SPRING 2015 | GREENHILL SCHOOL
Hill
THE MAGAZINE OF GREENHILL SCHOOL
Building Community Campaign:
Spectacular construction progress on the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center
Finer Dining: The Transformation of Crossman Hall
On this page: Gathering over a meal should be a time for community building and relaxation, and with our redesigned, renovated and expanded facilities, opening in 2015-2016, we will be able to provide an inspiring and exciting dining experience to our entire community. For more on the new Community Dining program, see p. 32. In the new space, these first graders will also enjoy right-sized tables and chairs that will allow them to sit comfortably while eating their lunch.
SPRING 2015
Departments
2 A Word from Scott A. Griggs Head of School
3 Greenhill Fund: We are grateful for Greenhill Fund volunteers! 4 School News Briefs
14 Fall Sports Recap 16 Fall on the Hill: Founders’ Day, Halloween 2014 and Homecoming 20 Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day 21 New Upper and Middle School Schedule in 2015-2016 23 Zale-Fields Theatre Tribute: A Standing Ovation for a Beloved Theater! 26 Building Community Campaign Update Marshall Family Performing Arts Center Well Underway 32 Finer Dining The Transformation of Crossman Hall
24 With Gratitude for Excellent Teachers: The Faculty Leaders of 2014-2015 41 A Message from Macey Small Davis ’94 President, Alumni Association 42 Alumni News 46 Alumni Class Notes 54 In Memoriam 55 Turning Points 56 Why I Give: Mark McKay ’89
38 Food for Thought Alumni talk about food, nutrition, wellness and community
57 2014-2015 Board of Trustees 57 Greenhill School Advancement Office
Greenhill School is a diverse community of learners that strives for excellence; values individuality; fosters a passion for learning; promotes the balanced development of mind, body and character; encourages service; and instills a respect for others. Greenhill School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions processes, financial aid programs, employment, practices, athletic practices and other School administrative activities.
Greenhill School 4141 Spring Valley Road Addison, Texas 75001 greenhill.org
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A Word from the Head of School Dear Greenhill Community, One of the most profound and noteworthy elements of being a Greenhill student is the sense of community one feels on this campus. I am struck by a resounding sense of togetherness in all that we do, during divisional gatherings and classroom discussions, from the daily routine to extracurricular events such as games, competitions, concerts and performances. Our sense of community has become even stronger with the progress made on the Building Community Campaign. On the cover you will note that construction on The Marshall Family Performing Arts Center is in a spectacular state! It is invigorating to see the results of our efforts and to reflect on the true power of what we can accomplish together. This campaign seeks to create spaces where we can gather and enjoy each other on the stage, at the table, and on the field. It has elevated our sense of united purpose, and I am so proud of the work we’ve done so far. For everyone who participates in this important initiative, you will be invited to attend hard hat tours throughout the spring so you can observe this immense sense of progress first-hand. We need everyone’s support to make this dream a reality for Greenhill, so please consider what you and your family can do with a gift to the school. Of particular note in this issue is our sense of community at lunchtime, which is highlighted on page 32. The quality of our lunch experience is about to undergo one of the most significant renovations in Greenhill history with the transformation of Crossman Hall. Lunch should be a time of camaraderie and enjoyment, and our new dining hall will transform our dining experience with an open-format kitchen, four main serving lines, acoustical enhancements, round tables, naturally-lit open space, and a relaxing ambience inspired by nature. We are thrilled to embark on this project in mid-May, and open the new hall at the beginning of the 2015-2016 year. I believe that our community will be further enriched by our lunchtime experience every day. Also of note for the 2015-2016 year is a new schedule for Middle and Upper School based on research of teenagers’ natural biorhythm and sleep schedule. Greenhill is at the forefront of making change in this area of study, as we look to restructure the day with a later start for Upper School and greater attention to the needs of teenagers in the morning. We are looking forward to observing how these
changes enhance the learning environment for grades 5-12, and we will share more logistical details in the spring and summer months. For our larger alumni community we are gearing up for an exciting weekend, just around the corner. We hope many of you are planning to join us for Alumni Weekend 2015, where you can renew friendships and reconnect with familiar faces. In closing, I want to remind everyone of this year’s theme of gratitude. I am so grateful for this community and for all that we represent as a body of individuals. When we come together, I notice the way students act as one and as many. They respect each other, support each other, acknowledge differences and like-minded views equally. I also notice friendships, laughter and fun. I know I feel an incredible sense of pride when I share in special moments across campus. It is through our connections to each other that we will continue to make this School the best it can be. Thank you for all you do for Greenhill School. Sincerely,
Scott A. Griggs Head of School
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greenhill fund
We are grateful for Greenhill Fund volunteers! Early Childhood
Denise & Dustin Marshall ’96, Early Childhood Team Leaders Pre-Kindergarten Yasmin & Vik Bhatia O’Malley & Ben Dishman Kindergarten Karlyn & Grant Herlitz Amy & John Howard Alison & Andy Kaplinsky Jennifer & JJ Sharma Tanya & Dale Yoo ’95
Lower School
Robin ’93 & Evan Stone, Lower School Team Leaders Primer Melanie & Louis Okon ’93 Grade 1 Rebekah & Ben Newman Ally & Grady Raskin ’92 Dory & Kurt Sjogren Jennifer & Rand Stagen Grade 2 Dee Dee & Hale Hoak Julie ’83 & David Kronick Marlo & Jeff Melucci Melanie & John Ofenloch Kaitlin & Elliot Prieur
Ashley & Rick Scheer Marianna & Jon Yellen
Nicole & Erin Patton Kathryn & Scott Wheeler
Grade 3 Kathy & Gary Bridges Karen & Richard Kassanoff Tracey & Chris Kennedy Kate & Jon Kettles Diana & Geoff Newton Melanie & John Ofenloch Ashley & Rick Scheer Whitney & Rob Strauss
Grade 7 Angela Crates Rebekah & Ben Newman Elly & Edward Shelswell-White
Grade 4 Deborah & Chuck Gilbert Kaitlin & Elliot Prieur Lisa & Howard Marc Spector Waverly ’86 & McCord Wilson
Middle School
Rachel ’91 and Brian Ladin Middle School Team Leaders Grade 5 Stacey & Doug Baer Joanna & David Greenstone Bonnie & Monte Hurst ’89 Julie ’83 & David Kronick Anne & David Mann Grade 6 Randi Jacobs Allana & Zach Luterman ’90
Grade 8 Lynn ’82 & John Bozalis Randi Jacobs
Upper School Christine & John Drossos, Upper School Team Leaders Grade 9 Debra & John Morgan Lori Stone Grade 10 Karen & Jeff Parkhill Grade 11 Dani & Ed Butowsky Shari Nelson Neena Wiora Grade 12 Teresa & Drew Alexandrou April McCormick Ellen ’81 & Josh Ungerman
Thanks to the immense support of our entire community, including parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty, and friends, we are proud to announce that we are within 95%* of our goal, raising $1,600,000 for the Greenhill Fund. With a theme of gratitude, we could not be happier to share this news. We are grateful for all you do to keep this School at the forefront of excellence. At the time of magazine printing.
*
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SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
Students Earn Gold Medal at “Fit for a King” Chess Tournament In November, Greenhill captured the second annual “Fit for a King” Chess Tournament hosted by Episcopal School of Dallas, which included students from kindergarten to twelfth grade and was scored by The University of Texas at Dallas Chess Program. In the first-grade division, Grant Bomersbach received first place and Graham Ross received third place; in the fifth-grade division, Abhinav Padala received third place; in the Upper School division, freshman Arya Nallanthighall received first place.
Lower School News Author & Free-Range Kids Founder Lenore Skenazy Speaks to DFW-Area Parents In October, Lenore Skenazy, journalist, author, and Free-Range Kids Founder, visited Dallas for a talk at Greenhill called How did we get so afraid for our kids? In a hilarious and mind-opening talk, she cited many examples of how our society has conditioned us to live in fear, especially in parenting. Students and teachers later had the option to do a Free-Range Kids project, where participants stepped outside their comfort zone and then wrote about it. Lenore Skenazy, journalist, author, and Free-Range Kids Founder
Author/Illustrator Brian Floca Visits Greenhill Brian Floca, author and Caldecott-winning illustrator of such beautiful awardwinning books as Locomotive and Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 visited Greenhill in October. Floca’s visit was organized and made possible by the Cultural Arts Committee.
Brian Floca, author and illustrator of Locomotive and Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
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Middle School News Greenhill Quiz Bowl Team Advances to National Competition In December, the MS Quiz Bowl Team qualified for the National Quiz Bowl Competition for the third consecutive year. The Greenhill Quiz Bowl team was comprised of seventh-graders Mohan Desai and Josh Leffler, and eighthgraders Ethan Rothstein and Reid Zlotky. The National Quiz Bowl Competition will be held in Dallas during the second week of May. Successful First Competition for First Lego League Two MS First Lego League (FLL) teams , led by MS Science/Technology teachers Don Myers and Stacey Wink, competed in the North Texas Regional Qualifier Competition held at Trinity High School in Euless, Texas in December. First Lego League is designed to introduce students, ages 9-14, to science and technology with a series of judged events and a robot game. Greenhill’s two teams each scored in the top ten out of over 30 teams.
Middle School Student Named to USA Taekwondo Team In August, seventh-grader Connor Liang captured gold medal honors at the USA Taekwondo National Championships this past July, and secured a spot on Team USA as a Cadet Male Featherweight competitor. Greenhill Middle School Students Excel at Shepton Tournament In December, 14 fifth-grade and sixth-grade students competed at the Shepton High School Speech and Debate Tournament where the team posted outstanding results. All Greenhill students won at least one round with a few triumphing in two of three rounds. Fifth-grader Andrew Daitch was ranked first in the preliminary round of competition and was tied for second in his semifinal round.
School News is featured on a six-month rotation. News for this issue is compiled from summer of 2014 until winter break. All news after that deadline will be featured in the Fall 2015 issue.
Visit our website for the latest news. greenhill.org/news Find us on: facebook.com/ GreenhillSchool Greenhill’s First Lego League (FLL) teams scored in the top 10 out of over 30 teams
twitter.com/ GreenhillSchool
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SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
Upper School News Greenhill Student Captures Top-10 Finish at Synchronized Swimming Nationals Eighth-grader Alisha Nathani finished in the top 10 at the 2014 U.S. eSynchro Swimming Championships. Nathani and her team, placed tenth in the 18-19 trio event. Nearly 1,000 athletes ages 11-19 competed in the meet held in July near Seattle.
Greenhill Debate Excels in Tournaments Across the Nation The Greenhill Debate team excelled at several tournaments over the winter months in Coppell, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago and New Orleans. Noteworthy—and sometimes undefeated—finishers included seniors Mitali Mathur, Sohum Daftary and Ricardo Jaramillo; juniors Graham Baker, Kevin Wei, Bennett Eckert, and Varad Agarwala; sophomores Diego Marrero, Grace Kuang, Shivani Daftary, and Tanisha Gupta. Congratulations National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students Fifteen seniors were named semifinalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. They are, in alphabetical order: Harris Chowdhary, Charles Cowger, Rachel Davis, Emily Fine, Andrew Friedman, Peter Grishin, Sanah Hasan, Ashley Lee, Remya Menon, Maya Muralidhar, Ryan Rawitscher, Elizabeth Shi, Sofia Shirley, Sloan Ungerman and Eric Yu.
Estelle Dickens Founders’ Day Drive Provides School Supplies to Neighboring Schools Due to the success of the Estelle Dickens Founders’ Day drive, Greenhill was able to provide over 1,500 folders, 1,000 pencils, 500 notebooks, and 250 packs of markers, crayons, tape, etc. to both Gooch and Bush elementary schools. Fourth Annual Student-Run Fashion Show benefits the Grant Halliburton Foundation The Fourth Annual Runway for a Cause, Greenhill’s student-run charity fashion show, coordinated by seniors Madison Pidgeon and Caroline Early, junior Abby Shosid, and sophomores Elise Andres and Jillie Rubin, was held at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in January. The charity fashion show, which benefitted the Grant Halliburton Foundation this year, featured student models and local businesses.
