The Bement Bulletin, Fall 2020 by The Bement School

The Bement Bulletin T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I , FA M I L I E S , A N D F R I E N D S | FA L L 2 0 2 0

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Students enjoy a Roman banquet feast in 1993. Do you see yourself? Let us know at alumni@ @bement.org.

CONTENTS

2 6 10 18

IN EVERY ISSUE

A MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL

ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

CLASS OF 2020

RETIREMENT

CLASS NOTES

FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

IN MEMORIAM

Learning Is Everywhere

REPORT OF GIVING

Faculty members transition classes and projects to an online learning model.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Today at Bement Teachers instill the school’s core values through curriculum.

Be the Change Students learn how to create the change they want to see at Bement and beyond.

Alumni Spotlight Three alumni reflect on how Bement influenced their lives and careers.

ON THE COVER

A Bement moment: Fifth graders gather before the school day starts in fall 2019. Photo by Timothy C. Young ’61, PF

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A Message from the Interim Head of School

The The Bement Bement Bulletin Bulletin isis published published yearly yearly by by the communications office for current and past parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends of The Bement School. MANAGING EDITOR

Megan Tady FR DESIGNER

What a year it has been—for Bement, for schools, for the globe. With scant warning last March, the routines of life were upended and the simplest tasks made onerous. Like all schools, Bement reacted and adapted, and this year’s Bulletin attempts to capture the uncapturable: how the spirit of a cherished and resilient place persists through the most daunting of challenges. Our school’s stories from this most unusual year, unfolding in the pages that follow, show the myriad ways our students, teachers, and alumni live Bement’s mission. But it is the spirit of the place, the invisible ties of loyalty, grace, and compassion embodied by the school’s three icons memorialized herein, that sustains us during times of upheaval and uncertainty.

Penny Michalak P’14

When uncertainty meets creativity, adaptation results. So it happened this past spring, when our teachers and students met online to complete the school year. The projects and curricula featured in these pages represent the tip of the remote learning iceberg; as much as students learned this spring, their teachers learned even more about how to translate a Bement education to the online space. The same thread runs through the activism alive in our student leaders. The entire Bement community learned about citizenship and environmental stewardship from their efforts this year, from the Eco Club to the upper school Student Council’s quest for a better Bement for all.

Emily Mikolayunas Rich P’24 ’28, FA

WRITERS

Rob Cohn PTT, P’03 ’06 Stephen Carr Davis ’77, PTT Emily Lent Hemingway PF Amie Keddy FA Megan O’Brien ’95, FA Louise Smith P’95 ’97, PF Megan Tady FR Linda Temby FA EDITORS

Sara Becton Ardrey P’22 ’24, FA

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sara Becton Ardrey P’22 ’24, FA Alice Gearhart FA Emily Mikolayunas Rich P’24 ’28, FA Megan O’Brien ’95, FA Timothy C. Young ’61, PF

KEY

’GB

Alumna/us from Grace Bement era (1925–1947) ’00 Alumna/us Class Year TT Trustee PTT Past Trustee P Parent GP Grandparent GGP Great Grandparent FA Current Faculty or Staff PF Past Faculty or Staff FR Friend of Bement HOS Head of School FHS Former Head of School IHOS Interim Head of School

A community’s spirit is, by definition, elusive, but taken together, the Bement stories that lie ahead give shape to what is most permanent and lasting about the place—the power of learning and living together in search of a more kind, just, and peaceful world. I hope that you have found that same spirit to be a source of stability during these unpredictable times and that you will continue to share your Bement stories with us.

STAY CONNECTED

Michael Schloat P’24 ’26 Interim Head of School

BEMENT IS ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/BementSchool

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TODAY AT BEMENT

INTRODUCTION BY EMILY LENT HEMINGWAY PF AND AMIE KEDDY FA

Playing with Acorns A peek at how teachers plant the seeds to instill Bement’s core values. When Grace Bement first started our school in 1925, she called her work “playing with acorns.” The wording of that phrase echoes important tenets of a Bement education: playfulness and a connection to nature. Yet it was the idea of potential—what acorns grow into, what her students would someday be in the world—that inspired Ms. Bement’s metaphor. She believed that sowing the acorns of certain habits and perspectives would yield tall, strong oaks down the line, and time has repeatedly proven Ms. Bement’s wisdom. One of her strongest convictions was the importance of exploration for children, particularly in the areas of play, nature, and the arts. Another was an interest in the larger world, the global community, and with that, a sense of curiosity about and respect for different opinions and cultures. Ninety-five years later, Ms. Bement’s beliefs grew into our schoolwide core values. Compassion, integrity, resilience, and respect have always been our acorns. Like oak trees that begin as acorns, big ideas like our core values grow from small moments. A handful of those lessons and projects are described here with a peek into classrooms across our campus and a look at the ways that teachers and students work together to live and learn through our core values.

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TODAY AT BEMENT

LOW E R S C H O O L

Resilience Coding IN THE LOWER SCHOOL, the coding curriculum, which is taught by librarian Marcia Bernard in the Clagett McLennan Library, provides a sequential, hands-on introduction to computational thinking and computer coding—and an opportunity for students to cultivate resilience. The coding curriculum begins in kindergarten, when students learn a simple code to lead a flappy bird to a pig. As students progress through grade levels, the curriculum challenges students to learn sequencing, loops, and variables. Students are often stumped by the task and are unable to debug their program. They get frustrated, want to quit, and insist that something is wrong with the computer. When this happens—and it invariably does— students are prompted to look at the problem in a new way, to try something different, to break down the problem into smaller steps, to ask a friend for help, or even to start over from the beginning. Sure enough, students experience breakthroughs when they persist. The smiles and feelings of success are amplified because the task was hard, yet they hung in there. This ability to keep trying when presented with a challenge and to spring back from failure—the essence of resilience—is an important one, and it starts at a young age at Bement. Through coding, students practice resilience on a weekly basis, learning strategies to push through their frustrations and to bounce back from difficulties.

UPPER SCHOOL

Compassion Self-Portrait Map Project RELIGIOUS SCHOLAR Karen Armstrong describes compassion as “the ability to feel

with the other,” and her lectures and books highlight the significance of the Golden Rule: treating others as you would want to be treated. Compassion is developed through understanding oneself and empathizing with others, and visual arts teacher Caitlin Dembkowski finds that the art classroom presents a unique environment that fosters self-reflection, exploration, observation, and collaboration. Specifically, Ms. Dembkowski’s self-portrait map project in the eighth grade facilitates connection and understanding among students, instilling the core value of compassion at a deep level. In conjunction with eighth graders preparing for their annual field trip to Gettysburg and studying maps, Ms. Dembkowski asks students to create selfportrait maps and corresponding legends using watercolor and mixed media. Students choose colors, patterns, and symbols to represent their favorite books, the origin of their names, people who inspire them, their hobbies—the range of choices is limitless. The maps fuel organic conversations about commonalities and differences, ultimately helping students build and strengthen compassion. Ms. Dembkowski says, “The more we understand the terrain of our own map—who we are and what we value—the more we are able to act with compassion for others.”

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LOW E R S C H O O L

This year, third and fourth graders toured Plimoth Plantation in eastern Massachusetts to visit a Wampanoag homesite. Students witnessed the carving process to create a dugout canoe and stepped inside a real wetu, a Wampanoag dwelling.

Respect Native American Unit FOR SEVERAL YEARS, students in Katie MacCallum P’29’s

fourth-grade class at Bement have studied the history of Native American cultures. Each student chooses a specific tribe and explores aspects of the tribe’s culture, including how they made their clothes, what they hunted or farmed, and what happened to the tribe when Europeans settled on their land. Using this knowledge, students build dioramas to depict their tribe’s homes, creating a miniature model of their lodgings and artifacts. Along with this project, the class takes advantage of its close proximity to the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) and Historic Deerfield to learn about local native tribes. At PVMA’s Memorial Hall, students learn a valuable lesson in perspective and respect in terms of historical accuracy. At the

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time of the museum’s creation, the English who ousted the Pocumtuck tribe were called “pioneers . . . by whose courage . . . the savage was expelled.” This phrasing has been replaced with a more modern account: “English settlers . . . who drove the Pocumtucks from their homeland.” Students learn an accurate version of the events that took place in the United States. This curriculum allows students to develop more knowledge and admiration for cultures predating our current society. They are in awe of the ingenuity that they discover, are intrigued by the traditions, and take pride in the tribe they researched. In all, they gain respect for native peoples of the United States, and learn to cultivate respect for people around the world who are different from themselves.

TODAY AT BEMENT

UPPER SCHOOL

Integrity Advisory OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, the Bement upper school has expanded

and developed its advisory system to focus on the practices of restorative justice, including meeting in “circles.” Dean of Students, history teacher, and eighth-grade adviser Dave Belcher P’07 says that this practice is derived from the traditions of many native peoples and is centered around open, honest conversation, placing an emphasis on listening. Advisory circles create a space where students practice the core value of integrity, holding themselves and one another accountable. Mr. Belcher has seen advisory circles facilitate difficult and meaningful conversations as students process events and feelings. Before the eighthgrade trip to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C., last fall, students met in one advisory circle to share their hopes and concerns about the trip, and that There is integrity in the vulnerability allowed students to better relationships we build, support one another. During the trip, the eighth graders again met in an and the fabric of our advisory circle on the National Mall community is woven to discuss their visit to the National Museum of African American History more tightly as a result. and Culture. Students shared deep, occasionally painful insights about what they gleaned from the museum’s artifacts and interpretive displays, including the experience of walking through a segregated railway car and visiting the original casket of Emmett Till. Of the power of advisory circles, Mr. Belcher said, “We are allowed to be ourselves, to share difficult as well as celebratory stories, to let down our guard, and to value one another’s willingness to share more of ourselves. There is integrity in the relationships we build, and the fabric of our community is woven more tightly as a result.”

BEMENT UNVEILS NEW BANNERS AND SIGNS Last fall, after identifying and articulating Bement’s core values, the school installed new banners and signage around the grounds and in buildings on campus to proudly display those values. While so many values are important components of the Bement experience, these words—compassion, integrity, resilience, and respect—were selected because they reflect the foundation and history of the school, as well as the present day and future of Bement.

(photo above) Eighth-grade adviser Dave Belcher P’07 leads an advisory circle.

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BY LINDA TEMBY, UPPER SCHOOL FRENCH TEACHER

E H T BE E G N CHA OME C E B S T N E S STUD R E K A EM HEIR CHANG IN T D N A T N E AT B E M ES. I T I N U CO M M

In late fall, Student Council members in grades 6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9 gathered with their adviser (me) to begin planning ways to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on his legacy at a January all-school initiative, The Bement School Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Event. In particular, council members discussed answers to two questions: If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, what would he be marching and advocating for? How can the Student Council encourage the Bement community to be a part of making our world more socially just?

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Student Council members hoped the event would allow students to share and discuss their dreams for a more socially just world. An inspired and impassioned group of faculty members came together to organize and facilitate artistic, literary, musical, and brainstorming activities in a multi-station, all-school event. Members of the upper school band and chorus contributed their musical talents in tribute to Dr. King and the civil rights movement, and members of the Student Council presented speeches during the morning meeting. The MLK event was a milestone for the Student Council, which I established in the spring of 2018 as a way for students to positively and concretely make an impact in their community. But the Student Council didn’t appear in a vacuum; other groups and initiatives have debuted on campus recently, all with the common goal of teaching and allowing students to “be the change they want to see in the world.” From composting projects to a community service award to enhanced social and emotional learning, students are embracing Bement’s core values—compassion, resilience, integrity, and respect—while embodying a long school tradition of community and environmental stewardship. At a time in their lives when they are often told to wait until they get older to make an impact on the world around them, we at Bement are encouraging our students to be changemakers now and into the future, aligning with founder Grace Bement’s vision of education.

speak with confidence in front of the entire school, interact with representatives of local organizations and the business office, and formally present initiatives to members of the administration for approval. Through these focused and formal interactions, Student Council members cultivate the experience and confidence necessary to stand out as resilient and competent leaders. “Student Council is essential,” declared Student Council President Kaelin ’20. “It gives young minds an outlet to collaborate and work through complicated issues, and to stand up for ourselves and our future. It helps perpetuate a community of unity, kindness, and hope.” The core value of respect is woven into all aspects of service in the Student Council. Members regularly practice and develop respect for one another as they navigate differing opinions and diverse communication styles. Working collaboratively, they discover the challenges and rewards of respectful communication with each other, their peers, and members of the faculty and administration. “The Bement Student Council is a perfect opportunity to allow students to grow their leadership skills and advance their personality traits in a controlled environment,” noted Student Council Treasurer Alex ’20. SERVING THE COMMUNITY Council members meet weekly to discuss programs and initiatives, many of which include service projects. Engaging in opportunities

GIVING YOUNG MINDS AN OUTLET Inspired by the current generation of youth activists around the world, the Student Council challenges its members to act with integrity and take an active role in initiating positive change in their school, homes, and communities. Council members also give firsthand input on the development of the organization’s processes and framework, including developing electoral procedures, defining the council’s structure, and exploring how to encourage equal student representation. “Discussing ideas, coming up with solutions to problems, and having meetings every week really helps students to be able to reach out and give suggestions,” said Yoobin “Annika” ’22, grade 7 class representative. Whether campaigning for election by peers, processing electoral results, or managing the responsibilities of holding office, participation in Student Council cultivates resilience as students work to overcome obstacles. Council members are regularly called on to spearhead committees, productively voice their opinion in meetings, At the Acorn-to-Oak Initiative awards ceremony in February, Kaelin ’20, the Student Council president (right), interviewed Caledonia ’21, the recipient of the 2020 Acorn-to-Oak Award for exemplary efforts to improve her community through service to others.

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to give back to our community is central to our mission and reflects Bement’s core value of compassion. Whether members are organizing a charity fundraiser, raising awareness on issues of importance to their peers, or honoring and encouraging activists and changemakers at Bement, the Student Council provides opportunities to give back to the community. “A lot of what we do is try to make Bement an even better place,” said Lilly ’23, grade 6 class representative. “By hosting projects and fundraisers, we can not only make our school happier but also help people and places outside the community.” This year the Student Council launched the Acorn-to-Oak Initiative to inspire others to serve the community. The initiative is the direct result of student discussions and interactions during the MLK Commemorative Event. The name is drawn from a quote by civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who said, “Stand for something or you will fall for anything . . . Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” The Acorn-to-Oak Initiative honors and supports Bement community leaders who are actively taking a stand and creating positive change through service to others outside the academic setting.

Student members of the Eco Club attended the Western Mass Youth Climate Summit.

