The Calhoun Chronicle, Summer 2011 by The Calhoun School

SUMMER 2011

TheCalhounChronicle

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod World Graduation 2011

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2010–2011

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE | Summer 2011

Eric Potoker ’85 Chair

The Calhoun Chronicle is published twice each year by the Communications Office for alumnae/i, current and former parents, staff and friends.

Karen Segal Vice Chair Jon Brayshaw Treasurer Erika Brewer Secretary

Steven J. Nelson Head of School LIFE TRUSTEES Robert L. Beir* Eric B. Ryan *deceased

HONORaRy TRusTEEs

Jill Bargonetti Andrea Booth James Glasgow Melanie Griffith Dylan Hixon Pamela Kauppila David Kramer ’02 Melissa Liberty Dana Loft Mary Louie Debra Mayer Marc Murphy Colleen Pike Blair Markus Redding Shaiza Rizavi Susan Thomson Rolf Thrane Milton L. Williams, Jr.

Edwin Einbender* Constance Stern Flaum ’39 Ronald M. Foster, Jr.* Sally Goodgold Lawrence S. Harris Mark S. Kaufmann Anne Frankenthaler Kohn ’39* Peter D. Lederer Stuart Levin* David C. Masket* Joan Masket Arthur S. Olick Elizabeth Parmelee* June Saltzman Schiller ’42 Jesse S. Siegel* Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49 Allen B. Swerdlick Edward S. Tishman

Assistant Editor Alison Bennett alison.bennett@calhoun.org Alumnae/i News Bart Hale ‘00 bart.hale@calhoun.org Copy Editor Amy Edelman Editorial Assistants Angela Fischer Michelle Raum Contributing Writers Brendan Kiely Steve Nelson Photographers Alison Bennett Gary Joseph Cohen Kazumi Fish ‘15 Beth Krieger Giovanni Pacifici Ali Werner Design Iris A. Brown Design, LLC

*deceased

PA R E N T S A S S O C I AT I O N 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

OFFICERS Co-Presidents Mary Louie Mare Rubin

Vice Presidents, Middle School Amy Edelman Lisa Konorty

Secretary Louise Gore

Vice Presidents, Lower School/81st Ellen Coven Mare Rubin

Treasurer Andrea Black Vice Presidents, Upper School Janice Berchin-Weiss Colleen Pike Blair

Vice Presidents, Lower School/74th Paige Lyne Daniela Menghi

Calhoun’s mission: To inspire a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education that values intellectual pursuit, creativity, diversity and community involvement.

P H OTO : B E T H K R I E G E R

TRusTEEs

Editor Beth Krieger beth.krieger@calhoun.org

THE CALHOUN SCHOOL Main number: 212-497-6500 Lower School/74th: 212-497-6550 Admissions/81st: 212-497-6542 Admissions/74th: 212-497-6575 Alumnae/i Relations: 646-666-6450 Annual Giving: 212-497-6579 Communications: 212-497-6527 Please send changes of address, phone or e-mail to familyupdates@calhoun.org

ON THE COVER: Calhoun’s new Mod Schedule has opened the door to more sitespecific learning and innovative curriculum. See page 22.

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Contents

F E A T U R E S

A Community Learning Together

Class of 2011 Graduates!

It’s a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod World

D E P A R T M E N T S Viewpoint, by Steven J. Nelson

School News

Edward E. Ford Foundation Grant

Board Welcomes New Trustees

Grandparents Day

Faculty/Staff Newsmakers

Student Newsmakers

LS Gallery Night

Calhoun Onstage

Alumnae/i News

Class Notes

Profile: Helene Solomon ’70

Profile: Alum Coaches

Reunions

Cougar Career Symposium

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THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

VIEWPOINT

A Private School with a Public Purpose by Steven J. Nelson, Head of School

alhoun is among a small group of independent schools that declare an intention to be “a private school with a public purpose.” This part of our progressive mission arises in part from John Dewey’s notion of a school’s place in a democratic society— that schools are inextricably connected to wider society and must play a responsible part in advancing the commonwealth. Our public purpose is pursued in many ways, but perhaps most powerfully in advancing the understanding of teaching and learning. As Calhoun’s mission and program have become more widely recognized, we have welcomed increasing numbers of educators who are eager to see an authentic progressive school. In January, Calhoun co-hosted a major conference for educators with the Independent Curriculum Group, and more recently, Calhoun and three partner schools received a major grant award from the Edward E. Ford Foundation for a program that will further establish Calhoun as a laboratory for best teaching practices. [See story, page 3] Some relationships are more comprehensive. The Family Life Academy Charter School (FLACS) in the Bronx has developed a healthy-eating program modeled after Calhoun’s own internationally recognized food program. Chef Bobo was the consultant, and our own former chef Bennett Fins now leads the program, which was recently recognized in a New York Times article. [See story, page 3] Most heartening to me is our growing relationship with Freebrook Academy. Freebrook is a school in the BedfordStuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn that will welcome its first students in September. It is the realization of the vision of one remarkable woman, Monique Scott, who simply refuses to take “no” for an answer. She believed, and I believe, that children everywhere should have access to the kind of rich, progressive, dynamic education that Calhoun offers. Less affluent neighborhoods and less affluent children seldom have such an opportunity, and Monique decided to do something about it. Since her first visit with me several years ago, she has built a network of committed families, found facilities, raised start-up funds, developed a sophisticated business strategy and written an unusually thoughtful mission and curriculum. Take a look for yourself at www.freebrook.org. Admiring her vision, commitment and compassion, I felt Calhoun should be her quiet partner, lending whatever explicit or implicit support we could. We enjoy privileges and resources beyond her reach, and offering her support seemed a small and easy thing to do. We see Freebrook as a sister school and hope that her work will inspire others to create powerful, progressive educational opportunities in their neighborhoods and communities. We anticipate faculty exchanges, student exchanges During the past school year, Calhoun has hosted the following visitors: and a growing relationship between the Freebrook ■ Melaskoli School, Iceland: ■ Italy: a group of about 25 school community and ours. In a letter of support for a delegation of 24 teachers teachers and 18-year-old Freebrook I wrote, “Perhaps it will be helpful to note ■ St. Andrew’s School, students that I would, without a moment’s hesitation, send my Australia: an ongoing ■ Laguna Blanca School, own children or grandchildren to a school with this relationship; this year was Santa Barbara, CA: middle thoughtful approach. And, after all these years as an their third visit school teachers educational leader, I’m mighty picky!” ■ Children’s Storefront, NY: ■ Institute for Democratic Be clear: This is not an act of noblesse oblige. As professional development Education in America: 30 for teachers teachers, students, adminisour relationship develops I am confident that we will ■ School at Columbia, NY: trators from across the learn as much or more from Monique and Freebrook professional development country Academy as she and they will learn from us. for teachers ■ Jean Mermoz School, Serving a public purpose is enlightened self-interest ■ India: a group of educators, Senegal: 29 Frenchat its best. professors and political speaking students leaders looking to start a ■ Regular visits to our Green series of schools Roof from schools and Head of School Steve Nelson is a regular contributor to other organizations The Huffington Post, and has his own blog on Calhoun’s website at www.calhoun.org/stevesblog.

SUMMER 2011

SchoolNews Calhoun and Partnering Schools to Launch Progressive Education Lab Edward E. Ford Foundation Awards $250,000 Grant The Calhoun School and three partner progressive schools have been awarded the Edward E. Ford Educational Leadership Grant. The grant, the largest that the foundation awards each year, challenges independent schools with the question “What is the public purpose of private education?” In answer, the grant team proposed the creation of a multi-site lab school for the 21st century—what they call a Progressive Education Laboratory, or PEL. With matching funds, this $250,000 award will be used to launch PEL, the centerpiece of which will be a school-based teacher-training program for recent Jen de Forest, Calhoun’s upper school Director, is college graduates. In this work, Calhoun is partnerone of four educators who will design and lead the new PEL program, which received a $250,000 ing with three other schools long committed to an grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation. approach to education that is resonant with our own: the Putney School, the Cambridge School of Weston, and the Unquowa School. The idea for PEL was born at a symposium on progressive education last summer at Putney, where Jen de Forest, Upper School Director at Calhoun; Jane Moulding, Head of CSW; Emily Jones, Director of Putney; and Sharon Lauer, Head of Unquowa, brainstormed ways to foster teacher training that was, at its heart, truly progressive. As the grant team explained in its application, PEL is premised on the schools’ shared belief that progressive schools offer the ideal environments in which to train skillful teachers. These communities demand both deep subject-matter knowledge and creative child-centered and inquiry-based pedagogy. They also require an enduring understanding of how children learn and grow, the ability to connect school to the community, and stamina. The grant team, says Jen, “is also confident that collaborating on a program to thoughtfully induct aspiring educators into the profession will strengthen each of the schools and provide a model for others to follow. In an era dominated by scripted classrooms, canned curricula and standardized measures of learning, our collective investment in an alternative model of the good and skillful teacher is both important and timely.” The Edward E. Ford Foundation aims to improve secondary education as provided by independent schools in the United States. a student in the lunch line with (L–R) Chef Chad Goslee, Chef José Roman and Chef Bobo

Read more about Calhoun’s Eat Right Now program at www.calhoun.org/eatrightnow, and try some of Chef Bobo’s recipes, www.calhoun.org/recipes.

Calhoun’s Lunch Program is Role Model for Schools Calhoun may have the best school lunch program around, but we’re not keeping our “recipe” for success a secret; Calhoun’s healthy lunch program, led by Chef Bobo, continues to be a role model for schools around the country and the world. Two articles in The New York Times this spring, “Tater Tots? at Prep schools, Try the Rutabaga Fries” (May 6) and “Bronx Charter school Makes Eating Well Part of Its Philosophy” (May 10), noted that since starting Calhoun's Eat Right Now program in 2002, Chef Bobo has consulted with dozens of public and private schools. Four of our chefs have gone on to other schools to run their Eat Right Now food programs: Chef Chris Canty, at the Metropolitan Montessori school; Chef Rose Walker, at spence school; Chef Ric Keeley, at the Town school for Boys in san Francisco; and most notable, Chef Bennett Fins, who has successfully replicated the lunch program at Family Life academy Charter school (FLaCs), a public school in the Bronx. This last offspring is probably Chef Bobo’s proudest. Quoted in the Times article, he noted, “When Mr. Fins arrived, FLaCs spent $2.82 per child per day on food. Today that figure is $2.60.” Translation: Healthy school lunch programs are affordable— even for public schools! In addition to consulting with many schools around the world each year, Chef Bobo often invites chefs, educators and students to intern in Calhoun’s kitchen. This spring alone, Calhoun had two student interns from Columbia’s Teachers College graduate program in nutrition; a Brazilian chef who hopes to start a similar program at a school in Rio de Janeiro; and a chef from st. anne’s-Belfield school in Charlottesville, Va, who spent a few days in Calhoun’s kitchen after taking one of Chef Bobo’s classes at the French Culinary Institute. While schools across the country are beginning to catch on to the value of healthy, nutritious lunches, Calhoun continues to push the envelope. From the herb and vegetable garden on the school's Green Roof, to composting projects, cooking classes and lessons in food chemistry and animal biology, the Eat Right Now program has become an integral part of a Calhoun education. Next year, Chef Bobo will teach a class in the politics of food.

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

SchoolNews New Leadership for Pa

Mare Rubin and andrea Booth have been named Parents association co-presidents

Andrea Booth and Mare Rubin have been named co-presidents of Calhoun’s Parents Association (PA) for the 2011–12 school year. The two take the reins from Mary Louie and Pam Kauppila, who were devoted PA co-presidents for the last three years while serving as PA reps to the Board of Trustees. Andrea and her husband, Steven Wolf, have two “lifers” at Calhoun: Jake (11th) and Cody (3rd). Since Jake first entered in the 3’s, Andrea has been an integral part of Calhoun’s community life and school initiatives: In addition to volunteering as a cluster rep and as an admissions guide, she has served as a Term Trustee for seven years and has

cohesive community; it brings everyone together on common ground—which is our children’s experience at school and our relationships with each other.” Mare and her husband, John, have two children in Calhoun, Maddy (7th) and Caleb (4th). Since coming to Calhoun seven years ago, Mare has volunteered as a cluster rep in the Lower School and as co-chair of the Spring Carnival for two years running. More recently, she has been very involved as the Parents Association’s co-vice president of LS/81st. Her enthusiasm, coupled with her ten years of experience in marketing, public relations and brand management, should serve her well in her new post.

led the Annual Fund as co-chair for eight years. “Fundraising gave me a way, as a working parent, to connect with the community,” says Andrea, who brought to the position her 30-year experience as an advertising executive. And though she is moving on from fundraising, Andrea will complete her third term on the Board while immersing herself in her new PA role. Mare, who joined as co-president in the middle of the 2010–11 year, notes that “the most important thing the PA does is to create a

Board Welcomes New Trustees as Long-Timers End Terms at its annual Trustee Dinner, Board President Eric Potoker ’85 offered profuse thanks and kudos to two longtime members who ended their terms this spring, Dana Loft and Jill Bargonetti. Eric noted that both women have been instrumental in shaping and supporting the school’s progressive mission while contributing generously to the life and culture of the community. Eric also extended the Board's appreciation to outgoing Term Trustee Rolf Thrane, and to Mary Louie and Pam Kauppila--both of whom served on the Board during their three-year terms as copresidents of the Parents association. The Board now welcomes these new Term Trustees:

LORI DORR ’92 Lori is thrilled at the prospect of joining Calhoun’s Board, where she will be assuming the reins as co-chair of the Annual Fund. “As an alum, I feel like I’ve come back home to my family; I’m very happy to serve them, as they’ve served me so well. As a parent, it’s a great way for me to give back to the community that gives so much to my children.” Lori earned her BA in communications at Stanford University and an MBA in finance and management from New York University. She has worked for such companies as Scholastic Entertainment, Inc., The New Republic and Bernstein Investment Research & Management, and is currently a consultant for the Jewish Review of Books. Since returning to Calhoun as a parent, Lori has been a very active and enthusiastic volunteer, serving as a cluster rep, Benefit volunteer, parent tour guide and Annual Fund Lower School

SUMMER 2011

division leader. This year, she was also enrolled in Calhoun’s Progressive Education Tradition class and says she “loved every minute of it.” She and her husband, Paul, are the parents of Henry (K) and Harper (4’s). DORIAN GRAY HERRON Dorian is an educator who, for the past 20 years, has been a language arts teacher, tutor, basketball coach, creative writing instructor, guitar instructor, amateur musician, writer and athlete. Dorian’s interest in interdisciplinary curriculum and commitment to the arts inspired the launch of a school literary magazine and poetry slams at the performing arts school in Harlem where he currently teaches eleventh and twelfth grades. As a musician and guitar teacher, he has been able to incorporate literacy training into songwriting lessons. Dorian earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mercy College, majoring in journalism, and secondary education and English,

respectively. Currently, he is finishing a master’s degree in education administration. At Calhoun, he has been an active member of Calhoun’s Parents of Multicultural Children Committee, which is co-chaired by his wife, Valerie Valentine Herron. The couple are parents of Amaryllis (4th) and Hayden (2nd). MICHAEL MARRA Michael, like Lori, was an enthusiastic member of the Progressive Education Tradition class this year, and says he’s looking forward to getting even more involved in Calhoun’s progressive mission as he takes on his new role as a Term Trustee. In his work life, Michael is associate general counsel at the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., where he is the senior-most lawyer for all employment matters involving 18,000 domestic employees of approximately 100 advertising, communications and marketing service agencies. Some of his many responsibilities include creating and overseeing policy implementation; managing litigation; reporting to the board of directors on ERISA claims, appeals and Sarbanes-Oxley alert line reports; and day-to-day employment counseling for agency management and human resources departments. Michael received his BA from the University of Iowa in 1992 and went on to earn his JD from the New York University School of Law. He and his wife, Nicole, are the parents of Elijah (3rd).

