Foote Prints Short Takes
Editor’s Note
S H O R T TA K E S FR O M LO O MI S PL ACE
Spring at Foote School is a joyful time, even under pandemic restrictions. Iff not for the masks, you could almost forget about COVID-19 while watching Kindergartners at our annual maple sap boil, asking question after question and stretching out their hands to feel the rising steam that envelops the Sacred Woods. The pandemic has not taken our joyy but it has taken more off our time. Keeping campus open for in-person learning during the 2020–2021 school year—with smaller classes and greater restrictions— has required us all to take on extra responsibilities, leaving less time for some off the things we usually do. Like maple sugaring itself, it has forced us to boil down some experiences to their essence. In lieu off the spring issue of Footee Prints, we offer “Short Takes,” a dispatch from Loomis Place as we enter year two off the pandemic. It features the mostread parts off the magazine (including our Head of School letter and Class Notes) as well as news and updates about the past few w months. We will be backk in September with a regular fall issue. In the meantime, stayy well and keep in touch. Andyy Bromage, Editor
> After reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, 4th graders in Toby Welch’s class wrote their own wishes on strips of fabric and attached them to a tree on campus.
Spring 2021
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From the Head of School Lessons from thee Pandemic Around Campus News from Loom mis Place during the era off pandemic learning Lost and Found in the Pandemic One year later, Foote F students and teachers reflect on o what theyy have lost and gained.
Reunion Weekend Schedule Alumni Children at Foote Class Notes
6 Foote Prints Short Takes
From the Head of School
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< Head of School Aléwa Cooper with Kindergarten students at the annual maple sap boil in March 2021, the culmination of an interdisciplinary unit in Kindergarten.
Lessons from the Pandemic T WO YE AR S AF TE R The Foote School first opened its doors—when it was just a small group of neighborhood children learning in a converted garage—the world was hit by the Spanish Influenza.
On September 19, 1918, New Haven reported 14 cases. Within a week that number had increased sixfold. Sick residents were ordered to quarantine at home and to nail signs to their doors warning others to stay away. Hospitals were overwhelmed. New Haven schools wrestled with whether to stay open, ultimately deciding that if children were sick it was better to have them in a controlled environment than out in the streets. We don’t know how Mrs. Foote’s school navigated that world-changing pandemic or how she kept her students’ spirits up. What we doo know is that the school made it through that crisis, and several other early tests, to become a thriving and resilient community bound by a shared belief that learning should be a creative, hands-on adventure. Today, as we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Foote is again called upon to examine its mission and to question how we can best support students, teachers and families. As a faculty, we have spent the past year wrestling with so many questions. What
do children need most from school during a crisis? How do we support faculty members who are being asked to do more than ever? What coping mechanisms can we teach our students to manage stress and anxiety? What will learning look like in the post-COVID future? And how do we reclaim a sense of community as pandemic restrictions are lifted? As you will read in these pages, Foote School has faced this historic challenge with courage and dedication. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to reinvent curriculum in order to keep our program one that is experiential, challenging and safe. Above all, teachers have prioritized the emotional well-being of our students by listening to them, tailoring instruction to meet their needs, and staying in close contact with parents. In the coming months, we will begin a multiyear strategic visioning process to chart a course for Foote’s near-term future. We will be engaging all segments of our community—alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff—to harness your ideas and experiences as we embark on this important work. I look forward to meeting you soon and to continuing this journey together. Best, Aléwa Cooper Head of School Short Takes | 03
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INGE NU IT Y In February, the Middle School held “Winter Project Week,” a new initiative designed to give students a break from the usual routine to dive into self-directed passion projects that flexed their creativity and ingenuity. Many students proposed their own independent projects, working with faculty to refine their ideas and with classmates to execute them. One group of 8th graders focused their project on force, motion and propulsion, creating a Rube Goldberg-inspired marble run.
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Around Campus
Adapting Curriculum to the COVID Era IN N O RMAL TIME ME S , wi w nter e tiime m
physical educa caati tion o class on ssees bri ring ng a whole gradee to toge geth ther e in t he gy g m for a high-ene nergy peri riod od d of gaamees and challeeng nges. Bu ut wi w th h COVID D-199 putting la l rg rge in indo door or gat a herings off-limits t , PE ts PE class s es had d to be heelld outside th his w in inter. Thaat ha has re r qu uired the PE faculltyy—B —Bra rad d MccGu G ir ire, e, Colleen Murphy and Joe oe Rei eisser— to get creative. Thi hiss wi wint ntterr was unusually snowy, at ti time mees covering the athletic fields witt h m more mo re than a foot of fresh powd der er! So So t he h PE teachers adapt daap ed theeirr cu urrriculum, urr challeng ngin ng i g stud in uden e ts to w work in team ms or a lo lone lon nee to roll n ll t hee biggest ssn now bou ould lder ers th they eyy cou o ld or to build imag im a in ag inat ativ ive sn now o peopl p e. Long after th he re r st of th he sn snow ow mellte te these ted, crrea eations stoo ood oo d as f ro oze zen n mo onu n ments to cre reeat a ivve te teacching ng and nd learn rnin ing. ng > Second graders work together to roll a snow boulder on Rike Field during physical education class.
