Bulletin Board | Winter/Spring 2011

bulletinboard W IN TER /SPR ING 2011

CELEBRATING

115 YEARS ELMWOOD FRANKLIN

TECHNOLOGY

HERE&

NOW

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

MAKING ROOM TO GROW CATCHING UP

WITH ALUMS DAYLE HODGE ’97

AMITY LIPPES ’90 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

Bradley A. Johnson A S S I S TA N T D I R E C TO R O F D E V E LO P M E N T

Sarah Mitchell Duddy ’90

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

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Technology Here and Now Schools are usually slow to change, but when it comes to technology, there’s nothing slow about the changes taking place. Read how Elmwood Franklin is staying on top of the trends while still staying true to its traditional mission, and meet the two professionals behind Elmwood Franklin’s technological evolution.

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 development@elmwoodfranklin.org 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, made 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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Race to Nowhere, a documentary film screened at Elmwood Franklin in February, raises a question about student achievement: How much is too much?

This past fall, Elmwood Franklin’s campus footprint got bigger as we made room to grow.

Race to Nowhere

Room to Grow

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Remembering Laurie Mourgas Elmwood Franklin honors the memory of second grade teacher and sports enthusiast Laurie Mourgas.

bulletinboard W I NTER/SP R ING 2011

2010/2011 BOARD OF TRUSTEES President Elizabeth Maloney ’70 Vice President Matthew Enstice Secretary Paula Ciprich Treasurer Michael Hogan Shashi Davae Ravi Desai Kenneth Drake Ludvig Karl Dan Keane Leslie Kellogg Trudy Mollenberg ’61 Donna Muscarella Robert Rich III ’81 M. Bradley Rogers Trini Ross Scott Saperston ’86 Michele Trolli

2010/2011 ALUMNI COUNCIL President Tricia Barrett ’92

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Life Lessons Despite the popular saying that you learn everything you need to know in kindergarten, it turns out that our EFS alums have picked up a thing or two since they’ve left our nest. In this issue, two more alums offer their life lessons to our readers. Amity Lippes ’90 demonstrates the good that comes from putting your blood, sweat, and tears into your job, and Dayle Hodge ’95 (pictured above) encourages students to dream big and work hard.

Departments

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16

As we celebrate our 115th school year, we share 115 memories—some new, some old.

Come along and learn as our third grade students visit Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Depew, New York.

115 Memories of 115 Years

The Life Aquatic

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From the Head of School

10

Faculty Profile

Tony Featherston

Technically Speaking: Cheryl Colpoys and Tom Jordan

20 24 25 30 32

Day to Day

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Class Notes

News of Note Names in the News Alumni Events: Who Was There From Development EFS welcomes Brad Johnson

Amy Decillis Bard ’86 Gitti Barrell ’71 Kristin Schoellkopf Borowiak ’82 Jennifer Prince Bronstein ’74 Rob Drake ’96 Jessica Jacobs Enstice ’89 Elizabeth Jacobs ’96 Jordan Jayson ’90 Susan Penney Kimball ’69 Susie Lenahan Kimberly ’64 Madeline Ambrus Lillie ’64 Elizabeth Duryea Maloney ’70 Matt Mariconda ’92 Samantha Friedman Olsen ’00 Eric Saldanha ’85 Mary Franklin Saperston ’60 Shana Siegel ’90 Ben Sorgi ’04 Wende Mollenberg Stevenson ’93

heaD from the

tony featherston

L

ast fall, two documentaries on the state of education in the United States were released with much fanfare. The words “documentary” and “fanfare” are not usually used together, and that is probably even more the case when the subject is education. Nevertheless, there was some early publicity about both films, enough that many were intrigued to see what each filmmaker had to say.

Waiting for Superman was co-written and directed by Davis Guggenheim, famous for making the Academy Award-winning film An Inconvenient Truth a few years ago. It uses the stories of five children on a search for a new charter school to demonstrate how our public schools are no longer the envy of the world, as they once were. With much early hype, Waiting for Superman received critical acclaim and enjoyed wide release across the country. There was even some early Oscar buzz, although it was not ultimately nominated. The film highlights some of the nation’s most forwardthinking educators, including Michelle Rhee and Jeffrey Canada, and makes a compelling case for reform. In the end, unfortunately, I think it actually disproves its own premise—that waiting for some “Superman” to come rescue our public schools is futile and the charter school movement is the answer. Not only are Canada, Rhee, and other reformers featured in the film just the sort of superheroes we’re not supposed to count on to save our schools, but the evidence is mixed, at best, whether or not charter schools are any more successful than mainstream public schools.

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

“ race to nowhere makes a good case for why many children are feeling overwhelmed and shortchanged. In truth, education shouldn’t be a race at all. “ The other recent documentary on the state of education in the United States is Race to Nowhere. It does not have a famous director nor did it enjoy the same level of media attention as Waiting for Superman. Consequently, it did not enjoy wide release or as much acclaim. It does, however, speak more directly to issues we face in independent schools generally and at Elmwood Franklin School in particular.

Race to Nowhere is the creation of Vicki Abeles, a former Wall Street lawyer and mother of three who grew concerned with the effect that the demands of school and extracurricular activities were having on her children and her family life. The film’s promotional material describes it this way: “Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.” While the film is a good watch, I’m not sure I entirely buy its premise either.

As I reflect on the film, I find myself with three different perspectives: parent, teacher, and head of Elmwood Franklin School. As a parent, I recognize the treadmill on which many of us, and by extension, our children live. We want the best for them.

We want them to have every advantage we enjoyed or never had, as the case may be. And we recognize, at least subconsciously, that the world is more competitive than ever. So if our children are going to succeed in school, land a good job, start a family, be able to live comfortably, and enjoy some sort of retirement, they need to get started shortly after birth. While many of us know that this is craziness, we can’t seem to resist the temptation to start with the Baby Einstein videos, 3-year-old travel soccer, or SAT prep classes in kindergarten. Of course, the alternative is a life of wondering if you’ve done our children some sort of irreparable disservice.

As a teacher, I’ve seen just the sort of “damage” the film highlights. There is no doubt that many of today’s students are stressed—did I even know that word as a child? They are doing

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

too many things; outside sports and other activities demand too much time; the ever increasing competitiveness of the college admission game is driving students to take too many AP classes; over-programming leads to too little sleep; all resulting in too many corners being cut. But how do you step off the treadmill without feeling like you’re falling behind or losing out in the college admission derby? It’s a classic dilemma for parents, children, and educators.

