Bulletin Board | Spring 2012

bulletinboard S P RING 2012

THE WHOLE

PICTURE A LOOK AT THE ART PROGRAM

LOOK CLOSELY: C AT C H U P W I T H

AASHIYANA KOREISHI ’88

MEET OUR NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL

MEG K ELLER-COGAN

Fo r Alumni , Famili es, and Fr i ends o f Elmwo o d Franklin S chool

www.elmwo o df rankli n.o rg

Elmwood Franklin School is Western New York’s oldest pre-primary through eighth grade independent school, emphasizing high academic achievement, good study skills, and positive character development.

Elmwood Franklin accepts qualified students without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin. www.elmwoodfranklin.org

The Bulletin Board is published by the Development Office for alumni, families, and friends of Elmwood Franklin School.

E D I TO R / W R I T E R

Sally Jarzab D E S I G N A N D L AYO U T

Rebecca Murak D I R E C TO R O F D E V E L O P M E N T

Monique Watts

FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Please mail any address updates to: Elmwood Franklin School Development Department 104 New Amsterdam Avenue Buffalo, NY 14216 Call 716-877-5035 or e-mail development@elmwoodfranklin.org TO S U B M I T C L A S S N E W S

Visit www.elmwoodfranklin.org or e-mail news and photos to alumni@elmwoodfranklin.org

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Look Closely Aashiyana Koreishi ’88 (second from the right) is one of four siblings who attended Elmwood Franklin and all went on to become doctors. What’s her secret to success? It’s working hard and looking closely at what matters.

T E L L U S W H AT YO U T H I N K

Please e-mail opinions, editorials, and letters to the editor to sjarzab@elmwoodfranklin.org.

Letters must contain sender’s name and contact information for verification.

This magazine is printed on Rolland Enviro100 Print paper, ma de from 100 percent post-consumer fiber, using renewable biogas energy.

By choosing this paper, Elmwood Franklin has reduced the ecological impact of this publication by 20,392 gallons of water, 2160 lbs. of solid waste, 4742 lbs. of air emissions, and 32 trees.

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Elmwood Franklin Welcomes a New Head

At Issue: Staying Put

Get to know Meg KellerCogan, Elmwood Franklin’s next head of school.

A new study reconfirms the advantages of the K-8 model.

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Roughing It Come along and learn as the fourth graders visit Diamond Cutters of WNY, where pieces of diamond rough were transformed into glittering gemstones right before their eyes.

bulletinboard SP R IN G 2012

2011/2012 BOARD OF TRUSTEES President Elizabeth Maloney ’70 Vice President Matthew Enstice Secretary Paula Ciprich Treasurer Michael Hogan

George Bellows Kenneth Drake Cutler Greene ’88 Anthony Habib ’87 Barry Heneghan Ludvik Karl Leslie Kellogg Donna Muscarella Wayne Robinson Trini Ross Scott Saperston ’86 Adnan Siddiqui Michele Trolli

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2011/2012 ALUMNI COUNCIL

The Whole Picture

President Tricia Barrett ’92

When it comes to art, there’s something to be said for staying inside the lines. But it’s important to see the possibilities that lie outside of them.

Amy Decillis Bard ’86 Gitti Barrell ’71 Kristin Schoellkopf Borowiak ’82

Departments 4

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Spotted on Campus See which alumni were seen recently on campus.

President-Elect Shana Siegel ’90

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Class Notes Catch up with the latest news from our Alumni.

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From the Head of School Tony Featherston

Jennifer Prince Bronstein ’74 Rob Drake ’96 Jessica Jacobs Enstice ’89 Elizabeth Jacobs ’96 Jordan Jayson ’90 Susan Penney Kimball ’69

Faculty Profile Art teacher Amy Hartman

Just for Fun EFS kids say the funniest things!

Susie Lenahan Kimberly ’64 Madeline Ambrus Lillie ’64 Elizabeth Duryea Maloney ’70 Matt Mariconda ’92 Samantha Friedman Olsen ’00

Who Was There A look at this year’s alumni events

Names in the News Day to Day From Development

Eric Saldanha ’85 Mary Franklin Saperston ’60 Ben Sorgi ’04

HEAD FROM THE

TONY FEATHERSTON

I

t’s difficult to read anything on education and what our children should be learning without seeing the phrase 21st century skills. Indeed, we at Elmwood Franklin School have embraced this notion in our recent advertising messages with the tagline Give Your Child 2020 Vision. But what does all this talk of the future mean in classrooms today? Clearly, we’re going for a novel connotation here by invoking 2020 vision not as the measure of excellent eye sight but in reference to the things our youngest students will need to know in the coming years.

Predicting the future can be difficult business, however. Here at EFS, less than two years ago, we developed a comprehensive technology plan that looked at our technology infrastructure, communication, education program, hardware, software—the whole gamut. Nowhere did it mention the word iPad. Now we have nearly 200 of the devices in school and they’re changing the way we teach and learn.

With a mission that speaks to preparing children for success in life, EFS has a responsibility to today’s students and tomorrow’s to keep fresh and looking to the leading edge. So what exactly are these 21st century skills we should be focusing on? Pat Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools, of

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which EFS is a member, calls his list “The Five Cs + One”: • Collaboration • Creativity • Critical Thinking • Communication • Character • Cosmopolitanism (he also refers to this as cross-cultural competency).

While these may seem hard to argue with, of course there are skeptics. Chester Finn of the Hoover Institution at Stanford says, “21st century skills are beginning to be an object of mirth and mockery in respectable circles.” He believes that schools can’t teach higher order thinking skills and core content, asking, “Do you emphasize media skills or the causes of the Civil War? Creativity or multiplication tables? Interpersonal sensitivity or grammatically correct sentences? Utilitarian workplace skills or knowledgeable appreciation of Michelangelo, Mozart, and Dickens?”

So where does that leave EFS in 2012? It seems safe to say that teaching and learning will change and must. In a recent piece in The New York Times, former Harvard University president and former Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers wrote that he

E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

While the terminology may change, EFS will, in many respects, do what it’s always done: teach kids to do stuff so they can do more stuff later.

Not the flashiest advertising slogan, perhaps, but it’s true.

hoped and predicted that education would change more in the next quarter century than it has in the last three. Teachers will no longer be the “sage on the stage,” holding all the knowledge and deciding what to allow their students to know. They must act as facilitators, helping students develop the tools to use what they learn and to put content into context.