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For a list of the 26 Commended Students, please visit the website under Campus Life > News & Media. Greenhill Junior to Speak at Annual Suicide Prevention Day Event A member of the Teen Board at the Contact Crisis Center, Junior Kriti Narayanan spoke at September’s Annual Suicide Prevention Day along with Mayor Mike Rawlings at Dallas City Hall. Greenhill Senior Recognized in 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program Senior Christian Holmes was a semifinalist in the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program, which was started in 1964 to identify academically talented AfricanAmerican students throughout the nation. He was one of 1,600 American high school seniors to receive semifinalist ranking.
When Service Comes Full Circle As a fifth grader at Herbert Marcus Elementary School, senior Irma Chavez first learned about Greenhill School in the spring of 2008. It was community service day and her fifth-grade class was invited to Greenhill to partner with a senior and engage in a day of theater, self-expression, higher educational pursuits and new relationships. “I fell in love,” said Irma. “My horizons were broadened in ways I could previously only imagine. It was the first time I’d ever seen live theater, and I thought I was on Broadway. I kept seeing new things and thinking, wow, this is my dream school! The senior I was paired with was so nice and outgoing. I wanted to be just like her.” Now Irma is that senior. She applied and enrolled in 2009 and has been thriving ever since, active in service and the arts. Without knowing her true connection to the day, Mrs. Rosenberg selected Irma as part of the leadership team to plan Service Day 2015. Service came full circle in the spring of 2015 when Irma took an active role in community service leadership, planning the same Service Day for the kids at Bush and Gooch elementary schools inspiring and exposing hundreds more fifth graders to new horizons. Irma’s story is proof that community service truly touches individuals, that we can improve the lives of others through attention and action, and most importantly, that dreams do come true.
Congratulations Shakespeare Competition Winners Greenhill’s annual Shakespeare competition was held in January with 12 performances by Upper Schoolers. First Place was captured by junior Mose Kane; second place, junior Megan Marshall; senior Cooper Raiff came in third; and senior Wesley Johnson received fourth place. Sophomore Lauren Stock and senior Aryn Henderson received honorable mention. Senior Equestrian Wins 2014 Guadalajara Grand Prix Senior Eugene Garza-Perez captured the 2014 Guadalajara Grand Prix in August, marking the first time in four years that he has showed in Mexico in the Certification Class for the Central American Games. Greenhill Senior Named Top Individual Speaker for USA Debate Team Senior Mitali Mathur, a member of the USA Debate Team, was selected as the top individual speaker at the Holy Cross World School Round Robin in October in New Orleans. Mathur competes on the USA Red Team, which won 11 of 14 ballots, and finished second overall in the competition.
Robotics Team Wins in its First Year In its first year of competition, under the steadfast leadership of Technology teacher Maria Suarez, two Robotics class teams, named Motorheads and Viridian Robotics, participated in the qualifying competition at University of Texas Dallas in January. The Viridian Robotic team got the Think Award, given to the team that best reflects the journey of design/build process. They later went to the FTC Southwest Regional Championship for North Texas at UT Arlington in February. Congratulations to freshman Andrew Glick, Oliver Dai, Jason Wu, Victoria Shiau, Nicholas Mui, and Amy Yang; and sophomores Jackson Carroll and Peter Sumners.
Greenhill US Students Earn High Marks at TAMS Competition Sophomore Zach Rudner, and seniors Jade Basinski, Sloan Ungerman and Peter Grishin, earned a top-three showing in nine separate categories at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science Competition in November.
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SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
Guest Speakers
Head of School Scott Griggs, Wesleyan President Michael Roth, and Head of Upper School Laura Ross, a Wesleyan alumna Wesleyan University President Michael Roth Speaks to Educators at Greenhill Greenhill welcomed Wesleyan University President Michael Roth to campus in October for a lively discussion about his new book, Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters. In a room filled with leading educators from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Roth shared insights that he gained throughout the process of researching his book. Olympic Weightlifter Cheryl Haworth Visits Greenhill Former Olympic Weightlifter and the producer of the documentary Strong, Cheryl Haworth, visited Greenhill in October to speak to students about athleticism, confidence, and specifically, body image.
Cheryl Haworth, Former Olympic Weightlifter and the producer of the documentary Strong
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School News is featured on a six-month rotation. News for this issue is compiled from summer of 2014 until winter break. All news after that deadline will be featured in the Fall 2015 issue.
Mexican Novelist Carmen Boullosa Visits Greenhill Upper School students had the opportunity to meet Carmen Boullosa, the Mexican author of the novel, Texas: The Great Theft, originally written in Spanish. Students read the first-ever translation of the novel, the inaugural text from Dallas’ own Deep Vellum Publishing. This was spearheaded by a partnership between English teacher Joel Garza and Deep Vellum Publishing executive director Will Evans.
Greenhill parent Jim Gold, President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Dallas-based Neiman Marcus Group Neiman Marcus President and Chief Merchandising Officer Jim Gold Speaks to Greenhill Business Society Jim Gold, President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Dallas-based Neiman Marcus Group, shared his perspective on the skills required for career success with Greenhill School’s Business Society. Speaking to more than 100 students, Gold shared his views on hiring, managing, hard work and team building.
Carmen Boullosa, author of the novel Texas: The Great Theft
Steve Rudner, advocate, attorney and Greenhill parent (left), and Chuck Smith, Director of Equality Texas (right) Advocates for Equality Texas Visit Greenhill In September, the Executive Director of Equality Texas, Chuck Smith, along with fellow advocate, attorney and Greenhill parent Steve Rudner, spoke to Greenhill students about legislation and support of the LGBT community in Texas. Receiving special interest and participation from the True Colors club, Greenhill students learned how they can become more active to support laws that make progressive strides for equality.
Visit our website for the latest news. greenhill.org/news Find us on: facebook.com/ GreenhillSchool twitter.com/ GreenhillSchool
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SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
Fine Arts News Greenhill Siblings Perform in “In the Heights” Senior Wesley Johnson and junior Britney Johnson starred in the Junior Player’s production of “In the Heights,” a contemporary hip-hop musical about young people living in Washington Heights, New York. The show ran in January at the Dallas City Performing Arts Center.
Greenhill School Film Program Featured in KERA TV Series Frame of Mind In September, Greenhill School’s award-winning film program was the subject of an entire episode of the KERA series Frame of Mind. Featured on the show were: Life Through the Lens directed by Ryan Kline ’11; Seawolf directed by senior Caila Pickett and Max Montoya ’13; Zipper directed by seniors Mansi Gaur, Rachel Davis, and Maya Muralidhar; Boom directed by Brian Broder ’13, Andrew Fields ’13, and Daniel Matyas ’12; Silent Night directed by James Bradford ’14; Just Your Average Joe directed by sisters senior Jade Basinski and Pearl Basinski ’14; Partner directed by James Bradford ’14 and Max Montoya ’13. Greenhill Musicians Earn TPSMEA All-State Jazz Band Honors Junior Bradley Aptilon, freshman Brock Bagelman and freshman Arya Nallanthighall were selected to the Texas Private School Music Educators Association All-State Jazz Band in October. They participated in a concert in San Marcos in January.
Greenhill Musicians Named to TPSMEA All-State Orchestra and Band In December, junior Dallas Dillon (bass), junior Andrew Montgomery (violin) and freshman Caroline Harris (cello) were selected to the Texas Private Schools Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) AllState Orchestra. Also, four students were selected to the TPSMEA All-State Band: senior Ashley Lee (flute), sophomore Geli Kane (flute), junior Nitish Jindal (percussion), and freshman Nikita Jindal (percussion). Greenhill Students and Alumni Receive Film Recognition Greenhill film students received tremendous national and international praise in October for their work. Seven films appeared in the Austin Film Festival and three films were represented in their Young Filmmakers Program. For a full list of film honors, visit Campus Life > News & Media. Greenhill Senior Earns National YoungArts Merit Honors Senior Ashley Lee was named a 2015 National YoungArts Foundation Merit winner in Design Arts and was one of 23 students in the nation to be selected in her category.
Eleven Greenhill Students Recognized by TPSMEA Honor Choir In October, 11 Greenhill students auditioned and earned a spot in the Texas Private School Music Educators Association Honor Choir. They were also part of a series of concerts in January. For a full list of names, visit Campus Life > News & Media. Greenhill String Musicians Honored at Region 20 Orchestra Auditions Twelve Greenhill School string musicians were honored for their excellence at the Region 20 Orchestra auditions in October. For a full list of honorees, visit Campus Life > News & Media.
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Bubbly, oil on canvas, by Ashley Lee
Faculty News Rosenberg and Community Service Program Honored Sally Rosenberg, Director of Community Service & Service Learning, was nominated for Helping Agencies Serving Richardson (HASR)’s Volunteer of the Year Award in the Group/Business category by VNA Meals on Wheels. In addition, Greenhill’s Service Learning & Community Service Program was honored in November at Vogel Alcove’s Third Annual Ambassadors of Hope Awards Luncheon held at the Omni Dallas Convention Center.
Greenhill History Teacher Presents at National Art Education Association Convention Greenhill Upper School history teacher Becky Daniels presented in two different subjects at the 2015 National Art Education Association Convention held in New Orleans. The first was a lecture describing a transdisciplinary approach to engaging teenagers through art. The second was the focus of her dissertation, describing the impact of teen programming in art museums. Greenhill College Counselors Featured in Media Outlets In November, College Counselors Marie Bigham and Jennifer Kincaid were featured in both local and national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education and CBS.
Sally Rosenberg, Director of Community Service & Service Learning Page Selected as Administrator of the Year by DAEYC Greenhill Director of Extended Day & Child Development Center Cindy Page was selected as the Administrator of the Year by the Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children (DAEYC) and was recognized at a ceremony in November for her accomplishments.
English Teacher Featured in National Publication In December, English and Journalism teacher Eve Hill-Agnus’ review of the Harvest Seasonal Kitchen in Dallas was featured in D Magazine, and The Week, a digest of the best writing from American and International newspapers and periodicals.
Visit our website for the latest news. greenhill.org/news Find us on: facebook.com/ GreenhillSchool Wendy Ogren of Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children (DAEYC) with Cindy Page, Director of Extended Day & Child Development Center
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SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
Welcome New Trustees!
Thank you to our Board of Trustees for their commitment, support and leadership of Greenhill School. The responsibilities of the Greenhill School Board of Trustees include: affirming and upholding the Mission of the School; establishing school policies; selecting the Head of School; approving campaign goals for annual giving and special capital campaigns; and approving the annual budget.
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Stephen Arata Stephen and his wife, Kathryn, are parents of Jeremy ’12, and current students Johanna, senior, and Julianna, sophomore. Stephen is Executive Vice President and CFO of Caiman Energy II, LLC, a Dallasbased company which provides infrastructure for natural gas product transportation.
Yasmin Bhatia Yasmin and her husband, Vik, are parents of current student, Isabel, first grader, and Ian, Pre-kindergarten. Yasmin is the CEO of Uplift Education, a nonprofit organization which supports college preparatory education in public schools with limited resources.
Albertina Cisneros-Pascual Albertina and her husband, Juan, are parents of Albertina, first grader. She is the Executive Director of The Child Brain Foundation, which supports and guides scientific research for neurological disease in infants and children.
Tom Dunning Tom and his wife, Sally, are parents of Greenhill alumna, Meredith ’96, and grandparents of current students Jack Helms, fifth grader, and Grace Helms, kindergartener. Tom is the Chairman and CEO of Lockton Dunning Benefit Company, an insurance brokerage company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that offers employee benefits programs.
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Cliff Weiner Cliff is parent of student Misha, sixth grader. Cliff is the Managing Director of Preston Hollow Capital, LLC, a merchant bank located in Dallas, Texas.
Trustees Serving Ex-Officio
Macey Small Davis ’94 Macey is serving as President of the Alumni Board for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. Macey is the founding president of The Davis Advocates, LLC, a government affairs consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas.
