REPORTS
VOLUME XXXI SUMMER 2018
FOR FAR BROOK ALUMNI & FAMILIES NEAR & FAR
Far Brook’s 70 Year Tradition of Innovation and Discovery
REPORTS
VOLUME XXXI SUMMER 2018
22 Class of 2018 / 26 Diversity Events / 28 Development / 30 Alumni News / 36 Faculty News / 38 We Remember
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CONTENTS
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CELEBRATING OUR 70TH YEAR PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Middle School STEAM Week
70 YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION A Speech Given by Head of School Amy Ziebarth
21 25 SPECIAL INSERT
ALUMNI FEATURE LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF SCIENCE AND MATH IN THE LOWER SCHOOL
BULLETIN Stories of Campus Life by Parents
Editors Jennifer Barba Helen Kaplus Editorial Assistants Joan Burr Yolisse Carattini Peggy Fawcett Principal Photographers Peter Chollick Helen Kaplus
Contributors Deborah Costa Nicole Engelke ’88 Suzanne Glatt Lauren Kronthal ’04 Paula Levin Mikki Murphy
A MESSAGE TO FAR BROOK ALUMNI AND FAMILIES AS WE CELEBRATE 70 YEARS OF POWERFUL, PROGRESSIVE LEARNING AT FAR BROOK, I am grateful to the visionary leaders who imagined and built this School. They established our tradition of innovation, integrating science, math, literacy, technology, and art, and harnessing children’s natural curiosity as a powerful ally to deep and joyful learning. Many of our alumni, alumni families, former faculty, and friends gathered here in May to reconnect and celebrate our School which has made such an impact on their lives. I am proud of our 2018 graduates, who are confident, enthusiastic, and prepared to continue their education in a variety of excellent independent and public secondary schools and boarding schools. Far Brook’s Class of 2014 graduated high school this spring and will begin their university education in the fall. Take a look on page 24 to see the schools our recent alumni have chosen, as well as news of the creative and diverse contributions that our alumni are making in the world. Please explore these pages of our magazine to learn how we continue to expand on our roots of excellence with our innovative curriculum, STEAM learning, a focus on diversity, creativity, and social justice. We value our connection with you and invite you to share your news and feedback with us, and to visit campus anytime. Warmly,
AMY ZIEBARTH Head of School
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Celebrating Far Brook’s th 70 Anniversary
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With great anticipation, we began the 2017-2018 school year excited to celebrate Far Brook’s 70th Anniversary. On Friday, January 12, 2018, Head of School Amy Ziebarth kicked off this milestone year with a special Morning Meeting. She paid homage to “all of those who came before me – every faculty member, administrator, student, parent, and05-12-2 trustee018 who has put their stamp on this School through their generosity of time, talent, and resources.”
Chamber Music & Chocolates was a beautiful musical evening to kick off our 70th year celebration.
On February 14, 2018, we celebrated with our first official event – Chamber Music & Chocolates, 70 Years of Music at Far Brook, with Something Old, Something New. In true Far Brook fashion, our dynamic music faculty was joined by special guests and entertained the community with an afternoon sampler of classical, blues, tango, and jazz muisc. As music has “fed our souls” since 1948, this was a beautiful afternoon, raising money for the Music and Instrument Fund, and was an ideal way to honor the School.
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Head of School Amy Ziebarth wears her custom denim jacket created by gala planners Krissy Mannello and Michelle Swittenberg in honor of the 70th anniversary and the launching of the fox mascot.
Have you heard about the Far Brook Fox? In Morning Meeting on April 24, 2018, Amy Ziebarth, with the assistance of the Second Graders, revealed our new and first-ever School mascot, the Fox. The students excitedly shared traits of a fox – agile, observant, mindful, adaptive – and those were just the beginning. A fox has so many distinguishing qualities that are similar to those we believe are fundamental to the development of our students’ character. No coincidence there. Go Far Brook Foxes!
“ For me, I continue to be astounded by the incredible dedication and vision of all who led the School. Far Brook’s founder, Winifred Moore, and longtime Director, Mary [Wearn] Weiner, each possessed a unique combination of passion, perseverance, and grit. These are qualities we often talk about in Morning Meeting and they were instrumental as these women literally built the School and weathered good times and challenging ones.” –AMY ZIEBARTH
Buxton alumna Patra Cogan & Brad Wiley ’54 shared stories at Morning Meeting under the tent.
Far Brook’s 70th Anniversary would not be complete without a celebratory Morning Meeting for our students. That happened under the tent on May 10, 2018. Buxton alumna ’45 and current grandmother, Patra Cogan, Brad Wiley ’54, Elyse Post ’78, and Danyel Mayers ’08, all regaled us with fond memories. Of course, singing was interspersed, and then the students and their teachers travelled the campus on an inspired journey, hearing fun facts and collecting memorabilia along the way.
Second Grade students with Teacher Ashley Barnes
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A Far Brook Journey: Celebrating 70 years After much planning, Saturday evening, May 12, finally arrived. Under a beautiful tent, and despite the rain, current families, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, administrators, trustees, and friends came together to enjoy delicious international food and drink and to celebrate Far Brook. The night was topped off by heartfelt remarks from Amy Ziebarth, a sing-along in Moore Hall, and dancing under the tent. Funds raised that evening, after expenses, support Far Brook’s Financial Aid and Faculty Development initiatives.
Krissy and Joe Mannello
During the evening, guests visited: The Museum: Far Brook School at 70 Years A glimpse of the School’s history seen through an exhibit of photographs and memorabilia “StoryCorps” Style Recording Booth in the Segal Family Library An opportunity to share personal reflections and wisdom and to leave a legacy for future students, faculty, and families Pop-Up School Store To shop for unique Far Brook branded merchandise
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Carmine Fanelle accompanies a sing-along of favorite Far Brook songs.
Charlie Miller ‘81, Mona Boewe, Renu Bery ’77, Noah Miller ’75, Ann Pollack ‘72
Joanna Doran-Paley, John and Rebecca Randall, Amy Ruth Finegold
Nerrav and Hetal Kothari, James Ooi, Koonam and Baiju Aurora
Alisha Martinez, Executive Assistant/Placement Coordinator, and Upper School French Teacher April Bell-Martha
Thea Cogan-Drew, Tanya Nicholson Miller, Michelle Swittenberg
Liz Burke ‘93, Liz Plotkin Keil ‘93, Adam Keil ’92, and Georgia Aarons ’92
Sean and Colette Hemingway with Brian Croshaw and his Painting of Far Brook’s Campus
The celebration continues with our younger alumni at Fall Family Day, on Sunday, October 21, 2018. We hope to see many of you then.
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Preparing for the Future IMMERSIVE STEAM LEARNING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
by Nicole Engelke ‘88, Director of Upper School The qualities of STEAM learning have always been the foundation of a Far Brook education. As in other progressive educational approaches, STEAM learning incorporates science, technology, engineering, art, and math to build 21st century skills and, most importantly, teaches students how to analyze problems and to become agents of change. In recent years, the curriculum has prioritized a STEAM immersion Middle School week to bring current issues to life for the students and set them on a path to awareness, lifelong learning and, new this year, finding their voices for social justice. Over the last three years, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade students have worked to further skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and grappling with a variety of interdisciplinary challenges. As they engaged their STEAM skills in solving real-world problems, Middle School students experienced first-hand, some of the world- and life-changing innovations that are possible in STEAM professions. In the problem-based projects, students worked in mixed-age teams, and true to the engineering design process, concluded their week with presentations, communicating their group’s challenges, setbacks, and successes. Students showcased their innovations for Lower School students, family, and friends with Google Slide presentations, iMovie videos, and live demonstrations in the School’s Kronthal Science and Environmental Center.
Curriculum Development
Over the last three years, STEAM immersion week has been coordinated by Far Brook technology and science teachers Deborah Costa and Lauren Kronthal ’04 (pictured above). Throughout this week of interdisciplinary teaching, 20 teachers collaborated in the execution of the curriculum, incorporating faculty with a variety of specific talents. Our curriculum has developed over the years beginning initially with a partnership with STEM curriculum provider i2 Learning. i2 Learning’s goal is to engage and excite Middle School students and to help them become aware of the world-changing possibilities STEM professions can bring about. i2 Learning partners with organizations such as MIT, NASA, and the Wyss Institute at Harvard, and works with faculty from Columbia University, and Harvard School of Education in designing and evaluating their programs. This year’s comprehensive STEAM curriculum, The Problem with Plastics, was developed by Lauren and Deborah who engaged faculty members from a variety of disciplines in collaboratively teaching, leading experiments, creating, ideating, and guiding the students through a multidisciplinary journey of discovery.
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Engineering Prosthetics Devices In 2016, our first year with i2 Learning, students built, tested, and iterated prosthetic devices for both animals and humans. Developing these devices, students created prototypes for an artificial leg that might enhance the life of an injured elephant and learned about real-life scientists and their research and development of a prosthetic tail for marine life.
Sustainable Gardening In our second year partnering with i2 Learning, students explored sustainable farming practices and designed a model farming plot imagining potential future campus use. Groups decided on a function for their garden at Far Brook, deciding whether they would sell, donate, or eat the harvest they grew. Students learned about and investigated many topics, including photosynthesis, composting, irrigation, food deserts, and urban farms, to name just a few. Applying their understanding of geometry and basic algebra, they designed a scale model of their projected garden plot and calculated a projected cost analysis. They built new vocabulary, learned scientific terminology, and explored first-hand the concept of sustainability.