While the terminology may change, EFS will, in many respects, do what it’s always done: teach kids to do stuff so they can do more stuff later. Not the flashiest advertising slogan, perhaps, but it’s true. As a pre-K to eighth grade school our task is as simple as it is crucial, and what we value at EFS is very much in line with what are being called 21st century skills. Here’s what 21st Century Skills look like at EFS: • We value hard work, integrity, and perseverance in all areas of our students’ lives.

• EFS students exercise their creativity muscles. All four-yearolds believe themselves creative. Most adults do not. Our job is to not un-teach creativity and to help our students see creative solutions to challenges in school and out.

• We embrace and use our students’ innate curiosity to learn about the world around us in the study of history, science, and foreign languages.

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• Our students understand, through service to others, that they can have a tremendous impact on their community and the greater world.

• EFS places a premium on written and oral communication across the curriculum—we want students who can speak their mind and argue their points persuasively and respectfully, who can be comfortable working in a small group, speaking in front of their class or the entire school, and who are not afraid to be on stage.

• We very deliberately maintain a community of caring where each child has a voice and where we are enriched by the relationships we develop between and among students, teachers, and parents.

Notice there was no mention of iPads or recorders or Bunsen burners or Shakespeare. Those are simply the tools our teachers use to prepare our students to be lifelong learners and to eventually find their own paths. The tools will change over time, as will the ideology and buzz words, but the values are exactly what they were when the Elmwood School was founded 117 years ago, and I believe those values will continue to serve as a reliable guide for Elmwood Franklin School for the next 117 years.

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NEW HEAD ELMWOOD FRANKLIN WELCOMES A

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Margaret Keller-Cogan as Elmwood Franklin’s next Head of School, effective July 2012.

Meg’s beliefs are closely in line with the mission of our school, and the Board of Trustees is confident that she will be able to provide both the vision and the leadership needed to build upon the school’s many strengths and position Elmwood Franklin for long-term growth and continued academic excellence.

On behalf of the Board and our entire school community, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who participated in the search for our new Head, especially the dedicated members of our Search Committee, our tireless Search Chairs Michele Trolli and Robin Sadler and finally M&T Bank and Delaware North, without whose generous support we would not have been able to accomplish this task.

The Board of Trustees has welcoming Meg Keller-Cogan into our community with a series of formal and informal gatherings over the past few months. In July we will welcome her to Elmwood Franklin as our next Head of School, and look forward to the exciting opportunities that await our students, our faculty and our school community under her leadership.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth D. Maloney President, Board of Trustees

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

ABOUT

FROM THE

Margaret “Meg” Keller-Cogan comes to Elmwood

I entered the education profession because of two loves–children and learning. This opportunity will bring me closer to those passions and allow me to find ways to apply them in my daily work with the students, staff, parents and larger Buffalo community.

Dr. Margaret Keller-Cogan Franklin with more than 34 years of experience working in the field of pre-K–12 education. Since 2006, Meg has been Superintendent of Schools in the Clarkstown Central School District in New

Head-Elect

City, New York, a district known for highly competitive, high achieving students. In this position, she supported the development and initiation of the elementary component of the International Baccalaureate program, supervised the creation of a comprehensive professional development program for all employees, and created the Clarkstown Educational Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to raising funds to enhance the district’s programs.

Meg began her teaching career in 1977 as a special education teacher in Fairport, New York. Between 1989 and 1999, Meg served as Assistant Superintendent in

My husband Clark and I stayed in upstate New York to raise our family due to our love of the area, belief in the family-friendly culture of Western New York and a strong desire to remain in close physical proximity to our family and friends. In moving to Buffalo, I will be able to marry those cherished elements of a quality life with my professional goals and values.

both the Fairport Central School District and the East Irondequoit Central School District. In these positions her responsibilities included curriculum, instruction and staff development for the K–12 program. From 1999 to 2006, Meg served in the Greece Central School District in Rochester, New York, where she held the positions of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Deputy Superintendent for Student Learning and Accountability, and Superintendent.

A life-long learner, Meg received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, and a master’s in education with N–6 certification from Nazareth College of Rochester. She earned a doctorate of education in curriculum at the University of Rochester. Since 2001, she has served

I am so very grateful for the attention to detail, thoughtful interactions, and commitment to excellence I have seen continuously displayed by the Search Committee, the Board of Trustees, parents and staff. While I have found personal and professional fulfillment in each position I have held in education, I consider the privilege of being able to be the next Head of School at Elmwood Franklin a highlight of my career.

on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of Rochester, as well as numerous other advisory boards and educational committees. She has been a presenter at several national conferences, with a specific focus on educational assessment.

Meg impressed the Board and the Search Committee with her strong leadership capabilities and her obvious passion for education. They were also excited by her demonstrated ability to increase program quality and improve student outcomes while at the same time reducing spending.

Meg and her husband Clark Cogan have two children, a daughter Kelli, who lives

I have been and will continue to work with the Board of Trustees and Tony Featherston to ensure as smooth and successful a transition as possible. I am truly appreciative of the opportunity to become the newest member of the Elmwood Franklin family, and look forward to getting to know each of you in the months ahead.

Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,

and works in Rome, Georgia, and a son Rhian, who is a student at Rochester Institute of Technology. Meg and her family are looking forward to moving to Buffalo this summer and we are equally excited to welcome them into our community.

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Meg Keller-Cogan

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

STAYING PUT AT ISSUE:

A new study reconfirms the advantages of the K-8 model

A new study reveals a sharp drop in math and language arts achievement among students who move from fifth grade into dedicated middle schools that sets affected students back well into high school. In addition to the achievement lag, the switch to middle school was also shown to increase student absenteeism and even contribute to drop-out rates.

The study, entitled “The Impact of Alternative Grade Configurations on Student Outcomes through Middle and High School” and associated with Harvard University, was conducted to fill in “empirical gaps” of previous studies that suggest that the switch to middle school has immediate detrimental effects on student achievement. The new findings not only confirm that premise, they demonstrate that the achievement lags are not simply one time, temporary setbacks. Rather, they can still be seen throughout high school, bringing about lower math and language arts scores, contributing to absences, and jeopardizing graduation and college enrollment. While the transition into high school at ninth grade also causes an achievement drop, the study shows that those downswings are much less severe and do not alter students’ overall performance trajectories. “Taken as a whole,” the study concludes, “these results suggest that structural school transitions lower student achievement but that middle schools in particular have adverse consequences.”

switch—with its correspondence to the onset of puberty—is seen as a factor by some educators. “You’re looking at students making a transition during a time when tremendous physical, cognitive, and emotional transitions are going on at the same time,” Patti Kinney, with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, told Education Week. “There’s a wide variety of maturation among different children at that level.”

