GFS Bulletin: Introducing The All-School Commons & Center for the Arts

GFS BULLETIN

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IN THIS ISSUE

Sequel Changes the Flow

Greta Meyer ’15 uses design thinking, a technological breakthrough, and a unique point of view to capture a massive market.

Picture This: An All New All-School Commons & Center for the Arts

How an innovative new facility and the first major building project at GFS in more than 10 years will bring people together and open exciting opportunities for creativity and collaboration.

Brendan Jones ’96: A Life in Sitka

Brendan recently returned to GFS, to share his story and path to becoming a writer. He is the winner of the 2022 Green Earth Book Award for Whispering Alaska. Brendan is a climate writer who lives in Sitka, Alaska, with his wife, three daughters, six chickens, and one dog.

ON THE COVER

Plans for the new All-School Commons & Center for the Arts repurpose an existing building and add to it, creating a cohesive, intentional home for the visual arts, engineering, and design.

GUEST EDITOR

Julie Marren

CONTRIBUTORS

Michelle Reyes Aleti

Lilly Dupuis ’17, photography

Scott B. Foley, photography

Hannah Caldwell Henderson ’91

Hillel J. Hoffmann

Heeseung Lee ’91

Charlie Myran ’14

Joanna Volpe

Linda White

Tim Wood

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dana Weeks

CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

Hannah Caldwell Henderson ’91

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Hilary Alger, Advancement Clerk

Pat Bass

Jordan Bastien, Finance Clerk

Maureen Carr, Religious Life Clerk

Michael Cohen ’82

Joan Cannady Countryman ’58, DEI Clerk

Ben Cushman ’72

Marc DiNardo ’80, Treasurer and Facilities Clerk

Moira Duggan

David Feldman ’76, Clerk

Carmen Guerra

Carol Baldwin Moody ’74

Takashi Moriuchi, Assistant Clerk

Zoe Samuel Rankin ’06

Dianne Reed

Jonathan E. Rhoads ’56

Anne B. K. Stassen

Matthew Stitt ’05

Anthony Stover

Elizabeth A. W. Williams, Recording Clerk

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Pat Rose

Pat Macpherson

Samuel V. Rhoads ’82

F. Parvin Sharpless

David A. West ’49

The GFS Bulletin is published twice a year for the alumni, parents, faculty, and friends of Germantown Friends School. We welcome your comments to the editor at: hhenderson@ germantownfriends.org

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our newest issue of the GFS Bulletin, which examines GFS’s storied past, reflects fondly on our present, and sheds light on our hopes for the future. In these pages, we celebrate enduring programs that have enriched children’s lives for years—one for half a century—and share plans for a new building that will lead us sustainably into the future.

This summer, we have broken ground on our new All-School Commons & Center for the Arts, which will honor beloved current structures while addressing emerging needs in the areas of the arts and engineering. Having operated without a cafeteria for the past few years, we eagerly anticipate the joys of dining communally in this new space. We are honored to share that the arts wing of our new building will be named in honor of Abigail R. Cohen ’91, an alumna whose love of the arts, particularly photography, was nurtured at GFS. It has been gratifying to see our community step forward to assure initial funding in support of this new facility, and we invite your continued interest and commitment as we collectively work to fully fund it.

Also in this issue, we follow alumni whose current successes were profoundly shaped by their years at 31 W. Coulter Street. We share some of the wonderful post-pandemic learning adventures our students have

embraced as they return to travel and develop their appreciation for the world around us. Finally, we bid fond and grateful farewells to a handful of legendary retiring teachers and introduce you to the newest faces in our leadership.

On the back cover is a powerful image of all students, faculty, and staff gathered together for our All-School Meeting for Worship—a meeting that was alternately meditative and richly vocal. This is simultaneously emblematic of and integral to this special experience that we have created together at GFS—one that aims to reflect the best in ourselves and in one another.

Happy reading!

Dana Weeks Head of School

NEWS & NOTEWORTHY

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT 31 W. COULTER STREET—AND BEYOND

Celebrating the Highlights from Alumni Weekend 2023

OVER 200 ALUMNI, CURRENT AND RETIRED FACULTY AND STAFF, AND GUESTS GATHERED DURING

Alumni Weekend 2023 to re-energize our community, and relive fond memories. It was a truly special occasion that brought together people from many generations, highlighting our connections to GFS and one another. The gathering honored our past, and exemplified how we continue to responsibly grow, learn, and teach, uplifting in each of us our unique Inner Light.

The weekend kicked off with a welcome reception and cabaret to celebrate Lisa Hemphill Burns and 40 years of theatre at GFS. Burns’ deep commitment to translate the present moment to the stage was on display as former colleagues and students paid tribute to her with a rousing final performance of Oklahoma!

Another highlight included the very special gathering of the Class of

1948—the most senior class in attendance this year—who commemorated their 75th reunion.

The Class of 1973 joyfully celebrated their 50th reunion, with nearly 30 members in attendance. They spent the weekend together, attending several events curated by their reunion committee (Ken Hellendall with Pete Bansen, Deborah Foltyn, Betsy Kalish, Margo Lukens, and Tom Mayer), strengthening the bond they formed on this campus many years ago.

This year, Hardin L. K. Coleman ’71 was honored as the 2023 West Alumni Award winner. This award is presented each year to Germantown Friends School alumni who, over the course of several decades, have demonstrated extraordinary dedication and service to our school. This award was established in May 1999 by David and Susan’s children to honor them and their 50th reunion.

Sally West Williams ’72 shared in her presentation of the award to Hardin, “This weekend is a celebration of all GFS alumni, and this moment is to recognize an exemplary member of our alumni community—Dr. Hardin Coleman, GFS Class of 1971—who, in many, many ways, over the 52 years he has been a GFS alumnus, has shown himself to be one of those who rises above in all he has done and continues to do to strengthen GFS.”

Please join us for next year’s Alumni Weekend, May 17–19, 2024, to continue the celebration.

Hamilton, Debbie Allen Foltyn, Peter Bansen, Jeremy Zucker, Betsy Kalish, Ted Robinette, Ken Hellendall, Jody Binswanger Snider, Connie Bodine McCann, Lauren Hallquist Anderson, Elizabeth David, Michelle AldrichScott, Laura Johnson; Middle row: Nancy Breiden, Peter Churchman, Jon Propper; Top Row: Larry Coxe, Kate Davis, Rob Magaziner, Margo Lukens, David Reifsnyder, Larry Flood, Tim Frost, Maggie Schiele Sullivan, Bruce Yager, David Newman, Ronaldo Cheek

The Class of 1948: Sara Senior, Tony Albrecht, Jerry Martindale

Bottom row (left to right): Kate

GFS Alumnus Appointed President of Guilford College

Kyle Farmbry ’88 leans into his experience among Friends

KYLE FARMBRY, J.D., PH.D. ’88 ATTENDED GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL

DURING THE EARLY 1980S. IN JANUARY 2022, he was named the 10th president of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina—the first Black president since its founding in 1837. Upon his installment at Guilford he said, “I am thrilled to join Guilford and engage with the students, faculty, staff, and alumni in leveraging the College’s foundation of liberal arts education, Quaker discernment, and commitment to social equity for the well-being of local, national, and international communities.” Last fall, Farmbry returned to our campus to meet with students, reflect on his time at GFS, and share his plans for the future of the college.

Kyle’s visit was the first time he’d been back to campus in nearly 40 years. As a resident of Germantown, he remembered wanting to attend the school as a young person. At the time his parents struggled to afford the tuition, so he only got to experience GFS during seventh and

eighth grades. While he did not graduate from GFS—he went on to graduate from Central High School— Farmbry has fond memories of the school and is happy to be recognized as an honorary alumnus in the Class of 1988. “So many memories were triggered when I walked into the lobby,” he says. “It was fun to see the school and the students there, especially the ones who were my age when I attended.”

Joan Cannady Countryman ’58 was his eighth-grade math teacher and someone whom he considers a mentor. He is still in close contact with her, and was surprised and delighted to find a note full of encouragement and pride from her on his first day as President of Guilford. Farmbry shared that he is grateful for his time at GFS and this early learning about Quaker principles. One of his goals as he takes on this new role is to bolster enrollment at the college.

Farmbry believes that Guilford would be a perfect fit for Friends school

graduates who want a postsecondary education steeped in Quaker values. He aims to expose more students to the small liberal arts school, which is known for excellence in teaching and a commitment to social justice, Farmbry has established new programs, including Guilford Rise, a 3-week residential experience that allows high school seniors to earn college credits while living and learning at the College.

These exciting new programs at Guilford indicate extraordinary things ahead, providing inspiration for other leaders in the field of higher education.

Farmbry holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, a Master of Public Administration Degree, and a Doctorate in Public Administration from George Washington University, and he earned a Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University School of Law.

Left: David Feldman ’76, Sally West Williams ’72, Hardin L. K. Coleman ’71, Dana Weeks, Gail Coleman; Right: Mike Boorse ’89 presenting Lisa Hemphill Burns with flowers as alumni, former and current faculty and staff cheer her on.

Fifty-Three Years and Going Strong: The GFS Community Basketball and Enrichment Program

Former counselor Tom Loder ’76 helps launch an effort to secure the future of this essential program

and giving back to the community. All of these elements came together in this program that began with about 30 boys, and quickly grew, inviting girls and adding considerable staff. Now the program averages 130 campers and 25 coaches/teachers per week. While the camp is run efficiently, the cost of thirty-five dollars per day is still prohibitive to many of the very campers the program is trying to reach. Last year, 42 percent of the campers received financial aid, totaling nearly nine-thousand dollars.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1971, A PROGRAM BEGAN THAT OFFERED AN AFFORDABLE, FOUR-WEEK CAMP FOR CHILDREN IN Germantown who were interested in playing basketball and enhancing their reading skills. Now called the GFS Community Basketball and Enrichment (CBE) Camp, the program continues to bring together wonderfully committed staff as well as campers from Germantown, GFS, and beyond. Varsity Basketball Coach Shawn Werdt, along with Head Librarian Kate Garrity and many others (former campers themselves) offer four weeks of basketball instruction, playing time, and structured time in the classroom and Friends Free Library, exploring the wealth of its resources. One former camper said he would never forget his counselor because he taught him how to read.

David Felsen, the then boys’ varsity basketball coach, might never have felt the pressure of responsibility to

our community and dreamed up this unique concept for the camp without the firm support of GFS leadership and Germantown Monthly Meeting. The new summer clinic perfectly exemplified the Quaker values held dear by the GFS community, and happened to get underway just as funding for summer programs in Philadelphia had dropped dramatically. It also reflected the values that helped establish the Community Scholars Program at GFS in 1965. The camp offered a wonderful opportunity for kids to channel their love of basketball, build essential reading skills, and meanwhile, it raised their awareness of GFS, with a number of campers eventually enrolling at the school. As the program prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary, they welcomed back Mr. Felsen who spoke with the campers, staff, and former counselors, highlighting that basketball is the draw but equally important are reading, developing vocabulary,

To sustain this pillar of GFS’s community education programs, former counselor Tom Loder ’76 spearheaded an effort, in partnership with the GFS Advancement Office, to establish an endowment for the summer camp. Since the fundraising push began in 2020, the new Community Basketball and Enrichment Fund has amassed over $380,000 from 71 individuals, organizations, and foundations. The CBE Fund will support not only the ongoing operations of the camp, but will also increase its reach by ensuring that financial access is not a barrier to participation.

Preparing and Inspiring the Next Generation of Educators

Presenting Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia’s 2023 Teaching Fellows

By Michelle Reyes Aleti

EVERY JUNE, TEACHING FELLOWS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARRIVE AT GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL to begin their summer teaching residencies. The residency begins with a two-week intensive teacher-training workshop with Matt Greenawalt and Ceora Wearing-Moore, co-deans of faculty at Breakthrough, and Middle School faculty at GFS. In the residency program, our teaching fellows work with four dedicated teacher-coaches, along with the deans of faculty, to increase and strengthen their pedagogical knowledge.

2023 FELLOWS

Dariana Alvarez

Kayla A Banks

Arlene Bukasa ’22

Andrew Bukasa

Sam Butler ’22

Katie Cusick

Abby Gardner

Hanif Goins ’22

Ava Hagee

William Han

Sydney Hankin

Rachel Hecht

Larry Huang

Kennedi Hudson

Equiano Hunter ’20

Jonathan Irvine

Jenee Jones

Through immersive classroom experience, our fellows learn best teaching practices that engage, inspire, and chal lenge their students across four core content areas and beyond. The fellows practice lesson design and implementation, restorative classroom management strategies, and engage in weekly observations and reflections to grow as leaders in the classroom. Our ultimate goal is to

inspire lifelong learners and educators who understand the challenge and the amazing opportunity of teaching.