At EFS, we are trying to fight the good fight. Guided by our mission—Elmwood Franklin School prepares children for success in life. By setting high standards for scholarship and character and providing a nurturing and supportive environment, Elmwood Franklin fosters the development of confident, independent, self-motivated learners with a strong sense of responsibility to self and community— our commitment is to allow children to be children. For 115 years, the school has prepared students for the rigors of the area’s best high school programs, and it has done so in a way that doesn’t grind them down. Instead, we believe in the importance of building them up. Our teachers have confidence in our students until they learn to have confidence in themselves. I often hear parents say things like, “Kids need to be ready for the real world.”

That’s absolutely true, but while some children seem to be able to handle adult demands earlier than others, all children benefit from teachers who are patient and supportive, who create an environment that encourages intellectual risk-taking and trial and error, who demonstrate how to learn and foster an appreciation of learning for its own sake. I’ve known teachers in my career who take pride in creating tests that are so hard they need to be curved. That’s never made sense to me. Why not provide students an opportunity to show what they can do rather than take perverse pride in proving what they can’t?

So, Elmwood Franklin School is working hard to be a force for consistency and excellence in a changing world. As adults, we have the benefit of hindsight and most of us remember fondly free time with friends, parents and teachers who believed in us, and a school experience that built momentum, and thus success, over time. That’s what we hope for our students still. For better or worse, the pressures are out there, and Race to Nowhere makes a good case for why many children are feeling overwhelmed and shortchanged. In truth, education shouldn’t be a race at all.

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race to

nowhere Photo © Reel Link Films/racetonowhere.com

Race to Nowhere raises a question about student achievement: How much is too much?

E

ducation has always been a hot topic in our country, and it’s been made even more so recently with the release of Race to Nowhere, a documentary which points to the silent epidemic in our schools—students so stressed out by the high expectations set for them that they compromise their health, turn to cheating, abuse drugs, or resort to suicide—making it more of a movement than just a movie.

The Parent Council sponsored a screening of Race to Nowhere for the Elmwood Franklin School community on February 10 in the Johnston Theatre. Parents, faculty, staff, and some alumni gathered in the Johnston Theatre to view the film, which advocates for school reforms such as less homework, less testing, and less demanding workloads, and for familybased reforms such as less scheduling, less focus on grades, and less (or no) nagging. The filmmaker, Vicki Abeles, wanted to shine a spotlight on the negative effects that an increasingly high-stakes, high-pressure educational culture in

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America may have upon students. The stories she shares are indeed shocking, including the stress-induced ailments experienced by her own children and the breakdowns and burnout experienced by thousands more like them.

The audience shared reactions afterward in an informal reception in the library. While most people, it seems, aren’t ready to completely abandon homework and grading and goal-setting—or nagging, for that matter—the film was welcome reinforcement for teachers and parents, who need to be mindful of the pressures felt by children and ready to respond to them supportively.

For more information on the film and its message, visit racetonowhere.com.

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

“WELCOME TO MY BOYHOOD DREAM”

—THOSE WERE THE WORDS OF HEAD OF

SCHOOL TONY FEATHERSTON AS HE SAT AT THE HELM OF A PIECE OF HEAVY MACHINERY EARLIER THIS YEAR, PREPARING TO BRING DOWN THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR.

Grow R O O M

T O

A ceremony celebrating the acquisition of 90 New Amsterdam was held in November, followed by demolition of the existing structure. The house, known by many simply as “the brown house,” sat directly adjacent to the school, tucked up next to the parking lot. It was owned by the Robins family since the late 1940s, prior to the construction of the school. The acquisition of this property opens up several possibilities for utilizing the extra space—making room to grow!

For video of the demolition (including an audience of cute kids in hard hats!) visit youtube.com/ElmwoodFranklin.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

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remembering

Laurie mourgas Elmwood Franklin School teacher 1985–2010

The Elmwood Franklin School community mourned the death of longtime teacher Laurie Mourgas on October 22, 2010 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. In her 25 years as a teacher at EFS, Laurie helped to inspire and prepare close to a thousand fourth and second graders for a lifelong love of learning—and made more than a few young Bills fans of them, too.

At the Upper School Band and Chorus concert in the fall, Laurie's chair and instrument were set out to remember and honor her very special place in the band and at our school.

Teachers, administrators, parents, and students admired her professionalism, expertise, and tough-but-tender demeanor. Known as “the great brain,” she was revered for her vast and reliable bank of knowledge, particularly of spelling and grammar. Her fellow teachers appreciated her contributions to curriculum development, the faculty mentoring program, and the technology committee, as well as some other, less pedagogical influences, from fielding a faculty football pool, to getting at least one of her colleagues hooked on The Guiding Light. A talented musician, Laurie was a regular participant in school concerts for more than a decade, playing her clarinet alongside students and lending a hand during rehearsals. The Lower School Thanksgiving program was dedicated to Laurie and at the Upper School Band and Chorus concert earlier this school year, Laurie’s chair and instrument were set out to honor the special place she will always have here at Elmwood Franklin.

a special tribute to Laurie We invite the Elmwood Franklin community to share memories, photos, and stories of Laurie for inclusion in a bound book to be given to the Mourgas family as a tribute from her many Elmwood Franklin students, colleagues, parents, and friends.

E-mail development@ elmwoodfranklin.org or mail to 104 New Amsterdam Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216.

Laurie is survived by her husband James and her two sons, Matthew ’05 and Adam.

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

In LIeu of

fLowers for Laurie mourgas education fund

there’s no Place Like home: elmwood franklin annual fund

To honor our longtime friend and colleague and

Through good health and bad, Laurie dedicated

her commitment to education, we have

25 years to our school, her students and her

established an educational fund for her boys,

colleagues. Please consider making a gift to the

Matthew and Adam. In place of a holiday gift

Elmwood Franklin School Annual Fund in her

exchange, the faculty and staff made a collective

memory. Monies raised for the Annual Fund go

donation to the Mourgas Education Fund. If you

directly toward our annual operating budget to

would also like to contribute, checks can be made

support the day-to-day expenses and the once-

out to the Mourgas Education Fund and dropped

in-a-lifetime experiences. To make a donation in

off at the front desk or mailed to Elmwood

Laurie’s memory, visit www.elmwoodfranklin.org

Franklin School, 104 New Amsterdam Avenue,

or use the enclosed giving envelope.

Buffalo, NY 14216.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

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Faculty Profile

technIcaLLy sPeakIng

Get to know the technology team at Elmwood Franklin

cheryL coLPoys

tom JorDan

Assistant Director of Technology

Director of Technology

Education: BA in elementary education from Canisius College, MS in educational technology from Buffalo State College

Education: MS in education from SUNY Buffalo, BS in physics from SUNY Albany

Working at EFS since: 2004 What she likes best about her job: Cheryl enjoys what she calls the “wow factor”—showing teachers or students some new way to use technology that really blows their mind.