Historically, the vast majority of schools in the United States were configured as K-8 primary schools followed by 9-12 secondary schools. The trend toward junior high schools, comprising grades 7-9 or 7-8, emerged in the early and mid-20th century as a way to accommodate rapidly increasing enrollments and to prepare adolescent students for the academic rigors of high school while still keeping them separated from older students. The middle school model, comprising grades 6-8 or 5-8, didn’t come about until the late 1960s, when it suddenly “took over” American public school districts. “Although a definitive explanation for this change is lacking,” notes the study, “it does not appear to have been driven by parental demand: Fewer than five percent of American private school students in grades 6 and 7 attend separate middle or junior high schools.”

The full study can be found online at www.edweek.org/media/ gradeconfiguration-13structure.pdf

While the study does not speculate on the specific causes behind the lag, the timing of the middle school

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Aashiyana Koreishi ’88 is one of four

siblings who attended Elmwood Franklin and all went on to become doctors. What’s

her secret to success? It’s working hard and

looking closely at what matters.

LOOK

closely

A person’s vocation does not need to be glamorous to be rewarding, or for that matter, profoundly important.

“I wish I could say that my typical work day is like an episode of CSI, but it’s not,” admits Aashiyana Koreishi, a general surgical pathologist with a subspecialty in hematopathology. “I spend most of my day looking at glass slides of patient specimens under the microscope.”

As a pathologist, inquiry is a main part of her job. Aashiyana’s role casts her as both a consultant physician, assisting in patient diagnosis, and a kind of “super sleuth,” using the tools of laboratory science to examine and detect. That means she clocks a lot of time gazing at things like blood smears and tissue samples. A closer look at her work, however, shows how much to it there really is—exacting science, life-saving medicine, intriguing mystery, inspiring beauty. When you look at things under a microscope, literally or figuratively, new insights appear. “I absolutely enjoy what I do day to day,” says Aashiyana. “Of course, there are tougher days than others, but overall, work for me is fun. Part of that satisfaction with work comes from knowing I am making a difference and helping others. Part of the fun comes from working with amazing individuals. And in the end, for me, what I see under the microscope is beautiful—truly a form of art.”

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

The siblings gathered for Anjum’s med school graduation party last May. “Family is the roots of a tree; my stability, support, and lifeline,” says Aashiyana. “My siblings are not only my family but also my closest friends.” From left to right, Safina ’93, Anjum ’97, Aashiyana ’88, Aaleya ’88.

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Alumni Profile

“Recently we all got together for an amazing family reunion in Maui. It was great to relax, swim, and snorkel with the family, including our parents, spouses, and Aeleya’s three-year-old twin girls, Nylah and Noora.”

Looking closely is somewhat of a life strategy for Aashiyana. Prior to her current role as a pathologist at the Puget Sound Institute of Pathology in the Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area, she started her professional life as a science teacher and then decided to enroll in medical school after more reflection.

Even then, choosing her path required a lot of scrutiny. “During medical school I always thought I would choose pediatrics or child psychiatry because of my love for working with children.

But in the end, I was drawn to the art and science of pathology,” she says.

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Aashiyana says that she has always had a passion for helping others. Knowing that what she does makes a difference in someone’s life is invaluable to her. It’s a sentiment shared by her three siblings, all of whom are also doctors, though, as she notes, they are different types of doctors, “which is a testament to our different personalities.” (Aaleya ’88 is an ophthalmologist, Safina ’93 is a family doctor, and Anjum ’97 will be an ophthalmologist.) The underlying traits that do bind them were instilled by their parents. “Our parents have been our driving force,” says Aashiyana.

We grew up watching them work hard, learning from their work ethic, their desire to help people and make the world better. We were not forced to become doctors, but always encouraged to pursue education. I think we all ended up becoming doctors because of our desire to help people, and our love for learning.”

That love of learning is a critical attribute for Aashiyana, who has undergone a lot of education over the years: she graduated from SUNY Upstate Medical University and

E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

Alumni Profile

“Family provides a constant source of love, support, and calming,” says Aashiyana. “We would never be where we are today without the dedication of our parents.”

completed her pathology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, her hematopathology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and her surgical pathology fellowship at University of Washington Medical Center. But she credits Elmwood Franklin as the place where it all started. “Of all my schooling, Elmwood Franklin laid the most important foundation. I learned how to learn, and to think critically. I still think back to what I learned in seventh grade English class. The reason why I could write research papers in high school

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Left to right: Faruk Koreishi, Anjum, Safina, Aziza Karimi, Aaleya, Aashiyana.

and college was because of learning how to do it at EFS.” Looking at her own experience, Aashiyana offers this advice to current Elmwood Franklin students: “Follow your heart; believe in yourself and the future.

Education is the foundation for the rest of your life. Even though it may seem difficult and pointless at times, in the grand scheme of things, the lessons you are learning every day will guide you for the rest of your life. Work hard, because you are worth it, and you will go far.

And have fun. Life is an adventure. It is

filled with beauty, sadness, love, and lessons. Learn from everyone around you. Enjoy the moment, because it goes fast.” And, she might add, look closely.

Read more life lessons shared by our alumni and share your own online at www.elmwoodfranklin.org.

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THE WHOLE

When it comes to art, there’s something to be said for staying inside the lines. But it’s important to see the possibilities that lie outside of them.

pıcture

Most people remember their elementary art class as a series of poster paints and pinch pots. Today’s EFS students, however, will remember something else: the stop-animation film they made, the font they designed, their first gallery showing, a critical discussion they facilitated as a museum tour guide. That’s because art teacher Amy Hartman understands that art is more than just making pretty pictures on paper—it’s learning history, asking questions, appreciating forms, exploring media, finding new approaches, using technology, and connecting to the larger community that is the art world.

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

“My goal as a teacher is to give the students a foundational knowledge base,” says Amy, who teaches art to all EFS students from Prep I to eighth grade. “And my hope is, by doing that, I’m able to plant a seed that will grow into something useful or inspiring or rewarding.” The point of art education, then, is not to make an artist out of every kid, but to give each student a solid understanding and appreciation of what art is and what it can do.

