Rippowam Cisqua School Bulletin, Winter 2021 by Good Design

RIPPOWAM CISQUA SCHOOL

Winter 2021

Table of Contents

3 Letter from Head of School Colm MacMahon

Campus News 4 Welcome Back 4 Boat Race 5 Partnering with KMA 5 Red/Blue Team Captains 6 Kindergartners Studying the Seasons 7 Bird Banding at Westmoreland Sanctuary 8 First-Ever Ripp Pumpkin Patch

8 Fourth Graders Vote | By Ken Jordan 9 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Features 10 Outdoor Creativity and Exploration at Play 16 Creating a Just Society | By Ridley Sperling ’93 23 Community Heroes 28 Lower School Arch Drive Celebration 30 Signs of the Times 32 Graduation 2020 40 Eighth Grade Celebration

43 Upper School Academic & Athletics Awards 2020 44 Faculty Retirement: Missy Swan 47 S taff Retirements: Debbie Hurrell, Patty Hughes, and Carol Rothstein 50 Board of Trustees 51 Message from the PA Chair

Alumni News 52 Alumni Connections 53 Alumni Spotlight: Natalie Harrington ’13 55 Alumni Class Notes 58 In Memoriam

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RIPPOWAM CISQUA SCHOOL

Bulletin RIPPOWAM CISQUA SCHOOL

Winter 2021

Rippowam Cisqua School Bulletin is published by the Advancement Office

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Karin Smith, Director of Communications & Bulletin Editor Caroline Vincent Mockridge ’81, Director of Special Projects Daphne Viders, Director of Development Maki Cameron ‘20, Daisy Fauver ‘16, Advancement Office Summer Interns Credits Design: Good Design, Deep River, Connecticut Photography: Miles Cameron, Matt Hall, Minush Krasniqi, Nicole Levy, Sara Malekzadeh, Shutterstock (barbaliss, StunningArt, sumroeng chinnapan, wavebreakmedia), Rhonda Spevak, Bizzie Welch, Dylan Ziegelbaum Printing: Printech, Stamford, Connecticut Board of Trustees Peter B. Freund ’91, Chair Whitney Brown, Vice Chair Charlene Sy Ryan, Treasurer Ben Harris, Secretary Sonja Bartlett Jonathan Childs Kelly Coles Nancy Dwyer Eaves ’92 Abby Gerry Harry Grand ’93, RCSAA Chair Amy Harsch John Jackson Richard C. Mugler III D. Bryce O’Brien Christopher H. Pachios Will Reeve ’07 Sara Slocum Daniel van Starrenburg Page Vincent ’79 Ex Officio Colm MacMahon, Head of School David Brown, Director of Finance Lisa Kaufmann, Parents Association Chair Daphne Viders, Director of Development

Colm MacMahon Head of School On March 3, 2020, I sent a letter to the Rippowam Cisqua School community discussing the first identified case of COVID-19 in Westchester County. At that point, we were planning for a potential short-term disruption in our school schedule. By March 10, I wrote to our community that we were closing our campuses early for Spring Break and was unsure when we would be back. Our entire school world changed in seven days, and the global community shifted dramatically over the ensuing weeks and months. In our homes, we all faced existential questions of health, wellness, and safety, and at school we began to think about how we could move forward in the midst of the most profound and far-reaching experience of our lives. What does education look like during a pandemic? How do we identify the new needs of our students? How do we maintain the essence of the RCS community while also focusing on its health? For months we discussed these and other equally challenging questions. And what was the result of those discussions? What have we gained? To start, an overwhelmingly needed sense of normalcy. At a time when multiple variables impact nearly every decision we make, knowing that RCS is open, in-person, and thriving is the constant so many of us need. In the weeks since we reopened our doors in September, RCS has been a beacon of wellness for our students, parents, faculty, and staff. The vibrancy of in-school life has returned; the banter between students and teachers is ever-present; and in spite of all of the obstacles, we still progress. We have also found a deeper appreciation for the importance of human connection. While we may feel as though we have learned so much about engagement through technology, nothing surpasses the experience of being together. Rippowam Cisqua School has always been

about the people; that was the case when we were connecting via Zoom for three months this past spring and remains true today. In the pages that follow, we celebrate our past few months. From the installation of our amazing new playground, to the continuation of our important diversity, equity, and inclusion work, to the recognition of our unsung campus heroes who have helped make our return possible, there is so much for which I am immensely grateful and proud. As I write this letter, a third vaccine has just been approved for emergency use in the United States, and while I’m certainly not a public health official, this development gives me hope. Obviously things could change. As we learned last year, life does not always go as planned. But it is gratifying, extraordinary, and humbling to know that it is one year from the explosion of COVID-19 into our lives and we are beginning to make plans for a future that is not dictated by a pandemic. We are cautiously optimistic about the days, weeks, and months ahead, and I look forward to seeing what we are writing about in our next issue of the Bulletin. In community,

Colm MacMahon Head of School

News

Welcome Back Our return to campus last fall — together, in-person — was full of firsts: wearing face coverings to school, box lunches in classrooms, morning temperature checks, homeroom and advisory pods, physical distancing, and hand sanitizer. There were other notable firsts. We had JPK through ninth grade students and faculty on the same campus. New students could finally see the inside of their school. Outdoor classrooms, going down the new tower slide, COVID-19 tests on Thursdays, and art on a cart all became our new normal. Here are just a few of the faces that made us happy to be back, and optimistic about the year ahead in the first week of school.

Boat Race To win the cardboard boat race, you need to build a better boat and paddle fast! This year Annie Hallock ’21 and Sophia Miller ’21 proved they could do both when they were the first to cross the finish line. Congratulations to Chase Mattison ’21 and Jack Schum ‘21 for following up with a strong second — and for still floating! The race was originally scheduled for spring 2020 (the culmination of an eighth grade physics unit), but was postponed when the school moved to distance learning in March. Faculty and students demonstrated creative problem-solving and flexibility when they took cardboard boats built last winter but never sailed out of storage and over to the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club for an impromptu Ripp regatta.

News

Partnering with KMA When students couldn’t go to the museum, RCS brought the museum to them! Last fall, RCS art teachers Sara Malekzadeh and Jade Vincent partnered with the Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) to virtually bring the exhibition Bisa Butler: Portraits to our students at school. Using the outdoor classroom tents, KMA educators visited our campus to discuss and view images of artist Bisa Butler’s quilts, which are focused on capturing African American identity and culture. It was fantastic to see students so engaged by the artist’s vibrant textile portraits — and also to watch children learning comfortably in one of our outdoor classrooms, complete with a SmartBoard. We are excited to partner with KMA to offer this kind of unique experience to our students and to provide them with an immersive dive into the important topics of identity and culture in American life.

Red/Blue Team Captains This year’s ninth grade captains worked with Miles Cameron in the Innovation Center to create name tags on the laser cutter to update the Red/Blue Team Captains board for 2020–21. Could this be the start of a new tradition?

2020-21 Red Team captains: Kaseme Leckie ’21 and Sophia Miller ’21

2020-21 Blue Team captains: Annie Hallock ’21 and Chase Mattison ’21

News

Kindergartners Studying the Seasons Kindergartners in Nicole Levy’s, Nicole Putorti’s, and Bizzie Welch’s classes took trips to Guard Hill Preserve in October to hike, read stories, and draw pictures. When they returned in January, they discovered that quite a lot had changed! They’ll be back in the spring to continue their study of seasonal changes. The 76-acre preserve is part of the Westchester Land Trust. The trailhead, just west of the Clinton Road and Guard Hill Road intersection, is only minutes from campus, with beautiful scenery that includes the pastures of Sunnyfield Farm.

News

Bird Banding at Westmoreland Sanctuary RCS is partnering with a number of local organizations to allow our students not only to use outdoor spaces beyond our campus, but also to learn from content experts in their respective fields.

“It was remarkable,” teacher Christy Glynn said after her first graders visited Westmoreland. “They had such a good time.”

First graders visiting Westmoreland Sanctuary in October were rapt by bird banding. Students watched staff safely catch two wild birds using mist nets and then identify them and record their age and sex. This was the first time one of the birds (a black-capped chickadee) had been captured, so students watched as it received a unique numbered band on its leg. The other bird, a tufted titmouse, had been banded in June, so they recorded its number, tracked the bird, and weighed it. Both birds were released before students returned to their bus.

News

First-Ever Ripp Pumpkin Patch To both build community and raise funds for its ongoing #rippgratitude campaign, the RCS Parents Association launched the first-ever RCS Pumpkin Patch and Ripp Jack-o’-Lantern Blaze. The response was tremendous, with more than 200 pumpkins sold. On a sunny Saturday in October, a pumpkin patch appeared on Meyers Fields, where students and parents delighted in picking out their favorite gourds. A week later, RippKids brought their pumpkins back to school for a competition to see who had carved the best masterpiece. And then the ghoulish grand finale: the Ripp Jack-o’Lantern Blaze. This Halloween will be tough to top!

Fourth Graders Vote By Ken Jordan, Fourth Grade Teacher RCS fourth graders spent the last few weeks of November learning about representative democracy. They investigated the checks and balances of the three branches of government, and researched the qualifications necessary to become an elected official. They looked at the U.S. presidents throughout history, learning about the unique qualities of many of our country’s leaders. They studied campaign ads both past and present and then put all their learning into practice by creating speeches and posters of their own for a very important Lower School vote — which dessert would be served on November 18. In the end, the results were indeed sweet. 8

“Black Girl and Black Boy” By Jordanne Alexander ’21 Gold Key Black Girl

2020 Scholastic Awards Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have been announced! In the Hudson-to-Housatonic region, which covers the area between those two rivers, submission numbers are high and awards few, but RCS students earned plenty of accolades. An esteemed panel of professional novelists, editors, teachers, poets, librarians, journalists, and other literary professionals selected winning works from nearly 1,700 entries submitted this year in the Hudson-to-Housatonic region: 273 Honorable Mentions awarded to promising works 166 Silver Keys awarded to distinguished works 104 Gold Keys awarded to the most accomplished works Gold Keys are automatically forwarded for consideration at the national level of the Scholastic Writing Awards.

RCS Writing Winners in the Hudson-to-Housatonic Region Jordanne Alexander ’21, Gold Key, “Black Girl and Black Boy,” Poetry Abby Block ’22, Gold Key, “Finding Home,” Poetry Boden Bubb ’22, Silver Key, “The Story,” Humor Keerat Cheema ’22, Honorable Mention, “The Election of 2020,” Journalism Jackson Cooper ’22, Honorable Mention, “Gun Control,” Critical Essay Lindsey Gaynor ’22, Silver Key, “What’s Wrong with My Hair?” Personal Essay and Memoir CC Kaplan ’21, Honorable Mention, “Shoes: The Remains of Hell and Hope,” Short Story Dylan Kur ’22, Honorable Mention, “Do the Clothes We Wear or Things We Have Affect the Way Others Perceive Us?” Critical Essay Lindsey Pontillo ’22, Honorable Mention, “The Trip to Florida,” Humor Piper Spevak ’22, Gold Key, “L’accordéoniste,” Flash Fiction Romy Spevak ’22, Silver Key, “The Scarf,” Short Story

RCS Art Winners in the Northeast Region-at-Large Lachlan MacLean ’22 Honorable Mention Weaving Sample Scarf

Piper Spevak ’22 Honorable Mention en Pointe

Black girl, black pride, It’s who I am inside It’s in my hair, it’s in my skin, Twirlin’ round like delightful sin, It grows and flourishes with time, To love it, is it such a crime? Seasons come and seasons go, People come to and fro, My song don’t change, it stays the same, And I don’t know who to blame, ’Cause I can’t hear my freedom ring, I can’t hear the swallows sing, I can’t take another step, I can’t even change my rep, Black is darkness, white is light, I’m not gon’ keep my lips sealed tight, See me through all the way, Make sure I don’t get swept away, Keep ya head low, don’t stand straighter, It might come now, might come later, Fear is creepin’ up on me, No one else will hear my plea, ’Cause my life matters too, don’t it? My country will fight for me, won’t it? Tears wash away the warm rose tint, Now I finally get the hint, My momma always says be proud, ’Cause no one else will say it loud, Black Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter! Come one come all, let’s watch ’em scatter. Black Boy Black boy, black boy, Filled with black joy, Born and bred in Missouri, Livin’ in his misery, Soul is bright, skin is dark, Voice is like a singing lark, Who struck this roaring lion? He was headed straight for Zion, Someone wanted him to fall, We scream and shout and curse it all, But nothing ever really works, And right now everything just hurts, Satan’s not gon’ win this one, This battle’s only just begun, May I take your order sir? Just tell me what you would prefer, Of course! Unfortunately, what I ask for, Will never settle this deep score, But I’ll inquire anyway, Yes, I’ll tell you what I want today, Is equality on the plate? The weight of black boy’s death is way too great. 9

Outdoor Creativity and Exploration at Play Squeals of joy were heard as more than a dozen JPK students ran to jump on, and climb up, the wooden play structures shortly after the ribbon was cut on our new playground October 14, 2020. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by our JPK and ninth grade students, along with Board Chair Peter Freund ’91, Board Vice Chair Whitney Brown, trustee and Together 2020 Campaign Chair Abby Gerry, and Head of School Colm MacMahon, brought out our oldest and youngest children to celebrate the pinnacle of our campus unification project for Together 2020. “The opening of this playground marks the culmination of years of planning and will serve as a joyful gathering place for our students, our families, and our entire community for years to come,” said Mr. Freund. And since its debut that is precisely what it has done. This joyful gathering space houses several unique, creative climbing structures and labyrinths designed for children 2–5 and 5–12 years old, though kids of all ages can be seen both day and

evening, weekday and weekend, climbing to the heights of the Owl’s Nest and sliding down the 30-foot spiral tunnel slide. The playground, designed in partnership with manufacturer Kompan USA, was implemented through research and the collaboration of Assistant Head of School Erin Callaghan, Director of Development Daphne Viders, and input from faculty members and students. Several playgrounds around the country were considered, but specific inspiration came from the Artists at Play playground in Seattle’s city center. “The outdoor, creative play structures we saw reflected innovation, learning, and fun in keeping with our mission,” said Ms. Callaghan. “We then reviewed our own design based on our landscape and our Bedford community, created our project scope and guidelines, and gathered feedback from our faculty and students so that the playground truly reflects our community’s imagination and creative spirit,” added Ms. Viders. This outdoor venue has achieved what it set out to do: encouraging wonder and curiosity for children while strengthening their social, developmental, and life skills in a meaningful way. “There truly is something for everyone,” said Director of CAT and After School Classes Leslie Thivierge. “Each graduated challenge offers age-appropriate fun and adventure while our children build physical and emotional skills and friendships at the same time.” Campaign funding has supported a new brick walkway to be unveiled this spring, along with a dozen new fruit trees filling up our orchard next to the playground, and several wooden benches that will provide comfortable seating alongside the fenced-in play space.

