Inside: Catching up with Alumni
Faculty Spotlights
Alumni Association
News & Notes
Annual Report and more!
Inside: Catching up with Alumni
Faculty Spotlights
Alumni Association
News & Notes
Annual Report and more!
It is a tremendously exciting time to be at Community School–we have emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, and there is a palpable sense of renewal that runs throughout the school. To a great extent, this is due to the elimination of the Covid-19 measures that helped keep the students, teachers, and staff of Community School safe for the past two-plus years. So many things that were set aside during the pandemic are now once again part of the fiber of the school: Plays, band concerts, big buddies working with younger students, Family Groups of multiple age students meeting, family style lunches (with everyone eating in the Community Center)–all of these are back with us once again. And inside the classroom we have returned to those elements of instruction that are so essential to how students learn best. Students are once again working in small groups designed to maximize individual learning, shaking hands at morning meetings, and interacting between homerooms, much of which had been paused for the last two years. And with masks now optional, students have the freedom to come to school how they are most comfortable.
It is good to leave most of our pandemic policies behind us. But Community School has long believed that we should keep looking for better ways to do things here, and we have learned some lessons from the pandemic. For instance, we now have our Nursery and Junior Kindergarten students eating together in the Community Center without other students present; that gives them the ability to concentrate on eating (sometimes a lot to expect of a three-year-old!) while also getting the experience of eating with multiple other students. Probably the most easily noticed change is the new carpool pickup system at the end of each school day. We won’t bore you with the details here, but there are some key lessons of the pandemic that have led to a much safer pickup system for parents and children. And though most of our meetings are in person once again, when necessary we do have virtual meetings to bring people together.
Community is the rare institution that embraces both tradition and change. This mix was highlighted for us at a recent alumni event on a Saturday morning at school. Some of our graduates from the 1960s were in town for their secondary school reunion (remember,
being in the class of 1965 means you were approximately 12 years old in 1965), and gathered at Community School for breakfast and camaraderie. They exchanged news about themselves and mutual friends, swapped stories about past teachers, and marveled at the changes in the physical school–some of them had not been back on campus in 50 years! They toured the school, exclaimed over the “new” gym (completed in 1973) and its beautiful windows, tried to figure out where their 3rd grade rooms had been, marveled at how small some things seemed, and of course loved seeing the old woodshop.
But the absolute highlight of the day was the personal connections they made with each other–after all, these are Community School graduates, and many of their best friends are those they first found more than 60 years ago. The most beautiful example of that was the attendance of former Kindergarten teacher Maxine Blaine at the breakfast, who first met many of them as new kindergartners in the 1950s. Maxine remembered their names, their siblings’ names, where they lived; in short, she continues to embody the individual care and attention that Community School teachers have shown toward students for more than a hundred years. This was delightfully displayed as Maxine sat and chatted with Mark Yu, a first year kindergarten teacher at Community School, exchanging stories with each other about the school and students. Mark and Maxine then walked to the Early Childhood Center, where Mark showed Maxine his classroom–a classroom that is named in Maxine’s honor!
So, now that the pandemic is largely behind us, what is next?
This fall Community School launched our Building Community Campaign, a capital campaign that will significantly improve teaching and learning, and address issues of accessibility. The $7 million campaign will create a new science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) building that will adjoin the school directly north of the gymnasium and Centennial Arts Center. STEAM embodies our belief that all of these elements are intertwined; as a great example of this, think about the learning that takes place in the woodshop, where students combine their math and engineering skills with artistic talent to create beautifully designed and crafted projects.
The new Broughton STEAM Center will replace the 80+ year-old shop and science building. This means that we will say farewell
to a facility that has seen generations of students create Viking ships and art, and more recently, explore their world through the wonders of science. It is bittersweet to say farewell to this old structure, but a good example of Community School’s belief in change and improvement while retaining innovative programs such as woodshop. This new building will unify our upper and lower division science teaching in a pair of labs with shared prep space, create a beautiful new woodshop (with an adjoining power tools room), expand our drama spaces to create both a teaching space and a costume and prop shop, and include new offices for staff and meeting and collaboration areas for students.
Importantly, the Building Community Campaign also addresses accessibility issues here at school. By attaching these new classrooms to the larger main building, students no longer are forced to navigate stairs and potentially icy walkways as they transition to woodshop and science classes. Additionally, we will be relocating the existing elevator (that currently only serves two of our four floors) so that it can reach all four levels in the main building. This is so important for us–students with physical challenges should be able to access all of their classrooms without being held back by the building layout, and employees, parents, and grandparents need to be able to visit every classroom without difficulty.
It is, truly, a wonderful time for Community School. Fully enrolled and financially stable, with innovative and engaging teaching, committed families, and bright and enthusiastic students, this is a place that is as strong as it has ever been in its history. Now, as we look forward to the next few years, it is our challenge and our privilege to imagine how Community School can continue to be a place to which alumni can return a half century after graduation, recognize that it is the same school they left, and see the exciting and innovative education that has been built upon that foundation.
Warmly,
Bob Cooke | Head of School Stacey Kamps | President, Board of TrusteesGetting to see old friends you haven’t seen or talked to in a while can feel very special. That is why the Community School Class of 2021 reunion was so fun and important to celebrate. We were able to see the people we grew up around but don’t get to see as often anymore. The reunion provided us an opportunity to catch up on the new things about everyone’s lives and experiences at their new schools. Something fun that we got to do at the reunion was watch the sixth grade play of the current sixth graders. Even though it probably made us all a little jealous to see a traditional performance, it also reminded us of all the teamwork required of our entire class and teachers to produce our 6th Grade Play as two classes and two plays instead of a whole class and one big play like normal due to Covid-19. In the words of author Richard Paul Evans, “Old friends are memories personified.” This perfectly describes the Community School Class of 2021 reunion.
On March 8, 2022, the Class of 2020 had a little reunion. With a strange finish to our sixth grade year and 24 months of uncertainty to follow, it was fantastic being back together at Community.
Reuniting with classmates you spent nearly a decade with, in some cases, felt incredible. We reminisced on our time together and noted the changes we could see in one another. The Class of 2020 is exceptional (or so we think), and it’s satisfying to see how Community School has shaped us and continues to impact us in mind, body, and spirit. We are all grateful for the start we got at Community!
Although we have previously spent the past six years attending various secondary schools across St. Louis, there was always a special connection that united us wherever we were. While we would see alumni at school sporting events or cross-school occasions, we never had been together as one class before our reunion. To all convene in one place, sitting at the tables we had lunch at for years in our childhood, walking past the playground where we created friendships that still hold today,
and the classrooms and libraries where we discovered a love of learning made the day ever so special. Our reunion concluded with a slideshow of photos from all of our years at Community School. From laughs to affectionate expressions of joy, it was great to look back at our years of childhood and development. While we were all going on our separate journeys of discovery, it was a pleasure to be able to come together once more as the Class of 2016 to congratulate and recognize all our hard work while reminiscing on our time spent together.