The first recipient of the Acorn-to-Oak Award was Caledonia ’21, who is also a Student Council member. For the past three years, Caledonia has put her artistic talent to use to help raise funds for the benefit of organizations such as the Jimmy Fund/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Northfield Food Bank. This past year, she created and sold greeting cards depicting three landmarks in Northfield, MA. Caledonia credits her experience with the Student Council for empowering her to act, as she stated: “I have gained confidence around the fact that I have the opportunity to be the change that moves our school, our community, and our world forward.” A POSITIVE RIPPLE In the spring of 2019, Outdoor Education Coordinator Jill Craig P’29 ’29 attended the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society conference, where she listened to a group of high school students present their school’s climate action plan to help combat the effects of human-caused climate change.

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“Watching that group of students speak so passionately about the environment, their role as global citizens of the world, and their desire to engage in activism, it occurred to me that our students would likely want to engage in something similar,” Ms. Craig said. Last fall, Ms. Craig launched Bement’s first Eco Club, a studentdriven club that spearheads environmental sustainability initiatives on campus. “I had expected a small number of students to join the club,” she recalled, “but by the end of our fourth meeting, our meeting space was full, and every student was vocal about their own ideas of what initiatives would be most important to implement at Bement.” Eco Club members (called Eco Reps) circulated a survey asking students, faculty, and staff to vote on their top five targeted initiatives; the clear winner was composting. The Eco Reps researched the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District’s (FCSWMD) long-running compost program, which has been implemented in over 30 schools and a handful of towns within Franklin County. Students then created and presented a proposal for the compost program to the head of school. With the green light to proceed, the Eco Reps, Ms. Craig, and Head of Dining Services Jess Maenzo-Tanner P’27 took advantage of the winter break to switch out trash receptacles for compost, landfill, and recycle bins in the dining hall. Shortly after school resumed, Ms. Amy Donovan from FCSWMD came to the school to help the Eco Club roll out the new procedures for disposing of the school’s waste. Each classroom is also outfitted with a small compost bin. “I’m in awe of the Eco Club for sending such a passionate and positive ripple through the school community they are so proud of,” Ms. Craig said. “They worked really hard to find something that the entire school could succeed at and spared no time in pursuing their vision.” DEEPENING ACTIVISM Meanwhile, in the lower school, third-grade teacher Hannah Dancer cultivates social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of teaching students to become citizens of their classrooms, their school community, and the world. Ms. Dancer says that the SEL curriculum not only helps students develop deeper interpersonal relationships and recognize their own and others’ feelings or emotions but also encourages perspectivetaking in social and academic situations. Surrounding the weeks leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Ms. Dancer used SEL tools on perspective-taking to brainstorm what Dr. King might have marched for today. In pairs, students had thoughtful discussions to explore why Dr. King would be marching for freedom, equality, kindness, and civil rights in today’s climate. Using the language and tools they’d learned through the SEL curriculum, students were able to dive deeper into the “whys” and connect current injustices to what Dr. King was fighting for.

Left: A graphic to announce the Student Council’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Event. Middle: The Acorn-to-Oak Initiative honors Bement leaders who are striving to make change in their communities. Right: Last year, students developed new habits as they cleared their plates at mealtimes thanks to the Eco Club’s composting program.

“SEL gives students the strategies and language they need to problem-solve in all capacities,” Ms. Dancer said. “When students can identify how they are feeling and what they are thinking, they also learn to recognize thoughts in those around them. These strategies and understandings will help students grow into active members of our school and citizens of our community.” ON THE HORIZON Last spring and summer, demonstrations and protests took place across the nation in response to the death of Black Americans as a result of police violence, and we as a school committed ourselves to deepening conversations about race, equality, and justice. Over the summer, I joined librarian Marcia Bernard to co-facilitate a group reading of Ijeoma Oluo’s book So You Want to Talk About

Race. Eighteen members of the faculty, staff, and administration met via Zoom to discuss and process the book and the realities that all people of color experience on a daily basis. We know that these issues exist in all communities, and while there is much to be done in the broader society, there is plenty of work to be done, right here in our own community. Taking this truth into account, we will be thinking and acting “local.” Our summer group discussion and individual plans of action have been focusing on that which is in our direct sphere of influence: our school, the community we live in, and our own families. Additionally, several Student Council and Eco Club initiatives planned for the spring term were temporarily put on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will carry on with their activities when on-campus school resumes. In the meantime, we—the student and faculty changemakers at Bement—invite you to consider these questions: What is your vision for a better world? How are you creating positive change through service to others? How might you inspire this generation of young people blossoming on our campus to become agents of change? Please innovate and collaborate with us, and share your stories. Together, let’s be the change.

TO SHARE YOUR CHANGEMAKER STORY, PLEASE EMAIL LINDA AT: LTEMBY@BEMENT.ORG.

To practice social and emotional learning, students had to work in pairs to complete an outdoor obstacle course, including using pool noodles to carry different-sized balls from one point to another. THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Beloved classes and projects go virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning Is

Everywhere! When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Bement to close its campus, along with schools around the world, our faculty members sprung into action to transition to an online learning model. With ingenuity and patience, teachers were able to preserve existing projects or units that are hallmarks of their programs by translating them online in creative and meaningful ways, which we showcase here. Our teachers were equally inspired by the strength and perseverance of students and families living and studying in suddenly uncertain times, reflecting the core values our community holds dear. Learning was truly everywhere, across time zones and countries, in houses and high-rise apartment buildings, as students studied insects, sang sea shanties, invented solutions to problems, and perfected their French.

Sixth-Grade Information Literacy Librarian Marcia Bernardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth-grade information literacy capstone project, the Global Innovation and Inspiration (GLII) Conference, went virtual this year. In this challenge, students invent a prototype, complete with marketing materials, to address a common problem. To capture the experience, Ms. Bernard created the Zoom Shark Tank, allowing students to deliver their pitches in front of a live audience, incorporate their feedback, and create a final presentation using Flipgrid. This work, along with their multi-media commercials and photos of their prototypes, were shared at the GLII conference, not in the Barn as in past years but via Google Slides.

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Fourth-Grade Music Music teacher Anna Wetherby replaced the traditional curriculum of singing in rounds (which are hard to sing in the remote-learning setting) with sea shanties and work songs. The shift in song choice still allowed for the teaching of accompaniment, chord structure, and developing ostinati while making each song an independent singing experience. Every week, Ms. Wetherby introduced a new shanty through a Flipgrid video, and each student recorded and shared a verse on the platform, allowing the entire class to give positive feedback. Students learned about composition and accompaniment by inventing instruments and reproducing simple songs. “I liked the challenge of reconstructing my curriculum,” Ms. Wetherby said. “I was able to give more specific feedback to each student’s video submission and to clearly hear their vocal progress throughout the term.”

Third-Grade Biography Fair Third-grade teacher Hannah Dancer’s Biography Fair is a major milestone for her students as they embark on researching and writing about a significant historical person. Students created materials to showcase their work online, which included videos of themselves dressed up as their subjects, word clouds and portraits of their subjects, research papers, and inventions that would have assisted their subjects’ work or passion. Each student’s work was shared with the entire school as well as with parents and families, giving everyone a chance to “visit” the fair and provide feedback and praise to students. “The students’ determination, creativity, and inclusion led to this being a successful project for each student,” Ms. Dancer said.

Second-Grade Insect Project Second-grade teacher Janice Currie P’99 ’02’s insect investigation project integrates life science, language arts, technology, visual arts, and outdoor learning as students choose an insect and study all aspects of its life cycle. Rather than visiting Pine Hill as they normally would, students studied from colorful Padlets, or online post boards, designed by Outdoor Education Coordinator Jill Craig P’29 ’29. To conduct their research, students accessed e-books through such platforms as Epic and PebbleGo. And they learned to take notes, write a rough draft with paragraphs and a topic sentence, edit their work, and present the final draft via Zoom breakout groups. Additionally, students created beautiful 3D habitats that told the stories of their insects, and librarian Marcia Bernard integrated the project into her weekly library lessons, setting up insect collections filled with games, videos, and research guides on the Bement library resource page. “I was able to individualize their learning and watch them grow as learners, and this was very satisfying,” Ms. Currie said. “They are second-grade entomologists!” 12

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Third-grade students dressed up as the historical figures they studied as part of Ms. Dancer’s Biography Fair.

Visual Arts

Upper School Chorus Director Katryna Nields leads students in song before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upper School Chorus “In order to create a virtual choir, the students needed to listen to the accompaniment in one ear while listening to themselves sing along live in the other ear—all while recording themselves on a separate device. It was quite impressive. They also had to get over the fear of singing within earshot of their families. Their final project was to record themselves singing any song in the world. Listening to their brave musical renditions often moved me to tears. All of this virtual learning, staying home, being apart from each other, was new and different and somewhat scary. To see students conquer their fears, and to hear their earnestness and focus was an honor and a pleasure.” —Katryna Nields, Upper School Chorus Director

Visual arts teacher Caitlin Dembkowski, redesigning the visual art curriculum for the spring term presented some wonderful opportunities to try new projects with a variety of materials, to explore tools and resources for teaching art online like never before, and to cross-collaborate with other teachers. For example, Ms. Dembkowski and fifth-grade teacher Rosemarie Gage P’10 teamed up to compile text and drawings using Google Slides to create The ABC’s of Bement e-book. “On occasion when all my classes from a variety of grade levels were given variations of the same prompt, I was able to see so many perspectives and approaches to an idea, which is really fascinating and very helpful,” Ms. Dembkowski said. “Our ‘SelfPortrait with Silly Sunglasses’ assignment was particularly fun and creative. I am so impressed by the students’ effort and participation this term!”

A screenshot from Ms. Dembkowski’s Padlet page showcasing students’ “Self-Portrait with Silly Sunglasses.” Top, left to right: Alaric ’24, Liz ’24, Emilia ’23, Samantha ’21, Ms. Dembkowski, and Sebastian ’22. Bottom, left to right: Amy ’21, Olivia ’24, Maeve ’24, Alyssa ’22, Josie ’23, and Ryan ’24

Upper School French Students in French teacher Linda Temby’s classes had already been using virtual language platforms in class, making the transition to online learning fairly seamless. Ms. Temby created dedicated websites for each grade that included video read-alongs, hyperdocs, surveys, curated resources, and fun activities. During weekly Zoom meetings, students created story characters that they followed from week to week in order to practice speaking, listening, and reading skills at an advanced level. “It was rewarding to continue to offer my students the best of my best in a completely original way,” Ms. Temby said. “I sought to model for my students an adult rising to the challenge; thinking outside the box; choosing to face stress, isolation, and uncertainty with creativity, resilience, heartfelt care, and even humor.”

Eighth-grade French students whipped up culinary magic à la française—and a sense of community—in an optional Bement Top Chef virtual cooking competition.

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FALL 2019 ATHLETICS FIELD HOCKEY COACHES: CHERYL CANUEL, MARTHA PRICE P’07 ’10, PF, AND ERIN CROMACK ’07

The 2019 field hockey team was a unified force. The players markedly improved their fitness with rigorous practices each week, and they were solid competitors at the Bement Field Hockey Jamboree, which marked the school’s 44th year hosting the event. Players from all grades worked together and supported one another. The team also ushered in a new tradition, dubbed the “Halloween Scramble,” with the thirds team at Deerfield Academy. Twice in October, players from both schools split into two teams to scrimmage before enjoying apple cider and donuts.

G I R L S S O CC E R

C R O S S CO U N T RY

COACHES: JEFF PILGRIM AND BRIE DUSEAU ’12

COACHES: DAVE BELCHER P’07 AND DAN BENSEN ’01

The team finished with a 10–1–1 record, outscoring their opponents 84–25, and won second place at the New England Junior School Tournament, hosted by the Indian Mountain School (IMS). The highlights of the year were games versus IMS. In the first match-up in October, neither team had lost in three years, and the game ended in a 5–5 deadlock. In the tournament, Bement faced IMS again in the final game of the round-robin portion after beating Rectory School, Rumsey Hall School, and The Foote School. Bement stunned the host school, piling on four goals to end IMS’s winning streak with a 4–1 victory. In the finals, however, IMS gained its revenge with a 4–0 victory to claim the title. It was a stellar season, with good sportswomanship and a high caliber of skill on display from all players.

The Bement cross country team began the season with only a few veterans but a wealth of can-do spirit. The veterans set a tone that quickly brought the newcomers into the fold. With a cohesive culture, the team improved dramatically. The season culminated with two final championship meets, the Western Mass Middle School Cross-Country Invitational and the Massachusetts Middle School Cross Country Championships. The boys finished 3rd in the local meet and 19th in the state meet, and the girls placed 6th in the local meet and 17th in the state meet. With 11 of 23 runners in fifth and sixth grades, the future is promising for this team.

