Separating Fact from Fiction
A publication of The Elisabeth Morrow School
APPLETREE
Reading
Spring 2014
A Morrow Moment A young student waits in excited anticipation for community members coming into the International Festival in the Gymkhana.
APPLETREE
Spring 2014
Appletree is a publication of The Elisabeth Morrow School 435 Lydecker Street Englewood, NJ 07631 www.elisabethmorrow.org Articles, images and other contributions from the extended Elisabeth Morrow community are welcome. Contact the communications office at jabernathy@elisabethmorrow.org or 201.568.5566 x7208. All submissions are subject to review and submission does not guarantee publication.
Editor Jan Abernathy Director of Communications and Alumni Relations Design Erbach Communications Group
Content Contributors Beth Anne Brennan Aaron Cooper Allison Egert, Ed.D. Liza Jones Hards Laura Khutorsky
Photography and Photographic Contributors Shelley Kusnetz Margaret Mulder David Rand Debbie Rasie Robin Robison-Dillard Paul Sky Sammie Smith
in this issue
Letter from the Head of School
2
Appletree News
3
Reading: Separating Fact from Fiction 6
Character Education at The Elisabeth Morrow School
A Legacy of Trust
Advancement 12
Alumni and Parent Profiles
The power of the 4 C’s at The Elisabeth Morrow School.
Learning doesn’t end when the school day does; other news and events.
Why it matters now more than ever.
How The Elisabeth Morrow School is shaping generations.
10
14
Achievement
16
? Athletics
18
Class Notes
19
Then and Now
20
Celebrating Dr. Leslie Day; building community; a new director of alumni relations.
A first grader enjoying some quiet reading time in our Little School library. The Elisabeth Morrow School has separate, age-appropriate libraries for each division.
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A focus on supporters of The Elisabeth Morrow School’s mission.
On the Cover
Reading is developmental, but it doesn’t just happen naturally.
Recaps and photos from the Eagles’ winter season.
Art has always been an important curricular enhancement at The Elisabeth Morrow School.
Our Mission: The Elisabeth Morrow School pursues the highest educational standards in a supportive, creative environment. We challenge our students’ intellects, promote academic excellence, encourage independent thinking and cultivate individual talents. Our dedicated, experienced faculty fosters moral growth and social responsibility. Within our diverse community, we value tradition, innovation and the joy of lifelong learning.
a letter from the head of school The spring season is always exciting in a school. It provides students, parents and teachers the chance to both look forward to new opportunities and challenges and also to reflect back on all the progress they have made during the school year. This issue of Appletree allows us to more formally do the same. Inside, we see the impact of an Elisabeth Morrow education in our profiles of alumni, in news of the Class of 2014 and in the profile of a longtime, revered teacher, Dr. Leslie Day, who is retiring. We discuss the power of our community in recognizing the International Festival and Spring Fling. Finally, we illuminate parts of our educational philosophy in our discussion of reading, in the description of a collaborative project aimed at early recognition of identity and in a look into the impact of the 4 C’s at The Elisabeth Morrow School. The 4 C’s are powerful not only with students but also in the structures and dialogue in which everyone associated with our community engages. To that end, the faculty recently established an Equity and Justice Task Force. Guided by the National Association of Independent Schools’ Principles of Good Practice, the Task Force is reflecting on the profile of equity and justice in the curriculum, practices and approaches at EMS, with a focus on the students, parents and faculty and in governance and hiring. The Task Force is identifying opportunities for growth and areas of strength on which we can expand, and advising the administration on areas to study, from school policy and practices to professional development. As true 21st-century skills, these topics have never been more relevant, and we look forward to establishing similar groups with students, parents and alumni in the near future.
“The 4 C’s are powerful not only with students but also in the structures and dialogue in which everyone associated with our community engages.”
The themes discussed in this issue of Appletree — the impact of an Elisabeth Morrow education, the power of our community and specifics of our philosophy of education — are all present within the Equity and Justice Task Force, and I look forward to this work deepening the value and impact of an Elisabeth Morrow education on today’s children. I hope you enjoy this issue, and I wish you all a wonderful summer filled with inspiration, respiration and perhaps a little healthy perspiration. My best,
Aaron Cooper Head of School
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appletree news
Bright Ideas by Liza Jones Hards P’22, Director of Auxiliary Programs
The Auxiliary Programs at The Elisabeth Morrow School offer a wide range of choices for students and parents. Students are welcome to be at EMS before school, after school and even during the summer, to participate in many different activities. These programs provide opportunities for our students to acclimate to new situations, build upon personal interests and engage in play time with friends, while at the same time allowing our parents added flexibility by providing child care. We believe that by offering quality programming here at school, we help children feel safe, engaged in enjoyable activities and comfortable in a place they love, while continuing to emphasize the 4 C’s. Early Birds, Child Care, After School Adventures, Spring Break Mini-Camp and Summer Explorations are all examples of the exciting options The Elisabeth Morrow School provides for children beyond regular school hours. Read more about a few of these special programs on the following page.
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appletree news
Bright Ideas Example 2:
Child Care After a very busy day in their classrooms, students are welcome to stay after school to get some homework done, to play outside or to hang out with their friends. Our child care program is offered in a multi-age setting, which offers time for group play as well as individualized attention after the school day is over. Although the program certainly looks different in each of our three buildings, the goals are the same: to provide a safe, supportive and caring atmosphere after the school day is done.