SchoolNews I N

M E M O R I A M

JEssE sIEGEL Honorary Trustee

Calhoun mourns the passing of Jesse siegel, Honorary Trustee, on May 10, 2011, at 82 years. Jesse was an advocate and generous supporter of Calhoun over the course of two decades and through two capital campaigns,

which led to the building of the 81st street facility and the renovation of the 74th street building. We extend condolences to his wife, Wilma, and his daughters, Hillary siegel Levin ‘75 and Nancy siegel Jaffee, and their families.

Departing annual Fund Co-Chairs shaped strong Culture of Giving andrea Booth and Liz Turner ended their leadership terms as co-chairs of the annual Fund this spring, but not without having made a significant impact on Calhoun's culture of giving. “Their commitment to educating our parent body and building a more philanthropic community has been priceless,” says David smith, Director of Development. “andrea, who served eight years as co-chair, and Liz, who was her colleague for the last two years, were instrumental in raising donor participation from under 50 percent in 2005 to over 70 percent in recent years; dollars raised for the school nearly quadrupled. We can't thank them enough.” andrea and Liz have a right to be proud, but say they look forward to the day when 100 percent of our community supports the annual Fund. “Building a community of givers happens one donor at a time,” observes andrea, “and each of our dedicated volunteers is an important part of the annual Fund's continued success.” Liz adds, “The groundwork has been laid with a broad volunteer base and clearer communication about the importance of the annual Fund for a vibrant Calhoun education. I have faith that the next annual Fund team will build on this strong base and take philanthropy at the school to the next level.” The annual Fund torch now passes to Patti Galluzzi and new Term Trustee Lori Dorr '92.

1. Melissa Liberty was “darb” (great!) as this year’s Benefit chair.

This year’s Roaring ’20’s-Style Benefit, at the swanky Guastavino’s under the 59th Street Bridge, was truly the “bee’s knees”! Posting the highest attendance ever, the Benefit hosted more than 540 guests, who enjoyed an evening that began in a speakeasy (designed by Marc Aubin, with bouncer Eddie “Spaghetti” Ayala taking passwords at the door), and proceeded to a seated dinner, auction and dancing. Many thanks to Chairperson Melissa Liberty and the entire Benefit Committee for a fabulously successful party and fundraiser, and to our favorite auctioneer, Harmer Johnson, who has managed to keep those paddles raised for the last 25 consecutive benefits!

2. Calhoun parents scott Hirsch ‘85 and Melissa Pearsall Hirsch (back) welcomed honored guests Pat Havas (former assistant to the Head of school), Marie Wilson (former librarian) and Neen Hunt (former Head of school) and her husband, Will Hunt. [Missing from the photo: Robert schaecher, former us Director] 3. Barry and Kathleen Inabnet, parents of two Lower schoolers, were “posilutely” ready for “putting on the Ritz” in their jazzy get-ups.

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SchoolNews

✼ MORE CaRNIVaL PHOTOs ONLINE: WWW.CaLHOuN.ORG/MEDIa ✼

Ms math teacher Phil Bender, who just completed his 25th year at Calhoun, received special recognition from Pa co-presidents Mary Louie and Mare Rubin for his years of service. Phil was among the 18 “anniversary” honorees at this year’s annual Tea.

Pa’s annual Tea Honors Teachers/staffers

The annual spring Carnival: 48 years and still Going strong! another year, another great carnival! The street was packed with Calhoun families, staffers, alums and neighbors, all enjoying craft activities, games, rides and a great food spread. Many thanks to all the volunteers who made the day such a success!

CALHOUN LOVES BOOKS! Calhoun’s annual Book Fair, cochaired once again by Lori serling sklar ’75, Larry sklar and librarian Beverly Lane, raised more than $16,000 for Calhoun’s libraries— significantly more than last year’s $12,000, which was already being called the largest gross posted by a school book fair in any Barnes & Noble store in the country. In addition, 550 “wish list” books were purchased and donated directly to the libraries.

CSA STILL GROWING STRONG! SIGN UP FOR FALL 2011 Calhoun’s Community supported agriculture (Csa) program, sponsored by the Parents association, provides a direct link between the production of food and its users: It delivers vegetables from an upstate farm to paying members once a week, september through early December, thereby helping to support family farms while providing Csa members with high-quality, locally grown, affordable produce. Full or half-memberships for fall 2011 are still available. Read more and sign up, at www.calhoun.org/csa.

Calhoun faculty and staff were honored on May 25 at the Annual Tea, a celebratory event sponsored by the Parents Association. The gym was beautifully transformed into a Japanese garden, with an afternoon menu that included Japanese delicacies as well as wonderful desserts. Much of the food was donated by Benchmarc Restaurants, Zabar’s, Food Matters and Magnolia Bakery, with personalized anniversary cookies prepared by Calhoun parent (and baker extraordinaire) Maribeth Battino. The PA gave special recognition to 23 teachers, administrators and staff who were completing their “anniversary” years at Calhoun this year: MS math teacher Phil Bender (pictured) was honored on the occasion of his 25th year at Calhoun, and Ben Clinesmith, Eileen D’Alessio and Rafael Alvarez marked their 20th anniversaries. Seven staffers hit 15 years; five completed their tenth year; and seven faculty/ staff members just completed their fifth year at Calhoun. The anniversary celebrants joined a long list of Calhoun teachers and administrators who have five or more years at the school. Nearly 20 percent of Calhoun’s employees have hit 15 or more years, and 23 faculty/staffers have more than 20 years at the school.

PMCC POTLUCK CELEBRATES COMMUNITY Hosted by the Parents of Multicultural Children Committee (PMCC), the event was a celebration of diversity and community, attracting almost 250 parents, students, faculty/staff and new families to this evening of ethnic eats. This year, more eighth graders than ever were on hand to welcome incoming ninth graders! (Left) PMCC volunteer Kyoko Honma

SUMMER 2011

SchoolNews Ms Parent Coffee addresses Cyberspace safety and snafus

Calhoun staffer alton Edwards shows off the school’s new wheels. The maintenance team was one of the first groups to pilot the program, using the bikes to commute between buildings and to run errands.

Bike Program supports Transportation alternatives It’s Tour de Calhoun! Calhoun now has its own mini-fleet of bicycles for faculty and staff members to commute with between the 74th Street and 81st Street buildings. “I’m thrilled about the bike program at Calhoun. On a practical level, it will save me time to bike back and forth between buildings,” says Director of Enrollment Andrew Hume. “I also love the symbolism. Sustainability is an important part of a Calhoun education. When our students see that the adults in our community are committed to sustainable programs like this, it inspires them to get involved as well.” The program was spearheaded by Calhoun parent Steve Vaccaro ‘82, along with Andrew, LS science teacher Amy Landau and Josephine Salvador, Director of School and Society.

The challenges our students face in the digital world were the heated topic of one of this year’s well-attended Middle School morning coffees for parents. “Technology has always been and, more than likely, will always be a sore spot between generations,” observes MS Director Eric Chapman. “Whether parents are arguing with kids about television, the Internet or cell phones, the debate continues.” But the stakes, he notes, have risen with the current technological world. “Issues such as safety, decision-making and character development are a huge part of the cyber world for Middle School students.” The technology discussion was led by Eric along with MS Counselor Michael Worth and Assistant MS Director Keira Rogers. Actual situations from the school year were used to illustrate the complexities of these issues. Notes Eric, “Though the three administrators present offered guidance and structure, it was the interaction between the parents that was most valuable. What can we learn from each other? What do we agree and disagree on? How can we help our children mature into the best adults they can become? These were the types of questions that drove their dialogue.” Middle School morning coffees are scheduled throughout the year, offering parents an informal opportunity to come together to discuss important academic, behaviorial and social topics. Lower and Upper School divisions also host morning coffee discussions for parents. Check the online calendar for dates!

GO BLUE! FISH DECOYS Fish decoys, made by Calhoun fourth graders, were part of an interdisciplinary social studies, science, art and woodshop project inspired by this year’s Go Blue! theme.

Go Blue! authors Talk about Fish and Rubber Duckies As part of this year’s Go Blue! theme, Calhoun welcomed two authors to the school this spring, each of whom spoke to students about ecological crises affecting our oceans. Awardwinning author and Calhoun parent Mark Kurlansky spoke to Middle and Upper School students about his new book, World Without Fish, which describes the frightening prospect of a sea devoid of fish, the impact that would have and how to prevent it. Author Donovan Hohn spoke to Middle School students about his new book, MobyDuck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them. The book discusses plastic pollution in the oceans and what Donovan learned while searching for 28,800 rubber bath toys that fell off a ship in 1992.

BEN STILLER ’83 came back in June for a special visit with students in Margie Duffield’s upper school Comedy Troupe class. With his former science teacher John Roeder at his side, Ben offered tips and reflections on the biz. Ben watched the kids perform an original script written by addison Bale ’12, gave notes and then jumped into one of the roles for a repeat reading. (How cool is that?)

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SchoolNews 1 2

Grandparents and Grand-friends Visit Calhoun’s youngest

Little Calhoun welcomed more than 160 grandparents and grandfriends to spend a morning visiting their grandchildren. It was quite an adventure for many, with activities in the gym, fun on the terrace, reading and beading, and even some challenging games of chess!

4 1. Lydia Bayko (3’s) with grandparents Thomas and Mary Ellen Bayko

5. Nicholas Beirne (3’s) with grandma Joanna Beirne

2. Kamille Brewster (K) with grandparents Carolyn and samuel Brockington

6. Nyla Crespo (K) with grandparents Raul and Cloty Crespo

3. Jerome Boxer (1st) with grandma Galina Boxer

7. Katherine Dick (K) with grandparents Joseph and Marsha Dick

4. James Lederer-Michaels (K) with grandparents yuriko and Peter Lederer

8. Julia Petkov (1st) with her grandfather Valentin Dimitrova

SUMMER 2011

F A C U L T Y / S T A F F

Jonathan Haff Joins as Director of Technology

Meighan Stoops, current MS/US music teacher and US administrative assistant, will be starting a new role this fall as Calhoun’s Director of Music. Head of School Steve Nelson notes that “this will be the first time that Calhoun will have someone committed full time to carrying the entire music program forward in all three divisions.” In addition to her extensive teaching credentials, Meighan has a strong administrative background, most recently as promotions associate for Peer Music Publishing. She also handles the administrative duties for her chamber music group, Da Capo Chamber Players. Director of Performing Arts David Alpert, who formerly had music under his administrative umbrella, will continue to stay busy as head of the Calhoun theater program and the Calhoun Performing Arts Series in addition to his teaching responsibilities in the Lower School.

SchoolNews

andy Doan Honored on His Departure

Jonathan Haff joined Calhoun as Director of Technology this spring. In this new position, Jonathan will oversee the school’s hardware, software, network, database and student information system. His most immediate projects include infrastructure overhauls and the transition to an integrated database and website. Jonathan will also help Calhoun stay current with emerging trends, using technology more effectively in our offices and classrooms. Jonathan comes to Calhoun after six years at Trinity School, where he served as senior systems and network administrator, and as interim co-director of technology.

New Director of Music Post Goes to Meighan stoops

N E W S M A K E R S

He’s a lifer…and he’s graduating. This year marks the completion of andy Doan’s 15th year at Calhoun—the same length of time completed by “lifers” (students who have been at Calhoun from the 3’s to twelfth grade). sadly, andy will indeed “graduate” this year, having accepted a position to teach fourth grade at Friends seminary next fall. It’s a return to his roots; before coming to Calhoun, andy taught at four different Friends schools in the Philadelphia area. “I’m looking forward to meeting for worship again,” notes andy. “I think it’s one of the things I’ve missed the most during my time at Calhoun—that quiet, reflective time when everyone gathers together. I’m looking forward to having that as part of my school experience again.” although andy is happy to return to the Friends environment, he says he takes with him many fond memories of Calhoun, including the traditional Middle school projects like the Egyptian Tomb and Middle Eastern suq. He will also miss the special teacher/student relationships that the advisee system fosters, Calhoun’s love for music, and the powerful writing produced by Calhoun students. “More than any other place I’ve taught, at Calhoun I can count on one or more students writing something that makes my jaw drop with amazement.” andy calls his work as a diversity point person “some of the most inspiring work I have done at Calhoun,” citing the undoing Racism Workshop, White affinity Group and the White Privilege Conference as important and enlightening experiences. Of course, andy’s 15 years at Calhoun will inform his work at Friends seminary, and he’s curious about teaching a group of slightly younger students. “I have a number of friends who tell me that fourth grade is the best year,” andy says with a laugh. “I’ve always argued that fifth and sixth grade are the best, but now I get the chance to find out.”

Grants awarded to Four Teachers Calhoun has awarded grants to four teachers who will pursue a rich and varied program of independent study and professional development this coming summer. In exchange, the faculty members will share their work and experience with the school community upon their return. Claudia Curfman Castellana Grants were awarded to US art teacher Chris Garcia, who will attend an artist residency in Yerevan, Armenia; US biology teacher Francesco Filiaci, who will collaborate with Black Rock Forest Consortium to research the effects of growing red oak acorns from various sites along a Northeast transect; MS art teacher Amy Konen, who will attend an art workshop at Anderson Ranch in Colorado; and LS music teacher Dustin LeVasseur, who will attend a digital audio recording course.

The Claudia Curfman Castellana Memorial Endowment Fund was created in memory of a popular Calhoun teacher who died in 1977, and is meant to encourage the support of deserving projects that would enhance the school’s educational curriculum and are also in keeping with the interests of Claudia Castellana.

Claudia Curfman Castellana grants for professional development went to (L–R) Chris Garcia, Dustin LeVasseur, amy Konen and Francesco Filiaci.

SHOW YOUR COUGAR PRIDE! Purchase Calhoun merchandise at our new online store: www.cppro.com/CalhounSchool.

