Georgian, Summer 2000

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George Gross ’01

English as a Second Language

Young artist develops his talent in filmmaking.

After 11 years, the ESL program continues to support foreign students.

eorgian

A Publication of George School, Newtown, Pennsylvania

Volume 71 •

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Summer 2000

Starmer Starts New School Year as Head

By Carol J. Suplee

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ancy Starmer and her family move into Sunnybanke at a time when George School’s reputation nationally and internationally is without precedent. She succeeds David Bourns, who presided over a period of remarkable progress and growth.

It’s a challenge of no small proportions, but Nancy believes her 30 years in education have converged on this moment. When Nancy first learned that George School was looking for a new head of school, she was immediately intrigued. She had met David and heard him speak at a diversity conference when she was principal of the Upper School at Milton Academy.

“I was impressed with David’s message and his commitment,” Nancy said. In visits here, Nancy has been moved by the dynamism diversity has brought to the campus. She has been studying diversity intensely during her just-completed sabbatical year from Milton.

“My research project, sponsored by the Wellesley Centers for Research on Women, is an attempt to guide schools that have made a significant commitment to diversity as they move toward the ‘next steps.’ How to maintain diversity and still stay a community is at the heart of the issue,” she said. “At George School, I sense a shared purpose despite the great diversity of backgrounds and views. Not many schools are in that position. This is exciting to me.”

Quaker values, Nancy acknowledges, are central to that shared purpose. Her quest to know more about those values has led her to take a Quakerism 101 course at Cambridge Friends Meeting in Boston. She is discovering how those values have resonated in her own life. As a sixties college student, she became

The newly appointed Head of School Nancy Starmer considers herself a teacher at heart; she ranks teaching second only in importance to parenting.

(Turn to page 2 to read more)

Bequest The Keeper of the Flame

By Cathy S. Kress

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ouise Benton Wagner ’55 spent just one year at George School, but that one year touched her life.

In thanks, Louise gave generously to the school over the years. When she died in June of 1999, her generous spirit lived on. Her will included a $1.2 million gift to George School, one of the largest bequests the school has ever received.

“We loved George School. We both did,” recalled Louise’s sister, Helen Benton Boley ’55.

Having spent their earlier high school years in Connecticut, Arizona and France, the sisters appreciated settling in for their senior year at George School, despite facing some academic difficulties.

“Being in a boarding school, we felt like we’d come home,” said Helen. “We struggled, but we were accepted. There were just a lot of wonderful people there.”

Jim McKey, director of advancement, expressed the school’s gratitude for Louise’s gift — and explained its importance.

“Louise had always been a generous supporter of George School,” Jim said.

“Her final gift, a bequest to the endowment, strengthens the school’s financial foundation.”

The endowment, valued at more than $58 million, provides over 11 percent of the school’s annual operating budget, Jim explained.

George School continually strives to improve programs, increase teacher salaries and enhance scholarship opportunities. With a growing endowment, Jim said, “We can fulfill some of our dreams in these areas.”

Bequests, large and small, account for almost 90 percent of gifts to the endowment, said Kimball Leiser, planned giving coordinator.

“This is a very important kind of gift for George School,” he said.

And as he and Jim both remarked, George School came into being because of a bequest by John M. George over 100 years ago.

To honor that tradition of giving, the school established the John M. George Society in 1993. Its purpose is to honor individuals who, like Louise, let George School know of their commitment to provide for the school in their wills or estate plans. Louise’s sister, Helen, also belongs to the society, which has more than 300 members.

Both sisters enjoyed returning to campus for reunions, although now, for Helen, those reunions are bittersweet.

“I go for her, too,” Helen said.

Her voice brightened as she described her sister.

“I remember most that she was hilariously funny. She was an original,” Helen said.

Louise worked tirelessly as chairwoman of the board for Encyclopedia Britannica’s educational film company. (Their father bought Britannica in the 1930s.) She traveled the country, attending educational conventions and acting as “a wonderful ambassador” for the business, Helen said.

“My sister thought of herself as the keeper of the flame.”