Example 1:
After School Adventures The After School Adventures program runs for two eightweek sessions in the fall and in the spring. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade have the chance to participate in one-hour workshops once a week. Classes offered this year included chess, science, cooking, fashion design, technology and sports. In a class offered by Bricks 4 Kidz, students have the opportunity to work with LEGO® bricks to create, design, test and rebuild vehicles, machines, tools and more. A class in iPad storytelling allows students to stretch their creativity while writing, acting and filming a short story using iPads. This spring, in our Dinosaurs Rock class, students had the chance to journey back in time millions of years to learn about the life of dinosaurs, while excavating fossils and mining minerals.
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For working parents, this program is essential; however, it also provides great opportunities for students to collaborate on assignments, exercise in the fresh air or recreate a classroom activity. Since the students have a chance to be with other students in different classes and different grades, our child care program is often compared to the “neighborhood” play-time experience that was more common years ago. Students learn to work cooperatively and develop a respect and understanding of the needs of others. On an average day, we have about 60 students on campus in our child care programs. Drop-in child care for students in Chilton House and Little School is also provided during Parent-Teacher Conference days, allowing parents greater flexibility to meet with their child’s teacher.
Example 3:
Summer Explorations Our campus is busy with activity in the summertime! Students from age three to ninth grade are engaged in learning, enrichment and, of course, fun! Children age three through first grade delight in playing, creating and exploring their world through gardening, movement, music, water play, cooking and art. Students in second through sixth grade have the opportunity to learn new skills or explore personal interests in specialized workshops. Classes offered include Fashion Design, Junior Engineers, Outdoor Explorers, Baking Basics, Microscopic Mysteries, Golf Clinic and Photography. Students select two morning workshops each week, which often include field trips or class
presentations. The afternoon activities are chosen each day and reflect a “camp” feel, such as arts and crafts, animal explorations, cooking activities or nature walks. Other afternoon activities include an All-Camp Carnival, talent show, water slide and Olympic Day. Students can sign up for weekly field trips to the Ice House in Hackensack or the Rockland Boulders minor league baseball team’s Camp Days throughout the summer. For students in seventh through ninth grade, three-hour classes in ISEE/SSAT Math and Verbal Test Prep, Algebra, Creative Writing, Robotics, Survival, Art, Video Game Design and Genetics are offered. We have a Counselor in Training program, which helps generate and develop leadership, self-confidence and cooperative learning, as students train to become future camp counselors or peer leaders. New this summer is a Service Learning Project entitled “Feed Your Neighbors.” Students in this program will work in conjunction with the Center for Food Action in Englewood as well as other agencies in Bergen County. Whatever their age or interest, students can find it at Summer Explorations.
News, facts and events from The Elisabeth Morrow School
Math Whizzes Mathleague Contest: First and Second Place On Monday April 28th, 140 students from 15 different schools joined 23 EMS students in third through sixth grade to compete in the second annual Mathleague.org State Championship. Each student who participated had to qualify in a previous contest during the past year. Once again The Elisabeth Morrow School took first and second place in the contest. Sixth grader Cameron Woo was the highest scoring student in the competition.
Silver and Gold for Art and Writing Nineteen students from The Elisabeth Morrow School won regional awards in the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing competition. Each year, more than 250,000 art and writing pieces are submitted by sevenththrough twelfth-grade students across the country, Canada and in U.S. schools abroad. EMS students won with three art and 16 writing submissions, and one of our four regional Gold Key winners, Claire Fink ’14, won a National Gold Medal for her personal essay/memoir “Braving Fear.” Historically, the National Gold Medal winners represent the top one percent of entries.
EMS students also won eight Silver Keys and seven honorable mentions. Seventh and eighth graders won in categories that included flash fiction, poetry, personal essay/ memoir and science fiction/ fantasy. One student won a Silver Key and two honorable mentions in photography. In total, there were 58 EMS entries in the competition. Says writing teacher Laura Khutorsky, “All of our students put forth tremendous effort to perfect their submissions. The students put their passion and energy into this competition, and they are really all winners!”
The AMTNJ team and their coach, Carol Toth.
AMTNJ Contest: Third Place A team of Morrow House students came in third place at the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey’s Second Annual Middle School contest. EMS participated in this contest last year, and the team came in second place. The difficult onehour contest consisted of 20 questions, with no partial credit for responses, and required out-of-the-box thinking. The sum of the top five scores of team members determined the team score. Two EMS students were in the top five individually, with Emily Yu placing second in the state and Itamar Mandelzis tied for third in the state. Writing teacher Laura Khutorsky with the Scholastic award winners.
A Longer Day IN LITTLE SCHOOL An increase in the length of the teaching day in Little School will add 200 minutes of instructional time per week for students in first through fourth grade. Longer periods allow students to better develop 21st-century skills, including creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. A longer day will increase the time spent in language arts as well as allow additional math instructional time for computer programming that enhances skills such as estimation, sequencing, measurement and algebraic thinking. The students will also have enriching daily experiences like music, physical education and recess as part of a well-balanced, holistic education. Classes will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude, depending on grade level, at 3 or 3:15 p.m. APPLETREE 5
cover story
Reading Separating Fact from Fiction
by Beth Anne Brennan, Lower School Head and Allison Egert, Ed.D., Director of Special Learning Services
One of the top questions for parents who have children entering school is: “When will my child learn to read?” They wonder: “Will it happen quickly, with each new word learned leading naturally to another? What if my child seems to only memorize words without actually reading them? And what if my child isn’t learning to read as quickly as I would like?” The importance of having excellent and explicit literacy instruction is crucial. At The Elisabeth Morrow School, faculty understand how to get students to meet goals that are appropriately challenging. 6 APPLETREE
Our teachers create an environment where reading and writing are enjoyable, which is the key to success. Reading is developmental, but it doesn’t just happen naturally. Print awareness, alphabetic coding, letter-sound association and the development of phonological awareness (awareness of the relationship between sounds and words) form the basis of literacy. It is possible for a child to have well-developed phonemic awareness skills and be unaware of the symbol or letter that is used to represent the sound. However, all research supports the importance of teaching
What’s a “Just Right” Book? phoneme awareness. A phoneme is the smallest unit of speech that makes one word different from another (for example, the difference between the “t” and the “n” in “pit” and “pin’). It may surprise you to learn that even proficient readers often have trouble reading words that have more letters than sounds or vice versa, and that literate adults can be confused about how to segment words. That’s why intentional reading instruction, which allows children to experiment with language and provides opportunities for developing an awareness of how language is organized and used, is so important.