News

Together

2020

Together, we are at our best. Together, our potential is limitless. We can do anything when we put our hearts and minds together. Since 1917, our dynamic community, made up of exceptional individuals, families, administrators, teachers, volunteers, and coaches, has supported RCS while bolstering our mission to create a new generation of thinkers and communicators ready to lead by example. The generosity of our community is a valued tradition that continues to shape the experiences of future graduates.

Thank you to the following donors who have made Together 2020 possible. The Owl’s Nest Anonymous Anne and Jacob Citrin Peter Freund ‘91 Abby and Lloyd Gerry Christopher Jeffries The Explorers Alexandria and Michael Altman Sonja and Jim Bartlett Kelly and Richard Coles Susie and John Freund Christy and Alec Guettel

Amy and Brett Harsch Dorothy and Cliff Lanier Charlene and Daniel Ryan ‘93 Sara and Josh Slocum The Adventurers Melissa and Gregory Fleming Bonnie and Geoffrey Horn Sandra Lloyd Kara and Colm MacMahon Shirar and Richard Mugler III Christina Bresani and Michael Struble Daniel van Starrenburg

News

The Discoverers Julie and Brett Cooper Mary and J. Jeffers Cox ’80 Elizabeth and Alexander Eysymontt Marshall Field IV Page Vincent Gosnell ’79 and Arthur Gosnell Emily and Harry Grand ’93 Danielle DeMaio and Michael Paskin Taylor and Aaron Taylor Daphne and Zachary Viders The Friends Circle Heather Williams-Avior and Tal Avior Lillian Azima ‘19 Simone Azima ’22 Claire and Matthew Bartell Jennifer Montgomery Bethlenfalvay ‘65 James H. Boggess Jr. Katie and Robert Boyd ‘75 Brett and Miles Cameron ‘93 Mike Cappeto Cassie Robbins and Tom Clayton Cristi Andrews and David Oliver Cohen Patreece Williams Creegan and Patrick Creegan Nancy Dywer Eaves ‘92 and Joshua B. Eaves Dare and Tom Elliott Tracy and Scott Fauver Elizabeth Cowan and Anil Fernando Deborah and Patrick Fisher Beth and Ross Freedman Elizabeth and William Gahagan Kim and Gregory Gaynor Carolyn and S. Parker Gilbert Jr. Vicky Graboys Laura and James Jaffe Janie and Richard Kaplan Kristy and Brian F. Kearney Michelle and Peter Kenny Karen and Jerry Koeppl Deena and Benjamin Kur Veronica Segall and Miguel Kychenthal Heather and Anthony G. Langham Veronica and Eugene Leeds

Nicole and Josh Levy Janelle and A.J. Lika Angelina and Monte Lipman Gina and James Magill Courtney Hallock McGinnis ‘88 and Michael McGinnis Kristen and Terence McKee Zoe Haydock McKnight ‘97 and Cameron McKnight Melissa and Gerardo Mendez Hope Mihailovich Gayle Miranda ‘19 Payson and Grant Murray Erin Callaghan and Michael Nachbar Claudia and Michael Neary Marlene Paltrow Julie Bacon and Luther Peacock Tyler and Schuyler Perry Julie and Jason Pollock Lolly Prince Katia Michailidis and Pat Regan Colette and Andrew Rodgers Maria and Marc Rosen Nina Freedman and Michael Rosenbaum Priscilla and Michael Rossi SAGE Dining Services Melissa and Brendan Scollans Megan and Kevin Sheehan Sloan and Hardwick Simmons Liane Curtis and Jamie Slocum Ann and Steven A. Solazzo Heidi and Richard Sontag Jennifer and Alfred Steffen Alexandra and Jason Stull Alison and Andrew Todd Kristine Cerchiara and Constantin Trantzas Loren and William Valentine Lauren and McLain Ward ‘91 Talene and Julian White Carolina and Thomas White Pam and Thomas White Lynne and Tom White Katie and Corey Wrinn Alice and Peter Wyman ‘72

We are grateful for all our donors who have supported RCS this year. For an up-to-date list of Annual Fund support, see here: Hold your smartphone’s camera over the barcodes in this book. For iOS devices, scan the QR code and click on the link to your Safari browser. For Android devices, use your camera and a fully featured QR code reader and browser.

Creating a Just Society By Ridley Sperling ’93, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at RCS As Bryan Stevenson writes in Just Mercy, “We all have a responsibility to create a just society.” Diversity, equity, and inclusion work is not a solitary effort, nor is it anything less than a continually evolving process. Social injustices have always and will continue to exist; inequity and discrimination have always and will continue to exist. To that end, it is essential to create a malleable, evolving, and intentional program, rooted in community, that can facilitate action, awareness, and education with an eye toward compassion, understanding, empathy, and justice for all.

Conversations about social justice are difficult, and for that very reason, they are essential. Often the hardest things to talk about are the most important, and there is no doubt that talking about issues like racism, gender- and sexuality-based discrimination, systemic and historical injustices — among myriad other topics — is, to say the least, hard. The fear of “saying the wrong thing” is often a pervasive one, as is not knowing how or when to engage in such conversations. However, the more that we as a community openly and honestly participate in conversations around social justice, the more they become the norm rather than the exception, and from this process of normalization can emerge progress, change, and, ultimately, embed in the RCS community as a whole a culture of consistent commitment to progress in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Defining DEI It is important, at the outset, to understand the intention behind the acronym DEI, especially as it applies to Rippowam Cisqua School. The D for diversity reflects differences that may include, but are not limited to, race, color, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, or learning style. The E for equity is the guarantee that all members of the RCS community have equal access to the RCS experience and all that it entails, as well as acknowledging that this has not always been the case. Finally, the I for inclusion reflects the degree to which every member of the community feels welcome to and can participate fully in the RCS experience. 16

“Conversations about social justice are difficult, and for that very reason, they are essential. Often the hardest things to talk about are the most important ...”

Getting Started This work is, by and large, more challenging for adults than for children. Children are often significantly more comfortable having difficult and courageous conversations, pointing out injustices they see and hear about, and naming what adults can often be reluctant to name. Children are also notoriously fearless when it comes to asking provocative questions, pushing for honest answers, and, whether they know it or not, challenging the comfort zones of the adults around them. It is for this reason that when, in the 2018–19 school year, RCS launched its first official DEI programming, we focused first on the teachers, administration, and staff. The theory behind this approach was that if the adults who are with the children all day are not comfortable having or do not feel equipped to have difficult conversations, then these conversations are less likely to be encouraged or initiated. The more comfortable adults become with talking about issues related to social justice, the more they can lead and guide their students in supportive and nurturing ways.

Just as the broader work of DEI is a process, so too is the program at RCS. At the start of the 2018–19 school year, a few initiatives were germinating as ideas, and from these ideas, they evolved into action. As part of an in-house professional development program, three Friday afternoon allschool faculty meetings were devoted to small workshops. Faculty and staff were offered a choice of workshops from which they could select the one most interesting to them, and from there spent the afternoon engaged in small-group, interactive workshops with colleagues. The ultimate goal: supporting faculty in removing barriers to academic achievement, enriching the community experience, and cultivating stronger bonds among students and their peers and teachers. The workshops were run by me, Ridley Sperling, first grade teacher Christy Glynn, and former Director of Technology Tope Aiyegbo, and included an assortment of topics such as Gender and Sexuality: How to Support Students Who Might Not Know They Need It; Identity and Intersectionality: The Impact of the Lenses We Wear; and The Value of a SocioEconomically Diverse School Environment.

Creating a Just Society

A Different Approach With the beginning of the 2019–20 school year came a slightly different approach to the small-group faculty meeting workshop model, and instead, Christy Glynn provided to the faculty an overview of the Pollyanna Racial Literacy Curriculum. Following this, teachers were broken into gradelevel teaching groups to read through, examine, and discuss ways in which this outstanding resource could be applied to RCS’s own courses. Provided free of charge, “Pollyanna’s Racial Literacy Curriculum for Grades K-8 is designed to help students gain knowledge about race as it has been constructed in the United States and aims to help students acquire an awareness of their own racial socialization and skills for engaging in productive conversations about race and racism” (www.pollyannainc.org).

Building a Model for Success Building on these initial curricular conversations, 13 faculty members participated last summer in an online training program on antiracism, racial literacy, and how to utilize elements of the Pollyanna Racial Literacy Curriculum in their own teaching, as well as how to understand the broader implications of elements of curriculum that need diversification of voices, perspective, and experiences. The faculty who participated in this professional development opportunity will be ambassadors in grade-level and subject-area curriculum conversions this year and moving forward as RCS continues to probe these essential questions. During the 2020–21 school year (and beyond), the faculty will be committed to diving deeply into questions that push both teachers and students to consider who and what issues are centered in the curriculum. For example, Who writes the stories?

Who tells the stories? Who is missing from the stories? Who benefits from the stories? These “stories” might be historical events, current literature, artistic expression, or even an exploration of mathematicians or scientists, but it is essential that diversity of perspective, experience, and voice be celebrated in what we teach and learn. Additionally, RCS is excited to send a cohort of RCS community members to engage virtually in an all-day Pollyanna, Inc., conference in April 2021, hosted by Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut. The theme of this year’s conference is “Climate of Belonging: Challenging Our Past to Reimagine Our Future.” The goal of the day is to continue to think about and examine the “current structures, biases, and privileges in place at our schools as well as how we might adapt our schools and policies to be more inclusive” (www.westoverschool.org). The day will allow two representatives from a variety of RCS constituencies to come together with one another and learn

from and meet with participants from others schools in order to advance DEI initiatives at RCS. Modeled after the renowned Dalton Diversity Conference, this event, rescheduled from the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, will undoubtedly be an amazing, exciting, and inspirational learning experience.

Tapping the Experts In addition to in-house professional development opportunities led by RCS faculty, the teachers have been fortunate to benefit from presenters and workshops from outside the RCS community. In August 2019, faculty engaged in an all-day professional development workshop with Dr. Eli Green, founder and CEO of the Transgender Training Institute, and Dr. Jaymie Campbell, senior instructor at TTI, an educational consulting company that provides training and consulting services by transgender people for the benefit of

Creating a Just Society transgender people and communities. Having completed, the previous summer, the Training of Trainers Program, I felt that bringing the expertise and phenomenal teaching skills of Dr. Green and Dr. Campbell to RCS would be an invaluable experience, and one that would — and did — resonate with each and every participant.

sessions for our Upper School students as well. In November 2020, the fourth annual Saturday Summit on Social Justice proved to be a rich experience for students and faculty again, even though the interactive half-day conference was held virtually.

Additionally, RCS faculty had the “I decided to look at some of the opportunity to work this fall with topics that would be spoken about at Natalie Gillard, the creator and founder the conference, and I was intrigued,” of Factuality: The Game, which is “a ninth grader Eva Rodgers said. “The facilitated dialogue, crash course, and workshops I signed up for explored interactive experience, that simulates body image and police brutality. I structural inequality, in America” learned a lot about the topics I chose (www.factualitythegame.com). — especially criminal justice and police While this event had to move to a brutality. The breakout room leaders virtual space, it was still powerful, of the workshops really did a great job transformative, and educational. on their presentations and went into such detail about very specific topics. It Two faculty members, English teacher was very powerful and I would love to and Grade 8 Dean Marie Peña and do something like that again.” art teacher Sara Malekzadeh, had the opportunity to participate in In addition to offering interactive this game with some of RCS’s eighth workshops, RCS has welcomed and ninth graders in the fall of 2019 powerful guest speakers to the when they attended the Saturday community. In April 2019, Dr. Mykee Summit on Social Justice held at The Fowlin returned to RCS to talk about Masters School. The event was open the value of promoting inclusive to students in Grades 8-12 who attend communities and celebrating local independent schools, and the unseen differences in individuals. Dr. RCS students who attended thoroughly Fowlin’s programs combine both his enjoyed their experiences. professional acting talents and his psychological training, which he uses Eve Doran ’20 said, “It was a really in pursuit of his mission to create an worthwhile experience. It was nice to atmosphere of worldwide inclusion, express your views, without judgment. not just tolerance, of all people. The environment was inclusive and Also in the spring of 2019, the Antieveryone should experience it.” Defamation League led interactive workshops with our seventh and Remy Lipman ‘21 added, “It was a really eighth graders as part of its A World amazing experience and I learned so of Difference program. The ADL’s much about how other people feel. It programs and resources are designed was really interesting to experience to help students “recognize bias and other people’s perspectives.” the harm it inflicts on individuals and society; build understanding of the Based on their experience playing value and benefits of diversity; improve Factuality during that conference, intergroup relations; and confront Ms. Peña and Ms. Malekzadeh racism, anti-Semitism and all other recommended Ms. Gillard, and we were forms of bigotry” (www.adl.org). able to arrange a visit to RCS in October 2020, where she not only worked with the faculty on understanding systemic bias and its impacts and implications, but she hosted age-appropriate

“The workshops I signed up for explored body image and police brutality. I learned a lot about the topics I chose – especially criminal justice and police brutality. The breakout room leaders of the workshops really did a great job on their presentations and went into such detail about very specific topics. It was very powerful and I would love to do something like that again.”