MVP: Kaelin ’20 COACHES’ AWARD: Cori ’21 ROLE MODEL: Ryan ’20 MOST IMPROVED: Sophie ’22

MVPS: Flora ’23, Henry ’22 ROLE MODELS: Yuki ’20, Aiden ’21 UNSUNG HEROES: Erica ’20, Emmett ’23 MOST IMPROVED: Sebastian ’22, Vickie ’23

MVP: Jurnee ’20 ROLE MODEL: Avery ’20 UNSUNG HERO: Casey ’21 MOST IMPROVED: Grace ’21

BOYS S O CC E R COACHES: ALEX BARTLETT ’87 AND DOC POTTER

This team was something special, combining talent, attitude, and persistence to make it a successful season. Players were interested in real team play: passing the ball, fighting hard for 50-50 balls, and supporting one another through great wins and tough losses. With an overall 6–4–2 record, the team recorded big victories against Eaglebrook School and Westminster School, and fell twice to a very tough Deerfield team, where in both games Bement dominated pace and play. More than once the team heard glowing comments from opposing players and coaches, as well as referees, about their talent and character. MVP: Motoya ’20 ROLE MODEL: Jeffrey ’21 UNSUNG HERO: Sebastian ’20 MOST IMPROVED: Chiwoo ’20

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WINTER 2019-20 ATHLETICS BOYS BA S K E T BA L L

S Q UA S H

COACHES: WILL PAULDING AND JEFF PILGRIM

COACH: ERIC BORDUA

With only one ninth grader on the squad and a total of seven players, the team relied on its quickness and tenacity to end the season with a 5–3 record. The highlight of the year came in the team’s last game versus MacDuffie School’s JV squad. Facing much taller, stronger, and older opponents (most of the MacDuffie team was composed of eleventh and twelfth graders), Bement gained control employing timely steals, which led to easy baskets and a well-earned 51–41 victory. MVP: Jonny ’21 COACHES’ AWARD: Greg ’21 LEADERSHIP AWARD: Ryan ’20

This was a learning season, with many first-time players new to the sport and to athletics in general. Each day, players improved as individuals and coalesced as a team, bringing a striving spirit to practices and matches. The team finished with a 6–8 record, which included big wins versus Williston and Deerfield. In every match, the players fought hard, tried their best, and cultivated resiliency. Every player—from veteran to rookie—was able to compete in at least one competitive match. MVP & ROLE MODEL: Ryan ’20 MOST IMPROVED: Mariam ’21 COACH’S AWARD: Angela ’21

MOST IMPROVED: Richard ’23

G I R L S BA S K E T BA L L ICE HOCKEY COACH: BILLY WYSOCKI

The ice hockey team had a fantastic first season as Bement took to the ice once again. With a range of talents, the team was unified by the end of the season. Practices focused on developing skills and learning the art of the game. The team played two official games against Eaglebrook, and players enjoyed the speed and thrill of competition, winning the first game and losing the second. Both games were high scoring, with the advantage going back and forth. MVP: Logan ’21 ROLE MODEL: Conor ’20 UNSUNG HERO: Danny ’23 MOST IMPROVED: Amy ’21

B E M E N T. O R G

COACH: ALEX BARTLETT ’87

It was clear from the start that this would be a very special season for the girls’ varsity basketball team. With a slim roster of nine, every player was involved with the team’s philosophy of running a tight playeron-player defense, initiating a fast-break offense when possible, and playing with heart and desire at every contest. With an 11–1 record, the team was challenged in only three of these contests, which made for equal playing time and room for younger players to be challenged and improve. The final game of the season was a thrilling victory against Williston’s JV squad, a team Bement has not beaten in its history! MVP: Cori ’21 UNSUNG HERO: Solbee ’20 MOST IMPROVED: Avery ’20

SKI TEAM

SPRING 2020 ATHLETICS

COACHES: DAN BENSEN ’01 AND SAM WYLIE-CAIN

The COVID-19 pandemic meant that students were unable to participate

The ski team entered the season with the largest squad in recent memory. With mostly new skiers, veterans set a strong example and created a supportive culture. The team balanced having fun with developing tactical and technical skills and cultivating long-term athletic abilities. Highlights of the year included the JV girls and JV boys squads finishing first and second overall in the Mount Institute Ski League race season, as well as the team’s first-ever participation in the NEPSAC Alpine Skiing Championship. MVPs: Ryan ’20, Aiden ’21 LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Ryan ’20, Daniel ’22 UNSUNG HERO: Campbell ’22

SWIMMING COACHES: MARTHA PRICE P’07 ’10, PF AND KELLY LIIMATAINEN

Bement’s swim team again ushered in an undefeated season, and many swimmers achieved their personal best times in races, which were all against high school JV teams. Veteran swimmers were eager to give younger teammates advice and help them learn the technicalities of strokes and how to use the starting blocks. With much team spirit, swimmers worked hard at every practice, and they competed mightily at every meet. Congratulations to Kylie ’20 for beating the school record in the 200 individual medley event, which had stood since 2011. LEADERSHIP AWARD: Ella ’20

and compete in spring athletics. Still, it was important to keep students active and moving, even from afar. Athletic Director and upper school health teacher Alex Bartlett ’87 and lower school PE teachers Will Paulding and Jerry Dobosz got creative as they encouraged students to exercise daily.

UPPER SCHOOL Each week, Mr. Bartlett posted a set of suggested activities for students on his webpage, including links to yoga, strength training, and other workouts on YouTube. He also posted workout videos of himself that were easy for students to replicate, like running up stairs and jumping. Mr. Bartlett upped the ante by issuing a 10 push-up challenge to students and faculty. Finally, he urged students to get inventive with their own workouts, and many students submitted photos of themselves hiking, biking, or playing sports. Additionally, Mr. Paulding created and posted how-to videos for upper school athletes that explained athletic training movements, starting with the squat pattern and progressing to a lateral deceleration technique and a hip-turn technique. “My approach was one of ease and gentleness, and I reminded students that getting any activity was important in order to stay healthy,” Mr. Bartlett said. He also wanted to help students think about their overall health, and he suggested trying new activities, like cooking healthy meals, baking bread, and starting a garden. “I encouraged students to take a break from screens, work standing up, find time to be quiet and peaceful, and be outside to get fresh air when it was safe.”

LOW E R S C H O O L

UNSUNG HERO: Kylie ’20 MOST IMPROVED: Gordon ’22

Mr. Paulding and Mr. Dobosz created a weekly PE grid of activities with four categories, which included a warm-up, a stretch routine, strength exercises, and a game. Once a week, Mr. Dobosz also held live PE Zoom classes, and students were able to tune in to see many of their classmates and play a physical game together. “We wanted to provide students with easy options to move and play in their days at home, either by themselves or with a family member,” Mr. Paulding said. “We know that physical activity and physical education are not essentially the same thing, but we were just hoping each student did as much as they were able and comfortable doing.” The teachers also created Bement’s first virtual field day with the aid of the website Goosechase.com, which helped to organize a scavenger hunt. Students split up into two teams to complete 50 activities, ranging from athletic to partnered, individual, and household-chore based. All activities were awarded points, and students submitted photos or videos to show themselves performing each activity.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

BY SARA BECTON ARDREY P’22 ’24, FA

Embracing

Brains & Beauty Nailah Barnes ’15’s nonprofit empowers Black women and girls. In 2015, Nailah Barnes ’15 founded The Brains with Beauty Project, a nonprofit whose mission is to equip Black girls and women with the tools to see themselves as both brilliant and beautiful. The world is taking notice. Gucci, the Milan-based luxury brand, included Barnes in its inaugural list of North America Changemakers Scholars, which recognizes college students from diverse backgrounds who are working within the fashion industry to create change. Barnes is entering her junior year at Spelman College, where she is majoring in international studies and French. As she makes future plans and contends with how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the project’s on-the-ground presence, she shares her inspiration for founding the nonprofit, and how attending Bement helped prepare her to become a changemaker.

What is The Brains with Beauty Project, and what inspired you to start it? The Brains with Beauty Project consists of two parts: The Salon Initiative, which places empowering books in hair salons for young patrons to enjoy, and The One-Stop Initiative, an online platform that houses curated academic and beauty tips. The impetus for The Brains with Beauty Project began with a conversation I had with my mom about what I was noticing while at the hair salon. Young Black women and girls around me had their faces buried in screens or were struggling to find materials that interested them in the salon’s magazines. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the lack of representation of Black girls in the media who were both excelling academically and maintaining their holistic wellness. To solve this issue, with

B E M E N T. O R G

the help of grants from Deerfield Academy’s Center for Service and Global Citizenship, I began placing baskets of empowering books in hair salons in Western Barnes was on the track and Massachusetts, and the books field team at Bement. focused on Black girls and young women. I received positive reactions from moms and their daughters, and I began asking friends at school to bring Brains with Beauty Baskets to their hometown salons. As The Salon Initiative grew, I received more funding and was able to build the One-Stop Initiative—a website that houses academic-success tools as well as wellness and beauty tips, many of which are tailored to the needs of Black girls. Young women and

BARNES CHALLENGES HERSELF TO girls who use The Brains with Beauty Project can internalize the message that no matter what others say, they are both beautiful and intelligent—whether they’re getting beautiful braids installed with their noses buried in Octavia Butler’s Kindred or they’re getting tips on how to study abroad affordably and how to spice up their wardrobes on a budget. The Brains with Beauty Project has used the closure of hair salons due to the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen its online presence and to strategize ways to engage young readers virtually. Who are the role models that you admire? I admire my mother, Dr. Riché Barnes, who is an anthropologist, author (Raising the Race), and college professor. Throughout my life, she has modeled for me what it means to be a scholar-activist. She is also a graduate of Spelman College and is on Bement’s Board of Trustees. I am inspired daily by Stacey Abrams, who is a Black American politician, lawyer, and voting rights activist, and is also a graduate of Spelman College. She was the first Black woman to run for governor of Georgia. During her election cycle, Georgian voters faced unprecedented levels of voter disenfranchisement. Stacey now leads the nonprofit organization she founded called Fair Fight, which works to ensure that all elections are free, fair, and Gucci, the Milan-based luxury brand, included Barnes in its secure. inaugural list of North America Another one of my role models Changemakers Scholars. is Johnnetta B. Cole, the first Black woman president of Spelman College and a renowned author, educator, anthropologist, and museum director. Additionally, Spelman College’s current president, Mary Schmidt Campbell, has helped me see the intersection of the arts, education, politics, and public policy through her example, and has inspired me greatly as a mentor and supporter. What did you enjoy the most about your Bement experience? Bement taught me how to be strong in my convictions and sure of my abilities inside the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in the Barn as I explored a myriad of visual and performing art forms. I cherish memories of U.S. history class with Mr. Dave Belcher P’07 and then transitioning to the track with him for high jump practice. Ms. Katrina Spicer PF, my eighth-grade adviser, taught me the importance of mental health and wellness. I thank Bement for nurturing some of my strongest friendships—people

READ ONE NON-SCHOOL-RELATED BOOK EACH WEEK. SHE’S CURRENTLY READING THE COLOR PURPLE. who will be a part of my life forever. Bement prepared me well to attend Deerfield Academy, to be a varsity-level track and field and basketball athlete, and to excel in the classroom, where I honed my budding intellectual pursuits and passions. I am forever grateful to Bement for embracing me, nurturing me, and helping me strengthen my sense of self and my conviction of voice. How has your Bement experience influenced your life so far? Ms. Nancy Pond P’89 ’95, PF was my French teacher from sixth grade through eighth grade. She had an indelible impact on me and my development. French class transported me outside the Deerfield, MA, bubble and helped me realize my passion for languages and people. She sparked my insatiable curiosity about the world. I traveled abroad for the first time with Ms. Pond in the summer between my seventh- and eighth-grade years. I was nicknamed the “escargot” (snail) of the group because I was always a few paces behind the pack, with my neck craned side to side as I tried to soak in as much of my surroundings as possible. This immense privilege opened my eyes to the world. As a junior in high school, I went on to live in Rennes, France, for a year. I lived with a host family, took all my classes in French, and completed a capstone research project on Black Americans who immigrated to France in search of intellectual and artistic freedom. I focused on Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and Angela Davis and compared their experiences in France to my own. Ms. Pond gifted me the wanderlust that has allowed me to travel the world—from Singapore to Tanzania to Spain—and to set my sights on a globally focused career. What is your advice for Bement’s Class of 2020? My advice to the Bement Class of 2020 is to be very focused at the beginning of your high school career. Try to be as involved in clubs and organizations as possible while building a strong academic foundation. As you matriculate through school, you will be able to become the leaders of the organizations you start out in as an underclassman. These leadership positions will equip you with strong interpersonal and organizational skills that will serve you well in college and beyond. Furthermore, by having strong grades at the beginning of your time in high school, you create a cushion for yourself as your courses get harder in your upperclassman years. To find out more, visit: www.brainswithbeauty.org.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Making History Come Alive Zerah Jakub Burr â&#x20AC;&#x2122;99 has dedicated her career to museum education.

Burr visits the Piazza, her favorite location at Mount Vernon for its view of the sunsets over the Potomac River.

BY MEGAN TADY FR 20

B E M E N T. O R G

ENTHRALLED WITH HISTORY FROM A YOUNG AGE,

Zerah Jakub Burr ’99 was the type of student who would take history projects at Bement to another level. When she wrote a Revolutionary War–era journal in history teacher Dave Belcher P’07’s seventh-grade history class, she scraped soaked tea leaves on the paper to make it look like a relic, and she used a fountain ink pen to write her entries. History came alive for her as she spent hours in museums and went on field trips to historical places—like Old Deerfield, where she tried corn cakes, and the eighth-grade visit to Gettysburg. It’s no surprise, then, that Burr has built a career centered around educating young people in museums. For the past seven years, she has worked at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia, where she currently serves as the senior manager of education communication and outreach. Burr, who holds a master’s degree in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University, has also worked in educational roles at the Paul Revere Memorial Association and the Old South Meeting House. Even though Burr was passionate about history—specifically the Revolutionary War period—she knew she didn’t want to be a historian or a classroom teacher. Instead, she recalled how much she had loved museums in her youth. “I had this epiphany that if I worked in a museum, I might not have a deep impact with 30 kids every year like I would in a classroom, but I could have a memorable impact on potentially thousands of kids every year,” she recalled. “And I’d get to stay in a time period that makes me really happy and talk about it all day.” Mount Vernon’s primary mission is to educate people about George Washington’s legacy, and the estate, which was Washington’s plantation on the banks of the Potomac River, boasts a million visitors every year. Burr’s role includes leading the education department’s communications efforts and helping to coordinate residential programs intended to instruct teachers about Washington so that they, in turn, can better teach their own students. Burr also manages the Family Learning team and a slate of family-friendly onsite programming at Mount Vernon.

History teacher Dave Belcher P’07 was instrumental in “opening my eyes to how much I loved history and reaffirming that that’s what I wanted to do with my life.”

Favorite History Period? BOSTON FROM 1763 TO 1776

I love all the taxation and the protests that led up to the Revolution. Our founding fathers were people who, if it failed, they were going to be tried for treason. They didn’t have the foresight to know what would happen. For them to put their necks out there and really believe in something is an incredible thing. I think we can learn a lot from how they responded to pressure and how they responded to the unknown.

“It makes my day to know that we’ve not only been able to give educators all this content and pedagogical information to bring back to their classrooms and share with other teachers, but that we’ve also treated the teachers like professionals,” she said. “Teachers work so hard, so when I hear from a teacher that working with Mount Vernon made them feel valued, I still get goose bumps.” Burr says it is vitally important for young people to learn about the founding of America. “To know how your country was founded, how it works, what its history is, can help you become a better citizen, and to have an informed citizenry is one of the main goals of the founding fathers, in my opinion,” she stated. At Mount Vernon, the museum doesn’t only honor the white male founders of the country. “We make a concerted effort to also educate about the enslaved individuals who were forced to call Mount Vernon home, as well as the women of the 18th century whose voices were ‘by and large’ kept to a whisper,” Burr said. Burr, who is a pen pal with a fifth grader at Bement through teacher Rosemarie Gage P’10’s Pen Pal Project, says that Mr. Belcher was instrumental in “opening my eyes to how much I loved history and reaffirming that that’s what I wanted to do with my life.” She says her time at Bement set the foundation for her further education. “A lot of my friends talk about their high school experience and how transformative that was for them, and for me it was Bement,” she said. “When I went to high school, I felt more than prepared, and a lot of the skills I learned at Bement I continued to use in college. I can’t imagine having been anywhere else for those four years in my life.” And she can’t imagine spending her days anywhere else but a museum. “I work in a really special place,” she noted.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Tell White ’GB, PTT circled, gathers with the entire school during school founder Grace Bement’s era.