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Oh Say, Can You See Yourself? FO OTE S T U D E NT S and teachers livestreamed Inauguration Dayy on Januaryy 20 for a front-row w seat to history. Grade 4 teacher Denise Quinn captured a photo from her class that perfectlyy illustrates the power off the moment: as Kamala Harris tookk the oath off office to become the first AfricanAmerican, first Asian-American and first woman vice president, two girls in Denise’s class spontaneouslyy saluted her, while a third held up her right hand
as iff she, too, were taking the oath. “It was a beautiful moment that illustrated the power off representation,” observes Head off School Aléwa Cooper. “When children see themselves represented in positions off authority, theyy can more easilyy imagine themselves in those roles.”
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4th-grade girls watch the swearing in of Vice President Kamala Harris on Inauguration Day.
> 1st graders in Sue Shaw’s class marked Inauguration Day by writing letters to the new president.
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Around Campus
Take-Home Test again over the winter holidays, Foote launched a new w program to test everyy on-campus student, teacher and stafff member. In partnership with Mirimus Clinical Labs, and with generous support from parent and Board member Alexx Shor, Foote used weeklyy saliva-based tests as another measure to ensure that school was as safe as possible. At first, testing tookk place on campus, as the gym was converted into a makeshift testing center staffed byy school nurses and parent volunteers. Once theyy got the hang off it, students began taking the tests at home. To date, the program has shown encouraging results: out off some 4,000 tests taken since January, the school has recorded onlyy a single positive, an indication that masks, physical distancing and Foote families’ commitment to limit outside activities are having the intended effect.
A S COVID -19 C A S E S S P IK E D
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Students, faculty and staff taking saliva-based COVID tests in the gym.
< A 3rd grader deposits her COVID-19 test in a collection box at morning drop-off.
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were luckyy to welcome renowned artist Titus Kaphar for a virtual talkk on Januaryy 20. Zooming from his New w Haven studio, Titus spoke about his path to becoming a successful artist and about the breakthroughs that led to his signature style. Titus, who is also a Foote parent, is best known for “amending” classic works off art that depict American historyy byy cutting them, crumpling them or painting over the prominent white characters to bring the hidden Blackk figures to the fore off our view. “Art,” he told students, “helps make difficult conversations possible.” FO OTE 8 TH AND 9TH GR A D E R S
“Whyy are Blackk people so absent in American historyy paintings?” Titus asked students. “Whyy are their stories not told? I am interested in saying things that couldn’t be said before and drawing attention to the things thatt historyy books never mentioned. Myy workk is thinking about erasure, absence, parts off history we don’t want to see.”
“Art helps make difficult conversations possible.” —Titus Kaphar
Artist Titus Kaphar speaks to 8th and 9th graders on Zoom.
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Re-examining the Art of American History
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O U TD O O R PL AY An upside to the pandemic is the increased amount of time students have been spending outdoors. Studies show that being outdoors not only lowers the risk of transmitting COVID-19, it also increases concentration in the classroom. On a bluebird day in February, students worked together to build snow forts during recess outside the Jonathan Milikowsky Science and Technology Building.
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Alumni May 7 & 8, 2021 Join us for a Virtual Reunion Weekend FRIDAY, MAY 7 6:30–7:30 pm Virtual Happy Hour SATURDAY, MAY 8 11 am State of the School Report by Head of School Aléwa Cooper Presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award and Foote Community Award
11:45 am Open meeting of the Alumni Council All times EDT
Find more information and RSVP at footeschool.org/reunion
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2021 Award Winners
Alumni Achievement Award has devoted her time and talents generouslyy to Foote School and to the Yale Center for British Art. Over her four decades at the museum, she served as deputyy director and interim director, crafting a museum conservation plan to preserve the Louis Kahn-designed building. A devoted Foote alumna, Cecie joined the school’s Board off Directors in 2013, serving as vice president and on numerous committees. She was a vital part off Foote’s successful Centennial Campaign to double the school’s endowment, lending her support to help secure Foote’s future. Cecie retired from the museum in Julyy 2020 and will depart from the Board when her current term expires in June. CO N S TAN CE ( CE CIE ) CLE ME NT ’6 2
Foote Community Award JULIAN S CHLU S B E R G cofounded d Foote’s renowned Summerr Theater Program in 1981 and has been its director ever since, giving students the opportunity to learn acting, singing, dance, costume design, set construction and technical theater. In 2000, after a 30year career in Hamden schools, Julian became Foote’s Drama Chair, creating a theater education program for Grades K–9 that has imparted lifelong lessons, both on and offf the stage. He will retire in June.