Literature and DEI Literature has played a central role in the DEI initiatives at RCS for adults and children alike. Beginning in the 2018–19 school year, faculty were offered the chance to join a book club, reading one book per term and meeting over breakfast to discuss them. The three books read during the 2018–19 school year were Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates; Real American by Julie Lythcott-Haims; and George by Alex Gino. The fall and winter months of 2019 brought faculty together to discuss Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin and New Kid by Jerry Craft. The literature read in Upper School English classes is being regularly evaluated and updated, with intentional consideration being paid to representation of diverse voices and experiences, both in characters and in authors. Two years ago, when eighth graders began reading Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give for English class, they had the opportunity to engage in an exciting opportunity with ninth graders from Memorial High School in West New York, New Jersey. After reading 20

the novel, the students from New Jersey traveled to Bedford and the two classes met at RCS to discuss the book and their different life experiences. Given the vast difference in economic and racial backgrounds between the students, it was a unique opportunity to share perspectives and open dialogue about real-world topics. The students relished this experience, sharing their thoughts and perspectives. One RCS student from the Class of 2020 noted, “The students from Memorial High came into the discussion and immediately joined in and shared their story, their perspective, and how they related to it. I thought that was really brave of them because I was even hesitant about sharing even in my own environment surrounded by people I know. The people in my group were awesome.” Similarly, another student from RCS’s Class of 2020 reflected, “I enjoyed learning about a completely different community, events that occur, and the reactions that people have to these events. I think it’s necessary to read these types of books; it’s good to broaden your understanding and to dip into pools of discomfort. Hopefully, you benefit and create an understanding

of these things that you may otherwise have not experienced.” The value RCS places on literature is also evident in last summer’s four Community Read options. Through reading and the discussion of literature, empathy can be fostered, connections can be deepened, and understanding can be created and cultivated, and because of this, we decided to offer a few different titles to select from with the goal of engaging readers of all levels, from our youngest students to our oldest, and for parents and teachers as well. Our goal is that in discussing these wonderful books, we can forge connections with one another, thus deepening our understanding of what it means to live in and engage fully in our world. Social justice has always been and always will be an essential aspect of life in our increasingly global society, and by engaging in rich and challenging conversations such as the ones we will host in the fall we can make RCS a stronger, more inclusive community. The book we selected for our JPK, SPK, and Kindergarten readers was Alexandra Penfold’s All Are Welcome, a picture book that celebrates diversity in a school environment where students learn from

Creating a Just Society

each other and about themselves. For our students in Grades 1–3, we selected Evelyn Coleman’s White Socks Only, a picture book with sophisticated concepts and a storyline that recounts a young African-American girl’s grandmother’s tale of approaching and drinking from a water fountain labeled “Whites Only.” Students in Grades 4–6 had the opportunity to read Child of the Dream: A Memoir of 1963 by Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Sharon writes of feeling isolated, as she is one of the few Black children in her wealthy Connecticut neighborhood. She struggles to discover what her role will be in the Civil Rights Movement occurring around her, but ultimately finds her voice in the fight for equality and justice. And last but not least, Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy was chosen for students in Grades 7–9 and for adults. This book has two published versions — one geared toward students in Grades 7 and up, and one geared toward older adolescents and adults. Stevenson is the executive director and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and Just Mercy is the story of his work with Walter McMillian, a young Black man wrongly sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit. This memoir explores the roots

and current manifestations of systemic racism, issues of inequity in the United States justice system, and how mass incarceration and excessive punishment disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people in America. Last fall, I hosted parentstudent discussions on Child of the Dream and Just Mercy over Zoom. Though the community events have been virtual in 2020–21, we were excited to host the conversations, and it is our hope that this is just the beginning of rich and important community reads and opportunities for meaningful discussion. In October we also hosted, courtesy of Annie Bai, P ’20, a special Zoom criminal justice assembly with two lawyers who worked with Bryan Stevenson, Stan German, Executive Director of New York County Defender Services and Aimee Carlisle, Senior Attorney of Bronx Public Defenders. Spanish teacher Kathy Perry noted that the students were both moved and impressed, and that the statistics cited by the lawyers helped to motivate many to want to make a difference. Ninth grader Madeleine Port described the interactive conversation as eye-

opening. “I knew there were many injustices with the criminal system in America, yet I never understood the large numbers,” she said. “Both lawyers gave such amazing insight into the issues with American crime injustices. Although we saw it through Zoom, my attention remained with the speaker.” Another community-building activity at RCS is our Community Partners program, now in its third year and led by Christy Glynn, which has been thus far geared toward Lower School students. Community Partner groups meet about once a month to complete an activity together. The goal of Community Partners is to intentionally group students of varying grades who are likely to connect with one another and form friendships and alliances outside of the classroom. In this way, we can foster greater community connections between our students, allow older students to be leaders with the younger students, and effectively integrate new students into the RCS family. Though with the pandemic’s limitations we have delayed the start of Community Partners this year, we are so excited to be able to enhance this program even more with the bringing together of our two campuses. 21

Creating a Just Society Creating Cultural Awareness During the 2018–19 school year, Marie Peña and I offered a new Allied Art for students in Grades 7-9. CAFE (Cultural Awareness for Everyone) is an elective geared toward promoting discussions about diversity, social justice, inclusion, and equity, examining personal experiences related to these topics, and, ultimately, educating the wider student community about them. In fact, before we transitioned to distance learning in the spring of 2020, the CAFE group, then in its second year, was knee-deep in planning a studentrun and studentdirected Diversity Day, complete with rotating workshops including art, athletics, cooking, and dance, to name a few. The goal was to emphasize the global nature that exists within a small community. Students would have the opportunity to learn about and from one another, and to celebrate both our human commonalities and our differences by sharing cultural experiences and traditions. We are hopeful that we will be able to capitalize on our initial planning and bring something to life — in person — this year!

COVID-19 Can’t Stop CAFE! Even though RCS students in Grades 7-9 don’t have Allied Arts this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, Marie Peña and Ridley Sperling have recently decided to host weekly Zoom CAFE meetings on Mondays at 5:00 p.m. to talk about all things DEI-related with interested students. Ms. Peña explained, “CAFE is a group that comes together in a safe space 22

Looking Ahead At RCS, we are excited about the beginnings of our DEI program and are looking forward to building upon its foundation and implementing new initiatives. Though there are limitations in place due to COVID-19 restrictions, we remain committed to our work as it pertains to social justice. The faculty diversity committee will continue to meet, as will, in conjunction with the faculty group,

the subcommittee of the Board. RCS will continue to send faculty to national and local conferences and workshops, with the goal of offering ninth graders the opportunity to attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, the student portion of the annual People of Color Conference. We will continue to seek out enriching speakers and activities for our students, while simultaneously focusing on the importance of our own community and what we can learn from one another. RCS faculty

to discuss different cultures, social dilemmas, gender, sexuality, and all the parts that make us, as humans, uniquely special. I enjoy the students’ perspectives on what challenges our world faces, what makes RCS so special, and how to involve our community in larger conversations. I am always in awe of the compassion and leadership that the members of CAFE display for one another and the greater community.” “I joined CAFE because we need to understand other people’s perspectives in order to understand their experiences and what we need to fix in the future,”

will critically examine our curricula with an aim to diversify the lenses through which we understand and observe the world, the perspectives we hear and seek out, and the voices we celebrate. The DEI page on the RCS website is regularly updated and remains a living document. We hope you will take a look! Diversity, equity, and inclusion work is a process. The work never stops because there will always be somebody who is disenfranchised, hurting, or misunderstood. For some, social justice work guides them; for others, the journey is just beginning; and for even other folks, they barely have a toe in the water and aren’t sure if they want to. Perspective and opinion are essential elements of social justice work; we all carry our own stories with us, and it is the sharing of and trusting others with that story that forges connections between individuals, both those who are opposites and those who share many things in common. Listening is perhaps the most important skill as it pertains to understanding one another and building community. Ultimately, it is a sense of belonging, of worth, and of value that comes with being understood, seen, heard, and appreciated. My hope is that every child who walks through the doors of Centennial Hall knows that they belong both at RCS and in the world, and from their experiences, they will carry strength and light toward the future, building it up and making it brighter.

Charlie Vance ’23 said. “I want to be heard and for others to be heard.” Madeleine Port ’21 added, “After joining CAFE for only one session, I couldn’t help feeling an immense sense of safety from the teachers and students in the group. Diversity comes in all shapes and backgrounds, so I believe it’s important to talk about and cherish our differences. I think that having a group like CAFE is needed because it’s a safe place to share our differences and unique attributes while connecting with our similarities at the same time.”

Community

Heroes pediatric nurse at Hospital for Special Surgery and they encouraged and funded our advanced degrees. RCS: You were one of the chief architects of our Reopening Plan. What were some of the biggest challenges in preparing to bring students and faculty back for in-person learning? SA: All of them! It was such a coordinated effort. We wanted it to be a good, rewarding experience so everyone involved had to find ways to mitigate risk but maximize in-school learning. RCS: What are you most proud of when you reflect on Ripp’s ongoing COVID-19 response?

Medical Director Sarah Abraham Every morning RCS Medical Director Sarah Abraham greets students at the curb with a warm smile, a big hello ... and a quick check with a temporal thermometer. On Thursdays, Nurse Abraham and her testing team are coordinating hundreds of PCR tests and making sure that everyone, from our littlest JPKers to our biggest staffers, feels safe and comfortable even while getting something stuck up their nose. And every moment in between, Nurse Abraham is Ripp’s own Dr. Fauci, an accessible medical resource for the entire school community answering questions about everything pandemic-related, from safety protocols to symptoms, therapeutics, travel, and quarantine. All this on top of the skinned knees, stomachaches, bumps, and booboos that are part of life in a PreK through Grade 9 school. Without question, the role of a school nurse has expanded exponentially with

the ongoing pandemic and through it all, Nurse Abraham has guided RCS families, administrators, faculty, and staff through this unprecedented time with knowledge, humor, and grace under pressure. We invite you to get to know Ripp’s biggest wellness advocate. RCS: When did you decide to become a nurse practitioner? Were you always interested in medicine? SA: My grandfather, father, and uncles are all physicians. I grew up in hospitals and going on house calls. I understood practicing medicine to mean always being available to care for your patients. While this provided a good foundation, I did not always plan to go into medicine — I have a degree in geography! I planned to work in land allocation for dedicated land preserves! I decided to become a nurse practitioner so I could do more to help and have more autonomy. I was a

SA: The community, absolutely. The in-school community — students, staff, and faculty — has been so patient and diligent, and the outside community so respectful and cooperative. This never would have worked without such a dedicated group of people. RCS: How do you navigate all the conflicting information surrounding the pandemic? What are some of the best resources for information? SA: I think from my perspective the information isn’t necessarily conflicting, but I certainly can see how confusing it can be. I think whenever there is a lot of information available, the best course is to choose the most reliable and relevant sources. For me, they are the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, New York State, and the Westchester County Department of Health. We must adhere to our local and state guidelines, so I would direct anyone to those sources first for clarification on guidelines. When there is room for interpretation, I use the CDC and 23

Community Heroes

AAP, peer-reviewed research articles, and professional experience to help determine best practice. RCS: You have two young children, one here at Ripp. How has the added perspective that you have as a parent helped you work with parents, faculty, and staff during this challenging time? SA: I can empathize with the anxiety inherent with returning to school in person. Many of us are making decisions that impact our own children as well as the children of others, so I hope that increases the confidence the community has that we truly believe what we do is in the best interest of our students, faculty, and staff. RCS: How do you make our youngest students feel so comfortable getting tested for COVID-19 week after week?

Director of Technology Michael Bowman

SA: They are rock stars! I met with them before the first testing day to talk about what I would be doing, gave a demo on a classmate, and encouraged them to practice at home with parents using Q-tips. We also sometimes let them watch something when we test, so that helps also! Once they felt it was like a good nose picking, they somehow felt quite comfortable.

Used to support both teaching and learning, technology has long been an integral component of the RCS mission. In the past year, as first we transitioned to distance teaching and learning and then evolved to the safe reopening of in-person school, the effective use of technology was critical to our success. From rolling out and managing a new Zoom teaching platform to overseeing device distribution so that every RCS student was equipped to learn from home, to setting up drive-in graduation ceremonies and coordinating the ninth grade TED Talk presentations at The Bedford Playhouse, Michael Bowman skillfully tackled each new challenge. Solving problems is part of the Director of Technology’s job description, and never has that been more true than in this unprecedented year. We invite you to get to know Rippowam Cisqua School’s chief problem solver.

RCS: As a frontline medical professional, what do you want everyone to know about staying safe and healthy through the pandemic? SA: I don’t consider myself frontline as a medical professional. I’m working with a healthy, low-risk population. I do think all of us at school are putting ourselves out there at the same level for the same reason. I do want everyone to please follow the Community Agreement. As I am often the one delivering positive results, I can tell you everyone is surprised. This virus is like that — it spreads quietly and easily, so we need to minimize close contact, wear masks, wash hands, and make good choices. 24

RCS: What brought you to RCS? Did you always want to work in a school? MB: Education has always been a

central part of my professional life. Whether it was working as a teaching assistant in graduate school at the University of Vermont, mentoring PreK through twelfth grade students in the installation computer labs at West Point, or the seven years I spent working in higher education as part of the Marist College information technology team, facilitating technology in classrooms and communities has always been front and center. In 2013, I discovered Rippowam Cisqua School via the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and thought it sounded like a great fit. Almost eight years later, and I am still challenged every day. RCS: What was your first job? Have you always worked in technology? MB: My first “job” was working alongside my father who was an auto mechanic by trade — another type of problem solver. As I got older and went off to college, my educational goals were to teach, and I followed that path through undergraduate and into graduate school in the field of history.