A Way of Life Retiring Board Member Tell White ’GB, PTT reflects on Bement. When Tell White came to Bement as an eight-year-old boarder in 1942, the school was very different than it is today. There was not yet a formal graduation ceremony, nor any grades or competitive sports teams. Mr. White, who is retiring from the board of trustees after 19 years, has watched and helped the school transform. The essence of Bement, however, has endured and thrived—namely, school founder Grace Bement’s values and vision. Mr. White retired in 1998 from his 41-year career in sales, and he was determined to give back to Bement. As a member of the board, he was critical in establishing the Bement School Alumni Association, helping to formally re-engage more alumni/ae and boost the school’s fundraising efforts. As Mr. White departed from his position last spring, he reflected on his fond memories and recent activities. BY MEGAN TADY FR

B E M E N T. O R G

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT What do you recall about Bement when you were a student? It was very much a family, as it is today, although a much smaller one. There were only about 45 students, and three-quarters of us were boarders. The day students, almost without exception, lived in either Greenfield or South Deerfield. School was very informal. All our classes were in the Schoolhouse. We spent most of our time in the large room on the first floor, which was the study hall and library. Grace Bement’s antique desk was placed against the chimney so she could readily oversee all the activity on either side of the room. She was always seated there whenever classes were in session. There were no grades, so we each progressed individually. The teachers were superb, caring, and supportive role models. Bement truly was a family, which was particularly comforting to me, as my parents were divorced. There were no athletic contests at that time, as we didn’t have enough players and there were no other schools to play at our level. You knew Grace Bement. Can you describe her? We called her “Menty,” and she was an extraordinary person in every respect. She was brilliant, had a formidable presence, and was filled with life and love. When necessary, she was also a very fair disciplinarian who had a strong and stable moral compass. Menty had a very positive attitude and an amazing amount of energy. She was held in high regard and affection by all, as she was an inspirational leader and exceptional teacher. Also, I will always remember she wore sneakers most of the time. She was unique in every respect. What is one of your favorite memories of Ms. Bement? Menty loved to read and was a marvelous reader. We gathered in the Barton House living room after lunch while she read books to us. My favorites were the Sherlock Holmes stories and those by Rudyard Kipling. It was incredibly pleasant and peaceful as we curled up on the couch to listen, and it was, without a doubt, the highlight of our day. How does the school still resemble Ms. Bement’s vision? Bement today remains the unique and exceptional school that it is because of Menty and those who have followed in her footsteps. Her values created the school, and they remain very much alive and well today. I learned the importance of honesty, integrity, responsibility, and accountability during my years there. I was indeed fortunate to be at Bement during a very formative period in my life. It’s one of the reasons I love Bement and am forever grateful I attended our school.

“Tell is very good at reminding us all about what our priorities are for the school, and simultaneously being open and willing to listen, and being nimble with changes as we grow. Tell has been a guiding light on our board, and we will certainly miss him.” —LISA KITTREDGE TT, P’06 ’18 ’21

What is one of your proudest accomplishments as a board member? By starting the Alumni Association, we presented Bement to the alumni/ae in a more organized and disciplined manner. We now have scheduled meetups in New York, Boston, Northampton, and, of course, Deerfield. The internet has significantly enhanced our ability to more easily reach out and maintain contact with our alumni/ae. I’m also very pleased by the number of people who had lost touch with Bement for years but started reconnecting with the school. In many cases, they have also become regular donors. How is Bement well poised for the future? I think Bement is well equipped to manage the challenges of COVID-19 as well as the changes to come in the years ahead. We have a very competent and capable team who makes good decisions and will keep our school running steadily and efficiently. I am absolutely confident Bement will come out of our current situation in good shape and will continue to improve exponentially while updating the same strong value system to fit the “new normal.” How do you feel about retiring from the board after 19 years? I have very mixed emotions. My family and the Bement family have been the primary focus of my life during that period. I am forever grateful and appreciative of the opportunity given to me to join the board and to manage the affairs of the school with such a special group of talented and committed friends. At the same time, though, it marks the formal conclusion of my years with Bement, which began when I was eight years old. Bement gave me a solid foundation in so many ways. I loved it then and love it even more today. However, my time has come to step away, albeit reluctantly.

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C ELE B RAT I NG T H E C L ASS

2020

Yearbook

Graduation diploma

At the beginning of the school year in 2019, no one anticipated that

Bement would rapidly transition to an online learning learning model

Imago Dei trip memory book

meant that the ﬁnal spring semester looked different from what they had imagined. While they grieved that we were separated from one

Bement blanket for new Alumni Association members

showcased their grace and resilience. We are incredibly proud of each and every member of the Class of 2020, who proved that we are always

another, this class rose to the occasion just like a phoenix, and students

because of a pandemic sweeping the globe. For our ninth graders, this

Class of 2020 long-sleeved shirt

family, no matter how we gather and learn together. A SPECIAL DELIVERY During Commencement week, ninth graders received a special package, either hand delivered to their doors or mailed to them. Wrapped inside were items to commemorate their years at Bement and to honor their achievements.

FAREWELL EVENING Although Farewell Evening was held virtually this year, the send-offs and sentiments were just as strong, with faculty members offering recorded tributes to our graduates.

NINTH-GRADE MUSICAL Under the direction of drama teacher Casey Ahern and Upper School Chorus Director Katryna Nields, ninth graders virtually performed songs from the ninth-grade musical, High School Musical Jr., including the aptly titled song “All In This Together.”

GRADUATION On June 5, Bement held its ﬁrst-ever virtual Commencement ceremony on Zoom, followed by a drive-by celebration on Old Main Street in Deerﬁeld for nearby graduates.

B E M E N T. O R G

Assistant Head of School Kim Loughlin P’18 made deliveries to local ninth graders.

Congratulations to the Graduates

Alexander

Avery

Chaiyeon “Erica”

Chiwoo

HOMETOWN:

Leverett, MA YEARS AT BEMENT:

Shelburne Falls, MA 10

YEARS AT BEMENT:

Seoul, Republic of Korea YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Conor

Ella

Eunwoo “Ava”

Hanyang “Ryan”

HOMETOWN:

The Clarkson School

Deerfield, MA YEARS AT BEMENT:

Suﬃeld Academy

Turners Falls, MA 3

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Deerfield Academy

YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Phillips Academy

Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea YEARS AT BEMENT:

The Peddie School

Chongqing, China YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

The Ethel Walker School

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Jiayi “Sunny”

Jurnee

Kaelin

Kylie

HOMETOWN:

YEARS AT BEMENT: 4

YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Brooklyn, NY

Beijing, China YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Deerfield Academy

Williston Northampton School

Choate Rosemary Hall

Deerfield, MA

Berkshire School

Turners Falls, MA 3

Deerfield Academy

YEARS AT BEMENT: 9 SECONDARY SCHOOL:

The Ethel Walker School

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Fly on Your Own Wings, Class of 2020!

Leheng “Alice”

Megan

Motoya

Nathan

HOMETOWN:

Shanghai, China YEARS AT BEMENT:

Hong Kong YEARS AT BEMENT:

Greenfield, MA

Gifu, Japan 2

YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Runkai “Nico”

Ryan

Sebastian

Shuyue “Yuki”

HOMETOWN:

Deerfield Academy

Hangzhou City, China Sunderland, MA YEARS AT BEMENT:

Hotchkiss School

Greenfield, MA YEARS AT BEMENT:

Berkshire School

Miami, FL 10

YEARS AT BEMENT:

New Hampton School

Nanjing, China 4

YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Holderness School

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Solbee

Sungho “Ryan”

Theodore “Theo”

Xiting “Amy”

HOMETOWN:

YEARS AT BEMENT: 2

YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Berkshire School

Choate Rosemary Hall

Northfield Mount Hermon School

Namyangjusi, Gyeonggido, Republic of Korea YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Hotchkiss School

B E M E N T. O R G

Seoul, Republic of Korea

Northfield Mount Hermon School

Amherst, MA

Shanghai, China 4

The Putney School

YEARS AT BEMENT:

SECONDARY SCHOOL:

Taft School

At Bement, we live and learn as a family.

We encourage personal responsibility. We work together to create a climate of acceptance, kindness, and challenge. We nurture each child intellectually, creatively, physically, and emotionally.

Thank you

This journey is made possible by the Bement Annual Fund. We are grateful for the support of our Bement family.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

45 Years of Dedic

“LOUISE HAS ALLOWED COUNTLESS CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF CHILDHOOD,” SAYS AMY GORDON P’95 ’97, PF OF HER LONGTIME FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE. 28

B E M E N T. O R G

RETIREMENT

ation Louise Smith P’95 ’97, PF retires from Bement.

BY EMILY LENT HEMINGWAY PF

Keith House Collaborating Teacher, Noticing Nature Teacher

LOUISE SMITH IS A DEEPLY knowledgeable, thoughtful, dedicated, and hardworking master teacher, but that is not the first thing people mention when looking back on her decades of service to Bement and the legacy she leaves to this school. It’s not even in the top three. First, people mention nature, of course—Louise’s love and knowledge of it, and the way she used its study as a way to help children learn about themselves. For Bement students, anything happening in the natural world, whether at home or at school, meant that Mrs. Smith had to be found and asked for more information. The number of notes left for Louise from students wondering about nature could fill a book. Regardless of the subject, every note Louise has received was earnest, heartfelt, and painstakingly written and delivered by a child who took time out of their recess, after dismissal, or perhaps even during class, when they were meant to be concentrating on something else. They couldn’t wait and ask her later; they had to write to her immediately. Many of Louise’s conversations with children (and some adults) began with them asking, “Did you see the [fill in the blank] I left for you?” (Once the item was a frog, which Louise delicately confirmed was alive—not always the case with items left for her—and loose in Keith Schoolhouse.) I also often felt the impulse to tell Louise about something I’d seen outside; I think everyone who knows her did. This instinct was in part because Louise’s love of nature, sense of curiosity, and desire to explore were contagious, and we all wanted to be part of her adventures. Mostly, though, children and adults alike wanted to share with Louise because we knew she would meet our note or gift or information with earnest curiosity, genuine caring, a listening ear, and true kindness. Tied to Louise’s love of nature are two other often-mentioned truths about her: her sense of humor and her loyal friendship. A number of Louise’s friends and colleagues mentioned lovingly that Louise occasionally misplaces her keys or her glasses, but she never forgets the things that matter. Louise commits deeply and truly to places and people. She is ever loyal to Camp Arcadia and to Bement, two places where she has dedicated many decades of her life and remains a staunch and vital supporter. She has deep and lasting friendships with people she met at camp, at boarding school, at Bement, and more. She has an incredible memory for people. You can mention the name of a student from more than 30 years ago to her, and she will tell you exactly what that child was like in first grade, who their friends were, what they were working on then, and how they are doing now. In addition to all these wonderful qualities, Louise is, of course, a master teacher. Saving this role for last is perfectly fitting for someone as humble as Louise, who is quick to wave away accomplishments and accolades. For Louise, being a teacher is synonymous with sharing passions; helping students learn about themselves; finding humor in every day; and fostering long, deep, and meaningful connections with people and places. Louise did those things so well at Bement because she is a wonderful teacher, and she is a wonderful teacher because doing those things so well is who she is.

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class notes

Denny Emerson Jr. ’55 Denny Emerson Jr. ’55 wrote and published the book Know Better to Do Better: Mistakes I Made with Horses (So You Don’t Have To).

Keep in Touch! Recent marriage? Exciting adventure? New baby? Keep your classmates updated on the latest happenings in your life. All Class Notes also appear in the magazine’s online version. To report your entry, you can visit bement.org/alumni or contact us via phone or email. PHONE 413.774.3021 EMAIL alumni@bement.org

B E M E N T. O R G

Richard Coon ’65 Richard Coon ’65 writes: “Aloha oe, Bement! After 30-plus years in Hawaii, I’ve now moved to Thailand and may not come back. I live in a tiny hamlet and am known to everyone as ‘LoongLick,’ or ’Uncle Rick,’ and I’m quite happy with my life, my wife, and her daughter. I remember Bement well and fondly. Thank you for the good times.” Phil Barreda ’82

Constituency Codes* ’GB Alumna/us from Grace Bement era (1925–1947) ’00 Alumna/us Class Year TT Trustee PTT Past Trustee P Parent GP Grandparent GGP Great Grandparent FA Current Faculty or Staff PF Past Faculty or Staff FR Friend of Bement HOS Head of School FHS Former Head of School IHOS Interim Head of School

*Constituents are listed with their Bement affiliation following each name. For example, John ’72 and Alice PF Smith P’95 means that John is an alum from the Class of 1972, and Alice is a past faculty member. Together, they are parents of a student who attended Bement Class of 1995.

Richard Coon ’65

Felipe “Phil” Barreda ’82

Phil Barreda ’82 writes: “I was happy to participate in the Alumni Pen Pal Project and exchange letters with a fifth grader. I found the experience very rewarding, and I look forward to continuing to participate in this project. In the last three months, I have been able to reconnect with two classmates from Bement, Joe Elias ’82 and Bill Eng ’82. We even organized, with the help of another alumnus, a few Zoom chats with other fellow Bement alumni from the 1980s. It was nice to see people that I had not seen in 38 years.”

Barak Blackburn ’85 In 2019, Barak Blackburn ‘85 was a finalist in the annual game design competition Game Chef. Game Chef contestants have 10 days to design a game following a theme and using “ingredients.” Barak created the twoperson game Ekphrasis, which uses blackout poetry to create a surreal narrative. In early 2020, he also participated in a Make 100 Kickstarter initiative, which asked creators to make up to 100 limited-edition pieces of art and sell them. He worked on mounted blackout poetry, turning a page from a book into both narrative and visual art, suitable for framing. Barak developed his passion for games while a student at Bement playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends during an elective time, and this year he brought that passion to Bement by running a game for a group of over 10 enthusiastic students. To learn more about Barak’s quirky games, visit https://zine.games.