Helen described her sister’s “gorgeous

convinced that “we have a responsibility to make the world a better place.” Nancy believes that young people understand this responsibility; that they operate on a high set of moral principles, wanting to do what is right, needing to dialogue with adults as equals on issues important to both. In Quaker terms, this is close to Scripture. In addition, at Milton Nancy fostered a team approach to decision-making in her administrative group that she describes as “cooperative analysis, debate and risktaking.” Quakers will recognize that immediately as “building consensus.”

In the Starmer family, the concept of service is firmly rooted. Daughter Elanor, a senior at Brown, has been involved in social justice issues, particularly in Latin America, both as a high school and college student.

Husband Jack is president of a non-profit group, the American-Nepal Alliance for Health, that is working with doctors in Nepal to establish a center for AIDS care and that takes groups of doctors, nurses and medical students from the US and

Canada to join Nepalese physicians in providing rural health camps. Son Daniel is a freshman at Milton Academy “whose energies right now,” Nancy says, “are focused on schoolwork and music.”

Nancy’s contacts with George School people on and off campus have helped open a window on the community. She spoke of having tea and conversation with Chinezi Chijioke ’97 shortly after her appointment. “He impressed me with his thoughtfulness and with the respect and affection he has for George School,” she said. “I remember feeling so happy that I was going to a school where there were students like Chinezi and teachers like those he described so affectionately.”

Though Nancy has been involved in administration for a number of years, at heart she remains a teacher. “Students provide my grounding,” she said.

From her very first visit, Nancy said, “I was struck with the sense of warmth and respect among the students at George School. She has felt the bond of fellowship among teachers and students and among colleagues on the faculty and

Her one year at George School gave Louise Benton Wagner ’55 memories which would last her a lifetime. In return, she made a gift which will last for generations.

(1955 yearbook photo) blue eyes,” her occasional irreverent language, her fascination with people, her optimism. “‘Knowledge is power,’ was a favorite phrase,” Helen said. Summing up Louise’s outlook, she added: “You should enjoy life to the hilt.” ■

(Nancy Starmer, continued from page 1)

“My students are as important a source of knowledge for me as the articles and books I read; their energy and curiosity nourish my own and, more importantly, they provide my grounding,” Nancy said.

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in the administration. She has sensed students’ curiosity and involvement and was heartened by their relaxed demeanor even in the most rigorous classes. She has observed a pervasive sense of ownership, of responsibility by all for the whole.

“I’ve been to meeting for worship a couple of times,” Nancy notes, “and I can sense how important that shared experience is to the tone of the school.”

Nancy knows David will be missed.

“David is clearly a caring and compassionate person whom many look to for both personal and professional support,” she said. “It’s also clear to me that David has been able to attract and hire or promote excellent people who take initiative and are creative in their jobs. I know it will take time for me to become part of the George School family, but I am excited by the opportunity.” ■

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English as a Second Language ESL Opens Doors to Diversity

By Ayeola G. Elias “ESL students are as intellectually bright as other students. They need cognitive challenge to maintain their interest and motivation just as much as any other student,” writes Dr. James Cummings, a leading educator, author and researcher in the field of language learning.

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hen Susan Wilf first began learning Korean, she brought a Korean children’s book to her teacher so he could help her read it.␣ Her teacher smiled warmly and explained that she should start with something simpler.␣ “He said young Korean children had a large vocabulary — larger than what I had achieved. It was so frustrating,” Susan remembered.

Language-learning experiences such as this make Susan a patient, empathetic and effective educator. Her past experiences show students that although learning a foreign language is challenging, with hard work and dedication, one can move up to a level of fluency.

In her seventh year at George School, Susan heads the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University in Chinese and has experience in teaching English in China and Chinese in the US. In addition to speaking fluent Chinese, she has a working knowledge of French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.

The ESL program was formed to educate international students whose first language is not English, while helping to make George School more diverse.

“Many people think the ESL program is not challenging. That is not true.

Speaking English as a second language and reading English novels are not easy.”

