FWCD Falconer - Fall 2020

ZOOM

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Eric Lombardi Head of School

Bill Arnold ’86

Director of Strategic Projects

Chelsy Beninate Director of Fine Arts

Trey Blair

Head of Lower School

Joe Breedlove ’78

Executive Director of Breakthrough

Caroline Corpening Lamsens ’99

Director of Admission

Tom Mitchell

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

James Rains/Shelley Rains

Interim Athletic Directors

John Stephens

Head of Middle School

Alexis Stern Head of Upper School

Sandra Tuomey

Director of Advancement

Steve Uhr

Director of Technology

EDITOR

Shannon Rossman Allen

ART DIRECTOR

Lisa Koger

CONTRIBUTORS

Bill Arnold ’86

Paige Farris Chisholm ’87

Rachel Donahue

Yolanda Espinoza

Caren Handleman

Mel Hurst

Danielle Jain

Debby Jennings

Renee Pierce

Patrick Powers ’05

Sandra Tuomey

Lisa Wallace

Questions? Concerns? Comments?

Contact Shannon Allen at shannon.allen@fwcd.com

Send address changes to:

Fort Worth Country Day Advancement Office

4200 Country Day Lane Fort Worth, Texas 76109 or email mel.hurst@fwcd.com

© FWCD 2020

The Magazine of Fort Worth Country Day

FEATURES

24 FWCD’s Class of 2020

Commencement Exercises looked different this year, but that difference, a return to campus, made it all the more special.

32 Master of Significant Programs

Steve Stackhouse retired from FWCD after 23 years at the School. His many achievements on campus stand as a testament to what one quiet, driven, devoted person can influence.

38 FWCD Online 1.0

The challenges faced as the world coped with COVID-19 required adapting to change. FWCD pivoted to create a new virtual reality through FWCD Online.

The Falconer is published biannually for Fort Worth Country Day families, alumni and friends by the Advancement Office. Opinions represented may not necessarily be the position of the Board or administration. Fort Worth Country Day has an institutional commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, FWCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or national origin in admissions, the administration of its educational policies, financial aid, athletics and other School-administered programs.

View from My Window

When we named this column in 2015, I was just settling into the amazing digs that are the Head of School’s office at Fort Worth Country Day. I am not one to spend more time than I have to in my office during the school day, but I was quick to be a fan of time in this particular office because of its view of Trustees Plaza and of students, JK-12, along with academic, arts and athletics educators passing by throughout the day. The view from my window is clearly a gift. We memorialized it with the column’s name.

And then there was March 13, 2020, when we learned schools in Texas would close, initially for two weeks, and, ultimately, for the rest of the academic year. Suddenly, the view from my window was beautiful but barren. Fewer than 20 of us came to campus through May, and students did not return to Trustees Plaza until August 18. The months without students passing by this window were long. As I write, we have all, gradually, returned to campus for the 2020-21 school year.

All of us have returned, except for very few faculty and staff who decided, over the summer, to step away. We will spend more time honoring these FWCD treasures when health circumstances change, but looking out my window this

year, I won’t see Karen Curella, Middle School Spanish and French Teacher at FWCD since 1988. Karen decided in June that she would start retirement earlier than planned, to be as safe as possible. And while I won’t see Dan Bloch H’06 this fall, I have put a few select items from his Winnie-the-Pooh collection on my window sill to remind me of his 51-years of dedicated FWCD service. From fifth-grade science to Kindergarten Rodeo banjo, to Falcons on the Road alumni trips, and ongoing email exchanges with his former students, Dan stepped away in early August when his doctor told him he needed to. Dan and I look forward to scheming ways he will be back up here to help out when the pandemic dust settles. Meanwhile, Eeyore and Piglet, Tigger, Owl and Pooh all sit on the sill, reminding me of what it is to be devoted, and of all the giants on whose shoulders those of us here in 2020-21 stand.

Congratulations to Dan and Karen, and gratitude to the division leaders and teachers who pressed on through the summer challenges to get people back in our plaza.

Around Campus

Honoring a Trailblazer

Betty Claire Dupree McKnight H’13, one of Fort Worth Country Day’s trailblazing Founding Trustees, passed away on August 12, 2020. She was 95 years old.

Head of School Eric Lombardi shared the news of Betty Claire’s passing sharing, “I met Betty Claire during my first year at Fort Worth Country Day, and our conversation was one of the highlights of that year. She attended last year’s Founder’s Day, in March 2019, and was as engaged and vibrant a personality as ever.”

Known for her leadership as a community volunteer, Betty Claire was active in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, Cook Children’s Medical Center’s Jewel Charity, The Assembly and Fort Worth Garden Club. With her dear friend Priscilla Bradford Holland H’13, the two developed a plan to create Fort Worth Country Day nearly 60 years ago. Betty Claire phoned and invited all the Founding Board members and called the first three meetings in 1961. She also penned the February 1962 letter inviting Peter Schwartz H’98, who eventually became FWCD’s Founding Headmaster, to visit Fort Worth and learn more about the proposed new school.

Betty Claire led a remarkable life. A Fort Worthian, she

graduated from Arlington Heights High School at the young age of 15 and later attended The University of Texas at Austin, graduating at 19. She went to work at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram before moving to New York to work as a reporter for Life and Mademoiselle magazines. She also served as a reporter in Europe and used her press pass to accompany a load of coal in a Skymaster C-54 in the Berlin Airlift. Among her noted articles was a personal interview with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

“All of us at Fort Worth Country Day, students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, past parents, grandparents and friends, are grateful to Betty Claire and her fellow Founding Trustees for their vision, dedication and energies that resulted in the establishment of such an exceptional school,” Lombardi said. “Her legacy is and will continue to be the generations of FWCD students and alumni who will become community volunteers, civic and business leaders in Fort Worth, in the state of Texas and in the nation.”

The FWCD family extends deepest sympathies to Betty Claire’s children, Ellen Dupree Davis ’77 and Rob Dupree ’81; her stepdaughter, Ann McKnight Stevens; and stepson, David McKnight.

100 Days of School Celebration

To celebrate the 100th day of school, first-graders collected cans for the Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB). Each classroom’s goal? You guessed it, 100 cans. The grand total collected from the four classes was 491! Megan Smock, TAFB Director of Major Gifts, came to campus on February 11 to collect the cans, thank the students, and share a bit of information about the food bank. Smock shared that one can typically equals two or three meals depending on the size of the family. For the first-graders, this translated into providing 900 meals.

Robotics Team Competes

“Bots, Bees, and Beyond” was the theme for this year’s TCEA (Texas Computer Educators Association) robotics competition. Ten FWCD students – Arjun Vasudevan ’24, Tucker Grubbs ’24, Jordan Jones ’25, Mac Staniford ’24, Richard Souchick ’24, Andrew Vallance ’24, Blake Brown ’24, Andrew Lobo ’26, Jake Hudman ’26 and Akshay Vasudevan ’26 – divided into three teams for the January 11 competition. Their focus: to complete five different tasks of varying difficulty, with only two minutes to accomplish as many of those tasks as possible. Tasks were bee-themed: place the “queen bee” with the “brood,” deliver “pollen” and “nectar” to the brood, etc. The robots then needed to pick something up and deposit it appropriately to complete the tasks. Teams earned points depending on which tasks they accomplished.

Ride-a-Thon Goes Virtual

Each spring, fifth-graders participate in their grade-level community service program: the Ride-A-Thon. For years, this event has benefited the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County. Students complete laps around campus, and family members make pledges toward those laps. “With several School traditions having to be postponed, canceled or revamped [because of COVID-19], the kids might be feeling the loss,” said Kathryn Sohne, Middle School Health and Wellness Counselor and Ride-A-Thon Advisor. “I wanted to find a way to make the event happen. The Boys and Girls Clubs need our help more than ever as they continue to provide services to their members.”

Desperate times called for creative measures, and the 2020 Virtual Ride-A-Thon was launched online with the help of Web Content Manager Tiffini Crum .

The official event occurred on May 14, when fifth-graders and their families completed laps (practicing appropriate social distancing) in their driveways, on sidewalks, in parks — you name it! Students also connected with family, friends and colleagues to sponsor their efforts by sharing the online donation page.

Students were encouraged to ride a bike, scooter, skateboard or even rollerblades! They were also welcome to walk, run, jog or skip! “All we wanted was for them to get out there and be active as they raised funds for a good cause,” Sohne said.

This community service endeavor provides raised $2,500 to fund critical needs of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County during COVID-19, including meal distribution efforts and distancelearning support.

Drake Lightbound ’27

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation named Lily Melcher ’20 a 2020 National Merit Scholar. In this case, Lily qualified for Scholar status through the university-sponsored avenue because her college choice (Vanderbilt University) awarded her its National Merit Scholarship.

More than 1.5 million juniors in 22,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Texas Semifinalists is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships were offered in spring 2020. Every Finalist competed for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships awarded on a staterepresentational basis. Approximately 220 corporations and business organizations provided about 1,000

corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who met their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities financed some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

Senior Named National Merit Scholar Wishes Granted by PFA

Many teachers’ dreams came true, as their “wish list” items were granted by many wonderful FWCD families. While the Parent Faculty Association (PFA) Party was canceled amid the COVID-19 “Stay Home, Work Safe” protocols, the PFA Board saw that the Teacher Wish List and tuition raffle still moved forward.

“We’re pleased that this year’s Teacher Wish List project was such a success despite these uncertain circumstances,” said 2019-20 PFA President Laura Rooker. “We appreciate the thought and care that went into the faculty requests and are grateful to the many generous parents who participated.”

This year’s wish list was the longest yet, and gifts totaled over $13,600, with 80% of the wishes granted.

Each division benefits from the PFA Wish List. Some of the granted items included a laminator, Stop the Bleed emergency kits, a Magnatile set, noise-canceling headphones, books, Spanish character finger puppets, culinary burners, robot mats, grass and wildflower seeds, a camera, a zoom lens, music stands, Giffin grips for ceramics and more.

2019-20 Scholarship Recipients

The following students held these Named Scholarships in the 2019-20 academic year.

Edward P. Bass Scholarship

Sydney Airheart ’23, Sydney Becan ’20

Beverly Anne Robinson Faculty Endowed Scholarship

Liberty Croutch ’20, Benjamin Hoppe ’24, Halle Huckaby ’27

Malone Scholars Program

Seth Mayhue ’23, Mary Grace McGann ’22, Landen Walker ’22, Maya Witzel ’25

Peter A. Schwartz Scholarship

Grace Cauble ’20

Captain David Herr ’80 Memorial Scholarship

Ashlin McCormack ’20

Reilly Family Foundation/Breakthrough Fort Worth Scholarship

Raúl Frías Pérez ’20

Alumni Endowed Scholarship

Christopher Edwards ’20, Stephanie Morgan ’20, Joy Yun ’20

Ella C. McFadden Scholarship

Rachel Lynch ’20, Eduardo Tovar ’20

Moritz Scholarship at FWCD

Alex Orozco ’20

Betty Reese Memorial Scholarship

Kelly Pham ’21

Gayle G. and Evan D. Peterson Scholarship

Lorena Manrique ’28

Joey Pollard Memorial Scholarship

Adele Wilson ’21

Jillian Chandler Thompson Scholarship

Isabella Rugema ’27

Jerry Pallotta Shares His Stories

Children’s Author Jerry Pallotta brought his whimsical books to Lower School students on February 4. Well-known for his alphabet and counting books and Who Would Win? Series, Pallotta shared that he began thinking about writing when he was reading to his four children who are now grown. He writes from experience, which means Pallotta writes what he knows, and he has an incredible curiosity. “I once saw a great white shark and a whale, so I wrote a book,” he quipped. “I once caught lobsters with chicken nuggets, a beef burrito and barbecue ribs as bait, so I wrote a book about a lobster.” Today, he has more than 100 books to his credit thanks to his sense of humor and wonder. The FWCD Libraries hosted this event for students.

Five New Trustees Elected

FWCD’s Board of Trustees elected five new Trustees: Laura Bird, John Brookman ’80, Hugo Del Pozzo, Rob Semple ’95 and Blaine Smith ’80 were each elected for a three-year term, beginning May 19, 2020. David Minor was also elected to a first term after completing former Trustee Liza Lee’s unexpired term. Brian Crumley ’92, Michelle Marlow, Malathi Ravi and Rachel Werner were elected to a second term. The 2020-21 Board of Trustees Officers are Randy Eisenman ’93, Board President; Elyse Stoltz Dickerson ’93 and Chris Rooker, Vice Presidents; Russ Fleischer, Treasurer; and Mary Hallman Smith ’03, Secretary. Meet the new Trustees.

parents of two Falcon alumni. While her children were in school, she was a member of the Building and Grounds Committee (2000-15), served as FWCD PFA President (2002-03), and was a member of the Board of Trustees (2005-11).

and risk management expertise on the settlement of other lawyers’ cases as a distinguished neutral in the alternative dispute resolution process of mediation. Brookman is a former Board Chair of Communities in Schools of Greater Tarrant County. He earned a JD from South Texas College of Law and a BA in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. Brookman has volunteered at FWCD since 1998 in all academic divisions and served in such roles as Alumni Council President and Falcon Club Co-President with his wife, Bari Buckner Brookman ’83. The Brookmans are the proud parents of four Falcon alumni and one current student.

Laura Bird has more than 40 years of experience in the development and construction industry. In her early work, Bird gained hands-on field knowledge as she worked to complete her formal education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Building Construction (Construction Science) from Texas A&M University. Her primary career focus has been on creating interdisciplinary teams to plan and build aesthetically significant and purposeful environments that support the health, wellness and lifestyle of their occupants. Three of the projects she has been a part of are AIA award winners. Most recently, she completed Frost Tower Fort Worth, a 25-story building located in downtown Fort Worth. Bird and her husband, Greg, are the

John Brookman ’80 is an attorneymediator, specializing in the resolution of civil litigation disputes. In his role as outside General Counsel to multiple international corporations, Brookman has represented his clients on every continent around the globe—save Antarctica. He continues to represent select individual and corporate clients in the courtroom and the boardroom, but now deploys his trial experience

Hugo Del Pozzo is co-founder of Bravo Equity Partners, a private equity firm based in Fort Worth, where, since 2000, he has directed investments into companies that are impacted by the U.S. Hispanic demographic growth. Before Bravo, Del Pozzo worked at Ernst & Young’s Corporate Finance practice in Mexico City. He also is co-founder of Pinea, a winery in Ribera del Duero, Spain, and Savor Restaurant

Group, a developer of Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in North Texas and Houston. Del Pozzo holds an MBA from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México with studies at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley and is a graduate of Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey with a BBA in Accounting and Finance. A member of FWCD’s Finance Committee since 2016, Del Pozzo has served on the board of The Women’s Center of Tarrant County and recently finished a six-year term on the Shady Oaks Country Club Board of Governors. Del Pozzo and his wife, Tanya, have one Falcon alumnus and two children enrolled at FWCD.

FWCD Advancement Committee since 2017. Semple earned his BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin in 1999 and his CFA designation in 2005. The Semples have two sons enrolled at FWCD.