What he likes best about his job: “Seeing teachers, students, and parents actively learning and sharing what they’ve learned with each other.”

Biggest on-the-job challenge: “It’s impossible to know everything,” laments Cheryl. “Everything changes so quickly.”

Biggest on-the-job challenge: Tom loves the fact that his position requires that he constantly learn new things—he says it’s the need to unlearn things that’s the difficult part!

Who’s the bigger challenge to teach: students or faculty?

“Both, but for opposite reasons,” says Cheryl. “Teachers want to know everything, while students sometimes think they already do.”

Technological changes he’s seen at EFS: Tom recalls the days when instructional computer programs were stored on cassette tapes and loaded into computers using cassette recorders. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way.

Other jobs she’s had in her lifetime: Cheryl worked as the director of education at Huntington Leaning Center, a technology administrator at D’Youville College, and a fifth grade classroom teacher before coming to EFS.

Other jobs he’s had in his lifetime: Many alumni will recall when Mr. Jordan was the Upper School science teacher. He was also once a lifeguard for the Town of Tonawanda Recreation Department. And appropriately enough, back in the day Tom fixed dorm-room televisions and stereos for his college’s housing office.

Year she bought her first personal computer: 1989—it was a word processor with a dot-matrix printer.

Favorite things to do “unplugged”: Cheryl sings in a church choir and loves to scrapbook. She also makes sure to make plenty of time for her family (kids Ian and Kylie are students at Elmwood Franklin).

A few things you may not know about Cheryl: She makes and sells handmade greeting cards and has been active in community theater, once playing the role of Rapunzel in a production of “Into the Woods.”

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Working at EFS since: 1979

Year he bought his first personal computer: mid-1980s Favorite things to do “unplugged”: Tom lists swimming, camping, and woodworking as his favorite hobbies.

A few things you may not know about Tom: Tom and his wife are the parents of two grown boys and the grandparents of three. His son Dave now lives in a house that was built by Tom’s great-grandfather, which makes Tom’s granddaughter the sixth generation to live in the family house.

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

tôk•ıng tek As the technology changes, so does the terminology.

Here are a few words you might hear around the school, and their definitions.

app short for application, a lightweight, web-based program that runs with a certain device, such as a mobile phone or tablet computer, or computer platform, such as Facebook. Considerably cheaper than full-blown programs, apps are also valuable for their specificity

clicker a handheld device that captures student responses remotely. Students at EFS use clickers to answer questions during classroom presentations and teachers can view their responses immediately and simultaneously online community a web-based application with content for a specific group of users. Elmwood Franklin launched a new online community this year with special features for parents, students, and alumni. Visit www.elmwoodfranklin.org for more information smartBoard a brand name of interactive whiteboard that connects to a computer to allow large-screen display and touch-screen control thumb drive also called a flash drive, a memory gadget that plugs into a computer's USB port and allows data to be easily transferred from one computer to another

webinar a workshop or lecture delivered over the Internet, often with interactive functionality. At EFS, they’re often used in classroom teaching and for professional development purposes

wiki a website that allows content to be edited by multiple users. EFS students frequently create and use wikis for collaborative writing and research projects

here& now T E C H N O L O GY

when it comes to technology in schools,

change is the only constant.

magine having to teach what you do not know—what no one knows.

Now we’re looking at things like iPads, which weren’t even on the radar a year or two ago.”

This is the predicament of educational technologists, who are charged with preparing students, and teachers, for a technological future that doesn’t yet exist and is, in many ways, unimaginable. For Cheryl Colpoys, educational technologist at Elmwood Franklin, this makes work very challenging—and very exciting.

And it’s not just the devices that are changing, it’s the uses for them. The difference between then and now is not looking up information in an encyclopedia versus looking up information in an online encyclopedia—it’s much bigger than that.

Now students can look up information in an online encyclopedia, watch a college lecture broadcast over the web, visit virtual museums and galleries, access vast databases, or Skype face-to-face with an expert across the globe.

It’s not just about handwriting versus word processing—it’s about creating and using photographs, videos, music, graphics, charts, surveys, links, animations, wikis, and a whole host of other tricks and tools. The possibilities are mind-boggling, literally.

“There are so many new developments, it’s hard, almost impossible really, to plan for the future,” observes Cheryl, whose job it is to keep teachers and students up-to-date on the uses of technology in teaching and learning.

“When I started here six years ago, we got digital cameras—that was the big thing. Then came laptops, then interactive whiteboards.

Identified as the top priority of the school’s most recent strategic plan, technology aids all aspects of the school’s operation, and enables us to prepare our students for a world in which technology plays an increasingly critical role. The pace of technology development has accelerated dramatically over the past decade—and Elmwood Franklin intends to keep up with it.

how elmwood franklin Is staying on top of technology trends Parent Education There aren’t many situations in which kids know more than their parents, but technology, for better or worse, is often one of those. Elmwood Franklin has brought in experts to bring parents up to speed on what they need to know to keep up with

their kids. This year, a speaker from the FBI presented on Internet safety issues, and a Facebook for Parents presentation, led by Cheryl Colpoys and Christine Cooke, was an immensely popular draw. To watch a video of the presentation, visit youtube.com/ElmwoodFranklin.

Idea Sharing The possibilities for using technology

in the classroom are limitless. What’s working for teachers today? To answer that question, Cheryl and Prep teacher Molly Clauss organized a community forum, called the Teachers and Technology Think Tank, or T4. Teachers from other schools gathered with EFS faculty on a Saturday in February to share their tips on effective applications, programs, and websites.

“I love when I sit down with a teacher or a student to show them something new and it just blows their minds,” says Cheryl. For her, eliciting that “wow factor” is the best part of the job. Sometimes, she gets a little wowed herself. The world of technology is indeed dazzling, and it’s up to Cheryl to figure out what fits the mission and culture of the school, as opposed to just what’s the latest flash in the pan. Just because a certain device is the newest thing doesn’t mean that it’s useful for our students or teachers. On the other hand, it’s frighteningly easy to get behind the curve and to miss out on opportunities to enhance—or even transform— the educational experience.

On the back end of all this is Tom Jordan, who oversees the systems that make all the magic happen by maintaining the network, servers, and hardware for 40 classrooms, the computer lab, the library media center and the theatre. For the past sixteen years, since he was deemed the school’s first technology director, Tom has been planning, implementing, and helping everyone to use the available technologies, from phones and computers, to cameras and projectors, to sound systems and stage lighting. The school’s master technology plan guides the acquisition and use of all these things.