Ugar Savan ’01, Turkey

In 1989, during the program’s first year, there were only nine students and one teacher. Now, in addition to Susan, ESL faculty include English teachers Helen Clary and Phyllis Boulton and science teacher Erin Sundell-Sio. This team of educators maintains a nurturing ESL program which has educated more than 145 students since its incepGeorge School

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tion. Unlike the program’s first year when only ESL English was available, the program has expanded to include a variety of challenging courses such as: biology, hydrology and US History.

Students who are enrolled in the program are not restricted to only ESL courses, however. When an ESL student and his or her teachers feel the student is ready to take a mainstream course, teachers will support the student in that transition. In fact, one of the principal goals of the program is to help ESL students eventually move into all mainstream courses where they will learn with native English-speaking students.

“These are smart kids,” Susan points out, “students who are used to being at the top of their class in schools in their own countries. It’s our job as ESL teachers to help them improve their English, while preparing them to leave George School knowing what American kids know.”

ESL students are not expected to cover less material than other George School students just because they are developing their English. They too must take exams, give class presentations and write research papers.

ESL teachers use a variety of tools to help their students learn. For example, many ESL students and teachers use drawings to help them visualize the meaning of new vocabulary and find words to articulate their thoughts in English. And with eight students as the average class size— about half the size of mainstream courses—students benefit from greater opportunities for classroom discussion.

Group discussion is particularly useful for students who need to improve their listening comprehension and speaking abilities.

Susan’s foreign language proficiency helps her understand students’ thought processes and the reasons for their mistakes.

Even though she could teach many of her students in their native language, she says, “I always speak English to them because I think it’s in their best interest to hear it and to learn in English.”

Susan Wilf, director of the English as a Second Language program, appreciates the exposure she has to students from around the world. She is pictured here with Honoka Takei ’01 (center) from Japan and Ugar Savan ’01 from Turkey.

“I think ESL is good because before you go into the mainstream social life at GS you already have a group of ESL friends as a foundation. For the kids who don’t have many American friends, it’s like you are never alone because you always have a group of people who have had the same experience.”

Mario Anton ’00, Japan After graduating from George School, most ESL students go to US colleges and universities where they either go into mainstream college courses or take ESL classes for an additional year.

Some of the colleges and universities most recently attended by ESL students include Boston University, Columbia, Cornell, Rhode Island School of Design, and Syracuse.

When Fran Bradley, director of studies, and Karen Hallowell, the director of admission, worked with a group of faculty to establish the ESL program eleven years ago, they knew that George School had already succeeded in making the school more racially, economically and socially diverse. This program was established partly to bring George School one step further. And that it has.

Now 15 percent of the student population is international—compared to 6 to 11 percent in most other private boarding schools.

The ESL program does more than just support our international student

population; it also enriches the school in subtle ways. International students lend a variety of perspectives and experiences to classroom discussion and other forms of group learning. A school that is more closely representative of the world population enriches the education of all its students.

“Having non-Americans as part of the community, helps us gain perspective on our own culture from their eyes,” Karen says. “I think it helps our American students open their minds and become more aware of their own culture as well as the cultures of other countries.”

Currently, the majority of students in the ESL program come from Asia and Europe. In the future, the school hopes to increase ESL diversity by enrolling more students from Africa and South America.

This year, George School has 83 international students representing the following 23 countries: Bermuda, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Senegal, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia.

(The 24 students currently enrolled in the ESL program come from the boldfaced countries.) ■

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Summer 2000

Cuba Up Close Alumna Tells of her Cuban Experience

By Sara Wolf Sara Wolf ’99 went to Cuba for the first time under an organization called Global Exchange. In addition to living with a Cuban host family, Sara was able to take classes at the University of Havana and experience life in Cuba firsthand. This summer, Sara will return to Cuba for her fourth time. The story below tells of her experiences in Cuba and her standpoint on the custody battle over the 6-year old Elian Gonzalez.

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hy did you kidnap Elian?

Why won’t your government allow him to come home?” These were the questions repeatedly asked of me on my three-week visit to Cuba in January.

The custody dispute over 6-year old Elian Gonzalez dominated family, school and street conversations as I met with Cubans and heard their passionate hopes and complaints. In Havana during several of the mass rallies, I experienced the tremendous emotion felt by schoolchildren, workers, young professionals and grandparents.