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SchoolNews

F A C U L T Y / S T A F F

IN THE sPOTLIGHT

DIANE BENEDICT RYAN, Head 3’s teacher in the Lower School, was named this year’s recipient of the Uhry/Thompson Award. Diane, who has been teaching in Calhoun’s Lower School for 22 years, is the “consummate early-childhood educator,” says Lower School Director Kathleen Clinesmith. “Diane has the perfect combination of expertise and love of young children needed to create the nurturing environment that helps launch our new families on their Calhoun journey in the most positive of ways.” Named in honor of two former Lower School teachers, Jolly Uhry and Barbara Thompson, the award is given annually to a teacher who demonstrates excellence in the classroom and a commitment to progressive education. Head of School Steve Nelson announced the award before Diane’s peers at the Annual Tea, hosted by the Parents Association. LS Spanish teacher DANIEL ERCILLA was accepted into the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership’s master’s degree program at Teachers College; he begins his studies this summer. MS science teacher JOAN GILLMAN was accepted into the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies’ Annual Summer Institute, a professional development program for teachers who are interested in learning how to use the nature of science to investigate climate change, and the implications of changing ecosystems. For

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the fall, Joan was invited to present workshops at the October conference of the National Science Teachers Association and the November conference of the Science Teachers Association of New York State.

Lavern, who has herself been a recipient of an NEH grant. “My teaching was incredibly enriched by the opportunity to study with Joanne Pope Melish with support from the NEH,” she says.

Kindergarten teacher BRIAN HALLAS, under the stage name Bohagey Bowes, was voted the audience winner for the most popular video in the 2010 DigiFestival.net competition, an online festival based out of Florence, Italy, for his video GVP: Spread the Love.

US physics teacher JOHN ROEDER is one of this year’s recipients of the Distinguished Service Citation from the the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Established in 1953, Distinguished Service Citations are presented to AAPT members in recognition of their exceptional contributions to AAPT at the national, sectional or local level. John will receive the award during a ceremony at APPT’s meeting this August in Omaha, Nebraska. This summer, John will also travel to Montgomery Township, NJ, for a modeling-physics workshop.

JENNY HAN, Calhoun’s assistant librarian, has a lot to celebrate with her latest novel, We’ll Always Have Summer. It debuted on The New York Times bestseller list at #3 on the Children’s Chapter Books list and #10 on the Children’s Paperback list. We’ll Always Have Summer revisits the love triangle between Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad—and someone is saying, “I do!” This is the third and final book in Jenny’s Summer series. As part of its Library Series, Calhoun hosted a book party for Jenny, open to MS and US students. The party included a Q&A with Jenny, a book signing and wedding-themed refreshments. HAILEY KIM, part-time art teacher in the Upper School, completed her master’s degree in art and art education from Teachers College. VICTOR LIN, US jazz teacher, earned his Ed.D. in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University, this spring. In addition to teaching jazz classes for Upper Schoolers, Victor continues to serve on the faculty of Calhoun’s Jazz Summer Workshop, and is entering his 12th year on the faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop in California. LAVERN MCDONALD, Upper School Associate Director and social studies teacher, was one of five panelists who vetted proposals this spring for the National Endowment of Humanities (NEH) Division of Education’s Summer Seminars and Institutes in Washington. Lavern was the only representative from the K–12 sector on the panel. “Reviewing these proposals from all over the country was a small way of giving back to the program,” explains

KEIRA ROGERS, MS humanities teacher and Assistant MS Director, was accepted into the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership’s master’s degree program at Teachers College; she begins her studies this summer. Kindergarten teacher CRAIG SCHATTEN was awarded an Early Career Fellowship for 2010–2011 by the Fred Rogers Center. Craig and the three other Career Fellows will spend the coming year creating innovative educational media for the Fred Rogers Center and will be presenters at the Fred Forward Conference in the spring of 2012. Calhoun nurse SABRINA SPIEGEL ’06 has a busy summer ahead of her. She is attending the Advances in School Nursing Conference run by the National Association of School Nurses and the American Health Institute in Stamford, CT; the National Coaches Institute run by the Sports Challenge Leadership Academy in Delaware, and will be a faculty facilitator at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership program held at Adelphi University. If that’s not enough, she’s working as a camp nurse at a day camp in Nyack during July and August!

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SchoolNews Jake Wolf ’13 and Darcy Haylor ’13, winners of gold keys for photography in the 2011 scholastic art & Writing awards Ny competition (Far left) Photo by Darcy Haylor ’13

scholastic Gold Keys to Two sophomores Darcy Haylor ‘13 and Jake Wolf ‘13 received multiple top honors for their photography in the New york City regional competition of the 2011 scholastic art & Writing awards. Darcy received three gold keys and two silver keys for her photographs; Jake received two gold keys and four silver keys.

as regional winners, Darcy and Jake’s photographs were included in an exhibition at the Casita Maria Center for arts and Education in the Bronx. The two Calhoun students were among a very select group of young artists to receive the coveted recognition: In the New york City regional competition, as many as 4,500 works were submitted, with only 315 gold keys and 346

silver keys awarded. Gold keys, which are the highest level of achievement, qualified the students to move on to the next level in the national competition. The scholastic art & Writing awards, open to students grades 7–12, were founded in 1923 to recognize exceptional artistic and literary talent.

Fourth Grade Creates art with Council senior Center It’s not unusual for fourth graders to have regularly scheduled activities with friends, but it is slightly more unusual for those friends to be in their eighties! This year, Calhoun’s fourth graders participated in an intergenerational partner program, now in its second year, with members of the Council Senior Center on 72nd Street. “It is an unusual opportunity when young children and senior citizens can come together to find commonalities, recognize differences and break down barriers,” says Debbie Aronson ’79, Calhoun’s Director of Community Service and facilitator of the partnership. The visits began as poetry exchanges and grew to include a collaborative art project that resulted in a hand-drawn quilt displayed at Apple Bank on Broadway. Later in the year, the fourth graders presented a performance of miniplays crafted from autobiographical childhood short stories written by the seniors. Among the appreciative members of the audience that day was Head of School Steve Nelson, who applauded as enthusiastically as the authors. Said Steve, “These fourth graders became immigrant

children lost in an overwhelming city. They inhabited another world and another time. They learned what was different then, but, far more important, they learned what was the same.... They realized that the distance between 10 and 90 is only an arm's length, if you open your heart and mind.” And, he observed, “This one experience provided more real learning than months of preparation for a test.”* Ed Bartosik, director of the Council Senior Center, says, “The seniors have been blown away by the students’ work and their ability to be so engaging, thoughtful and considerate.” He and Debbie look forward to continuing the partnership between Calhoun and the center, which is being supported by an intergenerational programming grant from Councilwoman Gale Brewer’s office.

*See Steve Nelson’s Huffington Post blog about the intergenerational partnership, “Curriculum for the Ages—How Do You Measure This?” Fourth graders and senior friend show off handmade quilt squares.

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Fifth Grader Launches “Hand Delivery of Love” When fifth grader Gabriel Parker wanted to reach out to children who were affected by the earthquake in Japan, he thought of communicating in ways that are most familiar to his generation: skype, youTube, even a television commercial that would send survivors a message of hope. But after learning that many places had no electricity or Internet access after the disaster, he asked his mother, Heather-sasaki Parker, how people used to communicate back in the “old” days. “Carrier pigeons?" he asked. Heather laughs. “I told him I wasn’t that old and that we used to write letters.” so Gabriel engaged friends Jason Kauppila and Tomio Filiaci, other fifth grade classmates and his Middle school teachers and administrators to help launch a letter-writing drive, which he named “Hand Delivery of Love.” To widen the call for letters, Gabriel and his mom designed a website hosted by Dosomething.org, a nonprofit organization that encourages social activism on the part of young people. By mid-May, Gabriel and his classmates had

collected more than 300 handwritten letters from students in every division of Calhoun as well as from students across the country. By the end of May, Gabriel and the Hand Delivery of Love project had won a Do something Disaster Grant, receiving $500 to fund the drive. Gabriel kept his mom busy translating the letters into Japanese and sending them to evacuation camp sites and elementary schools in four different prefectures (the Japanese equivalent of a “state”). Meanwhile, as an active volunteer with the Parents association’s Calhoun Community in action (CCa) committee, Heather is looking for other creative and sustainable projects that can help her native country. “The estimated restoration time is at least 15 years for the hardest-hit areas in Japan,” notes Heather. If you have ideas for creative projects to support Japan, please send them to Debbie aronson ’79, Director of Community service, debbie.aronson@calhoun.org.

Top awards Go to Debut Jsa Club Calhoun’s first Junior State of America (JSA) Club made an unexpected showing at its debut mini-conference in the Bronx this winter, with junior Quentin Heilbroner and sophomore Miles Cooper both taking home “Best Speaker” awards. The only other school to win more than one speaker award was Stuyvesant High School, which has a long-established and 15-memberstrong JSA Club. “When we’re an official chapter, watch out,” says club co-founder Fiona Lowenstein ’12, who noted that the Calhoun

group was “quite popular” when they left that Bronx event. “People were like, ‘Oooh, I never heard of the Calhoun JSA Club before. Who are you guys?’” Who these “guys” are, is a group of six very enthusiastic members, four of whom signed on at the beginning of the year at the behest of Fiona and Quentin. Both students had independently attended summer programs sponsored by JSA, a leadership organization for high school students. After a chance discussion during

Gabriel Parker reads some of the handwritten letters he has been collecting through his campaign, Hand Delivery of Love, for the people of Japan.

English class back at Calhoun, the two decided to co-found a chapter at the school. “Quentin and I knew there was an opportunity to start a yearlong JSA chapter, with the ability for members to go to conferences. We thought that could go over well at Calhoun,” says Fiona. The rest is history…or the beginning of a new story. Club enthusiast Charley Alpert ’12 is currently working on drafting the chapter’s constitution, while other club members are assisting with the multi-step process to get their chapter officially approved. They hope to participate in even more conferences next year. Since 1934, Junior State of America has offered programming for Jsa Club members students who are inter(L–R) Julien Weiss ’12, ested in politics and Charley alpert ’12, Fiona Lowestein ’12, government, foreign Quentin Heilbroner ’12, affairs, the law and Miles Cooper ’13 and education. JSA allows Fiona Wiedermann ’12 made a strong showing for an exchange of ideas at their first conferthrough stimulating ence, with Quentin and student debates, problem Miles taking home “Best speaker” solving and simulations. awards.

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SchoolNews When a destructive earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the Calhoun community rallied to offer its support by staging multiple fundraisers to benefit relief efforts. But even after students in each of the divisions had collectively raised $6,800, and the disaster was no longer being featured in the nightly news, students didn’t forget: Aiyana Wain-Hirschberg ’11 and the Upper School’s Haiti Relief Committee, which she founded, were already planning a repeat benefit for this year—only on a grander scale, in co-sponsorship with the Vassar Haiti Project. “It was always part of the plan to continue the Haiti relief efforts from last year,” says Aiyana. “In fact, we talked about it the day the disaster happened. We gathered a group of students and faculty and asked, ‘What can we do and how can we keep this going? How can this be a long-term effort?’ We knew they didn’t just need help that day—they would need help for many years.” Aiyana reached out to the Vassar Haiti Project with the help of US history teacher Nicole Acosta Nemergut and Community Service Director Debbie Aronson ’79. Together with the Vassar College organization, they mounted an art auction and sale called Art for Life: A Haiti Benefit. The evening also featured a panel of experts, including Calhoun parent Dr. Deborah Ottenheimer, who talked about the future of Haiti’s relief efforts. “We wanted to raise money in a unique way and also raise awareness, so we included Haitian culture: music, art and speakers,” Aiyana notes. “An art show really brings everyone together. It’s more than just fundraising; it’s about the culture.” The event, which was open to the public, ultimately raised close to $17,000 for three organizations: Water.org, the Peligre School of Hope in Haiti, and the Vassar group, which funds four initiatives in Cher Maître, Haiti, covering education, reforestation, water and health. Meanwhile, eighth grader Lucas Phillips repeated last year’s successful Middle School Pacerthon: Participating students in fourth through eighth grades raised $2,350 for the Hope for Haitian Children Foundation, getting relatives, friends and neighbors to sponsor their pace races in physical education classes. And the Upper School spring theater production, Children of the Sea, based on a Haitian short story, donated all proceeds from its performances. “It’s wonderful that the students chose to continue and honor last year’s commitment to support the people of Haiti—even as we were watching the devastation emerging in Japan,” says Debbie Aronson ’79, Director of Community Service. “They came together for a great cause while continuing to look for ways to deal with the new, overwhelming shock of the devastation in Japan.” Hope for Haitian Children Foundation organizer Marie Jose Poux wrote, “Words cannot express our gratitude. Your outpouring of love and generosity has made a differaiyana Wain-Hirschberg ’11, ence in the lives of the children. In Haiti, they are in school, eager to chair of the upper school Haiti Relief Committee, and learn, and your contributions have gone towards education and health, Lucas Phillips (eighth grade), which was desperately needed. You have helped to build the roots of organizer of the Middle the orphanage.” school Pacer-thon, at the art for Life Haiti benefit

Weekend sports Clinics for 2nd-8th Graders Weekend sports Clinics for second through eighth graders, introduced this past year by Calhoun’s athletic Department, will be offered again in the fall, with one-hour clinics in basketball and volleyball open to Calhoun students as well as students from other schools. The program augments Calhoun’s regular after-school Program (asP). For information and sign-up, go to www.calhoun.org/weekendpe.

Calhoun Celebrates 115th Anniversary! FOUNDED 1896 Do you know… 1) who founded The Calhoun school? 2) the original name for the school? 3) who the school was named after? 4) where the school was first located? 5) whether the Cougar was always the mascot? For more school history, go to www.calhoun.org/history

aNsWERs: 1) Laura Jacobi; 2) No, it was called The Jacobi School; 3) Mary Edwards Calhoun, headmistress from 1916 to 1942; 4) a brownstone at 158-160 West 80th Street

students Raise $20,000 for Haiti Relief

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IN THE sPOTLIGHT CHAIRTHEWEALTH AUCTION SUPPORTS KIVA! Handcrafted Adirondack chairs, made by Calhoun’s sixth grade woodshop students, were auctioned off to parents as part of the Chairthewealth project—an initiative of Calhoun’s Middle School Kiva Club, a microlending group of 10 seventh graders that gives loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. The auction raised $345, bringing the Kiva account to more than $1,700—enough to fund 28 enterprises when the club resumes next year!

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All loan recipients are chosen by club members Since its beginning, the club has given 75 loans of $25 each 68 percent of the loans have been to women Loans have gone to 27 different countries Money for loans has come from the Chairthewealth initiative; a $500 Penny Harvest grant; bequests by the Middle School student government and proceeds from a Middle School dance.

