The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
News
January-February 2014
January-February 2014
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
Inside 2 African Children's
Choir Concert 3 The Hour of Code
4 First Semester
Honor Roll 6 Winter Art Exhibition
7 Student Life Recap: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Sugar Maple Tree-Tapping Costa Rican Native Greets Spanish Students
8 College Spotlight: Jessica Kundla '13
9 Athletics: Varsity Sports Round-Up
13 Dates to Remember
From the Headmaster The 2014 edition of the Farmer’s Almanac, which reached newsstands last August, predicted that this winter would be “bitterly cold.” With all of the snow and sub-zero temperatures we have experienced throughout the past two months, I would say that the publication was right on target. Until recently, how many had never heard the term “polar vortex” let alone could offer up more than a vague definition of it? Although this time of year commonly sees a dip in morale at schools, I have not really witnessed that as of yet at GSB. Perhaps we are overly eager for the spring, given the difficult winter. Or, perhaps much of the current enthusiasm has been sustained by the many accomplishments of our students and special events. The 2013-14 first semester Headmaster’s and Honors Lists were recently finalized (See pages 4-5.) and I am very proud to share that more than 400 of our Middle and Upper School students have achieved these honors. To be named to the Headmaster’s List requires a student to earn an A or A+ in every class. The Honors List requires that all grades be a B- or better. Completing the semester with either one requires a great deal of hard work and focus by a student, and I am pleased to see that so many have achieved this result. Helping students achieve their goals—be they academic, athletic, artistic or service oriented—is important to us and these two lists are clear evidence that it is happening at Gill. Mid-year is also a time to comment on college outcomes. Approximately 40 percent of GSB seniors have decided where they will attend college next year, a result of their success in early admission rounds. I would like to thank our Upper School faculty as well as the college guidance team for their help in this process, and I look forward to sharing the complete list of college outcomes with the entire GSB community in April. In addition, our many recent athletic highlights include the crowning of Alex Benoit ’14 (800m) and Dana Klein ’14 as Somerset County champions. Klein established a 3200m record (11:15) at the Somerset County Indoor Track Championships and later set a new meet record in the 1600m (5:13) at the Skyland Conference Championships. Benoit and Klein also led the distance medley (12:52) and sprint medley (4:24)
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
Headmaster Sid Rowell.
relay squads to first place finishes at the NJSIAA Non-Public B Relays. Meanwhile, the varsity boys’ basketball team is number one in the Delaware Division of the Skyland Conference and Taylor Rooks ’14 and Jasmine Sina ’14 recently clinched their 2,000th and 1,000th career points, respectively. Rooks, who has signed an official National Letter of Intent with Stanford University, was one of 13 female basketball players from the state nominated for the McDonald’s All American® Games as well. The “Blue Crew” is a regular presence at home contests and encourages all of our students to support their classmates. Finally, the GSB Players is rehearsing for several performances of the musical, Godspell, which opens on February 27. With each new production, the GSB Players continues to raise the bar for our performing arts program and I am confident that Godspell will be a special treat for the entire community. Reserve your tickets now! While the cold winter weather will likely continue throughout the coming weeks, I hope that the current level of enthusiasm will provide some momentum for us as we move into the spring semester. Go Knights! Warm regards,
Sid Rowell 1.
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
African Choir Celebrates Ancestry The “most melodious sound,” carried across a field by a warm summer breeze. That is what first drew Lower School Director Peggy Campbell-Rush to discover the African Children’s Choir while completing a FulbrightHayes fellowship in Cape Town, South Africa. “I walked up to a school and was immediately brought to tears when I realized that this beautiful music was produced by four- to seven-year-old children,” CampbellRush said. “Some were orphans, and others came from parents who simply could not afford a proper education.” Since 1984, the African Children’s Choir—founded by the nonprofit humanitarian and relief organization Music for Life—has offered education to more than 52,000 children across seven African countries. Campbell-Rush first invited the choir to perform at Gill St. Bernard’s School in the fall of 2011. The group made its much anticipated return to campus on January 22, where it performed a number of well-loved children’s songs, traditional spirituals and gospel favorites for more than 150 spectators in the Athletic Center. The concert concluded with a joint performance by the Class of 2022 and African Children’s Choir singing the South African National Anthem. In addition to providing a scrumptious homemade dinner for each performer prior to the show, two faculty members and one administrator volunteered their homes to accommodate the musicians during their stay. For fourth grade teacher Melanie Swift, a native of South Africa, the opportunity to host three African children from Uganda in her Hackettstown, N.J. home proved a truly rewarding experience. “Having the children stay with us reminded me of the joy of Africa,” she said. “We talked about At an assembly on January 23, Hayden Chan ’22 and Zachary Saunders ’22 practice playing the the Ugandan flag same drums used by members of the choir. and the South
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
The Class of 2022 joins the African Children’s Choir in singing the South African National Anthem on January 22.
African flag and how both have some of the same colors, colors which represent a ‘Rainbow Nation’ of different people sharing the same love and pride for one country.” Seeing her own two children interact with the guests, Swift said, “These three little girls taught my 11-year-old twins more about love, happiness, independence and the power of believing in oneself in two nights than I could hope to teach them in 10 years. They were truly captured by the girls’ joyful spirits, their impeccable manners and their love of each and every new experience.” Three GSB families, the Nevilles, the Mauses and the Curialles, also offered a place for the traveling choir members to rest their heads. Of the two young visitors she welcomed into her home, Leslie Curialle P ’22 said, “It’s transforming, changes your life and warms your heart, just seeing how these children who come from so very little are always smiling. This is the second time our family has played host to select children from the choir and we’d certainly do it again. From both experiences, our son Anthony has gained the incentive to travel and help others.” Before continuing their tour at Christ Church in Newton, N.J. on January 24, members of the choir also performed at a special assembly for Lower School students on January 23 in Evans Hall.