In her 30-year career on Loomis Place, ÂNGE L A GIANNE LL A touched the lives off countless students and families, teaching French and Spanish with a deep passion for language and culture. Ângela also taught the art off basketweaving, and the smell off baguettes and other confections that wafted from her classroom was another reminder off the joiee dee vivree she brought to her students and to Foote. Ângela retired in June 2020.
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Alumni
Siblings and Cousins at Foote iss a fam amil ilyy affai air ir for the Warec ecks ec ks and t he Gra raue u rs. Both familiess sen entt children to the school in the 1980s, and fourr of t ho hose se alumni in turn sentt th heirr chi h ldren to Foot Fo ote, e creattin e, ingg a t hrough line that spans a gene eneration. en FO OT OTE E S CH C OOL
This year, Footee has as 32 children of alumni enrolled at t he sch hoo ool. l We ask sked the he Gra raue uerrs and Warec ue e ks to telll us aboutt a memorable le tea each cheer ch and a favoriite ite Foo ote act c ivity. Som me shared eno n ug ugh h to fi ll a mem moir, r whi hille ott he hers rs har arkkene ned ne d bac ackk to a singl glee gl teacher or experrie ienc ncee t ha nc hatt pro ope pell lled ll ed them th em on t he h ir journey.
Annie Wareck ’85 A memorable teacher: Bob Sandine pushed us to always be our best and to see learning as a fun adventure. A favorite Foote activity: The 9th grade play. After growing with your classmates for so many years, the play is such a learning opportunity.
Levi York ’23 A memorable teacher: I loved spending 1st and 2nd grades with Margy Lamere. Margy used every opportunity to get us outside to learn and be observers. A favorite Foote activity: I love advisory, especially this year with Mr. Zachau.
John Wareck ’84 A memorable teacher: Bob Sandine A favorite Foote activity: Drama program and the 9th grade play
Eliza Wareck ’29 A memorable teacher: Ângela Giannella A favorite Foote activity: Field Day 14 | Foote Prints
Jonathan Grauer ’85
Avery Grauer ’87
A memorable teacher: Mrs. Johnson, my 5th grade teacher, who told us not to call things “nice” but to further describe them.
A memorable teacher: Mr. Baldwin, my 4th grade teacher, had a windowless classroom so he mounted a window frame on the wall so students could paint the “views” we saw throughout the year.
A favorite Foote activity: It is the overall Foote environment and people that stand out for me.
Julia Grauer ’24 A memorable teacher: Every Foote teacher is kind, and has their own special way of teaching. A favorite Foote activity: The Halloween Parade. I love to see everyone’s unique costumes!
Jemma Grauer ’25 A memorable teacher: Ângela Giannella. She taught Spanish and French and I did basketweaving with her.
A favorite Foote activity: Popcorn Day, when there were giant bags of popcorn and we scooped enough for everyone in the classroom.
Benjamin Kruger ’22 A memorable teacher: Ms. Lavey brought interesting speakers to 7th grade humanities and took our learning seriously. A favorite Foote activity: I would say homeroom—starting off our day by coming together and talking with each other.
A favorite Foote activity: My favorite Foote tradition is Field Day. I love running around and the competition.
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Class Notes
“It is ironic that I have taken up cross stitch as a pandemic activity since I got in so much trouble for running away from school one afternoon to avoid it.” —Virginia Jenkins ’62
W E ’ D LOV E TO HE A R FR O M YO U !
Please contact your class correspondent or Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 at asudmyer@footeschool.org to share news about you and your classmates, or visit www.footeschool.org/alumni.
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Please note: In order to save space, we have only listed the class years that submitted notes by our deadline. To submit a class note online, visit footeschool.org/alumni.
1935 We are sad to report that Allison Evans Johnson passed away on September 7, 2016.
1944 The Class of 1940 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 in the Alumni Programs Office at asudmyer@footeschool.org.
Gay Spykman Harter ’48 and husband Dick celebrated their 60th anniversary in August.
We are sad to report that Alice Rosalind “Ros” Tolson passed away on November 7, 2020.
1945 Michael Buchanan turned 90 in August 2020. He still does weight training and uses the treadmill daily.
1946 We are sad to report that James English passed away on February 3, 2021.
1947 The Class of 1947 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 in the Alumni Programs Office at asudmyer@footeschool.org. Renn Gordon retired from practicing law on December 31, 2020.
1948 The Class of 1948 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 in the Alumni Programs Office at asudmyer@footeschool.org.
Gay Spykman Harter and her husband, Dick, received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots in early January. To stay sane during the pandemic, Gay has been doing “hikes in the woods, online church, meetings, yoga classes, concerts and art history lectures as well as virtual tours of Palestine.” Gay and Dick celebrated their 60th anniversary in August 2020. They share that they “understand and appreciate/tolerate each other’s gifts and quirks pretty well.”