On December 15, 2021, we welcomed alumni, alumni families, and friends to campus for an Alumni Social. Guests included graduates from every decade between the 1950s and 2000s! We enjoyed reminiscing and sharing about what’s new at Community. We gathered in the Discovery Center, where we enjoyed wine and snacks, chatted, and looked through photographs pulled from the archives of the school and our classmates back then. Kristin Garrett Keller ’96, our current Alumni Board President, even brought some old shop projects for show and tell! This event has been added to our annual calendar, so please mark your calendars for January 12, 2023. We are moving to that date to better coordinate with the William H. Danforth Distinguished Alumni Award assembly, which will be held that morning. Stay tuned for your invitation!
On June 10, 2022, students in Community School’s Clay Camp visited the studio of artist Carol Fleming Marks ’73. Campers learned about her process and the importance of persistence as an artist. They also had the opportunity to make clay art. Carol’s Studio Terra Nova is close to Community’s campus and is open for tours.
Community School has an esteemed group of Life Members who are elected by our Board of Trustees. Life Members are past parents, alumni, grandparents, teachers, and friends who have contributed their time and talents and shown a continuing interest in the school.
We were excited to bring back our annual luncheon, honor our current members, and welcome our newest ones on December 1, 2022. We will share photos in the next Family Album
The newest members include:
Christine Bugnitz
Lynn Christopher
Marni and Jeremy Deutsch
Stephanie and Mark Schnuck
Barbara and Andy Taylor
Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo
The current members include:
Stephen S. Adams, III ’69
Sharon Barnholtz
Bill Bauer
Julie and Lee ’70 Bearman
Donna L. Benson ’66
Maxine Blaine
William Bolster
Kimmie T. Brauer
Marjorie Broesel
Cindy and Jay Brown
Jutta Buder
L. B. Buffkins
Judi F. Coleman ’70
James Cooper
Steve C. Culver
Tina and David ’70 Danforth
Elizabeth Danforth ’74
Dan DeHovitz ’66
Nancy A. Diemer ’77
Henry Dubinsky
Peter A. Edison ’67
Steve Finerty
Darlene P. Finkes
Judith Gall
Susan Goldberg
Emily Gordon
Matthew Gould
Dudley H. Grove
Cathy Haines
Sonia ’48 and Harold F. Helmkampf
Thomas Helmkampf ’76
Michelle Henson
Signa and Robert R. Hermann, Jr.
Howard H. Hess
Kerry and William F. Holekamp
Susan Hollander ’69
Becky Hubert
Susan Hunkins
Holly McDonnell James ’81
Suzanne and Jim ’76 Johnson
Bette and William Jones
Karen Kalinowski
Kerrigan Kaplan
Lee Kaplan
Jennifer and Jim Koman
Carole Lemen
John Lemkemeier ’79
Nikki and David ’82 Lemkemeier
Sally Lemkemeier
Roz and Charles ’59 Lowenhaupt
Jane S. Mackey
Michele and James ’63 Maritz, III
Phyllis Maritz
Steve Maritz ’70
Anne ’51 and John McDonnell
Cynthia McDonnell
Patricia ’53 and Glenn McNett
Stephany Mendelsohn
LaVerna Meyer
Patricia Taylor died peacefully on June 14, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she had moved to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren. Patty was born on November 21, 1928 in Covington, Kentucky. For the majority of her life, Patty lived in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduation from Webster Groves High School, Patty attended Washington University in St. Louis where she graduated with a degree in English Literature. She taught first
Eileen Morrison
Andrew E. Newman ’56
Bette A. Nuzum
Kiku Obata ’63
Ann Polster
Ken Potter ’78
Evelyn C. Pronko
Pam Qualy
Julie and Eric Ralph
Ben F. Rassieur, III
Mary Rassieur
Terry Rassieur
Mary and Edward Renshaw
Sandy Rogers
Sheillah Rogers
John T. Sant ’44
Ann Knight Schaper ’54
Marilyn Schnuck
Scott C. Schnuck
Stephanie A. Schnuck ’79
Ben H. Senturia ’55
Susan and David ’71 Sherman, III
Linda Smith
Barbara Stamper
Molly Strassner
Leah and John Stroup
Cindy Jones Todorovich ’58
Steven Turner
Jan Wisland
Marie Witscher
Stephen Wolff ’69
James H. Woods, Jr. ’48
Nina Wuestling
Caroline Zarinelli
grade in Webster Groves and Clayton before becoming the first grade teacher at Community School, where she taught until she retired. Patty loved reading and books, and was often asked to speak to various groups about children’s literature and fostering a lifelong love for reading. She remained in contact with her students and families all her life.
Patty was married to her husband, Jack (Walter) Taylor for 65 years, and she was mother to Jane Taylor, Tom Taylor and Ann Taylor Pratt.
In January of 2017, Community School’s Parent Diversity Group (PDG) hosted their first All Family Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event. The vision was to unite our school community to serve those outside our four walls. It is a way to honor Dr. King’s dream for us all.
Each year we select a variety of organizations to work with—everything from food pantries to nursing homes. We work with the different agencies to find out what their needs are and how we can best help them. Our Service Learning Student Council representatives participate not only in the presentation the day of but also in helping to spread the word about the event and why it is so important. Next to PDG’s All Family Bowling Night, this event has grown into one of the largest events we host. We average around 150 people who volunteer each year, which speaks to our school community’s commitment to service. In January of 2021, we had to move the entire event online via Zoom. PDG saw this as an excellent opportunity to help educate participants on the health disparities that Covid-19 highlighted and the impact it has in our community. The online event included poetry readings from Community School parent, Lyah Beth LeFlore-Ituen, inspirational words
from members of our Service Learning Student Council, and the sharing of engaging picture books that covered topics such as asthma, diabetes, anxiety, and people with disabilities. We also were able to hear from representatives from the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America: St. Louis Chapter and the Sickle Cell Association. We closed the event with the lighting of candles while listening to part of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. It was powerful to see all of the lit candles while the words of such a remarkable man washed over us. We had about 75 participants who attended the virtual event and well over that number of people who donated items to give to various organizations that work specifically with those who were most impacted by Covid-19 due to a preexisting condition.
After each MLK Day of Service event, I always hear from some of our parents and students how much they enjoy being a part of this day. They truly appreciate the opportunity to help educate their children about the importance of serving, the variety of organizations that are working hard to help others, and how they themselves can have a positive impact on their community. This past school year, we were able to have our
service day in person which everyone was excited about. We weren’t able to go to many organizations to volunteer due to Covid-19 restrictions; however, we were still able to collect items that they needed and work together on campus to organize and get the items we collected delivered. There was such a sense of joy as we we were working throughout that morning.
We look forward to many more years of coming together to serve our community and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
If you are interested in being a part of our All Family MLK Day of Service event whether in person or through donations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. We would love to have you!
