ECFS Reporter Magazine Winter 2023

ECFS Reporter

Ethical Culture Fieldston School Magazine

Winter 2023

Since returning to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in July after 20 years in other schools, I have been truly energized by what is happening in classrooms across our campuses. I am captivated by how well our faculty engages students in learning — and how joyful ECFS learning can be. This joy emanates from our lively and engaged students rejoicing in being together in old and new ways, working with creative teachers who deliver a rich education filled with collaborative and active experiences. I’ve enjoyed witnessing how our dedicated teachers respond to their students’ enthusiasm and excitement in the classroom — and I look forward to the moments I can drop into our classrooms myself. You can learn more about these moments of joyful learning and explore the myriad examples of academic excellence in this issue of the ECFS Reporter.

Enthusiasm for our School is evident at every level and in every conversation. I know there is endless promise and potential here, and ECFS’s rich and glorious history can power us into the future.

Please enjoy this edition of the ECFS Reporter.

Sincerely,

Joe Algrant Head of School

Read about moments of joyful learning and explore the myriad examples of academic excellence in this issue of the ECFS Reporter.

Commencement Returns to the Fieldston Quad

Author Emma Johnson, Communications Manager

On a perfect sunny morning in May, the Ethical Culture Fieldston School’s Commencement celebration returned to form after two years of unconventional festivities. This year, students and families gathered together on the Fieldston Quad — a time-honored tradition — to recognize the achievements of the Class of 2022.

Families and friends chatted excitedly as they prepared for the senior class to arrive. As the Fieldston Orchestra began to play, the Fieldston Class of 2022, beaming in their caps and gowns, descended the stone steps alongside their advisors and Class Dean Vinni Drybala. Students made their way to the Quad to enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience gathered to celebrate them. For many members of the ECFS community, this was an emotional and welcome sight after last year’s ceremony was moved to a tent on the Upper Field in order to adhere to physical distancing guidelines.

As the graduates took their seats, Interim Head of School Kyle Wilkie-Glass opened the ceremonies with a moment of silence to honor the lives lost in the recent tragic mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

After the moment of silence, Wilkie-Glass offered a special thank-you to the many individuals — including faculty, staff, parents/guardians, caregivers, and friends — who had given their support and guidance throughout the students’ tenure at ECFS. Wilkie-Glass then passed the microphone to Kimberly Smith Spacek ’91, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, for a few words.

Smith Spacek emphasized how special it is to be a Fieldston alum and welcomed the Class of 2022 to an alumni community that is over 11,000 people strong. “You may leave the campus today, go off to college, travel the world, or embark on your future career, but I can assure you, whether you were here for 14 years, four years, or even less, you will always be a Fieldston graduate. You will always be welcomed with open Eagle arms.”

Three student speakers were invited to the podium to share their experiences at ECFS. First, Jala Atkinson ’22 expressed how far she and her classmates had come considering the many challenges they faced over the past two years. “We have been on a journey

of exploration and growth. We’ve survived a global pandemic and experienced remote school, hybrid learning, and months of isolation. It was hard to stay in the moment, but we saw nature heal itself, tolerated the discomfort of the unknown, lived in the moment, spent time with our families, slowed down, and regrouped with our values intact.”

Abigail Trapp ’22 illustrated a connection between the Class of 2022 and the beloved hit movie series “High School Musical.” According to Trapp, the series represents three major points of change in the life of a high school student: “One: the start of something new. When we started high school, we eroded the sedimented versions of ourselves from middle school and allowed ourselves to cultivate new interests. We discovered passions; got involved in sports, clubs, and committees; and formed new friendships. Two: The fate of the real world merged with the fate of our world. We embraced moments of joy and learned to love and empathize with one another after distance was forced upon us. And three: senior year — a time that is all about moving on. What makes reality so much better than the movies is that although we are leaving this place, we get to continue to grow and learn.”

Lastly, Asher Zemmel ’22 embraced humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt sentiment. As he wrapped up his speech, he lauded his fellow classmates for their vocal nature: “We always march to the beat of

our own drum. It’s that courage to make noise that has brought us here today, and it’s that same brave refusal to never stay silent that will guide us forward as we go through life. But today is the day our noise on this campus stops. This is it — our time as Fieldston students is complete.”

After the student speeches, Sarafina Belafonte ’22 introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Mary T. Bassett ’70, P’06, P’08, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. Belafonte, who is planning to study medicine, spoke about how Bassett served as an inspiration to her as a pioneering woman of color in STEM.

Dr. Bassett, a proud alumna and parent, recounted the different ways in which ECFS shaped her future and encouraged graduates with an important message. “As you leave today, you may not know what direction your lives are going to take; you don’t know which doors will open or which ones you will pass by. But you should know this — wherever you go, let your values guide you. You must continue to be outspoken and stand up for what you believe.”

Following a rendition of “Herbie Hancock Medley” performed by the accomplished Senior Jazz Band, Dean Drybala rose from his chair on stage to award diplomas to students. To begin the awarding ceremony, the Fieldston community held a moment of silence to

recognize a special member of the Class of 2022, Matthew Steinberg, who tragically passed away in 2018. A commemorative plaque will be placed in the administration building in Steinberg’s honor.

Students then proceeded to the stage to a clamor of celebratory applause and cheers, collected their diplomas from Assistant Principal for Academic Life Dr. Kenny Graves, joyfully tossed their caps in the air, and officially became graduates of Ethical Culture Fieldston School.

Interim Principal of Fieldston Upper — previously Dean of the Class of 2022 — Tony Marro closed Commencement with emotional remarks. Marro expressed the gratitude he felt for the many ways the Class of 2022 has impacted him both personally and professionally. “You’ve taught me and our community so much. This year, you taught me the greatest lessons: to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zones; to persevere through challenging times; to treat others with empathy, respect, and love; and, when in doubt, to give grace.”

Marro concluded with a powerful and comforting reminder: “When you spread your wings and fly off to the next adventure, remember that you can always come back to the nest.”

Congratulations, Class of 2022!

When you spread your wings and fly off to the next adventure, remember that you can always come back to the nest.

— Tony Marro, Interim Principal, Fieldston Upper

Faculty and Staff Q&A

6 Questions with Mica McGriggs, Ph.D., Director of Student Support and Wellness

Author

Lauren Coulston, Director of Communications

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of supporting students in both their academic success and their social emotional well-being. Over the past few years, the School has increased support among our Health, Wellness, and Counseling team and the Learning Center specialists. This year, ECFS has further prioritized our students’ well-being by creating a new all school senior administrative position — Director of Student Support and Wellness.

In July 2022, Mica McGriggs, Ph.D., started in the newly created role of Director of Student Support and Wellness. McGriggs is not new to ECFS — she began working at the School four years ago as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator in the Middle School after shifting her clinical practice to school-based work.

Joe Algrant, Head of School, and Kyle Wilkie-Glass, Associate Head of School, shared this about McGrigg’s appointment: “Mica’s education and experience as a psychologist and her current relationship with the School will serve her well in the creation of a visionary paradigm for student wellness in this newly created role overseeing the learning support and counseling/psychology functions at ECFS.”

Here, McGrigg’s reflects on her new role.

What are you looking forward to this year?

First and foremost, I can’t wait to learn more about and partner with my incredible team to continue best practices, and also look into any areas for growth. I’m really lucky — we have a large team that is leading student support work in a real hands-on way. I’m also eager to collaborate with different groups around campus to support our students. I want to learn what’s working really well with all of our student support services — including learning more about how we support students from both the academic and mental health and wellness perspectives.

What do you see as an opportunity this year?

There’s a real opportunity to do a temperature check and get a sense of the climate — we’re in a specific moment when we’re not out of the pandemic; but, we’re not in a state of emergency. We have a chance to gauge how students, families, and teachers are doing. Then we can build a lot of relevant programming once we have the data, which is exciting.

How have your experiences prepared you for this new role?

I’ve reflected on the fact that I’ve had many different experiences, without which I wouldn’t be able to do this job. I’m a therapist first in any job, and everything filters through a therapeutic lens. My set of

clinical experiences has always come in handy. I’m a psychologist by training, which is needed for this role, but there have been other specific experiences that have lent themselves as well.

During my PhD program, I worked in the accessibility center at a university. The accessibility center is where all the learning accommodations were processed — I was charged with conducting the neuropsychological evaluations for all of the student athletes at a large Division I university. That experience lines up well with leading the Learning Center Department.

My previous role in the DEI Department acclimated me to the ECFS culture and people. It helped me see neurodiversity and mental health issues as areas of identity and equity. When I’m thinking about a student with learning challenges or a mental health diagnosis, I’m thinking about DEI work as much as I’m thinking about support, learning, and treatment. I’m also thinking about how learning and mental health challenges are marginalized and how we can recenter the conversation.

Finally, trauma has always been my area of study, and we’re coming out of a collective trauma from the pandemic as a society. That trauma-informed perspective has lent itself well to this role.

What do you think your biggest challenge will be in your new role?

It’s a Pre-K–12th Grade, all school role, so it will be challenging to look at things from a macro-level perspective, but that’s something I really like. We’re a big school — it’s easy to focus on one division, one developmental stage, or one set of challenges — so I will need to balance the through line and focus on the transition points in our School.

What do you think makes the ECFS community unique?

There’s a lot! I think the commitment to staying in hard conversations is very special. We have a lot of opinions, perspectives, and differences, but in my experience, everyone is willing to engage in conversation. The relationships between students and teachers are prominent here but not necessarily unique — but, it’s something we can harness. Pair that relationship with the ability to have difficult conversations and we can be really creative and flexible.

You’re looking in the mirror before the first day of school — how do you psych yourself up?

I usually have hype music playing for anything important, which makes me feel confident. Music with a good strong beat gets me in a space to take on a challenge. And I always try to wear something that makes me feel confident.

ECFS Reconnects

Authors

Emma Johnson, Communications Manager, and Robin Becker, Contributor

This year, a familiar feeling is permeating the Ethical Culture Fieldston School campuses — one that hasn’t quite reached its fullest potential in recent years: the joy of reconnecting with one another in person. Many of the signature programs that foster community building across our School were put on hold in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been welcomed back this year with open arms.

Through unique and enriching experiences, students in all four divisions connected and created lifelong memories — in their own backyard and beyond.

Ethical Culture

5th Grade Nature’s Classroom Overnight Trip

In the fall of 2022, Ethical Culture’s entire 5th Grade embarked on their first trip to Nature’s Classroom in Lakeville, Connecticut, in three years. Students participated in many activities, including learning to build campfires without matches, searching for creek salamanders, hiking, and playing games that promote team-building and cooperation.

Being out of the city and away from home allows students to access and grow a different part of themselves that they don’t get to in daily life. For the adults, witnessing this side of our students is incredibly meaningful.

— Erik Landgren, Assistant Principal for Student Life, Ethical Culture

Fieldston Lower

Fall Carnival

This year, the Fieldston Lower 5th Graders, in partnership with parent/guardian volunteers, were able to invite the entire ECFS community to the Fieldston Lower Carnival! There were games put together by the P.E. teachers, bouncy castles, arts and crafts, face painting, and many delicious treats!

This year’s Carnival was the best one yet! It was a true labor of love for all of our 5th Grade students and parent/guardian volunteers.

I am so grateful for their creativity and energy that brought the community together.

— Joe McCauley, Principal, Fieldston Lower

Fieldston Middle

Student Socials

Fieldston Middle students enjoyed a social event on campus, where they watched Halloween-themed movies, snacked on pizza, danced to music played by the DJ club, and enjoyed each other’s company outside the classroom. Middle school can be a challenging time for students socially, and ECFS prioritizes opportunities for students to gather, connect to one another, and — most importantly — have fun.

