Sanford magazine readers know, our former Head of School (and daughter of our founder), Nancy Churchman Sawin, was an avid collector of everything. In the decades of the 1980s and 1990s following Nancy’s retirement from Sanford, her home on Sawin Lane—North Light Studio—became a veritable museum of Americana.

In 2005, Nancy’s age and ill health necessitated her moving to a nearby nursing care facility. In 2006, Nancy’s brother Bill Sawin ’45, sister Marnie Sawin Langerak ’43 and niece Sanny Russell ’56AA decided to auction Nancy’s collection in order to start an additional annuity for Nancy’s long-term care. They approached Head of School Chip MacKelcan last summer to see if facilities at Sanford could be made available as the auction site. The school agreed willingly.

The Sawin family engaged the firm of John J. McGrellis, III of Hockessin to serve as the auctioneers. Last August, the McGrellis firm began to sort, catalog, and prepare Nancy’s extensive collection for the auctions. The school and Mr. McGrellis set the auction dates for October 6–8, 2006 in the Sports Center and November 24–25 in Geipel Gym. The Sanford School Web site provided a direct link to the McGrellis Web site which had dozens of pictures of the auction items. In addition, both the school and the McGrellis firm mailed several thousand flyers promoting the auctions.

With the cooperation of the Athletic Department, the Advancement Office, and the Buildings and Grounds Department, the McGrellis people set up dozens of tables in preparation for each auction piled high with items from Nancy’s home. Both auctions drew large crowds of dealers, collectors, and auction goers. The five days of auctioneering were very successful according to Bill Sawin.

One of the more engaged auction goers was our own math teacher, Jackie Pitts ’55. As a long-time colleague and friend of Nancy Sawin’s, Jackie combed the auction tables on all five days for items related to the history of the school. Please see her accompanying article for more details on these extraordinary auctions.

North Light Studio is now empty, and Nancy Sawin’s extraordinary collection of Americana is dispersed, but Nancy’s long-term health care has been enhanced greatly by the proceeds from the two auctions.

Peter V. Buttenheim Director of Advancement

This oil painting of an Austrian farm, oneofNancy’smanyworks,waspurchased by Larry and Anne Cajnar Lester ’77.

Nancy Sawin’s longtime friend John McGrellis (shown with the microphone) was the auctioneer.

Reflections

reflections from the nancy C. Sawin auction

i have been asked “Was it sad?” Yes, it was. I almost did not go to the auction for the Nancy Sawin collection. It sounded like the passing of an era. But, I did go. The alumni who attended, and I, seemed to harbor a variety of emotions. In the end, I was very pleased that I attended.

The professional auctioneer was very respectful of Nancy’s collection and of all the items to be auctioned. Alumni attended each of the five auction days and represented each of the eight decades of the school’s history. Alumni from the same decade found one another and shared many happy memories. There was one sad moment for me when an item that was very much a part of Sunny Hills and Sanford history was sold to a dealer. Following that transaction, the alumni went into action checking the table items, exploring the boxes, and buying the things that we felt should become a part of the Sanford archives.

One discovery we made were five World War II medals including Aston T. Geipel’s ’38 Purple Heart. These medals almost slipped into the hands of a dealer—presumably to be resold for profit and never seen again. A 1977 alumna, Annie Cajnar Lester (Mitzi and Yanko’s younger daughter) and her husband, Larry, outbid the dealer. The Lesters have already returned the five medals to Sanford. At the Memorial Day Service in May 2007, these World War II medals will be presented formally to the Head of School. Subsequently, they will be displayed in Stephen May Hall in secured frames. I purchased a number of things including: items requested by alumni unable to attend, school awards, small items of special interest only to Sanford or a particular alumna/us, and some items of special interest to me as an alumna and a long-time member of the faculty. Peter Buttenheim, Director of Advancement, assisted me with the procurement of some very special Sunny Hills and Sanford items that are now housed safely in our new display cases in Stephen May Hall.

“for me, the greatest pleasure was sharing items i purchased with other members of the Sanford School family and putting other items into the Sanford archives.”

As Nancy’s collection had so many different items of Americana, we were never quite sure how the bidding would turn out on a particular item. For instance, a beautiful 18" x 24" x 16" wooden box, hand carved in our school shop, sold for over $2,000. On the lovely hand-carved lid were the initials E.Q.S. (Ellen Quigley Sawin). Auctioneer John McGrellis of Hockessin moved from table to table on each of the five auction days urging buyers, dealers, and collectors to purchase: paintings, sketches, tools, farm items, books (many! Nancy wrote 23 books!), decoys, carpentry planes (over 200!), trinkets, furniture, pottery, glass, antiques, and pieces of Sanford history. For those of you who never saw Nancy’s North Light Studio, it is hard to visualize the breadth and depth of her collection. Strangely, at the end of the fifth day of the auction there was a real sense of completeness. Yes, the Nancy C. Sawin Auction was the passing of an era. We had not sad but happy memories. For me, the greatest pleasure was sharing items I purchased with other members of the Sanford School family and putting other items into the Sanford archives. Alumni spent freely and happily at the five auctions knowing that the proceeds would be used to purchase additional long-term health insurance for Nancy Sawin. I cannot think of a better way that we could have used Nancy’s collection than to benefit her comfort and care at Regal Heights Health Care (formerly known as Hockessin Hills).

Jackie Pitts ’55 Instructor of Mathematics

Former Sanford teacher Dr. Janet Smith (left) and retired University of Delaware Assistant Athletic Director Dr. Marry Ann Campbell were among the nearly 1,000 people who attended the two auctions.

OnCampus founder’s Day

features a very special award winner and a surprise visitor

When Head of School Chip MacKelcan announced that School Nurse Janis Kardash was the winner of this year’s Founder’s Day award, the crowd of more than 800 people responded with cheers, applause, and a standing ovation. In addition to receiving the award during the September 22nd ceremony, Janis was honored with tributes presented by Lower School teacher Joyce Goldberg and Middle School teacher Carol Moore. Making the event even more memorable for Janis was the attendance of her son Eric Kardash and his wife Amy.

Founder’s Day award winner Janis Kardash (center) is congratulated by her daughter-in-law Amy and son Eric who secretly arrived on campus just before the ceremony.

Middle School teacher Carol Moore pays tribute to Sanford’s “own special wizard,” Janis Kardash.

Kindergartner Henry Whitman enjoys the Founder’s Day program.

Lower School teacher Joyce Goldberg, following the delivery of her presentation, congratulates Janis.

Janis Kardash, seated between kindergarten teacher Marty Goff and former longtime Sanford employee Kathy Sexton, is shocked to learn that she is this year’s award recipient.