Organizations we have served:
Junior League
Rose Hill House
The Salvation Army Family Haven
Independence Center
Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry
Gateway 180
Operation Food Search
St. Patrick Center
Youth In Need
Our Little Haven
Xale Reew Mi Project
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
These are three core values of the sixth grade leadership class here at Community School. It may seem pretty simple, and the curriculum has been designed with that intent. Within these contexts, student leaders are given opportunities to flex their emotional agility and demonstrate their neuroplasticity as they continue to hone their individual and collective leadership skills. Emotional Agility is the ability to be with your emotions with curiosity, compassion, and courage. Resources used in sixth grade are largely based on the research of Susan Davis, Ph.D., a
psychologist at Harvard University, and Marc Brackett, Ph.D., a professor at Yale University. This is a topic that is gaining attention and momentum as we continue to navigate through life’s uncertainties during this pandemic. Well-being is dependent upon building awareness of self and others. That awareness requires one to STAY CURIOUS and, in return, allows one to fully SHOW UP.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt. It allows for more flexible thinking and better problem solving. By consistently creating new pathways in the brain, research is showing an increase in resilience and grit. Adapting to the challenges that present themselves on a daily basis, without complaint or added resistance, takes patience and practice. That work pays off when experiencing the transition from surviving to thriving. Getting unstuck and embracing change ultimately allows for greater well-being. Therefore, one should also strive to BE PLASTIC.
In class, the sixth graders are learning how well-being factors into leadership. They are increasing their emotional literacy by using a mood meter and applying practical strategies that keep them in the driver’s seat with these emotions. They are learning to lean into any emotion they are experiencing, refrain from
labeling it positively or negatively, and allow it to be the teacher that it is intended to be through that feedback. By Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions, our leaders-in-training are becoming better equipped to inspire, motivate, and help change the world around them.
Sixth grade student leaders are also consistently priming their brains to be more flexible by practicing coordination and rhythm exercises that involve a juggling ball, syncopated finger taps, and drinking cups. Each exercise includes mildly stressing the brain to present opportunities to push through the stickiness and form new neural pathways, with the goal of not giving up on a given challenge. Breakthroughs happen when students are able to let go enough to allow their bodies’ natural, automatic intelligence to assist in the task. Oftentimes different parts of the body are asked to perform unique tasks, but finding the necessary synergy is what leads to success. New neural pathways are achieved as a result, and the undeniable mind-body connection is on full display.
Dr. Brackett states, “Emotional skills are the key to unlocking the potential inside each one of us.” They help provide us with a road map in times of uncertainty. One thing we can be certain of is that things change. We all need the flexibility to ensure that we can change too. Dr. Davis reminds us that, “Our values give us the opportunity to live our fullest lives and to be the people we aspire to become in challenging times.” That requires first identifying your values and then committing to them. Inside the leadership notebook of a sixth grader, this (growing) list looks something like:
Stay Curious (Not Judgmental)
Show Up (For Yourself and For Others)
Be Plastic (In Your Mind and Your Body)
Interviewed by Jennifer Thomas
Rob Knight has been teaching woodshop at Community School since 1997 and will retire at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Before coming to Community, Rob was a clinical social worker at Child Center of Our Lady. “Becoming a woodworking teacher at an elementary school was not part of my plan regarding my career goals,” he recently shared. “My college degree and post-graduate training prepared me to work as a child therapist, primarily with abused children,” he said. “I was not looking to change careers; it just happened! Combining my passion for woodworking and helping children work creatively with their hands to become better thinkers has been like a magical dream come true.”
Rob’s involvement at Community extends far beyond the woodshop. For example, he helped start the Family Groups program, which builds groups comprised of a child from each grade (currently first through sixth grades) with a teacher. Groups remain the same year to year, and students develop wonderful friendships as they engage in activities and the older students mentor the younger ones. Rob recalled, “It was in my first year at Community, and we started by getting together for hot chocolate and doing craft activities. This was just before computers were being used, so we had to do all the groupings by hand!”
In addition to volunteering as a co-chair of the Family Groups Committee for many years, Rob has served as a co-chair of the Faculty Equity & Justice Committee, managed Community’s compost program, and built or refurbished furniture for the school. Rob and his wife Julie have three children, and they all graduated from Community School. Learn more about Rob’s background and work at Community in the interview below.
What inspired you to become a woodshop teacher? As a young child, I loved the opportunity to build and create things both useful and maybe not so useful. My dad would give me a brief lesson on the proper use of tools and safety, and then off I went making shields, swords, cars, airplanes, and boxes for all my junk. When finishing a project, I remember I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride; I think many of the students I have taught feel the same way.
My woodworking endeavors continued to grow as I went through high school and college. In high school, I had a brief industry of building custom speaker cabinets for my peers, and in college, I would make bookcases, shelves, and storage units for students living in dorms.
Why is woodshop important for students to learn? A woodshop is a special place for children to learn many life lessons and to be creative. Woodworking provides a tangible way for students to problem-solve, and their confidence grows as they figure out ways to fix their mistakes. Working deliberately
with your hands can be stimulating and relaxing; many students find working in the woodshop therapeutic. My teaching partner, Joe Mohr, and I constantly encourage students to be reflective about their efforts, attitude, and finished projects. Starting in first grade, students keep a journal that helps them organize their work and use it to write short reflective thoughts.
Share a favorite Community School
memory. Today, I am thinking back about 16 years ago when a snowstorm descended upon the St. Louis area during the morning commute to school, which caused many students and teachers to either be absent from school or arrive much later in the day. For most of the morning, I had the pleasure of helping supervise the students when sled riding; well, actually, I did a lot of sled riding myself.
What will you miss most about Community? The joy of the students. It’s a very joyful place. I’ll also miss working with Joe. It was great when he came on board as a co-teacher; we have a lot of fun working together.
If you could pick another subject to teach, what would it be?
I have always enjoyed cooking, so I’d work in the kitchen and maybe have a cooking class!
Why work at Community? I seriously cannot think of a better place to work. In all my years here, the administration has continuously supported my personal and family needs. Teachers are also very supportive of each other and passionate about teaching their subject area. Positive energy radiates from students and teachers, and no matter what classroom you enter, there is excitement and eagerness to learn new things.
What advice would you share with someone starting as a new employee at Community? Take the first year to listen, observe, and ask lots of questions. Also, don’t be afraid to add your voice and opinions. I’ve been a mentor to several teachers, and I always tell them that.
What are your hobbies? Gardening, cooking, building and riding bikes, hiking, and of course, woodworking! I am also an amateur audiophile; I have several shelves filled with stereo and Hi-Fi equipment. Listening to music is also an essential part of my life; it is more than a hobby.
What is something you are looking forward to in retirement? It’s going to be like being a kid again. I look forward to getting up and not worrying about things getting done during the day. I will have the freedom to play – it’ll be grown up play. I will also enjoy more time visiting my grandchildren. I have two and one on the way.
Interviewed by Jennifer Thomas
Debbi Krieg is a collector. “I started my word collections in 2012 when I collected a poem a day,” she shared. “Then in 2013 I collected quotes. And then in 2014 I collected lyrics. I collected something every year for the last decade. It’s the best thing ever.” In January of 2022, Debbi resolved to memorize a poem a week. When deciding what to memorize, she goes back to the same week in 2012, reviews the poems she collected, and picks her favorites to memorize.
Her resolution served as the perfect bookend as we talked about her role at Community and the approach of her retirement in spring 2022. We met in the Discovery Center, where she worked as Community’s school librarian for 23 years. She told me about the four poems she had memorized in March and how each one felt like it could be her mantra for retirement. The title for this collection? “Last Stanzas.” She recited the last stanza of each poem as the sun shimmered through the window and danced across the table.