Whether students were watching movies, eating pizza, enjoying music in the Student Commons, or playing outside on the field, a good time was had by all.

— Jon Alschuler, Principal, Fieldston Middle

Fieldston Upper Grade

Trips

Fieldston Upper students enjoyed exciting trips that are key components of each grade’s English and history curriculums. 9th Graders took daylong field trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and 10th Graders traveled to Boston. They toured the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Walden Pond, and both the Freedom Trail and the African Heritage Trail, where they acted as tour guides and delivered presentations.

The students had a great day at the Met among their peers, their teachers, and the artistic masterpieces featured at the institution. In Boston, in between all the learning and presentations, the class had time to hang out with old friends and make some new ones.

Stacey Bobo, Principal, Fieldston Upper

Fostering Joy in Learning: Literacy at Ethical Culture and Fieldston Lower

Author Emma Johnson, Communications Manager

At the heart of engagement with any academic subject are curiosity and joy. Fostering a love of reading and writing requires a lot of focus, patience, and joy-centered practice. The literacy programs within both of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School’s lower divisions — Ethical Culture and Fieldston Lower — are experiential, are flexible to student needs, and share a common goal: to ensure our students walk through the doors at Fieldston Middle on their first day of 6th Grade feeling prepared, confident, and excited to learn. Here is an overview of the ECFS approach to literacy.

The big picture

Especially in recent years, there has been an all-hands-on-deck approach to learning and, more specifically, to literacy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic — a moment in educational history when literacy scores have sharply declined across the country.

Shawn

“At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we increased the amount of time dedicated to language arts and math learning. We felt these shifts were necessary to ensure our students were still progressing despite the many challenges they faced. The teachers, in turn, used their creativity and student-centered approach to keep this increase in academic time both fun and engaging,” explains Fieldston Lower Principal Joe McCauley.

Our elementary-level divisions have dedicated literacy specialists who work with our students in many capacities each week. Whether it be a visit to a classroom to support classroom teachers, in a small group session, or even in a one-on-one setting, the learning specialists work diligently to meet our students where they are in their reading, writing, comprehension, and fluency journies.

“At Ethical Culture, we strive to ensure that students are given differentiated instruction that will allow them to move seamlessly from learning to read to reading to learn,” explains Assistant Principal for Academic Life at Ethical Culture Melinda Velez.

Teaching literacy to students in Pre-K–2nd Grade

When our youngest students enter Pre-K and Kindergarten, teachers, librarians, and learning specialists encourage the curiosity and joy they have already garnered through being read to at home.

Learning feels boundless when students are equipped with appropriate literacy skills at each grade level.

—

Chisty, Assistant Principal for Academic Life, Fieldston Lower

“From the first month of their schooling experience, our youngest learners are encouraged to express themselves in pictures, spoken words, and writing, if they are ready,” explains Assistant Principal for Academic Life at Fieldston Lower Shawn Chisty. “Our teachers actively help each child sequence their thoughts to place content, words, thoughts, and actions in order. They lay the foundations of pre-literacy skills that build focused attention to thoughts, working memory, sequencing, and much more. Learning feels boundless when students are equipped with appropriate literacy skills at each grade level.”

Once students reach 1st Grade, much of September and October is spent assessing student reading and writing levels and thoughtfully constructing small groups based on each student’s individualized needs. The programming that follows these assessments is designed to be flexible and fluid. For example, a student may enter the academic year with strong spelling and fluency skills but may require additional support with comprehension. This student may begin the year working one-on-one with a learning specialist and, after specialized instruction in comprehension, will move back to the classroom to engage in small-group reading using grade-level texts. These small groups are routinely reassessed and adjusted to ensure students feel simultaneously supported and challenged and to encourage collaboration with their peers.

By 2nd Grade, Fieldston Lower

Learning Specialist Jen Garnett’s and Ethical Culture Learning Specialist Zana Milovanovich’s classes are plugged into Fundations — a multisensory, structured language program providing a road map for their literacy journeys. Using the Fundations programming, teachers cover phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, spelling, handwriting, and many more skills essential to literacy.

In Garnett’s classroom, shelves overflowing with books of all shapes and sizes line the classroom walls, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a space in the room not covered with colorful letters of the English alphabet. Calming music plays over the speaker as three eager 2nd Graders are invited into the room for their small-group language arts lesson. They grab their student and composition notebooks, which are neatly organized on a shelf, and begin the lesson by writing three sentences about their weekend.

“Not only do we teach our students the critical elements that allow them to read and write, but we incorporate social emotional learning (SEL) into everything we do,” explains Garnett. “Our students collaborate to share stories and ideas, express emotions in their writing, and even learn the skills needed to teach one another. It’s all very student-centered.”

Teaching literacy to students in 3rd–5th Grades

As students get older, they use the building blocks and foundational skills they learned in earlier grades to expand their engagement with literacy even further.

In 3rd Grade, teachers adopt a guided reading approach to teach and practice strategies for reading comprehension with literature across genres and diverse perspectives. Students work through the steps of the writing process, including drafting, revising, and editing, and learn to express themselves clearly and competently using varied sentence structures. 4th Graders develop and expand their comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking by reading texts across genres and perspectives. By this point, students are expected to use capitalization, punctuation, and grammar accurately and write their first expository essay based on their social studies research.

In a 5th Grade classroom at Ethical Culture, Learning Specialist

Karen Rose was guiding students in writing a longer-form nonfiction piece on a chosen subject. By this point, students can analyze and make connections between texts, themselves, and the world around them. While students diligently worked, Rose provided individualized instruction and support that encouraged them to seek help when needed, think critically, and express their creativity in writing.

“Teachers in later grades build on this foundation by teaching more commonly known literacy skills — forming words, understanding sentence structure, crafting powerful paragraphs, and more. Each student simultaneously has numerous opportunities to apply these skills to projects, discussions, debates, design thinking tasks, and other capstone experiences in our core curriculum. Our program is designed to show our students that working hard at reading and writing sets them up to be empowered learners for life,” explains Chisty.

Upon entering a classroom on either of our lower school campuses, one thing is especially clear: teachers, librarians, learning specialists, and administrators treat every moment spent with our students as an opportunity to teach them something new. Whether our youngest students are learning how to draw a lowercase “j” by starting at the grass line, learning to write a suspenseful paragraph, engaging in a thoughtful conversation about a particularly difficult passage, or even laughing along while their teacher reads a silly story, one thing is undeniable: literacy sparks joy.

Our students collaborate to share stories and ideas, express emotions in their writing, and even learn the skills needed to teach one another.

— Jen Garnett, Learning Specialist, Fieldston Lower

Joy in math and science, too!

Math in our lower schools

• From learning shapes and numbers in Pre-K to becoming fluent in multiplication and division in 5th Grade, students find the math curriculum at our lower schools engaging, experiential, and comprehensive.

• Math occurs throughout the school day — in morning meeting activities, partner games, during guided explorations, and other times.

• Whether they are learning how to count money while running their very own post office; creating tables and graphs to represent area, population, minimum wage, and unemployment rate data; or deepening their understanding of proportional reasoning by deciding if two new neighborhood playgrounds receive equitable resources, students are constantly challenged to make connections between math, their other academic subjects, and the world around them.

Science in our lower schools

• Our youngest students are encouraged to enjoy time outdoors and to experiment often through Ethical Culture and Fieldston Lower’s thoughtfully designed science curriculum.

• In science class, students explore their classrooms, playgrounds, Central Park, and even the bridges and boats of New York City.

• From the magical bird and butterfly studies to ethical conversations about conservation, this interdisciplinary curriculum encourages empathy and care for our environment and connects the human experience to the experience of the natural world, enabling students to appreciate biodiversity.

ECFS by the Numbers

It would be impossible to capture every aspect of daily life at ECFS on a single page. Sometimes numbers speak louder than words — here you will find a compilation of approximations gathered over recent academic years that we found especially interesting.

Alumni

147 seniors graduated in the Class of 2022 and are attending 68 highly competitive colleges

350+ alumni spanning the Classes of 1931–2017 attended reunions in June

9 members of the Class of 2022 play intercollegiate sports at Division I and III colleges and universities

85 diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are held, impacting and engaging every constituency

Performing Arts

253 courses are offered annually at Fieldston Upper, including 50 different arts course offerings in visual arts, graphic communications, theatre/dance, and music

136 alumni are parents/guardians of current students

331 10th–12th Grade students engage in 101 community service projects with over 40 community organizations

350 Fieldston Middle and Fieldston Upper students perform in 9 theatre productions and 2 dance concerts

700 Fieldston Middle and Fieldston Upper students attend music classes each week and perform in 15 musical concerts

90 student clubs and organizations at Fieldston Upper

200+

Fieldston Middle and Fieldston Upper students use the Design Studios each week to learn engineering, robotics, and computer science

245+

Fieldston Lower students use the Adler Lab each week for math, science, woodshop, technology, art, music, and gardening

18 acres

2 boroughs

Athletic Teams

38 Fieldston Upper Teams

261 260 360

students play fall sports students play winter sports students play spring sports

2,005 students, faculty, and staff are served lunch daily

23 Fieldston Middle Teams

205 201 274

220 pounds of pasta are served weekly

14 years Ethical Culture students have been running an ECS-a-Thon in Central Park

3 gardens

3 libraries

2 campuses

15 buildings

Ethics is Everywhere at Fieldston Middle

Authors

Robin Becker, Contributor

Laurie Hornik, English Department Chair, Fieldston Middle

Courtnay Hull, Science Department Chair, Fieldston Middle

Jonathan Richer, Math Teacher, Fieldston Middle

Debra Sands, History Teacher and Grade Level Coordinator, Fieldston Middle

Felix Adler, the founder of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, once said, “The ideal of the school is not the adaptation of the individual to the existing social environment; it is to develop individuals who are competent to change their environment in greater conformity with moral ideals.” At Fieldston Middle, ethics plays a significant role in the core curriculum. Students not only learn complex mathematical equations and literary analysis but they also use those lessons to frame the world around them and to better understand how to go out into the world and change it for the better.

Here are just a few ways that the English, History, Math, and Science Departments at Fieldston Middle incorporate ethics at every turn.

English Department

Every 7th Grade student at Fieldston Middle takes part in the “Lord of the Flies” inquest project: Using evidence from the novel to argue their position, students work in pairs to litigate on behalf of either Jack or Ralph to prove who was to blame for the destructive events in the book. The classroom becomes a mock courtroom as students present their arguments to their classmates.

“Lord of the Flies,” though published nearly 70 years ago, still offers students an engaging and thought-provoking plot to explore. “Ralph and Jack have different approaches to life on the island, and at first, it seems like Ralph is the good guy, and Jack is the bad guy. But as the kids push deeper into the book and understand the textual evidence, they start to see arguments they could make in the other direction,” explains Laurie Hornik, English Department Chair, Fieldston Middle. The inquest project teaches 7th Graders about the power of holding multiple perspectives in literature and in life. The novel asks a simple question: What is your responsibility toward other people? Through the inquest project, students at Fieldston Middle use multiple perspectives to find the answer.

History Department

In 7th Grade history, students study maps and geography. The unit includes a section on human geography, which relates to the spatial relationships between humans, cultures, and economies. During this unit, students research an essential question and write an essay outlining their findings. The question: Is it ethical for politicians to create districts that benefit their own parties?