Shamar Long

Rhea Malakar ’25

Gabrielle Marcuccio

Madeleine McGrath ’20

Mary Clare Michael

Seth Mooring

Abigail Page

Joseph Park

Theodore Ryan ’21

Justin Selkow

Manav Singh

Chandler Smith

Libby Stafford

Ariana Starks

Katie Turk ’21

Joshua Wang

Sylvia Young

A DYNAMIC DUO

The Breakthrough Deans of Faculty

Ceora Wearing-Moore: A dynamic educator who wholeheartedly seeks to uplift, educate, and empower all students, Ceora is the co-chair of the English Department at GFS. She has over 15 years of experience teaching at GFS, Mastery Charter Schools, and Temple University, consistently exceeding goals for instructional effectiveness, student achievement, and student perception.

Matt Greenawalt: A 2002 graduate of GFS, Matt has been an educator for over 16 years. Matt strives to know his students on a personal level to ensure equitable opportunities for all. He is driven by his passion to engage with the entire community to ensure all voices are connected to thoughtful discussions. He received Outstanding Educator of the Year while teaching in New York City and currently teaches mathematics at GFS.

Sequel Changes the Flow

Greta Meyer ’15 applies design thinking to improve a widely-used period product

By Julie Marren

Greta and her business partner, Amanda Calabrese, tried to think of a real-life problem for which they could design a solution. They thought about their experiences as athletes. Although they had everything they could otherwise ask for from Stanford’s lacrosse program—the best equipment and facilities—both regularly worried about the public risk of a failing tampon, particularly given that their uniforms were white.

called the “red line effect.” So, Greta decided to try helical spirals. These redirected channels improved the flow and made the product more efficiently absorbent. Their product was designed to be less likely to fail prematurely.

I CAUGHT UP WITH GRETA MEYER, ’15, WHO WAS WORKING FROM HER HOME IN CALIFORNIA. HAVING KNOWN HER as a determined and upbeat student and also as an athlete on teams that dominated the Friends Schools League, I was not surprised that she had dedicated herself to solving a complex problem.

Greta recently created a company called Sequel, and she said that it all began in a class she took in her senior year at Stanford. This class caught her attention and gave her a way to focus her energy on a problem she wanted to solve. The class combined design thinking and technology entrepreneurship.

A friend who had taken the class the year before advised Greta to make sure she was really passionate about whatever project she undertook.

“Don’t do what everyone else will do—the on-campus storage thing or the splitting-the-bill app,” he said. (He had done the splitting-the-bill app and was sick of it by the tenth week of the course.) She found this a helpful push and set out to find a problem that was interesting and would lead to a more meaningful experience.

Greta and Amanda explored the marketing around period products and found that numerous companies were coming out with products that claimed to solve the problem. Upon closer examination, they discovered that these were simply the same products, repackaged. For Sequel, Greta and her partner created a design that actually addressed the flaw common to all of the products on the market.

Greta and Amanda conducted tons of interviews and talked to people about their experiences. They began, “Tell us about your period. What are the products that you like?” They learned that 70 percent of women use

They brought their product forward through a capstone showcase, which caught the attention of a judge. He offered to fund them if they got a patent. So, they filed a patent, and he became their first investor.

A massive market, a unique point of view, and a technological breakthrough

Greta had spotted a “white space” in the market, a marketing term for identifying an unmet need. Anyone could say they had a better product, but Greta and Amanda had the technology to actually improve someone’s life. They decided to focus on Sequel’s edge: using technology to produce an improved product.

Early on, Greta learned to describe the product in language that she could use at the dinner table or a party,

tampons and that 70 percent of that group use a backup method, worried about leaks. Greta decided that the problem was clear: The world needed a reliable tampon.

But why were the current designs failing? Greta found that most products failed to disperse flow and used only one of the channels, which she

without putting people off. She focused on the product performance. As with a lot of the social issues, she found that the more she talked about it, the less taboo it became. She has been particularly heartened by Sequel’s male investors. While they don’t have firsthand experience with the problem, they recognize the massive market

Photo credit: Christophe Wu, all rights owned by Sequel

“Don’t do what everyone else will do— the on-campus storage thing or the splitting-the-bill app.”

that a good product would serve. One in particular recognized his knowledge gap and invited his wife and her friends to join him for Greta’s pitch. All were optimistic about the product, and he became an investor.

So, what’s the pitch?

Greta tells people that the threat of a leaky tampon is analogous to the fear of being interrupted or distracted in their most important moments. She shares relatable situations. A woman is in a board meeting or teaching a class. All eyes are on her and she cannot focus due to her worry about product failure. She explains how the design for most other competing products is flawed and shows why her solution works better. She makes it simple.

Greta came to GFS as a third grader in Margaret Fleisher’s 3–4 vertical class. She fondly remembers her experiences learning about human body systems in Jessa Werner’s (then, Agner’s) sixth grade science class. She remembers the book It’s Perfectly Normal, which

the sixth grade still reads today. And I was glad to tell her that now in sixth grade during their unit on reproduction, they play The Period Game, which puts everyone in the position of having to deal with the very situation that Greta’s product is solving.

She welcomes the open attitude toward menstruation at GFS, especially in light of legislation put forward in Florida seeking to prohibit the discussion of menstruation in elementary schools.

Change is on the way!

Greta told me that several women’s professional soccer and rugby teams no longer have to wear white shorts. She also said that at Wimbledon, tennis players no longer have to only wear white. “It saves them from anxiety,” Greta explained.

After graduating, Greta took a class that merged design and business thinking. She took the class at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (known as “the d. school”),

whose executive director is a GFS graduate, Sarah Stein Greenberg ’96. Greta found this a transformative experience, since the professor encouraged constantly testing her ideas and assumptions about customers. Being mostly in the company of graduate students really encouraged Greta to level up.

The connections with her GFS education

Greta found GFS to be a place where asking questions was not only accepted but encouraged. She notices that the relationships she has formed with mentors reflect the mutual respect she shared with teachers at GFS.

She learned from an early age not to be afraid to ask for help and finds this translates into being more relaxed around advisors.

Favorite memories of GFS

“So many memories are flooding back,” Greta exclaimed. She loved being in the ninth grade musical and remembers running to sports practice, getting pizza in between, and then running to musical rehearsal. She loved dressing up in team spirit, hanging out in Hargroves, and going to math class. She loved how it all blended together.

Given her interest in design thinking and mechanical engineering, it was not surprising to hear how fondly she remembers art and science classes. Elissa Sunshine’s and Susan Lowry’s art classes topped the list. She also recalled a fascinating project she did for Advanced Physics involving a laser harp.

She really appreciates the lessons she learned playing lacrosse and says she constantly uses those skills today. Drawing parallels to preseason practices, Greta explained that her start-up required from her the same intensity and dedication. Just as with pre-season, Greta said, “There is so much work that no one sees. You just have to believe in yourself and know there’s work to be done.”

Photo credit: Christophe Wu, all rights owned by Sequel

The Tigers Wrap up the Spring Season in Style

With numerous All-League Honors, multiple FSL titles, and a successful first season for golf, the GFS Tigers dominated with skill and tenacity

GOLF

In their inaugural season, Tigers golf finished third in the Friends Schools League regular season. The team that competed included Maria Ramos ’23, Cooper Jackson ’24, Rhea Malakar ’25, and Sarah Stumacher ’27. The golf team placed second in their first-ever FSL Championship match.

CREW

The junior varsity and varsity crew teams had an accomplished outing at the Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association’s City Championship. The girls’ freshman quad, girls’ junior varsity double, and girls’ junior varsity quad were crowned City Champs with their first-place finishes. Eight different boats finished in the top three spots, earning medals. The team finished ninth in the final medal count tally, and fourth out of 74 in overall team points. After medaling at the City Championship, six crew boats qualified to race at the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championship Regatta in

By Charlie Myran ’14

Stumacher placed third overall, with a score of 82, followed by teammate Ramos in seventh place, with a score of 88. Jackson and Malakar also represented the Tigers, scoring 96 and 99 respectively. In the PAISAA Girls Tournament, Stumacher took home gold with the best score of the day: 38. She was followed by teammate Ramos who tied for silver scoring 39. Stumacher and Ramos were named First-Team All-League.

Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The national regatta includes 140 different school and rowing clubs. The six boats journeying to compete mark a record number of national qualifiers for the Tigers.

LACROSSE

The lacrosse team won their third Friends Schools League title in a row, in the fifth consecutive championship game between the Tigers and the Shipley School Gators. The Tigers were able to hold on to their lead in the final minutes and came out victorious with an 8–7 win. The team went undefeated in league play for the third

consecutive year, and nine players received All-League accolades: Ella Shay ’23, Isla Ablin ’24, Riya Mainigi ’25, Katie Day ’25, Claire Rigdon ’25, Sarah Goldberg ’26, Naomi Shaffer ’26, Emmie Day ’26, and Honorable Mention Halle Smoger ’25.

BOYS AND GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

The girls’ track and field team won their second consecutive FSL title after competing in the championship meet hosted by Westtown. Margaret Harvey ’23 won both the Girls’ 100m and 300m hurdles. Emma Nam ’23 won the 3200m, followed by teammates Katya Henisz ’23 and Cora Rosin ’23. Henisz ’23 also came first in the 1600m. Audrey Ling ’24 finished first in the Girls’ Pole Vault, jumping an impressive 7’6.” The Girls’ High Jump solidified the victory for GFS. Alayah Campbell ’25 won the event and cleared 5’5,” tying the Friends Schools League record, followed by teammate Jane Keenan ’25 who took second with a personal best of 5’0.” Five student-athletes received All-League honors: Zahara Brown ’26, Alayah Campbell ’25, Margaret Harvey ’23, Katya Henisz ’23, and Audrey Ling ’24.

The boys’ varsity track and field senior class made their mark in their final Friends Schools League meet, and their third title in as many years. Simon Donovan ’23 won the 800m,

1600m, and 3200m races by decisive margins. Oliver Briger ’23 sprinted past the competition and placed first in the 100m and 200m dashes. Graham Greene ’23 took gold in the 300m hurdles and teammate Isaac Okewole ’23 won the 400m. The boys also placed first in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. In field events, Ben Id-

The boys’ tennis team won their sixth consecutive Friends Schools League title on Monday afternoon defeating Friends’ Central 4–1. The Tigers went undefeated in the league during the regular season. Josh Miller ’27 won first singles (6–1, 6–1) and Sam Zimmer ’23 won the second singles match (6–4, 6–1). Jackson Zuercher ’23 represented the Tigers at third singles, and played a tough match before ultimately falling to his opponent in a nail-biting third set (5–7, 6–4, 9–11). Joseph Helfrich ’25 and Sam Bekelman ’25 won first doubles in three competitive sets (7–6(3), 4–6, 10–4) followed by teammates Wil Tullo ’24 and Benedict Tessler ’25 who took home the victory at second doubles (6–1, 6–4).

SOFTBALL

The Tigers softball team concluded their season with back-to-back wins in the FSL Quaker Cup Tournament. The Tigers were seeded at the top of the bracket and hosted both the semi-finals and finals. In the first round, the Tigers defeated Abington Friends 12–7. In the finals, the team beat out a competitive George School team 3–2 to win the Quaker Cup. A highlight of the season included an

incredible come-from-behind victory against defending league champions

Friends’ Central. In the exciting win, Anjelica Bolivar ’25 pitched a seveninning shutout and contributed five RBIs. Bolivar received First-Team AllLeague honors, and senior captain

Caroline Shure ’23 was named AllLeague Honorable Mention. The Tigers, playing on their new field at La Salle University, finished at an even .500 this season with a 4–4 league record.

BASEBALL

The baseball team, led by six senior players, finished fourth in league play, with a 3–5 record. The team faced the undefeated Friends’ Central Phoenix in the semi-finals and fell 8–2. The

inopulos ’25 won the pole vault and Joel Baah ’24 took first in the triple jump. Eight student-athletes made the All-League team: Oliver Briger ’23, Joel Baah ’24, Simon Donovan ’23, Graham Greene ’23, Ben Idinopulos ’25, Jasper Mosley ’24, Isaac Okewole ’23, and Da’Vid Robinson ’24.

team accrued victories over George School, Friends Select, and Moorestown Friends, losing a few tight games by only one run. In their extra-inning win over Friends Select, the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after Ben Goldberg ’23 stole second base, and reached home on a dropped third strike. In the bottom of the tenth, Nat Carr ’23 hit a single to load the bases. The next batter, Dan Mateffy ’23, was hit by a pitch to send in the winning run. Senior pitchers Ben Goldberg and Daniel Mateffy were named First-Team All-League.