Class of 2020 By the Numbers

100

Seniors in the Class of 2020

More than

$13 million Awarded in merit-based scholarship and awards

Rob Semple ’95 is a Principal at Panther FW Investments, a real estate private equity firm, with 20+ years of experience managing public and private investments with a primary focus in the real estate and technology industries. He currently serves as President of Westside Little League, and he and his wife, Katie, were 2019-20 Chairs of the FWCD Fund. Semple has been a member of the FWCD Alumni Council since 2011, holding several positions, including Secretary, Nominations Chair and President (201719). He also has been a member of the

Blaine Smith ’80 is an artist who works in various media. Her works draw upon nature and traditional ethnographic and non-Western cultures and are collected by individuals, hotels, and corporations in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. She earned her BA in Anthropology from Yale University. A former FWCD faculty member, Smith served as the AP Art History teacher from 1992-99. She gives back to her craft, serving on the Executive Committee of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth since 2006, in various roles with the Van Cliburn Foundation since 1990, and on the Houston Museum of Natural Science Anthropology Sub-Committee and Collections Committee since 2010. Blaine is the 2015 recipient of the FWCD Alumni Association’s Falcon Star award and has served as the FWCD Fund fifth-grade team leader and as a member of the School’s Advancement Committee (since 2017). Smith has a daughter attending FWCD.

81% of students received merit-based scholarships and awards

707 Applications submitted by the class

130 Different college and university acceptances

59% of graduates attending out-ofstate colleges and universities

13 Seniors recognized by the national Merit Scholarship Program and/or the National Hispanic Recognition Program

Giving Back

Spirited Mask Making

Face coverings became all the rage in March as a result of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began recommending cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are more difficult to maintain.

While stores and online vendors were running out of stock, FWCD students, faculty and staff took to their sewing machines to fill the void for families, friends and nonprofit organizations. The results: masks in a variety of fun colors, patterns and styles during these most uncertain times.

Karina Cedillo ’20 and Aidan Karsten ’21 both fashioned their own masks. “My family and I didn’t have enough masks to last us, and I realized that so many more people needed them, so my grandpa and I decided to make them together,” Cedillo said. Once she got going, Cedillo found that she could make about eight in a day. Her grandfather helped to cut the fabric, while she sewed them together. Cedillo’s masks included “pockets” in order for a coffee filter or paper towel to be placed within to serve as a filter.

Karsten made face coverings as his Eagle Scout Service project. “I knew how to sew, and I knew there was a need for masks,” Karsten said. By the middle of April, he had produced approximately 50 to donate to The Net, a local nonprofit organization that serves some of our city’s most marginalized – those experiencing homelessness, survivors of trafficking and refugees. The Net distributed the donated masks to many who could not social distance.

Feeling a bit nostalgic for school and wanting to express some school spirit, Karsten sewed a mask for Head of School Eric Lombardi out of the School’s beloved and longstanding plaidpatterned material.

To celebrate the Class of 2020, FWCD’s Alumni Association gifted a plaid mask to each person in the 100-member class. The

masks were sewn with love and care by Upper School Health and Wellness Counselor Kathy Roemer, Upper School Spanish Teacher Molly Risewick, Middle School Theatre Teacher Cathy Gullo and FWCD Graphic Design Manager Lisa Koger. The masks were given to the students at the Class of 2020 Senior Car Parade on Friday, May 15, which would have been the class’s original graduation day.

Roemer’s and Risewick’s sewing did not stop with the senior class: Roemer made nearly 300 masks for Cook Children’s Medical Center and 50 for local Black Lives Matter protesters, and she is sending 25 to the Navajo Nations. Risewick fashioned 20 more using a more intricate pattern for nurses.

“I really resisted making the masks in the beginning, but one morning my sister called me from Newburgh, New York. She was making them and wanted to ask me questions,” Risewick said. “So I decided to download the pattern she was using and make some along with her. We FaceTimed for about three hours that morning while we made masks.

“When Lisa asked if I was willing to help with the plaid masks for the seniors, I was more than happy to,” Risewick continued. “It felt like it was something I could do for them since it was starting to look less and less likely that I would see them in the classroom again. Making something for the kids gave me a sense of connection to them.”

The mask-making venture was an activity that the community could rally behind because of its potential to touch the lives of others and it made the days feel purposeful.

Fort Worth Country Day believes that service to School, to the greater community and to humankind is a necessary component for the education of the whole student. Through age-appropriate, grade-level service learning opportunities, the School encourages all of its members to give of their time and talents through thought and deed.

Q &A

with Janie Garrett and Missi

How did you find Fort Worth Country Day 21 years ago?

In 1995, my husband, Bob, and I came back to the U.S. with our three daughters, after nearly 14 years serving as missionaries in Argentina. Bob was teaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and I got a job as a bilingual teacher in Fort Worth ISD. Someone recommended FWCD to us as a school for our two school-age daughters [Rebecca Garrett Finn ’99 and Elisabeth ’01], so we looked into it. It was a great fit for our girls. In Rebecca’s senior year, my oldest daughter, Janelle, taught Upper School French and Spanish, and my youngest, Elisabeth, was a sophomore. It was the only time I had my three girls in the same school. I began teaching Lower School and fifth-grade Spanish at FWCD the next fall. After nine years, I moved permanently to Middle School to teach fifth- and sixthgraders.

What led you to be a teacher?

Ministry and teaching were part of my DNA. I thought I would do medical technology when I went to Baylor, but I kept being drawn back to education. When Bob and I moved to Kentucky so that he could go to graduate school, I took my first job teaching seventh-grade math. During those years, I taught grades 4-7, but I took time off when Janelle was born.

We were appointed missionaries in Argentina in 1979. I was 30 years old and knew nothing about Spanish because I studied Latin at Baylor. In 1980, I went to language school in Costa Rica for five hours a day, five days a week to learn Spanish before we moved to Buenos Aires in 1981. Our work in Argentina was so fulfilling. I worked with families going into ministry, serving as a mentor to married students, while also taking care of my family. I did a little bit of everything from teaching, to offering parenting advice, teaching cooking classes, and serving as hospitality chairman. Spanish was our language each day.

You have always had a focus on inclusivity and other cultures. What are some of the programs of which you are most proud?

Early in my career, I sponsored a Culture Club that presented MLK Day assemblies, visited a mosque and a synagogue, and hosted a Culture Fair and a Hunger Dinner in the old cafeteria. Students and their families bought tickets and then pulled a bean out of a bag to determine their wealth, which determined where they sat at the table. Those seated in the middle were served a wealthy dinner (Cordon bleu). Those seated on the outside had rice and beans. The money raised was donated to world hunger. The discussions and lessons learned were profound. To hear more from Janie, visit fwcd.org/janiegarrett.

Olson Kovachev ’89

What led you to Fort Worth Country Day 20 years ago?

I was working in “corporate America” at the time ... and hating it. I was so ready to get back to sports, which I have always loved. Fortunately, so many coaches that were at FWCD when I graduated in 1989 were still here ... Coach [Butch] Traeder [H’06], Coach [Joe] Breedlove [’78], Trainer Ed Chisholm, Coach [Joe] Murph … that I had an immediate connection, and was lucky in the timing that FWCD was hiring three full-time PE/coaching positions that year. I knew how much FWCD had helped me as a student, and I wanted to do the same for someone else.

At FWCD, you have worn many hats; do you have a favorite? Wow, where to begin! I have taught kindergarten, grades 1-4 and 6, and Upper School PE classes. I have coached Middle School girls volleyball and basketball, varsity boys volleyball, varsity boys and girls tennis, and I have even chaperoned the cheer team to a game at St. Mark’s many years ago! I also scheduled the games, referees and facilities for the Athletic Department. I love the variety of all of those roles: from tying shoes in kindergarten PE in the morning and working on finding the perfect schedule for a particular team to coaching seniors who are stressing through college decisions in the afternoon. This variety is one of the things that makes FWCD such a rewarding place to work.

What is your teaching philosophy related to FWCD’s Dynamic Physical Education Program?

No. 1: You are stuck with your body for your whole life – treat it right! No. 2: There is a ton of research out there supporting that people learn better when they are getting regular exercise. Sure, there are exceptions, but the general rule seems to show that physical fitness and academic learning go hand-in-hand. No. 3: Physical activity reduces stress. I hope we can expose kids to a good variety of exercises and athletic endeavors, so they each find their go-to stress-reliever. I know that when I was a mother with young children, there was no better place for me to go than to the volleyball court for a few hours. For me, it was the one place to lose track of all responsibility and pressure for a few hours and completely re-energize for whatever was coming next.

What will you miss most about Country Day?

I will miss the energy and positivity that comes from working with kids – not many other things can give you that “hopefulness” for the world that comes from working with students who are eager to learn and excited to make a difference. I’ll be around as a Country Day parent, so I don’t think I’ll miss it that much! I do know I will miss my work friends ... the Athletic Department is a tight-knit group of people, and there are many coaches on our staff that are not just co-workers, but close friends also. I will miss talking with them every day! To hear more from Missi, visit fwcd.org/missikovachev.

The Arts

The City of Fort Worth is internationally known for its vibrant arts scene. At FWCD, we inspire innovation and excellence through our celebrated ballet program, visual arts classes, choral programs, band, orchestra, drumline, performing arts and technical theatre.

Virtual Coffeehouses Entertain During FWCD Online

FWCD has talent! And this talent was on display in the four different Virtual Fine Arts Coffeehouse events in the spring semester.

Students in each division were encouraged to submit recordings of themselves singing; playing an instrument; performing a monologue, stand-up comedy or dance. Visual artists submitted photos of their work. FWCD Scott Theater Manager Eric Tysinger was tasked with putting the individual performances together in videos.

“The highlight of our year is to showcase the wonderful work produced by our talented students,” said Director of Fine Arts Chelsy Beninate. “With the close of school on the cusp of the time of year that we really get to feature our artists, I knew I had to come up with a creative way to showcase our work while we were apart. A Virtual Coffeehouse seemed like a perfect fit.

“Ideas are just ideas, though, until the real work is done, and I am so thankful that Eric has the skills to make productions like this possible,” she continued. “We were certainly working on the fly, but I could not be more

pleased with the submissions and how they turned out.”

Walker Smith ’21 hosted the Upper School version, which featured a plethora of talent including Rocco Leoni ’23 on the piano crooning a tune with his brother, Frankie ’26, on saxophone (the duo also appeared in the Middle School Virtual Coffeehouse), a clip of Upper School Theatre Director Travis Guba on Conan; special appearances by alumni Kat Clum ’18 and J Mack Slaughter ’02 who sang original songs; a video short by Pearce Wallach ’20; and a throwback video of Upper School Math Teacher Melissa Williams playing the bells in an Upper School assembly.

Ashley Ortega ’25, Lily Hyde ’24 and Charlotte Bonnell ’25 hosted the Middle School version, which featured Andrew Lobo ’26 on saxophone, Julia Staffel ’27 singing The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow, Sean Hong ’27 playing Bach Suite No. 1 on cello, mad bike tricks from Rhodes Linker ’27, and a mother-son pairing in Adam Pierce ’26 singing with Upper School Choir Director Stacey Pierce accompanying on the piano.

The Lower School students knocked it out of the park in terms of cuteness. Host Riley Dunning ’31 emphatically stated, “We will not let the virus stop us from sharing our talents with the FWCD community.” She kicked off

J Mack Slaughter III ’33

The Blan Family Band

Anonymous Chicken ’28

the performance with a song from The Greatest Showman with her father accompanying on guitar. Additional acts included a fashion show from the Walker family (Martha ’30, Katherine ’30 and Whitney ’33), a cello performance by Harmon Hong ’29, a chicken pianist from Class of 2028, card tricks from a dapper Harvey Firestone ’29, and some fantastic visual art pieces from a variety of students.

“While I hope we are performing in person this next school year, I can bet that some of the virtual concepts we gravitated to over the last quarter of 2019-20 will remain,” Beninate said. “These videos were far-reaching and allowed us to share our work with a greater audience.”

All Fine Arts Virtual Coffeehouse events are available to view on FWCD’s Vimeo Channel at vimeo.com/ user21023474.

FWCD Earns DSM HSMTA Nominations

Fort Worth Country Day was nominated for three Dallas Summer Musical High School Musical Theatre Awards (DSM HSMTA) this past spring. Claire Guthrie ’20 earned a Best Leading Actress nod; Upper School Theatre Director Travis Guba was nominated in the Best Direction category; and Best Costume Design nominees were: Natalie Bracken ’05, Tricia Franks, Guba, Cathy Gullo and Kathy Roemer. All nominations were for The Drowsy Chaperone.

DSM HSMTA are regional awards, and nominees were chosen from among 68 participating schools. “This is a very big competition, and we are competing with schools 10 times our size,” said Guba. There were 10 nominations for Best Actor and Actress and eight

nominations for all other categories, which include Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Music Direction, Best Orchestration, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Stage Crew & Technical Execution, Best Ensemble, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Featured Performer.

This year’s award show on May 14 was an all-digital format due to COVID-19 and safety protocols. FWCD Scott Theater Manager Eric Tysinger was one of only three individuals working on the creation of this show. All awards were announced via a produced video featuring engaging performances, virtual acceptance speeches and cameos featuring top Broadway talent.

Senior Earns Third Buckley Award

Nod

Claire Guthrie ’20 earned a 2020 Betty Lynn Buckley Award nomination in the Best Female Actor in a Play category for her portrayal of Ethel in The Curious Savage. Guthrie has been nominated for three Buckley Awards (2017, 2019, 2020) while a student at FWCD and is the Theatre Department’s most decorated student. Guthrie attends Northwestern University, where she is studying theatre.

Named after Fort Worth’s own Tony Award-winning Best Actress, Fort Worth Independent School District and Casa Mañana alumna Betty Lynn Buckley, this scholarship awards program promotes and celebrates excellence in high school theatre. This year was the Buckley Awards 20th anniversary. Participation is open to Denton, Wise, Parker, Hood, Johnson and Tarrant Counties.

Lillian Bruns ’29

FWCD Makes Statement at Slaughter

Talent. Dedication. Heart. That is what the Slaughter Family Arts Awards (SFAA) celebrates, as it recognizes and promotes excellence and effort in the fine arts community.

In the inaugural and certainly memorable year, where winners were announced virtually over the course of a week in a series of Facebook videos, FWCD students cleaned up, taking home eight awards and $500 scholarships. Winners were:

• Samuel Asprilla ’23: Excellence in Instrumental Performance (Jazz)

• Grace Bobo ’21: Excellence in Visual Art (Painting)

• Claire Guthrie ’20: Excellence in Theatre (Monologue)

• Alex Nolan ’23: Excellence in Instrumental Performance (Contemporary)

• Humberto Zamorano ’21: Excellence in Visual Art (3D Art)

Will Tuomey ’20 swept the Dance category with three wins for Group Choreography, Solo Choreography and Solo Performance.

