2021 Family Album

February 2021

Inside:

New Life Members Alumni Awards Spotlight on Jonelle Harris Golden Eagle Pilothouse News & Notes and more!

In This Issue 4 6 8

Headlines: Strategic Plan, ISACS, & AIM Survey New Life Members Alumni Awards

10 12 14

Spotlight on Jonelle Harris Golden Eagle Pilothouse News & Notes

On the cover: Rob Knight demonstrates a technique for students in 3 South during woodshop.

Family Album

Head of School Bob Cooke

Contributors

The alumni newsletter of

Editor

Barry Albrecht Bob Cooke Jonelle Harris

Community School

2020-2021 Alumni Board Association

900 Lay Road St. Louis, MO 63124 (314) 991-0005 (314) 991-1512 Fax www.communityschool.com

Jennifer Thomas Chris Anstey Jeffrey Altvater '74 Anthony Clark '79 Julia Fridrich '01 Jennifer Gosnell '79 Kelly Mittelman Hager '84

Kathleen Kelly Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo Parent Diversity Group

Kelly McClelland Harris '89 Sarah Jane Hunkins '99 Jennifer Davis Jermak '82 Kristen Garrett Keller '96 Jimmy Loomis '07

Christy Jones Sorenson '75 Judy Tisdale '52 Nick Turner '02

A Note from Our Board President Dear Alumni, Greetings from Community School’s Board of Trustees! I am writing to wish you all a happy start to the year and to express our immense gratitude for the work of our administrators and staff in 2020 – a year we will never forget!

As many of you know, the school invested significantly in health and safety measures so we could open our doors in the fall. With the support of our Health and Safety Task Force, the school established a clear set of guidelines for homeroom cohorts while also upgrading health/cleaning procedures and amenities. Teachers have utilized the school’s 18 acres and new outdoor spaces like our Treehouse classroom for academics, physical education, and events to further minimize the risk of spread. Our administrators have also invested in supplemental technology and staffing to ensure that all of our children can participate from home when needed.

Their commitment to our teachers and students is simply incredible.

As a parent, my gratitude grows with each week that passes. Winter break marked 17 weeks in school without any documented cases of internal transmission of Covid-19. We know

that these have been some of the most challenging weeks of our teachers’ careers. They’ve gone above and beyond, adapting and helping create new routines for our families, and providing our students with engaging learning and individualized support when they’ve needed it the most. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done.

I am also proud of my friends and fellow parents – they’ve supported our school community through committee work, at events, and through financial gifts. They’ve also risen to the occasion when we needed to communicate and act quickly about Covid-19 exposures and cases.

Together, we have shown that our commitment to Community School is strong; we believe in our mission and the joy that comes with a Community education. Over 106 years since our founding, we are still committed to providing an education that combines intellectual challenge and nurturing support, allowing our children’s strengths to shine. It doesn’t get any better than that!

community. Please be in touch and get involved by contacting our Advancement Office. We’ll also look forward to welcoming you back to campus as soon as it’s safe to do so.

On behalf of everyone here at Community School, I send warm wishes for a 2021 filled with health, joy, and possibility.

Best Regards, Barry

Barry Albrecht | Board President

I look forward to the year ahead and all that the future holds for this special

Left: Lori Berry takes students' temperatures, one of several new health and safety measures in fall 2020.

Right: Rachelle Luster welcomes her 2 South students on the first day of school.

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Top left: Goldy and parents on the Community Cares committee delivered care packages to all of our distance learners leading up to Halloween. Top right: Sixth grade students learn how to raise the school flags, one of several leadership opportunities. Middle right: Students enjoy French class outside on a warm fall day. Bottom right: Students learned from home the week after Thanksgiving.

Headlines A Message from Bob Cooke Dear Alumni, As I write this note to you all, we are beginning planning for Community School’s 101st graduation ceremony. Ours is a rich and varied history; after all, the school has lived through two world wars, a moon landing, economic crises, multiple technological revolutions, and of course two global pandemics. But what is interesting to me is that, as history ebbs and flows around us, Community has stayed true to its core mission of educating each student in a way that best serves the individual child, nurturing and caring for them all.

But that is not to say that Community School is the same place it was a hundred years ago, or will be the same school ten years from now. We are proud of who we are, but are equally proud that we don’t assume we are doing everything as well as possible. Instead, we are constantly looking to analyze what we do and create new and better ways of educating the children in our care.

As we look forward to the next few months and into next year, one of our guiding documents will be our recent reaccreditation by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).