“The importance of having excellent and explicit literacy instruction is crucial. At The Elisabeth Morrow School, faculty understand how to get students to meet goals that are appropriately challenging.”
• Print size is perfect — the younger the child, the bigger the print • Topic is interesting to your child • Passes the “five finger test”: Have your child read a page and hold up a finger every time they get to a word they don’t know. Zero–one word is too easy, two–three is just right and four–five unknown words means the book is too difficult • An installment in a series your child enjoys • Perfect amount of pictures (a good mix of pictures and words holds a child’s interest and stimulates imagination) • Reading level is in a good range (if you have an older child, you can look for reading levels on many websites such as Scholastic.com) • Cover is attention-grabbing
Good readers of all ages use what they know and have experienced, and apply that knowledge to make sense of what they are learning; this plays a role in reading comprehension. As readers decode, they use strategies to make connections, draw conclusions, make predictions, ask questions and think about what is happening in the story. Learning to read and reading to learn happen simultaneously by teaching decoding and comprehension skills to all students at every grade level. Our teachers base reading instruction on research and classroomtested practice. The more practice that children have in reading, in the classroom and at home, the easier reading becomes. You may feel that if reading did not come automatically to your child, it will always be difficult. Luckily, that’s not true. A literature-rich environment, coupled with good reading instruction, typically produces good readers. Reading instruction is an approach to developing literacy, not a program that only teaches skills. You may think that a prescribed script for instruction or a tutoring program is all that your child needs to “speed up the process.” Expensive tutoring or online programs do not typically translate into any long-term gain once the child ends the program. Good reading instruction is not just a list of standards and expectations organized in a sequence, with a series of goals to be met. In fact, reading growth comes from sustained practice in a variety of situations, such as those that happen in everyday life. To be a good reader today means becoming a sophisticated reader. Children are constantly exposed to a wide variety of information in fiction and nonfiction, in printed and digital form. An excellent reading teacher develops reading strategies at all levels. What seems natural to you today — the simple act of getting information from an online source, the sublime pleasures of a great novel or your ability to follow the instructions for a challenging home improvement project — took a lot of determination and instruction along the way. The same thing is happening for students here at The Elisabeth Morrow School.
What do I do if my child is struggling with reading? Talk to your child’s teacher and ask questions — “Do you think my child is having trouble learning to read? What do you observe about how my child processes print? What can I do at home to help?” Talk to your doctor — “Does my child have any vision or hearing problems?” Consult with the school — parents, teachers and other professionals should meet to make a plan to include direct systematic phonics instruction (such as the ones we have in place for kindergarten through second grade at EMS) Good practice in school and at home, on a consistent basis, is vital to developing fluency.
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NS ID ER AT IO N
CCOURTESY O
feature story
The 4C’s
N O
I T A R
E P
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C COMPASSION
Character Education at The Elisabeth Morrow School Building Literacy with Project Cicero by Jan Abernathy
At The Elisabeth Morrow School, a focus on the 4 C’s is also seen in the families that make up the school community. One such individual is Teddi Hunter P’14, P’15, P’19, co-founder of Project Cicero NNJ, an annual nonprofit book drive designed to create or supplement classroom libraries in under-resourced schools in New Jersey. 8 APPLETREE
Mrs. Hunter, an Englewood Cliffs native, comes from a family that has always given back. She discovered Project Cicero a few years ago and became intrigued by the idea of bringing it to New Jersey. “It was amazing that a simple concept could make such a big difference. I contacted the founder to find out what I needed to
do to bring this to New Jersey.” With her friend, Jennifer Backer of Fort Lee, Mrs. Hunter contacted Head of School Aaron Cooper to see if EMS would be interested in partnering with her new group to solicit book donations from families and host the book distribution. “He was in his first year as Head of School and yet so willing to talk
to us and help us work through all the details,” Mrs. Hunter says. “He put faith in us to make it work, and we really appreciated it.” Having students involved in Project Cicero — including her own boys, Ethan ’14, Ezra ’15 and Aidan ’19, who were gung ho about the book drive from the beginning — was very important. Mrs. Hunter adds, “It is great
by Aaron Cooper, Head of School
T
he mission of The Elisabeth Morrow School states, “Our dedicated, experienced faculty fosters moral growth and social responsibility.” This lofty aim, to positively and directly impact the character and global citizenship of our students, is embodied in the daily life of the school through the “4 C’s”: Courtesy, Consideration, Cooperation and Compassion. The 4 C’s follow the stages of a child’s personal character development. The day begins with a simple act of courtesy: the morning handshake. That sets the tone for the consideration that will be shown in the classrooms, hallways and playgrounds. As the child engages in learning, courtesy and consideration make possible the cooperation necessary for advanced learning. And finally, a child who truly embraces courtesy, consideration and cooperation becomes a young adult of true compassion. Our students often show their compassion through acts of service. The students (sometimes with their parents, other times by themselves) initiate these activities and work with adults to see them to completion. This service learning is deep, coming not only from the activity but also in proposing, planning and enacting the activity. Annually, there are many examples of this. Some of the events from this year include: •
Morrow House students attended a Teen Leadership Conference at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, joining middle school students from around the local area to discuss bullying, diversity and tolerance and action steps they can take in their own schools.