Debbi thought about reciting her “Last Stanzas” at our end-ofyear faculty meeting but wondered if she’d be able to get through them. When the day arrived, she pivoted and shared an excerpt from Sahara Special, a book that she reads with students each year:
School is a powerful place where things change, and wishes come true… It’s a place where you can grow up if you let yourself.
After finishing the excerpt, Debbi summed that, “This has been a powerful place, I’ve grown up a lot, I’ve found my voice… I have all of you to thank for this. I love this place, and I love you all.” Before sitting down, Debbi also recited a poem aptly titled, “Good Books, Good Times.” The meeting signaled the end of her time as our school librarian but not the end of Debbi’s collections – they’ll continue to inspire us and live on in the Discovery Center and beyond as we read the books that were in her care and as she stops by and shares her latest finds.
Read our complete interview to learn more about Debbi’s background and time at Community. Tell me about your background prior to starting at Community. I was in banking right after college until my youngest child was born. I was home for 15 years and sort of fell into the job at Community School when a friend said they were looking for a part-time librarian.
What makes Community unique in your experience? There are a bunch of good answers to this question – the school’s philosophy, programs, history, campus – but in my mind it all comes back to the people. I think of all the good people doing their part every day to enrich the lives of the children in our care.
Share a favorite memory from your time at Community. There are so many, but here’s a recent one. A few weeks ago, as I was
walking down the hall to the Discovery Center before school started, I glanced out the window and saw a student walking to her classroom. Right then a breeze caused a blizzard of dogwood blossoms to snow down on her. She stopped, raised her face to the sky, threw her arms in the air, and delighted at the beauty of the scene, as did I, watching her.
What will you miss most about
Community? I will miss my colleagues, of course, so many dear people! And, I had the great good fortune to get to know scores of parents through the years – those who volunteered in the Discovery Center. We had some good times! But mostly, I think, I’ll miss the children. Dostoevsky said, “The soul is healed by being with children.” I think that’s true. I’ll miss the rhythm of the school year, too, but I will miss the kids most.
What advice would you share with someone starting as a new employee at Community? I’ll just give the same advice a dear friend gave me, from Arthur Ashe: Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Oh, and it took me 22 years to believe this one enough to actually do it, but it really does help to get to school 15-30 minutes before you need to be there.
Debbi is not just a collector… she is a collaborator! Debbi frequently worked with Alissa Rowan (Drama Teacher), Taylor Mata (School Counselor), and Jonelle Harris (Director of Diversity and Inclusion) to identify books and other resources that would support students’ social/emotional growth and learning. They also developed the Community Reads video series to provide a way for the entire school to read the same book and connect it with curriculum that Taylor uses in the classroom. Each April, Debbi and Alissa worked together to infuse poetry everywhere during readings at lunch and by posting poems on bulletin boards and walls throughout the school – even in the bathrooms! This dynamic duo collaborated as members of the Family Groups Committee, as well.
Additionally, Debbi partnered with Veronique Gardet (Lower Division French Teacher) on “Story Time with Madame and Mrs. K” several times each year. They took turns reading books in English and French in each Lower Division grade. They often recruited students as helpers to act out stories using puppets as they read. This provided an opportunity for students to interact with other grades and to shine in a leadership role. “Those collaborations were a favorite part of my time at Community!” Debbi recalled.
Winter Wishes were granted at Cornucopia, our biennial auction, on April 8, 2022. It was wonderful to be back together for a night of food, fun, and dancing – all in support of Community School. Proceeds support tuition assistance, faculty professional development, and school operations.
The night would not have been possible without the support of our Cornucopia Co-Chairs, Heidi Silberman and Katie Schankman, our Committee Chairs, and our generous sponsors and advertisers. We raised a total of $516,244 and are grateful to everyone who contributed by volunteering, bidding on auction items, supporting the paddle raise, and buying DASH and raffle tickets. It was a true community effort.
At the event, we revealed a special project we were fundraising for as part of our Paddle Raise. A year ago we asked our teachers the following: If you could wish for anything for your classrooms or for Community School, what would it be? We revealed those wishes at the event and asked our “community of Community” to help grant them. Wishes included Little learning spaces, new outdoor seating, updates to our woods and playgrounds, a school dog, and a new and improved teachers’ lounge.
We hosted Grandparents & Special Friends Day on May 6, 2022. Around 500 attendees joined us for performances and classroom visits. Our Lower Division Music Teacher, Meriam Dwidar, and Upper Division Music Teacher, Natalie Westerholt, created two wonderful programs themed around The Beatles. If children didn’t have someone attending, a Community School staff member served as a friend for the day.
Every year as part of our Circle of Learning series, Community School hosts an expert on parenting and teaching and invites parents and educators from across St. Louis to attend. Our fall 2021 speaker was Dr. Peg Dawson, a noted author and speaker. Dr. Dawson is the author of multiple books on executive functioning skills and is past president of the National Association of School Psychologists and the International School Psychology Association. Teachers and parents attended the free virtual event Executive Skills: What are they? Why do kids need them? How can I help my child acquire these skills? with Dr. Dawson on November 1, 2021, and she provided an additional professional development session for Community faculty.
Our 6th Graders produced and performed in “The Mystery of the Nile: Friendship Not Included,” written and directed by Drama Teacher Alissa Rowan with musical direction by Natalie Westerholt and Meriam Dwidar. Each student auditioned and had a speaking role, and many took on additional roles ranging from stage manager and publicist to set and costume designers to scenic painters and choreographers. Student leadership and engagement drove every step of the process, and everyone we spoke to agreed that the experience solidified their bond as the Class of 2022. “This play is not only a culmination of all the acting and singing skills they learned at Community,” Mrs. Rowan said, “but it is a testament to how their class works as a team.” The 6th Grade Play also marked the first time our school community could gather together for live performances since the pandemic started. It was wonderful to hear the buzz of each audience as they watched and cheered their friends on.
Excerpt from Mr. Cooke’s speech from the Annual Meeting in May 2022:
Every year one Community School faculty member is recognized for his or her work furthering the education of young children through excellence in program development in their classroom, presenting educational information at conferences or workshops, or publishing works for other educational professionals. The award is named in honor of Henry C. Lowenhaupt, an important member of Community School in the 1970s. In addition to recognition tonight and in a permanent display in the main office, there is a cash award that accompanies it.
In the nomination that led to this year’s award winner, this teacher was described as “a builder of a program far above and beyond what is expected in an elementary school,” and who has made it her mission this year to return our entire school community’s experience back to normal.
She came to us in 2015 with a varied background that included marketing, sales, and event management. Of course, that is not why Community School hired her; rather it was her extraordinary talents and experience as a playwright, director, and teacher that brought Alissa Rowan to Community School.
Her work as a drama teacher here at Community is extraordinary. She directs plays for 8 grades – which can mean a dozen or more different plays each year – and takes the time to ensure that each play connects with the curriculum, to a subject students are studying, or to a social or emotional need that the grade as a whole is wrestling with. When she doesn’t have a play on the shelf that fits the need, she just writes a new one…but what you may not realize is that for Alissa, there is NEVER a play just sitting on the shelf that she can use. Every play, every year, is either entirely original, or has undergone a deep rewrite. Every year she comes up to me and says, “thank you for allowing me to write new plays,” and I think, “a lot of drama teachers would be demanding that I pay them to write plays, or refusing to do it altogether!”
