CLASS NOTES

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

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

*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. 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).

Richard Coon ’65

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.”

Felipe “Phil”

Phil Barreda ’82 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 with our residential life program as Megan O’Brien ’95, FA and her mom 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 and family

Tim O’Brien ’00

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. Sasha Vlasenko ’00 & Curt Thibeau ’03 Sasha Vlasenko ’00, Scott Smith PF, Olive in Greenfield, MA. Ben MacKinney ’02 Ben MacKinney ’02 and his wife, Wendy, welcomed a new son, Austin Wade MacKinney, on 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 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

and Curt Thibeau ’03 ran into each other at the restaurant Hope and

September 20, 2019.

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

Austin Wade MacKinney

bike rides up and down Old Main Street in my free time.”

Erin Cromack ’07

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 Baked Donut Cookbook, The One-Pot Casserole Sara Mellas ’07 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.”

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

Anna Zilinski ’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 fi eld 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.”

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.

Angie Fusto ’16

Seth McKenzie ’17 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 In Memoriam WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED TO HAVE LOST THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF OUR BEMENT FAMILY THIS YEAR:

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 Geoff rey 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 WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING ANNIVERSARIES: Tom Mangan

30 YEARS Dave Belcher P’07

20 YEARS Jerry Dobosz Terry Kopinto Don Powell

15 YEARS Barak Blackburn ’85

10 YEARS Dan Bensen ’01

5 YEARS Jeremy Galvagni P’24 Donnell Jackson Fang Liu P’16 Jane Stewart

Renée Wu

faculty & staff news

From left: Kristyn, Natalie, Dylan & Davin

Dylan Korpita 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.

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’s new cafe

Donnell Jackson 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 looks forward to sharing all that she A screenshot of the workshop “Teaching has learned with the community. Acting Virtually” with Jenn Colella (Tony Award nominee for Come From Away)

Hannah Dancer & Marcia Bernard

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.

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 provide basic medical services. After Tim O’Reilly 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.