Through research and reporting, the 7th Graders must explain what gerrymandering is, why it is used, what it means to be ethical, and whether or not it is ethical for politicians to create political districts that benefit their party. The students use a mixed-media approach to their research, including written articles and published political cartoons. The students also draw cartoons about gerrymandering to go alongside their essays. The unit offers students the opportunity to dig into an essential question, debate a relevant issue, and better understand an ethical issue in today’s society.

Science Department

During the 2021–2022 academic year, 6th Grade science students participated in an ecological restoration project with Van Cortlandt Park. After meeting with John Butler, Program Director of Restoration and Stewardship with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, students researched and created information sheets about various native plants. They developed recommendations for which areas of the park would be most suitable for transplanting based on the ecosystem, land usage, and their knowledge of each plant species. In the classroom, students grew a variety of seeds obtained from the New York City Foundation Seed Program, including gray goldenrod, white and blue woodland astor, switchgrass, little bluestem, and others. The seedlings were later transplanted to Van Cortlandt Park.

Through the ecological restoration project, 6th Graders learned about seed germination and plant structure/function, and reinforced their understanding of how environmental conditions can impact plant growth. Partnering with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance allowed students the opportunity to learn more about the importance of preserving plant species native to New York City while also making a difference in their local community. As of publication, the native transplants are thriving in their new Van Cortlandt Park habitat.

Math Department

The stock market unit is an exciting learning experience for 6th Grade students each year. Through a real-time simulation, students learn fundamental investing concepts and attempt to increase their portfolio’s value by making informed investment decisions. It’s only possible to explore these concepts by infusing mathematical concepts. Through the unit framework, students delve deeper into decimals, percentages, ratios, and graphing — to name a few. Students not only learn the mechanisms of the stock market but study the real-world implications of how companies choose to operate and the kinds of choices companies can make to benefit the rest of the world.

Students complete the stock market unit by researching companies recognized for ethical board governance, or social and/or environmental stewardship. Students create presentations about their chosen companies, and based on financial research, they must decide if it’s a worthwhile financial investment.

Students not only learn the mechanisms of the stock market, but study the real-world implications of how companies choose to operate and the kinds of choices companies can make to benefit the rest of the world.

Where is Your Favorite Spot on the ECFS Campuses?

My favorite place on campus is the outdoor classroom behind the library. Being surrounded by a verdant landscape — the beautiful Tate Library windows as the backdrop — brings a sense of peace and connects me to nature!

— Shelley Topping-Omodunbi, Director of Public Partnership

My favorite spot on the Ethical Culture campus is definitely the rooftop playground. In addition to being a great outdoor play space for kids, it offers a really spectacular view of Central Park and neighboring buildings. Our rooftop is an extraordinary vantage point from which to view the changing seasons and the ever-changing New York City skyline.

— Maryann Mazzacaro, Kindergarten Head Teacher, Ethical Culture

My favorite spot on campus is the picnic table outside of Fieldston Lower. It’s a great spot to eat outside and enjoy our beautiful campus. In the summer — when most students and staff are away — we often meet to have lunch with coworkers from other departments and divisions who are here working (something we rarely, if ever, get to do during the busy academic year). Heavenly!

— Melinda Moore, Assistant to the Principal, Fieldston Lower

One of my favorite spots at Ethical Culture is at the windows that overlook Central Park in room 308 I love watching the park grow and change throughout the seasons, and it gives me opportunities to slow down and appreciate all the blessings in my life. In the spring, when everything has thawed out and the sun shines bright, the jazz players come out of hibernation, and the rhythms of their music float in through the open window, energizing all who listen.

— Kyle Zhen, 2nd Grade Associate Teacher, Ethical Culture

This is not an easy question since the campus has many beautiful areas. One of my top picks is the terrace outside the southeast exit of the Fieldston athletic building. Although this area is primarily used to exit the building, you can also access it by walking up the stairs on top of the bleachers. From here, there is a very nice view of the fields, and it’s always quiet since there is not much pedestrian traffic.

— Noel Soriano, Assistant Director of Facilities

My favorite spot on campus is the Fieldston Lower Library. Not only is it a beautiful and warm and inviting space itself but it houses an impressive collection, and you can always walk in there and see young readers taking advantage of it with expert guidance from the library staff. I think it is a space that perfectly encapsulates the wonderful and unique things that ECFS has to offer.

— Felipe Cocco, Ethics and Technology Lead, Fieldston Middle

Early in the morning, the Fieldston campus is humming with activity, as the Facilities crew is already working, and I can hear music combined with the sounds of chopping filtering from the Fieldston Upper kitchen window. I enter the still-dark, state-of-theart fitness room in the Fieldston athletic building that overlooks the track and football field and see the sunrise as I exercise. Workout is done; I feel ready to take on the day.

— Ana Baert, Associate Teacher, Fieldston Lower

There is a little wooded space outside room 402 and Ms. Repole’s office, where I’ve had bird feeders up every winter for about 25 years. I can huddle down in there with school buses not far, and watch chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches, and many, many house sparrows ‘gather around the table’ and eat. Many biology classes have sampled there for invertebrates over the years as well, finding slugs, ‘roly-polies,’ and centipedes. It’s a bit of the ‘old nature’ of this area of New York City, and I treasure it.

— Howie Waldman, Science Teacher and Green Dean, Fieldston Upper

Fieldston Upper’s English Department Community Read Spans Diverse Course Offerings

Author Alwin Jones, English Department Chair, Fieldston Upper and Director, Fieldston Summer Academic Program

In the fall of 2020, the English Department at Fieldston Upper launched a new program — Community Read — with James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time.” This initial program, for which the entire Fieldston Upper community read the same book, was so well received because of the shared experience it created among the students. We were able to speak to each other across grades, and connections formed as a result. We were also able to refer to the questions Baldwin, our teachers, and their peers raised in our post-January 6th world. The students advocated for this shared reading and community experience to become an annual event led by the English Department.

Elizabeth Alexander’s “The Trayvon Generation” was the English Department’s Community Read for the 2022–2023 academic year. Each student at Fieldston Upper read the text, and every teacher

11th Grade student

in the department taught portions of the book. This text was the third in this particular Community Read shared experience. Last year, the department selected Cathy Park Hong’s “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning.”

Our department chose Alexander’s text because it remains a brilliant multigenre collection aimed at providing hopeful examples of how artists have used their art forms to ask and answer questions about art and activism, social justice, racism, parenting, the digital age, memorialization, and monuments. We felt the multigenre approach of “The Trayvon Generation’’ would provide excellent material for critical thinking and the early work of fostering a learning and engaged reading community, particularly as we continue our charge to become more mission aligned. Our choice also appeared to be fated because Alexander’s sons, Simon and Solomon, as well as both of her parents, are Fieldston alumni. Alexander dedicated the book to her sons.

How do we make texts that appear on the surface to be specific in their theme or content relevant to Fieldston Upper’s diverse course offerings, such as 19th Century English Literature, Asian American Literature, Native American Literature, Russian Literature, Literature of War, Women and Literature, Form III English, Form IV English, Humanities, as well as Senior Seminar? As Chair of the

What I found the most motivational was hearing advice from Dr. Alexander about how my generation can be activists, and all it takes is a single voice, and you should not be scared to go after what you believe in.

—

department, I remain thoroughly proud and impressed with my colleagues’ ability to rise to the moment and meet the pedagogical challenges it might present to put Alexander’s work in conversation with Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,”

which was the text our seniors read over the summer in preparation for Senior Seminar. Our teachers began their work in the summer by exchanging ideas, lesson plans, questions, and passages they found interesting.

These initial ideas and lesson plans are shared widely with the department. We contribute and borrow liberally from each other in a manner that builds community and serves as an easy form of professional development that is mission-aligned in many ways. One teacher might point out the questions that Alexander raises about the role of mothers and parents, who or what an American is, the idea of justice and inequality, the role of memorialization and monuments, the idea of delayed comprehension, or the written word as a memorialization. We then share our students’ feedback or questions or the conversations we are having in our classes and examine how they differ. We do this work formally in our meetings and via shared lesson plans, and informally in those passing moments in our offices or over lunch or coffee where we are exuberant and energized by our students’ ability to make connections between the texts that we, as their collaborating guides, did not at first see.

Again, our venture proved very successful and ultimately culminated in Alexander’s visit to address our community in our first all school in-person assembly this past October. Alexander remarked upon leaving how grateful, thankful, and happy she was that all the students appeared to be engaged and prepared for the conversation with her. This preparation was a monumental task.

In all our planning and teaching, we are driven by and energized by our students’ responses to how this particular reading experience continues to help them discover a love of reading and, most importantly, more about themselves as citizens of Fieldston and the world at large. As an 11th Grade student noted, “I enjoyed learning about … how art and poetry can be used in writing to tell a story and an untold truth. What I found the most motivational was hearing advice from Dr. Alexander about how my generation can be activists, and all it takes is a single voice, and you should not be scared to go after what you believe in.” Or as another put it, “I found it very validating to hear Dr. Alexander’s vocalization of things that I’ve experienced my entire life. To have a resource that so eloquently demonstrates what I’ve been feeling for years but never felt like I had the words to express was powerful.”

Senior Art Showcase

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School is known for its robust arts program, weaving creative practices into our students’ education. Fieldston Upper offers students a wide array of arts electives, allowing students to major in their area of interest. This edition of the ECFS Reporter features a visual arts showcase in which we celebrate the work of selected seniors and learn about their artistic journeys at ECFS.

Alex B. ’23 and Marisa H. ’23

Every Monday afternoon, exhausted from a day of learning, members of the Film Major class collectively collapse on the flimsy blue couches in the Media Lab. We share little updates from our week — bits of gossip, philosophical meditations, one-liners overheard on the subway — and we laugh and create together. These informal conversations often become impromptu brainstorming sessions. Mr. Buskey, from his swivel chair beside us, always engages. He offers humor, discernment, and wisdom in our spontaneous writers’ room. This joyful community has wholly defined our filmmaking experience at Fieldston.

Last year, we wrote and directed two short films: “Collide” and “Bookstore Blues.” We cycled through a million stories — a struggling guitarist’s attempt to make it big and a nude model’s journey to selflove, to name a couple — before ultimately settling on these two tales of economic hardship in New York City. Our writing process was like a tennis match of ideas. We each assumed the role of a character as we crafted snappy back-and-forth dialogue. We then cast professional actors, designed shooting schedules, and made all the necessary preparations for production day. Our shoots were a blast. Booms, cinema cameras, and clappers in hand, we worked until we’d perfected every scene. After weeks of painstaking editing, our films were ready for showcase. We held two festivals, one at a theater, complete with a red carpet entrance, and the other a little exclusive premiere on those flimsy blue couches.

Theo C. ’23

Fieldston has been a place that has allowed me to develop as a thinker and an artist. My sculpture teacher, Ms. Fried, taught me how to combine various mediums with my interests in engineering and construction. My architecture teacher, Mr. Ganzglass, taught me to think more critically about my designs and how they impact those around me. They both helped me learn how to push myself and constantly be in a state of iteration and improvement.

This project, “Planning for a Flood 101,” responds to the idea of designing for the future and is modeled after the current rising sea level risks that Lower Manhattan faces. While Fieldston is not at risk of flooding, what would happen if it were? How can we plan for the future now so we are prepared? I made a topographical scale model of Fieldston’s campus that represents the amount of land our campus uses relative to the amount of land available to us at varying levels of flooding. I will use this information to design a new campus on a smaller footprint of land that preserves the essence of Fieldston’s current campus.