After a year of preparation by the school and several months of work by ISACS, Community School received a full sevenyear reaccreditation last spring. The report that was produced by ISACS has given us a springboard that we will use to launch a new Strategic Planning process next year.

Our current Strategic Plan runs through 2021 and has given us the backbone of a plan to move us forward in many ways,

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including academics, financial sustainability, diversity/inclusivity, and facilities/grounds.

Importantly, it has also bolstered our efforts to attract superb students and families, and retain our extraordinary teachers and staff.

Both the Strategic Plan and the ISACS process have helped us understand the importance of an exciting initiative that we will be undertaking over the next few months. Community School is taking a deep look into its community through the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM), a survey that is created and administered by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

This exercise consists of a traditional survey that will be offered to parents, employees, fourth-sixth graders, and young alumni, accompanied by a series of focus group meetings. The results of the AIM process will help us understand how all members of the school community feel about their place in the school, and provide a valuable guide to helping us ensure that the “community of Community” is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to all.

Beyond our continuing diversity and inclusion efforts, I am pleased to report that the school has met almost all of our goals as envisioned in the current Strategic Plan.

However, I will note that the pandemic crisis has given us unexpected insights into ourselves as an educational institution.

Almost all of our students have been in school in person this year, but we do have a number that have opted to be educated at a distance. That has required us to think deeply about who we are as a school, and what the essential elements of a Community

School education are. Unsurprisingly, those essentials can be boiled down to the first Guiding Principle of the school, set down by the Founding Mothers: The school should recognize the child as an individual with individual differences, and an inherent right to develop these differences. That means that, even though a child may be home and connecting via classroom cameras and Zoom, teachers still take the time to get to know each child, to understand his or her strengths and challenges, and work to move those children ahead academically, socially, and emotionally.

We also better understand the role of technology in the classroom. We have never been, and have no intention of becoming, a school that hands out laptops to every child, with students sitting passively in front of their computer screens. We know that learning should be engaging and interactive, and that students learn best by doing. All too often, schools adopt technologies that turn students into consumers of media, rather than seekers of knowledge and wisdom. But we have discovered important technologies that can supplement what we do already. Whether it is coding in science classes, working as teams on projects using Google Suite, or creating presentations that demonstrate mastery of a subject, it is clear that, done correctly, there is a role for technology in schools. One of our postpandemic tasks will be to understand how technology is best harnessed to ensure we stay true to ourselves while leveraging its possibilities.

It is amazing to me that, even in the midst of a pandemic, the school has found the

time and energy to continue to seek out ways to improve. This has not been easy. The work of every teacher and staff member over the past ten months has been extraordinary, and extraordinarily difficult.

Teachers have not only taught the children in their classrooms, but they have simultaneously supported students learning from home, all while ensuring that we carry out our health and safety protocols of masking, social distancing, and cohorting that have allowed us to be open and as safe as possible. Staff members have worked tirelessly behind the scenes in support of teaching and learning, keeping the school financially healthy and fully enrolled, while the maintenance team has ensured that the school is clean and safe. This has been a herculean effort by all, and coming vaccines give us hope that we will be returning in the fall to a normal--or mostly normal-school experience.

I could not be prouder of a group of people than I am of the teachers, staff, students, and families who make up the “community of Community.” This year has not been easy, but it has been rewarding. As we emerge from the pandemic this spring and summer, we will have a chance to step back and think about what we have accomplished, as well as what we have learned, over these past months.

But we know now what our key takeaways will be: We remain a school that is dedicated to each child and his or her growth academically, socially, and emotionally. That was true in 1918, it is true today, and it will be true in the years to come.

Warmly, Bob

Bob Cooke | Head of School

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Left: Bob Cooke presents award to Bill Bauer during the 2019 Life Members luncheon.

Right: Nikki and David Lemkemeier ’82 with fellow Life Member Maxine Blaine.

Opposite page: Fifth and sixth grade students performing at the luncheon.

Celebrating Our 2019-20 Life Members Community School held its Annual Life Members Luncheon on December 5, 2019, welcoming five new members into this esteemed group. Life Members are elected by the Board of Trustees, and are past parents, alumni, grandparents, teachers, and friends who have contributed their time and talents and shown a continuing interest in the school.

We’d like to introduce you to our 20192020 inductees:

Bill Bauer has been an important

member of Community School since 2001. He worked as the Facilities Manager from 2001 to 2016. He continues to work part-time helping maintain Community School’s 18 acres. In addition to being a valued member of the school community, Bill is affiliated with St. Louis County Human Services and is an active volunteer. Bill provides transportation for those unable to drive, and he provides maintenance and repair services for older residents who need help to maintain their homes. Bill also has a love of cars and is a member of Ford’s Unlimited Car Club.