As with any plan, review and revision is key, and this is especially true for technology, where change seems to be the only constant and the pace grows exponentially.

For instance, in 1995, when the master plan was first introduced, one of the goals was to establish an e-mail system for faculty and staff. What was considered an innovation then is now a basic necessity, and crossing it off the technology “to-do” list doesn’t put an end to further, future needs. “The plan’s lasting value,” says Tom, “is its proof that funding for technology needs to be a real, ongoing investment.”

In a little storage room off of the theater, Tom keeps a collection of technological cast-offs: things like Beta tape players, cassette recorders, projectors, and the like.

Meanwhile, eighth graders instruct Prep kids in using the latest iPad apps. A hanging mobile made of compact discs decorates Cheryl’s office—because, let’s face it, CDs just aren’t as useful as they once were. It points to an important aspect of teaching technology: it must go beyond instruction on how to simply do something, to

Reaching Out Visiting speakers have always been a part of the curriculum, but the difference now is that those visitors are from around the world, from video-conferencing with a college professor in South Africa to playing math games with kids on other continents. This year, Prep students have been collaborating via the Internet with a class in Hong Kong.

For more on this amazing multidisciplinary project, visit Molly Clauss’s teacher page at elmwoodfranklin.org.

Going Paper-less E-mail has long replaced paper memos and bulletin boards. Now newsletters are distributed electronically, admissions contracts are web-based, and report cards are

cover how to do it properly, how to do it safely, and then, how to do it in a totally new way. In other words, it has to teach us how to adapt.

So what’s next the next big thing on the educational technology horizon? The answer comes not in predicting it, but in recognizing it when it comes and being ready for it.

E-readers, video lectures, and virtual classrooms might lead one to question whether school is still necessary at all. At Elmwood Franklin, we say it is—and here are just a few reasons why.

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things technology cannot replace

Physical play. Sports. Recess. Playgrounds. Outdoor ed.

Fresh air. These things matter—and are proven to enhance learning. Research indicates that a decrease in physical play has implications on children’s ability to store new information and raise the rates of childhood obesity, anxiety, and depression.

Mentoring. Teachers care about more than their subject matter; they care about their students. The personal attention and encouragement that students receive from their teachers is what helps them to be good people as well as good students.

Tradition. So many things about Elmwood Franklin are enduring, from 20 years of the Prep Nutcracker, to 65 years of Blue-Gray, to 115 years of whole-child education. Traditions like these are a shared bond that unites our community.

Friendships. One of the best parts of a child’s school day is the time spent with friends. The relationships that students form with each other brighten their days now and often last into their adult lives.

Community. Through hands-on projects designed to benefit both the community and students’ development, service learning extends learning beyond the classroom into the community and enriches the learning process while promoting social awareness.

posted online—saving money and lessening environmental impact. The school utilizes Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube to connect with its community without added printing and mailing costs.

Strategic Planning It isn’t enough just to plug a computer into the wall—or to plug 100 computers into the wall. Strategic

planning must drive the initiative.

Since the school’s first master technology plan was conducted in 1995, issues such as infrastructure, teacher training, curriculum integration, and identification of student skill competencies, as well as ensuring adequate funding for maintaining, adding, and updating technologies, have been part of the overall program.

62.

reLeasIng the ButterfLIes

43. mIss hoLBrook

Miss Charlotte Holbrook was headmistress of The Elmwood School from 1914 to 1943.

115

memorIes of

Each year, second graders share a bittersweet moment watching the painted lady butterflies that they watched hatch from chrysalises in the science classroom fly away.

115

years

115 fIfteen years generates a whoLe Lot of memorIes, many more than couLD fIt on one Page. so we’re sharIng 115 memorIes of eLmwooD frankLIn schooL here. take a Look—some of them Just mIght Be your own.

34. zIggy Dogs

A signature dish served up for decades at school events and class trips, Ziggy Dogs are a staple of an EFS diet.

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

1 Blue-Gray initiation 2 the Elmwood Franklin Key 3 Lower School track meet 4 playing in the sandbox 5 fourth grade co-op 6 Colonial Day 7 blob tag 8 poster contests 9 eighth grade bike-a-thon 10 Friendship Club 11 the Upper School dark room (where some kids were found kissing) 12 woodshop 13 Lakeland 14 Capture the Flag 15 Invention Convention in sixth grade 16 riding bikes on the blacktop by Prep 17 light blue EFS pencils 18 playing the “hello kitty” library game 19 purple circle reading time 20 oranges with peppermint-stick straws 21 egg drop in the gym 22 ice cream Skippy cups 23 holiday sing-a-longs in the auditorium 24 safety patrol 25 Mrs. Hourihan 26 Penguin Day 27 banging pots and pans in the halls in eighth grade 28 ice skating in Fort Erie 29 Colonial Day quilt 30 Frost Valley 31 finger paint 32 Halloween parade 33 tug-of-war 34 Ziggy dogs 35 going apple picking in first grade 36 building colonial villages with milk cartons in third grade 37 Monty the python 38 skiing 39 Camp Pathfinder 40 tater tots 41 playing “snow ball” at recess 42 tire swings and climbers on the playground 43 Miss Holbrook 44 Author Celebration 45 Elmwood Franklin School Fair in October 46 Letchworth 47 Mr. Frome 48 Medieval Night 49 third grade field trip to Mumford 50 public speaking 51 Sneaker Factory 52 High Tea with the Headmaster 53 creamed chicken over rice 54 climbing the rock wall 55 snowshoeing 56 Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition 57 crepe-making in French class 58 the parachute game in gym class 59 Mardi Gras day 60 dodge ball in gym class 61 monkey bread in Prep 62 releasing the butterflies 63 the ocean murals painted by Lower School kids on the hallway walls 64 squid dissection in science class 65 sitting on the floor for morning assemblies 66 chicken patties 67 the basement art room 68 Upper School dances 69 the yearbook 70 seventh grade trip to Québec 71 National French Contest 72 Around the Town 73 Beaver Island 74 Big/Little Brothers and Sisters 75 Prep Thanksgiving feast 76 Camp Onyahsa 77 spelling bees in the cafeteria 78 fourth grade NBA day 79 Hathaway Brown trip 80 1950’s air raid drills 81 Learning Lab 82 “Get It Together” planning books 83 Chapel in the gym 84 the fireplace in the library 85 the Great Basement Flood 86 Science Fair 87 Fifi the ferret 88 the Elmwood School’s wooden toboggan run 89 morning handshakes 90 Grandparents Day 91 Pushing Up the Sky 92 Multicultural Food Festival 93 146 Park Street 94 Thanksgiving food drive 95 hatching baby chicks 96 Saturday book fairs 97 morning throat checks with tongue depressors 98 cheese sandwiches 99 nap time on cots 100 213 Bryant Street 101 Mr. Anderson 102 crackers at recess 103 posture contests 104 boys singing “So Long, Farewell” at fourth-grade graduation 105 Mr. White and his stories 106 Options classes 107 Spirit Week 108 class plays 109 sewing class 110 class prophecies 111 salt relief maps 112 watching (or hearing) the trains go by 113 punch at graduation 114 Gordon plaid for dress code 115 “Give a Cheer for Elmwood Franklin School”