Amy’s approach is one of broad diversification. She mixes art history with art making; she combines traditional media with new technologies; she ties in related fields, such as graphic design and architecture.

For example, eighth graders did biographical research on a famous artist and presented their results not as a paper but in the form of a graphic novel. Third graders used an animation app to bring their still pictures to life.

Sixth grade students used Google Sketch Up to propose hypothetical additions to the school building where the “brown house” used to be, and fourth graders constructed architectural clay tiles, merging an original design of their own with elements of a famous work of architecture. Amy figures that the more things that kids can experience, the better the chances that they find something that inspires them.

“This is the time they can try a little of everything,” she says. “And you never know what’s going to stick.”

Even in her own artistic endeavors, Amy cuts a wide swath: she makes pottery, creates mixed-media collage, crafts jewelry, designs storefront displays for local boutiques, even dabbles in fashion

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design. Her 2010 contribution to Buffalo’s wildly popular “Mass Appeal” fashion show—an origami-style dress constructed of thousands of folded book pages—took first place in the “wearable art” category. This past year, in partnership with sponsor Can-Can Candy, she made a dress out of gumballs. (Now that’s a work of art that a kid could relate to!)

As an artist herself, Amy sees teaching as a way to be creative all day long.

“Every day is its own creative venture, from planning lessons, to trying projects, to problem-solving along the way,” she says. She has a stock of favorite activities that she draws from and starts the year with an outline of plans, but she’s not afraid to tweak it as things progress. “Teaching is a process of constant self-reflection,” Amy comments, rather reflectively. She recognizes the need to stay current and gets ideas for new activities from a myriad of sources: books, magazines, websites, blogs, conferences, and, of course, other artists.

The work of Dinh Q. Lê, and his show at the UB Anderson Gallery, inspired an impressive piece created this year by eighth graders: a sculpture/chandelier made from plastic water bottles collected from the fall’s Blue-Gray picnic. Tied together with colorful bindings and lit with white bulbs, this recycled trash becomes something different, something useful, something beautiful. What else in our world might be that way? What else might be changed or created with a little effort and a little imagination? With a strong foundation in art, Elmwood Franklin kids are prepared to find out.

The Art of Asking

Questions Since the fall, EFS seventh graders have been studying to be junior docents at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. In this pilot program, the students underwent four training sessions that informed them of the museum’s mission, history, and collections, as well as how to research, interpret and lead discourse about works of art.

In December, they tested out their tour-guide skills on the second graders, leading their younger schoolmates around in small groups, sharing pertinent background information, and facilitating discussion.

“Does this remind you of anything?” a student docent asked about a mixed media sculpture. “A cloud skiing down from the sky,” replied a second grader. Another group stopped to peruse a piece entitled “Tasteful” by artist Morgan Meheran, a sculpture depicting a sloppy little gremlin-like creature enjoying a colorful lollipop. “Why do you think she painted it orange?” a student docent asked. The kids were quick to offer answers. “He’s orange like a Cheeto!” observed one. “The lollipop he’s eating is also orange,” another student pointed out. “So maybe it’s saying you are what you eat.”

All through the gallery, kids led other kids in easy, open discussion, asking what? why? how? and getting thoughtful, insightful responses about color, shape, subject, material, and placement. Afterward, gallery staff debriefed the kids on how these first tours went. “I was afraid the second graders wouldn’t cooperate, but I was wrong,” said one student docent. “They actually had some different ideas that we hadn’t thought of, so it opened us up to new thoughts.” And whether you’re a guide or a viewer, that’s what a good gallery visit is all about.

Watch video of our seventh grade docents in action at facebook.com/ elmwoodfranklin.

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OUTSIDE TAKING ART

THE CL ASSROOM

As wonderful as Elmwood Franklin’s art studio is (and it is pretty wonderful, with large work tables, sky lights, stateof-the-art technology, abundant supplies, even a kiln) it’s good to leave it behind now and then so that students can see—and take part in—the wider world of art. Following are a few ways they are doing just that.

Field trips: Visits to local galleries underscore the concept that art is a vital part of a community—and that art takes many forms. Eighth graders, for example, went in December to UB Anderson Gallery to view the “Cravens World” exhibit of hundreds of archaeological and ethnographic objects dating as far back as 4,500 BC. Art Alive: Albright Knox’s annual “living tableau” event is a fun way for kids to learn about famous works. In 2010, a bevy of Prep students were cast as Monet’s iconic water lilies, positioned gracefully, with big blossoms atop their heads, against a watercolor background of blues and greens. This year, Amy presented another creative contribution—a recreation of Joan Miro’s “Carnival of Harlequin.”

Gallery shows: Displaying student artwork around the school is always nice. Displaying student artwork in an actual gallery is even better! EFS students had a school-wide exhibition of their work at the Albright Knox in 2009, and this past October participated in “A World of Pure Imagination,” a combined show of student artwork alongside works of popular local artists at Gallery 1716 in Buffalo. Prior to the show, four of the artists came into the classroom to work directly with students.

Online viewing: Let’s face it—fridge space is limited, and so is its audience. This year, EFS started using the services of Artsonia, a website that not only showcases student artwork but also prints it, on a variety of custom-made items such as notecards, mugs, and t-shirts. Artsonia then donates 15 percent of the purchase back to the school. Search “Elmwood Franklin School” at www.artsonia.com.

Docent program: In a project that Amy Hartman calls the highlight of her teaching career, seventh grade students worked with the Burchfield Penney Art Center to train as docents, leading tours of the gallery and facilitating discussion of the works.

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A PORTRAIT OF

the artist A S

Amy Hartman, art teacher grades 1-8

Birthplace: East Aurora Education: BS, MS in art education from Buffalo State College Years at EFS: 14 Why teaching? “I have always enjoyed learning, especially new art techniques and art history,” says Amy. “Teaching allows me to continue to create, explore new ideas and share an artful life with my students.”

What she enjoys most about her job: “I love seeing my students immersed in the thrill of making art. I also love a great class discussion.

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A

T E A C H E R

Facilitating conversations about art is very rewarding.”

What challenges her: “The most challenging aspect of the job is time management, and keeping a large number of ideas, projects, and media organized.”

What impresses her about her students: “I am most impressed by the passion and enjoyment for art history and museums many students have— and the often wonderful insights they have about works of art.”