•
Student, parent and community volunteers organized and set up the second annual Project Cicero NNJ book drive and distribution event, which benefited more than 300 teachers from under-resourced schools in Northern New Jersey.
that the organization involves children helping other children. It allows EMS students to gain a perspective that they might not have had being in private school.” Mrs. Hunter believes the focus on the 4 C’s is an important factor for many families in the school community. “I feel that my husband and I partner with the school in raising our boys,
•
Student, parent and teacher volunteers packed weekend “snack packs” for the Center for Food Action to benefit local children who do not have enough to eat.
•
Threes, fours and kindergarteners and their fourth and fifth grade buddies wrote Valentine’s Day cards to children in St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
•
Fourth graders performed a holiday concert at Englewood Senior Center.
•
Volunteers collected school supplies for students in South Sudan, shoes for those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines, holiday meals for families that spent Thanksgiving in the hospital caring for their sick children and pet supplies for local animal shelters.
And finally, a child who truly embraces courtesy, consideration and cooperation becomes a young adult of true compassion. At The Elisabeth Morrow School, the knowledge of self and of society, the humility in knowing that true change takes the support of many and the honing of a moral compass are of equal importance to the academic lessons learned in the classroom and beyond. The 4 C’s form the guideposts for what our school teaches, and give our lessons meaning that allows them to resonate long after our students’ formal education is over.
and that many other families do as well,” she says. “It’s hard to raise kids who remain grounded and understand what is really important. Families at EMS really share the same positive values, and the 4 C’s curriculum at EMS helps reinforce those values in the students here.” Ezra ’15, Teddi, Ethan ’14, Aidan ’19 and Ted Hunter. APPLETREE 9
legacy 2013
a 10 APPLETREE
Legacy
How The Elisabeth Morrow School is Shaping Generations by Jan Abernathy
Legacy. The very word connotes something precious passed down through the generations, an inheritance of value. For schools, legacies are those students who are directly related to alumni. What could be a stronger endorsement of an institution than its former students’ desire to have their own children and grandchildren experience all of the benefits of that school? And what could be a more meaningful legacy to pass on to a child than the education that EMS provides? In conversations I have had since becoming the director of alumni relations, I have heard alumni speak fervently of the legacy of an EMS education and its impact on their lives. This naturally leads to an explanation of why it was so important for them to be able to give that same gift to their children. Words and phrases like “character,” “a solid foundation,” “a caring community,” “a sense of tradition,” “a challenging curriculum” and “lifelong friends” immediately came to mind when they were asked what an EMS education meant to them. They have shared stories of the Greek Olympics, handshaking with Miss Chilton, the Kindergarten Circus or the time spent with beloved teachers. They know that their children today also will have some of these memories to call their own. But legacy does not mean static. Our alumni realize that as powerful as an EMS education was — shaping their intellectual and moral growth in ways that still reverberate in their personal and professional lives today — a legacy would not be a good enough reason to seek out the school for their own children. It is, in fact, EMS’ ability to stay relevant in a fast-paced world, while holding on to tradition, that makes the school attractive to their families and so many others. “The best of the old and the best of the new” is Elisabeth Morrow’s oftenquoted phrase, and it never rings more true than when we look at the intergenerational nature of our wonderful community. The pictures on this page show just some of our alumni and their children. We thank them all for their support through the years, and look forward to many more generations of their families, and others, to come.
Our alumni and their current EMS students:
of trust
Joseph Agresta, Jr. (Joseph III, Abigale) Kimberly Agresta-Chiocco (Ava) Natalie Capan Amerkanian (Garo, Master Plan Shant) Adrienne Anderson (Amelia) Stephen Borg (Charles, William) Alexandra Champ (Harrison and Markus White) James Cohen (Jacqueline) Colleen Cooper (Jack Bloom) Andrew Escala (Garrett) Roberto Fata (Enzo) Nancy Fujita (Olivia)
Joshua Hyman (Zoe, Charlotte) Melinda Insana (Anna, Thomas) Courtney Miglietta (Gio, Alessandra, Madison) David Oropeza (Charles) Saumil Parikh (Sareena, Shanaya) Anil Ranawat (Cooper, Viviana) Theresa Rivoir (Sara) Dana Romita (Alexander Cox) Michael Rudelli (Arthur) Carl Saphier (Alia, Noah, Gabriel) Felicia Zekauskas (Ian Maloney)
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advancement
A Family Tradition by Jan Abernathy
When Dr. Carl Saphier ’79 thinks of The Elisabeth Morrow School, the word that immediately comes to his mind is “community.” Dr. Saphier is the father of three EMS students (Alia ’21, Noah ’22 and Gabriel ’24) and says, “The greatest lesson I learned at EMS is that every person has an important role to play and everyone enriches the community with their unique contributions.” Starting at the school in first grade, he was soon followed by siblings Arlene, Paul and Douglas. The Saphiers grew up in Englewood, where their father had a medical practice. Following his dad into the field, Dr. Saphier is now a maternal fetal medicine specialist with a practice here. He says that he didn’t have to think twice about enrolling his children in EMS. “I never considered anything else because EMS was such a pivotal part of my education,” explains Dr. Saphier, who went on to Dwight-Englewood School, and Brown University for undergraduate and medical school. He spent his residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Saphier adds that since his EMS days, “The school has been greatly enriched by the gifted vision of the people who have led it over the years. This is an institution that has matured and grown so tremendously academically — though it hasn’t lost sight of tradition, progress has been its goal.”