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The Problem with Plastics
2017 brought the faculty-written curriculum, The Problem with Plastics, to the Middle School as students examined the extensive environmental and health problems caused by our society’s use of plastics. They explored issues that materials scientists and engineers are examining today. Through design thinking, students considered alternatives to petroleum-based plastics and attempted to develop more sustainable solutions. They learned about the components of plastic and why it is a critical environmental and health issue. Once they recognized that single-use plastics are creating a world-wide environmental crisis, they began to look for innovative solutions including edible water bottles and bioplastics. Weighing the pros and cons, students considered the practicality and ethics of developing new materials. They looked back in time to examine how ancient cultures managed to transport water before the advent of the plastic water bottle. Using cutting-edge technology, they recorded, tracked, and analyzed data from their experiments. Students used their new knowledge to remix marketing messages from water companies that promote a more environmentally-friendly communication. Classroom debates helped students to solidify their positions and find their voices. The week of growth and learning culminated in the creation of public service announcements, persuasive letter-writing to government officials and major corporations, and Google Slide presentations to Lower School students, faculty members, and families. As this incredible week came to a close, students reflected on the essential question asked by Janine Benyus, biologist, innovation consultant, and author, “How can we live here gracefully over the long haul?” The lessons of The Problem with Plastics live on in our students who care so deeply and continue to immerse themselves in creating solutions to protect our environment.
Take the journey of The Problem with Plastics week in the following pages... INTRODUCTION The introduction to this year’s STEAM week began with students working in mixed-grade level groups. Students discussed the concurrent topics of The Problem with Plastics and Why is the Problem Worth Solving? The concept of polymers and an exploration of the different types of plastics provided a foundation for the week’s learning and fascinated the students from the start. The knowledge that plastic islands are found floating in every ocean basin helped the students realize that a solution could be up to them! In this year alone, how many pounds of singleuse plastic will every man, woman, and child consume? 300 pounds. In preparation for the week, students viewed the Netflix documentary, A Plastic Ocean. Students investigated questions such as: How many plastic bottles does the US throw away every year? 38 billion. True or False: Almost every piece of plastic ever made is still on this planet in one form or another. True. What is Materials Science? To delve deeper into the discussion of plastics and to begin an exploration of materials science, the interdisciplinary field of engineering new materials, students explored the properties of polymers by comparing a variety of plastic products. Students began to recognize that the recycling numbers provide information about the properties and potential uses of each product.
How much are we recycling and reusing now? The students spent a week in March recording their personal consumption of single-use plastics at home and in school, and organizing their data to create pie charts and line graphs on their Chromebooks. They calculated what percentages of the total were recycled, thrown out, or reused, and estimated how much plastic they personally would use in one year.
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EXPLORATION Why is plastics a problem worth solving? Collaboration and communication were imperative. Each step was documented and recorded on iPads to be reviewed at any time and used to create their final presentations, which were showcased at the end of the week for parents and Lower School students. The first experiment of the week was designing bouncy balls with carefully measured ingredients. Students explored the properties of polymers as well as the process of experimental design, altering one variable in the recipe to try to make a second ball that would bounce higher than the first. For homework, students calculated ratios altering their original recipes. M aterials Science in Ancient Times. How did ancient people transport water before the advent of plastic? Students designed and created pottery vessels that met specific criteria and the constraints of an engineering design challenge. The vessels needed to be able to reliably hold, carry, and pour water efficiently. Students rolled, coiled, and/or pounded their bricks of clay to fashion a myriad of designs – square, round, tapered, decorated, some with spouts or lids and some without. Testing their design would come after overnight drying.
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Do clay vessels hold water? Students were excited and apprehensive to test their clay vessels. They first measured and recorded the amount of water their vessels could hold, then carried their vessels around campus on an obstacle course of sorts – up the hill, into a building, down the stairs, and back to the classrooms – to replicate the trip that a person might take from a water source to their home. Some vessels leaked, some fell apart immediately, and others retained all of the water! The children again measured the remaining water and calculated how much was lost, which led to a discussion of how to improve their designs. Could we do without plastics? The students also explored the possibility of going plastic-less by making edible water containers using the technique of spherification. After the sodium alginate and calcium lactate reactants were mixed, a large, gel-like membrane formed around the water. Students had mixed reactions about both the taste and texture of the edible containers. They discussed whether this was a viable replacement for plastic water bottles. Based on shelf-life, taste, and fragility of the membrane, students concluded that they should keep searching for a better solution.
How do we know which material is best for a particular product or need? On a quest to find a more practical solution to the plastics problem, the students created their own bioplastics in vibrant colors – bright orange, blue, aqua – using cornstarch, glycerin (the plasticizer), water, vinegar, and food coloring. When this mixture reached the proper temperature and consistency, it was taken out of the pot, rolled out between two mats, and left to cool. “Why bioplastics?” they were asked. These plastics are made from renewable resources and reduce the carbon footprint. There are cons to using bioplastics as well. Are they really better for the environment? Are they affordable? Should we be growing and using crops to make bioplastics?
What kinds of choices can consumers make? Students observed the properties of two types of packing materials. Polystyrene and starch-based packing peanuts were placed into beakers of water. Before everyone’s eyes, the bioplastics began to slowly biodegrade while the petroleum-based products maintained their form. Students began to see their role in convincing others to make better choices.
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TAKING ACTION
How can we make an impact locally? Patricia Canning, a South Orange activist who founded the SO Not Plastic Challenge, inspired the children to participate in protecting our environment. How many pieces of plastics do scientists estimate there are afloat in our oceans worldwide? 5 trillion.
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What marketing messages influence us? Students examined how marketing by major corporations contributes to the demand for single-use plastic water bottles. They viewed, analyzed, and critiqued commercials from several bottled water companies. After students recognized the marketing ploys used in the commercials, they remixed the commercials by editing the sound, text, and images using VidLab and iMovie applications. In their remixes, students highlighted the portions of the original commercial that were misleading and indicated their desire to be more responsible about the use of plastics. The new version became part of their final presentations. How can we take action beyond our community? Students shared what they learned about the problem with single-use plastics, expressing their concerns, and posing possible solutions. They wrote letters to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, local representatives, or to a CEO of any corporation of their choosing. They also made informative posters to display around campus.
April 5, 2018 Dear Starbucks, My name is Matthew, and I’m 11 years old. I am writing to you today, so that changes in your company can be made for the better of the environment. Firstly, I would just like to say, I have enormous respect for your company and all of your products. My family, friends and I go to your stores frequently and are all big consumers of all of your delicious drinks. However, in all of my visits to your stores, it has come to my attention that all of your cold drinks come in plastic containers, with plastic lids. Unfortunately, synthetic, single-use plastics are very harmful to the environment, pile up in landfills, and can hurt plants, animals, and us. I see that an effort is being made to create biodegradable cups for hot drinks and I feel that something needs to be done about cold drink containers too. I hope that you will consider giving better incentives for bringing reusable cups, and making more environmentally friendly cups for cold drinks. Plastics never break down or biodegrade, they just break up. It may seem like they go away, but really, they are still here, in very tiny pieces called microplastics. 80% of all plastic waste goes to landfills, where the chemicals in it can combine with rainwater to produce leachate, a harmful substance, which can travel through soil, and bodies of water, and very negatively affect ecosystems. Rainwater can also move plastics from landfills to the ocean, where sea animals, and animals near the sea can mistake it for food. Scientists estimate that in the year 2025, in terms of mass, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. The other 20% gets incinerated, releasing very toxic chemicals into the air. Sadly, these two are usually the only options, because the plastic cups are made out of polypropylene, PP, or No. 5. This type of plastic can only be recycled by few recycling facilities. In fact, only 3% or 3/100 of it is being recycled in the United States. Plastic waste is expanding at an alarming rate and we need to do something about it. Many things can be done to reduce the amount of plastic waste created by Starbucks plastic cups. There is already a $0.10 discount for bringing a reusable cup, so maybe try making that number bigger. A $0.20 or $0.30 discount might convince people even more. The price of drinks in regular plastic cups should maybe increase too, so there is even more of a difference in how much you can save if you use a reusable cup. You should also try to use bioplastic, or another eco-friendly material for your cups. These might not work, but it’s worth a try, since you will be saving thousands of animals and plants, that would have otherwise been harmed by oil-based plastic. This is a horrible problem and soon we won’t be able to solve it. The Earth will change and become drastically different than the way we know it today. Plastic and other garbage will be everywhere, polluting our beautiful planet. It’s time for us to make a change for the better. I hope you will consider giving a discount for bringing reusable cups, increasing the price of the plastic ones, or making your cups out of an eco-friendly material. Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it. Together, I believe that we can stop this problem. Sincerely, Matthew, 5th Grade, Far Brook School
SHARING Each of the student groups displayed their week’s work and shared with Lower School students, parents, and other visitors, their new-found knowledge of society’s overuse of plastics and the possibilities to develop more sustainable solutions. The students’ week of learning and exploring concluded with a commitment to protecting our world and, in particular, ocean life.
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70 YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? A Speech Given by Head of School Amy Ziebarth at Education Night 2017
Tonight I want to talk about progressive education at Far Brook. As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, I have spent time reflecting on the School’s rich history and unique mission. What do we believe in? What is non-negotiable? To begin, I think it is important for us to understand what progressive education means. The American progressive education movement is principally associated with John Dewey, one of the most well-known academics, philosophers, and intellectuals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dewey’s model for progressive education explored strategies for teaching and learning that were student-centered. He was a strong advocate for experiential learning and believed that schools should allow children to “learn by doing.” Dewey believed that in traditional schooling, “the center of gravity is outside the child.” At Far Brook, we take our cue from the children.
students feel supported both in their successes and their failures In today’s world, the term progressive is thrown around a lot, and I thought it might be useful to talk a little bit about what progressive means at Far Brook. n Community is Important. Growing up in a school community where everyone knows and cares about one another and where students feel supported both in their successes and their failures is absolutely central to what we strive to create on this campus. n Collaboration. In the 21st century world, there is probably no skill more important than learning to work with others. This is not easy for everyone. How to collaborate is something that needs to be taught and practiced.