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

15

AND

Learn : come aLong

:

the LIfe

aquatIc Come along and learn as our third grade students visit Reinstein Wood Nature Preserve and discover all the wondrous creatures that exist in plain old pond water.

At one time, much of the land that comprises Cheektowaga was owned by a man named Dr. Victor Reinstein. A lot of it he sold to developers, including the parcel of marshy field on which the Walden Galleria now stands. A large chunk of his property, however, he dedicated to the preservation of wildlife, creating a 292-acre sanctuary where animals and plants can live and thrive and people can learn and appreciate.

Following Dr. Reinstein’s death, his family donated the preserve to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Its unique complex of forests, ponds, and wetlands are open to the public for activities such as guided tours of the woods, snowshoe and ski outings, educational walks on seasonal topics, and a fall nature festival.

Though the preserve is abundant with furry and feathered friends such as whitetail deer, beavers, redtailed hawks, pileated woodpeckers and great blue herons, our third graders set their sights on a smaller set of creatures: the various amphibians, reptiles, insects, snails, crustaceans, and macro invertebrates that inhabit the ponds.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

17

“It’s alive!” shrieked a boy as he peered into a pond water sample with a magnifier. It wasn’t the water itself that was alive; it was the multitude of almost invisible organisms swimming around in it. What the boy was observing was a dragonfly nymph demonstrating its jetpropulsion technique by shooting water out its back end.

Other inhabitants that the kids spied included mayfly nymphs, mosquito larvae, water scorpions, water striders, aquatic sowbugs, crawling water beetles, even tiny freshwater shrimp. Another interesting find was the caddisfly, a small moth-like insect that in its larval stage constructs its own protective shell out of silk, fallen leaves, gravel, sand, twigs or other debris. According to the guide who worked with the children, these little domiciles are a good indication of the overall health of a pond.

“Snake!” Snake sightings, though not the point of the expedition, were not uncommon, and totally exciting for everyone (“Oh, that was cool!” said one student.) Also spotted were painted turtles, the most common species of turtle in New York state, easily identifiable by the colorful yellow and red stripes on their head and limbs. Students were even able to use nets to catch (and release) a few Northern leopard frogs. They learned how the frogs’ dark olive-colored backs and pale cream-colored bellies help them live long lives: to birds looking down, they look like the water, and to fish looking up, they look like clouds.

“Hey, I remember that bridge!” a boy remarked to his classmate as they passed by a wooden bridge that spanned a small pond dotted with water lilies. He was thinking of Monet’s famous painting “The Waterlily Pond,” which the kids had studied in art class in first grade and which was a remarkably similar scene. Dr. Reinstein’s wife planted a multitude of white, yellow, and pink water lilies in the preserve’s ponds, but since the animals prefer to eat the white and yellow ones, mostly pink blossoms were visible. The roots of water lily plants actually grow in the mucky ground below the water. They shoot their leaves up along stems to absorb sunlight.

Learn more about Reinstein Wood Nature Preserve on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s web page at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html.

18

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

Day t o

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

20

Stepping Out Eighth graders took to the streets in October for a walk-a-thon to raise funds for their class gift to the school, service learning projects, social events, and other class activities. Walkers were sponsored for their laps around Delaware Park.

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

Drumming Up Some Fun As part of their French studies, fifth grade students were led in a West African drum circle by Linda Appleby, a visiting retired music teacher.

Snow Ball Third graders took gym class outdoors to play snow soccer and to snowshoe.

What a Character Seventh graders Joelle and Helena dressed as the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter for the Upper School’s Halloween costume contest, judged by a panel of faculty members.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

21

Thinking About Thankfulness Prep I and eighth grade began a collaborative lesson on thankfulness as part of their Character Education lessons. Students met in the Prep I classroom to brainstorm things they are thankful for and created a chart comparing the responses from Prep and eighth grade students.

A Powerful Lesson While studying a unit on energy in science, sixth grade students traveled to the Niagara Power Vista to see the production of hydroelectricity.

Journey to Freedom Fourth graders performed Journey to Freedom, a play based on the immigrant experience. Their performance was followed by a display of family artifacts and stories.

22

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

Let’s Get Physical First graders, with the help of Lower School science teacher Diane Evans, explored the laws of physics through a series of hands-on work stations.

New Year, New Customs Chinese boarding students from Buffalo Seminary visited with Prep II students to share how they celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Flutter By Second graders took careful note of the 2,000 freeflying butterflies around them on their trip to the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory in Ontario.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

23

news

of

note Heads for a Day

Enterprising students Julian Iskalo (top left), Stephanie Keane (top middle) and Claire McGennis (top right) each recently served as Head for a Day, assisting Mr. Featherston with his busy day by handling such pressing matters as deciding the dress code and choosing the lunch menu.

Fund chair, Alison demonstrates exceptional dedication and generosity toward our school in several capacities.

The award was presented at the Corporation’s fall luncheon by Board president Liz Maloney. Named in honor of Margaret G. Swift, its first recipient, the award was established in 1989 as a vehicle to recognize outstanding members of the EFS community. Other recipients have been Virginia Seibert, Barbara Hourihan Downing, John White, Joe Stewart, Betsy Mitchell, Alex Uhle, Hazard Campbell, Cathy Wettlaufer, Beth Swift, Edwin Johnston, Dennis Szymkowiak, Trudy Mollenberg, Keith Frome, and Sybil McGennis.

Elmwood Franklin Key Eighth grade parent Alison Keane (bottom left) was given the Margaret G. Swift Service Award in October in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to Elmwood Franklin. As a former Board member, former and current Auction chair, and former Annual

24

Faculty field trip In February, EFS faculty members (bottom middle) got a first-hand look at the developments taking place the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, a consortium of the region’s premier health care, life

sciences research, and medical education institutions in downtown Buffalo.