If Amy wasn't a teacher, she’d probably be: a designer Favorite artists: Alexander Calder,

Joseph Cornell, Sonia Delauney, Mathew Ritchie and Margaret Kilgallen.

A recent highlight was seeing the recent exhibit of Sonia Delauney work at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City.

A few things you may not know about Amy: It may not surprise you to hear that Amy teaches weekend art classes for children at the Albright Knox, but it might surprise you that her first job was working in a public library—and she loved it. A snowboarder for more than 20 years, she’s also a recent yoga devotee. “I am looking forward to a lifelong practice.”

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Learning Along

A craftsman demonstrates the process by which rough stone is made brilliant and beautiful.

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ROUGHING L E AR NING AL O NG

Learning Along

it

Come along and learn as the fourth graders visit Diamond Cutters of WNY, where pieces of diamond rough were transformed into glittering gemstones right before their eyes.

Only diamond can cut diamond—actually, diamond and people like Bill Warthling. He’s the owner of Diamond Cutters of WNY, a graduated gemologist, and a professional diamond cutter.

“It’s sort of like a secret society,” Warthling explained to the fourth graders who visited the Diamond Cutters facilities in December as part of their study of rocks and minerals. With only one diamond cutting school in the world—and only twenty students accepted into it each year—it’s definitely a highly specialized trade.

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Learning Along

In fact, it’s more than a trade; it’s an art and a science.

Diamond rough, after all, is just that: rough, and not all that pretty. To reveal its inner brilliance, a four-step process is followed. It starts with “cleaving,” separating a larger chunk of diamond rough into separate pieces.

Those pieces are then analyzed and evaluated to determine their optimal cut. During the bruting phrase, two pieces are set onto spinning axles turning in opposite directions, which are then set to grind against each other to shape each diamond into a round shape. The final step, polishing, is more than what the name suggests: it’s when the facets are cut into the stone at carefully calculated angles, creating all the specular highlights, that “sparkle,” we associate with finished diamonds.

The students watched as computer-programmed machines whirred away shaping the stones and as experienced staff cut the facets using diamond dust and oil. It’s a slow, painstaking process, taking forty hours to finish a single 1-carat diamond. And if something goes wrong, it’s an expensive slip-up.

“There’s no room for mistakes when you’re a diamond cutter,” warned Warthling.

In the attached showroom, students viewed the results of all this meticulous work—glittering rings, bracelets, and necklaces, as well as loose diamonds of all sizes and colors. The kids got to see and hold a replica of the biggest diamond in the world, a 100-carat stone worth a cool $50 million. (The fake, on the other hand, is worth about $49,999,000 less.) And they each received a black velvet pouch to take home with their own little gemstone inside. One boy wondered what such a treasure might be worth. “Probably not a million dollars,” said his classmate. “But I would guess at least a thousand.”

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

Learning Along

A GEM OF A

BUILDING

As part of their field trip, students also got a lesson in Buffalo architecture, with a tour of the Ellicott Square Building, where Diamond Cutters is located. According to one source, at the time of its construction in 1896, it constituted the world’s largest office structure, as well as one of Buffalo’s most extravagant.

Their “insider’s tour” took the students not only through the building’s great rectangular central court, finished in ornate Italian marble with a mosaic floor and glass roof, but also up to the roof and down to the basement, where they saw the huge vaults that were used by the bankers who once occupied the entire second floor.

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Are you a part of this picture?

As an Annual Fund donor, you are a part of everything at Elmwood Franklin School, from the little details to the big picture.

And the big picture is this: generations of students leave Elmwood Franklin prepared for success and go on to make something inspiring out of their lives, their community, their world.

Please be a part of this picture by making your Annual Fund gift today. Visit www.elmwoodfranklin.org/giving.

Just For Fun

Sometimes they’re funny because they make no sense at all; other times they’re funny because they make more sense than you’d expect. Whichever the case, kids’ comments often make us smile. Here’s a collection of notable quotations gathered by our teachers this year.

EFS KIDS SAY THE

funniest things!

"When did you get promoted?"

—a second grade student, to his teacher who had recently become engaged

“Whoever’s not here, say ‘I’.”

—a fourth grader, trying to help with roll call on a field trip

"It's kind of like Communism, but worse, because it's not even supposed to work well."

“Macaroons.”

—an eighth grade student, defining dictatorship

—a third grade student’s written response to the question: What did Native Americans wear on their feet?

“The only thing I don’t like about trick-ortreating is that there’s no cheeseburgers.”

"If you make up your own language, you can say any bad word you want."

—a Prep II student, on what’s lacking in Halloween hand-outs

“I don’t need a name tag. Everyone knows me!”

—a sociable fourth grade student, at the fall family picnic

—a fifth grade student, finding a loophole

“Gene Autrey. And I just love that Louis Armstrong.”

—a first grader, when asked about his favorite songs

“Drink a cup of warm milk mixed with a stick of butter.”

—a fourth grade student, giving advice on how to soothe a sore throat

"I like having my baby teeth because they are smaller and I get to chew a lot more."

—Prep II student, on the benefits of being little

“But every time I read something, you tell me it’s outstanding.”

—a tearful Prep II student, inquiring to her teacher why she wasn’t on the list of children with “outstanding books” from the library

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“Just go with it. I’m only 12.”

—a seventh grade student, defending an incorrect answer to his teacher

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THERE WHO WAS Alumni

An Evening on the moondanceCat • August 2011

Standing from left to right: Jourdan Green ’09, Tom Ryan, Kayla Brannen ’09, Tony Featherston, Ben Sorgi ’04, Mickey Harmon, Sally Jarzab, Monique Watts, Stephen Brash, Caitlin DeTine ’98, Blair Woods, Shana Siegel ’90, Frank Wilton, Danielle Piver, Annette Wilton ’48, Joan Kahle Smith ’43, Sarah Mitchell Duddy ’90, Jerry Clauss '43; Seated from left to right: Wendy Ryan, Kathleen McIntyre, Helen Roy, Anthony Duddy, Leslie Vathy, Steve Vathy, Liz Duryea Maloney ’70, and Georgia Johnson Pooley ’43

Jourdan Green ’09 and Kayla Brannen ’09

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Board president Liz Duryea Maloney ’70 chats with Georgia Johnson Pooley ’43 and Joan Kahle Smith ’43.

