Foote Prints Fall 2022

FootePrints Fall 2022

The Foote School

On the cover

All Foote students are encouraged to lead with courage, compassion, and purpose. We see this reflected in many ways including challenging themselves and supporting each other on our Middle School ropes course.

On this page

The pandemic highlighted the many ways that community connections however simple can make a big difference. Among the traditions we were excited to return to this year was simply gathering with friends for lunchtime.

Fall 2022 | Vol. 49 No. 2

The Foote School

50 Loomis Place, New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 777-3464 • www.footeschool.org

Foote Prints is published twice a year for alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty and friends.

Editor Frances Moore

Class Notes Editors

Amy Caplan ’88 Mary Beth Claflin Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89

Design

AHdesign, Angie Hurlbut Thea A. Moritz

Photography

Stephanie Anestis, Andy Bromage, Joe Charles, Frances Moore, Judy Sirota Rosenthal

Contributors

Jody Abzug, Amy Caplan ’88, Rashana Graham, Cindy Leffell, Christina MacLean, Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89

Board of Directors

George Atwood, Vice President Kavitha Bindra, President Elon Boms Emily Brenner, Secretary Wick Chambers ’62

Annette Charles Ronald Coleman ’04 Mona Gohara Rebecca Good Danielle Ginnetti George Joseph Anna McGaw-Mobarak

Jason Price

Andy Rapkin, Vice President Geert Rouwenhorst, Treasurer Alexandra Shor Brett Weiss Mai Wu ’84

Ex Officio Aléwa Cooper, Head of School J. Richard Lee, Immediate Past President

The Foote School does not discriminate in the administration of its admissions or educational policies or other school-administered programs, and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or non-job-related physical disability.

FIRST-GRADE STUDENTS are encouraged to express their ideas creatively, using a variety of media. Sunflower illustration by Grace Zhong.

From the Head of School

This is Your Time to Be a Candle

The following is an excerpt from Aléwa Cooper’s remarks to 9th graders at graduation on June 14.

GRADUATION IS BITTERSWEET in many respects, because you are saying goodbye to a school that some of you have called home since you were 5 or 6 years old—you will be missed, just as we hope you will miss us. It is also a day of celebration, as we reflect on all you have achieved and all you have meant to one another in your time here, whether that has been just three years or 10. And it is a day of incredible excitement as you look forward to new opportunities and experiences.

American novelist, Edith Wharton once said, “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Candles are original sources of light. They shine brightly to illuminate spaces so that we can see clearly and avoid obstacles that may otherwise trip us up. Mirrors reflect the things around them. While a mirror may not be the original source of light, the light it reflects can multiply in strength and intensity, giving the original light renewed power and reach.

There will be times in your life when you will act as the candle, shining bright like a diamond, emanating hope, positive energy, and joy to those around you. Your bright light is one we can all see. Yet there will be times that you will need to act as the mirror, reflecting the light of others in a powerful act of support and confidence.

Use this time in your lives to figure out what your passions are, what is important to you, what you value, what you stand for, and what your contributions to this world will be. This is your time to be a candle. At the same time, when you truly see others and acknowledge their capabilities, you act as that mirror, magnifying their light for others to see.

“There are times in your life when you will act as the candle, shining bright like a diamond, emanating hope, positive energy, and joy to those around you.”

MOSAIC 2022

THE MOSAIC (Multicultural, Open minded, Supportive, Accepting, Inclusive, Community) Committee hosted two events in 2022:

The spring MOSAIC event was hosted off-campus at NXTHVN, an arts venue that “empowers artists and curators through education and access to a vibrant ecosystem.” The event was led by Foote parent and board member Jason Price, who is also NXTHVN co-founder and Chairman of the Board. He was joined by NXTHVN co-founder and President Titus Kaphar, who is an acclaimed artist and MacArthur Genius Award-winner— and also a Foote parent. Jason and Titus spoke about their vision and the creation of NXTHVN in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven. The event included the screening of a powerful video and a gallery exhibition, followed by an audience Q&A.

In October, MOSAIC welcomed Tamara Lanier, the central figure in a legal battle with Harvard University over the daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. The case is the subject of a documentary, Free Renty, which was screened for the attendees, followed by a Q&A with Lanier.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

IN A SLIGHT DEPARTURE from tradition, Grandparents and Special Friends Day was moved from the fall to the spring, occurring on the same day as the school’s annual May Day celebration (see p. 14). The reception included remarks from Head of School Aléwa Cooper, Director of Development and Alumni and Parent Programs Jody Abzug, and Grandparent Chairs Nancy and Joel Becker.

Girls Lacrosse Goes Undefeated!

FOR THE FIRST TIME since 2012, the 2022 Foote varsity lacrosse team had an undefeated season, with a record of 7–0. Congratulations!

Coop-Operation

A PROJECT THAT BEGAN in 2018 finally came to fruition this fall, and a community effort saw the arrival of six hens that will live on our campus as part of a learning model spanning both divisions.

It may seem like the chickens— and even the coop itself— magically appeared this fall. In fact, it was the result of a four-year study/proposal—combined with a generous donation from Foote parent Alex Shor—that began to take shape last spring. A Mini-Course for students in grades 6–8, led by former maintenance team member Mike Milazzo and Foote parent Harold Ellis, focused on the construction of a chicken coop, located behind the Lower School classrooms. Overseeing the project was a Foote parent who has extensive experience in chicken raising and maintenance. The structure was completed last May.

The fence-enclosed structure includes a coop for the hens to sleep, lay eggs, and of course feel safe. Outside their home is a ramp and other perching features, and areas to feed, and run around.

The parent brought the chickens to campus this September; the initial group included a Buff Orpington, an Ameraucana, a Barred Rock, a Leghorn, a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, and a Ida Red. Lower School students help out with feeding the chickens and providing water for them, as well as collecting eggs. Parent volunteers also make regular visits throughout the week to check on their health, clean the enclosure, and to let the hens explore the surrounding area for additional exercise and enrichment.

These new fowl friends supplement the Lower School curriculum for many grades: kindergartners conduct a chick study every spring, monitoring and observing the eggs from incubation to hatching. First and 2nd graders will

be able to observe the chickens as a part of their annual organism study, answering questions like: “What do living things need to live and thrive?” and, “How are living organisms adapted to their environment?” They are also largely responsible for the care and maintenance of the chickens.

In grade 3, the plan is to utilize the chicken’s eggs as a service learning opportunity—either through the sale of the eggs (and donation of the proceeds) or through direct donation and/or baking opportunities. Math skills and applications would also be employed in counting, budgeting, and planning for how to best use the eggs.

The Middle Schoolers, who have already helped build the structure, learn the basics of how to use tools, employ safety measures, and maintain an appropriate structure for the chickens. When regular school is not in session, the Vacation and Horizons programs can step in to provide continuity of care.

The project is designed to align directly with the science curriculum and as an enhancement to the social studies curriculum as it relates to concepts like, “What do communities need to thrive? How do communities use their local resources?” It is also a reinforcement of the campus’ efforts towards community engagement and sustainability.

“Interaction with live animals has been proven to support children in the social emotional domain, and we anticipate the chickens would provide the same experience for our children,” according to the project organizers.

The project was a true community effort, with contributions from Foote parents (and chicken experts) Che Tiernan, Harold Ellis, and Charlotte Shahid, along with many former and current faculty/ staff contributors who formed the initial Lower School task force and helped the effort grow from there.

Connecting the Dots

Discover + Discuss = Math Walk

IF YOU’VE WALKED around campus lately, you’ve likely noticed the curious plaques mounted to the outside walls of the Middle School buildings. Step a little closer and you’ll find yourself delightfully challenged by a series of math-related questions.

Foote’s Math Walk was installed last spring, helmed by Math Department Co-Chairs John Hay (Middle School) and Heather Zetterberg (Lower School). Earlier in the year, the Lower School put together a Story Walk to great success. Featuring storyboards that take the reader from one spot to the next, the Story Walk was designed to encourage literary engagement for everyone—not just students—with the campus and with each other. John and Heather hoped they could inspire a similar concept in the Middle School, just with a mathematical bent.

“When you looked around at the campus at the time, there was very little evidence of what happens in the classroom with regard to math,” John remembered. “[Heather and I] are always trying to find ways to make math more creative and relevant. This was a nice way to get people outside and still make classroom connections.”

Unlike the Story Walk, the Math Walk features panels that are unrelated—in other words, you can start at any spot you want. Half of the panels feature problems with an actual answer, like, “How many triangles are in this picture?” Others are open-ended, designed to inspire conversation about possible solutions. For example, “Who do you think is the best soccer player in the world and why?” To answer this question, students can draw from statistical data, uniform numbers or any other criteria they choose to make their point and engage in a healthy debate.

John explained, “We do a lot of open-ended questions in math. Students can share their opinions without the fear of being right or wrong. We wanted to bring math to life and spark some really interesting conversations.”

Open-ended questions also give onlookers of any age the ability to join in the fun. Third-graders might not grasp

algebra yet, but they can certainly explain who their favorite soccer player is and why.

The initiative began as a team project, with Heather designing the layout, John devising the questions and the maintenance team bringing it to life. Going forward, John hopes to add students to the team.

“I want to give kids the opportunity to write their own problems, and have more ownership. They obviously have an idea of what’s engaging to them and their peers,” John acknowledged.

He’s already noticed the energy the Math Walk has brought to morning drop-off, as students and parents wait outside for classrooms to open, and during recess or other times the students are meandering outside.

Going forward, John and Heather hope that this will become a cross-curricular space, allowing students to make connections between different classes and disciplines.

About working with other faculty members, John said, “It is a good way for us to collaborate and intertwine the work that we’re doing and make it relevant to many subject areas.”

We do a lot of openended questions in math. Students can share their opinions without the fear of being right or wrong. We wanted to bring math to life and spark some really interesting conversations.”

—John Hay, Math Department Co-Chair

Hopes & Dreams

BY RASHANA GRAHAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SUMMER 2022 WAS A JOYOUS REUNION for our Horizons at Foote family, and a welcome to our new kindergarten class! More than ever, our goal was for Horizons to be a safe space where students’ emotional, physical, and academic needs were met. Our students spend their days here engaging in project-based learning and fun studentled enrichment activities. For both students and teachers, returning back to their safe, loving Horizons community each June feels like “coming home.”

The foundation of six weeks together was our Hopes & Dreams project, and after the last few years we dared to dream big! All Horizons students and staff created beautiful watercolors, decorated with monochrome portraits and their unique hopes and dreams for the summer. “I want to be a superhero in the pool.” “I hope to make more friends.” “I dream that I can face any challenge.” “Having my students grow in confidence and feel more empowered.” This inspirational art adorned the halls of the Foote School to motivate students, staff, and our many visitors.

One visitor made national news: on Wednesday, July 21, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Education Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona, along with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, joined students, teachers, and parents from Horizons at Albertus Magnus College and Horizons at Foote for the first stop on their Summer Learning Tour: a showcase of summer learning and its critical

role in pandemic recovery. A group of Horizons at Foote eighth graders, accompanied by Interim Executive Director Sue Shaw, demonstrated their leadership skills by reading to younger Albertus students and guiding them through a LEGO STEM activity. Sue described the event: “Our Horizons students showed grace under pressure working with the young Albertus students while the dignitaries and media watched. It is an experience that none of us will forget.”

Horizons at Foote’s academic program strongly emphasizes project-based and experiential learning and physical activity. In addition to lessons in ELA, science, and math, our students learned by doing: they raised baby chicks from eggs, directed their own fairy-tale puppet shows, cooked pupusas while learning about food history and advocacy, built Chinese firecrackers, used the Engineering Design Process to launch soda bottle rockets, and so much more. At the Albertus pool they learned to swim and played water polo. Outside they played soccer, basketball, golf, and ran track— while inside they found peace and balance through yoga.

Learning extended outside campus, too. Horizons at Foote students went on 25 exciting and educational field trips this summer. They engaged in physical challenges and showed courage at It Adventure Ropes Course. At Silverman’s Farm they fed baby goats and picked fresh blueberries. Our middle school students learned about the history of neurological medicine at the Yale Cushing Center, and our kindergartners explored the tide pools at Lighthouse Point park. All our

students delighted in their own private showing of the Foote School Summer Theater’s Matilda the Musical !

Community, best illustrated through our vital and often creative partnership with the Foote School, is what makes all this possible. Students, families, teachers, staff, board members, our friends and champions—the Horizons at Foote community we have built together—are creating educational equity and joy for students in New Haven. We can’t wait to share what’s next on the horizon.

Horizons at Foote is an academic and enrichment program dedicated to creating opportunities for New Haven public school students from under-resourced communities. It provides a joyful, safe, inspiring learning environment and empowers students to thrive in school and engage in an ever-changing world. Sue Shaw, Horizons and Foote School Teacher, acted as Interim Executive Director for summer 2022. On July 20, the Board of Horizons at Foote announced the appointment of Rashana Graham as our new Executive Director. Follow horizonsatfoote on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date with exciting news and events!

Meet Rashana Graham

RASHANA GRAHAM joined the Horizons at Foote community as the new Executive Director in late August. Described as a “natural leader” by the Executive Director of Horizons at New Canaan Country School, Rashana was the Junior Program Director there this summer after several years of teaching in the Horizons at NCCS program. Rashana has a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Connecticut, and she received her sixth-year degree in Educational Leadership in 2020 from Southern Connecticut State University. She brings a wealth of classroom teaching experience to Horizons at Foote, along with experience as a literacy coach, most recently at Edgewood STEAM Magnet School. She has worked in charter schools, including Achievement First in Bridgeport and the Bronx Preparatory Charter School, where she was responsible for systems management and budgeting. Her passion for educational equity and her ability to foster deep relationships with students and families convinced the board that Rashana was the one to lead Horizons at Foote into the future.

According to Horizons at Foote Board Chair Francie Irvine, it was Rashana’s enthusiasm and energy for providing positive educational experiences to underserved children that struck the Search Committee so favorably. Rashana wrote: “In addition to high-quality academic curriculum, students should be provided the experiences necessary to keep them physically and mentally healthy. We need programming that ensures students participate in experiences that help them grow and develop culturally, exposing students to the world outside of their neighborhoods and to things they might not normally have access to like sports and arts.”

A Return to TRADITION

Walking alongside the school on Loomis Place, one can still make out the remnants of painted circles, spaced exactly six feet apart. These sidewalk scars, now fading beneath our feet, were painted during the early days of the pandemic as a reminder to keep our distance from one another. Now, as our community marches forward in a return to normalcy, we are heartened to see a reemergence of the beloved traditions that have always brought us closer together.

Live, from the Sandine Theater!

THE SANDINE MAINSTAGE was empty for almost two years before the return of live theater with the spring Middle School production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Then the Summer Theater program returned with gusto, with its production of Matilda .

“I was humbled and thrilled to see students returning to the stage for live theater,” said Director of Theater Katie De Vries. “For me, teaching drama and producing plays provides community experiences.”

Katie explained that so much of the theater experience for actors is physical: gathering in the theater for warm-ups;

listening to each other breathe, laugh, and speak; and connecting through eye contact and personal hellos. To be able to perform together in person made all the difference, she said.

“Theatrical events feed the soul and celebrate the human spirit,” Katie said. “The first night that we brought the parents into the Sandine Theater last December, I could feel a collective embrace. There was no lag in sound, but a pure communication of emotions. I think the acting was more authentic and meaningful because the personal connections between our community had returned.”

May Day: Everyone In Step

THIS BELOVED TRADITION went dormant during the pandemic, but re-emerged this spring. Students once again joined hands to celebrate the vernal season together. However, like most post-pandemic practices, May Day returned with a few alterations. Foote’s traditional May Day features a choreographed dance performed by the third graders. In the spring of 2022, many grades were invited to dance together: the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders weaved around the maypole (the latter two grades having missed this special dance tradition during the pandemic), and the 9th graders performed the always lively and competitive Sword Dance.

“After a two-year hiatus, students were visibly excited for the return of the ceremony, which has been a part of Foote since 1934,” said Amy Caplan ’88 P’21, P’21, Associate Director of Development & Alumni Programs. “The day was a lovely example of the culmination of year-long lessons learned at Foote, and beautifully highlighted the hard work and dedication of the entire Foote community.”

That day brought with it another spin on tradition, as Grandparents and Special Friends Day was hosted the same day, bringing together a crowd of more than 350 to celebrate community and camaraderie.

Trips

AS WAS THE CASE with most school trips worldwide, the Middle School travel opportunities were put on hold for the previous two years, and students did not have the opportunity to participate in the annual travel programs, which were traditionally to Washington, D.C. (9th grade) and China (9th grade). Spring 2022 saw the tradition return —but with a slight twist: 8th graders made the trip to D.C., but the 9th graders pioneered a new travel program to Spain, which will now be an annual spring tradition. The trip ties together all aspects of the 9th-grade curriculum, from language, to math, to humanities and community engagement.

“New friendships have formed, practical and historical lessons learned, and certainly memories made. This trip has indeed felt like the capstone for our 8th grade year.”

“It has been an amazing trip, and none of us can believe that it is over. Each day felt like 10 because we did so much, and the 10 days passed so quickly that it felt like a single one.”

Foote of the Future:

Inspiring Leaders

As is best practice for independent schools, every few years we embark on a comprehensive, reflective planning process, the results of which are intended to focus Foote’s energy and resources for long-term success. The results of this process have informed our development of a new Strategic Plan for the school.

The first part of this plan is an act of rediscovery—reevaluating our mission, vision, and values, which were last established in 2014. During the previous school year, the Board of Directors and Head of School Aléwa Cooper embarked on this process, enlisting research and planning firm Ian Symmonds & Associates, alongside the Foote Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Collaboratively, they explored where we have been, where we are, and where our greatest potential lies. Their work has provided us with a roadmap for the future of Foote, along with a reinvigorated mission and core values.

Our inspired vision for the future is one that leads with compassion and courage, embraces diversity and discovery, and encourages our students to be their authentic selves.

“Foote students emerge confident in their abilities, and exhibit leadership in many different ways. Once they leave here they will have the foundation to be the leaders who will help change the world,” confirmed Cooper. “Critical thinking, collaboration, decision-making, empathy, or simply the ability to actively listen are all ways in which Foote students take initiative and offer support to others. Our vision for future Foote leaders is to build a healthy learning community where all voices are empowered, heard, and understood.”

The creation of this Strategic Plan involved commitment and thoughtful planning—we are grateful for the inexhaustible work of our steering committee, and the ongoing feedback from members of our community. We are honored to be part of your Foote family and excited for the journey ahead, throughout which we welcome your continued partnership and support.

In 2023 we will release details about how we plan to achieve our lofty goals. Learn more about our plans for the future and join us in the journey: footeschool.org/strategicplan.

