Georgetown Days // Fall 2018

GEORGETOWN D

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A PLACE OF PURPOSE A U N I F I E D G E O R G E T O W N D AY S C H O O L

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THE HOMES OF GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL THE NEXT HOME: ONE GDS

OUR MISSION

DRIVES ALL THAT WE DO. Georgetown Day School honors the integrity and worth of each individual within a diverse school community. GDS is dedicated to providing a supportive educational atmosphere in which teachers challenge the intellectual, creative, and physical abilities of our students, and foster strength of character and concern for others. From the earliest grades, we encourage our students to wonder, to inquire, and to be self-reliant, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

to all of our staff and alumni writers for your contributions to the magazine.

We welcome submissions from all Georgetown Day School community members.

THANK YOU

Please contact agrasheim@gds.org to learn more. Alumni are encouraged to send their news with photos to alumni@gds.org for inclusion in the Georgetown Days magazine.

JASON PUTSCHE PHOTOGRAPHY

WINTER 2018-19 GEORGETOWN DAYS Head of School Russell Shaw Associate Head of School Kevin Barr Assistant Head of School for Equity and Social Impact Crissy Cáceres Assistant Head of School for Curriculum and Instruction Laura Yee

Director of Communications Alison Grasheim Storyteller and New Media Associate Danny Stock Magazine Design Think

GDS BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-19 Officers Jenny Abramson ’95, Chair Eric Smulson ’85, Vice Chair David B. Smith, Treasurer Jeffrey Blum, Secretary Lisa Fairfax, At Large Trustees Stephen Bailey Sid Bannerjee Aisha Bond '93 James W. Cooper Shawn Davis-Wilensky Franklin Foer ’92 Simon Johnson Betsy Keeley Rosemary Kilkenny Reid Liffmann Michael Sachse ‘95 Ben Soto Anu Tate Josh Wachs David Wellisch Phil West Elizabeth Westfall Laurie Wingate

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

MAGAZINE STAFF

ALUMNI BOARD 2018-19 Ava Jones ’02, President Nina Ritch ’95, Vice President Jason Campbell ’07 Will Fastow ’96 Batya Feldman ’07 Julia Fisher ’09 Hunter Fortney ’11 Brian Fung ’06 Aaron Gottesman ’12 Branden Isaac ’08 Tayo Jimoh ’10 Elena Lobo ’04 Laura London ’07 Mitch Malasky ’04 Amy Oberdorfer Nyberg ’91 Denise Odell ’84 Stephanie Rosenthal ’98 Elizabeth Slobasky ’97

CONTENTS 2

FROM WHERE I STAND A Message from Head of School Russell Shaw

AROUND CAMPUS 4 In the Classroom 10 Beyond the Classroom 19 Arts & Performances 24 Athletics 30 Faculty 36 Meet the Board 38 THE HOMES OF GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL 46 THE NEXT HOME: ONE GDS 48

ALUMNI PROFILES Kelly AuCoin '85 Terrance Carter '97 Asher Gelman '02 Anna Schneiderman '97

COVER PHOTO: JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

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The most enthusiastic learners that I know are five-year-olds. Sit on the floor of a kindergarten classroom during a discussion and you can’t help but feel excited.

Hands are waved in the air with such vigor that children often rise onto their knees, with urgent calls (“oh, oh, oh…”) accompanying the reaching hand as a ploy to capture the teacher’s attention. Kindergarteners have lots to say and, importantly, they’re not the least bit concerned about saying the wrong thing.

They just want a chance to share.

There’s a reason (beyond human development) that growth skyrockets in early childhood. Young children are blissfully uninhibited. To a five-year-old, learning is a delight, from watching a chick miraculously emerge from an egg and wondering how it got there, to building a fortress out of blocks and discovering new ways to knock it down. Five-year-olds don't make a distinction between learning and play, nor should they. Children learn through play, experimentation, enacting fantasies, and more.

Of the ten “A GDS Student Will…” capacities that we work to cultivate across our program, one is typically perceived—by students, parents, and faculty—as the most challenging to sustain: “A GDS Student will take risks, fail, and learn from failure.” Why are students (and adults) so risk-averse? What is it about making mistakes that is so scary? And as educators, what can we do about it?

Schooling is not always like kindergarten. School and life teach us that questions have right and wrong answers—that right answers are praised and wrong answers are at best tolerated and at worst scorned. This feedback leads to a growing sense of caution. Hands are raised less often and with less confidence. Answers are increasingly offered with a rising pitch at the end, making them sound more like questions. Thinking is less free, as students approach problems expecting that there’s a single right answer rather than a landscape to be explored.

At GDS, how can we help students preserve their willingness to take healthy risks, to boldly explore the horizon of possible answers or solutions rather than cautiously searching for the right one?

With exploration in mind, in late October I spent a week at Stanford University’s d.school. Founded in 2005, the d.school brings together thinkers from a range of disciplines to develop new approaches to complex problems. The “d” in d.school stands for design—but the focus of the program is not fashion or home furnishings. Rather, the d.school specializes in “human-centered design,” crafting processes that are intended to elicit creative thinking and uncover new approaches to real problems.

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PATRICK BEAUDOUIN, STANFORD D. SCHOOL PATRICK BEAUDOUIN, STANFORD D. SCHOOL

The Courage to be Wrong: Exploration and Experimentation at Stanford’s d.school

PATRICK BEAUDOUIN, STANFORD D. SCHOOL

FROM WHERE I STAND

The d.school champions exploration and experimentation, concepts more commonly associated with a kindergarten classroom than an elite university. In particular, “rapid experiments” are embraced as a way of getting quick feedback on solutions so as to iterate and improve. Wrong answers aren’t seen as failures. Rather, they’re seen as information, as feedback that can be used to help inform progress.

At GDS, this kind of rapid experimentation and prototyping has led to a range of exciting programs. The fifth grade’s new partnership with LearnServe is an experiment in multidisciplinary programming and turning our students into entrepreneurs.

Our middle school musical was launched four years ago as an experiment in providing new after-school opportunities and has quickly become a much-loved tradition. Our High School has benefitted from a range of exciting experiments, from the new Minimester program (an ideal platform for faculty and student experimentation) to our Policy and Advocacy Institute.

In the coming months, I look forward to sharing further insights and discoveries from my trip to the d.school. And in our classrooms and across our school, we look forward to cultivating a culture of rapid experimentation, where students and educators alike practice learning through discovery, through experimentation, through risk-taking and making mistakes. It is this courageous and nimble approach to learning that will allow our program to evolve in healthy ways, and allow our students to thrive at GDS and beyond.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

PATRICK BEAUDOUIN, STANFORD D. SCHOOL

The d.school looks far more like a Silicon Valley start-up than a hub of an elite university. In the atrium of the building is a classic station wagon whose rear compartment is used for small group discussions or quiet study. The walls are covered with polaroids of students and professors who have participated in d.school courses, the images labeled with names and disciplines (law school, engineering, French literature, medicine, etc.). Multi-colored sticky notes are ubiquitous, as is mobile furniture.

Russel Shaw Head of School

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Around Campus IN THE CLASSROOM

Young Voices, Wise Words “To my dog, who makes me laugh.”

“To my friend, Kamau, who is always there for me.”

When our first grade writers took the podium to share their work at the annual Author’s Brunch in May 2018, they revealed unforgettable moments nestled in the seemingly mundane; such is the prose of these six- or seven-year-old writers. In one room we heard an opus to a Lego tower and an ode to an amusement-park cheeseburger. In another, a child fondly recalled the sleepover through which she seems to have cried continuously.

Wisdom emerged roughly from their still-developing voices like half-imagined figures from Michelangelo’s marble. What mattered to these students was not the quality of the show they saw or the magnificence of the view from the shore.

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“I dedicate this book to my lovely family.”

It was not even in the temporal significance of the event: a young immigrant’s transatlantic journey or the sorrowful departure of a treasured friend. Rather, they remember, in the eternal words of Maya Angelou, how those moments made them feel.

So, we laughed and cried at their words and remembered what it was like to care so much about things that others failed to notice. Each day, these writers––like SaintExupery's Little Prince––help us to see more rightly what is essential, though often invisible, to our eyes.

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ROBOTICS ISN’T JUST ABOUT THE ROBOTS

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A candy-gifting robot, an automatized goalie in a game of Foosball ( I M A G E 1 ) , a spinning ballerina that turned at the sound of clapping, and a unicorn merry-go-round ( I M A G E 2 ) : these and more were all on display in Spring 2018 when Middle School students presented their final robotics projects to the School.

The flag-raising castle and endearing “Panda Express” ( I M A G E 3 ) were just two more examples of what technology teacher Laura Loftus called “a broad range of creative, ambitious projects.”

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For this unit, Laura and science teacher Stephen Harris taught students to use the block-based code Snap! in conjunction with Hummingbird robotics kits.

Based on Carnegie Mellon’s CREATE lab, Hummingbird kits enable children to construct robots from simple craft materials. By the end of the project, students showed off their moving projects, which also include a trick box that (gently) punched you with a large, multicolored ball if you got too close and a cardboard car with headlights that lit up when encountering an obstacle.

Thinking back on the project, Bea Lazerow ’24 said, “I never thought of myself as being good at coding, but this unit taught me more about how to code and made me feel better about my skills. As a visual learner, it helped making little cardboard characters to show how we coded.”

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And the candy robot? Like the flag-raising castle and the finicky turtle, it presented its fair share of challenges to the design team. Resilient as ever, students iterated their robots over time to get them demo-ready. Some were doing last-minute repairs to their designs even as 2nd grade students entered classrooms to see the presentations.

Hana Sakr ’24 ( I M A G E 4 , S T A N D I N G ) said, “The project taught me many things, not all of which had to do with the actual robot. Time management and building teamwork and creativity skills with my friends were also gained, as well as a new appreciation and respect for the amazing inventors and technicians that helped advance robotics to where it is today.”

Hana continued, “I think my favorite day was the day of the presentation itself.

Even though our robot broke before we could show it to all the younger kids who visited, it was still awesome to see all the different robots together, each unique in their own way. There was so much diversity displayed that there was at least one thing in each room that every kid could enjoy.”

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Naturally, the 2nd graders watched in awe ( I M A G E 5 ) as the 6th graders put their robots through their paces.

“How did you make it work?!” the 2nd graders asked again and again. A 6th grade voice carried over the din in answer: “It’s never going to be perfect so we just keep working on it, doing the best we can. At the end, there is definitely a big exhale when we show our work.”

G EO RG ET O W N D AYS W I N T ER 2018/ 19

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These Will Be a Treasure for Us The Identity Project is the culmination of a year-long exploratory journey of self for GDS second graders. After countless lessons, conversations, peer-to-peer interviews, and activities in the homeroom, music, art, library, and even on the playground, parents and GDS staff attend a final presentation by the students. At the opening of the event, the second grade team told parents: “We are so grateful to be a part of a collaborative community like this one that has made a commitment to this kind of transformative, interdisciplinary learning.” Beaming with pride, the children verbalize all they have learned about their multidimensional identities—and about their peers.