Julie Weinberg Julie and her husband and current Trustee, Mike Weinberg ’82, are parents of alumni Alex ’14, Ben ’14, and current student Joseph, freshman. Julie is serving as President of the Parents’ Association for the 2014-15 school year.
Angela Crates Angela Crates and her husband John are the parents of sophomore Chandler, freshman Cameron and seventh-grader Campbell. She will be the Parents’ Association president for 2015-16 and has also been very active on the Cultural Arts Committee.
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SPORTS NEWS BRIEFS
Fall Sports Recap The Greenhill Athletics Department had an all-around tremendous 2014 fall campaign as the Hornets had 10 All-Southwest Preparatory Conference award winners to go along with three squads that posted a top-five showing at the endof-the-year conference tournaments.
Field Hockey The field hockey team recorded its fourth consecutive winning season, including its second under head coach Alicia Mayer, after the Hornets posted a 14-5-2 overall record. In two seasons at the helm of the Hornets, Mayer has recorded a 24-9-5 record (.697 winning percentage) and has collected the most victories for a head coach to start her Greenhill career. The Hornets notched a fifth-place showing at the 2014 SPC Fall Championships after falling to Kinkaid School in the quarterfinals. The Hornets played stellar defense during the 2014 season as 11 of their 14 victories came in a shutout, which was led by two-time All-SPC award winner senior Torri Hayden. In addition, senior Emily Richmond earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career.
Girls Cross Country The girls cross country team had a strong showing as the Hornets recorded a top-three finish in four meets during the 2014 season. The Hornets earned gold medal honors at the SPC North Zone Meet to go along with runner-up showings at the Southlake Carroll Invitational and Lake Highlands Invitational. Also, the Hornets finished third at the Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State University. Led by a stellar group of underclassmen, the Hornets finished sixth overall at the SPC Fall Championships. Freshman Cameron Crates was the Hornets’ top finisher after crossing the end line in 12th place while freshman Ariana Luterman finished two spots behind her teammate in 14th place. Both Greenhill runners earned a spot on the All-SPC team for their efforts at the SPC Fall Championships. Boys Cross Country The boys cross country team posted three top-five showings this past season, including a title at the Lake Highlands Invitational, during the 2014 season. The Hornets also finished second at the Southlake Carroll Invitational and fourth at the SPC North Zone Meet. To close the season, the Hornets recorded a sixth-place showing at the Cowboy Jamboree and ninth-place finish at the SPC Fall Championships. At the SPC Fall Championships, freshman Daniel Brickman was the Hornets’ top runner after recording a time of 17:40 while senior Paulo Springer finished 43rd overall with a time of 17:58. In their victory at the Lake Highlands Invitational, the Hornets had five runners finish in the top 10, including Brickman (2nd), Springer (4th), sophomores Hudson Fernandes (7th), Cole Forson (8th) and Colin Moran (10th).
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Girls Volleyball The girls volleyball team recorded a 26-12 overall record this past season, which marked the fifth straight season of at least 20 victories under head coach Tatiane Deibert. The Greenhill head coach also collected her 100th career victory with the Hornets on August 22 following a straight-set victory over Richardson Berkner High School.
Football The football program made tremendous strides on the field during the 2014 season as the Hornets recorded a 3-6 overall record under first-year head coach Tom Williams. The Hornets notched more victories this past season than the previous four seasons combined and recorded their best winning percentage since the 2005 season. The Hornets won their 2014 home opener with a 50-23 victory over John Cooper School and posted a pair of SPC victories over Oakridge School (36-28) and Trinity Valley School (31-20), which marked the first road conference victory in over five seasons. The Hornets were led this past season by juniors Ryan Bradberry and Jacob Pugh, who both earned All-SPC honors for the first time in their careers. Boys Volleyball The boys volleyball program posted a 19-15 overall record during the season, including a fourth-place finish at the 2014 SPC Fall Championships held on the Greenhill campus. Earlier in the season, the Hornets captured the Fort Worth Country Day Invitational then finished second at both the Houston Cup and St. Mary’s Hall Tournament. The Hornets recorded their 24th straight winning campaign, but fell one victory shy of notching at least 20 victories, snapping a streak of 21 consecutive seasons under the direction of head coach Keith Nannie. Following the season, the Hornets had a pair of all-conference honorees in two-time selection senior Chandler Notley and first-time recipient senior Grayson Taylor.
The Hornets recorded a fifthplace showing at the 2014 SPC Fall Championships after falling to conference powerhouses St. Stephen’s Episcopal School and Episcopal High School. The Hornets finished second overall at both the Denton Ryan High School Tournament and Richardson Berkner High School Tournament. Junior Danielle Milner earned all-conference honors for the second straight season while sophomore Ellen Margaret Andrews became a first-time award winner.
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FALL ON THE HILL
Founders’ Day September 11, 2014
The entire campus celebrated Founders’ Day with an opening assembly that commemorated our roots. With a focus on gratitude and following in the footsteps of great leaders before us, two Heart of the Hill groups were named for Rabbi Levi Olan, who graciously opened the doors of Temple Emanu-El to Greenhill students after the fire of 1963, and W.W. Caruth, Jr., a successful realestate entrepreneur, who was instrumental in financing Greenhill land and rent in early years. Three new legends were also named, Letha Boulware-Tait, Linda Chianese and Nick Paraskevas.
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Halloween 2014
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FALL ON THE HILL
Homecoming October 10, 2014
The campus buzzed with school spirit and Hornet pride during Homecoming week. The theme of “Once Upon a Hill� started the week, and Friday culminated with green and gold galore. From hilarious pep rallies and powder-puff games, to a lunchtime cookout and our annual chicken dinner, everyone on campus enjoyed a day celebrating well-played games and well-made memories.
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Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day Friday, November 21, 2014
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New Upper and Middle School Schedule in 2015-2016 Over the last two years Greenhill administrators have been studying the increasing body of research about sleep and schedules. New research shows that the sleep needs of teenagers are dramatically different than those of younger children and adults. Simply put, teenagers have a harder time going to sleep early even though they need approximately nine hours of sleep a night. A few months ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a recommendation that no high school in America should start before 8:30 am. As a result of this research and the anticipated benefits for our students, Greenhill has decided to alter the schedule of the school day for Middle and Upper School students beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. Highlights and thoughts behind the new schedules include: Middle School • Maximum movement in the morning to allow the brain to wake up and function well the rest of the day. • Closer alignment with Upper School schedule to allow for more cross-divisional teaching. • A school day that is 5-10 minutes longer to allow for new breaks and snack time. Upper School • An official later start to the school day (9:00 am) with optional time in the morning for community enrichment activities, studying, breakfast, etc. We are looking forward to starting these research-based changes and are grateful for the feedback and help we’ve received from students in crafting this new schedule. We believe that these changes will enhance the learning environment for all students in grades 5-12, and we will be sharing more details with MS and US families in the spring and summer.
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Zale-Fields Theatre 1975-2015 Let’s have a standing ovation for a beloved theater. Zale-Fields Theatre opened on December 16, 1974, a new “laboratory theater” complete with lighting, sound, and special effects never before possible in the School’s dramatic productions. On May 15, 2015, the theater will shut its doors, but it will remain in our memories as the first and only theater to serve the Greenhill community for 40 years. The Zale and Fields families attended the final performance of The Addams Family on February 7, 2015, where this commemorative photograph was taken. The Addams Family
Annual Kindergarten Nutcracker
Avenue Q (School Edition) Once Upon a Mattress
The Sound of Music
greenhill.org South Pacific
The Wedding Singer
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With Gratitude for Excellent Teachers The Faculty Leaders of 2014-2015
Every year, Greenhill honors exceptional teachers with the Faculty Leaders Program. The program, which started in 2002, highlights one of the fundamental values that the Greenhill community upholds—our commitment to the highest caliber of teaching.
path to reward excellent teachers is to turn them into administrators. This is not always the right direction. The Faculty Leaders Program is Greenhill’s way to reward exceptional teaching and elevate the skills that shine in the classroom.”
In September, as Assistant Head of School, Tom Perryman introduced our three faculty leaders at the Parents’ Association meeting, he said, “In many schools, the
This year, Greg Browne-Nichols, Genie Burke and Nicholas Park were selected. Their varied perspectives follow, each closely derived from their own addresses at the meeting.
Greg Browne-Nichols Pre-Kindergarten Teacher From a young age, Mr. Browne (as his students call him) always knew he wanted to work with children. Inspired by one of the great role models of his life—his mother—he would accompany her to babysitting jobs and watch her interact with children. “I observed with astonishment the way my mom spoke to children. She had a great balance between being strict, yet funny and animated, too.”
his 7th and 8th grade teacher. “To say Mr. Kennedy had a huge impact on my life is an understatement,” he said.
As a child, Greg did everything and went everywhere with his mother. “She was my best friend, my father (yes, my father, and if you tell her differently, she would get upset), and she is my mom.”
One day, Mr. Kennedy pulled him aside and told him about an opportunity at a more rigorous high school. He encouraged Greg to apply, started a scholarship fund for him, paid for his books, and continuously checked in. He later encouraged Greg to apply to Kenyon College and called the admissions office on his behalf. “Sometime during my senior year, I received a letter stating I was accepted to Kenyon College and they were offering me a full ride for all four years. Mr. Kennedy even drove me from New York to Ohio for the move-in.”
Then one day in 1994, his world turned upside down. Greg came home from school to find his mother lying on the floor, having suffered from a stroke. After the doctors stated she only had a few weeks to live, she proved them wrong. She came out of the coma, but was paralyzed on her left side. Greg started taking care of his mom, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and taking frequent trips in the ambulance to the hospital. “In the year 1994, I became an adult at the age of 12, and my childhood life as I knew it was over. That whole year I thought I was being punished for being ‘a bad kid’ and the universe was out to get me.” Then in the fall of 1995, Greg’s life changed again. John Kennedy became
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Mr. Kennedy took a special interest in Greg and went beyond his duty as a teacher. At that time he was the only teacher who organized field trips, and had many new techniques to engage his students. He started a drama club for his class, and it was Greg’s first introduction to theater. “I was Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Mr. Browne summarizes by saying, “All throughout and after college, Mr. Kennedy has been there for me. I am living proof teachers can have huge impacts on children’s lives. I hope someday I can have the same impact on a child’s life as Mr. Kennedy had on mine. I also thank Greenhill for giving me the opportunity to do what I truly love.” Genie Burke Upper School History Teacher Genie Burke’s first job was teaching swimming at the YMCA. She was 16 and the pace was intense, teaching minnows one hour, going straight to guppies or polliwogs the next, then on to another level. “It was a lot of bobbing and weaving—adjusting to my very different student bodies. I must have loved it though, because I came back for several more summers through the end of high school into college.” Toward the end of her undergraduate career, Genie surprised her family by choosing teaching over law school. She had realized that teaching swimming for all of those years was more than just a love for chlorine and
nce I committed myself to the “O
journey [of becoming a teacher], I felt at peace and excited for what was to come.” Genie Burke, Upper School History
honor and responsibility to care for young children as they begin a life of learning and growth. “You have to do everything for an infant, and then gradually you hand things over and they start to do things for themselves. Self-regulation, coordination, and other skills start to develop. There’s great wonder in that. I want my children to grow to exceed everything that I am.”
From Left: Nicholas Park, Genie Burke, Greg Browne-Nichols a bathing suit. “Once I committed myself to the journey [of becoming a teacher], I felt at peace and excited for what was to come.” The first few years of teaching were all about the curriculum. “I didn’t look outside of the classroom because I was so busy staying one step ahead of my students.” But, one day in her second year of teaching, Genie got a call that there had been a fire in her condo. She lost everything she had. “I remember looking around at the 18-yearolds staring at me while I was on the phone, and I valiantly kept my composure.” It was then and in the agitated days afterwards, piecing her life back together, that Ms. Burke realized the true power of community. “When I came back to school, the students and teachers were phenomenal. The students held a pizza fundraiser for me (I don’t think they understood insurance), and my colleagues held a “shower” of sorts. I was overwhelmed by the community efforts, especially by the teenagers. (Aren’t teenagers supposed to be all about themselves and their lives?) I was so humbled.” The spirit of community and a desire to give back has never left Genie. She knows that teaching and being a teacher is far more than just what happens in the classroom.