Fourth grade students, delighted that Janis is being honored, share their joy following the ceremony.

Looking back… Class of 1939 graduate returns to campus

W

hile students and staff members celebrated Sanford’s 76th birthday on Founder’s Day, September 22, 2006, the Sanford community had the pleasure of a surprise visit from Robert Russell, Class of 1939. Robert, who currently resides in Englewood, Florida, had not been back to campus in 67 years! After his visit he wrote to say:

Heartfelt thanks for the wonderful reception you gave me on my visit September 22. My niece, Key Leto of Kennett Square, Pa., and my daughter-in-law, Ilonka Russell of Yorba Linda, Ca., were also favorably impressed that you all treated us like royalty in giving us tours of the campus, took us to observe the Founders Day ceremony, visited with many members of the staff, and surprised me with copies of my yearbook and information about my classmates.

Day

I was very pleased and impressed to see the plaque for WWII veterans which includes the names Aston Geipel, Tom McCarthy, and Howard Jarvis, all of the fellow classmates and members of the Sunny Hills football team of 1937-1939.

I truly appreciate the many gifts you gave me and I will use them and display them to my family and friends. I will also attempt to contact the members of my class. I want to apologize to them and to all of you for not remaining in contact for so many years. My visit was like a dream; I realized I had missed so much of the obvious successful growth of the school and that Mrs. Ellen Sawin, Phillip, Nancy, and the family would be so proud.

I will remain in contact and hope I can reach my classmates. If you have any email addresses for them I would appreciate that information.

Thanks to you all again.

Sincerely,

Robert Russell

201 Persimmon St., Englewood FL 34223

rjrflr201@ewol.com

1939 C lass P ro P he C y

Written by Class President Robert Russell

We, of the third graduating class of Sunny Hills School, have the honor of being the first graduating class of Sanford Preparatory School. The high ideals and standards set for us by the preceding classes make us work hard indeed. We have realized these ideals throughout the same mediums as they: by working and playing together, and through the ever-present force of the spirit that lies behind anything done here. The standards of former classes were lived up to only by means of the will to accomplish something worthwhile. Now, at the end of our Senior year, we look back and realize the great responsibility that rested on our group and has rested and will rest on every Senior class; that of setting a higher and higher goal of mental and spiritual development for the succeeding classes to strive for and surpass. It is our hope that we have given a fuller meaning to the words “a Senior at Sunny Hills.”

We have, along with our formal schooling, learned something else; that it is our duty to step into the world and put into practice the practical education we have received. In living this real life, filled with happiness and good-will, we will improve not only our own lives but every life coming in contact with us. In doing this we reflect the training given us at Sanford Preparatory School.

Some of the class of ’39 will go on to colleges and universities to continue their studies; some will go directly into the business and social world; while some will remain at Sunny Hills. Whatever they may do or wherever they may be, their one goal in life will be to repay Sunny Hills for having given them a spiritual and mental foundation for living. It is indeed the hardest debt to repay, but we feel sure that every member of the first graduating class of Sanford Preparatory School will try with all the faculties he possesses to do it.

Following the Founder’s Day ceremony, Robert Russell ’39 and Head of School Chip MacKelcan had the opportunity to talk about Sanford’s past, present, and future.

OnCampus

Sanford Students and alumni recognized for Service and academic distinction

The Brandywine Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has honored last year’s sixth grade class at Sanford School with the 2006 Youth in Philanthropy Group Award. The students were recognized for a variety of philanthropic work, including:

• Overseeing school-wide fundraising efforts to raise $6,400 for Hope Academy in Biloxi, Mississippi, a small Christian academy that was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina

• Cleaning up Mount Zion Cemetery, an African American cemetery in Wilmington which had been abandoned for fifteen years

• Helping disabled players participating in the Wheelchair Tennis Tournament at the Wilmington Country Club

• Creating and maintaining flower gardens at Sanford School.

The award was presented during AFP’s Philanthropy Day luncheon in November 2006 at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware.

The Brandywine Chapter hosts Philanthropy Day each year to recognize and pay tribute to contributions that philanthropists and fundraisers make in the community.

Annie Rose Baum and Chris Hickey, currently seventh grade students at Sanford, accepted the award on behalf of the class.

eighteen former and current Sanford students have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) exams.

Kristine Wong ’06 qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a 5-point scale on all AP exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more exams.

Seven students, all 2006 graduates, qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more exams. The students are Mark Dalle Pazze, Katherine Keeports, Erica King, Caroline Ryon, Nita Sitaram, Amanda Stoeckicht, and Jeffrey Townsend

Ten students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more exams with grades of 3 or higher on four or more exams. These students are Henry Allingham ’06, Kyle Altshuler ’06, John Ellis ’06, Alexis Esbitt ’06, Alexander Krenz ’07, Christopher Miller ’07, Patricia Monahan ’06, Michele Rodeck ’07, Varoon Sachdev ’07, and Amanda Vent ’06.

The AP Program offers high school students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP exams. Students took AP Exams in May 2006 after completing their courses at Sanford.

Middle School Director of Learning Services Keith Blades (left), who led the Mt. Zion Cemetery clean-up, joins Annie Rose Baum, Chris Hickey, and Middle School Head Eph Humphreys for the Philanthropy Day celebration.

Ida Smith

h O n O red

On Friday, October 27, 2006, family members, Sanford faculty members, and friends gathered in the Stephen May Hall Commons to honor Ida Smith—and her late husband, Sidney.

For many years, Ida Smith was a very special employee of Sanford School—taking care of Mother Sawin, assisting Nancy Sawin, and working on the school staff. At the same time, Sidney was a long-term member of the Buildings and Grounds crew serving under Yanko Cajnar.

Marnie Sawin Langerak ’43 and Bill Sawin ’45 co-hosted the reception with the Sanford Advancement Office providing support and refreshments. Director of Advancement Peter Buttenheim welcomed everyone, paid tribute to Ida and Sid, and urged everyone to go to the main lobby of Quigley Hall to see the new plaque in honor of Ida and in memory of Sid. The bronze plaque is directly across the entryway from the portrait of Ellen Quigley Sawin. The plaque reads:

ida and S idne Y SM i T h

This plaque honors Ida and Sidney Smith for their many years of service to the Sawin Family and Sanford School

dedi C a T ed 2006

No less than thirty members of Ida’s family attended the reception including both of her sons and three of her five daughters as well as their spouses, Ida’s grandchildren, and, we believe, one great grandchild! Twenty friends, faculty members, and Sanford staff also attended and enjoyed re-connecting with Ida and the extended Smith Family. Ida now lives in Long Neck, DE. Everyone in attendance had a grand time!