(Please don’t share that observation with Alissa!)
What you may not realize is just how deeply her commitment to the growth of each individual student goes. Many drama programs are content to cast students in roles that serve the needs of the play; Alissa casts students in roles that serve students’ individual needs. Shy students get large speaking parts – but not before they are ready – students who need leadership opportunities are put in charge of set design, or stage managing –students who need the experience of working for others are given tasks that support a team.
This dedication to the social emotional growth of children extends beyond her program, however. For instance, when Taylor Mata, the school counselor, wanted to start a “Counselor’s Corner” video series, Alissa took on the videography and editing
duties. When we decided a few years ago to create an annual Veterans Day celebration, Alissa took that on – and then when the pandemic forced us to go virtual, she took over the direction of the video production. To create a shared sense of community revolving around literature, Alissa creates videos for our Community Reads series. And now that we are moving toward a more normal school experience, Alissa once more leads the way, lobbying to return to live performances in front of audiences, bringing the “community of Community” back together once more. Her contributions to us all go far, far beyond her classroom.
Perhaps most importantly, Alissa is kind, sincere, and genuine. Her love of Community School, the children in her care, and her peers here at work is unparalleled. She is committed to collaborating with others, which multiplies the positive effect she has throughout the school. Alissa has a great sense of humor, and can be relied upon to bring levity even in the midst of the stress of a drama production. She is committed to her craft, and has created a program that reaches every child, every employee, and into every classroom, but she remains modest and self-effacing.
I suspect that the only person here that is surprised Alissa is receiving this award is Alissa herself. If I asked her to, she could right now name multiple people who she truly thinks are more deserving of this recognition, and point out that she could not do her work without others. And I agree with this last point; she could not do it without others, but it is Alissa’s devotion to the idea of collaboration, and her belief in hearing all voices, that ensures that her work is really a reflection of us all.
First I wanted to start out with a big “thank you” to all the staff, teachers, and administrators at Community School. They have done an above-and-beyond job of navigating the Covid-19 pandemic and keeping our children safe, both emotionally and physically. The teachers and staff at Community School weathered the storm beautifully. Add it to the long list of ways that Community School excels in promoting child well-being. Head of School Bob Cooke said that he wanted the kids to have even some positive memories from attending elementary school during a pandemic and I truly believe that goal was met. Our children learned that there is more to school than just learning; it is about being a respectful member of a team with obligations to one another and roles to play in keeping one another safe. What a beautiful lesson for our children to learn.
That being said, I am thrilled to report that the 2022-2023 school year is off to a strong start and is feeling quite “normal.” We have all been anxiously awaiting the time when the children could gather for assemblies again, parents could freely attend school functions, and we could freely have alumni gatherings back on campus. We started off the school year with Goldy Day, a school-wide picnic with games, snow cones, and our beloved mascot, Goldy, parading around the school. This was the first Goldy Day in which alumni with school-aged children were also invited to attend. Goldy Day is a very fun event so we hope that in the coming years, alumni will feel welcome to attend that event with their young children to reconnect at Community School.
Additionally, we hosted a Community School Alumni Breakfast in early October. This was our first alumni breakfast, but it was an excellent event and one we hope to make an annual tradition for years to come. We had many in attendance from the Community School Class of 1964. They were a very fun bunch
and I am really impressed with how well this group has managed to stay connected since they graduated from Community. I am hopeful that each class of new graduates from Community School will be inspired to stay together as well as this special group of friends. The friendships we make when we are young are so pure and authentic; it is a genuine connection that we should all treasure and hold tight to. I am so proud of the Class of 1964 for honoring one another all these years.
The star of the morning, though, was retired and beloved teacher, Mrs. Maxine Blaine. Our current SK class made her a book of drawings and thank you notes and current SK teacher Mark Yu presented it to her. At the age of 101, she is living proof that hanging out with a bunch of 5 year olds for decades really does keep a person young. It was an honor and a pleasure to have her back on campus.
Please join us on January 12 at 6:00 p.m. for an Alumni Social. We will be honoring the recipients of the William H. Danforth Distinguished Alumni Award during the day at an all-school assembly. The evening Alumni Social will be a great opportunity to reunite with old friends, hear about what’s new and exciting at Community, and learn about ways to continue your connection with us. This is a wine and cheese event (21 and over) and will take place on campus. You can email Kathleen Kelly at kkelly@ communityschool.com for more information.
Sincerely,
Kristin Keller | Alumni Association PresidentFor over 100 years, Community School has nurtured innovators and leaders across a variety of fields and disciplines. Community School established the William H. Danforth Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018 to recognize those who have carried forward the mission of Community School as leaders in their community and profession, and who have shown appreciation and respect of the world.
Community School believes that the true measure of a school’s greatness can be found in the achievements of its alumni. This honor illustrates the profound connection between one’s formative years at Community School and one’s pursuit of excellence over the course of a lifetime.
• The award is presented to a Community School alumnus or alumna who carries forward the mission of Community School as a leader in their community and profession, and who has shown appreciation and respect of the world.
• Nominees must have graduated from Community School.
• Current trustees and faculty/staff may not be considered for the award.
• Nominations may be made by anyone except the nominee.
• Submit nominations by email by contacting the Director of Advancement, Kathleen Kelly, kkelly@communityschool.com or on the Community School website under the Alumni tab at www.communityschool.com.
Nominations are solicited and collected throughout the year. The Distinguished Alumni Award Selection Committee is an anonymous committee appointed by the Advancement Office. The award recipient and nominators will be notified by the Head of School or Director of Advancement upon selection, and the recipient will be recognized at an assembly during the school year.
Dr. William H. Danforth ’38
John Dubinsky ’55
Carol McCarthy Duhme ’29
Founding Mothers
John Hartford ’50
Patricia Gamble Hecker ’34
Robert Hermann ’34
2023 Honorees
Charlie Felker ’96
Carol Fleming Marks ’73
Darcy Prather ’81
Judy Lorenz Tisdale ’52
HEAD OF SCHOOL AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THE THURSDAY | JANUARY 12, 2023
7:45 A.M. MORNING COFFEE WITH HEAD OF SCHOOL, BOB COOKE
8:15 A.M. PRESENTATION
8:50 A.M. BREAKFAST
PLEASE RSVP BY DECEMBER 15, 2022
ADVANCEMENT@COMMUNITYSCHOOL.COM OR (314) 991-0005
• Kate Oliver ’16 was the MICDS Class of 2022 Valedictorian and spoke at graduation in May. Kate was also a 2022 Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete in honor of her field hockey, lacrosse, and track and field successes as well as her academic accomplishments including being a member of the Cum Laude Society.
• Peyton LaMartina ’16, Maggie Maguire ’16, Kate Oliver ’16, and Frank Ragone ’16 were inducted into the MICDS Cum Laude Society. The MICDS Chapter of the Cum Laude Society is comprised of the top 20% of the senior class, and each inductee is required to have completed three or more Advanced Placement courses and be free of disciplinary infractions.