The response from the adult community is equally electrifying, as outcomes from the project send ripples far beyond the classroom. Adults and children throughout the community find points of connection at new-found intersections of their identities. Parents and staff had beautiful words to share about this now-quintessential GDS project…

The things Justin wrote in his project––particularly the stuff related to cheerleading––opened my eyes to how much a kid his age can understand both about who/what he is and how others perceive him positively or negatively. So, thank you for the project. I learned a lot about Justin. It also taught me something about myself, too––which was unexpected and greatly appreciated.

I want to share that my employer had its “bring your kids to work day” on the same day Jen was taking the T-shirt pictures. Lara told me that she did not want to miss school because they would be working on a fun art project. After a few seconds of remorse for my child who had no interest in my job, I could not be happier to think that my child CHOOSES to go to school every day, thanks to you all :)

– Toby Heffernan (parent)

– Reem Sweiss (parent)

Congratulations on another stellar Identity Project. I love that the project continues to evolve each year, and I also love that you are hanging a visual artifact in a space where it will be seen and reflected upon regularly.

– Barbara Eghan (GDS Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid)

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Sammy and Mimi were able to proudly share their projects with the rest of the family at home and they are now hanging in their room. These will be a treasure for us—Anya’s is still hanging in her room from when she was in second grade.

– Sonali Jain-Chandra (parent) Congrats to you both for an amazing Identity Project Day! It was a remarkable example of what makes GDS and its faculty so unique!

– Jenny Abramson (parent) Wow! What an incredible and joyful exhibition yesterday! A huge thank you to all the teachers for your efforts over the year -- it was a wonderful and inspiring culmination!

– Laila and Niklas (parents)

As you know, a lot of amazing activities and projects happen here at GDS, but OH. MY. GOSH...the identity project may just be the best of the best. It is crystal clear how much hard, thoughtful, and reflective work you and the students do to make this presentation possible. I LOVED chatting with so many of my former students, reading their poems, perusing their recipes (so great), and even getting a hug or two. I discovered that one student included me in her work, so that felt special, too.

Please give all the second graders a big CONGRATULATIONS from me. They should be so proud of themselves! (You should be proud of yourselves, too, but you are probably too humble for that.)

– Andrew Berman (First Grade Teacher) I am in awe of the work that went into the identity project your students did. What a gift for them to have time to reflect on their multiple identities and what a wonderful way to give them a chance to look for points of connection with their peers. I can’t wait for them to get to fifth grade to see how much more they will know about themselves and their classmates. It will be awesome to build on what is obviously a solid base of knowledge.

– Bryan Williams (5th Grade Teacher)

Guests participated in an interactive artwork “Identity Tapestry” that asked them to use various lengths of colored yarn to illustrate the diversity and intersections of identities here at GDS. This piece was modeled after an installation of the same name by Mary Corey March.

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P O W E R P RO J EC T By: Mimi Mayorkas '23 and Sophie Klein '23

DEVELOPING GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Parents and teachers who visited the Power Project in June 2018 were treated to an assortment of presentations as varied and impressive as the interests and strengths of the 7th grade students themselves. From original songs and protest re-enactments with commentary in the black box theater to constructed statuettes and posters lining the walls and tabletops depicting parallels between revolutionaries from different eras and continents, student projects played to their strengths and demonstrated their keen understanding of the subject matter: revolutions.

“I loved how the kids got to express themselves in unique and appropriate ways,” said 7th grade parent Elana Perl. “I also loved how the teachers incorporated the art gallery, cinema, literary salon, and coffee house. They brought out the best in these kids.”

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By: Emery Jackson '23

During the course of the year, students study the Haitian Revolution, the Indian independence movement and partition, and the Iranian Revolution. The Power Project asks students to make connections across these three 7th grade history units, focusing on one of the following themes: revolutions, injustice, citizenship, institutions, and the future of revolution in our contemporary

world. Students working alone or in partnerships complete a rigorous series of project proposals. Students must demonstrate the connections to their core themes, plot out their daily self-assigned duties for the month, and create a requested materials list. Once approved, all the materials for these projects are provided by the School.

Shiv Raman ’23 reflected, “This project really taught me how to manage my time well. It took place during the end of the year, so there were many other final projects and tests to work on. I had to successfully manage my time in order to finish the project, which I, and my group did, by making a schedule of due dates and responsibilities. After screening our documentary on the crisis in Syria, I hope our viewers now understand the many parallels to be drawn to past events and that those parallels can help us guess at the outcome of current day problems and how to solve them.

“As a history department,” explained 7th grade history teachers Erika Carlson and Julia Blount, “two of our main goals are to develop global citizenship and historical

By: Hannah Cohen-De La Rosa '23

empathy.” Each year, the teachers use “Thinking Routines” such as “Circle of Viewpoints” and “Step Inside”— developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero—to help students consider historical events, images, videos, and texts from multiple perspectives.

“We have worked closely with students to ensure that their portrayals, whether written or performed, are historically accurate and respectful. They have completed extensive research and, while many may not have identified with the views they were presenting, they worked hard to understand and convey them.”

Now heading into its fifth year, the Power Project invites students to demonstrate their understanding of the three revolutions creatively and perhaps collaboratively. The projects are at once chilling and cheering, demanding and differentiated. They showcase the best of what GDS Middle School students can do when challenged to engage historically and globally with the world they are inheriting.

Mia Chévere '23 and Kailyn Oppenheim '23 present an original song, composed with Maya Raman '23 (Not Pictured)

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JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

Around Campus BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

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The GDS Chamber Choir (pictured) and GDS’s Devoy Terret Big Band provided special performances.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

Because you are unique risk takers, it didn’t feel right to make some average, traditional speech today. You deserve something as unique and risky as you are. So, I am going to step outside my comfort zone one more time with you, the Class of 2018, to show my gratitude for the lessons you have taught me this year.

— K AT I E G I B S O N

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JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

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n June 10, 2018, the Georgetown Day School Class of 2018, on stage for the first time, celebrated their commencement in front of hundreds of adoring fans. Head of School Russell Shaw continued his tradition of sharing what graduating seniors said they would be taking with them from GDS, gleaned during his weekly lunches with them; High School Principal Katie Gibson spoke about taking risks and honoring the Class of 2018’s spirit, then surprised everyone by ending her speech by singing The Waiting Song by Ani DeFranco; HS English teacher Katherine Dunbar wrote the seniors a “sort of love and a sort of goodbye” poem; Alexander Hewlett and Cecily Davis spoke for the students; and alum and current parent Kamal Ali ’80 reflected back on his time as a student and what GDS has meant to him and his family, encouraged the graduating class and their families to take a breath and give thanks; and shared his life lessons for students.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

I’d like to tell you a story. It’s a story of four young people who met in high school. They bonded together through activities, formed meaningful friendships through countless conversations, debates, and adventures. They visited each other at universities spanning from New Jersey to California to Vermont. They traveled overseas together, and supported each other through grad schools to esteemed professional careers from medicine to education, entrepreneurship to high finance. They shared their weddings, served as godparents to each others children, enjoying their friendships decade after decade after decade. Their wives bonded and became best friends almost rivaling the friendship of their spouses. They served their high school alma mater in many capacities,from development committee to alumni board to managing the endowment committee. Three of them sent two kids each to the same school they attended and all three served on the Board of Trustees... Yes, you guessed right, this is my GDS friend group, and the real reason why I love this school so much. What warms my heart even more is that 38 years after our GDS graduation, despite many changes to the school and the society in which we live, my graduate today, Suraya, has a friend group so strong, that I predict it will be intact 40 years from now. Suraya, I went to Gladys’ 100th birthday party, you have to go to Russell’s.

This grade’s compassion for each other, the community, and the outside world is what I hope we will be remembered for. High school is a crucially formative time, as we grapple with our identities, the uncertainty of the future, and our own personal struggles. What every human being needs is someone they can turn to and trust, someone who will give you a hug when you’re down, and tell you “I believe in you! You got this!” Fortunately for us we’ve had 125 people just like that.

— KAMAL ALI

— ALEXANDER HEWLETT

’80

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

’18

This past year has forced us to reevaluate what it really means to belong to a mission-driven institution such as Georgetown Day School. What it really means to do, and to live intentionally, given that GDS is the first intentionally integrated school in the district, the first to intentionally center and emphasize equity and justice in its pedagogy. No matter where life takes us as we all embark on this next chapter of our lives, I implore you to remain faithful to the central philosophy that defines Georgetown Day School: that compassion and empathy are not just necessary aspects of existing within any intellectual or educational community, but essential to cultivating a world that cherishes the vibrancy of shared experiences as a means of promoting and nurturing strength of character and concern for others; that patience, diligence, and perseverance are what ensures that our capacity for greatness in any pursuit, is boundless, that the commitment to honoring the worth and integrity of every individual is one that is lifelong, and contingent upon the understanding that worth is something that is innate within all of us.

— C E C I LY D AV I S ’ 1 8 G EO RG ET O W N D AYS W I N T ER 2018/ 19

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WHAT’S NEXT, CLASS OF 2018?

University of Colorado at Boulder - 2

Reed College - 1

At the beginning of the college search process, the College Office encourages all students to think of the experience as one that will encourage self-reflection and the exploration of goals both short- and long-term.

We see that journey as one that affirms the individuality of each student, centering on making sound choices that identify college communities where students will thrive and become their best selves. It is our privilege to guide students and families through this exciting process, and it is a testament to our students’ sense of adventure and their open minds that their college choices reflect the diversity of their class in every sense of the word. The Class of 2018 matriculated at 76 different institutions in the United States and the U.K. While many students in the Class of 2018 began college in September, a number of students chose to delay their matriculation to pursue exciting gap year opportunities. From volunteering on political campaigns across the country to exploring the world, they are using their year off from school to gain new experiences and to prepare for what lies ahead.

The Class of 2018 entered college curious about everything from studio art to engineering to business, and many remain open to exploring new academic pursuits. We are proud of everything that they accomplished and all that they will do beyond GDS! Chapman University - 1 Claremont McKenna College - 1 Deep Springs College - 1 Stanford University - 2 University of California, Berkeley - 2 University of California, Los Angeles - 1 University of California, Santa Barbara - 1 University of San Francisco - 1 University of Southern California - 1

FACTS ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2018

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125

Students

APPLIED TO 193 Different Colleges and Universities

ACCEPTED TO 162 Different Colleges and Universities

Northwestern University - 3 University of Chicago - 1 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 1

University of Wisconsin, Madison - 4

Bryn Mawr College - 1 Dickinson College - 1 Franklin & Marshall College - 1 Haverford College - 2 Lafayette College - 1 Saint Joseph’s University - 1 Swarthmore College - 1 Temple University - 1 University of Pittsburgh - 1

Barnard College - 2 Columbia University - 2 Hamilton College - 1 New York University - 8 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 1 Rochester Institute of Technology - 1 The New School - 1

Imperial College London (UK) - 1 University of St Andrews (UK) - 2

Bates College - 1 Bowdoin College - 1 Colby College - 3

Macalester College - 1 Champlain College - 1 Middlebury College - 3

Amherst College - 2 Berklee College of Music - 1 Boston University - 1 Brandeis University - 1 Harvard University - 4 Northeastern University - 1 Smith College - 1 Tufts University - 2 Williams College - 2

University of Michigan - 2

Brown University - 4 Wesleyan University - 2 Yale University - 2 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - 1

Oberlin College - 3

Stevens Institute of Technology - 1 Goucher College - 1 Johns Hopkins University - 1 Maryland Institute College of Art - 1 McDaniel College - 1 University of Maryland, College Park - 1

Washington University in St. Louis - 4

Belmont University - 1

Georgetown University - 1

College of William and Mary - 3 University of Virginia - 2 Virginia Commonwealth University - 1 Duke University - 1 Elon University - 1 North Carolina A&T State University - 1 North Carolina State University - 1 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 1

Tulane University - 2

The University of Texas, Austin - 1 Trinity University - 1

Emory University - 6

University of Miami - 1

DISTINCTIVE MATRICULATION CHOICES: ENROLLED AT 76 Different Schools

27 STATES

Plus the District of Columbia and the United Kingdom

Women’s Colleges Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Art Schools Engineering Schools Music Schools

G EO RG ET O W N D AYS S PRI N G 2018

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FREED PHOTOGRAPHY

CLASS OF 2022: READY TO MAKE THEIR MARK STUDENTS WHO STAND FIRM.