CRANE-A-THON FOR JAPANESE RELIEF EFFORTS Members of the Calhoun community folded more than 3,000 origami cranes to raise money for relief efforts in Japan. The project, sponsored by Students Rebuild and DoSomething.org, initially had a goal of 100,000 cranes, with the Bezos Family Foundation matching each crane with a $2 donation. But the response was overwhelming; students from all 50 United States and 37 countries donated more than 1 million cranes by the due date of April 15. Impressed by the outpouring of support from students around the world, the Bezos Family Foundation doubled

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its initial donation to $400,000, and an anonymous donor added another $100,000—generating more than half a million dollars for Japan. ATHLETIC BANQUET CELEBRATES CALHOUN ATHLETES Go, Cougars! This year’s Athletic Banquet was one of the best-attended yet, (above) sam Ohiomah which is no surprise accepted the Most considering the enthusi- Improved Player asm of “Cougar Nation” award for Boys’ Varsity Basketball (and, of course, the from Coach David delicious dinner Bartolacci. prepared by Chef Bobo Girls’ Varsity Volleyball and staff). All-League co-captains Tiareh Cruz ’13 and Rebecca Green Awards for excellence ’12 pose with their allwere presented to team League awards. co-captains Tiareh Cruz ’13 and Rebecca Green ’12 (Girls’ Varsity Volleyball); Ryan Parker ’11 and Zuri Pavlin ’12 (Boys’ Varsity Soccer); Max LemperTabatsky ’11 and Zuri Pavlin ’12 (Boys’ Varsity Basketball); and Amani Orr ’13, Lily Weinberg ’11 and Taj Cutting ’14 (Girls’ Varsity Basketball).

Each Calhoun coach recognized his or her athletes, with special trophies awarded to recipients of the Sportsmanship Award, Most Improved Player Award and Most Outstanding Award. Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Coach Karen Brauer received special recognition as recipient of the Excellence in Coaching Award. LOCKS OF LOVE Fourth grader Isabel Janovsky (below) was one of 14 students and teachers who donated their hair to Locks of Love, an organization that helps children who suffer from medical hair loss. Student donors ranged in age from 6 to 16. This was the sixth consecutive year that Calhoun has sponsored a Locks of Love party under the guidance of David Hyman, MS woodshop teacher, and the second year it was co-organized by junior Jackie Bevacqua. WOMEN IN NEED Thrift Calhoun, an Upper School community service club co-chaired by Tess Harris ’11 (left) and Alex Kayden ’11, hosted two thrift store events this year to benefit Women in Need, a nonprofit organization that supports homeless New York City women and their families. The events raised $685.

(Left) Crane-a-thon volunteers (standing L-R) Benny Tuchman ’12, Desi McGrath ’12, Reece Robinson ’14, Zuri Pavlin ’12; (seated) addison Bale ’12

SchoolNews Little Calhoun Hosts Gallery Night

ELEVEN WITH VISION Michael Luzmore ’13, Farah Taslima ’13 and Kyra Louie ’12 (top) were among the 11 Calhoun student photographers featured in the 2011 Independent Visions show this year, sponsored by Joint Schools, Inc. “Our entourage was quite eclectic, and reflected a multitude of sensibilities and inquiries in the pursuit of image,” reports US teacher Gary Cohen. Other Calhoun artists included Darcy Haylor ’13, Khaleeq Alfred ’12, Tiffany Poon ’14, Jake Wolf ’13, Bobby Aaronson ’12, Antonio Robayo ’12, Carson Rey ’12 and Josh Musto ’12.

INDEPENDENT VOICES Addison Bale ’12 emceed, US teacher Gary Cohen was guest speaker, and Micaela Burns ’11 and Holly Holtz ’11 captured audiences with their literary acumen at the annual Independent Voices poetry reading, held this spring at Barnes & Noble. Sponsored by Joint Schools, Inc., Independent Voices features works by high school students from New York independent schools.

4’s students discovered new uses for found objects, including recycled fruit packing trays, for their MasK project.

Little Calhoun (Lower school 74th street) hosted its second annual Gallery Night on June 8, 2011, inviting parents to an end-ofyear exhibit of student work. Parents were encouraged to stroll through all of the classrooms, to witness first hand the progression of learning that begins with the 3’s and continues up, up, up, up (five floors!) to the first grade. Gallery Night was, said one 3’s parent, a great way to see what her child will be doing over the next few years. Kindergarten parent Laura Glick, also a first-time gallery visitor, agreed that it was exciting to see what the older students were doing. “We especially enjoyed seeing the first grade work because it seems so advanced in comparison to kindergarten,” observed Laura. “I think the mammals the children created are better than anything I could do myself, and it’s great to see the students doing in-depth projects.”

The first grade interdisciplinary study of mammals culminates in individual research journals, dioramas and sculptures—all of which were on display for Ls Gallery Night.

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1. “shakespeare works for kids,” says Ls theater teacher Giovanni Pucci. “It’s exciting to see them handle the language; they get a sense of mastery [and] they see a connection to something that is really deep and ancient and yet totally relevant.”

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3. The third grade play, written by Giovanni with his students, was truly collaborative. “We do a lot of improvising,” says Giovanni. “and if a lot of it doesn’t work, that’s okay. Because the three, four, five – maybe even ten – concrete things that make it into the play are really solid.”

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2. “One of the largest lessons in theater work is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world.… It calls upon an individual’s courage, personal responsibility, commitment and patience to see a process evolve over time,” says Ms

theater teacher Ed schloth, who directed the seventh grade production of romeo & Juliet.

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4. The upper school spring theater production was an original adaption of the short story “Children of the sea” by Edwidge Danticat, and was devised, written, designed, constructed and performed by the upper school spring Workshop Production class. “I got a taste of different aspects of theater,” says senior sarah Mozeson. “We weren’t just handed a script; we had to create the script.”

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5. The Calhoun band, which boasts more than 90 musicians in grades five through twelve, fills the gym each spring with a cacophony of sound. special ensembles include the percussionists and chamber group. 6. The upper school’s Jazz Ensemble never misses a chance to strut its stuff! This year the talented musicians entertained crowds at the spring Carnival, admissions open houses, library recitals, demo days and the PMCC End-of-year Celebration. 7. The Lower school spring sing had a Renaissance theme this year, replete with folk dancing, choral selections and musical performances on recorders. 8. The strings Orchestra’s spring concert is an allcommunity effort, bringing together student musicians at all levels of ability, from beginner to advanced, as well as professional musicians from among Calhoun’s faculty and parent body.

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9. Middle schoolers sing with enthusiasm when they take to the stage—at Calhoun or even at Barnes & Noble!

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a Community Learning Together

“as far as I know, no other school is offering a class like this, a class that provides its constituency members a rich, powerful context with which to engage in the larger educational debate.” —Steve Nelson, Head of School

Calhoun administrators lead an innovative and engaging class on the role and practice of progressive education By Brendan Kiely, Admissions Coordinator As members of the Calhoun community, we are committed to Calhoun’s progressive education. We know we love it, but often we don’t know why. To better equip the community with a clearer understanding of the foundation, mechanics and practice of progressive education, Calhoun administrators Steve Nelson, Josephine Salvador, Andrew Hume and former Calhoun employee Dana Bennis invited a group of community members to participate in a five-part evening course— the Progressive Education Tradition (PET)—designed to address these questions. The intention was to “create a sense of community through inquiry,” explains Josephine, Director of School and Society and chair of the Academic Cabinet. “I know a good idea when I see one,” Head of School Steve Nelson says. He credits Dana (former facilitator of the Progressive Education Conversations held in past years) for the idea to take what had once been disparate conversations

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and construct them into an in-depth and focused course that would engage participants in critical thinking and debate about educational philosophy and progressive education. “As far as I know,” says Steve, “no other school is offering a class like this, a class that provides its constituency members a rich, powerful context with which to engage in the larger educational debate.” Andrew, Director of Enrollment, also explains the broader, institutional value of the class. “If a cohort of Calhoun folks is exploring essential questions and developing a deep, nuanced understanding of progressive theory/practice, those folks can participate thoughtfully in an educational conversation inside and outside Calhoun.” The new class was announced early in the school year to the entire Calhoun community, including alumnae/i and former parents. And despite the prospect of two-hour classes over the course of

five or six months, requiring reading, research and a final project, the class was over-enrolled in a matter of weeks. Ultimately, class participants reflected the breadth of Calhoun’s constituencies, including trustees, parents, Calhoun educators, alumni, a parent of an alumna, and an Upper School student. And true to its intention, according to Calhoun parent Renée Hill (Matthias, 5th), the experience was “an example of progressive education at its best!”

INQuIRy aND DIsCOVERy “I was already a strong believer in progressive education, but this class helped me understand why,” says graduating senior Aiyana Wain-Hirschberg. She found the class on brain biology, memory and experiential learning especially enlightening. “It made me realize why I always remember the material from those projects that I loved doing.” As a student tour guide, she would find that “prospective parents and students would frequently ask what ‘progressive’ means—and would mistakenly equate it with having no walls.” Aiyana says, “I knew it was more than that,” but she now feels more prepared to describe Calhoun’s educational approach.

(Opposite page, L–R) students in the first PET class included Calhoun administrators, parents, alumnae/i and one upper school student; Josephine salvador, Director of the school & society Initiative, leading a discussion; (Left) Calhoun parents Daniela Menghi and andrea Booth present their final project to the group—a road map for “the perfect school.” (Below) Calhoun parent Renée Hill makes a point while shaiza Rizavi (parent and Trustee) listens in.

“I was blown away by the brain chemistry and neuroscience that supported the effectiveness of the learning-by-doing model of education. Progressive education is sometimes saddled with a ‘soft’ or ‘lefty’ label, but I felt the science helps build a compelling argument that a rigorous progressive education leads to a depth of understanding that is not matched by other styles of education.” —Michael Marra, new Trustee and parent of Elijah (3rd)

Michael Marra, new Trustee and parent of Elijah (3rd), was equally impressed with the presentations on brain biology, delivered by Dr. Daphna Shohamy, assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University, and Dr. Paul Glimcher, Calhoun parent and head of the Glimcher Lab Center for Neural Science at NYU. “I was blown away by the brain chemistry and neuroscience that supported the effectiveness of the learning-by-doing model of education,” says Michael. “Progressive education is sometimes saddled with a ‘soft’ or ‘lefty’ label, but I felt the science helps build a compelling argument that a rigorous progressive education leads to a depth of understanding that is not matched by other styles of education.” During the course of the five sessions, participants were asked to read articles and go to websites intended to provide them with the language necessary to engage in meaningful conversations. But Steve recognized that, in order for it to be a successful class, the students would also have to engage in the experience of the progressive educational approach and not just be told about the experience or subject matter. “There’s a blossoming of

understanding for an individual, and by extension the whole community, when students participate actively in their own education,” he says. So, in keeping with the experiential mission of progressive education, participants were asked to do a final project: to work collaboratively in teams to research and construct their own “ideal” progressive schools. This culminating project “put what we learned into practice,” says Shaiza Rizavi, Trustee and parent of Nicholas (4th) and Anna (3rd). Doing the final project solidified for Shaiza the value and effect of Demonstration Day (common practice in the Upper School), and “what a project constructed from different points of view can lead to.” As all the students in the class learned, progressive education demands that each student become a participant in his or her own education, as opposed to being just an observer. As was the hope, the PET class provided the students with the material, direct experience and language to better express their enthusiasm for progressive education and how it is practiced specifically at Calhoun. Alumna Sabrina Spiegel ’06, who wears multiple hats at Calhoun

as an athletic coach, School Nurse and Health Educator, believes the course offered “a clearer understanding and appreciation for our unique learning environment, which should contribute to a stronger community that strives to uphold our shared values.” Renée signed up for the class with that particular goal in mind. “I wanted to more effectively share my family’s experience with other communities and families of color,” she explains, “because more families of color should be exposed to progressive education as a viable option for their children.” Steve, Josephine and Andrew look forward to leading two sections of the PET course series during the 2011–2012 academic year. The course, hopes Andrew, will prepare members of the community to play thoughtful roles in fulfilling Calhoun’s mission—to herald the value of progressive education in the national conversation. Learn more about the PET class and this year’s final projects on the PET blog, www.calhounpet.wordpress.com.

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Class of 2011 Makes a SPLASH! Pardon our allusion to this year’s GO BLUE! theme, but the Class of 2011 is definitely leaving behind a ripple effect. As we congratulate our graduates and send them off to great adventures, we will remember them for their rare musical talents (the jazz and chamber ensembles won’t be the same); for leading our community in its support for Haiti and a provocative town hall meeting on the Middle East; for connecting us to emerging research in medicine, environmental biology and food science through their Black Rock Forest experiments, Demo Day presentations and internship explorations. We look forward to seeing them years from today as the writers, artists and actors who enriched our community with their talents every day. This year’s 41 seniors were offered admission to 90 different colleges and universities. About 45 percent of the class applied to their top choice colleges through Early Decision I or II programs, with an increase in EDII applications this year. Two thirds of those early decision applications were successful, and those seniors who applied via regular decision ended up with an average of five acceptances per student (our seniors apply to an average of six to eight carefully selected colleges, bucking the much-bemoaned national trend of scattershot application filing). At the end of the day, all of our students were accepted to a number of their top choices, and all seniors decided on one college that was the best fit—where we wish them rich and rewarding experiences!

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Class of 2011 Congratulations to our seniors, who have chosen to attend the following colleges and universities next year: American University Bates College Bennington College Brandeis University Champlain College Clark University University of Connecticut Cornell University Dartmouth College Denison University Dickinson College (3) Drew University (2) Emory University Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University Goucher College Johns Hopkins University

Johnson & Wales University Mount Holyoke College New York University Oberlin College (3) Oberlin Conservatory of Music Occidental College Peabody Institute/ Johns Hopkins University of Puget Sound Purchase College University of Rochester Skidmore College (3) Syracuse University (2) Trinity College Vassar College (2) Washington University in St. Louis

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THE UPPER SCHOOL’S NEW MOD SCHEDULE ALLOWS STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN RICH, ON-SITE LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN CITY, IN COUNTRY AND IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD OF WORK. FROM POUNDING THE CITY STREETS WITH A CAMERA TO DOING SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS IN THE FOREST OR INTERNING ON WALL STREET, UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE DISCOVERING WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO HAVE NO WALLS WHEN IT COMES TO LEARNING. Block Schedule Encourages Site-Specific Learning “The new block schedule is so exciting,” says Upper School Director Jen de Forest. “Our curriculum has always encouraged depth of exploration, but it’s definitely taken on a different quality because of the concerted amount of time our teachers have to spend with kids each day.” The extended time to go outside the school walls is, says Jen, the logical outcome of Calhoun’s new block schedule and the way it is organized. “Each day has a large double period that abuts community (club) time and lunch, which means that our students can be out in the neighborhood and the city on a daily basis, for as much as three or four hours, without missing other classes.”

By example, she points to Francesco Filiaci’s biology and advanced biology classes, which are basically using the Museum of Natural History and Black Rock Forest as secondary classrooms; to English teacher Ellen Kwon, “who has been brilliant at creating outdoor experiences” to enrich literary readings; to the art and photography classes that are finding inspiration in the rich cultural neighborhoods of our city; and to the philosophy students of Jonas Hamilton, who have been using public forums to study Socrates and Aristotle.