Community Heroes

All along the way however, I worked in computer labs, built custom computers, and was always an early adopter of new technologies. I went to Marist College (Class of ‘99) at a time when the Internet was really beginning to take hold in all facets of education and elsewhere, and I really benefited from Marist’s close partnership with IBM and later Lenovo. I still have fond memories of Marist’s token ring network and some older UNIX-based applications.

in local politics in one role or another for more than a decade, so I was asked by my neighbors to run for office. My village is a small, one-square-mile hamlet, half of which is protected parklands and hiking trails. I serve approximately 630 residents. At the end of the day, being the mayor entails ensuring that the roads are cleared, concerns are heard, budgets are followed, and that I leave the village in a better state than I found it.

RCS: When you first learned that we would be transitioning to distance learning, what did you think would be the biggest challenge?

RCS: You are also a volunteer firefighter. How do you fit it all in?

MB: I thought early on that the biggest hurdle we would face would be getting everyone up and running on Zoom and trained appropriately on how to teach virtually. I don’t think many people, let alone teachers, knew what Zoom was one year ago, and no one ever imagined how big a role it would play in their lives throughout all of 2020 and beyond. The tech setup piece was relatively straightforward. It was ensuring that every one of our teachers, students, staff, and administration had the knowledge to use it effectively — that was the hardest work. I will be forever grateful to my co-workers (and my family) for their patience and support through that time. I am so proud of the absolute Herculean job that our teachers and administration undertook, developing a distance learning curriculum in a matter of weeks that was well above and beyond anything else among our peers.

MB: Yes, I have been a volunteer firefighter for over 15 years. I answer calls whenever I can. It just happens to be that the majority of our volume hits during the summer season, as we serve Breakneck Mountain, Mount Taurus, and the Hudson River. We spend a lot of time on the mountains in addition to the usual fires and accidents that people think of firemen dealing with year-round. RCS: We have some beautiful photographs of the new playground on our website that you took with your

drone. Many of our readers would probably be surprised to learn that you have done professional photography including working with some pretty famous musicians. Can you tell us a little about that? MB: I was given my first film camera when I was in high school and have progressed with technology to digital and drone photography throughout the years. I had some wonderful luck working for a stock photographer right out of college that had the “I NY” campaign, and I helped bring their collections into the digital age. Photography has always been one of my real loves, and yes, I have had the opportunity to photograph and work with some interesting people. Highlights for me would definitely be documenting Pete Seeger and his family at their home in Beacon, New York, and another would be having my work alongside photojournalist Tim Hetherington and writer Howie Khan for a piece on the decline of Detroit.

♥

Two of Michael Bowman’s photos: Pete Seeger (left) and his banjo (right)

RCS: You are the mayor of your town. What made you decide to run for that office? What does your role as mayor entail? MB: The “why” would take up far more space than allotted here — the CliffsNotes version is that it involved a piece of land near my home (and the local school) that the former leadership was offering as a site for a cell phone tower installation. I have been involved 25

Community Heroes The RCS Maintenance Team: (back row, left to right) Hamilton Salazar, Bob Cherubini, John Broderick; (middle row) Frank Lutz, Kyle Brown, Jay Oliver; (front row) Reggie Baxter, Carlos Londono, Joe Liburdi Jr.

The RCS Maintenance Team Anyone who has ever spent time at RCS knows that the amazing group of professionals who make up our Maintenance Team are the heart and soul of Rippowam Cisqua School. They are universally loved by students, parents, faculty, and staff for good reason — from landscaping to construction to driving the big blue and white bus, the Maintenance Team takes care of both our facilities and our people. And they have played an enormous role in our ability 26

to safely remain open during the fall and winter months. A critical aspect of our 2020 Reopening Plan was mitigating risk of exposure by severely limiting access to our facilities. That meant RCS would no longer use outside cleaning crews, so the responsibility for the enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols fell to the Maintenance Team. Every day since reopening in September the Maintenance Team has cleaned and disinfected our playground, buildings,

classrooms, and buses, often several times a day as thorough cleaning is required anytime there is a transition of students into and out of a space. And that’s in addition to all the work that went into combining our two campuses over the summer. All this has been undertaken on top of the regular upkeep of our facilities — like plowing and shoveling after two feet of snow falls on a Sunday night. We invite you to get to know these RCS heroes.

Community Heroes

Frank Lutz, Director of Operations and Security – Mr. Lutz started at RCS in 2017. He arrived in the middle of the $25 million renovation of this campus. “That was hard,” he said. “Everyone kept talking about what used to be here, and I had never seen the old building. I was totally out of my element.” But with his decades of experience working in schools, technology, and maintenance, Mr. Lutz quickly became acclimated. He is a chief reason why our campus renovation was completed on time and on budget. Fun Fact: Mr. Lutz actually worked with Head of School Colm MacMahon for six years at School of the Holy Child in Rye. Reggie Baxter – Mr. Baxter has been part of the Ripp fabric for a long time. “I’m not sure how long I’ve been here,” he laughed. “Twenty years, could be 25 years ...” Some people joke that he has been here since they laid the foundation of this school. When asked about having to transition to sanitizing the campus multiple times a day due to the pandemic, Mr. Baxter commented, “At first it was difficult. But we figured it out. We’ve got a system now and we just go. We go, go, go.” For him, one of the best things about his long career at RCS is seeing former students return to visit. “I’ve seen a lot of kids turn into men and women here,” he added. “They come back here and it’s just, wow! You see the little kid come right out of them.” Fun Fact: Mr. Baxter helped build the Sky Room on the old Lower Campus, and served in the United States Army in the 1980s. John Broderick – Mr. Broderick started at RCS over 20 years ago as summer help. During the school year, he drove a bus for his local school district, which left his summers free. His friend Bob Cherubini suggested that he spend his summers working at Ripp. Three years ago, Mr. Broderick started working full time. In addition to campus maintenance, he drives the big blue and white RCS bus. How are the kids on the bus? “Well, they know when

you aren’t looking at them,” he said with a laugh. Fun Fact: Mr. Broderick’s son Johnny lived and worked at Ripp for five years. Kyle Brown – In his third year at RCS, Mr. Brown is a fixture around campus. “We walk around so much. Everyone sees us. The kids get to know us,” he said. A former member of the RCS Maintenance Team, Joe Liburdi Sr., gets the credit for bringing him to Ripp. He had worked with Mr. Liburdi locally doing plumbing repair. “I like this better,” Mr. Brown said. “I get to do a whole array of things here. I get to do things like small engine repair... That’s what I like — doing hands-on things. That’s the way I learn.” Fun Fact: Mr. Brown has been a member of the Bedford Hills Fire Department for the last 10 years and an EMT in the Mount Kisco Ambulance Corps for the last seven years. Bob Cherubini – If you are looking for something on campus, after almost 30 years working on the RCS Maintenance Team, Mr. Cherubini probably knows where to find it. “The school has practically been a second home to my kids and me,” he commented. Not only did his daughters Bethany ’13 and Caroline ’16 attend Ripp, they both have worked alongside their father on the Maintenance Team. In fact, Bethany has spent the last eight summers working on campus. Fun Fact: Mr. Cherubini coached baseball with RCS legend Richie Meyers for over 20 years. Joe Liburdi Jr. – This is Mr. Liburdi’s first year at RCS. He is following in the footsteps of his father, Joe Liburdi Sr., who was part of the RCS maintenance staff from 2016–19. Like his dad, he is also a firefighter with the Bedford Hills Fire Department. Fun Fact: Mr. Liburdi grew up on West Patent Road, just a mile down from the old RCS Lower Campus. Carlos Londono – Mr. Londono is known for his skill as a master carpenter. His handiwork can be seen

in buildings throughout campus from the Ninth Grade House to 41 Clinton Road (which the Maintenance Team built from the ground up), to the Head of School’s residence. He came to Ripp over 14 years ago at the behest of RCS parent and former trustee George Bianco, for whom he had worked in the past. Fun Fact: Mr. Londono helped his son Jack ’17 build a replica of the Ninth Grade House, which is still on display today. And when he is home from Cornell, you can find Jack working alongside his father doing maintenance around campus. Jay Oliver – Mr. Oliver began his career at RCS over 16 years ago. He started as summer help after his dad, who worked for many years doing roof repair on campus, suggested he apply for the job. “Seeing the kids. That’s what makes my day,” he said. And the feeling is mutual. Students young and old love seeing Mr. Oliver around campus. When he was a crossing guard for the Lower School, he would always check in the Front Office to see who had a birthday each day so that he could be sure to be the first person to say Happy Birthday when students arrived at school in the morning. He always makes the kids feel special! Fun Fact: RCS isn’t just a job for Mr. Oliver, it’s his home, too. he lives above the Dining Hall. You have probably seen him on Clinton Road or on the athletics fields after school walking his dog, Junior. Hamilton Salazar – Mr. Salazar is in his second year at RCS. Prior to working at Ripp, he worked for the New York State Department of Transportation. After working on busy highways like Route 684, he joked, “I wanted to do something safer, with more conventional work hours, where I did not have to worry about getting hit by a car speeding down the highway or have to pick up a dead deer from the side of the road.” Fun Fact: Mr. Salazar started his career in radio and spent 30 years working in the New York City radio market. 27

Spring 2020

Lower School Arch Drive Celebration Lower School families drove through a towering balloon arch on June 10 to celebrate the end of the academic school year and to look optimistically toward new opportunities, new grades, and a new building in September 2020. “Arches symbolize opportunity, and passing through an arch represents entering a new phase of possibilities,” then Head of Lower School Erin Callaghan said. “To honor that spirit of pride and excitement, we added one final celebration to take place on the Lower Campus while respecting the need for physical distancing.” “This was really special,” one parent said. “The kids felt super proud. Thank you, Ripp!” “Wonderful,” said another. “I cried.” The arch drive opened to fourth grade students first to celebrate their moving up to middle school, and then other families were invited to drive through the arch. Children waved wildly from cars, many decorated with red and blue balloons and posters. Faculty and staff cheered back with just as much enthusiasm as music played and families drove through the arch — again and again!

Spring 2020

Signs of the Times

When these simple corrugated signs started popping up in RCS family yards, anticipation for end-of-year traditions started to build. It had been an unusual spring, but when parents and faculty delivered these signs to eighth and ninth graders, we knew that while our celebrations would be different, we could still honor milestones and feel joyful. And so we’re beginning the Graduation 2020 section here with yard signs. A special thank you to Grade 9 Capstone Teachers Jordan Schnell and Ridley Sperling for surprising every soon-to-begrad with yard signs and special gifts, and to a wonderful band of eighth grade parents — Tracy Barrios, Beth Crowell, Dottie Mattison, Magda Pauley, and Carolyn Spencer — for celebrating the eighth graders’ completion of middle school. “It was just really great to see the 9s,” Ms. Schnell said about

the yard sign visits. “I don’t think we or the students realized just how much we had been missing each other until we came face to face. There were many moments of shock, of repeated blinking, as if Ridley and I were apparitions who had somehow appeared in front of them after three months of just Zooming, of students in pajamas — some we clearly woke up even though it was after 11:00 a.m. “Mostly, there was gratitude, laughter, appreciation, and joy — from the parents, from the students, and from us. We had the chance to chat with kids and families, to meet many new additions (quarantine puppies!) and faithful longtime furry friends, to meet some siblings and aunts and grandmothers, to joke and laugh a bit. While the reason for us doing this may have been the pandemic and because we couldn’t celebrate them as we so wished we could, there wasn’t frustration or sadness or disappointment anywhere in these visits. It was just students and teachers hanging out for a bit in a decidedly strange location, commemorating the end of a really good year.”

Spring 2020

Beth Crowell, parent of Belle ’21 and Wilson ’23, was touched by the connection the signs brought as well. “Lucky me, getting to deliver CONGRATULATIONS signs to the eighth graders, who had not been to school in nearly three months,” she said. “I look back at my photos from that day and see all the students, with broad smiles, standing proudly by their signs. The photos may look the same, but the children were not, each unique and special in their own way. First stop, very polite and quite funny. Second stop, out with Dad, a bit of sass, but kind and grateful. Third stop had to be quick, as I was interrupting the 14-year-old chef making homemade chicken tikka masala and naan! Fourth, a visit with a student and his parents, who are friends of mine, sharing a few laughs, and a few tears. Fifth, greeted by a dog, an indoor rabbit, a mom, a little sis, and a student who was desperate to get back to his Zoom class.

“Driving home after my last delivery, I was teary … teary for what the world was going through, but even more, teary with gratitude for finding joy in the small things in life … like delivering or receiving a sign. I was thankful to Ripp for allowing me this chance to connect with these special families! I was thankful to be part of the Ripp family. I was thankful for this silver lining.”

GRADUATION

2020

Rippowam Cisqua School’s one hundred and second year finished like no other! At 10:30 in the morning on June 11, members of the Class of 2020, their immediate families, and a small group of faculty and administrators gathered for an intimate ceremony on Meyers Fields. Physically distanced in a large semicircle — with family vehicles behind them, roses in hand, and a small stage and podium before them — the graduates celebrated the unique accomplishments of a class that had been connecting on Zoom since March, and bonding in a way that no other class before them had done. “I can tell you this,” Head of School Colm MacMahon said in his welcome, “Graduation 2020 will never be forgotten in the history of our school — that I can promise you!” Many beloved Ripp traditions were woven into the memorable morning. Class Co-Presidents Clara Guettel and Nora Rodgers and student-

selected guest speaker Tim Hart delivered moving speeches. Mr. MacMahon reminded the graduates, as he does every year, to take care of themselves and each other, and to return — often. Board Chair Peter Freund ’91 recognized the achievement of what was for some students (our lifers) 12 years at the school. There were white dresses, boutonnieres, and broad smiles — and the announcement of the winners of this year’s Red/Blue Competition (Blue conquered Red, 1,705 to 1,536). A separate Eighth Grade Celebration was held later in the day for the entire Class of 2021 and their families to keep the gatherings smaller and our community safer. Technology took a more prominent role in this year’s Graduation as each student was provided with a laptop at the ceremony’s start that was preloaded with personalized video messages. Here are a few of our favorite moments from Graduation 2020.