Our future is one that leads with compassion and courage, embraces diversity and discovery, and encourages students to be their authentic selves.

Mission,

Vision, and Core Values

Mission | What We Do

Empower children to lead with courage, compassion, and purpose.

Vision | Why We Do It

Inspire the next generation to change the world.

Values | Ideas We Live By Discovery

Curiosity, creativity, and joyful inquiry drive learning. We explore diverse paths to ask and answer questions, generate solutions, and better understand ourselves and our world.

Authenticity Individuality, expression, and self-acceptance are essential to personal growth and development. True to ourselves, we develop our unique identities and capacity to navigate a complex world.

Community

We are a diverse, inclusive community where everyone belongs. We are leaders—prepared, connected, and responsible to each other and to our local and global communities.

IT’S LUNCHTIME There’s a new lunchtime activity at Foote this year: when eating outside their classrooms, Lower Schoolers can check on the chickens! The chickens are new to campus (see page 6) but lunch at Foote has an interesting history (see page 68).

Graduation 2022

This year’s 9th grade graduation emanated light—from the glow of the late-afternoon sun, to the radiant smiles on the graduates’ faces, to the theme of Head of School Aléwa Cooper’s speech. Graduation speaker Daniel Fleschner ’94, Vice President of Content & Programming, Olympics at NBC Sports Group, added warmth with his homage to the concept of “home.”

Supplemented by performances of the 9th grade steel pan groups and a captivating guitar solo by Oden Adelson-Grodberg ’22, the day was a fitting tribute to the Class of 2022: full of warmth, light, music, and optimism.

This is the final lesson that Foote has taught me: how to make hard transitions with grace, and confidence to know that everything is going to be OK. Foote School has given me the tools I need to move forward and succeed.”

—Grayson Neuman ’22 9th Grade President

You may not feel it now, because you’re still so close to it. But in time, I guarantee: you’ll come to recognize that a piece of you will live here forever. Foote and New Haven will always be your home. Embrace that. Treasure it. And use it as a source of strength— knowing that wherever you go, anywhere in the world, you have a home.”

—Daniel

Fleschner ’94 Graduation Speaker

Use this time in your lives to figure out what your passions are, what is important to you, what you value, what you stand for, and what your contributions to this world will be. This is your time to be a candle. At the same time, when you truly see others and acknowledge their capabilities, you act as that mirror, magnifying their light for others to see.”

—Aléwa Cooper, Head of School

Accolades & Gifts

Foote School Prize

Grayson Neuman, Lucy McDermott, Max Mudry

Margaret Ballou Hitchcock Prize Becca Yimlamai

Jean B. Shepler Fine Arts Prize James Del Rio Mendez

9th Grade Outstanding Scholarship Award Charles Ellis, Raymond Ellis

The Ninth Grade Athletic Award

Nora Brock, Forrester Larsen

Ninth-grade Parents Farewell Gift

$10,604 for financial aid and special enrichment for the Ninth Grade Class Trip 100% participation

Graduates Will Attend

Amity Regional High School Educational Center for the Arts

Cheshire Academy

Choate Rosemary Hall

Hamden Hall Country Day School

Hopkins School

The Hotchkiss School

North Haven High School

Phillips Academy Andover

Proctor Academy

Wilbur Cross High School

8th Grade Celebration

The 8th Grade Celebration this year honored 51 students, and was highlighted by wonderful student performances, including an original poem composed by eighth grader Rania Das, steel band performances, and inspirational words from Head of Middle School Barrington Fulton Jr.

“

You have led me, this year— my first year—by showing me through your actions and your words that our culture here at Foote is one that focuses on building strong relationships that last. I hope that on the paths that lie ahead, you continue to put relationshipbuilding first, that you continue to see the value in listening to and engaging in meaningful dialogue with people who have different viewpoints from you, and that you remember our common humanity as you grow and change our future.”

—Barrington Fulton Jr. Head of Middle School

Accolades & Gifts

8th Grade Outstanding Scholarship Award

Emilia Adams, Samantha Bernstein

Honorable Mentions

Levi York, Veena Scholand, Ameya Patel, Deyi Meng, Julian Theodore and Ruby Weiss

The Eighth Grade Athletic Award

Charlie Sudmeyer, Kendall Dobratz, Julian Theodore, Eve Mena

Eighth-grade Parents Farewell Gift

$7,715 for Foote’s faculty professional development and financial aid programs

Almost 100% participation

Departing 8th Graders Will Attend

Branford High School

Cheshire Academy

Choate Rosemary Hall

Guilford High School

Hamden Hall Country Day School

Holderness Academy

Hopkins School

Lauralton Hall

Notre Dame Academy

Old Saybrook High School

Sacred Heart Academy

The Sound School

Wilbur Cross High School

Faculty Honors

EARLIER THIS YEAR, 10 faculty and staff members were honored for their milestones at Foote. Colleagues honored their peers at an end-of-year gathering in the Hosley gym.

Ashley Schnabel, 15 years, Grade 3 Teacher

Michael McCabe, 15 years, Data Services Manager

Sheila Lavey, 20 years, Grade 7 Humanities Teacher, Middle School Humanities Co-chair

Walter Siracuse, 20 years, Maintenance

Amanda Diffley, 25 years, Grade 3 Teacher

Lynne Banta, 25 years, Kindergarten Associate

Dawn Farricielli, 30 (31 technically) years, Assistant to the Business Manager, Bookkeeper

Margy Lamere, 30 years, Grade 1 Teacher

Dawn Walsh, 30 years, After School Program Director, Vacation Program Director, Summer Program Director

Liam Considine, 25 years, Secondary School Placement Director

Frances Moore, Director of Marketing and Communications

Frances Moore comes to Foote from Greens Farms Academy, where she spent eight years as its Director of Communications.

“Even though my first visit to Foote was on a cold and rainy day, the warmth of the community was instantly palpable. This is truly a special place with so many fantastic stories to tell. I am excited that I get to share them with all of you,” Frances said.

Prior to her work in education, Frances served as Editor-in-Chief for three Hearst Corp. newspapers in Fairfield County, and Production Director for multiple Condé Nast publications. She holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies: Film History and Theory from Sacred Heart University (where she was three-year captain of its varsity soccer team) and a master’s degree in Journalism from Quinnipiac University.

Jeannie Rumsey, CFO/Business Manager

Jeannie Rumsey joined the Foote Community this summer. Most recently, she was the Associate Director of Admission for Financial Aid at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT.

“It is clear how special the Foote community is, and there is an undercurrent of joy and excitement as folks look to the future. I am so excited to join a school committed to nurturing a lifelong love of learning through community and individual growth,” Jeannie said.

Prior to assuming the Associate Director position, she was a consultant with Boston Consulting Group, and taught mathematics for 10 years at The Madeira School and Pomfret School. Jeannie holds an undergraduate degree from Haverford College; a master’s in Mathematics for Educators from Worcester Polytechnic Institute; a Master of Education from Klingenstein Center, Teachers College at Columbia University; and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

Alexandra Zagmout, Director of Admissions

Alexandra Zagmout comes to Foote from GEMS World Academy in Chicago, serving as its Associate Director of Admissions.

Alexandra shared her excitement about joining Foote: “My family and I are very excited to become part of the Foote family. During my visit, one thing that immediately stood out to me was how happy Foote students are and how much they enjoy being at school.”

Before joining the GEMS community, Alexandra advocated for the rights of women and children and worked on anti-trafficking and youth service programs in Southeastern Europe.

Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from American University, a Master of Arts from American Military University, and a Master of Education in Enrollment Management and Policy from the University of Southern California.

THE FOOTE SCHOOL added three members to the Leadership Team this year.

Student Perspectives

‘Never Forget What We Have’

AT THE BEGINNING of the school year, as I was on the bus coming back from the ninth grade’s amazing trip to Cape Cod I had time to reflect on all of my years at Foote, and how lucky I am to be involved in such a great school and community. As I looked around the bus I saw 15 unique individuals who identify in different ways, and have differing interests—each contributing something meaningful not just to our group but to the whole school. Some were awesome athletes, some standout musicians, and some incredible actors. Also in the front of our bus were our smart, kind, and cool teachers.

Everything inside that bus has made Foote special to me over the past nine years. We are a diverse and inclusive community where everyone’s strengths are celebrated and weaknesses are supported. Beyond this, one of the most remarkable things about Foote is the friendships we make and keep well beyond our years here.

We all agree that the teachers, the friendships, the experiences— from harvesting maple syrup, raising chickens outside of your class, dancing on May Day, 80-yard dash at Field Day, all the way up to the ninth-grade play—offer unforgettable bonds that we are so privileged to have.

I would like to acknowledge all those in the New Haven community and all around the globe who aren’t as lucky as us. The culture at Foote reminds us we are leaders and to never forget what we have and what we can give to change the world and make it a better place. As we go through this year remember to be kind, have fun, and be the best version of you. Remember to live your own story.

Jai Makam President, Class of 2023

Departing from the Board

FOOTE IS TREMENDOUSLY GRATEFUL for the service and dedication of departing board members Michael Krauss and Francie Irvine, who this year finished their second terms on the board.

MICHAEL KRAUSS

A board member since 2014, Michael served on the Buildings & Grounds Committee. When he and his family moved to Connecticut in 2010, they discovered The Foote School—a warm and inviting community just a few blocks from their new home. Michael grew up in Karlsruhe, Germany, where he trained in chemistry before moving to Munich to work in the medical device industry, which led him to Boulder, CO. He was a product manager for TomTec Imaging Inc., consulting with major medical research centers around the world in applying three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. After studying at the Illinois Institute of Technology, he worked as an architect at SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) in Chicago until moving to New Haven. He lives with his wife, Lissa Sugeng, a cardiologist at Yale School of Medicine, and their two children: Nathaniel ’17 and Emile ’23.

FRANCIE IRVINE

Francie joined the Foote board in 2014, serving on the Enrollment and Education committees. A self-described “Army brat,” Francie said that growing up, she led the typical peripatetic life of an officer’s child. She taught French and English at Foote from 1970 to 1983. She also served as Ninth Grade Advisor and Director of Admissions before leaving Foote to head the Ecole Bilingue in Arlington, MA, (now the Lycée International de Boston). She then taught at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, also serving as secondary school advisor for the older students and their families. She retired in 2012 from New Canaan Country School, where she was the Assistant Head for 13 years. During those years she also returned to her roots by teaching French and English to 8th and 9th graders. Francie has a B.A. from Smith College, and an M.A. in French from Middlebury College. She returned to New Haven in 2012 with her husband, Andrew McLaren, a retired Head of School whose last position was as head of The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in Greenwich Village.

Board of Directors

From the Board President

IN SEPTEMBER, speaking at Foote’s annual Parents’ Night, I was reflecting on what Parents’ Night at Foote might have been like in the school’s earliest years—if they even had a Parents’ Night. So much has changed since that time, and yet our traditions continue to unite and strengthen our community. Our responses to the challenges in our way are what set us apart from any other institution.

One-hundred-six years after Foote first opened its classroom doors, we find ourselves in the midst of another major chapter in Foote’s history: reckoning with the second global pandemic that the school has lived through, the first being the flu pandemic of 1918. The school has persevered through other national and global events—two World Wars, financial crises, civil unrest—and through all these circumstances, our community has adapted and thrived.

In the face of challenges, today we are—as we have always been—a school rooted in tradition yet eager to lead the way as we explore new opportunities for growth.

With the new Strategic Plan as our blueprint (see page 18), we look forward to creating more opportunities for our students to exhibit leadership in its many forms, collaborate, and dive deeply into subjects about which they are passionate. Foote serves as an oasis for growth and resilience, not only for our students, but our whole community.

I hope that this will be a year for all of us to reconnect and re-engage and carry on our tradition of perseverance. I am grateful to Head of School Aléwa Cooper and the leadership team at the school for navigating such choppy waters with grace and grit and getting us through such a challenging time. I also want to thank the amazing teachers at the school for providing safe havens for our children, and nurturing their minds and spirits, regardless of changing environmental circumstances.

And I especially want to thank you—members of the Foote community past and present. You are what makes this community amazing and the special place that it is. You enable us to reflect on a vibrant past while imagining an inspired future.

Kavitha Bindra P’25, ’29 President, Foote School Board of Directors

Report of Giving

A Year to Celebrate, Appreciate

WHEN I PENNED last year’s letter, I’d hoped it would be the last one which referred to COVID, but alas Foote, like the rest of the world, still had to contend with the effects of the global pandemic. While weekly testing and mask-wearing were commonplace, especially during the first several months of the year, we were also able to return to some semblances of “normality,” loosely defined. It was wonderful to have parents back on campus bringing their students to their classes and staying for a number of Grab & Go Coffee gatherings on our now one-year-old patio. Speaking of coffee, we had a very successful year with our Coffee With a Cause. Thanks to Joe Charles and Andy Bromage, formerly our communications team, we raised more than $1,000 for charities including Columbus House, IRIS, the Toy Closet, Horizons at Foote and most generously for Foote’s financial aid program. We thank everyone for their purchases of Big Foote, Falco’s Pride and AfterSchool Decaf my personal favorite.

With parents back on campus we enjoyed a very celebratory opening day and an exciting new format for Parents Night. As always the Development and Alumni & Parent Programs team is grateful to the PTC for their expertise and assistance for these events and for the wonderfully successful Foote on Ice, the pared down fall Book Fair, the very popular spring Book Swap, the newly introduced Pie Sale my family and I are already looking forward to this year’s! the spring plant sale and the much-anticipated (and extremely appreciated) Faculty Appreciation Breakfast which included the gift of terrific T-shirts. We are tremendously grateful for Foote’s dedicated parent support.

May 2022 marked the return of an on-campus Alumni Weekend and despite the rainy weather we had a lovely gathering. Together we celebrated Caitlin Cahow, Class of 2000, as the recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award. For the first time, we combined two of Foote’s most beloved events: May Day and Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We had a tremendous turnout, and our guests enjoyed a yummy breakfast and a short program before joining parents for the first May Day since 2019. The campus felt electric with three classes dancing the Maypole and so many adoring fans for every grade.

Throughout the 2021–22 academic year our parents, alumni, parents of alumni and grandparents continued to financially support the school. Our fourth annual Giving Day detailed on the opposite page raised more than $70,000 from nearly 400 donations. In the ninth grade, 100% of the parents collectively donated $10,604 for future ninth grade trips. Of the eighth grade parents whose students are starting school elsewhere this fall, 98% contributed more than $8,000 for financial aid and faculty professional development. Pledge payments for our incredibly successful Centennial Campaign are winding down and we are so thankful to all who participated so generously.

Finally I would like to thank my faculty and staff colleagues and especially Amy Sudmyer, Amy Caplan and MaryBeth Claflin for sharing the work, the challenges and, most importantly, the joys of being part of the Foote Development and Alumni & Parent Programs team.

Jody Abzug Director of Development and Alumni Programs

Fourth

AS FEBRUARY 2, 2022 brought some loosened COVID restrictions we returned to hosting a more fun-filled Giving Day. Students sported lollipops, stickers, and pencils, and everyone had a chance to strike an Instagram pose and show off their Foote pride!

Funds raised had an immediate impact upon our project-based learning, school technology, acquisitions by the library, field trips, sports, clubs, specials and the campus. We thank everyone who participated please mark your calendars for February 23, 2023, for

fifth annual Giving Day!

Donors

The individuals listed have made a contribution to the annual Foote Fund between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please contact the Development Office if you notice errors or omissions.

Lara Anderson

Marjo Anderson and Mark Dollhopf

Emily and Walden Bass

Donna and William Batsford

Nancy and Joel Becker Carrie and William Bergantino Ellen Bernstein

Chay and Richard Bershtein Margaret Berthold Kavitha Bindra

Adriana Blanco and Richard Bernstein Morley and Fred Bland

Anonymous

Heba Abbas and Amaar Al-Hayder

Carmela and Thomas Abbenante

Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

Rikki Abzug

Sheila Abzug

Joellen Adae

Tess and Frank Adae

Annie Ducmanis Adams and Jim Adams

Sarah Adams

Shirin and Ron Adelman

Marie Anne and Nicholas Afragola Sarah Afragola ’01

Mamta and Yash Agarwal

Melinda Agsten

Frank Alberino and Brian Fagan

James Alford ’63

Akbar and Faiz Ali

Laura and Victor Altshul

Julianne Beall and William Amatruda ’56

Kyeen and Richard Andersson

Stephanie and Mark Anestis Kate Angoff and Jeremy Angoff ’92

Licella and Juan Sebastian Arboleda Anne and Gordon Armour Katharine Arnstein ’63

George Aseme Kayleigh Axon

Samuel Babbitt ’42

Joanne and Paul Bailey

Patricia and William Bakke Catherine Balsam-Schwaber ’86 and Edward Lang

Lynne Banta and Javier Garcia

Emily Barclay ’61 and John Hawes Christine Wilmer Barkus ’69 and Paul Barkus

The Bass Family

Natalie Wilmer Blenk ’62 and Peter Blenk Kim Bohen and Douglas James Gail and Abe Boms Stephanie and Elon Boms Marcia Tucker Boogaard ’50

Sarah Netter Boone ’89 and Andrew Boone Rebecca and John Booth Kaitlyn and Tristan Botelho Michelle Bradford and Kossouth Bradford ’87

Emily and Dean Brenner Glen Brenner Keri Brenner Kristyn Brenner Grace and Jay Bright Jessie Brinkley ’64 and Bruce Bunting Courtney Broadus ’84

Jane Brody

Alison Moncrief Bromage and Andy Bromage Ginny Bromage Jamie and Benjamin Bruce Christine and James Butler Lucas Butler ’03 Lisa Buxbaum Jeannette Byers ’65

Polly Byers ’74 and Mac McCoy Anne and Terry Byron Rachelle and Derek Byron Mary-Kate Bzdyra

Alison and Adam Cady Hong Li and Chunlin Cai Anne Tyler Calabresi ’48 and Guido Calabresi ’46

Maria Casasnovas and Lorenzo Caliendo Ann Calkins

Shannon Callaway and Philip Haile

Jill Campbell

Nitza Diaz-Candelo and Edward Candelo

Susan Canny ’96

Magdalena and Carmine Capasso

Amy Caplan ’88 and Spencer Grimes

April Amellin Caplan and Colin Caplan ’94

Susan Carney and Lincoln Caplan

Lauren and Mike Caplan

Francine and Robert Caplan

Jessica Cardin and Michael Higley

Margaret Bluhm Carey ’59 and Tobe Carey

Matthew Carpenter ’03

Caren and Thomas Carpenter

Linda Hamilton Carr ’42 and Don Carr

Rives Fowlkes Carroll ’57 and Richard Carroll

Linsley Craig Carruth ’85 and Bill Carruth

Anna and Robert Casey

Mary Ann Bickford Casey ’52

Marilyn and Victor Cassella Larysa and Matthew Cassella

Carolyn and Richard Cavallaro

Carol Ann Bradburn Celella ’72 and Scott Celella

Vinny Cervoni

Lida and William Chaine

Patricia and Val Chamberlain Wick Chambers ’62

Jaimie and Joseph Charles Annette and Kerwin Charles

Xuedan Wang and Haiwei Chen

Belinda Chen

Isabel Chenoweth

Beverly and Richard Chevalier

Rupert Chinatamani

Christine Won and Hyung Chun

Mary Beth Claflin

Annie Clark

Paula Clark

Sarah Clark and Gustav Spohn

Constance Clement ’62

Barbara and Samuel Clement ’65

Corinna and William Clendenen

Keri and John Climie

Roxanne and Kevin Coady

Leslie Virostek and John Cobb Ruth Coffey and Sunil Amrith

Martha Daniels Cohen

Theodore Cohen

Sequella and Ronald Coleman Ronald Coleman ’04

Anna Collins

Alison and Liam Considine

Kathy Cooke and David Valone

Daniel Cooney

Aléwa Cooper and Markell Parker

Mary and James Nicoll Cooper ’48

Erica Corbin

Sarah and Hugh Corley

Daniel Courcey

William and Dorothy Osborne Cox

Rebecca and Frederick Crosby ’59

Roseline and Douglas Crowley ’55

Cindy Crusto

Tina Gray Cunningham and John Cunningham

Sandra and Philip Curran

JoAnn Hong-Curtis and Jeptha Curtis Nancy Curtis ’50

Sarah Cussler and Jeffrey Brock

Understanding the Terms

The annual Foote Fund supplements tuition income. Foote Fund dollars support academic and extracurricular programs, faculty salaries, financial assistance— virtually every part of the school’s operating budget. Without the Foote Fund, Foote’s budget wouldn’t balance, and we would have to reduce offerings to our students, increase enrollment or raise tuition to make up the difference. The Foote Fund is an annual effort, beginning in September and ending on June 30 each year. Parent volunteers reach out to encourage all parents to contribute. Foundation and corporate grant applications are strengthened when we can report high participation figures from our parent body.