Megan O’Brien ’95, FA Megan O’Brien ’95, FA writes: “I am excited to be starting my fifth year at Bement after living and working on the North Shore of Boston as the head athletic trainer for Gordon College. Since being at Bement, I have worked in the alumni and development office, and more recently I’ve taken on a larger role Megan O’Brien ’95, FA and her mom with our residential life program as the assistant director of residential life. Besides work, I also have enjoyed traveling, and I took a group of Bement students to Europe last March. I was happy that my mom was able to join us! Last year I decided to follow even more in my dad’s footsteps, and I am currently halfway through obtaining my master’s in history.”

Tim O’Brien ’00

Tim O’Brien ’00 and family

Tim O’Brien ’00 is doing well and has continued to make strides as an associate manager at Walmart. He currently lives in Fitchburg, MA, with his wife, Tiff, and two adorable children, Maeve and Quinn. When he is not working, Tim is very proud that he has been able to follow his passion for painting miniatures, and within the past year he started Red Beard Miniatures.

before the virus arrived in New York City, I presented an evening-length danceplay in a raw, vacant retail space near Grand Central Station that happened—uncannily, in retrospect—to be about two people sheltering indefinitely from an unsafe world outside. Hopefully we will return to live performances before too long so that we can work through the ups and downs of quarantine together!”

Erin Cromack ’07 Erin Cromack ’07 writes: “After several years working in Boston, I traveled to Bali, Indonesia, where I taught English to kindergarten students. In my spare time, I explored the island, learned about Thai religious ceremonies and holidays, attended temples with close friends I now call family, and learned the language, though not fluently. When a nearby volcano, Mount Agung, erupted, I assisted in transporting and distributing essential supplies, such as masks and clean water. Upon my return to the U.S., I became TEFL certified and taught Bement’s English writing class during our ELAC summer program in 2019. This past August, I returned to Bement full time as the communications and events coordinator. In addition, I’m a dorm parent in Haas House and a two-term coach. I love being back on campus and enjoy bike rides up and down Old Main Street in my free time.”

Sasha Vlasenko ’00 & Curt Thibeau ’03 Sasha Vlasenko ’00, Scott Smith PF, and Curt Thibeau ’03 ran into each other at the restaurant Hope and Olive in Greenfield, MA.

Erin Cromack ’07

(left) Sasha Vlasenko ’00, Scott Smith PF, and Curt Thibeau ’03

Ben MacKinney ’02 Ben MacKinney ’02 and his wife, Wendy, welcomed a new son, Austin Wade MacKinney, on September 20, 2019.

Austin Wade MacKinney

Ali Castillo Rosenblatt ’05 Ali Castillo Rosenblatt ’05 writes: “My husband and I live in Springfield, MA, where we are expecting our first child together, a baby girl, in July! I work in adult education with migrant farmworkers. I also do contract work as a Spanish/English interpreter and translator.”

Ingrid Kapteyn ’06 Ingrid Kapteyn ’06 writes: “I attended Bement for seventh and eighth grades from 2003 to 2005, along with my sister, Ilse ’09, while our mother, Kirsten Kapteyn P’06 ’09, PF worked in admissions and as a dorm parent. We send big love to everybody in the Bement family during this wild time. Right

Sara Mellas ’07 Sara Mellas ’07 writes: “I’ve lived in San Francisco for the last five years, where I earned my master’s degree and worked as a choir conductor and music teacher. In 2017, I started a side business in recipe development, food styling, and cake design, which became my full-time job (it hardly feels like one!) in 2019. This year, my first three cookbooks were published: The Easy Sara Mellas ’07 Baked Donut Cookbook, The One-Pot Casserole Cookbook, and The Quick & Easy Breakfast Cookbook. I moved to Nashville, TN, in January, where I’m currently writing my fourth cookbook and my first children’s book. Years ago in Ms. Stewart-Pettingill’s art class, she said, ‘If you make a mistake, just make something out of it.’ Since I’ve chosen to be professionally creative, that statement guides me quite literally every day. My books and other work can be viewed on www.saramellas.com.”

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Ilse Kapteyn ’09 Ilse Kapteyn ’09 has been dancing professionally with the New Jersey Ballet Company for seven years.

Anna Zilinski ’09

Ilse Kapteyn ’09

Anna Zilinski ’09 is beginning her second year as Bement’s school nurse. She loves being back at Bement in this role. She lives locally with her husband and their animals. She stays connected with many of her Bement classmates, many of whom are still her closest friends.

Ashby McCoy ’10 Shelley FHS Borror Jackson P’00 writes about alumni Ashby McCoy ’10: “Ashby is joining the Peace Corps in Morocco as a youth development specialist. Prior to this, she worked as a field instructor in Jackson, WY, for the Teton Science Schools, taking students into Grand Teton National Park teaching science and incorporating social-emotional learning. She is a College of Charleston graduate in arts management and environmental studies.”

Seth McKenzie ’17 is attending St. Paul’s School and is proud to be serving as the president of the Student Council. Seth shares that he has fond memories of his 10 years at Bement and loves the school.

Bement on the Road NEW YORK CITY | YALE CLUB | FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Group shot of the Bement community members who attended the reception in New York City; left to right: Kathy Wilkey P’11 ’16, Kimberly Caldwell Loughlin P’18, FA, Orion Kelly P’22, Stephanie Bennett ’82, Erin Cromack ’07, FA, Wayne Wilkey TT, P’11 ’16, Bukola Olode P’22, Rusty Hanson P’21, Tate Kelly ’22, Mary Cohn TT, P’03 ’06, Meg O’Brien ’95, FA, Sung M. You ’98, Cynthia “Tinti” White Rossini ’70, Katie Vadasdi ’91, Dillon Lorda ’91, Marisa Olchowski, Oliver Olchowski (in stroller), Thaddeus Olchowski ’00, Caroline Haines ’04, TT, Christopher Wilson FHS, P’26 ’28, Lisa Kittredge TT, P’06 ’18 ’21, Sara Becton Ardrey P’22 ’24, FA

B E M E N T. O R G

Louise Beatty ’75 Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF Betty Jean Butz GP’19 John Caminoli GP’22 ’25 ’27 Zi Ming Chen GP’15 ’17 Aiden Day ’13 Eileen Mary Donovan GP’24 Richard Eckermann GP’99 Betty Anne Graveline GGP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24 Becky Gregory PF Donald Geoffrey Helliwell GP’17 ’18 Stephen Jakub P’99

William Jubinville GP’98 ’00 ’06 Donald Kennedy ’GB Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 Anne Kuhn GP’20 ’23 ’23 George C. Lunt II ’GB, P’82 Gordon MacCallum GP’29 Gwendolyn Pierce GP’27 Richard Pucko P’82, PF Rabbi Louis Rieser P’90 ’95 Joseph Peter Spang lll PTT Nicolas Waitkus ’01 Timothy C. Young ’61, PF Marjorie Yurkevicz PF

The list of names included in the In Memoriam section is reported from August 2019 to August 2020.

Faculty and Staff Milestones

30 YEARS

10 YEARS

Dave Belcher P’07

Dan Bensen ’01

20 YEARS Angie Fusto ’16

Seth McKenzie ’17

WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED TO HAVE LOST THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF OUR BEMENT FAMILY THIS YEAR:

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING ANNIVERSARIES:

Angie Fusto ’16 Angie Fusto ’16 was named Brandon Hall’s Class of 2020 valedictorian and also won the prestigious Atlanta Journal-Constitution Cup and the Georgia Positive Athlete Award, both of which recognize select seniors throughout the city. She was also named the MVP in both tennis and volleyball, and she won volleyball, winning regions.

In Memoriam

Jerry Dobosz Terry Kopinto Don Powell 15 YEARS

Barak Blackburn ’85 Jane Stewart

5 YEARS

Jeremy Galvagni P’24 Donnell Jackson Fang Liu P’16 Tom Mangan Renée Wu

faculty & staff news

From left: Kristyn, Natalie, Dylan & Davin

Dylan Korpita

Hannah Dancer & Marcia Bernard

Director of Finance and Operations Dylan Korpita and his wife, Kristyn, welcomed their second child, Davin, in June. Mr. Korpita was also recently elected as a new corporator of Greenfield Bancorp MHC, the parent company of Greenfield Cooperative Bank.

Third-grade teacher Hannah Dancer and librarian Marcia Bernard attended the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE) annual conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, on October 24–25, 2019. They engaged in two full days of workshops and keynote speeches, connecting with other educators passionate about digital teaching and learning. Ms. Bernard also attended the three-day American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference in Louisville, KY, in November 2019.

Katie MacCallum P’29 Interim Head of Lower School Katie MacCallum P’29 became a U.S. citizen on June 8.

Katie MacCallum P’29

Donnell Jackson

Donnell Jackson’s new cafe

Dorm parent and Bement cook Donnell Jackson joined forces with former co-workers to start Avalon Lounge and Game Cafe in Holyoke, MA, where they serve a variety of fresh, casual foods. The restaurant opened in May 2020 for takeout, and then to sit-down customers in mid-June with the hopes of offering more seating and table service as time goes on.

Casey Ahern Arts Department Chair and drama teacher Casey Ahern attended the Broadway Teachers Workshop, which was held entirely online this year. She immersed herself in workshops on a wide range of topics that included teaching and directing online; puppetry; scenic design tips and shortcuts; playwriting; antiracist theater training; middle school musicals; and Q&As with some of Broadway’s leading artists, such as Stephen Schwartz, Gavin Creel, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, and Patti LuPone. It was an exciting week, and she A screenshot of the workshop “Teaching looks forward to sharing all that she Acting Virtually” with Jenn Colella (Tony has learned with the community. Award nominee for Come From Away)

Tim O’Reilly After Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1998, the aunt of upper school science teacher and dorm parent Tim O’Reilly traveled to El Progreso to run a small medical brigade. The brigade returns each year, and Mr. O’Reilly has accompanied them many times. They stay with the same people, set up clinics in the same neighborhoods, and generate new memories. This year was no exception, as he arrived shortly before the border and public services shut down due to COVID-19. The group was able to visit a local kindergarten, church, and supplemental feeding program to Tim O’Reilly provide basic medical services. After two days, with everything closed, it was unfortunate that they were not able to provide their normal scope of care and see many familiar faces. When it is safe for international travel to resume, he looks forward to going back.

A Summer of Professional Development By Mike Schloat P’24 ’26, Interim Head of School

After a spring of unprecedented challenges, Bement’s teachers embarked on summer vacation with an urgent mission to evolve their practice to meet students’ needs in a rapidly changing landscape. Between the necessity of a return to remote learning for some students and the renewed call for more substantive social justice education, Bement teachers returned to school themselves. Our teachers each pursued professional development in three key areas to prepare for the 2020–21 school year: technical competence, online learning design, and practices to dismantle racism. Marcia Bernard, Bement’s librarian, led a team of five faculty who trained teachers in the tools for teaching remotely. Teachers enrolled in courses and workshops that introduced them to the cutting edge of online course design, and all faculty chose from a menu of workshops, webinars, and books to broaden their understandings of race, equity, and justice in the educational space. In a period of great change and uncertainty, Bement’s teachers returned to school this fall more nimble and prepared than ever, thanks to a summer of hard work that benefited all students.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

BY LOUISE SMITH P’95 ’97, PF

You’ve Got a Friend In Memory of Timothy C. Young ’61, PF

Over the course of more than 40 years, I came to know Tim Young as a colleague, as my children’s math teacher, and as the husband of Amy Gordon P’99 ’03, PF, who has been my Tim Young, Class of 1961, as a student at Bement

closest friend since we met at summer camp in Maine 55 years ago.

B E M E N T. O R G

IN MEMORIAM

Throughout the years, Tim set a standard of courtesy for all of us, and that made a difference.

Left: Mr. Young and his advisory group posed for a picture after spending the day hiking. Middle: Mr. Young gathered with fellow faculty and staff outside the Polk Building during the 1990s. Right: Mr. Young enjoyed hiking and camping with Bement students during the 1970s.

I’LL REMEMBER SEEING TIM SAUNTERING ACROSS CAMPUS, dressed in khakis, tan hiking boots, and a Shetland wool sweater with a camera over his shoulder. Something about the sight of Tim with his timeless New England clothing and his steady, calm demeanor always felt grounding to me. I’ll remember his unwavering thoughtfulness and gentlemanly good manners. Although Tim was shy, he would never pass you on campus without a friendly greeting. Throughout the years, Tim set a standard of courtesy for all of us, and that made a difference. I remember the unobtrusive way he entered a classroom, observed, took his photos, and moved on. When Tim was in our classrooms, teachers went on teaching and children went on learning, hardly noticing that he was there, and that’s the way Tim wanted it. It allowed him to capture the natural moments of a school day at Bement. And through his insightful eyes and creative process, those natural moments became works of art that captured the soul of the school he loved so much. I remember Tim’s math correction sheets, a tool he used to teach his students to be organized and accountable about their schoolwork. Every three weeks or so, he’d hand out a list to his students of any corrections in past assignments that had not yet been turned in. I have to admit that when my children were in Tim’s class, the night before corrections were due was never a peaceful one in our household. My children would spend the evening rooting through the crumpled papers in their backpacks, hoping against hope to find all the missing corrections. They often stayed up late begrudgingly redoing the assignments they had lost. As middle schoolers, they didn’t appreciate the study habits Tim was trying to teach them. However, by the time my children were in high

school they had become, on the whole, well organized and responsible students. So thank you, Tim, for teaching my children, and for your clear, consistent expectations. Of course I will remember Tim’s photos, slideshows, and videos. When Spring Fling used to be held on Saturdays, the Barn would become the theater for viewing Tim’s slideshow. Parents, children, and teachers would come into the darkened room, find a seat, and watch. For many, including me, this was the highlight of the day. We laughed and cried as the magic of the school year unfolded before us through Tim’s iconic photographs. And the beauty and meaning in the photos were enhanced by the music Tim had selected. Whenever I hear “What a Wonderful World” or “You’ve Got a Friend,” I think of Tim. I always will. Finally, I’ll remember how Tim and Amy found each other at Bement and created a life together that enriched them both. I loved the way they supported each other’s creative talents and the deep companionship they found when walking in the woods, canoeing, and kayaking on the Connecticut River and exploring the world through travel. I’ll also remember what a steady, calm, and kind stepfather Tim became for Amy’s two sons, Nick and Hugh. Sadly, there came a time this past fall when Tim was no longer able to spend his days at Bement. It felt strange to come to school knowing he wasn’t here. I wanted to see him sauntering across campus. I missed his friendly greetings, his courtesy, his humility, his thoughtfulness, and his friendship. Time after time I found myself noticing moments in the school day and wishing he were here with his camera. I still do. I’m so grateful that I had so many years to get to know him. I only wish I had a few more.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

IN MEMORIAM

BY ROB COHN PTT, P’03 ’06

A Generous Soul In Memory of Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21