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The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
Completing “The Hour of Code” Challenge HTML, JavaScript and Python. While for many a foreign language, millions of students explored these complex formatting programs as part of the nationwide initiative, The Hour of Code, between December 9 and 15. Hundreds of GSB students and faculty members participated in the nationwide campaign, aimed at demystifying computer science with introductory tutorials. The Hour of Code was established by the nonprofit organization, Code.org, this past October as another way of celebrating Computer Science Education Week—an annual event recognizing computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.
Third grade classmates Katherine Udoff (l.) and Hunter Champey (r.) learn the basic concepts of computer science through drag and drop programming.
Backed by support from multiple organizations and well-known individuals including Google, Bill Clinton, Mark Zuckerburg and will.i.am, The Hour of Code was responsible for stimulating computer science education across America. “Although an increasing amount of job opportunities will depend on coding skills and knowledge, The Hour of Code project was built on more than just an economic foundation,” said Director of Academic Technology Michael Chimes. “There is also an understanding that by learning code, students will become better thinkers.” During The Hour of Code, teachers Lynn Prosen and Jill Fedon introduced Lower School classes to coding strategies both online and offline. First and second grade students learned age-appropriate coding programs such as Tynker, a tile-based visual programming tool, from their computers. And, Kindergarten through fourth grade students worked offline using basic coding to direct Bee-Bot robots through a maze. “Our teachers felt confident introducing their students to computer coding, and the students seemed uniformly interested and curious,” said Chimes. “In just an hour, students can engage in a learning activity that inspires them to want to learn more.” Middle School computer teacher Carrie Petkiewich enjoyed seeing her students think, strategize and troubleshoot to fix difficult coding. One Middle School student, Sarah Caminito ’18, even advanced so far into the self-guided Code Avengers tutorial that she eventually produced her own Web page. “Coding is difficult while doing it, but once finished, the end result is awesome,” Caminito later shared.
From top: Robert Haversat ’18 shows off the certificate he received for completing an hour of coding; (L. to r.) Malika Jones ’16, Sarah Abowitz ’16 and Marc Orazietti ’16 participate in The Hour of Code during their honors chemistry class.
Gill’s Upper School division also contributed to the more than 704 million lines of code written by students across the country this winter, as computer science, chemistry, filmmaking, statistics and physics classes, as well as the Upper School Tech Team, wrote individualized code using intricate languages such as JavaScript and Python. “This participation from teachers across numerous subjects helps to prove that computer science and coding has application in multiple academic areas,” Computer Science Chair Irv Taylor said. Read more about GSB’s involvement with The Hour of Code at: gsbtechnology.blogspot.com.
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
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The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
Announcing First Semester Honor Roll Recipients The following Upper and Middle School students achieved Honor Roll status* for the first semester. Making the Headmaster’s List requires earning an A in all classes. The Honors List requires that all grades be B- or better. Grade 12: Headmaster’s List- John “Carlson” Brown, Emilie Dizdarevic, Oscar Gomez, Henry Holmes, Dylan Polachi, Charlotte Reid, Taylor Rooks and Kyle Williams; Honors List- Kaitlyn Avery, Alexander Bauer, Kathryn Bednarsky, Juliet Benjamin, Trevena Bennett, Alexandria Benoit, Kristen Calabrese, Emily Carmosino, Kasey Collins, Joshua “Jay” Corbett, Brendan Dougher, Kendall Dunn, Justin Durcan, Alexandra Ferreira, Alexander Ferruggia, Alexander Filley, Hannah Geldzahler, Katherine Giordano, Gabriella Gomes, Elizabeth “Sally” Gordon, Garret Hill, Claire Jenkins, Dana Klein, Maxwell Lieblich, Ryan McCluskey, Clarke Mehmel, Carly Meyers, Kristin Murtha, Cara Napolitano, Kiliaen O’Connor, Kensey Olsen, Harald Parker, Craig Pilla, Casey Puglisi, Caitlyn Raia, James Reiner, Rebecca Richardson, Caroline Roch, Dylan Rowell, Casey Saladino, Jasmine Sina, Kelly Staples, Kylie Stephenson, John Stumpf, Jordan Taylor, Christopher Ward, Mariana Weber and Emilia Williams. Grade 11: Headmaster’s List- Mary Cors, Margaret “Meg” Donlin, Joseph “Julien” Esposito, Soraya Falcao, Jamie Goetchius, Sandra Gooen, Marisa Guo, Brianne Hanafin, Madeline Quinn and Xauen Zirpolo; Honors List- Patrik Andersen, Alexandra Baker, Robert Berman, Hope Braue, Eliza Brookman, Daniel Brownstein, Shane Burchard, Maximilian Burrows, Corinne Chowansky, Armani Comick, Katherine Coscia, Ian Demarest, Isabelle Demontigny, Nita Diverio, Kaitlyn Feringa, Edward Fischer, Kaila Gong, Ivor Guest, Jill Guo, Kelsey Guo, Disha Gupta, Alessandra Haversat, Devon Kaiser, Paige Knichel, Jacob Kruger, Sunny Liu, Jolie Loeber, John “Jack” Lowe, Jade Macaylo, John Michael Mea, Michael Petrilli, Tyler Pisack, Theodore Rosenthal, Garrett Rowe, William Saks, Olivia Salama, Alyx Schrecengost, Jordan Schreer, Connor Shorten, Lauren Small, Samuel Solondz, Jonathan Sonnenberg,