Endowment is critical to a healthy school. Endowed funds are invested with the goal of providing a stable, sustainable source of annual income. Interest from endowed funds supports critical goals in perpetuity. The National Association of Independent Schools recommends that an independent school maintain an endowment equal to its operating budget.

Catherine Smith Cuthell ’68 and David Cuthell

Manmita Dutta and Rajdeep Das

Nicki Dakis and George Atwood

Michael Davis

Ryan Davis

Katie De Vries

Ximena Benavides and Patrick Dean

Amanda and Stuart DeCew

Sarah DeCew

Jordan DeFreitas Dee DeGrushe

Lisarely Mendez and James Del Rio

Annie Delgado

Tracy Vogel and Bob Demarest

Christine Janis and John Deming ’66

Hamita Sachar and Ohm Deshpande Wendy Beetlestone and John Detre ’74

Margaret DeVane

Shari Birnbaum and William DeVane ’84

Paula Deveau and John Tarutis Yaminette Diaz Linhart ’99 and David Linhart

Karen Miller Dibblee ’68 and Thomas Dibblee

Nancy and Elliot Dickson

Melissa and Rick Dickson

Amanda and Ray Diffley

Katharine and Samuel Doak

Denise Quinn Dobratz and Erik Dobratz

Susan and Kenneth Dobuler

William Dock ’83

The Doft Family

Barbara Donnelly

Chase Douglas ’14

Elizabeth Daley Draghi ’77 and Gary Draghi

Laura Ferry and Justin Driver

Evan Drutman ’79

Nancy and W. Lee Dunham ’55

Anne and Stewart Dunn

Tracy and Brian Earnshaw

Eileen and Andy Eder

Julia Simon-Kerr and Florian Ederer

Elizabeth DeVane Edminster ’47 and David Edminster

Cathy Edwards and Michael Wishnie Brinley Ford Ehlers ’83 and Terrence Ehlers

Elizabeth Jonas and Thomas Eisen

Dana Eisenstat

Samia Naaim and Adnane Elarabi

Elizabeth Petrelli Elesh ’96

Nora Elton ’96 and Christopher Durlacher Chris and Kenneth Ely

The English Family

Mary Estabrook

Kris Estes and Stephen Binder ’78

Nichole Mangiagli and Tomas Estevez

Eleanor Evins

John Ewell ’57

Sophia Elissa Altin and Ryan Fahey

Ray Fair

Kristen Fairey

Dylan Farrell ’11

Dawn and Dan Farricielli

Emily and Christopher Fasano

Michele and Michael Fasano

Doris Drisler Ferguson ’42

Polly and Andrew Fiddler

Nadia and Andrew Fisher

Elizabeth Collins Fitton and Peter Fitton ’89

Danielle Flagg ’81

Edith Flagg

Kathy and Mike Flanagan

Daniel Fleschner ’94

Agi Fodor

Stephen Fontana ’78

Tyrrell and Thomas Fontana ’82

Christine Wood and Alan Forman

DiAnne Forrest

Pam Fortin

Alicia Fox ’88

Candace and Burvée Franz Karen and Gerald Freedman

Catherine Freeman

J. Christopher Freeman

Betsy Angeletti and John Freidah

Barry Fulton

Suet Yin Fung

Sondra Lender and Benjamin Fussiner

Timothy Gabbard ’05

Julien Gangloff ‘21

Sophie Gangloff ‘21 Neha Agrawal and Manish Garg Anna and Bryan Garsten Silvia and Richard Gee Mikki and Kevin Geenty ’57

Kristin Geenty and N. Brice Shipley

Toddie and Christopher Getman

Barbara Gibson

Elizabeth Gill and Jacob Burt

Danielle Ginnetti

John Ginnetti

Valentina Greco and Antonio Giraldez

Susan Baserga and Peter Glazer Amira Gohara

Lisa Goldblatt ’84

Jenny Chan and Jonathan Goldstein

Caroline and Michael Golschneider

Shelley Goodstine and Jose Gomez

Priscilla Meléndez and Aníbal González

Rebecca Good and Manuel Rivera

Katharine Goodbody

Tia and Matthew Goodwin

Chiara Masciandaro Goodyear and Justin Goodyear ’88

Victoria and Colin Gordon

Jason Gordon

Janet and A. Reynolds Gordon ’47 Judy and Simon Gore-Grimes

Mike Goss

Felicia Gotta

Katerina Politi and Mark Graham

Maria and Charles Granquist

Avery Grauer ’87 and Josh Watsky

Janie Merkel and Jonathan Grauer ’85

Elizabeth and Leonard Grauer

Margaret Clement Green ’61 Linda Brenner and Tony Green

Annie Berman Greenstein ’96 and Seth Greenstein

Birke and James Gregg Jennifer Griffiths

The Grimes Family

Kerin Adelson and David Grodberg Anne Brooks Gwaltney ’72 and Thomas Gwaltney Kimiko Ishiguro and Bret Halpern

Patricia Hames

Cara and Robert Hames Pat Hames

Jennye Hansen Tina Hansen and Adam Hopfner Alayna Stone and Alva Hanson

Tracy and Eric Hanson Megan Hardin ’90

Dorothea and Robert Harper-Mangels Ryan Harrington and Vatche Simonian

Rebekah Sturges and Jack Harris

Myra and Andrew Harris

Deadra Hart and Frederick Kennedy

Barry Hauptman

Sandra and Charles Hawkins Jennifer and John Hay Slava Hazin

Ryan Healey ’07

Reina Maruyama and Karsten Heeger

Lana and Juri Henley-Cohn ’93

Sandra and William Henning ’60

Crystal Herron Brook Hersey ’74 and Alexander DeLuca

Jenny and Harald Hille ’52

Alison and William Hinkle John Holder ’76 Hayden and Jeremy Holt

Elizabeth Holt ’79

Laura and Stephen Holt ’82

Jayne and David Homer Shyoko Honiden and Aryeh Abeles

Donna Hooker

Sally Hopfner

Janice and Robert Horowitz

Sandy Allison and Jim Horwitz

Arthur Howe ’68

Sue Huang

Stephanie Chan and David Huang

Caitlin Simon and Gregory Huber

Judith Hull ’63 and Dennis McFadden

Maria Nagy and Albert Iaroi

Alison and Christopher Illick

Jessica and John Illuzzi

Anna Imperiale ’97

Simina and Costin Ionescu

Francie Irvine and Andrew McLaren

Ben Irzyk

Jeremy Irzyk ‘14

Jordana Irzyk ’14

Carol Isaacs

Chun-yi Sun and Paul Ivancic

Elaine and Herrick Jackson ’54

Astha Chichra and Abhishek Jaiswal

Louise Bluhm Jeanne ’54 and Robert Jeanne

Margaret Bozyan Jefferys ’49

Mary Barnett and David Jenkins

Robin Jenkins ’82

Alison Johnson and Justus Addiss ’73

Ann and Michael Johnson April Adams-Johnson and Dirk Johnson

Edward Johnson ’54

Holly Johnson ’81

Kathleen Johnson

Elisabeth Moses Johnson ’99 and Rob Johnson

Lynda and Peter Johnson Tywanna Johnson

Nina Scherago and George Jones

Preethi Varghese-Joseph and George Joseph

Susana Smetana and Peter Kagan ’83

Gerald Kahn

Nancy Ely Kales ’55 and William Kales

Michael Kane

Julianne and Titus Kaphar

Bahija Saadoun and Hamid Kassem

Susan and Jonathan Katz

Özler and Ege Kayaarasi

Susan and Chris Keegan

Suzanne Kelley

Kate Kennedy

Linda Keul Henley

Christine and Anil Khachane ’93

Barbara and Vasant Khachane

Barbara Kinder and Joseph Adams Amy Justice and Joseph King

Lynn Leong and Yiming King

Gretchen and Charles Kingsley

Cynthia and Joseph Kirkland

Alexandra Daum and Alexander Kleiner ’00

Diana and Fred Kleiner

Kristin and Thomas Kligerman ’72

Elisabeth Sacco Klock ’98

Meghan and George Knight

Camille and Jon Koff

Patricia Kohlbeck Deb Kotchen

Elinor and Matthew Kotchen

Sandra Dias and Frank Kowalonek

Lissa Sugeng and Michael Krauss

The Kreitler Family

Allison and Charles Kreitler

Denise Trunk Krigbaum and John Krigbaum ’79

Christine Kim and Douglas Kysar Deborah and David Laliberte Margaret and Richard Lamere Kirsti and John Langbein Chin-Chin Chen and Campbell Langdon ’76 Jack Lapides ’12

Natalie Lapides ’08

James LaPosta ’08

Kathryn and Thomas Larsen Elizabeth and Miles Lasater

Sheila Lavey

Jennifer LaVin ’81

Peggy LaVin

Della and Michael Leapman

Deborah Freedman and Ben Ledbetter Emma Ledbetter ’03

Lucie Ledbetter ’08

Amy Starensier and J. Richard Lee

Skye Lee

Cindy Magid Leffell and David Leffell

Erika Krick and Nicholas Lehmann ’90

Sonja Lengnick

Molleen Theodore and Andrew Leonard Amy and Jonathan Levin ’87

Josh Levine

Morgan and Zachary Levine

Pinxia Li

Yang Zhang and Zhijin Li

Naomi Libby

Georgia Crowley Lieber ’88 and Matt Lieber ’85

Elizabeth and David Lima

Margah and Tom Lips

The Liston Family

Samantha and Timothy Liston

Megan Craig and Nicholas Lloyd

Karen and William Longa

Noni Lopez

Linda Lorimer and Charles Ellis

Laura Lovejoy ’84 and Stephen Randazzo

Anne Lu and JingAn Tang

Jennifer Lucarelli and Michael Apatow

Kathy Lufler

Kim Lupkin

Lisa and Joseph MacDougald

Christina MacLean

Debbie and B. Patrick Madden

Mona Gohara and Kiran Makam

Katherine Campbell and Matthew Maleska

Whitney Rogers Malkiel and Jonathan Malkiel ’87

Carole and Robert Mangels

Nancy and Hugh Manke

Robert Mapstead

Melinda Papowitz and Gary Markowski

Laura and Zachary Martinez

Veronica Matei and Tiberiu Batsu

Karla Matheny and Mark Landow

Michelle and Charles Matouk

Kristi and Kevin Mattingly

Yaira Matyakubova and Andrius Zlabys

Kelonda Maull

Ginger Stevens May ’96 and Stephen May

Donna Rehm-McCabe and Mike McCabe

Janet Alley McClure ’65

Melissa and Timothy McCormack

Michele and Jesse McCray

Dalton Cox McCurdy ’96 and Brian McCurdy

Emily Melnick and Matt McDermott

Rita McDougald-Campbell

Timothy McFadden

Elizabeth Donius and Kenneth McGill

Katherine McKenzie and Craig Crews

Tara and James McPartland

Aurora Farewell and Santiago Mejia ’95

Elizabeth Mello and Jessica Leiser

Alexandra and Carlos Mena Hurtado

Lu Wu and Lingzhong Meng

Jayne and Ted Merkel

Annie and Susan Merkle-Ward

Lori Bruce and Noah Messing

Ying Luo and Mingchao Mi

Michael Milazzo ’08

Michael Milburn

Jennifer Milikowsky ’02

Nicole Eldredge and Matthew Milikowsky ’95

Susan Ellis and Byron Miller

Sandra Frawley and Perry Miller ’58

Anna McGaw-Mobarak and Ahmed Mobarak

Krupa and Jignesh Modi

Sherry and Steve Moffitt

Karen Orzack-Moore and Daniel Moore

Deborah and David Moore

Julie and William Moore

Rachel Ebling and Edward Moran

Phyllis Morra

Sarah and Harvey Morse Marsha and Ira Moses

Bonnie Moskowitz

Toby Moskowitz

Kiran Zaman and Sabooh Mubbashar

Duffy and Eric Mudry

Melanie Crowley Mullan ’84 and Peter Mullan

Soenje Reiche and Kaivan Munshi

Charlotte and Charles Murphy Colleen and Michael Murphy

Kate Brubacher and Grayson Murphy ’95

Eliza and Minor Myers

Cheryl and Geoffrey Nadzam

Jake Nadzam ’17

Lathika and Sree Nair

Theresa Nast and Jonathan Nast ’94

Joan and Michael Nast Mary Tomayko and Kumar Navaratnam

Zhiqi Qiu and Andrew Neitzke

Greta Nettleton ’72 and Rex Lalire

Walker Holmes and Justin Neuman

Marv Neuman

Peter Neuman ’80

Joanna and Lawrence Noble Barbara and William Nordhaus

Jane Whittlesey North ’45 and A. Frederick North

Susan Nunnally

Angie Hurlbut and Andrew Nyhart

Noah Nyhart ’14

Patricia Fiorito Oakes ’60

Emily and Ryan Oakes Judy and Kevin O’Hare Stephanie Figueroa O’Keefe and Patrick O’Keefe Emily and Jeremy Oldfield Kathleen O’Rourke Kiara Clemons and Landon Osborn ’04 Brian Osterhout

Donna Ouchida

Cassie Pagnam ’01 Christine and John Pakutka Diane Palmeri and Albert Rossini

Catherine and Christophe Pamelard

Deborah Johnson and Joseph Paolillo

Katja Seim and John Parapatt

Kunyong Kim and Kyungseo Park

Julia Parker Anoli Borad and Abhijit Patel Bettina Patterson

Zehra and Huned Patwa Miguel Paulino Portes Hilary Getman Pearson and Erik Pearson Elizabeth Welch ’79 and Gary Peck

Andrea and Michael Peed Emily Peel Ann Baker Pepe and Gregory Pepe Veronica Saurett and Pablo Perez Paola Pérez ’10

Laura and Frank Perrine John Persse ’73 E. Anthony Petrelli ’53 Marion and Richard Petrelli ’57

The Philp Family Laurel and Keith Pisani Judith Chevalier and Steven Podos Stefanie Markovits and Ben Polak Carol and Wesley Poling Jane and Mauro Politi Marla Geha and Matthew Polly Carroll and Stanley Possick Polly Prelinger ’72

Christina and Jason Price Josephine and Richard Queen Tyra and Jeffrey Rabel Kendra Raguckas

Monique Rainford and Chester Bourne Ayesha Ramachandran and Marta Figlerowicz Meredith Mira and William Rankin Jennifer and Andrew Rapkin Cindy Raymond Catherine Rees ’83