Frank and Annette ’48 Wilton

E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

Alumni

Blue-Gray in the City • New York City Regional Alumni Gathering • January 2012

Head of School Tony Featherston meets alumna Kitty Fryer ’75

Adrian Burke ’89, Brigid Hughes ’86, and former Spanish teacher Wendy Rose Sanchez

Buffalo Independent School Alumni Happy Hour • New York City • February 2012

Sarah Marlette ’99 (right)

From left to right, Joan Duncan Oliver ’58, Lori Decillis Tiedje ’91, Gina Wettlaufer ’94, Talley Wettlaufer ’91, and Head of School Tony Featherston

Sisters Gina Wettlaufer ’94, Jennifer Wettlaufer Sednaoui ’75, and Talley Wettlaufer ’91

Sam Walsh ’01 and Ben Walsh ’03

From left to right, Josh Heims ’90, Jordan Jayson ’90 and Jillian look on as Dan Heims ’91 takes a swing.

Alumni council members Jordan Jayson ’90 and Dan Heims ’91 stop to say hello.

Blue-Gray Hit the Green • May 2012

Head of School Tony Featherston cooling off between swings

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1

2

1

Former Head of Lower School Susie Green ’62 was presented with the Margaret G. Swift Service Award.

Head of Lower School Sarah Duddy ’90 gathered some students up for a story in the library.

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4

Erin Edson ’05 helped out on Grandparents Day in Prep.

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Nick Edson ’02 shared a story with Prep students in his mom’s class.

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Spotted O N C AM P US 5

Jan ua ry

De cem be r

No vem be r

Oc tob er

Alumni

Whitney McDonnell ’85 and a few of her students from School #18 visited with fourth graders.

7

Melissa Jacobs ’08, Ivey Spier ’08, and Sukie Cleary ’08 returned for a quick visit.

Lachlan Kellogg ’08 dropped by after school.

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y Ma

Ap ril

Ma rch

Fe bru ary

Alumni

Ned Mathias ’11, pictured here with his dad and Head of School Tony Featherston, visited the school.

Josh DiNardo ’04 dropped in to see favorite former teacher Maureen Jacobi.

Sarah Obletz ’10 and Amber Chinn ’10 were all smiles when they visited in February.

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Jennifer Dref ’03 checked in with Annette Kellogg.

Ethan Notarius ’04 caught up with EFS gym teacher Pete Johnson.

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10

Rachel Piazza ’10, Emily Kuettel ’11 and Madison Frank ’11 lent a hand selling raffle tickets at the auction.

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Nicole Casacci ’08 enjoyed a visit with Shellonnee Chinn and Annette Kellogg.

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NEWS N AM E S in the

EFS participants in the 2012 All-County Music Festival were as follows: Junior High North All-County Orchestra: Lindsay Acker, snare drum. Junior High North All-County SSA Chorus: Kimber-Lee Iacona and Catherine Lauria. Junior High North All-County Band: Emma Catipovic, French horn; Amit Gulati, clarinet; and Alex Lahood, clarinet.

Elementary chorus: Lucia Schmid, Tibor Setteducati, and Hayley Bologh.

Buffalo City league, the team finished second with an 8-3 record and qualified for the Diocesan playoffs. The team finished second in the Canisius High School Tip-Off tournament and second in the St. Mary's Lancaster High school tournament, and claimed an amazing overall season record of 22-6. The seventh/eighth grade girls team finished second in the Northtowns Division 3 league with a 10-3 record, qualifying for the Diocesan playoffs. The sixth grade boys team won the consolation game in the Father Schauss Saturday league. The fifth/sixth grade girls had two teams: the Blue team finished 10-1 and the White team finished 6-5. The fourth grade boys won the consolation game in the Father Schaus Saturday League, and the fourth grade girls went undefeated 9-0 in the Holy Hoopsters league.

The EFS team in the St. Joe’s Math Contest, comprised of seventh graders Maya Nigrin, Justin Piazza, Joe Frank, Michael Nercessian, and Kevin Frank, took second place honors in its division. Additionally, Joe was the grand prize winner with the highest score in the contest, Maya was second, and Michael received honorable mention.

Anya Acharya, grade four, and Andreea Merzianu, grade one, won first and second place respectively in their divisions in the 2012 SPCA poster contest.

Eighth grader Adelaide Clauss earned the highest score in WNY and second highest nationally in the advanced level 1 category of the National French Contest, missing only one question on an exam taken mostly by high school students.

Jillian Gately, Tomas Waz, and Peter Najdzionek also earned top 10 rankings in the region and nationally.

Eighth graders Lindsay Acker and Lauren Hotung earned silver medals in the National Spanish Exam. Harleigh Awner and Amit Gulati were awarded bronze medals; Julia Badgley, Ariana Bridges, Joelle Cianciosa, Lucy Featherston, and Frankie Jones received honorable mention.

The EFS Eagles basketball teams had an amazing season all around. The eighth grade boys team, which played in two leagues, ended 9-0 in the Father Schaus league and won the playoff championship game vs. St. Greg's. In the North

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Heads for a Day: Enterprising students Alex Lahood (grade eight) and Victoria Keane (grade three) each served as Head for a Day this year, assisting Mr. Featherston with his busy day by handling such pressing matters as deciding the dress code (silly hats, of course), choosing the lunch menu, and assisting with morning handshakes.

E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

DAY DAY T O

Take a look at what our students have been up to around the school, the neighborhood, and beyond.

S P R I N G 2012

A Royal Performance Sixth grader Maya Simmons entertains the medieval masses with her juggling skills at Medieval Night in January.

Picture This Having, illustrated, and published their own storybooks, third graders shared their work with an eager audience: Prep I students, who were more than impressed with their efforts.

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Jumping Right In The new EFS Swim Club made quite a splash in its inaugural year led by EFS moms Valerie Zingapan and Donna Muscarella.

Big Change Third graders collected loose change for the Coins for Cancer program to benefit Roswell Park Cancer Center, raising a whopping $646.63.

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

Lacrosse Town The boys’ lacrosse team met up against Nardin, St. Greg’s, and the Buffalo Crush at a play day on the Canisius High School field in May, coming in second.

Motivation Matters Musician and motivational speaker Joseph Wooten spoke to Upper School students in March with a message promoting character development, selfesteem, self-respect, and personal growth.