Grounded Success

Professional squash player Olivia Fiechter’s connection to Philadelphia and passion for her sport

By Charlie Myran ’14

OLIVIA FIECHTER ’14 IS NO STRANGER TO SUCCESS WITHIN THE WALLS OF A SQUASH COURT, BUT PLAYING professionally was not always a given. Fiechter, currently ranked the world’s ninth-best women’s squash player, is a local product of the Philadelphia Cricket Club (PCC), the U.S. Junior Circuit, and Germantown Friends.

love of playing squash,” says Fiechter, “so in the back of my mind there was a fear that if playing became my job, I would lose my love for the game.” It was only in her junior year at Princeton, a season riddled with injuries and tough play, that the idea of playing professionally truly began to take root. “My support system reminded me that I wouldn’t want to look back at my life in twenty years and have regrets about not giving it a shot.”

Fiechter began her professional career in 2018, broke into the world’s top twenty rankings for the first time in 2021, and is currently putting together her best season to date. Interestingly, Fiechter explains that she doesn’t pay much attention to the touted national and international rankings.

Her whole career is predicated on becoming the most competitive player that she can be. But it is in her losses that one can truly understand how she approaches the game. “My mindset is one of my biggest strengths as a

player,” says Fiechter. “If I lose, I am outplayed, but I won’t be outworked.” This is most evident in her match at the 2023 World Championships in Chicago against Nele Gilis. In the round of sixteen, Fiechter was upset by her lower-seeded Belgian opponent, but the loss was pushed to five sets and lasted for 94 pulsating minutes—three times longer than an average match.

Through the ten-month professional season, which takes her across the globe from Egypt to Malaysia to England, Fiechter remains a hometown hero, contributing to Philadelphia’s emergence as a hub for professional squash. Earlier this year, Fiechter triumphantly returned to PCC, the place she first picked up a racket, and played in the inaugural Chestnut Hill Classic, winning it all.

Regardless of her rankings, Fiechter remains grounded. “Now, I can say I haven’t lost my love for the game at all,” reflects Fiechter, “I love it more than ever.”

Through high school, Fiechter was consistently ranked as the top junior squash player in the country, was a two-year captain, and led the Tigers girls’ squash team to a fifth-place finish at nationals. In her senior year at GFS, she received the DeRoy Sportsmanship Award for her exceptional demeanor on and off the court. After GFS, Fiechter played for the Princeton Tigers at the number one spot and was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy League player.

However, her accolades weren’t what convinced Fiechter to make squash a career.

From an early age, Fiechter’s coach, Karen Kronemeyer, always knew Fiechter could make it on the pro tour and continuously encouraged her to play at the next level, but Fiechter had hesitations. “I have always had such a

Fiechter and teammate Claire Schmidt ’14, Head Coach Adam Hamill at squash senior day, 2014

Fiechter at 2023 World Championships; courtesy of worldsquashchamps.com

Picture This: An All New All-School Commons & Center for the Arts

How the first major building project at GFS in more than 10 years will bring people together

By Hillel Hoffmann

SCHOOL

ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS OF THE All-School Commons & Center for the Arts, the first major building project planned for GFS in more than a decade, his eyes were drawn to an image of a vast, central, sunlit space that was filled with enough tables and chairs for every student in the Upper School, Middle School, or Lower School.

The structure in the digital rendering was a cafeteria—an adaptive reuse of today’s Smith Gym—and Young, like any student who has come of age in a time of division and isolation, immediately grasped its potential.

“When you share a meal, it brings people together. You pause what you’re doing. You’re open. You’re focused on togetherness. Right now, we can’t all come together. We don’t have a uniting space like this,” Young said.

“This facility will foster community. That’s a value that the school holds near and dear.”

Finding solutions to address the school’s needs while preserving its core values has been the defining challenge of the All-School Commons & Center for the Arts project, the first big capital project in the school’s 10-year Sustainable Campus Plan (see sidebar). With enrollment growing

by 30 percent in the past decade and pushing past 1,130—well beyond what the school’s founders envisioned—the need for solutions has become urgent. A cafeteria too small to seat an entire division means crunched lunch schedules, creating cascading bottlenecks in the academic schedule throughout the day. Big spaces for big gatherings and celebrations are lacking. Teachers need more classrooms, especially the large, adaptable, technology-friendly spaces required to keep pace with teaching innovations and today’s interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to pedagogy. The school’s art programs, in particular, have been squeezed by

WHEN GERMANTOWN FRIENDS

SENIOR ETHAN YOUNG SAW

a shortage of space for instruction, creation, storage, and display, limiting the making and sharing of art—a centerpiece of a GFS education. On top of all that, the school’s growing student population has underscored the need to move quickly toward a more sustainable and accessible model for campus.

The design for the All-School Commons & Center for the Arts, developed by the award-winning Philadelphia architecture and environmental

three-story, multi-use structure that ties Smith to Loeb Auditorium harmoniously, reducing the footprint of

will include a new kitchen and servery, an atrium lobby with event and reception space, and a versatile courtyard. As a gathering place and campus crossroads, the All-School Commons will complement the school’s outdoor Common and the Meeting House, its spiritual epicenter, as well as creating new opportunities for GFS to welcome the wider community of educators and neighbors.

UNLOCKING CREATIVE COLLABORATION

design firm DIGSAU in partnership with Leslie Gill Architect, offers bold but simple and sustainable solutions to each of those challenges, says GFS Head of School Dana Weeks.

“Picture this: a beautiful, accessible, and sustainably built addition to our campus that makes it possible for an entire division to eat at the same time, creates multiple indoor and outdoor spaces that connect people and foster formal and informal interactions, and recenters creativity at the heart of our campus,” she said.

Rather than demolishing beloved campus buildings and constructing a giant, stand-alone monolith, GFS will create a hub of connection by linking existing structures. This will be accomplished through a transformative renovation and repurposing of Smith Gym and the creation of a

the new building and the disruption created by its construction. In addition to a state-of-the art dining facility, the All-School Commons portions of the structure

Part of the plan

Seamlessly interconnected with the All-School Commons, the Center for the Arts (which will be named in memory of alumna and artist Abigail R. Cohen ’91—see story, page 15) will bring all of the school’s visual arts facilities together in one location adjacent to Loeb, unlocking opportunities for creative collaboration with students and faculty in the performing arts. The facility will include a new 2D and 3D design lab; purpose-built ceramics, digital arts, filmmaking, music production, and dance studios; Fabrication

The construction of the All-School Commons & Center for the Arts is part of the first phase of the Sustainable Campus Plan, a four-step, decade-long strategic vision for the future of the GFS campus that preserves the school’s history, deepens connections on campus and within the broader community, improves learning and the student experience, and emphasizes environmental integrity. Developed in partnership with DIGSAU and Leslie Gill Architect, the plan emerged from a thoughtful assessment process that identified the school’s most pressing needs and creative strategies for addressing them while minimizing disruption, an approach exemplified by adaptive reuse (sometimes called building recycling) and the tactic of creating connections between existing buildings. After the All-School Commons & Center for the Arts has been built and the first phase of the plan is complete, the next three phases—each lasting two or three years—will focus on Early Childhood Program expansion and Lower School consolidation, the renovation of Sharpless and the Main Connector, and Athletics and Physical Education expansion.

Lab, the school’s first makerspace; expanded space for the engineering program; and many sorely-needed new classrooms, all big enough for students to scale up their creative work beyond anything possible today.

Outside those classrooms, wide hallways, common areas, and large, gallery-like display spaces will showcase student work and create more space for gatherings of all sizes. Interior glass walls and expansive windows will reveal the work happening within studios and bring light and views of nature—including the building’s green roofs—inside.

The prospect of access to large, light-filled, flexible classrooms delights Megan Culp, head of the Art Department at GFS, but what thrills her most is imagining the cross-pollination that the facility’s location will spark.

“Art is deeply interdisciplinary,” she said. “The physical structure of the Center for the Arts is so exciting because we’ll be able to engage with each other more easily and more completely. It sets us up for collaboration. It’s important to be around people with different ways of thinking and seeing. Theater people, engineers—our proximity will put them all within reach.”

A NEW GATEWAY, A NEW MODEL FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The placement of the All-School Commons & Center for the Arts between Smith and Loeb, putting the structure just a shade west of the school’s geographical center of gravity, opened up opportunities to rethink access to campus. With an entry facing Greene Street, the new building will create a welcoming new gateway into GFS, orienting the school more openly toward the neighborhood of Germantown and providing a safe drop-off and pick-up area that will allow the school to provide alternative

routes for vehicular traffic. The facility will include much-needed elevator access, bringing Smith, Loeb, and the new structure into ADA-compliance.

In alignment with the school’s and the Sustainable Campus Plan’s commitment to stewardship, the new facility and its construction will meet the highest standards of sustainability, design for wellbeing, water management, and food waste reduction, from low-carbon building materials and low-flow water systems to permeable paving and rain harvesting for irrigation.

Yet for all the innovation, modernity, and cutting-edge problem-solving of the All-School Commons & Center for the Arts, to alumni, students,

faculty, staff, parents, and others in the extended GFS family who love the school’s campus and cherish its values, the real miracle of the project is its seamless integration into its surroundings, visually and culturally. It’s an ideal fit for a community that embraces the notion of continuing revelation—or as educator, civil rights activist, School Committee member, and alumna Joan Cannady Countryman ’58 puts it, “being open to change yet embracing who we are.”

“This project will preserve the values of GFS as we grow and flex in a new era,” Countryman said. “It changes everything while changing nothing at the same time.”

The Power of the Arts in Education

A transformative gift in memory of Abigail R. Cohen ’91

JONATHAN COHEN ’88 UNDERSTANDS THE POWER OF ART EDUCATION AT GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL

because he saw what it inspired in his sister, the late Abigail R. Cohen ’91, a brilliant photographer who followed the footsteps of her brothers Daniel ’87 and Jon to Coulter Street.

“For all of us, Germantown Friends was a place of friendship, learning, and a sense of community,” said Jon, a New York City-based entrepreneur and investor. “But for Abby, it was also a place that embraced the arts as much as she did—a place of experimentation, where she explored everything from photography and painting to singing.”

Abby’s love of art blossomed at GFS, and after earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she embarked on a promising career as an art photographer, art educator, and art-focused web entrepreneur before her life was cut short by a heart attack at age 27, just as the arc of her creativity was beginning a steep climb.

In her memory and to ensure that future students will have access to a comprehensive, interdisciplinary art education of the highest quality, Jon and his wife Julia Pershan have made a transformational gift to GFS to support the Abigail R. Cohen Center for the Arts, part of the soon-to-beconstructed All-School Commons & Center for the Arts.

Jon and Julia were drawn to the project in part because of its scale and centrality, both as part of the physical campus and the curriculum.

“Art matters. It’s always been an essential part of the fabric of our society, and in this increasingly complicated world, it’s critical for students to have access to something creative and personal,” Julia said. “The center broadcasts the significance of

art to every student, not just those whose primary focus is art.”

Megan Culp, head of the Art Department at GFS, used photography, Abby’s favorite medium, as one small example of the impact of Jon and Julia’s gift.

“Our photography program is so wonderful and popular, but it’s crammed into two 12x15 rooms. We can’t take a small class into the darkroom at once, and there’s not enough storage space for their work,” Culp said. “Our new facility will solve all of that and add gallery, performance, viewing, and editing spaces, and we’ll continue to be one of few remaining schools with a darkroom.”

By Hillel Hoffmann

Longtime supporters of GFS, Jon and Julia’s gifts have also funded an art lecture series, a fund for study and travel, and an endowed scholarship.

“On behalf of everyone in our community, I thank Jon, Julia, and the entire Cohen family for their generosity, their vision, and this latest manifestation of their love for a sister, daughter, and friend who moved so many with her creativity,” said GFS Head of School Dana Weeks. “When I think about the generations of future students whose lives will be enriched by what they learn in the Abigail R. Cohen Center for the Arts, I’m thrilled—and I’m grateful.”

Jonathan Cohen ’88 and Julia Pershon

Kathy and Jenny Freilich Memorial Community Scholarship Fund

ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR (RESPECTIVE) 35TH AND 40TH REUNIONS, MICHAEL COHEN ’82 LED THE EFFORT with his classmates and members of the Class of 1987 to raise funds in honor of their beloved classmates Jenny ’87 (left) and Kathy ’82 Freilich (right), who died together in a tragic car accident in 1985. The money raised augmented the Kathy and Jenny Freilich Memorial Community Scholarship Fund at GFS, which was created by their parents Stanley and Judy Freilich in 1986. The fund makes a GFS education accessible to students for whom it would be a financial hardship.