Shannya C. ’23

Art is my outlet. Fieldston is academically rigorous but provides different mediums to help students relieve stress. I would never have imagined that my art requirement in 9th Grade would turn into a newfound passion. Ceramics is one of the original forms of mindfulness, and it helps ground me throughout the day. Fieldston students have a reputation for being artsy, and I never understood why — I always thought, if anything, besides being academic, we are athletic. I finally understand as I near the end of my high school career and am applying to colleges. Even though I’m interested in the pre-med track, ceramics has become so deeply woven into my life that I will only attend a college that offers a ceramics course for students who are not majoring in art but have a passion for it. I owe a lot not only to ceramics but to my ceramics teacher, Ms. Quinn.

Aidan G. ’23

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not hard to notice that the only class that got my full and undivided attention was art. I saw this as an opportunity and decided to purchase an easel and paints of my own. I didn’t have many hopes for this new hobby, as the easel was foldable and easy to store away, which meant it could have been easily forgotten. But to my surprise, the easel stayed up. Suddenly my room began to expand — and with it my creativity. The places and people I painted weren’t stuck in their rooms; their abilities were limitless. This was an escape and the outlet I was looking for. I didn’t paint about the melancholy I was feeling but instead let the emotion flow from my brain, down my arm, up my wrist, through each bristle of the paintbrush, and onto the canvas. When I returned to Fieldston in the fall of 2020, I immediately signed up as a 2D art major. This environment only further fostered my adoration for art. Now I am able to explore new materials and subjects, allowing my creativity to run wild. I will be forever grateful to the Fieldston Art Department.

Stay connected with ECFS

Follow along with stories from the School on our website and social media to stay up to date on all the exciting things happening at ECFS. Browse articles and photo galleries at ecfs.org/news and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest updates from our School.

@ecfs1878

@ecfs1878

ethical-culture-fieldston-school

Making a gift is a crucial show of support for our students and our School. Make a donation at ecfs.org/support or mail your personal contribution to:

Ethical Culture Fieldston School

P.O. Box 1130

New York, NY 10008-1130

Volunteering is an easy and accessible way to get more involved with ECFS and get to know your fellow Eagles. Email advancement@ecfs.org to learn more and get started.

Family Fun Zone

Take a moment and gather your family for some quality time together. We hope you enjoy the ECFS-themed word search and coloring pages.

ECFS Word Search

Can you find all the hidden words in the grid below?

Jay Lagemann ’62

There’s a new sculpture, placed in October 2022, welcoming the Ethical Culture Fieldston School community to the Tate Library! Reading Dog was sculpted by Jay Lagemann ’62 and donated to the School after a fundraising campaign by the Class of 1962. We spoke to Jay about his path from learning bookbinding at Fieldston Lower to studying math at Princeton and MIT to creating sculptures that allow him to share his joy and happiness with the world.

Jay Lagemann ’62, left, and Bob Levey ’62, right, at the unveiling of Reading Dog

What is a favorite memory of your time at Fieldston?

Hans Hollstein, Math Department Chair, taught me for three years when I was at Fieldston Upper. When we were 9th Graders, he’d show us the problems he had given the seniors and have us solve the parts we could with our limited skills. Then Hans would explain how what we would learn in the next few years would allow us to solve more and more of the problems. By the time we were learning calculus, we were already familiar with it. It was a very rewarding feeling to see how we were getting stronger. It’s because of him that I ended up being a math major and getting a Ph.D. in math from MIT. He made math fascinating — a wonderful, intellectual sort of exploration.

What was your path into creating art, and what is an important lesson you learned along the way?

After getting my doctorate, I went to a mathematics conference at Cambridge University. I had been studying abstruse, abstract mathematical logic with absolutely no useful application, and I realized that I didn’t know what I wanted to do with this knowledge. I had saved up about a year’s salary while working at IBM throughout college, so I decided to travel and write a book. After getting into ocean sailing and racing, I came back to New York, where I met my future wife and daughters. Our first date was for the four of us to see Alexander Calder’s sculpture Circus. Not long after, while babysitting one of the girls, we ended up recreating the Circus trapeze with figurines made from wire coat hangers. It was so much fun making that, and I’d say that’s when I became a sculptor. When I ran out of money, I got what was supposed to be a one-day job on the

movie “Jaws 2,” but I ended up working on the movie for six months, including with the special effects team. One thing I learned in special effects that stayed with me is that when you’re doing something special, it’s probably not going to be easy. You come up with a lot of ideas and a lot of them don’t work, but you don’t need to succeed the first time, the second time, even the 10th time — you just need to succeed once. It’s a great way of thinking about life — to know that each time you fail, you learn something new.

How did Reading Dog come to live in front of the Tate Library?

For my 45th and 50th Princeton reunions, I made and brought down tiger sculptures to march in the P-Rade with our class. People loved the tigers, and they added to the festive reunion atmosphere. So for my 60th Fieldston Reunion, I brought two sculptures — Jitterbug Dancers and Reading Dog. It came up at the Reunion how Reading Dog would be great in front of the Tate Library, and my friend Bob Levey ’62 volunteered to help raise the money to pay for it. Within four days, enough money had been raised to reimburse me for the costs of the sculpture, with all the extra funds being donated to the School. I didn’t want to make any money from this — it’s an honor to have my sculpture on the campus, and it’s more important to raise money for scholarships. I was a financial aid student, and I know what a difference it can make in a child’s life.

When we placed Reading Dog in October, I noticed that there was student artwork on display behind where the sculpture is. I hope they’ll continue to add more, because Reading Dog loves company!

Gaby Moss ’93 and Alysia Reiner ’88

When Gaby Moss ’93 and Alysia Reiner ’88 joined the Resistance Revival Chorus, neither of them imagined they’d find not one but two connections to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School: Abena Koomson-Davis, Ethics Chair at Fieldston Middle and Resistance Revival Chorus Musical Director, and to each other as ECFS alumni. Their chance meeting over a shared interest in art and activism led to a collaboration that supports the commitment to living an ethical life that these two alumni learned as ECFS students.

What do you remember most from your time at ECFS?

Moss: My mom was drawn to the mission of ECFS and the way that the School is committed to diversity. For most of my childhood, she was a single mother, and it was important to her that I was able to receive a great education where I would feel welcomed. Looking back decades later, I still think about the atmosphere that all of my teachers worked to create for the students.

Reiner : Something that sticks with me to this day is learning about ethical dilemmas in 1st Grade at Ethical Culture. I remember realizing, “Wow, there isn’t always a right and wrong. Sometimes it’s way more complicated than that.” That concept blew my mind and is something I still grapple with today.

Alysia Reiner ’88, left, wearing the Dissent II necklace, and Gaby Moss ’93, right

Photo credit: Cindy Trinh

What was your path after graduation?

Reiner : At Fieldston, I loved theatre, science, and math, and I even wrote my college essays about how psychoneurobiochemistry and acting were related. I went to Vassar College, where I was a biopsychology major, but I overloaded my courses so that I could take a year abroad and study theatre in London. I came back to New York, where I continued acting and slowly began to have a couple of big breaks, including the movie “Sideways” and the television show “Orange Is the New Black.” I’m now still acting (most recently in “Ms. Marvel”!), producing female-driven stories with primarily women behind and in front of the camera, serving on the board of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and continuing to look for ways to bring art and activism together.

Moss: After Fieldston, I majored in cultural anthropology at Wesleyan University. I loved that my classes were discussionbased and that they covered a variety of subjects such as religion, psychology, and sociology. I did a lot of exploring right after college — I traveled, worked in a preschool, spent time as a dance instructor, and worked as a project manager at an advertising agency. In my late 20s and 30s, I served as the executive director at a nonprofit focused on youth impacted by chronic illness. But no matter what else I was doing, I was always making art of some kind. In 2020, after lots of encouragement from friends and family, I built a jewelry studio in my home and launched my jewelry business, Gaby Moss Designs, with an homage to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a piece I call the Dissent necklace, inspired by the collar she would wear when issuing a dissenting opinion to the court.

How did the two of you begin working together on the current Dissent necklace project?

Moss: I’m always thinking about what the next step is for my business. Working with precious metals — gold, rose gold, sterling silver — has been on my list for a long time. I knew I wanted to leverage that opportunity to raise awareness and support for reproductive rights, which is one of my top activism priorities. I decided that creating a limited-edition version of my original Dissent necklace in precious metals, with 20% of the profits going to the National Network of Abortion Funds, is a way for me to contribute to a cause I feel strongly about.

It seems perfect that Alysia and I connected because of Abena, who is a wonderful inspiration and a beautiful leader in the community of artists and activists in the Resistance Revival Chorus. Alysia and I started to become friends before we even realized that we were both ECFS alumni! I wanted her to model for my business ever since meeting her, and this piece was a great opportunity to work together. She’s been a real partner and collaborator in all areas of the project.

Reiner : One amazing thing about Gaby’s work is that when you create wearable art, you get to tell the story about the piece. Every time I’ve had the opportunity to wear it, I can tell people the story behind the necklace and the impact that it has. There’s something really magical about that.

Honoring Glen de Vries ’90 with the Fieldston Science Research Program Fellowship and Endowment

Glen de Vries ’90 and Jesse Lunin-Pack ’90 became friends when Lunin-Pack transferred to Fieldston Middle in 7th Grade. “In 8th Grade, Glen and I founded the Fieldston Model Rocketry Society, which was admittedly kind of an excuse to hang out together in the science lab,” he laughs. “We built a bunch of rockets, launched them, and had a great time.”

The passion for science that de Vries developed at ECFS was at the forefront of his life until his unexpected passing in November 2021. He studied molecular biology and genetics at and later served as a trustee for Carnegie Mellon University, worked as a bench scientist researching prostate cancer at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and co-founded a company called Medidata Solutions that brought together scientific research and technology.

Jesse Lunin-Pack, left, with Glen de Vries, right, at the Blue Origins launch. Inset: The Fieldston Model Rocketry Society as seen in the Fieldglass Yearbook. Jesse LuninPack is in the front row, second from the left, next to Glen de Vries at the center, holding the model rocket.

Medidata revolutionized the life sciences research industry and standards of patient care overall by building one of the first software platforms that clients could use to build, perform, and share results from clinical trials. To date, the company has helped advance more than 27,000 clinical trials, including more than 500 research studies related to COVID-19. In 2019, the company was acquired by French software company Dassault Systèmes for $5.9 billion. De Vries expanded on his belief that analyzing data was the key to unlocking medical breakthroughs in clinical research in his book “Patient Equation: The Precision Medicine Revolution in the Age of COVID-19 and Beyond.”

Following de Vries’s death, the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) — where de Vries was a board member and a member with Medidata — was interested in memorializing his vast contributions to science. Lunin-Pack knew that doing so at ECFS would be the perfect full-circle moment. “Fieldston is where Glen developed his love of science,” LuninPack says. He reached out to ECFS’s Head of School (and the pair’s 9th Grade biology teacher) Joe Algrant to discuss the options. The answer was clear: supporting and expanding the Fieldston Science Research Program (FSRP).

The FSRP, which is designed for Fieldston Upper students who are highly motivated and independent learners with a passion for scientific research, is a two-year program that includes a summer research commitment. Students learn advanced laboratory techniques — such as using centrifuges and PCR machines that separate and amplify DNA from samples — along with experimental design, scientific writing, and data analysis, all while

identifying a research lab in which they will perform their summer research.