“I feel like the new block schedule helps you get more out of class,” says Miles Cooper ’13. “You’re not always rushing and there’s time to mull over the work. In fact, one day this spring, I went on two trips—we went to Harlem for photography, I came back and had lunch, and then I went to MoMA with my Spanish class.” Desi McGrath ’13 says the best part of the block schedule is the opportunity for trips that didn’t exist before. “It’s always great when we can use the environment around us. It really helps facilitate the lessons in some classes.” Junior Zuri Pavlin notes that the new block schedule also makes it easier to make up work if he goes on overnight trips with a class. “You only miss two or three classes instead of seven or eight,” says Zuri, who doesn’t regret the move from the old traditional two-semester system, with seven classes packed into a standard five-day schedule. But Jen is clear that trips are not about “tourism.” Venturing outside the school is about being an active participant in the culture that you’re visiting, whether it is the city at large, a museum, or a forest preserve in upstate New York.

Our curriculum has always encouraged depth of exploration, but it’s definitely taken on a different quality because of the concerted amount of time our teachers have to spend with kids each day.” — JEN DE FOREST

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“I strongly believe in experiential learning.” — FRANCESCO

Biology Classes Engage Students in On-Site Scientific Study The block schedule has been particularly valuable for planning overnight trips to Black Rock Forest Preserve in upstate New York for Francesco’s advanced biology students. “Not only are we using the forest as a classroom, we are participating in research studies in collaboration with Black Rock scientists,” he says. The first trip this year was used to examine dissolved oxygen in natural waters. The students drilled holes in the ice on the Upper Reservoir and determined the parts per million of oxygen in the water; they looked at samples from the top and bottom levels of the lake. On the second trip, the students helped gather data for the Black Rock Consortium’s Future of Oak Forest project by using meter sticks to measure snow and ice depths along transects in the experimental plots. “Part of this exercise was taken from an old AP biology lab,” says Francesco. “But I wanted the students to do more research— without a prescribed set of outcomes. I wanted them to gather novel information and try to understand problems from a more inquisitive, unanswered perspective.” The work at Black Rock also carried over to an ongoing consortium project that the students could bring home to Calhoun. The experiment is looking at the effects of urbanization and seed source on the growth of red oak seedlings from four sites in the tri-state area. The students measured 120 acorns from the four sites, and then, back at school, planted them in six-inch pots that were placed in the school’s third-floor greenhouse. The students spent the rest of the mod watering 24

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the plants and measuring their growth; two students who were taking a statistics class were also analyzing and graphing the data. The experiment will continue into the fall for next year’s advanced biology students. “I strongly believe in experiential learning,” says Francesco. “I am trying to mitigate the nature-deficit disorder that is taking hold of our urban iPhone-connected lives. I want my students to see more science, do more science and contribute to more science.” Jen agrees that this is the real work of a school—to make students scientists, not science students.

Lit Classes Take Ethan Frome and Huck Finn to Black Rock While Franceso was planning to take his advanced biology students up to Black Rock Forest for an overnight early this winter, Ellen Kwon was in the middle of teaching an American literature class from a gender perspective. She decided it could be a great opportunity if the two classes made the trip together. “We had just finished reading Ethan Frome, which is set in the middle of Massachusetts, in the middle of the winter, in a very small town,” says Ellen, who hoped to re-create for her students what Ethan Frome must have gone through. She says, “It would also give my kids the opportunity to spend some time alone outside … being really isolated, with the enormity of having winter engulf you.” That first joint venture to Black Rock was so successful, Ellen decided to try it again after her class read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The project this time was to build a raft and “sail it” down the river. But, true to this spring’s unseasonable

weather, it was cold, and the air was heavy with rain. Maggie Stein ’12 recalls, “We hiked two miles into the woods and went to a reservoir, where the logs were already cut. We just started latching them together and put the raft into the water. It was so foggy, we couldn’t see anything—just like a scene in the book.” Earlier in the year, Ellen sent students to the streets to perform scenes from Shakespeare, in true guerrilla-theater style. And then this spring, yet another class went on a city adventure; students in an interdisciplinary elective called Clothing & Culture, which Ellen team-teaches with photography/video teacher Gary Cohen, traveled down to the Lower East Side to engage in a student-led tour. Again, the rain didn’t deter the exploration of the early history of the garment industry and labor movement in the city. In fact, Jen says she was actually pleased with the unexpectedly bleak weather for both city and country adventures. “It’s good for our kids to understand that feeling of discomfort and the way the physical body connects to the head; that’s something we can become alienated from, especially living in the city.”

Reflecting the City Through Art The new schedule has been especially valuable to art classes. Photography/video teacher Gary Cohen observes that now, the students are not only getting out into the city more, they’re able to get farther away from the Upper West Side. “We’ve even had time to take photos in Staten Island,” notes Miles Cooper ’13. The longer block periods also mean that young artists are getting to practice their discipline with teachers at their side. “I used to send the students out on their own or on weekends,” says Gary. “That’s fine, and they continue to do that, but now I’m also able to take them out into the field. I can either triage right there or actually model some protocols—especially when we’re photographing strangers on the street.” And it’s no surprise that the city serves as a rich backdrop for the elective course Drawing New York. For every class, art teacher Hailey Kim takes her students out of the studio and into the city’s unique landscapes. “We bump into things that we can anticipate: nature, the weather, the architecture, all the cultural resources, the landmarks—which are great. But there is also that element of the unknown,” says Hailey. One day, the students were sketching people in the 79th Street subway station when a man in a pirate costume hopped off a train and, without invitation, started posing for the class. “It was perfect!” says Hailey. “That’s the thing that can happen because we’re outside. And we’re outside more now because of the mod system.”

“It’s good for our kids to understand that feeling of discomfort and the way the physical body connects to the head; that’s something we can become alienated from, especially living in the city.” — JEN THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Philosophy in Public Forums “When you study peripatetic philosophy,” says history teacher Jonas Hamilton, “philosophy is not inert; it’s not something that happens in classrooms—it’s part of the public sphere.” With that in mind, Jonas took his philosophy students to 30th Avenue and 31st Street in Astoria, where there’s a park with a statue of Socrates and Aristotle. “The idea was to underscore the notion that in the ancient world, philosophy was something that took place in public forums. It wasn’t an ivory tower affair; it was something people hashed out on their porches or in the open air cafés, in public. I wanted them to get a feel of the public nature of ancient philosophy. I wanted them to see that philosophy in the ancient world addressed social issues, political issues and human issues, unlike the almost obscure discipline it’s become today.” Jonas did a similar excursion with ninth graders in his history class. He brought them to Riverside Park, where they climbed up on a big rock and discussed Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. “It was a rainy day, and the Meditations were written on the banks of the Danube River when Aurelius was leading his legions into battle against the Germans.” Not only did the experience evoke the mood of the text, it poised philosophy as something a military leader might bring with him into battle as a consolation. Says Jonas, “These trips help the text come to life. I want to continue to find new ways to use the city to dramatize my lessons; the new schedule has afforded me frequent opportunities to do that.”

Internships Take Students into the World of Work In addition to the flexibility afforded by the block schedule, the new five-mod system increases the number of elective classes available to Upper School students and also promises greater creativity in the way curriculum is structured—including the opportunity to dedicate an entire mod to one course of study. This, in fact, was what facilitated the introduction of the new Senior Work program, a six-week internship project for seniors that takes place during Mod 5—the final term before graduation. The Senior Work program engages twelfth graders in internships that reflect their personal interests and how those interests intersect with the world of work. During the course of the internships, organized and supervised by Lavern McDonald, Associate Director of the Upper School, seniors were mentored by a team of teachers through the application process, first-day jitters and on-site visits. The students were also asked to return to school once a week for debriefings. For some, the time was an opportunity to address their concerns, like, “Oh, my God, they’re only letting me file,” or “I feel shy—I can’t step into this situation,” or “How can I ask them to let me take on more responsibility?” Others used the time to talk about the culture of the workplace, to discuss trends in the world of work (including a screening of TED talks with Thomas L. Friedman, author of The World Is Flat), and to explore economic theory. Jen de Forest explains that the internship program is a natural conclusion to the curricular framework of the Upper School: “The freshman year is about self and society; sophomore year is epistemology/how you construct knowledge and junior year is about moving into the really hard work of inquiry, which takes root in something we call Junior Workshop. And all of this leads and builds into the senior year with Senior Work, which focuses on the experience of work: how you take all of your knowledge and your negotiation of hard questions and fields of knowledge, and take that into the world—which, of course, is this really progressive idea that learning is for life.”

“These trips help the text come to life.” B

SPRING 2011

— JONAS

“I’ve learned so much about the publishing industry.” — MURRAY

Murray Dunsmore ’11 Melanie Jackson Agency Why did you choose to intern with a literary agent? I want to be a writer, and one way to step a foot into the writing world is to work for a literary agent and learn about how to get published. So are you learning about the business of book publishing? I do a lot of filing, and it’s not just filing things A to Z; it’s filing author’s royalty statements, which detail how much a book makes within a six-month period. Caitlin [Murray’s mentor at the agency] prepared me by encouraging me to ask questions in order to learn about the business. She said, “There’s no point in filing if you don’t know what you’re filing.” That’s basically how I learned. Caitlin talked to me a lot about selling, and why the same book may sell better in one country than another. Before the internship I thought, Well, I’ll have to get coffee, mail things, run to the post office…typical internship stuff. But I’ve learned so much about the pubishing industry. I thought that you would just submit the manuscript, they would say yes, and voilà! it’s published! But it’s so much more than that! I learned about which authors you might want to write the blurbs, who designs the cover, and which publishing house might be interested in publishing the book. And I’ve learned how to write a proposal letter.

This is your second week now; how is it going? Are you doing anything besides filing? I really enjoy what I’m doing; besides filing, I had about four or five days to read a 500-plus-page manuscript. It’s challenging, but it’s very rewarding when you complete the book and write the report…It’s like climbing a mountain; you get to the top and see this view and realize, I’ve totally worked my way up that mountain! So far, I’ve only written one report, for the manuscript I finished last week, but I have two more manuscripts to read. And the reports, they look simple and I thought that it wouldn’t be too hard, but it’s actually incredibly challenging. It took me about four hours to finalize my first report. After I wrote it, Caitlin went over it and then we discussed what we thought of the book, whether we thought it would sell in the U.S. and in what other countries. It’s this huge business. Has your experience so far had an affect on your own aspirations? Being around writing is really causing my thoughts/juices to overflow…I’m really inspired to do a lot of writing. I was working on one piece, but then I got inspired to do another, so I might put the first one aside and work on this current one. I’m just writing a lot and I’ve got a lot of awesome ideas. I love the internship.

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“I’ve been given work that they really trust me with.” — ISABEL

Isabel Cordero American Museum of Natural History, Dinosaur Education Why did you pursue an internship at AMNH? I pretty much grew up in the Museum of Natural History, and I’m really interested in curating and anthropology. [And] the museum is right here, it’s phenomenal, it’s got a plethora of information, it’s massive…so I thought maybe they would need some help, and I’d love to work there. Debbie [Aronson ’79, Community Service Director] contacted Donna [Sethi, AMNH Senior Manager of Teaching Volunteers] and I got an interview, and the next thing I knew, I was working here. I was thrilled! What are you doing? I’m working with three other high schoolers; we’re all teaching assistants, working on cart guides. If you‘ve ever been in the museum, there are carts around with objects that relate to each hall; the information is slightly outdated, so we’re updating the information inside the cart guides. I just finished the Hall of Ocean Life [cart information] today; we just had our final edit, so I’m working on the Hall of North American Mammals now. How did you prepare to do this work? Before my interview, Donna said, “Learn as much as you can about the museum.” So I reviewed as much as I could. Then, on my first day here, they handed me the old Ocean Life cart

SUMMER 2011

guide and said, “This is the information we had before; you’re allowed to use whatever sources as long as they’re legit.” And then they said, “As long as you get your work done, you have…” Well, they didn’t say “free reign” of the museum, but I said, “I have free reign of the museum!” So I’ve been really lucky. For the new exhibit, the World’s Largest Dinosaurs, the dig pit, I’m working behind the scenes, getting all the kids to come over, get their tools, make sure that they all have a really nice time and get some good information. Has this experience reaffirmed your interest in archaeology and curating? I’ve always said I’d like to be like Indiana Jones—just without the danger! I love history, and curation has always been fascinating to me. You’re in a museum and you’re putting things together and giving everything a storyline, trying to tell people, “This is what happened.” So working with the items on the cart guide—let’s say a dolphin’s skull—I’ll explain why the skull is important to the dolphin; how it helps the dolphin live in its environment. I take the conversation back to the entire Ocean Life exhibit and give it a bridge, so it’s not just about a skull...it’s got a much bigger importance. You’re working with a lot of skills and interests here— history, narrative, science; it’s very “interdisciplinary.” And I know you were very involved at Calhoun in theater. Does your performance experience come into play? Well…when I can go out into the halls, I have to interact with

“I think learning about the language that’s used is very interesting, and how methodical [the attorneys] are, citing case after case after case.” — WILLY

all of the tourists. Or even at the dig pit, for tourists who don’t speak English, you have to put yourself out there and not shut down on people when they don’t understand something. It’s the same with the stage; you have to make the audience feel as if they are there and feel comfortable there rather than, “I’m watching a play.” What’s been the biggest surprise? Being a high school student and being given so much leeway…I think it’s astounding! I’m just a senior in high school…I’m a volunteer…I’m a little intern, and I’ve been given work that they really trust me with. And I can go around the museum and talk to people if I like to, I can go to staff areas…I have my hands on such amazing knowledge, such amazing opportunities that are just right in my grasp. They basically handed it to me, and I’m so grateful for that.

Willy Kane Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Department/Appeals Unit

So you’re learning quite a bit about the process. Yes, there’s a certain way you’re supposed to get the information to close the file. First you have to fill out a sheet that says who the attorney was, what happened on the case. And you learn a lot by reading through the brief. You don’t have to read through the whole thing, but sometimes it’s interesting and I read more than just the first and last page. I think learning about the language that’s used is very interesting, and how methodical [the attorneys] are, citing case after case after case. I think that’s very impressive. I was actually talking to [my supervisor] Judy immediately before this meeting; we were setting up an appointment for me to see one of the attorney’s arguments. I’ve already read through the brief, so I know what’s going on. You’re interested in history, science and economics. Has this experience made law a possible future career? I’m not sure; a lot of it is argument-based with nitty-gritty points, and while I’m okay with language, I’m not sure I have the argumentative personality for it. But there are many types of lawyers and not all of them go to court. I think I’ll have to look into it more. In a more general sense, it’s exposed me to the working world.

What kind of work are you doing?

What’s been most surprising about this experience?

I’m doing a lot of copying and shredding, but the most interesting thing I do is close cases. I get files that talk about the case—the brief of the appellant and the opposition—and when I receive them they’re ready to be closed. So I type them into an Excel spread sheet and then I file them away. That’s basically the most complex thing I do.

I just think it’s surprising how quiet this place is! I came in for my first interview, and Helen—my first supervisor, who’s now on maternity leave—said, basically, that everybody’s hustling and bustling around here. But when I came in on my first day I was very surprised at how quiet it was. [But] quiet’s not really that big of a problem for me. I think Calhoun is good in that it molds students in a way that they can adapt to different environments.