Since 1986 the fund has supported students with interests as varied as athletics, music, science, ancient and medieval civilizations,

and law. These students have been involved in creating a positive social impact on campus and in the broader Germantown community. These are

The Shubin Family Fund

THE SHUBIN FAMILY FUND WAS ESTABLISHED BY SUSAN D. SHUBIN IN 2022, IN MEMORY OF HER HUSBAND, Charles I. Shubin, MD ’58. The fund supports financial aid for students at GFS. Dr. Shubin was a pediatrician at

Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, and a former chair of the Maryland Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Dr. Shubin was distinguished not only by who he was and what he did,

unique Germantown Friends School experiences, and we are grateful for the continued support that makes this possible.

but also by how he engaged with his personal and professional communities. He provided compassionate care to families from Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods, and advocated for child safety.

The Shubin Family Fund continues his legacy while making financial accessibility to a GFS education possible for a broader range of students. The fund expands the school’s impact by removing barriers and supporting greater socio-economic diversity. The gift is a tribute to the experience that Dr. Shubin had as a GFS student, and to the important work he did in service of the well-being of children.

Showing the Way

Class of 1972 makes their 50th a true milestone

By Julie Marren

IN HONOR OF THEIR 50TH REUNION, THE CLASS OF 1972 CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE IN style—and raised significant funds for GFS in the process. In total, members of the class gave $261,621 in their reunion year. Notably, this included the creation of the Class of 1972 Memorial Fund, which is a new endowed fund that will provide ongoing financial support for GFS, with its first disbursement in June of 2023.

Sally West Williams, ’72, who helped spearhead this remarkable undertaking, explained that going into this important reunion, she personally wanted to do something significant for GFS and knew her late husband and classmate, Andy, would have wanted the same thing. Meanwhile, the members of the class of 1972 have stayed in close touch through the years, including through 50 years of reunions. Sally considered this a great way to honor their love of GFS and the classmates they have lost, in an ongoing and enduring way.

The Class of ’72 is a remarkably tight-knit group weaving in not just the people who graduated in 1972, but also classmates who left prior to graduation—say, when their family moved away—but who still felt connected to the class. The reunion committee reached out to this broad coalition of classmates, which made for a particularly well-attended reunion event. Sally’s closest friends are still those she met at GFS, and this sense of ongoing connection is not restricted to her remarkable class. Sally noted that the same was true for her own parents, who graduated in the Class of ’49, and for her four children, who are also GFS graduates.

Sally knew from her long tenure leading GFS’s Advancement team that an unrestricted endowment would benefit GFS by trusting the school to use the funds according to its evolving needs. It also allowed a diverse group of classmates to come together and support a common goal. “People can’t get behind it if they

aren’t moved by it,” Sally said. By not restricting the fund to a particular purpose, they found their classmates could coalesce behind this common effort. She also appreciated the fact that a regular impact report would show the good that was being done by the fund year in and year out. She hoped the path they took might serve as an example to follow and inspire future classes to support the school in this open and generous way.

Sally and her classmate Craig Scott worked as co-clerks of the reunion committee. Craig noted, “Our collective contributions will help GFS immeasurably and are a profound testament to the camaraderie, willingness, and can-do spirit of our unbeatable Class of 1972.”

Members of the reunion committee also included Sandy Baur Bixby, Martha Gruenberg Conklin, Charlie Cary, Neil Simpkins, David Trueblood, Mary Wilson, and Walter Wilson.

Bottom Row: Charlie Cary, Stephen Nicholson, Rich Nicholson, Sally West Williams, Megan Tucker Plotkin; Second Row: Marda Donner, Rosalind Root Malcom, Sandy Baur Bixby, Alix Wildrick Selinsky, Wynn Jones Smith; Third Row: Keith Dempster, Dan Childs, Dave Loder, Job Kunkel, Jim Aronstein, Craig Scott; Fourth Row:Paul Martin, Neil Simpkins

GFS Alum Honors His Mother’s Legacy

The Catherine Early Mitchell Scholarship Fund

By Linda White

DON MITCHELL ’85, WAS INTRODUCED TO GFS BY HIS MOTHER, CATHERINE EARLY MITCHELL, IN THE LATE 1970’S. Ms. Mitchell, who at the time was an education major at Temple University, sat in on a class at GFS for her practicum. She quickly became intrigued by the community and wanted to know more. An Upper School Quakerism class was of particular interest—she loved the level of student and teacher engagement and the depth of discussion. From that point on, it became her mission to enroll her young son in the school.

In the fall of 1978, Don would enter the 6th grade at GFS. At the time there was a rule in the Lower School—which is still strongly encouraged—that if a parent was inviting more than half of their children’s classmates to a party, then every student in that class had to be invited. So, he went to many parties during that pivotal year, and made lasting social connections. Don explained, “A lot of learning is with your peers in addition to the instruction and curriculum being presented.” After 8th grade the family moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, to care for a family member. When they moved back to Philadelphia two years later, they were uncertain if GFS would readmit him. His mother contacted the Admissions Office to ask about open slots and was told GFS would be “delighted” to have him back. Don re-enrolled in the 11th grade and graduated with the Class of 1985.

During his time at GFS, he loved the school’s emphasis on the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. He felt that GFS was “light-years ahead” in including that as part of its philosophy and curriculum. “That balance

has been important for me,” he said. In addition, GFS reinforced lessons that he was being taught at home, such as seeing the light in everyone. He said that those values provided a great “launching pad for a young man.” Don shared a story illustrating the generosity of the GFS community and what living the mission means to him. In his senior year, there was a class trip to Puerto Rico and he recalled that his mother could not afford to send him. When his teacher, Bob Rhoades, learned that he could not go on the trip, Rhoades called some of the parents in the class who quickly raised the money to pay Don’s travel expenses. “[This was] one example of putting the GFS mission into practice,” he said. “I am forever grateful to Bob and the parents. I wish I knew who those parents were so I could thank them,” he added.

The trip to Puerto Rico was the first time he took a plane and the first time he traveled out of the country—the experience broadened his horizons. After graduating from GFS, he would go on to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware and earn an MBA at Columbia University. Throughout his career, Don has traveled extensively, but knows that he wouldn’t have done so without that first travel opportunity. He returned to GFS for his 30th reunion in 2015. This was his first time back on campus since graduation, and he was surprised that people remembered how he matriculated into GFS. Don wants today’s generation of students to know that “being at GFS is a gift and an honor” and he urges students to take advantage of all the opportunities at their fingertips.

Reflecting on why he wanted to establish the Catherine Early Mitchell Scholarship Fund, Don explained that it would be a way to honor his mother, who he says did a “phenomenal job” of positioning him and his sisters to make their way in the world. The purpose of the Catherine E. Mitchell Scholarship Fund is to support financial aid for GFS students and provide a pathway to a Germantown Friends School education.

She was their guiding star for achievement and reinforced for them the importance of education. Ms. Mitchell, who was employed in the Philadelphia garment industry for many years, earned her GED at age 40, then earned her Bachelor of Education from Temple University, graduating cum laude. As a boy, Don attended evening classes with her. “We didn’t have babysitters,” he said. “Temple was my babysitter. On weekends, I was there with her at the library.” His mother also worked as an educator, teaching Adult Basic Education for Local 1199C, later becoming a social worker. In the 1980s, she started her own business making and selling dolls. She single-handedly negotiated a contract with John Wanamaker department stores in Philadelphia and South Jersey.

Don recalled, “She did not do anything halfway. She operated in a spirit of excellence, no matter the endeavor. She was an excellent model for us, and an architect for our lives.” For Don, GFS is “the gift that keeps on giving.” He added, “I’m happy to give back because so much has been given to me.”

GFS Welcomes New Leaders in 2022–23

United in GFS’s educational mission, they bring a diverse set of talents and experience

BRIAN BERSH Music Department Head

Dr. Brian Bersh, our new Music Department Head, came to us from the Arlington public schools in Virginia, where he served as a mentor teacher and the county lead teacher for instrumental instruction at the secondary and elementary levels. During his time in the district, enrollment in ensembles under his direction more than doubled, and several ensembles were invited to perform on national stages.

Dr. Bersh holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership; a Master of Music Teaching, Specialization: General Music K–12; a Bachelor of Music Education, and a minor in Jazz Studies. In addition, as a member of the 2022 Global Leaders Institute for Arts Innovation cohort, he completed an Executive Graduate Certificate focused on social entrepreneurship, cultural management, sustainable impact, and community development.

In his first year at GFS, Brian shared how inspired he has been by the Music Department faculty. They are committed to facilitating joyful music-making and strive to curate experiences that reflect students' existing passions while exposing them to new possibilities for enjoyment and participation in music.

ROB GOLDBERG History Department Head

Rob Goldberg joined us this year as History Department Head. He comes to us from St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn, New York, bringing 17 years of experience teaching history to grades 4–12. Rob has master’s and doctorate

ANNE HESS Director of Choir

Anne Hess has been appointed to the position of Director of Upper School Choir and Chorus; she had been acting as interim since the fall of 2022. A long-time member of the Music Department, Anne has been integral

degrees in history from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in history from Vassar College, with a minor in Jewish Studies.

Dr. Goldberg is a historian of American culture, with a special interest in race, gender, and childhood. His book Radical Play: Revolutionizing Children’s Toys in 1960s America will be published this summer by Duke University Press.

Rob reflected, “I have been struck by the students’ readiness to dive into unfamiliar history, to stretch themselves as historical writers and thinkers, to listen to one another with a view toward changing what they know. They are here to learn, and not just from the teacher. I feel lucky to be here.”

to the tradition of choral excellence at GFS, leading our Middle School choral ensembles and teaching upper school sight singing and directing Choir.

Outside of GFS, Anne is a longtime member of the Singing City Choir of Philadelphia. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in music and biology, and a master’s in music education from Boston University.

“They are here to learn, and not just from the teacher. I feel lucky to be here.” —Rob Goldberg

MICHELE MCDONALD Director of Human Resources

Michele McDonald served our community as a consultant, beginning in February of 2021, and assumed the position of Director of Human Resources in December of 2021. Michele and her team guided the school as we increased staffing to support our COVID-19 mitigation plan, while continuing to lead all other HR functions, including our benefits portfolio, compliance, and data integrity. Michele brings more than 25 years of human resources leadership experience to GFS. She serves as president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter which has over 500 members. Michele is a member of the national organization.

Michele says she is “proud to be part of such a prestigious organization that is focused on student education at its finest” and has been very grateful for the leadership, knowledge, and mentorship from Dana Weeks and other administrators who have helped welcome her to the community. She is glad for the opportunity to build a team of professionals dedicated to supporting the whole school.

EVA PORTER Science Department Head

Eva Porter assumed the position of Science Department Head in the summer of 2022, overseeing curriculum across lower, middle, and upper schools. Eva has taught engineering, computer science, and biology at GFS, and has also taught in the Middle School. In addition to her

JOE STANZIONE Director of the Lower School

Joe Stanzione, our new Director of Lower School, joined us from Mexico where he served as the Elementary Principal and Head of Campus at The American School Foundation of Monterrey (ASFM). Joe has held administrative and teaching positions in Mexico and New Jersey since 1993.

impressive range of subject expertise, she brings a breadth of teaching experience to this position, having taught in public, charter, parochial, and private schools.

Eva holds a B.A. from Manhattanville College and a M.A. in science instruction from Fordham University. Eva said, “I am excited to lead a community of brilliant scientists and educators with a contagious passion for delivering a world-class education for our students.”

Joe holds a master’s in Educational Leadership from The College of New Jersey and a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Elizabethtown College. He has completed a number of certifications in instructional coaching, Responsive Classroom, and leadership, and has led workshops and classes on mindfulness, STEM play, social and emotional learning, and inclusive learning environments.

After his first year at GFS, he is excited about what lies ahead. He says, “I feel so very welcomed by all members of the School and feel blessed to be part of GFS where community, partnership, independent thinking, and Quaker values are cornerstones for learning.”

“I am excited to lead a community of brilliant scientists and educators.” —Eva Porter

A Fond Farewell

These remarkable educators leave a lasting legacy and full hearts

WITH THE RETIREMENTS OF DEB BRACKETT, PAM LUTZ, LISA BURNS, DIANE MARINOFF, DAVID MRAZ, AND JOHN Anagbo, we celebrate well over a hundred years of dedication to teaching, leadership, and mentoring. From the establishment of essential summer programs and legendary sports teams to innumerable stage productions and gentle but firm guidance of our students, these retirees fundamentally enhanced the life of the school.

DEB BRACKETT

in the Middle School, including girls’ soccer and softball, preparing young student-athletes for the challenges at the varsity level.