1. “PUT DOWN YOUR PHONES.”

TALENTED.

This was followed by cheers from the audience. Russell said this would assist the “extraordinarily extroverted class” in their ability to concentrate better, to engage with one another face to face, and to help maintain their relationships all around.

NURTURERS.

2. “BE GRATEFUL.”

INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS. VORACIOUS READERS. SKILLED ATHLETES.

PUBLISHED AUTHORS. COMEDIANS.

FOCUS ON ACTIVISM.

Russell gave the graduates one last homework assignment. His charge: say thank you to someone who invested in your ability to come to GDS and say thank you to a faculty member who invested during your time at GDS.

STUDENTS WHO ARE CHANGEMAKERS.

3. “BE HELPFUL.

MASTERMINDS IN THE ART OF SILENCES. ONES TO SET THE STAGE. SHOW PERSEVERANCE.

COURAGEOUS AND BOLD.

These are the words Middle School principal Debby Previna used to describe the class of 2022 during the 8th Grade Closing Ceremony on June 4, 2018. This group of eighth graders was also known for their creativity, light, joy, activism, and kindness. Debby said, “You all don’t know how much you are loved.”

A host of student speakers shared fond memories of their days and the impact GDS had on each of them.

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Russell Shaw spoke as both Head of School, and also as the father of a graduate. He gave the graduates three parting words of advice:

Look at how you’re helping both now and in the future.” Russell reminded students to pursue justice and to build a better world around themselves.

Eighth grader Aidan Kohn-Murphy’s graduation remarks highlight what lies ahead for this class of promise. “GDS will be supporting us forever, whether it be helping us realize our dreams, connecting us to other people who will help us on our journey, or in the future… we are more than a school. We are a community. We are a family... Class of 2022, we are the future. We will bring light to a darkened world.”

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

On May 11, 2018 the hallways and classrooms of the GDS LMS buzzed with laughter, hugs, and fun as our visiting grandparents and special friends had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of their lower or middle schooler.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

Special thanks to Event Chairs Judith and Elliott Lichtman (Grandparents of Elana ’22 and Noah ’25 Spector and Parents of Sarah Lichtman Spector ’90 and Julia Lichtman Kepniss ’93).

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

Hundreds of guests packed our gymnasium to hear our students perform.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

GRANDPARENTS’ AND SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY 2018

Grandparent Susan Perl learns something from grandson Theo Perl ’26.

Grandparent Jewel Fierce looks on as grandson Mason Bronner ’27 shows his work on an iPad.

Grandparent Mahesh Chandra visits with granddaughter Anya Chandra ’26.

SAVE THE DATE

Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day is the time when special loved ones visit the GDS LMS campus!

Please join us on Friday, May 10, 2019.

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2019 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 NOON 4530 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD, NW WASHINGTON, DC

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2 Country Market Day 2018 games and crafts were arranged around the front parking lot this year with the busy grilling station positioned right at the heart of the fun. Our country Market Day volunteer chairs Al Moseley and Victoria Quint assembled and coordinated an outstanding team of parent volunteers who delivered some new, instant classics and your old CMD favorites, including the Haunted House, Book Fair, Sweet Shop, and, of course, flu shots with school nurse Elizabeth McDermott!

New board member and alum Aisha (Wilson) Bond ’93 joined in the fun with other parents at Country Market Day.

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Head of School Russell Shaw judged the Tastiest Cookie contest in the Sweet Shop before heading out for some quality photobombing.

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Thanks to Book Fair chair Christopher Sperl, children relaxed from their browsing in a new, cozy reading nook.

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First grade teacher Paula Young-Shelton took several plunges in the dunk tank as did new Lower School Principal Kimberly Beck, whose husband and father both did the dunking honors. [photo 1]

Middle School members of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance with faculty advisor Erika Carlson hosted a pronoun button-making activity and gave out kids’ workbooks to raise awareness about gender equality.

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Children took home prizes, smiles, and fantastic face paint thanks to alum Savannah Wade ’17 and High School students Olivia Gottdenker ’21 and Lexi Orenstein ’21.

The new, physical layout seemed to embrace our joyful community, held between the Lower and Middle School wings.

Country Market Day 2018 served as yet another reminder that even with a venue change, GDS traditions stay strong.

Many thanks to all the dedicated volunteers!

One “Lowly Alto” Gives the Gift of Song: Eliza Kravitz ’19 reaches back to Middle School to inspire the next wave of GDS performers

“Altos have distinctive traits beyond the low range of their voices. The altos’ job requires the most skill in the chorus; still, they are its least appreciated members.”

– Eliza Kravitz, 2015 In eighth grade, Eliza Kravitz ‘19 submitted a paper titled “Lowly Altos” in which she captured so perfectly––and humorously––the sacrifice of the inner register altos for the benefit of the ensemble. While the interesting, attention-grabbing melodies go to the sopranos, she explained, the altos often sing tedious, repetitive fragments that are ultimately essential to sustaining a piece of music.

“Altos sacrifice dramatic endings and melodies to preserve the depth of the chorus, sometimes singing monotonous lines that seem to dismiss their talent, and other times singing strangled, disjointed notes that seem mere appendages to the other parts.”

Eliza, a GDS lifer, has been a member of a GDS choir since it was first offered in fifth grade. Her beloved Middle School choral and musical theater teacher Keith Hudspeth recalled the “Lowly Altos” paper fondly but even more so the way Eliza embodied the role of ensemble member.

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“What set Eliza apart was the way she approached every learning opportunity with incredible dedication. She was able to actually apply everything she was taught. She never saw herself as a soloist but rather as a member of the ensemble.”

“At the beginning of the musical theater elective in eighth grade, I told Keith I didn’t want to sing any solos,” Eliza recalled during a recent interview. “I had no qualms about singing loudly in a group performance or taking responsibility for a tricky harmony, but I had no idea how to perform individually. In many ways, I still don’t consider myself primarily a performer, and I focus much of my musical energy on ensemble work.”

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Eliza went on through the various Middle and High School singing groups (GDS Singers and Chamber Choir), and she now captains one of GDS’s a cappella groups, Eat At Joe’s. “At the High School, I’ve had the opportunity to impact the performing arts without grabbing the center mic at every performance.”

The high school a cappella groups arrange their own music, which requires levels of musical theory and creativity that Eliza felt she lacked when she first joined Eat At Joe’s. “I spent hours working on arrangements, and they were all awful. But I was hooked!” she said.

Eliza counts herself lucky to have taken Honors A Cappella during her sophomore year to learn basic theory and stylistic skills. She spent hours listening to successful a cappella groups and toiled still more hours

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attempting her own arrangements. Her diligence as a student of music––already apparent in Middle School–– appears to have paid off*. “Over the past two years, I’ve become more confident and intentional in my stylistic choices for Joe’s arrangements.”

This fall, Eliza has brought her considerable experience to the Middle School in the form of an afterschool a cappella class. Students looking for an opportunity to sing outside of the school day and the chance to work with a fellow student who went through the Lower and Middle School programs will find Eliza’s class a godsend.

“It will be a great way for students to get experience in an a cappella group that they can use when they audition in the High School,” Keith noted. The program promises to be a springboard for Middle School singers in an area of music that affords them autonomy and creative choice.

“When I’m arranging a song, I break down the piece my group has chosen to sing and rearrange the parts to fit our vocal strengths,” Eliza explained.

Eliza has promised that students will learn harmonizing, vocal independence, familiarization with the a cappella genre, and general singing and performance techniques.

In truth, Eliza has partnered with auxiliary programs in the Middle School to provide structured exposure to a type of musical engagement she herself did not find until High School. “If we start acclimating singers to small, instrumentless ensembles in Middle School,” she said, hopefully, “we will have an even stronger base of high schoolers with the vocal independence, performance skills, and arranging experience to make our program truly thrive.”

Eliza carries with her the institutional experience that will inform the way she guides her students. “Having known her since Kindergarten,” says Danielle Soto ’19, “I know she will do everything that she can to make the program a fun experience for the Middle School students. I remember I was hesitant about singing solos, but she helped me become more confident in my singing abilities.” Eliza and Danielle performed “What I Did for Love,” by invitation, during their eighth grade graduation.

“Coming up from the Middle School,” said Lucy Vogt ’20, “I would have loved to have a program like this. When I came in as a freshman, I was nervous about my ability to read music and thought I wouldn’t be able to keep up with an a cappella group...I definitely think that if I had been exposed to a cappella earlier, I would have jumped right into the music program at the High School.”

This High School-to-Middle School program is just the sort of cross-divisional opportunity that a unified GDS campus will facilitate. Students––not only of music but also from all disciplines––will have the chance to learn from, teach, and mentor and provide feedback to their counterparts in other divisions.

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Senior Eliza Kravitz ’19 leads an afterschool a cappella class for Middle School singers.

“I’m thrilled that Eliza is offering an a cappella opportunity for our Middle School students,” said Head of School Russell Shaw.

“We have such a robust a cappella culture in the High School (I don’t know many high schools of our size with four a cappella groups!), and I’m eager for our Middle Schoolers to experience this form of music. What’s even more exciting is that in two short years, this sort of opportunity, with High School students working with their younger schoolmates, will be made so much more doable. When a 12th grader just has to walk across the street to help coach a Middle School basketball team or design sets for a 5th grade play or read to a kindergartener, we’ll be realizing one of the many exciting benefits of school unification.”

“She’s a brilliant and talented young person,” Keith intoned. Even those of us who wish we could enroll Eliza’s class but are unable due to our somewhat more advanced age, can still plan to attend the student showcases that will be held during the final class meetings in the fall (October 25) and spring (May 2).

Back in eighth grade, Eliza had written, “[Altos] give songs another dimension, though the audience may not pick up on the intricate harmonies and dissonances and syncopation so discreetly woven into the music.” These singers create essential bridges between the various parts of the ensemble and thus elevate the music. In this respect––and perhaps figuratively, too––Eliza is the quintessential alto of the ensemble that is Georgetown Day School: she toils where we are divided, creating bridges that give our song “another dimension.”

Here, as we sing the praises of one of our brilliant, musical altos, we are reminded of all our other unsung GDS altos, musical and non-musical alike. To you, who give depth to our register, lend richness and coherence to the many melodies in our song, and––to borrow one final phrase from Eliza’s paper––“make our performance unforgettable,” we are grateful.