MIKE KITTREDGE CALLED ME ONE DAY and asked if I could help get his son, Mick, into Bement for the fall. That was a wonderful call, as Mike and I were becoming close friends and my son, Parker, was just starting his friendship with Mick, who was the same age, and would be pleased to know that Mick was moving to Leverett and going to attend Bement. Our sons became close, so we started spending a lot more time together. Mike joined Bement’s Board of Trustees at the same time Shelley Borror Jackson FHS, P’00 became the head of school and I became the board chair, taking over for Susan Clopton PTT, P’03. After some years, Mike started a wonderful relationship with Lisa Bernier, and they were married with Mick in the wedding. A few years later Kylie was born, and I have had the privilege of watching and partaking in this young lady’s life. When it was time for school, there was no question where Kylie was headed. She thrived at Bement, and is now at Deerfield Academy. She is a great combination of both Mom and Dad. A few more years later, Casey was born and she was a most adorable infant. Casey is presently enjoying Bement and will soon be making the decision of where to go next. All three kids are true testaments to the love Mike had for not only his children, but other parent’s children too, as witnessed by such enormous generosity in every direction. Anyone who knew Mike could attest to the fact that he was not only seriously smart but exceedingly funny, too. What people may not have known is that Mike was actually a shy man, but as his success grew and his confidence soared, he shared his humor and wisdom with all of us on the board. Bement was experiencing a time of growth, and the board embarked on a plan to renovate the library, build an upper school building, and renovate other buildings—a tall order for a day school of 220, with about

Left: Mick ’06 and Mike PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 Kittredge. Right: Lisa TT, P’06 ’18 ’21, Casey ’21, Mike PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21, and Kylie ’18 Kittredge at Kylie’s Bement Commencement

B E M E N T. O R G

20 boarders at the time. We met with experts in fundraising from Deerfield Academy and others who thought raising $4.25 million was out of reach for us. Mike and I privately discussed the merits of doing this. He always stated that if you wait, it will cost more, and he was correct. We decided the plan would gain credibility if we had a special lead gift. The board agreed, and one week later at a finance committee meeting, Mike stated that he had to leave early. As he got up to leave, he said, “Oh, to get us started, I will donate one million dollars.” Our committee was astounded, and Shelley started to cry—an easy moment to never forget. That campaign, thanks to many generous donors, became a big success and ushered in the largest physical change for Bement (at the time). Spring Fling and an annual dinner and auction event proved to be a lot of work but a ton of fun. Mike made these events even more special as he donated wine, art, and time for students at his home, Juggler Meadow, a real haven of fun for everyone. Mike was instrumental in inspiring our board to have confidence to do what was needed instead of fretting about what we could not do. That thoughtful approach was important to all of us, and it allowed us to propose and then tackle more positive changes in the school. After board meetings and before dinner, Mike and I would go to the Deerfield Inn for a drink and to chat about how well the board was doing or to have interesting and animated conversations. Mike was always impeccably dressed, well spoken, thoughtful, and considerate of others. He used to do amazing things for Halloween parties for all the neighborhood kids and Bement students. The candy bars were the largest and the theatrics he devised for the event were so over the top, one would need to see the video to understand just how much pleasure Mike derived from seeing others enjoy his gifts to all. To me, Mike was the very smartest and funniest of my friends. His generosity had no bounds, and it all stemmed from a childhood of not having material things but a lot of family love and inspiration to move forward. No one I have ever known has a story like Mike’s, of rags to riches, from shy to the most humorous personality to ever grace The Bement School. For me and my family, the Kittredge family has shown us the world by plane, ship, and automobiles. Our travels can never be duplicated by the fun, love, and support we all enjoyed. Because of the Kittredge family, Bement has had more opportunities to show what a great school it is and how the Bement family is always there.

IN MEMORIAM

BY STEPHEN CARR DAVIS ’77, PTT

The Essence of Home In Memory of Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF

IT’S FUNNY WHAT THE “SENSE MEMORY” REMEMBERS years later. All through my years at Bement and beyond, I associated a stainless steel counter—Marianne’s stainless steel counter—with home. I still associate that kitchen counter at Bement with food, and with all the homework I completed upon it while Marianne baked away and offered advice and companionship with a listening ear and, yes, love. The first thing I saw when I walked into the kitchen was that stainless steel counter—and Marianne, always, standing next to it. The counter came to represent the essence of home and the people I care for who live within it, and also the changing seasons, and with them, ever-changing lives. I recall dark autumn afternoons sitting at that counter in the kitchen, lights glowing while the old trees whistled and swayed outside in the rain as Marianne helped to mend a broken heart. I remember breezy spring mornings with the windows open, Marianne rolling out her famous chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls on that counter, and the heavenly scent wafting throughout the kitchen and drifting out the windows, beckoning to all the children. Marianne’s stainless steel counter stayed long in my memory, so much so that years later, when my wife and I renovated our old kitchen, I had but one request: that it have a long, wide stainless steel countertop on a center island. And so it happened. And it is here where our daughter does her homework, where my wife bakes and cooks, where we comfort each other after a hard day, or share a glass of wine and discuss the state of the world, peering over the tops of our glasses and reading aloud

All through my years at Bement and beyond, I associated a stainless steel counter—Marianne’s stainless steel counter—with home. from an old-fashioned newspaper. Many tears have been shed and many laughs have been had over that stainless steel counter—so many that it’s too many to count. And that is life, unfolding every day in an unremarkable way, over a stainless steel counter . . . time is passing and memories are being made. You don’t even realize it at the time, but the significance, the meaning— that is imprinted on the sense memory forever, and that memory brings great comfort, more with each passing year. Marianne standing guard at her counter laughing, smiling, working, hugging, baking, guiding, and comforting is complete within my sense memory, and I think of her so fondly—every morning when I sit at my stainless steel counter with my first cup of coffee, and every evening when I glance at the counter as I switch off the lights for the night. Goodbye, Marianne. I’m sure you are in a very special place reserved for the kindest of souls. I would like to see you there, not standing at your counter working but sitting behind it, enjoying a cup of tea and the lovely view of Bement outside the old window. Perhaps I could join you there for a while, and we could sit and visit, just like the old days. Au revoir, my friend.

Photo above right, left to right: Haruna Hirose ’92, Ceíli Elizabeth Betsch ’91, Courtney Kane ’93 (behind Ceíli), Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF, Holly Van de Graff ’93 (behind Marianne), Victoria Davis ’91 (on shoulder), Meg Hall ’91, and Lisa Yamasaki-Hürzeler ’91 THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

BEMENT REPORT OF GIVING | 2019–2020

The Bement Spirit Prevails

2020–2021 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Riché Barnes P’15 Kimberly Petelle Butz P’19 Vice President

While I am always in awe of the dedication of the faculty, staff, and community at Bement, they have far surpassed my expectations these past several months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The faculty jumped into action with little notice and adapted their curriculum to teach online. Parents had to suddenly take on new roles in assisting their children in the online learning process, while many also worked from home, and some had limited internet connectivity. International students had to contend with time differences. In spite of these challenges, the Bement faculty, staff, and leadership team prevailed and seamlessly provided the high-quality education for which Bement is known. One silver lining that strikes me is the generosity that so many have demonstrated. Not only did the faculty, staff, and leadership team rally to steer the ship through uncharted waters, but the entire Bement community, including current parents, alumni, past parents, and trustees, came together to support Bement in many ways, including contributing to the Annual Fund. This year, I am proud to say that we exceeded our Annual Fund goal. In this unprecedented time, your generosity has given us the ability to invest in Bement’s learning experience, increase our technological capabilities for distance learning, provide teachers with professional development training to advance their distance teaching skills, and put learning devices in the hands of students who need them. We are well prepared for the year ahead thanks to all that you have given back to Bement. The Bement community has proven once again that no matter what challenges are thrown our way, the true Bement spirit will always prevail. In looking ahead, there is much optimism as we begin to plan for Bement’s 100th anniversary. We are all excited for the future and so grateful for the past.

MARY COHN P’03 ’06 Trustee, Development Committee Chair

B E M E N T. O R G

Raymond Chen P’15 ’17 Eduardo Cisneros P’21 ’23 Mary Cohn P’03 ’06 Caroline Haines ’04 Anthony Kwame Harrison ’85 President Bob Howe P’18 ’18 Treasurer Desiree Kicza P’25 ’27 ’30 ’30 Lisa Kittredge P’06 ’18 ’21 Secretary Pamela Klonaris P’11 ’13 Ladimer Nagurney P’09 Brian Pearson P’24 Jane Plager P’12 ’16 Rich Shuman P’10 ’14 Brian Thompson P’24 ’26 Timothy Van Epps P’21 ’23 ’25 Craig White P’03, PF Wayne Wilkey P’11 ’16

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Cathy Esleeck ’GB, P’62 Xing Ping “Simon” Lu P’09 Stephanie McLennan ’85 Bill Polk ’52, PF

BEMENT REPORT OF GIVING | 2019–2020

A L OOK AT F ISC A L YE A R 2019– 20 20 *

3.7% Summer Programs 1.7% Student Services 1.1% Interest Income

3.3% Endowment Draw 7.4% Contributions and Gifts

REVENUE

82.7% Tuition and Fees

8.2% Operations and Maintenance 8.6% Development and Admissions

EXPENSES

19.4% General Administrative and Institutional

63.8% Instructional and Student Programs

*Totals are unaudited and percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding.

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Thanks to the following donors to all funds at Bement between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020: OF ALL WHO GAVE TO BEMENT THIS YEAR, 24% were current parents

24% were parents of alumni

28% were alumni and current students

6% were grandparents (current and past)

GRACE BEMENT CIRCLE ($25,000+) Anonymous (3)

Anonymous (1)

B Henry and Jeannie Becton GP’22 ’24

B Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06

Frank and Hanne Castle FR

B P Peter FHS and Nancy PF Drake P’90

Xibin Chen and Haiyan Lu P’21

Qiang Ge and Ruihua Wang P’21

B Lisa Kittredge TT, P’06 ’18 ’21

Amy Gordon P’99 ’03, PF

The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company

Lei Guo and Lihong Gong P’22

B John Longmaid PTT, P’93

B Caroline Haines ’04, TT, Sidonie Haines

B Brian and Lisa McCarthy P’22 ’24 ’28 ’30 B The Pazmino GP’19 ’21 ’24 and B George PTT and Pamela Siguler P’98 ’00 ’02 ’05 ’14 Joshua and Hollis Young FR

10% were friends

’93 ’96

B The Kittredge Foundation

Brook P’19 ’21 Families 8% were faculty and staff (current and past)

HEAD’S CIRCLE ($5,000–$9,999)

Xiaoyong Zhang and Minmin Tao P’20

P’04, and Pendery Haines Kiwon Kang and Somi Park P’20 B John Levine and Susan PTT Clopton P’03 Mengze Qi and Limin Zhang P’22 Bin Shi and Sabrina Wu P’18 ’18 B P Katherine Stenson Lunt PTT, P’00 ’02 and Rob Stenson He Zhao and Qiang Li P’23

Constituency Codes* ’GB ’00 TT PTT P GP GGP FA PF FR HOS FHS IHOS

Alumna/us from Grace Bement era (1925–1947) Alumna/us Class Year Trustee Past Trustee Parent Grandparent Great Grandparent Current Faculty or Staff Past Faculty or Staff Friend of Bement Head of School Former Head of School Interim Head of School

*Donors are listed with their Bement affiliation following each name. For example, John ’72 and Alice PF Smith P’95 means that John is an alum from the class of 1972, and Alice is a past faculty. Together, they are parents of a student who attended Bement Class of 1995.

BLUE AND WHITE SOCIETY ($10,000–$24,999)

Jie Ai and Wei Hu P’20 B Steven and Sheri Andon P’19 ’22 Alexander Bardzik ’95 Jonathan Bardzik ’88 Andrew Barnard FR Roger and Ilona Cherewatti GP’19 ’21 ’24 The estate of John and Gretchen PTT Fox P’86 ‘88 Edward Ho and Karmen Wu P’20 B Greg ’85 and Caroline Holden Moujie Liu and Lihong Tang P’20 Jefferson Miller Jr. and Abby Locke Castle FR Catherine Morgan P’21 Philip and Elizabeth Rosenberry P’13 ’15 B Charles PTT and Sarah Sanford P’12 ’14 ’17 ’19

BEMENT LOYALISTS Donors with a B preceding their name have donated for five or more consecutive years.

PHOENIX SOCIETY Donors with a P preceding their name are Phoenix Society members who have named Bement as a beneficiary in their will, life insurance policy, retirement policy, or bank account documents.