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
Daniel Spear, Jenna Steele, Tyler Stil, Elizabeth Todd, Ricardo Torres, Emily Western and Erin Wetzel. Grade 10: Headmaster’s List- Colette Bilynsky, William Conlan, Emma Corbett, Katherine Huang, Michael Iannaconi, Amanda Leonhard, Marc Orazietti, Kara Saladino and Ludi Zhu; Honors List- Sarah Abowitz, Prince Adablah, Dylan Blackman, Camila Castano, Camille Chen, Ryan Chestnutt, William Clayton, Sophie Connell, Jada Davis, Michael Del Priore, Samantha Delehanty, Samantha DeRing, Lucille Dunn, Sahara Ensley, Luke Fischer, Hope Fluet, Jacqueline Fuentes, Madeleine Gallic, Kathryn Harback, George Harris, Benjamin Hiramoto, Aniello “Neil” Ianniello, Patrick Janas, Hedy Jin, Malika Jones, Charles Kasman, Samantha Kramer, Tyler Kwaak, Bruce Li, Sabrina Li, Vina Liu, Jacqueline Luberto, Ravi Malik, Veronica Maoli, Morgan Margolis, William Metzler, Elisabeth Middleton, Adam Mitola, Jennifer Montejo, Kaitlyn Moriarty, Carolyn Najarian, Andrew Noll, Sebastian Pampalone, Krishna Patel, Ross Pollack, Zoe Quan-Shau, Brian Quispe, Jacqueline Roettger, Destiny Salter, Alexander Showell, Carter Silvey, Julius Stoma, Matthew Taylor, Jessica Torgovnik, Renee Turner, Alexandra Udoff, Michael Urowsky, Kennedy Whitehead, Lillie Wilson, Linda Xu, Angel Zhai, Samuel Zimmer and Mycroft Zimmerman. Grade 9: Headmaster’s List- Alexia Allesch, Nicholas Cooper, Emma Dean, Louise Horn, Carleigh Matthews and Richard Wolf; Honors List- Felix Andersen, Maxwell Aunger, Steven Bednarsky, Nathaniel Bess, Nina Bhatia, Pia Bhatia, Samantha Bittman, Landon Braemer, Carolyn Brand, Gabrielle Breuer, Kevin Brito, Cameron Burns, Allison Coffey, Emma Cullen, Will Dadouris, Martine DiDomenico, Alyssa DiFazio, Evan Druskin, Katherine Duggan, Claire Fickinger, Genevieve Fischer, Andres Gonzalez, Mary Frances
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The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
Howard, Juliette Jacobson, Melissa Jean, Sharon Jin, Tristan Kaminski, Hannah Lazar, Sadie Loeber, Jennifer Lowe, Ashley Maldonado, Justin Marcus, Sabrina Marques, Sara Merton, Nichole Morley, Michael Morreale, Armeen Mozaffari, Margaret Munz, Amechi Nwandu, Parth Patel, Mathieu Petit, Erica Phiansunthon, Lauren Renna, Jack Riccardo, Rachel Richardson, Kaitlyn Sleyster, Luke Solondz, Tyler Starr, Evan Storch, Charlotte Walsh, Olivia Wilson, Lachlan Wright and Zhong Zhang. Grade 8: Headmaster’s List- Jessica Abowitz, Sarah Caminito, Anna DeLuca, Olivia Ellman, Chloe Esposito, Anthony Lake, Amanda Lazar, Catherine Quan-Shau, Edward “Noah” Steinbaum and Daniel Wang; Honors List- Scott Begane, Jacquelyn Benoit, Emily Cavanaugh, Claire Chestnutt, Catherine Davino, Alexandria Delehanty, Ava Diggins, John Gordon, Robert Haversat, Kennedy Hayes, Jack Herrlin, Dallas Hoffman, Alex Imegwu, Nicole Johnson, Connor Kirk, Katherine Lioudis, Nour Marzouk, Amity Matthews, Jonathan Moore, Pierce Norwood, William Orazietti, Matthew Parisi, Sophie Parker, Lauren Reid, Charlese Reynolds, Alexander Roch, Andrew Silverschotz, Lauren Silverschotz, Ryan Turse and Sabrina Yekta. Grade 7: Headmaster’s List- Andree Aloise, Alicia Amoroso, Ilana Druskin, Olivia Escousse, Anja Kroon, Sebastian LaBoy, Stefanie Morrison, Brian Mueller, Olivia Showell, Peyton Sloan, Sarah Smith, Surbhi Srinivas, Sophia Stil, Iyanah Vemuri and Catelyn Woelfle; Honors List- Matthew Alexy, Lucas Bernui, Kamal Brown, Lillian Cannon, Genevieve Caron, Alexander DeRing, Christian Ernst, Lily Fischer, Mitch Fishbein, Lucy Friedland, Gillian Fritzlo, Seth Gelwarg, Mark Giordano, William Henderlong, Carolyn Herrlin, Lucas Horn, John Jean, Allison Keeler, Leonore Kivits, Mark Lewis, Luca Magee, Emma Malian, Ryleigh
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
January-February 2014
Marcus, Kajal Mehta, Andrew Moglianesi, Susanne Mundt, Brian Neville, Vallika Saraswat, Cilia Trendelenburg, Eric Wang, AJ Witte and Daniel Zoumas. Grade 6: Headmaster’s List- Kierstyn Brown, Morgan Champey, Pierson Chan, Tamia Chaney, Kerry Colford, Parker DeMaira, Erin Devine, Eleanor Gustafson, Daniel Heo, Julia Hersh, Theodore Lazar, Skylar Macak, Alexis Maus, Edward McCarthy, Adrian Meyers, Emily Raia, Matthew Steinbaum, Anoushka Thakur, Lloyd Wright, Teresa Zimmer and Lucas Zuanic; Honors List- Gary Bossert, Miranda Braemer, Thomas Carlucci, Bridget Coscia, Quinn Flanagan, Julia Gateman, Grace Hamerschlag, James Hersh, Christopher Johnson, Zachary Layden, Charles Lewis, Andrew Margolis, Brandon McCall-Sulton, Rebecca Michaels, Logan Stetz, Michael Taylor, Evan Varma and Emily Wang. Grade 5: Headmaster’s List- Kasey Callanan, Catherine D'Arcangelis, Ava Escousse, Lauren Fabio, Michael Fritzlo, Anneliese Gattoni, George Han, Owen Hand, Laura Howard, Liam Jones, Christopher Lake, Sydney Lapper, Sophie Nourbakhsh, Stella O'Connor, Zoe O'Connor, Isabel Orazietti, Leigh Reid, Jason Savas, Callie Silvey, Teagen Smith, Sophia Spallucci, Natalie Sturman, Samuel Walsh, Zachary Yekta and Andrew Young; Honors List- John "Jack" Alexy, Hunter Babinec, Bartholomew Benoit, Patrick Cullen, Graeme Hollingshead, Sofia LaBoy, Olivia Melly, Noah Morris, Ashley Peck, John "Matt" Raymonds, Caroline Sameth, Maya Saunders, Camille Shorten, Caroline Solondz, Alek Tobias, Cody Torgovnik, Connor Udoff, Brian Young and Perry Zoumas.