Meandering through the congested streets near the University of Havana on January 10, I was unwittingly caught up in a crowd of hundreds of children, kindergartners to high schoolers, waving their Cuban red, white and blue flags as they marched toward the United States Interest Section. Carrying banners and handmade signs, the crowd chanted “Elian amigo, el pueblo está contigo” (Elian, our friend, the people support you) and “¡Liberen a Elian!” (Free Elian!).

As the crowd grew larger and livelier, the participants were anxious to tell me, an obvious “norteamericana,” how upset and saddened they are about the fate of their young friend, whom they affectionately refer to as their little brother. “Let him come home to his family and country. We love him and he belongs with us.”

I was amazed and impressed with the overwhelming warmth, compassion and solidarity expressed in these daily demonstrations. Children in the crowd were

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eloquent in their simple pleas that their classmate be allowed to come home.

As a visiting guest in a high school class in the Vedado municipality of Havana, I responded to the pointed questions of 46 persistent teenagers who were pleased with my own sympathetic position but unhappy with my government’s inaction. They really put me on the spot. I tried to explain that many Americans support Elian’s return and are indeed disappointed that a politically powerful and vocal Cuban-American community in Miami is able to thwart the wishes of the boy’s family in Cuba.

This was my third visit to Cuba in two years. I had intended to continue my Spanish classes at the University of Havana and practice the language with my host family and the many friends I made on previous trips in the summers of 1998 and 1999.

The Elian controversy, however, distracted me from my studies and motivated me to look more deeply into Cuban society, especially as it affects children like Elian.

With my conversational Spanish, I was able to talk to people in their homes, schools, workplaces, hospitals and discos. With my friends at the university, I was especially exposed to the ideas, fears, complaints and hopes of educated Cuban youth.

Responding to the lavish opportunities for Elian in Florida, architect Javier Morejón Martinez, age 26, told me that Cuba cannot offer the same material comforts. “We don’t have Disney World, extravagant shopping malls and backyard pools. But our kids are loved by their families, taught rigorously by their teachers and kept well by our doctors. They play safely in the streets and,” he continued jokingly, “have the greatest fun dancing salsa.”

Looking at a child’s life in Cuba, I visited a hospital where I talked to staff and patients and came away impressed by the dedication and quality of the nation’s health care system. The record on health care is impressive: all people are guaranteed free health care, the infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the world and family doctors effectively stress preventive care.

Sara Wolf ’99 (above) will be returning for a two-week visit to Cuba this summer. She will be participating in an internship in a Havana-based organization called the Cuba Outreach Project. The program offers cultural exchanges between the US and Cuba in hopes of building a strong relationship between the two countries based on solidarity, social justice and human development.

“I was impressed by the high educational standards.

Cuba’s literacy rate is 96%, education is free from pre-school to university and, though facilities may be old and crowded, classrooms seem bright, lively and warm.”

Waking up from their afternoon nap, these kindergartners begin their reading lessons in a school in Vedado, Havana.

I was also impressed by the high educational standards. Cuba’s literacy rate is about 96 percent, education is free from pre-school to university and, though facilities may be old and crowded, class-

Summer 2000

rooms seem bright, lively and warm.

The fate of Elian Gonzalez made me look at Cuba in a new light. Despite their hardships, the people of Cuba love their kids and treat them well. ■

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Georgian

Cuban Quakers and George School Maintain Ties

By Ayeola G. Elias

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logue with all people, but most particularly, those people perceived by our countrymen as enemies.”

That year, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Treasury Department which enabled another George School group to travel to Cuba in 1982.

Over the last two decades, Fran’s Cuba initiative has created opportunities to promote unity and international awareness between Cubans and Americans.

To date, there have been 11 George School trips to Cuba; three included students. Fran’s persistence also enabled Cubans to make 14 visits to George School.