He especially enjoys maintaining his 1970 Mercury Cougar Hot Rod and takes it to as many car shows as possible. Bill has three children and two grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family at the beach, and one of his favorite memories is bringing two of his grandchildren to Community during Spring Break and Winter Break to let them play in the gym.

Dr. Dan DeHovitz ’66 came to

Community School in 5th Grade. In his two years at Community, he carried away many fond memories of faculty, particularly Mrs. Pronko, and of his

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time spent on the stage. One of his favorite memories is when he recited the Gettysburg Address in front of the whole school. Dan has helped to ensure Community School students will continue to have opportunities to be on the stage by establishing the DeHovitz Drama Fund.

After Community School, Dan attended Stanford University, medical school at the University of Southern California, and UCLA for his anesthesiology residency.

Now retired, Dan remains affiliated with the American Society of Anesthesiologists and California Society of Anesthesiologists.

In his free time, he enjoys yoga, collecting St. Louis Cardinals baseball memorabilia, and spending time at the Johnathan Club in Los Angeles. He has three children: Kyle, a Lead Designer at Apple, Inc, Jacob, a Ph.D. student at Princeton University, and Zachary, a student at California Lutheran University.

Jennifer & Jim Koman are the

parents of three Community School alumni, Michael ’16, Luke ’19, and Caroline ’19. During their tenure here as parents, Jennifer and Jim were active volunteers on the CPA and Board of Trustees, respectively. In each of her volunteer roles on the CPA, Jennifer was always fully committed and goaloriented. This was especially evident when she served as Chair for the 2018 Cornucopia fundraiser, A Night with the Stars. Jennifer’s year-long planning paid off, and the evening set a record for the school by grossing 250% of the goal. Jim’s level of dedication is equal to Jennifer’s.

Jim served on the Board of Trustees and on Board Committees. Jim’s vision and leadership has helped Community School

grow. During his time as a parent in the school, he served a pivotal role in helping Community School successfully complete the Centennial Campaign in 2015.

Jennifer and Jim’s vision and leadership can also be credited for our new Outdoor Pavilion.

Nikki & David Lemkemeier ’82

have been deeply involved at Community School, especially when their two children Nathan ’17 and Simon ’19 were in attendance. Nikki designed a number of beautiful donor walls in the school and a mosaic depicting Community School’s first 100 years to help celebrate the school’s Centennial in 2014. Nikki, in addition to being involved in CPA Committees, designed, organized, and helped create the classroom art projects for our Cornucopia fundraisers that raised important revenue for the school. David, a 1982 alumnus, works as a Partner at Lewis Rice and practices Corporate Law. His work includes local redevelopment projects led by Cortex and St. Louis University.

David served on the Board of Trustees at Community School as well as numerous Board Committees. In addition to his contributions as a Board Member, David helped spearhead the refurbishment of the school gymnasium in the summer of 2015.

David currently serves on the Board of the KIPP St. Louis Charter Schools.

Current Community School Life Members Stephen Adams III ’69 Sharon Barnholtz Joseph Bauer Jr. ’44 Bill Bauer Julie and Lee ’70 Bearman Donna Benson ’66 Maxine Blaine William Bolster Kimmie Brauer Marjorie Broesel Cindy and Jay Brown Jutta Buder L.B. Buffkins Judi Fagen Coleman ’70 Tina and David ’70 Danforth William H. Danforth, M.D. ’38 Elizabeth Danforth ’74 Dan DeHovitz ’66 Nancy Diemer ’77 Henry Dubinsky Carol McCarthy Duhme ’29 Peter Edison ’67 Steve Finerty Darlene Finkes Judith Gall Susan Goldberg Emily Gordon Matthew Gould Dudley Grove Cathy Haines Lewis T. Hardy Patricia Gamble Hecker ’34 Sonny ’48 and Harold Helmkampf Thomas Helmkampf ’76

Michelle Henson Signa and Robert Hermann Jr. Howard Hess Betty Hobbs Jean Hobler Kerry and William Holekamp Susan Hollander ’69 Becky Hubert Susan Hunkins Suzanne and Jim ’76 Johnson Bette and William Jones, M.D. Karen Kalinowski Lee Kaplan Kerrigan Kaplan Jennifer and Jim Koman Carole Lemen John Lemkemeier Sally and Ned Lemkemeier Nikki and David Lemkemeier ’82 Roz and Charles ’59 Lowenhaupt Jane Mackey Michele and James ’63 Maritz III Phyllis Maritz Steve Maritz ’70 Frances Martin Maxine McCormick Anne ’51 and John McDonnell Cynthia McDonnell Patricia ’53 and Glenn McNett Stephany Mendelsohn Eileen Morrison John ’42 and LaVerna Meyer Andrew E. Newman ’56 Bette Nuzum