Message of Gratitude from the Class of 2020 Clara Guettel and Nora Rodgers sparkled at the podium as they gave their remarks as Class Co-Presidents. “We would like to thank you fоr gathering tоday tо celebrate the ninth grade graduating Class оf 2020,” Ms. Rodgers began as she welcomed faculty, families, and friends. “Speaking оn behalf оf оur grade, we cannоt express hоw grateful we are tо have

been able tо cоme together with our families and amazing teachers tо cоmmemоrate the accоmplishments оf оur class, and say goodbye to this special place we call hоme.” “If you had told us last year, or even five months ago, that we would be graduating while sitting in our cars in a big circle, we would probably look at you like you were crazy,” Ms. Guettel continued. “Because the truth of the

matter is this is all undeniably, and so obviously, insane. And even amidst all this craziness and uncertainty, we, as the Class of 2020, have stood together as one. We want to thank you all so deeply for making our Capstone year at Rippowam Cisqua School the best it could have been. I know that we were all excited for the traditional Graduation ceremony, but this is an experience that will not soon be forgotten by any one of us.”

GRADUATION

2020

“You Give Me Hope” Humanities Teacher and TED Talk Facilitator Tim Hart was selected by ninth graders to deliver the 2020 Graduation speech. Always eloquent, the popular faculty member wove snippets of the students’ TED Talks into his tribute as he praised them for becoming a wave of change for the future.

to find the answers? Luke Bai reminded us that self-blame does not offer the way out in his talk about PTSD. After all, PTSD isn’t about what’s wrong with you, it’s about what happened to you. Nora Rodgers asked: Is it any wonder why can’t we sleep nine hours? Right? Juliet Kaufmann suggested that to combat that struggle we need to build a life toolbox to be there to assist us when we encounter difficulty. Anna Ziegler was still searching for that tool in her talk of the long goodbye — the figurative death that precedes actual death in the case of dementia.

“It seems that this class is already wellarmed with some of the necessary components for making a better now,” he said. “Their work this year is chockfull of concerns about how to be healthy, how to maintain the good, how to make what is better. “One tool to use when dealing with life’s struggles was offered by Will “Rowan McGinnis reminded us to stop Ghriskey: Exercise. After all, ‘If your looking to the future and worrying body feels good, so does your brain.’ about the past. If you are going to bring Margo Clough advised us not to make about change, you must stay in the unreasonable goals for ourselves, that moment. As we exist in the moment, it perfect is the enemy of progress. We is important, as Bryce O’Brien warned were all made to be imperfectly perfect. us, to play safer and to be smarter in our choices, because that which we choose “Many students visited the idea of family. we cannot unchoose. Harry Whitman Jay Ashforth spoke of his brother’s asked us to examine our choices. There struggle with Lyme disease. Lila O’Brien are no shortcuts to success. Prior to suggested that maybe we should follow fixing on a possible solution, ask: Is it the example of Fiorello LaGuardia. She worth it? told the tale of a grandmother who had been fined by Judge LaGuardia for “Eve Doran was curious as to why we stealing a loaf of bread. He then paid her ‘freak out over the smallest things.’ What fine and fined all the members of the causes our anxiety, and where do we go jury for allowing a system of injustice to

exist where a grandmother had to steal to feed her grandchildren. “Clara Guettel advised, ‘Healthy relationships may be the single most important determinant to happiness.’ Charlie Gordon echoed that idea and suggested that addiction’s biggest foe was family: a family’s support, a family’s trust. In this talk he pointed to his father in the audience saying, ‘As long as we have family we are never alone.’ Family is enough. “You are the architects of the rest of your life. You all have the seed of greatness in you. Today, you are sprouts just coming through the soil. The sun shines on your bright faces and the world is full of possibility. Maybe your branches will provide shade for an entire community, your fruit the medicine that cures loneliness. Maybe your trunk will provide shelter from life’s storms … Maybe, just maybe. “But as you leave, remember only in the darkness can you see the stars. And that hope is a waking dream. Know that you do not just embody hope, you are hope. And as Mya Diaz said, ‘Hope is grief’s best, most soothing, music.’ “So, to the Class of 2020, congratulations and thank you. For you give me hope.” 35

Congratulations to the Rippowam Cisqua School Class of 2017 The following is a selection of colleges and universities at which RCS students have matriculated in the past five years. American University Amherst College Barnard College* Bates College* Baylor University Beacon School Bentley University Berklee College of Music* Boston College* Boston University* Bowdoin College* Brown University* Bucknell University* Claremont McKenna College Colby College Colgate University* College of Charleston* College of the Holy Cross* Colorado College* Colorado State University Columbia University* Cornell University* Dartmouth College Dickinson College Dublin Institute of Technology Duke University* Elon University* Emory University Fordham University* Franklin and Marshall College* George Washington University* Georgetown University* Georgia Tech* Gettysburg College* Gordon College Hampton University Hobart and William Smith* Indiana University Johns Hopkins University Johnson and Wales University Kenyon College* Lafayette College Lehigh University Lynn University Macaulay Honors College

Marist College Middlebury College Muhlenberg College New York University* Northeastern University Northwestern University* Oberlin College* Oneonta College Pitzer College Princeton University* Providence College Rhode Island School of Design San Diego State University Santa Clara University* Sewanee* Southern Methodist University* St. Lawrence University* Stanford University Suffolk University SUNY New Paltz Syracuse University* Texas Christian University Trinity College Dublin Trinity College* Tufts University* Tulane University* Union College* University of Chicago* University of Colorado Boulder* University of Connecticut University of Delaware*

University of Denver* University of Hartford University of Maryland University of Massachusetts University of Miami* University of Michigan* University of Missouri University of North Carolina University of Notre Dame* University of Oxford University of Pennsylvania* University of Pittsburgh University of Rhode Island* University of Richmond* University of Southern California* University of St Andrews Scotland* University of Tampa University of Texas University of Vermont* University of Virginia* University of Wisconsin* Vanderbilt University* Villanova University* Wake Forest University* Washington and Lee University* Wesleyan University* William & Mary Williams College* Yale University* *indicates two or more students

GRADUATION

2020

The following is a list of the secondary schools that our graduating ninth graders and departing eighth graders joined in September 2020. Berkshire School* Blair Academy* Choate Rosemary Hall* Ethical Culture Fieldston School* Fordham Preparatory School* Fox Lane High School* Greenwich Country Day School* The Gunnery School* Hackley School* Harvey School

Hotchkiss School* John Jay High School* Kennedy Catholic High School* Kent School* King School* Lawrenceville School* Masters School* Miss Porter’s School* New Canaan High School* Northfield Mount Hermon School*

Ossining High School Rye Country Day School* Salisbury School* St. George’s School* Suffield Academy* Westminster School* Yorktown High School

*indicates two or more students

2020 Awards Ninth graders unanimously agreed they wanted the major end-ofyear awards to be presented in person, at the Graduation ceremony. Surrounded by their families, award recipients were each lauded by a faculty member or administrator who knew them well — a personal and memorable twist to Graduation 2020!

Trustees’ Prize Rowan McGinnis

The Trustees’ Prize is given to that student, or students, who have shown significant academic improvement.

“Rowan, the designer of our new Wade’s Wall, is an individual who knows her strengths and weaknesses, and while she revels in the joy of creation, she does not shy away from tackling her challenges head on.”

— Chris Perry

Gertrude Pell Bishop Memorial Award Lila O’Brien

The Gertrude Pell Bishop Memorial Award is awarded to those members of the graduating class who have displayed outstanding athletic proficiency, together with highest qualities of good sportsmanship, team play, and who have maintained high standards of scholarship.

“While she has a natural talent both on the field and in the classroom, it is Lila’s pursuit of excellence through hard work that has defined her career at RCS.”

— Matt Hall

Rippowam Cisqua Prize

Clara Guettel

The Rippowam Cisqua Prize is given to the student who is outstanding in the qualities of leadership, character, and general school citizenship. This is the highest award conferred by the school. The Rippowam Cisqua Prize represents the importance of our students’ desire to explore their talents to the fullest, and their appreciation that honesty, consideration, and respect for others are values that will help make the world a better place.

“Clara has taken risks, strived for excellence, and achieved it. She has indelibly left her mark on Rippowam Cisqua School. Her optimism, perennial smile, and genuine kindness have brightened the days of students and faculty alike. Above all else, Clara is a person of the highest character: hardworking, respectful, honest, thoughtful, generous, and compassionate.”

— Colm MacMahon

GRADUATION

2020

Waldo B. Jones Prize

Juliet Kaufmann and Bryce O’Brien This year, the Waldo B. Jones Prize is given to two members of the graduating class who have exhibited creative thought in a variety of media.

“From a joyful interpretation of the welcoming candelabra Lumiere, to mastering large-scale canvas paintings in art, to creating an engaging Blue Team captain video, it is clear Juliet possesses a strong artistic voice.”

— Jordan Schnell

“Bryce is a creative and insightful thinker who carefully considers words and ideas, and the media through which he showcases those ideas. He’s the embodiment of thinking outside the box.”

— Jordan Schnell

Walter F. Wyeth Prize

Harry Whitman and Anna Ziegler

This year the Walter F. Wyeth Prize is awarded to two members of the graduating class who have displayed the greatest consideration for others.

“Harry is a young man of extraordinary integrity. He consistently demonstrates care and consideration for those around him, and his capacity for empathy is remarkable.”

— Ridley Sperling

“Anna leads by example, quietly and consistently demonstrating kindness, a willingness to be inclusive, and a sincere embodiment of patient empathy. She cares deeply about those around her.”

— Ridley Sperling

EIGHTH GRADE At 2:30 in the afternoon on June 11, eighth graders and their families gathered together on the RCS recess field to celebrate the end of middle school. Like the ninth grade Graduation ceremony earlier in the day, family vehicles were part of the program. Excitement mounted as each car pulled onto the grass and parked. Some families set up lawn chairs. A few cars even had students popping up through the sunroof or sitting on top.

Celebration

“It looked and felt different than what we have historically done,” Colm MacMahon said, “but it allowed us to give a definitive and proper send-off to all our students before the year ended. Schools around the country were using large open spaces, such as drive-in theaters and mall parking lots, for their end-ofyear festivities. As a large campus school, we thought we could do something similar and recognize each member of the eighth grade class as they finished

middle school and headed off to ninth grade, whether at Rippowam Cisqua School or another institution.”

Eighth Grade Dean and guest speaker Marie Peña shared fond memories of the eighth grade class, describing them as curious and innovative thinkers who contributed to the school’s first robotics club that “took our innovation program to another level. They’ve built computers, canoes and boats, electric

cars, and a mini-golf course. They created some of the most beautiful, diverse art that ever graced our classrooms, and hallways.” Ms. Peña ended her remarks with a message to students: “In the future when I am asked what I miss most about this eighth grade class, I will recount your ability to be both bold and compassionate. You aided Ms. Sperling and myself in creating a new allied arts class, CAFE, a class designed to help bring cultural awareness to everyone. You spent a great deal of time planning and organizing what would have been Rippowam’s first Diversity

Day, a day to celebrate all cultures and to allow us to feel even more connected to one another. Though we could not see this day through, your preparation and enthusiasm showed me a future of engaged leaders who respect and contribute meaningfully to a diverse and increasingly complex global society.” Before the ceremony closed, Matt Hall spoke, sharing meaningful anecdotes about every eighth grader. And after Mr. MacMahon officially ended the school year for the Class of 2021 and concluded the ceremony, a joyful group headed to summer.

EIGHTH GRADE

Celebration

Trustees’ Prize Robby Kurzer

The Trustees’ Prize is given to that student or students who have shown significant academic improvement. This year, one graduating ninth grader and eighth grader Robby Kurzer both received the award.

“Throughout his time at the Upper School, Robby’s maturity blossomed, and he learned to make good choices about work and to accept help from his teachers. Robby accomplished this growth all while facing a very difficult eighth grade curriculum and applying to high school at the same time! Robby is kind and respectful of all his peers in the classroom while at the same time speaking his mind and challenging their ideas.”