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S ocial Justice. We strive at Far Brook to provide an education that teaches students how to be good learners and also to be good people. Social justice recognizes that students can notice and then act on the power they have to make positive change. In today’s world, it is important for students to feel hopeful and powerful, and this comes from helping them find their voice and enabling them to experience their ability to make change. n Intrinsic Motivation. A Far Brook education strives to give primacy to intrinsic motivation. There is a basic human need for personal autonomy and selfdetermination. It requires a deep understanding of children to channel that drive towards ALL kinds of learning, not just the learning that a child naturally gravitates to. n Deep Understanding. This requires time. If elementary school education is a rush to get through lots of content, children don’t experience the satisfaction of becoming an expert, of understanding something in great detail and with nuance, of experiencing the joy of making connections between what you learned yesterday and what you are learning today. Promoting deep understanding is a conscious process that takes extensive planning and careful orchestration. Deep understanding is a primary goal of our teachers as they plan on the grand scale for a series of units across an entire year and even as they plan their daily lessons. Teaching for deep understanding helps students develop habits of mind that will prepare them to be researchers, questioners, thinkers, and doers. n Active Learning. Active learning, or what we might sometimes call hands-on learning, is central to all of the above. To achieve these objectives – working in a strong community along with others, learning the power of one’s own voice to ask questions and promote change, and understanding complicated problems and possible n
solutions – only happens in a setting that encourages and allows for active, hands-on learning. Now, any mention of progressive education evokes, for some, images of a “touchy-feely, loosey-goosey, fluffy, and undemanding classroom where kids are free to do what they please and where the curriculum is loose and can consist of whatever is fun.” This is not progressive education at Far Brook. Our curriculum is designed to prepare students not only for the schools they will head off to in ninth grade, but to prepare them for the joys of learning throughout their lives, to be critical thinkers, inquisitive about and interested in learning something new. Very simply, progressive education is really about best practices in teaching. The research is clear: n Students do better if they can spend more time thinking about ideas than memorizing information. n Deep understanding allows students to retain their new knowledge, while memorizing content is ephemeral, gone shortly after a test is over. n Constructed knowledge allows students to take what they’ve learned and apply it to new problems. n Active, engaged learning allows students to apply their understanding to a new situation and imparts a strong desire to learn more. Why doesn’t every school teach this way? It is harder to do and harder to do well. This kind of education demands more of the teachers and of the
students. Children in our classrooms must come every day willing to be active participants in their own learning. Teachers not only know the content they are teaching, but also how to build and create opportunities that allow students to experience learning in positive and productive ways. It is one thing to present the formula for an equilateral triangle and have students memorize it. It is another to create an experience in which students can take all that they know about geometry to derive that formula. It is one thing to teach children the rules for starting a new paragraph, or how to punctuate a compound, complex sentence. It is quite another to engineer a writing experience in which students are so invested in their words and their desire to be heard that they want to understand how the rules of grammar impact their ability to communicate. There is experimentation and uncertainty associated with guiding learning, as opposed to delivering content. Our progressive classrooms elevate learning over teaching and that takes time, intention, and training. We at Far Brook are going to continue to resist the undertow. If you wander into a classroom on any given day, you will see our progressive approach at work. The Sixth and Eighth Graders are rehearsing for their class play. Handson learning is evident when our students tackle complex, rich literature to bring it to life on stage. As Jim Glossman, Far Brook’s Drama Director, recently told me, “The idea that putting any piece of literature physically and vocally
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‘up on its feet’ creates a whole new and fresh ‘way in’ for students to enter into the world of those words, of that author, and thus into the world that author is writing about.” This approach is thoroughly and energetically intertwined with the core value and practice of progressive education. Our students’ annual engagement with dramatic expression and the understanding of a complex text grows in depth each year as they tackle a new project. This is part of a long continuum, a process that creates the almost unseen foundations upon which is built that wonderful, often-surprised, and seemingly always holleredout call, perhaps during the third week of rehearsal from a Sixth Grader: “Oh yeah – I GET THIS!!!” Integrated, project-based, hands-on learning driven by student questions and curiosity is evidenced in the First Grade’s year-long investigation of Environment and Community. As teachers Erin Comollo and Jessica Howe recently shared with me, First Graders are encouraged to consider the impact that human beings have on the natural environment. Students develop not only a deep appreciation but also an understanding of the vital role that forests play in our well-being – that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume are all supported by forests. The study begins at home, in our campus wetlands, where students walk and question. The “wonderings” they generate – “Why do leaves change color in Fall?” or “How do trees help create the air that we breathe?” – provide the basis for the class inquiry and the jumping off point for the research in which they will engage. The class also learns about threats to forest lands and the effects of deforestation. First Graders naturally wonder, “Why would humans choose to cut down trees?” In keeping with the progressive value of giving students voice and an understanding that they can create change, the students investigate threats to the natural environment in the suburban communities surrounding Far Brook and generate ways they can contribute positively and mitigate harm in their own communities. The final portion of the study shifts the students’ focus to another part of the globe experiencing the impacts of deforestation. First Graders have studied Kenya and
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Ghana. The teachers allow the place of study to be determined by student interest and the lines of inquiry that emerge throughout the year. While studying Ghana, for example, one First Grade class considered how cocoa farming and Fair Trade cooperatives have the potential for both positive and negative impacts on the rainforest environment and cocoa-farming communities. Equipped with their understanding of interdependence and a sense of responsibility, First Graders at Far Brook finish the year inspired and empowered – connected to fellow citizens across the globe and ready to make choices that will positively impact the environment, and their homes, school, and community. Progressive learning flourishes in our math classrooms. Sixth Grade math students complete a project in which they create a budget on minimum wage. They calculate their weekly and monthly salary and deduct money for taxes, rent, food, healthcare, and phone bills and then see how much they have left. Students use data, graph their results, and experience the real world applications of the math they are learning. Students experience technology here at Far Brook in ways that are authentic, exploratory, and relevant. Technology is not something to consume, but rather a tool for creating and solving problems. In Middle School, students build a robot out of littleBits that can draw. They have time to experiment and try to figure out how to make their drawbot move and then create some type of drawing. Ultimately, the class considers how robots can solve problems that impact society. Finally, progressive education at Far Brook means knowing our students well. So well that we can help them find the passions that will ignite their desire to learn, and so well that we can support them in both their successes and their failures. Many of you may have seen the New York Times article about teen anxiety, and in the face of this terrifying trend, one thing experts agree on is that students need opportunities to fail. In our classrooms where experimentation, exploration, and collaborative learning are practiced every day, children are encouraged to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. This is possible because when you are creating knowledge, rather than just having it delivered, failure is an inevitable and a
welcome part of the learning process. And I firmly believe that some of the hardest lessons about failure come to the 10-to-14-year-old set, as they are really beginning to explore who they are and who they want to be. It is this small, close community, that knows them and values their membership and that always encourages them to look outward, to focus on the world and one individual’s impact on it. This kind of learning is part of who our students are once they enter a Far Brook classroom. Many of you have heard us speak of the Far Brook journey – the 10-year experience of a student here. This journey is multi-layered, interconnected, and beautifully woven together. And I would argue that students who attend Far Brook for two or three years, if they come in Sixth or Seventh Grade, experience their own version of the journey. Although it may be shorter in length, it remains transformational because they become a part of our community that engages in a vigorous exploration of the world and our role in it. The culmination of that journey lives in our Eighth Grade students. Their growth is tangible to anyone who watches them deliver their speeches and the graduation play in June. Our students attend strong local public high schools, all the local independent day schools, and many prestigious boarding schools around the country. Mikki Murphy, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Community, invited local admission directors to sit on a panel and they told us that they “flag” the Far Brook applications, that our student interviews are among the strongest. High schools
Our progressive classrooms elevate learning over teaching and that takes time, intention, and training. recognize the value of the N/K-8 model and talk about the Far Brook finished product. Students who complete the journey with us carry the hallmark characteristics honed by our progressive, student-centered approach. They know themselves as leaders, they understand the value of community, they are engaged, and they are the type of good citizens that schools seek out to be leaders and contributors in their communities. Far Brook graduates jump right in, get involved, and make a difference. I am proud when I see the list of small liberal arts colleges and larger universities that Far Brook graduates currently attend: four students at Georgetown, three at NYU, two at Dartmouth, two at University of Pennsylvania, two at Middlebury, two at WashU in St. Louis, two at University of Michigan. We also have students at Morehouse College, Claremont McKenna, Carnegie Mellon, Bowdoin, University of Chicago, Gettysburg, Vanderbilt, Hamilton, Northwestern, Lehigh, and the list goes on and on. They play college sports; they are involved in drama, music, bio-tech, and medical research; they invent apps and they code; they run investment clubs, act in theater troupes, and sing in a cappella groups.
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We track and keep in touch with our alumni and take great pride in their accomplishments. We have a resident in psychiatry at NYU Tisch School of Medicine, a project manager at Tesla, financial analysts at Goldman Sachs, teachers all across the country and three alumni here on campus this year who were inspired by their own Far Brook teachers and experience, MBA candidates at Columbia and Berkeley, PhD candidates at MIT and in physics at Caltech, a recent PhD in math from the University of Wisconsin; we have actors and artists. There is a Far Brook pod of alumni in the San Francisco Bay area who work at UberEats, Google, Box.com, a digital engineer at Reduced Energy Microsystems, Facebook, and an urban planner for the City of Berkeley. We also have a real-life rocket scientist – an aerospace engineer who works at Boeing. We recently surveyed our alumni to get a sense of what their Far Brook experience meant to them after they had left the School. One of the questions was, “Did you feel that your experience here had an impact on your growth, development, and future?” One hundred percent of the survey participants said, “Yes.” Many elaborated and said: “Far Brook instilled a love of learning.” “ The School fully prepared me to face the rigors of high school and college.” “ I took with me a desire to bring a creative, curious, positive, and thoughtful attitude to everything in life.” “ Far Brook taught me how to be, how to think, how to process; the experience shaped me and is by far the most important educational experience of my life.”
