Cotting Connection A tradition of innovation and excellence since 1893. SPRING 2022
Cotting students, staff and NEHSA instructors enjoying the view from the top of Mount Sunapee ski hill.
Back on the Slopes What’s Inside Ski Trip............................................................... 1–2 President’s Message............................................ 2 Thorndike Fellowship........................................ 3 New Trustee Welcome....................................... 3 Alumni Spotlight.................................................. 3 Planned Giving.....................................................4 Upcoming Events.................................................4
The annual Cotting School overnight ski trip is back! While we took a brief pause last year due to the pandemic, 14 Capstone students and eight staff members ventured to the mountains to resume the tradition in early February. Since its inception in 1995, the ski trip has slightly evolved, but some elements remain the same. Our students and staff consistently express joy and a sense of accomplishment throughout the experience. It serves as a wonderful opportunity for students to develop confidence and self-esteem, as well as practice social and life skills. Last but certainly not least, the trip is straight-up fun! Continued on next page.
Cotting School 453 Concord Avenue Lexington, MA 02421
781–862–7323 info@cotting.org cotting.org
Rolling Admissions Contact Director of Admissions Elizabeth Russell at erussell@cotting.org for more information.
Back on the Slopes (continued) Dan Cuddy, Director of Adaptive Physical Education, shares, “It’s incredible to see first time participants improve their skills and overcome any nervousness about skiing and being away from home. All of the students were such great ambassadors for Cotting School!”
lodge. The dedicated volunteers of NEHSA provide personalized, fun and appropriately challenging slope sessions over three days. They offer a variety of ski equipment and methods to traverse the mountain so that students of all abilities can experience the trails safely.
In 2002, the trip relocated from Sunday River in Newry, Maine, to its current homebase at Mount Sunapee in Newbury, New Hampshire. In particular, Cotting partners with New England Healing Sports Association (NEHSA), headquartered right next door to Sunapee’s main
“Cotting week is honestly one of our top favorite events of the year,” says Executive Director of NEHSA Carly Bascom, noting the mutual benefits of the experience. “Not only because the students are always so fun and enthusiastic, but also because the teachers and staff work so hard to
Students enjoyed riding the ski lift with Ms. Irish.
make the week run smoothly. It’s truly so impressive, and we appreciate how well organized they are!” Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Cotting School’s annual ski trip in partnership with NEHSA, and we look forward to celebrating it. To support future ski trips and activities like it, visit cotting.org/give.
President’s Message | Bridget Irish, M.B.A., S.P.H.R. It has been an auspicious year at Cotting School, marked by several exciting changes. I am honored and delighted to have been appointed the School’s seventh president, and even more proud to be the second woman to lead the school since Mary Perry President Bridget Irish served as superintendent over 100 years ago. We are busy working on our strategic initiatives throughout the organization, and have been glad to be back to in-person classes both last year and this year. Our staff members consistently strive to learn and improve the services we provide to our students, despite the challenges caused by the pandemic. Their creativity, skill, care, knowledge and dedication to students has never been more evident.
It has been wonderful to see the Cotting community back together, especially in times of celebration. Events like the Fall Family BBQ, the opening of our new Cotting Campus Center, welcoming alumni back to campus for the first basketball games of the season, Falcon Trivia Night and Spirit Week have been full of joy and goodwill. As the chill of winter fades and signs of spring begin to emerge, we look forward to finishing out the school year and celebrating our students’ accomplishments. During this time of wonderful growth and change, I am grateful not only to be leading Cotting School, but also for your support as members of the Cotting community.
Knowledge Alley Mr. Lindblad used the new Campus Center’s two-lane candlepin bowling alley to teach a hands-on physics lesson to Ms. Cain’s class in November.