— Marie Peña

GRADUATION

2020

Upper School Academic & Athletics Awards 2020 Presented Virtually on June 9, 2020 Hyperbole and Inspirational Speech Hyperbole Winner

May Frelinghuesen ’22

Inspirational Speech Winner

Eve Geiger ’22

Bryna Watkins Writing Award Paige Eaves ’23 Liam Katzin ’23 Charlie Vance ’23

Awarded to members of the sixth grade class who have demonstrated passion and ability as writers

National French Exam Médaille d’or (Gold Medal)

Eve Geiger ’22

Médaille d’argent (Silver Medal)

Lachlan MacLean ’22

Mention d’honneur (Honorable Mention) Divina Allyn ’21 Amariah Leckie ’21 Remy Lipman ’21 Avery Warren ’21

American History Award Katia Ohmacht ’21 Avery Warren ’21

Silver Medal, Maxima Cum Laude

Olivia Port ’22 Ulysses Regan ’22 Colin Smith ’22

Magna Cum Laude Certificate

Charlie Gordon ’20

Awarded to members of the eighth grade class for outstanding achievement in American History over the last two years

Awarded for excellence in French

Harry Barber Sports Award

Juliet Kaufmann ’20

Spanish Prize

Eve Doran ’20 Bryce O’Brien ’20

Awarded for excellence in Spanish

Awarded to those members of the graduating class who have shown the greatest athletic improvement during their time at RCS

Wadleigh W. Woods Latin Prize

Paul and Audrey Fisher Art Prize Rowan McGinnis ’20

Awarded for outstanding ability in art

Sarah F. Fowler Drama Prize Juliet Kaufmann ’20

Awarded for outstanding contribution to drama

Sarah F. Fowler Drama Prize (tech)

Paul Creegan ’21

National Latin Exam

Melanie J. Kraft French Prize

Awarded for outstanding contribution to drama/tech

Susan Fiala Music Prize

Amariah Leckie ’21

Awarded for outstanding contribution to the musical life of the School

Ethan Hamlet ’22

Ristorcelli Music Prize

Alex Shtohryn ’21

Bryce O’Brien ’20

Awarded for excellence in Latin

Prudence B. Read History Prize

Clara Guettel ’20

Awarded for exceptional understanding and appreciation of history

Stanley M. Feret Mathematics Prize

Lila O’Brien ’20

Awarded for exceptional interest, initiative, and accomplishment in mathematics

Jane Brooks Robbins Science Prize Juliet Kaufmann ’20

Awarded for genuine interest and enthusiasm in the field of science

Laura D. Paddock English Prize

Clara Guettel ’20

Awarded for outstanding ability in all phases of English

Awarded for the greatest improvement in music 43

Retirements

“I will forever cherish the many memories I have shared with Missy. She is an RCS legend, and I feel blessed to have worked with her, been coached by her, coached beside her, and been her friend.” – Ridley Sperling ’93

Missy Swan

Teacher, Coach, Mentor

Missy Swan’s relationship with RCS began in 1972 when her sons Derek Wierdsma ’82 and Chace Wierdsma ’84 started at Cisqua School — before the merger of Cisqua and Rippowam. “The School has been the center of my life since 1972,” Ms. Swan reminisced. Before long she had joined the Parents Council (the precursor to today’s Parents Association), and in 1979 she became a member of the RCS faculty (she was a third grade teacher at Greenwich Country Day School before she “took off time to be a mom”). She started teaching math in 1988 — and over the years was also a coach and an athletics director. During her tenure at RCS, Ms. Swan impacted the lives of scores of young men and women. One of them, Ridley Sperling ’93 (now our Director of Secondary School Placement; Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and teacher of ninth grade English, Writing Workshop, Thesis, and Ethics), wrote this tribute. 44

Retirements

Forty-one years. Her time at RCS is, quite literally, just shy of two years short of my lifetime. Before she retired in June 2020, I hadn’t known a Rippowam Cisqua School without a Missy Swan, so I wasn’t really sure such a thing could or should even exist. If I think back through “the Missy years,” I am flooded with memories both of being taught by her and also of working side by side with her, touched by her friendship, mentored as a budding teacher, and inspired to give back to the community that also raised me. Everyone here knows Missy Swan, the math teacher who supported every student who walked into her classroom, who made math accessible even to those who find it impossible, who made every student feel loved and nurtured and smart and successful and safe within her classroom walls. The same Missy Swan who especially appreciates the most mischievous students with the naughtiest senses of humor, the kids who’d rather go sledding during sports in the winter than be cooped up in study hall doing homework, the kids who might sneak outside for a quick smoke between classes — in the old days, of course.

But not everyone here knows the Missy Swan who was also coach extraordinaire and athletic director, whose office was papered with pictures of former students and posters made by her field hockey teams, the office where you went when you forgot your shirt or shin guards or skirt and she’d wag her finger and scold you and say, “This is the last time ... ” and then smile, because of course it certainly wasn’t the last time. I will forever picture Missy sitting behind that desk in her old office — sports was always my favorite time of day — kids clamoring for her attention, for her approval, for her smile. Missy took a chance on me in seventh grade, when she pulled me up to the varsity field hockey team. She took me away from my friends and it was hard — the eighth and ninth graders were brutal to me because in their eyes I’d taken a spot from their friends. So many days I wanted to quit, but there was one reason I didn’t: Missy had believed in me, and because she believed in me, I was determined to succeed and prove her decision

right. To this day, Missy remains one of the most formidable and demanding coaches I’ve had. She pushed me to excel, and she challenged me; she made me better, both as an athlete and as a human being. I would have run myself unconscious to secure a victory for her, and I daresay, many of us just about did that. And at the end of every season, Missy asked each of her varsity athletes to write a poem for another

player on the team, which we’d read aloud in front of the school. I didn’t know then that this was an extremely clever way to avoid having to speak 45

Retirements

publicly herself, but it instilled in me a love for teamwork, for collaboration, and for camaraderie. I have kept, to this day, photocopies of all those poems and even the field hockey balls that Missy would write on for each member of her team. I came back to RCS when I was in college to try coaching. I knew I could play sports, but I didn’t know how to teach kids, and it was Missy who was the catalyst for my love of working with middle schoolers. She had seen the value in me at that age, and in turn, she showed me the value of teaching others that age. I hung on her every word, I tried to be as stern and firm as she (and never succeeded), but mostly I learned from her. I soaked up everything I could. Her no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach was both

inspirational and intimidating, but you always knew that she was going to tell you exactly what she thought no matter how hard it was to hear, and that after she was finished, you’d still walk away knowing she loved you deeply. It’s not about me and my experience as her student or her mentee, though. I share some of my experiences with Missy from when I was a student because if, 30 years later, I remember how she impacted me day in and day out, I know I am one of hundreds of students who feel the same. Missy is consistently the teacher that alumni want to see at reunion events; she is the person who made them feel appreciated and valuable and important. From the start of her career to the end, Missy has influenced the lives of innumerable children and adults.

The bottom line is, it’s about love. It’s about love and family and connection and care. From being a parent of Derek and Chace at this school to being a coach, an athletic director, and a teacher, so much of Missy’s life is here, embedded in RCS — in its traditions, in its passion, in its memories, and, I am confident, in its future. When someone has left an indelible mark as Missy has, the very essence of a place contains that person, always. Thank you, Missy, for everything you have given to me, and on behalf of RCS, an even greater thank you from all of your colleagues, past and present, and all of the students whose lives you have changed. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Retirements

Debbie Hurrell

Assistant Head, Finance and Operations

After more than 15 years overseeing the Business Office and financial operations at Rippowam Cisqua School, Debbie Hurrell retired at the end of the 2019–20 school year. As Assistant Head of School and Director of Finance, Ms. Hurrell played a crucial role in the $25 million renovation of the RCS Cantitoe Street campus, which was completed on budget and on time for the School’s Centennial Celebration in 2017. No detail of this enormous project was too small to warrant Ms. Hurrell’s attention, including her

inspired idea to have the RCS Owl carved into the backs of the chairs for the new Library and Media Center. Students will forever be grateful to Ms. Hurrell for her contribution to Performing Arts at RCS. An accomplished seamstress, Ms. Hurrell lent her talents to costuming every Upper School theater performance, and she sang for many years in the faculty choir. Here, Ms. Hurrell answers our questions about her time at RCS and her plans for the future.

RCS: Why did you choose to work at RCS initially? What year did you start? DH: I started in 2004. After spending my career working for small, forprofit businesses, I wanted to try the nonprofit sector. The opening at RCS coincided perfectly with my wish for a change. Then-Head of School Eileen Lambert and I hit it off immediately and the rest — to use a cliché — is history. RCS: You played such a pivotal role in shepherding the multimillion dollar renovation of the Upper Campus in 47

Retirements

secure funding, to meeting with the design team and our vendors to choose furniture, fixtures and colors, to the weekly construction meetings so that we kept the project on time and on budget, to unwrapping the new Dining Hall chairs with Colm — it was all a wonderful journey.

2016-17. What can you tell us about that project? DH: One of the things I always enjoyed about working for RCS is that every day was a new adventure. I am so grateful to have been part of a project that has been so transformative for RCS. From working with our bankers, attorneys, and Westchester County, to

RCS: You will forever be treasured for your contributions to the RCS theater program as our chief costume designer and seamstress. What were some of your favorite productions during your time at RCS? DH: Oh my — they were all favorites for some reason, but here are a few standouts: Les Misérables – This was the first show that Eileen Lambert, Paul Perez, Keith Robellard, Michael Florio, and I worked on together. I don’t think we knew what

we were getting into, but we had such a good time. The Lion King – I loved that this was a collaborative effort and that the art teachers worked their magic with the amazing masks and props. Honk – I’ll always remember the 150 hats lined up on tables in the 5/6 hallway. We had a large sixth grade so the show ran for three nights and each night featured a different homeroom in the lead. The other homerooms were the chorus on their “off nights” so every child had at least two complete costumes, complete with hats, all color coded and arranged so we didn’t lose anything and transitions ran smoothly. Aladdin – This show was a testament to the amazing students at RCS. Another large sixth grade, but instead of three full performances, we divided the show into three acts so that we had three of every lead playing every night. All that held the acts together were the costumes — even though we had three genies, they each had to look the same during the performance.

Retirements

The students had to come off the stage and exchange costumes; leads had to transition into chorus members. It could have been chaos, but the kids were amazingly organized and stepped up to make the production work.

after Eileen Lambert left, and to all the students who participated in the shows. They made magic!

DH: The people — especially the Business Office team (Susan Eng, Patty Hughes, Dottie Korovich, and Carol Rothstein) and the theater team (Kate Daly, Michael Florio, Paul Perez, and Keith Robellard).

DH: About a wonderful school that has provided life-changing education to so many students for over 100 years. I am proud to have played a part. RCS: What are you most excited for as you look to the future?

I want to give a shout out to Kate Daly, who was my fellow seamstress

Patty Hughes

RCS: What do you miss the most?

RCS: When I think RCS, I think…

The Disney collection — Mulan, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, James and the Giant Peach — all gave me such a wonderful opportunity to be creative and help the students transform into stars.

A Few More Goodbyes in the Business Office

DH: That’s a really tough question as I write this in the fall of 2020. While I’d like to be a little frivolous and say travel and fun, I think what I’m really hopeful for is a return to normalcy. I want to live in a country where we don’t have to worry about disease and hatred and systemic racism. I hope that RCS will continue to graduate students who can be part of the solution.

The Benefits Manager at RCS for 21 years, Patty Hughes made sure that all our faculty and staff received the human resources attention they deserved. From payroll, to employment and leave policies, to health care and retirement plans, Mrs. Hughes helped hundreds of RCS employees navigate the complex landscape of benefits.

Carol Rothstein

Carol Rothstein served as the Assistant Business Manager at RCS for 24 years. Working closely with the Assistant Head for Finance and Operations, Ms. Rothstein was a vital member of the RCS Business Office. She coordinated all aspects of student billing including enrollment contracts, tuition deposits, tuition invoices, tuition assistance and payment programs, the tuition refund plan, and more.

Board of Trustees

Rippowam Cisqua School Board of Trustees Trustees of Rippowam Cisqua School are fiduciaries to the institution as a whole and are collectively responsible for overseeing the welfare of the School and the pursuit of its mission. A vital part of that oversight is ensuring that all legal obligations are met and that sound financial management is provided for both current and future operations. Although trustees often have other relationships with the School — as alumni, parents, or relatives of current or former students

— each trustee must put aside these personal relationships and concern himself or herself solely with what is in the best current and long-term interests of the institution as a whole. The Board monitors the success of the School in fulfilling its mission and works in partnership with the Head of School to establish principles that will best serve the School, while the Head of School implements the policies and procedures to fulfill these principles on an operational basis.

New Board Members

Amy Harsch

Amy Harsch joined American Securities in 2010. She is a managing director of the firm and oversees American Securities’ and its affiliates’ investor relationships, marketing, and public relations activities, as well as fundraising efforts. Prior to joining American Securities, Amy was a principal and head of investor relations at Rhône, a middle-market pan-European and trans-Atlantic private equity firm. Prior to Rhône, she spent five years in Credit Suisse’s Private Fund Group where she supported American Securities, as well as other private equity firms, in fundraising activities. Amy also held prior roles with TD Capital Communications Partners and the healthcare investment banking group at Deutsche Bank. She received a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from Yale University. Amy is a member of the Board of Trustees of Deerfield Academy.

Board members are nominated by the Committee on Trustees and elected by the full Board. New Board members are selected based upon the immediate and long-term needs of the School. Each trustee candidate must demonstrate commitment and service to the institution. The full Board meets at least five times a year, on and off campus, to receive and discuss reports from the Head of School and other administrators, Board Committees, and outside consultants where appropriate.

John Jackson John is a director and currently serves as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of BlackRock’s U.S. Wealth Advisory business, leading business management and distribution strategy. Prior to this role, he was a member of BlackRock’s Financial Markets Advisory Group, providing a range of advisory services to governments, central banks, and financial institutions across the globe. John received his MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree from Mercy College. “I’m honored to contribute and continue pushing the school to higher levels of achievement, and look forward to working with the leadership at RCS,” John said.

“When we visited schools, Ripp stood out during the admissions process because of its personal approach, the small class sizes, and the attention that faculty and staff pay to each and every student. As current parents, the Ripp reality is even better than our expectations. We are deeply grateful for the Ripp community and how much time the faculty and staff have devoted to getting to know our son and his learning style.”

“We chose Ripp because we were looking for a school that offered a nurturing, close-knit environment, and a family friend with children at RCS recommended it. We were young parents without childcare and ended up bringing Charlize with us to the interview and she instantly fell in love with the school. Unplanned, she stumbled into a JPK class and sat down with the other students, and we knew we found the place for her. That’s why we came, but more importantly is why we stayed. Now in our ninth year, we’re still loving the experience.”

Amy and her husband, Brett, live in Harrison with their son, Tate ’28.

John and his wife, Frances, live in Cortlandt Manor with their three daughters, Charlize ’24, Kennedy ’27, and Avery.