Leading the tour was current trustee and current parent Matt Enstice, BNMC executive director.

Wearable art Art teacher Amy Hartman took top honors this fall in a showing of “wearable art” that was part of the Elmwood Village Association’s fashion event Mass Appeal.

Amy created a dress (bottom right) made from 8,000 old book pages folded origami-style.

Incoming Trustees Four new members were welcomed to the EFS Board of Trustees this fall: former trustee and past parent Ken Drake; current parent Dan Keane; current parent Leslie Kellogg; and former trustee, past parent, and current grandparent Trudy Mollenberg.

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

n am e s in the

news Students For the fifth time in six years, EFS students comprised the winning team in the fall Stock Market Game. Eighth graders Ned Mathias, Jonathan Rinaldo, Matthew Hogan, and Johnny Liberti finished first out of 59 teams in the middle school division, and 34th out of 758 teams overall, including high school teams. Starting with $100,000 of virtual money, they chose stocks and increased their portfolio to almost $109,000 in ten weeks.

The competition included teams from Albion, Lockport, West Seneca, and Nichols.

National Junior Honor Society inductions in January included 16 new members: eighth graders Marivi Howell-Arza and Emma Yates and seventh graders Lindsay Acker, Harleigh Awner, Julia Badgley, Helena Black, Joelle Cianciosa, Adelaide Clauss, Lucy Featherston, Jillian Gately, Amit Gulati, Delaney Hamill, Rachel Harris, Lauren Hotung, Jaylen Prophet, and Tomas Waz. Pushing Up the Sky awards were presented in October to fifth graders Stephanie Keane and Nicholas Huckell; sixth graders Esther Bibas, Lizzie Collins and Maya Nigrin; seventh graders Tomas Waz and Lindsay Acker; and eighth graders Sam Stark and Addie Truax.

Student Coordinating Committee officers were selected for the 2010/2011 school year: Sam Stark, president; Sara Rimmler and Will Viti, co-vice presidents; Kevin Zachau, secretary; and Raj Davae and Stephen Foley, co-treasurers.

Casey Ball, grade 5, and Antonio Lim, grade 6, were selected to participate in the Erie County Music Educators Association’s All County Band, a high honor for local music students due to the large number of students auditioning.

Michael McClure, grade 3, took second and third place awards in two competitions at the Burlington Rotary Music Festival in Ontario, Canada, in November.

Upper School science teacher Clare Wagstaff-Cline was selected from 140 teachers around the country to join the 2011 Climate Stewards Education Program run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This program provides educators with professional development opportunities to build a climate-literate public and actively engage students in environmental stewardship activities.

Faculty & Staff Brad Johnson has joined the Elmwood Franklin administrative team as director of development. Brad spent the last 15 years as a development consultant, helping organizations across the country meet their fundraising goals.

Third grade teacher Marny Karassik welcomed baby John Doescher on December 25, 2010. (A familiar face filled in for Marny during her maternity leave— none other than retired teacher Sybil McGennis.)

Science teacher Clare Wagstaff wed David Cline on August 27, 2010.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

The photography of Marigrace Papagni is on display in the Anderson Lobby of the Johnston Theatre throughout the spring.

(Elmwood Franklin is proud to celebrate the artistic talents of our community with the display of original artwork in any media in this space. Contact the Development Office at 716.877.5035 or development@ elmwoodfranklin.org for information.)

Trustees Our deepest appreciation to the following individuals who left the Board this year after fulfilling their terms of service: Archie Glick ’71, Alison Keane, George Kermis, Madeline Ambrus Lillie ’64, Gail Mitchell, and Eric Lipke.

Parents Bob Rich ’81, Leslie Stube, and Donna Muscarella are chairs of the 2010/2011 Annual Fund.

Chairs of Auction 2011, Return to Oz, are Shashi Davae, Alison Keane, and Jennifer Ryan.

25

Alumni Profile HERE’S A LITTLE RIDDLE TO PONDER: AN ENGINEER, A PHYSICIAN, AND A MEDICAL RESEARCHER ARE STANDING IN A ROOM, BUT THE ROOM CONTAINS ONLY ONE PERSON. HOW CAN THIS BE? THE ANSWER IS THAT DAYLE HODGE ’97 IS IN THE ROOM.

aPPLy

Y o u r s e l f

T

wo engineering degrees and a career as a medical design engineer: sounds like enough, doesn’t it? Not for Dayle Hodge ’97.

He recently uprooted himself from a job as a design engineer for NuVasive, a San Diego company that specializes in the design of orthopedic spinal implants and minimally invasive surgery, to enroll in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Medical Scientist Training Program, a highly competitive—and highly coveted— MD/PhD degree program that comes with some very nice perks.

Accepted students are given a tuition waiver for the duration of their enrollment, a yearly stipend, subsidized on-campus housing, and medical benefits.

26

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

Dayle Hodge ’97

“I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times before but, here it is one more time: practice, practice, practice... It’s pretty simple: you’ll get out of it only what you put into it.”

“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Dayle Hodge said of his acceptance. Of the seventhousand-plus overall fellow applicants, less than two hundred were accepted, and only fifteen made it into this particular program.

“The first feelings I had when I got in were just complete elation followed by relief. I think everyone in my office heard me yelling when I got the e-mail. Over time though, the magnitude of the commitment set in. I was a bit nervous because I hadn’t really taken a full load of classes in almost four years, but excited to start my career in medicine.”

Just what will that career entail? “I’m leaning towards some kind of surgery,” says Dayle.

“Orthopedic, neurosurgery, and endovascular are my top three. Then just behind those is emergency medicine. I’d love to get into regenerative medicine/tissue engineering.

We’ll see, though—that’s a long way down the road.”

A long way, indeed: Dayle says that the program typically takes seven or eight years to complete, which will make him a busy student until somewhere around the year 2018. But schooling isn’t anything new for Dayle, who already holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

“Since high school, I’ve always had the idea of going to medical school in the back of my mind, but I didn’t commit to that path until late in the game,” Dayle explains. “It was late in my junior year of college when I decided to go down the medical pathway. Most of my peers already had their prerequisites finished and were taking the MCATs. Since I decided so late in the process, I had to complete my degrees in engineering, but also take the remaining pre-med classes, which meant I had to add an extra year to my undergraduate studies. When I was doing my master’s research, my advisor would always mention pursuing an MD/PhD would be the best way to harness of all of my talents. I was resistant for a while but eventually saw the advantages.”