• Lillian Yanagimoto ’17, Sara Cao ’16, and Jacob Tuteur ’17 won awards for the Scholastic Writing Contest.
• Brandon Mitchell-Day ’16 was the lead point scorer on his MICDS basketball team in various games, became a member of the 1,000 Point Club having earned over 1,000 points for MICDS Varsity Basketball, was named the High School StudentAthlete of the Week, and made the All-Metro Boys Basketball Second Team.
• Congrats to the 200 Medley Relay team at John Burroughs School for medalling in 4th place at the Class 1 State Championship in November 2022. Members include Xander Theodos ’18 and Camden Theodos ’20.
• Connor Kaplan ’17 earned 1st team All Metro League honors in soccer for John Burroughs School.
• Christopher Tao ’20 and the John Burroughs School boys cross country team placed third at state in Class 3.
• The Gateway Chess League recognized several students for their outstanding play, including Amaan Banga ’16 who placed 5th on Board 3 and Jack Parsons ’18 who placed 5th on Board 2 in the high school division.
• Spencer Ma ’16 and Diane Li ’18 participated in the MSHSAA District Solo/Ensemble Festival in March 2022 and earned the Outstanding rating in their string trio and flute, respectively.
• Hayley Edwards ’18, Katharine Pruett ’18, Carolina Sanchez ’18, and Lillian Yanagimoto ’17 were selected to participate in the Emerson Young Artists Showcase at The St. Louis Artist’ Guild. The Guild received over 280 entries from area high schools.
• SIUE received nearly 200 entries from regional high schools for their 2022 Annual High School Art Exhibition. Only 50 percent of submissions were selected, and they included works from Sara Cao ’16 and Julia Reichman ’17.
• Coumba Diallo ’16 earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for her work on youth in transition in St. Louis, Missouri and Saint Louis, Senegal. She created the Xale Reew Mi Project, dedicated to addressing the emotional health of older foster children and teens. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn.
• Noah Kleinlehrer ’16 testified before the Missouri House Committee on Bill 2000 – ‘Holocaust Education Week’ for Missouri Public Schools. After bringing the bill idea to Representative Schwadron, he was invited to spend the day with him and meet other representatives on the house floor and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe to discuss Bill 2000. At Senior Night in April 2022, Noah announced that the bill officially passed.
• Hadley Altvater ’19 and Grant LaMartina ’19 were elected as the Student Council Grade Level Representatives for the MICDS Class of 2025.
• Elizabeth Clarke ’17 and Mia Schlottmann ’19 received Presidential Volunteer Service Awards for their outstanding service work in 2020 at John Burroughs School.
• Peyton LaMartina ’16 served as the MICDS Student Council Co-President during the 2021-22 school year. She got to help crown the 2022 May Queen at the annual May Day celebration. Peyton also spoke at several assemblies and served as a leader for her peers.
• Coumba Diallo ’16, Noah Kleinlehrer ’16, and Kyle Sha ’17 were three of the 46 Rams who earned a President’s Volunteer Service Award at MICDS.
• Caroline Kraus ’79, who spent the past several years traveling throughout the U.S. with her dog, Henry, has finished her documentary, Moments of Truth, and is working on her second memoir.
Bocconi University
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Bucknell University
Colgate University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
George Washington University
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Northwestern University
Saint Louis University
Southern Methodist University
The University of Tampa
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Colorado
University of Miami
University of New Hampshire
University of Southern California
University of Virginia
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale University
In this season of gratitude, I’m grateful for the return to normalcy this year which has allowed us to come together in the ways we love best. Assemblies and plays are back, and the delight that the children have in simply being together is joyful. We’re able to serve family-style meals again, where the children sing grace and focus on the things that they’re thankful for – for friends, for family, and for each other.
I am thankful for your generous hearts, which have supported and sustained our school over the last 108 years and especially over these last three years. Without the robust support of our donors, we could not have created an environment over the last three years for students to thrive. In our recently-completed Pledge Week, we had an amazing third consecutive year of 100% support from parents, faculty, administrators, and the Board of Trustees. Thank you! I am so grateful to be part of such a caring community.
If you have not yet participated in this year’s Annual Fund, attached you will find information on joining. Please consider donating to support the programs that make Community School a leader in preschool and elementary school education. If you have already donated, thank you!
Yours in gratitude,
Kathleen Kelly | Director of AdvancementCommunity School is the premier preschool and elementary school, leading the way in early education in St. Louis. Recently, Niche.com ranked Community School with an A+ ranking, a wonderful honor and something we should all be proud of.
Participation shows the broader community that our school is strong and that our parent community believes in our mission. Because participation can easily be measured and used to rank our school, 100% participation is pivotal.
The funds raised from the annual giving program help ensure Community School is the regional leader in preschool and elementary education. The Annual Fund makes sure we are able to hire and retain the greatest faculty and staff while providing them with ongoing professional development, to maintain our beautiful 18-acre campus, and to provide a premier educational opportunity for our 350 students, allowing them to become the leaders of the next generation.
Many companies offer philanthropic programs that will match charitable contributions made by employees. Matching gifts are an excellent way to help Community School obtain additional funds.
Employees wishing to secure a matching gift from their company must initiate the process directly with their employer on our behalf (inquire with your human resources, charitable contributions, or payroll department). Request a matching gift form from your employer and send a completed and signed copy along with your donation to Community School.
100% Parent Participation in Pledge Week
100% Administration Participation in Pledge Week
100% Faculty Participation in Pledge Week
100% Board Participation in Pledge Week
Gifts of $10,000 or more
Jacqueline and Barry Albrecht
Anne and Doug Albrecht
Mandy and Brian Anderson
Sydney and Cory Bailey
Christine and Lee Broughton
Aaron Cregger
Elizabeth Danforth
Kate and Tom Danforth
Marni and Jeremy Deutsch
Danielle and Jeffrey Evitts
Leslie and Bradley Foss
Jennifer and James Gould
Sara and Will Gregerson
Mandi and Eric Holekamp
Benton and Rodney Jones
Vija Turina and Lal Karsanbhai
Kristin and Jesse Keller
Lauren and Kyle Kerner
Sally and Nicholas Kriegel
Pat Lane
Chrissy and Michael Laycob
Bridget and Zachary Long
Meghan and Thor Mathison
Sarah and Calvin Matthews
Anne and John McDonnell
Travis Noble
Suzanne and Theodore Rafferty
Lindsey and Evan Reed
Katherine and Steve Schankman
Audrey and Matthew Scherrer
Stephanie Schnuck
Stephanie and Mark Schnuck
Heidi and Ian Silberman
Terri and Robert Slavin
Barbara and Andrew Taylor
Amy and Zachary Varble
Chrissie and Bradford Werner
Jara and Michael Wong
Gifts of $3,500 or more
Jennifer Ehlen and Craig Albrecht
Mayo Amos
Christopher and Melissa Anstey
Nancy and Jesse Appleton
Belden Inc.