Announcing This Year’s Thorndike Fellow
Welcome New Trustee Jennifer St. Hill
The Augustus Thorndike Fellowship, established through the generosity of several generations of the Thorndike family, is given annually to a Cotting staff or faculty member who exemplifies excellence in service to children with special needs. This year’s recipient is Capstone teacher Lola Capstone teacher Lola Piscopo Piscopo. As the Thorndike Fellow, she will help to develop a comprehensive transition curriculum for Cotting families and students. We are thrilled she will be putting her tremendous knowledge and talent toward this project. Congratulations Lola!
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of our Board of Trustees, Dr. Jennifer St. Hill. With over 20 years of experience in operations and marketing, Jennifer has held leadership roles in the telecommunications and high technology industries. We look forward to introducing her to the broader Cotting community and benefiting from her expertise.
New Trustee Jennifer St. Hill
Paying it Forward In just a few minutes of talking with alumna Elaine Burns (’68), you can’t help but hear her enthusiasm and passion for the Cotting mission. She attended school at the former Boston campus for twelve years and fondly reflects on her time there, noting the sense of a true community, close friendships and even getting called to the principal’s office for “trouble making”. After graduating from Cotting, Elaine got her bachelor’s degree and worked as a medical secretary. She then explored her creative side, designing and marketing children’s clothing sold at stores and crafts fairs in the Boston area for many years. Following that, she embarked on a nineteen-year career as an advocate for those, like her, living with post-polio syndrome. As cofounder of the Greater Boston Post-Polio Association, Elaine published a newsletter that filled a
vital gap by sharing information and resources. It reached over 800 people who really had no other support to help them navigate their options, and was published until sufficient resources became available online. Later, after her marriage to engineer Jack Memishian, she retired to focus on family and causes she cared about. Elaine and her husband have become true champions of Cotting School. When asked why they support the School, she reflects that it is a commitment to “paying it forward” and helping to make sure students can have the same sense of community and opportunity she had. Elaine appreciates how Cotting has evolved to meet the needs of today’s students. For example, Jack’s interest in technology has led them to financially support the School’s assistive technology program, bringing new communication devices and opportunities to the students.
Elaine Burns (Cotting ‘68) and her husband, Jack Memishian
Jack and Elaine have also made the commitment to pay it forward for years to come by joining the Francis Joy Cotting Circle and naming Cotting as a beneficiary of their estate plan. By doing this, they are helping to ensure that the school’s focus on excellence and innovation will continue well into the future. Cotting School President Bridget Irish notes, “It is people like Jack and Elaine that help maintain the connection between Cotting’s past, present and future. We are so lucky and grateful to have them as a vibrant part of our community.”
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Make Cotting’s Future Part of Your Legacy
Our fifth annual Falcon Trivia Night fundraiser was a great success, connecting old friends and new while bringing in nearly $9,000 for the School. We are grateful to everyone who made this event possible, with special thanks for trivia teams sponsored by Activitas, Architectural Resources Cambridge**(above), Erland Construction, Marsh McLennan Agency, Prime Buchholz* and Sperling Interactive***. We look forward to Falcon Trivia Night 2023! *1st place winner, **2nd place winner, ***3rd place winner
Francis Joy Cotting knew he wouldn’t live forever, but he worked tirelessly to create something that would. That something is Cotting School. Challenged by a physical disability, Mr. Cotting believed that all students deserved every opportunity to achieve their highest academic potential. His legacy can also be yours as a member of the Francis Joy Cotting Circle. By including Cotting School in your estate plans, you will make a meaningful impact on children’s lives—even beyond your own. For more information about legacy gift planning, please contact Nora Frank, Director of Advancement, at 782–325–7969 or nfrank@cotting.org.
Upcoming Events Cotting Conversations: Puberty: Changes, Challenges and Opportunities May 16, 9:30–10:30 a.m. Cotting School Campus Center
2022 Alumni Reunion May 22, 2–4 p.m. Cotting School Campus Center Graduation June 4, 9:30–11:30 a.m. Cotting School Campus Center