Now, in her ninth year at Greenhill, she has established a full life in this community, participating in summer programs and continuous professional development. “My colleagues impress me on a daily basis by their desire to continue their education and contributions to the community inside and outside the classroom. At Greenhill, I have learned as much as I have taught. It is a gift, and in the spirit of our mission this year, I am overflowing with gratitude for this community.” Nicholas Park Upper School Science Teacher Nicholas Park’s reason for becoming a teacher is in many ways similar to being a father. “Because I get to witness magic every day,” he says.
“ I realized that I
could foster the ‘I get it’ moments and it felt like magic.” Nicholas Park, Upper School Science
Mr. Park’s perspective on teaching starts with the enormous role of being a father to “a bunch of” [seven] kids, he says. He sees it as a great
Without revealing too much of his life story, Mr. Park discloses that he originally wanted to be a research physicist. “But in my second year of college, I realized that I preferred to interact with people, rather than with laboratory equipment. I realized that I could foster the ‘I get it’ moments and it felt like magic.” In the classroom, he thrives on the magical moments. He supplies the ingredients: a collaborative classroom, appropriate experiences, guidance and discussion. “And then I see a spark in 10-15 sets of eyes, things begin to light up and I get a spring in my step! I can’t see inside my students’ minds, but I think about the inner worlds of their brains—those infinite, wonderful worlds.” Also inspiring to Mr. Park is his constant and less obvious work in character education. “I especially enjoy teaching and modeling the lasting moral and performance virtues that see us through life. Along with the academic curriculum in the classroom, we are empowered to teach such values as resilience, kindness, diligence, gratitude. Here, too, we lay a strong foundation for caring relationships, and provide support for personal autonomy. We provide the structure and scaffolding to support our students’ developing competence.” “A teacher is not a parent, but we are able to share in so many parts of that process. We get to share that magic and get a glimpse inside the amazing worlds of our students,” he says.
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Building Community Campaign Update Marshall Family Performing Arts Center Well Underway
On January 20, Marion Weiss and Armando Petruccelli of Weiss/Manfredi gave the first hard hat tour of construction progress for members of the Board of Trustees. Other hard hat tours will be ongoing throughout the spring. Throughout the fall and winter, from the Lower School playground to the Upper School classrooms, students and faculty were frequently spotted gazing at the construction on the east side of campus. As the walls from the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center are growing higher, and larger cranes are towering over campus, the anticipation and excitement for the new center continues to build. Construction is moving along rapidly, and faculty and students are preparing for a grand opening celebration in late fall 2015. Modernization of the dining hall is poised to start in a few short weeks after the final performances in the Zale-Fields Theatre. See page 32 for more information on the cafeteria renovations, and page 23 for a farewell to the School’s beloved theater performance space.
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Starting a hard hat tour outside the studio theater.
Steering Committee Leadership E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86 Campaign Chair Peter A. Kraus Former Board Chair William E. Rose ’85 Board Chair Scott A. Griggs Head of School
The first hard hat tour standing outside the main entrance of the building, noticing how closely integrated the new building is with the rest of campus.
J. Baxter Brinkmann Nancy P. Carlson Development Committee Co-Chairs
Campaign Goals Facilities $37.5 million • Performing Arts and Assembly Center • Modern dining facilities • New athletic fields • Expanded parking Endowment $15 million • Facilities endowment • General and designated purpose endowment Total Campaign Goal $52.5 million Timeline Fall 2013 - Campaign Kickoff Spring 2014 - Groundbreaking Fall 2015 - Grand Opening
Left and bottom: Marion Weiss of Weiss/Manfredi spoke to Upper School students and Trustees on January 21 in a captivating presentation about architecture as a profession, and how the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center will unite many architectural elements of the campus. Right: Head of School Scott Griggs speaks during the hard hat tour.
Thanks to the dedication of many donors, we have made significant progress toward the Campaign’s $52.5 million* goal. With $39.7 million* raised to date, we are continuing to raise the additional $12.8 million* needed to complete these transformational initiatives. At the time of magazine printing.
*
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Top - Left: Rendering of view from south, Middle: Rendering of entry view, Right: Rendering of view to the courtyard Page 28 - Aerial construction photos of The Marshall Family Performing Arts Center Page 29 - Top: Ground Floor Plan, Bottom: Second Floor Plan
Permanent recognition will begin at $25,000 in the Dining Hall and at $50,000 in the new Marshall Family Performing Arts Center. Specific opportunities and availability for naming new classrooms, performances spaces, dining options and selected rooms begins at the $100,000 level.
Naming Opportunities Please visit our website to review exciting opportunities for permanent recognition. greenhill.org/ buildingcommunity
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is
e m i t e th
to join us in raising $52.5 million in the Building Community Campaign Since its founding in 1950, Greenhill School has relied on the generosity of its community to provide the resources necessary to offer the premier education our students receive. Now is the time we need every member of our community to join this important initiative, to review the suggested giving levels, and to consider what role you and your family might play in helping us shape Greenhill’s future.
We are grateful for the generosity of all campaign contributors to date. $10 MILLION & UP Marshall Heritage Foundation
$5 MILLION & UP Catherine & Will Rose ’85 Anonymous
$1 MILLION - $4.9 MILLION Nancy & Clint Carlson Nancy A. Nasher & David J. Haemisegger E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86 Deedie & Rusty Rose The Weiner Family The Weinreb Family
$500,000 - $999,999 Kathryn & Stephen Arata Lael Iozzo Brodsky ’86 & Peter Brodsky The Enrico Family Catherine & Aaron Enrico Rosemary & Roger Enrico Cynthia & Jesse Ferrer Julie & Jon Frankel Lisa & Peter Kraus Janet Xu & Jet Li Harold Simmons Foundation Lisa Simmons ’73
$250,000 - $499,999 F. Thaddeus Arroyo Family Foundation Diane Buchanan & Rick Andrew
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The Boone Family Cecilia & Garrett Boone Aimee Boone ’97 Katherine Boone ’00 J. Baxter Brinkmann Beth & Jim Gold Hoblitzelle Foundation Rusty & John Jaggers
$100,000 - $249,999 Karla & George Barber Nancy & Barry Barnett Gilian & Steve Baron Lou & Jon Bauman Paige & Greg Bordelon Priscilla & Tom Chow Sandra & Gary Fernandes Lisa & Neil Goldberg Joanna & David Greenstone Irma & Irwin Grossman Karlyn & Grant Herlitz Hillcrest Foundation Preethi & Nirmal Jayaseelan Michelle & Roy Kim ’88 Brett & Lester Levy, Jr. ’79 The Lieberman Family Dr. & Mrs. Zeck H. Lieberman Lisa & Steve Lieberman ’79 Julie & Randy Lieberman ’84 Laurie & David Matthews Hanh & Michael Merriman Sandra & Sam Moon, Sr. Hardeep & Raj Sehgal Karla & Larry Steinberg Sunita & Tony Stewart
$50,000 - $99,999
$25,000 - $49,999
Elizabeth Mack & David Allen Ruth & Ken Altshuler, M.D. Debbie & Marc Andres Amanda & Scott Beck ’92 Leslie & David Benners Kathy & Gary Bridges Koshi & Arun Dhingra Julie & Andrés Diaz Scott A. Griggs Marsha & Michael Halloran Pilar & Jay Henry Cyolonda & Curtis Holmes, Jr. Jane & Michael Hurst ’83 Ann Frances & Cliff Jury Jennie A. Kassanoff, Ph.D. ’82 The Kerridge Family Jenny & John Kirtland Leslie & Bob Krakow Denise & Dustin Marshall ’96 June & Peter McGuire The Meyers & Caplan Family Michelle Caplan Esther & Michael Meyers Beth Levine, M.D. & Milton Packer, M.D. Jolie & Michael Newman Karen & Jeff Parkhill Amber & Charles Slotnik Pam & Richard Squires Kim & Todd Travers Julie & Mike Weinberg ’82 Alison & Michael Weinstein M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation The Leo & Bobbie Fields Family
Ellenore & Kirk Baker Yasmin & Vikrant Bhatia Christy & Adam Blumenfeld ’89 Gail Griswold & Bill Brice, Jr. Becky Wolfson Bruder ’71 & Ken Bruder Dani & Ed Butowsky Susie & Joel Carp Angela & John Crates Christine & John Drossos Hannah Fagadau ’07 & Hilary Fagadau ’09 Laura & Jim Forson Dianne and Larry Goldstein Greystone Foundation Samara Kline & Andy McCarthy Ryan Kline ’11 Dee Dee & Hale Hoak Mahima & Pankaj Kumar Rachel Davidoff Ladin ’91 & Brian Ladin Shari & Karl Nelson Melanie & Louis Okon ’93 Joan & Terry Oxford Adriana & Guillermo Perales Sally & Tom Perryman ’81 Pamela Beck Pluss ’81 & Steven Pluss Gretchen & Michael Raiff Carola & Doug Rayburn Lisa & Steven Rudner Ashley & Rick Scheer Pat & Emmitt Smith
Building Community Giving Levels $5,000.....................Planners $10,000..................Builders $15,000....................Designers $25,000...................Architects $50,000..................Visionaries Take your time! Your pledge is payable over a series of years, to allow for maximum flexibility and generosity.