Kiku Obata ’63 Ann Cunliff Polster ’58 Ken Potter ’78 Evelyn C. Pronko Pam Qualy Julie and Eric Ralph Donna Rank Ben Rassieur Mary and Frank ’38 Rassieur Terry Rassieur Mary and Edward Renshaw Sandy Rogers Sheillah Rogers John T. Sant ’44 Ann Knight Schaper ’54 Scott Schnuck Ben H. Senturia ’55 Susan and David ’71 Sherman III Linda Smith Barbara Stamper Martha Stockstrom ’37 Molly Strassner Leah and John Stroup Judy Lorenz Tisdale ’52 Cindy Jones Todorovich ’58 Steven M. Turner Jan Wisland Marie Witscher Raymond H. Wittcoff Stephen Wolff ’69 James H. Woods Jr. ’48 Nina Wuestling Caroline Zarinelli

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2019 Alumni Awardees On October 11, 2019, Community School recognized five alumni with the presentation of the William H. Danforth Distinguished Alumni Awards.

The awards recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni.

Our Founding Mothers wrote 10 Guiding Principles. These were visionary principles that reflected their dreams for our school and its students. We use these principles to define the criteria of our alumni award.

Carol McCarthy Duhme graduated from Community School in 1929. She attended Vassar College and received an honorary degree from Eden Theological Seminary. At Vassar she majored in Euthegenics which Mrs. Duhme explains is "the science of the betterment of living where you look at the whole person."

Mrs. Duhme focused her life on volunteering. In addition to being very involved in her church and serving as the first woman on her church’s board of trustees, she served on the Board of the Family Children’s Service, now called Providence, where she helped establish the emergency telephone number people could call for help.

Mrs. Duhme served on the board of John Burroughs School and Eden Theological Seminary and served as a member of the National Council for the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University.

Inspired by the healing potential of her religious faith and her interest in social work, she helped establish a dual degree program between Eden Theological Seminary and Washington University.

Patricia Gamble Hecker graduated

from Community School in 1934. All three of her children attended Community.

Mrs. Hecker continued her education at John Burroughs School, then attended Vassar College and then earned her Master’s Degree in Classical Archaeology at

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Washington University. This level of education was very unusual for a woman at this time.

Mrs. Hecker has spent her life serving and inspiring others. She was a drama teacher, a lecturer, and an early proponent of conservation. Mrs. Hecker and her husband, Harvard, served on the founding board of what is now the Endangered Wolf Center. She is a supporter of the arts and has served on boards and committees at Community School, Junior League of St. Louis, the Greater St. Louis Archeological Society, St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Science Center, Opera Theater of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Zoo. She was awarded the Saint Louis Zoo Individual Award in 2016.

John Dubinsky was born and raised

in St. Louis. He started at Community School in junior kindergarten and graduated in 1955. His three children also attended Community.

Mr. Dubinsky’s favorite teachers were Mrs. Black in 1st grade, Miss Reed in 2nd grade, and Miss Ferris in 5th grade. John’s favorite activities at Community included playing in the woods, kickball, dodgeball, and softball.

His favorite memory was snack time in nursery school and watching the rescued pilothouse arrive at school. John went on to attend John Burroughs, University of Michigan, and Washington University.

Mr. Dubinsky has been a CEO of Mercantile Banc Corp. for many years.

He has been active in research and biotech development in the St. Louis area. He led the nonprofit Center of Research Technology and Entrepreneurial Expertise, known as CORTEX.

Robert Hermann graduated from

Community School in 1934. He later graduated from Princeton University in 1944 with a degree in engineering and served as a flight deck officer and lieutenant in the Navy during World War II. Following his time in the Navy,

Mr. Hermann began a business career with the formation of Hermann Companies.

Mr. Hermann served on the board of numerous organizations including the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Public Library Foundation, BJC HealthCare, Muny, Arts and Education Council, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He also founded the VP Fair, now known as Fair St. Louis, and established several nonprofits in the region.

Mr. Hermann formed the National Professional Soccer League, which began professional soccer in the U.S. The Hermann Trophy was established in his honor to be awarded to the best collegiate soccer player in the U.S. He was also the founder and co-owner of the St. Louis Stars soccer team, which he subsequently moved to Los Angeles to become the California Surf.