Around Campus ARTS & PERFORMANCES

Students first draft logo concepts.

Should Race or Culture be Used to Represent a Team?

Students in HS studio arts chair Michelle Cobb’s Digital Media & Design class have been thoughtfully analyzing athletic team names and logos this fall, taking a hard look, in particular, at the Washington, DC National Football League football team.

First tasked with reimagining the logo and team name, students performed some basic research and started standard logo development using Michelle’s approach called SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need). See photos of the student’s first attempts, ABOVE. What started as a short project has developed beyond the project’s initial objectives of a simple logo redesign, as students and Michelle have delved deeper. “I realized there was a much bigger project about cultural appropriation, racism, and perpetuating negative stereotypes,” said Michelle. “We began to talk about this aspect of logo design and they just lit up.”

Michelle said that in the beginning, “many students didn’t see the need for any change. Some of them were die-hard football fans who didn’t look beyond the ‘fan factor.’”

But as they’ve learned more about the negative “savage warrior” stereotypes used to portray Native Americans across the media landscape and how they have been used for profit, their views have shifted.

“Now they are thinking about the power of images and about their responsibility to create a design that shapes a more positive image of the team and our society,” she said.

On their recent trip to the National Museum of the American Indian to see the Americans exhibit, students returned feeling overwhelmed, but unsurprised by what they saw. “While this was nothing I haven’t seen before, it was different seeing everything all at once,” said Will Foster ’19.

Alexander Carmen ’19 said it brought home how these disrespectful images were “used for profit without acknowledging the source.” And Josh Marchand ’20 emphasized the importance of respectfully portraying individuals within our diverse country and “not erasing Native American imagery from our consciousness.”

Next up for the students: First, another shot at reimagining the logo for our local football team, this time using no cultural or racial imagery. Then, they’ll host visitors to provide their point of view, including Washington football team former player Dexter Manley as well as a GDS alumnus of Native American heritage.

WILL S.

William Shister ‘21

Fiore Petricone ‘21

Matteo Pivato ‘22

Alex Rubinson ‘22

Josh Marchand ‘20

Xander Davies ‘19 and Kat Liu ‘19

Ilan Hamond ‘21

Fiore Petricone ‘21

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1.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

How do you tell the story—on stage—of a man immobile, underground?

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

The Spring 2018 High School musical production of Floyd Collins (music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and book by Tina Landau) tells the true story of the titular character’s rise to fame when he becomes trapped while exploring an Arkansas cave system in the 1920s.

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JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

4.

5.

The lighting design (led by Avery Adomaitis ’18 and Lola Phillips ’18) allowed the audience to quickly change perspective, from the media-circus and carnival-like atmosphere above, to the intimate moments below between Floyd (played by Alex Carnot ’19) and the reporter small enough to visit him (Alex Hewlett ’18),2,3 and further to the dream sequences that brought Floyd’s imagined freedom to life (note the costume changes to white). Cole WrightSchaner ’19 plays Floyd’s brother,4 Homer & Shira Minsk ’19 left, plays Floyd’s sister, Nellie.5 This “truly American musical,” according to HS performing arts chair Laura Rosberg, “is an extremely challenging, complex one. It’s one of my favorites, and they really pulled it off!”6 20

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

This question was first answered by GDS’s experienced sets crew, led by seniors Susannah Epstein-Boley, Asha Klass, and Izzy Verdery. Their set design, modeled on an ant farm, allowed viewers to see all of the action: Floyd trapped, the underground warren to get to him, and all of the action occurring above ground.1

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

2.

TRAPPED IN A CAVE BUT SOARING W I T H E M O T I O N / D R E A M S / I M A G I N AT I O N

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JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

FLOY D C O L L I N S :

Sway like a tree, hop like a bunny: PK/K Students Enjoy Dance in its Purest Form Recognizing the need for little bodies to move, this year GDS PK/K classes began taking part in weekly dance and movement classes, in addition to their regular music, PE classes, recess, and outdoor time.

Led by LMS dance teachers Joan Ayap and Felipe Moltedo, PK/K students are beginning to speak the language of dance through what they know best: play and exploration. While they joyfully skip, sway like a tree in the wind, or hop like a bunny, Joan thoughtfully incorporates work that helps students focus on body awareness, locomotor skills, and understanding the basic principles of dance.

Joan and Felipe say this body awareness, coupled with social and emotional awareness, is essential to students’ healthy development. “It has been so fulfilling already this year to see the students progress—to watch them mature, make conscious decisions about how to move

their bodies in space, and become more aware of their own ‘bubble,’” said Joan.

“I also teach Middle School classes,” said Felipe. “It’s been so rewarding for me to see how the fundamentals Joan is teaching in PK/K move through the curriculum to what 8th graders are learning. GDS LMS students are all accessing the same ‘language’ of dance. It’s exciting to imagine where these students will be by 8th grade and what types of dancers they will become.”

In their most recent class, students squealed with delight while throwing scarves in the air and smiled while bending backward to test their flexibility to touch their toes. Felipe said, “Teaching to this age group is all about helping our students enjoy dance in its purest form. As students grow through our program, they will learn how to translate their personal joy into a joyful experience for an audience.”

Georgetown Day School will celebrate our 75th Anniversary in 2020!

As part of the celebrations, we're launching an interview collection

project, Georgetown Day Stories, inspired by StoryCorps, to audio record and preserve the stories of GDS.

GEORGETOWN DAY STORIES

The chance to share your story is also a chance to ask someone you know about their experiences. You're invited (with an interview partner) to tell us what it was like to be at GDS over the last 75 years!

Email Director of Communications Alison Grasheim at agrasheim@gds.org to share your story idea and schedule your interview today!

PARTICIPATION IS FREE and open to all community members. Recording dates will be shared in 2019.

F IF T H GR A DE C UBIS T S T UDY Written by John Headley

In Fall 2018, fifth-grade classes were in the process of creating paintings based on the artistic movement Cubism using the work of the most wellknown Cubist painter, Pablo Picasso, as inspiration.

Cubist art analyzes objects, deconstructs them, and then reassembles them. The cubist artist takes into consideration multiple viewpoints of the same subject and tries to create various perspectives in one cohesive piece. I told students that a cubist image was like “shattered glass put back together with some parts missing or in the wrong place.�

Students began with two observational drawings of a few objects from two vantage points. They then enlarged the images on the copier and divided a blank piece of paper into 15 sections. Next they traced their enlarged image on their divided paper, aided with a lightbox, drawing only a part of their still-life in each section. Finally, the fifth-grade artists painted the piece with a limited palette of either cool or warm colors.

The artistic journey through cubism has been both challenging, as well as rewarding, for the students and me. Due to the various steps of the process, the use of different mediums, and the demonstration of specific skill sets, students had to balance creative freedom with aesthetic restrictions.

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Sarah Sakr ‘26

Mimi Silla ‘26, observational drawing

Mimi Silla ‘26, enlarged and divided drawing

Tessa Ferguson ‘26

Corinna Bellerman ‘26

Dale Stenberg ‘26

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Around Campus AT H L E T I C S

Jazzmin Cox-Caceres ‘19 led the team in slugging

ONE TEAM. ONE DREAM. With a motto on their mind and vision in their hearts, the 2018 Varsity Women’s Softball team pursued a championship season.

“Our goal was pretty simple in the spring season,” said head coach Donna Stallworth. “‘One Team. One Dream.’

We wanted to win the championship. The team was so close the previous season by making it to the final game.

They knew they had the skill but just needed to put the pieces together.”

Supporting Donna were the team’s assistant coaches Jenni Ruiz and Pamela Stanfield, under the direction of High School athletic director Kathy Hudson. Donna has coached many of the players since their middle school years. According to Donna, the team was characterized by a relentless, eager, and unified spirit, coupled with a drive to succeed.

“As coaches, our goals were to guide them to recognize their potential and know that this could certainly be a championship winning season. The girls were hungry and were willing to work hard, and their efforts were reflected every time they took the field,” said Donna.

As the sole senior of the team, Abigail Perelman ‘18 covered first base and led in stolen bases and runs scored.

Patricia Massaro ‘19, a pitcher and anchor for the team, powered through countless innings and games to bring over 70 strikeouts! She also ended the season as the second leader in RBIs. Shortstop Jazzmin Cox-Cáceres ‘19 led the team in hits as well as percentage of time on base and slugging.

After an outstanding overall season standing of 12 -2 (7-1 in regular season play and 3-0 in tournament season), the team successfully saw their dreams through to fruition.

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The championship team with their coaches Donna Stallworth, Jenni Ruiz, and Pamela Stanfield.

With an 8-1 win over Maret in the finals, they won the Independent School League (ISL) A Softball tournament!

The 2018 Championship Varsity Softball team (above) was a young team with just one graduating senior. Co-captains Jazzmin Cox-Cáceres ’19 and Trish Massaro ’19 will lead the the Mighty Hoppers this coming season. Trish announced, “We are all extremely excited and really determined to continue to bring in the wins this coming season.”

THE 2017-18 CHAMPIONSHIP VARSITY SOFTBALL TEAM: Sabrina Baheri ’20, Vidya Bhargava ’20, Anjali Bose ’20, Alani Cox-Cáceres ’21, Jazzmin Cox-Cáceres ’19, Alaina Gulino ’21, Miriam (Mimi) Koenig ’20, Patricia (Trish) Massaro ’19, Julia Pastreich ’20, Abigail (Abby) Perelman ’18, Katherine (Katie) Shambaugh ’19, Kaitlin (Kate) Strong ’20

CORY ROYSTER

FA S T F E E T A ND A F R E SH S TA R T

J U N I O R Z I YA H H O L M A N B R I N G S T H E C O M M U N I T Y T O G E T H E R W H I L E B R E A K I N G I T S RECORDS. HAS SHE EVEN HIT HER STRIDE YET?

Ziyah Holman ’20 was nervous.

When she’d been accepted at Georgetown Day School as a freshman, she thought she might play on the golf team or perhaps run track a bit. Then, like many new freshman, she learned her closest middle school friends were all going to different schools.

Within days though, she found her first real opportunity to be part of a team. It was a fresh start for Ziyah (pronounced with a long i).

“Before I came to GDS, I always thought that track was an individual sport. But that changes when you come here because everyone is just so supportive of you. You feel the need to give that energy back.”

She certainly has given that energy back the last two years, posting dazzling, record-breaking times in the 400m Dash (53.59s), 200m Dash (24.18s), and the 100m Dash (12.22s). Notably, Ziyah posted these top times at the biggest, toughest meets. Last spring, she took fifth place in the 400m Dash at the New Balance Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in North Carolina, earning the title of National Scholastic Athletics Foundation All-American.

A couple of hours before her race and in 95 degree heat––in true team fashion––she anchored the GDS Mighty Hoppers 4x400m relay team to the third fastest time in school history, even with an alternate subbing in for another of the team’s top sprinters. And the school record? They hold that, too. At the DC State Athletic Association (DCSAA) Championships, the team set not only the school record but also ran the fastest time of the year in all of DC: 3:58.45.

“She seems to rise to the occasion, time and again,” says head coach Anthony Belber, who has led the GDS outdoor track and cross-country athletes to six wins in six years at the DC State Athletic Association Championships.