Ida (seated, center) is surrounded by several of the many friends and family members who attended including (standing, from left to right): Bill Sawin ’45, Janie Smith Boehn, Carol Smith Paloni ’64, Barbie Smith Fischer ’63, Marnie Sawin Langerak ’43, (seated, from left to right): Robert Smith, and Chuck Smith. Two of Ida’s children, Susie Smith Gressick ’69 and Sandy Smith Boucher ’74, were unable to attend the ceremony.

faculty focus Learning that Goes Beyond the Classroom

in 1982, Sanford established a club, Project Beyond, whose purpose was to give students the opportunity to learn science, math, engineering, and technology in an informal setting without the pressure of grades or assignments, i.e. to learn by completing projects that go “beyond” the classroom. The challenge for the advisors has been to find projects that sustain student interest and still have educational value. When Chris Wilkens, Class of 2002 and now a senior in engineering at MIT, suggested that we build an entry for Punkin’ Chunkin’, I was very dubious about the value of throwing orange missiles from devices originally used as weapons of medieval siege. At first, my attitude was to test student commitment by laying out a set of secondary goals that would have to be met before we could proceed with the idea. To my amazement, the goals stimulated incredible creativity and ingenuity. Students began by building models of trebuchets and catapults out of Legos, moved on to building and testing larger scale prototypes, and then followed with blueprint-type design sketches. Within a few months, I was teaching students how to use a hammer and how to center holes in pressure-treated lumber. That first year, we placed third in the youth catapult division by throwing a four-pound pumpkin a distance of 284 feet.

In the meantime, students had measured the spring constant of hospital rubber tubing and determined that it would provide us with up to 700 pounds of force. Students had plotted trajectories from videos of our launches and had determined how to assure that our missile would launch at an optimum angle. To cock such a device was a series of lessons in mechanical advantage and efficiency of machines. Testing various lengths of booms became a study in isolating variables. Students were learning physics without the burden of tests or formal lab reports, and I was teaching on a needto-know basis. A “crazy” idea had become a very engaging way to teach and learn.

Since then, we have designed three additional trebuchets, devices that draw their energy from the dropping of counterweights on a lever arm. Wonderful students have taken leadership roles in the design and launch of our devices. Among them are Jeff Boehmer ’05, a physics major at Bucknell; Gavin Lotz-Kaiser ’05, an engineering major at Lehigh; and Jeff Townsend ’06, a physics major at Carleton College. These students, and others, have left me in awe of what motivated high school students can accomplish. Along the way, we have had the expert help of the University of Delaware’s Dr. Tripp Shenton, a civil engineer and father of one of our “chunkers.” He has designed simulations of our devices that have helped us isolate the key variables in maximizing our throws. More importantly, he has given me an important tool to help students understand the physics of the device and also the role

(shown here with Tommy Burns) in the Youth 11–17

Team members strain to cock the

trebuchet.

Project Beyond’s efforts earned the team a third-place award

Trebuchet division of the competition.

of computers and modeling in the design process. Calculating the launch velocity of the pumpkin requires analysis of the kinetic and potential energies of the various components of the launch mechanism, the moment of inertia and torques of the lever arm, and the geometry that governs their relative positions. It is an interesting twist that the project that was designed to spread learning beyond the classroom has found its way into the classroom to become a rich learning and teaching tool. It is a case where the students have become the teacher.

Pun K in’ Chun K in’ ’06

This year’s trebuchet was based on a “whipper design”—a design that caught the eye of students at last year’s event. Tommy Burns took the lead in contacting fellow competitors for advice on creating our design. This proved a key tactic in ultimately constructing the only youth catapult with this more advanced and potentially superior design. By March, Tommy had built a 3-foot high prototype that launched baseballs 50 feet in the air and clear across Sanford’s 100-foot pond. In June, we picked up the materials, generously donated by Danby Lumber (Peter ’04, Stephen ’00, and Scott ’98) The trebuchet was built in July, and, by August, we were testing with melons and cantaloupes since pumpkins were not yet available. Trials were promising from the very start, and, in front of a Homecoming crowd, we were already

broke the school record set in ’02 by legendary engineer genius Chris Wilkens ’03. With darkness setting in and a broken winch, we had to prepare for an eight o’clock launch the next morning. A group of loyal parents scoured local hardware stores for a replacement while team member Keegan McGregor ’07 went from team to team looking for an extra winch. He was successful, and we installed the replacement under the light of a flashlight. For the final launch we decided to use the maximum counterweight of 360 pounds. Luckily

“everything about the machine, from the designing, to constructing, through testing and competing, is all based on the scientific method. The whole thing is like one big physics lab, with the objective being to find new and better ways to throw a pumpkin. at the end of Punkin’ Chunkin’ we look at our results, just like in a lab, and form a conclusion. This conclusion carries on to the next year, where we used what we learned before to do even better. With this perspective, failures can be counted as successes because through our mistakes, we learn how not to build Punkin’ Chunkin’ machines.”

getting 400 feet from the device with only half the maximum counterweight. To the disappointment of all, the all-school launch resulted in a backward throw—the pumpkin landed in the gym parking lot instead of over the pond. The hook on the boom had come loose, but we redeemed ourselves with a 374-foot throw on the first day of the competition. The second day, the team was tested. The winch broke under the strain of months of testing and the 260-pound counterweight had to be lifted fifteen feet into the air by an improvised procedure that required strength and quick thinking on the part of everyone. The team pulled together for a successful launch, one that

• Tommy Burns, Class of 2007

the machine performed well with a distance of 587 feet, enough to earn third place in the competition. Wait until next year!!

Congratulations to this year’s launch and design team: Louis Baum ’09, Alex Beattie ’09, Jesse Brown ’08, Tommy Burns ’07, Brian Chorman ’09, Chris Copeland ’09, Keegan McGregor ’07, Lauren Ritter ’09, Josh Smith ’09, Jesse Taylor ’09, Richard Townsend ’09, Cameron Vansant ’09, and Maggie Younger ’09.

André Dagenais Science Department Chair & Punkin’ Chunkin’ Coach

Project Beyond team members (from left to right) Richard Townsend, Louis Baum, Jessie Taylor (front, center), Josh Smith (behind Jessie), Cameron Vansant, and Tommy Burns are pleased with the results following one of their test firings.

Sanford alumnus exhibits paintings accent on the

damian Maurice Saunders ’96 recently held his first major solo exhibition, “The New Cotton Fields,” at Gallery 10, LTD, in Washington DC. The show ran from November 29 through December 30, 2006. Among those who attended a reception for the event were Sanford art teachers Betty O’Regan and Nina Silverman, members of Damian’s family, and other friends and customers (old and new).