1949 The Class of 1949 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 in the Alumni Programs Office at asudmyer@footeschool.org. We extend our sympathies to Diana Corbin Young, who lost her husband, James, of 63 years in summer 2020. Diana reports that her friends and neighbors have been incredibly helpful and kind. She writes, “I’m doing well and getting back to my studio. I learned the value of taking one day at a time.”
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1950 Class Correspondent Mary Pigott Johnsen writes, “The illustrious Class of 1950, now 15 in number, 84 years in age, and lucky to still be alive, has been actively avoiding COVID-19. One of our class members, Sally Osterweis, and her husband, Charles Kopman, died last April within 22 days of each other of that dread disease. The pandemic has also kept us sheltered at home, which has provided an increased opportunity to become the sages that our time at Foote fostered. Now we know that we can’t fix much but it has been fun to make a positive difference as our legacy, and we were very good at that. That many of us were educators should not be a surprise given the start we had. Although slowed down now, we still share knowledge and it is well-received, sometimes to our surprise. One of us recently came across this message from a student: ‘A great learner, doer and teacher! Thank you for helping me open my mind and challenge my thinking. Life will be more fulfilling because you took the time to care!’ Thank you! And thank you, Foote!”
1951 Emily Mendillo Wood is grateful that her family is all well. The cold weather brought boredom and the end of beach days, but also books and puzzles!
1954 The Class of 1954 needs a class correspondent. If you are willing to collect news from your classmates, please contact Amy Stephens Sudmyer ’89 in the Alumni Programs Office at asudmyer@footeschool.org. Stephen Mendillo has worked as an actor for 40 years and has worked up and down the East Coast, as well as in Denver, Missouri and Arkansas. He is now living and working in Los Angeles. We received sad news from Ed Johnson that his wife, Kimberley Johnson, passed away early in 2020 due to recent 18 | Foote Prints
illnesses and heart failure. They had been married for more than 50 years and were looking forward to being retired and traveling together. Shortly after Kim’s death, Ed was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and is gradually recovering from surgery. He writes that he is “fortunate that their daughter, Lacy, is able to act as his primary caregiver, especially with our local pandemic problems.” He sends his greetings to all who remember him.
1957 We are sad to report that Henry Robbins passed away on June 4, 2020. Kevin Geenty has done some trout fishing and a little hunting to keep busy in 2020. Bruce Reynolds published his first volume of poetry in 2020 entitled From the Lake. It is available from Politics and Prose Bookstore, or directly from Bruce at bruce3p@ gmail.com. Peter Setlow writes, “I can’t imagine how I would have dealt with the last 10 months and counting if I wasn’t still working full-time in my research laboratory at UConn Health. Seeing my children and grandchildren virtually is better than nothing, but no substitute for in-person. Ditto for online versus in-person teaching. Thankfully I still have a few students as well as junior faculty to mentor and teach in-person, as well as my wife at home to listen to my kvetching.”
1961 We express our sympathy to Priscilla Hunt, whose sister, Jennifer Hunt ’63, passed away on October 13, 2020.
1962 We express our sympathy to Thomas Robbins, whose brother, Henry Robbins ’57, passed away on June 4, 2020. Virginia Jenkins writes from Vermont, “It is ironic that I have taken up cross stitch as a pandemic activity since I got in so much trouble with Susie Swords Stevens in 3rd grade for running away from school one afternoon to avoid it. We wanted to work on the spaceship we were making at her house.
I would have much rather had shop (class)!” Sam Howe shares, “I have moved permanently to Holderness, New Hampshire, with Julie, and we sold our Andover house. We are looking at property in Portland, Maine, for a half-year residence.”
1963 We are sad to report that Jennifer Crum Hunt passed away on October 13, 2020.
1964 We are sad to report that Beth Brennan Stetson passed away on November 6, 2020. Robin Hicks is living a life off the grid in the Arizona desert with his faithful companion, Sirius, a black Labrador Retriever. Robin is participating in classes on theosophy based on the works of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.
1966 Grace Hammond Boss reports that she is staying resilient during the pandemic through Bible study and prayer. In her community Bible study group, she is studying the Gospel of John.
1968 We express our sympathy to Henry Hunt, whose sister, Jennifer Hunt ’63, passed away on October 13, 2020. George Holden is the proud grandfather of Avery Holden Allen, born on August 12, 2019, and Jack Everett Holden, born on January 10, 2021.
1969 We express our sympathy to Martha Brennan Fuchs and Laurie Brennan Young, whose sister, Beth Brennan ’64, passed away on November 6, 2020. We express our sympathy to Betsy Bradburn-Assoian, whose father, Ben Bradburn, passed away on October 13, 2020.