Ann Regan Dorleen and James Reidy

Karen and Brigg Reilley

William Ricketson

Debra Riding and Oliver Barton

Sandy and James Righter

Mark Righter ’80

Barbara Riley

Rosemary Ripley ’68 and Peter Grubstein

Andrew Rivera ’06

Marcus Rivera

Janet Rivers

Annette and Kurt Roberts

Sarah Blanton ’93 and Eamon Roche ’80

Logan Milliken and Peter Rogers

Patricia Abbenante and Camilo Romero

Susan and Donald Ross ’62

Heyden and Nicholas Rostow ’64

Bernadette Huang and Geert Rouwenhorst

Anne Sa’adah ’69 and William Baldwin

Mary Garber-Saleh and Faisal Saleh

Robert Sandine

Carolyn and Clarence Sasaki

John Sasaki ’87

Robert Saulsbury

Gregory Sawyer ’86

Catherine Sbriglio

McKinne Dunn and Todd Schlachter

Ashley and Jason Schnabel

Lily Schneider ’11

Jodi and Marc Schneider

Christina Ching-McGrath ’06 and Ethan Schoenherr

Abha Gupta and Stephen Scholand

Elissa Schpero ’92 and David Garlick

Lynne and Mark Schpero

Susan Schwarzwald

Manita Scocimara

Sarah and Jamison Scott

Mariah Sage Seymour and Bruce Seymour

Charlotte and Kameron Shahid

Hilary Shank-Kuhl ’68 and Andrzej Kuhl

Marion Sharp

Chloe and Matthew Shaw

Susan Clark Shaw

Amy and Colin Sheehan

Mary Sanders and Mark Shifman

Seunghee Ko and Jiwoong Shin

Kyuyeon and Jaehun Shin

Alexandra Shor and John Bianchi

Claire Shubik-Richards ’88 and Seth Richards-Shubik

Leah Sills

The Silva Family

Bradley Simon

David Sklar

Nicole and Charles Slabaugh

Brett Slater

Clifford Slayman

Kelly and Benjamin Small

Leah and Alexander Smith

Meg McDowell Smith ’69 and Whit Smith

Roger Smith ’75

Deanna and Mitchell Smooke

Sandra and Henry Snow

Brenda Carter and Adam Solomon

Laura Davis and David Soper Raina Sotsky and Morris Bell

Lucy and Wayne Spaar

Joyce Geiger Spencer and James Spencer

Musa Speranza and Joseph Shin

Harmony Clement Spongberg ’60

Lauren St. Germain

Laura and James Stanley

Julie Paquette and Derek Steinbacher Karen and M. Dennis Stephens

Summer Turner and Marcus Stern ’75

The Stone Family

Katherine and Kenneth Stone Diana Stovall

John Stratton ’54

Susan Stratton ’63

Rebecca and Gordon Streeter

Kelly Streeter

Elizabeth Leavy Stroman ’55 and Robert Stroman

Leila Wood Stuhr ’82 and Charles Stuhr

Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 and Jeff Sudmyer

Sarah Slattery and Tyrone Sullivan

Erin Sweeney ’02

Shannon Sweeney ’00 and Tyson Seely Laurie and Andrew Sweet

Katharine Swibold ’75 and Jordan Becker

Katherine and Mark Swift

Irena Vaitkeviciute and Hossam Tantawy Julia Wallace Taussig ’37

Deborah Teason and Michael Bergman Karen Wang and Christopher Teng

Denise and Don Terry

Mary and Louis Theodore

Karin Ouchida and Jack Thompson

Jesenia Knipping and Che Tiernan

Sharon and Andrew Tievsky

Maryam Chohan and Kaiser Toosy

Lisa Farrel Totman ’56 and David Totman

Edna Travis and Barney Adams Anne Hunt Tritz ’45

Christopher Tunnard ’63

Lynne and Ralph Valentine

Lizamarie Valle-Crespo

Carol Vietor and Alexander Vietor ’64 Erika Villa

Taryn Villano ’83 and Philip Corso

Catherine Hosley Vouwie ’72 and Curtis Vouwie

Katharine Adams Walker ’63 Dawn and Scott Walsh

Ellen Sherk Walsh ’73 and Nicholas Walsh

Zhengyuan Han and Nianshuang Wang Annie Wareck ’85

Barbara Wareck

Rachel Doft and John Wareck ’84

Sheila and Lawrence Wartel

Anne Watkins and David Berkowitz Denie and Frank Weil

Marjorie Weinstein-Kowal

Melissa Barak Weiss and Brett Weiss Royanne and Eugene Weiss Erica and Gordon Weiss

Dory Welch

G. Harold Welch ’42

George Welch ’73

Talbot Welles ’81 and Thomas Mason Caleb Wertenbaker ’88

Andria and Moshay West Rebekah and Alexander Westphal Kae and Ki Whang Christine Ko and Peter Whang Mary Amatruda Wheeler Owen ’48

Elizabeth and James Whitney Edward Whittemore

Barbara Rockenbach and Daniel Wilderman

Marisa Ferraro and Steffen Wilhelm

Elizabeth and Steven Wilkinson Portia Elmer MacDougall and Roderick Williams MacDougall

Megan Williams Robert Wing ’53

Robert Withers

Wenyan and Derek Witkowsky

John Witt

Alyssa Greenwald and Edward Wittenstein

Vicki and Andy Wittenstein

Alexandra and Mark Wittner Carol Wittner and Howard Weiner

Katherine Wolfgang ’75 and Jonathan Krant Heydeh Payami and William Wolfgang ’68

The Wood Family

Yolanda Ezekiel Woods ’70

Harriet Calhoun Wrenn ’43 and James Wrenn Iris and Barry Wu

Vivian Kuan and Pei-Tse Wu ’82 Louise Wu

Mai Wu ’84 and John Apicella Brian Wysolmerski ’07

Caroline Hendel and John Wysolmerski Zhirong Jiang and Zhiqun Xi

Lan Lin and Wu Yan

Yanbin Liu and Yang Yang Kim Yap and Andrew Lewandowski Liza Konnikova and Dean Yimlamai

Jennifer and Mark Youngblood

Sylvia Thayer and J. Philip Zaeder

Heather and J E Fredrik Zetterberg Peihua Gu and Jiangbing Zhou Li Lin and Jidong Zhou Andrew Zielinski

Jennifer and Bernard Zielinski Lenore and Albert Zimmermann Shamila Zubairi and Asad Zoberi Amanda and Richard Zubek

Matching Companies

Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Caterpillar Foundation

Future Publishing Ltd

Gartner Group Medtronic New York Life Foundation Nike Oracle

Pitney Bowes Corporate Matching Gift Raytheon Technologies TikTok

UBS

Anonymous

Shyoko Honiden and Aryeh Abeles

Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

Rikki Abzug

Sheila Abzug

Annie Ducmanis Adams and Jim Adams

Sarah Adams

Mamta and Yash Agarwal

Frank Alberino and Brian Fagan

Ruth Coffey and Sunil Amrith Kyeen and Richard Andersson

Stephanie and Mark Anestis Anne and Gordon Armour

Nicki Dakis and George Atwood Kayleigh Axon

Joanne and Paul Bailey

Catherine Balsam-Schwaber ’86 and Edward Lang Bass Family

Veronica Matei and Tiberiu Batsu

Carrie and William Bergantino

Anne Watkins and David Berkowitz

Ellen Bernstein

Chay and Richard Bershtein Kavitha Bindra

Natalie Wilmer Blenk ’62 and Peter Blenk

Kim Bohen and Douglas James Stephanie and Elon Boms

Kaitlyn and Tristan Botelho

Monique Rainford and Chester Bourne Michelle and Kossouth Bradford ’87

Emily and Dean Brenner Glen Brenner

Keri Brenner

Kristyn Brenner

Sarah Cussler and Jeffrey Brock

Jane Brody

Alison Moncrief Bromage and Andy Bromage

Ginny Bromage

Jamie and Benjamin Bruce Noah Messing

Lisa Buxbaum

Jeannette Byers ’65

Rachelle and Derek Byron

Mary-Kate Bzdyra

Alison and Adam Cady

Maria Casasnovas and Lorenzo Caliendo

Shannon Callaway and Philip Haile

Magdalena and Carmine Capasso

Amy Caplan ’88 and Spencer Grimes

April Amellin Caplan and Colin Caplan ’94

Francine and Robert Caplan

Linda Hamilton Carr ’42 and Don Carr

Larysa and Matthew Cassella

Vinny Cervoni

Lida and William Chaine

Wick Chambers ’62

Annette and Kerwin Charles

Jaimie and Joseph Charles

Rupert Chinatamani

Christine Won and Hyung Chun

Mary Beth Claflin

Theodore Cohen

Sequella and Ronald Coleman

Ronald Coleman ’04

Daniel Cooney

Aléwa Cooper and Markell Parker

Sarah and Hugh Corley

Daniel Courcey

William and Dorothy Osborne Cox

Rebecca and Frederick Crosby ’59

Cindy Crusto

Tina Gray Cunningham and John Cunningham

Michael Davis

Ryan Davis

Katie De Vries

Ximena Benavides and Patrick Dean

Amanda and Stuart DeCew

Sarah DeCew

Jordan DeFreitas

Dee DeGrushe

Annie Delgado

Christine Janis and John Deming ’66

Yaminette Diaz Linhart ’99 and David Linhart

Karen Miller Dibblee ’68 and Thomas Dibblee

Amanda and Ray Diffley

Susan and Kenneth Dobuler

Barbara Donnelly

Chase Douglas ’14

Elizabeth Daley Draghi ’77 and Gary Draghi

Samia Naaim and Adnane Elarabi

Nichole Mangiagli and Tomas Estevez

Sophia Elissa Altin and Ryan Fahey

Ray Fair

Emily and Christopher Fasano

Polly and Andrew Fiddler

Nadia and Andrew Fisher

Elizabeth Collins Fitton and Peter Fitton ’89

Kathy and Mike Flanagan

Agi Fodor

Tyrrell and Thomas ’82 Fontana

Christine Wood and Alan Forman

Pam Fortin

J. Christopher Freeman

Betsy Angeletti and John Freidah

Barry Fulton

Suet Yin Fung

Timothy Gabbard ’05

Lynne Banta and Javier Garcia

Silvia Pluecken Gee and Richard Gee

Kristin Geenty and N. Brice Shipley

Danielle Ginnetti

Caroline and Michael Golschneider

Shelley Goodstine and Jose Gomez

Rebecca Good and Manuel Rivera

Tia and Matthew Goodwin

Chiara Masciandaro Goodyear and Justin Goodyear ’88

Jason Gordon

Judy and Simon Gore-Grimes

Mike Goss

Felicia Gotta

Katerina Politi and Mark Graham

Avery Grauer ’87 and Josh Watsky

Linda Brenner and Tony Green

Annie Berman Greenstein ’96 and Seth Greenstein

Kerin Adelson and David Grodberg

Anne Brooks Gwaltney ’72 and Thomas Gwaltney

Cara and Robert Hames

Pat Hames

Jennye Hansen

Dorothea and Robert Harper-Mangels

Ryan Harrington and Vatche Simonian Rebekah Sturges and Jack Harris Myra and Andrew Harris Deadra Hart and Frederick Kennedy

Barry Hauptman

Sandra and Charles Hawkins Jennifer and John Hay Slava Hazin

Lana and Juri Henley-Cohn ’93 Sandra and William Henning ’60

Crystal Herron

Alison and William Hinkle Laura and Stephen Holt ’82

Jayne and David Homer

Stephanie Chan and David Huang

Judith Hull ’63 and Dennis McFadden

Angie Hurlbut and Andrew Nyhart

Maria Nagy and Albert Iaroi

Jessica and John Illuzzi Anna Imperiale ’97

Ben Irzyk

Chun-yi Sun and Paul Ivancic Astha Chichra and Abhishek Jaiswal Louise Bluhm Jeanne ’54 and Robert Jeanne Margaret Bozyan Jefferys ’49 Mary Barnett and David Jenkins Robin Jenkins ’82

April Adams-Johnson and Dirk Johnson Elisabeth Moses Johnson ’99 and Rob Johnson

Preethi Varghese-Joseph and George Joseph Julianne and Titus Kaphar Bahija Saadoun and Hamid Kassem Özler and Ege Kayaarasi Susan and Chris Keegan

Suzanne Kelley Kate Kennedy Christine and Anil Khachane ’93

Lynn Leong and Yiming King Alexandra Daum and Alexander Kleiner ’00 Diana and Fred Kleiner Meghan and George Knight Camille and Jon Koff Patricia Kohlbeck Elinor and Matthew Kotchen Lissa Sugeng and Michael Krauss Denise Trunk Krigbaum and John Krigbaum ’79 Christine Kim and Douglas Kysar Margaret and Richard Lamere Jack Lapides ’12

Kathryn and Thomas Larsen Elizabeth and Miles Lasater

Sheila Lavey Jennifer LaVin ’81 Peggy LaVin Della and Michael Leapman Lucie Ledbetter ’08 Skye Lee Erika Krick and Nicholas Lehmann ’90 Sonja Lengnick

Molleen Theodore and Andrew Leonard Josh Levine Morgan and Zachary Levine Yang Zhang and Zhijin Li

Naomi Libby Samantha and Timothy Liston Anne Lu and JingAn Tang Kathy Lufler Kim Lupkin Lisa and Joseph MacDougald

Christina MacLean

Mona Gohara and Kiran Makam

Whitney Rogers Malkiel and Jonathan Malkiel ’87

Carole and Robert Mangels

Robert Mapstead

Melinda Papowitz and Gary Markowski

Laura and Zachary Martinez

Michelle and Charles Matouk

Kelonda Maull

Ginger Stevens May ’96 and Stephen May

Donna Rehm-McCabe and Mike McCabe

Melissa and Timothy McCormack

Michele and Jesse McCray

Timothy McFadden

Aurora Farewell and Santiago Mejia ’94

Lu Wu and Lingzhong Meng

Ying Luo and Mingchao Mi

Milazzo Family

Sandra Frawley and Perry Miller ’58

Anna McGaw-Mobarak and Ahmed Mobarak

Sherry and Steve Moffitt

Karen Orzack-Moore and Daniel Moore

Rachel Ebling and Edward Moran

Bonnie Moskowitz

Kiran Zaman and Sabooh Mubbashar

Duffy and Eric Mudry

Colleen and Michael Murphy

Eliza and Minor Myers

Cheryl and Geoffrey Nadzam

Jake Nadzam ’17

Lathika and Sree Nair

Theresa and Jonathan Nast ’94

Mary Tomayko and Kumar Navaratnam

Greta Nettleton ’72 and Rex Lalire

Jane Whittlesey North ’45 and A. Frederick North

Noah Nyhart ’14

Judy and Kevin O’Hare

Stephanie Figueroa O’Keefe and Patrick O’Keefe

Emily and Jeremy Oldfield

Kiara Clemons and Landon Osborn ’04

Brian Osterhout

Donna Ouchida

Diane Palmeri and Albert Rossini

Deborah Johnson and Joseph Paolillo

Katja Seim and John Parapatt

Kunyong Kim and Kyungseo Park

Zehra and Huned Patwa

Hilary Getman Pearson and Erik Pearson

Andrea and Michael Peed

Ann Baker Pepe and Gregory Pepe

Veronica Saurett and Pablo Perez Paola Pérez ’10

E. Anthony Petrelli ’53

Philp Family

Laurel and Keith Pisani

Marla Geha and Matthew Polly

Polly Prelinger ’72

Christina and Jason Price Josephine and Richard Queen Tyra and Jeffrey Rabel Kendra Raguckas

Ayesha Ramachandran and Marta Figlerowicz

Meredith Mira and William Rankin

Jennifer and Andrew Rapkin

Ann Regan

Karen and Brigg Reilley

William Ricketson

Debra Riding and Oliver Barton

Annette and Kurt Roberts

Sarah Blanton ’93 and Eamon Roche ’80

Bernadette Huang and Geert Rouwenhorst

Robert Sandine

Lily Schneider ’11

Jodi and Marc Schneider

Christina Ching-McGrath ’06 and Ethan Schoenherr

Abha Gupta and Stephen Scholand

Susan Schwarzwald

Sarah and Jamison Scott

Mariah Sage Seymour and Bruce Seymour Charlotte and Kameron Shahid

Marion Sharp

Chloe and Matthew Shaw

Amy and Colin Sheehan

Seunghee Ko and Jiwoong Shin

Kyuyeon and Jaehun Shin

Alexandra Shor and John Bianchi

Leah Sills

Bradley Simon

David Sklar

Brett Slater

Kelly and Benjamin Small

Leah and Alexander Smith

Meg McDowell Smith ’69 and Whit Smith

Roger Smith ’75

Brenda Carter and Adam Solomon

Lauren St. Germain

Karen and M. Dennis Stephens

Stone Family

Rebecca and Gordon Streeter

Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 and Jeff Sudmyer

Sarah Slattery and Tyrone Sullivan

Laurie and Andrew Sweet

Katherine and Mark Swift

Karen Wang and Christopher Teng

Denise and Don Terry

Karin Ouchida and Jack Thompson

Maryam Chohan and Kaiser Toosy

Lisa Farrel Totman ’56 and David Totman

Lynne and Ralph Valentine

Lizamarie Valle-Crespo

Alexander ’64 and Carol Vietor

Erika Villa

Taryn Villano ’83 and Philip Corso

Dawn and Scott Walsh

Annie Wareck ’85

Royanne and Eugene Weiss

Dory Welch

Talbot Welles ’81 and Thomas Mason

Andria and Moshay West

Rebekah and Alexander Westphal

Christine Ko and Peter Whang

Elizabeth and James Whitney Edward Whittemore

Barbara Rockenbach and Daniel Wilderman

Marisa Ferraro and Steffen Wilhelm

Portia Elmer MacDougall and Roderick Williams MacDougall

Robert Withers

Wenyan and Derek Witkowsky

John Witt

Alyssa Greenwald and Edward Wittenstein

Vicki and Andy Wittenstein

Alexandra and Mark Wittner

Carol Wittner and Howard Weiner Yolanda Ezekiel Woods ’70

Harriet Calhoun Wrenn ’43 and James Wrenn

Iris and Barry Wu

Yanbin Liu and Yang Yang

Liza Konnikova and Dean Yimlamai

Jennifer and Bernard Zielinski Shamila Zubairi and Asad Zoberi Amanda and Richard Zubek

8 th grade farewell gifts

Mamta and Yash Agarwal

Licella and Juan Sebastian Arboleda

Carrie and William Bergantino

Adriana Blanco and Richard Bernstein

Monique Rainford and Chester Bourne

Alison and Adam Cady

Magdalena and Carmine Capasso

Deborah Coen Sarah and Hugh Corley

Manmita Dutta and Rajdeep Das

Denise Quinn Dobratz and Erik Dobratz

Emily and Christopher Fasano Christine Wood and Alan Forman

Jennifer Griffiths

Sandra Dias and Frank Kowalonek

Molleen Theodore and Andrew Leonard

Laura Lovejoy ’84 and Stephen Randazzo

Katherine Campbell and Matthew Maleska

Yaira Matyakubova and Andrius Zlabys

Alexandra and Carlos Mena Hurtado

Lu Wu and Lingzhong Meng

Anna McGaw-Mobarak and Ahmed Mobarak

Krupa and Jignesh Modi

Kiran Zaman and Sabooh Mubbashar

Cheryl and Geoffrey Nadzam Emily and Ryan Oakes

Katja Seim and John Parapatt

Anoli Borad and Abhijit Patel

Christina and Jason Price

Abha Gupta and Stephen Scholand

Julie Paquette and Derek Steinbacher

Kelly Streeter

Irena Vaitkeviciute and Hossam Tantawy

Erica and Gordon Weiss

farewell gifts

Licella and Juan Sebastian Arboleda

George Aseme

Sarah Cussler and Jeffrey Brock

Nitza Diaz-Candelo and Edward Candelo

Theodore Cohen

Lisarely Mendez and James Del Rio

Tracy and Brian Earnshaw

Avery Grauer ’87 and Josh Watsky

Kerin Adelson and David Grodberg

Cara and Robert Hames

Jessica and John Illuzzi Tywanna Johnson

Camille and Jon Koff

Lissa Sugeng and Michael Krauss

Kathryn and Thomas Larsen

Pinxia Li

Melinda Papowitz and Gary Markowski

Melissa and Timothy McCormack

Emily Melnick and Matt McDermott

Rachel Ebling and Edward Moran

Duffy and Eric Mudry

Soenje Reiche and Kaivan Munshi

Walker Holmes and Justin Neuman

Alexandra Shor and John Bianchi

Liza Konnikova and Dean Yimlamai

honorary gifts

In Honor of Jody Abzug

Kim Bohen and Douglas James Lisa Buxbaum

Kelonda Maull

Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 and Jeff Sudmyer

In Honor Carrie Bergantino Lynne Banta and Javier Garcia Kiran Zaman and Sabooh Mubbashar