Joanie & Bruce Sostek Wendy & Marc Stanley Estate of Harold S. Star, Jr. Harold Star III ’70 Meri-Kay Star ’73 Miriam Star Henny Wright & Ed Stead Whitney & Rob Strauss Marlene & John Sughrue Yinan Li & Yilun Wang Lauren & Jeff Zlotky Anonymous (2)
$10,000 - $24,999 Deborah Ackerman Sandy & Rich Beckert Kavi & Chris Blewett Jennifer & Peter Bulban Jeanne & Berry Cox ’72 Susan & Iric Gachman Oscar Joyner ’93 & Alem Gola Georgie Fulton Green ’53 & John Green ’55 Fawzia & Jay Jaffee Debbie & Ronald Klein Pat Villareal & Tom Leatherbury Monica & Ronald McCray Pamela Merriman Alan Moore Melissa & Max Orth Sunny & David Pillow Alice & Mark Platt ’87 Juan Pascual & Albertina Cisneros Stephen Seay Foundation Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60 & John Seeligson Kathleen Wu & Mark Solomon Arlene & David Steinfield Angela & Tim Stephens Bobby Sussman Vicki & Everett Truitt
Waverly Ware Wilson ’86 & McCord Wilson Anonymous (4)
$5,000 - $9,999 Joyce & Selwin Belofsky Linda Chianese Christopher I. Clark ’89 Shweta & Gautam Daftary Claudia & Scott Davis Karen & Clay Deniger ’86 O’Malley & Ben Dishman Sangeeta Elhence, M.D. & Hemant Elhence Kaleta Doolin & Alan Govenar, Ph.D Leila & Holland Gary ’93 Sharon & Don Henley Anne & Jack Hudson Prameela Karimi, M.D. & Mahender Akula Kadriye & Korgun Koral Renee & Michael Manes Jerry Marcus ’79 Margot & Tim McGuire Manju & Venu Menon Camille & Patrick Owens Susan Palmer Sondra & Alan Perkins Ann Perryman Sonia Philipson Cynthia & Derek Schwartz Nancy Shosid, M.D. & Larry Shosid Xiaolan Zhou & Stephen Zhang
UNDER $5,000 Naureen & Aamer Agha Andrea & Jaye Andrews Paige & Brian Ashley Annia Aulet Brenda & Bruce Bagelman Lori Golden & Greg Barnes June & Jim Baumoel
Melodi Bianco Mary Ellen Bourgeois Debbe Brackett & Michael Genette Rhonda & Nick Brette Sharon Brewer Steven Brockett & Lori Accordino-Brockett Katherine Broder ’10 Jessica & Nathan Brophy Sherry Vidal-Brown & Roger Brown Monica & Ron Bullock Alli & Zack Busby Darlene & Alford Caraway Lucinda & Lyne Carter Barbara & Roger Charlebois ’71 Rana & Saad Chehabi Becky Choate Jennifer & Howard Cohen Barbara Currier Mel Curtis Hannah D’Apice ’08 Becky Daniels Dorothy & Steve Davis ’57 Foster Donnell ’10 Angela Adkins Downes ’87 & Emerson Downes Patricia & Corbin Doyle Karen & Ed Dzialowski Marc Ellenbogen ’96 Pat Adrade-Evans & Ed Evans Brad Friedman ’96 Michelle Wettreich Garza ’95 & Joel Garza Barbara Gelsomino Berkeley & Andrew Gillentine Valerie Bennett Gillespie ’98 & Emmanuel Gillespie Sue Ginsberg Pam & Michel Giraudon Sebastian Gluzman Ronda & Tom Grimsley Yildiz & Ozan Gursel Gail Wilson Heinonen ’65 & Bob Heinonen Jennifer & John Helms Joan Hill, Ed.D. & Zachary Hill Kathy & Michael Holmes Pam & Wendell Hopkins Barry Ide Molly & Abhi Ingle Maria-Cristina & Jaime Jaramillo Mike Jenks Kathleen Jones Terry & Russell Jones Ruth Joseph Katherine Hurst Kardesch ’86 & Matthew Kardesch Susan & Dan Kasten Suzanne & Michael Kesner Kate & Jon Kettles Mekdes & Malcolm Kifle Sumi & Stephan Kim Laurie ’96 & Greg Krauss Donnabeth & Barry Leffler Paola & Edmond Livingstone Sarah & Russ Markhovsky Kris McArdle Dana & Earl McLendon
Travis McElroy ’08 Harriett & Roger Mellow Abigail Mindle & Grant Mindle, Ph.D. Laurie & Marc Montoya Erika Bruce & Gary Moskowitz Katherine & Afshin Motlagh Monsie Munoz ’05 Jack Oros Lydia & Nick Paraskevas Betty & Andrew Park Jennifer & Nicholas Park Rita & Mitchell Rasansky Valerie & Rusty Reynolds Katie & Mark Robbins Sally & Rick Rosenberg Laura & Gregg Ross Lesley Rucker Keri & Christopher Ruffalo Lisa & Randolph Sentell Kerry & Stephen Shea Nancy Shosid, M.D. & Larry Shosid Bethany Shrestha Rebecca & Tony Shuman Cindy Brinker Simmons ’75 Jocelynn & Michael Simpson Grace & Stanley Smith Michelle & Kascie Smith Phyllis Spare Valerie Stelzer Barclay Stephens ’12 Rabbi Nancy Kasten & Rabbi David Stern Sandra & Barry Strevig Dana & John Talmadge, M.D. Louise & Ryan Thompson Chelle & Chad Wabrek Stacey & Brent Williams Emily & Alex Wilson Linda & Ken Wimberly Neena Wiora Linda & Ken Woolley Stephanie & Trevor Worcester Qian Zhang & Bing Xie Suzanne & Jason Yaffe Jiawen Zhang & Weibin Yang Katie & Todd Young Ida Ann & Harold Zweig *
List as of magazine printing date.
Endowment donors below the $5,000 level are not listed. A complete list of donors can be found on the Gratitude page of our campaign website.
For additional information on how to participate in the campaign, please visit our website greenhill.org/buildingcommunity, or contact Julie Diaz, Chief Advancement Officer at 972-628-5501.
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Finer Dining The Transformation of Crossman Hall
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It’s 12:45 pm as fourth period draws to a close. Junior Keaton Butowsky and 467 fellow hungry Upper School students rush to Crossman Hall cafeteria. A sudden line spills out the door and Keaton is brought up short, forced to stand and wait while precious seconds of his free period tick by. “I find myself waiting for 15-20 minutes just to get through the line and get my food. And then if I get out late from class or have a meeting with a teacher at 1:00 pm, I don’t really have time to eat.”
T
he wait is just one of the problems that Keaton encounters with lunch. When he first started eating in the cafeteria in fifth grade, he remembers the division and confusion that resulted when some students were on the meal plan and others were not. He also remembers accidentally spilling his drink on a girl in front of him when someone bumped his arm. “The aisles and tables are so tight, and the space is so congested. I’m surprised we don’t see more accidents.” Luckily for Keaton and his fellow Greenhill students, these problems will soon disappear with the dining hall renovation starting on May 16. With the vision of Weiss/Manfredi, the architects who designed the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center, Crossman Hall will be completely transformed over the coming summer months. Designed to the standards of university-level dining, the new hall will feature an open-format kitchen, four main serving lines, naturally-lit open space, and a relaxing ambience inspired by nature.
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In the late ‘50s and ‘60s, under the leadership of Board Chairs Fred Agnich, Frank Schultz, and Jerome Crossman, Greenhill not only moved to a new campus, but the Board also authorized construction of its first permanent buildings, Agnich Science Building and Crossman Hall. When the original cafeteria space was constructed in 1964, Greenhill’s student body was around 500; now it stands at 1,280. Our new main dining hall will seat 318 in tables of nine. With the additional square footage available from the Zale-Fields Theatre, there will also be a west dining room that will seat 135 for a total capacity of 453 at any one time. The Lower School dining hall (for Pre-k through second grade) will seat 117 students in tables of nine, with one adult to eight students. Current Cafeteria
Weiss/Manfredi notes that today’s design trends offer a unique opportunity to recognize students’ increasingly sophisticated expectations for fresh, locally-sourced and diverse dining options and to create a sense of intimacy and excitement between students, faculty, chefs and staff. According to lead architect Armando Petruccelli, “We are stimulated by the opportunity to create a dining hall that fosters dynamic relationships between the food being prepared and served, the interactions experienced at the table seating, and the off-hand encounters that spring between the two. It is our goal to provide settings for social engagement and modes of learning while dining.”
a state-of-the-art facility.” The Buzz bookstore, which is tucked away in the back of the building, will move to a prominent and visible location off the Phillip G. Foote Quadrangle. The black box Zale-Fields Theatre, on the west side of Crossman Hall, the signature theater that has served the community so well since 1974, will be redesigned to accommodate more dining space (see the theatre tribute on p. 23). And most noteworthy of all, the performing arts program will find a new home in the most architecturallysignificant, transformative building the School has ever witnessed, the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center, currently under construction (see more on p. 26).
The main dining room will be “architecturally defined with a warm wood slat wall that encompasses the serpentine multi-point servery.” Petruccelli also describes the acoustical enhancements that will quiet noise levels. “We will outfit the coffer ceilings with new uplit white acoustic material to soften the noise and provide natural daylight through existing skylights and new windows that connect dining to the exterior quad and courtyards.”
When undertaking this immense project, Weiss/Manfredi was also careful to respect the identity and significance of existing campus buildings. Architect Petruccelli explains, “We want to stay true to the original O’Neil Ford architectural legacy on Greenhill’s campus, reinforcing the Foote Quadrangle as a hub of campus. The dining hall is at the center and relocating the bookstore to the front of this quadrangle will highlight this hub as well.”
In addition to the acoustical enhancements, round tables seating nine will invite quieter conversation circles. And for the first time in Greenhill history, our youngest students will be able to join the lunchtime community in their rightsized Lower School dining room with smaller tables, chairs and serving stations. A private dining room will also be available to accommodate special meetings and events.
The renovation of Crossman Hall will start after the last Zale-Fields Theatre production closes on May 15. Construction will commence immediately thereafter, working seven days a week in the summer to finish by the start of the 2015-2016 school year.
“This is a very significant renovation,” says Chief Financial Officer Melissa Orth. “Crossman Hall is the second oldest building on campus, and it will now be transformed into
Hall is the “ Crossman
second oldest building on campus, and it will now be transformed into a state-of-the-art facility.”
Melissa Orth Cheif Financial Officer
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Rendering of Main Dining Room
Quality Dining Greenhill School has partnered with SAGE Dining Services for nine years, and students and faculty agree that the food on campus is delicious. Faculty enjoy lunch as a great benefit, and at any given lunch period, our students’ plates are loaded with a variety of healthy, fresh, well-balanced food options. Jennifer Quick is SAGE District Manager for schools in Texas and throughout the southwest region. She is thrilled to see this renovation taking place, and she, along with the architectural dining consultant, James Davella, had an influential role in many design decisions. “We wanted to steer the Greenhill School dining experience toward the open-format kitchen, where students can see chefs at work as an important part of their environment.” Petruccelli adds, “With the open format, we establish the idea of ‘exhibition cooking’ which is an approach that emphasizes the freshness/quality of the food being served, now considered best practice for dining facilities of this type.” Quick explains additional design improvements include doubling “points of service” from two to four lines and doubling beverage lines that will feature fresh-brewed teas and infused water. A hearth oven will be the focal point of the kitchen that can also be used for pizza, flatbreads and stromboli. A conveyor system will also dramatically improve the dishwashing station and related traffic. “With the open-format kitchen and increased points of service, students will be much more engaged in the process of how their food is made. It will offer educational opportunities and create interesting connections throughout the lunchtime routine,” concludes Quick. SAGE also works closely with Greenhill cultural and curricular events, catering the menu to showcase such holidays as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Diwali. Throughout the week of spring’s Greenhill Goes Global festival, SAGE offers a sampling of foods from different countries. Athletic teams use the dining hall for team dinners and gatherings. Football coach Tom Williams enjoys the flexibility of ordering pre-game dinners to
maximize nutritional performance, including flank steak and oatmeal. “The steak and oatmeal are a great source of prolonged energy. Adding fruit acts as an immediate energy source, while aiding in the slow digestion of the steak and oatmeal.” Trey Stringer, Director of Strength and Conditioning, also provides “game day menus” to ensure energy-rich offerings and to encourage athletes to eat a nutritional array of foods. SAGE also uses sustainable, eco-friendly initiatives whenever possible, such as leaning heavily on local vendors for produce and buying organic when available. The company has also crafted a comprehensive program that has students’ safety and satisfaction in mind. By offering a variety of daily offerings that will satisfy most dietary needs, including nut-free and gluten-free, students will have the opportunity to create a meal that is tailored to them. There are procedures in place to alert parents and students of potential allergens and an executive chef will assist in the preparation of food, assuring recipes are followed according to directions with no added ingredients.
Find out more about the excellent food Greenhill students eat every day. scan the QR code or visit sagedining.com/about/videos.html
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View of Serving Area
More than Just Lunch One of the most foundational initiatives of the new dining hall centers on the idea of food and community. With the rigorous workloads of our faculty and students, lunch provides a welcome respite in the course of the day to enjoy conversations with peers, relax with a change of scenery, and eat healthy, nourishing food. With the renovation, the dining program is moving to a Community Inclusive “all-in” model, meaning that the cost of lunch is included in the full tuition package. “Most schools in the area have already moved to this model,” says Melissa Orth. “It makes sense for many reasons, including maximized efficiency, less waste, and a more streamlined system. It also allows for family-style serving of our youngest students. We are excited to partner with SAGE during this transition, as they have over 170 clients across the nation using this model.” Our pre-k and kindergarten students will encounter the biggest change with an entirely new lunch experience. They will no longer be required to bring lunch from home and sit at their tables in the classroom. They will instead join the rest of the student-body in the cafeteria in their Lower School dining room. They will be treated to a family-style system where the food will be brought in platters and each child will be served at the table. Head of Early Childhood
West Dining Room Rendering
Kim Barnes sees the system as a true improvement of a child’s lunch experience. “Family style will allow for small groups of children to be with one adult. The adult will be able to help facilitate manners such as ‘please, thank you, please pass the potatoes, etc.’ Adults will also help them with appropriate physical placement such as sitting in chairs and passing food items. With the busyness of some of our families, family-style lunches may be the only model some children have for an actual sit-down meal with a group of people. This style of serving will also provide the educational opportunity of eating a variety of balanced, healthy meals and sampling new foods.” Primer, first and second graders will also use the smaller-scaled dining room. Head of Lower School Michael Simpson adds, “The closer adult supervision in the round-table, family-style environment will also help teach kids about cleaning up after themselves, adopting healthier eating habits, and wasting less food.” Middle School students will benefit from a slight restructuring of their lunchtime routine. Fifth through eighth-graders will sit at round tables of nine with one adult to help drive conversation, promote inclusion, and model best and respectful practices. Susan Palmer, Head of
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Middle School, explains that it will be set up on a rotation so students will get to know each other, as well as a variety of adults who will join them for lunch. Ms. Palmer also points out the importance of relatedness and of providing time for those connections to happen. “Teachers who have worked at schools where they have eaten lunch with their students relate how important that time has been in forging positive and productive relationships.” Head of Upper School Laura Ross foresees vast improvements as well. “The new dining hall will allow much more flexibility for our students who will now be able to eat lunch earlier if they have an off period instead of waiting until the assigned lunch time. We are also hoping that with more serving lines and more spread out lunch opportunities, the line will not be out the door at the beginning of Upper School lunch every day.” Keaton Butowsky, leader of the first senior class to enjoy the new dining hall, agrees, “When I read about all the improvements coming to the cafeteria, I start to get hungry.”