“She is a fierce competitor who seems to find remarkable

strength just at the moment her competitors are starting to feel their fatigue or doubt their resolve. The better her competition, the better she races.”

When this two-time DCSAA MVP breaks a record or posts a time in the top 25 in the country, as she did at Nationals, Ziyah lifts her teammates to some of their best performances. “It’s inspiring to look over and see her working so hard next to me,” remarks senior Allison Burke ’19.

“Following Ziyah’s lead,” coach Belber says, “our sprinters are more invested in the team, training with greater intensity, and competing with more confidence.”

Case in point: the season Ziyah was selected to The Washington Post’s First Team All-Met was also the first season the GDS track team qualified for the Outdoor National Championships.

Last June, Ziyah was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for Girls’ Track and Field, an honor whose alumni include sprinting greats Lolo Jones and Allyson Felix.

The prestigious award recognizes not only “athletic excellence” but also “academic achievement and exemplary character.”

At the end of the day, “she is a joy to coach,” Anthony said. “She is accomplishing all her wonderful achievements because she loves what she does, whom she does it with, and the thrill that comes from challenging herself to be the best she can be.”

CORY ROYSTER

APRIL MELLODY

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Joy Edwards ‘27, Serena Perelman ‘27, and Oliver Edwards ‘30 soaked up some sun.

A WINNING DAY FOR HOPPER ATHLETICS!

A winning day from Hopper Athletics! Mighty Hopper superfans from all three divisions came out to watch as both Men’s and Women’s Varsity Soccer trounced their competition with 6-0 shutout victories. Women’s JV Volleyball defeated rival Sidwell (Varsity Volleyball had a hard-fought loss). The Cross Country teams “ran good” at the DC XC Invitational among a staggering 92 other teams.

Our High School cheering section was decked out in fan t-shirts courtesy of High School athletic director Kathy Hudson. Our youngest Hopper fans cheered their hearts out. In no time, they’ll be the next stars on our athletics fields, courts, and courses.

The GDS Fan Club lined the field on Sports Saturday...

...and filled the stands for volleyball.

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Young fans showed up to support the Mighty Hoppers.

Athletic Director Kathy Hudson and Trainer Veronica Ampey set up on the field for the day

Women’s Varsity Volleyball celebrate a great point.

Ben Howell ‘20 takes it to the goal in Men’s Varsity Soccer’s shutout win.

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ANDREW HERMAN ANDREW HERMAN

Ayana Curto ‘21 during the DC State Championship game.

Women’s Varsity Soccer celebrate their first win during the DC State tournament.

Co-Captain Danielle Soto ‘19 connects powerfully in the championship game.

W OM E N'S VA R SI T Y SOC C E R T H E G D S W O M E N ’ S V A R S I T Y S O C C E R T E A M

Captains Danielle Soto ‘19, Margaux Ameer ‘19, and Allison Burke ‘19 led this unified team even during warmups.

had a breakout season in Fall 2018 culminating in a great performance in the championship game of the DC State tournament! They were runners-up in the DC State tournament and finished 2nd in the ISL AA division for the season. The Washington Post named the team to the Top 10 in the DC area.

Huge congratulations to the team as well as appreciation for the leadership of the coaches (Katie Redmond, Head Coach, along with Assistant Coaches Julia Penn and Molly Redmond) and seniors (Margaux Ameer, Allison Burke, Emma Herman, Emma Leary, Annalise Myre, and Danielle Soto).

Athletic director Kathy Hudson proudly announced, “Thank you to all the students, faculty and parents who came out to support the Women’s Varsity Soccer team in the DC State Championship game. The team played a great game and came up just short, losing 2-1. They fought hard and it was exciting to the end.

Congratulations on an excellent season.”

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The Women’s Varsity Soccer team built unity on and off the field this fall.

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

ROYSTER PHOTOGRAPHY

CORY ROYSTER

CORY ROYSTER

CORY ROYSTER

M E N ’ S T R A C K T E A M finished third at the MAC championships.

I A N P A R T M A N ’ 2 0 finished 1st in the 300M hurdles and 2nd in the triple jump.

C A L E B S T U T M A N - S H A W ’ 2 0 finished 2nd in the 110M hurdles.

J A L E N F R I D A Y ’ 2 1 finished 2nd in 300M hurdles.

T H E M E N ’ S 4 X 4 0 0 R E L AY T E A M O F J A L E N F R I D AY ’ 2 1 , G A B E P E R E I R A ’ 1 9 ,

J A C O B G A B A ' 1 8 A N D J A C K R U D N I C K ’ 1 8 finished 3rd.

E V A N B R O W N ’ 1 8 was named Washington Post All-Met honorable mention.

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Around Campus JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

FA C U LT Y

T OGE T HE R W E L E A P

N E W L O W E R S C H O O L P R I N C I PA L K I M B E R LY B E C K I S A L L I N

New Lower School Principal Kimberly Beck had planned on being a fighter pilot in the Navy—Navy pilot, and then commercial pilot afterward. As a three-sport athlete in high school with a particular interest in graphic arts, she had no thoughts of being an educator.

Then, a trio of forces launched her in a new direction. First, her mother pointed out that her tendency to question everything might conflict with the duty to follow military orders unquestioningly. Her highly regarded, “best teacher I’ve ever had,” calculus teacher quietly questioned if she’d ever thought about teaching. And third, around that same time, young Kimberly had begun as a religion instructor, as well as started coaching soccer and basketball with elementary-aged players. “I caught the bug of being a coach and serving the community,” she said. “Once I make decisions, I’m all in.”

After receiving a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Reading and Language Arts, and two additional university certificates for extensive coursework in educational leadership, as well as serving as an elementary principal and an adjunct professor, Kimberly went on to become Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Ridgefield, Connecticut. “I loved the work I was doing—no doubt about it. I was overseeing teaching and learning, curriculum, and professional development for 600 faculty and 5,000 children. I was working with some of the best in the field, but I didn’t have my own students. I needed to be close to the kids again.”

At the same time, her family was planning a move to Washington, DC. She and her husband Marek Beck, also an

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educator, “were faced with finding a school for Zoe (8th) and Amelie (10th) that matched our beliefs and values as both parents AND educators. And in our quest, we happened upon a school whose mission spoke to us of integrity, worth, diversity, challenge, wonder, self-reliance, and, above all, a love a learning. A school that described being on a journey toward the remarkable...So like many of you, I found GDS as a parent first.”

Now as our new principal, she’s bearing witness to the ways GDS lives it mission from a leadership perspective as well. As she gets to know the School, she’s committed to honoring and valuing “all that makes GDS special,” even as she helps prepare the School for incredible change.

SEEN AND VALUED

When three 2nd grade poets visited her office recently to share a collaborative—hilarious—poem they had written about their love of trees, Kimberly was inspired by their creativity and their tenacity.

“I loved that they came here, entered comfortably, and performed their poem,” Kimberly said. “That is exactly how I want them to see me. It’s important that a visit to the principal not be something negative. I’m so glad they see me as someone who is incredibly interested in their lives, gets excited with them, holds their hand when they need that, and makes them feel safe and secure.”

Second grade teacher Mandy Kimlick wrote afterwards, “Thank you so much for letting the kids crash your meeting.

It meant so much to them. They all returned to the classroom with stars in their eyes.”

PSA co-chair and GDS Parent Katie Wood—Sabine (4th), Lucille (2nd), and Eloise (K)—described overhearing a conversation between her three children. She said, “I loved hearing them talk about how Kimberly already seemed to know everyone and everyone’s names in the first weeks of school. Kimberly made them all feel seen and known in such a short period of time in what is often a chaotic time of year.”

OUR BEST SELVES

Kimberly has also been inspired by the multidimensionality of the teaching staff, noting how tremendous it’s been to “join a place with faculty that has such a depth to their professional knowledge as well as their expertise both inside and outside of teaching, which enhances the work they do in the classroom.”

Kimberly outlined her philosophy of leadership: “I feel proud to be amongst this faculty. My aim, humbly, is to clear the path for my colleagues’ greatness to come out. I see

that my job is to create the conditions for everyone to be their best selves, to ensure that the various dimensions of our humanity and uniqueness are included in all that we do in the Lower School. That’s what I set out to do every single day.”

Pre-K/K teacher Nichelle Dowell appreciates how Kimberly communicates the message that “we are all in this together.” “I consistently feel like she wants to meet families, students, and faculty where they are and partner in places where we can enhance the experience for children.”

AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY

As Kimberly works to prepare the LS for the big move to Davenport Street in 2020, she remains focused on the dayto-day experience of our LS students. “At the Lower School we think of our work as launching lives that matter. We are the foundation for all that is to come. It is an awesome responsibility and one that I take very seriously.”

LET’S GET IT RIGHT In the High School library on a warm afternoon in October, dozens of math teachers from across the DMV were deep in conversation. United in a common goal, they were using their shared experience as math teachers to tackle an issue of great weight: how to ensure all of our students— especially girls and students of color—are thriving in math.

The GDS Math Task Force, with support from the GDS DEI office, launched “Let’s Get it Right,” which recognizes that collective action looking to disrupt inequity in math education is attainable within the independent school world.

“As independent schools, we have the ability to take control of these issues quickly; we can be nimble and test things out in the classroom on a regular basis,” said LS math teacher Luisa Myavec.

“Given GDS’s history, this program just made sense,” said Luisa. “GDS doesn’t have it all figured out, and while we’re making strides in this area (particularly around classroom practices and assessments), it’s ongoing work. It’s this collaborative approach that makes all the difference.”

“Let’s Get it Right” will meet two more times this year.

Guest speakers present specialized content, for instance, on implicit bias, followed by workshops and brainstorming sessions on ways teachers can make strategic changes in the classroom. Teams from each school set goals for their own progress in building strong math communities and supporting girls and students of color. At the most recent meeting, educators discussed math identities, and how to help students build self-esteem around math, push them outside of their comfort zones, and build resilience.

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JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

ALL OF OUR WORK

Marlo Thomas: Presence and Depth 10 Rounds with New Director of Diversity and Equity

KNOCKOUT BOXING

Five nights per week, Marlo Thomas went to Knockout Fitness on Baltimore’s Light Street, not far from Roland Park Country School where she served as Director of Diversity and Equity Education. It wasn’t just the exercise, the boxing, or the atmosphere—though those were treasured—it was also the community. “I would go in and feel an important sense of personal investment in my wellbeing, and at the same time, others were pushing me and supporting me along the way. I feel, even as I describe what it meant to me, the strong parallel with what happens here at GDS.”

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

“When I came to GDS, one of my first letters to the community included the African proverb, ‘it takes an entire village to raise a child.’ That is what it requires day in and day out for each individual. Each of us is wrapping ourselves around one another and seeing each other through our differences, ensuring a sense of belonging for all members of our community. Speaking from a place of gratitude, the team support from Crissy Cáceres, Campbell [Keyser] and Lakaya [Renfrow] is something I know other schools and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices do not have. I’m tremendously grateful that we are able to strategize around our challenges as a team.”

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In addition to her time at Roland Park, Marlo brings nine years experience as Director at Good Shepherd Services in Baltimore, supervising programs for and working directly with marginalized adolescents and those with special needs. Marlo is quick to remind us what is at stake should we conflate DEI work with programs for marginalized groups. “One of my greatest hopes is that we get to a space where we see it is all of our work. That’s one thing I see as a strength of GDS—and still, I don’t want us to become complacent. So many individuals within our faculty, parent, and student constituencies stand out as especially passionate about this work.”

