Greens Farms Academy Magazine Fall 2011

Greens Farms Academy Magazine 43 Fall 2011

Building Bridges: a talk with David Capodilupo ’79 Photos from Jen Levi ’03 “Travels in the East”

MIT Sloan School of Management

Peter Baker Studio

College Matriculation CLASS of 2011 Greens Farms Academy salutes the members of the Class of 2011, who will be attending the following colleges and universities: Amherst College

Georgetown University

Skidmore College (2)

Boston College (2)

Gettysburg College

Southern Methodist University (2)

Boston University

Goucher College

Stanford University

Bowdoin College

Hamilton College

Swarthmore College

Brown University (2)

Johns Hopkins University (2)

Trinity College

Bucknell University

Kenyon College

Tulane University

Colby College (2)

Loyola Marymount University

Union College

Colgate University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2)

University of Alabama

College of Charleston (2)

McGill University (2)

University of Connecticut (2)

Colorado College (2)

Middlebury College

University of Pennsylvania

Connecticut College

Mount Holyoke College

University of Southern California

Cornell University

New York University (2)

University of St. Andrews (2)

Dartmouth College (3)

Northwestern University

Wake Forest University (2)

Davidson College

Pepperdine University

Wellesley College

Denison University

Princeton University

Wesleyan University (2)

Franklin & Marshall College

Principia College

Wheaton College (2)

Furman University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Yale University

George Washington University

Sarah Lawrence College

editorial

Greens Farms

Academy

Greens Farms Academy Fall 2011 Volume 22 The GFA Magazine is published twice a year for parents, alumni and friends of the school by the GFA Office of Advancement.

Editor Alison Freeland

Associate Editor Natalie Gagnon

Editorial Assistant Nancy Fishkin Features

Alumni Editors

She Roars

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David Capodilupo

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Susan Ball ’71 Matt Hintsa ’06

Design © Plaza Design www.plazadesign.com

Departments Editor’s Letter

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Head’s Letter

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Graduation 2011

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GFA News and Events

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Faculty News

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Arts at GFA

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Athletics at GFA

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Alumni/ae Profiles

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Alumni/ae Events

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Class Notes

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Milestones

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Photo Contributors

In an effort to streamline our mailing list, we are sending one magazine per household. If you would like extra copies, please email afreeland@gfacademy.org.

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor are welcome and may be edited for clarity and space. Please send all correspondence to Alison Freeland (afreeland@gfacademy.org).

Alumni News We welcome news from alumni, parents and friends of GFA. Please send your news and labeled photographs to Alumni News at GFA, or email them to alumni@gfacademy.org.

The following minimum digital file size is required to produce a high-quality image 2.5" x 3.5" • # pixels 375 x 525 pixels • 550KB/ .tif • 100KB/ .jpeg

printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks

Alison Freeland Natalie Gagnon Mark Hintsa Matt Hintsa ’06 Jen Levi ’03 GFA photo students Greens Farms Academy 35 Beachside Avenue PO Box 998 Greens Farms, CT 06838-0998 (203) 256-0717 www.gfacademy.org Greens Farms Academy is dedicated to guiding students through a rigorous course of study encompassing academics, arts and athletics.

Cover: Photographs by Jen Levi ’03 of her travels in Cambodia and Vietnam.

editor

A Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers, © Naru Photography

It’s becoming a common sight at GFA: students gathered in the courtyard, waiting for a ride to the airport. Excitement is in the air as they wrestle with anticipation and exhaustion from staying up late to pack. They are headed to a study program, a “partner school” or a service learning experience. In 2011-2012, more students than ever will venture off-campus for either a semester or a year. They are attending institutions like the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, DC; The Island School on Cape Eleuthera; The Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India; the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado; School Year Abroad in France, Italy and Spain; and the Ascham School in New South Wales, Australia. They will come back changed and motivated, having faced the unfamiliar and learned to adapt.

It’s also a common sight to have guest speakers arrive in the front lobby to talk with students, faculty and parents. Last spring, our Coyle Visiting Scholar, Dr. Joia Mukherjee, spent a day and an evening explaining the work of her organization, Partners in Health. She described the PIH model of ordinary citizens in Haiti and Africa being dispatched as health workers in their own communities. They’re not doctors, but they are trained to recognize illness and get a person to a doctor to avert a crisis.

Sitting in the evening audience was Dr. Henry Backe, an orthopaedic surgeon and GFA parent.

Joia’s words struck him. He started thinking about how the PIH model of community health workers might apply here in troubled local communities where health crises are frequent. He and Joia talked afterward. The air crackled with ideas and they exchanged contact information.

He took the PIH concept to two hospitals in Bridgeport and then to a foundation doing work in Guatemala. While there are obstacles, many agreed the basic idea is a sound one. “I appreciated Joia’s approach to problem-solving,” Dr. Backe remembers. “What she shared was inspiring and affirming for me.”

And so GFA becomes not only a place where people leave for a time to broaden their perspectives but also a place where people visit in order to inspire and to motivate. Ideas zap around, circling the courtyard and flying off to places like Bridgeport or Guatemala.

It’s an exciting place to be right now. There’s a lot of inspiration in the air.

above: Summer trip to the British Isles

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Alison Freeland Director of Communications

head

From the Head of School Dear Friends, This September we begin the second year of the World Perspectives Program, and qualified students will be eligible to receive a Diploma with a Concentration in Global Studies at Graduation. Based on the three curricular themes of climate, health and population, the program continues to expand. It now includes global partnerships with a number of schools, in particular Suzhou High School in Suzhou, China. In April, GFA families hosted students from Suzhou, and we hope to send GFA students there in exchange next year. Our science department has shared water data from the marsh with the science department at Suzhou High school and is developing a comparative study.

Broadening their own perspectives while the world around them is shrinking, our students gain invaluable knowledge and skills to equip them for the 21st century. Of course our teachers need to be similarly equipped, and many are pursuing graduate degrees, advanced course work, leading trips with students or pursuing a faculty travel grant around a particular

John and Janet Hartwell

area of their curriculum. Teachers also model life-long learning, a desire we hope to instill in our students, adding meaning and significance to life and work.

This fall our Coyle Scholar is author and TED speaker, Jacqueline Novogratz, whose book The Blue Sweater was one of several faculty reads this summer (copies are available at GFA for families to read before her visit on November 29). As a result of her travels and experiences in Africa, and seeing firsthand how so many well-meaning but poorly run traditional charities often fail, Ms. Novogratz pursued a new form of philanthropic investing she calls “patient capital”. Novogratz founded the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit venture capital firm for the poor that invests in sustainable enterprises. The Blue Sweater inspires “practical idealism” and lends deep meaning to the kind of service learning that so many of our students and graduates pursue, both while at GFA and beyond.

Ms. Novogratz sees “moral imagination” as the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see the world from their perspective. It is my hope that our students will cultivate the understanding, knowledge and habits of heart and mind that will allow them to develop their own moral imaginations on a national and global scale.