“The New Cotton Fields” is an expression of Damian’s experience with corporate America. He is currently working on two new series of paintings—“Black Tax” and “Chaos.” “Black Tax” is a series about the play on the word black in which Damian will use different black icons and screen print them on canvas. “Chaos” is about the different relationships in Damian’s life that have changed his landscape for the better and also the worst.

Damian says that his influences were VanGogh, Jean Michel Basquiat, Larry Rivers, and Jacob Lawrence.

Sanford art teachers Betty O’Regan (left) and Nina Silverman (right), shown here with Damian, say they are extremely proud of his accomplishments.

Sanford’s national Junior art honor Society earns Local recognition

N

ew to Sanford School is a chapter of the National Junior Art Honor Society (NJAHS). NJAHS emphasizes art scholarship, leadership, and service. Students in the seventh and eighth grades have joined this organization and have successfully completed their first project, a donation for the Ministry of Caring’s “Voices of Caring” Auction on December 3, 2006. Volunteer Jean Gross, from the Ministry, visited Sanford while the painting of a children’s table and chairs set was in progress. Her response to the “Under the Sea” theme chosen for this project was one of great excitement. After the auction, Jean commented that Sanford’s contribution to the charity “stole the show! ” High school art departments from across the state had been invited to support this charity event by transforming children’s furniture to raise funds for the care of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at the three day care centers supported by the Ministry’s work. The mothers of the children in this program are residents of the Ministry of Caring shelters.

Sanford NJAHS members, who carefully planned the theme and painting of their table to appeal to young children, included the use of bright colors and lively fish “swimming” across the tabletop. Decorative bead “bubbles” and colorful

wire sculpted fish were suspended from the sides of the table creating a lively addition to the design. Each of the two chairs was painted to coordinate with the overall theme and included decorative elements of dolphins and seashells. Sanford’s NJAHS was the only middle school group of art students involved in this endeavor.

It was a positive experience for Sanford middle school members of NJAHS to participate in this Ministry project. Not new to service, the students embraced this project and spent many extra hours completing the painting on schedule.

The National Junior Art Honor Society meets Tuesday morning before school at 7:30 a.m. in the middle school art room. The days and weeks preceding the completion of the table, the members met nearly every day and often stopped in during their lunch break to check on progress or to add a coat of varnish to protect the painting. The table created great interest during its brief stay in the upper school art room.

The members of NJAHS include Steffi Cramer ’11, Isabel Reid ’11, Catherine Jones ’11, Taylor Denham ’12, Jasmine Caulfield ’11, Karnika Kisnadwala ’12, Katie Pustolski ’11, and Abigail Onley ’11. Students interested in joining the organization should contact Meg Fierro in Stephen May Hall.

Future plans for NJAHS include designing a mural. The group is also discussing the possibility of a sidewalk painting day.

Meg Fierro, Art Educator

Ministry of Caring volunteer Jean Gross (center), seen here with Isabel Reid ’11 and Steffi Cramer ’11, said Sanford’s contribution to the auction “stole the show.”

Karnika Kisnadwala ’12, Jasmine Caulfield ’11, and Catherine Jones ’11 join talents as they paint the base coat of their underwater themed table. This unique table featured beaded wire fish, which hung from the edges.

SrTC presents... rumors

On November 10th and 11th, the Sanford Repertory Theatre Company opened its 14th season with Neil Simon’s Rumors. Here are a few scenes from the comedic classic which was presented in Geipel Gymnasium.

Lenny (Alex Krenz, second from left), pretending to be Charley, makes up an elaborate story to explain the events of the evening to the police (Sara Zolnick and Nolan Silverstein), as Cassie (Elizabeth Perry) looks on.

Claire (Ella Wagner) worries that she won’t remember the story that has been concocted to cover-up the shooting.

Lenny (Alex Krenz, right) explains the detailed story one more time to panicked party guests Ken (Varoon Sachdev), Chris (Elly Smokler), and Claire (Ella Wagner).

Glenn (Kane Kalas) accidentally reveals to the police that a shooting has occurred.

Husband & wife Glenn (Kane Kalas) and Cassie (Elizabeth Perry) get into an argument shortly after they arrive at the party.

home & School news

The 2006-2007 school year got off to an exciting start. We held our traditional Fall Event on October 20, 2006. This year’s theme, A Tribute to Time, had everyone celebrating the decades of the 20s through the 80s. The retro decorating theme, creative costumes, and greatest hits from yesterday, transported everyone back in time for a fun-filled fabulous evening. A special thank you to all the volunteers who made this event possible.

Our annual Caroling on the Quad highlighted the holiday festivities with students participating from all three divisions. The weather was unusually mild, which encouraged even the most “thin skinned” to come out for singing and holiday cheer. Thank you to Sandy King for organizing this very special event.

On Tuesday, February 13th, the Four School Parent Awareness Committee of Sanford School, Tatnall, Tower Hill, and Wilmington Friends, presented author and child psychologist Dan Kindlon, P.hD. Kindlon is the best-selling author of Raising Cain and Too Much of A Good Thing. His presentation focused on raising children of character in an over indulgent age.

Mark your calendars for the Spring Auction! This year’s event, which is being co-chaired by Belle Natali, Kathy Healy, Kathy Zabel, and Amy Kuplinski, will be held at Deerfield Country Club on Saturday, April 21, 2007. This year’s theme, Go Wild for Sanford, promises to be a fun and unforgettable evening. Please plan to attend.

Additional Home and School Association information and updates, including minutes from our meetings, can be found on the Sanford website.

Kristen Kuhn, President, Home & School Association

here are some of the Sanford families who stepped back in time at the home & School fall event.

Ronald and Sharon Peacock

Judy Weinstein, Kathy Healy, Kathy Zabel, and Lydia Cox

Brian and Shelley Goudy

Gregg Somerville, Ed Weinstein, and John Kuhn

Tspotlight on aThLeTiCS Joan

he primary purpose of a school is to provide a comprehensive education for its students. When one first thinks of “education”, our mind is drawn to the classroom where great learning takes place from dedicated teachers covering traditional and non-traditional academic subjects. As we know, in most schools there is also great learning that takes place in areas outside of the traditional classroom setting. Like the performing arts, visual arts, theatre productions, and various clubs, athletics is one of those extra-curricular areas which provides students an opportunity for further growth, development, and learning.