More than 90 students from FWCD, All Saint’s Episcopal School, Southwest Christian School and Trinity Valley School entered submissions in one or more of 15 categories. Because of COVID-19 restrictions and socialdistancing protocols, the awards were presented on Facebook and Instagram starting on May 15 at 6:15 p.m. with a live-stream event featuring Rebecca (Shaw) ’02 and J Mack Slaughter ’02. Videos revealing the winners were posted shortly thereafter.

“Our goal was to celebrate young people in grades 9-12 for artistic work they are doing in or outside of school,” Rebecca noted. “Not all students who entered were involved in art in their schools, but in some way, art touched their lives.”

To add some revelry to the virtual event, the Slaughters snagged some top talent to present awards, including actors Debbie Brown, David Coffee and Carlson Elizabeth Young ’09; threetime Emmy Award-winning actress Sainty Nelsen and four-time Emmy Award-winning television, film and Broadway actor/producer Eric Nelson, artist Ann Ekstrom; former Associate Artistic Director of the Dallas Theater Center Joel Ferrell; sculptor and painter Nancy Lamb; musician Travis Newman ’02; and dancer and choreographer Merrill West ’97.

Founded in 2020, the Slaughter Family Arts Awards are the brainchild of Rebecca and J Mack (see Alumni Profile on J Mack on page 50), who have a longtime affinity and passion for fine arts. J Mack grew up in a family of musicians and became a singer/ songwriter and actor. Rebecca discovered her passion for ballet when she was 6,

Slaughter Family Arts Awards

dancing with the Gayle Corkery School of Ballet. At 12, Rebecca was accepted to her first intensive workshop with the Joffrey Ballet. This was followed by two summers and a winter term with the School of American Ballet in New York.

Following Rebecca’s years of touring and performing with dance companies and J Mack’s career in TV/film, the two independently decided to move back to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to pursue careers outside of the fine arts world. Rebecca embodied countless roles for a rapidly growing tech company in Plano, while J Mack went back to school to become a doctor. The two reconnected randomly in Dallas, falling deeply in love, and connecting over concerts, dance performances, and other arts-related events.

The couple has a deep love for the arts and dreamed of finding a way to recognize and reward the talent

and dedication of students in the Fort Worth community. After being floored by Fort Worth Country Day’s passionate performance of Chicago HSV in spring 2019, the two knew that the time for action was now.

J Mack enlisted others from local schools to serve on the SFAA board, including FWCD: Melodee Halbach, former FWCD Director of Theatre is Creative Director, and Eric Tysinger, FWCD Scott Theater Manager, is Head of Technical Production. Baylee East ’21 is a student board member serving as Project Development Director for the SFAA Outreach Program. She is focused on creating a project to educate the children in art, dance and music. The student board, comprising students from participating schools, is empowered with funding and the goal of improving fine arts education in Fort Worth’s low socioeconomic schools. The proceeds

from SFAA will be funneled into the SFAA Outreach Program to fund the developing ideas inspired and created by the student board.

An in-person, outdoor ceremony took place on June 4 on a piece of land on Rocky Creek Ranch outside Fort Worth that the Slaughter family owns. “While we all practiced social distancing, it was a special experience for our inaugural winners and their families,” Rebecca said. “We passed out the awards and sang together, forging a special connection. This was not how J Mack and I thought the awards would play out this year, but we are so grateful to the students for sharing their talents during this time of uncertainty and reminding us all how important the arts are in all of our lives.”

To learn more about the SFAA, visit www.sfaa.org.

(From left) J Mack Slaughter ’02 presents a Slaughter Family Arts Award at the in-person ceremony that took place on June 4 on a piece of land owned by the Slaughter Family on Rocky Creek Ranch outside Fort Worth.

Rebecca (Shaw) ’02 and J Mack Slaughter ’02 created the Slaughter Family Awards in 2020 to celebrate, recognize, and promote excellence and effort in the fine arts community.

J Mack ’02 and Rebecca (Shaw) Slaughter ’02 pose with Claire Guthrie ’20, one of FWCD’s six SFAA winners.

Athletics

An integral part of the FWCD experience is participation in athletics.

FWCD Falcons demonstrate a high regard for sportsmanship, effort, health, fitness and school spirit.

Interim Athletic Directors Named for 2020-21

Shelley Rains and James Rains are taking the lead as co-Interim Athletic Directors for FWCD in the 202021 school year. They take the helm from Brian Phelps, who returned to Cincinnati with his family. Brian’s wife, Dr. Allison Phelps, was offered a too-good-to-turn-down job. Brian then began searching in the area and was offered the role of Director of Athletics at Indian Hill Schools.

“Brian has been every bit the amazing educator and leader we thought he would be, and the whole family has made their mark on our school and on our hearts,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi.

Lombardi chose Shelley and James because they are experienced, in-tune with FWCD’s culture and core values, and committed to and respected at Country Day. “We are lucky to have them willing to take on new duties to

get us through the year and to our next Athletic Director,” he said.

Shelley will retain the Director of Physical Education role during the year, but will step away from girls basketball while serving as the Interim Director of Girls Athletics. James will retain his Middle School Athletic Director role while adding the title of Interim Director of Boys Athletics.

Others in the Athletic Department will step up to help in the interim year. Associate Athletic Director and Head Trainer Ed Chisholm is stepping back into an accounting role to keep the financial books. Assistant Athletic Director and Strength and Conditioning Coach Shane Jenke is taking on an event coordinator role. Upper School History Teacher Quinton Davis will coach the girls varsity basketball team in the 2020-21 season.

Return to Athletics

FWCD student-athletes began Phase 1.0 of optional strength and conditioning workouts on campus in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines on June 10. The Monday-Thursday workouts took place outside throughout the summer with a brief hiatus from June 29-July 17. Phase 2.0 began on August 17 and allowed some inside workouts and sports-specific training. Upon admittance to practice, students were screened for COVID-19 symptom’s, maintained 6-foot social distancing, and wore masks.

James Rains

Shelley Rains

2019-20 Falcon Club Major Purchases

The Falcon Club, FWCD’s athletic booster club, strives “to create school spirit, support and enthusiasm for Fort Worth Country Day athletics throughout the school community.” The organization supports all teams at the varsity, junior varsity and Middle School levels, as well as overall Lower School and Middle School PE programs. All Falcons, from junior kindergarten through 12th grade, benefit from the financial and volunteer support the Falcon Club gives back to the Athletic Department. The Falcon Club gave back $100,000 to the School during the 2019-20 academic year. Following are some of the items made possible through their fundraising efforts.

Pledge payment: Patton Field House (final installment)

Continued subscriptions for:

• ThorGuard lightning prediction system

• Social media contract work

• Neptune/Game Time Music

• Agile (HUDL athletic director package)

• LocalLive (cameras and streaming)

• Maintenance on equipment room rolling racks

• FinalForms fees

• Sterling FX Photography fees

• Filming for Middle School football

Annual events:

• Monday morning greeting breakfast

• Sports award dinners

Items:

• Laptop computer for social media director

• Battle of Bryant Irvin spirit flags

• Falcon mascot balance

• Volleyball standards, pads, and rack

• Tennis trash cans

• Table covers

• Track and field sand pit covers

• Alert Services Ohasis water cows

• Falcon Nest air-conditioning repair

• Stadium field timers

• Falcon field hockey SPC win meal

• Mower

• Football championship photo, plaques, framed jersey, rings

• Dryer for girls locker room

• Concessions tub

• Track and field, swimming record boards

• Auto-Belay System and additional supplies for climbing wall

• Cover for Falcon Club grill

• Baseball backstop netting

• SAGE Dining Services meals

• 12 Season Award board

• Baseball “Hack Attack” pitching machine

• Football players’ and coaches’ meals

Be the Light

On Monday, April 20, 2020, at 8:20 p.m. (2020 military time), Fort Worth Country Day paid tribute to its 2020 FWCD Falcon seniors. At that time, the lights in Rosacker Stadium, the FWCD baseball stadium and the tennis courts shined bright for 20 minutes and 20 seconds to honor the student-athletes. A program, emceed by Athletic Director Brian Phelps, was live-streamed on the athletics Instagram. It featured eight special guests from the Athletic Department, who offered words of wisdom and support to the students as their final season was cut short as a result of the pandemic and Fort Worth’s “Stay Home, Work Smart” orders to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

Hugo Muñoz Hired Full-Time Coach

Hugo

Muñoz is no stranger to FWCD. He has served as the Program Director and Varsity Coach for Falcon wrestling since 2017. Under his leadership, the program has been thriving and has put Falcon wrestling back on the map. In addition to coaching wrestling, Muñoz will teach Lower School Physical Education and coach football. He is excited to join the team full-time because he feels FWCD has some of the best teachers and staff in DFW. He is looking forward to learning from them and growing as an educator. Muñoz is also excited about the opportunity to meet new students and help “mold them into driven individuals.”

Six FWCD Student-Athletes Commit to Play in College

In the fall 2019 issue of the Falconer, Allie Stewart ’20, Ozzie Fleischer ’20, Kenzi Carter ’20 and Christopher Edwards ’20 were highlighted for committing to take their sports to the next level in college. Two more seniors, Liberty Croutch and Stephen Murrin, made commitments in the spring. Crouch will play baseball at Occidental College, and Murrin will play football at Washington and Lee University.

Celebrating a Class Committed

to Kindness

Fort Worth Country Day’s Class of 2020 Commencement Exercises looked different this year, but that difference made it all the more special. Hosted on campus, graduation took place on the field in Rosacker Stadium on, June 6, at 10 a.m. Amid COVID-19 protocols and strict Texas Education Agency guidelines related to graduations, FWCD graduates were seated six feet apart in front of a stage, flanked by the faculty. Students were invited to bring five members from their immediate family household to celebrate, sitting in socially distanced “pods” that were spread out across the field modeling the same six-foot social distance. It was a sight to see. These students and faculty members had not been together, outside of their cars since March 6.

Photos by Glen E. Ellman

The Class of 2020 gathered together for a social-distanced graduation ceremony on the Rosacker Stadium field on June 6. It was a hot morning, but the students and their families happily celebrated this milestone.

The students in this 100-member class submitted 707 total applications and were accepted to 130 colleges and universities. They earned more than $13 million in meritbased scholarships and will attend 42 different institutions throughout the U.S. in the fall. As of June, 59% of the class will attend out-of-state colleges and universities. Valedictorian Stephanie Morgan will attend Duke University, where she will double major in biomedical engineering and classical language, and minor in computer science engineering. Salutatorian Reena Alame plans to attend Southern Methodist University, where she will major in biology and pursue a pre-med track, with either a double major or minor in business.

The June 6, 2020, celebration is thought to be a homecoming for graduation. The last one hosted on campus was in 1993. The Class of 2020 boasts its first third-generation students to attend and graduate from FWCD: cousins, Brett Nowlin and Abigail Anton. Brett’s and Abigail’s grandmother, Brett Connell Meekins, graduated in 1967. Brett’s mother, Wesley Meekins Nowlin, graduated in 1989, and Abigail’s mother, Lauren Meekins Anton, graduated in 1993. Breakthrough Fort Worth also took great pride in five Class of 2020 FWCD graduates who went through its program: Eduardo Tovar, Orlando Robles, Raúl Frías Pérez, Alex Orozco and Joy Yun Spencer Grubbs is the only student in the class to accept an appointment from a U.S. service academy. He will attend the United States Air Force Academy. In addition, four seniors in the fine arts, Allie Hughes (dance), Claire Guthrie (theatre), Vanessa

Stephanie Morgan Valedictorian

A National Merit Commended Student, Stephanie Morgan ’20 joined the Fort Worth Country Day community as a seventh-grader. She will attend Duke University, where she plans to double major in biomedical engineering and classical language and minor in computer science engineering. “I was inspired to choose biomedical engineering as my major after reading The Hot Zone,” she said. “I chose to major in classical languages because of the passion I developed for Latin during my time at FWCD.”

Over the course of her high school career, Morgan voraciously pursued the 3A’s. She excelled in seven Honors classes, eight AP classes and one post-AP class and was inducted into FWCD’s chapter of Cum Laude as a junior. She enthusiastically participated in the fall play, spring musical and orchestra for all four years of high school. A member of the softball team as a freshman, Morgan moved into the manager position as a sophomore and junior.

Morgan has fond Falcon memories. “FWCD represents an environment of boundless opportunity,” she said. “I was able to be a part of a wide array of clubs and activities in myriad subjects. Being a part of various clubs was a huge part of my high school experience, when in one week I'd go from morning Latin Club practice to an announcements period to White Whale Reading Club meeting to softball practice to rehearsal after school. This helped me develop a range of interests and occupy my spare time.”

“This class is distinguished by a distinctive kindness and a community spirit that our FWCD mission calls the ‘commitment to serve.’”

~ Steve Stackhouse

Silva (drawing and painting) and Will Tuomey (dance), will continue to refine their talents in college. Six seniors, Allie Stewart (women’s soccer), Liberty Crouch (women’s basketball), Ozzie Fleischer, (baseball), Kenzi Carter (women’s basketball), Stephen Murrin (football) and Christopher Edwards (men’s soccer), will participate in college athletics.

The ceremony began with Middle School Science Teacher Jimmy Brockway ringing the Tatum Bell on Rosacker Field 20 times. Alame set the tone for the morning, asking for a moment of silence. “It would be rash of me to ignore the unprecedented circumstance we are faced with in today’s world,” she said. “I would like to take these few moments of silence to honor the health care providers and essential workers in this audience who have continuously risked their lives and their family’s health during this pandemic to serve others, to remember the millions who have fallen ill during this time, and to commemorate George Floyd.”

She shared the valuable lesson she learned from March to June: “Life absolutely cannot be taken for granted,” she said. “... every single day is a gift … a chance to change the world, an opportunity to make a difference, a reason to never give up on your aspirations, and remember to surround yourself with those you love most. Every day you must refuse complacency and embrace the world that is

Reena Alame Salutatorian

Reena Alame ’20 became a Fort Worth Country Day Falcon as a secondgrader. She plans to attend Southern Methodist University, where she will major in biology and pursue a pre-med track, with either a double major or minor in business.

The 3A’s are time-honored at FWCD, and Alame embraced them all. She was a standout student, taking seven AP classes, seven Honors courses and one Post-AP class. Alame’s art passion is journalism focused. She was a member of the Falcon Quill team all four years of high school and, as a senior, served as Co-Editor-in-Chief.

A focused student-athlete, Alame participated in track for six years, serving as team captain as a junior.

Outside of school, she served as a Breakthrough Fort Worth Teacher Assistant and a Research Volunteer in Dr. Andras Lacko’s lab at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, where she researched nanoparticle drug delivery targeting cancer cells.

“I am going to miss how amazing and supportive all the teachers were and the comfort of stepping on the FWCD campus and knowing this is a place where everyone simply wants the best for you,” she said. “I know that anytime you ask someone what they love most about FWCD, the answer is almost always the community, which seems broad and generic, but that’s because the FWCD community is hard to describe in words. You just know by a gut feeling that it’s what you will miss the most.”

To read full valedictorian and salutatorian profiles visit fwcd.org/ graduation.