Kind regards,

Janet M. Hartwell Head of School

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graduation

Commencement 2011 Commencement 2011 was hot, festive and a fond farewell to the 71 graduating seniors who received their diplomas and filed through the faculty receiving line before heading out into the world. Guest speaker Stephen Kinzer (journalist and author of All the Shah’s Men) talked about the world these seniors will be walking into and the skills they’ll need to navigate the globe.

Valedictorian Allison Kruk exhorted her classmates to be activists as well as academics, and Salutatorian Emma Frank looked at GFA through the eyes of the backpack she hauled from class to class during her high school years.

From Allison Kruk’s talk: Albert Einstein clearly deserves every iota of praise that he has garnered – he was a brilliant man whose theories have persisted for decades in the face of intense technical scrutiny. However, what you may not have heard is that at the onset of Einstein’s career, he decided not only to pursue his passion for theoretical physics but also became a staunch civil rights activist, lobbying for nearly twenty years to end lynching. In addition to his more formal campaign against hate crimes, Einstein also forged more casual yet equally invaluable relationships with the African-American community. Residents of his neighborhood still recall the white-haired and often disheveled figure of Einstein, ambling along the sidewalk, stopping to chat with everyone regardless of ethnicity. One man remembers the renowned scientist’s generosity in paying for a young black student’s college tuition; another recollects a time when the distinguished opera singer Marian Anderson was denied residence at a local inn due to her race and was instead offered a room at the home of Einstein himself. Thus, Einstein used his exceptional talent to create a connection with his community, persistently advocating for social justice.

So, what do Einstein’s dualistic roles as physicist and activist have to do with everyone seated here today? As scholars, we have the fantastic occasion to mold ourselves into whatever form we desire, allowing us to experience incredible personal growth. However, as people, we are obliged to maintain a social consciousness of the world around us, returning to our roots in our common human existence. We cannot afford to lock ourselves away in an ivory tower, separated from the beauty, diversity, and challenges of society.

Rather, in the spirit of true humanitarianism, with empathy, sincerity, and compassion, we must utilize our extraordinary talents to affect positive change.

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From Emma Frank’s talk: Perhaps it is then symbolic that my backpack broke near the end of my senior year. No amount of duct tape, sewing, crazy glue, or sheer will was going to keep it from falling apart. It now sits in a corner of my room collecting dust, but I can’t find the will to throw it out. It probably will stay there for a while. And maybe eventually my mom will throw it out when I’m at college or maybe even I will. But while my back is probably thanking me for retiring it, I cannot forget what it has taught me. No matter how long or short our time has been here, GFA has been priming us for this moment. Every paper, test, quiz, and hallway discussion has been an attempt to give us the skills we need to leave this place.

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1: Guest Speaker Stephen Kinzer 2: Brandon Bogle ’12 receiving his faculty prize 3: Henry Von Kohorn receives CAIS (Connecticut Association of Independent Schools) Award 4: Evan Bieder ’11 honored with Francis Burr Hardon Award 5: Seniors Juwan Mimes and Freddy Medizor recess 6: Zach Sherin ’11 presented with the Lucie B. Warren Award 7: Sarah Ostermueller receives Goldenheim Award for Excellence in Teaching

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8: Janet Hartwell and Jill Birinyi lead the processional 9: Debbie Worth participates in her last commencement ceremony 10: Janet Hartwell, Sara McCalpin & Henry Von Kohorn 11: Patience Fanella (center) poses with her graduating advisees, Lexy Damianos & Elizabeth diBonaventura

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12: A packed front lawn for commencement ceremonies 13: Trustees, Jill Birinyi, Moira Hintsa & Roberta Conroy 14: Will Conroy ’11 receiving his diploma 15: Hayley Brown ’11 hugs a classmate 16: Upper School History teacher, Bob Guffin

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17: Katherine Norbom ’11 receiving her diploma 18: Dan Chase ’11 congratulated by science teacher, Dr. Joachim Kuhn 19: Olivia Jack ’11 is all smiles with her diploma in hand

Commencement Awards 2011

Class Day Awards 2011

Faculty Prize: 9th grade – Harrison Potter

10th grade – Sean Obi Class Prize: 9th grade – Ivy Wappler

10th grade – Alexis Anderson 11th grade – Caroline Kelley Charles H. Dietrich Teaching Award: Jon Matte Goldenheim Award for Excellence in Teaching: Sarah Ostermueller David K. King Scholarship Award: Allison Kruk Francis Burr Hardon Award: Evan Bieder Head of School Award: Brooke McGrath & Travis Miyashiro Lucie B. Warren Award: Zach Sherin

College Book Awards: Brandeis University: Brown University: Cornell University: Dartmouth College: Harvard University: St. Lawrence University: University of Chicago: Wellesley College: Williams College:

Regi Monroe ’12 Wills Rooney ’12 Kishan Patel ’12 Kate Tomlinson ’12 Isabelle Canaan ’12 Ben Shack Sackler ’12 Elizabeth Pinede ’12 Sisam Acharya ’12 Williams Picoli ’12

Angela Van Acker Award:

Alexandra Damianos ’11, Stephanie Garofoli ’11, Andres Mondino ’11

Jane Kentor Dean ’52 Alumni Award:

Mark Whittaker ’14

Future Global Leader Award: Isabelle Canaan ’12 Wagner Award: Cum Laude Society: 11th grade Sisam Acharya Lucy Hoffman Kishan Patel Kate Tomlinson 12th grade Jake Becker Will Conroy Olivia Jack Chase Perlen Zach Straight Sarah Whittaker Class Athletic Prize: 9th grade:

10th grade: 11th grade:

11th grade – Brandon Bogle

Kate Tomlinson ’12

Isabelle Canaan Caroline Kelley William Picoli

Evan Bieder Michael Hintsa Nikhil Lai Zach Sherin Courtney Whitelock Elizabeth Woodson

Brendan Bieder, Caroline Kruk, Charles Tarika Meighan Grady & Munir Qaddourah Emily Caldwell, Henry Garland, Christopher Tarika

Edward J. Denes, Jr. Outstanding Athlete Award: Jake Becker ’11, Spencer Traver ’11,

Kyle Webb ’11

Barbara Hellwig Rose Outstanding Athlete Award: Alexa Sullivan ’11 Marijane Beltz Sportsmanship Award:

Maggie Harwood ’11

David M. Perry Sportsmanship Award:

Jake Becker ’11

Visual Arts Award:

Sophia Babun ’11 & Katherine Norbom ’11

Music Award:

Will Conroy ’11

Theatre Award:

Abbie Steckler ’11

Susan Conlan Award:

Chase Perlen ’11

GLaD Prize:

Travis Miyashiro ’11

Computer Science Award:

David Morgan ’11 & Claire Schwimmer ’11

Barbara Conlan Award (Biology):

Allison Kruk ’11 & Emma Frank ’11

Roger B. True Science Award: Zach Sherin ’11 Roger B. True Science Research Award:

Emily Petno ’12

Jane Jessup Award (Latin):

Kate Tomlinson ’11

Joan Loomis Award (French): Allison Kruk ’11 Martha Laffaye Award (Spanish):

Nikhil Lai ’11

The Mandarin Award:

Zach Sherin ’11

Whittle Award (History):

Evan Bieder ’11

Keller Award (Most Improved in English): Kenzie Lau-Kee ’12

& Alexandra Rouatt ’11 Upton Award for English:

Allison Kruk ’11 & Emma Frank ’11

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GFA news

Advancement News The numbers are in from Gatsby in the Garden Gala last April. More than 500 people attended, and the live and silent auctions raised over $500,000 for GFA’s outdoor athletic campaign and the World Perspectives Program.