Throughout her career at GFS, Deb’s enthusiasm for introducing young people to the joys and benefits of movement—and the importance of prioritizing wellness and exercise alongside academics—was infectious. In an article she wrote for GFS’ former publication, Studies in Education , in 2002, titled, “Winning in Physical Education,” she wrote, “GFS is a community where we engage fully our intellect, our spirits, and also our bodies. In the realm of physical education, we affirm ourselves as movers and celebrate daily.”

Deb arrived at GFS in 1982, following her illustrious multi-sport career at Ursinus College. She was appointed an assistant field hockey coach and physical education teacher in the lower and middle schools. Deb left GFS in 1987 to pursue a master’s degree, and returned to the school’s PE Department in 1992. In 1995, Deb was promoted to head of the PE Department, where she developed strong programming and provided excellent leadership for the next 25 years. Additionally, she coached numerous sports

“As I look across our campus and see the many lives that [Deb] has touched, it is overwhelming,” says Director of Athletics Katie Bergstrom Mark. “It is in her very being to help others by guiding them, giving them room to fail and succeed, and providing the scaffolding by being there in support all the time. Deb has coached thousands of young people during foundational moments in their athletic careers. Her leadership in the PE Department and on the playing fields has been instrumental in our ability to stay true to our core philosophy.”

In 2020, Deb stepped into the role of Interim Director of Lower School. A steady presence in the Lower School throughout her tenure at GFS, she brought her experience

Camp for decades, bringing additional administrative experience from her years as Program Director at Chimney Corners Camp, a residential summer camp in the Berkshires. Deb also served as the clerk of the MS Quakerism Committee and was a member of the Religious Life Committee.

At the time of her appointment as Interim Lower School Division Director, she said, “I am excited to take on this new challenge,” citing her deep respect for her Lower School colleagues. Deb remained in this interim role for two years, drawing strength from her PE background and prioritizing health and wellness during a time when it was particularly needed, as the school was coping with numerous challenges presented by COVID. A talented scheduler, problem-solver, creative thinker, and collaborator, Deb was a critical voice in the effort

as a teacher and educator to her new leadership position. In addition, Deb completed the inaugural SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) program at GFS and was a strong advocate for the fifth-grade anti-bias curriculum, supporting its expansion across grades 3–5, with lessons implemented in grades K–2. She led GFS’ beloved Girls Sports

to keep students and teachers safely on campus as much as possible.

We are so grateful for all of Deb’s wonderful contributions to the GFS community over the past 35 years. We thank her for her dedication to our students, teachers, and families, and we wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life adventure!

“ Her leadership in the PE Department and on the playing fields has been instrumental in our ability to stay true to our core philosophy.”

PamLutz retired after more than four decades of service to GFS as a beloved coach and physical education teacher. During two of those decades she also served as the Girls Athletic Director.

Throughout her career, Pam earned numerous accolades but what she is most proud of are the connections she made with students. “It’s not the championships; it’s about the process. It’s not about the wins or losses or whether you achieve a goal or not. It’s about the athletes that you work with, teach, and build relationships with,” said Pam.

Since her first year on campus in 1982, Pam was a mainstay with the Tiger field hockey program, guiding the varsity team until 2000, and leading the Tigers to 14 Friends Schools League championships—the most in FSL history. For many years, Pam steered the middle school field hockey program, where she welcomed and nurtured athletes new to the sport, allowing them to fail safely and feel fully supported as they learned the game. Many of GFS’s top field hockey players were coached by Pam and, in turn, developed a love for the fast-paced and intricate game. Pam honed her field hockey expertise as an elite athlete at West Chester University under the legendary field hockey coach Vonnie Gros. This past fall, Pam was honored by her players and fellow coaches with a golden stick—a celebration of greatness in the sport—for her devotion to Tiger field hockey.

In addition to coaching, Pam taught PE to hundreds of eager young

movers with attention to every detail. She infused students with the confidence to try new skills, navigate challenges, resolve differences respectfully, and find joy in movement. Pam was a master teacher.

“Although there are endless examples of how Pam knew exactly what everyone needed throughout the day . . . what I feel truly is the legacy Pam leaves behind is the need, want, and passion to do whatever it takes to do it right,” said Physical Education Department Head Anya Erz.

“Day in and day out, Pam ensured that lessons were developmentally appropriate and met the students’ energy for the day. She set up thousands of gyms—where you could always hear the screams of joy coming from students as they participated in Pam’s class. She fought to ensure equal opportunity for girls and women in sports and the workplace.

to become a better version of themselves,” said Director of Athletics Katie Bergstrom Mark.

During Pam’s tenure as Girls Athletic Director, GFS added girls soccer and softball and ensured pathways for Lower School students to be introduced to numerous sports through the Girls Sports Camp. Girls Sports Camp nurtured the love of sports in hundreds of campers. This foundational camp still operates with the same philosophy it had when it started: providing the opportunity for girls to try different sports in a positive and low pressure environment, with mentorship from our high level Upper School athletes and coaches.

Pam also took the helm of the softball, lacrosse, and basketball programs, serving as coach at the varsity, JV, and middle school levels.

“When you teach and coach, there is often that moment—that little snap-

When equality was in question, Pam was an advocate, ally, and trailblazer.

“Pam’s ability to read other’s emotions and be a confidant to me, the PE Department, and all others around the school will be greatly missed. Her level-headedness and truth-telling always resonated with me and is something I hope to one day hold as well as Pam does,” added Erz.

“As the Director of Girls Athletics for 20 years, Pam was the ultimate promoter of equity and access in sports. There is a leader in place or an expert teacher in a role that Pam hired, coached, or mentored in every corner of the school. Mentoring came naturally to Pam: In each situation, she asked the right questions, demanded truthfulness, and had high expectations, all while supporting individuals

shot in time—when a player catches the ball or gets a skill that makes it all worth it. It happened in class just the other day,” said Pam with a huge smile.

Not a fan of the spotlight, Pam was quick to redirect praise to other people who have made her tenure so successful.

“It’s not me, it’s the whole department. All the coaches I’ve worked with have been fantastic! It’s the relationships with these coaches— and the students—that will be hard to leave. But it’s time.”

Pam looks forward to golfing, playing pickleball, visiting family, gardening, and reading books. She said, “I told some of the studentathletes that I’ll try to come back and watch a game or two, so I will. I’ll miss being here. It’s been fun.”

“There is often that moment—that little snapshot in time—when a player catches the ball or gets a skill that makes it all worth it.”

LISA HEMPHILL BURNS

After 40 years of teaching at GFS, our wonderful colleague Lisa Hemphill Burns has retired from GFS, a transition for her, to be sure, but also for this institution. Director of over 70 productions at GFS, Lisa has worked with deep commitment to translate the present moment to the stage.

The Head of GFS’s Theatre Department, Jake Miller, said, “The rich tradition of theater at GFS is unquestionably the legacy of Lisa H. Burns:

DIANE MARINOFF

her faith in our students to tackle challenging, rich texts; her dedication to theater as both an intellectual and artistic pursuit; and her incredible sensitivity to the ‘zeitgeist.’ As a department, we strive to carry forward the work that she began—making theater with, for, and in community.”

Lisa often collaborated with other departments to reveal all aspects of a text, enlisting both science and history, for example, in providing context for her production of Oppenheimer. In addition to incorporating politically engaged theater

into the department’s DNA she has also provided innumerable moments of whimsy and delight for both actors and audiences, such as she did with her student-faculty-staff production of The Pirates of Penzance. Her students have gone from GFS on to Hollywood and Broadway, to directing, to writing, and to teaching. Lisa’s impact at GFS has been profound and we are delighted to know that she intends to continue her work in theater in Philadelphia.

Diane Marinoff has been a fixture in the Lower School since 1982. Her background in Montessori education informed her intentional approach to supporting children within a developmentally appropriate framework. Diane’s steadfast commitment to helping children grow and learn was evident throughout her 40 years at GFS and she will be truly missed.

While Diane was most often found in classrooms, working with children and teachers, she was also present at every Kindergarten admissions playday. This is just one of the ways that Diane demonstrated her commitment to GFS and the admissions process. She could be seen guiding children into the classrooms on these days, as well as calming nervous parents as they stood at the door. She is a keen observer and always had important comments to share as a member of the Kindergarten Admissions Committee. Diane served on the full Lower School Admissions Committee, as well.

Diane was a leader when it came to tackling issues within the Lower School. When she recognized the need for materials to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, she applied for several

grants to purchase multicultural classroom materials for the Lower School. Similarly, when she identified the necessity for additional phonics instruction in the Lower School, she championed and introduced the Fundations program.

During her tenure, Diane served on the Student Services Team, the Agenda Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and many other committees throughout the school. When a colleague had to take a leave of absence due to illness, she filled in as a first-grade teacher for a year. We are thankful to Diane for her straightforward approach to every situation and her ability to put children first. We will miss her and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

“ The rich tradition of theater at GFS is unquestionably the legacy of Lisa H. Burns: her faith in our students to tackle challenging, rich texts; her dedication to theater as both an intellectual and artistic pursuit; and her incredible sensitivity to the ‘zeitgeist.’” —Jake Miller, Theatre Department Head

DAVID MRAZ

David retired after 27 years as a member of the Math Department—teaching in both Middle and Upper School during his tenure. Dave brought a warmth and enthusiasm to his teaching that easily manifested for his students, approaching his classes with patience, care, and a sense of humor. He worked hard to make himself available to students who had questions or needed help

outside of class. In addition to being a faculty advisor to the Asian Students Association for many years, Dave was known to be an avid supporter of the arts and participated in a number of faculty/student productions over his time at GFS. Perhaps most notably, Dave embodied the GFS mission of embracing the city through his commitment to creating community connections in Germantown. He could be found once a week up the road at Mastery Charter School, offering math support with a group of Upper School students. David’s care for his students and his colleagues will be greatly missed.

Avital member of the History Department, John retired after having taught in both our Middle and Upper Schools, beginning in 2018. John earned a B.A. from the

University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and a Master of Arts in Teaching at the College of New Jersey. He had a long career as a teacher and supervisor of English and Social Studies at schools in New Jersey before arriving at GFS. Since 2018, John Anagbo was a vital member of the History Department at GFS. He also served on numerous committees including the Middle School Quakerism Committee, gracing every group with his calm, his wisdom, and his wonderful sense of humor. John made his mark at GFS in the Middle School and the Upper School—both in the classroom and as a colleague. His History Department Head, Kate Hanssen, said “John was sunshine in human form! He always had a big smile and a ‘Yay!’ as a greeting for all his students and colleagues.” He was an active contributor to the multiyear

effort to reexamine and reimagine the history curriculum and was a remarkable force for good in the community. He will be missed.

JOHN ANAGBO

Dave brought a warmth and enthusiasm to his teaching that easily manifested for his students, approaching his classes with patience, care, and a sense of humor.

“John was sunshine in human form! He always had a big smile and a ‘Yay!’ as a greeting for all his students and colleagues.”

—Kate Hanssen, then History Department Head

Travel Resumes as GFS Students Eagerly Embrace New Opportunities

Gratitude abounds, as we emerge from the pandemic, for this particular kind of learning

tourists also happened to pop in and attended our concert later that night. Today, we were reminded that we all have the ability to let our lights shine bright, just as Slovenia showed us to let our guards down and take in the beauty surrounding us.

COSTA RICA SCIENCE RESEARCH TRIP

Two students from the Class of ’23 reflected on their trip to Costa Rica, when they conducted science research through the Seeds of Change, Inc. Rain Forest Research Program.

BUILDING ON A LONG TRADITION OF TRAVEL AT GFS, THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS EMBARKED ON numerous trips in the past year, fanning out across the world. The list of destinations was substantial as was the learning. Below are descriptions of the trips and reflections shared by some of the travelers.

CHOIR TRIP 2022

Venice, Slovenia, and Croatia

In March, following a kick-off concert at Grace Church in New York, the GFS Choir flew through London and on to Venice to begin a 10-day tour of the Dalmatian Coast. They sang in many churches and cathedrals throughout the trip, including Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice. On the drives from Ljubljana, Slovenia, to Zadar and Dubrovnik in Croatia, they enjoyed the beautiful scenery including the Alps, and fields where animals grazed. Two seniors wrote about their impressions of their first day in Slovenia.

Our first task of the day was to go on a guided walking tour through the new and intriguing city of Ljubljana. Our fantastic tour guides, Peter and Vite, showed us all of the attractive sights of Ljubljana and told us all the stories behind the historic architecture. However, the main attraction of the day was the grand fortress situated on the top of the hill. In order to reach the fortress, we had to take a glass gondola up the steep mountain side. At the top, we towered over the whole city and got a full image of the beautiful town of Ljubljana. The tour guides told us that the fortress dated back to the 11th century, before the Renaissance, when it used to be a prison.