Students really care about food! As reported recently in The New York Times and Chicago Sun Times, students’ increasingly sophisticated and discerning palates are influencing and elevating campus dining across the nation. College campuses are starting to offer organic cafés, sushi bars, farmers’ markets and gardensupplied kitchens. Not surprisingly, Greenhill students want their voices to be heard when it comes to food. According to Keaton Butowsky, junior class president, “the most popular meeting of the year” is the Student Council meeting about food. Greenhill’s SAGE food services manager Ed Bogard attends the meeting to receive student feedback. “People generally really like the food here. Complaints are minor and students like being able to offer ideas like incorporating more vegetarian options or offering their favorite choices more often.”
Main Dining Floor Plan
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Food for Thought
Alumni talk about food, nutrition, wellness and community in the restaurant context. Trends last and are broad and deep. Eating healthy, for example, is a trend and not a one hit wonder or fad. That said, as a broad precept, we try to design our concepts as timeless and classic. We want to capture the imagination of a broad spectrum of diners and, as such, we strive for classic, simple elegance because we believe those to be the hallmarks of timelessness. In your life and work, how are food and community linked? Food
Richard Ellman ’89 Richard Ellman, lawyer and private equity investor by trade, has become a prominent restaurateur with his wife, Tiffanee, as owners of the popular Oak and Pakpao restaurants, in Dallas’ design district. His restaurants have received a number of accolades from Bon Appetit, D Magazine, and The Dallas Morning News. How would you describe the importance of food, nutrition, and wellness in today’s society?
Nutrition and wellness cannot be ignored. While many people still love “comfort” foods and are not concerned with the healthiness of the food they eat, a growing number of people are very concerned about nutritional value. Sometimes this results in fads which come and go and sometimes there are trends which seem to be here to stay. In our restaurants, we are very deliberate in catering to those needs and so we serve juices and salads with “super foods” that are both healthy and delicious - e.g., kale, chia. Our chefs avoid butter as much as possible and we are always trying to source local and organic as a first choice. Simply put, we are deliberate in our effort to offer plenty of choices for the health conscious and that means fresh, organic, and local. How would you describe your relationship to food trends? I believe
that trends are very important and, as opposed to fads, should be embraced
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is an integral part of a community. The foods that communities eat speak volumes about their history, culture, and traditions. So not only are physical restaurants places where friendships are made, marriages proposed, bad news relayed, and so forth, but the food itself tells a story about the people who live and eat in a particular community. Moreover, food is often the central component of the most important events in our lives, so when I travel, the first thing I do is scope out the great local restaurants. There, through the food and the atmosphere and the people I meet, I am transported to other traditions and cultures. What do you think are the most important things that students should come to realize about food?
Food should be respected. For great chefs, food is art and for the rest of us, we should take advantage of the wonders that exist in the world around us — so many different fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. Also, sitting down together for a meal and making it part of an experience rather than simply a means to an end will bring another dimension to your life. When I grew up, my family gathered around the table for dinner every night. It was the fabric of our family. “Breaking bread” together creates bonds and shared experiences. In this context, food is the centerpiece for taking time to share experiences — joy, sorrow, love, disappointment. Humans are social creatures and food is the lubricant for their interactions.
Did your Greenhill education plant seeds toward your chosen career path? If so, how? My Greenhill
education furthered my passion for history and learning about other cultures. I’ve always been an avid traveler and reader. Experiencing the foods of different cultures has been a passion and joy of mine that is rooted in my love of experiencing the world. In our company, we seek to create restaurants that bring to life some of the experiences—from food to design to service—we have had in other cities across the globe.
Caron Gremont ’92 Caron Gremont is the founder of First Bites (www.FirstBites.org), a nonprofit organization that teaches two to five-year-olds to eat a variety of fruits & vegetables, and trains early child care teachers and families on how to make eating healthy food fun. She is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, where she writes on the intersection of food and children. How would you describe the importance of food, nutrition, and wellness in today’s society? We
are at a critical point as a country in regard to our food and nutrition. If we don’t make changes now to what and how we are eating, we will continue to live shorter, less healthy lives than our parents. We have to start thinking about healthy eating as a life skill that must be taught to children, and is necessary to live a productive and successful life.
What is your personal relationship with food/dining/nutrition? Food,
at its most basic level, is necessary nourishment that helps us grow and be healthy. But it also gives us pleasure and connects us to friends and family. I believe these ideas can coexist, and that’s how my family lives and how I approach healthy eating in my work with early child care teachers, families and children. We cook and eat real food, made with high quality ingredients that taste good and make us feel good. We make it fun, by getting children as young as two years old to help cook and prepare the meals, and we make sure it tastes good.
For me, that moment changed my life and connected me to what we eat in a profound way. I did not realize at the time, that food and nutrition would be the focus of my career and that I’d connect my values and morals with my passion for cooking and health and turn it into a successful career. It all started at Greenhill!
In your life and work, how are food and community linked? I frequently
work with families of young children to help them make changes to what and how their children are eating. In my experience, when I talk to parents of any nationality, at every socioeconomic level, when we start to talk about what we like to feed our kids and what meals we share at family gatherings, barriers come down and we realize how similar we all are. Coming together to share food is a universal experience, and there is a tremendous power in eating and talking at a family table. What do you think are the most important things that students should come to realize about food?
When you make decisions about food, you are voting with your wallet. If you choose fast food, or highly processed food, you are voting to support the companies that are making that food and contributing to our growing addiction to sugar, fat and salt, and decline in our health. Did your Greenhill education plant seeds toward your chosen career path? If so, how? When I was in
the tenth grade, we had to dissect a fetal pig. It was at that moment that I realized how important it was to know what was in our food and where it comes from. Today there is much more awareness of and discussion about where our food comes from.
menus for fun. There is something about dining out that’s almost magical. When you enjoy an amazing meal accompanied by great service, a beautiful setting and good company, it feels like an out-of-body experience. The restaurant industry has also always fascinated me. The vast majority of restaurants fail within the first year. What’s the secret formula for opening a successful restaurant? There are certain things like service, plating, and ingredients that all contribute, but when you go to a restaurant that is the unique flashpoint of all of these elements— it’s indescribable. In your life and work, how are food and community linked? Food is how
Priya Krishna ’09 Priya Krishna is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College, where she wrote a popular newspaper column about assembling meals from the à la carte items available at the dining hall. She now lives in New York and writes for Lucky Peach, a quarterly journal of food and writing. How would you describe the importance of food, nutrition, and wellness in today’s society? Food
brings people together. When I was growing up, eating dinner was the one thing that brought my entire family together every night. Seeing food’s ability to unite people was what made me want to start a career in the field. My parents taught me to appreciate food alongside nutrition and wellness, which I think is really important. I learned that eating well isn’t necessarily always eating super healthy food, but eating moderate portions that are well-sourced, and balancing that with exercise. How would you describe your own relationship to dining? Since I was
I relate to people. It comprises almost 90% of my conversations. Everyone eats food. It’s the lowest common denominator among human beings. It always shocks me when people are like, “I don’t really like food.” What are they talking about? Food is essential to survival, so why not seek out the dishes and cuisines that you really love? What do you think are the most important things that students should come to realize about food?
No one should ever have a negative relationship with food! Yes, food has fat and calories. But fat and calories are how we have the energy to do everything we enjoy in life! Balance is key. Did your Greenhill education plant seeds toward your chosen career path? If so, how? Greenhill is one
of the most supportive communities I have ever been a part of. I didn’t necessarily know that I wanted to go into food after graduating from Greenhill, but it gave me the confidence to find a passion and pursue it. My English teachers especially made me the person I am today. They taught me how to think and express ideas creatively, a skill I use every day.
young, food and dining out have always fascinated me. I used to peruse
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A Message from Macey Small Davis ’94 President, Alumni Association
Greenhill School 2014-2015 Alumni Board Matthew Abel ’05 Scott Beck ’92 Jennifer Bell-Garcia ’04 Jeffrey Boyd ’06 Megan Baumoel Considine ’97 Macey Small Davis ’94 Shawn Hiner-Leamon ’05 Jamie Katzen ’01 Khraish Khraish ’94 John Lesikar ’03 Rachel Ingle Lorraine ’00 Dustin Marshall ’96 Alex Merson ’96 Janie Morris ’95 Louis Okon ’93 Mark Platt ’87 Sabrina Mallick Peterson ’00 Matt Prescott ’03 Lauren Pritchard ’04 Byron Sanders ’01 Nick Seaman ’00 Cindy Solomon ’93 Jessica Stolbach ’05 Jay Szor ’04 Carolyn Ley Thomas ’97 Michael Waldman ’98
Dear Greenhill Alumni, Fall was a busy and productive season as we reconnected with old friends across the nation, from New York to Washington D.C. to Los Angeles and New Orleans! And now we’re well on our way into spring, gearing up for Alumni Weekend 2015 and on the cusp of wrapping up the 2014-2015 school year. One fun community-centered event happened in January when members of our alumni board volunteered and served dinner at Second Chance Stewpot Café in Dallas. This was just one of many service opportunities offered to Dallas alumni throughout the year. Volunteering with fellow alumni is not only a wonderful chance to serve our local community, but a way to reconnect with each other as well. Our Greenhill students participate in similar projects every year, so keep an eye out for additional opportunities of how alumni can work with current students in the future. Our annual Alumni Weekend is upon us — April 24 and 25. This is a full weekend of events for alumni and families to reconnect with Greenhill and our faculty. The campus is growing as construction continues on the beautiful Marshall Family Performing Arts Center, and I hope you will look for details about the fall opening of the building. It is also such a fantastic time for reunion classes to reconnect. I can tell you that I enjoyed every moment of my reunion last spring — including the old yearbook pictures. During my tenure as Alumni Board president, I encourage you to do one thing: Come Back. Come to reconnect with the School that helped form who you are today. Come back to see the beauty of our growing campus, the familiar faces greeting you, and the amazing students who are following in your footsteps. This is still your School, and there has never been a better time to renew your Greenhill pride. Looking ahead to the summer, we will be excited to welcome the Class of 2015 as the newest inductees into the Greenhill School Alumni Association at graduation. This event will close the school year, but our work will continue throughout the summer as we plan events and activities for the fall and spring. If you would like to participate in any of our programs, support our efforts, or simply update your contact information, please contact Katie Young at youngka@greenhill.org or 972-628-5521. We would love to hear from you! With Hornet pride,
Macey Small Davis ’94 President, Alumni Association
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Alumni News November
New York Reunion November 4, 2014 Cosmopolitan Club Top: Macey Small Davis ’94, Alexis Clark ’94, Melissa Cohen Hein ’94, Esther Hong ’94, Kathryn Kallison ’94 Bottom Left: Brad Blonkvist ’87, Pierce Marshall ’86, Former Head of School Phillip Foote and Mary Foote, Jennifer Lee ’88 Bottom Right: Chris Chung ’10, Sally Oh ’10, Greenhill Legend and US English Teacher Dan Kasten, Lindsay Boyd ’10
Washington D.C. Reunion November 12, 2014 Hill Country Barbecue Top: Michael Sheinfeld ’10, Nick Barber ’10, Head of School Scott Griggs, Aaron Poliak ’11 Bottom Left: Isha Elhence ’12, Asha Sharma ’09, US English Teacher Trey Colvin, Arjun Gupta ’13 Bottom Right: Meera Pranav ’09, Director of Alumni Relations Katie Young, Rebecca Eshelbrenner ’08, Shelci Bowman ’10
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Alumni Holiday Reception November 26, 2014 Nick & Sam’s Park Cities
Below Top: Chris Jones ’03, Jessica Pryor ’03, and Matthew Prescott ’03 Below Bottom: Head of School Scott Griggs, Willie Woods ’07 US English Teacher Joel Garza, Ethan Ungchusri ’09, Alex Gupta ’09, and Chase Richards ’09
Ari Levin and Lindsay Rubin Levin ’98, Michael Waldman ’98, and Katherine Hearty ’98
Alumni Basketball Game November 26, 2014 Phillips Gym The annual Alumni Basketball game reunited players from the last 30 years as they faced off against the current Varsity Boys Basketball team. Greenhill Legend Ron Ivery served as referee for the game.