Through the generosity of the GFA community, we have been able to finance all of the remaining construction on the new outdoor athletic facilities. A state-of-the-art synthetic turf field was in play for pre-season, and two new natural grass fields will be ready for play next spring. Two new scoreboards have been donated by the Parents’ Association and the parents of the Class of 2011. GFA now has five correctly-sized fields for fall and spring sports and a tennis complex with eight new courts that is already the envy of visiting players.

Annual Giving for 2010-11 surpassed its goal of $1.5 million, with gifts totaling over $1,580,000. Funds provide for classroom equipment and technology, visiting writers, artists and performers and professional development opportunities for faculty.

GFA, Bolton and Laycock alumni also generously supported the school. Special recognition goes to the reunion classes of 1951, 2001 and 2006, which had the strongest participation.

Alumni have also chosen to donate to a number of individual initiatives, including The Edward J. Denes Scholarship Fund; the Horizons Scholarship Fund; the Roger True Scientific Research Fund, founded by Patrick Kanehann ’84; and the World Perspectives Program.

For the second time, this past June, members of the New York Alumni Council hosted a special event to raise funds for the Horizons Scholarship Fund at GFA.

Trustee News: Jill Birinyi and Steve Lawrence, co-chairs of GFA Board of Trustees, wish to thank all the community for helping to bring about the completion of much-needed outdoor athletic facilities, and especially to recognize the Shack Sackler family for their gift of the new, outdoor amphitheater, where so many events have already taken place since its dedication last spring.

GFA’s new synthetic turf field – see page 13 for article.

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Long-time Trustees David McKane and Sara McCalpin have left the Board, and Michael Greenberg P ’19 ’21 and Frank Mori P ’16 have joined this year. In parting words, Jill Birinyi said of David McKane, “He is thoughtful, positive, pragmatic, down to earth and always a gentleman. He spans the generations and history of GFA – understanding how far the school has come, appreciating the past and mindful of our need to be cutting edge and competitive.” And of Sara McCalpin: “Through Sara’s knowledge and proficiency in Mandarin, she has been invaluable in supporting GFA’s Mandarin program, and while sitting on the Educational Policy Committee, her insights and comments always served to make those meetings richer.”

The Board has been grateful for the substantial programmatic and facilities improvements made in the years since Janet Hartwell has been Head of School, and is looking forward to a retreat in the winter to help set future priorities.

Faculty News Conroy brothers: Peter ’09, Jack ’06, Will ’11 and Chris ’07

GFA welcomes Jack Conroy ’06 as Head Varsity Wrestling coach this winter with Jeff Morrison as his assistant. Jeff created the varsity program in 1989 and has been the head coach for 20 years. He also created and coached the middle school team.

Jeff is excited to have Jack take the head coaching role with his knowledge and energy. Jack was a National Prep All-American and New England Champion at GFA and then continued his wrestling career at Bucknell University.

Debbie Worth taught Middle School math and retired her math props (including the jelly bean jar) after 29 years at GFA. She is headed to retirement with her husband in the Philadelphia area.

Patience Fanella coached five years of GFA families through the college process. She says, “I’ll always remember those students who were initially unsure of themselves and then rose to the occasion, thoughtfully researching campuses and writing beautiful essays. I was particularly impressed with students who recognized that a gap year experience would add value to their undergraduate education. I am so grateful for the time I was able to be part of this dynamic community.”

Jack will also coach MS Wrestling, Soccer and Lacrosse and assist with the Boys Varsity Lacrosse team. When not coaching, Jack will be an athletic intern and sub for Upper School Environmental Science.

Faculty News

Transitions: GFA said good bye to teachers Beth Butler, Carmelita Carlberg-Nangle, Huck Laughner, Anna Penchuk, Dave Thompson, Debbie Worth and Nicole Yates last spring.

In addition, Director of College Counseling, Patience Fanella, moved on to a new life in Switzerland.

Mr. Michael Pina (right) is the new Director of College Counseling and arrived from the west coast this summer with his wife and four daughters.

Michael Pina with wife Saba and daughters Ililta and Laila (who will be entering GFA’s 6th and 4th grades.)Inset Pina twins Asmara and Desta.

Anne Hoover, first grade teacher, was able to visit Alaska this summer as part of the Faculty Enrichment Travel Grant Program.

She reports, “After many years of teaching my first graders all about the state, its geography, culture, people and wildlife, using various texts and illustrations, I finally was able to experience this magnificent place with my own eyes.

I’ve now got so many stories to tell and adventures to share, and am able to verify and validate so many of my students’ questions and thoughts because of my experience.”

Upper School English teacher Ginny Balser visited Turkey on a Faculty Enrichment Travel Grant. “I had hoped for insights into the history and modern culture of the country, an understanding of how a successful, stable, modern, secular Muslim state works, suggestions of Turkish literature and film in translation to use in my courses, and connections to one or more schools in Turkey that might result in an electronic cross-cultural connection for my students. The trip was all of that and much more.”

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GFA news GFA continues its relationship with Westport Country Playhouse this fall when the Upper School play, The Pajama Game, will run in the historic theater from November 18 to 20. The Pajama Game opened on Broadway in 1954 and ran for more than 1000 performances, with a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and

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a book by George Abbott and Richard Bissel, based on Bissel’s novel, 7 1/2 Cents. Adler and Ross also wrote Damn Yankees.

Who knows how many more wonderful shows this team might have written if Jerry Ross hadn’t died at the young age of 29.

On Tuesday, November 29, GFA welcomes the fall Coyle Scholar, Jacqueline Novogratz.

Ms. Novogratz is the founder and CEO of

Horizons at GFA served 146 eager Bridgeport students in grades K-8 for six weeks this summer. Last fall, Horizons at GFA established a high school program, providing graduates of the K-8 program with one-on-one academic support and

Acumen Fund, which takes an entrepreneurial approach to solving the problems of global poverty. Many GFA families are reading her book, The Blue Sweater, in anticipation of her visit. After spending the day with students, Ms. Novogratz will address the public at 8 pm.