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

“You don’t find this hub in many other schools,” Marlo says of the DEI Office. “I told Campbell and Lakaya that I want my first Hopper Effect blog post to be titled ‘Home Away From Home’ because of how so many students navigate into this space between classes, checking in before they head on to the next place. It’s another way GDS has been intentional in prioritizing the needs of each community member. We are creating the physical spaces that embrace students and allow them to be connected.”

LIVING ITS MISSION

“I remember the first thing I saw when I walked in the door,” Marlo said, recalling her two-day visit to GDS as a candidate. “I looked up in the High School forum and saw a Black Lives Matter banner displayed. For me, as an educator of color, it was the first thing that spoke to me and told me this is a school that was living its mission, certainly about academic rigor and also the connection to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. I hope that faculty, parents, and students see me not only as a resource but also a partner in furthering their professional, personal, and familial development as it relates to this journey.”

PRESENCE AND DEPTH

“Marlo’s grounded presence, warmth, skill, and knowledge were all richly evident in her time with us,” Head of School Russell Shaw wrote to parents and faculty about her candidate visit. Assistant Head of School for Learning and Curriculum Laura Yee said, “It’s extremely rare to work with someone who is so knowledgeable about multiple layers of DEI work, who also has the capacity to engage those around her in meaningful and authentic interaction. She models what diversity work is really about—generosity of heart, willingness to remain curious, and an unfailing commitment to creating a more equitable community.”

FOLLOW-THROUGH

“Marlo has been thoughtful and decisive in her followthrough,” said Lower/Middle School music teacher John Barnes. “When the Faculty GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) met, Marlo was so receptive to hearing what we had on our minds. We raised a concern that two restrooms had been overlooked when GDS changed all our restrooms over from single-gender to all-gender. Marlo made sure they were changed by the end of the week.” John also described how valuable it has been to have a diversity director available to help planning tough lessons. This fall, she helped the 6th grade team plan a lesson about appropriate—not appropriating—Halloween costumes.

BASKETBALL STANDOUT

At West Virginia University, Marlo was a standout Division 1 basketball player. Despite a knee injury, she was two-time captain who advocated for Title IX rights and equitable treatment of the Women’s Basketball team during her time at WVU.

AT THE BEDROCK OF OUR GDS IDENTITY

“Marlo brings a special combination of expertise and heart,” explained Christy Pichichero, mother of Cléa Escourrou ‘30 and chair of the PSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. “She is already making an impact in furthering the school’s mission within the parent community.

Collaborating with PSA and parent affinity group leadership, she played an integral role in facilitating the restructuring of parent affinity groups, whose membership is now growing.

She has also led the DEI in planning a very exciting lineup of events that specifically aim to engage parents. She is helping parents to learn about some of the most cuttingedge studies, vocabulary, and practices, allowing us to gain experience and knowledge akin to those that our children are getting at GDS.”

FAMILY

Marlo is one of four siblings, and working in DC has brought Marlo closer to one of her sisters. She is also the mother of Iman ’26 and Montez ’20. She described the privilege of experiencing GDS not only as a senior member of the leadership team, but also as a parent: “To hear from my daughter on a Sunday that she wishes it were Monday so she could be back at school and seeing how much my children enjoy their teachers—I see that those things I desire for all members of the GDS community are also true for my two children, as they walk in the door of the School...and when they want to stay longer at the end of the day.”

WELCOMING SCHOOLS During the fall 2018 in-service professional development training, Lower School faculty engaged in their second session led by Michele Hatchel from Welcoming Schools, a project of the Human Rights Campaign committed to helping elementary schools create environments that are welcoming and safe for all families.

Staff left the afternoon session with tools for supporting our LGBTQ students and families on their individual journeys by first learning the most up-to-date policies and best practices for schools and then by role-playing through various scenarios.

“One of the striking things we learned is that best practices around supporting LGBTQ students has changed rapidly,” said LS assistant principal Denise Jones. “For instance, this was a good reminder to us that students have a right to move through our school without any label—their bodies are private.”

Denise said that means it’s up to the staff to ensure that our school community communicates well about things like students using the bathrooms of their affirmed gender so that all students experience a welcoming community. “Our goal is to continue to build an environment where, whether we know if a student is transitioning or not, it’s safe for everyone to be themselves.”

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UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN HS Studio Art Chair Michelle Cobb took up an artist’s residency in Italy in July 2018.

This summer, Michelle René Cobb stood en plein air beneath the broiling Tuscan sun. In the two years it took to schedule her time as artist in residence at Borgo Santo Pietro, she could not have anticipated that Italy would bake its way through the hottest July in 200 years. For 12 hours each day, she worked––especially beside a Giverny-inspired lily pond––honing her craft.

“I felt a strong obligation to use this opportunity to move myself forward as an artist,” Michelle explained. “It was extremely beautiful, but also isolating. I missed having other artists to talk to. Still it was a truly productive and inspiring experience.”

At the encouragement of a GDS family, Michelle applied for this unique opportunity in competition with dozens of other, mostly European, artists. In month-long residencies, a selected artist (who is put-up in a small apartment in a neighboring town) paints on the grounds of the luxury villa and gardens, while also teaching occasional painting classes to guests.

Each morning, Michelle woke early, practiced yoga, rode her bike to the villa gardens, and began painting by 8:30 a.m.

Although Michelle was the only artist-in-residence, she did have contact with other artists, via old “technology” and new.

Once the sun set and Michelle had to call it a day, she spent more hours researching and studying techniques of the old masters. In particular, she read Walter Isaacson’s biography Leonardo da Vinci.

And for the new technology? Michelle shared some dialogue with Georgetown Day School students and alumni about her work in-progress through her posts on Instagram. Upon seeing Michelle’s posts, Savannah Wade ’17 wrote, “I haven’t seen your paintings the way I see them now...just wow.”

“It’s amazing when you’re given the gift of time,” Michelle said. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard on my painting. I didn’t know I was capable of working those kinds of hours.”

Without the distractions she’s used to as a teacher that can provide an escape from a tricky painting, Michelle found she needed to do more than simply reflect on her practice. “I was able to focus on my growth as an artist, as I do with my students,” she said. “That meant changing the way I approached my work.”

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The old phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants,” a favorite of Michelle’s, served as a guide. “It’s important to study the old masters and incorporate their techniques into your work,” she said.

In reading Isaacson’s book on da Vinci, she came to recognize how meticulous observation could fall flat if not for imagination. He wrote: “Skill without imagination is barren. Leonardo knew how to marry observation and imagination, which made him history’s consummate innovator.” Michelle worked to add more abstractions into her work, exploring aerial perspective––another da Vinci invention in which distant objects appear more abstract and affected by a blue tint––and fractal lighting.

The beautiful landscapes her residency afforded invited challenge and plenty of opportunities to explore those techniques. “A lot of the vegetation was new to me,” she explained. “I spent time exploring the water lilies in particular.” The water lilies were nestled beneath a small bridge and received some well-deserved obsessive observation from Michelle. Still her teacher brain remained alert. “I was constantly thinking about how to bring my learning back to my students.”

Working “under the Tuscan sun” meant Michelle took on both the intense heat and the intense colors of her surroundings. Not only was the lavender in bloom, but she was often working on two or three paintings at once because she needed to move as the sun moved. In most positions, she was able to get about three hours of shade.

It was critical that she be able to move to the shade without disturbing the perspective of a particular scene.

The final two challenges were on the teaching side of the time at Borgo Santo Pietro: the duration of instruction and the language. “I’m used to teaching on a long-term basis, in which I’ll guide a student’s growth over the course of a year. During my residency, I had to to make the sessions fun and teach them something valuable in just a single two-hour session.” More than half of the lessons Michelle gave were not in English. She was not able to rely upon language or her writings. Instead, she had to rely much more upon demonstration (and an occasional Google Translate lifeline).

Michelle returned to Washington, DC via stops in Florence, Venice, Rome, and Casablanca to see some of the old masters’ works in person. An award-winning master in her own right, Michelle is currently teaching weekend courses in plein air painting through the Smithsonian.

Back at Georgetown Day School, students can expect to experience transformative growth in their skills as observers and, thanks to Michelle’s work this summer, a healthy splash of imagination, too.

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Around Campus MEET THE BOARD

MEET THE TRUSTEES GDS is fortunate to have a diverse, distinctive, and engaged Board of Trustees working in partnership with our administration to ensure the short and long-term financial health of the School and to safeguard the School’s founding purpose as a racially and religiously inclusive school whose educational philosophy derives from the belief that diversity is the ground out of which great learning grows.

We are pleased to announce the addition of three new Board members for the 2018-19 school year. Each spring, trustees are elected for a regular term of three years. Board members may serve two consecutive (full or partial) terms up to a maximum of six years. These individuals join an active Board focused on strategic planning, campus planning, and financial goal-setting. For more information about other members of our board, go to www.GDS.org/Board.

AISHA BOND ‘93

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

An alum and current parent to Nande ’23, Jhet ’25, and Kamau ’29, Aisha Bond ‘93 said, “It was inevitable that when given the opportunity, I would send my own children to GDS,” as she remembers how much GDS meant to her. “I attended GDS for four seemingly short years, but the impact those years have had and continues to have on my life is truly amazing.”

After having served as a room parent, co-chair of the Middle School, and an admissions parent ambassador, Aisha “looks forward to a new chapter of service, knowing that the work ahead will be as challenging as ever, but as important as ever...I believe the most important work is to retain our core values and beliefs while reframing the models and methods within which we thrive.”

Currently, Aisha is the executive director of North Capitol Main Street, a nonprofit organization working to facilitate neighborhood commercial revitalization along the North Capitol Corridor of Washington, DC by stimulating and

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promoting small, local, and minorityowned businesses.

After majoring in political science at Spelman College with a focus on civil unrest in southern African countries, Aisha continued to concentrate on international business law and alternative dispute resolution at Georgetown University Law Center. She has clerked in the D.C. Superior Court under Judge Kaye K. Christian, started a solo practice in estate planning and small business development, served “of counsel” in a colleague’s solo family practice, and taught at Georgetown Law Center and the University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clark School of Law. She is also the co-founder of the Lotus Institute of Law, a nonprofit focused on restoring public faith in the court system and governance.

Aisha currently serves on the Facilities Master Planning Committee and Governance Committee.

ELIZABETH WESTFALL

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

“For the past six years, Scott [Wiener] and I have witnessed GDS’s transformative impact on our children in many dimensions,” said Elizabeth Westfall, referencing their three children Nathaniel ’19, Benji ’21, and Hannah ’25. “When a debate at our dinner table becomes spirited, we watch with amazement when our children refine their arguments, questions their own assumptions, or even occasionally admit that their parents might have a point...Throughout, we sense GDS’s influence on our children, and ourselves, and are grateful.”

As a new member of the Board this year, Elizabeth cherishes what makes GDS special and looks forward to supporting GDS in its upcoming important work: “with ground broken on the unified campus, the School will make decisions in the short-term that will affect generations of students to come.”