In Honor of Dean and Emily Brenner Daniel Cooney Daniel Courcey

In Honor of Andy Bromage Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Mademoiselle Jeannette Byers ’65 Timothy McFadden

In Honor of Amy Caplan ’88 and Amy Sudmyer ’89 Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Amy Caplan ’88 Kavitha Bindra

In Honor of Amy Caplan ’88, Colin Caplan ’94, Sophie Gangloff ’21, and Julien Gangloff ’21 Francine and Robert Caplan

In Honor of Joe Charles Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of John Climie Hilary Getman Pearson and Erik Pearson

In Honor of Mary Beth Claflin Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Aléwa Cooper Erica Corbin Noni Lopez

In Honor of Garrett Farrell ’09, Dylan Farrell ’11, Caitlin Farrell ’12, and Tagan Farrell ’17 Emily Peel

In Honor of The Foote School Class of ’60 Sandra and William Henning ’60

In Honor of The Foote School Faculty Stephanie Figueroa O’Keefe and Patrick O’Keefe

Preethi Varghese-Joseph and George Joseph Annie Wareck ’85

In Honor of The Foote School Lower School Teachers Pat Hames

In Honor of Sophie Gangloff ’21 and Julien Gangloff ’21 Amy Caplan ’88

In Honor of Silvia Gee Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Andres Emil Gonzalez Priscilla Meléndez and Aníbal González

In Honor of Cara Hames Pat Hames

In Honor of Molly Houston Jeannette Byers ’65

In Honor of Jeremy Irzyk ’14 Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Jordana Irzyk ’14 Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Jordana Irzyk ’14 and Jeremy Irzyk ’14 Rikki Abzug

In Honor of Margy Lamere and Denise Quinn Alison Moncrief Bromage and Andy Bromage

In Honor of Anne LaVin ’78 and Jen LaVin ’81 Peggy LaVin

In Honor of Beth Mello Hilary Getman Pearson and Erik Pearson

In Honor of Mike McCabe Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Michael Milburn Lynne Banta and Javier Garcia

In Honor of Roslyn Morrison Robert Saulsbury

In Honor of Anees Patwa ’14 and Siraj Patwa ’16 Zehra and Huned Patwa

In Honor of Hilary Pearson Tracy and Eric Hanson

In Honor of Frank Perrine William and Dorothy Osborne Cox

In Honor of Denise Quinn Kerin Adelson and David Grodberg

In Honor of Cindy Raymond and Julian Schlusberg Sandy Allison and Jim Horwitz

In Honor of Deb Riding Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Monisha Sachdev ’05 and Menaka Sachdev ’10 Usha Pasi and Subir Sachdev

In Honor of Bob Sandine Samuel McFarlane

In Honor of Julian Schlusberg, Debra Riding, Cindy Raymond, and Alison Moncrief Bromage Preethi Varghese-Joseph and George Joseph

In Honor of Julian Schlusberg Deborah Freedman and Ben Ledbetter Jerome Freedman Catherine Sbriglio

In Honor of Ashley Schnabel Alison and William Hinkle

In Honor of Amy Sudmyer ’89 and Jody Abzug Amy Caplan ’88

In Honor Amy Sudmyer ’89 and Mike McCabe Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Amy Sudmyer ’89 Ellen Bernstein

In Honor of Lisa Totman ’56 Lynne Banta and Javier Garcia

In Honor of Harry Welch ’42 Kristen and Barclay Welch ’74

In Honor of Toby Welch ’73 and Eliot Dickson Cheryl and Geoffrey Nadzam

In Honor of Betty Whitney and Judy Cuthbertson Sarah Clark and Gustav Spohn

In Honor of Ted Wittenstein and Alyssa Greenwald Vicki and Andy Wittenstein

In Honor of Alexandra Wittner Carol Wittner

In Memory of Serena Totman Bechtel ’84 Courtney Broadus ’84 Belinda Chen

Lisa Farrel Totman ’56 and David Totman Hilary Getman Pearson and Erik Pearson

In Memory of Jillian Bowman Josephine and Richard Queen

In Memory of Madame Brooks Elizabeth Holt ’79 Laura and Stephen Holt ’82

In Memory of Marion Candido Lynda and Peter Johnson Lynne and Ralph Valentine

In Memory of Anna Huntington Deming ’35 Christine Janis and John Deming ’66

In Memory of Lincoln Ezekiel Sr. and Lincoln Ezekiel Jr. Yolanda Ezekiel Woods ’70

In Memory of Jerome “Jerry” Garcia Elizabeth Holt ’79

In Memory of John Hare ’72 Sarah Drury ’72 and Deborah Sherman Polly Prelinger ’72

In Memory of Pamela K. Hull Anne and Gordon Armour

In Memory of the Grandparents of Jeremy Irzyk ’14 and Jordana Irzyk ’14 Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Memory of Dr. Albert D. Jenkins, Jr. Robin Jenkins ’82

In Memory of Saria Khera and Kailash Jaiswal Astha Chichra and Abhishek Jaiswal

In Memory of Hannah M. Lee ’08 Jodi and Marc Schneider Amy Sherman and John McCarthy J. Richard Lee and Amy Starensier

In Memory of Mary Mendenhall ’57 Rives Fowlkes Carroll ’57 and Richard Carroll

In Memory of Anton Pluecken Silvia Pluecken Gee and Richard Gee

In Memory of Eva Pluecken Silvia Pluecken Gee and Richard Gee

In Memory of Manuel Manny Rivera Sequella and Ronald Coleman Ronald Coleman ’04

In Memory of Phyllis Brown Sandine Robert Sandine Samuel McFarlane

In Memory of Milos Saccio ’83 Rochelle and David Kaminsky

In Memory of Jean Shelpler Meg McDowell Smith ’69 and Whit Smith

In Memory of Nancy Schpero Elissa Schpero ’92 and David Garlick

In Memory of Ora Kingsley Smith

Annie Clark Gretchen and Charles Kingsley Susan Schwarzwald

In Memory of Marian Spiro Elizabeth Holt ’79

In Memory of Betsy Welch Elizabeth Welch ’79 and Gary Peck Kristen and Barclay Welch ’74

centennial society

The Centennial Society recognizes the generosity of those who have chosen to remember The Foote School in their wills or through a charitable trust, gift annuity or life insurance plan.

Anonymous

George Atwood

Carole Broadus

Caren & Tom Carpenter

Suzanne Jackson Cartier ’52

Mary Beth & Robert Congdon

Carol Gordon ’53

Betsy & Leonard Grauer

John Holder ’76

Francie Irvine & Andrew McLaren

Sharon Lynn Kagan

Curly & Sandy Lieber

Melissa Matthes

Victoria & Stephen Murphy Robert Sandine Will Silvia ’66 Robert Wing ’53

gifts to endowed funds

Carol Maoz Endowed Fund Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

Joya Marks Endowment for Faculty Professional Development

Catherine Petraiuolo ’83

Ann Baker Pepe Endowed Fund for Financial Aid

Jay Angeletti

Donna and William Batsford Catherine Sbriglio

Centennial Endowment Fund

Edward Bailey ’96

Karena Bullock Bailey and Peter Bailey ’91 Kavitha Bindra

Stephanie and Elon Boms

Theodore Cohen

Anne Marie Boustani and Marcus Conti Eileen and Andy Eder

Sarah Eder Infantino

Jennifer and Alan Friedman

Anna and Bryan Garsten

Amira Gohara

Ngozi and Nkem Ikekpeazu

Roslyn and Jerome Meyer

Victoria and Stephen Murphy Jennifer and Andrew Rapkin Bernadette Huang and Geert Rouwenhorst Alexandra Shor and John Bianchi Stacey and Cutter Smith

Marshall and Margaret Wilmer Bartlett ’58 Family Foundation Endowed Technology Fund

Margaret Wilmer Bartlett ’58

Benevento Family Scholarship Fund John Benevento

Bershtein Family Endowed Fund Chay and Richard Bershtein

Jonathan Milikowsky ’98 Scholarship Fund Sharon and Daniel Milikowsky David Newton

Solimar Santiago Warner and S. André Warner ’98

Martha Brochin Endowed Fund

Joseph Camilleri

Penny Snow

Jonathan Milikowsky ’98 Technology Fund

Janet Madigan and Robert Harrity Sharon and Daniel Milikowsky

Orten L. Pengue, Jr. Scholarship Fund Katie and Jonathan De Vries Lynn Festa Catherine Sbriglio Julian Schlusberg

The Class of 1972 Scholarship Fund Sarah Drury ’72 and Deborah Sherman

The Fair-Oster Family Scholarship Fund Ray Fair and Sharon Oster* Stephen Fair ’97

Hannah Lee ’08 Memorial Fund Jennifer and Alan Friedman Amy Sherman and John McCarthy

Milos Saccio ’83 Fund Rochelle and David Kaminsky Penny Snow

Levin Endowed Fund for Library Materials Rebecca Levin ’00 Mary Murphy ’92

Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund Patience McDowell ’75

Phyllis Brown Sandine Memorial Scholarship Fund

Samuel McFarlane Anne Sa’adah ’69 and William Baldwin Marci Shore and Timothy Snyder

Pasi-Sachdev Family Fund Usha Pasi and Subir Sachdev

Jean Shepler Miller Endowed Fund

Elizabeth Prelinger ’68 and Stephen Messner Margaret Smith ’77

Margaret Brooks Endowed Fund Sandy and James Righter

Falco School Spirit Fund Catherine Sbriglio Max Sbriglio

Polly Fiddler Art Fund Catherine Sbriglio Max Sbriglio

Jay Cox Endowment for Financial Aid Catherine Sbriglio

Betsy Welch Scholarship Fund

Marci Shore and Timothy Snyder Kristen and Barclay Welch ’74 G. Harold Welch ’42

Francie Irvine and Mr. O Class of 1981 Scholarship Fund Todd Kelley ’81

Timothy and Mary P. Doukas Endowed Fund Pat and John Zandy

Anonymous (12)

Rikki Abzug

Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

Melinda Agsten

Myles and Nancy Alderman

Jeffrey and Morel Alexander

Mary Alsop

Laura and Victor Altshul

Basil and Susan Anton

Shirley Ariker

Walter and Diane Ariker

Joanne and Paul Bailey

William and Donna Batsford

Richard and Alice Baxter

Lisa Bazemore

The Reverend and Mrs. Richard E. Beattie

Megan and Warren Belt

Blake and Helen Bidwell

Willa Biewald

Kavitha Bindra

Geofrey and Mary Ann Bonenberger

Judith Brennan

Grace and Jay Bright

Ann Brillante

Richard and Cynthia Brodhead

Jermaine Brookshire Jr.

Lynn and Jay Brotman

Mary Jo Brownell

Sam and Elizabeth Burke

Mary Jane Burt

Carmen Canales

Amy Caplan

Francine Caplan

Adam Solomon and Brenda Carter

Sean Casey

Val and Patricia Chamberlain

Wick Chambers

Annette Charles

Henry Chauncey

Belinda Chen

Chris Chew

Annie Clark

David and Jean Clark

Paula Clark

Constance Clement

Kevin and Roxanne Coady

Ronald Coleman

Debra and David Cook

Dale Coudert

Dody and Jay Cox

Peter and Lucy Cox

John and Tina Cunningham

Hugh and Judy Cuthbertson

Deb Dale and Mike O’Keefe

Timothy Daniels

Katherine Darci

Lygia Davenport

Jennifer Davies

David Soper and Laura Davis

Joyee Deb

Lisa DeLima and Bobby Alter

Bill and Jane Dennett

Victoria DiSesa

John Donoghue and Rebecca Martin

Caryn Duffy

Eder Family

Susan Ehrenkranz

Ilona Emmerth

James England

Thomas and Kathleen Ennen

Ray Fair

Julian and Deborah Ferholt

Andrew and Polly Fiddler

Edith Flagg

Terry Flagg

Norman Fleming and Barbara Pearce

Ben Ledbetter and Deborah Freedman

Alan and Jennifer Friedman

William and Deborah Friedman

Jean Fulkerson

Cori Gabbard

Lynn and Richard Gabbard

Lani Gallagher

Susan Gallo

Lillian Garcia

Willis and Alexandra Gay

Frank and Mary Gerlach

Anthony Gioffre

Susan Gobel

Katharine Goodbody

Sara Gottesman

Charles and Maria Granquist

William Graustein

Carol Grave

Amy Graver

Steuart and Karen Gray

Cynthia Greenleaf

Carolyn Gruber

Kristin Harder

Debra Hauser

Saylor Heidmann

Jeffrey Hickey

Harald and Jenny Hille

Ruth Hoberman

John Leventhal and Beverly Hodgson

Glenn Levin and Alexandra Hokin

Dana Hokin

Lauren Hokin

Richard and Wendy Hokin

Stephen and Briane Horner

Klazinus Rouwenhorst and Bernadette Huang

Gregory Huber and Caitlin Simon

Roger Ibbotson

Francie Irvine and Andrew McLaren

Jeremy Irzyk

Jordana Irzyk

Kim Bohen and Douglas James Barbara Johnston

Thomas Eisen and Elizabeth Jonas

Joseph and Nancy Juliano

Dorian Kail

Melissa Kane

Jonathan and Susan Katz

Susan Keegan

John Ward and Kerri Kelshall-Ward

Brian Kim

Lilian King

George and Meghan Knight

Jon Koff and Camille Brown Koff

David and Deborah Laliberte

Nick and Jean Lamont

Patricia Langdon

Constance LaPalombara

Joseph LaPalombara

Ken Harvey and Bruce Meyers Daniel and Sharon Milikowsky Gail Mirza William and Julie Moore Diana Morehouse James and Marcia Morley

Nancy Moss-Racusin Sabooh Mubbashar and Kiran Zaman

Charlotte Murphy

Stephen and Victoria Murphy Geoffrey and Cheryl Nadzam Barry Nalebuff and Helen Kauder

Karen Nangle (Mrs. Robert C. Nangle)

Manu Nathan Dave and Liz Nowak

Wendy Noyes

Anne O’Connell

Jack and Karen O’Donnell

Jeremy and Roger Oberle Bob and Inge Osborne

Frances Padilla Christophe and Catherine Pamelard Aléwa Cooper and Markell Parker

James and Hannah Leckman

Richard and Kendall LeClerc Andrew Leonard and Molleen Theodore

Jeanne LeVasseur

James and Kirsten Levinsohn David and Elizabeth Lima David Linhart and Yaminette Diaz Linhart

Martin and Sylvia Lipnick Yollanda London

Henry Lord Christina and Kenneth MacLean

James and Kaye Maggart Kiran Makam and Mona Gohara

Bruce Mandell

Hugh and Nancy Manke

Cynthia Mann

Marc and Margaret Mann

Wendy Marans

Carol Marino

Maria Markham

Evan Marks

Cynthia Marshall Carol Martin

Michelle Matouk Kelonda Maull

Brian and Dalton McCurdy

Michael McGarry and Tracy Stone

Kathleen McIntosh

John and Karen McKenna

Sean McKenna

Divita Mehta

Carol Merriman

Roslyn and Jerome Meyer

Tim Parrish Brian Patrican Gregory Pepe and Ann Baker Pepe Leah Pepe Jaime Perri Frank and Laura Perrine John Pescatore and Anne Martin Roy Pfeil and Topsy Post

Steven Podos and Judith Chevalier Wesley and Carol Poling Carolyn Post

David and Mindy Pritchard Douglas Rae and Ellen Shuman Kevin Reish

Deborah Rhoads Barry and Joan Richter Bill Riley and Susan Forster Stephen and Mary Rinaldi Manuel Rivera and Rebecca Good Eamon Roche and Sarah Blanton Jim Rogers and Jayne Geiger David Rosen Carol Ross

Jonathan and Piper Rothschild Robert Sandine Lewis G. Schaeneman, III Ted and Debra Schaffer Schleifer Family Len and Harriet Schleifer

Paul Schwaber and Rosemary Balsam Jimmy and Barbara Segaloff Michael Schaffer and Barbara Shaffer Salamatu Shardow John Shaw Susan Shaw

Colin and Amy Sheehan

Michael Shwartz and Pam Goodman

Cathy Siebyl

Dylan Sielert

Kelly Sielert

Valerie Sielert

William Sielert

Gregory and Teresa Simmons

Cornelia Small

Erik Smelser

Alexis Smith

Morgan Smith

Stephanie Smith

Joan Sokotch

Alan and Margie Starensier

J. Richard Lee and Amy Starensier

Leonard and Barbara Stern

Virginia Stevens May A. Douglas Stone

Donald Margulies and Lynn Street

Thomas and Phoebe Styron

Jeffrey and Amy Sudmyer

Michael Sullivan

Timothy and Amber Swensen

Tayler Thorpe

Jennifer Tobin Haydock

Kerry Triffin

Ralph and Lynne Valentine

Frank and Cathy Vellaccio

John Cobb and Leslie Virostek

Paul Virostek and Family Charles and Dinny Wakerley Scott and Dawn Walsh

John Carlson and Zenta Walther

Barbara Wareck

Armistead Webster Bonnie Welch

G. Harold Welch

Lynda and Brian West Sandy and Dick Whelan

Brian White and Susan Osborne White James and Elizabeth Whitney

John and Virginia Wilkinson Stephen and Rachel Wizner

Annie Woodhull

John and Pat Zandy Zaret Family

Fredrik and Heather Zetterberg Benjamin Zuckerman

In Honor of Jody Abzug

Tracy Heilman

In Honor of Laura Altshul

Anonymous (2)

Jeffrey and Morel Alexander

Ben Allison

Jonathan Altshul

Stephen Altshul Foundation

Nick Appleby and Bethany Schowalter

Appleby

Walter and Diane Ariker

Grace and Jay Bright

John and Deborah Carpenter Darren Clark Dody and Jay Cox Bill and Jane Dennett

Donald Draper Andy and Eileen Eder Massimo Calabresi and Margaret Emery Thomas Fontana

The Foote School

Bryan and Anna Garsten Gordon and Shelley Geballe Perry Grossman

John Leventhal and Beverly Hodgson Stephen and Laura Holt Kim Bohen and Douglas James Robin Jenkins

Catherine Laing

Govornor Ned Lamont and Annie Lamont

Nick and Jean Lamont Richard and Jane Levin

Lauri Lowell

Christina and Kenneth MacLean Rick and Gwendolyn Magnan Marc and Margaret Mann

Emmanuel and Kelly Manuelidis Alexandra Moellmann Geoffrey and Cheryl Nadzam

Daniel Noble Frank and Laura Perrine Douglas Rae and Ellen Shuman Barry and Joan Richter

Denis Roche Roslyn and Jerome Meyer Clark Thompson David and Lisa Totman Charles and Dinny Wakerley Clinton and Shenita White Loli Wu Richard Wurtzel

In Honor of Laura Altshul and Kelonda Maull Dody and Jay Cox Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

In Honor of Ann Baker Pepe

Ralph Villanova and Mary-Kate Gill

In Honor of Kim Bohen

Anthony Carroll and Mary Cullen Sara Gottesman

In Honor of Kossouth Bradford Nikhil and Pritha Mittal

In Honor of Dody Cox

Joann Guay Jonathan and Piper Rothschild

In Honor of Dody and Jay Cox Joe and Cindy Goldberg

In Honor of Francie Irvine Molly LeVan Christina and Kenneth MacLean

In Honor of Michael Kaplan David and Lisa Totman

In Honor of Christina MacLean Laura and Victor Altshul Glenn Levin and Alexandra Hokin

In Honor of Kiran Makam’s Birthday Kiran Makam and Mona Gohara

In Honor of Elissa Matthews Maria Canales

In Honor of Sue Shaw Amy Caplan

In Honor of Wick Chambers Constance Clement Christina and Kenneth MacLean

In Honor of all Horizons at Foote Teachers Jody Abzug and Jim Irzyk

Endowed Funds

In the early 1980s, the Board’s Finance Committee recommended the purchase of zero coupon bonds as a strategy to create the school’s endowment. It was an important decision for the school: When the last of the zero coupon bonds matured in 2003, the initial investment of $310,000 had returned $1.6 million. Foote’s endowment now stands at $21 million. A distribution is made annually from interest earned on invested funds.

unrestricted endowment

Bershtein Family Endowed Fund established in 2016, and named in 2020, as part of Secure Foote Future: the Centennial Campaign by Foote parents Chay and Richard Bershtein in honor of their five children.