All are welcome.

college planning. Since 2000, Horizons at GFA has helped hundreds of Bridgeport students strengthen their academic performance while building an awareness of the outside world and fostering inquisitiveness, creativity, a love of learning and a sense of community responsibility.

arts

Jen Levi ’03

GFA Welcomes Jen Levi ’03 as new Lower School art teacher – Colorado College ’07, Masters in Art Education, Manhattanville ’10 After college, I returned to GFA, teaching in all three divisions.

However, I was always a little bit envious of family and friends who were traveling the world. When the possibility of a year of travel presented itself, I thought, this is it. It’s time to get some of these “ants out of my pants.”

My dad bought a poster-sized map of the world so I could plan.

I spent the first few months in Spain, England, Scotland and Morocco, traveling alone but staying with friends. My primary focus was to see the artwork of different cultures and get back into photography, which I had begun to abandon. The New Year brought me to Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

When I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam in March, the photographer in me lit up. One of the more memorable experiences was a visit to a Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City. I wandered into one of the many rooms in the back of the temple. A woman was alone in prayer and the smoke from the burning incense was lit up by

the light coming through the roof. That moment was a glimpse of the sacredness of her devotion.

The most meaningful place was Bali, Indonesia. Walking through the streets of any town you will notice art everywhere, from the elaborate design of the city gates, to the hand-painted kites and elaborate metalwork crafts sold in the shops. Every morning, the Balinese construct offerings out of natural materials to the gods to place outside their houses and work places. The craftsmanship of these simple offerings is astounding.

While travelling, I sat down at the end of every day and jotted down ideas for how I could bring back all the things I saw to the classroom – art exhibits I had seen or watching an artist or craftsman at work. I have already developed multiple art projects based on works I have seen in Bali, Australia, Spain, Morocco and Cambodia. I am looking forward to sharing my photographs of each place with the students to help illustrate the projects and explain more fully the themes and objectives behind the artwork. I believe that through learning about the beliefs and forms of expression of these various countries, my students will grow as I did.

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athletics The Fairchester Athletic Association requires recipients to meet the following criteria:

Academic Requirements: Nominees must have been enrolled for 2 years, have achieved a GPA of 91% or better from junior year through 3rd quarter of Senior year, have placed in the top 10% of his or her junior and senior class and taken a minimum of 3 Advanced Placement courses.

Athletic Requirements: Nominees must have participated in 2 varsity sports during his or her senior year and at least one during the junior year. One of these sports must be an FAA sport; the other sport must be recognized by the school as a varsity sport. Nominees must have been awarded FAA All-League designation during his/her senior year, or spring of junior year.

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Three Scholar Athletes: In spring 2011, seniors (above left to right) Spencer Traver, Evan Bieder and Jake Becker were named FAA (Fairchester Athletic Association) Scholar Athletes. This recognition is awarded to those senior student-athletes who display excellence and superior achievement in both athletics and academics.

Becker captained both the soccer and lacrosse teams (receiving FAA All-League honors in both) his senior year in addition to competing outside of school in mogul skill/ freestyle ski jumping. In lacrosse, Becker helped GFA advance to the semi-finals in the New England Tournament for the first time in GFA history. He holds an impressive GFA scoring record of 67 goals and 34 assists. Becker is attending Dartmouth College.

As student council president, Bieder was an active leader around campus in addition to being a fierce competitor and captain in cross country and lacrosse. In cross country, Bieder helped his team capture two New England titles and has multiple personal accolades ranging from MVP to FAA All-League and All New England awards. Bieder will run for Wesleyan University.

Traver captained both the baseball and soccer teams this season, proving to be both a strong leader on and off the field. Traver was named to the FAA All-League team in both soccer and baseball his senior year. He was also an active leader in the classroom and participated in many tournaments that raise awareness or funds for domestic and international community service efforts. Traver is attending Davidson College.

Girls Varsity Tennis

College-Bound Athletes Class of 2011

The GFA Girls Varsity Tennis team ended its most successful season in over ten years and made school history in taking second place in the New England Preparatory School Tennis Tournament last spring.

Evan Bieder – Cross Country Wesleyan University

Bringing home the gold for GFA were senior co-captain Maggie Harwood and partner sophomore Caitlin Rummelsburg competing in B Doubles. In A Doubles, 2011 Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) doubles champions junior Hayley Sanzone and sophomore Olivia Kjorlien took third behind Groton and Hotchkiss.

Idalia Friedson – Softball Amherst College

The strong showing from the GFA tennis athletes capped a record-breaking 2011 season. The girls racked up 11 wins and only one loss (against Hotchkiss, 3-4).

Undefeated in league play, GFA took the FAA title for the first time since the 1990s.

In the season-end FAA tournament, the team of Sanzone and Kjorlien won the FAA doubles title, and Harwood and Rummelsburg were semifinalists. In singles, Kutnick made it to the FAA semifinals and freshman Frankie Garofalo was a quarterfinalist.

FAA All-League: Frankie Garofalo, Maggie Harwood, Olivia Kjorlien, Kyja Kutnick, Caitlin Rummelsburg, Hayley Sanzone; Honorable Mention: Taylor Schendel

Dan Chase – Basketball Colby College

Will McCarthy – Cross Country Colby College Alexa Sullivan – Field Hockey Mount Holyoke College Spencer Traver – Baseball Davidson College Griffin Traynor – Crew Brown University Henry Van Zant – Baseball Bowdoin College

Athletic Facilities

The 2011 Girls Varsity Tennis Team and FAA Champions

GFA’s new outdoor athletic facilities provide our athletic program with a showcase synthetic turf field, four correctlysized grass fields, a permanent baseball infield and eight tennis courts. A great deal of research went into finding a type of synthetic turf field that would address the environmental and safety concerns associated with the traditional crumb rubber infill used in most turf fields. GFA’s turf field is constructed with the latest state-of-the art technology using a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) infill, a virgin polymer material that is inert, generally antiallergenic, and does not leach heavy metals, as well as an impact-attenuating underlay that significantly reduces the risk of injuries. This underlay is made of recycled content – both it and the infill are themselves recyclable. GFA is the first school in Connecticut to put in an environmentally responsible synthetic turf field with these characteristics. (See photo page 8.)

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feature

She Roars Virginia Farrar Balser (Upper School English, Princeton ’74)

Kendall Crolius (GFA ’71, P ’06, ’09, Princeton ’76)

Last spring, Princeton University hosted a conference for female graduates called She Roars. Two years earlier, President Shirley Tilghman had convened a committee to look into a perceived disparity between men and women in leadership roles in campus organizations. The centerpiece of She Roars was their report. Initial findings showed a curious drop in the number of women in these roles and found fewer women in these positions now than in the 1980s – when the student body wasn’t even 50% female.

Was this a trend only at Princeton, or did it extend to peer institutions? And the big, underlying question still remained: What can be done? Three Princeton grads from the GFA community were intrigued by the invitation and joined 1,300 other women at the event.

These women, who were from the Princeton classes of ’74, ’76 and ’82, found the weekend both moving and disturbing at the same time. Here are some of their thoughts.