Greg and Katie ’91 Vadasdi Aoran Wang and Ming Guo P’21 Jack Wang and Sandy Zhang P’20 B Rob and Robin ’62, PTT Whitten Zhongmin Wu and Wenlan Shi P’21 Weiqing Ye and Caie Ma P’26 Weiping Zhao and Xinfa Zhang P’20 Jing Zhou and Wei Huang P’22 Ning Zhou and Meixuan Zhang P’23

B Maoyuan Zhu and Yan Liu P’19 B E M E N T. O R G

1925 SOCIETY ($1,925–$4,999)

Anonymous (1)

Anonymous (3) B P Guy Ardrey and Sara FA Becton Ardrey P’22 ’24 B Andy PTT and Hut Beall P’15 B Joan H. Butler P’83 ’84 B Joe and Kimberly TT Petelle Butz P’19 Liqun Cai and Lingyu Zhang P’17 B James and Erin Cherewatti P’19 ’21 ’24 B Junbo Fan and Yan Yi P’18 B Anthony Kwame Harrison ’85, TT Hongyun Zhou and Wangdong Zhang P’19 Seung Joon Shin and Eun Mi Kim P’17 B Jason and Desiree TT Kicza P’25 ’27 ’30 ’30 B Lilia Levine ’03 Patrick and Wheaton Mahoney P’23 Jianhua Mao and Minying Na P’23 B The Honorable Juliette McLennan ’60, PTT, P’85 B P Stephanie McLennan ’85, PTT B Virginia Morsman ’87, PTT, PF Xiaodong Nie and Tao Ding P’20 Brian Pearson TT and Sira Berté P’24 B Jeffrey and Linda ’83, PTT Schutzman Ohhyun Song and Kyungsun Bae P’22 ’25 Yandong Sun and Binbin Xu P’22

B Brian TT and Julie Thompson P’24 ’26

Dylan FA and Kristyn Korpita

B John and Marcia Lannon P’98

Timothy TT and Wendy ’88 Van Epps P’21

Martha Lyman ’58, PTT

Emily Latham ’12

Jose and Angela Martagon Villamil P’24

Pierre and Sarah Lever P’21

Sheng Wang and Yuanjiang Cao P’21

B David and Penny Michalak P’14

B Kimberly Caldwell Loughlin P’18, FA

B George Withington ’52

B Ladimer TT and Anna Nagurney P’09

B George ’GB and Tinka Lunt P’82

XiaoJi Wu and Xiangqing Jiang P’23

B Peggy Nathan PTT, P’83

Matthew Lustig and Carolina Aragon P’29

Lei Xu and Shuping Zhang P’23

Jisoo Oh ’96

Jeremy Mailloux and Stacey Mimnaugh P’24 ’27

Jun Yan and Mo Zhou P’22

Mark and Lori Ott P’17 ’19 ’24

B Frank FA and Suk Massey

Jianhua Yang and Hui Wang P’22 ’26

B Michael and Jane TT Plager P’12 ’16

Rafal Nowak P’23

Gregory Yu P’23

B P David PTT and Nancy PF Pond P’89 ’95

Thaddeus Olchowski ’00

Nicholas and Carla Zayac P’29

B Sam and Julie Owen ’57 Rea

B Ron and Jennifer Paasch P’22 ’24

B Hongyun Zhou and Wangdong Zhang P’19

Shawn Sabelawski P’20 ’23 ’24

B Michael and Barbara PF Parry P’98

Jim and Lauren Schattin P’26

B Douglas and Alice Patton P’16 ’18

’23 ’25

B Rich TT and Elie PF Shuman P’10 ’14

Michael Posever and Anne-Marie Demetz P’10

Ira Lee and Ellen M. Sorkin GP’21 ’23

B Rebecca Pond ’95, PTT, PF

B Joseph Peter Spang PTT

B Suzanne T. Purrington ’52, PTT

Anonymous (5)

B Bob and Sally Spencer P’98 ’00

B Ned ’67, PTT and Maria Reade

James and Justyna Arcoleo P’16 ’19 ’29 ’30

B P Melissa Stetson P’14 ’18

Christian Rojas and Alexandra Andino P’23 ’29

Edward Arron and Jeewon Park P’28

B Vermont Community Foundation

Jonathan and Stephanie Scagel P’21 ’21

P Mike Banas and Emma Chen-Banas P’28

Michael Waidlich and

Nathaniel and Amy ’89 Snow

BEMENT HONOR ROLL ($500–$1,924)

Willson ’76 and Vickie Beebe

Naomi Gendron-Waidlich P’26

Robert and Yulia Stone P’15 ’21

Ken PF and Karen Boudreau P’05 ’09

Craig TT, P’03, PF and Amy White

Marc Warner and Bonnie Burke P’21 ’23

Jianhan Chen and Xueying Qin P’23 ’25

B P Tell ’GB, PTT and Conni White

Anna S. Whitcomb ’66

B Raymond TT and Julia Chen P’15 ’17

Peter and Michelle Wirth P’24 ’26 ’28

Christopher Wilson FHS and

DoHyun “Tony” Chung PTT, P’19

Qin Zhou and Min Tang P’19

Stephanie Hanes Wilson P’26 ’28 Robert and Beverley Yoon P’05 ’07

City Building Maintenance, Inc. Robert, Joyce, and RJ Conlin FR Craig Creelman ’87 P Emet Davis ’80, PTT B Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation

BEMENT MERIT LIST ($250–$499)

Mike and Tiffany Doyle P’29

FRIENDS OF BEMENT ($1–$249)

B P Matthew Drake ’96

Anonymous (2)

Anonymous (4)

Bill, Pat, Jon, and Beth Edwards FR

Charles Altmiller ’72

Jerry and Casey FA Ahern

Nick PTT and Colleen PF Filler P’01 ’03 ’05

B Nick Bagley and Cong Chen P’16 ’20

Ronald and Carol Aleman P’87 ’97 ’99

B William PTT and Suzanne Flynt P’01 ’09

Darnel and Riché TT Barnes P’15

Hal and Gail Baade FR

B Allison Neumeister Fry ’98

Steven and Jessica Benjamin P’27

Robert and Agnes Banas GP’28

B P John Gardiner PTT, P’14 ’18

Jason and Jamie Billings P’24

B John PTT and Kay Bardzik P’88 ’91 ’95

P Lester and Burdine Anderson ’54 Giese

Alexander Byron ’83

B Alexander Bartlett ’87, FA and Megan Tady

Robert Gilmore and Amy Burnside P’21 ’21

B Fred Byron P’80 ’83

B Perry O. Hanson III and

Chris Corrinet ’94

Wilson Becton FR

Jennifer Cox P’25

Stephanie Bennett ’82

B P Christine Hart PTT, P’02

B The DiBari Family P’22

B Ben PF and Pamela Bensen

Howard and Jinx Hastings GP’21

Jim and Joan Edzwald P’95

Hogan Communications

Henry ’89 and Kristine Forsyth

Daniel ’01, FA and Rachel Bensen

B John ’63, PTT and Lee Holstein

Margaret Fox ’88

B Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24

John and Phelicia Howland P’21

Robert Franklin and Cheryl Roberts P’05

Melanie Bete ’06

Mark Jankowske and Biljana Simikic P’26 ’29

Fritz Gohl FR

B Barak Blackburn ’85, FA

Hongwei Jin and Yan Xing P’24

Justice and Elizabeth Hammond P’23 ’25

B Terrence and Wendy Blanchard P’20 ’20

Cary and Sue PTT Jubinville P’98 ’00 ’06

Viva Hardigg ’78

Jeffrey Blomstedt and Susan LaScala P’02

Don and Mimi Kirk GP’23

B Greg Hills and Deborah Weaver Hills ’88

P Mary V. Boeh ’60

Kylie Madison Kittredge ’18

Jeanet Hardigg Irwin ’73

Catherine Boody GP’13 ’16

B P Charles and Pamela TT Klonaris P’11 ’13

B Yasuyuki and Nobuyo Kimura P’17 ’20 ’22

Sarah Boudreau ’05

Susan Easton Hanson ’56

James Beatty FR

P’86 ’91 ’98 ’01 ’02

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Joseph Brook ’19

Yusa Kanamori ’05

Martha Price P’07 ’10, PF

Preston P. Brown ’91

Kirsten Kapteyn P’06 ’09, PF

Mary Beth Radke P’04

B Robert K. Brown ’62

B Amie Keddy FA

William Reid ’03

Zerah Burr ’99

B Jack Kehoe and Sherrill J. Smith ’65

Amy L. Rice GP’26

B Amy Calkins P’21

B Kyeong-Ho Kim and In-Ae Seong P’14

B Emily Mikolayunas Rich P’24 ’28, FA

John and Tara Carroll P’19

John and Martha Knight P’21

Matt Rich P’22 ’23

Howard and Carole Cohen GP’13

Tea Kodua P’22

Richardson’s Candy Kitchen

Parker Cohn ’06

Estate Kokosadze and Anna Japaridze

B Bill Rogers ’65

Simon Cohn ’03

P’21 ’22 ’25

B Greg and Kate Rolland P’20 ’23 ’23

Jaime Correa and Juliana PF Camacho P’27

Paul and Christine Lapuc GP’14 ’17

Mary Ann Rolland GP’20 ’23 ’23

Erin Cromack ’07, FA

Joan Williams Laundon ’58

B Josh PF and Kate ’73 Rosenblatt P’05

Lawrence Culleton FR

Greg and Heather Leeds P’13 ’15

Jim and Nancy Rourke GP’20 ’22

B Michael and Janice FA Currie P’99 ’02

B Richard and Tally Lent FR

The Rowa and Kerin Family P’22

Stacey Druks Daniels ’84

MaryBee Eberlein Longabaugh ’GB

Avery Rymes ’19

B Lawrence Dean P’89

Sheila White Lummis ’GB

Hank and Rachel PF Sadler P’27

Robert Diamond P’04

Benjamin Hart MacKinney ’02

Margaret M. Sadler GP’27

B Mark Donovan and Anne Lozier P’24

William Mallory, Jr. and Ann Mallory FR

B Mike IHOS and Julie Schloat P’24 ’26

Jerry and Ann FA Dubie

P Christopher S. Maniatty PTT

Robert and Bette Schmitt GP’19

B Paul and Renee Duseau P’12 ’12

B Nancy Maynard P’97 ’98

Louis Sikkelee FR

B Kate Echeverria ’95

Terry and Robin McKeon P’21

Michael Silipo P’01 ’04 and Lydia Hemphill

B Tom and Anne Echeverria P’95

Gary and Lisa Mead FR

The Smarr Family ’22 ’25 ’27

Sally Ekus ’00

B Nancy Mihevc P’12

Charles and Marty PF Smith P’03

Edward E. Emerson Jr. ’55 and May S. Emerson

Phoebe Montgomery Moeller ’72

Neal and Louise PF Smith P’95 ’97

Matthew PF and Sara Evans

Wendy Moonan ’60, PTT

Scott Smith PF and Sally Reid P’98 ’01 ’03

Connor Flannery ’18

Patricia Moriarty GP’18 ’20

Edward Snow Jr. and Kerrilynn Snow FR

B Brian and Mayumi Fraser P’19 ’23

Patrick and Michelle Moriarty P’18 ’20

Jonathan and Susan Stark P’15

Doris Fraser GP’19 ’23

Amelia Mosley P’21

B Alan Stefanini and Dianne P’98 ’01 ’02

B Andrew and Sheree PF Freda P’11 ’11

B Roberto Mugnani and Silvia Ribes-Mugnani FA

Craig and Nicole Freeman P’19

Sarah Mullins P’14 ’17

Ruth Stevens FR

B Dody Phinny Gates ’65

Marjorie Munson ’69

Peter Pettengill and Deborra PF

David ’67 and Jane Gilbert Keith

Bernard and Rose Murley GP’20

Luke Goodridge and Laura Manfield-Goodridge P’29

Ron and Donna Murley GP’20

Michael and Mia Sullivan P’22

William and Quaneta Greenough P’75

Alexandra Nagurney ’09

Madeline Surgenor PF

B Sally Cook Gregg ’55

Ryan Noble ’91 and Kerry Shaw P’23

Erik and Barbara Sussbauer P’17 ’20

B John Gundelfinger ’08

Kenneth and Carol O’Brien P’95 ’00, PF

Gary Therien ’78

B Gregory Harris ’99

Meg O’Brien ’95, FA

David and Vita Thiel P’18

Chance Hawkins ’90

John O’Keefe and Lynne Stopen P’17 ’19

Cyrus and Nancy Todd FR

Nicholas Hayes ’55 and Sheila Donovan

B Martha Olver ’84

Jean Pitman Turner PF

Peter E. Hayes FR

B Jennifer O’Neill P’23

Gene and Susan Venable FR

B Adam and Emily Lent PF Hemingway

B Jeanne Hinckley Orlando ’95

Brian ’74 and Danette Wadman P’03 ’05 ’10

Richard A. Herchenreder ’75 and Jeanne M. Sojka

B P Ralph Parady and Bunny Boyden Parady ’GB

Wendy Waller FR

Gabriel and Kristin Hmieleski P’26

B Marlisa Drexler Parker ’52

P Ted and Sarah ’90 Weihman

B Rachel Hobbie ’79

Claire Patton ’18

B Peter Whalen and Janna Ugone P’14

B Susan Conant Holden ’GB

B Will Paulding FA and Lauren Cerillo

Jeffrey Whipple FR

B Joseph and Carol Holubecki GP’21

Shirley Pelletier PF

John and Emily PF Whitney

Kathryn Miriam Hoover GP’26 ’28

David and Clare Perry P’13 ’15 ’17

Mary Wickwire P’82

Michael Horwich and Hilary Moss P ’27 ’30

Joy Perry ’98

B Wayne TT and Kathy Wilkey P’11 ’16

Bob TT and Amanda FA Howe P’18 ’18

Peter L. Phillips FR

Elizabeth (Lee) Harding Williams ’55

B Stephen and Evelyn Jakub P’99

Jeffrey FA and Karin Pilgrim

Guy Williams ’64

Lu Ji and Fang FA Liu P’16

B Rickey Poor ’60

B Nancy E. Yarmac PF

B Andy Jenkins and Sheehan ’00, TT Lunt Jenkins

B Paul and Shelley Poreda P’23 ’25

B Sarah Young ’02

Betty Johnson GP’23

B R. Sargent ’53, PF and Elizabeth Potter P’92

Sasha Zolik ’89

Sally Johnson and Shaari Mersack P’23

B David Powell FA

B Margo Jones PTT, P’07 and Philip Elmer

B Don and Tammy Powell FA

B E M E N T. O R G

Bensen Stefanini

Stewart-Pettengill P’01 ’03

GIFTS MADE IN MEMORY OF William S. Armour ’25 by Louis Sikkelee FR Kay Bartlett FHS, PF by Marlisa Drexler Parker ’52 Louise Beatty ’75 by James Beatty FR Elizabeth B. PTT and William H. Beebe P’60 ’63 ’65 ’76, PF by Willson ’76 and Vickie Beebe Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF by Matthew Drake ’96 Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF by Peter FHS and Nancy PF Drake P’90 ’93 ’96 Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF by Rachel Hobbie ’79 Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF by Thaddeus Olchowski ’00 Marianne Bourbeau P’75, PF by Jeffrey and Linda ’83, PTT Schutzman Lee Boyden P’49 by Ralph Parady and Bunny Boyden Parady ’GB John N. Butler FHS, P’83 ’84 by Joan H. Butler P’83 ’84 Mary “Gug” Drexler FHS, PTT, P’50 ’52, PF by Marlisa Drexler Parker ’52 John and Gretchen PTT Fox P’86 ’88 by Margaret Fox ’88 Mary Hawks ’GB, PF by Richard A. Herchenreder ’75 and Jeanne M. Sojka Mary Hawks ’GB, PF by Wendy Moonan ’60, PTT Mary Hawks ’GB, PF by Bill Rogers ’65 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by John Levine and Susan PTT Clopton P’03 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Parker Cohn ’06 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Simon Cohn ’03 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Robert, Joyce, and RJ Conlin FR Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Cary and Sue PTT Jubinville P’98 ’00 ’06 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Christopher S. Maniatty PTT Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Gary and Lisa Mead FR Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Ladimer TT and Anna Nagurney P’09 Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by the Pazmino GP’19 ’21 ’24 and Brook P’19 ’21 Families Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Edward Snow’Jr. and Kerrilynn Snow FR