Bob and Mary Beth Congdon Centennial Endowment Fund —established in 2017 in honor of Foote’s Centennial. Proceeds are used at the discretion of the school’s Board of Directors.

Class of 1968 50th Reunion Endowed Fund —established in 2018 by the Class of 1968 in honor of their 50th reunion. Proceeds are used at the discretion of the school’s Board of Directors to support the school’s mission.

S. Prescott Bush Clement Endowed Fund established in 2007 in honor of S. Prescott Bush Clement ’35. Proceeds are used at the discretion of the school’s Board of Directors.

endowment for campus & facilities

Jay Cox Endowment for PPRRSM established in 2017 to recognize Jay Cox’s dedication to maintaining and developing The Foote School campus and facilities during his three decades as Business Manager.

endowment for curriculum enrichment

Friends of Foote Theater Endowment established in 2002 by David and Deborah Moore to fund costs associated with the outstanding drama program.

Jean Shepler Miller Music Fund established in 2009 by alumni who studied music with Mrs. Shepler during her long career at Foote (1953–1991), to provide support for the school’s Music Department.

Jonathan Milikowsky Memorial Technology Fund —created by classmates, family and friends in memory of Jonathan Milikowsky ’98 to provide annual support to the Technology Department, particularly for new technology and innovative uses of technology.

Kindergarten and Mixed Age Group Programs Fund —established by the parents of Foote students Aya and Hadi Abu-Alfa in 2010 to support and enrich the Kindergarten and Mixed Age Group programs.

Levin Fund —established by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Levin to fund the purchase of books and materials to enrich and extend the collection of the Frank M. Perrine Library.

Library Endowment —gifts to endowment for support of the Frank M. Perrine Library.

Margaret Brooks Endowed Fund —established in 2010 in memory of Madame Brooks, French teacher at Foote and parent of Preston ’79, Kate ’82 and Nat ’87, to support the school’s Modern Language Department.

Marian W. Spiro Fund for Science Enrichment —established in honor of Marian Spiro, science teacher at Foote (1970–1989), to enrich and enhance the school’s science programs.

Marshall Bartlett and Margaret Wilmer Bartlett ’58 Family Foundation Endowed Technology Fund —established in 2017 with gifts to provide ongoing annual support for technology needs.

Martha Brochin Endowed Fund for Library Books —established in 2004 in memory of Martha Brochin, a Foote School parent and much-loved pediatrician.

Polly Fiddler Art Fund —established by parents and former students in recognition of Polly Fiddler’s outstanding work as an art teacher at Foote for more than three decades (1978–2009), to support the school’s studio art program.

Joya Marks Endowment for Professional Development —created in 2001, and in 2007 named in honor of Joya Marks, Lower School Head (1993–2007), to provide support for professional development opportunities to enrich the lives and work of Foote School teachers.

Violet Talbot Endowed Fund —established by parents and faculty in honor of Kindergarten teacher Violet Talbot at the time of her retirement in 2001 to provide support for teacher training and for financial aid for children of color.

endowment for financial aid

Anne Schroeder Vroman Scholarship Fund —created in 2006 by Barent Vroman in memory of his wife, a member of the class of 1946.

Benevento Family Scholarship —established in 1987 by the Benevento Family.

Stephen Binder ’78 Scholarship Fund established in 2017 with a specific focus on support for students from the city of New Haven.

Bohen-James Endowed Fund for Financial Aid —established by Foote parents Kim Bohen and Doug James, who served on the Foote Board for a decade.

Carol Maoz Endowed Fund for Financial Aid —established in 2020 in honor of Carol’s Maoz’s long commitment to increasing financial aid and diversity at Foote School over her 11-year tenure as Head of School.

Carolyn Foundation Endowment established by generous gifts from The Carolyn Foundation in 1989 and 1998, this fund has grown to over a quarter-million dollars, providing significant annual funding for financial aid for children of color from New Haven.

Celentano Scholarship Fund —created to recognize the many contributions of Freddie Celentano, who worked at Foote as a member of the maintenance staff (1963–1977).

Class of 1972 Scholarship Fund established in 2015 in memory of John Hare ’72 (1958–2015).

endowment for faculty professional development

Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund established in 2016 by members of the Class of 1975 to mark Foote’s centennial year.

Fair-Oster Family Scholarship Fund established in 2018 by Foote parents Ray Fair and Sharon Oster and their three children— Stephen Fair ’97, Emily Oster ’95 and John Oster ’00—in gratitude for their rewarding and meaningful experiences at the school.

Frank M. Perrine Scholarship Fund established in 1991 in recognition of Frank Perrine’s many contributions to Foote as Headmaster (1967–1992).

Frederick L. Holborn Scholarship Fund established in 2018 by Hanna Holborn Gray ’43 in memory of her brother, Frederick L. Holborn ’41, a professor of American foreign policy.

Gene J. Takahashi Scholarship Fund created in 2010 by Dean Takahashi and Wendy Sharp, Kerry Takahashi ’07 and Kai Takahashi ’09 in honor of Dean’s father.

Hannah Lee Memorial Endowed Fund established in memory of Hannah Lee ’08 (1993–2004), this fund provides annual support for the school’s financial aid program.

Janis Cooley-Jacobs Scholarship Fund established in 1999 after the death of Foote parent and pediatrician Janis Cooley-Jacobs.

Jay Cox Endowment for Financial Aid established in 2017 in recognition of Jay Cox’s 35-year service to The Foote School as Business Manager and teacher and his dedication and leadership in building a strong financial aid program.

Jean and Edward Kirby Endowed Fund established in 2013 by their son, John T. Kirby ’69, in recognition of their love of the school and the central role it played for three generations of the Kirby family.

Jean G. Lamont Endowed Scholarship Fund —established in 2004 in recognition of Jean Lamont’s commitment to diversity and a strong financial aid program during her tenure as Head of School (1992–2004).

Jonathan Milikowsky Scholarship Fund established in 2007 in memory of Jonathan Milikowsky ’98 by his parents, Sharon and Daniel Milikowsky, brother Matthew ’95 and sister Jennifer ’02, the fund provides financial aid for a student in grades 6–9 who demonstrates intellectual curiosity, cheerful engagement with classmates and teachers, kindness, optimism and appreciation and respect for others.

LaViola Family Scholarship Fund established by Philomena and John LaViola in honor of their grandchildren, Alexandra LaViola ’06 and John LaViola ’09.

Mandell Family Summer Sabbatical Program —established in 2017 in honor of Madison ’15 and Isabella ’18 to support summer sabbaticals for Foote’s outstanding teachers.

Margaret Hitchcock Fund —established in memory of Margaret Ballou Hitchcock, Foote English teacher and head of the Upper School (1931–1957).

Martha Babcock Foote Fund —established in memory of the founder and first Headmistress (1916–1935).

Orten L. Pengue Jr. Scholarship Fund created in 2008 by parents and students in honor of Ort Pengue’s many contributions to Foote’s theater program.

Pasi-Sachdev Family Fund —created in 2005 by the Pasi-Sachdev family to reflect their deep appreciation of the Foote School community.

Ann Baker Pepe Endowed Fund for Financial Aid —established in 2018 to honor Ann Baker Pepe’s dedication to the Foote School community over 20 years as Director of Development and Alumni Programs and her steadfast commitment to increasing diversity and strengthening the school’s financial aid program.

Phyllis Brown Sandine Memorial Scholarship Fund —established in 2002 by ISIS (InnerCity Scholarships for Independent Schools) in honor of Mrs. Sandine, a Foote parent and longtime friend of the school and an advocate for early childhood education. The fund provides financial aid specifically for New Haven children enrolled at Foote.

Simone Brown Fund —established in memory of Simone Brown, Class of 1981, following her death in 1983.

The Betsy Welch Endowed Scholarship Fund —established in 2015 to honor Betsy Welch’s commitment as Director of Admissions (1976–1993) to enrolling students from a broad range of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Timothy and Mary P. Doukas Fund established in 1997 by Mr. and Mrs. John Zandy in memory of Mrs. Zandy’s parents.

Vlock Family Endowed Fund —established in 2018 by alum Ted Vlock ’13 in honor of his family.

endowment for learning support

Milos Saccio Fund —established in memory of Milos Saccio ’83 (1967–1979), who was a 6th grader at Foote at the time of his death, to provide annual learning support with the intention of helping children reach their full potential.

restricted funds

The school also appreciates and relies upon the support provided by Restricted Funds. These funds are not endowed—the principal is spent as needed over the years.

Classical Book Fund —established in 1996 to honor Latin teacher Carol Ross and used annually to provide library and classroom resources to enrich the study of classical Greece and Rome.

Falco School Spirit Fund —established in 2009 to fund campus activities and build a sense of community.

Friends of Foote Theater Fund —established in 2002, to provide support for expanded opportunities in educational theater made possible by the construction of the Robert D. Sandine black box theater.

Fund for Community Outreach established in 2012 to provide funding for meaningful community outreach programs offered at Foote in support of the greater New Haven community.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS Fall sports finished strong this year! Read all about the season at footeschool.org/athletics.

A Conversation with Bob Sandine and Ruth Ozeki (Lounsbury) ’70

RUTH OZEKI ’70 IS A NOVELIST, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the award-winning author of My Year of Meats , All Over Creation and A Tale for the Time Being, which was a finalist for the 2013 Booker Prize and has been translated into 28 languages. Her most recent novel, The Book of Form and Emptiness , was published in September 2021. Bob Sandine was assistant headmaster and teacher from 1965 to 2000.

Earlier this year, Foote Prints sat down with Bob and Ruth to reminisce about their time together at Foote. Their conversation was filled with mutual love, respect, admiration, joy, and a clear gratitude for each other’s presence in their lives. We covered topics from the Sword Dance on May Day, the 1970 trial of Bobby Seale in New Haven, and the shared belief that Aslan the Lion’s voice sounds just like Bob’s. In addition to a love of Foote School, Bob and Ruth share a deep commitment to spiritual practices and a conviction in the superiority of the fountain pen. Our conversation has been abridged on the next page.

Found Poetry

RUTH: I was indulging in the pleasure of reminiscing and I was thinking about early writing, so of course I started to think about Foote and I suddenly remembered a writing assignment from you, Bob: you had asked us to write a poem. I don’t remember what the conditions were, but it was that we were to write a poem. Jane Prelinger ’70 and I were in the library and we were kind of lying on the floor in the stacks. We were just hanging out and talking and we were worrying about this assignment. I remember thinking that I don’t know how to write a poem—like how do you write a poem? Because we were lying on our sides, we were looking at the books in the stacks sideways. So we started to read the titles of the books out loud and then we started writing them down as we were reading them, and basically we both constructed found poems, even though we didn’t know the term.

BOB: Of course you shaped them, found poems!

RUTH: Jane and I turned in our poems with enormous trepidation because we hadn’t heard of found poetry. You gave us so much latitude, but we were afraid that you would recognize these titles and would think we were plagiarizing. We thought that we had done something incredibly clever, but also that was somehow wrong. But we were really excited by that and we turned them in and you never called us out on it. I think we felt that we had really discovered something about what it was to be a writer, which is that you steal things.

BOB: Shakespeare did it all the time.

RUTH: Exactly. You steal things and you just hope that you get away with it. This was a very important moment, because I’m kind of joking about stealing things, but I’ll never forget the excitement of watching two disparate elements crash into each other and come together to make something really powerful. It was the power of juxtaposition and also randomness. There was something kind of random about reading these titles and these elements kind of constellated into something that was bigger than any of the individual parts had been. That was really one of the most important things that I think I’ve ever learned about writing.

BOB: One of the great things about teaching at Foote School is how much I learned from my students!

How did you end up at Foote School?

RUTH: I was there in pre-kindergarten, on Saint Ronan Street and then we moved up to up the hill to the new buildings (on Loomis Place). I went to the Gesell Institute before Foote. I just forgot about this until this minute, but I have documents here from 1960: “Dear Mr. & Mrs. Lounsbury, I am pleased to report that your daughter Ruth can be admitted into our pre-kindergarten group next year. If you accept this place for your child, would you be good enough to inform us in writing by Friday, April 8th? By doing so you will officially enroll her in Foote School. Unlike many private schools, we do not require a spring deposit to hold a place for your child. However, because you are new parents, I wish to point out to you that once your child is enrolled, you are liable for the full year’s tuition. Sincerely, Mrs. Churchill, Headmistress.”

BOB: I walked in one day in 1965 to see if I could get a tour of the school and got hired on the spot and stayed there for 35 years. Mrs. Churchill needed somebody and the first two years I was only part-time in the mornings and still was one of the chaplains at Yale in the afternoons and the evenings. But when Frank Perrine became Headmaster, he sized me up as somebody he wanted to be part of his long-term. I was having so much more fun with Foote School students than I was with Yalies so I was glad to sign on and to work full time with Frank and we stayed there forever.

Spiritual Journey

RUTH: I’m a Zen Buddhist priest. I was ordained in 2010. My Japanese grandparents were Buddhist, so even though I wasn’t raised with any kind of religious practices or training at all, the first memory I have as a little person is of seeing my Japanese grandfather meditating, so I think in some way I knew about meditation. It was the ’60s after all and the Beatles were meditating, everybody was meditating. I was initiated into transcendental meditation when I was 14. I was just interested in it all the time. It was just in the air.

BOB: I was ordained as a Christian minister in 1963 and my spiritual journey is pretty simple. I had the most wonderful parents and grandparents in the world, and I didn’t know until I went to college that not everybody adored their parents. I went to college and everybody was blaming everything on their parents. So I was one of the rare people on this planet who grew up knowing deep in my heart that my mother and my father and Jesus loved me, and that was the beginning of my spiritual journey. I was very active in the church even as a youngster. I was raised in Chicago as a Swedish Lutheran and then we moved to a small town with only two churches: Catholic and Methodist. My family got

involved in the Methodist church and I helped resurrect the youth group and eventually got a full scholarship to go to a Methodist college, DePaul University in Chicago, where I studied theater and philosophy. The philosophy department at DePaul was all from Yale, which is the reason I eventually came out and studied at Yale. The DePaul chaplain did all kinds of wonderful things, including getting us to spend two weeks in the spring of 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia. On that two-week trip, I fell in love with Phyllis (my late wife), but also spent 10 days in a seminar with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A seminar of 12 people with Martin Luther King Jr.! It was unbelievable. Changed my life. That’s part of the reason I eventually came to New Haven; because of the civil rights movement and Bill Coffin and the Yale Divinity School. A lot of people were very active in the civil rights movement at the Divinity School.

Saving Bob’s Life

BOB: You saved my life by convincing me to quit smoking. You challenged me to stop smoking for a month and offered dinner at my favorite restaurant as a reward. I threw out my cigarettes and haven’t smoked a day since.

RUTH: It wasn’t just me. It was Abby Lipson ’70 and Jane Prelinger ’70 as well. We were so righteous at that age.

BOB: You were, but you also did it because you loved me and I loved you.

RUTH: Kids love you, of course we still do. But we just couldn’t believe that Bob was going to smoke and ruin his health and we were determined to do one thing. We were going to save his life.

Becoming a Writer

RUTH: I knew I wanted to be a writer. I think that was clear to me early on. (At Foote PreK, which was) down on Saint Ronan Street I had Mrs. Thompson-Allen and her daughter, Natalie Thompson Allen, and they were my teachers in the early years. We had Mrs. ThompsonAllen in first and second grade and she taught us to write, and we were taught to write in italics. We first were given pencils to learn how to write our letters. They were these stubby pencils with a kind of broad lead and there was a special kind of grid paper that we used. We were taught to write upright italic letters. Then in the third grade we were given our first fountain pens, and these were italic, broad nib fountain pens with little levers that you filled. That was the first time we were allowed to write with ink and this was such a big deal. All through the first grade and second grade, we would admire the third graders because they had pens. We would all talk about what color fountain pen we would choose! We could choose the color of the barrel, not the color of the ink. This was the conversation: “What color fountain pen are you going to get? Are you going to get a red one or a blue one?” I think there were three choices; a red one, a blue one, a green one. We spent all first and second grade fixated on this. So the act of writing was something with almost a ritual quality to it. It was so special. It was really, really special, and I think that my love of writing goes back to that early time because there was something magical and special and ritualistic about the act of writing. It was not something that you did casually, you did it with real mindfulness and you were aware of the power.

Ruth Ozeki, front row, second from left, with her 3rd-grade class at Foote.

BOB: It was also beautiful to look at. I think I still have one of those pens in a box somewhere.

RUTH: I’m sure I do. The other problem of course is that I now, and ever since then, have had kind of an obsession with fountain pens and stationery. I still use fountain pens because they’re magical.

BOB: I learned as a philosophy major in college, that if you use a ballpoint pen on a three-hour philosophy exam, your hand ends up being so cramped that you can’t move. When you use a fountain pen, your hand doesn’t get tired. That’s where I became committed to fountain pens.