Students in the FSRP don’t just learn advanced concepts — they also do meaningful work for their research commitments. For her research project, Vivian Lee ’22 partnered with Jonathan Pollock ’74, Chief of Genetics, Epigenetics, and Developmental Neuroscience Research Branch at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, to research and analyze access to information stored in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, which comprise an electronic database used to track controlled substance prescriptions.

Now, ACRO has committed to supporting the formal addition of a third year of the FSRP with the Glen de Vries Science Research Fellowship and Endowment, allowing select Fieldston Upper seniors the opportunity to continue their scientific research. “Glen was extremely accomplished,” says Algrant, “and it’s an honor to recognize him at Fieldston, where he got his start in science.” Throughout his career, de Vries was a mentor to young science students at Carnegie Mellon University and the Young Scientist Foundation, making this partnership even more meaningful. “It feels really good to have something that will honor Glen and carry on his name at his School,” says Lunin-Pack. “Glen elevated everyone around him, and I hope future students in the FSRP will have an amazing experience.”

De Vries’s love for space that he cultivated in the Model Rocketry Society during middle school never waned, and in October 2021, a month before he passed, he realized a long-held dream and visited space as part of the crew of a Blue Origin flight.

Class Notes

Class Notes are your chance to share your personal news and to keep up with what’s going on with your fellow alumni. Have an update you’d like to share? Send your personal and professional news to alumni@ecfs.org.

1939

1950

Robert Gordon and Henry Feldman ’49 ran into each other at the coffee bar at University House Wallingford, a small retirement community in Seattle. They discovered they were both from New York, and the conversation started like this: “Where’d you go to high school?” “The Bronx.” “Where in the Bronx?” “Riverdale.” “What school?”

Linda Pastan had a new book, “Almost An Elegy: New and Later Selected Poems,” published by W. W. Norton in October 2022.

1953

Betty Rollin is feeling lucky and grateful that her books “First, You Cry” and “Last Wish” are still being read and that her mind is “still (more or less) working.” She recently wrote a poignant New York Times Opinion piece titled “How to Talk to a Widow” about the wrong things well-meaning people say when a spouse dies. She feels lucky to have gone to Fieldston, which she says is “such a good place in every way that a school can be good.”

Alice Ladas ’39 and Frederick Lowen visiting the grave of Wilhelm Reich, who brought body psychotherapy to the United States

Marian Brickner is coping with the deaths of her (sort of) husband and son by photographing birds and insects near her backyard in St. Louis. To the delight of her fans, her work appears on Facebook and in collections that she sells online.

Junia Doan, formerly called Ann Cassell, hosts an online program of interviews with prominent figures, many of whom are Midwestern financial magnates.

Andrew Courtney was honored by the Peace Action Fund for New York State for his work “documenting Peace and Justice activity in Westchester County, New York, for decades” as well as his work in war zones and documenting refugees in the United States. Three of Andrew’s photographs hung in the Hastings Village Hall Gallery in an exhibition called “Sugar, Sweat & Stone,” documenting the art of work in the twenty-first century and understanding work as a source of personal identity, satisfaction, and despair.

Fred Greenman’s wife, Janet, will be turning 80 in March and they are planning a party with all of their family. Their granddaughter Nora is a senior in high school and is looking forward to college, and their grandson Sam is a freshman in high school. They have a springer spaniel, who is the most active dog they’ve ever had. They are as healthy as can be expected and are happy to be living in Vermont!

Leslie Kandell has adopted a new feral cat and progress is being made in socializing it. “Household surface ornaments no longer include peroxide, Band-Aids, or Neosporin,” she says.

Yvonne Korshak wrote the historical novel “Pericles and Aspasia: A Story of Ancient Greece,” which was promoted as “a stellar, epiclength evocation of the golden age of Athens, rich with historical insight.”

Yvonne says, “‘Pericles and Aspasia’ grew out of my enchantment with ancient Greece that originated in our 9th Grade Ancient History class. (Hope Mr. Whipple sees this, wherever he is.)”

Lois Schwartz Zenkel ’54, Walter Koenig ’54, and Larry Hartmann ’54 were among those who wrote congratulations.

Lois Schwartz Zenkel visited her granddaughter in Washington, D.C., and walked

six miles around the National Mall. She also read an interesting book by Marjorie Merriweather Post and visited her home, which she said was “fabulous.” She attended Clifford Alexander’s ’51 memorial service, which was “a marvelous tribute to him.”

1955

Paul Kessel has now been in over 150 street photography exhibitions worldwide in addition to five solo shows. He has won numerous awards for his close-up candid, street photography of people. He has also been a juror and curator of exhibitions.

Alicia Suskin Ostriker read from her volume of poetry “The Volcano Sequence” in a half-hour video by the poet-environmentalist videographer Don Yorty.

1956

Arthur Roberts built a website to share comedy and drama reels; clips of TV shows and movies; and scenic photography from his travels in Peru, Turkey, China, Utah, and Italy.

1957

Jill Behrens Delbanco and Tom Delbanco ’57 are close with their kids and their families, including seven grandkids and the kids of Jill’s late brother Fred Behrens ’54.

Andrew Courtney ’54

The active and involved members of the Fieldston Class of 1955 — median age now 85 — continue to provide education, interaction, and support to others and each other. Our class includes people who excelled in such fields as astrophysics, organic chemistry, climatology, poetry, fiction writing, history, jewelry design, medicine, and law, and they remain close with a fondness for the School and its philosophy that imbued their lives.

At our 50th Fieldston Reunion, the class voted to start a fund that now totals over $200,000, the income of which is available to the Ethics Department for speakers, field trips, and more. For many years, the Class of 1955 scored the highest number of alumni contributions to the Orange Fund. Our classmates continue to flock to the reunions, including the 60th in 2015, which required finding larger space for our surprisingly sizable group!

For a long time, we met in person. Now Tamara (Tammy) Livingston Weintraub organizes our well-attended bimonthly meetings on Zoom, which often include classmates’ lectures: biological sciences professor William (Bill) Cramer on photosynthesis, appellate attorney Andrew (Andy) Frey on cases he argued before the Supreme Court, forensic psychiatrist Dorothy (Dotsy) Otnow Lewis on uncovering the motivation of the serial killers she interviewed after we watched a TV documentary about her work, historian Robert (Bob) Strassler on Julius Caesar’s leadership style, archaeologist Nan Askin Rothschild on urban archaeology, and Princeton University professor emeritus Robert (Rob) Socolow on climate change.

When we describe to friends or family how our high school class still gathers in substantial numbers, we get stares of amazement. ‘I’ve never heard of a high school class hanging together like this, much less a group in their eighties!’ they say.

— Lois Berkowitz

Tom and the OpenNotes team at Harvard University also lead an international movement that advocates open and transparent communication in healthcare by inviting patients to read what their clinicians write. After a decade of research and

education, “open notes” have become federally mandated. Jill helped create the logo and website, writes, and does various art projects. Tom continues to play the violin, often with his OpenNotes co-founder and pianist Jan Walker.

Ellen Diamond has been taking writing classes at the 92nd Street Y, New York, for a few years. Sharing stories with energetic, intelligent New Yorkers who have led remarkable lives helps get her through difficult days. She also FaceTimes weekly with her sister Steph Diamond Friedman ’53. “We laugh, we cry, it’s great,” she says. “My life is more full of people than ever — a true blessing!”

Irene Halsman wasn’t able to attend a recent retrospective in Japan on Salvador Dali, who was a longtime collaborator with her father, the late celebrity photographer Philippe Halsman. Instead, she created a “Jump Book” to honor her father’s iconic photography goal. She is now doing her own art — making tangerine people and pistachio shell faces — which keeps her laughing, not crying about the bad news in the world

Pat Weill Park moved to a continuing care retirement community called Brookhaven at Lexington and is loving it. “I’ve made friends and have lots to do: attending concerts and movies, taking trips to local museums, working in the store, and serving as the chair of the library. And they feed me! Best decision I ever made!”

1958

Constance Cramer

Porteous shares how saddened she is to hear of the death of Lucy Simon ’58 late in October. “It is a loss to our class and to the musical world,” she says. Constance is currently in the midst of traveling to see her family — including her son in France and her daughter in Spain. She has kept in touch with Marion Gaines DeCoudreaux ’58 and they shared the love of being with family. Constance sends her best wishes to her classmates from the Class of 1958.

1959

Nicholas Delbanco’s most recent nonfiction work, “Why Writing Matters,” pays tribute to some of his Fieldston teachers, most notably Elbert Lenrow, who taught the value of close reading and the enduring power of language as art. Nicholas mourns both the general and specific loss of classmates Eric Werthman ’59, Marc Shapiro ’59, Peter Som ’59, and Barbara Friedberg ’59 What remains — friends, two daughters, and five granddaughters — is “all the more precious to me and my wife, Elena, who I have now been married to for 53 years.”

Edward Fishman is enjoying retired life in sunny Boca Raton, Florida. Both of his

children played varsity tennis and his two grandsons play serious baseball in Little League. He is addicted to duplicate bridge and stays in touch with Jeff Moksin ’59, Rona Mendelsohn ’59, and Allan Shedlin ’59. He still misses Jimmy Leiter ’59 and Dick Levien ’59!

her book on transitions last year. In 2019, “my husband and I moved from Michigan to Chicago to an apartment to be near my daughter and his son,” Jane says. “Sadly, my husband died three weeks later, but I now live in a walkable city, which I love.”

Ruth Galanter recently had one of her biggest efforts hit the (small) screen, long after her retirement from the Los Angeles City Council. She is among the featured interviewees in “Playa Vista — A Four Decade Overnight Success,” which documents her political career.

Jane Goodman became a counselor educator at age 50 after many years as a practicing career counselor and trainer, first at a women’s center and then with hourly auto and telecommunication workers. It was very rewarding work, and at age 64 she retired. She’s continued to write and teach, and she finished the fifth edition of

Barbara (Gerson) Joye and her husband, Reid Jenkins, now live in Clairmont Place, a senior independent living condo community in Atlanta. They are active in Clairmont Progressives. With others, they have been standing on the nearby road twice a week with signs that first proclaimed “Black Lives Matter” following George Floyd’s murder and later proclaimed “Vote for change,” and signs promoting democratic candidates for state and federal office, as well as supporting other efforts to get out the vote. Barbara is also active in the Democratic Socialists of America and studies Spanish and drawing.

Richard Price just had his memoir “Inside/Outside: Adventures in Caribbean History and Anthropology” published. The book includes reminiscences about Fieldston in the 1950s, especially about teachers Joe Papaleo, Frances Grant, Les Spetter, Elbert Lenrow, and Smitty, as well as various classmates.

Jean Senegas is so glad to have seen so many classmates at the reunions

Edward Fishman ’59

over the years. Here are some things Jean has been busy with over the years: Assistant Librarian at the National Audubon Society in New York City; bookmobile driver in Lawrence, Kansas; insect collecting in the Rocky Mountains; classes in field ornithology, in scientific illustration, calligraphy, lace-making, and juggling; and canoeing in the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas.

bloggers and “others are exuberantly invited to join their ranks!” says Allan.

Hal Freedman and his wife, Willi Rudowsky, had a couple of bucket list hits recently. They were inducted into the St. Petersburg Senior Hall of Fame, which came with a key to the city. This honor is given to seniors who have made exceptional contributions to the community with their “time and treasure.” A bonus was being invited to ride in the annual Santa Parade, which was “a lot easier than walking in the Pride Parade, as I did earlier this year,” Hal says.

Peter Sobel is recovering well from plastic surgery following the Mohs resection of some pesky cancerous basal cells.