The castle housed a cafe featuring an elderflower juice that left me feeling refreshed. Most importantly for us, it also had a beautiful underground chapel, where we sang three of our beloved choir songs. The acoustics produced some of the most angelic sounds that I had ever heard and we left with a warm applause from the small crowd of chaperones. One or two

One participant writes, “I recently returned from the Seeds of Change, Inc. Rain Forest Research Program in Costa Rica. My group was composed of fifteen students, five from Germantown Friends School and ten from Saint Paul, Minnesota. The first ten days of my trip were spent at the Finca La Anita ranch in the northern Costa Rica rainforest. North of Liberia and nestled among three active volcanoes, I stayed in a small cabin alongside one of my classmates. Paired with three other students, two from Minnesota, most of my time was spent researching the potential antibiotic qualities of a Costa Rican slug. This research was guided by University of Costa Rica professor Adrian Pinto and culminated in a presentation to my peers. Our research suggested that the slugs’ slime excretion may serve as an antibiotic agent against gram negative bacteria; this finding has some significance as gram negative bacteria is notoriously antibiotic resistant. Though our research wasn’t

The GFS Choir in Dubrovnik, Croatia, prior to one of their final performances

conclusive, it certainly suggests that there’s reason for further inquiry. The rest of my time was spent exploring the nearby town, hiking, swimming and horseback riding.

“The final two days of my trip occurred at a hotel on the country’s western coast. There, we learned about nesting habits of a local sea turtle and efforts to conserve them. Leisure time involved swimming and surfing in the ocean. I’m incredibly grateful to have participated in this wonderful experience; I was blown away by the natural beauty of Costa Rica and flooded with a newfound passion for field research.”

Another student reflects, “I was able to physically be in a tropical rainforest where I could see the biodiversity all around me. My peers and I conducted research on leafcutter ants. Leafcutter ants are one of four species that harvest their food source. Our research project question was whether or not the presence of the queen ant would affect colony productivity. With this question, we were able to create a hypothesis and use the materials given to us to test it. In the end, we discovered that the presence of a queen ant does not affect colony productivity. Collaborating with students from different areas of the country gave me a better understanding of different points of view. In addition to research, we collected trash on the Pacific Coast and learned about sea turtle nesting habits. We learned about cacao harvesting, chocolate production, and how to ride a horse.”

Alyson Solomon, science teacher, reported on her time in Costa Rica working with Seeds of Change, Inc. in their Tropical Field Research Program.

She writes, “For 11 days during July 2022, I was able to travel to Colonia Libertad, Costa Rica, with the support of the Class of ’52 grant. I traveled with five GFS students—three rising eleventh-grade girls and two rising twelfth-grade boys.

“Students worked from early in the morning to late at night with Dr. Adrian Pinto, a world-renowned professor from the University of Costa Rica, and his graduate students to learn about the scientific process and to design their own experiments.

“They began with an introduction to the scientific method and three days of observation. On the fourth day of the program each student proposes a scientific question that they want to explore. The students have five days to design, execute, and present their experiments. I have been a biology teacher for 20 years, and this is the most authentic, high-school-focused scientific research program that I have ever seen.

“Since returning home, I have stayed in contact with the Seeds of Change staff, and, with their guidance, I have established an antibiotic prospecting lab at GFS. I am currently working with three students to search insect microbiomes for agents that may have antibacterial properties. In 2016, Dr. Pinto led the team that discovered Selvamicin, a novel antibiotic that is currently in preclinical trials. We are following his basic protocol. For our first project, the students are interested in testing the microbiome of dragonflies. Who knows what we will find!

“These experiences have transformed my thinking about science teaching and have allowed me to interact with students in a new and deeper way.”

THE WINCHESTER COLLEGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Students visit London as well as Winchester College

Science teacher Gen Nelson served as the faculty chaperone for the Winchester College Exchange. Gen accompanied three students to London from January 5 until January 10, 2023, then to Winchester, England, from January 10 until January 27, 2023.

Gen reported that the trip was successful and full of adventures. “Highlights of our week in London,” she wrote, “included a night time ‘Ghosts and Gallows’ tour, riding the London Eye, successfully escaping from an escape room, and attending a performance of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe at the Gillian Lynn Theater.” Once they were in Winchester, the students joined their hosts for classes and sports. They also enjoyed excursions off-campus. “We toured two ships, the Victory and the Mary Rose, at Plymouth Historic Dockyard, we attended a Southampton-Aston Villa football (soccer) match, and visited Stonehenge, Salisbury, and the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, a museum of historic aircraft and equipment.”

Students on the trip loved those experiences. One reported that they most enjoyed attending a soccer match and the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, and noticed a “lot of differences between the English and American school systems because they are able to focus on three subjects that interest them.” Another student agreed, explaining, “I learned about the English schooling system and was able to take classes like Art History and Design and Technology that were different from classes I’ve taken at GFS. I enjoyed watching the football game and visiting Stonehenge, and I’m glad that I was able to have this experience before I graduated.”

A third student explained, “The month of January was an all-around great experience. Our time at Winchester College and the surrounding area was particularly exciting. We made new friends, explored new places, and found out more about ourselves. I found the trip quite effective in broadening my horizons of culture and lifestyle, including but not limited to family history, relationships, and, of course, food. All in all, my time in Winchester and the UK as a whole was fantastic,

and I will consider studying abroad in the future because of this trip.”

THE CLASSICS TRIP TO GREECE

Latin & Greek students explored Athens, the Peloponnese, and Delphi

During two weeks of their January Term, fourteen Latin and Greek students explored exceptional sites in Greece—and enjoyed 60 degree temperatures and sunny days, remarkable weather for January!

Beginning and ending by exploring Athens (the Agora, the Acropolis, the Greek Parliament) and taking a mid-tour weekend trip to the Peloponnesus and Delphi, students enjoyed not just seeing things they had only read about, but also learning traditional Greek dancing, partaking of a Greek cooking class, enjoying a walking tour of an open-air Greek market, and learning elementary Modern Greek. By the last days of the trip, the group felt exceptionally comfortable navigating the streets of Athens.

Chaperone and Director of Academic Program Carol Rawlings Miller recorded an account of their approach to Delphi: “Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Delphi on the western slope of Mt. Parnassus and headed out onto our decks to enjoy the remarkable view at sunset of the mountains and the Bay of Corinth. The ride up was beautiful— and memorable for its switchbacks! Today we toured Delphi with Eleni as our guide. This is one of the most spectacular places in Greece, with history as a sacred place going back to the second millennium BCE. In the Delphi Archaeological Museum we saw one of the only existing examples of an ancient song with musical notation, examples of Classical and Archaic Kouros figures, and the famous Charioteer sculpture. After, we headed to nearby Arachova for a couple of hours for lunch and with time to shop and explore. After this, we were excited to

head back to Athens—even so there was much discussion of favorite places along the way.”

LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE TRIPS

Exploring Tours, France; Costa Rica; and Tlaxcala, Mexico

In January, there were even more trips. French students went to Tours, France, and enrolled in an intensive 3-week course in the French language at the Institut de Touraine. Students traveled to Costa Rica, one group was studying science and another group was strengthening its command of Spanish. A third group went on the Mexico exchange program. These students traveled to Tlaxcala, a provincial capital and a prosperous city of 90,000, about 75 miles east of Mexico City on the way to Veracruz. GFS students visited their long-standing partner school Escuela Secundaria Técnica No.1 Xicohtencatl Axayacatzin and stayed with host families for the month.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT TRIPS

Travels to Salamanca, Spain, and Edinburgh, Scotland

Middle School Spanish students and chaperones traveled to Salamanca, Spain, for two weeks in March during the middle school’s mini-course week and the first week of spring break. A primary goal was to improve student oral and written fluency in Spanish with a two-week intensive Spanish language and culture experience.

Eighth graders traveled in January to Edinburgh, Scotland, to attend St. George's School. The travelers then hosted Scottish students who arrived in April. The Scottish exchange, which has been ongoing for decades, switched to a remote experience due to COVID, and resumed in-person visits this year.

Latin & Greek students and faculty travel from Athens to remarkable sites on the Peloponnese and in Delphi.

BRENDAN JONES ’96

A Life in Sitka

Brendan recently returned to GFS to share his story and path to becoming a writer. He is the winner of the 2022 Green Earth Book Award for his book, Whispering Alaska. Brendan is a climate writer who lives in Sitka, Alaska, with his wife, three daughters, six chickens, and one dog.

In 2019, he returned from Siberia, where he spent a year with his family as a Fulbright Scholar researching Russian-America. His upcoming book Americans in Siberia will be a blend of memoir, travelog, and historical fiction. The following is a photo essay of his life in Sitka.

A photo of Sitka from Japonski from the channel. The town has 8,500 people in it, and is nestled into the Tongass National Forest, a temperate rainforest that has been called the “lungs of North America” for its ability to take carbon released in the Lower 48 and give it back as oxygen. Trees in the forest have been known to live over 1,000 years. This central building is a Pioneer Home, one of a whole system of state-owned and -operated assisted-living facilities that are a benefit unique to residents of Alaska.

This is Crescent Harbor in downtown Sitka, with Verstovia in the background. Sitka has the largest harbor system in Alaska, and the ninth largest in the United States.

One of the best things about Alaska—drinking water from glacially-fed streams. Here on the Herring Cove Beaver Lake trail, trying to keep balance while scooping up a cup.

Walking past our garden down to the harbor, with Kiki in her life vest ready for action.

Down on the boat with our dog Bandit. Rachel, who was the judge and city attorney in Sitka, Haley, Kiki, and Quinn. The girls are now 2, 6, and 8, and avid fishermen, crabbers, and wrestlers. (Kiki just got first in state, and Haley 4th!)

One of the most difficult hikes on the road system in Sitka (there are just 14 miles of road) is Verstovia. Last year the girls made it up, and we celebrated here, at Picnic Rock, with Arrowhead in the background. (That one’s for another day.)

Our smaller skiff Banana Float requires constant bailing, especially after a hard rain. We all come aboard with buckets and get to work.

At Crescent Harbor just down the hill from where we live, flaking line we use for setting crab pots with the girls.

In 2016 friends and I sailed the Adak, the World War II tugboat we lived on when Haley was a baby, to Wrangell, to haul the boat out and fix the planking. I had never seen the boat out of the water—311 tons in the slings. Daunting, the size of the tug.

CLASS NOTES

Want to stay connected? We encourage you to visit the GFS website at germantownfriends.org/alumni to share your stories and submit Class Notes.

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GFSchool germantownfriends Germantown Friends School

1948

JERRYMARTINDALE writes, “My wife, PENNYHEALY’49, and I moved to the Hill at Whitemarsh in 2016. She died in February 2021 and I am now in an apartment here in the main building. I’m still taking piano lessons.”

1949

NANCYMAYCOPPLE reports that she is now “up to 10 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.”

JOANWATSONKENNEDYBERKEY and her husband Ted continue to enjoy every day on the Downeast Coast of Maine.

TOBYMAXWELL shares, “My mother, Mrs. Genevieve Maxwell, taught third grade at GFS from 1935–41. The Class of 1949 was good enough to keep the tie going, and now, at 91 years old we are still on our way to a better world together.”

1950

SUEAXFORDAEMISEGGER writes, “As I read through the GFS 175th-year Bulletin you sent, I was reminded how much Mary Brewer impacted my life. I owe my love of music and my joy of singing to her— and still singing to this day, albeit not a high soprano anymore. Our GFS choir was special and I was honored to be a part of it.”

1941

At 98, BARBARABUEHLER SEEGER enjoys bird-watching, reading, and chatting with her neighbors at her assisted living facility.

1947

TED WOLF shares, “I entered GFS in 1934 (kindergarten)—a life decision I’ll not forget or regret!”

AUDREYBROMEYGOREY

CLASS NOTES IN THE BULLETIN: It is sometimes necessary to edit notes to reduce the length so that we can accommodate as many entries as possible. We hope we have retained the essence of your news while also providing space to include messages from your classmates. Please contact us at 215-941-2340 or alumni@germantownfriends.org if you have questions or want more information.

reflects, “I continue to be grateful for the years I spent with Germantown Friends (grades 1–10) before my parents decided I should have an ‘away from home’ boarding school experience. I remember my second-grade teacher Mrs. Durling who discovered my visual problem and helped me get more out of my education. My experiences at Germantown Friends helped me later as I pursued my undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and later again to get my teaching certification. After receiving my

Members of the Class of 1952. (See class note from Beth Bready Walker, ’52)

teaching certification, I taught in the western Philadelphia suburbs. As I taught, I realized that I was often drawing on my experiences with the caring teachers I had known at Germantown Friends. Later, after moving to the western suburbs, I was influenced by my Quaker education experience at GFS to enroll my son at Friends Central and later my grandson at Westtown. So, Germantown Friends provided the foundation of a family tradition that has impacted multiple generations as a gift that keeps on giving for which I am grateful.”