Middle School Science Teacher Jimmy Brockway kicked off the ceremony by ringing the Tatum Bell 20 times. Brockway began his tenure at FWCD when the Class of 2020 was in seventh grade.

uncomfortable and grueling ... with perseverance and dedication.”

2019-20 Board President Laura Bonnell Alexander ’88 focused on the School’s core value of responsibility, particularly responsibility to self. “The most crucial responsibilities you’ll have in the coming years will be to ask others for help,” she said. “Asking for help is a sign of strength and maturity.

“... embrace responsibility for your health, your education and your future path, recognize all those ‘uncontrollable’ factors and events which also play a part in how your life unfolds,” Alexander continued. “In these instances, turn your attention to how you reacted to them and how you can persevere.”

For Head of School Eric Lombardi, this event served as a welcome home for so many. “Look around. Remind yourself of all the amazing experiences you had here over 13 or two years,” he said. “To say we are excited to celebrate you would be a colossal understatement.”

The Class of 2020 chose Director of Strategic Projects Bill Arnold ’86 as its faculty speaker. He shared a recent story of meeting a young receptionist named Rachel while checking into a Denver hotel. Rachel was having a rough day, and he panicked with an answer, “Well, KBO,” that he later felt was inadequate. (KBO or Keep Buggering On is how Winston Churchill ended many of his phone calls during World War II. It means “Hang

in there. Persevere.”) Upon thinking in his hotel room, Arnold had just the right words for her, so he returned to the reception desk only to find her gone.

“Today, I want to share what I intended to tell Rachel,” Arnold said. “I wanted Rachel to know that the worst things are never the last things.

“We have all been through a lot lately. Some worse than others. Pandemics and lockdowns and online AP tests and Zoom classes and curfews and the tragic killing of George Floyd,” he continued. “Remembering this phrase will not

solve any of these problems. But remembering it can buy us some time until we are emotionally ready to handle our circumstances. It can give us a little breathing space until our heads and hearts are better able to produce creative thought, and the true blessing of our human spirit can emerge. If we keep buggering on, life will begin its magical alchemy.”

In her valedictory address, Morgan introduced the audience to Tom Crean and Mary Fields. Crean was an Irishman who enlisted in the Royal Navy at 15 with very little formal education. Crean spent his life on three Antarctic exploration voyages, including a 735-mile hike to recover the corpse of the leader of the expedition. Fields is commonly known as

Stagecoach Mary, an ex-slave from Tennessee who became known for making supply runs on behalf of a convent, ultimately becoming, at the age of 60, the second woman and first black person to join the U.S. Postal service.

“On the surface, these two people have little in common … but they were united by a singular dedication to persevere in the face of insurmountable odds,” Morgan shared. “Both of them exhibited a determination to move forward that can be succinctly summarized by the Latin saying ‘Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe,’ rendered in idiomatic English as ‘When the winds fail, ply the oars,’ or in other words, ‘When your luck fails, do something about it.’

(Opposite page, left to right) Ben Alexander hugs his mom 2017-20 Board President Laura Bonnell Alexander ’88.

Head of School Eric Lombardi presents Joy Yun with her diploma.

Abigail Anton takes a selfie on the field to commemorate the day.

The Class of 2020 processes onto the field along the Barrett Havran Track.

Taylor Womack enjoys her book while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

“Tom and Mary were normal people without any special education or training who did extraordinary things because they were determined to succeed. In a lot of ways, we have all done some extraordinary things for the same reason. Although we weren’t fighting off wolves or swimming in Antarctic waters, we were working to score points at games that seemed lost, to finish that paper during musical season after getting home at 10 p.m., to adapt and succeed in a world with an online classroom, all without being professionals in any sense of the word. In going through our high school journey, we have worked hard, even and especially when luck wasn’t on our side, to get to this moment, when we graduate and enter the world. I urge you to remember to ply the oars when the wind fails and to, as Albert Einstein put it, ‘strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.’”

As the Class of 2020 selected speaker, Will Tuomey shared that he knew graduation would happen: While he did not know what day it would be, where it would be, or what time it would be, he was sure that the class would somehow all be together one last time. “After getting through the most tumultuous ending to a senior year in Country Day’s history, we should focus on the great things that overshadowed some of those losses,” he shared. “We realized how much, exactly, we took for granted. Things like hanging out with our friends, going to a baseball game, dancing at prom, even just sitting in the Commons with our friends for announcements for a short 15-minute break. It’s those precious moments we missed and appreciate even more now.”

Tuomey shared how the class has become more united. “We were that class that had to deal with social distancing during the last part of their senior year. But we were also that class that had six athletes sign to play in college, helped start a blood drive at school, and had 10 National Merit Commended Students,” he said. “This ending gives way for a new beginning for all 100 of us.”

Each year since 2014, FWCD’s senior class has donated a “senior gift” that funds a cause of their choice. Tuomey

announced this year’s gift: the Class of 2020 Tuition Assistance Fund. “In light of recent events, our class wants to aid Country Day families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to continue to give financial aid to more families in the future,” he said. “We, as a class, have experienced first-hand what can be taken away in such a short time and want to turn that loss into something lasting and impactful for the School community.”

Retiring Head of Upper School

Steve Stackhouse presented the class to the Head of School and Board President for their diplomas. The event was bittersweet for Stackhouse, as this was his final FWCD commencement. “How we respond in times of difficulty can shape us as individuals and define us as a school,” he said. “The fund you created today will strengthen the bonds of our community. It will keep our School family together.”

The theme of Stackhouse’s message about the Class of 2020 was kindness. “Your kind initiative is appropriate and so true to the character of this class,” he said. “This class is distinguished by a distinctive kindness and a community spirit that our FWCD mission calls the ‘commitment to serve.’”

As the class’s 100 names were called to receive their diplomas, they approached Lombardi and Alexander with a check for the newly created fund and a small square of tissues (“trail of tears”) to represent the pandemic. The total amount donated to the Class of 2020 Tuition Assistance Fund as of June 22 was $5,600.

Alumni Association President Alexandra Stevens ’85 welcomed the new graduates into the alumni fold. “Once you move your tassels, you will officially become the newest alumni of our school, bringing the total number of graduates to 4,265,” Stevens said. “After this morning, all 100 of you may never be in the same place at the same time again, but always remember that you have a common bond, and that is your alma mater, Fort Worth Country Day. The bond you

Will Tuomey addresess his class.

share with the FWCD family is lifelong. Not only did you help write FWCD’s history, but you are still an important voice in our future.”

Lombardi encouraged the students to continue to be grateful and to keep being kind in their future endeavors. He then asked students to reach up, grab their tassels and move them from left to right. “With that move, you are a Fort Worth Country Day graduate,” he said. “Congratulations!”

Before processing off the field, the class looked up at the press box for a photograph and turned around for a photo of their decorated mortarboards. The students then followed the faculty and processed to the sides of the track where they threw their caps in celebration.

“Graduation is always such a significant milestone in the life of a school and in the lives of each and every graduating senior. The sense of accomplishment was even bigger than usual for each of our 100 members of the Class of 2020,” Lombardi noted after the ceremony. “They left for spring break and didn’t come back. That we could get them on their campus again, one last time as a class, and that we could hand, at distance, each of them their hard-earned diploma in person was so gratifying. Those young women and men have faced challenges. They have proved their resilience. They made us proud and will continue to make us proud as they head across the country to their chosen universities. We are excited to see what they do with their lives.”

Celebrating the Class of 2020

Amid restrictions due to COVID-19, FWCD honored its graduating class in a variety of ways. Beginning April 6, the School launched a social media campaign on the FWCD Facebook and FWCD and Upper School Instagram social media channels highlighting seniors and some of their favorite memories and words of wisdom. On April 10 and 11, seniors were seeing red ... as celebratory signs were hand-delivered (social-distancing practiced) to their homes by members of FWCD’s dedicated faculty. Head of School Eric Lombardi signed each and every one. Faculty members took to video and shared their words of wisdom and messages of support with the class on the FWCD Facebook page starting in early May.

On the class’s official graduation day, May 15, students and their families celebrated with a “drive-out” parade. Family members decorated their cars and drove their students through a predetermined “parade” route on campus. They made stops at various stations to pick up their yearbooks, composite pictures, FWCD plaid masks, a quote book from the Alumni Association, and a scroll featuring personalized faculty messages. At the end of the event, all cars parked for a short program before the official drive out from campus. The whole event was streamed live on the FWCD Facebook page so that the others could join in on the fun safely.

Madison Smith enjoyed the Class of 2020 Drive-Out Parade on what would have been the official graduation day. She decked out her car in orange since she’s headed to Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Master Significant Programs

By Renee Pierce

of

Programs of

The campus road. Five new facilities, two award-winning redesigns, numerous remodeled spaces, two ISAS accreditations, two ISAS Arts Festivals, a major strategic plan, parent to two Falcon graduates and more. All are achievements that stand as a testament to what one quiet, driven, devoted person can influence.

Joining the Fort Worth Country Day family in 1997 as Senior Director of Operations, Steve Stackhouse brought a range of independent school experience and promptly put it to use tackling projects that others passed on. “When he was hired, Graham Brown [Headmaster 1996-2001] and the leadership were working to grow the School from 80 students per class to 90 students per class,” recalled Assistant Head of Upper School Peggy Wakeland. “Steve just took on any charge when others threw their hands up and said, ‘It’s not my job.’ He was tasked to help grow the School, and he did that.”

Stackhouse arrived in Fort Worth with his wife, Laura, and then future Falcons, Ellie ’11 and Robbie ’14, after fulfilling a three-year term as Headmaster at The Steward School in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to that, he had served Norfolk Collegiate School for 11 years as a teacher, Director of Development, Interim Principal for Middle and Upper Schools, and Assistant Headmaster.

“He was an administrator that could just jump in and do what needed to be done because of his involvement in all aspects of an independent school,” said Joe Breedlove ’78, Executive Director of Breakthrough Fort Worth and FWCD Boys Basketball Program Director/Head Coach. “Today, his footprints are all over the School.”

Confirming what an important role Stackhouse – or “Stack” as he’s caringly called by those who worked closely with him – served at FWCD, former Head of School Evan Peterson H’15 (2002-15) said, “When it comes down to it, Stack was the ‘Dean of Work.’ The Heads of School got an assistant officer who helped manage efforts for finance, communications, business office, plant operations, plus he knew what was needed for students in the classroom. He was the boots on the ground, ironing out the details and making sure we never failed any of the tasks directed by the Board or needed for the School.”

A Stack of All Trades

When Stackhouse came to Country Day, the School was experiencing some growing pains. He had to carve out classrooms out of need, work through getting the campus road built, and determine what projects would best accommodate the growth. “I had one foot in business operations and one in education,” Stackhouse explained. “My job was to make sure those complemented each other and know where the compromise was.”

While campus structures are the most tangible achievements during Stackhouse’s tenure, he was involved in a number of impactful capacities during his 23 years with FWCD. Twice, he directed yearlong qualification studies for accreditation into the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), and he managed two 18-month planning efforts to host the annual ISAS Arts Festival, which brought more than 3,000 art students, instructors and judges from the Southwest region onto campus for the three-day event.

“Planning the accreditations is a big challenge,” Stackhouse pointed out, “but when the accreditation team comes onsite, you are able to fully realize all that has been accomplished. That’s when you get to see the real value in all of your work.”

Through the years, Stackhouse has worked with other leaders on initiating department audits, the Folio faculty evaluation system and the exchange program. He helped evolve Upper School courses/curriculum. He had a hand in refining the Advisory program, brought midterms back, and broadened the reach of the Capstone program. He worked to make campus operations more systematic and put systems in place for the repair/maintenance of campus resources.

During Peterson’s tenure, Stackhouse helped in greater detail with Head of School needs while Peterson tackled a health challenge. “It was more informal than formal,” Stackhouse shared. “My role there was keeping the community together and the trains moving during that time.”

Stackhouse’s interests didn’t stop with FWCD needs. Breedlove shared that Stackhouse played a key role in advocating for the Breakthrough Fort Worth program to be part of the FWCD family. He and Middle School History and English Teacher Shari Lincoln led early training for the program’s Teaching Fellows. “Stack was the one who coined

the phrase, ‘Breakthrough is a school within a school,’” Breedlove shared. “To this day, that’s how we look at anything we structure for the program.”

Stackhouse, who remains on Breakthrough’s Advisory Committee, added, “It became clear in Breakthrough’s early days that the program needed stable leadership. When Joe took over, we created a system of leadership for its community. The city and Fort Worth ISD became partners, and FWCD fully committed to it. Programmatic stability started to emerge. We implemented an appeals calendar, and Fancy Meal, launched by former Assistant Director of Development Elizabeth Selzer, grew from a simple studentvisitor activity into an annual fundraising and student social development event.”

Stackhouse also helped start FWCD’s summer offerings, with Aimee Jenkins, who he deemed the “mother of summer programs.” They grew offerings from serving just 20 students to more than 1,300. “It outgrew me. It outgrew Aimee,” Stackhouse related. “Of course, that’s true of everything you do successfully.”

During his tenure as Head of Upper School, Steve Stackhouse broadened the reach of the Senior Capstone program.

A Facilities Grand Master

Stackhouse managed details to help build the strategic/ master plan that addressed needs determined in 2008 and 2009. Managing efforts to outline the School’s plan was a tremendous challenge. It encompassed outlining the Board’s and leadership’s collective vision for the mission, the campus plan, the endowment and student programming. All of this work was completed as he managed building projects that were part of the School’s 2004-07 Learning. Leading. Legacy.: A Campaign for FWCDS (LLL).

Past parent and 2009-11 Board President Randy Gideon expounded on Stackhouse’s work: “Only those who work with him know what a quiet, strong leader he is. Steve’s main goal was always trying to advance the School, and he owned it. He picked stuff up and got it done, aggregating the powers necessary to do so. Evan led, Steve executed, and, during their time, FWCD changed incredibly on a physical basis. As a Board Chair, it’s important to have staff who share the vision and work it out, so you can have that strategic success and continue to grow that kind of momentum.”

Building projects were a significant part of Stackhouse’s focus and utilized his talents for coordinating details. He considers the Fischer Dining Pavilion (FDP) to be one of the biggest achievements he managed for the School, second only to completing the road through to the Bryant Irvin entrance. The FDP led the Learning. Leading. Legacy. Campaign projects and became a touch-point for the entire community. “It’s such a part of the life of the School and all students,” Stackhouse explained. “We went through a lot to design it. I traveled all over to determine the best way to make it work for our community.”

Reworking the Peter A. Schwartz Administration Building was important as it is one of three original campus structures. It had to accommodate more offices and be aesthetically pleasing as the first place prospective families land when they arrive on campus. Those redesign efforts earned FWCD a 2010 Historic Fort Worth Preservation Award.

Stackhouse felt the biggest metamorphosis in FWCD’s campus remodels was taking the former cafeteria building and turning it into the Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center. Another one of the three original buildings, it served as the School’s cafeteria from day one. Flipping it to become the beautiful arts facility it is today took countless hours of detail work. Stackhouse met the challenge head-on, knowing that work paved the way for a new community gem: the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center, which continues to serve all stakeholders in the Falcon family. Both facilities won building industry awards for design and construction.