Becoming a Reader

RUTH: We were read to all the time (at Foote). In terms of books that I remember, they’re just so many. I remember the Narnia tales. I remember Charlotte’s Web. I especially loved books about writers and Charlotte’s Web is a book about writing. We think it’s a book about a little girl and a pig and a spider, but it’s a book about writing. It’s a book about writing because Charlotte is a writer.

BOB: Choosing words very carefully.

RUTH: Some pig.

BOB: Some pig. I used to read that to the kindergarten and we would all cry. We would all cry together.

RUTH: I reread it recently and I was sobbing at the end.

A Name

RUTH: Ozeki is a pen name. It actually belongs to an ex-boyfriend and I liked his name better than I liked him. We broke up and years later I needed a name that was short. I was casting a production that required Asian American actors and I was still going under the name Lounsbury at the time. It is very hard to say that name in Japanese. I was spending more time in Japan and I would call these Asian American theater groups and have to explain that my name is Ruth Lounsbury and I’m half Japanese. There was this whole kind of apparatus that had to be included in these phone calls. I just decided since so many Japanese people and Americans could not say my name, or understand my ethnic and racial background, that I would use another name. I would just choose a name and Ozeki is good; it’s short and easy to remember. It’s kind of perky. I never meant it to stick. I did not ever mean for it to be more than something I did for a short period. It just became too inconvenient not to have a Japanese name. My mother’s last name is Yokoyama which is harder for Americans. My Japanese grandfather had three or four names. He had a Haku name, he had a Zen name, he had an adopted name, and then he had a birth name. So this was something that was done, you just choose another name.

Life Lessons

RUTH: Foote School is amazing. When I allow my mind to float back there, it’s just flooded with wonderful memories.

BOB: Wonderful for a teacher too. It’s a place where children love to learn. Just like being in heaven.

RUTH: One of the things that was so amazing about Foote for me was that from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, with the exception of my second grade year when my dad was on sabbatical and we were in California, I was in this one place. It was small and it was intimate. I had this sense of knowing everyone and being known and that gave me a really solid grounding. I knew where I came from, and being at Foote where I could experiment, I could do anything; I could ask questions, I could try things. Nothing was really off limits. There was a kind of freedom there, but it was safe. It was grounded. I think that was absolutely essential in terms of my life and my growing up, and my confidence to try things like writing a first novel, which is scary, but I had written plays in 8th grade and then produced them. I had made significant changes by spearheading the move to a different Christmas play. I remember being in Bob’s class and discussing what was going on in downtown New Haven (the 1970 trial of Bobby Seale) and with race in America. I remember too early environmental concerns that started at Foote as well. We were introduced to the world in a way that made us feel like we could participate in it. And I think that was huge. Another one of those life lessons that we learned just by being in the same room with Bob (was) that this kind of exploration was OK. It was not only OK but that’s what we were here on earth to do. We were here to quest, to ask questions and to have these kinds of discussions.

Bob Sandine was Assistant Headmaster and teacher from 1965–2000.

Alumni Weekend

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2022 welcomed Foote alumni back to campus on May 6 & 7, for the first time in two years! The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a gathering at 116 Crown. Over 30 alums and some former faculty enjoyed happy hour cocktails, appetizers, and especially the mingling!

On Saturday, alumni from the Class of 1946 to 2021 started the morning with coffee and pastries in the Perrine Library followed by an informal tour of campus. Alums learned about how Foote evolved over the years and reminisced about their time at the school. Lunch was enjoyed in the Hosley Gym where Head of School ALÉWA COOPER welcomed the crowd and provided a brief overview of the year, her second at Foote. Former faculty member and alumna JENNY BYERS ’65 introduced the 2022 Alumni Achievement Award recipient CAITLIN CAHOW ’00 highlighting her Olympic medal-winning ice hockey career, LGBTQ advocacy, and legal career.

In her acceptance speech, Caitlin credited Foote for her tenacity, ability to embrace differences in others, and perseverance. Following Caitlin’s inspiring and passionate speech, alums joined an open Alumni Council meeting followed by a performance of the 7th and 8th Grade play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream . As always it was wonderful to have alumni back on campus and reconnect, and make new friends and acquaintances among the different classes!

Alumni Achievement Award winner Caitlin Cahow ’00 at Alumni Weekend in May.

Class Notes

Please note that we report news about Foote alumni, as well as their passings, as we become aware of them.

1936

Was anyone in Santa Barbara during July 2022? If you were and saw Florence (FiFi) Russell’s exhibit, “Watercolor Travels with Florence Russell,” celebrating her 100th birthday, please let us know. Congratulations to you, FiFi, on your exhibit and recent birthday celebration!

1937

Eugenia Lovett West sent a note to Foote that she is nearly 100, still writing and still publishing! We are so happy to hear about Eugenia and her continued vitality.

—Tiffany MacKinnel ’08

We’d love to hear from you!

Please contact your class correspondent or Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org to share news about you and your classmates, or visit www.footeschool.org/alumni.

1938

We are saddened to report P. Linwood Urban Jr., a Swarthmore Professor Emeritus of Religion, died in January 2021 from complications of Parkinson’s disease at the age of 96. Linwood served on the faculty of Swarthmore College for 32 years and was founding architect of the college’s Religion Department, where he was known for his graceful and welcoming spirit. While a member of the faculty of Swarthmore, Lin and his wife Nancy would generously open their home to an annual department picnic which many of his colleagues believed engendered the department with a sense of family. Lin was described by colleagues as a quintessential teacher and scholar, and enthusiastic in his commitment to the education of his students. We extend our sincere condolences to his family.

1942

We recently learned that David Hitchcock Jr. passed away on September 4, 2022 at age 94. His niece, and past Foote parent Anne Williamson, wrote that her uncle graduated in 1942. David’s mother, Margaret Ballou Hitchcock—known as “Hitchy”—was a legendary English teacher at Foote School from 1931–1957. The Hitchcock Prize was named in her memory. According to Anne, her son Rob Williamson ’11, attended Foote in part because of her Uncle Dave and the love of Foote School that he conveyed.

David was a very accomplished man who worked for the U.S. government and spent many years living abroad in Japan and then Israel. Even with a lifetime of travel David managed to stay in touch with many of his Foote classmates throughout his life. Five of David’s Foote classmates attended his 80th birthday party, a testament to David and continued connection to the Foote community.

1944

Tim LaFarge wrote that he is happily retired and enjoying life in northern California. Had another wonderful birthday celebration again this year — 92 years young!!

1945 Class Correspondent: John Gardner jhgardner@earthlink.net

1948

Gay Spykman Harter wrote, “We are happy residents of the Evergreen Woods Community in North Branford along with Annie Clark!”

“I am currently working at the Foote School Health Office as a school nurse while my daughter, Summer, starts her second year at the Foote School in grade two!”

Jennifer Griswold Hillhouse ’46 at Alumni Weekend

1950

Class Correspondent: Mary Pigott Johnsen jlmpjohnsen@west-point.org

1951

We are sad to report that Emily Mendillo Wood passed away on July 2, 2022. We express our sympathy to her family, daughter Leila Wood Stuhr ’82, niece Kristen Mendillo ’83, nephew Stephen Tag Mendillo ’80, and as well as brothers James Mendillo ’59 and Stephen Mendillo ’54.

1952

Class Correspondent: Harald Hille harald.hille@gmail.com

1953

Class Correspondent: Robert Wing wing.1@osu.edu

Class Correspondent Bob Wing wanted to remind his class that this spring marks their 70th Reunion Year. Foote School looks forward to welcoming the class back to celebrate.

Sarah Willard Penegar wrote that she moved her office home but continues to work. Sarah also wonders if Bob Wing is feeling over the moon with the launch of the new Webb Telescope and its epic scientific mission.

1954

The Class of 1959 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org.

1955

Class Correspondents: Nawrie Meigs-Brown grannyn13@gmail.com

Lee Dunham wlhdunham@gmail.com

1956

Class Correspondent: Will Amatruda willtam88@hotmail.com

1957

Class Correspondent: Kevin Geenty kevin@geentygroup.com

Carol Miller Rand wrote that she recently spent a week in Vermont and a week in Maine with family, along with Zoom calls in between. Carol also sold her house in San Miguel de Allende and attended the Bat Mitzvah of Rives Fowlkes Carroll’s granddaughter. Rives is Carol’s sister and fellow class of 1957 alumna.

1958

Class Correspondent: Barry Stratton barrystratton@yahoo.com

1959

The Class of 1959 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org

1960

Class Correspondent: Happy Clement Spongberg happyspongberg@earthlink.net

Happy Clement Spongberg unexpectedly met up with P. K. McClelland one Sunday in July at a farmer’s market in Marcy Field in Keene, N.Y., which they described as “Very fun!”

1961

The Class of 1961 needs a class correspondent. Many thanks to Muffie Clement Green for volunteering in Foote’s Anna Huntington Deming ’35 Archives and supporting the Foote community. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org.

1962

Class Correspondent: Donald O. Ross doross48@gmail.com

Don Ross sent the following update on the Class of ’62: “This past May at Alumni Day, several of us gathered on Loomis Place

for our 60th to hear about changes going on at Foote, share tall tales, and enjoy the campus. Later was dinner at Cecie’s after watching the Kentucky Derby with mint juleps. On-hand that day was Ellen Hooker, Wick Chambers, Debbie Abbott, Cecie Clement and me. Great fun. Several lastminute no shows as a result of COVID and travel delays.”

Debbie Abbott wrote that she and her husband Tony travel to California and Colorado to help out with grandchildren— still camping in a tent with their Portuguese Water Dog, traveling back and forth to Denver. She is continuing to work part-time as a psychologist in Guilford, while Tony is fully retired. Lots of time for reading, gardening, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and making jams and salsas when not with family. She and her husband are also overseeing properties from a farm to a camp to another farm in Pomfret, CT, New Harbor, ME, and Hancock, IA, respectively… so they are never bored!

Amos Galpin wrote: “I have continued to play as much ice hockey as I can, with a little bike riding, and a little hiking mixed in. I continue to paint watercolor with my painting group from Seattle. I just picked up my guitar again so that I could play with my long-time bandmates here in Seattle. I gave all the studio gear to my engineer, who still operates a studio in Hailey. So I just bought a simple playback system with a tiny mixer so I can relearn my own songs, keyboard parts, guitar, and lyrics. I’m looking forward to our (Andover) reunion to play the old songs. I have the poster of the Ha’pennys in a frame all these years later. What a band! A climbing guide friend of mine was just here to visit, so we are suddenly fantasizing about the Rainbow Traverse at Smith Rock, or, probably, a closer climb. I need to get fit for that. He’s also invited me to climb Baker with a couple of guys with no experience, and I might join him. He describes it as a long day at a very moderate angle, a single day effort with minimal gear, 7500 feet. Yikes. Anyone done such a thing? If I manage that, I will have real news.”

From Sam Howe: “I am dug in here in Holderness, N.H., with Julie and two dogs, and intermittently with son Carter, who shows up from Brooklyn, N.Y.—delightfully but always unannounced—and life here is still grand. As medical news of course is

primary to our age group: I had a shower stroke in early February, which I seem to have nearly recovered from. Word retrieval and my erudite contributions to a conversation sometimes die prematurely, but otherwise I’m still chugging along and keeping up. No COVID attacks yet upon either of us. Happily cruising around on an ebike and pedal kayak. I would love to hear from anyone heading north through N.H. or through Portland, ME, where we often retreat when the extended family becomes too thick on Squam Lake in summers. Stay robust and hopeful!”

Jessica Rostow spent some time not too far from Sam—in Peru, VT, with kids and grandkids.

Tom Sturgess wrote: “I looked forward to sharing this story this past spring at our 60th, but, alas, I had a COVID-related travel delay in Switzerland for three days, causing me to miss my much-anticipated reunion with all of you. Having done an exhaustive Google search, I took the risk of showing up, unannounced, at the home of a former classmate I hadn’t seen in almost 60 years. Not just any classmate, the one who adorned my books with her initials: SG. We spent about 20 minutes on her front porch, bringing each other up-to-date on grandchildren, children, and current circumstances. Saw some good hockey that particular weekend, but the highlight of my weekend was fulfilling a lifelong quest to reconnect, however briefly, with the love of my life at Foote!”

From Don Ross —“I am still here in Newport, R.I., and still gainfully employed, but not going to my Boston office as much. Why spend 3.5 hours going back and forth? Saw Pam Granbery who is also here in Newport. Doug Curtiss e-mailed that he was going to be sailing into Newport in June, but delays put his timetable back so I think he got here just in time for the Newport to Bermuda race, so we missed. Please let me know what the rest of you are up to—and we’ll start planning for the 65th!”

Callie Woodman Quarrier wrote to us that she is still living in Thousand Islands, Chippewa Bay and working in the mental health field. Callie still enjoys boats, both sailing and old wooden run-abouts.

1963

Class Correspondent: Susan Stratton susanstratton4@gmail.com

1964

Class Correspondent: Verdi DiSesa verdi.disesa@gmail.com

Robin Hicks wrote in to correct that she lives in Chandler, AZ.

This note came to us from Felicity Tuttle: “Please disseminate this to any classmates on group 1964 emails or Class Notes. With warmer weather, hopefully Catherine Fender and I can get together before long!! I will need to miss May 2022 multi-class reunion as we are being very, very careful about gatherings— even masked—as, after about six years, daughter Katy Weisman is just beginning to get on the far side of long-term Lyme and with her immunocompromise issues we are being very careful not to bring her COVID. Additionally, our younger daughter Allie and husband Jasper are awaiting the birth of a little girl, their first and all of the grandparents’ first grandchild. So we have been avoiding almost all unmasked contacts on their account as well. We have known there were some challenges in the pregnancy, and recently Allie was admitted to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston (best NICU in NE) for a “staycation” with close monitoring and planned intervention several weeks before term. So we are hoping to be very busy helpers during the weeks to come and avoiding bringing anything home to this long-awaited little one! Other than this, in January 2021 we sold our seasonal Vineyard family house and property (to our overjoyed renters!) and bought a large year-round home with 3 acres in Narragansett, R.I., with great space for family, our beloved Aussies, and an elevator for use in our dotage! Our residence remains Winchester, MA, where Jim is 95% retired and working on his fascinating 18th and 19th century Jewish genealogy online and I am still working (carefully) in real estate and a number of elder, equity, and affordable housing committees including research into Accessory Dwelling Unit zoning for Winchester. The Aussies keep us in reasonable shape with one to two long daily walks in the Middlesex Fells or Mystic Reservation adjacent to the Mystic Lakes. Very sorry to miss—hopefully next year will be more feasible!”

1965

Class Correspondent: Eric Triffin eric_triffin@aya.yale.edu 1966

Class Correspondent: John N. Deming Jr. jndjr@yahoo.com

1967

The Class of 1967 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org

1968

Class Correspondents: Leland Torrence lelandtorrence@optonline.net Rob Clark rclark@perrigo-inc.com

1969

Class Correspondent: Meg McDowell Smith megsmithvt@gmavt.net

1970

The Class of 1970 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org

1972

Class Correspondents: Rob Gurwitt robg@valley.net

Greta Nettleton gretan@optonline.net

Starting on January 1, 2023, Tom Kligerman will open a new firm named, New York City Architecture & Design. Tom was formerly the partner of John Ike in the firm Ike Kligerman Barkley. After 33 years as partners the two have split to focus on design on either coasts. Tom, who will remain based in New York City, has recently published a new architecture book of his work titled, Shingle and Stone: Thomas Kligerman Houses.

1973

Class Correspondents: Peter Hicks phicks@websterbank.com

John Persse johnpersse@bhhsne.com

1975

Class Correspondent: Jessica Drury sjsaz@optonline.net

1976

Class Correspondent: John Holder johnholder@comporium.net

1977

Class Correspondent: Elizabeth Daley Draghi gdraghi@sbcglobal.net

1978

Class Correspondent: Stephen Fontana stevef1701@aol.com

John Tyler continues to work as the Chief Forrester for the Bonneville Power Administration, working to keep the lights on in the Pacific Northwest. John plans to move to Ferndale, WA, to be closer to the family cabin in Quatsino, B.C. John asks you to search Google maps for Tylerelli’s pizzeria in Quatsino. He would be happy to hear from any of the members of the class of 1979!

1979

Class Correspondent: Bonnie Welch bonniewelch@taftschool.org

1980

Class Correspondent: Liz Geller Brennan gelbren@aol.com

1981

Class Correspondents: Jennifer LaVin jen2766@gmail.com

Nicolas Crowley nyjcrowley@hotmail.com

Patrick Clendennen married Lisa Sandine ’83 in October 2021.

1982

Class Correspondent: Bethany Schowalter Appleby bethany.appleby@gmail.com

Ann Myra Walton-Teter sent a note that during the pandemic she published three books under the name Ann Myra. The books are Annabel on the Ground, Annabel on the Sea, as well as a memoir called Amazing Grace. She would love to reconnect with her classmate Rachel Totmam Davis ’86 .

1983

Class Correspondent: Brinley Ford Ehlers brinleysf@aol.com

Lisa Sandine married Patrick Clendennen ’81 in October 2021.

1984

Class Correspondent: Ann Pschirrer Brandt annie.brandt@rocketmail.com

1985

Class Correspondent: Carter LaPrade Serxner lapserx@gmail.com

1986

Class Correspondent: Jody Esselstyn jesselstyn@gmail.com

1987 Class Correspondent: Jonathan Levin jdlevin@stanford.edu

1988 Class Correspondent: Sara Mulligan Farina saramulligan13@gmail.com

1989

Class Correspondent: Toya Hill Clark trose7@hotmail.com

1990 Class Correspondent: Amy Cohn Crawford amycohncrawford@mac.com

1991 Class Correspondent: Bo Bradstreet ebradstr@gmail.com

1992 Class Correspondent: Katie Madden Kavanagh katieblee@hotmail.com

1993

Class Correspondent: Jenny Keul jennykeul@gmail.com

Tania Lockwood Tyrrell ’86 at Alumni Weekend

Patrick Clendennen ’81 and Lisa Sandine ’83 at their October 2021 wedding

1994

Class Correspondent: Arna Berke-Schlessel Zohlman arna.zohlman@gmail.com

1995

Class Correspondent: Jack Hill seaburyhill@aol.com 1996

Class Correspondents: Brett Nowak nowak.brett@gmail.com

Katy Zandy Atlas katy91@gmail.com 1997

Class Correspondent: Eliza Sayward elizasayward@yahoo.com 1998

Class Correspondents: Andrew Lebov aklebov@gmail.com

Elisabeth Sacco Klock saccopotatoes@gmail.com 1999

Class Correspondent: Jeremy Zuidema jmzuidema@gmail.com

2000

Class Correspondents: Alex Kleiner alex.m.kleiner@gmail.com

Shannon Sweeney smsweeney07@gmail.com

Ian Lebov and Kevin Brownell who both live on the West Coast in California got together in Oakland for a recent visit. Ian stated they “played songs by The Misfits and the Clash until well past midnight! I am back working at Zero Motorcycles. Moto Geek for Life!” Ian would love to catch up with Marquel Middleton.