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Alumni News December
Soccer Alumni from the last five decades gathered to challenge the Varsity Boys Soccer team. Alumni Soccer Game December 28, 2014 Brinkmann Field
Los Angeles Reunion December 7, 2014 Dominick’s Top: Helen and Chris Velvin ’87, Director of Alumni Relations Katie Young, Mila Hermanovski ’87 and Matthew Betcher, Becky Birdsong ’86 Bottom Left: Kyle Weinreb ’13, Jocelyn Lee ’14, Andrew Burk ’14 Bottom Right: Kamron Hakemy ’09, Ravi Bendapudi ’00, Assistant Head of School Tom Perryman ’81, Taylor Vernon ’02, Lee Szor ’03
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Alumni News January
Trending Topics Luncheon Featuring Scott Beck ’92 January 16, 2015 Celebration Restaurant Our Trending Topics Luncheon Series is hosted by the alumni board throughout the year. In January, our guest was current alumni board member and Greenhill parent, Scott Beck ’92. Scott shared his plans for the redevelopment of the Valley View Mall area into a new and vibrant urban destination in North Dallas called Dallas Midtown. Scott is the founder and President of Beck Ventures and Chairman/CEO of CornerWorld. If you have a suggestion for a topic or speaker, please contact Katie Young at youngka@greenhill.org or 972-628-5521.
This fantastic weekend promises to reconnect you with friends and classmates as you celebrate and renew your lifelong connections to Greenhill School. Weekend events include hard hat tours of the construction of the new Marshall Family Performing Arts Center, a family barbecue on campus, and our new All-Alumni Reunion Party hosted at Trinity Groves in Dallas on Saturday night! You can find schedule details and updates on our website: greenhill.org/alumniweekend
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Hill CLASS NOTES
To submit information for class notes and alumni news, contact: Katie Young Director of Alumni Relations alumni@greenhill.org 972.628.5521 phone 972.628.6521 fax FIND US ON:
1973 Darrell Hurmis was recently promoted to Principal at Henry S. Miller Brokerage, LLC heading up the Investments and Land divisions. Henry S. Miller is celebrating their 100 year anniversary this year. He also became a grandfather in January with the arrival of his granddaughter, Kate Elizabeth Langford, on January 15.
Clint David merged the law firm he founded as a sole practitioner 30 years ago, David & Goodman, with the national law firm of Fox Rothschild LLP. The merger was effective October 1, 2014. David & Goodman had 18 attorneys and all attorneys, as well as all of the staff that made the move to Fox. Fox Rothschild has 600 attorneys with 20 offices around the country and was founded 107 years ago in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The merger with Clint’s firm marks Fox’s first entry into Texas. Clint has joined the firm as an equity partner, the managing partner of the Dallas office, and a member of the firm’s executive committee.
1974 Chuck Briant wrote, “I am involved in several food, fun, and nutrition oriented projects. Having been involved in the growth of the gourmet food truck movement in Dallas, our group operates the two food parks in Fort Worth, and we have others in our development plans. These venues create a family fun atmosphere, and give the budding chefs an opportunity to express their culinary skills.” “Additionally, I am involved with Dr. Sue’s Chocolate, whose mission is to not only create delicious, properly sourced dark chocolate, but to make a difference in people’s lives through community based education.”
Darrell Hurmis ’73 and his granddaughter Kate Elizabeth Langford
“Although my days are filled with many other projects—and enjoying five grandchildren—I am most excited about working with Susan Hensarling Nahkunst ’75 in 2015 as we expand Keep Austin Fed to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and beyond.”
1975 Susan Hensarling Nahkunst is the director of Keep Austin Fed in Austin. Keep Austin Fed is a volunteer based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that
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gathers wholesome and nutritious surplus food from commercial kitchens and distributes it to area charities that serve hungry people in need. Susan wrote, “Our mission is sharing healthy nutrition with our hungry neighbors by keeping surplus food out of the waste stream. Each month our dedicated network of volunteers rescue on average over 40,000 pounds of surplus foods, feeding hundreds of our neighbors living with food insecurity —1 in 7 people do not know where their next meal will come from. In addition, we are starting to put a dent in the approximately 30 percent of food in the U.S. that ends up in a landfill and produces methane gas. Stay tuned this next year as I join forces with another Greenhill alumnus, Chuck Briant ’74, to expand our surplus food work network to Dallas.” Classmates of Patty Martin Kellar ’76 celebrated her life in November during a special dinner in Dallas. Cindy Frank Birne wrote, “Our gathering was a touching tribute to our dear friend—one of the most beautiful people on the planet inside and out.”
1982 Dynette (Word) Shmidt wrote, “Ray and I got married on October 18, 2014, in the beautiful Tyler State Park outside of Tyler, TX. It was a SURPRISE wedding! The groom knew nothing and it was pulled off flawlessly. We had a baseballthemed wedding since we are addicted to baseball. He is a Rangers fan and I am a Colorado Rockies fan. A perfect day with lots of love from our family and friends! Perfect weather, perfect setting! It only took us nine years to get married. We didn’t want to rush into anything. It was well worth the wait!”
1985 Graeme Gordon wrote, “After moving to Tampa in 2012 and resigning from corporate America last year, I have been busy with a new start up which closed funding in November 2014. Patents and trademarks filed and several overseas trips behind me, my venture is moving full speed ahead. “Without letting the cat out of the bag, I developed a revolutionary consumer product designed to save children’s lives and end needless heartache. Combining Italian design, with Swedish components my new brand is scheduled to launch in April 2015.” To get the “inside scoop” on the launch go to: www.tinyurl.com/ greenhillsecret.
1987 Mark Platt has joined McGuireWoods as a partner in the firm’s Dallas office. With over two decades of industry experience, Mark focuses
on several sectors, including telecommunications, real estate and energy. He has successfully litigated cases for senior lenders, private equity firms and a wide array of debtors and creditors in federal and state courts across the country, including in Texas, Delaware and New York. Mark is the current co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation Committee.
1988 Andrea (Bond) Spencer wrote, “We have opened a new Elliott’s Hardware in East Dallas at Casa Linda Plaza. It makes four locations in the Dallas area for us. It’s a prototype store—the first of several we hope to add over the next few years. Who knew hardware could be so much fun?”
1989
is an internationally touring composer and sound artist with a catalog of more than a dozen albums, including 2013’s harrowing orchestral work Karren (Sedimental)—which The New York Times calls “as rigorously assembled, finely detailed and dramatically taut as any modern composition you might care to name.” A fixture at the Experimental Sound Studio in Ravenswood, Block gravitates toward found sound and manipulating the guts of acoustically dynamic instruments like the piano.”
1990 Current Greenhill student Ariana Luterman has brought her dad, Zach Luterman, into her triathlon world. Zach competes alongside Ariana and has some exciting triathlon plans for 2015, including 10 races - the highlights being an Ironman and the bucket list, “Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon.”
Olivia Block was recently featured in the People Issue of Chicago Reader magazine. From the interview: “Block
Members of the class of 1974, 1975 and 1976, as well as one of Patty’s twin daughters, celebrated the life of Patty Martin Kellar ’76 in November during a special dinner in Dallas.
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Hill CLASS NOTES
Friends from the class of ’95 meeting up for a weekend in Austin
1995 Friends from the class of 1995 recently reunited for a guys weekend in Austin. Brian Silverstein, Andrew Cooper, Todd Waldman, Jeremy Goldberg, Dale Yoo and Rick Weisberg enjoyed catching up.
1996
Bottle Rocket, where I was doing user experience and user interface design of mobile apps for companies like Starwood Hotels, Chik-fil-A, and Fox News. My calligraphy and hand lettering business had grown to the point where it was really getting to be too much to handle as a side job, so I launched Lyndsay Wright Design LLC full-time. I have been fortunate to be able to do what I love as a career, and I am excited for the future of my business. In addition to addressing
Magan Mullino Schain wrote, “We were delighted to welcome our fourth child, Clara Drew Mullino Schain, on September 15, 2014. Clara joins big brothers Max & Asher, and big sister Emily, finally evening out the gender balance in the Mullino Schain family!” Lyndsay Wright wrote, “My husband, Brian, and I welcomed our daughter, Coralie Kovar David, on February 25, 2014. Our son Lucien, who turns three in February, is just over-themoon for her, always hugging her, trying to make her laugh, and bringing her toys. In August, I left my job at
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envelopes for individuals (even some celebrities!), advertising agencies, and corporate clients, I have been designing logos, custom artwork, stationery, and invitation suites. Greenhill alumni living in Dallas may have seen my lettering on chalkboards of local businesses like Buda Juice, or on a number of t-shirt designs that I have lettered for the Dallas Mavericks. Greenhill has been a huge supporter of my work, for which I am tremendously grateful. I am also teaching a number of calligraphy and hand lettering workshops around town. It is always a joy to work with clients who are part of the Greenhill family!”
1997
Magan Mullino Schain’s ’96 two sons Max & Asher, and daughter Emily
Amy Lockhart achieved Board Certification in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Amy is the Chief of the Felony Division at the Ellis County & District Attorney’s Office. She and her husband live in Dallas.
1998 Clay Fowler and Mark Schoellkopf recently Skyped with Upper School students during a session of Jason Yaffe’s Sports and Society course. The two worked on the documentary film Signing Day, that explores the world of college football recruiting through the stories of three high school seniors with dreams of earning a scholarship and playing at the next level. Mark is an independent filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Signing Day is his first time directing a feature-length documentary. He has been a sports fanatic his entire life and grew to love football watching it under the Friday night lights of his native Texas. Clay is a sportswriter for the Los Angeles Newspaper group who has covered high school football and college football recruiting for 10 years. Visit signingdayfilm.com for more information.
Mark Wallenstein ’98, Assistant United States Attorney
Marc Wallenstein is now an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Hawaii. He was sworn in as a federal prosecutor in Honolulu in January.
1999 In February, Chris Jeffries was named to the 15th induction class for the Sports Hall of Fame at Washington University in St. Louis. Selection criteria for admission to the Hall of Fame require that student-athletes hold an undergraduate degree from the University, have earned their degree a minimum of five years prior to induction, and have competed for a varsity sport as recognized by the University. Chris is a two-time All-America selection and a veteran of 10 seasons of playing professional basketball overseas. Jeffries led the team in scoring as a junior (16.9 ppg) and senior (20.5), and is one of nine players in school history to average 20 points per game. He was a two-time all-region and three-time all-UAA
Clay Fowler ’98 and Mark Schoellkopf ’98 on Skype with Upper School students selection, and helped the Bears set a then-school record with 25 victories in 2001-02, and most consecutive wins (23) in 2002-03. He helped lead the Bears to an 89-16 (.848) record in four seasons, with three NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2002 UAA championship.