20 / WHAT DO WE BELIEVE?
Deep understanding is a primary goal of our teachers. The US Department of Labor estimates that 65 percent of today’s grade-school students will end up in jobs that do not yet exist. And those jobs will require our children to have what has often been described as soft skills – I would call them skills and capacities that are essential to humanity – to be able to express empathy, kindness, curiosity, and joy. These skills are difficult to measure and quantify but they are woven into the fabric of our School. I see this everywhere I look at Far Brook – when a superstar athlete who can easily rack up the score pauses and passes the ball to a classmate who has never scored a goal; when Middle Schoolers spend recess perfecting their cartwheels; or when an Eighth Grader grasps the tiny hand of a four-year-old. I have observed the thrill of Kindergarten students as they release a Monarch butterfly and watched the Junior High pack up bags [of food] for Isaiah House after Processional, and have seen the whole community respond to the needs in Puerto Rico and Mexico in times of calamitous disaster. This community knows how to both look inward and outward and reaches out with generosity to our neighbors 10 miles away or 10,000 miles away. This capacity to learn deeply, to care passionately, and to make change are the results of a progressive elementary school education that prepares our students not only to tackle the many demands of high school, but also the more sizeable and real challenges of facing our world with the hope and knowledge that they can make it a better place.
MEET TWO MULTI-TALENTED FAR BROOK ALUMNI ASHUR KALB ’92, A “Good Guy Hacker”
CHRISTINA CAPATIDES ’01, CBS News Journalist
One day long ago when Ash Kalb was in the Seventh Grade, he brought Far Brook its first modem, about two years before the invention of the first web browser and the web itself. Today Ash describes himself as a technologist or hacker. He explains that this is not necessarily a negative word. In fact, Ash is one of the founders of White Ops, which works to protect the internet. He has served in various roles, including COO and General Counsel. Named one of the fastest growing tech companies in the US by Deloitte, White Ops is at the forefront of detecting and defending against malicious bots, hence the “good guy hackers.” White Ops has been operating since well before most people had ever heard the words “bot” or “fake news.” Ash is a founding advisor of and currently serves as CSO/General Counsel of Sentieo, a financial data and analysis platform. It combines traditional and emerging data sources with analytical, research management, and collaboration tools built on “very cool search and machine learning tech” to provide traditional and cryptocurrency investors with insights not available anywhere else. The return on investment that Sentieo generates actually paid for its own early development and helps today to fuel its rapid adoption and growth. Ash also remains an advisor to Singularity&Co, which he started with three of his best friends in the back of his DUMBO, Brooklyn, science fiction bookshop. He splits his time between the Hudson Valley, Brooklyn, and Amagansett and for fun, Ash flies airplanes, does a lot of hiking and kayaking, and spends “too much time” in his workshop with his dog, Robot, playing with laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC mills, and other tools he “sort of understands.”
The talented Christina Capatides ’01 is not only a composer, lyricist, and writer, but primarily a journalist for CBS News. In her role as senior producer and editor, Christina creates original videos covering all aspects of documentary making from pitching an idea to writing scripts, booking interviews, shooting scenes, and editing. She produced and edited the CBS News year-end specials in 2016 and 2017 and writes daily CBS News articles. Christina also produces and edits videos covering important events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last January. She is especially interested in bringing the public’s attention to cultural themes being overlooked by other news media; stories told through a different angle. In the last year, she has produced three long-form documentaries: Thicker than Water, covering the devastation of the Texas floods of Hurricane Harvey outside Houston; Portland: Race Against the Past, focusing on racism in America; and Gender: The Space Between, highlighting society’s growing recognition of gender fluidity and individual gender expression. The faculty and administration were happy to welcome Christina to Far Brook this year to share this fascinating documentary on gender, a perfect complement to our 2017 Widening the Lens theme, as well as to the ongoing conversations and growing classroom curriculum supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion. Christina’s previous work with shelter dogs has taken a backseat, though she still does speaking events at New York City schools with her children’s book, Rusty the Rescue, and she is working on a song cycle of music told from the perspective of shelter dogs. She and her husband, Doug Vollmayer, live in New York City with their dog, Mooch.
(Ash attended Pittsford Mendon High School ’96; Cornell University ’00; and Columbia Law School ’03.)
(Christina attended Newark Academy ’05; Georgetown University ’09; and New York University Tisch School of the Arts ’14.)
MEET TWO MULTI-TALENTED FAR BROOK ALUMNI / 21
Class of 2018
We share with you our newest alumni, excited to begin their next step in life and fully prepared to face the challenges it brings them. Many began their Far Brook journey in Nursery or Kindergarten, others joined in subsequent years. All say they will miss their friends, their supportive teachers, and participating in the School Traditions. We wish them luck in the years to come, and hope they will return to visit and to bring us their stories of success.
5 OUR NEWEST ALUMNI IN COSTUME FOR THEIR GRADUATION PERFORMANCE OF SHAKESPEARE’S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
FRONT ROW: Sawyer Dahlen, Georgia Post-Lipnick, Charlotte Busch-Vogel, Sammy Lederman, Miller Burns, Olamide Balogun
MIDDLE ROW: Katie Yang, Lara Blanton, Zachary Strain, Nick Perry, Ryan Stadtmauer
BACK ROW: Hannah Gallin, Grace Trangucci, Tyler Headley, William Weidner, Aidan Grant, Lucas Mannello
22 / CLASS OF 2018
Olamide Balogun
joined his classmates in Fifth Grade and they made him feel very welcome. He played the part of Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His favorite memory is the last day of Seventh Grade during “a very funny advisory period” when they officially became Eighth Graders! Olamide will be attending Church Farm School in Pennsylvania in September.
Lara Blanton was Hermia in this year’s graduation
play. She loved walking into Morning Meeting and smiling at the younger students and guiding them in the Thanksgiving Processional. She remembers when she was a Kindergartner and the Eighth Graders would talk with her and she enjoyed being in that reversed role. Morristown-Beard School is Lara’s choice for high school.
Miller Burns will miss the sports games and the
a younger student six years later. Hannah will miss singing in Morning Meeting most of all while she’s at Newark Academy.
Aidan Grant will miss playing soccer and baseball
with his classmates and has fond memories of the year they played kazoos with former Director of Music Allen Artz during a Spring Choral Concert. Aidan played Egeus in the Shakespeare play and will attend Delbarton School in the fall.
Tyler Headley
joined his class in First Grade and played the role of Demetrius in the graduation play. While at The Pingry School, he will miss his Far Brook classmates and his relationships with his teachers. His favorite memory is the Fifth Grade Greek Olympics when he won the long and short races and ate home-made cheese puffs at the feast afterward.
Sammy Lederman, this year’s Lysander, will miss
“big bus rides” to Canada on the Junior High French trips. He remembers all the way back to Nursery when he and his class sang with teacher Bill Deltz and when Bill held sing-alongs with the Lower School. Miller’s role was Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and he will be studying at Newark Academy next.
the sense of community at Far Brook where learning was “fun and engaging.” Sammy remembers performing violin in Third Grade for the first time during Recital Night and has “cherished the experience to play in front of [his] peers and to grow as a musician.” Sammy plans on continuing to play violin as a soloist in the Newark Academy orchestra, and with the New Jersey Youth Symphony outside of school.
Charlotte Busch-Vogel began her Far Brook
Lucas Mannello played Snug the Joiner in A
journey in the Sixth Grade. She will miss seeing the little Nursery children and walking them to their classrooms each morning. Her favorite memory is of the Sixth Grade “Trip to Mars” at the Buehler Challenger and Science Center. She portrayed Starveling in the play and will be found at Columbia High School in September.
Sawyer Dahlen
enjoyed preparing for the Traditions on the “small, beautiful campus,” and learning through the arts. A favorite memory is of the Masque when she was in Second Grade, her first year here. The students on stage seemed “so big!” As an Eighth Grader, Sawyer was “the big kid” and shared choir music with the Nursery. Her role in the play was Titania, Queen of the Fairies. She will attend Columbia High School in the fall.
Hannah Gallin was Helena in A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. One of her favorite memories is the Medieval Feast. She remembers being a Kindergartner in awe of her Sixth Grade partner, picking out the fabric for her costume, and practicing her skit. It was so special that she was able to do the same with
Midsummer Night’s Dream. He will miss being part of the Far Brook sports teams and especially enjoyed taking part in the running events during the Fifth Grade Olympics. Lucas chose Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey City for his next academic step.
Nick Perry
came to Far Brook in Fifth Grade and will miss his kind and supportive teachers and his friends who are off to different schools. His favorite memory is of snowtubing with his classmates in Québec during the French trip. Nick played the role of Puck in the play and next year will be studying at Delbarton School.
Georgia Post-Lipnick was Tom Snout the Tinker
in the graduation play. Georgia will miss Morning Meeting and her teachers. Her comical memory is of one day in Second Grade when the class returned to the room to find no teacher present. They all noisily danced around the room and ran back to their seats when they saw the teacher approaching. And they were complimented on their good behavior! Kent Place School is Georgia’s choice for high school.
CLASS OF 2018 / 23
Ryan Stadtmauer played Philostrate in A
Midsummer Night’s Dream. He says he will miss Morning Meeting and the ski club. Ryan has diverse favorite memories – the Fifth Grade Greek Olympics, dissecting a cow’s eye, eating lunch outside on a nice day, and Sports Days. Ryan will attend Morristown-Beard School in September.
Zachary Strain
joined the class in First Grade and was Oberon in the play. He is comfortable in the Far Brook environment with the “kids” he has grown up with and will miss that feeling. When he was younger, Zachary always looked up to the older soccer players and anticipated reaching their level of play. Becoming the co-captain of the soccer team was an important accomplishment for him. Newark Academy will be his next playing field.