1972 We express our sympathy to Carol Ann Bradburn Celella, whose father, Ben Bradburn,
passed away on October 13, 2020. Emily Freedman Stoller writes, “We are still building a home in Rehoboth, Delaware, and still working hard in real estate.” Emily looks forward to getting a vaccine as soon as one is available. Polly Prelinger writes, “Hope everyone is well. I am still in Reston, Virginia, which is about 30 minutes from Washington, D.C., where my sisters, Liz ’68 and Jane ’70, live. When I do venture out, I visit my 91-year-old friend several times a week. I bring cheer and gourmet lunches such as smoked salmon and shrimp salads. We have book discussions and existential musings. She enjoys an assortment of music from classical to rockand-roll. She loves to dance! Otherwise, I take long walks greeting all the dogs that I pass and am working my way through The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. It serves as inspiration for some writing of my own. The new administration delights me. With regard to the vaccination, I am impatient. For the first time, I wish I were older in order to qualify! Best to all.” Bob Meyer writes “My wife and I became grandparents again on February 1, 2021. Sylvester O’Brown was born in Boston at 7 pounds, 15 ounces to our son-in-law, Zach O’Brown, and daughter, Natasha O’Brown. They reside in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, while she finishes her postdoctoral studies in biology at Longwood. Because of COVID-19, I cannot visit my son, who lives with his wife in Japan, where they are engineers. He teaches at Waseda University and she works in private enterprise. Each graduated from the University of Aizu. My wife, who was involuntarily retired at 62 years of age, is in Jamaica Plain on call while I ride this last bankruptcy wave for income. Retirement looms in the not-toodistant future. Maybe I will try to get a book published like Greta and Rob.” Gardy Morse promises that he will soon digitalize the 6Y movie Jimmy Gordon: Caveman. Comments Gardy, “I have the tape on my desk. The 6X movie was digitized over the summer of 2020 and shared among us all. To watch it was to take an astonishing time-traveling trip Short Takes | 19
back to 1970 to our classroom in the new building and to my house in Hamden. Our English teacher, Mrs. Gulliver, was a terrific film director. The film is titled Kick the Dust and stars Matt Miskimin as the boy who cried wolf one too many times. His long-suffering parents are portrayed by Tom Kligerman and Henny Wright. The film features a murderous Greta Nettleton, as well as Philip Hamburger and Ruth Collins as Matty’s brother and sister. There is even a cameo appearance by a Hamden policeman with drawn gun!” Henny Wright writes, “My husband, Ed Stead, and I had hoped to spend eight months on our boat last year, as we did the year before. That, of course, did not happen but we are back at it now in Key West, waiting for vaccines so we can return to the Bahamas. The boat is a Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot (power boat).”
Bo Sandine ’75 and Anna Zhao
1975
1976
David Carr writes, “We have one Eagle Scout and two college first-years.” Dave continues environmental education and food security efforts when he is not running his real estate business. Bo Sandine married his sweetheart, Anna Zhao, on February 28, 2021, at Trinity on the Green, the historic downtown New Haven church. Rev. Robert (Bob) Sandine was a proud, heartfelt officiant for his son and new bride. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the brief ceremony was limited to immediate family. There were a total of 12 masked attendees. Anna’s godmothers read selections aloud, one of their grandsons served as ring bearer, and her godfathers gave the bride away. Bo’s brother, Kris Sandine ’79, and family were there from Brooklyn. His sister Lisa Schuba Sandine ’83 was also on hand, along with one of her two sons and her fiancé, Pat Clendenen ’81. The couple received a special blessing from Trinity’s rector, were accompanied by an organist and celebrated with a raucous ringing of church bells. The newlyweds plan to honeymoon in Maine and northern New England later this summer. They hope to host a celebration this fall, which will surely include some Foote friends!
Glenn Hendler, professor of English and American Studies at Fordham University, is the author of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs, a book whose roots are in a Bowie concert he attended at the New Haven Coliseum in 1976. He attended the concert with classmates Aram Berberian, Hyla Flaks Crane and Athene Reiss. Glenn analyzes the sound, lyrics, linguistics and the different personas Bowie portrayed on that groundbreaking album. The book is available from the publisher at www.bloomsbury.com.
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1977 We are sad to report that Amanda Martin passed away on October 17, 2020.
1980 Triana Salazar writes, “So much is new! I am in my 11th year of teaching ESOL at East Hartford Middle School. I have accepted the challenge to teach and learn differently during a pandemic where face-to-face contact is limited by masks and distance. It has been very difficult to teach and learn a language
under these circumstances. Yet it has been very exciting to adapt and learn to use so many online resources available for teaching. Personally, I have been very proud of my own two children this year for their academic and personal growth. My son, Tomás, has completed his technical training for the Air Guard in Biloxi, Mississippi, and has returned to Connecticut to continue working for Electric Boat. My daughter, Natalia, is completing her last year of music performance/music business at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.”