“The respect for and enjoyment of other nationalities and cultures at EMS adds to every student’s development and education.” Dr. Saphier has fond memories of shaking Miss Chilton’s hand in the morning, and the strict dress code that required wearing a jacket and tie to school. He was here when the Gymkhana was enclosed and watched the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter as a Morrow House student. Speaking of our school today, Dr. Saphier believes that the diversity of the EMS student body sets the school apart and offers its students relevant experiences that are important in today’s world. “The respect for and enjoyment of other nationalities and cultures at EMS adds to every student’s development and education,” he says. The Saphiers are proud to be strong advocates of EMS, singing its praises far and wide. “I want to see EMS grow and thrive long after my children’s children have graduated,” Dr. Saphier says. But for now, it is the life lessons that his three children are learning at his alma mater that touch him the most. As an example, he was delighted to hear Alia say that what she loves most about EMS is that she is able to learn “so happily.” He says, “What could make a parent happier than hearing your children so excited to learn while experiencing the true meaning of community? My wife and I passionately believe that each child receives just this gift in a unique EMS way — that’s simply in the DNA of our school.” 12 APPLETREE
Above: Dr. Carl Saphier ’79 with his wife Aviva, daughter Alia ’21 and sons Gabriel ’24 and Noah ’22. Below: Alia, Gabriel and Noah.
Annual Gala The annual Elisabeth Morrow gala, Spring Fling, was a happy celebration of community, benefiting our technology initiatives and our faculty. Throughout the years, our most popular auction items have always been those donated by faculty and staff involving special activities for our students. We thank our generous supporters as well as our chairs and countless volunteers, who ensured the success of this great event!
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alumni and parent profiles
Success Begets Gratitude by Jan Abernathy
As principals of the “oldest and newest” strategic marketing agency in New Jersey, brothers Jason Rand ’81 and David Rand ’90 have helped some of the top nonprofit institutions and companies in the area achieve their business goals. When they look back on what set them up for success in such a competitive field, they remember the time they spent at The Elisabeth Morrow School. “EMS gave me a full spectrum of opportunities and challenges, which led me to become more creative,” says Jason, who started at EMS in the fourth grade. “The exposure to new ideas, new concepts and new ways of doing things was phenomenal.” The brothers, who grew up in North Bergen and, later, Englewood Cliffs, remember many things about their time at EMS, including handshaking with Miss Chilton (“she wore white gloves,” Jason says), as well as the Kindergarten Circus, cocoa parties, caring faculty members, including Mrs. Jeannette Kirk, and a long-ago lunch lady named Hazel. Both brothers say that the excellent academic foundation they received at EMS made adjusting to high school easier. “We were well-prepared for Dwight-Englewood because activities like the Greek Olympics and Nature’s Classroom enhanced our experience beyond what could be learned from a textbook,” David says.
“EMS gave me a full spectrum of opportunities and challenges, which led me to become more creative. The exposure to new ideas, new concepts and new ways of doing things was phenomenal.” Jason went on to Tufts University and the School of Visual Arts after Dwight-Englewood, and David graduated from the University of Miami. “We were both very aspirational and focused on our educational journey,” David says. “And certainly ready to compete in the larger world. EMS played a role in that.” The brothers’ larger world eventually grew to include stints at prestigious companies such as The Wall Street Journal, Starwood Hotels, VH1 and CBS. Five years ago, they moved to HarrisonRand, founded in 1941 by their maternal grandfather, a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame of New Jersey. He ran the agency in concert with their mother, Daryl, herself a member of the Hall of Fame. Daryl, now the first woman to head the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, works alongside her sons. “We made a decision to expand the family firm as Hudson County was becoming more vibrant. We wanted to come into the business and build upon the reputation our agency had for doing excellent work.” David adds, “We are truly a full-service agency, focused on digital, social and traditional media, branding
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David Rand ’90, Daryl Rand P’81, P’90 and Jason Rand ’81.
and events, and we can offer our clients exactly what they would get from a large New York City firm.” Their work has gained accolades from industry peers, including dozens of awards from the New Jersey Advertising Club, making HarrisonRand the most recognized agency in last year’s competition. The firm also received top honors from the Hermes Creative Awards, with a Gold award for a video produced for the Jersey City Medical Center. It was recognized by both organizations for Choose New Jersey’s “New Jersey: A State of Resilience” campaign. The firm has worked for Saint Peter’s University (“our mother and grandfather helped launch the Bergen County campus in Englewood Cliffs,” David notes), as well as New Jersey City University, Liberty Science Center, Otterstedt Insurance Agency and many other well-respected companies, organizations and institutions. The Rands are proud boosters of Hudson County, where their company still occupies a building that their grandfather commissioned in 1968. The family also generously donated to EMS to provide tuition aid for Hudson County students in memory of Jason and David’s grandmother, Mildred Harrison. “When I came to EMS from my local public school, I was able to see how different it was,” Jason says. “I wanted to do something for both EMS and the area where I spent my early childhood.” The brothers note that the recognition of their peers is great, but they never forget who the work is for — their clients. “Every day, we are trying to partner with them and bring them new opportunities for success through our work,” David says. “We measure our success by their achievements, not ours.”