2000 Katie Walsh recently accepted a job in the legal department at FedEx Express World Headquarters in Memphis, TN after 5 years as a prosecutor with the District Attorney’s office. She will be an attorney on the Employment
Litigation Team. Her first work trip sent her to Los Angeles, CA, where she was able to reconnect with Ravi Bendapudi. David Dickerman is now a published children’s author with his book Mom, Dad and Everyone Else. David said the book “stemmed from my graduate thesis at Bank Street College of Education in NYC. The book acts, in part, as a tool for bibliotherapy. It is a story that attempts to reframe divorce for children and provides and often overlooked sense of hope by focusing less on the sadness and more on the child’s growing support system and experiences.” You can find it on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.
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Hill CLASS NOTES
2001
Mara Weinstein Velez and Moises Velez welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Elia, into their family on March 16, 2014. They currently live in Cleveland, OH, where Mara is in her last year of Dermatology Residency at the Cleveland Clinic and Moises is training in Pathology.
Iliza Shlesinger recently recorded her sophomore stand-up comedy special, Freezing Hot, as a follow-up to her wildly acclaimed War Paint. The show was recorded at the Gothic Theatre in Denver, Colorado. She recently signed on to write and star in her own television series, “Forever 31,” with ABC. Nicci Lyons is a Road to College Counselor at Uplift Heights Preparatory School in West Dallas. Uplift Education is a free public charter school network serving almost 12,000 scholars on 14 campuses in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
2003 Brittany Staub married Daniel Zeltser on Saturday, November 22, 2014. The wedding party included alumni Amy Prescott ’04, Laura Ley Staub ’01, Jackie Karas Staub, Shana Knubowitz Staub, Derek Staub, Blake Staub ’01 and Brandon Staub ’03. Alumni guests included Matthew Prescott ’03, Jonathan Tobolowsky ’00, Melissa Sanders ’99, Kimberley Sanders Strumwasser ’02 and Lee Szor ’03.
2004
Mara Weinstein Velez ’01 and husband Moises and their daughter, Elia
Randy E. Aguebor is pursuing voice acting as a full-time career. He performed a personal essay of how he came to this decision as part of “Outside the Box”, the December program of Dallas’s live storytelling series Oral Fixation: An Obsession With True Life Tales.
Nicci Lyons ’01, Road to College Counselor at Uplift Heights Preparatory School
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Randy E. Aguebor ’04 performing at Oral Fixation: An Obsession With True Life Tales
2005 Mickey Ashmore has been featured in many publications including New York Observer, The New York Times blog and D Magazine for his company, the Sabah Dealer, specializing in hand-stitched leather slippers. Visit www.sabah.am
2007 After working for Frisco ISD for several years, Maggie Fulton is now teaching first grade at the Lamplighter School in Dallas.
2008 Josh Glick was recently promoted to agent status at the Gersh Agency in Los Angeles, where he works with talent head Alex Yarosh. The agency is celebrating the awards
season nominations of clients J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent), Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black), Frances O’Connor (The Missing), and Allison Janney (Mom).
Foster Donnell is spending the spring 2015 semester studying business and entrepreneurship at The University of Westminster in London.
Ashley Rivera recently finished her Masters in Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management at Southern Methodist University. She also has her mediation certification with a specialization in Family Law.
2010
Visit our website for the latest news. greenhill.org/news
Danielle Brown graduated from the University of Houston on December 19th, 2014, with a B.B.A. in Management. Avery Rape graduated from Duke University in 2014. She is currently working in the sports industry in Los Angeles with interests in technology and start-up communities.
Find us on: facebook.com/ GreenhillAlumni @AlumniGreenhill @GreenhillAlumni bit.ly/LinkedinGS
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Hill CLASS NOTES
In the fall, Dallas boutique owner John Piermarini hosted fellow alumna Mila Hermanovski ’87 for an exclusive trunk show of her new collection.
2012 Louis Andres and Max McKamy have been inducted into the Texas Cowboys, an elite service organization at the University of Texas at Austin. The mission is to serve the University of Texas at Austin by promoting the spirit and high ideals of the Texas Cowboys, fostering positive relationships among all members of the University community, and assisting in the guidance of the campus Cowboy organization. Each semester, an award is given to a new member who has exhibited the highest level of hard work and dedication to the organization. Louis Andres was the Kevin Holcomb “New Man” award recipient for fall 2014.
2013
Dallas boutique owner, Mila Hermanovski ’87, with John Piermarini ’10
2011
Josh Dickerman wrote, “After a basketball school trip to Costa Rica this summer, two of my friends and I decided to start a non-profit organization, The Extra Step Foundation. Our mission is to assist underprivileged families who have children that are battling
life-threatening diseases. We help pay for their medical bills and make their everyday life easier by replacing or fixing home appliances. You can also look at our website theextrastepfoundation.org. Naomi Freeman recently had her first published article available in the Journal for Clinical Experimental Dermatology. Freeman began her work on “The Prevalence of Dupuytren Contractures in Patients with Psoriasis” as her capstone project during her senior year at Greenhill. The article is available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) publication website, PubMed.
2014 In January, Logan McGill, a freshman at Bates College, was named the NESCAC Swimming & Diving Women’s Performer of the Week, by the New England Small College Athletic Conference, following her string of excellent races in last weekend’s dual meets against Colby and Bowdoin.
Kimberly Fishman graduated from Indiana University a semester early, and is now attending the University of Texas at Dallas for a Masters in Communication Disorders. Chelsey Sveinsson wrote, “With much anticipation (and anxiety), I will be graduating from Stanford with a B.A. in Communication. After graduation, I hope to enter the entertainment field, specifically in production management for feature films. If possible and God-willing, I plan to continue to play rugby with the goal of making at least one national team.” Louis Andres ’12 and Max McKamy ’12 were recently inducted into the Texas Cowboys
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In Memoriam Glenn Bandy Father of Debbie Bandy Schattgen ’72 November 18, 2014 Carolyn Levy Clark Grandmother of Carolyn Palmer ’04 and mother of Susan Palmer, Head of Middle School November 11, 2014 Helen Hurst Grandmother of Monte Hurst ’89 and Michael Hurst ’83, great grandmother of Morgan Hurst ’20, Claudia Hurst ’22, and Sophia Hurst ’20 January 22, 2015 Kelley Kirkpatrick Father of Sean Kirkpatrick ’10 and Emily Kirkpatrick ’07 January 4, 2015 Eugene Levin Father of Steven Levin ’71, grandfather of Rachel Levin ’01 and Todd Levin ’05 January 17, 2015 Robert Olin Magruder Grandfather of Diego Garcia ’14 and father of Cathleen Garcia, Lower School Faculty January 2, 2015 Bernard “Bud” Malone Father of Emily Malone Stevens ’92 and Valerie Malone ’87 February 27, 2015 Bill Moore Father of Guy Moore ’80 November 3, 2014 Jordan Ragnell ’08 November 26, 2014 Tom Sloan ’52 September 16, 2014 Patsy Stell Mother of Alan Stell ’82 and Amy Stell Tweedy ’82 January 28, 2015 Rachel Holloway Wells Grandmother of Jeff Hickman ’89 January 20, 2015 Don Zahn Former Board of Trustee member and father of Larry Zahn ’88 and Melissa Zahn Bitner ’91 November 5, 2014
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Turning Points Brittany Staub Zeltser ’03 and Daniel Zeltser
WEDDINGS Brittany Staub Zeltser ’03 and Daniel Zeltser November 22, 2014 Erica Bloom Foland ’94 and David Foland December 20, 2014 Dynette (Word) Schmidt ’82 and Ray October 18, 2014
Dynette (Word) Schmidt ’82 and Ray
BIRTHS Mark and Lauren (Hradecky) Blitzer ’01 Son, Michael Hradecky Blitzer September 24, 2014
Elia Velez
Liz and Todd Waldman ’95 Daughter, Sophie Rose Waldman December 1, 2014 Mara Weinstein Velez ’01 and Moises Velez Daughter, Elia Velez March 16, 2014 Magan Mullino Schain ’96 Daughter, Clara Drew Mullino Schain September 15, 2014
Clara Drew Mullino Schain
Henry and Kelly (McDaniel) Stokes ’95 Daughter, Jane and Son, Leo Stokes April 21, 2014
Sophie Rose Waldman
Michael Hradecky Blitzer
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Why I Give Mark McKay ’89 “When a solid academic foundation meets up with the collaborative and creative environment of Greenhill, any career is possible,” says Mark McKay, Vice President at Warner Brothers Television. Mark is grateful for his Greenhill education for teaching him the fundamentals of life. “Learning how to read, write, and think coherently, certainly serves any profession well, including my own in the television industry.” Mark is moved by a sense of gratitude. “While there are certainly many worthwhile organizations for any of us to donate our time, money or resources to, all of us [alumni] owe a huge debt of gratitude to our Greenhill experience, and how it shaped us positively. To this day, I still view it as the greatest gift my parents ever gave to me, and giving back is a great way to honor that by paying it forward to someone else.” Mark observes that it has never been easier to connect with colleagues, friends and loved ones instantaneously through communication technology and social media. “It’s so easy to connect with former classmates either online or at one of the many alumni events held in several cities across the country each year. Get involved and I think you’ll be surprised how amazing it is to reconnect with old friends, forged through the strong bond of the Greenhill experience!” “I am forever grateful for the relationships that developed at Greenhill,” he says. “Several of my closest friends to this day are former classmates. It is reassuring to know that there is a wide network of Hornets, who at anytime would come together to help in any way possible. What makes Greenhill truly outstanding is that the relationships built there will last a lifetime!” Mark lives in Dallas with his wife and two sons.
If you would like to share your story of why you give, contact Anne Hudson, hudsona@greenhill.org.
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The Hill | SPRING 2015
Greenhill School 2014-2015 Board of Trustees Officers William E. Rose ’85 Chair Waverly Ware Wilson ’86 Assistant Chair/Secretary Holland P. Gary ’93 Finance Chair/Treasurer Trustees Debbie Andres Stephen L. Arata Yasmin Bhatia J. Baxter Brinkmann Nancy P. Carlson Albertina M. Cisneros Christopher I. Clark ’89 Angela Crates Macey Small Davis ’94 Alumni Board President, ex officio Clayton K. Deniger ’86 Angela Adkins Downes ’87 Tom Dunning Gary J. Fernandes Scott A. Griggs, Head of School Joan Hill, Ed.D. Maria-Cristina Jaramillo Oscar A. Joyner ’93 Rabbi Nancy Kasten Jenny Kirtland Peter A. Kraus Lester Levy, Jr. ’79 Zeck Lieberman, M.D. E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86 Manju Menon Laurie Matthews Terry Oxford Steven Rudner Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60 Patricia Smith Mark Solomon Bruce Sostek Julie Weinberg Mike Weinberg ’82 Clifford Weiner Neena R. Wiora
Former Board Chairs Electing to Serve Ex-Officio Sally R. Estes Trustee since 1976 Irwin Grossman Trustee since 1973 Michael J. Halloran Trustee since 2002 Rusty Jaggers Trustee since 1994 David L. Johnson ’67 Trustee since 1987 H. Ronald Nash Trustee since 1987 Lifetime Trustee Daniel T. Phillips Trustee since 1997
Greenhill School Advancement Office Scott A. Griggs Head of School
Emily Wilson Creative Services Manager
Julie Diaz Chief Advancement Officer
Katie Young Director of Alumni Relations
Alli Busby Director of Advancement Services
The Hill magazine is published two times a year by the Advancement Office of Greenhill School.
Mel Curtis Administrative Assistant to Chief Advancement Officer
Questions? Comments? Contact: Emily Wilson wilsonemi@greenhill.org
Anne Hudson Director of Annual Giving Kristy Joiner Advancement Services Coordinator Theresa Jones Events Manager/Parents’ Association Liaison
Greenhill School 4141 Sprint Valley Road Addison, Texas 75001
Wendy Kyle Donor Relations Coordinator
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Joe Monaco Web and Media Services Manager Kerry Shea Director of Marketing and Communications
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Greenhill Upcoming Events Commencement Monday, June 1 58
The Hill | SPRING 2015
Founders’ Day 2015 Friday, September 11
Homecoming 2015 Friday, October 9