Three of Mr. Hermann's grandchildren, and five of his great grandchildren have attended Community School. Mr. Hermann passed away on April 5, 2020.

John Hartford graduated from

Community School in 1950. He went on to become an award-winning country, folk, and bluegrass musician who wrote many famous songs. His most successful song is "Gentle on My Mind," which won several Grammy Awards.

Mr. Hartford spent his childhood in St. Louis, and the Mississippi River became a major influence that shaped his career and music. After graduating from Community, he attended John Burroughs School and Washington University. In 1965, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and in 1966, he produced his first album.

Mr. Hartford recorded more than 30 albums and toured through early 2001. He also earned his steamboat pilot's license and worked as a pilot on boats for many years.

Mr. Hartford passed away in June 2001.

Top left: Awardee Patricia Hecker with family. Top right: Awardees Robert Hermann, Patricia Hecker, and John Dubinsky with award presenters and guests. Bottom left: Awards ceremony. Bottom right: Awardee John Dubinsky with Chris Anstey and Bob Cooke.

Dr. William H. Danforth (1926-2020) Dr. William H. Danforth, class of 1938, was the inaugural recipient of Community School's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Danforth joined Community as a kindergartner in 1931. He attended St. Louis Country Day School (now MICDS), earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and earned his medical degree from Harvard University. He married Elizabeth "Ibby" Gray in 1950 and served in the Korean War before returning to St. Louis.

In 1957, Dr. Danforth became an instructor at Washington University. In 1960, he became an assistant professor, and in 1965, he was appointed vice chancellor for medical affairs and president of the Washington University Medical Center. Dr. Danforth was then named chancellor in 1971. He served as chancellor until 1995. During this time, he oversaw an elevenfold increase in the university's enrollment and its transformation "from a streetcar campus to a world-class institution." Dr. Danforth also served as the president of The Danforth Foundation, as chairman of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and as a member of numerous other boards throughout his career.

Dr. Danforth maintained a close connection to Community School throughout his life. Three of his four children attended Community, and six of his grandchildren have attended. He spoke at our 85th anniversary and centennial gala events, and he returned in 2018 to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Danforth died on September 26, 2020, at the age of 94.

We are immensely grateful for Dr. Danforth and his family and will continue to celebrate his legacy at our annual award ceremony.

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Spotlight on Jonelle Harris Over the last several years, Community School has been home to successful and sustainable diversity and inclusivity initiatives that garner attention from school leaders across the country. To learn more, we sat down with Jonelle Harris, Director of Diversity and Inclusivity, JK teacher, and chief powerhouse behind it all.

brainchild of a former Community School student who wanted to provide a space for students to have deeper conversations about issues of diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. They are able to talk about topics that they are interested in with our facilitation. It has been such an enriching addition to our programming.

How long have you been in this role as Director of Diversity and Inclusivity?

5 years.

I co-chair the Faculty Equity and Justice Committee, where we come together to discuss ways that we can further educate our faculty on topics related to diversity and inclusivity. I sit on the School Culture Committee, a board-level committee that defines school policies and practices related to diversity and inclusivity, and ensures they are aligned with the school's Diversity Statement. I serve as the liaison for the Parent Diversity Group, the goal of which is to build relationships, make connections, and promote an inclusive environment. I also attend the Independent Schools of St. Louis (ISSL) Diversity Director meetings and convened a group of Community school faculty, board members, and parents to attend a diversity event for local independent schools called Striving for Equity, Inclusion, and Community.

What is that, exactly?

The Director of Diversity and Inclusivity is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the school to expand diversity and inclusivity. This means I lead the implementation of the school’s diversity efforts, including faculty recruitment, development, and retention; student recruitment and retention; faculty and staff diversity and inclusivity initiatives; and work to promote inclusion among students, faculty, staff, and families.

Why is this role needed in an elementary school?

The earlier you start, the better. It is important to talk to our kids at an early age about race, culture, diversity, and inclusivity.

Research shows that children start to separate people by skin color as babies!

We have a responsibility to help them understand and celebrate what they already see. It’s also part of our mission as a school: "nurturing the gifts of mind, body and spirit." Diversity and inclusivity education is an integral part of teaching the whole child.

Every year I attend the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC). Their mission is to improve the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate in schools and offer teachers and administrators around the country an opportunity to network

and share ideas. In November 2019 I had the opportunity to present alongside Bob Cooke at the national ISACS Conference.