1981 We express our sympathy to Hilary Fayen Higgins, whose mother, Martha Fayen, passed away on January 18, 2021.
1982 We express our sympathy to Rebecca Schreiber, whose father, Sandy Schreiber, passed away on January 12, 2021. We express our sympathy to Bill Martin, whose sister, Amanda Martin ’77, passed away on October 17, 2020.
1983 We are sad to report that Tremaine Cooper passed away on March 13, 2021. We are sad to report that Joseph Saccio, the father of Milos Saccio (who passed away as a 6th grader at Foote), passed away on July 21, 2020.
1984 We express our sympathy to Courtney Broadus, whose father, Arthur Broadus, passed away on October 20, 2020. We express our sympathy to Madeline Schreiber, whose father, Sandy Schreiber, passed away on January 12, 2021. Erik Goodson shares that he is still an artist and has been spending time during the pandemic giving back to the outdoors. Erik writes, “My time at Foote gave me an immense appreciation for nature and our place in it. Currently I am waiting for spring so I can join forces with Friends of East Rock to do some trailblazing and cleanup!”
1985 We express our sympathy to Alexandra Fayen, whose mother, Martha Fayen, passed away on January 18, 2021.
1986 We express our sympathy to Elisha Cooper whose brother, Tremaine Cooper ’83, passed away on March 13, 2021. We express our sympathy to Casey Neill, whose stepfather, William Gates Sr., passed away on September 14, 2020. We express our sympathy to Andrew Winter, whose father, Ralph Winter, passed away on December 8, 2020.
1987 We express our sympathy to Tim Daniels, whose stepfather, George Cohen, passed away on February 9, 2021.
1988 Jessica Pritchett shares that her natural hair company, OOLI, thrived despite the pandemic. Jessica writes, “We won a 2020 Oprah Beauty O-ward. Next up, OOLI will be sold in Macy’s, the Army & Air Force Exchange, and Target.” Caleb Wertenbaker writes, “I’m still living in Brooklyn but am in the process of buying a co-op in midtown Manhattan. I am working remotely but am glad to be back at work after a few months on furlough.”
1990 David Holley relocated to his mother’s house in Mesa, Arizona, in September 2020. He rented out his San Francisco condominium and is spending time in his citrus orchard and building wood benches.
1994 We express our sympathy to Douglas Daniels whose stepfather, George Cohen, passed away on February 9, 2021. Colin Caplan was featured in Daily Nutmeg in a story profiling New Haven pizza. Colin is the owner of Taste of New Haven, which ran a “Pizza in America’’ Short Takes | 21
with the city of Danbury, Connecticut, over racial discrimination in jury selection. Thomas shares, “Caio is a child with autism and selfidentifies with autism as well. He has been receiving ABA therapy since he was 2 years old and I have been co-parenting him with his mother and stepdad ever since. He has come a long way from being essentially nonverbal to being the kid you see today in his videos for Caio Ninja News. We are all really proud of him and sometimes I am stunned that I am a father to such a kindhearted and gentle child.”
1996 Thomas Leaf ’94 and son Caio Leaf, who has his own website, www.caioninjanews.com.
Brett Nowak ’96 enjoys fly fishing with his three sons; Tyler, Blake and Austin.
series this winter on Zoom. Founded in 2011, Colin’s business offers 14 local food tours and live classes (on Zoom currently) and runs the annual Apizza Feast in downtown New Haven. Thomas Leaf has an 8-year-old son, Caio, who has his own website and YouTube channel, www.caioninjanews.com. One of Caio’s clips was used in an episode of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” about Oliver’s playful feud 22 | Foote Prints
Brett Nowak writes, “Last year, in many ways I reconnected with my 8th-grade self. I fell back in love with fishing. Only instead of fly fishing on the Mill River with Matt Wu and Patrick Kane, I am now bass fishing on Alpine Lake with my three boys: Tyler, 8; Blake, 6; and Austin, 4. The new fishing crew has many similarities to the old one, particularly in temperament, enthusiasm and maturity level. My three boys and I have spent many Saturdays and Sundays exploring new spots in the Marin watershed, which holds four lakes and covers 33 square miles of protected land. Fortunately for us, we live within biking distance of this beautiful outdoor resource that sits just 20 miles north of San Francisco. Another nice thing about the circumstances of 2020 is how much time I have spent talking, texting and group calling Matt and Pat. I connect with these two almost daily and there have been many Foote School memories shared, including Friday lunches at Whitneyville Food, the 8th-grade lacrosse season, four square, The Voyage of the Mimi and all of our wonderful classmates. When I am not fishing or texting with Matt and Pat, I am working on my company, Liquid & Grit, a product research company in mobile gaming that I started about five years ago. I also enjoy visiting my sister, Heather Nowak ’01, who lives in San Francisco and is expecting a baby girl this summer! Otherwise, I am looking forward to my 9th-grade year in 2021 and expect to have a fairly relaxing spring.”