The first Cuban student to ever receive permission from both the Cuban and United States governments) to study in the United States attended George School from 1997 to 1998. And in September 2000, a second Cuban student will come to George School to study.

wanted to travel to Cuba. They also deran Bradley, director of studies, nied several Cubans entry into the US has dedicated a substantial for a variety of reasons. amount of his personal energy to In 1982, Fran testified providing rare opportuniin a lawsuit initiated by the ties for students, teachers American Civil Liberties and administrators to Union challenging the travel to Cuba.

Treasury Department’s reThese trips have put strictions on travel to Cuba. members of George School Fran explained to the in contact with Cuban court judge, “because Quakers and have allowed Friends believe there is that them to develop meaningof God in every human ful and lifelong relationbeing, they have found it ships despite both counThis month, Fran Bradley difficult to accept war as an tries’ strong opposition.

In 1978, 24 George will lead his 12th trip to acceptable manner for resolving human differences.

School students and teach- Cuba.

If war is difficult to accept, ers went to Cuba. After the then dialogue is vital. In order to be first trip, however, Fran encountered sevfaithful to the heritage of Quakers, it eral obstacles which slowed down the appears essential for us in Quaker schools program’s progress. to try every means possible to enable our The United States Treasury Departchildren and teachers to enter into diament denied visas to Americans who

Artist Narrates with Camera

By Patrick Sweeney

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hen George Gross ’01 was in eighth grade, he received a video camera from his parents for his birthday. That gift has played into his natural gift for visual storytelling, and is now opening the way to a career in writing, cinematography and directing.

George has created four short films for George School, all of which have been shown in assemblies, as well as two short films which he entered in the Auburn Film Festival (see photo caption).

“When I filmed our service project in Costa Rica, I learned a lot about colors. In the rain forests, the colors are so vibrant. They come right at you. It is very different from forests around here, which are much darker and browner. There, the plants and birds and other animals almost seemed unreal,” he explained.

George adds, “Sometimes when I’m filming a project, I have a clear idea of Volume 71

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what I want do. But other times, the process takes over, and things happen that surprise me. Those little surprises usually turn out to be a lot better than I would have imagined. For instance, I first thought the film on Costa Rica was going to have a lot more dialogue, interviewing people, getting their thoughts on tape. But, instead, I captured the experience through the drama of the colors, which I was experiencing for the first time.” The final six-minute version is bright, fast and intense, with a lot of fast cuts moving on beat with music from Santana and other artists.

He also created a video for the English as a Second Language Program in which he tried to capture the life of an ESL student. “It was funny, giving the flavor of being a student at George School. In the end, it felt like it could have been a day-in-the-life of any of us… and maybe that’s the point.”

Two of his other projects were for the George School phonathon. “The first was a spoof of the Blair Witch Project. It was fun, a lot of weird close-ups, showing how scary it would be if people didn’t

Creator behind some of the finest films made at George School, Gross won First Prize in the High School Division of the Auburn University Film Festival this spring. His short piece, “Rick, Amateur Body Builder,” starring Nick Kershbaumer ’01, was produced as an assignment in video class just last winter. contribute. The second one was inspired

by Michael Moore’s Roger and Me. It was with my friend Brian Dunlop ’01 and we were trying to find out where the

Summer 2000

This month, the newly appointed Head of School Nancy Starmer, Head of the George School Committee John Hunt and Head of the Language Department Cheri Mellor will assist Fran in leading a group of 12 students to Cuba. They will live with Quaker families and help paint the Quaker Church in Holguin.

This trip was inspired by a student, Martha Heinemann ’01 (one of this year’s student travelers) who asked Fran to organize another service project trip to Cuba. “I was unsure of other students’ interest in Cuba,” Fran explained. A few days later, Martha returned to Fran’s office with a group of interested students.

“Cuba is fascinating to read about,” Martha said, “but the [media] do not tell you what Cuba is really like. I want to learn for myself.”

Martha thanks Fran for giving her, and others, the chance to experience Cuba and its people. “I’m really glad that Fran has tried so hard to make it happen.” ■ Read the fall Georgian to learn about the group’s experiences in Cuba.

money that’s raised winds up. We interviewed Stephen Pitts, the director of the Annual Fund, and he was pretending to buy a lot of new clothes and hot cars and things with the money that was raised.