GEORGE SPAETH was recently awarded the following honors: The George Spaeth Global Glaucoma Fellowship, an endowed fellowship of the American Glaucoma Society (2020), the World Glaucoma Association Laureate Award (2021), the EnergEYES award from the Young Ophthalmologists group of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (2022), the Power List of the 100 Most Influential Ophthalmologists internationally, and Induction into the Surgical Hall of Fame of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Eye Surgery (2022).

1951

JOAN HERGESHEIMER HORN is currently living in the Friends Care Community. She recalls fond memories of her 12 years at GFS and wrote a book, Playing On All The Keys, about a music professor at Antioch. She still enjoys music and writing.

SYLVIA JOHNSON LUCAS shares, “Often I think of my four happy years at GFS. I live in Connecticut, but I do go to Gradyville, PA, to visit my sister, ARLENE JOHNSON FLICK ’55.”

1952

BILL HAVILAND recently organized a boat trip around Deer Isle, accompanied by the historic preservation officer of the Penobscot Nation. He also

did on-camera interviews for N12 Productions out of Montreal for an eight-episode TV series: “Le Tresor de St. Castin.” He has been working under contract for the local newspaper on a series of columns on local Indian history. Most recently, he was honored by the local historical society, of which he is a past president.

BETH BREADY WALKER shares this picture (on opposite page) from lunch at Waverly with her classmates in April. From right to left: Carl Shaifer (husband of the late KATHY SHAIFER), Mary Walker (wife of the late DAVID WALKER), PATRICIA ZIEGLER BONSALL , and CHARLES STEHLE

1953

BOB DEBRANDT retired after a 67-year career in mental health as a registered nurse, special education teacher, hospital, and nursing administrator.

GEORGE WILLAUER reports that he and BOB DEBRANDT have renewed their friendship and correspond via telephone from Louisiana to Connecticut.

1954

JULIA PITZ BARRINGER reflects, “Mr. Platt cemented in me the fascination of the discipline of Geology, and was the inspiration behind my pursuing an advanced degree in Geology and practicing as an environmental geochemist during much of the second half of my life.”

JUDY WILDER WOOD shares, “The three Wilder girls are doing well—and are ever grateful for our GFS experience and education. The years keep flying by, but remembrances of GFS are always among the best. The most unforgettable ones include the GFS choir experience singing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was an incredible education for which I am grateful.”

1939

HANNAH BROOMELL WILSON 5/28/2022

1940

CHARLES JARVIS HARRIMAN, JR. 12/26/2021

EDWARD “NED” ARNETT 5/11/2022

JOAN RICE FAULKNER 5/29/2022

1941

BARBARA BUEHLER SEEGER 6/5/2023

1942

DOUGLAS MCILVAIN 9/25/2021

RACHEL “BAY” HAINES WILSON 10/30/2021

MARY LEES “M.L.” MCKINNEY LOUGHRAN 3/9/2022

SALLY BEADLE WOLFF 1/2/2023

1944

MARY FLOUNDERS-ARNETT 9/20/2021

NANCY MCKINNEY MCNEIL 1/18/2022

ESTHER LEEDS COOPERMAN 6/21/2022

1955

SARA SEELEY AKEL reports, “I am enjoying my ‘retirement years’ at Good Shepherd Village in lovely upstate New York, a very active senior community.”

DICK MORRIS writes, “Believe it or not I am still doing my thing as an organist and director at a large Lutheran church in Jamestown. It’s also good to be near my son.”

STEPHEN SCHLEIFER shares, “After Wesleyan, I received an MA from Stanford and PhD from the University of Wisconsin. I have led a nomadic life—Philadelphia , Scottsdale (I lived there 4 different times), Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and England (where I currently reside). I had a career in marketing/ advertising including stints at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Chase Bank, Greyhound, and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. I have three children and one granddaughter, all of whom have gone or will go (my granddaughter this September) to GFS. Hello to my remaining classmates who remember me!”

1956

JOY FLETCHER MONTGOMERY and her husband, Andy, continue to live in Minnesota with winters in Florida. Her children and grandchildren mostly live in the south, and Joy and Andy visit often.

SALLY LEES WENZEL STREHLE writes, “Still kicking!”

1957

MICHAEL CHURCHILL received the Public Interest Law Center’s Thaddeus Stevens Award in October 2022.

FRANCES BLAIR writes, “My brother, ASHTON BLAIR ’58, died January 7, 2022. I am trying to downsize to move to a retirement community in Tacoma, WA—a physically and emotionally exhausting process!”

1958

We are thrilled to share that JOAN CANNADY COUNTRYMAN received an honorary degree from Haverford College at its 2023 Commencement. She was recognized for her service to humanity.

MARY PARK WOLCOTT

WEDERBRAND shares, “I have good memories of GFS seventy years later. I can remember all my teachers, classmates, and those I’ve met and liked from GFS. What school offers that?!”

NANCY BENDINER WEISS shared that she is a cabaret singer and is recording an album as a gift for her husband Jimmy, whom she has been married to for 50 years, which will be released in the summer. She always recommends GFS if people ask about schools, and always shares that “GFS students are wonderful, then evolve to become even more terrific. They don’t come any better.”

1960

KAYE BARBER VOSBURGH recently wrote a book that her daughter published: Creations from the Garden ... Growing Plants for the Art of Flower Arranging

1961

HEATHER HARLAND APPLEGATE reflects, “The education guidance and love that I received from GFS changed my life for the better.”

BRIGITTE SAPIN BINCTIN writes, “It has been such a joy to come to our reunion (our 61st) and to see everyone. I am waiting for our 65th . . . and have been retired for a long time (20 years)! I keep myself busy with different manual activities. One of my granddaughters had an exchange with a classmate’s granddaughter, and was very happy continuing that deep friendship.”

1962

ROBERTEVANS is still consulting and speaking in schools around the country. He recently co-wrote a book, Hopes and Fears: Working with Today’s Independent School Parents

KARINZAPFHAMPEL shares, “Until COVID I was a postgraduate piano major at West Chester University, studying with Dr. Robert Bedford. I was performing annual piano recitals at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Stone Harbor, NJ. Our grandchildren are in law school, nursing school, and two of our daughters teach college— theater and psychology.”

SKIPMCKOY is enjoying “Author Talks” for his third novel, Reunion in Paradise

1963

DENNYHECK , who taught art at GFS for forty years, has a new book called Landscapes: Paintings by Alden Heck , which can be preordered through Chestnut Hill Press. Denny muses in her book preface, “Why do I paint? What draws me to the moment just before clarity comes, when understanding hides in mists, before the crow takes flight, when dawn light only hints it will reveal itself . . . that moment, alas, always disappears!”

1964

KATHRYNDAVIS ’s ninth book, Aurelia, Aurélia (a memoir) came out in March 2022.

KATHERINEDAYSUTTON reports, “My husband and I have left the East Coast for a small town northwest of Chicago to live with my son’s family. We are building a house on his property to be closer to him and our grandchildren. At

75, we are beginning a great new adventure with a completely blank slate! Talk about a challenge!”

MARKWILHELM is still busily practicing architecture in a Marblehead, MA office. He shares his gratitude to AMYCOHN for organizing Zoom mini class reunions during the pandemic.

1965

NICKBROWNING recently moved from Lexington, MA to Pomfret, VT. He is still working about 25 hours per week and “enjoying it more than ever.”

STEPHENWEYL has retired from the practice of law and is loving every minute of it!

1966

CATHERINEBEHREND shares, “I started training as a docent at the incredible Brooklyn Museum. The museum exemplifies so many of the GFS values. A good fit for a GFS lifer.”

MERRIESPAETH continues to run her own communications consulting firm. She writes, “My husband died in 2004 and I have three children and three grandchildren.”

BOBWILCOX reports, “We sold our farm and now live in Salisbury, CT.”

1967

BARBARAALLENPURINTON welcomed a new grandson last July. A chapter of her memoir (Called to Service: Ministry and the Military) was published in her college anthology, Lost Orchard II: Nonfiction from the Kirkland College Community. She writes, “I was grateful for the 55th reunion connections of our class both virtual and in person.”

1950 R. CHASE MCDANIEL II 2/22/2022

ELISABETH TURMAN ERVIN 5/21/2022 PEGGY LOU JOHNSON SUTOR 10/14/2022

1951 ERIC SELLIN 10/8/2021

CHARLES “BEAURY” SIMONS 3/8/2022

1952 FRANK EVANS 9/21/2022

KATHRYN GLOECKNER SHAIFER 1/19/2023 1953 DONALD SCOTT III 9/3/2021

MARTIN PETER JURKAT 6/27/2022

LAWRENCE RAYMOND 6/29/2022 1954 LETITIA WOOD MCPHEDRAN 9/11/2022

ALEXANDRA “SANI” WOLF FOGEL 2/28/2023

SAMUEL BAILY 3/3/2023

1954

MARY JANE HOPPE KREIBICK 3/19/2023

GWENDOLYN WATERFIELD HARPER 5/18/2023 1956

WILLIAM A. STREAMER, JR. 6/23/2021

SHERMAN ROSER 1/13/2023 1957 CAROL CORSON 3/29/2022

ROBERT “BOB” GIESS 2/14/2023 1958 T. ASHTON BLAIR 1/7/2022

H. HARRISON KEPHART 12/31/2022

1959

DAVID KENNEDY 1/24/2022

THOMAS LOGAN 2/14/2023

NANCY OMAN HUSS 2/22/2023

1960

NANCY MUTCH BOOTH 7/16/2022

1968

JOHN LOUCHHEIM celebrated his forty-seventh wedding anniversary in 2022. He has eleven grandchildren, from ages two to twenty-four.

LUCY BODINE NATTRASS writes, “My three sisters SUSIE BODINE HOLAHAN ’62 , MOLLY BODINE BERGMANN ’65, and CONNIE BODINE MCCANN ’73 and I were happy to set up an endowed fund in honor of Allen B. Clayton and in memory of our parents. We are keen to support middle school instrumental music at GFS as we all had so much support from him and our parents in encouraging us to participate. My husband and I play in orchestras and bands and sing in choirs. GFS got me started and music is a source of joy!”

MITCHELL STRAUSS is working in international development across low income countries with an emphasis on finance for women and climate.

1969

EDIE BINGHAM shares, “My newest endeavor is I have a shop in Shelburne Falls, MA (where I live) selling locally produced yarn, hand crafts, textiles, and art; many are my own creations. And we have been blessed with 10 grandchildren!”

MARIE GIBBY WILKES reports, “I retired from nursing but still have my RN license. My greatest joy is time spent with my family, especially my 5 year old granddaughter. We paint pictures together.”

1971

ADRIAN GURZAU writes, “As another year passes and unfortunately a year older, GFS remains in my thoughts as a dynamic influencer in my life over the past 50 years. Seeing my classmates at our reunion was a wonderful experience and a great reminder of my 11 years at GFS.”

LESTER “JIM” MAYER shares that he attended the wedding of Sarah, daughter of ROB MAGAZINER ’73 He writes, “Lots of GFS-ers. It was great to see the happiness of the next generation.”

1972

KIM DAVID writes, “I enjoyed our 50th class reunion at Sally’s. Great to see old friends!”

DAVID LODER shares, “Have enjoyed staying in close contact with Sally Williams, John Stine, Jenny Binzen Cardoso, Claire Edwards Kearney, David Weiss, and others as I work to get on the other side of my Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis. Additionally, I shared a truly wonderful 50th reunion at Sally Williams’ home that could have and should have lasted for days (with rotating locations of course). With the addition of the class of 1971—which added to the fun—it was great to see everyone there!”

PAUL MARTIN reports that he enjoys walking in Wissahickon Valley Park and practicing QiGong.

1973

DAVID WHITMAN shares, “I recently completed a tome of a book on the history of scandals and federal regulation of for-profit colleges, The Profits of Failure: For-Profit Colleges and the Closing of the Conservative Mind . While we’re still in DC eight months of the year, we’re fortunate to spend June through September in a cabin we have in Stanley, Idaho, looking out on the Sawtooth Mountains.”

1975

CARL PERRY is a long-term engineer at Armstrong World Industries in ceiling manufacturing. He resides in Lancaster, PA. His third of three sons was married in 2022.

CHRIS TODD writes, “Had a great time at the wedding of my cousin and fellow alumnus PHILLIP

TODD’88 in July! I hope my classmates are doing well and are slowly joining me in retirement! Looking forward with great anticipation to our 50th (egad!) reunion in a few years!”