We presented on Building and Sustaining an Effective Parent Diversity Group. We really are accomplishing some great things at Community, and we were able to share our example with other schools. I was a member of the planning committee for the 2020 NAIS PoCC, which took place virtually. I also co-presented a workshop with our Drama Teacher, Alissa Rowan, titled "Who is a Changemaker: Drama as a Vehicle for Diversity Education in Early Childhood."

I’m also a resource to faculty, students, and parents when it comes to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. I provide diversity training for our faculty and staff every year so that we can continue to grow and learn in the area of diversity and inclusivity.

We want to help our students be better

What all do you do as the Director?

So many things! I started the S.E.E.D. group (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), which is a meeting for both faculty and administrators. Its purpose is to create conversational communities that drive change. We discuss various topics related to diversity, social justice, and inclusivity with the goal of being able to better serve our students.

I also co-facilitate our student group called Students for Change along with Sarah McCarthy in 5th Grade. This is the

Above: Students for Change during a 2019 meeting. Janae Harris (back row, center in Community School jersey) started the group.

in this area, so we need to do the work to better educate ourselves and become more culturally competent.

Finally, I hold Office Hours every Tuesday, 12-3 p.m. I use that time to work on training, prepare for upcoming events, or research various topics related to diversity.

I also use that time to meet with students, faculty, staff, or parents as needed.

How do you do it all?

She laughs. Nights, weekends, before school, after school–pretty much whenever I can find a time when I’m not teaching. There are also times when I have to be out of the classroom for various meetings, and having a very understanding and supportive coteacher is a HUGE part of why I’m able to do what I do.

What has changed in your time doing this work?

It has been cool to see the growth in our faculty and staff. For instance, the S.E.E.D. group started with 5 faculty members, and at the last meeting we had 15! It’s a 3-hour meeting in the middle of the week, so it’s a commitment. I’m also having really great conversations with teachers that I don’t get to talk to very much. We are all learning and growing together. The sparks of awareness that happen are so exciting to see.

What are highlights from your work in 2020, particularly in the context of the pandemic?

The pandemic highlighted huge disparities across the country. I attended a bi-weekly NAIS Diversity Directors Meet Up over the course of the year. We came together to discuss the challenges we were facing, and I learned that for many, diversity, equity, and inclusivity work took a back seat as administrators focused on the transition to virtual learning. Directors of Diversity were often left out of school planning decisions even as we saw how the pandemic was disproportionately impacting people of color.

After the death of George Floyd, our Head of School Bob Cooke and I prepared an email communication to go out to our school community. We felt that it was important to make clear our stand against

racism and injustice and our commitment to continuing to do the work of social justice.

With the help of Debbi Krieg, our school librarian, the two of us were able to compile a resource page for families to include in the email. This is a document that will continue to be updated with new resources for our families. We received a lot of positive feedback, which confirmed the importance of taking a stand for racial justice and the need for consistency in messaging around this issue moving forward.

I also saw an increased desire to learn more and do more from our faculty and families in 2020. We are so fortunate to have the support of Bob, our Administrators, and our Board of Trustees in these efforts. I am excited to build on this momentum.

What do you hope to see in the next 5 years?

I would love to have more time to devote to these issues. More time allows for more opportunities for training, collaboration, and curriculum development. I would like to partner with teachers and provide support for their diversity, equity, and inclusivity work in the classroom.

I would also like to have more time available to connect with our students and families. I want to be able to provide more opportunities for a variety of workshops and speakers geared towards diversity and equity work. I want to be able to dedicate time to the development of a solid multicultural curriculum. I want to commit my capacity to fully integrating this work into our school in every way. These are the things that I think about and that get me excited.

Finally, I want our faculty, students, and families to know that I am available as a resource, to provide support, and to answer any questions they may have.

Please, reach out!

If you’d like more information or would to get involved, contact Jonelle at jharris@communityschool.com.

Top: Dr. Yusef Scoggin, Director, Office of Family & Community Services at St. Louis County Government, spoke at our 2020 MLK Day of Service event. Middle: Community School families volunteered at the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry and four other local organizations during the Day of Service. Bottom: Dr. Joshua Bennett, a poet and Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College, visited Community in 2019 and spoke to fifth and sixth grade students.

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Left: Painting of the Golden Eagle at the St. Louis levee. Right: View of pilothouse in 1940s. (Photos from Keith Norrington collection)

The Golden Eagle Pilothouse The Golden Eagle pilothouse is a beloved piece of Community School’s history.

The Golden Eagle, originally named the William Craig, was a steamboat built in 1904 to carry cotton on the lower Mississippi River and bayous. It was renamed the Golden Eagle in 1918 and ran up and down the river for several decades. When the boat sank in 1947, Community’s own Ruth Ferris persuaded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to salvage the domed and gingerbreadtrimmed pilothouse from the wreckage.