Grace Trangucci came to Far Brook in Sixth Grade
and played Hippolyta in the Shakespeare play. She will miss sitting outside on a hot day with all of her friends chatting and watching the “little kids” kicking around a soccer ball on the field. Grace will continue her education at The Pingry School.
William Weidner’s first year here was in Fourth
Grade and everyone has been “so nice and helpful” from the beginning. His choice memories are of classes with former Director of Music Allen Artz. “He could make anything fun!”
William played Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and his next act will be at Delbarton School.
Katie Yang joined the class in Seventh Grade and was
this year’s Nick Bottom the Weaver in the graduation play. She says she has “met many wonderful people, students and staff alike.” Her happiest moments have been talking and walking around campus with them, and with the “little kids,” too. Katie makes special mention of being outside with her friends during nice weather. She’ll be a freshman at Morristown-Beard School in September.
What’s Next? Congratulations Class of 2018, On Your High School Choices
The Class of 2014 Moves On to College Alfred University
Northeastern University
Church Farm School
American University
Rutgers University
Columbia High School
American University of Paris
Santa Clara University
Delbarton School
Bucknell University
Tulane University
Kent Place School
University of Maryland
Morristown-Beard School
Essex County College, Caldwell Campus
Newark Academy
George Washington University
Saint Peter’s Prep
Howard University
The Pingry School
New York University Middlebury College
24 / CLASS OF 2018
University of Colorado at Boulder University of Vermont Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University
LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF SCIENCE and MATH IN THE LOWER SCHOOL Science and Math are continually integrated into our Lower School themes and year-long curriculum studies. Students make important connections using mathematical and scientific concepts that encourage exploration of new ideas and reinforce learned skills.
What is it like to be a beekeeper? Nursery 3s know, as they test gear used for caring for bees.
Through their year-long study of Environment and Community, First Graders explored the importance of the rainforest as they studied about Ghana.
After researching the planets of the solar system, each Second Grader designed and created a needlepoint that incorporated important features of their favorite planet.
Our Nursery 4s study over a dozen types of owls, their adaptations, and physical features. Here, 4-year-olds dramatize their favorite owls in front of their 3D models.
As part of their study of simple machines, Kindergartners learn about levers, pulleys, wedges and how simple machines make work easier. Here, two students take apart a clock radio to understand its inner workings.
A culminating real-world math project is the Third Grade store which raises money for friends of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Students calculated totals from several days of sales of Far Brook branded pencils and homemade bookmarks.
LOWER SCHOOL / 25
OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY:
FOSTERING AWARENESS, EMPATHY, AND INCLUSION WIDENING THE LENS: THE FAR BROOK DIVERSITY CONFERENCE November 11, 2017 Educators, administrators, trustees, students, alumni, and parents from 13 New Jersey independent schools shared successes and challenges faced in making our schools more inclusive. The 2017 theme: LGBTQ+: Illuminating the Spectrum and Cultivating Pride sparked courageous conversations and generated specific action plans. We welcomed keynote speaker, New York Times columnist and author, Charles Blow, who inspired the days’ conversations
WIDENING THE LENS 2018 This year’s topic is From Attending to Belonging: Reimagining Independent Schools for our Intersectional Communities November 10, 2018
26 / DIVERSITY EVENTS
Social Justice Conversations Students in Spectrum, a monthly gathering of Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders, created a web of interconnectedness which symbolized their connection to each other. Throughout the year, students discussed their views about topics in the news and on the hearts and minds of middle schoolers and their teachers.
Heritage Morning Meetings Throughout the year, faculty, students, and parents joined together to lead Morning Meetings celebrating nationally recognized heritage months and days of cultural significance through images, stories, authentic art forms, clothing, and songs. Pictured here, students participated in a Black History Month Morning Meeting sharing in February.
PRIDE Celebrations Far Brook faculty, parents, and students participated in a 5K run in early June to support North Jersey Pride. At the North Jersey Pride Festival in Maplewood, our popular family photo booth attracted many families and children who decorated frames for their portraits. Far Brook was proud to be one of the few schools exhibiting at the Festival.
Speaker Series
“Neighbors” Workshop Alumni Parent Rachel Pasternak (Annie ’16 and Becky ’17) and co-director Rachel Fisher shared their compelling documentary, I Shall Not Be Silent, about the life and activism of Rabbi Joachim Prinz. Following the film, students participated in a companion workshop aptly entitled “Neighbors” which explored identity and empathy.
Dynamic speakers provided insights on social justice topics for faculty and parents. We welcomed Far Brook Alumna Christina Capatides ’01 who screened her documentary Gender: The Space Between (see her feature, page 21); parent and professor, Dr. Jason Cortés who shared his perspective on DACA and Dreamers; acclaimed author and University of Pennsylvania professor, Dr. Ali Michael, who lent her expertise for a conversation on talking to children about race; and Dr. Stephanie Sasso who offered her professional experience on gender and sexuality development. Pictured here: Theodora Lacey in the Kindergarten class with her daughter Mikki Murphy and granddaughter, Tori Murphy ’07, sharing her experience in Montgomery, AL, with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.
DIVERSITY EVENTS / 27
Philanthropy at Far Brook MAKING AN IMPACT Far Brook is a generous community in every facet of its being. Since the School’s founding in 1948, the commitment to “give back” and to “pay it forward” has been integral to all who give of their time, talent, and resources.
Joseph B. Baker ’62 has been instrumental in helping to create a culture of philanthropy at Far Brook. How lucky we were on that day in 1988 when Joe decided to take a drive and see if his elementary school still existed. A student for only “2 7/8” years (as Joe has carefully calculated), he had not visited campus in 30 years. However, once Joe returned, he has been a stalwart supporter and friend for close to 30 years. Joe’s transformational giving has changed Far Brook profoundly. His commitment to Endowment, capital projects, and our annual giving program, The Far Brook Fund, is truly remarkable. Once again, Joe has put his mark on the School’s fundraising. A true philanthropic partner, he has singlehandedly propelled us to success with a $20,000 MATCH to The Far Brook Fund 2017-2018. For 72 hours, the community was asked to “step up to the plate.” Alumni
gifts were tripled and all other gifts doubled. In just three days, $45,805 was raised and The Far Brook Fund surpassed its goal and ended the year at more than $460,000. Thank you, Joe!
Joe Baker ‘62 with Carol Sargent and Paulina Marks
Avery ’22 and Olivia ’20 Croshaw are two wonderful examples of young donors who are committed to supporting Far Brook. Last summer, with a bit of help from their father, Brian, they built a lemonade stand and sold cold drinks and brownies. Raising more than $100 for The Far Brook Fund, they said, “We are giving you this money because you teach us fun stuff, like art, music, and math and because you teach us to be good people.” Thank you Avery and Olivia for teaching and inspiring us.
A philanthropic spirit is developed early here at Far Brook and continues on long after one leaves the School.
28 / DEVELOPMENT
THE IMPORTANCE OF ANNUAL GIVING – THE FAR BROOK FUND Tanya Nicholson Miller, Current Parent of Ellis, Class of 2023, and a Trustee, has been a donor to The Far Brook Fund since arriving at the School in 2013. We sat down with Tanya recently to find out why she has made Far Brook a philanthropic priority. Why do you feel it is important to support Far Brook?
Is there other information that has been helpful?
In general, I think it is imperative to support the School and to actively participate wherever and whenever possible because I am keenly aware that being a part of this particular community is truly a life-enriching experience. As an educator, I’m thrilled by the engagement, affirmation, and inspiration Ellis receives on a daily basis to not just wonder, but to wander within the structure of the campus, to ask questions, to think critically, and to expand and grow on all levels. Everything he sees, hears, touches, the thoughtful processes that are a part of his daily school experiences, and the knowledge that compounds across Grades and disciplines will have tremendous long term benefits. I have also had the privilege of sharing this educational journey with him which fosters rich organic conversations between us. I am able to integrate the connections between school and home and to bond with him in a way that is simple yet quite extraordinary.
Spreading out my contributions, the easy provisions (via text/links for example), and the multiple ways and intervals to give, monthly or quarterly, has bolstered my ability to maximize my gift(s). With things like the “I Love Far Brook” Day and the Alumnus Match this year, there were many fun and meaningful opportunities to engage and to donate!
Tanya Nicholson Miller her son Ellis ’23
What have you learned about Giving over the last few years? First, being a Trustee has heightened my awareness of the myriad costs associated with an independent school education. Second, I know from attending an independent school, that faculty compensation, benefits, and professional development are crucial factors to excellent teaching and education. I am also aware of the significance of technology, campus security, financial aid, arts, drama, music, athletics, and all that’s included in our budget. Third, I have learned that participation is invaluable, that making a gift(s) to the School is an active part of my role, and that giving sustains the School and the presence of this community. Participation is not just a vote of confidence but an unequivocal signal that I believe in the School. I know that all gifts are valued and that each and every contribution is a forward stride to The Far Brook Fund achieving its goal.
2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8
Thank you! $460,970 raised! 100% Board of Trustee participation 100% Faculty and Administration participation 85% Current Parent participation
DEVELOPMENT / 29
ALUMNI NEWS SHARE YOUR ALUMNI NEWS! Graduation, wedding, birth, promotion, anniversary, award, or retirement? Submit news of your major life events via email to alumni@farbrook.org.
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1986
themselves and enjoy the process rather than the end result,” Sara says. She remembers that “Mr. J would sit back and watch us use our imaginations.”
Hiding in the Bathroom. She writes that she is “still looking for a version of Far Brook for [her] kids but, of course, there’s only one!”