Allan Shedlin created the Daddying Film Festival and Forum as part of the work of his DADvocacy Consulting Group. Jane Paley ’86 is a member of the DADvisory team and Fredda Weiss ’59 will be one of the jurists. During a recent planning trip, Allan visited Jeff Moskin ’59, Ruth Galanter ’59, Bill Weber ’59, Ann Aceves ’52, and Fred Nathan ’79 Louis Livingston ’59, Nick Delbanco ’59, and Richard Price ’59 have all been guest

1960

Julie Adams Strandberg received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Dance Education Organization. Julie is a distinguished senior lecturer emerita and founding director of the Brown Dance Program from 1969–2022 at Brown University. When not dancing, she enjoys family adventures with her husband, daughters, son-in-law, and grandsons.

Peter Heiman recently performed the role of Major General Stanley in a production of “The Pirates of Penzance” by the Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, a local group celebrating 85 years doing the Gilbert and Sullivan canon. A couple of lines in the Major General’s signature song accompanied his Fieldglass senior picture, which eased slightly the task of memorizing for the role.

Jean Senegas ’59

Allan Shedlin ’59

Peter Sobel ’59

Peter Heiman ’60 in “The Pirates of Penzance”

David Kann had his book of poetry, “Pip On the Farm,” accepted for publication by Fernwood Press, to be released in 2023. In the past, David has had four chapbooks published, but nothing this big.

Dan Rottenberg had a new book published, “The Education of a Journalist.” Through 70 years of media turmoil, Dan carved a rewarding life as editor of seven groundbreaking publications, author of 12 books, press critic, business writer, film critic, arts critic, and dining critic. As a champion of free speech, he successfully defended seven libel suits and survived protest demonstrations and death threats. In this memoir, he records his firsthand impressions of the notable people he encountered and recalls how journalists practiced their craft during the last decades of the printing press. And he suggests how — even in a digital age — other aspiring journalists might follow in his footsteps.

1962

Margie Peppercorn has retired from pediatrics and her children and grandchildren are thriving. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Margie had a fun year in which she got to see many of her ECFS classmates on Zoom or at their Fieldston Reunion. She also finished writing a book she started years ago, “Mrs. M.D.,” which

describes the many crazy situations she encountered while struggling to combine her career as a female physician with the demands of her family and menagerie of animals.

1963

John Rudy is sad to share that he lost his partner Judy Mir on October 8, 2021.

1964

Richard Handler has moved after 36 years practicing medicine in Saranac Lake — where he and his wife of 54 years, Leslie, raised their children (along with a pet wolf) in the woods and on the lakes — to a village in Oregon. Two of his sons are physicians and a third is a professor of environmental science. While age and injuries have curtailed his involvement in sports, photography now fills that void.

Marcia Knight’s daughter Ashley is about to have her second child. Marcia’s granddaughter Liv is “adorable and looking forward to her baby brother in January 2023,” says Marcia. Ashley is a neuroradiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in Manhattan.

Claire Max was the Director of University of California Observatories from 2014 through 2021 and Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. UC Observatories runs Lick Observatory and she was glad to be able to bring the observatory through both a financial crisis and a forest fire to emerge healthy on the other side! During the years at home during COVID-19, she missed socializing, going to concerts, skiing, and hiking, but has been singing more to compensate and is on the lookout for a new opportunity to be an innovative leader or teacher. Her husband, Jonathon Arons, is doing well, her son Sam and his family have moved back to Oakland (closer to Claire in Berkeley), and they have two grandchildren who she is able to spend time with.

Nick Meyer is doing well and seems to have “my original set of marbles.” He is working on his next Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel, is writing a Star Trek podcast for Paramount Pictures, and is working on a new television series. Two of his three daughters are

Judy Mir and John Rudy ’63

Richard Handler ’64

engaged and the only shocks to his system are “the headlines and the fact that Los Angeles (and the Mississippi) are running out of water.”

Ted Roth is continuing his photo efforts to capture the demolition of the brass factories that were the subject of his 2015 book “Brass Valley: The Fall of an American Industry.” He is now finishing a book of photography of the last factory stack standing, the second-tallest structure in Waterbury, Connecticut.

1965

Barton H. Kogan passed away in his home city of Los Angeles on October 3, 2022. Bart was a pillar of the Los Angeles Jewish community, having held virtually every office in his beloved Sinai Temple, leading the Western Region of Temple Men’s Clubs, and serving on the boards of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and the L.A. Hebrew High School. He mentored generations of his brothers of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and was a longtime major supporter of his alma mater, the George Washington University.

He nurtured and supported countless young people, who will remember him as having a major impact on their lives.

1966

Nick Kalman was selected for promotion to the rank of commander in the United States Navy Reserve in July 2022. Nick has been serving since 2007, including a 2010 deployment to Afghanistan for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. Also in July, Nick was promoted at Fox News to senior political and foreign affairs producer.

1967

Margaret (Goldin) Lincoln, Lakeview Schools District Librarian in Battle Creek, Michigan, and a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow, was proud to undertake a “Remembrance in Action: Responding to the Holocaust in Today’s World” project. Events included a local art center display of “The Holocaust Unfolds” from the Detroit Jewish News Foundation and “From Darkness to Light: Mosaics Inspired by Tragedy,” which was created by artists in response to the deadly attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Eric Manheimer took a brief retirement from medicine a few years ago and his memoir “12 Patients” was picked up

by NBC as the TV show “New Amsterdam,” which is filming its fifth season in Brooklyn. He has been married for 37 years to Diana and has two children, Alexei and Marina, and four grandchildren. The axis of his life has shifted to Mexico, Diana’s homeland, and Latin America more generally. Eric stays in touch with Bobby Bearnot ’67 and David Comins ’67, who are both thriving.

Jim Pressman and his wife, Donna, have written the story of his family toy company, which Jim was president of for 37 years. To mark the 100th anniversary of when Jim’s father, Jack, started the business, Abbeville Press released the book, “A Century of American Toys and Games: The Story of Pressman Toy.”

Cathy Rogers says that Fieldston was a strange time for her after losing her mother and moving to New York. “Thank G-d for the Fieldston girls who made me feel welcome,” she says. She now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The people are warm and welcoming, not dissimilar from those who greeted her at Fieldston.

Shira Rosan, writing as SJ Rozan, received the “Golden Derringer” Lifetime Achievement Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society for excellence in the short story.

Photo from Ted Roth’s ’64 forthcoming book

Lois Candee Scarlata is still living in the hills of Provence, France, with her husband. Their kids and grandkids came this summer to see them and they spent a few months in New York City this fall. “Tout va bien,” she says.

Rosenthal, Ms. Grant, and Ms. Shimanouchi!

1968

to Karen Hirshon ’76 and has two children, Lauren and Elliot, and one granddaughter, Quinn.

Ken Schwartz fondly remembers going to a Celtics game at the old Madison Square Garden with Jim “Hondo” Pressman ’67. They sat in the highest seats and watched the entire crowd stand and cheer below — “What a rush!” he says.

Alumni from the Classes of 1966–1968 enjoyed chatting on a one-hour Zoom schmooze in November.

Katrin Belenky Peck ’68, Samuel Peck ’68, Donna Orenstein Kerner ’68, Paula Lapin Zeman ’68, Daniel Brown ’68, Stephen Hirshon ’68, and Joan Beranbaum ’67 were in attendance. They caught up on their lives since their 50th Reunion and had a lively discussion about beloved Fieldston teachers including Messers Kafka, Clemens, and Koundakjian, and Ms.

Paul Farbman and his wife Lani continue to grow their South Bay Archery Lessons in Redondo Beach, California, sending students to state and national tournaments, competing themselves, and hosting tournaments benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society. The shift from teacherlibrarian to archery coach has been fun and rewarding, but retirement is a vague concept. “Fieldston would benefit greatly from an archery team; it teaches confidence, focus, body awareness, physiology, physics, and more!” he says.

Paula Lapin is a retired real estate attorney specializing in condos and homeowners associations. She still enjoys consulting for her firm and is enjoying retirement, visiting kids and grandkids, keeping in shape, and doing lots of reading.

Dr. Stephen C. Hirshon is a retired professor of art history, primarily teaching modern art with a focus on Henri Matisse, as well as a secondary interest in traditional Warli art from India. He is married

Katrin Belenky Peck recently performed “La Petite Messe Solennelle” by Gioachino Rossini as a soprano in the New Dominion Chorale at a performance hall in Alexandria, Virginia. She last sang that piece in Fieldston Upper School Chorus under Bernie Wertman’s direction 54 years ago! In the audience was Katrin’s husband, Samuel Peck ’68, and cousin Peter Belenky ’60 with his wife, Anne.

Rick Strong is still playing string bass and electric bass

Lois Candee Scarlata ’67, bottom right, with family

Paul Farbman ’68 and Lani

Paula Lapin ’68

as a jazz musician and working as a software engineer at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

1969

Susan Colcher met up with Susan Leicher ’69 and Marguerite Michael Beaser ’69 at the Harvard Coop for a reading of Leicher’s newest novel, “Acts of Atonement,” in June 2022.

California, but encountered serious health problems this year. As of November, he’s in a rehab hospital in San Francisco with a long road ahead, but a good prognosis, and appreciates hearing news from his classmates.

1971

David Wimpfheimer and his wife, Patty, were thrilled to catch up with other alumni at the June reunion. Despite COVID-19 concerns, he traveled a lot this year, leading nature tours in Mexico and Alaska and visiting Florida, Peru, and Ireland with Patty. Most of the time he is closer to home in Point Reyes, north of San Francisco, and welcomes any alumni to stop by.

Nancy Lowenstein will be retiring in June 2023 from Boston University after 23 years teaching. She will be busy with her other pursuits including weaving, ballroom dance, swimming, and more.

1973

Andy Mayer and his wife, Michele, are living in Solana Beach, California. They now split their time between there and Crested Butte, Colorado. He is now working part time at a new company, DSS Games, that he started along with his two sons, Trevor and Noah.

1977

Susan Colcher ’69, Susan Leicher ’69, and Marguerite Michael Beaser ’69

Margaret Sapir is now living in Rincon, Puerto Rico, from December through May, and keeps busy playing pickleball and traveling during the rest of the year.

Nancy Scheck has two grandchildren, a granddaughter and a grandson. She has Parkinson’s, but is still able to do book appraisals.

1970

Larry Kutner had been happily consulting and teaching sailing in Silicon Valley,

Robert Lemle and his wife, Roni, co-founded the Long Island Children’s Museum, which recently earned accreditation, the highest national recognition, from the American Alliance of Museums, making it the only children’s museum in New York State that is currently accredited. In 2012, the museum received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for institutions that make “significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.”

Robert and Roni have both served as board chairs of the museum and continue to serve as trustees.

Leslie Carroll and her husband, Scott Gilman, have moved back to New York City, where Leslie has been marrying her twin careers as author and actress by narrating the audiobooks for her nonfiction royal series for Penguin Random House. She will complete the audio narration for her trilogy of Marie Antoinette novels, written under the pen name Juliet Grey, in early 2023.

Stephen Jacobs decided to semiretire in July 2022 after 30 years as Managing Partner of his orthopaedic group, and he is now enjoying more time with his two children and four grandchildren, with another on the way. With a daughter living in Silver Spring, Maryland, and a son living in Austin, Texas, he expects lots of travel ahead!

Susie Russak shares with great sadness that her father, Nathan Lubow ’46, passed away on October 24, 2022. In his last days, they sang the Fieldston song together. Susie was a secondgeneration Fieldston student and they shared fond memories of the grassy banks and wooded ways.