Ruth Ferris (1897-1993) was a fifth grade teacher and assistant principal for 35 years at Community School. She was also an amateur historian, artist, and avid lover of the Mississippi River. She used the river as a teaching tool and often arranged field trips to the waterfront. With the help of a donor and support of Community’s principal, Hillis Howie, Ferris and her fifth grade students successfully purchased the pilothouse at a salvage auction. As writer Keith Norrington shares, "Hauled on a lowboy with a police escort and utility crewmen to lift power and trolley lines,

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the pilothouse made a 10-mile journey from the river to the campus…where it was lifted by crane onto a prepared foundation."

The pilothouse was repaired and repainted over several months. Fifth grade students composed a poem for its dedication on May 27, 1948. "Now the Eagle’s pilot house is at Community," they wrote. "Dome and minaret will be the first thing you will see. You can turn her pilot wheel, hear the bell’s familiar peal as you guide your craft between the tree-lined shores…" The pilothouse spent 14 years on campus, and year after year, students enjoyed playing and performing on it while also learning about its history.

In 1962, the pilothouse was donated to the Missouri Historical Society. It was reassembled, rebuilt where necessary, and repainted. It stood proudly in the Missouri History Museum’s River Room, where Ferris became curator after her retirement from teaching. After more than two decades, museum officials

moved the structure to make space for an elevator. It was dismantled and placed in storage for many years but was recently thoroughly restored and re-assembled for the museum’s Mighty Mississippi exhibit, on display through June 6, 2021.

Many Community School families and supporters raised money to enable its restoration, and as curators for the exhibit sum, the pilothouse "brings the Golden Age of steamboats back to St. Louis."

Above: John Hartford ’50 and his former teacher Ruth Ferris at Community School's 70th anniversary event. Ferris inspired Hartford's lifelong interest in steamboats, rivers, and storytelling.

Top left: View of Golden Eagle at Community School. Top right: Restored pilothouse as it currently looks. (Photo from Keith Norrington collection) Bottom left: Ruth Ferris and students from Community School at Missouri History Museum in 1965. Bottom right: First grade students study the history of Community every fall. Lori Branch teaches students in 1 North, and she crafted a book with photos of the pilothouse and other relics from the school’s archive to share with them.

Last year, she took students to the Missouri History Museum so they could see the pilothouse they had heard so much about.

Pilothouse Dedication: May 1948 Fifth grade students composed the following song for the dedication of the Golden Eagle pilothouse on Community School's campus.

The dedication took place May 27, 1948.

The fifth grade presented a play, and guests were encouraged to bring a picnic supper.

Captain W.H. "Buck" Leyhe, the Golden Eagle's former pilot, was a guest of honor.

Attendees also splashed water against the pilothouse. Water was collected from the five rivers on which the steamboat had sailed.

Hail the steamer Golden Eagle Mississippi's pride.

Gingerbread is lacy Like a lovely southern bride.

From New Orleans to St. Paul People listen for her call.

Captain Buck, her famous master, Greets them all.

Golden Eagle, Golden Eagle Floating proudly on her way From St. Louie down to Shiloh See her sternwheel throwing spray.

Now the Eagle's pilot house Is at Community.

Dome and minaret Will be the first thing you will see.

You can turn her pilot wheel, Hear the bell's familiar peal As you guide your craft Between the tree-lined shores.

Golden Eagle, Golden Eagle We can see you in our dreams O'er the placid Illinois Steaming down that bridge-spanned stream.

News & Notes Condolences

Community School would like to extend our sincere condolences to the families of Dr. William H. Danforth '38, Robert Hermann '34, and Mary Francis Cutts Jones '34.

Notable Achievements ACADEMICS Diana Hunigan '19 received the 20192020 Scholar Award from Whitfield School.

Nathaniel Doty '15, Andrew Wang '15, and Katie Xu '15 were named National Merit Semifinalists. They were identified as top scorers from 1.5 million students who took the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of 2019.

LEADERSHIP Coumba Diallo '16 was accepted into the 2020 Youth Leadership St. Louis Program, sponsored by FOCUS St. Louis.

Participants explore a range of regional issues, connect with community leaders, and learn how to put leadership skills into action.

Will Falk '15 earned his Eagle Scout distinction, the highest rank available in Boy Scouts of America. In order to achieve the rank of Eagle, Will had to earn at least 21 merit badges and show leadership by planning, developing, and completing a community service project.