1990
1992
Dan Pincus ’92 (r) and Mohammed al-Samawi
Sara Guryan Galkin ’86
DANIEL PINCUS
SARA GURYAN GALKIN Attended: Loomis Chaffee School ’90; Washington University ’94 Sara currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, Jonathan, and their 3 children, Noah (13), Ella (11), and Simon (9). Sara is an abstract painter who exhibits her work in Brooklyn and Boston, MA, and is recently being represented by an online gallery called 1340Gallery. She also teaches “kids in conflict” creating art projects three times a week in the public schools. This spring, Sara started teaching in her studio and named her teaching business GUrsLa & J (J is for former Far Brook art teacher Bill Johnson) During the summer, Sara is serving as the director of studio art at Camp Ballibay in the Poconos where the focus is on studio art, music, and performing arts. She says that her philosophy and influences stem from Mr. Johnson. Let children “rely on
30 / ALUMNI NEWS
Morra Aarons-Mele ’90
Alex Brounstein ’92 with his Father, Don
MORRA AARONS-MELE
ALEXANDER BROUNSTEIN
Attended: Harvard University ’98; Brown University ’08 Morra lives outside of Boston, MA, with her husband, Nicco, and their three children: Asa (9), Tom (7), and Josephine (3). Her first book, Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert’s Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home) was published by HarperCollins in September 2017. As the title suggests, it’s a guide for ambitious introverts and people who struggle with social anxiety, but have big dreams. Morra has been featured twice in interviews on WNYC. Her business, Women Online, creates digital campaigns that mobilize women for good. Morra is also the host of the popular podcast
Attended: The Pingry School ’96; Emory University Alex recently opened his seventh and largest Grindhouse Killer Burgers restaurant close to downtown Atlanta, GA, on a full acre complete with outside, dog-friendly AstroTurfed patio. There are now four locations in Atlanta, one in Athens, and two in the airport, all serving fresh ground beef, turkey, and veggie burgers; fries in a variety of styles; and thick, classic, or “boozy” milkshakes. Shhh! We are the first to know that Alex is also opening another Grindhouse in Brookhaven in north Atlanta in 2019.
Attended: The Pingry School ’96; University of Pennsylvania ’01 Dan hosted a most unusual Seder in April to celebrate not only the story of the exodus of the ancient Jews, but of Mohammed al-Samawi, a Muslim, whom he helped escape a near-certain death in his home country of Yemen, also across the Red Sea, in 2015. Some of the 100 guests and most of the evening’s performers were Broadway singers, actors, composers, and producers, and each of the Seder performances connected to Mr. al-Samawi’s story, which was told by himself and Dan. Dan and three others got together via Facebook and used social media to crowd-source the rescue mission. “Jews and Christians saved my life,” Mr. al-Samawi said. He has written a memoir, The Fox Hunt, about his harrowing experience, published by William Morrow. The film
Alumni, please consider including Far Brook School in your LinkedIn Profile. 1995 Alumni Mike and Sarah Keil Chernoff (l) with Jarett Kaplus and their Children at a Cleveland Indians Game in Phoenix
rights to the book have been optioned by Fox 2000 and will be produced by Marc Platt (La La Land) and lyricist Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen), and written by Josh Singer (Spotlight). Dan’s wife, Becky Swereni, is Mr. al-Samawi’s literary agent. Dan and Mr. alSamawi have been sharing their story before numerous audiences in New York and New Jersey including at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills in April. People magazine featured them in the April 30, 2018, issue.
prosecution, due diligence, and counseling. The five (and their Chihuahua, Miguel) reside in Short Hills.
1994
first novel, Fans of the Impossible Life, has been translated into nine languages and she is currently working on her second book, also to be published by HarperCollins’ Balzer+Bray. Kate resides in Brooklyn with her wife, Amanda, and their two black cats.
1996
1993
Kate Wolf Scherzo ’96 with Greg and their Children
KATE WOLF SCHERZO
Kate Scelsa ’94
KATE SCELSA
Leila Kaplus Marcovici ’93 with Bryan and their Children
LEILA KAPLUS MARCOVICI Attended: The Pingry School ’97; Georgetown University ’01; Boston University School of Law ’07 Leila, her husband, Bryan, Vivienne (6), and Isaac (3) welcomed Mirren Rose into the family on December 9, 2017. Leila returned to work at Hoffmann & Baron LLP in Parsippany, NJ, after her maternity leave. Her legal practice focuses on patent
Park. Of course, they have a dog, a cat, and a horse! Congratulations on all accounts!
Attended: Montclair Kimberley Academy ’98; Sarah Lawrence College ’02 Kate is an author and playwright. In February, Kate’s story, “The Coven,” was included in a new Young Adult short story collection entitled All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages, and her folk/rock band, The Witch Ones, has been playing her songs at performance spaces like Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (You can find them on Instagram at @thewitchones.) Kate’s play, Everyone’s Fine with Virginia Woolf, an irreverent parody of Edward Albee’s classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was produced by Elevator Repair Service in June at Abrons Arts Center in New York City. Kate’s
Whitney Brown ’96 and her Husband, Jeff Perkins
WHITNEY BROWN Attended: Montclair Kimberley Academy ’00; Kenyon College ’04; Auburn University ’06; Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine ’11 Whitney has been living in Bremerton, WA, a ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle, and has recently started her own mobile veterinary practice after three years in equine practice. She’s primarily working with small animals with emphasis on reproduction, hospice/end of life care, and euthanasia. She married Jeff Perkins, a nuclear engineer, on July 15, 2107, and the newlyweds went on an incredible “minimoon” backpacking 40 miles through Olympic National
Attended: Montclair Kimberley Academy ‘00; Haverford College; Teachers College, Columbia University Kate and her husband, Greg, are living in Sharon, MA, with their two sons. Caleb is three and Isaac is one. She is working as a child psychologist and splitting her time between private practice and a pediatrician’s office. She recently saw classmate Gail Pokorney and met her daughter Arlen, soon to be one. Gail and her family live in Alaska. Kate says, “We miss Far Brook and think about it often.”
ALUMNI NEWS / 31
ALUMNI NEWS CONTINUED
1999
GARY SILVERSTROM Attended: The Pingry School ’00; New York University ’04; New York University College of Dentistry Gary and his wife, Allison, joyfully announce the birth of Joel on May 22, 2018. Big sister, Elle, is almost three and really wanted a sister! The lyrics of John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy,” signed by John Lennon, was gifted to Gary by his dad as a boy. It is now mounted in Joel’s room.
2000
Jessica Saraceno Carroll ’98 with Brendan and the Family
1998
JESSICA SARACENO CARROLL
Bess Levin ’98 and Dan Kelsall
Attended: The Pingry School ’02; Dartmouth University ’06; Seton Hall University School of Law ’10 Best wishes to Jessica, her husband, Brendan, and Parker (now two) who welcomed baby Mason Liam, born on April 27, 2018. Currently on maternity leave through September, Jessica is Of Counsel at O’Toole Scrivo in Cedar Grove. The family calls Basking Ridge home.
BESS LEVIN
ABIGAIL ZACKIN
Attended: Livingston High School ’02; Amherst College ’06 Bess married Dan Kelsall in New York City on August 25, 2018. Dan, from the United Kingdom, is a consultant and Bess is writing for Vanity Fair. She’s told Dan all about the Far Brook Traditions and he hopes to attend Morning Meeting someday soon! Our best wishes to the newlyweds who live on the upper west side of Manhattan.
32 / ALUMNI NEWS
currently lives in San Diego with his fiancé, Nicole Scarzella, and their Yorkie puppy, Chief. He and Nicole were engaged in January 2018. Congratulations!!
Attended: West Orange High School ’02; Bard College ’06; New York University Congratulations to Abby and her husband, Bill Reece, on the birth of Jonah Dean on May 26, 2018. Abby is a psychotherapist in private practice in Manhattan. The family lives in Jersey City, NJ.
Stefan Bozik ’99 and Nicole Scarzella in Kauai
STEFAN BOZIK Attended: Wake Forest University ’07; University of Virginia Darden School of Business ’14 In 2015, Stefan purchased La Matera, a men’s fashion ecommerce business (www. lamaterashop.com). He “scours the globe” looking for the most unique, timeless products made from the highest quality materials, focusing on leather belts, bags and watchbands handcrafted by local artisans. The business started out with products from Argentina and expanded beyond those borders to include items from Guatemala, Mexico, and South America. What he loves most is that La Matera allows him to have a direct, tangible impact on local communities and economies around the world while doing what excites him most – traveling, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and designing new products. Stefan
Torrie Pagos ’00 and her Fiancé, Adam Berkey
VICTORIA PAGOS Attended: Lawrenceville School ’04; Carnegie Mellon University ’08; Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Torrie will be marrying Adam Berkey on May 4, 2019, at Maritime Parc on the Hudson River in Jersey City, NJ. They met while in law school. Torrie lives and works in Jersey City where she’s an attorney with the law firm Connell Foley.
2001
BRANDON URANOWITZ Attended: Montclair Kimberley Academy ’04; New York University; New York University Tisch School of the Arts Brandon is an accomplished stage and television actor. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2015 and a Grammy in 2016 for his role as Adam Hochberg in An American in Paris, and for a Tony and a Drama Desk Award in 2017 for his role as Mendel in the Broadway revival of Falsettos. More recently he appeared in the revue Prince of Broadway. Brandon has also appeared in several episodes of Law and Order: CI and in the film Stage Fright.
KRISTIN VAN HEERTUM Attended: Newark Academy ’04; Columbia University ’08; Drexel University College of Medicine ’12 Kristin completed her Ob/Gyn residency at Abington-Jefferson Health in the Philadelphia, PA, suburbs in June 2016. She is currently living in Cleveland, OH, where she has a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University Hospitals/ Case Western Reserve University. She’s scheduled to complete her training in June of 2019.