Fulfilling the LLL building projects, Stackhouse turned his efforts to addressing immediate needs of the master plan he had coordinated, which included increasing Middle School enrollment, managing building/ campus resources and strategically budgeting for the School’s long-range interests. He managed the Paul W. Mason Middle School Expansion and helped to create strategic five-year budgets that gave stability to the School’s technology and tuition assistance resources, before moving on to manage the construction of the new tennis center and Patton Field House, which repositioned campus resources and set the stage for future growth.

“Probably one of the biggest achievements in all of the building projects was managing work so that the campus and learning environments weren’t compromised by the construction going on around them,” Stackhouse reflected.

2011-13 FWCD Board President Russell Laughlin added, “The Fischer Dining Pavilion, Martin Campus Center, Richardson Visual Arts Center, Mason Middle School Expansion and Patton Field House are really significant projects that were done on the expanse of a postage stamp, and running the business of the School still had to happen around that. It’s hard to do and not hurt your core business. For people who aren’t educated in this field, you can die on your sword if you’re not careful. Steve handled big jobs with no hiccups. That’s rare.”

“Only those who work with him know what a quiet, strong leader he is. Steve’s main goal was always trying to advance the School, and he owned it.”

~ Randy Gideon

Of all of the projects he worked to build, launch and/or nurture, Stackhouse admitted that building the road through campus has given him the biggest sense of accomplishment. “One of the best days of my career was when we opened the road,” he said. “It opened and we waited, but there were no calls. Traffic flow during carpool went well. It had been planned, and the plan worked. It was the first step in a broader vision for the campus, changing the campus’s dynamics, impacting the entire community, and setting us up to successfully manage the School’s growth.”

A Beloved and Loyal Colleague

Through all building and campus management needs, Stackhouse’s biggest support base was the caring men and women of the Plant Operations crew. Stackhouse led and made it a point to learn from them, too. “Steve was a fantastic boss and was great at supporting us,” shared Former Plant Operations Assistant Mary Weir. “I think it did Steve good to office with the Plant Ops Team he oversaw. It anchored him to the School and campus outside the classroom. He learned to appreciate how connected they were, that one didn’t work without the other.”

Maintenance Supervisor Clovis Murphree saw first-hand what a hard worker Stackhouse is. “He considered everything a challenge and wanted to do it,” Murphree said. “During the last master plan, he practically lived here. There were long evenings as he met with outside teams, took that input, and made it work with what was possible, handled permit work and more. It was a lot, and Steve just took whatever he was given and ran with it.

“I’ll always remember Steve for the teacher that he is – to everyone,” Murphree continued. “I have the mechanical know-how, background and experience to keep things running, but Steve taught me how to care for a school. You have to own it. Because of him, I can tell you that this 104 acres is important to me.”

Many closest to Stackhouse’s work also feel the campus road was important in his repertoire. “The campus road is probably his biggest achievement because of its importance to the School,” reiterated Head of School Eric Lombardi. “He had to work with so many factors to get the project done.”

Peterson added, “Something that, in my opinion, depicts the worker and leader that Steve has been is his growth through the building projects. When I arrived, building the road through campus was a top priority. It was Steve’s first venture into dealing with the government, codes, permits and city officials. He just dug in and figured it all out. By the time we built the Patton Field House, he was telling people in City Hall what they needed to do in processing our requests.”

Friend and former Assistant Head of School for Academics Brad Philipson can attest to Stackhouse’s impact as an educator. “When I arrived at FWCD in 2014, it was Steve who taught me my job and how the School differed from other places,” he said. “He is a thoughtful listener, a giver of sage advice, and able to expound on topics ranging from curriculum design to football to picnic food to classic soul music. As a leader, Steve embodies servant leadership. He leads by example with his work ethic, his dedication to the students, and his ability to manage what is most immediate, while never losing sight of the horizon.”

Speaking to Stackhouse’s leadership, Executive Assistant to the Head of School Cindy Allen added, “No matter what the endeavor was for Steve, he was so suited for that role. Whether

Country Day Lane opened in 2004. At the ribbon cutting were Chuck Silcox, City Council Member; Evan Peterson H’15, then Head of School; Kate Johnson; Bill Meadows; Mike Moncrief, Fort Worth Mayor; Steve Stackhouse; Sheila Johnson, Mark Johnson and Johnson family member.

it was building or teaching or operations, one of Steve’s brightest talents is that he can so easily switch gears.”

Those talents served him well as he took on his most recent role as Head of Upper School. “He stepped in when Bill Arnold to step back,” Lombardi shared. “Steve stuck with it. From landmark caliber building projects to dealing with students and parents, he’s willing to tackle the things that draw heat, are unpopular and hard to weather. He does it all in stride. Throughout his career here, he has been devoted to doing the best thing for the School, and he put the School first. He is loyal, and we are indebted.”

After deciding to retire, Stackhouse assured Wakeland that he would work right up until he left. “He’s been true to that,” Wakeland said. “He’s worked every minute, through quarantine, online learning, delayed graduation, whatever has been needed. I believe that ultimately, his work ethic will be his legacy.”

Lombardi agreed wholeheartedly. “For the next 50 years, we will feel the effects of Steve’s involvement. He's a man of great dignity, grace and integrity,” he said. “He’s not kicking his heels as he moves on to his next big project; he has said he will be available for as long as we need him.” In fact, he’s helping with the Lower School and Middle School 2020-21 Return to Learning opening as the JK-8 Project Manager.

Asked about his favorite aspect of working at FWCD, Stackhouse said, “Every day has been different, and I’ve seen a school grow in terms of program and plant operations – that’s been the most satisfying.” Remarking on what he will miss most, he said, “The kids. The faculty. The crew. This group has always been our community. I have great respect for the roles that everyone plays in it. Taking on what needs to be done is a part of my makeup, but it’s also the culture of the School – we’re all in it together.”

FWCD

Online: 1.0

By Caren Handleman and Renee Pierce

What if ... the world changed while you were away on spring break?

What if ... all your end-of-school-year plans had to change?

What if ... it seemed as if we all had entered the Twilight Zone?

As an FWCD Falcon, you rise, you soar to the challenge.

The year 2020 is one we will always remember. The challenges faced as the world coped with COVID-19 required adapting to change after change. “Pivoting” became the word of the year, as new and updated guidelines for school, work and social distancing seemed to be issued daily. Let’s take a look at how Fort Worth Country Day met the many challenges of everyone’s new virtual reality.

Keeping Connected: #OneFWCD and FWCD Online

Despite social distancing, the Fort Worth Country Day family found new ways to stay connected and engaged as a community. When FWCD Online launched on Wednesday, March 18, parents and students shared their digital learning “classrooms” as they “attended school” and learned at home. Some students showed up for their Zoom class meetings wearing their School uniforms, while others dressed down, taking comfort in fuzzy slippers, oversized sweatshirts and cozy pajama pants. One Upper School student even showed up in a tux on the first day … from the waist up! No matter the attire: Students worked hard to learn in their new “normal,” as faculty skillfully negotiated the move to online teaching, adapting their curricula to technology platforms. It was a time of pride for FWCD Falcons.

As students, teachers, parents and staff members distanced, the anticipated few weeks grew to more than a month, and it soon became clear the school year would end without returning to campus. Yet through this, the School remained #OneFWCD, and the academic year was completed with students and teachers navigating FWCD Online. “Recall that our faculty is loaded with amazing educators, but not one teacher was hired for his/her experience and ability to teach students who are only accessible online,” noted Head of School Eric Lombardi. “Wednesday, March 18, was our first attempt conducting classes and initiating learning entirely online.”

While each division’s teaching and learning looked different, the one thing that remained the same was the care and commitment to students from faculty members and the exuberance of the students being part of an online community. School days ran from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. across all the divisions, with teachers staying in touch with their students about expectations. Students and teachers were excited to see one another through various Zoom meetups and classes.

Colin Douglas ’06, Upper School History Teacher and History Department Chair; Shari Lincoln, Middle School English Teacher; and Rona Mattocks, Lower School French Teacher, shared their observations and experiences moving from the classroom to online teaching. Each spoke positively about the support, service, and investment in training and technology offered by FWCD’s Technology Department, led by Dr. Steve Uhr

To ensure he was meeting his students’ education needs, Douglas asked for continual feedback and made adjustments and improvements based on comments and suggestions. He also reserved time at the beginning and end of each class session for social conversations to encourage a sense of community and connection. “My teaching personality lends itself often to corny jokes,” he said. “I found that those don’t land on Zoom! And yet, I do feel as if I am better prepared for that challenge as we enter the 2020-21 school year.”

Lincoln used the “waiting room” function of Zoom as a replacement for greeting students at her classroom door. One of the adjustments she made was to keep the classroom flipped, with students learning the basic information asynchronously, so the synchronous lessons were more engaging with activities and breakout sessions. Another challenge was finding ways to conduct the refugee simulation during the study of southwestern countries of Asia. “I was concerned about how to make the simulation come alive virtually. When the students are all in the same classroom, the exercise is very exciting, and the students have to make decisions very quickly,” she said. “Using a combination of Google slides, Zoom breakout rooms and a die (for a chance element), students were still able to engage in the simulation. Students assumed the roles of Syrian refugees and, in small family groups, had to decide what to pack for a journey across the Mediterranean.”

For Mattocks, maintaining connections with her students was accomplished through office hours (for K-4) twice a week and teaching her third- and fourth-graders twice a week on Zoom. “My favorite activity was playing games, such as Quizlet Live, to practice vocabulary,” she shared. “ Students could access the game with a code and play remotely but together. They loved the novelty of playing together from afar like in an online video game.” Although there are definite advantages to teaching face-to-face, Mattocks added, “FWCD Online gave me more of an opportunity to give feedback directly and quickly to individual students and their families. They could

send in work at their convenience, and I could respond right away. When meeting in-person, I would only see them three times in a 10-day rotation.”

FWCD Online: Lower School

The Lower School initially hosted grade-level assemblies via Zoom for its students in grades 1-4 and expanded to reach junior kindergarten and kindergarten. The Lower School Instagram detailed fun activities and interactions, including an announcement about a virtual chick hatch in science, thanks to Security Supervisor Chad Peacock, who kept watch over the eggs, as well as updates about Tortilla the tortoise throughout the 10 weeks. Teachers touched base with parents one-on-one every two weeks to ensure that students and their families were doing well and able to move through the curriculum being presented on various apps, such as Seesaw and Google Classroom.

The Lower School and SOAR launched free live “elective” classes, hosted by Lower School faculty on March 30. An extension of FWCD Online, the courses were designed to provide students with fun educational content and to give them another way to connect with their teachers and classmates. The classes were scheduled during the day when students were not engaged in schoolwork. The Lower School teachers tapped into their passions in order to provide fun, optional offerings, including Movin’ & Groovin’ with Zumba® Kids (Natasha Hatcher and Gaby Booth); Storytime at Mrs. Hickman’s Bookshelf (Melissa Hickman); Zen-Out with Zentangles (Dorrine DeChant); Baking with Buddies (Kelly

(Clockwise) Payne Gregory ’26 set up camp in his kitchen to Zoom into class.

Mason Matthews ’30 commandeered a sweet space at home to get organized and keep learning.

Morgan Gatzke ’29 took to an at-home, outdoor sanctuary to focus on her school work while online.

Lanier Tierce ’93); Tinker Tuesday: Grades 1-2 and Grades 3-4 (Mandy Lofquist); Math Ninja Live (Teresa Hoppe); LEGO Closet Freebuild (Melissa Hickman); Dog Tricks with Mrs. McCullough & Buttons! (Sara McCullough); and Reading with Olga da Pulga (Rachel Fineman).

In addition to weekly classes, several one-time events were offered, including Parent-Child Book Club (Hoppe), Live Baking with Mrs. Whitney (Whitney White), and Falcon Trivia Live! with your host Bob “Barker” (Alicia Schordine).

Baking Buddies was a favorite among the students because the class ended with a little something to eat. “Mrs. Tierce’s cooking class was the highlight of Savannah’s week,” said FWCD parent Anne Low. “Our amazing Mrs. Tierce demonstrated just one more of her many talents, and we’ll be lucky if she doesn’t move onto the Food Network with a new show! Her recipes were simple, but not too easy, and always delicious! She encouraged the kids to follow directions, take risks with innovation, and inspired pride in their individual creations in the kitchen. I love how she interacted with the children and asked them who they shared their treats with. Her lesson: Cooking is about fun, creativity, sharing and, most of all, love!”

FWCD

Online: Middle School

Middle School focused on building skills, ensuring that students were learning the fundamentals in their grade levels. “Thanks to our 1:1 iPad program, the Middle School was well-equipped to shift completely online,” noted John Stephens, Head of Middle School. Teachers and students enjoyed grade-level assemblies via Zoom to spark interaction and build community.

Recognizing the importance of play and physical activity, Middle School teachers invited students to join a virtual

On May 29, 2020, a survey was sent to parents to assess FWCD Online. The responses indicated overall satisfaction:

Pleased with FWCD Online (Agree or Strongly Agree):

Lower School: 65% | Middle School: 75% | Upper School: 88%

In all Divisions, parents felt, in general, “that students were connected with their teachers.” Sixty-five percent of Lower and Middle School reported feeling our program “leaned too much to asynchronous learning.” Upper School (86%) indicated they felt we had found “just the right balance between synchronous and asynchronous teaching.”

On-Campus Comfort Level (4 or 5 with 5 Being High):

High comfort level with a return to campus for all students, faculty and staff as currently scheduled in August: Lower School: 73% | Middle School: 71% | Upper School: 67%

Confidence in School Planning (4-5 with 5 being High):

High confidence in the School’s ability to plan for community safety and health on return to campus: Lower School: 83% | Middle School: 83% | Upper School: 84%

“

Thanks to our 1:1 iPad program, the Middle School was wellequipped to shift completely online. ”

~ John Stephens

recess competition using the GooseChase app. Students completed challenges and uploaded photos of their progress to receive points. While the competition was purely for fun, it was clear the Middle School students were watching the leaderboard.

“Connecting with students is what we do best in the Middle School. We wanted to minimize the loss of that connection under these social-distancing circumstances,” said Stephen Blan, Assistant Head of Middle School. “Mr. Stephens and I wanted the kids to enjoy some non-academic silliness with each other. After throwing some ideas around, virtual recess stuck. We then found the tech tool to make it happen.”

The division launched virtual recess, based entirely on individual play. Every Tuesday and Thursday, a new mission was launched in the app. Students had one hour to complete the mission and submit photo or video evidence. Some of the mission tasks included doing a crazy kitchen dance with family, sharing a family photo, sharing a photo of how family is passing time together, playing the game Kahoot, competing in a thumb war, showing the cutest pet, and making (and wearing) a pirate hat.

The greatness in this activity was that students were able to show what their days looked like, have time to be silly with their friends virtually, and feel more connected through participation.