Brandi and Daniel Burke
Kathryn Galie and Brian Burkhardt
Eileen and Julian Carr
Brenda and Robert Cooke
Dan DeHovitz
Nancy and Donald Diemer
Jennifer and Corey Everett
Kora and Paul Felsch
Diana and Jason Flower
Mary Kaye and John Fort
Sarah and Lucien Fouke
Melissa and James Fox
Gayle and Ted Garrett
Patricia and Gary Gerhardt
Erin and Craig Gooch
Sarah Kovenock and Charles Gross
Jennifer and Timothy Hertel
Rhonda Hodges
Kristen and Richard Holton
Lotsie and Rick Holton
Stacey Kamps
Susan and Erich Lee
Chao Gu and Yi Li
Cynthia Maritz
Carolyn and Sean McCarthy
Maggie and Samuel Moore
Tara and Rob Neumayr
Kathleen and James Nowicke
Linda and John O’Hara
Angela and Bradford O’Neil
Amber and Daniel Pook
Jessica Shepherd Pratt and Wande Pratt
Christine and David Sachs
Premal Thaker and Sanjaya Saheta
Carrie and Jason Schnuck
Lauren and Coleman Sheehan
Sophia Baig and Umer Siddiqui
Mary and Stefan Sigurdson
Tammy and Tony Sonn
Katie and Nelson Spencer
Annie and Terry Stewart
Layla Hajjafar and Jason Taylor
Claire and Michael Todorovich
Leslie and Andy Vitt
Elizabeth and David Weiss
Nicole and Steve Wohlford
Emily and Ali Ziaee
Gifts of $1,000 or more
Arpana Agrawal and Ryan Bogdan
Lama Aleid and Saad Alkaade
Preston Amos
Susan and Robert Appleton
Kristen and Robert Armstrong
Kimberly and Patrick Bader
Janice and Asa Baker
Anthony Bardol
Donna Benson
Barbara and Barry Beracha
Brad Beracha
Eleanor and Leif Bergquist
Patricia and Barrett Boehm
Virginie and Harry Brightman
Sherin and Ryan Bruning
Carol and Jeffrey Burgess
Kara and Ben Cardinal
Christina Min and Dennis Chang
Sanjam Dhatt and Anahit Cheema
Sophia and Shawn Chen
Bomi and John Choe
Caitlin Kelleher and Dennis Cosgrove
Margit and Brent Craig
Kaitlyn and Brandon Crosby
Liz Lee and Edward del Rosario
Vijaya and V. Devineni
Michelle and Jay Dobbs
Julie Schwarz and Brian Edelson
Carrie and Sean Edelstein
Hope R. Edison
Kelly and Jim Edwards
Siri Eklund
Equifax
Carol Fleming
Virginia and Bobby Foster
Becky and Lucien Fouke
Marie Philipneri and Valentine Gnanarajah
Melissa Hector-Greene and Shanti Greene
Dorothy Haase
Lisa and Matthew Hall
Tonia Harris
Cynthia and David Heath
Sonya and Harold Helmkampf
Erin and Nick Hendon
Jennie Kwon and Augustine Hong
Liang Ma and Wei-Wei Huang
Liz and Christopher Hustedt
Sally and Harry Johnston
Farrah Fan and Jon Jones
Christina and John Karageorgiou
Suzanne Schindler and Andrianus Kardjaja
Jeannie and Brian Kelly
Kathleen and Seamus Kelly
Arthur and Ricke Kerckhoff
Carolyn Kroenlein
Jessica and Robert Kuhlman
Teresa Landrum
Ann and Peter Lazaroff
Carole and Jim Lemen
Lauren and Samuel Lindner
Esther and Frank Lu
Michele and James Maritz III
Phyllis Maritz
MasterCard International
Alyssa and Wayne McGee
Emily and Michael McGehee
Stephanie and Kenneth McGrath
Melissa and Robert Merlin
Julie and William Milius
Nicole Shen and Dan Mills
Caroline and Hudson Moore
Mayo and Daniel Morgan
Ellen and Tom Noel
Thomas Orsay
Sonie Orsay
Getha Jagannathan and Arvind Palanisamy
Michelle and John Peritore
Jaclyn and David Pollnow
Meredith and Jason Rabenold
Mary and B. Rassieur
Lynn and Benjamin Rassieur
Michelle and William Reisner
Julie and Jason Rhee
Maria Doyle and Robert Roth
Llewellyn Sale III
Amy Hilmer and Mauricio Sanchez
Laura and Robert Sandheinrich
Connie Schnuck
Maureen and Daniel Schulte
Emily and Phil Schwab
Carol and Phillip Schwab
Sangeeta Pande and Sandeep Sen
Tracy and Thomas Shepard
Elizabeth and John Short
Alicia and Vijay Shroff
Crystal and Nelson Spencer
Ray Spencer
Courtney and Ben Stotler
Henry Stotler
Elsie Luo and Derek Sun
Yana and Vladimir Tarasenko
Erin and Adam Taves
Christine and Randall Thompson
Terrence and Jennifer Tierney
Jennifer and Nicholas Tompras
Becky and Michael Vasta
Sarita Elizabeth and Philip Verghese
Geneen and Troy Von Kloha
Wells Fargo
Kelly and Patrick Wittenbrink
Carolynn and Stephen Wolff
Kimberly and Todd Wolff
Linda and James Woods
James Woods
Gifts of $1-$999
Tricia Adams
Louis Aliperti
Melanie and Jeffrey Altvater
Arthur Altvater
Christina Altvater
Hadley Altvater
Paul Anagnostopoulos
Charles Antoniou
Carol Armstrong
Allison Armstrong
Noor Riaz and Kasim Arshad
Mitzy and Adam Barnstead
Marieann Barratt
Bayer
Alexandra Bearman
Julie and Lee Bearman
Lee Bearman
Ashley Benson
Brittany Benson
Lanny Benson
Meredith Benson
Lauren Bergeron
Lori Berry
Jennifer Best
Shafia and Saqib Bhutto
Maxine Blaine
Boeing Company
Melissa and Greg Bohlmann
Ingrid Bonds
Grace Bridwell
Rebecka Briney
Sarah and Andrew Brubaker
Hayley and Eric Butler
Darci Cadieux
Sonia and Calvin Cajigal
Reagan Calcari
Molly Caldwell-McMillan
Phyllis Calhoun
Christi and Steve Callahan
Kathleen and Stephen Cameron
Kristin and Greg Campanella
Tiffany and David Charles
Sandra and John Cirrito
Meg and Thomas Claggett
Jermelody Collins
Wendy Cooper
Anne and T.J. Corrigan
Jamie and Robyn Corwin
Andrew Coultas
Jan and Robert Craig
LaToya Crockett
Nancy Curby
Jeanne and Paul Dalba
Scott and Nikki Dantuono
Tasha and Jeffrey Davis
Vickie and Howard Denson
Ira and William DeWitt
Coumba Diallo
Mawdo Diallo
Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo and El Hadji
Samba Diallo
Elliot Dole
Elizabeth Moss and William Dubinsky
Matthew Dunaway
Meriam Dwidar
Jade Edelstein
Jasmine Edelstein
Jemma Edelstein
Peter Edison
Clint Edmonson
Komel Choudhary and Hani El-Halawany
Nina and Thomas Ellinwood
Darla and Rick Ellsworth
Jessica and Chris Farris
Michael Fein
Linda and Steven Finerty
Jackye and Willie Joe Finnie
Kristen and Brad Fisher
Drew and Kathy Fitzgerald
Eleanor Fox
Megan Futhey
Therese Futhey