Parents Association

Message from the PA Chair Dear RCS Families, The RCS Parents Association (PA) aims to provide meaningful connections for RCS families, and the challenges of 2020–21 have served to reinforce the strength and resilience of our community. In a year when the opportunity to gather in person is limited, we have focused on new ways to keep our families connected. We have also created a #rippgratitude initiative to celebrate and acknowledge the dedication of our faculty and staff. Connecting as a Community Our goal is to make sure families feel connected to our school community, even during a time that looks and feels different. In May 2020, we brought our traditional RCS Book Fair to families as an online event with great success. In the early fall 2020, the PA hosted 12 virtual Zoom coffees for parents in each grade to have an opportunity to “see” each other, enjoy casual conversation, meet our PA representatives, and speak with our Head of School, Colm MacMahon. We introduced two new family events this fall. In October 2020, we hosted our first Ripp Pumpkin Patch and Jack-o’Lantern Blaze. On a beautiful autumn day, our PA volunteers created a giant pumpkin patch on our athletics fields. Families were invited to purchase pumpkins, carve them at home, and return the pumpkins to school. Parent volunteers collected the carved pumpkins and transformed our campus into a magnificent nighttime Halloween Jack-o’-Lantern Blaze. Families experienced a unique Ripp Halloween celebration, filled with our own families’ creations. In December 2020, the PA sold gingerbread houses from a local bakery and families were invited to decorate their gingerbread houses and send us photos of their creations. Our parent volunteers produced a holiday photo slideshow highlighting our students with their decorated gingerbread houses in a virtual Ripp Gingerbread House Village. Proceeds from the PA’s pumpkin and gingerbread house sales supported our new #rippgratitude campaign.

What Is #rippgratitude? The Parents Association is helping our families express their appreciation of our faculty and staff who work to help keep our children in school — safe, healthy, inspired, and supported. This 2020–21 school year has brought new challenges, new spaces, new routines, and new protocols for everyone at RCS. Thanks to the flexibility, dedication, and hard work of our teachers, administration, and staff, our children are fortunate to be in school, in-person, five days a week. For these efforts, we want to show our #rippgratitude. Our #rippgratitude campaign was launched in April 2020, only three weeks into distance learning, while we quarantined at home. The PA surprised RCS teachers and staff with a slideshow of photos taken by our families of our students holding homemade signs expressing their thanks and #rippgratitude to our faculty and staff. Since then, the PA has continued to find ways to express our appreciation, including holiday and year-end gifts, thank-you banners decorating our school, breakfasts with a gift of personalized travel coffee mugs, a catered take-home “dinner on us” for all faculty and staff, and a morning coffee truck on campus. The PA remains committed to finding meaningful ways to keep our community connected and express our #rippgratitude for the faculty and staff. We celebrate the strength, connection, and dedication of our RCS community.

Lisa Kaufmann PA Chair

About the Parents Association Parents are an invaluable part of the Rippowam Cisqua School community who selflessly give of their time and talent to make the School a vibrant and welcoming place for families. As valued partners, we rely on the Parents Association to serve as a conduit between the parent body and the faculty, staff, and administration in support of the School mission. Every family automatically becomes a member of the Parents Association from the first day their child is enrolled in the School. The Parents Association provides opportunities for parents to get engaged throughout the year. Whether you attend an event or organize one, your participation in the Parents Association adds to the vitality of the Rippowam Cisqua community and enhances the overall experience for your entire family. 51

Alumni

The RCS Alumni Association Board 2020-21 Harry Grand ’93, Chair Richard Cahill ’92, Vice Chair Jay Fischer ’00, Treasurer Dana Johnston Brooks ’89 Ellen Sluder Cohen ’92 Christine Colley ’06 Storrs Lamb Coté ’79 Cecily Fowler Grand ’65 Jenny Heath ’91 Gus Levy ’98 Forrest Mas ’04 Sydney Mas ’07 Zoe Haydock McKnight ’98 Bill Meyer ’84 Vanessa Seide ’93 Annie Stickney ’96 Marilen Grosjean Tilt ’57 Alexandria van Starrenburg ’07 Missy Walker ’07 Christopher Wirth ’94

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New Alumni Board Members Christine Colley ’06

Christine is a managing director at Cushman & Wakefield. Since joining the firm in 2013, Christine has been recognized as one of the most accomplished and talented young professionals in the real estate industry. With a transaction volume that has exceeded 3.6 million square feet of leasing, she has generated over $47 million in revenue for her firm. In addition to her accomplishments as a managing director at Cushman & Wakefield, Christine is also a founding member of Chief, a private women’s network headquartered in Tribeca. Chief was founded to support, connect, and unite the most powerful women in business. “I am so incredibly grateful for my time at RCS,” she said. “The experiences in the classrooms, on sports fields, and even on the stage are memories that I will never forget. My closest friends are from RCS, including my maid of honor! RCS taught me so many valuable lessons, both inside and outside the classroom, but I think the most notable was being around leadership — throughout my 12 years at RCS, there were so many opportunities to enter into leadership roles, culminating in ninth grade, where I was voted Blue Team captain. Throughout my years, RCS taught me so much about how to be an effective leader, setting the foundation for boarding school, college, and my professional career.”

F acebook: Rippowam Cisqua School

AlumniConnections

Jay Fisher ’00 Jay enrolled at RCS in the fall of 1996 as a sixth grader, and graduated as a ninth grader in 2000. Thereafter, he attended The Hotchkiss School and subsequently The Hotel School at Cornell University, where he met his future wife, Kendall. After two years as a commercial real estate acquisitions analyst at a life insurance company in New York City, he enrolled at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania to pursue his MBA, double-majoring in Finance and Management. After seven years of work in real estate investment banking and real estate private equity, he joined CPP Investments (Canada Pension Plan Investment Board) to acquire office and healthcare real estate properties on behalf of their U.S. portfolio. “My wife and I reside in the NoHo neighborhood in Manhattan with our two dogs, Yogi and Bruno. My wife, Kendall, is a veterinarian — so I am certain more dogs are in our future! I enjoy being active, running with the dogs, and playing various sports, particularly ice hockey and golf. Also, I look forward to staying in touch and reconnecting with my Ripp alumni!”

Alumni

Alumni Spotlight Natalie Harrington ’13

Missy Walker ’07 Missy Walker is a film and television producer based in New York City. She discovered her passion for storytelling in her seventh grade English class at Rippowam Cisqua School. With a focus in the documentary space, Missy has produced programming for Netflix, Fox, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, A&E, and more. Missy serves on the Young Associates Committee of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, with a focus on the annual Race for Open Space. She is a second-generation Ripp alumna and is passionate about the Ripp community. “The best thing about RCS is the people: from the student body to the dedicated teachers and staff, the tightknit community at RCS is truly special.”

When second graders heard their assistant teacher, Ms. Harrington, singing the H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N song in the hallway last fall, they couldn’t believe their ears. She knew all the words! But as an RCS alumna who began her journey in JPK and finished in ninth grade as a Red Team captain, Natalie Harrington knows all about being a RippKid. “It’s been really sweet seeing their excitement when I relate to what they’re doing in school,” Ms. Harrington said about the students in 2H. “After the Halloween song they asked me for days what other things I did at RCS that they still do today. They also constantly ask me questions about being a ninth grader. When I talk about my experiences going to Italy on the ninth grade trip or playing varsity sports, we always end up diving deep into conversation. We also get into some heated Red versus Blue debates. They’re so spirited and excited about everything, it’s wonderful to see.” We’re thrilled to have Natalie Harrington ‘13 back on campus, teamed up with Head Teacher Joanna Hepworth to teach a dozen curious

second graders. Here’s what else she had to say about joining the faculty of her alma mater. RCS: Of course the RCS building has changed since you graduated, but other than that, what is different now … and what is the same? NH: Throughout the few months that I have been teaching at RCS, I have noticed that there are many aspects of my 12 years that still remain prevalent in both the lives of second graders and older students, too. When we read Balto and learned about dog sled racing, I remembered following the Iditarod live with my class in second grade. I still have an original book that I wrote and illustrated called Ricky the Raindrop while learning about the water cycle, just as my students are learning about in science today. Of course, although there are many things that feel the same, there are differences as well that have set apart my experience as a student and my experience as a teacher. One obvious change is the uniting of the Lower and Upper Schools. It is fun to see children from four years old all the way to 15 walking the halls of the 53

Alumni

Old friends at Ripp (left to right) Callie Brossman ‘13, Georgia McLanahan ’13, Natalie Harrington ‘13, Alex Needham ‘13, Amelia Bermingham ‘13, Lulu Agajanian ‘13, and Lindsay West ‘13

same campus. There is a new sense of togetherness that I have enjoyed. RCS: Can you share a fond memory or two about RCS? NH: When I think back to being at the Lower Campus, I picture myself in the third grade hallway dressed head to toe in snow boots, snow pants, hat, and gloves. Getting ready for recess in the snow was one of my favorite times. The rowdiness in the hallway and excitement amongst my peers was the best adrenaline rush an eight-year-old could experience. An Upper School memory that I remember in detail was the candle project in Mr. Duveen’s eighth grade physics class. On what was probably the first or second day of school, Mr. Duveen stood in front of us and told us to figure out how a candle works. That was it, no explanation. Our only instructions were that we could not look anything up or ask for help from anyone outside of our group. “Figure it out and let me know by next week,” was all he said. This type of instruction was unprecedented and threw me for a loop, but what I soon realized was that all Mr. Duveen wanted us to do was take a risk and offer an idea based solely on 54

instinct and teamwork. Although none of us were completely correct in the end, it gave us confidence to start things on our own, form our own ideas, and work through them together. RCS: And can you tell us about a favorite RCS teacher? Is there one who had the greatest impact on you as a student? And as a teacher now? NH: I attribute much of my success as a student overall to so many of my RCS teachers — it’s difficult to point to just one as my favorite or as having the greatest impact on me. That being said, I’d like to highlight Brooks Eleck and Chris Perry, both of whom had profound impacts on my confidence as a teenager. I was lucky enough to have Mrs. Eleck for both fifth and sixth grade. Not only did Mrs. Eleck grace me with her guidance, but she was also empathetic and approachable — she was my teacher, but she was also my friend. Mr. Perry is an RCS legend, one who pushed me to succeed and held expectations for me that I was challenged by and determined to meet. His class was one where I actually enjoyed sitting in the front row. He may not know it, but his biology class was something I looked back on when deciding to do a neuroscience focus at

Sewanee, the University of the South. He taught me to love science and taught me how to be a leader. Now that I am back teaching at RCS, a teacher that I would also like to acknowledge is Tim Hart. Since I started to teach at RCS, Tim has been an ally to me in more ways than he may know. I look to Tim as a mentor and friend. His dry sense of humor makes each day all the more fun, too. RCS: What do you love about teaching? NH: One of the most fulfilling aspects of teaching has been watching a concept click with a student. I have been so impressed by the perseverance of my students and their willingness to ask questions. I truly admire their dedication and enthusiasm to learn. For many, if they get stuck on something, they ask for help rather than giving up. I’ve especially loved working through math problems with my second graders, breaking everything down step by step so that they can understand what they’re doing and apply it to the next problem on their own. By asking them subtle leading questions, the method becomes suddenly clear, and they can take the subsequent problems on by themselves. I love hearing them say, “I get it.” It’s a pretty cool feeling.

Alumni

Alumni Class Notes

The adorable children of Alexandra (White) Lawrence ‘97

Stefanie Gordon ’98 on her wedding day in October 2019

1969

1986

Seth Cunningham wrote from his home in New York City: “My news is that I just turned 65. In April, however, I was hospitalized with COVID-19 for 14 days. I was at Weill Cornell in a VIP suite due to the lack of hospital beds. My wonderful daughter, Julia, coordinated all my medical care from her home in Seattle.” After graduating from St. George’s School and then Harvard, Mr. Cunninham began his business career at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company and then later cofounded JPMorgan Venture Capital. He left after 17 years as a managing director. “I have traveled to all seven continents. I am a member of the Blue Hill Troupe (backstage), and in January 2020 I started volunteering for the Red Cross in its Disaster Action Team.”

Pauline Sobelman was recognized as the highest rated speaker by the Tri-State Diversity Council in 2020. She has joined the board of directors of The Center (an LGBTQ community center in New York City), and is also currently the co-chair of the nominating nommittee for the Racial Equity Working Group.

1997 Alexandra (White) Lawrence and her husband, William, welcomed their second child, Hugh, on June 24. He joins sister Vivienne. Alexandra wrote: “I try to see alumni every chance I get!”

Lisa (Kamen) Lubart ‘98 and her family enjoy this winter’s snowfall

1998 Stefanie Gordon and Matthew Glover celebrated their first anniversary in October 2020. They live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she owns a landscape design business, Cambridge Botanica Designs. Lisa (Kamen) Lubart and Adam Lubart recently moved back to Westchester and are now living with their two children, Eli and Josie, in Chappaqua. They are thrilled to be back and raising their family in the old neighborhood.

2000 After living in New York City for 13 years, Gordon MacGill and his wife, Caroline, heeded the call and moved back to Bedford. They, along with their three children, Thorn, Jojo, and May, moved this past June with their dog, Shamrock, and have been settling in well. This winter, they welcomed baby number 55

Alumni

Gordon MacGill ‘00 is back in Bedford!

Joelle (Savino) Krysa ‘00 and her husband, Scott

four, Arthur Dunlop MacGill, who joined the party on January 5. Gordon wrote: “We’re gonna stay a while.”

Beatrice Kundardt, daughter of Teddy Kunhardt ‘00

2002

2009

George Kunhardt and his wife, Jackie, welcomed their second son, James, on April 18, 2020. He joins George Jr.