FWCD Online: Upper School

Teachers delivered curriculum, offering support and assessing students for participation and the quality of their work. “We wanted to help students learn content and master the essential skills,” noted Steve Stackhouse, recently retired Head of Upper School. “We strived to convey key concepts in creative and meaningful ways.” Zoom meetings and Google Classroom were vital in delivering curriculum to students, as well as live chats and video feeds, which helped to overcome the isolation that all were feeling. “The sudden absence of community makes us appreciate it more,” Stackhouse said. “Even though we were not physically together, we are always One FWCD.”

Students also took up leadership roles using technology. The Student Council met via Zoom with their faculty advisors, to advocate for the students, and plan elections for the 2020-21 Student Council officers and board. Student Council Advisors Stefanie Luedtke and Jennifer Giroir worked hand-inhand with the Executive Board officers – Class of 2020

(From left to right) Upper School Student Council members and their advisors met via Zoom to come up with creative ways to engage their fellow students while online and to ensure that a 2020-21 Student Council was elected.

Landry Moore ’30 missed school so much that she wore her uniform to Zoom class on some days.

seniors William Burnette, President; Stephanie Cook, VicePresident; Natalie Claire Collins, Secretary; and Riya Patel, Treasurer. Together, they crafted a means to keep the elections on schedule by utilizing online platforms, which enabled candidates to apply, campaign for office, deliver speeches and, ultimately, ensure that voting took place.

Applications for all Executive Board positions went out to the student body via email. Campaigning for office took place the week of March 24-30. Instead of posters placed in the Upper School hallways, candidates submitted one “poster” that was “hung” in the GroupMe for each grade level. Candidates gave their speeches via video (three minutes or less); the videos were made available on the class GroupMe sites. Links to the candidate application form with responses, the video and transcript were emailed to Upper School students. Voting for President occurred online after an email was sent to all grade levels with a link to the ballot. Junior and sophomore elections followed the same format, and the Freshman board was elected in the fall as the class became part of the FWCD Upper School community.

Individual students also persevered in their efforts to serve others. Emma Pyron ’21 continued to foster her “tutoring” relationship with her kindergarten buddy, Owen Anderson ’32, via Zoom, earning the gratitude of Owen’s mother, Lauren Anderson (also an FWCD second-grade teacher). Upper School students are paired with Lower School students for some interaction and extra help in reading, math and more. Typically, the students get together in the Lower School Library for their meetings. COVID-19 has changed that interaction.

McGwire

into the business and living out his dream.

(Top to bottom) Josh Tower visited with FWCD fine arts students via Zoom. His Broadway credits include School of Rock, Motown the Musical, Ragtime and The Lion King. He had been on tour with the cast of Hamilton before COVID-19 closed performances. He took time to answer questions about life on tour, how he got

and Miller Humble, twins in the Class of 2032, created fun chalk art on their fence.

Sophia Jiang ’26 worked to perfect her dance artistry via Zoom online ballet classes.

FWCD Online: Arts

Zoom ballet classes and choir classes became the norm. Students and teachers could be found in their kitchens, garages, home studios and outdoor patios for classes. Ballet offered online classes to grades 4-12. Theatre Tech students worked on lighting design.

FWCD Upper School fine arts students were treated to something special on April 2: A Zoom with Broadway touring artists Stephanie Umoh (Broadway credits: Junk, Falsettos, Ragtime. Touring: Hamilton, Into the Woods); Edred Utomi (currently playing Hamilton on the national tour); Josh Tower (Broadway credits: School of Rock, Motown the Musical, Ragtime, The Lion King. Touring: The Lion King, Motown the Musical, Hamilton); and Nicole Lewis (Broadway credits: RENT, Lennon, Hair, Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune). These actors are currently waiting for their musical tours to restart and took time to answer student questions about life on tour, how they got into the business and living their dreams. FWCD Scott Theater Manager Eric Tysinger and Upper School Theatre Director Travis Guba assembled the distinguished group of artists. Fun fact: Guba and Lewis attended graduate school together at The American Conservatory Theater.

Middle School band, choir and orchestra filmed videos to share with rising fifth-graders who were selecting music classes for the 2020-21 academic year. Middle School theatre worked on facial expressions from afar, and Upper School Musical Theatre students worked on a group project to pitch musical ideas for next year’s show. The Middle School choir created a prideful rendition of the Alma Mater

The visual arts were also in creation mode: Lower School art teachers worked with homeroom teachers on fun projects to complete at home; Middle School artists created sketches using items they had at home; and Upper School photography offered online critiques of student works. All divisions hosted Fine Arts Coffeehouses (see story on page 16) showcasing their talents.

FWCD Online: Athletics

FWCD’s Athletic Department did its part to help the community stay in shape, providing weekly strength and conditioning fitness routines for student-athletes or sharing videos of coaches keeping active at home on the Athletics

Instagram. On Wednesdays, the Athletic Department posted a trivia question to its Instagram story, encouraging followers to answer. A Friday post revealed the correct answer. Head Baseball Coach Michael Settle ’99 hosted a Facebook coloring contest, complete with prizes, and asked parents to post their students’ work.

PE lessons were shared with each division and posted in the MyFWCD Portal. Lower School PE teachers also made surprise appearances in Zoom meetings to say hello and encourage younger Falcons to stay healthy and active. “What I truly love about our department is that everyone was ready and willing to step up,” said former Director of Athletics Brian Phelps. “With FWCD Online in its early stages, we wanted to start slowly so as not to overwhelm our parents and students. We gathered ideas, and everyone was eager and ready to contribute because we knew the value of exercise and how great it is for the body, the mind and the soul.”

Supporting Health and Wellness

Fort Worth Country Day’s three Health and Wellness Counselors, Kathy Roemer, Kathryn Sohne and Theresa Fuss (one for each division), also stayed connected with the FWCD community. Recognizing that changes cause disruptions in students’ regular routines and can lead to overwhelming feelings, the counselors focused on teaching resilience for students and families - maintaining a hopeful spirit, modeling a positive attitude, and collaborating as a family to discover creative ways to both learn and make the most of precious family time together. Together, the three continued online communication, hosted “office hours,” and found ways to telecounsel with students and parents who had a mental health need or just needed someone to speak with while school was online. To further help parents, students and faculty members, the counseling trio launched the Talking to your Kids about COVID-19 google site as a resource to aid in COVID-19 discussion and help manage the changes brought on by the constantly evolving situation.

So, what if spring 2020 did present challenges to every aspect of our lives? The FWCD community, as always, soared in its efforts to support one another. Students, families, faculty and staff came together, demonstrating the strength of the Falcon family, and, virtually, we all learned one significant thing: Falcons soar every day, everywhere – because we are #OneFWCD.

Alumni News

FWCD Crafts Ear Savers

FWCD team doctors, alumni doctors, nurses and health care professionals have been working around the clock for months to care for the community and help patients battle COVID-19. Comfort is the farthest thing from their minds, but it can be key. Head Athletic Trainer and Associate Athletic Director Ed Chisholm saw online that someone was making “ear savers” using their 3D printer. “I asked one of FWCD’s team physicians, Richard Linsky ’91, MD, if he thought that he and his colleagues could use them,” Chisholm noted.

Dr. Linsky was excited about the possibility because the masks they were using had elastic behind-the-ear bands. With the need to wear masks all day long, the doctors and nurses were taking a hit: getting sore and raw behind the ears. “This strap takes the pressure off the ears by connecting the side elastic ‘ear loops’ behind the head instead,” Chisholm noted. “It can be reused over and over.”

Chisholm contacted Dr. Steve Uhr, Director of Technology, to see if the ear savers could be manufactured using the 3D printers in the FWCD TEAM (Technology Engineering

Art Maker) Room. Using a shared public file posted on Thingiverse by contributor Suraky, Dr. Uhr made a couple of straps to try the design out. After a few simple modifications on Tinkercad, he used the School’s 3D printers to produce both nylon and plastic ear-saver straps. “The printers can print a batch of eight straps in about three hours.”

In April, Chisholm delivered 40 ear savers to team doctors and their clinics, offices and ER. Sixteen went to Dr. Linsky (Harris downtown ER); 10 were provided to Steve Brotherton, MD; two were given to Millard “Buddy” Tierce IV ’92, DO; and six each were given to Natalia Hanson ’90, MD, and Greg Hanson, MD.

Glowforge began a national program, asking volunteers to make two million ear savers on school laser cutters. “Using an acrylic material, we can turn out a sheet of 70 acrylic ear savers in about an hour,” Dr. Uhr said. “Fort Worth Country Day is proud to support alumni, local and national doctors and nurses in this time of need.”

Musical Sneak Peek

FWCD alumni laughed and applauded the Upper School students’ great work in their February performance, The Drowsy Chaperone. All were impressed by the musical numbers, tap-dancing, and scenery created by the cast and crew. A favorite scene featured the character Robert Martin, played by Landen Walker ’22, skating through the garden blindfolded so as not to see or run into his fiancée on the day of their wedding.

Patrick Powers III ’05, Claire-Lise Knecht H’06, Carlisle Wysong ’89, Anne-Lise Knecht Woods ’85, Mary Hallman Smith ’03, Stephen Dickey ’89, Kathryn Garvey Cain ’03, Meg Kendall Lehman ’90, Blair Hyde Hamburg ’87, Karen McKenzie ’79, Joe Breedlove ’78, Colleen Kleuser ’76

Alumni Chat with Seniors

Six young alumni returned to FWCD for a College Chat session with the Class of 2020. This year’s speakers were Jared Imber ’17, Tulane University; Helen Holloway ’18, Wake Forest University; Ryleigh Rains ’17 and Emma Rooker ’18, Texas A&M University; Alex Gibbs ’18, University of Oklahoma; and Catherine Cravens ’18, Franklin University Switzerland. They sat on a panel and took questions from Director of College Counseling Kristin Larsen and from the seniors themselves about their first few years in college. Questions ranged from “What is your roommate like?” to “How do you balance your social life with academics?” If you will be a junior or senior in college next year and would like to be one of our panelists, please email kristin.larsen@fwcd.com. After the College Chat panel, young alumni attended a special lunch and caught up with some of their favorite teachers.

(Pictured above): Jared Imber ’17, Helen Holloway ’18, Ryleigh Rains ’17, Emma Rooker ’18, Alex Gibbs ’18, and Catherine Cravens ’18

(Pictured below): Lisa Wallace, David Hoppe, Bryan Carlson, Jared Imber ’17, Jonathen Wilks ’17, Brendan O’Connell ’18, Patrick Powers III ’05, Emma Rooker ’18, Robbie Heine ’19, Casey Hammett ’15, Colin Douglas ’06, Riley Hammett ’19, Alison Robinson, Alexandra Stevens ’85, Christy Alvear, Eric Lombardi, Alexandra Galloway ’19

Falcons on the Road in Houston

Hosted by Lauren (Hunt) ’05 and Blake Brogdon ’05, Falcons on the Road took to Houston with the FWCD alumni team and current and former faculty members Lisa Wallace, Joe Breedlove ’78, Bill Arnold ’86 and Sharon Foster H’05. Alumni gathered with the Brogdons for their first event since rebuilding their home after Hurricane Harvey. The conversation was lively, with all topics sharing a common theme: FWCD is a special place that has an extraordinary impact on all of its students.

Greg Caraway ’11, Eric Lombardi, Blaine Brogdon ’08, Lisa Wallace, Taylor Arnold ’11, Patrick Powers III ’05, Courtney Reimer Arnold ’11, Stephen Levy ’12, Bill Arnold ’86, Lauren Hunt Brogdon ’05, Blake Brogdon ’05, Meredith Grant Qualls ’03, Madeleine Samuelson Herman ’05, Rebecca Hove ’94, Annie Samuelson Schorfheide ’07, Dee Thomas ’90, Kyle Herman ’93, Joe Breedlove ’78, Marylyn Breedlove, Sarah Watson Ofner ’00, Val Thomas ’92, Avery Ruxer Franklin ’08, Stephon Breedlove ’79, Bethany Johnson Dylewski ’92, Sharon Foster H’05, Ting Wang Bresnahan ’94

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Class Reunions moved to Spring 2021

Alumni Zoom Happy Hour

Once the campus and businesses in Fort Worth were shut down amidst COVID-19 protocols, the FWCD Alumni Association could no longer meet in person for happy hour events. Thanks to programs like Zoom, FWCD alumni from across the country were able to come together over a drink and share their stories. Be on the lookout for more fun online events as we head into the 2020-21 academic year.

Homecoming and Reunion Parties will be a bit different this year. As we plan to make the best possible experience for our alumni and other FWCD community members, the School has decided to move all reunion events to the spring. Please save the date for April 16-17. FWCD is planning to celebrate the Alumni Awards Dinner on the evening of Friday, April 16, and a load of fun events will be happening all day on Saturday, April 17. We look forward to seeing you in April!

J Mack Slaughter, Jr. ’02

Singer, songwriter, actor, doctor, philanthropist – that’s J Mack Slaughter, Jr. ’02. Born into a “Partridge Family,” he sang with his father, J Mack, Sr., and sisters, Lisa Slaughter Stovall ’99 and Sarah Slaughter Hughes ’96. His mother, Marti, a percussionist, was manager/sound engineer.

“Ms. [Christine] Nesvadba [formerly Derber, now Leuck] identified my comfort on stage in Lower School. I soon was singing solos,” said Slaughter, an FWCD Original. He even appeared in the Upper School musical Pippin as a first-grader. In Middle School, he worked with Pam Chernick and Tricia Franks. Melodee Halbach directed him in Brigadoon. “These teachers were my reason for being,” Slaughter said. “They provided me with confidence to excel.”

Slaughter felt less comfortable in a classroom, but he forged forward. “I didn’t have a favorite core subject,” he noted. “I did my work to spend time on stage or sing.”

At 15, he auditioned for a boy band through the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show. Intended as a radio bit, Sons of Harmony had potential, ultimately touring with Destiny’s Child.

When asked to go to Los Angeles, Slaughter looked to FWCD for help. “My mom was like ‘No way is my son getting a GED,’” he said. “We approached the administration asking to complete my senior year while in LA. Ms. [Peggy] Wakeland and Mrs. [Beverly Anne] Robinson [H’18] helped make that possible.”

His hope was to pursue music, but he took to acting. Slaughter garnered his first TV role in 2002 on What I Like About You, while completing academic work and submitting it to his FWCD teachers via AOL. He came home weeks before graduation to complete final projects. “My parents would not tell anyone other than my teachers that I was back,” he said. “They were serious about me graduating.”

Returning to LA, he was cast in multiple TV shows, including Like Family, and the movie Fat Albert. He signed a Talent Hold with Warner Brothers, pausing work while they searched for more roles on their network. “I’ve got too much energy to sit still,” Slaughter noted. “I started thinking about the future and a family. This was not a family-friendly career.”

Slaughter returned to Fort Worth to determine next steps, which soon became clear. He enrolled in TCU’s pre-med program and learned he had been soaking in academics at FWCD. “Even though I was arts-focused, Country Day provided a foundation for me to rise to the top of my TCU class,” Slaughter said. “I gained a solid academic base without knowing it at the time.”