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Virginia Farrar Balser (Upper School English, Princeton ’74): Though there were eloquent speeches from famous graduates, what was most wonderful was connecting with women from the early years of co-education who shared the intense experience of making it through a male institution and then going out into the world to use what they had learned. I was struck by the openness and honesty of all the participants. I heard stories of illustrious medical, teaching and research careers, successes in the art world, wrenching family tragedies, and many questions and decisions about values to live by. The question of values came up again and again in the presentations as well. Given that all of us had to work very hard to get into Princeton and to stay

We understand better now that women lead differently than men and that their leadership style of consensus-building and collaboration is likely to be more effective in leading the enterprises of the future. Though I am surprised and saddened that more young women at Princeton today aren’t stepping up to lead, I am deeply impressed by those who are. I am optimistic – and impatient – as I celebrate how far we have come and acknowledge how far we still have to go.

Sara Judge McCalpin (GFA trustee 2005-2011, P’08, ’10, ’13, Princeton ’82): The Princeton committee made several recommendations that interested me. A “re-orientation” in October of the freshman year is now planned, with a focus on giving all students a clear picture of leadership opportunities in campus organizations. An effort will also be made to educate faculty to encourage talented students – both men and women – to apply for prestigious fellowships or graduate school and to pursue campus leadership positions.

Mentoring is another imperative. The committee found that having older peers, professors, administrators, coaches and alumni act as mentors made a significant difference to women who ultimately pursued leadership posts. It is critical to encourage both women and men to step up and step in, to recognize talent in students and to point it out to them, and to offer to provide support and mentoring in an ongoing capacity.

I was intrigued by the generational differences among the women.

Women of the 1970s spoke of glass ceilings and the feeling that Sara Judge McCalpin (GFA trustee 2005-2011, P’08, ’10, ’13, Princeton ’82)

there, and given that we had all with greater or lesser success figured out how to live in the man’s world of Princeton, some common motivations and values stayed with us. I was reminded of several touchstone phrases of the ’60s women’s movement that still apply: we need to stick together and to help each other out; we need to feel our own capabilities; we need to see the humor and humanity in every situation; and we need to dare to take the kinds of risks that men more than women are so often encouraged to take.

they needed to “do it all,” many without support from their partners. Women from my era – the 1980s – seemed to be transitional, still speaking of the difficulties of gaining recognition and leadership in their careers but not sounding as strident or as vocal about pushing the envelope. Many of us spoke of having supportive partners who were doing their fair share of work at home.

Women of the 1990s were impressive, approaching these discussions with an “I-don’t- really-understand-what-you’re-talking-about” attitude and comments such as “my husband is at home with our two small children and I’m the one who is working.” The women

Kendall Crolius (GFA ’71, P ’06, ’09, Princeton ’76): I graduated from

of the 2000s were the most impressive, in my opinion; they were

GFA in ’71 – the last class of all women – and, interestingly, that may

confident, committed and brilliant, with a “catch the world by the

have been a reason that my Princeton experience was so positive.

tail” attitude.

It never occurred to me not to run for office. I was surrounded by women leaders in high school and was accustomed to leading, so I had no hesitation about stepping up to lead in my chosen corner of Princeton: the Triangle Club. After graduation, I continued to be oblivious to the notion that women might not be seen as leaders, which got me off to a good start in my career. You can imagine my surprise when my boss, a former Marine, let me know that unless he could envision someone leading a platoon up a hill, he assumed that that person did not have the capacity to lead.

My take-away is to make certain I find time to mentor young people in order to help them gain confidence in their abilities, to point out their strengths and to offer to support them as they navigate their work and life choices. The best advice for young people that I’ve heard this year was given by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to Barnard’s graduating class: “Lean in,” she encouraged them. What a great image for any young person: Lean in!

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David Capodilupo feature

This summer, David Capodilupo ’79, got a new title: Executive Director of International Programs for the MIT Sloan School of Management, a program that includes a Master of Science in Management Studies. It turns out that the title is new not just to him but also to MIT and that it reflects the growing global reach of the prestigious business school.

The International Programs department is housed in a glass, light-filled center overlooking the Charles River in Cambridge. Their motto, etched across a granite wall, reads: “The Mission of the Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world, and to generate ideas that advance management practice.” Even in the sluggish days of August, students from Russia and China talk in the lobby, snacks and coffee stand ready for breaks, and classrooms are wired for video conferencing.

“We have a foothold in a lot of countries,” David says. “MIT has been a pioneer in international initiatives for decades, working across cultures even during world wars and religious strife.

We’ve been able to build relationships around the world even

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when countries weren’t talking to each other. Now more than ever, these global relationships are at the heart of what we do.”

Part of David’s job is to bring eager business students, executives and collaborating institutions from around the world to MIT Sloan, which has a reputation for fostering entrepreneurship. “It’s not just young Americans who want to be entrepreneurs,” he says. “Young people in their twenties and thirties in Russia, Africa and Turkey want to develop the next Facebook or the next water purification system. They want to understand how to distribute their product in Korea or China.

There’s an enormous amount of talent in the world, and it needs to know how to compete across cultures.”

This new reality is far from the career landscape that David was confronted with when he graduated from GFA in 1979. “We were looking at going to college and getting a job in Fairfield County, New York or California,” he remembers. “Now, no matter where you work, you need a basic understanding of the economies, technologies and resources of other countries. You need to know what it means that the value of the dollar is falling in Russia, or at least know someone who can explain it to you.”

WPP Update After familiarizing himself with the World Perspectives Program at GFA, David Capodilupo commented, “This program will give students a substantial head start in the college world as well as networks for a lifetime.”

Director of the World Perspectives Program, Dr. Jason Cummings, reports “The program is now in its second year, and we have sixteen seniors who are working to complete Global Theses. These will be the first students to graduate with a ‘Concentration in Global Studies’ after their names. It means they have participated in international service learning programs as well as completed all WPP course requirements.

In 2011, students and faculty traveled to Germany, the UK, Senegal, the Bahamas and Costa Rica.

This year we hope to send students back to Latin America and the Caribbean as well as to China and South Africa.

In addition, we’ll offer a hybrid summer International Relations course, part of which will be taught abroad.

We are currently assembling the Center for Global Studies, a group of passionate K-12 faculty who will assist in further developing the program.” Follow the program on the blog at http://worldperspectivesprogram.wordpress.com/

David recalls when schools were just starting to talk about diversity in the 1980s. He remembers that they progressed to running exchange programs and are now talking about “placebased learning” or “action learning,” where students spend less time in the classroom and more time partnering with peers and on the road. David’s advice? “Get out and travel. It’s too easy to be isolated or secluded in your own world. Working across cultures broadens you and makes you an attractive hire in the long run.”

Two concepts arise again and again in conversation with David: the importance of connections and networks and the necessity of assessing the results of one’s work. When talking about each program he’s developing, he recites his mantra: “If you can’t measure it, don’t do it.” About networks, he says, “If you think you can succeed alone, you won’t succeed. For instance, if you are developing a product, one country may have the best minerals to help make it, another country might provide solar panels, another distribution. It’s all about collaboration.