*We regret the omission of any names.
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The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
Bringing Art to Life Middle and Upper School students brought new life to the Founders Hall Art Gallery this winter season, as they presented first semester studio art, photography and woodworking projects at the Gill St. Bernard’s annual Winter Art Show. The exhibition kicked off with an opening reception on January 12 where fifth through 12th grade student-artists showcased woodworking pieces, photographs, acrylic and watercolor paintings, collages and self-portraits in wire. “These projects are a true testament of the hard work and artistic development demonstrated by every student throughout the fall,” said Fine Arts Department Chair Sarah Isusi. From the Upper School division, photography students exhibited three-dimensional images mounted on layered Plexiglas panels as well as large-scale studio reenactments of Norman Rockwell’s illustrations. In addition, portfolio students highlighted their charcoal and pastel drawings of still lifes, original paper cuts and self-portrait collages. Gallery goers also admired original handmade furniture from woodworking students and perused nearby classrooms to preview works in progress. “While the amount of creativity on display was most-definitely appreciated by all in attendance, even more treasured was the support and admiration given to each of our young artists by family, faculty, staff and friends,” Isusi said.
Lauren Fabio '21 poses alongside the self-portrait in acrylic she created through inspiration from Pablo Picasso.
Top, from left: Andrea Jablonskyj ’14- Ink drawing; Jolie Loeber ’15Original paper cut; Middle, from left: Ludi Zhu ’16- Oil painting portrait; Emmy Gordon ’14- Three-dimensional photograph; Bottom: Margaret “Meg” Donlin ’15- A modern-day digital photograph inspired by well-known artist Norman Rockwell.
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
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The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
STUDENT LIFE RECAP Daring Students to Dream Lower School teachers and administrators dared students to dream big this January while celebrating the life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. and others who played a prominent role in leading the Civil Rights Movement in the ’60s. On January 8, third and fourth grade students viewed a powerful and dramatic presentation of M.L.K.: Amazing Grace, written and directed by professional actor, poet and storyteller Rochel Garner Coleman. “It was an excellent choice for this age group and lent itself to a great amount of discussion afterward in the classroom,” said Lower School teacher Sara Swartz. “This year, third graders will study Mahatma Gandhi—how he led a simple life and rightly defended the people of India in much the same way that M.L.K. stood up for equal rights in America.”
Angela Davis ’26 shows-off the poster she created to accompany the lyrics to the poem, Freedom, Freedom Let it Ring.
Students once again gathered in Evans Hall on January 15 to share their own interpretations of the word “freedom” with fellow classmates. The all-school assembly featured sing-alongs to the original Sesame Street song, We All Sing with the Same Voice, as well as Teresa Jenning’s Free at Last. Other presentations included a song performed together by Kindergarten and third grade students, a poem from Diane Lipnickey’s Kindergarten class, a lesson on dreams from the Class of 2024 and a pledge by fourth graders to help others every day.
Science Classes Tap into Campus Resources The Lower and Middle School’s third and sixth grade classes “tapped” into the educational resources available on Gill’s 79-acre campus earlier this month. Joined by division science teachers Lynn Prosen and Teri Cosentino, students ventured outside the classroom on January 15 for a live demonstration of maple tree-tapping by Rich Hoffman of the Lord Stirling Environmental Education Center.
(F. to b.) Andrew Lutz ’20 demonstrates the use of a tree caliper, a wooden tool typically used to calculate the circumference and age of a tree, with help from Aidan Richardson ’23.
For the third consecutive school year, Hoffman demonstrated the process of drilling and tapping sugar maple trees. During the lesson, students also discovered the names of other sap-yielding plants, explored several ways to determine the lifespan of a tree and tasted their very own sample of fresh-flowing sap. In all, the classes tapped three trees this winter and plan to make maple syrup with the sap collected. “The only thing better than learning about how maple trees provide so much, like shade and maple sap, is getting to enjoy our own GSB maple syrup with pancakes in the spring,” said Cosentino.
Costa Rican Native Greets Spanish Students in Class Hope Napolitan’s second grade Spanish students enjoyed a virtual tour of Costa Rica on January 16 during a special visit from Esteysi Gomez. Gomez, a family friend of the Gills (Elise ’24 and Ethan ’22) for more than six years and native of Costa Rica, first moved from Central America to the United States at the early age of 12. During her visit to the Lower School, Gomez used a slideshow to share knowledge of her native homeland. Following the presentation, which included information on animal and plant species inhabiting Costa Rica, Gomez also led students through a small crafts project and introduced them to an authentic Costa Rican snack. “This was an excellent way for the second graders to learn about the Spanish-speaking country and better understand how fun and helpful it can be to learn a second language,” said Napolitan.
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
Esteysi Gomez (r.) presents a slideshow about her native homeland, Costa Rica, to Hope Napolitan’s second grade class.
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The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT Jessica Kundla ’13 Jessica Kundla, Class of 2013 The Boston Conservatory, Boston Major: Musical Theater Actress in “The Light in the Piazza” Q. Entering college is all about new experiences. Can you tell us about one or two that have really stood out for you since entering school earlier this fall?