Elizabeth is a deputy chief of the Disability Rights Section in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, combatting discrimination against people with opioid use disorder who are in treatment or recovery. She started with the Civil Rights Division as a trial attorney in the Voting Section, where she served as lead attorney in challenges to Texas’ photo voter identification law under the Voting Rights Act. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Elizabeth directed the voter protection program at Advancement Project.

Elizabeth started her legal career as an associate at the law firm now known as WilmerHale. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Carleton College, Elizabeth is a native of Lexington, Massachusetts.

Elizabeth serves on the Diversity Committee and Governance Committee.

SIMON JOHNSON In discussing his reasons for joining the Board, Simon reflected on the various schools he has experienced in his life.

Some emphasized academics over all else; others focused on individual freedom and finding one’s own way. One attracted bright students who knew the value of working with others. GDS, according to Simon, is a school that unites all these priorities: “GDS is teaching not just math and science at a high level, but also everything else that our kids need to succeed in the modern world.”

Parent to Celia ’21 and Lucie (at Norwood School), Simon is honored to join the GDS Board. “GDS has the values, the people, and the DNA to prosper and to share prosperity in the decades to come,” he said.

Simon currently serves as the Ronald A. Kurtz professor of entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he is also head of the Global Economics and Management group and chair of the Sloan Fellows MBA Program Committee.

He co-founded and currently leads the popular Global Entrepreneurship Lab (GLAB) course; over the past 18 years, MBA students in GLAB have worked on more than 500 projects with start-up companies around the world.

Simon is also a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC, and a member since inception of the FDIC’s Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee.

He is also a member of the independent Systemic Risk Council. He was previously (2007-08) chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.

Simon holds a BA in economics and politics from the University of Oxford, an MA in economics from the University of Manchester, and a PhD in economics from MIT. He currently serves on the Finance Committee, the Investment Advisory Committee, and the Facilities Master Planning Committee.

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OF GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL

BY KEVIN BARR, ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in.’

‘I should have called it Something you somehow haven’t to deserve.’

– Robert Frost “Death of the Hired Man”

Given that in two years, our Lower/Middle School will open in a new location, an article about the various “homes” GDS has occupied seems appropriate. Any article about Georgetown Day School, though, needs to start with an explanation of our name and how it is that a school called Georgetown Day School has, in fact, never been located in Georgetown. Back in 1945 when the school opened, some of our founding parents lived in Georgetown and thought they had a lease on some property there, so when the time came to sign the papers incorporating the School, they chose the name Georgetown Day School. Unfortunately, the lease didn’t come through, but the name stuck.

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GRASSLANDS

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The first home of GDS was located in a row house at 13th and G Place, NW. Philleo Nash, a founding parent and first president of the Board, described it this way, “It was a marvelous old residence, but a terrible place for a children’s school, right in the middle of a downtown urban area with shooting galleries and everything else around.” At another point, Philleo described the ‘everything else’ as “pinball clubs and whorehouses.”

On the very first day, local artist Dante Radice, who had a studio across the street and who later became our first studio arts teacher, paid a visit to the school to inquire of Aggie O’Neil, the founding head, what was going on. Aggie gaily announced that she was opening a new school and calling it Georgetown Day School. Dante’s only response was, “Lady, this is a long way from Georgetown.” In an interview some years later, Dante noted, “I thought Aggie was out of her mind, opening up a kids’ school in that block, but then the idea really appealed to me. I thought this was great, you know that someone would have the courage to do a school there.”

G PLACE

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Not everyone was thrilled with the idea of an integrated school opening up in what was then a segregated city, controlled by the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, which was overseen by Senator Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi, an avowed white supremacist and proud member of the KKK. Edith Nash, Philleo’s wife and the second Head of School reported, we “thought that we would be in serious trouble with the authorities. But when the inspector came and he looked all over and the kindergarten kids were lying on just blankets on the floor instead of cots, and a few other things that were obviously violations, he overlooked them all. Then when he left he said, ‘I think you’re doing a wonderful thing here.’”

After a year downtown, GDS moved to Grasslands, a rambling old mansion which sat on ten acres on the site now occupied

by NBC studios. Russell likes to tell the story of the first day Philleo and Aggie went to visit the building, only to discover that they were locked out and the realtor had forgotten to leave a key. Never one to be daunted, Aggie just looked the building over, until she found a window she could jimmy open.

After climbing through, Aggie proceeded to make her way to the front door, where, upon opening it, she said loudly and proudly, “Welcome to Georgetown Day School.”

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GRASSLANDS

For those first students, Grasslands was truly magical. For ceramics classes, the kids could go outside and dig clay from the ground and bring it back to the art room. Kline Price, an African-American student, remembered his time at Grasslands fondly. GDS was, Kline said, “my first contact with whites. It was a really warm and wonderful relationship. Completely different from the outside, it was a protective environment.

Once you walked down that road [to the school], you were in another world.”

Mike Seeger, Pete Seeger’s half-brother, went to GDS and Pete was a frequent visitor. Apparently, the mansion was a little rickety, and the adults, Pete among them, were often assigned the task of keeping the boiler filled with water, “so it would not blow up.” Richard Mason, a Board member, recalled that “the door used to blow off.” While the boiler might have been problematic, the house did have some architectural advantages. As Dante put it, “This was a building where the kids could go right out the windows; all they had to do was open the bottom part of the window and jump. It was marvelous for fire drills. We could empty that building in 20 seconds.”

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FIRST MACARTHUR BOULEVARD HOME As GDS did not own Grasslands, in 1955 it bought its first piece of property and moved to 5005 Boulevard MacArthur Boulevard (at the corner of MacArthur and Chain Bridge Road; now a small housing development). Close to Battery Kemble Park and the Potomac River, the area provided enough outdoor play space, so that the students didn’t lament the loss of Grasslands too, too much.

At 5005, we had a separate building for the kindergarteners, presided over by the inimitable Mrs. K. (Jessie Klein), who was the only GDS teacher in all our history, other than Mrs. Perlman (Miss Manners’ mother), who was not called by her first name. The Kindergarten was situated on a spot known as Schoolhouse Hill, down the slopes of which the students could and did slide on something called “the rocket ride” built of scraps of wood and old shipping cases that allowed the children to careen breathlessly and foolishly downhill.

At 5005, Aggie’s willingness to experiment came to the fore. Gladys Stern, our third Head of School noted, “Aggie always cared more about substance than form. We were always willing to try new methods and new ways to reach all the children. When people talk about going into ‘open classrooms’ and ‘closed classrooms,’ Aggie pioneered those methods. She pioneered split scheduling so you could work with a small group while the others went to art, sports, music, and drama.”

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4530 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD

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Not surprisingly, our first “permanent” home on MacArthur Blvd. proved to be too small to house the growing school. In 1965, we moved to the present site of the Lower/Middle School. At this point, GDS was still an elementary and middle school, plus a very small 9th grade. The Washington Post reported:

The

new 16-classroom building is designed to match the educational philosophy of Georgetown Day, which will begin classes for 275 students in the new building next month. On a tour of the place recently, Edith Nash, the director explained: ‘It’s a place to explore and use.’

The school’s premise is that good teaching is the art of bringing the student to knowledge, not vice versa.

This idea in reflected in the informal, almost residential, character of the school.

In an article the following year, The Washington Post remarked, “A stranger walking in and out of classrooms seems to disturb no one; one has the feeling that they regard an adult as a friend. There is a complete absence of self-consciousness among the children. The atmosphere is exciting.”

4530 MacArthur Boulevard has undergone numerous facelifts, renovations, and expansions in our 53 years there. The playgrounds, for example, are much improved. In my Lower School office, I have a picture of the original structure, a house of sorts (to the left), on which the kids used to play. If you look carefully at the photograph, you will notice a good bit of mold and rot at the bottom of the “house.” One day it simply tumbled down. Luckily no one was hurt, very much; it made for a good story, and opened up space for our first Big Toy. The current Black Box was originally known as the Big Room, which it wasn’t, and served as both the theater and the gym, although it wasn’t quite big enough for either task. Over time we added the Middle School wing and the gymnasium and retrofitted the Big Room. As well as 4530 has served us, designwise the essential structure is very much a product of its time. Small rooms are located on either side of long corridors— corridors which have no utilitarian value except to serve as passageways to the rooms.

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KEEGAN’S HARDWARE In 1969, the decision to start a high school necessitated a new home, once again. Joel Buchwald ‘72, a member of the first high school class to graduate from GDS and a current GDS parent, remembered it this way, “When the High School began in 1970, space was at a premium. Our 10th grade classes took place in the gym. They divided the gym into several rooms by hanging these really long, dark, and heavy curtains from the rafters in order to create classrooms. The following year, the school rented space from what was once a hardware store several blocks up the street. We’d spend several parts of our day walking back and forth between the school and the hardware store. We attended literature class next to where the hammers and wrenches used to be.”

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MOUNT VERNON COLLEGE As Joel recalled, “the hardware store and the gym were not longterm solutions, so a new place was found, and in typical GDS fashion, our new home turned out to be at an all-girls junior college.

The funny thing about Mount Vernon Junior College for Women was that we never seemed to see any college students. Our building was in a corner of the property, surrounded by extremely large playing fields, and we were as isolated as if we had been surrounded by a fence. We had fun because we had free rein—neither the teachers nor the administrators seemed to have much of an idea of how we should behave. We were the inaugural class with no upperclassmen to lead the way. My father, Art Buchwald, once joked, ‘My kids were happy. They didn’t even think of GDS as a school… what good is a child if he doesn’t hate his school?’”

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4880 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD

After a few years, the High School found a more secure location and moved back to MacArthur Boulevard to 4880, the site now occupied by the River School. It is at this point in the GDS story that yours truly enters the picture. Those of us who spent our formative years at 4880, both the staff and the students alike, remember the building with great fondness. The building and what went on in it were very much a product of their time.

We had a smoking room, which was mostly, but not exclusively, used by the students. There was also something known fondly as the trench that lined the student lounge. The trench was about two feet deep and two feet wide. The older boys thought it was fun to stuff trash and freshmen in said trench. Eventually we acquired the apartment building next door and built a glassed-in bridge to connect the two buildings. We also built a gym at the back end of the original building, which was not exactly regulation size. In a nod towards good health, we moved the smoking room to the outdoors where students and Frank Loennig, the then High School principal, would take their daily smoke.

Despite the somewhat ungainly character of the place, the academics were first rate, as we were young enough and nimble enough to, in the words of Melville’s Ishmael, “try all things and achieve what we [could].” In those first years, we faculty felt free to experiment. There was a Senior Studies Department headed up by founding teacher and universal heartthrob Mike Kirchberg. Seniors spent the last six weeks of their senior year pursuing an activity or internship that spoke to them.

Students worked on reservations, built and learned how to play a guitar, and one even managed to get a placement with the Merchant Marines. At the end of the six weeks, the seniors returned to tell the tale of their adventures.

4200 DAVENPORT STREET

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By the mid-80’s, “the baby,” as former Assistant Head of School Walter Ailes once put it, “had outgrown its crib.” GDS’s High School had grown in size and popularity. The student population had more than doubled since moving into 4880. To say the High School was bursting at the seams would be an understatement, and the hunt was on once again for a new home.

For those Hoppers who had spent time at 4880, the idea that we would find ourselves on a five-acre campus with more than enough room for an actual playing field, space for a regulation-sized gym, and a Black Box, to say nothing of adequate classroom space, seemed a dream come true. The design of the new High School, however, was not without controversy.