Are you working independently? I’m basically at my own pace now; once I get into my rhythm, I’m pretty good. I think it’s sort of a time management thing. And yeah, I think I’ve done okay so far. I’ve got occasional research projects; one is a long-term assignment for an attorney involving a case. This research is particularly challenging in that it’s not even certain that I’ll find anything. [To do the search] I’m sort of using my own intuition.

Is the internship program valuable in any other way? Has it met your expectations? I wanted to get out of the classroom and have some new experiences. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was excited to do something new. But you have to realize the reality that you have to start small at the beginning because you’re an intern… you’re not an official employee. I had to come to terms with

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that very quickly. But, for me at least, to know that my work is appreciated—because those cases have been piling up since December, and without me, the pile would just get bigger and bigger and bigger—it makes me feel satisfied in what I’m doing.

Denisse Jerez Harlem Community Justice Center Harlem Community Justice Center (HCJC) is part of a restorative justice program under the auspices of the Center for Court Innovation. One of the primary programs is the Youth Court. Teens 14-18 years old are trained in the roles of jury members, judges and lawyers to judge and administer “sanctions” on defendants, known as “respondents,” who have been referred by police precincts, criminal court, schools and probation. Cases primarily involve misdemeanors—minor crimes such as truancy, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Youth Court interns go through a rigorous application and training process for their yearlong service, rotating the roles they play in any given hearing. There are between three and four hearings per night, two nights a week. Denisse spent her six-week internship at HCJC under the sponsorship of project coordinator and Calhoun alum Sonia Balaram ’06, who joined in on the interview. How many evening court sessions have you sat in on? Denisse: All of them since I’ve been here. It’s interesting for me to see other students and how they work together. And, well, I want to just be very honest: Being at Calhoun, I feel sometimes I live in a bubble; here I get the chance to see how other people think and speak, see them in a different academic setting and also in a professional setting.

DENISSE JEREZ ‘11 (LEFT)

What’s your day like?

AND HER MENTOR,

Denisse: I don’t have a typical day, which is what I like. Yesterday, for example, I looked for schools in the neighborhood— East Harlem, Central Harlem and the Bronx—and did outreach. I wrote a script that I used to tell all the different principals what the program is about. We also went to a career fair yesterday. I’m always doing something different, but I am always doing something. Another project I’m doing here is making a [promotional] documentary. I’ve already videotaped a guidance counselor at the Manhattan Center for Math and Science; I interviewed two other interns working with AmeriCorps; I’m going to interview Sonia and the project director…and the manager of the Juvenile Justice Initiative.

SONIA BALARAM ‘06

Sonia: When Lavern contacted me, I wanted to make sure that whatever Denisse did as an intern here would be valuable to her. So I sent out a couple of ideas for projects she could work on…because there are just so many things that we’re currently working on in terms of expanding our social media presence. I think I gave about ten different options for projects that she could work on, and she chose the documentary option. 30

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“I don’t have a typical day, which is what I like. Yesterday, for example, I looked for schools in the neighborhood—East Harlem, Central Harlem and the Bronx—and did — DENISSE outreach.”

Had you taken video editing classes at Calhoun? Denisse: Never, ever! I did one project for my Spanish class, but I had nothing to do with the editing or the videotaping, more of the acting. So that’s another thing—I’m going to learn something totally different being here, and I’m excited! Are there skills you’re using that you learned at Calhoun? Denisse: I would say linguistic skills. And also, that whole progressive thing comes into play: thinking differently and not so straightforward. Also, I’ve been using Calhoun’s databases, like JSTOR, to get readings on restorative justice. It’s been interesting to have to do this reading on my own, analyzing and breaking it down on my own. [The ability to do independent research] is something that Calhoun instills in students. In all my classes, I’ve done some type of research or learned how to use electronic databases. It doesn’t seem like an important skill, but it is! Sonia: Her presentation skills, too [come from Calhoun]. I think the majority of Calhoun alums are comfortable speaking in public because they have a lot of experience doing that. Denisse is very articulate; that’s why we’ve been able to utilize her in going to career fairs or going to talk to students who are interested in being Youth Court members. The principals we’ve talked to thought she was on staff; they didn’t believe she was a high school student! I think that speaks volumes as to how professional and how valuable [she is] and how seriously she takes the work she’s doing here. The staff loves her. We’re hoping this turns into a summer internship! Has this internship helped shape/guide what you think you might like to do in the future? Denisse: It’s changed my mind and made me feel like I should be a little more open in terms of what I want to do. I definitely want to work with kids or advocate for other kids, as Lavern has done for me at Calhoun—she’s been very inspiring. And I think being here, seeing how these [Youth Court] kids and staff members help by providing these resources…that has been very inspiring for me, as well. What do you think about the internship program overall? Denisse: I love it! I’m happier than I expected. Lavern really helped me out. I told her I didn’t want to be doing something where I was just doing paperwork and sitting all day. I told her what I aspired to do in the future…maybe work with kids, in psychology or some kind of adolescent psychology. And I used to want to do criminology, or something that maybe intersected both. So I actually love what I’m doing here. I feel like this work is very interdisciplinary, I’ve been seeing a little bit of everything, I’ve met lots of great people, I’ve done lots of social networking. I’ve learned a lot. So thank you, Lavern!

2010-2011 Internship Sites Thank you to the following organizations and individuals who provided internships for our seniors! American Museum of Natural History/ Dinosaur Education Animal Haven Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell B. Soapure Benchmarc Restaurants Beth Israel Medical Center Black Rock Forest Blue State Digital Candela Donna DeSeta Casting Harlem Youth Court/Center for Court Innovation HarperCollins/HarperTeen Jazzheads, Inc. Jewish Community Center of the Upper West Side (JCC) Latino Justice Legal Aid Society The Luedtke Agency.LLC Melanie Jackson Agency Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Collection Midnight Sun Studios Miracle Corners of the World Moms & the City and a Dad Named David/NBC TV Mount Sinai School of Medicine/emergency medicine Murray Avenue School, Mamaroneck, NY NY1 NYU School of Education Office of the Queens County District Attorney Pencils of Promise Professional Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Sports Physical Therapy of NY The Studio TADA! Westchester County Medical Center

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2011-12 SAVE THE DATES! alumni Pub Night Tuesday, November 22, 2011 6:30-9:30pm, location TBA Meet-up with Calhoun friends and faculty at a local pub!

Harvest Festival alumni Luncheon Wednesday, November 23, 2011 12-3pm, 81st Street Reunion luncheon for recent grads, catered by Chef Bobo.

alumni-Faculty Basketball Challenge Friday, January 6, 2012 7-9pm, 81st Street Be a spectator or player in this annual game, now in its seventh year.

Cougar Career symposium Friday, February 17, 2012 12-3:30pm, 81st Street Alumnae/i panelists speak to Upper School students and fellow alums about career paths and opportunities.

spring Reunion 2012 Friday, June 1, 2012 81st Street All-alum celebration, with special hats-off to classes ending in “2” and “7.” For more information about upcoming events, please contact: Bart Hale ’00 Alumnae/i Relations Manager bart.hale@calhoun.org 646-666-6450

A UMNAE /I L Connected Through Changes — Identifying with Your Alma Mater Change is inevitable at every institution, and Calhoun is certainly no exception. It’s most noticeable during this time of year, as we graduate another class and prepare to usher in new students. Teachers, of course, come and go as well. We’re fortunate to have among the best educators in New York, some of whom have spent more than a quarter-century in our Calhoun classrooms; they link generations of students and will have lasting legacies. But faculty departures still happen. Even the bricks and mortar of our physical buildings shift over time. We’ve moved, expanded and changed layouts enough times that something will always feel different from the days when you roamed the school. In some ways, though, this is why I find alumnae/i relations so gratifying and why I Bart Hale ’00, right, with classmates know there’s tremendous David Merrill ’00 and Pauline Newman ’00 at potential for a robust this year’s first Cougar Career symposium. alumnae/i program at Calhoun. If anything, we’re the one variable that does not change. Alums endure through all other transitions at a school, which leaves us in the exciting position as gatekeepers of our alma mater. We know the history—we are the history—and we carry the torch of Calhoun in our lives each day as the beneficiaries of an unparalleled education. In the last Chronicle, I highlighted the enduring Calhoun traditions that link us as alums. Events like Egg Drop, Harvest Festival or the ski trip have carried on for decades. Yet even our most vibrant traditions go back only so far and exclude alums who had different traditions and their own Calhoun experiences. How we connect with our alums, then, is a paramount question as we move ourselves forward. Of course, anyone who graduated before 1975 knows a very different Calhoun—one that was allfemale, traditional and housed in a townhouse on 92nd Street. How times have changed! And yet I can’t help but think about that era each morning as I walk down West End Avenue past the old

Calhoun School building that currently serves as a Montessori school. It’s hard not to smile as I look down the block at that old Calhoun and see the kids running up the stairs (granted, without Misses Parmalee or Cosmey chasing them down). Eleven blocks later, I arrive at today’s Calhoun and am greeted by a joyful energy, where students are enthusiastic and engaged. If nothing else, the passion for learning, the superior teaching, the development of young minds and the significant community in which it all comes together each day constitute a timeless treasure at Calhoun. That is still something we can agree to celebrate together as alums. It’s also something we can continue to support and give back to in ways that make a real difference for our students. This past February, 26 alums returned for the inaugural Cougar Career Symposium, where their mentorship and guidance had a direct impact on the juniors and seniors in attendance. Their professional insights, career advice and stories about Calhoun days resonated as the students began to think about colleges, internships and other aspirations. Some of the alums serving on panels admitted that there isn’t much they can identify with at Calhoun, yet they quickly found connections with the Upper School students and related in ways that make the institution’s changes insignificant by comparison. I never remember having genuine interactions with Calhoun alums during my student days but that’s something I look forward to seeing grow. Calhoun’s students will face increasing competition for jobs in a globalized 21st century. Mentorship from alums can be invaluable to them, and on our end, supporting this young generation and seeing their passion firsthand can be fulfilling regardless of how long you’ve been removed from Calhoun or how different the place feels. Thanks to all of our loyal alumnae/i who supported Calhoun this year. As always, I welcome your ideas on other ways we can continue to enhance alumnae/i relations and develop a dynamic program that keeps us connected and reminds everyone that Calhoun is a place we are all still lucky to call home. Bart Hale ’00 Alumnae/i Relations Manager bart.hale@calhoun.org, 646-666-6450

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Alumnae/iClass Notes MARRIAGES

Ways to Connect Online with the Calhoun Community

alison Max ‘85 to

Michael Rothschild Zeke Edwards ‘91 to

Pardiss Kebriaei Rebecca Tunick ’97

to Dan Gotlieb BIRTHS To Rachel Zients schinderman ’89 and her

husband, Jay, a son, Eli Isaiah

CaLHOuN WEBsITE www.calhoun.org/alum 2.

FaCEBOOK www.facebook.com/calhounalums 3.

To Jesse Johnson ’92 and his wife, Erica Johnson, a son, Wesley Richard To Jessica Daniels schwarz ’95 and her husband, Jamie Schwarz, a son, Miles Bennett MEMORIAM Lucille Franklin Meyers ‘30 Lenore Oppenheim Provisor ’30 Beatrice Rubenfeld Kern ’38

LINKEDIN http://bit.ly/calhounlinkedin 4.

TWITTER www.twitter.com/calhounschool 5.

yOuTuBE www.youtube.com/calhounschool 6.

FLICKR www.flickr.com/photos/ calhounschool/collections

Joyce schwartz Cohen ’41 Carol Kaplan stone ’46

1930s Harriet Rosen Katz ’32, who

lives in a senior community in Massachusetts, recently celebrated her 95th birthday. She writes that she “remembers Miss Calhoun’s school for girls with very fond memories.” Eleanor schreiber Langerman ’38,

from Clinton, CT, regrets that she could not make the alumnae luncheon this year, but noted that “my Calhoun School days are happily remembered!”

1940s susan sertner Hirsch ’46 writes

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from Somers, NY, “I have a granddaughter, Molly, who will be getting married in September in Lake George, NY. She is currently in grad school at UC Berkeley and will be getting a PhD in microbiology. She is marrying Kevin Hoeschele.”

1950s Mary ann sonheimer Weisser ’59 spotted Calhoun’s

longtime science teacher John Roeder during the intermission of a concert at Rider University in March, having recognized him from the cover of the last Calhoun Chronicle! It turns out they’re neighbors in West Windsor, NJ, and Mary Ann had even worked at the polling place where John voted last November. Talk about a small-world Calhoun connection! Mary Ann also writes, “My husband, Gary, and I are both retired and busier that ever. I am doing watercolor painting and continue showing a lot in the area.”

1960s Joan simon Hollander ’60

brought daughter, Ellen Sande, son-in-law Michael Sande and grandchildren Banjo, six, and Caleb, four and a half, to this year’s Calhoun Carnival, where all had a great time! Joan, who wore multiple hats at Calhoun as alumna, teacher and board member, also returned to school this spring for the annual trustee dinner. She is now fully retired from teaching, but continues to tutor students in mathematics.

Alumnae/iClass Notes Jo-ann seitman Jacobson ’61

celebrated her 47th anniversary with her husband, Arnold, on June 11. “We live in northern California, 30 minutes from San Francisco,” says Jo-Ann. “My husband is retired from his high-tech infertility medical practice and is doing consulting for a genetics company. I am a real estate broker; this is my 35th year doing this work.” JoAnn says she is very involved with the Jewish community, working with such organizations as AIPAC, the Jewish Federation and the Contra Costa Jewish Community Center. Her daughter, Jessica, is a professor of pathology at New York University Medical School and has two little girls. Her son, Andrew, is general counsel for Universal Sports in Los Angeles and has two sons, ages six and four. Babette Low ’61, who lives in

Fieldston, NY, continues to work as a psychotherapist in private practice and writes that she misses the old days at Calhoun! Leslie Berman Marcus ’61

reports, “I have been blessed to have a wonderful 42-year marriage to my soul mate, Ron Marcus. We have two adult children: Allison, who lives in Pittsburgh with five cuties, and Andy, in NYC, with one new baby boy. We spend November to April in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, enjoying golf and lots of socializing. It is hard to believe that 50 years have passed since the Calhoun days.... How lucky we all are to be here!” Juanita Clarke MerrittColeman ’61, who is currently

working in an educational consultant role as the director

of KaNaKwe Educational Keys in Los Angeles, writes, “Life has had many twists and turns. I have enjoyed my career as an educator across three states, six cities and many schools, including the Central District Office/Los Angeles Unified School District and a Local District Office as an administrator. I earned a doctorate six years ago as the oldest student in my cohort, and retired from LAUSD the year before last. But I continue to be quite busy in the field as a consultant and an advisor to new teachers.” Juanita also enjoys spending time with her three grown children and two granddaughters, ages 12 and 6. alexandra “sandy” spingarn ’61, who lives in Brookline, MA, had an exhibition of her oil paintings at Springhouse Gallery in Jamaica Plain, MA, this past spring. It was inspired, she says, by her granddaughter, Matilda, who is four, and her brother, Orlando, nine months old, who live in London, England, with their parents. Sandy’s son, Jason, is living with his wife in Cambridge, MA, where he is a fellow at MIT; a film documentary he made won many awards in 2010. The couple just had a baby son, Julian. Nina Pollak Levin ’62 is enjoy-

ing life as a grandmother, with twin grandsons, Marshall and Ross, who are two and a half. “They say a few words, but aren’t speaking quite yet,” reports Nina. Mary ann sheldon ’62 has

been teaching for the last 14 years as a first grade teacher at Friends' Central School outside of Philadelphia, which both of her children

1. Marilyn allman Maye ’65 was recently featured in radio interviews about her book on black youth. 2. Joan simon Hollander ’60 at the Calhoun Carnival with daughter, Ellen, son-in-law Michael, and grandsons Banjo and Caleb. 3. Juanita Clarke Merritt-Coleman ’61 is a consulting director for KaNaKwe Educational Keys in Los angeles.