ARTS Noah Kleinlehrer '16 is a Teen Editor for St. Louis Jewish Light. His article, "Pandemic

Left: Thesaurus given to Jennifer Davis Jermak '82 at graduation ceremony. Right: Artwork

by Laine Tompras '16.

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Offers a Chance to Appreciate ‘Normal’ School," was published on October 23, 2020.

Coumba Diallo '16 and Laine Tompras '16 had artwork featured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's 100 Neediest Cases campaign.

ATHLETICS Evan Erb '15 was named to the All-Decade Boys Tennis Second Team by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Will Falk '15 placed 24th in the State Cross Country Class Championships and 5th in the district meet. He also earned All-State honors in the Class 3 state meet and AllMetro League honors.

Brecken Calcari '16, Anna Lochhead '16, and Greta Wolfsberger '16 earned AllMetro League First Team, and Caroline Cooper '16 earned All-Metro League Second Team for Field Hockey at MICDS. Cameron Curry '15, Zach Schmitz '18, and their MICDS football teammates were Class 4 State Runners-Up. MICDS's Boys Soccer Team were Class 2 State Champions with Philip Ralph '17 (All-District First Team), James Hammersmith '15 (All-District First Team), Walter Ralph '15, Elliston Helms '15, and Aidan Helms '18.

MICDS's Boys Swimming and Diving were Class 1 State Runners-Up with Mason

Bedell '17 and Alex Kulczycki '16.

Diane Li '18 played in the #4/5 spot as a freshman on MICDS's Girls Tennis Team.

The team won District and Sectional Champions with a 3rd place finish at State.

NOTES Carol Fleming Marks '73 loves living by the school and hearing happy sounds of children playing. Her Studio Terra Nova is open for tours about clay art.

Karen Wielde '55 is busy with 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren ranging from California to Colorado to South Carolina.

Jennifer Davis Jermak '82 and classmates recently reminisced about graduation.

At their ceremony, teachers read about each student before revealing their name.

They also received a thesaurus with their description inscribed on the inside cover.

The group shared and discussed pictures like the one below.

Cruz Riley '07, a first-year medical student at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, was featured in a TIME article in November 2020 entitled, "How U.S. Medical Schools Are Training a PostPandemic Generation of Doctors."

We realize this list may be incomplete and apologize for any omissions.Please send us your updates on our website or via email.

A Note from Our Director of Advancement

Dear Alumni, 2020 was a year unlike any other, and while we have all missed the events where parents, students, staff, and alumni gather and mingle in person, I’ve been endlessly amazed by the ways that Community still manages to come together, even under the most trying circumstances.

Everyone associated with Community is invested in its success, and when I saw that we had 100% participation from the board, faculty, and families during our 2020 Pledge Week, I was overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit every member of our school community has shown.

This deep love of Community and the commitment to maintaining its position as the greatest preschool and elementary school in the region was also reflected in the engagement of

our broader constituency. Our call to action to lessen the financial burden as we met the challenges of the pandemic was heard, and it reminded me again of how Community is held up by our community. When we face challenges --and this has certainly been a year full of unexpected challenges--I know that I can count on every member of our community for support. On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff who have been kept safe through your support, thank you!

One thing that we have learned this year, however, is that virtual community is also important, so we are exploring all opportunities for alumni to connect.

If you have any ideas in this vein, please contact me!

Yours in gratitude,

Kathleen Kelly | Director of Advancement

As we move forward, we want to nurture and sustain these ties which connect us to each other. To that end, we have launched the Oak Leaf newsletter, a monthly e-newsletter that both keeps our greater constituency informed of the amazing work happening in school and also celebrates the achievements of our alumni. Please make sure to update your contact information with me at kkelly@ communityschool.com to ensure that you receive it!

As I look into the future, I have hope that next year will allow us to come together literally as well as figuratively with alumni reunions on campus.

Your Support Makes the Magic Continue!

Community School has been a magical place where discovery, friendship, challenge, and care have combined to create a love of learning in children for more than 100 years. Gifts of all sizes from alumni and families have an immediate and lasting impact on today’s students.

Your support of Community’s Annual Giving directly benefits everyone at the school. Be a part of the magic that continues to nurture the childhood soul and engage eager young minds.

Make your Annual Giving donation today at communityschool.com.

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Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID St. Louis, MO Permit No: 2374 900 Lay Road St. Louis, MO 63124 communityschool.com

Lasting Impact - The Oak Tree Society Join the Oak Tree Society by making a planned gift to Community School and create a legacy of learning.

There is no better way to touch the mind of tomorrow’s future.

For more information about planned giving, please contact the Advancement Office or visit communityschool.com.