A. The Boston Conservatory's students are all serious artists. I live with two dancers—one from Oregon and the other from Boston—and a violinist from Korea. It is nice living with diverse people who share similar interests and passions, and who understand the demands and work involved in the arts. I was one of only two freshman girls to be cast in the Conservatory's production of The Light in the Piazza. It was a smaller production with minimal set construction and costuming, and a small orchestra. Such a small production puts primary focus on the actors, and it was sheer talent of the performers on stage that made this production so great. I was able to learn so much by observing the lead upperclassmen.
Jessica Kundla ’13 (r.) with a few of her new friends in Boston.
Q. How has your education and experiences at GSB helped to prepare you for this first year of college?
A. At GSB, we learned to participate, share ideas, present ourselves in front of the class, and express ourselves, our opinions and our knowledge. Academic classes at the Conservatory are liberal arts-based and call upon many of the skills I acquired in my Upper School literature and writing classes—in particular, the world literature and modern drama class I had with Mrs. Ripton. In addition, my experiences as a GSB Q. What do you like the best about your college so far? Player—working with Mr. Canada, Mrs. Schiesswohl, Ms. Ludlum, the Southerlands and Mr. Skowronski— A. My favorite thing about the Conservatory is not only offered such solid acting, singing, dancing and the city of Boston, but the training and the teachers. Many performing arts opportunities that I am able to teachers are working professionals or have past careers, so compete at the highest level and with some of the they are extremely knowledgeable and talented in their most talented people in the country in my arts classes. respective fields. They also have a deep understanding of Q. What do you miss the most since starting at college? what it's like to try and break into such a competitive and subjective business. A. I miss my family and being at home with all the things that go along with it; my mom's cooking, Q. What’s your favorite class this semester and why? watching movies with my dad and playing with my A. My favorite class this semester is my acting class. The dog MacKenzie. And, I especially miss the GSB Theater. professor is especially good at getting us to tap into our It was my home away from home. emotions and translate human interactions into our work. Q. If you could offer the Class of 2014 any advice, We study and prepare scenes, and interact on a level that what would you say? exposes things about ourselves we would not likely reveal to most people. It is a very interesting and challenging A. Savor every moment of what remains of your time at experience that has brought my acting to a new level. Gill and pursue what you love knowing that you are prepared, better than most, to meet the challenges of college.
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
8.
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
ATHLETICS Varsity Sports Round-Up *RESULTS AS OF 1/26/2014 Varsity Boys’ Basketball: Record: 10-3 Meet the Knights: Varsity: Thomas Johnson ’14, Ryan McCluskey ’14, Cole Moriarty ’14, Matthew Del Priore ’15, Harrison DeMaira ’15, Ian Demarest ’15, John Michael Mea ’15, William Saks ’15, Jonas Stakeliunas ’15, Tyus Battle ’16, Adam Mitola ’16, Julius Stoma ’16, Michael Morreale ’17; Junior Varsity: Ivor Guest ’15, Garrett Rowe ’15, Dylan Blackman ’16, Ryan Chestnutt ’16, Michael Del Priore ’16, Gavin Ferruggia ’16, Aaron Hinton ’16, Andrew Noll ’16, Preet “Paul” Singh ’16, Matthew Taylor ’16, Nicholas Cooper ’17, Cameron Miller ’17, Tyler Starr ’17, Evan Storch ’17 Gill’s varsity boys’ basketball team celebrated the start of the 2013-14 season with four straight wins including regular season games and holiday tournaments. Tyus Battle ’16 (26), Jonas Stakeliunas ’15 (12) and Julius Stoma ’16 (10) led the team to a 72-46 victory over Bishop Ford at Gill’s home opener on December 20 and Ian Demarest ’15 had 14 points and six rebounds during the 51-43 win over The Hun School at the Hoop Group Tip-Off Showcase. Meanwhile, Battle scored 66 points and grabbed 25 rebounds over three games to lead the boys to fourth place overall in the eight-team Jingle Bells VARSITY BOYS’ BASKETBALL Jubilee in Paterson, N.J. Harrison DeMaira ’15. between December 26 and December 29. Twenty-five of Battle’s 66 points were earned in a 60-44 tournament win against DePaul Catholic. John Michael Mea ’15 also added 10 points and five assists, while Harrison DeMaira ’15 and Adam Mitola ’16 knocked down four of the Knights’ 11 three-pointers.
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
January-February 2014
On January 7, Battle poured in 31 points and Demarest grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the boys to a 60-41 defeat of Immaculata. Michael Morreale ’17 (eight) and DeMaira (six) also made four of Gill’s eight three-pointers that night. The team next defeated Hunterdon Central 67-53 on January 9, as Battle recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and Mea had an impressive 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Battle scored a game-high 27 points to help the boys to a 57-45 win over Hillsborough and first place in the Delaware Division of the Skyland Conference on January 18. Mea (15), Stakeliunas (13), Mitola (11), Demarest (nine) and Stoma (nine) then led a balanced offensive attack on January 19 to give the boys their fifth straight win, a 73-50 thrashing of Dwight Morrow High School. The team also defeated Franklin 87-48 on January 24 behind Demarest with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Likewise shining for the Knights on offense were Stakeliunas (16), Stoma (14), DeMaira (12) and Cole Moriarty ’14, who earned a career-high 11 points including nine from behind the three-point arc. Despite a strong effort from Mea with 12 points and eight assists, and by Mitola with 11 points, the boys fell 48-45 to Pennsylvania’s Parkland High School at the Lehigh Valley Hoop Group Showcase on January 26. While Demarest hit a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation, the Knights were outscored 6-3 in overtime. Varsity Girls’ Basketball: Record: 11-2 Meet the Knights: Varsity: Trevena Bennett ’14, Alexandra Ferreira ’14, Taylor Rooks ’14, Jasmine Sina ’14, Morgan Rooks ’15, Madeleine Gallic ’16, Samantha Kramer ’16, Kennedy Whitehead ’16, Alexia Allesch ’17, Allison Coffey ’17, Emma Dean ’17, Katherine Howard ’17; Junior Varsity: Genevieve Fischer ’17, Melissa Jean ’17, Erica Phiansunthon ’17 Taylor Rooks ’14 (30 points/14 rebounds), Jasmine Sina ’14 (20 points/10 assists), Trevena Bennett ’14 (10 points/eight rebounds) and Samantha Kramer ’16 (nine points/eight rebounds/six assists) led the way for the varsity girls’ basketball team in an opening night thrashing of Rutgers Prep on December 20, the Knights’ first-ever live stream event in the Athletic Center. 9.
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
The girls also posted impressive wins over two of the best teams in the tri-state over the holiday break. Success began at the Francis Lewis Showcase on December 22, where Rooks, Sina and Bennett combined for 52 points, and Kramer contributed 12 points, seven assists and four rebounds for a 66-58 win over New York power Murry Bergtraum High School.
VARSITY GIRLS' BASKETBALL Alexia Allesch ’17.
On December 27, in a game against Rumson-Fair Haven at the Mount St. Dominic Holiday Festival, Rooks poured in 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out six assists. Sina also added 18 points and nine assists in the 65-48 victory. Despite sustaining a 63-57 overtime loss to St. John Vianney on December 29, Rooks sank a free throw early on in the third quarter to secure her 2,000th career point. Gill concluded the tournament with a 74-34 win over Mount St. Dominic during which Sina scored her 1,000th career point on a layup in the fourth quarter, and finished the game with 21 points and seven assists. Both Rooks and Sina were formally recognized for their accomplishments at an assembly on January 6, and prior to their next home game with Hunterdon Central on January 9. Against Hunterdon Central, Rooks had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Sina and Kramer also combined for 26 points and 13 assists in the 66-38 Skyland Conference victory, and Bennett and Alexia Allesch ’17 secured 10 rebounds apiece. The girls attended the second annual Living Hope Festival in Sparta, N.J. the following day, where Rooks (15 points/12 rebounds), Sina (14 points/ nine assists) and Bennett (14 points/14 rebounds) led the Knights to a 58-45 win over Springfield Central High School. Morgan Rooks ’15 also scored 10 points and Allesch grabbed eight rebounds to help the Knights defeat the Massachusetts power. T. Rooks scored 38 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out six assists to lead the girls to a conference win over Hillsborough on January 18. Sina also had 27
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
January-February 2014
points and 10 assists, Bennett recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds, Kramer chipped in with 10 points and eight assists, and Allesch added five blocks and six steals to give the Knights their fifth straight win. The girls avenged an early-season upset against Franklin with a 65-56 Skyland Conference victory on January 23, and earned a 66-59 win over Rancocas Valley at the ESPN Prime Events Shootout on January 25. Throughout the tournament, the Rooks sisters combined for 41 points and 15 rebounds, Bennett had a “double-double” with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and both Sina and Kramer totaled 13 points and 11 assists. The team headed to the Mecca Showcase Event in New York City on January 26, where T. Rooks (26 points/12 rebounds), Sina (15 points/10 assists) and M. Rooks (eight points/nine rebounds) helped the girls to their eighth straight win and a 61-56 victory over St. Anthony’s of Long Island. Varsity Fencing: Meet the Knights: Kelsey Guo ’15, Marisa Guo ’15, Devon Kaiser ’15, Stefan Lambert ’15, Sunny Liu ’15, Kenneth “Casey” Meyer ’15, Zeel Patel ’15, Samuel Solondz ’15, Colette Bilynsky ’16, Emma Corbett ’16, Jada Davis ’16, Samantha DeRing ’16, Luke Fischer ’16, Katherine Huang ’16, Jacqueline Luberto ’16, Ross Pollack ’16, Zoe Quan-Shau ’16, Alexandra Udoff ’16, Samuel Zimmer ’16, Mycroft Zimmerman ’16, Landon Braemer ’17, Mary Frances Howard ’17, Ruben Kivits ’17, Amanda Miller ’17, Nichole Morley ’17, Luke Solondz ’17, Paige Stewart ’17, Charlotte Walsh ’17, Lachlan Wright ’17 The varsity boys’ fencing team opened with a dramatic 14-13 defeat of Ranney School on December 20. Both Luke Fischer ’16 (epee) and Samuel Solondz ’15 (sabre) went 3-0 in their respective bouts, while Ross Pollack ’16, Samuel Zimmer ’16 and Stefan Lambert ’15 combined for a 5-4 win at foil. Epeeist Mycroft Zimmerman ’16 as well as sabre fencer Luke Solondz ’17 also chipped in with critical points throughout the match. The girls’ squad fell 15-12 to the Panthers despite a resounding 7-2 win by sabre fencers Zeel Patel ’15, Devon Kaiser ’15 and Jacqueline Luberto ’16. Jada Davis ’16, Paige Stewart ’17 and Nichole Morley ’17 also teamed up for a 5-4 victory at epee. The girls quickly recovered, shining brightly at the Santelli Tournament on January 4. Davis finished 11-3 at epee— backed by Stewart (three wins), Morley (five wins) and Charlotte Walsh ’17 (three wins)—to help the epee squad 10.
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
to 19th overall, Gill’s best-ever ranking at the prestigious event. Kaiser (two wins), Patel (one win), Emma Corbett ’16 (five wins), Luberto (six wins) and Samantha DeRing ’16 represented the Knights at sabre, while Colette Bilynsky ’16 (one win), Mary Frances Howard ’17 (three wins), Amanda Miller ’17 VARSITY FENCING (two wins) and Zoe Mycroft Zimmerman ’16. Quan-Shau ’16 (one win) made positive contributions at foil. Fischer (epee), S. Solondz (sabre) and Zimmer (foil) earned eight wins apiece to lead the boys at the Cetrulo Fencing Tournament in Morristown, N.J. on January 5. Joining Zimmer for 26th overall among some of the best foil fencers in the state were Pollack with six wins and Lambert with four. L. Solondz (seven wins) and Kenneth “Casey” Meyer ’15 (four wins) also performed well at sabre. In addition, Zimmerman (five wins) and Landon Braemer ’17 (one win) chipped in with points at epee. Despite falling to North Hunterdon on January 7, the girls’ team recovered with a 15-12 win over Somerville on January 9. Kaiser, Corbett and Patel combined for the 7-2 victory at sabre, while Davis (3-0) teamed up with Stewart and Morley for a 5-4 triumph at epee. Foilists Bilynsky (two) and Miller also earned important points for the girls throughout the match. The Solondz brothers went 4-2 at sabre, and Fischer and Lachlan Wright ’17 won two matches apiece at epee against North Hunterdon on January 7. Lambert, Pollack and Zimmer also earned points for the Knights at foil. The boys fell 19-8 to Somerville on January 9 despite solid efforts (2-1) from Lambert and Pollack at foil. Fischer won his epee bout 2-1 and both S. Solondz and Meyer earned points at sabre. Epeeists Davis, Stewart, Morley, Walsh and Marisa Guo ’15 combined for a 5-4 girls’ win over Watchung Hills on January 23, while Bilynsky (two) and Alexandra Udoff ’16 earned points at foil, and Kaiser contibuted at sabre. For the boys, Fischer won 3-0 at epee, sabreists S. Solondz and Braemer secured 2-1 victories and both Pollack and Zimmer had points at foil. Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
January-February 2014
The Knights next headed to the NJSIAA District One Fencing Championships on January 25 in Hackettstown, N.J., where the Solondz brothers, along with Braemer, led the boys’ sabre squad to a sixth place overall finish. Meanwhile, Fischer teamed with Zimmerman, Wright and Ruben Kivits ’17 for eighth place overall at epee and the foil team of Meyer, Pollack and Zimmer finished ninth. Kaiser, Corbett, Luberto and DeRing combined for ninth place overall at girls’ sabre, while Davis gave a wonderful performance at epee to finish 11th overall alongside Morley, Stewart and Walsh. The girls’ foil squad of Katherine Huang ’16, Bilynsky, Miller, Quan-Shau, Udoff and Howard also placed 11th at the event. Varsity Ice Hockey: Meet the Knights: Alexander Bauer ’14, Alexander Ferruggia ’14, Kiliaen O’Connor ’14, Harald Parker ’14, Casey Saladino ’14, Jordan Taylor ’14, Christopher Ward ’14, John “Jack” Lowe ’15, Alyx Schrecengost ’15, Gunnar Valentine ’15, George Harris ’16, Patrick Janas ’16, Nathaniel Bess ’17, Nathan Crystal ’17, Devin Hohman ’17, Jennifer Lowe ’17, Christian St. Germaine ’17, Graham Valentine ’17, Grayson Valentine ’17
VARSITY ICE HOCKEY Jennifer Lowe ’17.
Varsity ice hockey dropped three games in the Essex County Holiday Festival at Codey Arena in West Orange, N.J. in late December. Christopher Ward ’14 was the Knights’ leading scorer in the tournament, with four goals and two assists. Alexander Bauer ’14 also scored three goals and Jennifer Lowe ’17 chipped in with two assists.
Ward earned one goal and one assist in a 6-2 loss to Parsippany on January 8. Alexander Ferruggia ’14 also assisted on a goal by Kiliaen O’Connor ’14, while goaltender Gunnar Valentine ’15 made 33 saves for the Knights. On January 18, O’Connor assisted on a goal by Ward and Valentine made 22 saves in a 5-1 loss against Vernon. In addition, Ward scored an unassisted goal in the 4-1 loss to Mount Olive on January 22 and Devin Hohman ’17 converted a pass from Harald Parker ’14 in a 6-1 loss against High Point. Valentine 11.
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
made 75 saves in both games combined. Thus far, the ice hockey team has been highly competitive and hopes to finish the second half of the season on a high note. Varsity Indoor Track & Field: Meet the Knights: Alexandria Benoit ’14, Joshua “Jay” Corbett ’14, Dana Klein ’14, Patrik Andersen ’15, Armani Comick ’15, Peter “Alec” Johnson ’15, Jacob Kruger ’15, Michael Tafaro ’15, Prince Adablah ’16, Sahara Ensley ’16, Michael Iannaconi ’16, Paul Kruger ’16, William Metzler ’16, Gregory Niccolai ’16, Jacqueline Roettger ’16, Lillie Wilson ’16, Ludi Zhu ’16, Felix Andersen ’17, Samantha Bittman ’17, Will Dadouris ’17, Cameron Gateman ’17, Amechi Nwandu ’17, Mathieu Petit ’17 The varsity indoor track and field team kicked off the 2013-14 season at the N.J. Spiked Shoe Holiday Festival on December 23, and continued with the Somerset County Indoor Track Championships on December 27. Both Alexandria Benoit ’14 and Dana Klein ’14 were crowned Somerset County indoor champions after posting gold medal finishes in the 800- and 3200-meter runs. Benoit crossed the tape in 2:29, while Klein earned a new meet record in 11:15 at Lehigh University. Sahara Ensley ’16 took sixth in the 3200m (12:22) and Armani Comick ’15 earned 10th in shot put (29’1.5”) as well as 19th in the 55-meter dash (8.19 seconds) to help their team to seventh place overall. Fine performances were also displayed by Jacob Kruger ’15 (3200m/11:59), Paul Kruger ’16 (1600m/ 5:10), Michael Iannaconi ’16 (1600m/5:20), Amechi Nwandu ’17 (55m dash/7.67 seconds) and Cameron VARSITY INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Gateman ’17 (55m dash/8.11 Jacob Kruger ’15. seconds) of the boys’ squad. Klein took first in the 1600- (5:19) and 800-meter (2:21) runs during the East Stroudsburg University Invitational on January 10. Benoit also finished fifth in both events (5:31, 2:32), Ludi Zhu ’16 took third in the long jump (15’10”) and Comick placed sixth in the shot put (31’3.5”) to earn medals. In addition, Ensley and Samantha Bittman ’17 ran well in the 1600-meter, and Lillie Wilson ’16 displayed Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
January-February 2014
a fine performance in the 3200m. The boys were led by Patrik Andersen ’15 with second in the 1600m (4:35) and third in the 800m (2:04). Felix Andersen ’17 was the top-freshman in the 3200-meter (10:19), while Nwandu ran well in the 400m. Representing Gill in distance events were J. Kruger, Mathieu Petit ’17, Iannaconi and P. Kruger. Meanwhile, Joshua “Jay” Corbett ’14, Michael Tafaro ’15, Gregory Niccolai ’16 and Will Dadouris ’17 threw shot put for the Knights. The girls’ distance medley relay team of Benoit, Zhu, Ensley and Klein took home a gold medal in 12:52 at the NJSIAA Non-Public B Relays in Toms River, N.J. on January 19. Benoit, Zhu and Klein also teamed with Comick to take the sprint medley relay in 4:24. From the boys’ squad, P. Andersen, F. Andersen, Peter “Alec” Johnson ’15 and J. Kruger earned a sixth place medal in the distance medley relay (11:28), and Petit combined with J. Kruger and both Andersens to take sixth in the 4x400 (4:00). Also earning medals for Gill were Tafaro and William Metzler ’16, who placed sixth overall in the team shot put event (62’3.75”). Klein was crowned a Skyland Conference champion in both the 3200m and 1600m runs at Lehigh University on January 25, as she finished 10:59 for gold in the 3200m and set a new meet record of 5:13 in the 1600m. Also earning top-10 finishes to lead the girls’ squad to sixth place overall were Benoit in the 800m (4th/2:28), Comick in the shot put (8th/28’06”), Ensley in the 3200m (10th/12:17) and Zhu in the 55m dash (10th/7.9 seconds). Bittman (1600m) and Wilson (3200m) displayed fine performances in their respective distance events as well. The boys placed 10th overall at the Skyland Conference Championships behind a runner-up finish from P. Andersen in the 1600m (4:27). J. Kruger (16th/3200m), F. Andersen (19th/1600m), Petit (19th/800m), Corbett (19th/shot put) and Tafaro (20th/ shot put) also posted top-20 finishes for the Knights, while Prince Adablah ’16, Nwandu and Dadouris gave GSB a fine representation in the 55-meter dash, and P. Kruger, Iannaconi and Metzler competed well in the 800m, 1600m and shot put. Varsity Swimming: Meet the Knights: Kathryn Bednarsky ’14, Dylan Polachi ’14, Cricket Treanor ’14, Nita Diverio ’15, Joseph “Julien” Esposito ’15, Madeline Quinn ’15, Sophie Connell ’16, Morgan Margolis ’16, Elisabeth Middleton ’16, Jennifer Montejo ’16, Carter Silvey ’16, 12.
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
Michael Urowsky ’16, Carolyn Brand ’17, Gabrielle Breuer ’17, Emily Supron ’17 The varsity swimming team dove head first into the 2013-14 season, as Joseph “Julien” Esposito ’15 won both the boys’ 200-meter individual medley (2:07) and the 500-meter freestyle (4:57) at a tri meet on December 16. Carter Silvey ’16 also placed fourth in both the 200m and 100m freestyles for the boys. From the girls’ squad, Emily Supron ’17 took fourth in the 100m breaststroke (1:38) and Jennifer Montejo ’16 finished 1:10 in the 100m butterfly. Carolyn Brand ’17, Elisabeth Middleton ’16, Michael Urowsky ’16, Gabrielle Breuer ’17, Morgan Margolis ’16, Kathryn Bednarsky ’14 and Madeline Quinn ’15 also participated in multiple events for the Knights. Montejo placed first in both the girls’ 200-yard individual medley (2:38) and 100y butterfly (1:13), while Esposito won the boys’ 200y (1:50) and 500y freestyles VARSITY SWIMMING (5:00) in a dual meet Jennifer Montejo ’16. with Phillipsburg on January 10. Silvey was the runner-up in the boys’ 100y freestyle (1:02) and took third in the 200y freestyle, while Urowsky competed for Gill in the boys’ 50y and 100y freestyles. In girls’ relay events, Middleton, Supron, Breuer, Brand, Bednarsky, Nita Diverio ’15 and Quinn earned impressive finishes including second in the 200y medley and third in the 400y freestyle. Esposito finished fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (4:58) and fifth in the 200y freestyle (1:49) at the Skyland Conference Swimming Championships at Montgomery High School on January 18. Montejo paced the girls’ effort with top-20 times in both the 200y individual medley (2:34) and 100y butterfly (1:07). Also posting personal best times for both squads were Silvey (100y freestyle, 200y freestyle), Urowsky (50y freestyle), Supron (100y freestyle, 100y breaststroke) and Middleton (100y breaststroke).
January-February 2014
Dates to Remember Thursday, February 6 Guest Speaker Jessica Lahey True Grit: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids (All parents welcome!) Friday, February 7 Parent-Teacher Conferences No Classes Saturday, February 8 Joe Show (Email dsoutherland@gsbschool.org to reserve a ticket today) Friday, February 14 Make Up Snow Day Monday, February 17 Make Up Snow Day Wednesday, February 26 Piano and Guitar Recital Thursday, February 27—Sunday, March 2 Upper School Spring Musical Godspell (Tickets on sale now at seatyourself.biz/gsbschool) To view more school events, or for information on the above, please see GSB’s online calendar.
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
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Gill St. Bernard’s School
The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School
January-February 2014
St. Bernard’s Road P.O. Box 604 Gladstone, NJ 07934 908-234-1611 www.gsbschool.org
Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934
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