Participation in athletics at Sanford School teaches our students valuable lessons in teamwork, dedication, commitment, creativity, time management, and dealing appropriately with victory and defeat. In addition, it provides a social benefit for our students, aids in stress relief, and contributes to a student’s overall well-being from a health perspective. And, like other extra-curricular activities at Sanford, participation in athletics is a way for students to contribute to the life of our school.

In our “family” at Sanford, it is necessary that students, faculty, and families “give back” to the school through participation in various activities. It is important for all of us associated with the school to support one another in our endeavors. Those in athletics need to support those in the theatre, the chorus, the band, or clubs. Likewise, those involved in the arts and clubs need to support those in athletics. A family works that way, showing support for one another regardless of the activity.

With the winter season well underway, there are numerous athletic events to attend each week enabling you to show your support for our athletes and coaches. It looks to be another successful winter season with the girls’ swim team, wrestling, and both girls’ and boys’ basketball all in the News Journal Top Ten rankings early in the season. Be a contributor to the life of Sanford. Please support the many activities of our School!

GO WARRIORS!!!!!

Joan S. Samonisky, Director of Athletics

volleyball

Soccer

spotlight on aThLeTiCS

field hockey

Cross Country

fielD hoCKey

First Team All Conference: Paris Waterman, Hannah Kuranz, Anna Roosevelt

Second Team All Conference: Diana Aulisa, Jana Koehler, Milbrey Hendrix, Whitney King, Morgan Ayars

Senior All Star Game: Hannah Kuranz

First Team All State: Paris Waterman

Volleyball

First Team All Conference: Christan Robinson

Second Team All Conference: Jaime Milliski

Honorable Mention All Conference: Loryn Green, Katie Potter

Senior All Star Game Nominee: Christan Robinson

SoCCer

First Team All Conference: Matt Davis, Randy Reed

Second Team All Conference: Ian Thresher, Kevin Walpole, Brandon Wollaston

Honorable Mention All Conference: Brian Thresher

Senior All Star Game: Matt Davis, Randy Reed

Second Team All State: Matt Davis

CroSS Country

First Team All Conference: Brooks Burnett, Kim Madden

All County All Conference: Brooks Burnett, Kim Madden

Second Team All State: Kim Madden

Homecoming 2006

WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS YEAR’S HOMECOMING? FOR SOME, IT WAS THE PLEASURE THEY DERIVED FROM TAKING PART IN ANNUAL, TRADITIONAL EVENTS. FOR OTHERS, MAGIC WAS MADE WHEN THEY CONTRIBUTED TO REBUILDING A SMALL SCHOOL IN MISSISSIPPI BY PARTICIPATING IN THE RUN FOR HOPE. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT MADE HOMECOMING 2006 A MEMORABLE SANFORD CELEBRATION

Following the Alummi Field Hockey Game, Marcia Mernea-Conkey ’87 “sticks” with husband Brian Conkey, their daughter Amelia, and baby Noah.

Chip MacKelcan (rear, center) welcomes 1998 Alumni Award recipient Dr. Jim Stinnett ’56 (rear, left) and this year’s honorees Bob Crawford ’54 (rear, right), Dr. Ian Gallicano ’84 (front, left), and Melissa Naul Clarke ’71. Former Sanford teacher Sara Yearsley, who was unable to attend, also received a 2006 award.

of School Chip

Dottie Stewart Gray ’57 and Don Gray arrive for registration.

Patricia Crossan Martin ’57, John Hunt ’56, Paul Clarke ’56, Jerry Gebhard ’65, Gail Clarke ’55, John Ramsey ’66, Perry Vitale ’58, Rick Huddelson ’55, Jay Morie ’55, and Ginny Gates May ’66 (front,center) check out the Spirit Store in Pirnie Hall.

The Alumni Golf Tournament, held at Delcastle Recreational Center, brought smiles to the faces of John Hunt ’56, Martina Cajnar Crompton’74, and Ricky Huddelson ’55.

The added weight of Sanford Man attire didn’t prevent Trae Humphreys ’08 (center) from taking third place in the Run for Hope, a fundraiser to help rebuild a school destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Middle School faculty members Keith Blades (left) and Susan DeSantis presented Trae’s award.

Head

MacKelcan (left) says a few words following Amanda Rufo’s ’05 (right) remarks during the dedication of the Nora Yates Gazebo. The gazebo was a gift to Nora (center) and the school from the Class of 2005.

Homecoming 2006

Pat Martin ’57 (left) and Candy Wilson (wife of Ben Wilson ’58) relax on the deck outside Quigley Dining Hall.

Recent graduates Alex Carrington ’06, David Emerson ’06, Jeff Turkula ’06, and Mark Carrington ’06 rose to the competition of the Alumni Soccer Game.

Future runner Thomas Plant enjoyed the activities with mom, Middle School science teacher Liz Plant.

Sanford grandparent Dolores Petit (right) — grandmother to Alex ’08, Andrew ’11, and Lauren ’11 Olivieri — and her friend Sylvia Loos joined the hundreds of people who participated in the Run for Hope.

For Lower School teacher Sue Bachtle, her husband Dan, and children Lilly ’20 and Henry, the Run for Hope was a family affair.

advancement UPdaTe

annual fund Update

This year’s Annual Fund is off to a great start with more than $380,000 raised towards our goal of $500,000. Thank you to the many alumni, parents, former parents, and friends of Sanford who have already made a gift or pledge to the ’06-’07 Annual Fund campaign.

If you are interested in helping us maintain this momentum and have not yet made a gift to this year’s Annual Fund, please consider making a gift online at www.sanfordschool.org. Or, you may use the envelope included in this magazine.

Since Sanford has fewer supporters than a university or large charity, every gift counts! The Annual Fund helps to bridge the gap between revenue raised from tuition and our operating expenses. Please help sustain the future of the school by supporting this very important effort this year, and every year. Thank you.

For more information about the Annual Fund, call 302.239.5263, ext. 229.

Karen Riordan, Director of Annual Fund

a lumni i tem S of i ntere S t

• Sanford School is developing a Memorial Day ceremony for May 2007. We need boys’ blazers from the boarding school days to be worn at the ceremony by Head of School Chip MacKelcan and selected faculty and students who will represent those who left Sunny Hills and Sanford Preparatory schools to serve in the military and defend the peace. Please contact the Advancement Office (302.239.5263 or alumni@sanfordschool.org) if you have any appropriate attire to donate.

• Sanford’s “Big Dining Room” in Quigley Hall now flies flags representing the 52 countries that our alumni and student body represent. On three walls, there are more than one hundred photographs of students and faculty from Sanford’s first fifty years. Approximately eighty more photographs will be added to this collection. Oil paintings of Sanford’s past grace the fourth wall.