1 2

attended. She went back to school to get her master's in education at Penn, after having worked for many years as a managing editor for professional-level examination review books. “My daughter, Madeleine, graduated four years ago from MIT as a physics major and writing minor, and is now trying to break into scriptwriting. My son, Christopher, graduated from the University of Rochester last year with a double major in physics and math. He just started a tech job that's beyond my comprehension. Both kids live in the Boston area. I’m still in regular touch with Patsy Kobe ’62, Laura George Jayson ’62 and Vivian Lipetz Newmark ’62.” Tedra Levine schneider ’64

continues to work as an

interior designer while also tutoring home-bound high school students. She says she is enjoying her three grandsons, all under the age of four, and performing in community theater and small indie films. Marilyn allman Maye ’65

continues her work as an educator, having served as an independent computer consultant and mathematics education consultant for many years. She and her husband, THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

PROFILE

Alumnae/iClass Notes HELENE SOLOMON ’70

Mastering the Message by Bart Hale ’00, Alumnae/i Relations Manager

Within minutes of our interview in the Boston public relations office of Solomon McCown & Company, CEO Helene Solomon ’70 is interrupted by a phone call. It turns out to be the governor’s office. Evidently, that’s not so surprising these days, given Helene’s recent trip to Israel with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. She and the governor went on the mission with a coalition of state officials and business leaders to explore growth opportunities in Israel for the commonwealth’s innovation-based industries—technology, life sciences, clean energy and financial services. “It was a real honor to be included with other CEOs as a communications person on the mission, and to be able to see Israel through the lens of an official delegation,” says Helene. Her role was to help further the mission’s goals of identifying new job and economic development opportunities and lend her expertise on how best to tell the story of the innovation economy. As a next step, the Israeli leaders will hopefully be coming to Boston to see how things work there. Helene has been blazing trails in the arena of public communications since graduating from Boston University in 1974 and taking her first job at The Boston Jewish Times. “It was during that post-Watergate era that I got interested in journalism,” she says, explaining why she left to get her MA in public-affairs journalism at American University before returning to work for five years in the public sector with Boston Mayor Kevin White. Briefly, Helene considered public office for herself, running first for city council and then, two years later, for state representative. “I was only 30 years old, but it was a great experience.” In between her runs for public office, Helene started doing consulting work in public relations. She founded her

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first agency in 1989, and in 2003 started Solomon McCown & Company. Today the firm’s primary focus is on health care, real estate and nonprofits. Helene’s expertise and guidance in crisis management drew national attention for her handling of a Planned Parenthood shooting incident of 1994, when an armed gunman opened fire in two Boston clinics. “It was very dramatic; things happened fast. And it was before crisis communications was a basic tenet of all communications planning,” remembers Helene. “It’s one reason we work so hard to convince organizations to have a plan in place [in case of] a crisis. They rely on us to come in as the outsider and put some order to chaos. If we can build confidence and make sure they know we’re going to be decisive and will guide them, the rest becomes easy.” The world of communication is rapidly changing, of course, and while Helene supports Twitter and sees the value in social media sites, she notes that one of the things that is lost is a personal connection. “We have to bring some of that back,” she says, urging the younger generation to “be eternally curious—read and write, ask questions and be naturally curious with your work.” Helene speculates that some of her own natural curiosity was sparked by her Calhoun days. “[I grew up in] the protest years. The anti-war movement and feminism were breaking loose on the national scene, so it was a very interesting time to be in a place like Calhoun. Graduation was at Town Hall and we wore white gowns, carrying red roses. Because of the war, a lot of us wore black armbands on our white gowns—some even dipped their red roses in black ink, which was very radical at the time. We sang ‘Teach Your Children’ by Graham Nash. It was very much Vietnam-focused. The world was a very different place, but it was wonderful to have an opportunity to be in a small environment.” Helene will connect again with the education world this summer as her agency begins working with the State of New York and Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), an organization that aims to boost the academic achievements, self-confidence and life trajectories of children living in under-resourced, urban communities. “At this stage, being the CEO, I really enjoy understanding what’s keeping my clients up at night so we can do a better job at supporting them; that’s the most fun. It’s a bonus when the work is important, and I think we do important work.”

Alumnae/iClass Notes Warren, were also recently featured in a radio interview about the book they coauthored, Orita: Rites of Passage for Youth of African Descent in America. “It’s been 11 years, and, unfortunately, the state of black youths is not much different from when we wrote the book,” Marilyn says. She fondly remembers the mentorship of Dr. Elaine Genkins from her Calhoun days. Lillian Kean appel ’66 has been

working at Barnard College since 1977, where she assists college deans on external fellowships, graduate school applications and the planning of special events such as commencement ceremonies and family weekend. Margot Ross London ’66, a

lawyer, practiced for a number of years in a NY law firm and then in the law department at CBS. She took time off to raise her two sons, Ben, 31, and Zach, 27, with her husband of 34 years, Alan London. Now she is active in a not-for-profit theater, Abingdon Theatre Company, as well as a number of charities. allyson young schwartz ’66

writes, “My older son, Daniel, now a fellow in cardiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, was married last October to a wonderful young woman, Lauren Ende, a native New Yorker who is now a resident in pathology at Penn. They live in Philadelphia. My younger son, Jordan, is also in Philadelphia, where he is deputy chief of staff to Mayor Michael Nutter. All else is good. I was re-elected to a fourth term in Congress [last November], where I serve on the Budget Committee and Foreign Affairs.”

Vivian Engel stein ’66 is living in West Tisbury, MA, where she founded and runs the ES Research Group, a research and advisory firm that covers the $6 billion sales-training industry. Ilene Goldsmith Rapkin ’67 is

currently president and owner/founder of her own company, I Openers, where she shares her strategic marketing insights and deep experience as a publishing executive with her clients. Ilene was one of many alumnae/i at Calhoun for the Cougar Career Symposium in February.

1970s Eve shaw ’77, who returned to

Calhoun in February to serve on the medical/science panel for the inaugural Cougar Career Symposium, started a new job this past spring at the Banfield Pet Hospital. Previously, she was a staff veterinarian at People for Animals. She lives in Plainfield, NJ. Morgan Levine yarosh ’78,

another alumna who generously participated in this year’s Cougar Career Symposium, continues to work as a middle school English teacher at the Horace Mann School and lives in Riverdale with her husband, Bruce, and their two children. Jane Fabrikant amsden ’79

made a surprise visit to Calhoun in May with Nora Prentice ’79, their first time back to see the expanded facilities. Receiving a special private tour from Alumnae/i Relations Manager Bart Hale ’00, they were especially envious of the

1896 CIRCLE Calhoun’s Alumnae/i Giving Society The 1896 Circle recognizes consistent participation of alumnae/i who invest in the Calhoun Annual Fund for three or more consecutive school years, at any giving level. Recently expanded from the Cougar Circle to include and celebrate all eras of Calhoun graduates, the 1896 Circle honors the founding and rich history of our alma mater. See www.calhoun.org/1896circle for benefits and more information.

Green Roof and amazed by how our old gym has been transformed into the Performing Arts Center today!

1980s Jason Green ’83, who spoke on

the creative arts panel at the inaugural Cougar Career Symposium at Calhoun in February, continues to work in independent photography and videography. Ben stiller ’83 is back on Broadway for a limited engagement of The House of Blue Leaves, playing the role of zookeeper Artie Shaughnessy. For Ben, this is

a homecoming of sorts; 40 years ago, his mother played Bunny in the original offBroadway production, and in 1986, Ben played the role of Artie’s son. Beth Fischbein-Bodner ’87 and

daughter, Hannah, four and a half, enjoyed the rides, games and crafts at this year’s Calhoun Carnival, stopping by for a quick photo op at the alumnae/i table. Beth, who lives on the Upper West Side and practices law with her husband, Marc Bodner, says she is looking forward to next year’s 25th Reunion. Katie Kjellgren ’87 is an audio-

book narrator, having

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

PROFILE

Alumnae/iClass Notes Home Court Advantage with Our Alum Coaches Calhoun Athletics saw the return this year of five alumnae/i, each of whom took to the court in a new position as a Cougar coach. We sat down to hear their thoughts about being back at their alma mater, their coaching philosophies and how Cougar athletics has changed since their playing days. Here are excerpts of the interview with Brian Peters ’97, Casey Shane ’06, Sabrina Spiegel ’06 and Peter Zurkuhlen ’06. (Absent from the interview was Richard Lin ’97.) What’s it been like to come back as alums and coach a Calhoun sports team?

Casey: It’s been a tremendous experience. There’s a great relationship between the alumni coaches and players because

we took the same classes, had a lot of the same teachers, balanced similar workloads and even do some of the same drills.

Brian: I would add that there’s a different sense of pride when you actually coach the team you played for, because you’ve actually had real feelings for the team for years. Calhoun’s also a community that continues for life. So to be able to come back, give back, and hopefully help these kids develop, get better and bring more banners to the school—whether you won one yourself or just want to continue that legacy—its a big piece of the excitement for me. What do you remember most from your playing days? Peter: Being a part of a sports team really helped integrate me further into the

community; it gave me something unique in my education. Casey: Peter’s right. Calhoun’s teams create a different experience and build a

lot of the bonds and friendships that you make. For example, the first two years that Peter and I were here, our basketball seasons were rough—we went 1-19, maybe won two games the year after. But then in our junior year, we turned it around and were able to get to the championship and win. The experiences we gained from being at the lowest end of the spectrum to completely taking a 180 and going back to the highest end of the spectrum, not losing one game in the league in our senior year—those experiences are like no other. I don’t think any of us will ever forget that. Brian: In the ’90s, it was a growing time for us: In my freshman year, Calhoun

established a JV team for the first time. There were a lot of athletes and it was a very competitive time. I remember everything, from the lean years to the winning years. Of course, that was without the big gym, without the weight room and without the same amount of practice time. What is your coaching philosophy? alum coaches Brian Peters ‘97, Casey shane ‘06, sabrina spiegel ‘06 and Peter Zurkuhlen ‘06

Sabrina: There are so many things that I gained from my own coaches here. You

take what works and see what doesn’t, from drills to team-building activities beyond the court—homework help, nutrition lessons, community service.

Casey: The way I approach coaching is to make it as relatable as possible. I feel the players can learn from the mistakes I

made when I was out on the court. Most important, my philosophy is that, at the end of the day, you’re really here to have fun. I think that’s something a lot of teams forget; we do this because we love it and we want to have fun with it. Peter: In Middle School, it’s the first time they’re playing a competitive sport and representing their school. A lot of my job is really about shaping their attitude to be more team-oriented, to be thinking about a larger picture. There are a lot of building blocks that go into it, and I think something key for Calhoun going forward is to look at our athletics as a farm

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Alumnae/iClass Notes system, where there should be a connection from Middle School to JV to Varsity. You want the kids to believe in and buy into a system that’s going to benefit them personally and the school overall. It just makes it more fun, too. Sabrina: Peter and I have actually been running a weekend athletic clinic, and in a way it’s the foundation for that farm system, where you start young and teach them an athletic philosophy. Overall, it’s so much about teamwork, fundamentals and commitment, and while the details of what you do may change, the idea of walking into a gym with a two-hour practice still means transmitting the same goals. Do you get nervous when you’re out there coaching? Peter: If anything, it’s less nervousness than anxiousness, where you just want to get on the court. You’re there in your button-

down shirt, thinking, “Oh my God!” All you want to do is be out there... Sabrina: I feel like that passion, and the understanding [that comes from] having played before, literally in this gym, helps to light

that fire as much as we can for the team. You might call a timeout just to ignite them. That’s when the passion of wanting to be out there really helps benefit the team. What’s with some of the newer practices—wearing ties on game day, and early-morning practices? Casey: One thing our coach passed along was that looking sharp and organized when you’re going to a game helps unify the team

and gets everyone pumped up. So when I was a player here we wore ties. I’m not sure we realized it then, but it brought a sense of unity to us along with the spirit of game day—that this was the time to get the job done. It also created a rhythm and made a statement for the school that we were serious, and that people should come support us. It helped make sure everyone knew that “the boys have a game today.” Brian: We actually held several 7am practices. It was a challenge making sure they were all here, performing at their highest ability—alive and awake. We had to do a lot of running. What’s the hardest thing about coaching? Peter: It’s definitely a balancing act. We’re focusing on the growth of players as individuals, the growth of the team, catering to

parents; it’s a huge balancing act, so that’s the biggest challenge. Brian: For me, it is about managing so many different levels, helping each player move up individually while still having [the

entire group] all do the same drills and work together. What have you loved the most about coaching here this year? Brian: Just being back at Calhoun, being a part of Cougar athletics. Working with the kids and helping them get a sense of pride for what’s been done, what we’ve done, and know that we want them to continue and actually raise the profile of Calhoun’s athletic program beyond where it’s come. Casey: Working with the kids, getting to come back and be a part of this community again. And I want them to do things that I

never did: We never won a soccer championship when I was here, so as long as I’m coaching, that’s what I’m going to try to get done. I want them to have those experiences for the rest of their lives. Sabrina: I think the best part of this job—one of the most amazing jobs I’ve ever had—is seeing results from your coaching and teaching. It’s incredibly rewarding. I’ve worked with some girls for four years now, and to see them grow is unbelievable…to watch them grow as athletes, as people and as a team. It’s the most satisfying thing to see someone do what they could never do before, or believe in themselves the way they’d never done before or to make friendships they probably would have never made otherwise. Peter: To know that you affected someone in a certain way or [sent] them in a certain direction, giving them an opportunity they

may not have had otherwise—that’s what I enjoy, seeing where kids are by the end of the season and what they got out of this. These kids will benefit from sports for the rest of their lives, too. It will change who they are.

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Alumnae/iClass Notes

TEACHER TRIBUTES Now you can make your Annual Fund gift in honor or memory of a Calhoun teacher or staff member who had a big impact on your experience! Simply note the name(s) with your gift and s/he will be notified of your tribute. Go to: www.calhoun.org/alumgiving

recorded more than 150 books since 2004. She was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year for 2008 and 2009, and in 2010 was added to AudioFile’s list of Golden Voices. Katie was kind enough to lend her career advice to Upper School students at the Cougar Career Symposium.