Anna Johnston married Ben Rogers in a small ceremony on August 15, 2020, in Southampton, New York. The wedding was officiated by close family friends — and former RCS parents — Lara and William McLanahan. In attendance were Georgia McLanahan ’13, Jake McLanahan ’13, and Brooke McLanahan ’16; Hammy Morley ’08 and Nick Morley ’09; and Todd Gilbert ’09.

Joelle (Savino) Krysa moved from North Salem to Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 2018 with her husband, Scott, a former Navy SEAL who currently is in the reserves while working at a cybersecurity firm. Joelle and Scott, who have been married since 2011, have three daughters — big sister Ella and twins Georgia and Finley.

2004

Jay Fischer wrote: “My wife, Kendall, and I were married last year in New York City. We live in Manhattan with our two dogs, Yogi and Bruno. I work in commercial real estate and she’s an internal medicine veterinary specialist based in Stamford, Connecticut. We’ve spent most of 2020 in Rhode Island with the pups — running, hiking, and swimming.”

2007

Teddy Kunhardt and his wife, Sarah, welcomed daughter Beatrice to the family on May 13, 2020. She joins big brother Henry. Teddy wrote: “Between COVID-19, work, and kids, life is pretty crazy right now.”

Jay Fischer ‘00, his wife, Kendall, and their two dogs

Forrest Mas and his wife, Mackenzie, recently bought a home in Bedford. We warmly welcome Forrest, Mackenzie, and their son, Bowdoin, to the neighborhood.

Parker Gilbert is engaged to Kate Gilhool and a September wedding is planned. Congratulations!

2008 Brittany Corso and Eleanor Sednaoui ’10 are now both teaching second grade at St. Bernard’s School in New York City.

2014 Actor Carrie Kinui is currently training at Fordham University at Lincoln Center in its theatre program, where she performed in a major production last year. “I recently shot a Disney commercial for Ravensburger Disney board games,” Ms. Kinui wrote. “I will have a major showcase for the top casting directors and acting agencies from LA/NYC through my school next May. In the meantime, I am keeping up my acting/stunt training, and working on any major production that comes my way.”

Alumni

James Kunhardt, son of George Kunhardt ’02

Forrest Mas ‘04 and his family in Bedford

Congratulations, Anna Johnston ’09!

2017 Class Reps Grace Greenwald – greenwald.grace@gmail.com Katje Knoblauch – katje_knoblauch@missporters.org Liz Carlson wrote: “In my senior year at Taft, I was elected as a school monitor, a member of the student government. I was also a member of the varsity rowing team, the student-run improv group, and I served as a dormitory monitor for my senior year. I started at Tulane University this fall. Go Blue Team!” Isabella Giordano wrote: “During my senior year at The Hotchkiss School I was a proctor in a lower class dormitory. I also participated in a mentoring program for middle school girls in the area and was the captain of the JV ice hockey team. I found a new passion for art history and am excited to pursue my studies of it at Trinity College!” Katje Knoblauch wrote: “During my senior year at Miss Porter’s, I was elected head of our audition-based Dance Workshop team, participated in a marketing internship at the Stanley Black & Decker headquarters in New Britain, Connecticut, and pursued my interest in International Relations.” Katje graduated

Second grade teachers Eleanor Sednaoui ’10 and Brittany Corso ’08

2019 from Miss Porter’s in May 2020, and began at Middlebury College in September 2020.

2018 Class Reps Bennett Braden – bennett.braden18@gmail.com Timothy Evnin – timothyevnin@gmail.com Nseya Hodge – nseya523@gmail.com Nick Paris wrote: “During my first year at King School I joined the crew team and had a very successful year. My boat won two gold medals at the Long Island championship regatta; both were 1500-meter races. I also placed third in the Northeast regional championship later that year. This past year I made the honor roll for the first time in my life. I tried hard academically and it paid off. It was a very rewarding experience. Last summer I was the head cook and assistant manager at the Lake Club in Wilton, and I am proud of my accomplishments.”

Class Reps Lili Azima – liliazima@yahoo.com Hale Brown – hbrown23@lawrenceville.org Ella Miller – ellamiller2004@yahoo.com Gayle Miranda – gayledemiranda@gmail.com Elizabeth Jones wrote: “During my first year at Greens Farms Academy, I became head of my French Club, and partnered up with neighboring schools and organized a mini film festival for families in the area. I also scored a lead in my fall musical and got a few solos in my concert choir, along with special recognition from the Head of School.” Kate Harvey wrote: “During my first year at Holy Child I played field hockey and varsity squash and was honored to be MVP for squash. I helped with the Midnight Run and various other community service projects. Overall I met many nice friends and had a good start.” Camille Smith wrote: “During my first year at The Masters School, I was the secretary of the Black alliance club, Onyx. As for sports, I was MVP of the 57

In Memoriam We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the following members of our school community.

Actor Carrie Kinui ‘14

girls soccer team, and set two records in the 200-meter and 4x2 during my indoor track season. In addition, I was named Athlete of the Year.” Tatiana Restrepo wrote: “During the quarantine last spring, my dad continued working as an essential worker in his pharmacy in Elmhurst, New York. Some of his employees couldn’t come in to work because their families were struggling, so he was short on staff while trying to maintain physical distancing in his pharmacy. Because I was still in classes I couldn’t help much on the weekdays, but on the weekends I went in as much as I could. This was incredibly eye opening for me because many customers were coming to the store in need of help and were extremely worried about their health, as many had underlying health issues that put them at higher risk of COVID-19. At the same time, it was slightly scary because his store happens to be a few blocks away from Elmhurst Hospital, which at the time had been turned into an epicenter for treating COVID-19 patients. Despite all of this, it felt really nice to know that I was helping not only my dad but also many people in Queens, New York.” 58

Masters soccer standout Camille Smith ‘19

Gina Valente wrote: “During my first year at Harvey, I was able to become a member of the CARE club. In the fall, I also joined the cross country team. Later on, I was on the front page of the school magazine! I am so thankful for my first year there because I was able to meet amazing people.”

2020 Class Reps Clara Guettel – claraguettel@yahoo.com Juliet Kaufmann – juliet.kaufmann.2004@gmail.com Harry Whitman – Harrywhitty49@gmail.com

Tell Us What’s New with You! To submit Class Notes: Send text and high-res images to Karin Smith at ksmith@rcsny.org. For short milestone information (engagements, weddings, births), please include full names and dates.

Lorraine Artabane, grandmother of Jackson Cooper ’22, Holden Cooper ’24, and Scout Cooper ’26, died on May 7, 2020. She was 78 years old. Lorraine was born in New Brunswick, Canada. After receiving undergraduate degrees from both St. Basile and the University of New Brunswick, she taught high school before enrolling in and graduating from the University of Ottawa School of Medicine. Noel MacMahon, father of Head of School Colm MacMahon and grandfather of Ciaran MacMahon ’24 and Neve MacMahon ’27, died on May 27, 2020, after a long and difficult battle with ALS. He was 78 years old. An immigrant from Ireland, Mr. MacMahon arrived in New York with his wife, Ann, in 1965. He took his new life in America by storm, becoming the beloved board president of his apartment building, organizing elaborate holiday displays for the neighborhood children to enjoy, and always thinking of others. He could be counted on by everyone in the building to help with projects, big or small. When he retired in 2010 after working for Verizon for 41 years, he took on the new role of caregiver for his grandchildren — devoting his mornings walking Ciaran to school and afternoons exploring city playgrounds with his grandkids in tow (the record is five in one day!). He was a lover of sweets, an animal lover, and a devoted New Yorker, running three NYC marathons. Former RCS Trustee Worthington “Bill” Mayo-Smith, father of Sabina Mayo-Smith ’68, Bill Mayo-Smith ’71, and John Mayo-Smith ’78, died peacefully at his home in Rye, New York, on June 5, 2020. He was 95 years old. A graduate of Deerfield Academy, Amherst College, and

Harvard Business School, Mr. Mayo-Smith served as a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps 1943-45. A 63-year resident of Bedford, he was active in many organizations including St. Matthew’s Church, RCS, Northern Westchester Hospital, Westchester Land Trust, and the United Way. John “Jock” Hopkins Denison III, father of Jay Denison ’70 and Mark Denison ’73, and ex-husband of Linda Denison ’50, died peacefully at his home in Fairlee, Vermont, on June 6, 2020. He was 87 years old. Born May 9, 1933, in New York City, Mr. Denison grew up in Santa Barbara, California, and Big Horn, Wyoming, areas to which he remained deeply connected throughout his life. He attended Cate School; Phillips Academy Andover; and Yale University, from which he graduated in 1955. His professional years were spent in Denver, San Francisco, and New York in municipal bonds trading and investment banking, working for, among other firms, Phelps, Fenn and Company, later a part of Reynolds Securities, Inc. Peter Durant Coburn ’56 died peacefully at home in Bryant Pond, Maine, on June 22, 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 77 years old. He is survived by wife Joanne Guthrie Coburn, daughters Sarah Coburn and Tess Coburn, and ex-wife Suzette (Alsorp) Jones ’59. Born in Miami, Florida, Mr. Coburn grew up in northern Westchester County. After Rippowam Cisqua School, he completed his secondary school education at Groton School. He attended Harvard College before completing his education at the University of Vermont, with degrees in mathematics and Russian history. He was founder and president of Commercial Logic, Inc., developing and producing software for accounting and office management. In addition, he served as an instructor at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School for more than 40 years. An avid sailor, skier, outdoorsman, and singer — with an outrageous sense of humor — Peter Coburn lived his life to its fullest. Former RCS Trustee Rodman K. “Rod” Tilt Jr., husband of Marilen (Grosjean) Tilt ’57, and father of Emlen (Tilt) Cabot ’84, Liz (Tilt) Weiner ’85, Mary (Tilt) Hammond ’92, and Rodman “Roddy” Tilt ’99, died on June 23, 2020. He was born on February 5, 1938, in Mount Kisco, New York. Mr. Tilt was a graduate of Salisbury School and St. Lawrence University, where he received his B.A. in Economics and played Division I ice hockey. Early in the 1960s, he began his career as an executive of IBEC Arbor Acres, a diversified agricultural company in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and founded and managed Corpac, S.A., the first poultry processing plant in South America. Over his long career, he was also an investment professional, including his role as managing partner of Mason B. Starring and Company. Mr. Tilt was deeply involved in his community and served in a board capacity at Salisbury School, Rippowam Cisqua School,

The Taft School, and Westmoreland Sanctuary. He also served on the Board of Governors at the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club and was a longtime and devoted parishioner of St. Matthew’s Church. Jamee Jacobs Field of Hobe Sound, Florida, and Lake Forest, Illinois, grandmother to Stephanie Gerry ’27 and Charlie Gerry ’30, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, September 19, 2020. She was 72 years old. Mrs. Field grew up in Chicago where she attended the Academy of Sacred Heart and spent summers at her family home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She went on to Finch College in New York City and worked after graduation at Town and Country magazine as an assistant fashion editor. Crawford Shaw Jr. ’88, brother of Deirdre Shaw Gibson ’87, and uncle of Andrea Fleming ’11, Charlotte Fleming ’14, and Rory Fleming ’15, died on October 20, 2020, in Denison, Texas. He was 47 years old. He was born on March 26, 1973. Mr. Shaw grew up in Bronxville, New York, where he attended The Chapel School and Bronxville School; Waccabuc, New York, where he attended Rippowam Cisqua School; and Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated from Woodward Academy in 1991. He also attended Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut, and Elon College in North Carolina. As an adult, Mr. Shaw lived in Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Former RCS Trustee Rosemary Mankiewicz, mother of Alexandra Mankiewicz ’80, died peacefully on October 20, 2020. She was born November 9, 1929, in London. After a childhood in the shadow of WWII, she attended Central School of Drama and went to work on films in Italy. Fluent in Italian, she was hired to be a dialect coach for The Barefoot Contessa, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. She went on to work as production assistant on his subsequent films and in 1962, after Cleopatra, they married. In the 1970s, they made their home in Bedford, where Mrs. Mankiewicz was involved in the life and activities of St. Matthew’s Church, the Bedford Garden Club, and the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club, becoming the first woman elected to the Board of Governors of the latter. Gail Slingluff, grandmother of Hammy Morley ’08, Nick Morley ’09, and Georgia Morley ’12, died November 16, 2020, of complications from a recent illness. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Ms. Slingluff raised her family in Rumson, New Jersey. She cherished her many friends throughout her life, and was known and loved for her kind and generous nature. She was an advocate for education, a talented gardener, an avid tennis player, and a warm and welcoming hostess. She went to The Madeira School, where she served on the board, and Briar Cliff College. 59

Rippowam Cisqua School creates independent thinkers, confident communicators, and engaged leaders who respect and contribute meaningfully to a diverse and increasingly complex global society.

Everyone benefits when our community comes together.

$650K

For 103 years, students, parents, alumni, and friends have given back to RCS. We are fortunate to have an active and engaged community who believe in our mission and partner with us each day to create a sustainable future. Your gift makes everything possible. Thank you for your continued support.

We are all in this together. Thank you to the many families who volunteer their time and talent to give endless opportunities to every child at RCS. We couldn’t do this without you.

Annual Fund

$620K

Annual Fund Committee 2020-21 Kelly Coles, Co-Chair Amy Harsch, Co-Chair Christina Bresani Micki Buchanan Patreece Williams Creegan Erik Glover Harry Grand ‘93 Tim Hall Peter Kenny

Sam Kopolovich Janelle Lika Dottie Mattison Elisabeth Mitchell Matt Mitchell Magda Pauley Schuyler Perry Melissa Scollans John Sharko

www.rcsny.org/annualfund

No gift is too small. Every dollar makes a difference.

Jennifer Sicard Ann Solazzo Steve Solazzo Heidi Sontag Mike Struble Carolina White Tom White Elizabeth Wichmann

RIPPOWAM CISQUA SCHOOL 439 Cantitoe Street, Bedford, NY 10506 www.rcsny.org