Veronique and Cyril Gardet
Hiram Gay
Margaret Williams and Philip George
Alexa and Chris Gibson
Susan and Paul Goldberg
Elizabeth Wiltshire and Jacques Gordon
Jennifer Gosnell
Deanna and Chauncey Granger
Beth and Christopher Graviss
Margaret and Harvey Gray
Elliot Gray
Mollie Gray
Randall Gress
Peyton Griffin
Angela and Jered Gruszka
Stephanie and Ahmet Gurbuz
Kate and Chris Haffenreffer
Becky and Mike Harman
Michelle and Scott Harris
Kelly and Stuart Harris
Eugene Harris
Jonelle Harris
Andranique Harrison
Sarah and Brent Haynam
Lorraine Branch and Dalfred Haynes
Amanda Hazelwood
Jesse Vrecenak and Charles Heffernan
Katie and Shawn Hellmann
Maggi and Thomas Helmkampf
Jessica and Jason Hendricks
Terry and Jennifer Hennessey
Robin and L. Shepley Hermann
Judy and William Higgins
Ericka Brownlee and Charles Hogue
Jason Hollander
Kris and James Holmes
Kara Horton
Margaret Shakbe and Hillis Howie
Kristin Hubert
Lylah and Eno Ituen
Hana Sharif and Marcus Jackson
Duha Al-Zubeidi and Muhammad Javed
Candace and James Jefferson
Vernetta and James Jefferson
Alex and Jack Jennings
Suzanne and James Johnson
Elizabeth Johnson
Ashley Johnson
Bob Johnston
Tamara Cooperwood and Korey Jones
Sofia Ghani and Bilal Khalid
Savera and Adeel Khan
Orisia and Brian Kirkpatrick
Julie Bugnitz and Robert Knight
Catherine Kohn
Angie and Randy Koning
Chantel and Joe Korfmacher
Madeleine Kraus
Deborah Krieg
Amy Kwentus
Amanda and Bart Lally
Maureen Ross-Lang and David Lang
Dorothy Lazarus
Cameron June and Anna Lemen
Kathy and Jason Lepsky
Angie and Michael Lesser
Jacqueline and James Levey
John Liebson
Kathleen and Matthew Linsenbardt
Michele and John Lochhead
Carol Loeb
Constance Lohr
Stephen Lott
Judith and Jeffrey Lovelace
Rosalyn and Charles Lowenhaupt
Elizabeth Lowenhaupt
Rachelle Luster
Elsje Macaulay
Stephen MacDonough
Jane Mackey
Kristine and Thomas Major
Lisa Steinhoff and Keith Mangles
Elizabeth and James Maritz IV
Lori and Mike Marusic
Taylor Mata
Vanessa and John Mattingly
Mike and Sarah McCarthy
Jennifer McCarthy
Mindy and Kristoffer McManemy
Antonia and Alexander Miceli
Maureen Hoessle and Brad Michaels
Joshua Milton
Diana and Vernon Mitchell
Ann Marie and Joe Mohr
Joan Graviss and Jack Mojecki
Chris Muñoz
Joey Murphy
Peggy and Andrew Newman
Daniel Nieva
Katie and David Norris
Bette and Richard Nuzum
Alvitta and Chizoba Okeke
Nathaniel Osborne
Stephanie Oteng
Martha Overcash
Tara and Kenneth Peterson
Alexander Podmaniczky
Ann and Carl Polster
April and Kenneth Powell
Kristala and Darcy Prather
Amy Miller and Rodney Prather
Elizabeth Pribor
Kesha and Antwon Proctor
Anita Bhandiwad and Karthik Ramaswamy
Tricia and Dan Reeb
Abby Reed
Barbara and Bill Reisner
Becky Ritter-Loos
Rose Roberts
Sheillah and Frederick Rogers
John Rogers
Clare and Tytus Rogoyski
Patricia Ross
Alissa and David Rowan
Eve Rudolph
Sallie Samuels
Dana Scott-Saulsberry and Charles Saulsberry
Elizabeth and Thomas Scatchard
Nancy and Frank Schmer
Haley Schmer
Koby Schmer
Sally and Terry Schnuck
Ted Schnuck
Lucy and Frederick Schwetye
Rita and Mike Scott
Donna Scott
Wayne Scott
Christine and James Secor
Anne and John Shapleigh
Jaehee and Sang Shim
Adam Shulenburger
Alixandra Simon
Leleya and Matthew Singer
Alexis Ambrose and Daniel Slavin
Ashley Austin and Donta Smith
LaChande Jimmerson and Gwendolyn Smith
Radhika and Zachary Smith
Linda Smith
Deborah and Scott Steiger
Moriam Khanam and Abdur Talukder
Patricia Kao-Theodos and Gus Theodos
Jennifer and Christopher Thomas
Sandra and Louis Tiger
Bonnie Tollefson
Lauri and Jim Torrie
Kara Townsend
Rainatou Traore-Gress
Jessica Trotter
Lisa and Steven Turner
Patricia and William Vibert
Carrie Vibert
Jian Cai and Dawei Wang
Irene Marusic and Russell Watters
Ellen and Richard Watts
Cynthia Weiler
Jack Weiss III
David and Hope Welles
Natalie and Andy Westerholt
Anne Williams
Lezlie and David Wilson
Jana Loftis and Lawrence Wilson
Marie Witscher
Colleen Wyss
Kelly and Jeffrey Zaleski
Diana and John Zentay
Ellen and Adam Zucker
Kimberly Denson
In memory of Clayton Rice
Howard Denson
In memory of Clayton Rice
Carol Armstrong
In memory of John Schaper
Louis Aliperti
In memory of Judy Tisdale
Paul Anagnostopoulos
In memory of Maria Anagnostopoulos
Jennifer and Terrence Tierney
In memory of Chloe Woods-Ward
Patricia and William Vibert
In honor of Marie Witscher
Constance Lohr
In honor of Marie Witscher
Constance Lohr
In honor of Sabrina Lohr
Michael Fein
In honor of Piper Davis
Philip George
In honor of Brooke and Graham Dunaway
Cynthia Weiler
In honor of Genevieve Moore and family
Marie Philipneri and Valentine Gnanarajah
In honor of Nithya Gnanarajah
Bequest in honor of Harvard K. and Patricia G. Hecker
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. Included with the Family Album and Annual Report you find our 2023 Annual Appeal. Become a member of one of the following Giving Circles or Giving Societies:
Every supporter is a member of a giving society.
Founding Mothers’ Society: Gifts of $10,000 or more Oak Leaf Society: Gifts of $5,000 or more
1914 Society: Gifts of $3,500 or more Golden Eagle Society: Gifts of $1,000 or more Friend Society: Gifts of $1-999
This giving society recognizes sixth-grade families who are transitioning to secondary schools and make a continued commitment of support to Community School. The membership is stewarded by the alumni family and can shift to the alumnus/a when they think the time is right.
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. Contact the Advancement Office for more information.
William H. Danforth Distinguished Alumni Award