Fortunately, education is not just a means to an end for him, not merely job training. Dayle looks to improve things, for himself and for others, through what he learns. “I wanted to help people through technology so I decided to go to school for engineering. And when that shifted to wanting to help people through medicine and research, I realized that going to medical school would probably be a good choice,” he says. “But overall, I like learning new things and challenging myself.”

His advice to younger students considering a career in medicine is to take the time to explore the field. “It’s important to understand what you’re getting into,” says Dayle. “Working as an intern for a summer or shadowing someone in that profession is probably the best way to obtain the knowledge you need to make an informed decision. Once you get exposure to the field, you’ll see if it’s what you really want to do. And always make sure to ask questions. The people in your area of interest were once in your shoes, and they probably have the best advice.”

And for succeeding with education overall, Dayle advises, “Make sure to study hard and put the appropriate amount of effort into whatever you pursue. And I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times before but, here it is one more time: practice, practice, practice.

It’s extremely rare for even the most talented students to succeed without consistently reviewing and studying. It’s pretty simple: you’ll get out of it only what you put into it.

And time management is probably one of the most important keys to success. You’ll be studying a lot, but make sure to take some time to have some fun. Finding a balance between the two is important.”

27

Alumni Profile WHEN AMITY LIPPES ’90 MADE A CAREER MOVE INTO MARKETING YEARS AGO, SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD EVENTUALLY BRING—A MEANINGFUL AND CHALLENGING JOB THAT REALLY GETS HER BLOOD PUMPING.

Put your heart

Int o Your work M

arketing is an exciting field, especially when what you’re marketing is life itself. After working for a firm in New York City, Amity Lippes ’90 recently found her way back to Buffalo, where she is now an account representative for Upstate New York Transplant Services, an organ and tissue donation organization that several years ago started a community blood bank. Amity’s role is to educate the Western New York community on the importance of blood donation and to recruit, plan, and promote community blood drives. It’s a job she believes in and just loves to talk about—so much so that she convinced her former classmate Sarah Mitchell Duddy (now on staff at EFS) to host a school-based blood drive for parents, alumni, faculty and staff of Elmwood Franklin on April 20.

28

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

Amity Lippes ’90

april

20

By giving blood through Upstate New York Transplant Services you are making sure that your family, friends, neighbors and other members of your community have blood available when they need it. Elmwood Franklin will host a community blood drive on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Call the UNYTS appointment hotline number at (716) 512-7940 to schedule a time to donate. Walk-ins are also welcome!

“It’s a great way to show children how to care for our community. Very often I’ll see donors come in with their kids, or hear stories of donors going as children with their parents as they were giving blood,” says Amity. “It’s a wonderful tradition to start. Blood donation helps people, it helps Buffalo, and it helps Western New York.”

The blood drives that Amity helps to orchestrate support UNYTS’s community blood bank, which means that all donated blood stays in Western New York, where area hospitals use 60,000 units of blood per year. In addition to emergencies and lifesaving transplants, blood is needed on a regular basis for people with cancer, heart disease, and leukemia, and for premature babies and children needing surgery.

“Coming from the corporate world, I appreciate the sense of good that comes in working for a non-profit,” says Amity. “And I really love how open this community is, how much it cares. The best of Buffalo shines through to me in this job.” After living out of the area for several years, it makes Amity proud to be back in her hometown. She’ll be getting married this summer and is interested in bettering her community. “I love Buffalo.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

When I moved back, I promised myself to try to make this a city that I want to be in, one where others want to live and raise their families. We’re the next generation of citizens, and so we need to make it happen.”

That’s one of the things she appreciates most about her organization—its ability to move with the times and respond to the needs of its community. By distributing all the collected blood locally, the Upstate New York Transplant Services’ blood bank decreases the cost of blood to area hospitals by as much as 30 percent a year, which translates to millions of dollars in healthcare cost savings, a real boon to the local economy. Since 2007, the blood bank has been supported by 71,000 donors and 1,000 community sponors who host blood drives on behalf of UNYTS. “We need a lot more, though,” Amity says.

“We need every EFS alum to find out if your companies are having blood drives, and if not, we need you to have one. And we need you to consider becoming an organ donor and talk to your family about it. And should you choose to do any of these things, we thank you.”

A Few Facts about Blood Donation • Despite amazing discoveries and breakthroughs, there is no substitute for the contents and functions human blood provides.

• About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital will need blood.

• One unit of donated blood (roughly one pint) can save up to 3 lives.

• Healthy individuals who are at least 17 years old, or 16 years old with written parental consent, and at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days.

• 37% of the US population is eligible to donate blood, but less than 5% do annually.

• If only one percent more of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.

• Any company, community organization, place of worship or individual may contact their local blood center to host a blood drive.

Visit unyts.org for more information.

29

who was

there alumni e fs

e ve nt s

an evenIng on the moonDance cat • tuesDay, august 17, 2010

Standing from left to right: Richard Wolney, John Barton, Mark Saldanha ’90, Eric Saldanha ’95, Ted Clark, Kary Fronk Clark ’91, Emily Madeja, Adam Mollenberg ’92, John Mitchell ’92, Evans Mitchell Giesler ’95, Meg Stevenson Auerbach ’95, Anthony Duddy, Caitlin DeTine ’98, Chris Burger; kneeling from left to right: Sarah Mitchell Duddy ’90, Trevor Stevenson, Betsy Constantine ’89; sitting from left to right: Richard Green, Kathleen McIntyre, Susie Barrett Green ’62, Ann Flynn Wolney ’74, Greta Flickinger Barton ’74, Tony Featherston, Wende Mollenberg Stevenson ’93, Julie Berrigan, Tricia Barrett ’92

BuffaLo young aLumnI haPPy hour In nyc • weDnesDay, feBruary 9, 2011

Back row from left to right: Perry Marlette ’96, Gina Wettlaufer ’94, Chris Rozanski ’91, Eric Termini ’93, Linsey Snyder Wachalter ’93, Sarah Demakos ’99, Kayla Zemsky ’01, Eric Forman ’93, Anoop Rustgi ’95; front row from left to right: Sarah Marlette ’99, Star Davis ’98, Amit Rustgi ’99

30

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

BLue & gray hIt the green: ceLeBratIng 115 years • sunDay, sePtemBer 19, 2010

Alumni council member and event coordinator Eric Saldanha '85 greeted golfers as they arrived.

Head Tony Featherston and alumni parent Jock Mitchell geared up for golf.

Eric Saldanha '85 and Mark Saldanha '90 with friends

Alum and second grade teacher Mark Wende '93 and Trevor Stevenson were ready to drive Saldanha '90 took a break from working on to the next hole. on his lesson plans to join us on the links!