1978

Bill Beres enjoyed a good summer and fall in Westport, Connecticut, with minimal commuting to Broadridge Financial in New York City. This left time for sailing, softball with Matt Mandell ’78, and a round of golf with Mitch Hauser ’78. He has one son in high school; has another in college in Savannah, Georgia; and his third, Ryan Beres ’09, recently moved to Miami. He is looking forward to his 45th Fieldston Reunion on the Quad in June!

Eric Friedman is in his 28th year working on sustainability and climate issues with the state government in Massachusetts and is excited about what the next few years will bring. He is now watching his two teens navigate high school life, including a senior who is working on his college applications. Eric was delighted to reconnect with Beth Holtzman ’78 in Vermont this past summer and is looking forward to attending this year’s reunion.

Joy Graham went on a scuba vacation in the Solomon Islands with a diving group she belongs to, the International Society of Aquatic Medicine. She says it was an amazing trip!

Mitchell Hauser is enjoying life and the natural beauty of Cape Cod. He is fully entrenched in a new career battling addiction as a clinician and therapist in Plymouth, Massachusetts, at an acute treatment center. Living on a golf course, he has had visits from Bill Beres ’78 and Dana Robin ’78, and they have determined that golf is the most frustrating sport.

1980

Richard Koreto’s sixth mystery novel, “The Greenleaf Murders,” has just come out. His wife and he have two grown daughters and live in Suffern, New York, and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. He’s stayed in touch with Maude Brickner ’80

Alex Shapiro is the first composer who publishes solely her own catalog to be elected to the board of directors of the Music Publishers Association of the United States, representing her company Activist Music LLC. Alex has held the symphonic and concert writer seat on the board of directors of ASCAP since 2014, is an officer of

the ASCAP Foundation, and serves on the board of the Aaron Copland Fund for Music. She is among the most frequently performed composers in the wind band world, and her second electroacoustic symphony “SUSPENDED” premiered in July 2021 and continues to enjoy many subsequent performances.

1981

Anthony Howell recently published “The African Diaspora in Arts and Culture from A to Z.”

1982

Terry Alexander reconnected with classmates at a recent high school football game, including Andi DeBlasio ’82; Allan Haynes, Sr ’82; Darryl Selsey ’82; Cari DeBlasio ’84; Robert Godosky ’81; and Tracy Chutorian ’82 , whose son Declan S. ’23 was playing for Fieldston. Terry and his wife, Carolyn, have two sons and two daughters, the latter two rooming together at college this year. He adds that he loved attending Reunions and catching up with everyone!

Helayne Cohen is busy making pottery and jewelry in her studio on Martha’s Vineyard!

Nancy (Shainberg) Colier’s fifth book, “The Emotionally Exhausted Woman,“ was just published.

James Dash is retiring from working for the City of New York after 29 years of service. Ted Hirsch’s mother Felicia published Ted’s novel posthumously and donated a beautiful copy to their class, and the book is currently making the rounds.

before anyone from our class (except Elana Yevsaev ’82) has known him.

and quantitative methods of research in the social sciences. David and Amy have two daughters, one in graduate school at University of Chicago and the other in college at Penn State University.

Jonathan Skurnik shares his appreciation to Elana Rudner ’82 and Alessandra DeBlasio ’82 for helping to convene nearly 80 classmates for their 40th reunion. Since then, he’s enjoyed their local meetups in Los Angeles.

David Kaminski has stepped away from his career as an emergency medicine physician — he is avoiding the term “retired” — and opened a bike shop, River Mill Cycles, in the small town of Saxapahaw, North Carolina. “I’m still playing competitive Ultimate, placing 2nd at Beach Nationals and 4th at The World Championships in Limerick, Ireland, in the 50+ division this year. I’m coaching my son’s middle school team, as well.” He is married with two kids, 17 and 13 years old, both of whom are really into Ultimate.

Joey Lieber had a first-time gallery exhibition of his photography this past summer at New Era Gallery. All the photos are from Vinalhaven, Maine, where he has been spending summers since

David Shaffer met his wife, Amy, in the Peace Corps in Nepal. He got a Ph.D. from MIT and now is the Sears Bascom Professor of Learning Analytics at the University of Wisconsin. To the surprise of no one in Dr. Taback’s calculus classes, David founded the field of quantitative ethnography, which unifies qualitative

Jessica Wickham enjoyed reconnecting with classmates at her Fieldston Reunion! This summer, she delivered two conference tables to the Mellon Foundation in New York City, each made from a single tree that was sourced in the Hudson Valley. “It was a thrill,” she said, particularly the table that went into the Bollingen Library Room, which brought her right back

Jonathan Skurnik ’82 visiting Felicia Hirsch, mother of Ted Hirsch ’82

Flooding Tide III by Joey Lieber ’82

The Class of 1982 celebrating at their Fieldston Reunion in June 2022

to Mal Goodman’s philosophy class at Fieldston!

There is an unconfirmed but reliable rumor that Elana (Rudner) Yevsaev ’82 has already begun planning classmates’ 100th birthday celebrations. Adam Balsam ’82 has asked everyone to pencil in the date — June 24, 2064 — for his party, which is to be held at the Lucerne Hotel, first floor, in the Seniors’ Ballroom (sweatsuit casual).

1983

Deardra Zahara Duncan , MA, ED.M, MS.Ed, counselor, life coach, mother, and author, has proudly published her first book, “Life is Fine,” illustrated by her daughter Kalila Ain. It is a book for children and adults about family, love, loss, grief, and life and is inspired by true events and real people.

Brenna B. Mahoney was appointed Clerk of Court for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in February. Brenna is the first woman to hold the position in the EDNY since the Court’s establishment in 1865.

1988

Jenny Lefcourt runs a natural and organic wine import company called Jenny & Francois Selections, which supplies wine to shops and restaurants across the country. Her husband, James Robinson, is a talented photographer who loves gardening, and her daughter Zoe R. ’30 is currently in 5th Grade at Fieldston Lower. Zoe’s team recently won their last softball tournament of the season!

Alysia Reiner just wrapped acting in three independent features and stars as Agent Deever in “Ms. Marvel” on Disney+ and Kathryn on “Shining Vale” alongside

Courtney Cox and Greg Kinnear on Starz, after finishing five seasons on “Better Things” on F/X. She is the zero waste eco-emissary for IZZY and just collaborated with fellow alum Gaby Moss ’93 on Gaby’s newest Dissent jewelry campaign, with 20% of profits going to National Network of Abortion Funds.

Nicole Been Siskind’s daughter Emma Siskind ’22 graduated in May 2022 and is attending Northwestern University. Keira S. ’24 is a junior at Fieldston. Bob Montera was both Nicole’s and Emma’s teacher, and Nicole says it’s hard to believe her ECFS journey started in 1974. She sends love to all the alumni she knows as good friends at ECFS as well as to the many friends they have made along the way with their girls.

Allison Gilbert Weintraub had her latest book come out a few months ago and was thrilled to return to Ethical Culture to speak about the craft of writing with fellow alumni Joan Morgan ’83. Her book “Listen, World!” is the first biography of Elsie Robinson, an American newspaper columnist who became the most-read woman in the country.

1991

Gabriel Portnof is now Head of Lighting at DreamWorks Animation for the Feature

Yvette Hernadez ’82, Laura Bresler ’82, and Amy Ziegelman ’82 waiting on the steps of Ethical Culture for the bus to Fieldston for their Reunion

Deardra Zahara Duncan’s ’83 book “Life is Fine”

Films. He did some work on “Puss in Boots 2” as CG Supervisor recently. Currently, he is working on “Trolls 3,” which will come out around Thanksgiving 2023. His credits include 20 feature films dating back to “Shrek 2” and he is a sometimes contributor to Netflix’s “LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS” series. He has two young children, Patrick and Saoirse, and lives most of the time in California, with occasional stints back at his home on the Upper West Side, where he lives downstairs from his sister Jennie Portnof ’88

1994

Mark Connelly is still living in Sydney, Australia, and was able to find both of his children a baseball team to play on. He started a company called Populares that helped elect six independent women to Parliament who stood for integrity and strong climate action.

Daryl Freimark visited Matt McGowan ’94 in Toronto in August and got to bond with his two boys, Kal and Lachlan, and then they celebrated Matt’s birthday with Duran Duran.

Dr. Mara Horowitz was promoted to Assistant Professor at State University of New York at Purchase in the Department of Liberal Studies to build a curriculum

based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She also founded an archaeological dig on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Jamie Patricof completed the New York City Marathon with his 88-year-old father, who was the oldest person to finish the marathon.

Chotsani Sackey became a published author after co-writing a book, “Dare to Express: A Collection of Bold Stories and Brave Women.” Her chapter chronicles her spiritual journey to selfactualization and motherhood.

Nandi Welch moved to the Atlanta area after 46 years living in New York and New Jersey and is enjoying Southern hospitality.

1999

Sam Grossman is working as an English teacher at the Bronx High School of Science, and he was recently profiled by one of his seniors for their AP Creative Writing course.

Greg Hanlon recently co-wrote New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin’s book, “A Giant Win,” about the 2007 Super Bowl, where the Giants stunned by winning over the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

2003

Aaron Gibralter lives on the Upper East Side with his wife, Natalie, and two children, Leo and Rachel. Leo started Kindergarten at Hunter in September. Aaron and Natalie both work in technology.

Jono Schafler and Maia Schafler spent 2022 accompanying their 14-month-old, Ari, on recreational visits to construction sites, reading books about excavators and dump trucks, and proudly celebrating Ari’s ethical leadership as he reminds us all to “dig, dig, dig!”

Sam Grossman ’99

2004

Sisters Danielle Dankner and Niki Dankner ’07 founded the nonprofit Tickled HOT Pink (THP) in their early Fieldston days and have raised over $1,000,000 so far for various female health organizations. This year, THP is hosting Plan A, a virtual auction and raffle to benefit The Brigid Alliance, the only national organization working to provide long-distance travel and other practical support for abortion access. Committee members include Nina Dine ’07, Julia Bass ’07, Maggie Braine ’07, Zoe Kessler ’07, and Rachel Schorr ’09.

2005

Katie Blandford-Levy and Brien Blandford-Levy recently welcomed baby Aurora to the world in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Charles Decker completed his service after two-plus terms on the New Haven Board of Alders, having chaired the Legislation Committee for three years. During that time, New Haven passed significant bills addressing affordable housing, police reform, and climate change. He now works as a research coordinator for UNITE HERE, the labor union representing 300,000 hospitality workers in the United States and Canada.

2006

Maisie Bornstein married Mike Levine in Brooklyn on October 7, 2022. Many of her ECFS classmates were there to celebrate!

Top Row (L-R): Basha Silver ’06, Jared Blake ’06, Max Shewer ’06, Rebecca Stursberg ’06, Mollie Sandberg Glasser ’06, Josh Glasser ’06, Tim Lax ’07, Annie deBoer ’08. Middle Row (L-R): Merrie Franzblau (Weintraub) ’06, Jessica Koby Gawlik ’06, Priyanka Misra ’06. Front Row (L-R): Samantha Dascher ’06, Maisie Bornstein ’06

Jessica Koby Gawlik and Mike Gawlik welcomed their son Henry on June 20, 2022.

Mollie Sandberg Glasser and Josh Glasser ’06 welcomed their second son, Harry, on January 11, 2022. Theo, born May 29, 2020, is loving his new role as big brother to baby Harry.

Basha Silver and Tim Lax ’07 welcomed their son Mischa on February 1, 2022.