• Our “new” Stephen May Hall houses showcases filled with memorabilia of the past and present including: gavel pins, student honors, athletic banquet programs, and campus photographs. This collection also includes: a Sunny Hills Journal, football warm ups, a photo of Professor Wunderer and the first Sanford Orchestra, copies of Golden Leaves, The Governor’s Proclamation honoring Sanford’s first 75 years, a 1951 lacrosse stick, and much more. All members of the Sanford family are urged to examine these cases while visiting the campus.

Jackie Pitts ’55, Instructor of Mathematics

Calling all Alumni: Auction items wanted!

the 2007 SanforD home & SChool SPring auCtion on april 21st needs your help. Please donate event tickets, sports memorabilia, art, time shares, etc. Use your imagination. remember all donated items are tax deductible. help us to make this the most successful auction yet.

Sanford alumni notes Sanford alumni notes

David Fristoe ’44 has a new right knee and was back out on the golf course in the spring! Not bad for 81 years old!

Correction to an earlier alumna note: Grace Caley Feist ’45 was hoping, but unable, to make it to the 75th homecoming anniversary which coincided with her 60th class reunion and the end of World War II. Since leaving Sanford and Ohio State University, Grace has taught art, edited a three-county farm paper, raised three sons and one granddaughter (after the death of her father—their youngest son), and restored an 1846 house. Grace’s days are now spent catching up on all those books she never had time to read!

Ann Ellis Salwey ’51 has been very busy since retiring from teaching. She has participated in a recital at Carnegie Hall and in the making of a CD. Ann has coached Scottish dialect for a NY production. She is also president of the Co-Op Board. Ann has visited friends in Croatia,

Geneva, and the UK. She now enjoys reading for pleasure, not work. Delphine Olivieri ’52 is her neighbor, right across the street.

Brownie Noble ’52 wrote, “In the midst of concern about my husband Ray’s failing health, we enjoyed my grandson’s wedding—Jamie Marsh married Leslie Preston on November 18th. How the years fly by!”

All is well in sunny Florida for Chari and Ron Rosenwald ’58. They told us they missed seeing the Sunny Hills this year at Homecoming—but next year for sure! They send their best to all.

Chuck Greaves ’63 recently told us that Sanford played a pivotal role in his life. After Sanford, Chuck graduated from Davis & Elkins College and went on to receive his Masters degree from Bowie State University. Chuck said, “I prospered in the real estate business. My wife and I retired early to Rehoboth Beach with my three kids, Jennifer, Lauren, and Robby. I would love to hear from classmates. My email address is greavesc@aol.com.”

Barbara Ford Chesbro ’63 has been working at Boeing for 8½ years. She has been singing with University Presbyterian Church Cathedral Choir for 29 years. Barbara told us she is waiting for her daughters Dawn, 28, and Cindy, 24, to finish college. Her son Kevin, 39, works for Chevrolet, and his son Chris, 18, is going to Bellevue Community College.

Bea Hrab Stuber ’64 graduated in May 2006 with Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. It was done before her 60th birthday that following September! Congratulations Bea.

While recently on a tour of the Treasury Building with a group of SunTrust Mortgage employees, Ray Hrabec ’67 struck up a conversation with a total stranger. When he asked her where she went school, Ray was totally shocked when she said Sanford School. It turned out to be Rosemary Long Ellis ’74!

Andy Dunn ’69 told us, “We now have four grandchildren— two boys and two girls. Our oldest daughter just moved to Boston, and we miss them a lot. We are lucky our next three daughters live close to home. Diane and I spent three weeks in Italy in September and sailed back to the states on the Queen Mary. It was great! I’m hoping the class has a 40th reunion. I missed the 35th, and I would love to see everyone.”

Steve Rose ’69 told us, “Well, it has happened, but I feel too young to have kids this age. My elder daughter has started college while my younger daughter is a sophomore in high school. Kids grow up too fast. I left NIH a year and a half ago to lead the research and clinical efforts to find preventions, treatments, and cures for blinding retinal diseases, like retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration at the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

All the best to all my classmates, and, if anyone is in the D.C./ Baltimore, area I’d love to get together.”

“Hello to all fellow alumni,” Anastasia McHugh Chirnside ’73 said. “I hope to see many of you at homecoming—35 years for 1972! Rob and I live on a small farm in Cecil County, MD with our two children, Katie (15 years old), and Nate (19 years old). For the past 26 years I have been a research scientist (engineer) in the Bio-resources Engineering Dept. at the University of Delaware. I would love to hear from classmates. My brother George ’72 is in San Diego, CA.”

Bill Kent ’72 is currently a Junior ROTC Instructor in the US Air Force.

Donna Wiener Anderson ’76 has been married for 21 years to Douglas. They have two boys. Jason, 19 years old, is in his second year of college. Phillip is l7 years old and a senior in high school. Donna has been working at the Greenwood Public Library for 13 years.

Aaron Tanzer ’78 has recently moved back home to Delaware to lead the consulting engineering activities at Lehigh Testing Laboratories. His job is primarily centered on conducting forensic investigations of industrial failures. Aaron’s job is to try to establish how and why the failures occurred using his background as a materials engineer.

Sanford alumni notes Sanford alumni notes

Ann Gillespie ’79 has just started a new job. She is now a research historian for Historical Research Associates, Inc. in Seattle. It’s a Cultural Resources Management (CRM) firm with offices in Missoula (Montana), Seattle, and Portland (Oregon). Ann will be doing National Register of Historic Places nominations, Section 106 Reviews, and other historical research. In her spare time, Ann told us, she does volunteer work

for Historic Seattle, the local historic preservation agency. Her masters thesis, “Wick Avenue 1940-1967: Millionaire’s Row and Youngstown State University,” is in its final draft. So, though she’s been back in Seattle since June, it will be December when Ann officially graduates from Youngstown State University with an MA in history, a graduate certificate in historic preservation, and departmental distinction.

Ashton Aiken ’82 took a recent trip to Punta Canta in the Dominican Republic. His party caught two record fish—an 80 lb. mahimahi and a 65 lb. one, too. A female friend caught the 80 lb. fish and Ashton caught the 65 lb. fish. He said, “Vacation fishing stories like this don’t happen very often!” Ashton told us, “After 14 years of marriage, I am single again and living alone in Spring City, PA. I am enjoying life at its fullest. I have a nine-year-old daughter that lives with me sometimes! Hope to be able to see the campus soon!” Ashton is the owner of Elite Pool Service.