Jon Winnerman ’00 in Luxor
JONATHAN WINNERMAN Attended: Montclair Kimberley Academy ’04; Princeton University ’08; University of Chicago Jonathan is currently a graduate student studying Egyptology at the University of Chicago, and he plans on completing his dissertation and graduating in the next few months. He also works as an epigrapher with The Epigraphic Survey in Luxor, Egypt, under the aegis of the Oriental Institute. The aim of the project is to produce the most accurate facsimiles of ancient Egyptian monuments possible. Now in his second year with the project, his responsibilities include reviewing and checking (collating) drawings of scenes and inscriptions from temples and tombs and writing up translations and interpretations. His team is in Egypt every year from October through April. Jonathan is also working on various academic articles and research projects.
Danielle Kane ’01 with Aaron and Baby Evan
DANIELLE KANE Attended: Kent Place School ’01; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ’05 Congratulations to Danielle and Aaron on the birth of Evan Leroy Smith-Kane on October 18, 2017. She says, “He’ll be learning the Far Brook songs any day now so he can be ready for Processional!” Danielle returned to work at Estée Lauder Companies where she has been project manager on the store construction team for two years, building out MAC Cosmetics and Aveda stores across the US. The threesome and their dog, Leo, call Montclair, NJ, home.
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ALUMNI NEWS CONTINUED
2003
2014 Alumni Graduate from Morristown Beard School Hallie Schwartzstein, Renee Reiter, Jack Goodman, Ellie Reinhardt, Drew Sokolowski, Cat Stevens, and Joey Fazio
2006 [Greg Brett Photography]
Nikita Saxena ’06 and Aditya Kalluri
NIKITA SAXENA Newlyweds Carina Lorenz ’03 and Timothy Abbott
CARINA LORENZ Attended: Phillips Exeter Academy ’07; Barnard College ’11; New York University School of Medicine Langone Health’16 Best wishes to Carina and Timothy Abbott who were wed on May 12, 2018, at the historic Roundhouse in Beacon, NY. They met while at Phillips Exeter. Carina has completed her second-year residency in psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital training to become proficient in the assessment of patients in every part of the health care system – the public sector and private.
Attended: Phillips Academy Andover ’10; Tufts University; Boston University School of Medicine ’18 Nikita graduated summa cum laude with a degree in biomedical engineering from Tufts and just completed her last year of medical school. In June she began a pediatrics residency at the Boston Combined Residency Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. Nikita and Aditya Kalluri were married on April 27, 2018, in Boston and have both lived in Boston for the last eight years, where Aditya is currently in the MD/PhD program at Harvard Medical School. Congratulations to them both!
2007
2004
REBECCA GALLICKMITCHELL Attended: Newark Academy ’08; University of Michigan ’14 Our best wishes to Becca and Paul Mitchell who tied the knot on May 18, 2018.
Henry Ellis ’07
HENRY ELLIS Attended: Newark Academy ’11; Frost School of Music at the University of Miami Henry (vocal and drums) with
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Clayton Hopkins (vocals and guitar) comprise the rock band, Clayton-Ellis. They have been writing music and playing together in different bands since they were 11 years old! Henry and Clayton have recently released a record on Apple Music and Spotify streaming services. They also played in England this year, opening for Francis Dunnery, a musician who has worked with Robert Plant (lead singer of Led Zeppelin) and Lauren Hill. Henry is a resident of Tribeca.
2008
Griffin Glatt ’08 and Lauren Clamage
GRIFFIN GLATT Attended: Newark Academy ’12; and Macalester College ’16 Griffin is currently an experiential/ engagement marketing manager in the New York office of Lagardère Plus/Rooftop2 Productions Inc., a global firm that researches and understands how people think and behave across all “passion points” – from sports to music, films to food, technology to travel, and galleries to good causes. Griffin is living in Jersey City, NJ.
2009
Anthony Brodeur ’09
ANTHONY BRODEUR Attended: Shattuck St. Mary’s School (Minnesota) ’13 Anthony attends the University of Ottawa and is goaltending for their ice hockey team, the GeeGees. Also with the school golf team, Anthony competed in the 2018 Canadian University/College Golf Championship held at the Chilliwack Golf Club in British Columbia on May 31 and June 1.
2018 Alumni Miller Burns, Will Weidner, and Aidan Grant on Halloween
2011
2012
Goalie Jeremy Brodeur ‘11
Ming Goetz ’12
JEREMY BRODEUR
MING GOETZ
Attended: Shattuck St. Mary’s School ’15 Jeremy has been tending the goal for two minor league pro ice hockey teams, alternating between the Allen Americans (ECHL) from Texas, and the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) from California. Jeremy returned to the Far Brook campus this spring for several weeks to assist sports teacher Greg Bartiromo in coaching the baseball teams.
Attended: Montclair High School ’16 Ming is excited about mountain biking. During the Fall 2017 semester, she was a member of the Western State Colorado University mountain bike team which won the Division II Varsity National Championship. Ming attended Seton Hall University during the winter/spring semester and began training in Vernon, NJ, for the fall collegiate season when she plans to return to Western State and major in sociology and psychology.
WILLIAM BRODEUR Attended: Shattuck St. Mary’s School ’15 William is a junior at Providence College in Rhode Island studying marketing and playing on the school’s club hockey team.
mentor and close friend. His patriotism and respect for those who serve their country inspired AJ to join the Army ROTC this past year while a freshman at Middlebury College. Students in the program receive the same military education as those at West Point and, as a result, will, upon graduation, be second lieutenants like their counterparts at West Point. At the end of the year, he participated in a four-day, three-night mock war-training exercise in which he slept outside in freezing temperatures, flew in a helicopter, participated in military attacks and defenses, and learned about what it takes to be an infantry officer.
2016
ANABELLE BRODEUR Anabelle plays field hockey for Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child. Her team won the New Jersey Tournament of Champions last fall. She has committed to play field hockey for Columbia University once she graduates from high school.
2013
AJ BERNSTEIN Attended: The Pingry School ’17 Every summer, AJ and his grandfather hit the road and have now visited all 48 states in the Continental US and have shared “incredible experiences” along the way. “America is truly beautiful,” he says, and his grandfather has become his
AJ Bernstein ’13
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FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION NEWS
teachers in their own endeavors toward globally orienting their social studies curricula. They were also invited to speak at the 2018 NJAIS Innovation Symposium in August.
Mike Chodroff
Science teacher and associate director of Upper School Mike Chodroff is the co-president of the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (www. anjee.org). In this role, Mike helps maintain and strengthen the network of environmental educators in schools, zoos, aquariums, and nature centers throughout the state and organizes two conferences each year. Congratulations, Mike, for being nominated to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Commission on Environmental Education (http://www.state.nj.us/ deHe orgaip/seeds/njcee/index. htm).
Art Gannon with Courtney ’99 and Jake
Congratulations to our facilities manager, Art Gannon, who has been blessed with a third grandchild in May! His daughter, Courtney ’99, brought baby Jacob Arthur Alonso to School in June to meet the office staff.
First Grade teachers Erin Comollo and Jessica Howe were invited to the Urban Teaching Matters/Teaching the World Forum Conference held at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education in April. They presented their design for a Global Citizenship Education (GCE) curriculum for lower school grades, putting Far Brook in the spotlight with examples from recent class studies of Kenya and Ghana as well as supporting other
36 / FACULTY NEWS
parent), the piece was performed at Wolf Trap in Washington, DC, in April; in Seoul, South Korea, in June; in Chicago in July; and is currently playing up and down the west coast. The Emerson String Quartet provides Shostakovich’s music and the cast of seven includes David Strathairn, Sean Astin, alumni parent Linda Setzer, and Jim’s son, Alex. This August through September 9, Jim is directing the American premier of a new farce, Bang! Bang! written by John Cleese of Monty Python fame, playing at Shadowland Stages in Ellenville, NY. Jim continues to teach several classes at Johns Hopkins University and directed his students in Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter’s play Betrayal in May.
Director of Drama James Glossman’s music-theater project Shostakovich and The Black Monk: A Russian Fantasy is touring the world! Created with the Emerson String Quartet’s Philip Setzer (a Far Brook alumni
First Grade teacher
Jessica Howe and her family welcomed Liana Belle on July 30. We all wish Jessica, Amir, and their children Dahlia, Cade, and Liana much joy.
Milan Milinkovic
Kate Hewitt and her Husband Ben Steinfeld
James Glossman
member of the 2019 graduating class, Kate has been taking classes in everything from negotiation to education law to marketing. For her practicum project this past spring, she loved working with Far Brook administrators Emi Ithen and Kathy Ike to learn about admissions and financial aid.
Librarian and Seventh Grade English teacher Kate Hewitt is thrilled to be one of 50 educators from around the world chosen to take part in an intensive two-summer program to earn a master’s degree in private school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. As a
Orchestra director and violin teacher Milan Milinkovic and his wife, Nevena Bojovic, are tirelessly working on renovating their house. In addition to these domestic duties, this summer he serves as string coordinator and a string specialist for the summer camp with New Jersey Youth Symphony based in New Providence, NJ. Milan also plays violin with Freelance Ensemble Artists of New Jersey, a nonprofit orchestra that combines professional and college student musicians. He is proud to share that one of the (non-Far Brook) student string quartets that he coaches has won the Grand Prize at the National League of Performing Arts competition this spring.
Fourth Grade teacher Haruka Mori, her husband, William Menard, and their three-yearold son, Kellen, are excited to announce the birth of Stokely Menard on June 11, 2018. Congratulations to the family!