International Festival Despite the dusting of snow, the 2014 International Festival was a tremendous success, with hundreds of students, parents and friends in attendance. In addition to the fantastic turnout, there was a great atmosphere and a wonderful mix of food, crafts and cultural information. Countless individuals volunteered for the event alongside co-chairs Luisa Angioletti P’20, Dino Buzzerio P’13, P’15, P’19, Peter Maloney P’13, P’18, and Neeta Ogden P’20, P’22. In all, almost half the families in the community were directly involved in the lead-up to the Festival — a strong statement about our community. In addition to being a fantastic community event, the effects of our cultural diversity on the educational environment at EMS were
Beyond a deep and engaging curriculum taught by inspiring teachers, the experiences and perspectives of peers enrich the educational experience for students more than any other factor. evident throughout the afternoon. Beyond a deep and engaging curriculum taught by inspiring teachers, the experiences and perspectives of peers enrich the educational experience for students more than any other factor. It is EMS’ commitment to cultivate such an environment and such experiences for our students that is one of the true strengths of our school.
Meet Phyllis Kesslen Phyllis Kesslen P’10 has been named Director of Alumni Relations, effective September 1. Ms. Kesslen succeeds Jan Abernathy, who remains Director of Communications. “I have always been a huge supporter and advocate of The Elisabeth Morrow School. EMS gave so much to our son, Benny, that it was natural for me to want to give back to the school,” Ms. Kesslen says. “After spending a decade on the Tenafly Board of Education, including three years as president and two years as vice president, I wanted to take the next steps in my career. EMS seemed like the ideal place to look.”
Phyllis and Mark Kesslen at son Benny’s 2010 graduation from EMS.
Starting as an intern in the admissions office two years ago, Ms. Kesslen was thrilled to be back in the EMS community. This school year, she is a special project coordinator for advancement, working closely with admissions, development and communications.
“This position gave me a big-picture sense of the inner workings of the school, as well as an idea of how the school relates to external constituents. When the opportunity arose to become the director of alumni relations, it seemed like the next logical step,” she says. During her years as a parent here, Ms. Kesslen was an active volunteer, working on the Book Fair, auction and classroom events, where she developed “lasting friendships and strong ties to our community and administration.” She credits EMS with helping her son “gain confidence and empathy as a thinker, a student and a citizen of the world.” Benny ’10, a Riverdale senior, will be attending Tufts University in the fall. Ms. Kesslen looks forward to meeting other alumni parents and alumni themselves, and creating greater opportunities for alumni to network socially and professionally. “I always find it so gratifying to see what strong allegiance our alums have to EMS and how connected they are to the school. The fact that so many of our current parents are alumni speaks volumes about how special The Elisabeth Morrow School is,” she says. APPLETREE 15
achievement
Building Community and Celebrating Difference The Self-Portrait Project by Laura Khutorsky P ’16, Writing Instructor and Director of the Academic Center
Recently, early childhood teachers Ms. Leff and Ms. McConville invited my eighth graders to assist their four-yearolds with their annual self-portrait project. Witnessing this special group project underlined for me the wonderful values that The Elisabeth Morrow School instills in its students. Ms. Leff and Ms. McConville created the self-portrait project several years ago. Each year, after reading Shades of People by Shelley Rotner to the class, Ms. Leff and Ms. McConville engage the children in a candid discussion about shades of skin color and the physical differences that make us all unique. The culmination of the unit includes a visit from our eighth graders, a strategy used to ensure that the four-year-olds’ diversity unit highlights not only differences in skin color but also differences in ages and sizes. Year after year, Morrow House students come back to Chilton House, and they are invited to help the four-year-olds paint their selfportraits. Having mixed the shades of paint which best reflect their skin color, the four-year-olds are eager to paint themselves onto a large canvas, and the eighth graders are thrilled to help.
This year, eighth grader Caroline Ju partnered with fours student Soleil Jee. During her years at EMS, Caroline has developed a passion for art and has honed her artistic skills. In particular, Caroline just finished an impressive self-portrait, soon to be one of several pieces of artwork featured in our literary magazine. I could not help but be inspired by this full-circle moment: Here was a creative graduating student returning to the very same classroom in which she had begun her EMS journey, and she was passing the baton to the next generation of EMS students. In addition, Caroline and all of the eighth grade volunteers were using their talents and skills to give back to their school and their community. The self-portrait project illustrated for me what makes The Elisabeth Morrow School special. EMS teaches students to embrace diversity and community, and to understand that the responsibility lies within each of us to share our values, talents and knowledge with the next generation.
Farewell, Dr. Day by Jan Abernathy
Dr. Leslie Day remembers the day 17 years ago when she arrived at The Elisabeth Morrow School for her interview. “The dogwoods were blossoming, birds were chirping and gardens were blooming. As I got closer to Morrow House, I could hear children singing and I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. It was the most beautiful campus I had ever seen.” Dr. Day, an author of books about the natural wonders of her urban home of New York City, felt right at home on the beautiful 14-acre campus. “I created a curriculum based on the ecology of the backyard,” she says. “Soon after, I started bringing in 16 APPLETREE
animals. It has been one of my great joys to watch students overcome their fear of animals.” Teaching both fifth and eighth graders “has allowed me to watch as students embrace the subject matter in a mature way. It has been especially wonderful to see so many of my female students grow to love science.”