Merging passions, Slaughter created Music Meets Medicine as an undergraduate. The nonprofit donates instruments and teaching time to teenagers in children’s hospitals. He established fundraisers and teamed up with Kidd’s Kids to raise $150,000 for the Kidd’s Kids Music Meets Medicine Therapeutic Arts Room at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Slaughter earned his MD and completed his residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas. In medical school, he reconnected with FWCD classmate Rebecca Shaw ’02, a ballerina and fellow arts lover. They fell in love and built a family. J Mack ’33 is one of their three children.

The couple dreamed of a way to reward local student artists. After seeing FWCD’s 2019 spring musical, Chicago HSV, they created the Slaughter Family Arts Awards, a recognition and scholarship program celebrating fine arts excellence and effort. (Read more on page 19).

When not immersed in the arts or working philanthropically, Slaughter is an Emergency Medicine Doctor. “I get to do a hodgepodge of stuff,” he noted. “I like searching for that next thing that is going to fulfill myself and others.”

Photo credit: Rodger Mallison Photography

Retired Faculty –Where are They Now?

By Debby Jennings

Suzanne Lewis

US History

1978-2013

To the surprise of no one, Suzanne has remained “an inveterate student and teacher.” After FWCD retirement, Suzanne homeschooled two students focusing on areas of history that she had not previously taught. Now, she fills her days with online Latin class, playing the piano, line dancing, and learning how to watercolor.

Retirement allows her to travel widely: four trips a year to visit her mother and friends in Florida, a trip to Northern England to study Roman ruins and see Hadrian’s Wall, a trip to Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy to better understand the American Revolution. Although her travel typically has a history or art focus, she also appreciates culinary experiences and comments that Rome has “the best pasta and fresh vegetables she has ever eaten.”

Suzanne never stops appreciating the value of history and believes it can teach perspective and help all people analyze issues and divisive points of view. She leaves her former students and colleagues with this: “I wish to all a healthy, safe and rewarding journey through the fears and uncertainty of today. There is light at the end of the tunnel, even if we do not know when it will come or what shape it will take.”

Sharon Hamilton US Biology

1978-2017

Sharon continues to teach and learn by volunteering with the Texas Master Naturalists, a program that educates in support of natural resources and natural areas of Texas. Through the Texas Wildlife Association and its James Green [’01] Wildlife and Conservation Initiative, she teaches students about freshwater and prairie ecosystems. She also serves FWCD as a long-term sub.

Recently, Sharon and her husband added a 2-year-old Labrador retriever, Charlie, to their family. Another welcome addition to the family: a first grandchild, Annabelle, born in May. Since retirement, Sharon has traveled to Cuba, Maui, Hawaii and Cordova, Alaska. She explores the small towns of Texas, enjoying out-of-the-way restaurants.

Sharon’s best FWCD memories center on the excitement, fun and genuine learning that took place during labs, projects and field trips. She misses watching the “light bulb go on” in a student’s mind when insight or inspiration hits. When asked to give advice to former students, she quotes author George Eliot: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

Christine Derber Leuck LS Music and US Music History

1988-2017

Just 17 days after Chris retired in 2017, her beloved husband, David, died suddenly. In the months following, Chris bravely forged forward, even taking the trip to Italy that she and Dave had planned to celebrate her retirement. To be closer to family, she rented an apartment in Los Angeles, near her twin sons, Jonathan and Joel Nesvadba ’00. In fall 2018, she was introduced to John Leuck, by of all people, their dentist. The couple married on September 10, 2019, on the University of Notre Dame campus, John’s alma mater. They live on Eagle Mountain Lake.

The couple has attended five Notre Dame football games and traveled through 26 states. In March, they took a 35-day trip to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, returning home just as the international travel ban for COVID-19 went into effect.

Chris’s fond memories from her 30 years at FWCD include Grandparents’ Day, Kindergarten Super Turkey, and summer productions of Falcons OffBroadway.

Class Notes

Do you have great news to share with fellow FWCD alumni?

To submit information for Class Notes and Alumni News, email alumnirelations@fwcd.com.

1960s

Class Agents

1967 – Bill Curtis curtis@acm.org

1967 – Bill Landreth blandreth@liferoy.com

1968 – Paul Stouffer pstouffer@sbcglobal.net

1969 – Steve Geis stgeis@hotmail.com

1969 – Gail Widmer Landreth gaillandreth@sbcglobal.net

1970s

Class Agents

1971 – Terry Siegel htsiegel@bvc.com

1972 – Richard Garvey richard@jagee.com

1976 – Brad Nowlin brad@bradnowlin.com

Quentin McGown IV ’74 hosted a mini gathering at his home for members of the Class of 1974 who were unable to make it to their reunion. Pictured are (front row, from left) Douglas Arnoult, Stephen Alton, Liz Lambert Bowden, Webster Dean, (back row) Quentin McGown, Perry Cockerell and Tom Hanley

1980s

Allen Dickey ’83 was named partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, one of the Top 40 largest law firms globally. Allen is a cancer survivor, having gone through a diagnosis of multiple myeloma in 2016, chemotherapy and subsequent physical therapy. Allen is the older brother of Stephen Dickey ’89, FWCD’s Physics and Upper School Science Teacher.

re-joining the GSB after four years at Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars, where he worked with John Hennessy to launch the program as Head of Admissions. Previously, Derrick spent 15 years at the GSB, as Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions. He and his team read more than 90,000 applications, admitting more than 6,000 students. Derrick was known for calling every admitted student – his passion for the school is renowned. Derrick’s prior background includes a Stanford MBA and MA in Education, as well as time at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company.

1990s

Class Agents

1992 – Craig Christopher craig@tarranttech.com

1995 – Alison E. McManus amcmanus@post.harvard.edu

1997 – Zareen Khan zareen@briggsfreeman.com

Harriet Harris ’73 appears in the fourth episode of the Netflix series Hollywood, playing the role of Eleanor Roosevelt. Harriet was honored with the FWCD Alumni Association’s Falcon Star Award in 2016.

Sarah Medary ’84 was appointed City Manager of Eugene, OR. Sarah has 24 years of experience with the city of Eugene, including nine years as Assistant City Manager and six as the Director of Planning and Development. She served as the Public Works Director prior to her appointment by Mayor Lucy Vinis as City Manager Pro Tem.

Derrick Bolton ’88 is Stanford University Graduate School of Business’s (GSB) new Associate Dean for External Relations. Derrick is

Nancy Hunnicutt Gunnin ’90, Kendall Langdon Levy ’90, Whitney Rehfeldt Langdon ’91 and Whitney’s husband, Clay Langdon ’87, have reunited in Austin. They all have children in the same grades at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Nancy’s husband serves as the Head of School at St. Stephen’s.

Mikey Abrams ’95 created Quarantined Cabaret online by posting a video on his Facebook page on March 17. To create some fun and laughs, he featured himself lip-synching to the song “Cool Rider” from the movie Grease 2. He then asked 50 friends to join him in posting performances, and, in less than a week, he had 20,000 people who had joined in sharing performances and making requests. A Dallas realtor, Mikey has a passion for

Photo: Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Falcon Weddings

Lauren Brants ’05 married Will Adams on January 25, 2020. The ceremony took place at University Christian Church, with the reception at BRIK in Fort Worth. The couple resides in Fort Worth. Falcons in the wedding party included CeCe Brants ’17, Maggie Brants ’18, Andi Severin Goins ’05, Courtney Carpenter Hillard ’05, Whitney Horton ’05, Leecy Moore ’05 (Maid of Honor) and Allison Tabor ’05 Other Falcons in attendance were Chloe Bade Anderson ’05, Thomas Anderson ’05, Philip Anthony ’05, Tyler Goldthwaite ’03, Heather Hillard ’05, Ryan Hillard ’04, Joel Horton ’15, Dina McKenney ’05, Will Northern ’03, Crawford Rodgers ’03, Jessica Tetirick ’05 and Andrew Vernon ’05.

John McColm ’09 and Macon Blount were married on May 30, 2020, in San Antonio at Macon’s parents’ home. Falcons in attendance included Drew Reeb ’09, Hannah Pohler Reeb ’10, Chase Caraway ’09, Brooklyn (Witte) ’09 and Jack George ’09, Barron Parker ’09, Cameron Horton ’10, Peter Ray ’10, Houston Self ’09, Sam Brotherton ’09, David Miles ’08 and Elkin Kleberg ’10. John and Macon live in Fort Worth.

Brice Taylor ’06 married Rachel Elwell on November 23, 2019, at the Firestone & Robertson Whiskey Ranch in Fort Worth. Falcons in the wedding party included Whit Richardson, Colin Douglas and Garrison Taylor, all from the Class of 2006. Many other FWCD alumni also were in attendance. Pictured are Whit Richardson ’06, Nathaniel Elwell, Bill Morton, Roman Elwell, Rachel Elwell, Brice Taylor ’06, Emily Elwell, Joshua Elwell, Blake Taylor, Garrison Taylor ’06 and Colin Douglas ’06

Erin Hunter ’08 and James McPhan were married on June 1, 2019, in Colleyville at Aristide. Erin works as a Pediatric Registered Nurse at Children’s Health in Dallas.

performance – and fun. He is a former high school theater teacher and has performed on local stages.

Cornell Woolridge ’96 appeared on Good Day Austin on Austin Fox 7. He spoke passionately about turning the Black Lives Matter protests into action.

2000s

Class Agents

2001 – Craig P. Barbolla cpb@mcdonaldlaw.com

2001 – Susanna Gorski Bartolomei sgorski323@gmail.com

2002 – Ashley Stein astein@briggsfreeman.com

2003 – Will Northern will@northernrealtygroup.com

2004 – Kate Strickland Jennings kjennings610@gmail.com

2006 – Rachel Holt Hausser rachelhausser@gmail.com

2007 – Anne Hargis Olson christina.roxanne@gmail.com

2007 – Stephanie Stouffer stephaniestouffer@gmail.com

2009 – Mary Dambro marydambro@mac.com

2009 – Brittany Jenkins brittanyajenkins07@gmail.com

2009 – Margaret Harper mpalmerharper@aol.com

Sarah Watson Ofner ’00 has a new position as a board member at The D10 Houston. The D10 brings together a curated community of “Impact Athletes” who train, learn, grow and compete together in a championship setting, where performance is measured by philanthropic impact.

Monica Smith Guthrie ’02 is the new Communications Director for the U.S. Army’s Long Range Precision Fires cross-functional team at Fort Sill, OK.

Edgar Araiza ’03 joined Methodist Medical Group in 2018 as an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon. He covers all North Texas Methodist Hospitals with the majority of his practice taking place at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

family travel, opening her business, The Shameless Tourist. Learn more at theshamelesstourist.com.

Dominique Van Beest ’05 won the 2020 Ursula Krusen Award for her research focused on veterans with spinal cord injury. The Texas Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Society presents the award annually to the best resident research project in Texas.

Avery Kelly ’05 is an artist and teacher in Fort Worth. In her work, Avery brings together a love of creating images with her love for the outdoors, focusing especially on animals, their perceptions and relationships within the landscape. She works as an art teacher and has taught ages kindergarten through college level. Learn more at averykellyart.com.

Will Northern ’03 was honored with the 2019 William C. Jennings Award in association with the Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS. The award is presented annually by the Texas REALTORS® Commercial Committee to recognize an outstanding effort in commercial brokerage and honors real estate professionals whose work benefits their clients and enhances the quality of life and economic development of the market where they work.

Kaleigh Wesson Kirkpatrick ’04 was Fort Worth Woman’s February 2020 Woman of the Month. After time in the Northeast, Kaleigh moved back to Fort Worth, where she met her husband during the Colonial Golf Tournament. In 2012, Kaleigh and her husband welcomed their daughter Kennedy “Keki” into the world. Kaleigh started working as a Travel Advisor specializing in luxury and seamless

Jason Suder ’07 is opening a new music venue in Fort Worth called Tulips, the first mid-sized music venue the city has seen since the days of Caravan of Dreams, Wreck Room or historic Blue Bird. Jason shares that this venue will route favorite musical acts to the western side of the metroplex as a home for music, art, culture. Learn more at tulipsftw.com.

Henry Lim ’08 is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Weatherford College.

Spencer Duran ’09 is teaching Spanish at St. Francis Episcoal School in Houston.

Welcome to the Nest!

Do rubber duckies dream of growing up to be FWCD Falcons? We think so. Please let us know when your family increases so that we can welcome another Falcon into the nest!

Ben Hood ’98 and his spouse, Kim, welcomed a daughter, Shirley Elizabeth, on April 29, 2019. The family resides in Fort Worth.

Lauren (Lively) Schmid ’02 and her spouse, Matt, welcomed Ryan Matthews to the world on December 16, 2019. His big brother, Walter, also was excited about his arrival!

Kate (Strickland) Jennings ’04 and her spouse, Andy, welcomed their second child to their family! Wyatt Bee was born on July 8, 2020, in Fort Worth.

Colin McConnell ’00 and his spouse, Emery Anne, welcomed a new member of their family last fall. Conor Robert was born on October 29, 2019. The family resides in Fort Worth.

Sharon (McAlpine) ’04 and Jackson Davis ’03 had their third child. Reid Emerson was born on March 22, 2020. Big brothers Gavin ’32 and Dash are very excited!

Anum (Qassam) Jou ’06 and Eddie welcomed their first child, Ozair Enceladus, on September 4, 2019. It’s been a wild ride already, and they are all looking forward to this adventure together.

Lauren (Rapp) Bode ’06 and her spouse, Matthew, welcomed their first child, Eleanor Augustine, in May 2020.

Phoebe (Wu) Noce ’06 and her spouse, Tim, welcomed Stella Eunice on April 5, 2020. Stella’s middle name honors her great grandma.

Ivy (Poye) Pierce ’07 and her spouse, Mark, welcomed their first daughter, Heidi Jean, on December 29, 2019, in Oklahoma City, where they currently live. Former FWCD First-Grade Teacher Donna Poye Rubin is her very proud grandmother.

Kim (Sotman) Garrett ’07 and her spouse, Robert, welcomed identical twin girls, Elizabeth Claire and Samantha Ruth (who will be known as Lizzie and Sammie) on June 7, 2020.

Hannah (Meadows) Watkins ’06 and her spouse, Jarratt, welcomed Henry Foster, their first child, on April 6, 2020.

Teresa (Powers) ’07 and Brett Stephenson ’07 welcomed their first child on July 14, 2020, in Seattle, WA. The baby boy’s name is Elliott Aaron.

Jay Stouffer III ’09 and his spouse, Liz (a former FWCD Middle School teacher), celebrated the birth of Owen Ellis on December 18, 2019. Jay and Liz are living in Middletown, DE.

Elizabeth (Powers) Brooks ’11 and her spouse, Carder, had their first child, Henry Carder, on January 20, 2020. The family resides in Fort Worth.

CLASS NOTES

Eben Smitherman ’09 matched at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for Anesthesia Residency.