2001

Class Correspondent: Cassie Pagnam cassie.pagnam@gmail.com

2002

Class Correspondent: Hope Fleming hope.fleming@gmail.com

Jennifer Milikowsky and husband Tylan Calcagni are the owners of Walden Hill, a New England farm that emphasizes sustainability, making them a perfect fit for use of the Volvo CE ECR25 Electric compact excavator. In mid-July, Walden Hill placed the first North American order for this fully electric, zero-emission machine, which supports their farming philosophy.

Jennifer and Tylan produce maple syrup and harvest acorns used to feed pigs at nearby farms. The couple also handles the marketing, sales, and distribution of the pork from those partner farms. Their love and respect for nature led them on a sustainability mission, so the opportunity to purchase a machine that could get the job done while running on renewable energy was important to them.

“Minimizing our carbon footprint is critical, so we try to do that with every decision we make,” said Jennifer. “The thought of buying a diesel machine in 2022 that we would use for a decade or more was hard to accept. We did a deep energy retrofit on our 1820 farmhouse, we are exploring a solar installation on the farm, and now we get to take a big step forward in trying to convert our fleet of vehicles and machines to electric.”

2003

Class Correspondent: Adam Shapiro adamshapiro1488@gmail.com

2004

Class Correspondents: Dillon Long know33@gmail.com Dana Schwartz danaschwartz5@gmail.com

2005

Class Correspondent: Gabriella Rhodeen gabriella.rhodeen@gmail.com

2006

Class Correspondents: Audrey Logan logan.audrey@gmail.com Adam Gabbard adamdgabbard@yahoo.com

2007

Class Correspondents: Kenny Kregling kregke01@comcast.net Symphony Spell symphony.spell@gmail.com

Jennifer Milikowsky ’02 and Tylan Calcagni at their farm Walden Farms where they just purchased a new electric Volvo compact excavator.

2008

Class Correspondents: Michael Milazzo michael.milazzo12@gmail.com

Kate Reilly Yurkovsky kate.yurkovsky@gmail.com

Tiffany MacKinnel wrote, “I am currently working at the Foote School Health Office as a school nurse while my daughter, Summer, starts her second year at the Foote School in grade two!”

2009

Class Correspondents: Chris Blackwood christopher.blackwood@tufts.edu

Eva Kerman edk2123@barnard.edu

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Jamal Lifschultz Jamal’s Foote classmates organized a memorial that took place on the deck of the Jonathan Milikowsky Science and Technology Building here at Foote on Thursday, June 30.

Ben Rosenbluth told the alumni office, “Losing a childhood friend is a very confusing and destabilizing experience. When the news began to spread of Jamal’s passing among our Foote class, I found myself seeking comfort from old Foote friends I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. We were all drawn to happy memories of our time as Jamal’s classmates, when the world was a smaller and gentler place, so Foote was an obvious choice of setting to commemorate his passing. We are grateful to Foote for providing us with so much comfort and stability, then and now, and are equally grateful to Jamal’s parents for allowing us to remember their son alongside them. Our thoughts are with you, Rabia and Larry.”

The Foote School Community extends our deepest condolences to Jamal’s parents, Lawrence Lifschultz and Rabia Ali as well. (See page 67.)

2010 Class Correspondents: Brandi Fullwood brandi.n.fullwood@gmail.com

Clay Pepe cpepe@guidepoint.com

Caroline Agsten is working on her M.A. at Yale’s Jackson School for Global Affairs; she will finish May 2023.

2011

Class Correspondents: Nate Barton natebarton95@gmail.com

Britney Dumas bdumas13@gmail.com

2012

Class Correspondents: Harrison Lapides jharrisonlapides@gmail.com

Cassidy McCarns cassidy.mccarns@yale.edu

2013

Class Correspondents: Lawson Buhl lbuhl@umich.edu

Anika Zetterberg ahzetter@syr.edu

2014

Class Correspondents: Robinson Armour rarmour22@amherst.edu

Sophia Matthes Theriault sophiamtheriault@gmail.com

2015

Class Correspondents: Anli Raymond anliraymond15@gmail.com

Will Wildridge william@wildridge.org

2016

Class Correspondents: Omid Azodi oazodi1@gmail.com

Evelyn Pearson evie.pearson11@gmail.com

Alessandro Horvath-Diano was part of the 2021 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer team for Connecticut College. The team made it to the National Championships where Connecticut College, tied 1–1 after 110 minutes of championship-level soccer, won its first-ever national championship after it made its first four PKs.

2017

Class Correspondents: Graley Turner graleyturner@gmail.com

Hilal Zoberi hzoberi20@choate.edu

2018

Class Correspondents: Alexandra Collins alexandrabcollins03@gmail.com Pablo Rollán pabloo.rollan@gmail.com

2019 Class Correspondents: Josie Cancro josie.cancro@gmail.com

Malachai York malachai@yorkfamily.net

2020

Class Correspondents: Zainab Khokha Zmkhokha786@gmail.com

Tristan Ward tristan103417@gmail.com

Recently Kwasi Adae wrote, “In association with my art school, the Adae Fine Arts Academy, I will be teaching art classes at IRIS and making a three-story mural of Orchids of the Hillside Family Shelter on the corner of Steven Street and Sylvan Avenue [in New Haven].”

2021

The Class of 2021 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Mary Beth Claflin in the Alumni Programs Office at mclaflin@footeschool.org

First grade teacher Kayleigh Axon and her husband welcomed their first child, Emilia Skye on May 25 and all are doing well.

Receptionist Stephanie Grate and her husband celebrated the birth of daughter Summer Rose on July 12.

Emilia Syke, daughter of first grade teacher Kaliegh Axon

Summer Rose, daughter of receptionist Stephanie Grate

Jamal Lifschultz

IT IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT when The Foote School gets notice of the passing of a young alumnus and so it is with great sadness that we share the news of Jamal Lifschultz, Class of 2009, who died in early June 2021. We express our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Jamal’s Foote classmates organized a memorial that took place on the deck of the Jonathan Milikowsky Science and Technology Building here at Foote on June 30, 2021. Jamal’s classmates, parents of his classmates, and former teachers returned to campus to celebrate and remember the remarkable and indelible life of this special person.

Jamal’s parents, Rabia Ali and Larry Lifschultz, shared this letter to them from former Foote School teacher Jenny Byers, Foote Class of 1965. Jenny’s words about their son meant a great deal to Rabia and Larry. They felt it captured the day in which we all gathered to remember Jamal. We share it here with you now:

DEAR RABIA AND LARRY,

Jamal was such a STAR! Even though I didn’t teach him, he stood out from the crowd… I admired his wicked sense of humor, the fact he stood up strongly for what he believed in, his kindness, and his, well, let’s call it “7-8-9th-grade swagger!” He was a presence! And someone I always enjoyed interacting with… Among all the very talented Foote School students I’ve had the privilege of teaching, he was on my short list of “someone to watch” in the future. I am heartbroken for him and for you.

I wasn’t sure how many kids would actually be able to come to a memorial gathering on a late Thursday afternoon in June, and I think the fact that most of his class was there speaks volumes. He was beloved.

When you look up at the stars at night, as I’m sure you do, think of him there, laughing, waiting for you to join him: “I love you to the stars and back.” That love, which flows back and forth between you, transcends our notions of time and space, and is eternal.

xxx, Jenny Byers ’65

David Gilmore ’57 January 28, 2022

David Hitchcock Jr. ’41 September 4, 2022

Lionel Jackson ’64 July 7, 2022

Friends and classmates of Jamal at a memorial for him held at Foote last June.

Jamal Lifschultz ’09 2022

Barbara Taylor ’26 May 30, 2022

P. Linwood Urban Jr. ’38 January 2021

Dave Vietor ’55 February 20, 2022

Emily Mendillo Wood ’51 July 2, 2022

What’s for Lunch?

SANDWICHES, PASTA, last night’s dinner, vegetarian, gluten-free, cuisines from around the world—today’s Foote students bring their own lunches to school. Food exactly to their liking…or at least to their parents’ liking.

“Why doesn’t Foote have a cafeteria or lunchroom?” families often ask. Well, for many years, Foote did provide lunch, and served it in a lunchroom.

Once the school settled into its first permanent home— the carriage house on Saint Ronan Street from 1923 until 1958—students could purchase a hot lunch. While many would go home for lunch, those who lived farther away would take this option. In 1931, for 65 cents students could purchase their hot lunch, which was served in the lunchroom, located in the basement.

For a time, the lunch was prepared by the newly established New Haven Restaurant Institute (later the Culinary Institute of America), which was housed in the Davies Mansion on Prospect Street. The Institute sold the results of its classwork to Foote at a discount.

In the late 1950s, the school moved to the newly built Loomis Place campus. The Common Unit, completed in 1959, contained a lunchroom and kitchen. Tuition included the price of the meal. Students could not bring their own food from home unless they had a note from a doctor or parent explaining why they couldn’t eat the school food. Students sat at long rectangular tables with a teacher sitting at the head of the table. Meals were served family style and with a strict protocol.

FROM THE 1961–62 FACULTY HANDBOOK:

Dining Room Rules

• Walk in quietly, be seated, sing Grace. No talking.

• The child being served may tell the server what amount he wishes to eat—“Please may I have a small serving of beets but a large helping of potato?”

• The child at the end of the table is the milk pourer and he has a right to ask each member if he wishes milk, a full glass or half.

• After all are served the head of the dining room gives the signal that all may talk quietly and have a pleasant time. The conversation is to be watched and guided by the teacher in charge.

• Good posture, pleasant eating habits and thoughtfulness are the standards.

• This goes on their reports.

The menu tended to be heavy foods, a lot of meat and potatoes—a little too heavy for small appetites, as there were often a lot of leftovers. Since school ended at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, and the kids went home for lunch that day, the faculty and staff would have the week’s leftovers for their lunch.

In the 1970s, with inflation and energy costs on the rise, the school decided that rather than implement a greater tuition increase to cover the rising food costs, Foote would eliminate the lunch service, and students began to bring their own lunches. There were also logistical issues. The school was growing, expanding from two classes per grade to three. There just wasn’t room to fit all the students in the lunchroom, even doing several shifts. In the five years leading up to the 1972–73 academic year, the

At left, the Foote lunchroom in 1972. Above, Head Cook Ceil Vece and Assistant Cook Mary Vece (right) were at Foote between 1965 and 1973. The 1973 yearbook dedication described Ceil as “generous to a fault, unbelievably thoughtful, completely unselfish and devoted to everyone at Foote.”

student size had increased 30% (including the addition of a 9th grade).

In February 1973, after more than a year of analysis and deliberation, the Board of Directors sent word to the parents that the lunch program would be eliminated beginning with the 1973–74 academic year. As it was, an 11.6% tuition increase was announced for that year. If the lunch program continued, the increase would have been closer to 15%!

This lunchroom space no longer exists. As students switched to eating lunch in their classrooms, the lunchroom was repurposed as Foote’s first dedicated theater space. It was later demolished when Foote constructed the art and music building and our black box theater in 2000. The old kitchen remains, however, reconfigured as the staff lounge.

Food for Thought

FOOTE’S LONGTIME MOTTO: “Gladly will I learn and gladly teach,” could easily have been, “Gladly will I cook and gladly eat!” Foote has always been known for experiential learning—multisensory learning and learning by doing. And often this joyful learning, from Kindergarten through 9th grade, has come from food. It seems Foote’s innovative faculty has found ways to weave food into every subject.

“Food is a natural ‘hook,’” said former French Teacher Jenny Byers ’65. It’s a way to capture students’ attention and bring the subject to life. She would teach her students to make baguettes, crepes and fondue, and take them on outings to Marjolaine, a French bakery in East Rock, for a croissant demonstration.

ON THE MENU OVER THE YEARS

This food-based learning starts off in the sweetest way, with the Kindergarten learning about harvesting sap from maple trees to craft maple syrup. The students study the types of trees around our

campus. Beginning around 2003, former business manager Jay Cox each year would tap the many sugar maple trees along Highland Street and near the kindergarten rooms. By late February or early March, the trees offered up around 80 gallons of sap each year. The youngest Footies would watch the sap being boiled in a large kettle over an open fire in the sacred woods, and then enjoy a delicious pancake meal.

First Grade Teacher Margy Lamere at one time had a weekly “Try Something New” project to encourage kids to try new foods. With this project, they also learned graphing skills, charting the results as Love, Like, So-so, Don’t Like, Did Not Try.

Early on during her nearly 40 years as a 3rd grade teacher, Lisa Totman decided that her class would make soup each week to sell to the faculty for lunch. The proceeds were donated at the end of the year to an organization voted on by the class. Math and science lessons were woven into the process. Students

Over the years, Foote’s innovative faculty has found ways to weave food into every subject.

Top photo, Lower School students enjoy their lunch on the lawn. Above, this year’s French class visited Crêpes Choupette to practice their language skills.

had to price out the cost of the ingredients, and learn to do cost and quantity estimations in their heads. The delicious aromas of the simmering soups permeated the whole area around her classroom.

Art and music classes embraced the allure of food-based learning, too. In 5th grade art class, students create ceramic plates filled with favorite foods. Art teacher Karla Matheny introduced this project in 1989, first year at Foote. She created a whole food-based unit for the 5th grade, including still life drawings of fruit and Cray-Pas drawings inspired by the artist Wayne Thiebaud. Music teacher Liz Reed-Swale taught garden-related songs to her students while sitting on a slope overlooking Foote’s community garden.

Former Spanish teacher Sally Nunnally did a lot with food in her classes. With her Lower School classes, she would lead her students in making agua de panela, a South American beverage. The students would use hammers to break up chunks of hardened sugar cane juice, dissolve the chunks in hot water and add some lemon. They learned that for some South American children, this

This year’s 3rd graders made traditional mooncakes as a part of Chinese class.

modest drink might be a big part of their diet. Sally would take her older students on field trips to Fair Haven to explore diverse markets and restaurants. At C-Town Market on Grand Avenue, they would spread out on a scavenger hunt, searching for unfamiliar ingredients. Each student would have to research their new ingredient and prepare a traditional dish with it. A memorable way to study a culture! Wenyan Witkowsky continues this tradition in her Mandarin classes today, where together she and her students make traditional Chinese mooncakes.

There are so many other examples in the Foote curriculum— the 6th grade Festival of the World, and 5th grade units on ancient Greece and Rome often had an accompanying feast, and many more.

Food—touching, tasting, smelling—is a powerful teaching tool. It is universally accessible. Foods tell stories of history, geography, cultural development, religious ritual and the arts.

Wenyan Witkowsky: Creating Cultural Connections

FOR CHINESE TEACHER Wenyan Witkowsky, language is the key to cultural connections. Since joining The Foote School in 2014, she has built a robust 2–9 program that each year takes a fresh approach to teaching the Chinese language while opening doors for her students to become productive citizens of the world.

“I hope that through teaching, I am helping students discover something new about each other and about themselves. I hope I am opening their minds and hearts to explore different cultures,” she explained. “These experiences shape their lives.”

What makes Wenyan’s classes so meaningful is that they are never just about the words. Each class incorporates projects and activities that are designed to engage students, but also to connect with other disciplines like history, science, math, art, and physical education. Her classroom activities have included constructing a mini replica of the Great Wall of China; playing hopscotch using Chinese characters; making yummy moon cakes; labeling the body parts and life cycle of a frog; designing tangram Zodiac animals; and learning to dance in a traditional Chinese dragon costume, among many, many others.

“I love introducing students to different things outside what they would normally get in a classroom,” she said. “The students get excited about it, but so do the parents.” In fact, she said, it was a parent who donated the Chinese dragon costume for her to use in her classroom.

These projects are truly unique—she tries to avoid repetition whenever possible. She will also turn to her students to see what they would like to learn. For example, the Great Wall of China project, also called the Great Wall of Foote, was born out of a student’s inspired vision. Of course, changing up the activities means a lot of work on her end, and much of her free time is spent preparing for upcoming projects. “I’m always doing research for projects. My lesson plans need to be flexible and based on student interest and

reactions,” said Wenyan. “Each group is different, and they might have different things that inspire them.”

Learning a language can be an intimidating experience, and the first days of classes are often quiet—many students hesitate to participate for fear of making a mistake. Wenyan reassures her students that mistakes are not just OK, but that they often turn into some of the most meaningful learning experiences.

“If you can help kids build that confidence, it is a good thing. I feel very proud and happy that so many people are willing to learn about Chinese language and culture,” she said.

Wenyan began her teaching career in 2006, working at the Chinese School of Connecticut. She later taught in area public and private schools before coming to Foote to launch its Chinese language program.

“When I started, everything was a ‘first,’ and that has been exciting. Foote is a school that has given me a lot of space to be creative,” she said.

Much of what she incorporates in her teaching was actually inspired by her experiences as a student learning English— she often reflects on what seemed to work for students, and what didn’t work. As a student, Wenyan and her peers would learn words or phrases, but not always develop a meaningful connection to real life and the culture. As a teacher, Wenyan constantly seeks ways to create personal connections to the language. Each year she will solicit from her students a list of what they want to learn about. In addition to providing project ideas, the responses have also inspired topics that are not in a standard textbook, yet are incredibly important to the students. For example, “How do you say, ‘I have a food allergy?’” and “How do you say, ‘I am a vegetarian?’”

“I still teach the basics,” Wenyan explained, “but it is important that the students connect the language to their own culture and their own experiences. I want to be the person to open that door for them and lead them in the direction of becoming global citizens.”

The Foote School

50 Loomis Place

New Haven, CT 06511

www.footeschool.org (203) 777-3464

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Notice: Postal regulations require the school to pay 75 cents for every copy not deliverable as addressed. Please help us contain costs by notifying us of any change of address, giving both the old and new addresses.

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Mark Your Calendars

Giving Day

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Join us for Foote’s fifth annual Giving Day. Your collective contributions will further our mission to provide experiential learning within a diverse and inclusive community. Show your support and spirit by wearing gray and maroon, and making your donation to the Foote Fund at www.footeschool.org/give.

Gala

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Save the date! Be on the lookout for more details to come!

Alumni Weekend

Friday, May 12, & Saturday, May 13, 2023

All alumni are invited to join us for Alumni Weekend! Classes ending in 3 and 8 will have special reunions. For more details visit www.footeschool.org/reunion.

FootePrints

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