Above left: Caroline Ju’s self-portrait; above: Caroline and Soleil
“A friend from EMS just
found a copy the Science Sc of oop... 14 year s later, I am working in re search, in th e Department Anesthesia at of the University of California San Francisco. It was quite amusing to re a photo of th ceive e article I ha d written abou the overuse of t pesticides, in between runnin experiments on g the influence of metabolic syndrome on le vels of inflamm ation and pain guess I haven’ - I t really chan ged that much . I want to than k you so much for all your support and en couragement of me as such a young girl. Yo u really prov oked and cult a passion and ivated interest for science and research in me . Best Regards, Maria Quincy ’11”
Dr. Day says she most appreciates having administrators who “allowed me to fly and allowed me to be me.” She adds, “I have made lifelong friends amongst my colleagues. They are men and women I adore.”
Manhattan parks, including Central Park, The High Line and Fort Tryon Park.
Although she will miss her students and the school, Dr. Day doesn’t plan to stay idle. She is working on her third book, a field guide to neighborhood birds in New York City, and will continue to lead nature walks in
“I want to leave one message behind: find your passion. Who would have thought that my passion for nature would have allowed me to live a life like this, even in a city?” she says.
Eighth Grade Moments Eighth grade is a time of excitement and anticipation. We have watched our students on their journey from early childhood, just learning how to learn in a group, to fully formed adolescents, eager to take on the challenges for which an Elisabeth Morrow education has well prepared them. It is a year when special memories are created. As the culminating year of an Elisabeth Morrow School education, it includes an educational and fun week-long trip to Washington, D.C., the bonding experience of Adventure Days, and many special events, sports competitions, service projects, plays, concerts and, of course, graduation. The young men and women that we send off into the world from the Class of 2014 will remember fondly the experiences you see on these pages, and so much more.
Adventure
Days
KIKU Washington, D.C.
APPLETREE 17
athletics
The boys basketball team completed another successful season with a dramatic overtime victory over Alpine Public School. All 27 players made valuable contributions for the Green and White teams. The Green squad finished with a 5–3 record and the White squad was 4–3. The 17 eighth graders will be sorely missed, but many returning players will play key roles next season. The highlight of the year was a thrilling double overtime victory over Bergenfield Public School. Despite being undersized and outmanned, the Eagles fought back numerous times to prevail in the end. A packed gym was treated to the most exciting victory in school history. This girls basketball season started off with a huge bang. The first two games against Tuxedo Park School and Dwight-Englewood were cliffhangers! An overtime win against Tuxedo Park and a last-minute win against Dwight helped set the tone for the girls team right from the start. The EMS girls practiced and played hard all season, with the four eighth grade girls as true leaders of the squad. The sixth and seventh grade girls were very dedicated and definitely were able to develop their basketball skills, rise up to the competition and have a blast all at the same time! The team ended a 4–4 season on a high note with a big win against Alpine and are left with nothing but great memories and looking forward to next year! The coed ice hockey team finished with a record of 6–2, with wins over Allen-Stevenson, Montclair Kimberley and Morristown-Beard. The team finished the season with a 7–5 win over Allen-Stevenson in the Prudential Center. The players got a special treat when former Devils players Bruce Driver, Jim Dowd and Ken Daneko spoke to the team in the locker room before the game. Four pairs of brothers played in that game, some for the first time in their lives: fourth and eighth graders Parker and Spencer Diaz, fourth and seventh graders Alexander and Elias Shaia, fifth and seventh graders Garo and Shant Amerkanian and seventh and eighth graders Ezra and Ethan Hunter.
18 APPLETREE
class notes HOW TO SUBMIT CLASS NOTES We welcome news from alumni. Email Jan Abernathy, Director of Communications and Alumni Relations, at alumni@elisabethmorrow.org. 1991 Annika K. Martin was named partner at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, where she represents individuals and companies in consumer, environmental and mass tort cases. She works in the firm’s New York office.
1992 Diana (Ladd) Amato writes: “Alumni Ashley Ginsburg has been struck with a major tragedy. On Christmas Eve 2013, just nine months after her marriage, her husband died very unexpectedly at the age of 36. Ashley was three months pregnant at the time and, as you can imagine, was devastated. In addition, one month later, Ashley’s mother passed away — again, very suddenly and unexpectedly. We have set up a site to raise funds to help Ashley with expenses. Fellow 1992 alumni Lauren Koblitz and I are the managers of funds and the site, which is located at https://www. youcaring.com/other/for-ashley-and-baby/163283. All funds will go towards helping with the costs of the baby and additional funds raised will be set aside for a college fund. Thank you!”
2009 Matthew Abrahamsen, a 2013 graduate of Phillips Academy Andover, will be attending Claremont McKenna College this fall.
2010 Andrew Abrahamsen had his original composition performed this year at Carnegie Hall. A senior at Dwight School, he went to Turkey on a musical and cultural trip for exposure to international venues and to inspire him to incorporate music from around the world in his future compositions. He will be attending Carnegie Mellon University for music composition in the fall.
FROM THE BOOKSHELF Alexis Wolfer ’96 has just published her first book, The Recipe For Radiance: Discover Beauty’s Best-Kept Secrets In Your Kitchen (Running Press, $23). Featuring a combination of delicious recipes that promote beauty from within as well as topical homemade beauty remedies (like facial masks and body scrubs) all using food, The Recipe For Radiance combines Alexis’ background in women’s studies, beauty editorial and nutrition to bring women easy, effective and affordable beauty solutions in their kitchens. Plus, it includes some homemade beauty remedies from her celebrity friends, too! Prior to launching, it had already been featured in People StyleWatch magazine and on The Doctors.