Alumni parents Alice Sullivan and Betsy Mitchell '65

Sarah Duddy '90 and Tricia Barrett '92 Young alums Kayla Brannen '09 and Marla Murrett managed the beverage cart.

'09 with current classmates

Alumni parents Tony Decillis, Jonathan Miller, Ken Drake, Jock Mitchell, and Dick Sullivan

Golfers enjoyed dinner in the Timberwolf Lodge after their day out on the course.

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

Sarah Mitchell Duddy '90 welcomed our 46 golfers to the first annual Elmwood Franklin golf tournament.

EFS dads Lou Karl, David Bard, John Conrad and Cutler Greene '88

31

From Development

eLmwooD frankLIn weLcomes

brad

Johnson of D Ir e c t o r

T

D e ve L o P m e nt

his January, Brad Johnson joined our administrative

team as director of development. Brad spent the last 15 years as a development consultant, helping

organizations across the country meet their fundraising goals.

He is familiar with Buffalo, having done work with Mercy Hospital and Medaille College. While Brad's development experience well prepares him for his role here, he also brings deep ties to the independent school world. Brad is an alumnus of Belmont Hill School outside of Boston. After graduating from Hamilton College, he started his career as an English teacher at The Fessenden School and at Belmont Hill.

He is also a parent of two daughters—one is a current student at Phillips Academy (Andover) and another graduated last year. Please join us in welcoming Brad to the Elmwood Franklin family.

In hIs own worDs Education: BA in foreign languages and literature from Hamilton College; earned designation as a Certified Fund Raising Executive in 2001 First job: “My first job ever? Washing pots & pans and sweeping out the walk-in freezer at a restaurant in Boston. I worked there for 10 years on weekends and over the summer, and did everything from pot-washing to dishwashing to salad prep, busboy, waiter, bartender, host and finally manager.”

What led you to a career in development? “I attended a private school in the Boston area (Belmont Hill School) and was asked by the school to participate in a phone-a-thon to raise funds for the school. I have been doing it ever since!”

Biggest on-the-job accomplishment: “Negotiating a $2 million gift from a school supporter to be applied to the school's area of greatest need.”

The last book you read: “The Irregulars, a non-fiction account of the role that British MI-5 played in infiltrating the United States during WWII with the help of the U.S. government, turning popular opinion against the Nazis, and bringing the U.S. into the war.

Also, Catcher in the Rye, one of my favorite books, which I read at least once a year. J.D. Salinger is one of my favorite authors.”

Favorite movie: “The Wizard of Oz—I love Judy Garland” Hobbies: “Talking about my daughters, ice hockey, and bicycle racing” Little-known fact: “I am fluent in French and Russian.”

Cities where you’ve worked: Halifax, Nova Scotia; Buffalo, NY; Torrance, CA; Anchorage, AK; Birmingham, AL; New York, NY; Augusta, ME

stay connecteD Brad Johnson Director of Development bjohnson@elmwoodfranklin.org (716) 877-5035 ext. 115

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2011

33

c L as s

notes 1987

Jenny Constantine Keuleman and husband Kevin welcomed their second son, Taylor Wells Keuleman on December 2, 2010.

1989

Genevieve Flint Fuller and husband Eric welcomed triplets Vivienne, Brielle and Giavanna Fuller in May 2010.

1990

Elizabeth Sadler Cryan and husband Kevin welcomed son Albert Hunter Cryan on July 11, 2010.

Amity Lippes was recently engaged to Ryan Mann. They plan to wed this June in Buffalo at Kleinhann’s. Her cousin, Adam Lippes ’87, is designing her wedding dress.

1991

Lori Decillis Tiedje and husband Garth welcomed son Tycho Edwin Tiedje on September 7, 2010.

1993

Meg Swift is currently pursuing her master’s in public health from Boston University.

34

Ensign Nicholas Edson ’02 visited with Prep II students in February to talk about his experience becoming a Naval officer, and the lessons he learned at Elmwood Franklin that continue to help him along the way: “always come prepared.”

1995

1999

Meg Stevenson Auerbach and husband Corey welcomed daughter Charlotte Rose Auerbach January 17, 2011.

Evans Mitchell Giesler has been selected to decorate a room in the Junior League’s 2011 Decorators' Show House. The Bayliss-Oshei Residence located at 360 Depew in Buffalo has been selected as the site, and the show house will be open from Saturday, April 30 to Sunday, May 22.

1996

Lindsay Campbell has entered the residency program in psychiatry at The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Julie Roetter is Director of Off-Campus Programs and International Studies at St. Lawrence University.

1997

Emily Stevenson was recently engaged to Jeremy Oldfield. She currently resides in New Haven, Connecticut and is pursuing her master’s in agriculture at Yale.

Matthew Edson is currently living in Buffalo and working as the I.T. administrator at Basil Ford.

2002

Nicholas Edson graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s in political science from the University at Buffalo in May 2010.

This past November, Nick began the Navy's Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.

2005

Erin Edson is a sophomore at SUNY Fredonia, majoring in sports management and minoring in business and coaching. At Fredonia, Erin is a member of the women’s Division III lacrosse team.

2006

Abigail Slone is a freshman at University of Denver where she is a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.

2008

This February, Zander Metz traveled with fellow students from Ridley College to Jamaica on behalf of Missionaries of the Poor to volunteer at an orphanage for children with mental and physical disabilities.

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

Sue Bensman Learning Lab (23 years) Debby Clark ’63 sports (34 years)

Christine Curtis French (20 years) Diane Evans science (25 years)

Rose Gardon first grade (40 years) Susan Barrett Green ’62 Lower School Head (40 years)

Cricket Gordon fourth grade/writing (21 years) Eileen McCarthy Prep II (27 years)

Pat Petersen music (23 years) Mary Jane Waltz Learning Lab (32 years)

Join us as we bid a fond farewell to ten faculty members who will retire after this school year.

s ave th e Date f o r th e

aL L- aL um nI

oPen house saturDay, June 4

Look for your InvItatIon forthcomIng In preparation of this year’s All-Alumni Open House, we are collecting stories, pictures and memories from alumni, alumni parents, parents, and colleagues of our retiring teachers to create a memory book to present to each one of them during the event.

To contribute: E-mail your favorite memory, story or photo to development@elmwoodfranklin.org.

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

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 1818 Buffalo, NY

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.

F ROM THE ARCHIVES May 29, 1923. Students pose on and around the Franklin School Ford and mascot, “the Blue Streak,� during the school picnic. Image from the journals of Elizabeth Young, Franklin School class of 1924.