They were both a lot of fun.”

One of his most recent pieces, which he entered into the Auburn Film Festival is a social satire on a body builder.

George is currently taking a video class with performing arts teacher Scott Hoskins. “I’m learning a lot about technique and developing my artistic edge.

I’m also learning about collaborating, which is very important as I move forward. Part of me likes to do these projects all on my own, but as I become more involved, I realize that films really become group projects.”

George has already started looking at colleges where he can pursue film studies.

He has visited New York University, Boston University and Emerson. Ultimately, George would like to go to a college which has an apprentice approach to his craft.

For now, George carries his gifts with him everywhere he goes — either over his shoulder or inside his head. ■ George School

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Georgian

NOTE: Pages removed from this document to protect the privacy of GS alumni.

Alumni may login to the alumni community at http://alumni.georgeschool.org to view the full version of this issue.

Alumni Update Guess Who’s Back?

By Ayeola G. Elias

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n 1984, when Matthew Poage graduated from George School, he had no idea he would someday return to teach. The idea of becoming a teacher only occurred to him during the last ten years.

But although he never expected to travel back to the Keystone State to teach, “George School provided a good model for the kind of school I sought,”

he said. “There are many interesting people that contribute in so many ways and help create a rich community.”

Over the past 16 years since his high school graduation, Matthew has received his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Amherst College and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Shortly after finishing his studies in 1994, he got married

In September 1999, three friends of George School returned after being away for a short time. Matthew Poage (right), a new math teacher, Charles (Chas) Sanders (center), a new science teacher and John (Raven) Goldener (left), the new alumni director, have something in common—they are all alumni.

to his wife Kristen. Matthew first began teaching mathematics at Mount Madonna School, a small private school in the mountains of Santa Cruz overlooking the Monterey Bay. One of the strangest experiences for Matthew is being back and not seeing his friends and classmates walking down the hallways and eating with him in the dining room.

Chas Sanders, a 1993 graduate, is the newest addition to the science department. He said that when he was a student, he knew he wanted to return. During his last year of high school, his class voted him the person most likely to return to George School and become a teacher. Well, they were right.

Since high school, Chas has received a BS in Biology from Guilford College and then he went on to teach science at the Friends School of Wilmington in Wilmington, NC. What he enjoys most about teaching is that natural high he gets from “seeing that light go on with students when they understand something you’re teaching them.” He said he also enjoys the out-of-classroom interaction he has with students.

“I really enjoy coaching football and wrestling,” as well as playing ping-pong and talking with the students. “These things make the job enjoyable,” Chas said. In addition to the students, Aiden, his new 1-year-old chocolate lab, keeps him busy.

Georgian

Advancement Office George School Box 4000 Newtown, PA 18940-0962 www.georgeschool.org

Volume 71 • Number 3 • Summer 2000

IN THIS ISSUE Bequest Story ................ 2 ESL Opens Doors ......... 3 Cuba Up Close ............. 4

Ayeola G. Elias, Editor E-mail: Ayeola_Elias@georgeschool.org 215.579.6568

Fran Bradley ................. 5 Filmmaker .................... 5 Class Notes ................... 6 In Memoriam ............. 15

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PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Raven Goldener ’94 recently joined the Advancement Office as the school’s new alumni director. In just a short time since his recent graduation, the former Campbell dorm prefect and member of the newspaper staff has had numerous experiences.

“After GS, I spent a year traveling throughout the US and Europe with Up with People (an international organization which focuses on performance, community service and education).

Next, I ventured out to the University of Colorado at Boulder for a year. I transferred to Georgetown University in DC where I received my degree in Foreign Service and was very active in theater.”

Raven felt a bit awkward returning to George School initially. “However, the community really opened up and made the transition easy,” he said.

“The close connection among the staff, the students, the faculty, and the alumni is one of the reasons that this place is so amazing,” Raven said. “With new technologies, new social and cultural trends, and increased global interconnectedness, I think that George School is a unique training ground for the leaders of the future. This is a very exciting time to be here.” ■

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