J. Mark Donovan ’82 (above) wanted us to know that 2006 was a banner year (new child, new degree, new job). Mark earned an MS in statistics from Northwestern in 1990 and his Ph.D. in biostatistics from University of Penn in May 2006. He was working full time while enrolled in the Ph.D. program at U Penn and said, “While completing the degree is more grueling when one is working full time, it also felt more fully earned and I feel that it was overall worth it.” In the picture, Mark is holding Eric Donovan, his first son, born April 2006. Mark said, “The timing could not be more perfect, as the birth came 2 weeks after I defended and 2 weeks before I graduated—so that I could finish AND we could take him with us to my ceremony.”

Congratulations Mark!

Aaron Burgstein ’90, a major in the US Air Force, was selected to attend Navy Command and Staff College in Newport, RI next

summer. In an effort to be more joint-service orientated, he also ran the Army 10-miler and his second Marine Corps Marathon.

Seema Venkatachalam ’91 is currently on the faculty at Emory University in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to providing women’s health care, she is also involved with medical student and resident education. Seema is continuing with her international health focus as well, most recently returning from Cameroon where she provided prenatal and infertility care through the Department of Health. Both Seema and her sister, Sandhya ’02, continue to travel the world, with their most recent journeys being scuba trips to Egypt and Belize.

Alison Cowley Hallett ’93 is an animal heath officer in Staffordshire, England. She is expecting her first baby in May 2007!

Sanford alumni notes Sanford alumni notes

Katie Kettrick Gray ’94 wrote to say, “Just a note to update the Sanford family…My husband and I still live in sunny St. Augustine, Florida and welcomed our second child on June 19, 2006. Gretchen Ruth weighed in at 8 lbs. 6 ozs. and joins big brother Aiden who turned 2 this past September. My husband has successfully started his own mechanical engineering design firm and I am busy filling the role of stay-at-home mom. As if being a mom of two wasn’t tiring enough, a friend of mine (also a mom of 2) and I started our own business with messy babies in mind. Check out www.winkwinkbaby.com; we would be happy to customize a burp cloth for any future Sanford School attendees! I hope all is well, especially with the class of 1994. Below is a picture of Gretchen Ruth Gray (now 6 months).”

Jaime Arruda ’94 and her husband, Kevin Scott, are pleased to announce the birth of Theo Logan Scott on August 28, 2006 in Denver, Colorado. Theo joins big brother, Charlie (2 years old). Jaime completed her residency in June 2006 at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, where she was Chief Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Jaime has taken a staff position at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

You’re Invited...

PleaSe Join uS for theSe 2006-2007 SanforD SChool eVentS.

march 2007

2-4 SRTC Musical (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice)–Geipel Gymnasium

april 2007

4 Lower School (JK-Grade 4) Admission Open House

25 Lower School Art Loop

26 Upper School Spring Concert–Geipel Gymnasium

may 2007

8 Middle/Upper School Art Show Reception–Stephen May Hall Commons Middle School Spring Concert–Geipel Gymnasium

16 JK–Grade 4 Spring Concert–Sports Center

18 Upper School Blue/Gold Assembly

June 2007

8 Commencement–William L. Aydelott Quadrangle

September 29.

Sanford alumni notes Sanford alumni notes

Ben Collins ’95AA is currently a Green Beret captain in the US Army. As of November 2006 he was deployed to Afghanistan. We wish him well!

Nick Darling ’96 is currently in Georgia on the USS FLORIDA, and will be struggling through a modernization–overhaul for the next few months. He told us he looks forward to being out of the Navy and experiencing some of the freedoms of civilian life again!

Kim Odle Fanny ’96 is currently teaching 6th grade at Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington. She lives in Middletown, DE with her husband and one-year old son.

Raja Ramachandran ’96 was sorry he had to miss his 10-year reunion in September, but it was a bit far away for him to swing by from Seattle. He felt it was great to hear from everyone, and he hopes everyone is doing well. Raj is finishing up 4 years in “sunny” Seattle and loving it there. He got married two and a half years ago. “Otherwise,” Raj says, “nothing much else is new... if any of you are ever in town, feel free to look me up, and stay in touch.”

Jenn Snavely ’96 was unable to attend her class reunion at Homecoming. She had this to say to her classmates, “Hey all! Sorry I was unable to attend the reunion and that it has taken me so long to reply. I was on call at the hospital. I graduated from

medical school and am doing my internship in Philly. I am so sorry I missed everyone. It would have been great to catch up. Maybe we will be able to get together before another 10 years go by! I was so happy to hear that everyone is doing well and it sounds like you all have

great jobs and exciting careers! There are days I wish we were all back in high school, though. Things were simpler then. Well I would love to hear from anyone. Take care all! Oh, and thanks for saving the world, Bryan, and thanks for keeping the beer flowing, Erik.”

Ament ’97 (second from right) recently wrote to say, “I am finishing a 7-month cruise onboard the USS Enterprise where I have worked as a systems administrator for Carrier Air Wing 1. I have provided computer network support to 7 different squadrons. The nuclear-powered Enterprise and embarked Carrier Air Wing 1 departed Naval Station Norfolk May 2 for a regularly scheduled six-month deployment in support of the global war on terrorism. The Enterprise Strike Group has been operating in the northern Arabian Sea in support of maritime security operations and Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Since close air support missions over Afghanistan began Sept. 3, Enterprise-based aircraft have focused their efforts on protecting ISAF ground forces near Kandahar and have flown more than 225 sorties and delivered more than 60 precision weapons against Taliban extremists in support of Operations Medusa and Enduring Freedom. It has been a challenging experience maintaining the computer systems in a diverse combat environment! I will be finishing my 4-year enlistment this March of 2007. I am pursuing a Masters degree in computer science and plan to work as an I.T. on Macdill Air Force Base in Tampa Fl. I am getting married to Julie Kozel of Naples Fl. in April 2007.”

Austin

Sanford alumni notes Sanford alumni notes

Erin Arruda Timmer ’96 is a history teacher at Abington Friends School in Abington, PA, where she also serves as the eighth-grade dean. Erin also coaches girls’ varsity soccer and middle school softball.

In October, Katie Compton ’97 participated in, and won, an international women’s cyclocross race at the Granogue Estate, near Wilmington, DE. She is a twotime U.S. national champion! In 2008, Katie will once again be pilot of a tandem cycling team who, with her legally blind teammate, won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze in the 2004 Paralympics. Many of Katie’s successes can be found on the web. Congratulations Katie!

Andrew Goldberg ’97 married his girlfriend of 7 years on September 3, 2006. They were married at Bellevue Hall in Wilmington. Andrew and his wife now live in Brooklyn, NY and he works for the NYSE Group as a senior marketing associate.

Melanie Kahler ’97 is teaching kindergarten in PA and with the summer school at Sanford. Melanie will be completing her Masters in education as a reading specialist in December.