2007

Rachel Burns remembers Claire Hays Montaigne ’07, an assistant professor of

family medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), who died from cancer on September 21, 2022. Rachel, Monica Albu ’07, and Claire’s friends and family share: “As chief resident at OHSU, she developed the interests that would define her medical career: working with underserved communities, improving women’s health, and caring for pregnant women with substance abuse issues. Claire was a patient-centered physician who was generous with her time, and her brilliant career as a doctor came as no surprise to anyone who knew her at Fieldston, where she was an outstanding student, dedicated athlete, and extraordinary friend. Claire’s greatest joy came from spending time with her daughter, Charlotte, born in 2020; husband, Matt; and dog, Maggie. Claire is also survived by her parents and her sister Nuni Montaigne ’08.”

2008

Perry Leon married Alexandra Padnos in Holland, Michigan, in summer 2022. They recently relocated from Los Angeles and are now living on the Upper East Side. Perry is working in growth equity investing, and Alexandra is working with Josh Ingram ’04 at MOST Wanted Co, a brand strategy

and innovation consultancy they started in 2020.

2011

Samuel Ravetz is wrapping up work on his second gubernatorial race — this cycle with Beto O’Rourke — and will soon switch gears to the next campaign. Last year, Sam left Bombas after four years managing the distribution of their donation shoes, where he helped grow their giving operation from one million pairs to 45 million distributed to those in need across all 50 states. Sam attributes his eventual leap into the political world to an event led by fellow Fieldston alum and Future Now Founder Daniel Squadron ’98

2012

Madi Sacks shares a note of appreciation for the Class of 2012. “To this date, the closest people in my life are

my friends from Fieldston,” says Madi. “I’m grateful every day for them, the school that brought them into my life, and the teachers and faculty who shaped us into the people we are.”

2014

Aasiyah Ali graduated from Brooklyn Law school last May and is currently working as an Assistant Appellate Court Attorney for the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department. She recently passed the July 2022 bar exam and hopes to be sworn in by February 2023.

2016

Ben Thier launched a new educational technology tool for middle and high school classrooms focused on peer feedback and building classroom community after completing his master’s degree in learning design and technology from Stanford University. If any teachers or alumni would like to try the tool, please reach out!

2017

Maya Gemson joined Caroline Elias ’14 at Bergdorf Goodman earlier this year, where they work alongside one another creating digital content for both the women’s and

men’s stores and celebrate their love of fashion and the arts.

2018

Ariana Baez graduated from Wesleyan University in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts, where she double majored in social studies and educational studies and received a certificate in Social Cultural and Critical Theory. She graduated with honors for writing a thesis called “Educated But Still Dreaming: The False Promise of the American Dream.” Now she is a Humanities Teaching Fellow at Miss Porter’s School. Ariana is a master’s degree candidate through the Independent School Teaching Residency program of the University of Pennsylvania GSE and will graduate in the spring of 2024.

Perry Leon ’08 and Alexandra Padnos

Maya Gemson ’17, left, and Caroline Elias ’14, right

Miranda Hellmold Stone is the new Program and Operations Coordinator

at the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues (IATF). IATF is a nonpartisan organization that raises awareness about and provides educational resources and programming on issues facing Israel’s Arab citizens. They also have a forthcoming article on Incantation Bowls in New Voices magazine.

2020

Gabriel Hostin is currently in his second year at Harvard University after gap year learning experiences in Utah, Hawaii, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Bahamas. He created a nonprofit called IvyLeagueMentoring which connects mentors from the Ivy League to low-income, marginalized high schoolers. He performs hip-hop as well as afro-beat dance on the Harvard Expressions and the Wahala Boys dance teams and hosts a history podcast called Untextbooked that has been awarded by Apple and Spotify.

2021

Axis Familant has been cast in the world’s first all-neurodivergent production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” as Mrs. Shears.

If you are a member of the classes of 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, or 2013, we hope you’ll join us! Contact alumni@ecfs.org for more information.

Reunion is back on the Quad on Saturday, June 10, 2023!

In Memoriam: Fieldston Alumni

ECFS honors and remembers the alumni we lost in 2022.

Jack Adler ’39

Jeanne Davis Brody ’40

Ira Wender ’42

Eleanor Nordlinger Hauser ’43

Joan Gould Kleinbard ’43

Janet Mahler Reynolds ’44

Robert B. Brown ’45

Lenora Rosenfield de Camp ’45

Jacqueline Binns Farnsworth ’45

Frank Berall ’46

Nathan Lubow ’46

Staughton Lynd ’46

John Simon ’46

Paul Willen ’46

Amy Scheuer Cohen ’47

Richard Rubin ’47

David Black ’49

Marian Price Hertz ’49

Doris Rogers Rothman ’49

Carl Leventhal ’50

Clifford Alexander ’51

George Litton ’52

Richard Roth Jr. ’52

Nancy Freedman Ghandhi ’54

Erik Hoffmann ’57

Constance Ehrlich Lewallen ’57

Marcia Kommel Marshall ’57

Susan Finesilver Packel ’57

Lucy Simon Levine ’58

Barbara Friedberg ’59

Marc Shapiro ’59

Peter Som ’59

Eric Werthman ’59

Gail Karsh Douglas ’60

Ina Schuman Ebenstein ’61

James Kramon ’62

Diana Kinoy ’63

Karen Zorn ’63

Barton Kogan ’65

Susan Solomon ’68

John Hewitt ’70

Heather Gray ’89

Claire Hays Montaigne ’07

Greg Pizzurro ’17

If classmates are missing from this list, please email alumni@ecfs.org so we may honor them.

Clifford Alexander ’51 passed away on July 3, 2022. After Fieldston, Clifford studied at Harvard University and Yale Law School, worked as an assistant district attorney in New York City, and led the anti-poverty nonprofit Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

Clifford’s 10-year career working in government included roles serving on the staff of the National Security Council, acting as an informal adviser on race relations for President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson, leading the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, serving as the first Black secretary of the U.S. Army for President Jimmy Carter, and working as the first Black partner at a major Washington, D.C., law firm. He later formed a consulting firm with his wife, Adele Logan Alexander ’55, that worked with large companies to increase corporate workplace inclusiveness. Clifford’s work helped advance the fight for civil rights and was fueled by the drive to build a more just and equitable society, reflecting the ethical values he learned as an ECFS student.

Clifford is survived by wife, Adele, who served as a trustee for ECFS; children Elizabeth, who was also a trustee for ECFS, and Mark; and grandchildren including Fieldston alumni Solomon Ghebreyesus ’16 and Simon Ghebreyesus ’17.

Heather Gray ’89 passed away on July 31, 2022. After Fieldston, Heather graduated from Brown University, where she served as one of the co-founders of Brown Sisters United, an organization that promotes sisterhood among women of color on campus. She earned a law degree from the University of Southern California in 1996 — though she quickly determined law wasn’t for her.

Instead of pursuing law, Heather made the bold choice to join the entertainment industry. She started as a receptionist, became a producer on “The Tyra Banks Show” — where she won two Emmys — and went on to Endemol USA as a development executive. Finally, in 2011, she became an executive producer and showrunner at “The Talk” on CBS, where she scored two more Emmys. Heather was one of the few African American female showrunners on television, a feat that, while incredible, isn’t a surprise to anyone who knew her.

Heather is survived by her mother, Carol; sister Nichole ’87; goddaughter Parker; and cocker spaniel Winston.

Lucy Simon Levine ’58 passed away on October 20, 2022. A school assignment to memorize and recite a poem prompted 14-year-old Lucy to write her first piece of music. Because she was dyslexic, she could only memorize Eugene Field’s poem, “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” by setting it to music. In college, Lucy and her sister Carly performed as the Simon Sisters, and their recording of “Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod” hit number 73 on the Billboard charts.

Lucy went to nursing school and married psychiatrist David Levine in 1967 before returning to music after her two children were in school. She recorded two solo albums, “Lucy Simon” and “Stolen Time,” and produced two Grammy Award-winning children’s albums, “In Harmony” and “In Harmony 2,” with her husband. In 1991, she became the third female composer to have a show on Broadway. “The Secret Garden” ran for 709 performances on Broadway, won two Tony awards, and has been performed worldwide. Lucy also left her musical mark on ECFS by writing the Ethical Culture school song “It’s the Feeling Inside,” which students still sing every year at Founders Day and other milestone events.

Lucy is survived by children Julie Simon and Jamie Levine ’90; four grandchildren; and sister, Carly.

Staughton Lynd ’46 passed away on November 17, 2022. After graduating from Fieldston, Staughton received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in history from Columbia University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Chicago. Eager to participate in the Southern civil rights movement, he accepted an offer to teach history at Spelman College in Atlanta, and in 1964, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee recruited him to be coordinator of the Freedom Schools for Black teenagers as part of the interracial Mississippi Summer Project.

Staughton’s life was defined by his commitment to the fight for civil rights: organizing the first march against the Vietnam War; representing steel mill workers in Youngstown, Ohio, in the wake of steel mill closures; advocating for prisoners held in solitary confinement; and more.

Staughton is survived by Alice Lynd, his wife of 71 years; daughters Barbara L. Bond and Marta Lynd-Altan; son, Lee Rybeck Lynd; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Photo credit: Jamie Levine

ECFS Reporter

If you have any questions about this issue of the magazine, please contact communications@ecfs.org

Administrative Council

2022–2023

Joe Algrant

Head of School

Jon Alschuler

Principal, Fieldston Middle

Stacey Bobo

Principal, Fieldston Upper

Lauren Coulston

Director of Communications

Rob Cousins

Principal, Ethical Culture

Charles Guerrero ’89

Director of Enrollment

Management

Holly Manges Jones

Chief Human Resources

Officer and General Counsel

Russell Marsh

Director of Community and Inclusion

Joe McCauley

Principal, Fieldston Lower

Mica McGriggs

Director of Student Support and Wellness

Gus Ornstein ’94

Director of Athletics

Keiko Reid

Chief Financial Officer

Sarah Wendt

Chief Philanthropy Officer

Kyle Wilkie-Glass

Associate Head of School

Board of Trustees

2022–2023

Ethan Binder

Juan Botella

Margot Bridger

Eunu Chun

Danny Crawford

Anand Desai

Akin Dorsett ’88

Pooja Goyal

Andrew Holm ’01 Treasurer

Nick Kaplan ’88

Atif Khawaja Secretary

Jesse Klausz

Rob Lewin

Vivian Lin

Seth Meisel

Patty Moreno-Fletcher

Jo Natauri

Kathleen O’Connell

Jon Roure

Jonathan M. Rozoff

Dana Sirota

Min Young Song

Here’s where you’ll find more stories: ecfs.org/news

@ecfs1878

@ecfs1878

ethical-culture-fieldston-school

ECFS Communications Office

Molly Alpern

Assistant Director for Advancement Communications

Lauren Coulston

Director of Communications

Gina Iacono

Graphic Designer and Web Associate

Emma Johnson

Communications Manager

Contributors

Robin Becker, author

Laurie Hornik, author

Courtnay Hull, author

Alwin Jones, Ph.D., author

Dana Maxson, photographer

Omnivore, design

Jonathan Richer, author

Debra Sands, author

Chris Taggart, photographer

Kimberly Smith Spacek ’91 Board Chair

Krishna Veeraraghavan

Vice-Chair

Rielly Vlassis

Josh Vlasto ’00

Stephanie Wagner

Jeff Walker

Vice-Chair

Joe Algrant Head of School, Ex-Officio

Liz Singer

President, Society Board, Ex-Officio