2010s

Class Agents

2010 – Claire Davidovich clairedavidovich@gmail.com

2010 – Ashley Uptegraft auptegraft10@gmail.com

2011 – Alex Manson Klinedinst laklinedinst29@gmail.com

2011 – Kate Petsche kate.aep@gmail.com

2011 – Nayelly Dominguez ndominguez@smu.edu

2013 – Jonny Clum clumjonny@gmail.com

2013 – Oliver Newberry oliver.newberry@utexas.edu

2015 – Connor Cassady connorcassady@sbcglobal.net

2015 – Madelyn Luskey madelyn.luskey@gmail.com

2015 – Shelby Sanford shelby.e.sanford@vanderbilt.edu

2016 – Delaney Fleming delaney.fleming97@gmail.com

2016 – Branson Nelson branson.nelson5@gmail.com

2016 – Jacob Rains jrains22@gmail.com

2018 – Sam Carlile fwcd@samkc.me

2018 – Kacey Melton kcmelton@umich.edu kmelton0000@gmail.com

2018 – Kathleen Clum kathleen.clum22@gmail.com

2018 – Maggie Brants MargaretBrants@gmail.com

2019 – Alexandra Galloway alexandragalloway@icloud.com

2019 – Sarah Clark clarksarah160@gmail.com

2019 – Megan Lammons meganlammons18@gmail.com

Juan Favela ’10 was featured in a UT Southwestern Medical Center article with his wife, Madison Argo, about being doctors moving from Texas to Wisconsin.

Aya Alame ’11 matched at UT Southwestern Medical Center for her Dermatology Residency.

William Baumgardner ’11 is excited to start his PhD at the University of Virginia School of Architecture this fall.

a creative place-making effort and nonprofit organization that recognizes the importance art plays in establishing healthy and robust communities.

Paige Bogle ’12 will start her MBA program at Capella University in Minneapolis this fall.

Christa Ratcliff ’11 was recently promoted to be a Lieutenant in the United States Navy.

Taylor White ’11 spent summer 2020 as an Artist-inResidence with OPEN AIR: Montana. OPEN AIR: Montana is

Shree Bose ’12 has a new series on Facebook called “The Cutting Edge with Shree Bose.” In this series, Shree explores advances in science and new discoveries that are constantly being made all over the world. In each episode, she focuses on those discoveries by discussing and illustrating recently published papers.

Abby Cox ’12 wrote an article for Medium.com titled “I know this is long but what else are you going to do?” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article explores some of the “new normals” in the world and how different the world will be moving forward.

Sydney Darrow ’12, and her boyfriend, Nate Lancaster, are living in Fort Worth temporarily, as their jobs in Cayman are tied to tourism. Cayman closed its borders to tourists in April and doesn’t plan to open up again until September, at the earliest. While in Fort Worth, they created a scuba dive instruction and certification business for private instruction. Find her on social media at facebook.com/NASScuba/.

Maddie Hill ’12 is a newly ordained priest. Maddie was ordained at All Saints’ on the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. Her ordination can be found on the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth YouTube channel.

their needs; working with software engineers, designers, researchers, etc., to implement solutions to satisfy these customer needs; and collaborating with all stakeholders to maintain feature progress and provide clarity and direction.

GRADUATIONS

Tavisty Tarkenton

Fallon Appleton ’13 spent May 2020 in Waco and Austin shadowing each of the District 17 candidates for a 30-minute special to show an inside look at campaigning during COVID-19. Check it out at KBTX.com.

Morgan Pergande ’13 proposed to Hannah Fischler on February 15, 2020, in Chapel Hill, NC. They met while attending the University of North Carolina.

Hannah Fowler ’14 joined Microsoft in September 2019 as a Program Manager in the Identity Division. This division is responsible for creating a secure environment and a unified access management platform. Her role involves developing relationships with customers to understand

Madi Smith Hernandez ’14 has completed her training to be a BSN, RN. She will be working at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Alex Sturns ’15 is the co-director of a new documentary titled Keh-Hee-Lah, which means community in Hebrew. This 14-minute documentary, screened in February at the Denver Jewish Film Festival, features local rabbis and a cantor by University of Denver film students Myles Goldstein and Alex himself.

’02 earned a BS in Biology from Texas A&M in 2006. After college, she taught seventhand eighth-grade science and ninth-grade and AP Biology before deciding to pursue higher education in medicine. She completed her master’s degree in Medical Sciences in 2016 and, in May 2020, graduated as valedictorian of her medical school class at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. She will complete her residency in Emergency Medicine at UT Health San Antonio.

Ryan Bain ’05 earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Texas A&M in 2009. Recently, Ryan returned to school and earned a PhD from Washington State University Pullman.

2020s

Class Agent 2020 – Stephanie Cook SMCook350@gmail.com

The Class of 2020 celebrated its Commencement Exercises on the field in Rosacker Stadium on Saturday, June 6. Read the feature story on page 24.

Katie Jordan ’09 earned a BA in Public Relations from the University of South CarolinaColumbia in 2013. In 2018, she went back to school to get a Master of Science in Athletic Training at the University of Texas at Arlington, which she received this year. She rejoins the FWCD family as the School’s new Health Services and Athletic Training Assistant.

CLASS NOTES

Katie Siegel ’10 recently graduated from veterinary school and began working at Heartland Animal Hospital in Des Moines in June 2020.

Kaitlyn Frantz ’13 earned her degree from Centenary College of Louisiana in 2017. After Centenary College, Kaitlyn attended Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and received her Master of Divinity. While at GarrettEvangelical, Kaitlyn was inducted into Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honor society for religious studies and theology. Currently, she serves as the Pastor of the Inclusive Collective Campus Ministry at Northern Illinois University, and she is in the process of becoming ordained in the United Methodist Church.

Annabeth Reeb ’13 attended Texas A&M University and earned a BA in English with a minor in Spanish in 2017. After TAMU, Annabeth continued her education at The University of Texas School of Law. At Texas Law, she served as the President of the Student Bar Association and was on the editorial board of the Texas Law Review. The Reebs hosted a private graduation in

their yard. Her older brother, Robby ’07, who is also an attorney, hooded Annabeth.

Xavier Jamaal White ’13 attended Texas State University (2013-17) and graduated with a BS in Exercise Sport Science, Pre-Physical Therapy Studies. He is currently in ophthalmic medical device sales at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.

Jeff Avena ’15 graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2019, earning a BSBA. He continued his studies at OU and, in 2020, completed his Master of Accountancy at the Gene Rainbolt Graduate School of Business.

Cooper Burleson ’15 attended Purdue University and received a BS in Aeronautical Engineering Technology and MS in Aerospace Management. His field of expertise lies in commercial spaceport and commercial space platform operations. He works for Barrios Technology, Ltd., where he is a Commercial Space Integration Lead.

Spencer Gates ’15 and Eleni

Michaelides

’15 reunited at The University of Texas at Austin where they both completed their MS in Marketing this past spring.

Spencer earned her undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University, while Eleni earned hers at Texas Christian University.

The Haas Falcons have soared. Thomas ’15 graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, in May 2019 with a BA in History. Madelyn ’16 graduated cum laude from Trinity University in San Antonio in December 2019 with a double major in Psychology and Spanish.

Jonathan “Taft” Henderson ’15 attended Texas A&M University and completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics.

Carleen Wenner ’15 attended Boston University, where she earned a BA in International Relations in 2019. After BU, Carleen continued her education at Columbia University, earning a Master of Arts.

Andrew Allsup ’16 graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a BSBA in Finance from the Eller College of Management. During his time at UA, he participated in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and was the President of the UA’s Financial

Management Association. Andrew is working for Oaklins Capital Alliance in Dallas as an Investment Banking Analyst.

Katie Anderson ’16 and Austin Westermann ’16 attended The University of Texas at Austin together and received their undergraduate degrees.

Allie Brookman ’16 earned a BBA with a minor in Nonprofit Organizational Studies from the University of Oklahoma. At OU, she was named an Outstanding Senior in the Price College of Business and also started the OU Chapter of International Justice Mission. Allie’s next step is to attend Texas Christian University to earn a Master in Counseling, Clinical and Mental Health.

Caroline Cameron ’16 graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University with a BS in Environmental Studies. She also double minored in Geography and Sustainable Architecture and Planning. During her time at A&M, Caroline participated in Kappa Kappa Gamma,

the Aggieland Humane Society and the Environmental Programs Involvement Committee.

Cameron Cramer ’16 earned a BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Southern Methodist University.

Cameron is attending optometry school at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis.

Olivia Darrow ’16 earned a BS in Nursing in 2019 from Texas Tech University. She was able to graduate early, mainly due to the AP courses she took while at FWCD. Olivia also obtained her state board licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse. She has been working at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.

Alex Doswell ’16 received her undergraduate degree in Art History and American Studies in Popular and Visual Culture

from the University of Virginia. While at UVA, she was part of Kappa Kappa Gamma and a UVA Arts Board Member.

CLASS NOTES

Molly Englander ’16 attended The University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication and received her undergraduate degree.

Delaney Fleming ’16 earned a BA in Education from Furman University. Delaney will teach elementary school in the Greenville/ Spartanburg area.

John Fredian ’16 earned a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Texas A&M University. While at TAMU, he participated in Greek life all four years and was elected to serve as Secretary for the Epsilon Eta chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 2019. He also was involved in Texas A&M BUILD, a student organization with the goal of uniting the student body through a service project. In his two years with that organization, John served on the operations and logistics team. They were able to construct eight mobile medical clinics and two learning centers. All the buildings were constructed on campus by students from used shipping containers. These containers were sent across the world to countries such as Guatemala, Bolivia, Nigeria, Dominican Republic and Jordan. Last summer, John had the opportunity to serve as an Industrial Engineering Intern at American Express in Phoenix. In February 2020, he accepted a position to serve as Financial

Director at STRIDES, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the goal of providing college scholarships to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. John will continue his education at Texas A&M. He is studying Quantitative Finance, a joint program between Mays Business School and the Department of Mathematics. He will also work in the Mays Innovation Research Center as a Mathematical Analyst to audit and write simulations for papers written by professors in the center.

Ariana Gilley ’16 attended the University of Texas at Arlington and earned her undergraduate degree.

Truett Killian ’16 earned a degree in Philosophy and Film from Tufts University. While at Tufts, Truett was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and worked on several jobs in the film world, including a project on Disney+. Truett became certified as a Texas Real Estate agent; he lives in Fort Worth and manages properties.

Aaron Lax ’16 earned a degree in Entrepreneurship and Venture Management from the University of Oklahoma. While at OU, Aaron was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and the JCPenny Leadership Program. Aaron is starting a media company with some fellow Falcons and others.

the Managing Editor of the student newspaper, the Williams Record, and captain of the club ultimate Frisbee team. He is working in New York City as a Health Care Reporter for Global Data’s investigative journalist team covering the pharmaceutical industry.

Katie Park ’16 attended Elon University, where she earned a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education. While at Elon, Katie was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and Elon’s Student Government Association as the School of Education Senator.

Patrick Hoffacker ’16 attended DePaul University, earning a BFA in Film and Television with a concentration in Editing.

Ketrick Karsten ’16 earned a BBA with double majors in Finance and Economics from Baylor University. Ketrick will move to Dallas to work for Goldman Sachs.

Reagan Mulqueen ’16 earned a BBA in Business Analytics and Sustainability from the University of Notre Dame.

Reagan moved to Dallas and works at PepsiCo as a Strategic Financial Analyst.

Will Newton ’16 attended Williams College, earning a double major in Economics and Spanish. At Williams, he was

Katie Park ’16, Regan Rosenthal ’16 and Natalie Rosenthal ’16 each went their separate ways after FWCD graduation. Katie attended Elon University; Regan attended Louisiana State University; and Natalie attended Chapman University. After earning their undergraduate degrees, the three Falcons came together to celebrate.

Kristin Robinson ’16 attended the University of Southern California and earned her degree, magna

cum laude, in Music Industry from the Thornton School of Music. Kristin recently received the Music Industry Entrepreneur Award for her company Amplify Campus (Amplifycampus. com), which provides promotion and consulting for emerging artists. During her time at USC, she was the vice president of a nonprofit that provided free after-school music lessons to inner city students, was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, and served as a writer for Variety magazine and the popular emerging artist publication, Ones To Watch. She also was an intern at various music companies, including Columbia Records, Atlantic Records, Live Nation and Fender. Kristin works at a record label, 10K Projects. She also will continue to write for Variety and Ones To Watch, as well as run her artist consulting business, Amplify Campus.

Mary Marshall

“Mimi” Ryan

’16 attended Texas A&M and earned a BS in Nutrition. A member of TAMU’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Mimi worked for the Athletic Department’s Nutrition Team, most specifically for

men’s basketball and baseball. She began her master’s degree with the goal of becoming a Registered Dietician.

Ava Shen ’16 attended Boston University, where she earned a degree, summa cum laude, in International Relations and French Studies. While at BU, she was part of the International Affairs Association and the French Club. Ava also received the College Prize for Romance Studies (for French Studies) and the Pardee School Academic Excellence Award (for International Relations).

Jessica Sustaita ’16 attended the University of North Texas and earned a degree, magna cum laude, in Political Science and Spanish in fall 2018. While at UNT, Jessica was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Order of Omega and the Hispanic Student Association. After graduation, Jessica took the spring semester off to

focus on applying to law school. In August 2019, she started at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. This past year at SMU, she joined the Hispanic Law Student Association and the Association for Public Interest Law. Jessica just completed her 1L year.

DJ Williams ’16 attended Southern Methodist University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics with Financial Applications. While at SMU, DJ played Division I Soccer for the Mustangs. He is now working for Equitable Advisors.

John Wittman ’16 attended The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Liberal Arts and received his undergraduate degree in Government and Economics.

IN MEMORIAM

William C. Bahan

James R. Blake

Anne Hendricks Bass

Garland Thomas Hunt

Betty Claire Dupree McKnight H’13

James “Jay” Murphy

Lanny Trammell

Eddye Ruth Williams

From the Archives

The Class of 2020 had 23 students whose parents have the same FWCD diploma as their students. The students’ names are listed below their parents.

Brodie Hyde ’81

Paul Dickerson ’82

Marcus Bynum ’83

Pamela Corbett ’83

Mary Rabalais ’83 Liz Stapp ’84 Campbell Hyde Thomas Dickerson Katie Bynum Stephen Murrin Natalie Claire Collins Mia Fleischer and Ozzie Fleischer

Brett Hyde ’85

Alexandra Stevens ’85 Patrick Woodson ’85 Sharon Maberry ’86

Tisha Tennant ’86 Lisa Gluck ’87

Blair Hyde ’87 Laura Bonnell ’88

Elizabeth Murphy ’88

Wesley Meekins ’89

Missi Olson ’89 Paul Ray ’89

David Anton ’92

John Augustat ’92 Sam Juliao ’92

Lauren Meekins ’93

Crisanne Potts ’93

Blake Hyde Sarah Hillebrecht Sam Woodson Claire Cooper Allison Moore Parker Karpel

Ryan Hamburg Ben Alexander Sam Jones Brett Nowlin Mia Kovachev Bella Ray

Abigail Anton Andrew Farlow Isabel Juliao Abigail Anton Claire Barker

The Peter A. Schwartz Legacy Society