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Alumni Profile

American Idle Third grade students enjoy the activities of Colonial Day so much that they don’t even seem to mind this old-fashioned method of discipline: signs that chastise wearers for their misdeeds (in this case, not paying attention—which we’re sure was just for effect!).

Valentine Surprise The Prep II teachers got a sweet surprise on February 14, when one of their adoring students arranged a serenade of love songs by a professional barbershop quartet.

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Elmwood Franklin Calling Eighth grade students made personal phone calls to alumni thanking them for their Annual Fund gifts and checking on their Blue-Gray affiliations for the BlueGray Challenge.

What’s a Henway?

Development director and chicken keeper Monique Watts brought in her flock in May to introduce to third graders as they studied chickens as part of their science curriculum.

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E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

F R O M

development GETTING TO KNOW YOU: DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT MONIQUE WATTS REFLECTS ON THE EFS EXPERIENCE

Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas—although she’s been a Buffalo resident for more than 20 years Education: BA from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville What led her to a career in development: “I volunteered at the Zoo when I moved to Buffalo and they gave me a job driving the Zoomobile. After that, I started doing fundraisers for the Zoo and realized that I liked doing events and helping to raise money for programs.”

Memorable professional accomplishments: “The amazing enthusiasm that came from the community during our Herd About Buffalo public art fundraising project for Roswell Park was something that I will never forget. Also breaking the million dollar fundraising goal for Ride for Roswell to benefit cancer research and patient care was something that I am very proud to have accomplished.”

Her impressions of EFS: “Getting to know all 242 families, 334 students, 58 faculty and staff members and 19 board members and as many alumni as possible has been wonderful.

It’s such a great feeling when the students greet me by name—‘Good morning, Ms. Watts!’

The amazing programs and enthusiastic educators here who take the time to build relationships with students as they move from Prep to Lower School to Upper School has so many advantages for students. This issue of the Bulletin

S P R I N G 2012

Board highlights just one of the EFS areas of expertise—a world-class arts program. From the gallery presentation of student art at the “World of Pure Imagination” show to the spring theater productions, it is easy to see the pride, selfconfidence, and talent being nurtured here. I’ve been a Beatles fan since I was five, so of course I did not miss the opportunity to sing along with the Prep and Lower School students as they belted out “Hey Jude” and other Fab Four songs that were chosen for their message of friendship and love to highlight the season of Thanksgiving. This departure from the usual musical fare of turkey songs was a fabulous example of how EFS goes beyond the obvious to stretch the minds of students (and the audience) in unique ways.

Seeing the strong support of the EFS community has rekindled my love for the world of fundraising. I am encouraged by the participation of current parents.

Every day, I am offered the chance to brainstorm a new fundraising avenue or discuss the merits of a particular avenue of EFS that could use more financial attention. You seek answers to your questions and those of other parents, both from EFS and otherwise. More importantly, you go back into the community and share the messages and provide positive feedback that helps our school be competitive in enrollment.”

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NOTES

Alumni

CLASS 1938

Barbara Strebel Conners resides in Wellington, Florida where she enjoys horse shows and polo in the winter and visits with her family. Barbara still travels to Africa and spends summers in Bay Beach.

1940 Wendy Wendt Warner writes in, “Hi, everyone. I’m still having fun with my family and friends, and I remain active in the art community.”

1963 Debby Clark writes in, “enjoying retirement!” Debby retired from Elmwood Franklin School last year after coaching and teaching physical education for 34 years!

1973 Christopher Gabrieli was the guest speaker for the Nichols School Commencement this June. Chris is a committed participant in the civic life of Boston and Massachusetts where he currently serves as Chairman of Massachusetts 2020 with the mission to expand the economic and educational opportunities for children families across Massachusetts.

1985 Cameron Baird reconnected with classmate Eric Saldanha in Buffalo over the winter holidays. Cameron currently lives in Timonium, Maryland.

1986 Mona Fetouh has spent the past two years working with International Rescue Committee in Bangkok, Thailand. She

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Artwork by Jennifer Dref ’03 Photo © Bruce Fox

works with local partners to provide health and education services to approximately 1 million refugees and migrants from Burma/Myanmar who live along the Thailand-Burma border.

1990 Gary Occhino led a mini-workshop on the driving range for attendees of the EFS Blue & Gray Hit the Green golf outing in May. Gary is a PGA of America member since 2002. He owns INDARE Golf and is a personal golf coach and national speaker. Learn more about Gary at www.garyocchinogolf.com.

1992 Marni Feuerstein Turell is currently a pediatrician on the east side of Cleveland. She writes in, “I have two beautiful children—Levis is 5 and Tali is almost 3. I would love to reconnect to old friends!”

1996 Bret Blakely is currently vice president of sales and marketing for OnCore Golf, which just released the world's first and only patented hollow-metal core golf ball, the Omen. Catch up with Bret and learn more about OnCore Golf online at www.oncoregolf.com.

Lindsay Campbell is a second-year resident at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

1999 In December 2010, Brian Benatovich opened Brian’s Dog House Grill in Huntersville, North Carolina just north of Charlotte. Brian is serving up charcoal-grilled Sahlen’s hot dogs just

like the ones here in Buffalo. Learn more about Brian and his restaurant at www.thedoghousegrill.com.

2002 Eric Lux took the title of co-champion in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) class of the American Le Mans Series in a race that went down to the fifth tiebreaker.

2003 Jennifer Dref graduated from Buffalo State College with a BFA in fiber design.

She has been accepted into the Miniature Textile Show in Slovakia for the third year in a row where her work will be on display for the next year.

Jennifer writes about her show submission (pictured above), “My piece this year is a major contrast of fibers and is on a very small scale. I feel it allows my viewers to get up close to it and notice the little simple lines I have created with the fibers. The major point I was trying to get across was that people in our world today don’t notice the little things in life and the beauty that come with them.” To learn more about Jennifer’s work, visit maneatingoctopus.wordpress.com.

Eliza Friedman graduated from the University of Rochester and is now attending the University of Buffalo Law School.

Amelia Kermis is a graduate of Cornell University and earned a scholarship to attend Drexel University School of Public Health where she is working on her master’s. Amelia is responsible for designing and

E L M WO O D F R A N K L I N S C H O O L

NOTES CLASS

implementing a hepatitis B screening program for the city of Philadelphia.