1998 We are sad to report that Owen Osborne passed away on December 15, 2020.
1999 We express our sympathy to Charlotte Bradburn, whose father, Ben Bradburn, passed away on October 13, 2020.
2000 Ian Lebov writes from Santa Cruz, California, “I love spending time with my wife and our two boys, who are ages 1 and 3.” Ian works as a motorcycle suspension engineer and repairs motorcycles on the side.
2004
Cassidy McCarns ’12 is completing a nurse practitioner program.
We express our sympathy to Jacob Baldwin, whose father, Ted Baldwin Jr., passed away on December 9, 2020. We express our sympathy to Sophie Bradburn, whose father, Ben Bradburn, passed away on October 13, 2020.
2006 We express our sympathy to Sadra Baldwin, whose father, Ted Baldwin Jr., passed away on December 9, 2020.
2010 During the pandemic, Joseph Camilleri started a sustainability consulting company that helps independent middle and high schools, as well as colleges and universities, become more sustainable in their practices.
2012 Cassidy McCarns is working as a pediatric RN at Yale while completing her nurse practitioner program. Cassidy has recently been able to help vaccinate patients at COVID-19 clinics in the New Haven community, which she reports “has been wonderful.”
2015
Grace Julia Romanik ’15 is a student at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Health Sciences, studying health psychology. Grace is applying to graduate schools to obtain a doctorate in physical therapy. Grace writes, “Looking forward to the future and I remember where it all started, at The Foote School.”
Grace Julia Romanik is currently a student at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Short Takes | 23
2018 Pablo Rollán is applying to colleges and spending time with his family. Gabriela Karlan shares that she will be attending the University of Chicago as a member of the Class of 2025.
2020 Andrés Rollán has been keeping busy by playing basketball outside with his neighbors and learning to ice skate. Andres is also spending time with his dog, Chewbacca.
Faculty News Lower School associate teacher Kayleigh Axon had a research article published in October 2020 on ScienceDirect. Kayleigh was part of a team that participated in and interviewed youth involved in the 2019 climate strikes.
Former Faculty News We recently heard from two former faculty members. Wayne Rollins taught Latin to 7thand 8th-grade boys (girls did not take Latin at the time) at Foote from 1953 to 1957 while earning a divinity degree and a doctorate at Yale. The following year he was full-time, handling 8th-grade homeroom, 5th-grade Greek history, 4th-grade Egyptian history and theater. He went on to a distinguished academic career, which he described this way: “Upon finishing my graduate work in ’58, I went off to Princeton for a year as an instructor in Biblical studies, then to Wellesley for seven years in a large religious studies program, thence to the Hartford Seminary, teaching at the graduate level until the trustees terminated the century-old program and sold the third-best theological library in New England to Emory University. The next 25 years were spent richly as Director of an Ecumenical Institute and Graduate Program in Religious Studies at Assumption College in
24 | Foote Prints
Noelia Garcia ’19 won a Nintendo Switch as part of our Foote Giving Day raffle.
Worcester, Massachusetts. Being ecumenically oriented, they wanted a non-Catholic for the position and it was my pleasure and privilege to get on board. Teaching was complemented with writing. I have completed eight books to date with a ninth coming up, co-edited with a California colleague in 2007. I developed an interest in the contribution that the field of psychology might make to Biblical studies. In the 1970s I began to work with the writings of Carl Jung, the Swiss analytical psychologist, intrigued with his thoughts on symbols and archetypal images and on the role of the human psyche in the life, history and production of the Bible, as well as the role of the Bible in the life of the psyche.” Sarah Judd taught 4th grade from 1990 to 1994 and is currently the Head of the Learning Department at the Key School in Annapolis, Maryland, where she has worked since 2006. After leaving Foote, Sarah earned her M.A. in learning disabilities at Northwestern University and then worked at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, Massachusetts for 10 years. Sarah now lives in Annapolis with her wife and four children, ages 15 to 23.
In Memoriam
Baba David Coleman Beloved African drumming teacher Baba David Coleman, who taught at Foote from 1998 to 2011, died peacefully in his sleep on February 27 after a courageous battle with cancer. Baba was a founding member of the Afro-Semitic Experience, an American roots band merging Jewish and Afro-diasporic melodies and grooves. He made a profound impact through his teaching at Foote and Neighborhood Music School, among other organizations. His contributions to the community were acknowledged in 2011 when he received the C. Newton Schenck III Award for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.
Jennifer Crum Hunt ’63 Jennifer Crum Hunt, a retired professor of sociology at Montclair State University in New Jersey and an expert on policing, passed away on October 13, 2020, in Switzerland from Multiple System Atrophy. Jennifer was an author often cited for her work exploring how police officers classify and evaluate acts of force. Her book, Seven Shots, tells the dramatic story of a New York City police raid, the painstaking police work involved and its paradoxical aftermath. Jennifer was also a loving, supportive and empathetic friend. She was admired and loved by all who knew her well, including the police with whom she worked. She fought injustice and particularly championed inclusion.