And a great way to build a network is to be transparent with experience and information. Knowledge-sharing is the only way to grow.”

These heady ideas can be provocative for American students who are used to thinking of themselves as the best in the world. “But, is our country staying competitive with our science and math scores?” David asks. “Many international students are driven by wanting to make their countries better. They’re hungry. Do our kids feel that hunger?” The popularity of student visas, a telltale sign of this shift, is something that David has paid close attention to during his years at MIT Sloan. “Countries used to be reluctant to issue visas because they knew their students would come to MIT and stay in America. Now, they’re issuing them knowing the students are likely to return home.”

David’s advice for current GFA students comes straight from the light-filled building at MIT overlooking the Charles: “The more international exposure you have, the easier you’ll find your life to be in terms of connections and relationships – and that is the wave of the future.”

To learn more about David Capodilupo and his work saving Tibetan temples, restoring Boeing 727s and his life in the financial world, go to www.gfacademy.org/alumniprofiles/dcapodilupo.

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Carol Wallace ’73 alumni/ae

In 2005, Carol Wallace knew she had an idea. “It was a flash-of-light moment,” she says, “and I knew it was a good one.” She was researching a French painter, Charles Meryon, who had been in an insane asylum, and she noticed that he was visited by a Dr. Gachet. Carol remembered that Vincent Van Gogh had painted a Dr. Gachet as well. If it was the same doctor, then there might be the germ of a good story. “Insanity, paintings, artistic genius,” she laughs. “What a subject.”

Fairly easily, she was able to establish that it was indeed the same Dr. Gachet who had been involved in both painters’ lives. At the time, Carol was working on a Masters in Art History at Columbia and was steeped in 19th century painters as well as up-to-speed on her French. The flash-of-light idea turned into several years of research and writing to produce her latest novel, Leaving Van Gogh (Spiegel & Grau, 2011). The book is told in the voice of Dr. Gachet as he meets Vincent Van Gogh, befriends him and tries to diagnose and treat his mental illness. Themes of friendship, artistic temperament, melancholy and suicide run through the pages as well as the context for many of Van Gogh’s paintings.

Wallace says the biggest challenges in her novel included trying to put words into Van Gogh’s mouth. “I was rescued by the fact he wrote so many letters that I was actually able to read,” she says. “Eventually I could hear his voice.” Then came the issue of Van Gogh’s mental demons. “He was a deeply unhappy man. Writing through the difficult scenes was slow and tough – like being in therapy while trying to write.” She loved the research part and finds it interesting that for all society’s advancements, we’re still mystified by some of the mental health issues that confounded Dr. Gachet. The LA Times says of Wallace’s novel, “Vincent’s vitality and unique intelligence wash over the reader – much as they do when looking at his paintings.”

From her childhood in Southport, Connecticut, Wallace felt it was possible, even appropriate to be a writer. Her father wrote for the NY Times, “and every so often, a book would appear as well,” she remembers. After graduating from Princeton, her first co-authoring project turned into the popular Official Preppy Handbook. Another book, All Dressed in White came from her proximity to Trinity Church in Southport, where she and her sisters would gaze at the wedding parties and rate them as they exited the church. Leaving Van Gogh is her first historical novel.

Wallace attended GFA from 3rd grade and remembers it as a place that “was clearly paying attention to the kids.” The school taught her to write well and gave her a boost in three languages, French, Spanish and Latin. Now living in New York City with her husband Rick, also a writer, Wallace has two sons who are off to college and beyond. She “tiptoed” back to graduate school at Columbia in 2005, and the rest, for her readers, has been history.

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Susan Butler ’70 interviews the Stetson sisters as part of the Bolton Memories Project during Reunion 2011.

Dear Alumni and Friends, This past year was an active one in Alumni Relations. We launched the New York Alumni Council, went to Chicago for the first time and also hosted events in Boston and Washington, DC. We had two parties in New York: one at the Yale Club in March and one in a downtown gallery hosted by the NY Alumni Council in June. This year’s Reunion was enhanced by a special luncheon in honor of our Bolton School alumnae.

Representatives from the Alumni Council and the Office of Advancement worked together to document the memories and stories that the Bolton alumnae brought with them to campus.

Many of the alumnae sat down in the library to share their recollections on camera of the school that would eventually

become today’s Greens Farms Academy. We are thrilled to have captured these important pieces of our alma mater’s history and look forward to sharing them with the GFA community soon.

You will learn more about these events in the alumni section that follows. We will be seeking new cities and venues for events this year, and hope to see you in the months to come.

Sincerely,

Susan Ball ’71 and Matt Hintsa ’06 Office of Alumni Relations

Boston Event

GFA alumni and friends in the Boston area came together for an intimate gathering at the waterfront home of David Capodilupo ’79 on Tuesday, June 14, 2011.

Susan Ball ’71, Vivienne Pustell ’04 and Janet Hartwell

Julia ’06 and Anne Goldenheim

David Capodilupo ’79 reflects on his GFA experience.

Vivienne Pustell ’04 and Ed Denes

Geoff Howlett ’83, Julie Morford, Doran Morford and Cynthia Howlett-Willis ’80

Robert Capodilupo ’82 and Ed Denes

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alumni/ae

Washington Event

David Jones ’79 and Ed Denes

Natalie Waggaman ’06, Teddy O’Neil ’06, Christina Waggaman ’04 and Eliza Murphy ’06

Leah Braun ’02 and Nikhil Ramchandani ’95

Nicole Chardavoyne ’95, Jon Brightbill, Nicole Ganim Brightbill ’95 and Bill Stallings ’87

Alumni in the nation’s capital came together at a private club in Washington on Thursday, April 7. Thanks to all who came out to make the gathering one of the best-attended DC events in recent years!

New York City Event

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Alumni, faculty and other members of the GFA community gathered at the Yale Club in Manhattan on Thursday, March 31. The Rex Cadwallader trio provided jazz for the event.