Michael Anagnos, currently a senior at Riverdale Country School, will be attending Columbia University in the fall. Phoebe Gennardo, who will be graduating from Horace Mann, will be attending Johns Hopkins University in the fall. Benny Kesslen, who will be graduating from Riverdale Country School, will be attending Tufts University in the fall. Zoe Homonoff, who will be graduating from Bergen County Academies, will be attending Muhlenberg College this fall, where she will be studying elementary education.
WEDDINGS Elaine Bennett ’71 and K. Morrison Trotti Appletree congratulates Elaine Bennett ’71 and K. Morrison Trotti (known as Dane), who were married on December 2, 2013 at St. Peter’s Chelsea in New York City. Elaine writes, “My wife, Dane, works at Yale, so I moved to New Haven and am enjoying auditing classes for free. I am still writing speeches for the corporate world (see BennettInk.com) and singing (see ElaineStGeorge.com). I just won a Bistro Award for Outstanding Vocalist.”
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Our son, Kazu Fukuda, was at EMS from September 1981 through January 1985 and was in the classes of Mrs. Lowell, Mrs. Malko, Mrs. Blythe and Mrs. Dunn. Another son,Yoshi Fukuda, was at EMS from September 1982 through January 1985 and was in the classes of Mrs. Landberg, Mrs. Ecke and Mrs. Lowell. My husband, Tosho, and I often miss the days when they spent time in EMS with the wonderful memory of excellent education, discipline, environment, the faculty, the staff, their friends and their parents. We really appreciate everything EMS gave to them and us. Kazu is working for Mitsui and Company, the Japanese global trading company, and living in London with his family now. Kazu and his wife chose British private school for their two children to study in London. I am sure that his good experience at EMS encouraged Kazu and Rumi to choose a British school, not a Japanese school, for their children during their stay in London. Yoshi graduated from Temple University and is working for a real estate investment company of a foreign-affiliated firm. He is living in Tokyo with his wife and a son. Hiroko Fukuda Tokyo APPLETREE 19
then & now
class notes Alumni Cocktail Party April 24, 2014
The arts have always been important at The Elisabeth Morrow School. Children experience the joy of self-discovery and a deeper appreciation of both the technical and aesthetic aspects of creating art. From our youngest students, using new tools and materials to develop stronger motor skills, to our third graders, who practice the colonial era arts of weaving, candle making and pottery, to our eighth graders working with ceramics or creating folk art masks, the arts reflect and enhance the core curriculum at every age and stage. Can you help us identify the young artists above? Please email us at alumni@elisabethmorrow.org.
Former EMS Student Performs at Academy Award® Ceremony Imagine math teacher Mary Ann Rota’s surprise when she saw her former EMS student Karen Lee Orzolek singing “The Moon Song” at the Academy Awards®! Ms. Orzolek, better known as Karen O, is the lead singer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and was the vocalist on the Academy Award®-nominated song from the Spike Jonze film Her. 20 APPLETREE
In Memoriam Carey Harding Timbrell ’64, died suddenly on April 4. A Tenafly native and son of Jean Timbrell, who taught at The Elisabeth Morrow School for more than 50 years, Mr. Timbrell lived in San Francisco. Writes his mother: “Carey did well at The Elisabeth Morrow School, where he was independent and persevering. History was always his favorite subject and he was an avid reader like his mother.” She remembers many summers at Dewey Beach in Delaware with his grandmother and the rest of the family, as well as baseball games played in the backyard. After Tenafly High School, Mr. Timbrell attended Brown University, following in the footsteps of his father, an Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and later received a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University. He is survived by his children, Margaret, Clayton, Jamie and George, and son-in-law Aaron. Mrs. Timbrell notes that the family enjoyed many celebrations in San Francisco, where her son settled. “Carey was a wonderful son and father. He was always very calm and loving.”
Pass it on. The Elisabeth Morrow School
pursues the highest educational standards in a supportive, creative environment. We challenge our students’ intellects, promote academic excellence, encourage independent thinking and cultivate individual talents. Our dedicated, experienced faculty fosters moral growth and social responsibility. Within our diverse community, we value tradition, innovation and the joy of lifelong learning.
Your gift helps us pass this mission along to each new generation of students at The Elisabeth Morrow School. Ways to Give: The Apple Tree Fund can accept gifts by check, American Express, MasterCard, Visa or appreciated securities. • To give online: www.elisabethmorrow.org and click “Giving.” • To make a gift of securities, please contact Penny Lippe in the development office at plippe@elisabethmorrow.org or 201.568.5566 x7222. Corporate matching gifts enable you to double, or even triple, your gift to EMS. Simply complete a matching gift form from your company’s human resources department and send it to EMS along with your gift.
The Apple Tree Fund
giving@elisabethmorrow.org www.elisabethmorrow.org/giving
The Elisabeth Morrow School 435 Lydecker Street Englewood, NJ 07631
calendar of events June 10................................................................Graduation June 13...................................Young Alumni Luncheon June 16 – 20............................................. Triple A Camp (String, Jazz, Theater, Sports and June Express) June 23 – August 8................Summer Explorations (Weekly Programs)
August 11 – 15.......................Summer String Festival
September 3.......First Day of Classes 2014–2015
We are proud to report that members of the Class of 2014 were admitted to the following secondary schools: Academies @ Englewood Academy of the Holy Angels Bergen County Academies Bergen County Technical Schools Bergen Catholic High School Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School Don Bosco Prep Dwight School Dwight-Englewood School Fordham Preparatory School Hackley School Horace Mann School Hun School of Princeton Masters School Marvelwood School Paramus Catholic High School Pennington School Ranney School Riverdale Country School Saint Joseph Regional High School Saint Peter’s Prep Scranton Preparatory School Spence School Trinity School Xavier High School