Leah Moses ’97 and John Ferragamo, Jr. were married August 5, 2006 at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, with a reception following. Leah works as an

executive producer for New York 1 News. John is a graduate of Benjamin Franklin Institute of Boston and works for BNY ConvergEx. Following a honeymoon in St. Lucia, Leah and John returned to their home in Manhattan.

Pamela Dixon Ventola ’97 has begun a two-year post doctorate fellowship at Yale Medical School.

Michelle Bennett ’99 and Brandon Buglio ’99 wanted to let us know what has been keeping them busy this past year (besides planning the wedding)! Brandon will have a grand opening of his own business—The Poker Room, in Newark. Please visit www. DePokerRoom.com. Michelle has become a co-owner at Hockessin Dance Center (www. HockessinDanceCenter.com). This has been the studio where she taught all through high school.

David Kahler ’01 is in Reno, NV as a game developer.

Mike Scarborough ’01 is teaching high school history and social studies at Delaware Military Academy. He graduated from Elon University cum laude.

Monique Broomer ’02 graduated from Hampton University in May. She moved to the Virginia area near DC and says that she loves her job and her life!

Submit a lumni n ote S t o: Alumni Notes, Sanford School, P.O. Box 888, Hockessin, DE 19707-0888 or email: alumni@sanfordschool.org

Sanford alumna, now at harvard, receives Community leadership award

Meghan Pasricha ’04, recently received a Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative (NEI) award. Meghan was selected as one five Local Heroes™, community heroes whose achievements and leadership on local issues contribute significantly to neighborhood vitality. As a recipient of this award, Meghan received a $5,000 grant to be donated to an eligible nonprofit of her choice.

According to Bank of America, Meghan was chosen for the award because of her dedication to tobacco prevention programs in Delaware. While a student at Sanford, Meghan played a significant role in the campaign to make Delaware smoke-free. Her countless hours of dedication include serving as the founder and former president of the Anti-Tobacco Action Club. She is also past chairwoman of Delaware’s Kick Butts Generation. Meghan’s countless hours of dedication further include conducting awareness presentations at Delaware schools, ethnic festivals, school health fairs, and Special Olympics.

In addition to receiving one of Bank of America’s first annual NEI awards in Delaware, Meghan has also received the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Award for passage of Delaware’s Clean Indoor Air Act, and the Jefferson Award for Public Service. Meghan was voted “One of the Top 20 Teens Who Will Change the World” in 2005 by Teen People magazine.

Meghan will be allocating her $5,000 grant towards Global Youth H.E.L.P.

A 2004 graduate of Sanford School, Meghan is an undergraduate at Harvard College.

2006 NEI Local Heroes award winner Meghan Pasricha joins Bank of America executives (from left to right) Lance Weaver, International Executive; Richard K. Struthers, Delaware Market President; Bruce Hammonds, President, Card Services; and, Henry Fulton, Card Services Sales Executive.

Send us your news about your job, travel, weddings, births, schooling, visits with friends, etc., for the next issue of SAnfOrD magazine. You may also use this form for any name or address changes. Please print the information below, then cut out the form, and mail it to Sanford School, P.O. Box 888, Hockessin, DE 19707-0888

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Nancy Sawin

turn

S 90 on June 21, 2007

You can help nancy celebrate this special day by sending her a birthday card or letter. Send your correspondence to: n an C y Sawin P.O. Box 1228 hockessin, de 19707

read more about the nancy Sawin auctions, hosted by Sanford School, on pages 8–9.

Servi C e: Giving orReceiving?

and modest person, known as a great diagnostician and listener. In his younger days, he earned recognition as a terrific athlete (football and track) and as a person who loved the mountains, especially in New England, where he held summer jobs as a camp counselor and also as a hut boy on Mounts Washington and Madison. After medical school at Jefferson in Philadelphia, he set up his practice in Wilmington. Over time, he carved his niche as a doctor who made house calls after office hours were over for the day. At his funeral service in 1994, my four siblings asked me to speak on their behalf, and I referred to my father as the real-life Dr. Marcus Welby. He actually physically resembled President Gerald Ford, but that is a story for another day! His success in life, however, far transcended his position or class. He seemed to start each day believing that it was his responsibility to help as many people as possible. He served as the ultimate role model, always finding time for his big family and making it abundantly clear that our lives would be richer if we thought of others first. While none of his five children became a doctor, his message about looking out for others has been a beacon for all of us.

I made the decision to donate a kidney last summer, but the seed for this decision had been planted fifty years ago when I started paying attention to how my father treated other people and how they responded to his kindness and respect. Perhaps life was simpler back then, but the basic elements remain the same when it comes to constructing a meaningful life. Family is paramount, and service to others brings rewards that far outweigh any financial windfall anyone can imagine. With your help, our students have the instincts and the inclination to serve others as an integral part of their education.

Rather than provide all of the details about organ donation, I will tell you that the recipient, Harvey Lederman, a husband, a father of three daughters, and a highly respected doctor, has returned to work after a twelve-week period of recuperation. It has been an awe-inspiring experience to be a part of one of the miracles of modern medical science. Imagine waking up from the operation and learning that my old/his new kidney was functioning within thirty minutes of the transplant? Imagine seeing the look on the faces of Harvey’s parents when they realized that he has a fresh lease on life? Imagine speaking to your own children about the experience and hearing them talk about how many patients Harvey will be able to save now that he is healthy enough to continue his work? Imagine the whimsical sound of the woman pushing my wheelchair in the airport when I got off the plane in Philadelphia, coming home after a week in Springfield, Massachusetts, asking me if I had any more “parts” available for others in need? Imagine a Lower Schooler at Sanford asking her parents what will happen to Mr. MacKelcan if his only remaining kidney gets “sick” and then answering her own question before her parents could respond by saying that she would just have to give him one of her own? Her spirit of giving should provide ample evidence that our students understand the importance of giving and receiving.

Douglas W. MacKelcan, Jr. Head of School

Upper school students enjoyed a Bingo game with residents at the Mary Campbell Center which serves children and young adults with disabilities.

Suzanna, a Golden Retriever in training for service work, received hugs and kisses from visiting students.

Second-grade students decorated book bags for children who attend Hilltop Lutheran Day Care Center.

Junior kindergartners made dog biscuits for the Delaware Humane Association.

Brian PiPer froM The sTrange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. hyDe

Breeanna saMPson, eMily regan, and alexis Peterson froM heiDi

Chris friedKin and alex veCChione froM The sTory of king arThur

oliver fleisChMann and franK duan froM The Merry aDvenTures of robin hooD