1990s Zeke Edwards ’91 is now a

staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union in its Criminal Law Reform Project, after having worked as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders and as a staff attorney at the Innocence Project. Zeke writes, “On April 30, 2011, after 11 years together, I married my longtime companion, Pardiss Kebriaei. Pardiss is a staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, representing Guantánamo detainees and litigating national security cases. Dale allsopp ’91, Oliver Chase ’91, Josh Israel ’91, and Kijana saunders ’91 were all in attendance. I hope everyone in the Class of 1991 is doing well.”

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stephanie Diamond ’93 was accepted into a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida. She continues her work as an artist, and recently spoke at a conference in Portland, OR. While her work in the past was mainly photography, she is currently integrating her art with dance, performance and interactive media. Her portfolios and work can be found online at www.stephaniediamond.com. sandy shin ’96 has switched

over to the for-profit side of event planning as event coordinator for Blue Hill at Stone Barns. “There’s still a nonprofit element attached to the work I do, since the restaurants are in partnership with the nonprofit organization Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture,” Sandy says. Jordan Peele ’97 had a cameo appearance in Ben stiller ’83’s

movie Little Fockers, which also made reference to longtime physics teacher John Roeder. If you haven’t seen the film, watch closely for the Calhounders in the spotlight! Brian Daniels ’98 took a leave

of absence from his job as a producer at R/GA and spent four months traveling in

central and southeast Asia along with his girlfriend, Kate Stluka. The pair went to Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. They spent the last three nights of their trip in Paris, where, before flying home, Brian dropped to one knee and proposed! For pictures and the blog about their trip, visit www.ourtravelbug.com. alex Maynard ’98 recently moved back to NY from CA, where he has been for the past several years. He lives with classmate Evan Waterman ’98 and continues to keep busy writing.

2000s Taiyo Ebato Na ’00 has been

following his passion as a musician, writing and performing his own work around the country. He returned to Calhoun in February, performing two of his popular songs, “Summertime” and “Immigrant Mother,” for Middle and Upper School students. For more on Taiyo’s work, visit www.taiyona.com. steve Feldman ’00 and his wife, Ariella, have moved to Los Angeles, CA, where Steve will be clerking for a federal judge. Ariella is joining ShoeDazzle, a hot start-up based in Santa Monica, in product management and business development. Liza Lubell ’00 has moved

back to New York from Portland, OR, where she had been working as a florist. Her new business in New

York, also in the flower world, is called Peartree. www.peartreeflowers.com. Rebecca stein ’00 has opened

her own private psychotherapy practice in Park Slope, where she continues to see children, adolescents and adults. She can be found in the Psychology Today directory, http://Therapists. PsychologyToday.com/rms/80 467. David Merrill ’00 and Ben seldon ’00 both graduated

from business school this spring. David attended Fordham University’s MBA program, where he focused on marketing, and Ben completed his program at Babson College in Wellesley, MA, with a focus on entrepreneurship. David Tunick ’01 is continuing

his progress toward becoming an MD at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Roey Mizrahi ’03 has a new venture as an event planner in New York, having started her own business, Roey Mizrahi Events. Dana Bezoza ‘04 started a job

last fall as an HR analyst at First New York Securities in Manhattan. She was formerly a recruiting coordinator for Morgan Stanley. Gaia Rikhye ’04 is running her

own online art gallery—or what she prefers to call an “anti-gallery”—selling affordable contemporary art. “I don’t have a gallery space by choice,” says Gaia. “Unlike inflated gallery prices, my aim is to empower both artist and buyer.” Gaia’s gallery can be seen at www.ricciart.com.

Alumnae/iClass Notes amanda Baker ’05 is at the Atlantic Acting School in New York; she has spent two and a half years at the conservatory. sonia Balaram ’06 spent six

months working with Teach for America after college before going to work as project coordinator for the Harlem Youth Court/Center for Court Innovation, which supports juvenile programs that provide alternatives to prison. Earlier this year, she joined Calhoun’s Middle and Upper School students in a Parents Association panel discussion, addressing all aspects of school life. “Calhoun really gave me the flexibility and opportunities to pursue my greatest interests,” Sonia told the crowd of parents. Eager to “give back,” she provided one of Calhoun’s seniors with an internship position at the Youth Court this spring. angela Bonilla ’06 writes in: “I

attended Beloit College for two years, then took time off to work on the 2008 presidential election, doing get-outthe-vote work in New Mexico and fundraising in New York. I have since moved to Portland, OR, where I’m finishing a BA in community development at Portland State University. In addition to completing my degree, I work two jobs. At Escuela Viva, a dual-language school in southeast Portland, I teach infants and toddlers, developing motor, language and emotional coping skills. My second gig is providing afterschool care to three rowdy second- and third-grade boys with special needs. I live in an apartment with my

boyfriend and our rabbit, Humphrey.”

STAY CONNECTED!

Jenna Fortunato ’06 is living

in Washington, DC, and working for the SK Media Group, a media production company. She is also volunteering for Donate Life, a nonprofit organization that assists in mobilizing the transplant community to educate the American public about organ donation and motivates them to register as donors.

If you’re not receiving monthly e-newsletters and the biannual Calhoun Chronicle, we’ve lost touch! Please send your e-mail and/or mailing address to alumni@calhoun.org.

KEEP IN TOUCH!

Evan Peters ’06 is Californiabound; he’ll be starting his first year at Stanford Law School in the fall. Katie schreiber ’06, who graduated from Sarah Lawrence College last year, just finished up a successful internship at Psychology Today magazine before transitioning to a part-time job at her parents’ acting studio (T. Schreiber Studio), which will afford her time to volunteer on a suicide hotline, volunteer with NARAL Pro-Choice NY, and pursue her certification as a personal trainer. She is also considering a return to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in clinical social work. skylar sasson ’08, entering her senior year at Skidmore

While you’re at it, let us know what you’re up to! Send updates on job changes, moves, exciting projects, births, weddings or memories. Send your news to bart.hale@calhoun.org

College, studied in India and Nepal for her junior year abroad. On a break between trips, she returned to Calhoun to participate with six other alumnae/i on a panel about the college experience for Upper School students. Ben Ellentuck ’10 had his play, Island performed by the Black Cat Theatre Group as part of the BoCoCa Arts Festival in Brooklyn on June 22, 23, 24

and 26. Described as part tragedy, love story and absurdist comedy, Island is an intellectual and entertaining answer to the question “Are we more than our memories?” Ben Waters ’10 is doing well at Cornell, where he’s just finished his first year. Ben is planning to pursue a bachelor of architecture degree, a fiveyear program at the university.

1. Beth Fischbein-Bodner ’87 and daughter, Hannah, four and a half, stopped for a photo op at the Calhoun Carnival. 2. Taiyo Na ’00 performed his music at assemblies for Middle and upper school students.

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Alumnae/iReunions Alumnae Luncheon June 2, 2011

Alumnae from the classes of 1961 and 1966 celebrated their respective 50th and 45th Calhoun reunions with a luncheon at Scaletta

Ristorante. A highlight of the day was a return visit for the alums to their original school building on 92nd Street, now a Montessori preschool, to walk through their old stomping grounds. It was particularly poignant, said Linda Silberman Levine ’61, to see the old gym, where they used to enjoy dances and volleyball games.

3 4

1. (L–R) Babette Low ’61, Patricia Robbins Whitehead ’61, Bonnie Loeb Chajet ’61

4. (L–R) Linda silberman Levine ’61, Jo-ann seitman Jacobson ’61, Leslie Berman Marcus ’61

2. Flanking Ms. Parmelee and Ms Cosmey: (L–R) Barbara Lowenstein DuBois ’66 and Claire Naimer Hyman ’66 celebrated their 45th reunion.

5. Visiting the old 92nd street gym: (L–R) Barbara Lowenstein DuBois ’66, Linda silberman Levine ’61

6. Remember the 92nd street stairwell? Now it’s carpeted! (L–R) Jo-ann seitman Jacobson ’61, Barbara Lowenstein DuBois ’66 (back), Leslie Berman Marcus ’61, Linda silberman Levine ’61

3. Class of 1961 celebrates 50 years! (L–R) Jo-ann seitman Jacobson, Patricia Robbins Whitehead, Bonnie Loeb Chajet, Linda silberman Levine, Leslie Berman Marcus, Babette Low

MORE PHOTOs ONLINE: www.calhoun.org/alumphotos 42

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Alumnae/iReunions 3

Alumnae/i Rooftop Reception June 3, 2011 Alums spanning four decades gathered on Calhoun’s Green Roof to celebrate their reunion years with classmates and former faculty members. The event, catered by Calhoun’s renowned Chef Bobo, featured

Spanish tapas and sangria. In a friendly competition between classes, the Class of 2001 won the Reunion Class Champagne Challenge, which honored the class with the highest percentage of participation to Calhoun’s Annual Fund. 1. (L–R) sandy shin ’96, shaniquoa Elrington ’96, Lydia Newman ’96 2. (L–R) Monique LionsGreenspan ’91, Zeke Edwards ’91 and Jodi Katz ’91 3. (L–R) Eve Robinson, Josh Wiener ’81, alisa Newhouse smith ’76 4. (L–R) anton Hart ’79; Lisa Gilbert ’81; alisa Newhouse smith ’76; Ted McDonald, former Director of College Counseling (background); and Terri Hardin server ’76 5. Class of 2001 celebrates 10 years! (Back, L–R) alexi savov, James andrews, Peter

Concannon, Gavi Bogin-Farber, Chris Kompanek; (middle) adam Messinger, Tamar sinclair, Josh Raeben, David Tunick; (front) Paloma Woo, Lizzy Tepper

6. (L–R) David Katz ’06, Evan Peters ’06, Jonathan Jimenez ’06

7. (L–R) Katherine schreiber ’06, sophie Harris ’06 8. The mid-’80s boys with “class mom,” Barbara Bernard: (L–R) Michael Goldberg ’86, stephan Kolbert ’86, Jeffry schneider ’86, Eric Potoker ’85, Jonathan Katz ’86, Daniel Rudick ’85, Barbara Bernard, scott Hirsch ’86 and Peter Lubell ’86

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

alums advise upper schoolers in First Career symposium In mid-February, 28 alumnae/i spanning five decades of Calhoun history returned to school to share insights, stories and experiences from their careers with Upper School students and fellow alums. The inaugural Cougar Career Symposium was organized jointly by the Alumnae/i Relations Office and the Upper School, and included alum and parent panelists from seven different industries —creative arts, advertising/marketing/public relations, nonprofits, restaurant business, media/publishing, science/medicine, and education. 2 For the Upper Schoolers, the symposium was a unique opportunity to gain insights into various career sectors and interact with a diverse pool of alums. For the alums, it was a time to network with one another while supporting Calhoun students who were preparing to head off for the new Senior Work internship program. Many of the alum panelists encouraged the students to follow their passions—thinking about the big picture and utilizing their skills from Calhoun. “Calhoun gave me incredible opportuni4 ties to pursue my interests in science,” Dr. Eve Shaw ’77 said to the science/medicine group, while recalling at the same time a rather messy moment when her color-dyed lab mice broke free and had to be chased around the fourth floor. Morgan Yarosh ’78, on the education panel, said that Calhoun “opened new doors to think creatively, to follow my interests and to not worry about the ‘right answer,’ which exists at a lot of other schools. I always appreciated that.”

“Calhoun gave me incredible opportunities to pursue my interests in science.” — DR. EVE SHAW ’77

1. andrea Frierson ’72, writer/creator/performer 2. Kevin silverman ’96, vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations, and Jack Hale ’03, sales planner at the Hallmark Channel 3. Ilene Goldsmith Rapkin ’67, founder and president of I Openers, a media strategic marketing think tank, connected with susan Brown ’62, vice president and director of finance/administration at the National Center on addiction and substance abuse at Columbia university.

4. Dr. Eve shaw ’77, a veterinarian, posed with her former science teacher John Roeder and Calhoun’s upper school Director, Jen de Forest. 5. Hon. Robert Mandelbaum ’83, a New york City criminal court judge, was formerly an attorney at the Legal aid society. 6. Morgan Levine yarosh ’78, Ms English teacher, Horace Mann

Networking events have been held at Calhoun in the past, but the Career Symposium structure was new in the way alums were targeted and organized by industry, and in how it focused on mentorship for the students. As organizer Bart Hale ’00, Alumnae/i Relations Manager, reflected, “The event showed that our grads go on to do great work, while still caring deeply about their roots and the next generation to come. I think the way we connected alums with our students broke new ground that will strengthen all aspects of the Calhoun community moving forward.”

Interested in being a panelist at next year’s Cougar Career symposium? Contact Bart Hale ’00, alumnae/i Relations Manager, bart.hale@calhoun.org, 646-666-6450. Want to connect professionally with fellow alums? Join the Calhoun Networking Cluster on LinkedIn. http://bit.ly/calhounlinkedin

SUMMER 2011

Calhoun Performing Arts Series

2011–12

M a Ry L E a J O H N s O N P E R F O R M I N G a R T s C E N T E R

MUSIC

T H E A T E R Special Event

L’Occasione fa il Ladro (Opportunity Makes a Thief) [OPERA]

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11

Friday, Sept. 23, 7pm

Friday, Sept. 9, 7pm

Young People’s Guide to the Opera

Compagnia de’ Colombari’s word, song, dance and music program inspired by the words of Walt Whitman

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2pm

More or Less I Am

The Victor Lin Jazz Trio Friday, Oct. 14, 7pm

KIDSTUFF

SubRosa Halloween Celebration Concert w/Eric Walton, Magician

Meredith Wright and the Sweetbeatz Band

Friday, Oct. 28, 7pm

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2pm

Teachers on Stage IV

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, 7pm

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, 2pm

ArtsAhimsa Concert for Peace

Ramona Quimby

Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, 7pm

A Theatreworks/USA production

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, 2pm

www.calhoun.org/performingarts DANCE TA L K An Evening with David Kahn, crossword puzzlemaster Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, 7pm

The SUNY School of Dance Friday, Oct. 21, 7pm

Boston Arts Academy Friday, March 2, 2012, 7pm

TICKETs: $5 / students & seniors $10 / adults ONLINE REsERVaTIONs: www.calhoun.org/reservations Program in formation. For complete details, go to www.calhoun.org/performingarts

Calhoun THe

SCHooL

433 West End Avenue . New York . NY 10024 www.calhoun.org

Non-Profit Organization u.s. Postage

PaID New york, Ny Permit No. 7202

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

To the Parents of Alumnae/i: If this issue is addressed to your daughter/son who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae/i Office with the correct mailing address. Call 212-497-6579, fax 212-497-6531 or contact by e-mail: alumni@calhoun.org.

2011-12 YEARLY THEME:

Too Much stuff? Is More Less?

Consumerism in Today’s society Calhoun’s yearly theme, organized by the school & society Initiative, provides a thematic framework for academic and extra-curricular programs with potential for connections across the divisions and to the world beyond our walls. For more information about Calhoun’s school & society Initiative and yearly theme, go to www.calhoun.org/schoolandsociety