Allison Evans Johnson ’35 September 7, 2016
Jennifer Crum Hunt ’63 October 13, 2020
Alice Rosalind “Ros” Tolson ’44 November 7, 2020
Beth Brennan ’64 November 6, 2020
James English ’46 February 3, 2021 Henry Robbins ’57 June 4, 2020
Amanda Martin ’77 October 17, 2020 Tremaine Cooper ’83 March 13, 2021 Owen Osborne ’98 December 15, 2020
Former Faculty Baba David Coleman February 27, 2021 Past Foote School Association Board Member Peter Esty November 15, 2020
Short Takes | 25
Reflections
+ + +
Lost and Found in the Pandemic
–
What do you miss most about pre-COVID times?
+
What’s something positive that has come out of this experience for you?
J U S T O VE R A YE A R AGO O
Heaa lth Organizattion decc a gllobaa l paandemicc and Fo likee so man ny otheers, abru uptlyy closed its doo ors and went reemote. In the 12 montt hs sincce, t he world has endu ured so o much losss, fro om the pro ofound to the trivial, whiile adap pting to life un nder pan ndemicc resttricttion ns. Butt thee past year has also o been one of growth h an nd discovery. We learn ned to fill the emp ptyy spacces with h new w hobbiess, new w reccipees, new w songs, new w bo ooks, neew movv iess and d outings to pllaces we neverr kneew abou ut. We’vve found d the upside off maskk weearing, long sttints wiith our fam miliees, Zoom an nd sociaa lizingg outdoo ors (winterr s’m mores, anyone??). To marrk th he one-yyear an nniversaaryy off liife und der COV V ID-19,, we askked stu udents, teaccherrs an nd stafff to refleect on t he past year. Inspired d byy thee Hum mans of New w Yo orkk series, t his gallleryy prrovides a po ortrrait of the Foote co ommun nityy as we enteer yeear two off the pandem mic— chaangeed bu ut byy no o mean ns dimiinished..
26 | Foote Prints
Asher 8 TH GR A D E R
–
I miss visiting my relatives and spending time with my cousins. They have grown so much since I last saw them.
+
Spending more time with my mother, father and brother. We have been cooking, laughing and sharing more about our lives during the pandemic.
Penelope
Kossouth
6 TH GR A D E R
S CH O O L CO UNS E LO R
–
I wish I could still ski with my family.
+
I’ve been able to find new hobbies, such as liking snakes.
Susan K IND E R G AR TE N TE ACHE R
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The thing I miss the most is hugging.
+
Kindergartners are now incredibly independent. They’re able to carry all their belongings each morning.
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I miss not feeling as connected to the students, especially the new students.
+
Family walks and being more disciplined about attending to my well-being (exercise, meditation etc.).
+ + + Teddy
4TH GR A D E R
–
I miss going to sports arenas to watch teams play. I miss the roar of the crowd.
+
A positive thing is that it’s made me more patient and independent.
Short Takes | 27
Yasmeena 7TH GR A D E R
+ + +
–
I miss going to New York on the weekends. The feeling and joy of Broadway and trying new types of food.
+
Stella
2 ND G R A D E R
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I miss going on vacation when we saw different animals and cool new places with my family.
+
A benefit is the new teachers. I wouldn’t be where I am without the new teachers at Foote.
I like that most factories closed and that is better for the Earth’s polar bears and climate change and is also better for us.
Charlie
Sue
2 ND G R A D E R
1S T GR AD E TE ACHE R
–
I miss not having to wear a mask because it is annoying!
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A positive about wearing a mask is that it keeps my face warm!
28 | Foote Prints
–
I miss having a small child lean into me as we look at a book together or try to solve a math problem.
+
I have learned how much my co-workers mean to me and the value of laughter throughout the day.
439
$3,000 25%
students
of students receive financial support
$36,181 115
cost per student for covid-related expenses
faculty & staff
48,000 cost to purchase iPads for every K–2 student
volumes in the Frank Perrine Library
Your support of the 2020–2021 Foote Fund helps make these numbers possible.
Thank you!
To make a gift, visit footeschool.org/give
The Foote School 50 Loomis Place New Haven, CT 06511 www.footeschool.org (203) 777-3464
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PA ID New Haven, CT Permit No. 181
Mark Your Calendars
May
Reunion Weekend May 7 & 8, 2021 Join us forr a virtuall happyy hourr on Fridayy and d a virtual reunion gathering on Saturdayy morning, followed by an open meeting off the Alumni Council. All alumni are welcome. RSVP at footeschool.org/reunion.
Jun/ Aug
Summer Adventures June 21–July 1; August 9–20 Sign up now w for Summer Adventures at Foote! Hands-on activities, arts and crafts projects, games, outdoor exploration, yoga, music, STEM, gardening and more. Information and registration at footeschool.org/summer. r
Foote Prints Vol 48.1