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Elizabeth MacDonough ’84, Sasha Drobnick ’85, Jenn Rose ’83 and Jessica Rose ’86

Luke Shoemaker ’06, Krysta Cihi ’06 and Christina Whittaker ’08

Megan Miller ’04 and Ann Hoopes ’51

Suky Cannon ’68, Susan Ball ’71, Ann Hoopes ’51 and Sasha Drobnick ’85

Ed Denes, Susan Ball ’71, Elizabeth MacDonough ’84 and Stu McArthur ’79

Class of 2006: Matt Hintsa, Krysta Cihi, Eliza Murphy, Teddy O’Neil, Natalie Waggaman and Luke Shoemaker

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1: Class of 2001: Allie Beck, Anne-Nicole Hanus, Amanda Glendinning and Michelle Cole 2: O.J. Burns and Jenny Satinover ’09 3: Doug Aaron ’95, Megan Streeter ’97, Josh Tarasoff ’97 and Nikhil Ramchandani ’95 4: Class of 2000: Megan Heck, Chris Palmisano and Stephen Haskell 5: Jennifer Pryor Taylor ’87, Ed Denes and Jeff Sherwin ’95 6: Emilda Smith, Karen Albert and Frank Bria

7: Janet Hartwell and Richard Del Bello ’02 8: Maggie Moore ’02 and Ian Campbell 9: Emily Von Kohorn ’96 and Nancy Fishkin 10: Robert Guffin and Drew Barrett ’01 11: Susan Ball ’71, Lynne Laukhuf, Doug Aaron ’95 and Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95 12: Prash Akkapeddi ’92, North Shutsharawan ’01, Ed Denes and Andrew Grosso ’92 13: Class of 2001: Kimmie Keefe and Jackie Forster 14: Emily Gray ’01 and Rose Ann Martinez

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Reunion 2011

Alumni spanning multiple generations returned to campus on Saturday, May 21 to reunite with classmates, former teachers and other members of the GFA community. Returning in such great numbers, those alumnae who attended the Bolton School were treated to a special luncheon in their honor. Michael Rintoul ’84, great grandson of Mary Bolton, reflected on her legacy and helped unveil a portrait of her that was commissioned for GFA by the Stetson family and painted by Susan Durkee ’72.

1: Barbara Rose ’51 and Nancy Fishkin 2: Lucia Nebel White ’41, Jammy Burr ’40, Joan Frazier Webb ’43 3: Edie Stetson Yovu ’67, Barbara Stetson ’66, Bebe Stetson and Linda Smith Margold ’61 4: Lucia Nebel White ’41 and Janet Hartwell 5: Mickie Mackay ’52 6: Jammy Burr ’40 applauds as the portrait of Mary Bolton is unveiled.

7: Suzy Shafer ’60, Joey Hanlon Tate ’49, Julie Bishop ’54 and Evelin McNeil Henry ’54 8: Jane Kentnor Dean ’52 and Mickie Mackay ’52 9: Portrait artist Susan Durkee ’72 with her portrait of Mary Bolton.

10: Barbara Stetson ’66, Edie Stetson Yovu ’67 and Bebe Stetson in front of the portrait of Mary Bolton. The Stetson family commissioned the portrait for Greens Farms Academy.

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The evening gathering in the Lower School Courtyard was kicked off by a panel of four faculty members discussing how they use technology in the classroom. The Rex Cadwallader trio provided entertaining jazz music while alumni and guests enjoyed pizza and more from Skinny Pines Brick Oven Caterer.

This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Judy Chapman Proctor ’70.

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11: The Rintoul Family: Caroline ’17, Lisa, Whitney, Ashley ’15 and Michael ’84. Michael is the great-grandson of Mary Bolton.

12: Class of 1951: Nancy Lauber and Kay Kellogg Burchinal 13: Carol Reeves Parke ’54 and Bebe Stetson 14: Jane Keedy Melin ’50 and Beverly Tuthill Rutan ’51

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15: Evelin McNeil Henry ’54, Grace Wadsworth Keffer ’54 and Edie Stetson Yovu ’67 16: Jane Kentnor Dean ’52, Barbara Hellwig Rose ’51, Margee Zellers ’52, Wenche Wollmar Johnson ’52, Mickie Mackay ’52, Janet McCobb Wales ’52, Bunny Emerson McMahon ’50

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17: Arlene Ross ’53 18: Jean Hallett Talbot ’51 19: Margee Zellers ’52 and Julie Evans Bishop ’54

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Reunion 2011

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1: Kate Van Acker Morrison ’83 speaks on a faculty panel about the use of technology in the classroom at GFA. 2: Class of 2006: Evie Symington, Natalie Birinyi and Sam Parsons 3: Anthony Patterson ’07 and Tiff Jones ’09 4: Jasmine Williams ’08 and Cris Ocana ’06 5: Jacqueline Wendt Paolone ’91, Kirstin Johnson ’91, Pia Guido Murphy ’91 and son, Jen Ancker ’91, Dan Codman ’91, Elke Sutt Bellet ’91, Robert McCoole, Ali Ganim McCoole ’91, Lenny Bellet, Sheila Pitchenik ’91 6: Class of 2001: Mike McGeeney, Alex Neury, North Shutsharawan 7: Mari Bebon Flicker ’82, Grant Milner ’81, Dan Shaffer ’81, Leslie Pearlstone Shain ’81, Ekky Kubler ’81, David Reed ’81, Jennifer Bebon ’81

8: Judy Chapman Proctor ’70 and Maggie Moffitt Rahe ’75 9: Bob Patton, Cathy Milton ’86, Marianne Hoffman ’86, Kristen Donoghue ’86 and Peter Robb 10: Terry Swords ’86 and Ed Denes 11: Class of 2006: CJ Miller, Sam Miesmer and Mathias Mondino 12: Dan Codman ’91, OJ Burns and Jen Ancker ’91 13: Class of 1991: Ali Ganim McCoole, Jacqueline Wendt Paolone and Sheila Pitchenik 14: Caitlin Brandon Downey ’01, North Shutsharawan ’01, Jimmy Macauley ’01, Erin Pulice ’01, Adare Lindsay ’01, Drew Barrett ’01, Katy Byron ’01, Patrick Kiely, Katie Lynch ’01 and Ben Craw ’01 15: Nikhil Ramchandani ’95, Alex Perry ’06 & Charlie Schilling ’96 16: Alexandra Mayhew ’71, Melissa Warner Norton ’71, Janet Hartwell, John Hartwell and Melissa Pardee O’Hara ’71

17: Julia Cole ’09, Kyle Sherwood ’08 and Hannah Bargon ’08 18: Erica Atkinson Applestein ’95, Susan Ball ’71 and Kendall Crolius ’71 19: Kendall Crolius ’71 introduces Judy Chapman Proctor ’70 as the 2011 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

20: Judy Chapman Proctor ’70 accepts the Distinguished Alumni Award.

21: Rose Ann Martinez and Christina Doe ’01 22: Class of 2001 23: Class of 2006 24: Class of 1981: David Reed, Les Gilman, Dan Shaffer, Leslie Pearlstone Shain, Ekky Kubler, Jennifer Bebon 25: Matt Carraway, Laura Foudy Carraway ’01, Nico Richardson ’01, Drew Barrett ’01 and Katy Byron ’01

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alumni/ae

Distinguished Alumni Award

Kendall Crolius ’71, herself a winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002, nominated and presented the 2011 award to Judy Chapman Proctor ’70: I am honored to introduce Judy Chapman Proctor, this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Judy’s devotion to Greens Farms Academy and the broader community spans five decades. As a student, she was a dedicated Community Service volunteer. As a GFA alumna, and later as a GFA parent, she has been one of the most diligent volunteers GFA has ever had, offering her time and talent on the Alumni Council for decades, and as Class Secretary of the great class of 1970 – the last class to graduate with a Laycock diploma. She was instrumental in establishing the GFA sailing program; and she continues to be involved with activities including Java Jam and advertising sales for GFA events. She is one of the most loyal attendees at all GFA functions, and the perennial hostess for her class reunions.