JoAnn Tutino
Lower School science teacher JoAnn Tutino has retired after 22 years at Far Brook. She remembers always loving nature, even as
Erasmia Voukelatos
Lower School music teacher
Erasmia Voukelatos was
Ed Solecki and Wife, Linda McNish
Junior High English and history teacher Ed Solecki returned to Spain this summer to join a long-time friend and hike in the northern mountains along the Camino Primitivo section of the Camino de Santiago. Altogether they covered about 65 miles over four days of hiking. After that they spent time with friends in Galicia, the northwest province, and flew to Madrid for a few days, to visit another friend, Angela Juarranz, a young architect who was in New York City this past year and came in to speak to the Junior High students about her work.
a featured presenter in a day of multicultural workshops at the United Nations International School hosted by the Kodaly Organization of New York on Saturday, April 28. Her session, “From New Delhi to the New World,” was a demonstration of Indian music, story, and dance, and featured a group of our Far Brook students, Indian and non-Indian, ranging from Nursery to Seventh Grade. Erasmia feels very fortunate to have collaborated with and learned from the many families over the years at Far Brook School who represent a wide variety of global cultures. Our Diwali Morning Meetings have been educational and enriching for her and for the community, and she and the students were excited to share their acquired knowledge with peer music teachers from throughout the tri-state area.
a child, and earned a BS in environmental science from St. John’s University in New York. JoAnn’s Far Brook connection began in 1995 while she was working part-time with children at the Reeves Reed Arboretum when Leslie Penny and Donna Deltz took their Far Brook Kindergartners on a field trip there. She was intrigued with the Far Brook philosophy and shortly afterwards, in 1996, JoAnn was teaching as an associate in the Nursery with Bill Deltz and Paula Levin. She remained with the little ones for a year, then joined D’Ann Ippolito in the Third Grade as her associate, and became the science teacher for First, Second, and Third Graders when Marian Davis retired in 1998. The science program was expanding and, thanks to JoAnn’s input, by 2012 all Lower School children were included. She was able to share her love of birds and bugs with Nursery through Fourth Graders. For years, JoAnn packed up all of her teaching materials and carried them from classroom to classroom in multiple bags, unpacking them when she arrived. In January 2016, JoAnn ceased being a science nomad and settled in to Labs 1 and 2 in the new Kronthal Science & Environmental Center. “The new space is absolutely wonderful!” she says. Everything is organized by grades in the cabinets and she has an office. There is an area in each room where the children can sit around her on the carpeted floor so she can read them stories and introduce lessons. There’s plenty of room for the students to spread out, counters where projects can be left out to dry, and lots of wall space on which to showcase their work. “The best part,” JoAnn continues, “is the view.” The large windows and doors and vaulted ceilings enable her and her students to watch the changing seasons. So why leave now that she has this incredible new space in which to teach? It seems like the right time. JoAnn wants to enjoy her two grandchildren while they are young, take art classes and photography, and maybe, in a few years, spend the winters in Florida and summers at the shore. The most difficult part of retiring is leaving her colleagues who are “like family,” and she feels very fortunate to have worked with five former students who have returned to Far Brook to teach. As a lasting gift to the School, JoAnn, along with former Middle School science teacher, Jennifer Grolemund, and former Junior High science teacher, Sally Adams Chernoff ’57, worked to have our wetlands designated as a Schoolyard Wetlands Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. JoAnn has loved teaching Far Brook’s young students and watching their growth from ages four or five to ten. Her aim has always been to develop informed citizens at the earliest ages and to share with them her love of science (especially environmental and earth sciences) through basic, age-appropriate scientific facts
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WE REMEMBER
HELEN HARTLEY MEAD PLATT
JULIA FLETCHER AVERETT PEET
HEATHER VINCENTHOLLEY
Former Art Teacher and Alumni Parent July 27, 2017 Descended from a legacy of industrialists and philanthropists, Helen Platt, at 95, continued to be an iconic local figure. A matriarch, an artist, and an accomplished equestrian, she represented a link to a former time and to many of those who built both Morristown and Madison, NJ, and made great contributions to New York City. Home-schooled for the first 10 years, she was thrilled to finally go to school. She was a graduate of The Peck School, The Foxhollow School in Lenox, MA, and Finch College in New York City, where she distinguished herself in art. Helen shared a love of riding, fox hunting, and the preservation of the natural environment of Chatham and Harding Townships with her cousin, Marcellus Hartley Dodge. This was an interest she carried out over her long life, through conservation work she did with the New Jersey Audubon Society to preserve Mr. Dodge’s former estate, Hartley Farms, and set aside a large swath of forest and meadows to establish a planned community centered around embracing the natural environment. She taught art at Finch College in the ’60s and at Far Brook for two years. She is survived by her seven children: Lynn Hartley Norton ’59, Lincoln Akin Norton ’59, Michael Mead Platt (Norton) ’64, Adrian Hartley Platt ’66, Helen Hartley du Pont ’67, Nicolas Willem Platt ’68, and Alexander Hartley Platt ’69. She also has 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Alumni Parent and Former Trustee August 10, 2017 Julia Averett Peet was a graduate of the University of Vermont and received an MLS degree from Rutgers University. While growing up, Julia had attended a one-room schoolhouse in Vermont, and Far Brook, with its red clapboard buildings and natural environment, immediately struck Julia as the school for her children. She was involved with and devoted to Far Brook for more than 50 years, beginning as an active parent volunteer in the ’60s and ’70s and serving on the Board of Trustees from 1990 until 1995. During one of her memorable return visits to the School some years ago, Julia presented a Morning Meeting about her trip to Antarctica. Students, faculty, and visitors alike were entranced by her presentation, which included many slides of penguins and awe-inspiring landscapes. Julia was an avid sportswoman, and loved horseback riding, skiing, fly-fishing or taking part in any adventure. She hung up her skis at the age of 83. Julia was also an integral part of her community and church. Julia is survived by her children, Tom Averett ’69, Elliott Averett (Clint) ’70, and Julia Averett Buteux ’74; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Alumni Parent March 22, 2018 Heather Holley was born in Detroit, and received her bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. Heather was one of the original staffers at the ABC News late-night program Nightline. Working with anchor Ted Koppel, she covered a wide range of stories from the intifada to the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. She was honored with an Alfred I. duPontColumbia University Silver Baton Award for the ABC series, Nightline in the Holy Land, and her work at Nightline has also been honored with seven Emmy Awards. Heather worked as a producer in the ABC News Los Angeles Bureau and in New York City as a senior producer for ABC News World News Now. In 1993, Heather moved to NBC News as a senior supervising producer at Dateline; in 2000 she was named a vice president at MSNBC. Heather returned to ABC News in 2006 to work on 20/20 and What Would You Do? The family relocated to Atlanta, GA, in 2009. She most recently founded HVH Media Partners, working with Newsweek Daily Beast and the Women in the World annual summit. Surviving Heather are her husband, Kenneth; and her twins, Richard (Robbie) ’12 and Cary ’12.
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ANNE BARUS SEELEY 1938 Buxton Alumna, Alumni Parent, Former Far Brook Teacher, and Former Trustee June 5, 2018 Former Junior High English, history and Latin teacher Anne Seeley was a graduate of Smith College and earned a master’s in U.S. history from Columbia University. After Pearl Harbor, the Army and Navy hired Anne and thousands of highly educated women who spent the war years in Washington, DC, deciphering Japanese and German messages. Anne discovered the “additives” the Japanese Navy fleet used in their codes to mislead the Allies. After the war, she married David Seeley and raised three sons, kept sheep, and worked as a textile designer and weaver in Vermont. When her family moved to New Jersey, Anne taught at Far Brook, and she and David started a reading and math tutoring program for children in a Newark housing project which became the Newark Chapter of Reading is Fundamental. In 1980, the couple retired to Cape Cod, MA, where Anne taught English to Brazilians, guided tours of the Judah Baker windmill, and sang, sailed, and kayaked. Ann was recently one of 20 women interviewed by Liza Mundy for her book, Code Girls, about the women involved in codebreaking activities during World War II and was honored by Representative Keating in the Congressional Record for this work. Anne is survived by her sons Gary, Rick ’67, and Jon ’70; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
STEPHEN HRICKO Alumni Parent June 14, 2018 Stephen Hricko was a scholar who valued his family and the pursuit of knowledge and education above all else. He was the owner/operator of Kumon Learning Center of Montclair and brought this love of learning not only to his own children, but to every child who went to his center. He believed that learning was meant to continue throughout adulthood and became fluent
in French, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. He even carried a book of advanced calculus problems so he could constantly exercise his mind. Stephen was also an accomplished storyteller, and entertained friends and family at the dinner table and in the car. Stephen is survived by his parents, Dorothy Protzman and Dr. Stephen Hricko; his wife, Elizabeth; his daughter, Lauranne ’16; his son, Stephen; his sisters, Karen Eagle and Donna Hricko; and brothers, Christopher and Kevin.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-2019 Diane Bakst Chris Burns Carmine Fanelle Greg Hoffman Robert Kelly Leah Kronthal Krissy Mannello Tanya Nicholson Miller Rob Olazagasti
Elyse Post ‘78 Marc Schwartz Doak Sergent Harsh Sule Michelle Swittenberg Neale Trangucci Bradford Wiley, II ‘54 Amy Yin Amy Ziebarth, Head of School
ADMINISTRATION 2018-2019
Amy Ziebarth, Head of School Nicole Engelke’88, Associate Head of School for Special Projects & Director of Upper School Paula Levin, Director of Lower School Mikki Murphy, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Community & Secondary School Advisor Michael Chodroff, Associate Director of Upper School & Director of Sustainability Admissions Emi Ithen, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Kathy Ike, Admissions Assistant Business Office Minelly Saladin-Cummings, Director of Finance and Operations Janice O’Shea, Accounting Manager Technology Robert Andolina, Director of Technology Development Suzanne Glatt, Director of Development Jennifer Barba, Director of Communications and Volunteers Greg Bartiromo, Associate Director of The Far Brook Fund and Alumni Relations Joan Burr, Communications Coordinator Yolisse Carattini, Development Coordinator Office Staff Anne Engelkraut, School Nurse Alisha Martinez, Executive Assistant/Placement Coordinator Gloria Monteiro, Office Coordinator After-School Programs Jennifer Martin, After-School Program Coordinator Chris Murphy, STEAM Camp Coordinator Facilities Melanie DuBois, Kitchen Coordinator Arthur Gannon, Facilities Manager
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