1977

ELIZABETHLUNDBERG is working on her memoir, The Far Turn

REGINAVOGELCULBERT reports, “My husband and I recently retired from the practice of law and are looking forward to traveling and connecting with friends.”

1978

CONSTANCECUNNINGHAM was licensed as an LPC and is starting a private practice.

NEILTRUEBLOOD enjoyed a small but wonderful backyard wedding to Janet Binswanger in September 2020.

1979

GARABEDSARKESSIAN shares that his wife, Monique, moved her studio back into their home. He is still working at Lockheed, where he had a GFS high school intern working with him for one month in 2019.

1982

HANNAHCOOPERMANBRAY writes, “With great sadness I write to let you know my mother, ESTHER LEEDSCOOPERMAN’44 , died on June 21, 2022 in Chester County Hospital, after a stroke left her unresponsive. Many of you may remember her unyielding ideas and ideals, her hospitality, and her presence at many GFS functions and sporting events over the years. She was a proud alumna (her parents met through association with GFS), proud parent, and forthright Clerk of the School Committee.”

1983

AFSHINNILI reports, “I’m still alive and well. I saw JIMWAGNER briefly during the COVID year. I’m looking forward to seeing others soon!”

1984

JESSICABROWN writes, “I moved to Denver. I would love to get in touch with any GFSers who are here. I’m loving Colorado!”

ELIZABETHHEARN shares, “Those of us in Georgia have been hard at work supporting candidates committed to fighting for human rights and against voter suppression. We’re proud of how far our state has come and I was personally thrilled to reconnect with KATEBINZEN ’79 as we worked side by side on US Senate runoff election day in December 2022.”

1985

JAREDKALLEN writes, “Hello to all of my classmates! I have two lovely kids, am single, love my business where I focus on helping kids and their families. It is called Action Pact Coaching.”

CARLENSELLERS reports, “We continue to live in suburban Chicago. My husband Mark Kipperman is now a Professor Emeritus, having retired a few years ago. I continue to work for law firms, recently in a new position at the Kansas City-based law firm Polsinelli PC. I am active in my local Mennonite church and serve on the Board of our Ten Thousand Villages store. I also serve as President of the Board at Brementowne Manor, an apartment building for low income seniors. GFS helped me prepare for all of this!”

Former Faculty & Staff

REBECCA WOLF ROSHON shares, “I recently left my job as a Referral Management Clerk at Dover Air Force Base and am now working as a contractor (with the same company I was with at the base) but working now for the VA. I work from home as a CSR and take calls from Beneficiaries and Providers about the insurance coverage, bills and payments for the families of military veterans.”

1986

JESSICA BASKIN TAYLOR reports, “I got remarried in 2020 and we bought a house in Elkins Park, where we live with our blended family of 3 cats (full-time), 2 daughters (part-time), and 1 son (occasionally). Working as Director of Operations, North America, for a UK-based, global contract research organization (We manage clinical drug trials for pharmaceutical companies). Lots of travel as we try to establish our US presence (including meeting up with DAVID YUDIS and MYLES LEEVY on a recent trip to California!).”

1987

SYDNEY COFFIN writes, “I took a much needed sabbatical after two decades teaching in Philadelphia public schools and studied creative writing in Paris, where I visited several times with classmate JOANNA KUO and her two amazing kids.”

1989

DANA SANDERS married Dr. Keahnan Washington in March 2022 in a quiet Quakerinspired ceremony.

1991

NICOLE MONSON has been working in service to citizens of Philadelphia through the Philadelphia Fire Department for over a decade. She is celebrating four years of Buddafly Blaq—a decor line dedicated to celebrating the beauty and power of black images.

1992

JUDAH GOLD -MARKEL writes, “I have been living out in Portland, OR, for the past 20 years and would enjoy meeting up with other GFS alums in the Pacific Northwest region!”

1994

RACHEL BARENBAUM ’s second novel, Atomic Anna , was published on April 5, 2022. She reflects, “I had the honor of celebrating my first novel in Philadelphia with ALEX LEVIN ’93, Anne Gerbner and Teresa Maebori—old friends and mentors—and hope to see them again this time through.”

1995

ED “CHRISTY” SWENSON has moved with his wife Elizabeth and two children, Olivia and James, to Tampa, Florida. Ed relocated his company last year to the area. They are loving the great weather and all the city has to offer.

1996

CHARLES PARRY shares, “My two girls, Madison and Emerson, are growing up fast! What a joy it is to see them learn. My CTO duties at a new startup keep me busy otherwise.”

2000

MIRA BAYLSON reports, “I just started as the Executive Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of State. Looking forward to working with PA Governor Shapiro to ensure elections are fair and free in Pennsylvania.”

MARGOT STERN reports that she recently launched Avenida Baja, a hybrid boutique hotel for remote workers in Todos Santos, Mexico. She is just beginning to fundraise for her next project, The Hopewell: a farm-to-table, conservation minded boutique hotel and members only social club, just outside of Lambertville, NJ.

Margot’s daughter Lila is finishing first grade at GFS. The two can be found in Chestnut Hill, playing with their two Mexican pups or packing for their next adventure. Margot loves hearing from alumni and you can find her at Margot.stern@gmail. com or follow along @avenidabaja.

2001

MICHAELGRANTTERRY produces the hit podcast, SmartLess, with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. He continues to act and write and was most recently seen in the TV show, Station 19 . He’s all settled in sunny Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, three dogs, and a partridge in a pear tree. He’s still on a text chain with Myles, Soren, Larry, Tim, Elan, and Hambone.

2002

BRITTLEVY recently moved back to Philly after completing her residency training in Veterinary Dermatology in Raleigh, North Carolina. In October 2022, she opened a boutique veterinary practice in Old City, “Pet Dermatology Center,” which exclusively caters to dogs and cats with skin and ear disease. She lives in Queen Village with her husband Paul, two pugs and two cats.

2003

MASAYAJIMBO writes, “After obtaining my MD and PhD degrees from Thomas Jefferson University, I completed a five-year residency training in Urology (Urologic Surgery) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I am in a two-year subspecialty fellowship in Andrology (Men’s Health) at University of Utah in Salt Lake City.”

SUSANWEST and her husband, SOLOMONSILBER’00 welcomed

Althea Quillen Silber into their family on October 29, 2021. This is a picture of her on her first birthday. She is 18 months old now!

TED WILLIAMS shares, “My wife, McCurdy, and I welcomed our son, Andrew Thomas Williams back on October 16, 2022. He joins our 8 year old Dana in the mix.”

2004

ELIZABETHDALLETT

HEMPHILL-BURNS reports, “I recently worked for a national natural and organic food distributor as a Senior Account Manager for key accounts in the Northeast. I am now the Eastern Sales Manager for Pressed, a cold-pressed juice company based in LA.”

SARAHKOLKER writes, “I’ve been teaching art for over 15 years. I’ve been back in Philly for about nine years raising two great children.”

2008

HENRYMILLER reports that Charles (Charlie) Emerson Miller was born at 4:49 pm on May 6, 2023.

2010

ELIZABETHSACHS shares, “I just moved to a new apartment in Denver overlooking Cheesman Park and the mountains!”

2012

CAREYCELATA writes, “I am currently living in Fitler Square with my fiancé and working at Jefferson as a geriatric oncology Nurse Navigator. In this role, I help older adult patients navigate their complex treatment plans and ensure seamless access to care. In my free time, I continue to run

competitively and have started coaching a few post-collegiate runners as well!”

2015

JALILPINES ’ daughter Nala Royal Pines was born on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 3:54 p.m. Jalil shares, “Nala is my greatest accomplishment; my wife and I can’t wait to introduce her to the GFS community and beyond.”

2016

SHADOWWILF is earning a Master’s in Gender Transformation in Buddhism. They are also an author whose short fiction has been published in Spoon Knife Anthologies 4 & 6.

2019

RAZ ALLON writes, “I am about to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. In the last four years, I have studied finance and economics and have been a part of Penn’s varsity lightweight rowing team, where I have often competed with fellow GFS alumnus DOULINAPPLEBERRY’20. After graduating, I will spend three months traveling across Europe and Asia before moving to New York to start working as an analyst at a hedge fund.”

CHLOESMITH-FRANK

submitted her Psychology senior thesis at Princeton University. Entitled E-race-ing Memory: Potential Implications of Emotional Valence and the Own-Race Bias for Eyewitness Testimony, it investigated memory accuracy using an experimental design of her own making.

Dan Shotz ’95: Back to the Greek Gods

By Hillel Hoffmann

Dan Shotz’s career in entertainment didn’t end with his senior-year role as Nathan Detroit in Germantown Friends School’s production of Guys and Dolls. A writer and executive producer, Shotz has worked on more than a dozen TV series and films, including his current projects as showrunner of The Old Man for FX, starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, and the new TV adaptation of the beloved Percy Jackson and the Olympians series for Disney+ that will air in early 2024. In 2019, after a long partnership with director Jon Turteltaub at Junction Entertainment, the company responsible for the National Treasure film franchise, Dan and Black Sails creator Jonathan E. Steinberg—a childhood friend from the Philadelphia area—signed a multi-year deal to develop and run series for 20th Television, part of Disney Television Studios. We caught up with Dan to learn how Quaker values help him survive life in Hollywood and how something that happened to him as a 4th grader at GFS turned out to be the best moment of his life.

YOUR TWITTER BIO DESCRIBES YOU AS A “LOVER OF ALL THINGS PHILLY.” WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?

Although I’m a Philly boy through and through, I’ve lived in Los Angeles since 1999 with long stretches in Vancouver, Cape Town, London, New York, Chicago, and New Orleans for many different productions.

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST?

My parents who gave me everything, Wawa, my in-laws, my nephews and niece, the food, my extended family, old friends, seasons, and seeing my teams play live. Did I say Wawa?

WHAT DOES AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR A TV SERIES DO?

I oversee creatively the entire operation of making a TV show from the kernel of an idea all the way through to the show airing all over the world. I’ve been running shows together with my business partner—Jon Steinberg, who grew up three houses down from me in Cheltenham—for over 15 years. Mainly, we make thousands of decisions every

day all day. We also get some perks, like hanging out with Jeff Bridges.

HOW DID YOUR GFS EDUCATION PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT WAS TO COME?

As you can imagine, working in this business can be pretty high stress. I’m responsible for managing thousands of people, millions of dollars, and delivering a quality product. I’m often asked how I keep it together. My answer goes back to Meeting for Worship and taking the time to seek peace in yourself regardless of what is happening in your world. I still take that time regularly for myself.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU AT GFS?

This is the easiest question you’ll ask me today because I married my 4th grade GFS sweetheart, Emily Jaffe ’95. This isn’t only the greatest thing that happened to me at GFS, it’s the greatest thing that happened to me in my life. Thirty-seven years since we met, 27 years since I professed my love, 17 years of marriage. Also, there

are three little people out there that share our DNA.

WE RECENTLY HONORED THE LEGACY OF LONG-TIME GFS THEATER DEPARTMENT FACULTY MEMBER LISA BURNS. HOW DID SHE INFLUENCE YOU?

There are only a handful of people in my life that I can truly say had a gamechanging influence on me. Lisa Burns is one of them. Creatively, she let me be me, and she pushed me to find my voice. Also, when you’re 14 or 15, you’re just figuring out who you are. When most people punished you for that, she always defended you. I owe her a great deal of gratitude.

MANY GFS ALUMNI HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF LEARNING ABOUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY AND PARTICIPATING IN GREEK DAY IN LOWER SCHOOL. DECADES LATER, YOUR “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS” PROJECT HAS BROUGHT YOU FULL CIRCLE.

It’s so funny that you made this connection because I think about my late 4th grade teacher Carol Purdy often as I have been making Percy Jackson for Disney. She was in awe of the stories, the legends, and the gods, and now I’m overseeing this massive production that’s bringing all of that to life. Pretty surreal. By the way, I came in third in the marathon on Greek Day. That’s my single greatest athletic achievement to date.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LEFT ON YOUR CAREER BUCKET LIST? A musical?

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR GFS STUDENTS OR YOUNG ALUMNI WHO ASPIRE TO GET INTO TELEVISION OR FILM? Go out and have real-life experiences. To become a writer, producer, actor, or artist in this business, live life to its fullest and you will bring all of that to your work.

A glimpse of the school year 2022–2023. Photos by Scott B. Foley.

GFS

G E R M A N T O W N GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL

31 West Coulter Street

Philadelphia, PA 19144

215.951.2300

www.germantownfriends.org

All-School Meeting for Worship on the Common, May 18, 2023