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Outside GFA, Judy’s philanthropic work has a global perspective. Through Trinity Church in Southport, Judy has been a leader in the ongoing mission to Honduras, and has made six trips there leading the youth of Trinity. Importantly, Judy has also led the efforts to provide school scholarships to the young people of Honduras. The opportunity to get an education changes the lives of not only these young people and their families, but of their whole village. Through Judy’s efforts, over fifty young people have had the benefit of this life-changing gift of education. One of these young people became a teacher, and has returned to his village as principal of the school, so opportunity Judy created is multiplying to change ever more lives.

Judy is a splendid example of our school motto Quisque pro Omnibus – “Each for All.” In her generosity of spirit and her dedication to GFA and the broader community, she is an inspiration to us all. So with gratitude, respect and great affection, I am pleased to introduce this year’s Distinguished Alumna, Judy Chapman Proctor.

alumni/ae

Greens Farms Academy Alumni Council Every student who spent at least one year at Bolton, Laycock or GFA is a member of the Alumni Association. The Alumni Council serves as the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, with the mission of “Working as Ambassadors to unite all alumni with one another and with GFA today: communicating, orchestrating meaningful events, supporting the school with time and treasure, maintaining life-long relationships and networking.”

The Alumni Council meets monthly during the school year to stay up-to-date on school news and to plan events, outreach and fundraising campaigns. The New York Alumni Council is a recent off-shoot of the bigger Council. For the second year, the New York group chose to direct their efforts toward fundraising for the Horizons Scholarship Fund. Even though the fund has surpassed its initial $1 million goal this year, alumni want to help support the tuition of the three Horizons graduates who are already enrolled at GFA and to increase the overall number of scholarships that can be provided.

Connecticut Alumni Council meetings take place monthly at noon or at 7:00 pm.

The New York Alumni Council meetings take place at 7:00 pm. If you are interested in becoming involved in either the New York or Connecticut Alumni Councils, please contact Susan Ball ’71, sball@gfacademy.org or Matt Hintsa ’06, mhintsa@gfacademy.org.

Alumni Council: Jane Dean ’52, Susan Butler ’70, Judy Proctor ’70, Kendall Crolius ’71,Olivia Munroe ’71, Linda Koury Ducruet ’73, Martha Gates Lord ’74, Christopher E.G. Saxe ’74, Abigail Johnson Dodge ’76, Michele Orris-Modugno ’76, Ann Clark Mileti ’77, Rosamond Koether Stephanak ’82 (President), Mari Bebon Flicker ’82, Tracy Wheeler Lennon ’82, Dr. Gioia Riccio ’84, Michael Rintoul ’84, Meghan Biro ’89, Nicole Chardavoyne ’95, Erica Atkinson Applestein ’95 (Vice President), Doug Aaron ’95, Nicole Ganim Brightbill ’95, Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95, Nikhil Ramchandani ’95, Emily Von Kohorn ’96, Michelle Cole ’01, Rachel D’Agostino ’03, Sefra Levin ’03, Nick D’Addario ’04, Olivia Newhouse ’06 and staff members Susan Ball ’71 and Matt Hintsa ’06.

New York Alumni Council: Prasanth Akkapeddi ’92, Karima A. Hassan ’92, Douglas L. Aaron ’95, Erica Atkinson Applestein ’95 (Co-Chair), Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95 (Co-Chair), Michelle Foster Miller ’96, Emily R. Von Kohorn ’96, Charles H. Schilling ’96, Megan E. Streeter ’97, Katherine L. Chapman ’00, North Shutsharawan ’01, Katharine S. Welling ’01, Meghan S. Hasenauer ’03, and staff members Susan Ball ’71 and Matt Hintsa ’06.

Top down: Erica Atkinson Applestein ’95, Prash Akkapeddi ’92, Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95, Roz Koether Stephanak ’82

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Marriages

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1. Robin Grasso ’92 to Marc Dobbs on May 14, 2011 in Palm Coast, FL. Pictured L to R: Maya Teredesai ’92, Karima Hassan ’92, Robin Grasso Dobbs ’92 and Kelly Marks-Bodo ’92.

2. Meghan Capozzi ’99 to Keith Rowe in March 2011.

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3. Phil Goughary ’99 to Elena Goughary in October 2010.

4. Kyle Phillips ’03 to Alex Ramsvig on July 9, 2011 in Manchester, VT. Pictured L to R: Grant Picarillo ’03, Meghan Hasenauer ’03, Kyle Phillips ’03 and Elizabeth Scouler ’03.

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5. Julianne Knetzger ’01 to Conor Welch on June 17, 2011 in Sonoma County, CA. Pictured L to R: Michael Knetzger ’03, Conor Welch, Julianne Knetzger ’01 and Kallen Knetzger ’06.

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1. Brinsley Horner Fox ’90 and husband Jeremy welcomed a boy, Brendan John Fox, on January 24, 2011.

2. Andy Biggs ’92 and wife Genevieve welcomed a boy, Charles ‘Chase’ Ferris Lee Biggs, on May 19, 2011.

3. Charlie Hall ’92 and wife Anne welcomed a boy, Wilson Hall.

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4. Chris ‘Kip’ Coleman ’95 and wife Sophie welcomed a boy, Miles Christopher Coleman, on May 3, 2011.

5. Laurel Ried Langworthy ’97 and husband Ben welcomed a girl, Katherine Ried Langworthy, weighing 6 lbs. 8 oz. on May 7, 2011.

6. Deborah Lipman Fox ’99 and husband Matthew welcomed a girl, Amelia Joanna Fox, weighing 6 lbs. 13 oz. on October 15, 2010.

7. Lisa Ferrara Esch ’01 and husband Jae welcomed a girl, Audrey Victoria Esch, on July 13, 2011.

Mark your Calendars Oct 22

Homecoming Fall Fair

Oct 30

Dragon Dash Race

Nov 11-12

Youth Service Opportunities Project

Nov 18-20

GFA US Musical @ Westport Country Playhouse

Nov 25

Alumni Holiday Gathering @ SBC

Alumni News We welcome news from alumni,

Nov 29

Jacqueline Novogratz Visiting Coyle Scholar

parents and friends of GFA. Please send your news and labeled photographs to Alumni

Jan 6

Denes Classic

News at GFA, or email them to alumni@gfacademy.org.

For more information and updates, please visit our website at www.gfacademy.org

Please contact Greens Farms Academy to notify us of any change in address or if this issue is addressed to your son or daughter and they no longer maintain a permanent residence in your home.

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Greens Farms Academy

35 Beachside Avenue, PO Box 998 Greens Farms, CT 06838-0998 T. 203.256.0717 F. 203.256.7501

Email. alumni@gfacademy.org

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