2004 Julia Friedman graduated this May from Union College. She interned at W Magazine in New York City last summer.

Rachael Kermis graduated from Cornell in December and was named one of the 20 most outstanding seniors. Rachael works in the Cornell Alumni Affairs and Development office.

2005 Erin Edson is a junior at SUNY Fredonia. She continues to thrive in the classroom as well as on the lacrosse field. She can be seen around Elmwood Franklin working with the Horizons afterschool program.

2008 James Blackwell shot a final round 3under 69 to win the Buffalo District Golf Association Men & Women's Tournament of Champions Invitational in May. James, last year's BDGA Junior Player of the Year, is headed to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana this fall.

Grace Clauss’ artwork, “Left Brained,” was featured in Calloused, an exhibition at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery which opened in May. Calloused features 53 works chosen from more than 720 submissions from throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario. It was organized through the Future Curators Teen Program at the Gallery.

Sukie Cleary received a 2012 Emedco Academic Excellence Award which

S P R I N G 2012

recognizes high school seniors from Erie, Niagara, and Genesee counties for their academic, athletic, and service achievements. She was among 90 students from 47 high schools honored at an awards ceremony in May. Sukie was also inducted into Buffalo Seminary’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society. She will attend Hobart and William Smith College in the fall.

Kaitlyn Henry, Hijab Khan, John Loree, Nick Osinski, Madeleine Schlehr and Ryan Tick were inducted into the Nichols’ chapter of the Cum Laude Society. The Cum Laude Society recognized students of exceptional scholarship and good character.

Hijab Khan and Enzo Benfanti were honored at the 32nd annual Scholastic Achievement Recognition Dinner sponsored by the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association. Hijab and Enzo were among the top three academic scholars from Nichols School and Clarence High School respectively.

82 area public, parochial and private high schools participate.

Taylor Gillespie spent six weeks this past summer assisting Members of the House of Representatives as a Page.

Pages are high school juniors with strong academic records who serve for a fall, spring, or summer appointment.

While serving the House, Pages live in Washington D.C., at the Page Residence Hall, a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol. Pages are selected by the Majority and Minority Leadership and sponsored by individual Members.

Alumni

2010

Caroline Hogan and John Bassett were awarded the 2012 Junior Achievement Award by the Buffalo Squash and Racquets Association. The award is presented annually to a junior player who has shown a strong commitment to squash competition both nationally and locally, has demonstrated sportsmanship and character on and off the court, and is a role model for all junior players.

David D’Agostino, now a sophomore at Canisius High School, has been chosen to represent his school at the 2012 Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, a three-day seminar to be held at the University of Rochester this June.

Jordan Tick won gold in the Senior Lecture Demonstration division of the 70th Annual WNY Science Congress.

Jordan is a sophomore at City Honors and is a member of the CHS Science Research Project at HauptmanWoodward in the lab of Dr. William Duax.

2011 Maureen Edwards, a sophomore at Notre Dame High School, won the “Stars of Tomorrow” award sponsored by the Rochester Broadway Theatre League in May. She will be heading to New York City this summer for the national competition where two grandprize winners will be selected by a panel of experts following five days of musical theater rehearsals, master classes, private coaching and interviews with theater professionals.

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a person | a purpose | a plan | a gift | a result | a legacy

a person: Lin Blakely

How long she’s been affiliated with EFS: 27 years Her roles through the years: EFS parent, grandparent, volunteer, donor Her idea of a perfect day: “One in which I’ve been able to help someone, one in which I’ve learned something new, and where I’ve been able to spend time with the people I love. A perfect day is one which ends with a feeling of satisfaction for a day well-lived.”

Three things she values most in life: family, good health, education What she sees as special about EFS: “All the personalized attention–the morning and evening handshakes with students, the way teachers work so hard to accommodate the needs of each child, and the support made available to parents from both teachers and staff members.”

Her hope for her planned gift: “We hope that this gift will reflect our love for EFS and our appreciation for the contributions the teachers, staff, and school have made to our family members over the years.”

In this series on planned giving, we’ll be looking at six basic elements of this important, and often overlooked, opportunity to support the things you care about most. Although planned giving is sometimes thought of as a dry, technical topic, when you look at each of its component parts, it’s clearly anything but. Can we inspire you to think more about planned giving—and to see it in a different light?

PLANNED GIVING AT

ELMWOOD FRANKLIN Planned giving, no matter what its end form, always starts with the same thing: a person. A person makes the decision, or even just has an intention, to support the things they care about into the future. Where it goes from there is a very personal choice that reflects the donor’s own interests, both altruistically and financially.

For Lin Blakely and her husband Keith, the choice was made many years ago, when their son Bret ’96 was just a Lower School student and they made the decision to make a provision for Elmwood Franklin in their estate plans.

“In the late 1980s, when we could expect that we would have the resources when the time came, we decided to designate a planned gift to EFS,” says Lin. “We hope that EFS will continue to serve the children and families of future generations with the same standards of excellence we have experienced.”

The couple’s ties to Elmwood Franklin have extended through the years, with the enrollment of grandchildren Jay ’09 and Emily ’14 Yarbrough, with daughter Kim Yarbrough who is the receptionist at EFS, and with their volunteer involvement—Lin is a longtime Auction volunteer (she’s the one who gets all those awesome gift certificates organized) and Keith has been a guest speaker in Upper School science classes, talking to students about the various applications of science in the business world.

Even over the span of nearly three decades, Lin sees certain things about Elmwood Franklin that have not changed.

“The nurturing environment provided by the teachers, and staff; the focus on each student as a person so that in addition to the child’s intellectual and physical well-being and growth, ongoing attention is focused on their emotional, social, cultural and ethical development; ongoing improvements to the physical plant of the school, always undertaken with the welfare and benefit of the teachers, staff, and students in mind,” lists Lin. “These constants are what we appreciate most about EFS.” Fittingly, these are the very things that the Blakely’s planned gift will provide for into the future.

Pictured at left is Lin with her granddaughter and current Elmwood Franklin student, Emily Yarbrough.

elmwood franklin school 104 New Amsterdam Avenue Buffalo, New York 14216-3399 phone 716.877.5035 fax 716.877.9680 www.elmwoodfranklin.org

TO PARENTS OF ALUMNI If this magazine is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Development Office by phone 716-877-5035 or by e-mail development@elmwoodfranklin.org with the correct mailing address.

FROM THE ARCHIV ES Franklin School students during a class play circa 1920.

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 1818 Buffalo, NY