THE

PHOENIX SOCIETY Thank you to the following members of our community who have named Bement as a beneficiary in their will, life insurance policy, retirement policy, or bank account documents: Anonymous Guy Ardrey and Sara FA Becton Ardrey P’22 ’24 Mike Banas and Emma Chen-Banas P’28 Terry Belanger ’63 Nancee Bershof PTT, P’97 ’98 Mary V. Boeh ’60 Emet Davis ’80 PTT Matthew Drake ’96 Peter FHS and Nancy PF Drake P’90 ’93 ’96 James ’54 and Katherine Dunn Cathy Esleeck ’GB, PTT, P’62 Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’80

Mike Kittredge PTT, P’06 ’18 ’21 by Christopher Wilson FHS and Stephanie Hanes Wilson P’26 ’28

John Gardiner PTT, P’14 ’18

Amy O’Hare ’87 by Anthony Kwame Harrison ’85, TT

Lester and Burdine Anderson ’54 Giese

Edwin Scagel GP’21 ’21 by Jonathan and Stephanie Scagel P’21 ’21

Dolly Glennon PTT, P’08 ’11

Amy Spencer ’00 by Bob and Sally Spencer P’98 ’00

Christine Hart PTT, P’02

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Hal and Gail Baade FR

Fred Houck P’96

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Andrew Barnard FR

Robert and Ellen Fuller PTT Kaufmann

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Stephanie Bennett ’82

P’94

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Frank and Hanne Castle FR

Charles and Pamela TT Klonaris P’11 ’13

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06

Debra MacLean P’04

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Lawrence Culleton FR

Christopher S. Maniatty PTT

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Peter FHS and Nancy PF Drake P’90 ’93 ’96

Brad and Rebecca ’93 McCutcheon

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Bill, Pat, Jon and Beth Edwards FR

Philip PTT and Deborah McKean P’84

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Matthew PF and Sara Evans

Stephanie McLennan ’85, PTT

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Nick PTT and Colleen PF Filler P’01 ’03 ’05

David and Joyce Milne P’69 ’75, PF

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Fritz Gohl FR

Ralph Parady and

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Amy Gordon P’99 ’03, PF

Bunny Boyden Parady ’GB

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Caroline Haines ’04, TT, Sidonie Haines P’04 and Pendery Haines

Ted and Carole PTT, PF Pennock P’90 ’94

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Gregory Harris ’99

David PTT and Nancy PF Pond P’89 ’95

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Peter E. Hayes FR

Katherine Stenson Lunt PTT, P’00 ’02

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Rachel Hobbie ’79

and Rob Stenson

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Margo Jones PTT, P’07 and Philip Elmer

Melissa Stetson P’14 ’18

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Cary and Sue PTT Jubinville P’98 ’00 ’06

Ellen Waldinger PTT, P’11 ’14

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Lisa Kittredge TT, P’06 ’18 ’21

Ted and Sarah ’90 Weihman

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by John Levine and Susan PTT Clopton P’03

Tell ’GB, PTT and Conni White

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by William Mallory Jr. and Ann Mallory FR

Ann Wright ’65

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Nancy Maynard P’97 ’98 Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Phoebe Montgomery Moeller ’72 Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Jefferson Miller’Jr. and Abby Locke Castle FR

THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Ladimer TT and Anna Nagurney P’09

Emily Lynn Dean Lawrence ’89 by Lawrence Dean P’89

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Thaddeus Olchowski ’00

Austin Wade MacKinney by Christine Hart PTT, P’02

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Brian Pearson TT and Sira Berté P’24

Wilder Mary Mahoney ’23 by Don and Mimi Kirk GP’23

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Peter Pettengill and Deborra PF Stewart-Pettengill P’01 ’03

Alexander Milne ’04 by Mary Beth Radke P’04

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Peter L. Phillips FR

Theresa A. Mullens P’99, PF by Greg and Heather Leeds P’13 ’15

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by William Reid ’03

Jeffrey Pilgrim FA by Yasuyuki and Nobuyo Kimura P’17 ’20 ’22

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Matt Rich P’22 ’23

Phoebe Pliakas-Smith ’13 by Howard and Carole Cohen GP’13

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Joseph Peter Spang PTT

Martha Price P’07 ’10, PF by Claire Patton ’18

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Ruth Stevens FR

Henry Rich ’22 by Matt Rich P’22 ’23

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Cyrus and Nancy Todd FR

Jay Rich ’23 by Matt Rich P’22 ’23

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Gene and Susan Venable FR

Sydney Elizabeth Rourke ’22 by Jim and Nancy Rourke GP’20 ’22

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Brian ’74 and Danette Wadman P’03 ’05 ’10

Ella Jane Sabelawski ’20 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Wendy Waller FR

Josie Lee Sabelawski ’23 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Jeffrey Whipple FR

Madeline Rose Sabelawski ’24 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Tell ’GB, PTT and Conni White

Forrest Schmitt ’19 by Robert and Bette Schmitt GP’19

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Nancy E. Yarmac PF

Louise Smith P’95 ’97, PF by Adam and Emily Lent PF Hemingway

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Robert and Beverley Yoon P’05 ’07

Louise Smith P’95 ’97, PF by Emily Mikolayunas Rich P’24 ’28, FA

Timothy C. Young ’61, PF by Joshua and Hollis Young FR

Alina Sorkin-Camacho ’21 by Ira Lee and Ellen M. Sorkin GP’21’23 Isabel Sorkin-Camacho ’23 by Ira Lee and Ellen M. Sorkin GP’21’23

GIFTS MADE IN HONOR OF Sara Becton Ardrey P’22 ’24, FA by Wilson Becton FR John PTT and Kay Bardzik P’88 ’91 ’95 by Alexander Bardzik ’95 John PTT and Kay Bardzik P’88 ’91 ’95 by Jonathan Bardzik ’88 John PTT and Kay Bardzik P’88 ’91 ’95 by Greg and Katie ’91 Vadasdi Dave Belcher FA, P’07 by Zerah Burr ’99 Jordan Bernier ’15 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24 Judith C. Bernier ’25 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24 Paige Violet Bernier ’19 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24 Elisabeth Greenough Booth ’75 by William and Quaneta Greenough P’75 Jacob Brook ’21 by Richard Brook and Shawna Pazmino-Brook P’19 ’21 Jacob Brook ’21 by Fred and Susan Pazmino GP’19 ’21 ’24 Joseph Brook ’19 by Richard Brook and Shawna Pazmino-Brook P’19 ’21 Joseph Brook ’19 by Fred and Susan Pazmino GP’19 ’21 ’24 Shimin Cai ’17 by Liqun Cai and Lingyu Zhang P’17 Brian Costa PF by Yasuyuki and Nobuyo Kimura P’17 ’20 ’22 Christopher Diamond ’04 by Robert Diamond P’04 Kylie Jean Donaldson ’20 by Bernard and Rose Murley GP’20 Beckie Duseau ’12 by Paul and Renee Duseau P’12 ’12 Brie Duseau ’12 by Paul and Renee Duseau P’12 ’12 Ethan Paul Fisher ’24 by Fred and Susan Pazmino GP’19 ’21 ’24 William Franklin ’05 by Robert Franklin and Cheryl Roberts P’05 Emily Lent Hemingway PF by Andy PTT and Hut Beall P’15 Emily Lent Hemingway PF by Richard and Tally Lent FR Shelley Borror Jackson FHS, P’00 by Erin Cromack ’07, FA Amie Keddy FA by Yusa Kanamori ’05 Jason and Desiree TT Kicza P’25 ’27 ’30 ’30 by Ben PF and Pamela Bensen P’86 ’91 ’98 ’01 ’02 Casey Kittredge ’21 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24 Casey Kittredge ’21 by Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06 Casey Kittredge ’21 by Lisa Kittredge TT, P’06 ’18 ’21 Kylie Madison Kittredge ’18 by Carla Bernier GP’15 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’23 ’24 Kylie Madison Kittredge ’18 by Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06 Mick Kittredge ’06 by Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06 The entire Kittredge Family by Rob PTT and Mary TT Cohn P’03 ’06

B E M E N T. O R G

Christopher Wilson FHS, P’26 ’28 by Yasuyuki and Nobuyo Kimura P’17 ’20 ’22

GIFTS MADE IN KIND Alexander Tice Gilmore ’21 Bindertek RK Miles We have made every attempt to publish the names of our donors accurately. If your name has inadvertently been omitted, misspelled, or listed incorrectly, please accept our sincere apology and bring the error to the attention of the Alumni and Development Office so that we may correct our records.

Endowed and Similar Funds In addition to the Annual Fund, the Bement funds listed below provide for a diversity of programmatic funding. Income from these funds not only strengthens our operating budget but also provides donors the option of designating their contributions to areas of specific interest.

BARTLETT/DREXLER SCHOLARSHIP FUND

NANCY POND WORLD LANGUAGE FUND

Established in 1977 as a challenge grant from an anonymous donor wishing to provide general scholarship support in honor of Kay Bartlett and Mary “Gug” Drexler, former co-heads of the school.

Established in 2016 by her family, this endowed fund will support language programs in celebration of Nancy’s 31 years of dedication to the growth and nurture of Bement students and the World Language Department.

BEEBE MEMORIAL FUND

READER’S DIGEST SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established in 1973 by the trustees in memory of William H. Beebe P’76, former business manager, for the general needs of the school.

Established in 1972 by a matching gift from the DeWitt Wallace Fund. Income from the fund is to be used for scholarships to deserving middleincome students from families demonstrating the potential and will to pay a portion of tuition and fees.

THE BEMENT SCHOOL BRIDGE GRANT

Established by Dolly Glennon PTT, P’08 ’11 in 2014, the Bridge Grant provides complete financial support for an incoming, local lower school student with demonstrated need of full financial assistance to attend Bement. Financial aid, along with a Bridge Grant, will provide a qualified family with 100% of the tuition cost of enrollment each year. CLAGETT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

Established in 1978 as a bequest of Nancy L. Clagett P’60, GP’85. The fund has been augmented by gifts from C. Thomas Clagett Jr. P’60, GP’85 and family. Income from the fund provides Bement faculty with opportunities for professional development.

SIGULER FAMILY FUND

Established in 1999 by a gift from George PTT and Pamela Siguler P’98 ’00 ’02 ’05 ’14 for general endowment growth. TIMOTHY C. YOUNG ’61 FUND

Established in 2020 by the family and friends of Timothy C. Young, this endowed fund honors Tim’s devotion to Bement by supporting financial aid and tuition remission for faculty and staff children attending Bement.

NANCY AND PETER DRAKE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established in 1999 by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Flynt Jr. GP’01 ’09 in honor of the years of dedication and service of Peter Drake P’90 ’93 ’96, a former head of school, and his wife, Nancy Drake PF, P’90 ’93 ’96. This fund supports financial aid awards. FOX FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established in 1999 by a gift from John and Gretchen PTT Fox P’86 ’88 to support financially deserving students who represent diversity at Bement, providing them with the opportunity to participate in all activities and services offered at the school. GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established by the board of trustees to provide financial aid to those who would otherwise be unable to attend Bement. VIRGINIA HONNOLD HOUCK GP’96 PIANO PRESERVATION FUND

Established by Fred Honnold Houck and SarahAnn Houck P’96 to ensure the systematic and professional maintenance of the Mason & Hamlin grand piano presented by them and their children, Charlotte, David, and Brent ’96, to Bement on October 19, 2010, in memory of Virginia Honnold Houck GP’96. LIBRARY ENDOWMENT FUND

Established in 2004 by the board of trustees as an endowment for the Clagett McLennan Library. JAMES MULLINS ATHLETICS FUND

Established in 2009 in memory of James Mullins P’14 ’17 by his family and friends to support athletics. O’HARE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established in 1988 by a gift from Peter Risatti, a friend of Bement, in memory of former Bement student Amy O’Hare ’87. Recipients of awards are to be upper school students of strong character who show athletic promise. CAROLE PENNOCK LOWER SCHOOL FUND

Established in 2016 by her family, this endowed fund supports the lower school in appreciation of Carole Pennock, recognizing her 34 years of dedication to Bement as lower school head, trustee, Parents Association president, kindergarten teacher, and proud parent of Chris ’90 and Alex ’94.

Timothy C. Young ’61 Fund Mr. Young’s family has chosen to honor him and his affection for Bement by establishing this new, endowed fund to support financial aid and tuition remission for faculty and staff children attending Bement. Mr. Young’s love for Bement began as a student during the 1950s and continued when he returned as a faculty member. Over the years, he served as a dorm parent, van driver, PE instructor, and sports coach, and he taught computer programming, photography, and mathematics. He was also a longtime chair of the mathematics department and dean of students in the upper school. Many remember his legendary slideshows, in which he captured moments of work and play in every aspect of school life. His appreciation of children shines through these slideshows, and his artfully composed photographs, taken over his 50 years at Bement, will also serve as a lasting record of the school’s history. TO DONATE TO THE TIMOTHY C. YOUNG ’61 FUND, VISIT BEMENT.ORG/ONLINEGIVING.

PHILLIPS SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established in 1997 by a bequest from Bessie Wright Phillips, a friend of Mary “Gug” Drexler, to be used for scholarships. THE BEMENT BULLETIN 2020

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #5860 SPRINGFIELD MA

THE BEMENT SCHOOL 94 OLD MAIN STREET, PO BOX 8 DEERFIELD, MA 01342

PARENTS OF ALUMNI

If this publication is addressed to a child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Bement Alumni and Development Office with a new mailing address. Call 413.774.3021 or email alumni@bement.org. Thank you!

Visit bement.org/ bementgivesback to log your hours and for more information.

We believe in making a difference through volunteering and service in our community. This year generous donors will match your gifts and your volunteer hours to support our school. Join us for this challenge! H E R E ’ S H OW I T WO R K S :

1. Volunteer—anywhere—and log your hours online between Dec. 1, 2020 (Giving Tuesday) and Dec. 31, 2020. 2.

Make a gift to Bement. Any size.

3. We’ll multiply the first $50 of your gift by the number of volunteer hours you log, thanks to our generous challenge donors.

The more you volunteer, the greater your gift to Bement!

WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE

BEMENT

GIVES BACK CHALLENGE

Gifts made anytime between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, will qualify.

Keep up on Bement news through email and social media. To join the Bement Community email list, send a message to alumni@bement.org. Alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, past faculty and staff, and all Bement friends may be included.

Bement is on Facebook

facebook.com/BementSchool

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Instagram.com/TheBementSchool

Please forward address changes to: The Bement School 94 Old Main Street, PO Box 8 Deerfield, MA 01342 413.774.3021 alumni@bement.org

The Bement Bulletin, Fall 2020

Articles inside

IN MEMORIAM

ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

CLASS NOTES

RETIREMENT

A MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL