FALL 2008
Teaching LiFE
The
OU R FACU LT Y ISSU E
A GLANCE INSIDE: • Who, What, When?
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• 2008 Graduations
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• 2008 Alumnae Awards
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HB Trivia
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AdM iNiSTRATiVE T E A M: William Christ Head of School Sue Sadler Associate Head of School Clarke Wilson Leslie ’80 Associate Head for Advancement
letter from the head of school
Jane Brown Director of Early Childhood
Most teachers have one. It’s a box or a file folder or a large envelope – and in it they place the notes and letters that the occasional student or parent takes time out of a busy life to write. These are priceless little artifacts that thank teachers for their work or remind them of a moment that they may have forgotten but that changed the writer’s life in some way.
Sarah Johnston Director of Admissions
Most teachers prize these notes more than they can say.
ALuMNAE RE L AT iONS T E A M:
Most teachers, though, aren’t lucky enough to work at Hathaway Brown. Here, the notes of gratitude and praise are so plentiful that we’ve devoted an entire issue of HB to highlighting them and the teachers they laud. We were overwhelmed by the response of our alumnae, parents and students to an online survey soliciting memories and commentary about HB teachers. We have more heartwarming testimonials than we can print.
Virginia Rose Director of Upper School Sara Stephenson Director of Middle School Katherine Zopatti Director of Primary School
Pam Fife Director of Alumnae Relations Elona Gortz Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations
COMM uNiCATiO NS T E A M: Terry dubow Director of Communications Vanessa Butler Assistant Director of Communications Kathleen Osborne Assistant Director of Communications Susan Faulder Associate Director of Publications Chela Crinnion Contributing Photographer Maggie Goddard ’07 Editorial Intern CHARTREuSE Principal Design dAVid HAGEN of KALMAN ANd PABST Principal Photography We wish to thank the following photographers for use of their images in this issue: Amanda Brown, Maggie Goddard ’07, Kevin reeves, randall Lee Schieber
And then came the photo shoot last May. For three days, I’d be in my office working and then the laughter would erupt and I’d have no choice but to go see what caused the latest uproar. These were some of my favorite days of the year. I loved watching HB teachers have fun with the camera and laugh with their friends and colleagues from all divisions. The resulting photos remind us all that teaching should always be an act of joy. We’re very lucky that HB teachers never forget this fact. The HB faculty do their work because they love the art of teaching and the students they teach in equal measure. The rewards for teachers are mostly intangible, the riches counted mostly in the currency of memories. It’s only right, though, that every once in a while, we take time to express just how precious a good teacher is. I, for one, am grateful beyond words for all our teachers do, have done and will continue to do. They are the heart of Hathaway Brown.
19600 North Park Boulevard Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122 216.932.4214
hb.edu
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FALL 2008
Contents Who, What, When? 4 HB Trivia
news from north Park 6
42
Cover Story:
The Teaching Life 10
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Feature Stories:
2008 Graduations 34 Art Gallery 36 Locker room 38 Faculty Profi le 40 Sara Stephenson
Alumnae Achievment Award 42 Inajo Davis Chappell 1978
Teaching
The 44 distinguished Alumnae Award Dr. Susan Stewart 1958
Alumna Profi le 46
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Edith Iglauer Daly-White 1934
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LiFE
Another Kind of Garden 48 Shirley Williams Gibson 1938
Born of Kindred Spirits 50
Laurette M. Payette & Linda K. Vaughan 1956
Alumnae news 52 Class Notes
In Memory Of 80
Jean Sharer Brown 1936 & Ruth Strong Hudson 1927
Alumnae Weekend 82 A Walk Down Memory Lane
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FALL 2008
When this beloved English teacher was the Scripta Faculty Advisor, her senior class officers were Susie Kent, Nancy Swegler, Cathy Crane, Lynne Newell, Ginger White and Nanci Watt. Who was she and what was the year? All these women helped shape HB’s fabric and tenor. Can you name them and tell us their place in HB’s history? The shoes, hairstyles and fur collars adorning this faculty should give you a clue as to this photo’s vintage and to the lady standing with a hand on the shoulder of another. Hers is a name strongly associated with HB. Under this Headmistress, Virginia Chiles Bruch of 1938 was a senior.
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Mr. William E. Harris, first male Head of Hathaway Brown School, from 1968 – 1974 . Mr. Harris later became headmaster of the American School in London, England, and passed away in March 1991.
Mary E. Raymond 1911 – 1938 l to r: Linda Crabbe Healey ’80 (Sports Hall of Fame designer), Peg Madden, headmistress from 1978 – 1986 and Kavita Hosali-Syed, English 1980 – 2006
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Mrs. McCreary 1971
Miss Jessica Nixon, advisor, Athletic Association 1948
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Ginny Lindseth 1974 HBmagazine.indd 4
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What teacher is surrounded by Jean Tinnerman ’51, Peggy Luckiesh ’50, Martine Vilas ’49, Janet Donald Miller ’49, Elizabeth Veach ’48, Jill Buckley ’48, and Jane Bills ’48? What is her discipline? What was the year?
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The seniors dedicated their Specularia to this person, saying: “Your acceptance of our class just as it is has served as a guiding force throughout our academic years. Your strong beliefs have led your actions and have in turn taught us the strength of conviction. The enthusiasm you have has penetrated the atmosphere of the entire school. This, coupled with your dynamic personality, has helped us through uncertain times.”
Ruth Strong Hudson 1927. Her daughters, Judith Hudson Cudnik ’60 and Mary Hudson ’66, and granddaughters, Alicia Hudson-Garr ’86 and Victoria Hudson ’89, as well as several nieces, all attended HB.
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Not only was this remarkable woman the chair of the HB Language Department. Who is she, what is her class year, and can you name her legacy family?
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File cabinets and piles of papers suggest a busy office contrasted by a calm demeanor. Who is this person and what was he, for the very first time in HB’s history?
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WHO, WHAT, WHEN?
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news from
NORTH PARK
From March to September 2008
Hathaway Brown: A Leader in Education It was an exciting summer, one that brought Hathaway Brown national recognition from two prestigious organizations affiliated with independent schools. In early June, the Edward E. Ford Foundation, funders exclusively to independent secondary schools, selected HB as one of only five schools in the country to receive a $250,000 matching grant in recognition of the School’s long history of excellence, innovation and transformation. The Foundation invited 20 schools to apply for the grant a year ago. The original group was narrowed to six final contenders. In early June, the head of each school presented their cases to the Foundation’s board of trustees. The five recipient schools were notified the following day of their selection. Head of School Bill Christ offered a two-pronged proposal. The first requested funding for three emerging centers at the School: the Worldwide Communications Center, the Center for Girls’ and Women’s Leadership, and the Center for Environmental Studies. The second proposed to develop the Edward E. Ford Foundation’s Summit for Educational Leadership to be held on HB’s campus the fall of 2010. A consistent funder of innovative programs at HB since 1981, the Ford Foundation extended its history with the School by awarding this nationally prestigious grant. In doing so, it gave public recognition to HB’s leadership in educational reform and innovation. “I have been lucky to see many schools in recent years,” wrote Robert D. Hallett, the Foundation’s president. “There are few that think like Hathaway Brown.” Just days after securing the Edward E. Ford grant, HB hosted the three-day annual conference of the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS). More than 200 educators from around the world had the opportunity to attend nearly 20 sessions that covered topics on the theme “Reinventing Girls’ Education: New Models, New Paradigms.” Eight HB faculty and administrators led panel discussions on topics that included today’s tough college admissions climate for girls, teaching young women and their families how to be smart about the media, and global education initiatives. The conference concluded with the presentation of a groundbreaking study conducted by UCLA researcher Dr. Linda Sax. The long-term and in-depth study commissioned by NCGS looked at graduates of single-sex and coeducational high schools and how well they transitioned to college. Sax’s data seems to confirm what educators have long known: Women who attend all-girls’ secondary schools make easier transitions to college and are generally more successful during their baccalaureate years in many key areas.
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BROAd HORiZONS
CuM LAudE
STudENT HONORS
NORTHCOAST 99
RETiRiNG FACuLTy
iNTEL SCiENCE ANd ENGiNEERiNG FAiR
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news from NORTH PARK
HB is proud to welcome the following Cum Laude inductees: Doris Basali, Brenna Brown, Shabdha Chigurupati, Sarah Counihan, Elizabeth Dorr, Lauren Goldstein-Kral, Sarah Gothot, Angela Groves, Laney Kuenzel, Kelsey O’Hearn, Alison Oreh, Lily Roberts, Betty Rosen, Hannah Thomas, Eleanor White
A Pleasing Environment Members of the ceramics and sculpture class created a beautiful handmade tilecovered bench for teachers, students and visitors for sitting and enjoying campus views. Annie Weiss ’09, Katie Barrett ’10, Emma Bobbs ’09, Maya Nair ’10, Madeleine Coticchia ’09, Sarah Gothot ’08, Mylan Woods ’10 and Colleen Maloney ’09 worked on the project with visiting artist Angelica Pozo earlier in the school year. Soon pieces created by the Middle and Primary School students during the same artist’s HB residency will be added to the area.
Broad Horizons – 30 years and counting! Celebrating a Milestone Summer 2008 marked the 30th anniversary of HB’s distinguished summer camp Broad Horizons (HBBH) and Siva Grossman’s fifth year as director. Founded in 1978 by former Middle School Director Nancy West, HBBH offers an abundance of activities for boys and girls ages three and four and girls only in kindergarten through eighth grade. Campers and staff signed a giant card of congratulations for West and appeared in group photos printed in black and white and sepia as a nod to photography from times past. “We had a fantastic camp this summer,” Grossman noted. “Staff and campers had a great experience!” hb 7
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HB students ranked ninth overall in Ohio at the Power of the Pen State Tournament
Jackie Han ’10 has been invited to perform in an October recital at Carnegie Hall Photo courtesy of the Han Family.
Student Honors Graduating senior Laney Kuenzel was named a 2008 Presidential Scholar, one of only 139 high school seniors nationally. Student selection is based on exceptional academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship and service at school and in the community. Recognition ceremonies for the Scholars took place in Washington, D.C. in June. Each scholar was able to invite his or her most inspiring and challenging teacher to the award ceremonies. Kuenzel selected Silvia Kenneweg, recently retired Spanish teacher and chair of the World Languages Department. Zoe Harvan, Hannah Margolis, Lena Ransohoff, and Maddie Stambler represented Hathaway Brown’s seventh grade, and Claire Ashmead and Hazel Crampton-Hays represented the School’s eighth grade at the Power of the Pen State Tournament at the College of Wooster in May. This team of HB students ranked ninth overall in Ohio.
Harvan and Ashmead advanced to the fourth round of the tournament, and Ashmead advanced to the “Power Round” after earning first place in the fourth round. Ashmead was the second-place finisher of all Ohio eighth graders who competed. She also received an honorable mention for her poem, “limited.” Betty Rosen ’08 was named a winner in Dobama Theatre’s 30th Annual Marilyn Bianchi Kids Playwriting Festival. Rosen’s winning play “Fortunes” was one of 11 plays out of 500 submissions to be produced by Dobama Theatre. The entertaining and innovative play features a man who writes fortunes for fortune cookies. “Fortunes” was also produced last spring at HB’s annual Student Playwriting Festival.
NorthCoast 99 For the ninth consecutive year, HB has been selected as one of the NorthCoast 99, an honor bestowed on organizations designated as the best places to work in Northeast Ohio. NorthCoast 99 great workplaces are selected on their success “in attracting, retaining, and motivating employees by maintaining a foundation of organizational policies and practices designed to support the fundamental needs of great talent. The NorthCoast 99 specifically examines policies and practices that address Seven Fundamental Workplace Characteristics: Flexibility, Opportunity, Recognition, Development, Security, Support, and Talent Integrity,” according to the selection committee’s website.
Jackie Han ’10 took first-place honors in the concerto category in the Young Artist Division at the 52nd World Piano Competition held July 2 – 5 in Cincinnati. As a result, she has been invited to perform in an October recital at Carnegie Hall in New York City. At the competition, an international jury of seven judges from six countries awarded cash prizes and performance opportunities.
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news from NORTH PARK
Hail and Farewell Four longtime members of the faculty retired at the end of the 2007-2008 school year: Marilyn Hyde, Middle School Librarian for 20 years, Silvia Kenneweg, World Languages Department Chair and Spanish teacher for 29 years, Veronique McMillan, French teacher for 34 years and Carole Rounds, Third Grade teacher for 19 years. These distinguished teachers were honored by Head of School Bill Christ and the faculty at a luncheon where all received standing ovations from their colleagues for their long dedication to the School. The HB community wishes them well as they venture forth in the next phase of their productive lives.
Scientists on the Go: Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Upper School science students represented HB at two important meetings in May. Dora Huang ’09, Suzanne Mazhuvanchery ’08, Rochelle Dumm ’10, and Jennifer Ginsberg ’09 attended the 2008 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta May 11 – 17. All expenses were covered to Intel ISEF, where the girls joined more than 1,500 students from 51 countries. Huang won the first-place award of $2,500 from the International Society for Optical Engineering for her project that developed a new and improved laser by replacing the mirrors in a traditional laser with crystals she made using polymers. She conducted her research at Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Physics. Mazhuvanchery was honored in the ISEF Grand Awards category of Medicine. Her research in cardiology, which she completed at the Cleveland Clinic, earned her fourth place and a $500 prize. Dumm and Ginsberg displayed their project that explored the issue of oral bacteria in preterm birth. They conducted their research with Dr. Yping Han, mother of Jackie ’10, at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.
HB in Space May 20 – 23, Arielle Stambler ’10 and Karen Inoshita ’10 attended the 9th International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment in Toronto. These current members of HB’s PEACE Team work with Kim de Groh and Bruce Banks at NASA Glenn. They presented their paper “Ground-Laboratory to In-Space Atomic Oxygen Correlation for the PEACE Polymers” at the conference.
THE LAuNCH OF SPACE SHuTTLE ENdEAVOuR WiTH NASA GLENN/HB PEACE EXPERiMENT ABOARd.
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Teaching LiFE
The
OU R FACU LT Y ISSU E
by Terry Dubow & Susan Faulder
Taken together, the Prime, the Middle School and the 81-year-old Classic Building house more than 1,000 students, faculty, and staff. On most mornings, though, those numbers feel impossible. The clatter and din of an average Hathaway Brown day make the School feel more like a small schoolhouse, the familiar voices and faces in their familiar places. This familiarity is not an illusion. Once they find their place at HB, teachers tend to stay. In fact, the average tenure at the School is nearly a decade, and the 123 teachers have accumulated 1,192 years of teaching experience at HB.
Key to faculty photographs on Page 33. HBmagazine.indd 11
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : The Teaching Life
These years do not inspire complacency, though. “The status quo is never good enough at HB,” says Jamie Morse, Upper School art and art history teacher. “We as teachers are lucky to work in an environment that allows professional growth and inventiveness within our discipline.” Innovation is valued throughout the School. “I work in an atmosphere that inspires me to do whatever it takes to be my best self,” says Chris Franc, Third Grade teacher. “To have the opportunity to do this at Hathaway Brown is a true blessing…I have never worked with a group of more professional people who are completely committed to each and every one of their students.” The deep emotional, intellectual and psychological connections that grow between teachers and their students flourish at HB. Current students, alumnae and parents have noted how moved they’ve been when teachers have gone beyond the call of duty.
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“I was touched when Mrs. Queen and Mrs. Alexander (Primary School teachers) came to my Strnad final concert,” writes Julianna TauschingerDempsey ’96. “This is so typical of HB — [teachers] keep caring long after having taught us.” For most HB teachers, this dedication is inspired by equal measures of love of the students and love of the craft. It doesn’t matter what age they teach; HB teachers all seem to adore their students. “Middle Schoolers tend to get a bad rap,” says Jason Habig, eighth grade history teacher. He doesn’t like or agree with the age group’s reputation. “While this stage of life is most often noted for the great emotional and social changes it brings for girls, the genuine curiosity and willingness to explore new ideas makes every day that I teach a fresh and enjoyable adventure.”
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ABOuT THIS ISSue We offered no incentives. We put no names in a hat, didn’t bribe people with the promise of a single coffee mug or raffle off any tuition discounts. There was no good reason then, it seemed, for more than 300 Hathaway Brown alumnae to respond within 24 hours to a survey about their former teachers. Or maybe there were a thousand reasons, and none of them involved rewards. We’ve been trying to figure out what to make of this response to our e-mailed survey. Add to it the 360 current students and parents who took time out of their busy HB lives this June to chime in with their stories and accolades. it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the outpouring. What becomes clear when reading the hundreds of descriptions and memories is that many in the HB community can trace much of who they are to the hours they spent in the company of their teachers. it doesn’t matter if those hours passed five or 50 years ago — the feelings and the associations remain crisp, clean and moving. Patterns emerged in the responses. Some version of “passion” popped up 44 times. “Caring” appeared 87 times. “Love” in some form was used 46 times. “you could always tell how excited they were to be doing their jobs,” wrote one 2002 graduate. “Their dedication was absolute,” wrote a member of the class of 1962. “Their standards were high, and they did not tolerate lazy thinking.” On these pages, the words from alumnae, current students and parents accompany the images of our current team of teachers. We’ve created a complementary online version of alternate photos and additional comments and memories, which can be found at www.hb.edu. What students, alumnae and parents had to say about HB teachers is only part of our equation, though. We also wanted to drill into what the act of teaching at HB feels like to those who actually perform that particular magic trick. What becomes clear is that the most undeniable and extraordinary part of the exchange between HB’s teachers and students is that both groups are completely enriched by the process.
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : The Teaching Life
Franc has similar feelings for the third graders she teaches. “It is such a great age to work with. The girls are at the very beginning stages in independence,” she says. “When they enter the room in the morning eager to share some exciting news, when they always want to know ‘why?,’ when their eyes open wide with the joy of understanding; These are the real reasons that I teach.” “Good teaching is the culmination of the efforts of many people and the dedication of many esources,” notes Sheri Homany, a member of the Upper School faculty. “As a biology teacher, I am challenged to keep up with the rapid advances in my field. In order to prepare my students, I must understand and apply cutting-edge technology in my labs, master rapid advances in molecular and cellular biology and bring those advances to my students.”
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It’s no easy feat to remain so vigilant about the craft, but Homany and others note that the School understands the critical role of professional development and innovation. “HB has generously and enthusiastically provided support for the very expensive technology-based labs I’ve requested for my students,” Homany says. At HB, the culture is, in fact, quite countercultural. Momentum and change are prized here to a much greater degree than at many other schools. The motto, We learn not for School, but for life, is HB’s tether and its North Star. To learn for life, students must be in the presence of teachers who teach for life. “In a world where education is becoming increasingly standardized,” Habig notes, “HB has given me the opportunity to create a unique curriculum for eighth grade American
history that focuses more on building critical thinking and writing skills than on solely memorizing names and dates.” HB’s administration views the act of teaching as a highly meaningful art form, so teachers are offered autonomy and support in exchange for their best efforts and most sincere engagement. As a result, something special happens at HB, something that’s not replicated elsewhere. Teaching here is an act of passion. The rewards tend not to be material, and the motivations tend not to be practical. The teachers who thrive at HB are the ones who live to do what they do. As Middle School English teacher Sharon Baker puts it, “Teaching at HB inspires me to be my best self every day.”
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : The Teaching Life
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HB teachers by the Numbers
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139 Teachers on staff
Student : Teacher Ratio
3
49
Children of HB Faculty spend time at Nammy’s Place
Married Couples who teach at HB
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Sets of Siblings teach at HB
8:1
Children of faculty currently attending HB
Longest tenure in years
Joyce Queen, Primary School
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In Teaching You...
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...I learned that change is good.
I entered my position teaching fourth grade as a rookie teacher. I had decided that I no longer wished to be a lawyer and went back to school to earn a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at a time when some people start thinking about retiring. I entered an empty classroom and had a few weeks to make it come alive. Martha Bissell and Lois Cameron surrounded me with support, ideas, materials, and advice from the first day I arrived. It meant so much to me to have their support and encouragement, both as a new teacher and as a new faculty member at HB. - Mary Boutton, Fourth Grade, Primary School
... I have fun.
I enjoy the sustained excitement of being in a classroom where ideas and theories are bandied about at a furious pace, where everyone is challenging herself to achieve on her own terms, where the bell rings and I think... “but we’re just starting!” I think that is one of the things I treasure most, this sense that I’m having an ongoing dialogue that happens outside of the boundaries of time. I think of some wonderful silly moments with my AP classes. One day, the girls decided that everyone had to respond using English accents. Within minutes we were all laughing so hard that we had to abandon the project, but there was something wonderful about the fact that we were reading “Madame Bovary” — a tragedy — and yet our own light hearts were part of the exchange. There is something wonderful about that to me. These were among the smartest girls I have ever taught, and yet no one was taking herself too seriously. That’s a lovely and rare combination; it’s part of the HB way. - Jamie Mueller, Upper School English, Ninth Grade Dean
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : In Teaching You...
...I can make a difference.
One of the most heartwarming stories I had a parent share with me was about how much we supported and believed in her daughter. Before the daughter’s eighth grade graduation, she remarked, “Do you remember standing at the top of these steps four years ago and looking at me right in the eye and saying, ‘Your daughter can make it here. She will be fine and she will thrive’?” The mother went on to say that she held on to that statement through numerous ups and downs and that now she was celebrating her daughter’s wonderful successes in the Middle School. - Nancy Gladstone, Middle School English & History, MS Dean of Students
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... I light up the dark.
There’s a fun story that I’ve told this year about something that happened now that I am teaching programming to the third and fourth graders with PicoCrickets. On the first day of class introducing what programming is and how to do a basic program in PicoCrickets, one of the third graders said, “This is programming? I always thought it was hard to do and now I know it’s easy!” How wonderful that made me feel to know that I had taken something that seemed big and scary to a student and made her realize that it was easier to do than she thought — and that she’d have fun doing it! - Carole Lechleitner, Computer Department Chair
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...I see things in a new way.
In my Art History class one year, I showed Matisse’s famous painting “The Dance,” a seminal image in simple colors showing figures holding hands, dancing in a circle. I had looked at this painting countless times in my life, and I was giving the class the background and meaning of the painting as I saw it: The dance and figures representing the fundamentals of life, a primal and tribal image that is universal in its meaning. Suddenly, a student raised her hand and said, “They form a heart.” She was right. In all my years of looking at this work, I had never noticed that if you follow the hands and arms of the figures, they indeed form the shape of a heart, which is an ancient symbol of love and fidelity, not something Hallmark came up with. I was amazed that a student saw something so obvious in the painting that I had never seen before. It made me look harder from that day forward at the things I might overlook in my desire to explain things to my students. - Jamie Morse, Upper School Art, US Dean of Students
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IN TEACHING OUR FACULTY YOU. ISSUE : In Teaching You...
...I expand my horizons.
I had many exciting experiences as a research geologist at BP prior to coming to HB. I thought I would never have experiences at HB that equaled those at BP, but I was wrong. Year after year at HB, I have experiences that equal or surpass those that I had in my previous career.
- Patty Hunt, Director of the Science Research & Engineering Program
... I found true friends.
In the 20 years I have been here, a number of my colleagues have faced tremendous challenges in their personal lives — illnesses, situations with their children or aging parents, for example. The support that just poured out from other teachers as they reached out to help in numerous ways has been phenomenal. I have been the beneficiary of this support at times, and I am certain the arms of these colleagues — no, friends — have held me up and held me together during challenging times. For this, I will be forever grateful. - Patricia Gefert, First Grade, Primary School
... I am rewarded.
My favorite stories all center around the gratitude and kindness my students have shown me over the years. As a Middle School teacher, I am always touched when graduates or seniors take the time to come back and talk to me about how much they appreciated my teaching and the support I gave them when they were younger. I have also been repeatedly touched by the memory books that former advisor groups have made of their year with me. It is a wonderful gift to any teacher to have students realize that a teacher made a difference in their lives. - Glenn Looman, Middle School Math Department Chair, WEST Fellowship Director
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...I am taught.
My biggest accomplishment is helping young women find their visual voices. The photographic images they produce can at times be breathtaking, but what truly makes me catch my breath is seeing my students mature in their image making and become confident in putting themselves out there in such a public way. That is a beautiful thing to behold. - Sandra Bergsten ’81, Upper School Art & Photography, Visual Arts Department Chair
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what yOu taught
ME
> INSPIRATION is everywhere. Ada Bruce, both as an example of how to live and for what she taught me, has been a large part of my life for, amazingly enough, nearly the last 50 years, and I do believe she will continue to be for the years to come. I cannot read anything — and I read constantly—without using the skills she taught me. There was no teacher or professor whom I had before or after her who could come anywhere near her effect on me and the life I have led. MARY DOW ROSS ’62
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> PATIENCE is a virtue. I remember Mrs. Cortese in Biology when we would do dissections. She was so kind to us who loathed cutting into any animals. Her smile and absolute love for biology was so contagious. She was one of the best teachers I ever had. Susan Bookshar ’72
> JOY can be found in small things. Mrs. Rounds (3rd grade) was my fi rst teacher at HB. She introduced me to the simple pleasures of maple syrup on snow and caring for a pet rock. During the summer, she would ride her bike from her home in Chagrin Falls to mine in Gates Mills. We would sit in the back yard and chat and sip iced tea before she went on her way. Kate LaMantia ’00
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : What You Taught Me
> the world moves QUICKLY. I loved Miss Reeves as my mother, Betsy, had. Both awakened in me great appreciation for the natural world. And the science Miss Reeves taught was cutting-edge. Remember Watson and Crick? Many years later, I discovered her lessons on the spiral helix had only just been published in the latest scientific journals. And it was taught, literally the next day, in our HB science class! Anne Hauserman Mehring ’60
> put things in PERSPECTIVE. Miss Wheeler wrote famous quotes on her front board each week. I copied them into a notebook. She told me that they were thoughts to live by. The most effective one was, “You can never give love away. It always comes back.” Emily Kerr Stay ’59
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> EVERYONE has something to contribute. My happiest memories at HB are from Dr. Thornton’s Creative Writing elective that I took sophomore year; it was only two seniors and me — very intimate. We did not even seem like a class so much as four ladies who loved to write gathering to lend one another an ear and helpful suggestions. Dr. Thornton brought her own poems and short stories and we all shared alike. At the end of the year she bought us each copies of a favorite book, inscribed with a personal note. Mine was a glossy copy of “Animal Farm” illustrated with ink and watercolor sketches. The inside cover reads, “To encourage an already vivid imagination.” It is one of my most treasured possessions. Bethany Costilow ’01
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : What You Taught Me
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> give COMFORT where you can. I used to spend time in Mr. Henry’s office, which was funny because I was never one of his students. I always wondered why he didn’t ask us to leave more often than he did. Looking back on it, that office was a safe place to go when the stress of school or life got to you. Katherine Framke ’97
> we LEARN not for school, but for life. When I came to HB in 7th grade, I had Mrs. Jenkins for English. She was VERY strict and proper, and really made us work hard. Although I wasn’t crazy about the class, I really learned English grammar and how to write properly — a skill that has carried me through the rest of my life. I loved learning French with Miss Pernot. She would tell us stories about working at the United Nations and taught us to read French so well that we were able to read novels in the original French — it was so cool! I also just loved Mrs. Cortese — she was always so enthusiastic and supportive, and she encouraged me to go on to have a career in science. Nancy Wolf ’73
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : What They Say
W H AT
they S AY
Teachers want to help everyone understand. When you make a mistake they keep helping you.
All of my HB teachers catch me when I fall. They pick me up, dust me off, and send me on my way.
Yasmine Zein ’19
Amanda Keresztesy ’14
My teachers have a way of teaching me things in a fun way. They are nice, they make you laugh, and they take care of you.
What do I like about the teachers at HB? Simply put: their devotion, their commitment, their passion!
Morgan Malone ’19
My teachers make me feel good about myself even when I’m having a bad day. Lina Zein ’20
M. Louise Lee, HB Parent
I recognize that teaching is challenging in many ways, but the teachers at HB always make me feel like I am worth their time. Kelsey O’Hearn ’08
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OUR FACULTY ISSUE : What They Say
“They expected so much of us that it made us expect more of ourselves.” Kate Phelan ’89
In 1,000 ways, they were always saying, “You are intelligent, talented, and resourceful, and you are expected to achieve your goals because of it.” Kate Olena ’75
We’re reading a book in French or studying Constantine or discussing poetry, but it feels like more of an educational conversation than a structured work schedule.
Hailey Burns ’11
They are very engaging, encouraging and energetic — the three “e” words you dream of for your child’s teachers! Kathryn Meals, HB Parent
My teachers at HB were phenomenal. They were more than teachers. They were mentors of life. Holly Kitzmiller ’92
Teachers at HB were not only teachers. They were also mentors, leaders and friends. Their impact on our career as students stretched far beyond one hour a day. Emily McGinty ’01
Miss Blake and Miss Raymond were truly great teachers, with a passion for their subjects and an inspiring interest in awakening their students. Edith Iglauer ’34
My life at HB was the cornerstone of my life. It helped make me the person that I am. It gave me friendships that have lasted for 50 plus years. Sally Shelton ’62
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A KEY TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS THE COVER:
All teachers are identified from left to right by name, year of hire and HB position.
Linda Simon-Mietus 2004 US/MS Orchestra Joe Vogel 2004 MS History Dept. Chair;
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Sheila Santoro 1999 US Counseling; US Health Bill Christ 1987 Head of School; US English Sarah Schwab 2006 US Spanish Bill Rice 2007 MS Spanish Debbie Musso 2005 Nammy’s Place Libby Murfey 2007 Nammy’s Place
PAGE 26 CONT. Laura Geither 2005 Nammy’s Place Deb Gressel 1999 US Art Joanne McConville 1989 Kindergarten Teacher Stacey Iofredo 2006 First Grade Teacher BOTTOM: Carol Stephenson 2005 MS Art
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Nancy Gladstone 1994 MS Dean of Students;
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TOP: Lisa Jahnke 1997 Kindergarten Teacher BOTTOM: Susan Levitan 1980 8th Grade Dean; MS English Nicole Trombetta 2003 MS Science Elizabeth Patterson 2005 MS Mathematics
US Global Scholars Program; MS History
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TOP: Amanda Brown 2007 Physical Education Dept. Chair; Athletic Director
Jessica Allen 2007 US Choir; General Music Patty Hunt 1994 Director, Science Research & Engineering Program
BOTTOM: Roger Sams 1988 Early Childhood Music Sandy Bergsten ’81 1996 Visual Arts Dept. Chair; 11th Grade Dean; US Art, Photography
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Kevin Purpura 2001 US History Dept. Chair; Director, Summer Programs
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Marissa Haverlock 2005 Early Childhood Teacher; Prime After School Club
Carl Hoffman 1981 Director; Center for the Humanities; US History Kathy Cunningham 1995 Early Childhood Teacher Julie Harris 2003 Early Childhood Teacher Peggy Bacon 1990 Early Childhood Teacher; Coordinator, After School Club Lori Harris 2003 MS Mathematics
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TOP: Patricia Gefert 1988 First Grade Teacher Don Southard 1981 US Science Dept. Chair Marilyn Hyde 1988 (Retired) MS Librarian Veronique McMillan 1974 (Retired) MS French;
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PAGE 15
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Carmen Ptacek 2003 MS Adventure Learning
Eric Wonderly 2005 Learning Specialist;
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Barry Kallmeyer 1997 Director, Worldwide
Molly Cornwell 1994 US/MS Drama Karen Geither 2007 Nammy’s Place Kathy Englehart 1988 PS Librarian TOP: Phyllis Harper 1989 Head Librarian, US Library Silvia Kenneweg 1977 (Retired) Foreign Language Dept. Chair; US Spanish
Lisa Lurie 2000 MS Counselor; MS Wellness Joyce Queen 1970 PS Science Dept. Chair BOTTOM: Glenn Looman 1986 WEST Fellowship Director; MS Mathematics Dept. Chair; MS Math
LaVona Carpenter 2007 Kindergarten Teacher Clyde Henry 1981 US English Dept. Chair Shelly Lazarus 1993 Learning Specialist; MS Coordinator, Center for Academic Potential; Strategies
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12th Grade Dean; US Art Sue Sadler 1987 Associate Head of School, MS Academy Katie Leander 2006 FLES Coordinator; PS Spanish Michael Buescher 1999 US Mathematics Barb Harris 2002 Nammy’s Place Elaine Jackson 2002 Nammy’s Place Judith Nelson 1979 US History
BOTTOM: Brenda May 1994 Invention Lab Amy Longley 1978 Physical Education Teacher
Becki Anders 2005 Kindergarten Teacher Carole Lechleitner 1995 Computer Dept. Chair
Jenny Burnett 1999 Performing Arts Dept. Chair; Dance
Marlene Leber 1993 US Dance Jen Ritchie 2005 Coordinator, After School Expressions; Assistant Teacher, Extended Day Program Bill Eaton 2005 Aquatics Director; US History Lori Young 2004 Early Childhood, First Step Teacher Dawn Keske 2000 Early Childhood, First Step Teacher
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Judy Silverstein 1998 US Mathematics Berniece Boyle 2001 MS Science Dept. Chair; MS Science; Science Research
Almuth Riggs 1997 MS World Languages Dept. Chair; MS French
Carole Rounds 1989 (Retired) Third Grade Teacher
Beth Armstrong 1998 US English Mary Eberle 2007 PS Mathematics Specialist Mary Boutton 2003 Fourth Grade Teacher Laura Webster ’91 1998 PS Music Sheri Homany 1997 US Science Frannie Foltz 2002 MS English, Literature Lois Cameron 1986 Fourth Grade Teacher Siva Grossman 2003 Director, Broad Horizons & Vacation Camp
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Ali Day 2000 10th Grade Dean; US History Sylvia Salaff 1997 US Spanish Karen Dakin 1999 Director, Center for Academic Potential
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Jamie Mueller 2006 9th Grade Dean; US English
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Leslie Seymour 2007 MS History Joe Ciuni 2005 Nammy’s Place Mary Jo Ciuni 2005 Director, Nammy’s Place Shannon Molloy 2006 MS Adventure Learning; Physical Education
Jill Spano 2001 6th Grade Dean; MS Mathematics
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Communications Center; Coordinator of MS Information Systems; MS Computer Studies Diane Nichols 1995 Director, Center for Multicultural Affairs; Diversity Seminar
Nina Bolwell ’74 2000 Nammy’s Place
US French, Spanish
TOP: Jamie Morse 1983 US Dean of Students;
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US Psychologist
Elaine Hu 2007 US Chinese BOTTOM: Sharon Baker 2005 MS English Kelly Wilson 1994 MS Science Chela Crinnion 2002 MS Spanish Val Katz 2005 US Science Brian Dybicz 2006 US Latin PAGE 14
5th Grade Dean; MS English, History; Coordinator, After School Club Jay McNally 2004 MS Science Wayne Hatcher 2007 US English Jason Habig 2005 US Debate Coach; MS History Laura Zappas 2003 MS English Dept. Chair; MS English, Literature Beth Burtch 2004 US Scheduling Coordinator; US Science Eileen LaVerde 1994 US Mathematics Dan Pierce 1987 US Mathematics Dept. Chair
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TOP: Linda Wohlever 1998 Director, Strnad Fellowship Program; US Mathematics
Julie Kerrigan-Ettorre 1981 MS Athletics Coordinator; MS Physical Education
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Mary-Scott Pietrafese 2004 Early Childhood Teacher
Kristen Wise 2002 Early Childhood Teacher Lori Yates 2001 Early Childhood Teacher PAGE 32
Bill Adler 2007 US Mathematics
NOT PICTURED: Caroline Borrow 2005 MS Mathematics Laurie Clark 2004 US English Lise deConingh 1987 US French Terry Dubow 2001 US English Chris Franc 2000 Third Grade Teacher Susan Gallagher 1989 PS Science Hallie Godshall 2007 US English Maryalice Johnson 1981 Second Grade Teacher Denise Keary 1999 Physical Education Teacher Kate Milton 2004 US Mathematics Bridgette Nadzam-Kasubick 2004 7th Grade Dean; MS World Geography
Mary Kay Patton 1997 US Science Brett Russell 2005 Second Grade Teacher Lisa Severson 2002 Assistant Teacher, Extended Day Program
Deb Southard 1982 MS Performing Arts Dept. Chair; MS Music
Carol Sphar 2003 PS Art Karen St. Amour 1999 Learning Specialist; Prime Coordinator, Center for Academic Potential
Elizabeth Tonkin 2005 MS Spanish John Verbos 2007 Director, Osborne Writing Center; US English
NEW TO THE HB FACULTY FOR 2008–09: James Allen US Computer Studies Rita Baca-Delancey US Science Vanessa Butler US Art Elizabeth Dreyfuss Early Childhood Teacher Claire Jones MS Librarian Irene Mayher First Grade Teacher Cynthia Phifer US Spanish Rebecca Rosenbaum US French Amanda Rothey US History Kelly Stepnowsky Third Grade Teacher
Stephanie Hiedemann 1996 Director, Center for Service & Leadership
Paul Barlow 2005 Assistant Athletic Director Ronnalee Terry 2007 Physical Education Teacher Carmela Hapanowicz 2005 Nammy’s Place
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FALL 2008
Like all of my classmates, I have loved Hathaway Brown since the first day I arrived here. I have been very fortunate to have had many great teachers in Prime. [They] have made our experience unforgettable and taught us all so much. We have [learned] to stand up for ourselves and prove that we are strong, especially at heart. With friendships that will last a lifetime, we have many more years to share.
-Lizzie Crotty Class of 2016
We have succeeded because, though the places and faces [throughout the School] changed, the message never did. We received our education in a place that never shied away from telling us that we are brilliant and capable, even when we mocked it for doing so. We found our voices in an environment that desired only to amplify them, never stifle them. We learned to be women in a place that celebrates women. We will be backed by every teacher and every student and every person who has walked [these] halls with us.
-Perry White Class of 2008
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graduation
It seems to me that many things in life are just too short. Our skirts, for instance—for which we have gotten a record number of strikes. The boys in our grade, and our attention spans during math class. I guess life, in general is just too short. But shortest of all have been these golden, emboldened middle school years. Teachers, you haven’t taught us anything. Rather, you have helped us discover it within ourselves. You have been our guides, best friends, and second parents. Teaching is the profession that teaches all other professions. Every place we go in life will be because of your guidance and encouragement.
-Madeleine Barr Class of 2012
2008 Graduations The annual fourth and eighth grade closing exercises and the Upper School’s 132nd Commencement were held during the second week of June. Wearing white dresses and corsages or carrying bouquets of summer flowers in their class colors, 194 young women closed one memorable chapter in their lives and prepared to open another. The ceremonies were traditional in format but current in their individual expressions of the students’ collective experiences. Each young woman who spoke on behalf of her classmates offered sincere thanks and paid high, warm, and loving tribute to the parents and teachers who made possible a superlative education.
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FALL 2008 Nina Cywinska 2017
Hathaway Brown’s strong visual arts program begins in the Primary and Middle Schools with clearly defined curricula that help students develop a working knowledge of art media, increase their visual awareness, and express their observations and visions through various materials. The students’ work is on continuous display throughout the Primary and Middle School buildings and is proudly showcased here.
Chloe Schwartz 2017
Ingrid Zippe 2013
Jieyi Cai 2013
Emily Bederman 2016
International Exchage Mural by HB Third Grade
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art gallery Pia Bethien 2012
Grace Ferry 2016
Sachi Carson 2016
Molly Paine 2017
Jordan Purpura 2015
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FALL 2008
It was a good year to be a Blazer. After a tremendously successful winter with a third place finish in the state championship for the swim team and a second place finish for the basketball team, the softball team made history in the spring by being crowned sectional champions for the first time in the program’s history. The lacrosse team finished second in the 2008 MSLA tournament, and in the postseason they advanced to the district finals. Track and Field finished fourth in the district after fielding one of the youngest and largest teams in HB history. Overall, in 2007-08 all 11 varsity teams participated in state championship postseasons, and two won titles. This coming school year promises even more excitement with a fall of soccer, cross country, golf, field hockey, tennis and volleyball. Already, the golf team has won the Copley Lady Indian Invitational Tournament. At Hathaway Brown, we believe that leadership, character and commitment are the true measures of a successful athletic program. But winning sure is fun.
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LOCKER ROOM
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FALL 2008
FACULTY PROFILE
Sara Stephenson “Middle School is like the créme in the Oreo,” Sara Stephenson is fond of saying. “It sticks everything together, and it’s the best part!” As Hathaway Brown’s newly appointed Director of Middle School, Stephenson oozes with enthusiasm for her profession, especially working and living with middle school girls. “Schools are in my blood,” she says. “I [love] the hurly burly of the adolescent world, the roller coaster of self discovery, the great triumphs, the tough patches and the wonderful outpouring of emotions in all their varied shades.” In this way, Stephenson fits the enthusiastic mold of her two immediate predecessors, Nancy West and Susan Sadler. Within minutes of her first visit to HB, she recognized this Middle School faculty’s passion for their work, collegiality, stimulating intellects, and desire to have fun. “Middle school teachers are some of the most talented, dedicated, flexible, optimistic, inventive and funny people I have ever met,” she says. Stephenson takes over the Middle School helm as Sadler assumes her new role as the Associate Head of School, a position that will allow her to work with faculty in all four divisions. Sadler is excited about the new possibilities but says she will miss the unique joys that Middle School inspires. She will work closely with Stephenson, who must not only transition into a new school, but also into a familiar – but foreign – nation.
Sara Stephenson with HB Middle Schoolers
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FACuLTy PROFiLE
Stephenson with husband, Paul, and son, Jonah
For the past year, she and her husband, Paul, along with their toddler son, Jonah, have been living in Germany, where Paul’s job at the Nestle Corporation took them. Stephenson grew up in England and was a “lifer” at the Bedford School for Girls. She earned her bachelor’s degree in earth science at the University of Bristol, where she was valedictorian and attained first class honors. Her graduate work at the University of Cambridge brought her a master’s in science education and a passion for middle school teaching and learning. She has plenty of experience in the United States, though. She began her career at the Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas, where she taught science, was seventh grade dean, and coached lacrosse and crew. After moving to Minneapolis and joining the Blake faculty, she quickly became a celebrated teacher of high school and middle school science and possessed an uncanny ability to connect with all kinds of kids. Her work as assistant middle school head at Blake was characterized as “unfailingly brilliant,” and her colleagues there were so devoted to her that one vowed, “If I could work in the same school as Sara forever, I would eagerly volunteer.” She enjoys reminiscing about past experiences with students: being trapped in a motel with 100 seventh graders during a Texas tornado; having three students faint into a domino pile while dissecting a cow’s eyeball; taking a flying leap upon her desk – much to her students’ amusement – when an escaped python slithered across her foot.
Her educational philosophy is grounded in serving students’ strong desire to learn, to understand structure and the boundaries and limits of their community, in spite of their penchant for testing those very same boundaries. A strong proponent of interdisciplinary learning, she firmly believes that values of honor, gratitude, perseverance, respect and compassion should be core to a curriculum, not merely topics for special assemblies or programs. Stephenson applies these same values to her home life. “One of our top priorities as a family is to guide Jonah towards being a compassionate, courageous man with a strong sense of integrity and kindness in his heart,” she says. Stephenson pursues active extracurricular interests in sewing, embroidery, needlepoint and Victorian-era history and culture. She adores good coffee and the highest of heels in footwear. As a Halloween costume-maker in great demand within her extended family, she may find herself becoming a wardrobe designer for the many theatrical activities that take place in her new school. She emailed during the summer that she couldn’t wait to begin her new life as a “TrailBlazer.” The HB community is proud to welcome the Stephenson family as three of its newest Blazers and looks forward to the serving up of many Oreos. Double-stuffed, please! -SF
Stephenson’s initial attraction to HB was the School’s firm commitment to preparing young women for the challenging, albeit exciting, opportunities offered to them in the 21st century. hb 41
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FALL 2008
alumnae ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
INAJO DAVIS CHAPPELL
With many starring roles yet to come in her life, Inajo Davis Chappell ’78 first received attention at Hathaway Brown for her memorable portrayal of Lucy Van Pelt in the Middle School’s mid-70s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” It certainly wouldn’t be her last leading performance – as a student, lawyer, volunteer, or community activist. This May, Chappell was once again in the spotlight when she was honored by HB as the 2008 Alumnae Achievement Award recipient during Reunion Weekend. While she has received several professional awards and commendations throughout her career, “none means as much as an award from the school that is responsible for my reaching so many of my goals,” says Chappell. “This institution is the place that caused me to fall in love with words and ideas; the place that nurtured my love of learning and my intellectual curiosity.” Her list of achievements is long and impressive. She was a member of HB’s second Cum Laude class, she’s a graduate of Yale and Columbia University School of Law, and she was the first African-American woman named a partner in Cleveland’s law firm Ulmer and Berne. Chappell was named a “Superlawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines, she was YWCA’s Woman of Achievement in 2005, and she’s part of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2001.
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alumnae achievement award
“This institution is the place that caused me to fall in love with words and ideas.”
Reminiscing with her fellow alumnae at Reunion Weekend about her HB years, Chappell paid tribute to her alma mater. She talked about the many amazing changes that have taken place since her graduation and noted the constants that keep the School strong and vital. She says she’s proud of the fact that HB is a destination girls’ school that is purposefully transformative, offering a basic blueprint for excellence that’s grounded in the curriculum. She also remarked about the way HB is a gathering place for outstanding faculty and students. She remembers fondly her “great” teachers who helped ensure a seamless transition to college. “We were grounded in the value of charitable activity, and we were taught the importance of volunteerism.” These values are much a part of Chappell’s current life. She has been involved with many nonprofit organizations, including Boys & Girls Club, Shoes for Kids, and her beloved HB, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees. She is also a past member of the Alumnae Council as well as a founding member of HB Alumnae of Color. “Inajo is a highly motivated and artful advocate for improving the lives of people in the Greater Cleveland community,” said Head of School Bill Christ as he introduced her to the Reunion
audience. Chappell often gives a presentation titled “How Powerful Women Get Their Way – Secrets for Negotiating and Getting What You Want.” When she addressed HB’s Cum Laude class of 2008, she discussed 15 tips for becoming “wildly successful in one’s personal and professional life.” She urged the students to always remain teachable and to live out the HB model of lifelong learning, to have winning attitudes, to earn their stripes, and to embrace new experiences. Noting that women often let life happen to them instead of planning, she encouraged the gathered HB students to set goals and objectives. She urged them to learn from their mistakes, especially the huge ones. “Big goofs are really instructive character builders,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of learning from the nuances and subtleties of life. “It is often the pebbles not boulders we trip over.” It’s been 34 years since Chappell starred on HB’s stage, but she continues to be an amazing performer in so many facets of her life. She is a positive role model for today’s young people and she’s an alumna whom HB is proud to call one of its own. -SF
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FALL 2008
distinguished ALuMNAE AWARd
DR. SUSAN STEWART
“There is no greater tribute than being honored by your peers and your alma mater,” says Dr. Susan Stewart ’58, Hathaway Brown’s 2008 recipient of the Distinguished Alumnae Award. Stewart, who was an HB “lifer,” told her fellow alums during Reunion Weekend that the School always felt to her like a second home. She graciously honored the HB of her student years and celebrated her alma mater of today. “I think of HB as both a cradle and a slingshot — or better yet, a catapult,” she noted in her acceptance address. “It is a place to recognize and develop the unique gifts of every girl and at the same time prepare her for a complicated world.” When one considers Stewart’s subsequent education, career, and personal paths, it becomes clear that she took in all that HB had to offer. A science honors graduate from Smith College, she was one of only three women who entered the Cornell Medical School class of 1966.
This was viewed by some members of her family as an audacious move because becoming a female doctor “would take a living away from a MAN,” recalls her sister Mary. But since both of Stewart’s twin aunts attended, “it was obvious to me that women could go to medical school,” she says. A week after her own graduation, she married “the love of [her] life,” Daniel Stewart. He was not only an attorney, but also an enlightened man who was completely unfazed by his new bride’s chosen career. During the next five years, she completed an internship and residency in gastroenterology, and managed to give birth to two sons. Stewart applauds the many more career opportunities and choices available to today’s young women but recognizes that barriers still remain for women who want to advance in all fields. “Women need to learn how to get along in the world of difficult situations,” she says. She cautions that academic knowledge and achievement without character and ethical development mean little.
“Staff, faculty, supporters and most importantly, students, have caused the lamp that symbolizes Hathaway Brown to burn brighter than ever before – in this community, state, country, world.” hb 44
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distinguished alumnae award
Dr. Stewart’s accomplishments Graduate of Smith College Graduate of Cornell Medical School Six years’ postgraduate medical education Two Sons: Benjamin and Matthew 20 years in occupational medicine at JPMorgan President of the American Medical Women’s Association Coeditor of the Women’s Complete Healthbook Women’s Health Moderator of Cyberounds Stewart is outspoken when it comes to discussing the moral vacuum she believes exists in today’s world. “Greed is a sickness of the soul,” she opines. “How come before anything is done, the question isn’t: ‘Is it legal, ethical, moral? Is it decent, honorable, fair, humane, responsible?’” She is proud that “at Hathaway Brown, character has always been part of the curriculum: 132 years ago, 80 years ago, 50 years ago, now and always.”
Currently serves on medical society committees, advisory boards, and gives lectures to health professionals Started “The Sweater Doctor,” a business that combines her lifelong love of knitting with helping others heal damaged sweaters
By the late ’70s, her career moved into occupational medicine, cancer screening, and health promotion. She also became an active member of medical organizations and even served as president of the American Medical Women’s Association. As a nearly 20-year cancer survivor, she has also long been a strong supporter of wellness and healthcare reform. Although she no longer sees private patients, Stewart emphasizes that one never fully retires as a physician. Her strong interest in preventative medicine keeps her actively engaged in teaching and serving on several New York state advisory boards as well as the American Cancer Society. Stewart also writes and edits for the website Cyberounds, a physician educational program.
The Stewart Family Legacy Mother | Elizabeth Cobb Stewart Eastwood (Betsy) Class of 1928, Assisted with original organization of the School’s archives.
Of particular interest to her is teaching other medical professionals how to enhance their own patient care in the area of tobacco control. “This is the single most cost-effective way to prevent [smoking-related diseases],” she says with strong conviction.
Father | James Ross Stewart Longtime member of HB’s Board of Trustees, President 1965 – 1970 James R. Stewart Learning Center for library facilities donated in his memory
Stewart concluded her Reunion comments by saying, “It gives me a great deal of happiness that you, Bill Christ, with your staff, faculty, supporters and most importantly, students, have caused the lamp that symbolizes Hathaway Brown to burn brighter than ever before – in this community, state, country, world.”
Sister | Mary L. Stewart Class of 1955 Cousin | Jennifer J. Cline Class of 1968
-SF
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FALL 2008
HB ALUMNA PROFILE
Edith Iglauer Daly-White
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ALuMNA PROFiLE
“edith, never stop writing,” Headmistress Mary E. Raymond urged Edith Iglauer DalyWhite ’34 during her senior year at Hathaway Brown. “I hear her to this day every time I start a new piece of writing,” says Iglauer, who took the charge to heart. At age 91, she has never stopped writing professionally. Th is vital HB alumna has lived a rich and full life worthy of a biographic documentary. Her published bibliography includes five books and scores of magazine and newspaper articles. She continues to write professionally from her British Columbia home. In November 2006, her successes earned her an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree for Creative Non-Fiction from the University of Victoria. After earning a master’s degree from the School of Journalism at Columbia University in 1939, Iglauer’s professional career began when she worked for The Plain Dealer, The Cleveland News and The Christian Science Monitor. At the outbreak of World War II, she moved to Washington, DC, to work in the radio newsroom of the United States Government’s Office of War Information. Radio news broadcasts were beamed to occupied countries around the world. During those years, she also covered First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s weekly press conferences at the White House.
Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and Inuktitut Magazine. In addition to her recent honorary doctorate, she was also nominated for the 1983 Cleveland Arts Prize in Literature and the Canadian Governor General’s Award for her book “Fishing With John.” Th roughout her busy and creative life, Iglauer has never forgotten the foundation and inspiration she received from HB. In recent messages to the School, she wrote, “The memory of my high school years is still vivid to me, especially my experience with those two great teachers Mary Raymond and Anna Blake. These two women set teaching standards that were so high and exciting that the English department at Wellesley College was a profound disappointment by comparison. Anna Blake, via Virgil, taught me to listen to the music in words, which is the basis of my writing to this day.” Iglauer’s other HB memories include singing beautiful hymns at morning chapel, and the marvelous meals – “the best institutional food I have ever encountered.” “HB gave me a lot, including toughening me up,” she says. That’s high praise from such a worldly and accomplished woman. -SF
As World War II was winding down, Iglauer was sent as a war correspondent for The Cleveland News to the Mediterranean theater. Upon her return to the United States, she continued her prolific writing career for numerous American and Canadian publications, including The New Yorker, Harper’s
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FALL 2008
Another Kind of Garden: Enriching the Lives of Faculty
by Debra Mayers Hollander
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For the past eight years, Shirley Williams Gibson ’38 has made her home in Willoughby, Ohio, surrounded by the lush plantings and flowers of her patio garden, which is listed in the archives of the Smithsonian Small Gardens. Before moving here, this green-thumb maven called property abutting the Holden Arboretum home for 19 years. “Our house was right on the side of Little Mountain with a marvelous view of the hills of Chardon Township,” she recalls fondly. In 1999, however, she lost her husband, Hugh Gibson, to whom she was married for 57 wonderful years. She tried to remain in their home but found it difficult to maintain both physically and emotionally. With encouragement from her children, Mrs. Gibson sold the home and used the proceeds to benefit her charitable interests. In 2002, she established the Shirley Williams Gibson Endowment Fund for Faculty Salaries to support Hathaway Brown’s efforts to attract and retain excellent teachers and to assist in enrichment and development efforts. Inspired by the ongoing passion and talent of HB’s faculty, Mrs. Gibson hopes her gift “gives support to faculty and helps them know that the alumnae really care about them and appreciate the excellence they bring to the School.” Over the years, Mrs. Gibson’s contributions to HB add up to much more than this generous endowment gift. With her graduation from HB exactly 70 years ago, she has established an impressive legacy. Her daughters, Linda Gibson Paine ’63 and Martha Gibson Marsh ’65, and granddaughters, Phebe Paine Faus ’90 and Amelia Gibson Rogers ’97 are all HB alumnae. Great-granddaughters Julia and Elizabeth, members of the classes of 2016 and 2018, are current HB students.
Mrs. Gibson feels blessed to have all three of her children living nearby. She enjoys heading back to the School for her great-granddaughters’ school milestones, and she warmly recalls how much times have changed since she was an HB student. “For one thing, when I was in Prep (Middle School), we were not allowed to wear bobby socks – we had to wear long, awful lisle stockings! But a revolt was brewing…one of the other students started a petition so that we could wear socks instead of those awful lisle stockings,” she remembers. Mrs. Gibson has served on HB’s Alumnae Council and was an active volunteer in countless other charities including her church, the Junior League, and Holden Arboretum, where she remains active today. Despite changes over time, Mrs. Gibson explains what has stayed the same at HB is its commitment to excellence in education and preparation for life. “Hathaway Brown not only taught me how to study and prepare for college, but also how to love and appreciate learning all my life. I really learned to enjoy everything at HB,” concludes Mrs. Gibson. Endowment gifts, like the one given by Shirley Williams Gibson, can be established with the sale of property, stock, life insurance policy or other non-cash entity. To learn more about thoughtful ways to create an endowment at Hathaway Brown, please contact Mary Rainsberger, Director of Gift Planning, at 216.320.8115.
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FALL 2008
born of KINDRED SPIRITS Two women’s lifelong passion for women’s athletics came together in a joint celebration on May 29, 2008 to dedicate The Laurette M. Payette Athletic Hall of Fame and to award the first Linda K. Vaughan 1956 Chair for the Athletic Director.
by Shirley Reynolds
With great admiration, Hathaway Brown named its Athletic Hall of Fame in Laurette Payette’s honor for her leadership and passion, which were the key ingredients in building the School’s phenomenal physical education and athletics programs. The space chronicles the distinguished, colorful history of HB athletics and Payette’s profound influence on the School’s athletic tradition. In making the dedication, Head of School Bill Christ expressed his gratitude to Payette, who retired in 2007. “We appreciate all you’ve done for Hathaway Brown and all you have done for the countless girls who you influenced and inspired,” he said. “We are so proud to name this very, very important space in your honor.”
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laurette payette
linda vaughan With friends, family, and former colleagues at her side, Payette expressed her gratitude for the honor and said, “HB has definitely been a very significant part of my life. I always felt very supported and embraced in anything I tried to do.” Under the former athletic director’s leadership, HB became more competitive at the regional and state levels. While she said she was proud of winning state championships and other competitive events, “the best measure of the job we’ve done comes down to examining how faithfully we have followed our School’s motto by forming healthy, confident, and successful young women who will continue to win in life.” Linda Vaughan ’56 established a permanent endowment to support a chair for the Director of Athletics at HB in honor of Payette’s 32-year tenure. A lifelong advocate for women’s athletics and educator, Vaughan spent most of her career at Wellesley College, where she taught as Assistant Professor from 1962 to 1969 and later as Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Education and Athletics from 1973 to 2000.
Vaughan was not in attendance, but she sent the following remarks: “When I was told last year that I had a medical problem with a poor prognosis, I began to think about my legacy. Two educational institutions immediately came to mind. Wellesley College, where I spent 34 years as the Chair of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics, and Hathaway Brown. I always felt I was lucky to have received such a good education at HB. In some ways I wish I were a student at Hathaway Brown now. At my 50th Reunion, I was very impressed with the scope and depth of educational opportunities that are now available to your young women. Over the years, I have followed Laurette’s career at HB with great interest. She has been a remarkable role model for women in sports. I am pleased to be able to honor Laurette and establish an endowment fund for the position of Athletic Director in her honor.” Vaughan’s generosity moved Christ and the gathered HB community. “Linda, you are making a difference at HB,” Christ noted as he presented the chair to current Athletic Director Amanda Brown. “We are so grateful to you. We thank you for your dedication to our School, for the love you have for this institution, and for the girls whose futures your gift is going to shape.” hb 51
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FALL 2008
• In
Memory Of •
The Measure of Generosity Jean Sharer Brown ’36
Jean Sharer Brown, a member of Hathaway Brown’s class of 1936, passed away on June 29, 2008, at the age of 89. She was an extraordinary human being — certainly a legendary figure to Hathaway Brown — whose grace, wisdom and generosity touched the lives of so many. In 2003, Jean and the late Dr. Joseph Brown made a decision to leave their estate to HB. This generous gift prompted the naming our new Middle School building the Jewett-Brown Academic Center. “The decision was not all that difficult,” Dr. Brown said in 2003. “HB was the most effective institution where [the gift] would be used to the most advantage.”
Jean’s contributions to HB as a student and revered alumna inspired countless young women. Bill Christ spoke at her graveside service about her humor, kindness, and style, but mostly of her strength and courage. “Jean and Joe were blessed to have led long lives enriched with friendships, shared experiences and most of all, love. They were always delighted to hear news of the School and took great pride in the accomplishments of both the faculty and students,” Christ said. “It is with gratitude and great respect that I will always remember Jean Sharer Brown. She had a vision for the School and desire to enrich the lives our current and future generations of HB students.”
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in memory of
• In
Memory Of •
An HB Legend Ruth Strong Hudson ’27
Ruth Strong Hudson ’27 died June 12, 2008, two weeks before her 98th birthday. Among her many contributions to the School were her years teaching French in the ’60s and her coauthorship of “The First Hundred Years,” a history of Hathaway Brown published in 1976. In addition, Ruth was a Life Member of the Corporation and was given the Distinguished Alumnae Award in 1997. To the amazement of many, she gallantly made it to the 2007 Alumnae Luncheon to celebrate her 80th Reunion from HB. Ruth’s connections to the School grew deep and wide: her father, Herbert William Strong, was vice-chairman of the building committee of the new school; Ruth, her sister, two daughters, three nieces, and two granddaughters attended HB, and her brother H. William Strong, Jr., was President of the Board of Trustees in the 1970s.
Ruth took the HB motto to heart by studying at the Sorbonne and University of Strasbourg, receiving her B.A. from Vassar College, her M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Western Reserve University and later turned the subject of her thesis into “The Minister from France,” a biography of the first French ambassador to the United States. Education, reading and writing, community involvement, love of the outdoors and nature, and family and friends were the important foundations of Ruth’s life. She shared her vast knowledge by writing into her late 80s. She will be sorely missed. Taken from a tribute written by Mary Hudson ’66
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FALL 2008
Hundreds of Hathaway Brown alumnae journeyed back to the Shaker Heights campus May 16–17 to renew friendships, celebrate shared memories and see firsthand what the School is like today. On Friday, alumnae visited classrooms to observe HB education in action. Between classes, alumnae could “hit the stage” in Ahuja Auditorium for Memories and Mimosas to enjoy light refreshments, chair massages by Lesley Sargent LaBenne ’83, a relaxation station with HB parent Kathy Marshall and manicures from Studio Taylor. Lunch Box Forums followed, combining two important HB elements – lifelong learning and food! Alumnae enjoyed a gourmet boxed lunch while taking part in their choice of three diverse classes. A student panel discussed their experiences at HB with “The Inside Story.” Lisa Nagy M.D. ’78 shared her experience and work in an emerging field with “Environmental Medicine.” And lastly, back by popular demand, Head Librarian Phyllis Harper reviewed current books with her session of “Books, Books, Books.” As the “school day” progressed, 2008 Distinguished Alumna Susan Stewart ’58 and Alumnae Achievement Award recipient Inajo Davis Chappell ’78 talked with alumnae, students and faculty members about their HB and professional experience in “For School and For Life.” During each woman’s presentation and the lively question-and-answer period that followed, it became perfectly clear why each was honored with her respective awards. The Carol and John Butler Aquatic Center pool was open to alumnae and their families to round out the afternoon. Friday evening began with Memories and Martinis, a casual party in the Atrium, where again alumnae could gather together before heading out for the evening’s festivities with their classmates.
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ALUMNAE weekend
Saturday’s Alumnae Luncheon was a beautiful blend of friendship, tradition and vision for the future. Alumnae reminisced in the sun-drenched Atrium, before moving into the Margery Stouffer Biggar ’47 Dining Hall to partake of traditional HB menu favorites (apple crisp and turkey tetrazzini) as well as new HB fare, namely the stateof-the-art salad bar. Head of School Bill Christ gave those attending a look at current HB initiatives and gave a glimpse into the HB of the future. Many thanks to Alumnae Weekend Chairs Stacy Eisenberg O’Neill ’89 and Stephanie Malone Teeter ’97. Their creativity and hard work helped make the weekend special for all who attended. Thanks also to the alumnae who gave of their time and effort to plan class activities.
A Walk Down Memory Lane hb 83
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FALL 2008
Class of 1958
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ALUMNAE weekend
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