An article in The Washington Post noted:

It doesn’t look like much from the street, but at the end of the road there’s a punchy surprise.

The new high school of the Georgetown Day School, besides being a splendid facility for its 400 fortunate students, is a hard, invigorating addition to area architecture. In form it’s your basic, no-nonsense box, but in spirit it’s a building that unashamedly wants to be remembered, an economy package wrapped in patterned masonry. The pattern is a weave of square bricks, tan with white intervals, that begins at the base of the building along 42nd Street NW—unmistakably its rear end—and continues along the sides before erupting with optical pop on the bowed front facade. This is a fine building. The front, once one gets to it, works splendidly. From the public point of view, however, the best thing about this building is that decisive patterning of the main facade—it makes something special out of nothing much. There’s a certain clear-headed poetry at work here, in the way this building transcends ordinariness even while celebrating it.

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The night The Washington Post article appeared, I happened to be at the movies, where a man in the row in front of me was going on and on about how ugly the building was, how wrongheaded the article was, and how no one associated with the school could stomach the “decisive patterning,” which he referred to as “measles.” In a classic Woody Allen move, I tapped the gentleman on the shoulder to tell him that I worked at the school and actually all of us at the school loved the building. He just grunted.

In 1996 when Peter Branch became the fourth Head of School, he was handed a list of 27 goals. At the top of the list was the expansion of both the Lower/Middle School and the High School. At the High School, Peter doubled the footprint. Marc Fisher, GDS parent and secretary of the Board of Trustees at the time, remarked, “Those who worked most closely with Peter in designing the two building projects were struck by how often and how deeply he dove into the blueprints to better align the architect’s plans with his concept of how physical spaces best supported progressive education.”

New performance spaces, vastly improved athletic facilities, first-class labs, a student forum large enough to accommodate the entire student body—these were just some of the changes wrought by Peter. For a time, the two-story hole which was dug beneath the field at the High School was the deepest construction hole in DC.

9 Now, after almost 50 years of being separated, the Lower/Middle School and the High School will reside on the same site. If the original dream of finding a site back in the mid-80’s large enough to accommodate the High School seemed far fetched, the possibility that two properties contiguous to the High School would be for sale at this point in time seemed even more ephemeral. Yet, here we are!

Since 1945, when Aggie O’Neil first opened the door to G place, each of our Heads has contributed to the continual renewal of GDS as a place and as an idea. Aggie gave us Grasslands and 5005 MacArthur Boulevard; Edith, 4530 MacArthur Boulevard; Gladys, 4880 MacArthur Boulevard and the original High School building at 4200 Davenport. Peter expanded both buildings with a keen eye to the need to have spaces that fulfilled their educational purposes, even while working within the constraints of already established structures. Russell’s gift to GDS will be a combined campus, with a Lower/Middle School that works not just for today’s students but for students 20, 30, and 50 years hence.

When we open the combined campus in 2020, it will be a celebration not just of a building, but of an idea. Our founding parents envisioned a “racially and religiously inclusive school with a global perspective that government workers can afford.” Russell and the current Board, by making financial sustainability and financial aid a central element in the One Campus. One GDS. campaign, will bring us closer to that original promise.

The belief that all children deserve the best possible education regardless of their race, their religion, their country of origin, their family structure, or their economic status and that those very attributes are the ground out of which deep and complex learning grows remains as vital and as necessary today as it did in 1945.

And to all those students, parents, and staff that have scattered over the years, I say, “Come home, Hoppers.” A new front door is swinging open to welcome you.

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A PLACE OF PURPOSE A U N I F I E D G E O R G E T O W N D AY S C H O O L In Fall 2020, Georgetown Day School will open the doors to a whole new school—a unified school, with grades pre-kindergarten through twelve residing at one address—lifting the GDS idea into the future.

Seventy-five years in the making, our students—in Lower, Middle, and High School—will share more than a plot of land.

The entirety of GDS will share one experience, with opportunities for mentorship, shared use of new spaces, greater crossdivisional support, and more frequent and accessible all-school celebrations.

THE COMMONS

We know that in the future, our biggest challenges won’t be solved by brilliant individuals, toiling in isolation. Making a difference will require engaging with a multicultural society and a globalized world.

Using extensive research and harnessing the latest academic findings, we have designed innovative curriculum and classrooms that nurture collaborators and that teach the art of collective problem solving.

The center of daily life will be our Academies—classrooms that have porous borders and are clustered by grade to foster collaboration.

Over a space of a day, students will shift from the Academies to Learning Commons—a place for collaboration, for conversation, for community—and back again.

Students will move fluidly between highly-integrated indoor and outdoor learning spaces. There will be 41,000 square feet of outdoor learning space—a model of clever, subtle design—devoted to environmental education and collaborative learning experiences.

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Through purposeful design, the new campus will deepen the connections between families, faculty, alumni, and students— celebrating our vibrant and diverse community. In addition to the Commons, there are multiple purposeful spaces for gathering, including the sun-filled welcome lobby, which is adjacent to the library. The library will be more than 1,000 square feet larger than the existing LMS library, with thousands of books and interactive spaces.

THE LOBBY

Community extends outside the classroom. Our new dining hall, for grades 1-8, will provide a central mid-day gathering point focused on breaking bread together. A “grab and go” option will also be available for High School students. Our kitchens and dining hall will tend with care to the nutritional and food safety needs of our students and staff. We look forward to the many opportunities to connect that will come with shared mealtimes.

The next 18 months will see the site on Davenport Street go from being a (very deep) hole in the ground to our brand new campus, thanks to DAVIS Construction and the generosity of our GDS community. During that time, dozens of individuals will continue to work out the details for what will be going on inside the building, from the student artwork on the walls to our students’ daily schedules. Changes will abound. But GDS will remain the School founded as a Place of Purpose.

DINING

Thanks to Frank Foer ‘92 for contributing to this story.

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KENT MEISTER PHOTOGRAPHY

THE AMERICANS BY JEFF NEWMANN, COPYRIGHT FX NETWORKS

SOME THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT Kelly AuCoin’s ‘85 Fascinating Life

The following screenplay is fictionalized but contains only actual statements from interviews with Kelly AuCoin ’85, Ben Mankiewicz ’85, and GDS science teacher Bill George and teacher/coach Harold McNeill.

KELLY AUCOIN (loudly into phone) You were one of my greatest mentors in theater, you know.

A science teacher! You and Laura together are a huge reason I had the courage to become an actor — that I even had the courage to acquire the skills to become an actor!

Fade up Exterior city street, set of Showtime’s Billions

His phone buzzes call waiting, ID shows Johanna Pfaelzer ’86.

Kelly AuCoin ’85 — 51 yrs old, athletic, bald-headed — revs a blue minivan and T-bones a red Porsche. He backs up the van, then pummels the sportscar again. And again. We see Kelly raging and laughing delightedly from inside the minivan. He flips off cast member Stephen Kunken who screams helplessly from the curb.

STEPHEN KUNKEN What the **** are you doing?!

Cut!

DIRECTOR MATT SHAKMAN

Kelly exits the minivan, dropping the volatile anger that the role of ‘Dollar’ Bill Stearn demands.

KELLY AUCOIN (to Stephen) Man, that was so weirdly cathartic! I would hate this guy if I met him in real life, but I LOVE playing him.

Camera follows Kelly who pulls off his light jacket as he walks offset, revealing a long-sleeved Portland Trail Blazers jersey. He tosses the jacket as he exits the soundstage door into…

KELLY AUCOIN CONT’D (loudly into phone) Hang on, Bill!

Kelly swaps calls.

KELLY AUCOIN CONT’D (loudly into phone) Johanna! Huge congrats!

The crowd roars. Kelly listens into his phone, but Johanna is inaudible over the noise.

KELLY AUCOIN CONT’D (loudly into phone) Yeah, I’m at the game! We’ll talk later!

KELLY AUCOIN (loudly to random fan) That’s my fellow GDS High School theatre buddy! She was just named Artistic Director of the Berkeley Repertory!

The Fan looks puzzled. Kelly’s phone shows call failed. Kelly tosses the phone over his shoulder. Exits soundstage door onto…

Exterior NYC street ­— night

Interior basketball arena — crowded

Kelly shakes Bill George’s hand.

Kelly rages delightedly as his Trail Blazers sink a three. His phone rings.

BILL GEORGE Sublime and sensitive performance! It was outstanding.

Most endearing to me was your professionalism. Such exceptional talent and yet you are a humble actor, supportive and generous to your fellow actors on stage.

KELLY AUCOIN (loudly into phone) Bill! You’ll come to NY City Center to see Of Good Stock?

Wouldn’t miss it!

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BILL GEORGE (O.S.)

Kelly buckles on a bike helmet, pushes off on his bike. Camera follows.

Bill calls after.

BILL GEORGE (fatherly) Call to let me know you’ve made it back home to Brooklyn safely!

KELLY AUCOIN (to Harold) We forfeited the game?

Kelly turns a corner sharply into...

HAROLD MCNEILL (turning in the doorway) Some things are more important.

Interior Apartment kitchen — same night

The group steps through the gym doors into…

Kelly leans bike against counter, picks up cordless phone.

Interior Turner classic movies soundstage lit by open door

Made it home, Bill.

KELLY AUCOIN

Only Ben and Kelly remain. Kelly pulls off the wig and pulls on his light jacket from a stool. They sit as Ben prepares to host TCM.

BILL GEORGE (O.S.) Thanks for calling. You’ve made it, Kelly — prophecy fulfilled: Broadway, off-Broadway, film, TV…

BEN MANKIEWICZ Remember how Harold and Gladys Stern brokered that meeting with the opposing team?

Kelly walks along hallway, talking into the phone. As he walks, we see him in posters on the wall as Pastor Tim on The Americans, as Octavius in the Broadway revival of Julius Caesar opposite twotime Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington, with Johanna Pfaelzer ’86, now artistic director of the Berkeley Repertory, acting in a summer performance with the NY Stage and Film, and with Salma Hayek and Alec Baldwin in the movie Drunk Parents.

KELLY AUCOIN They got a mediator, too. Never let the matter lie. Harold had a huge part to play.

KELLY AUCOIN One thing I look back on and appreciate at GDS — that you exemplified — was this great liberal arts model that was about creating interesting human beings, primed to have an interesting life. People make a mistake to think that they can only have one great passion in life. So many of the best artists, best actors, best performers, best...people — most interesting people — have myriad passions.

BILL GEORGE To this day, I still remember your charismatic High School performance as King Mongkut in The King and I — you astounded!

KELLY AUCOIN You never let me be lazy. I had to put in the work. You were always challenging me, like Harold McNeill.

Kelly drops phone onto windowsill and steps through doorway onto…

Interior Basketball court. Silent gym full of fans just watching.

Kelly pulls the long-sleeved Trail Blazers jersey over his head.

Revealing an old-style GDS Hoppers Basketball jersey and a full head of hair. Camera follows as he joins a group of students walking behind their coach as he leads them out of the gym.

BEN MANKIEWICZ ’85 (to Kelly) Did you hear the racial epithet that player hurled at our bench?

BEN MANKIEWICZ In our two championships with the GDS varsity team?

KELLY AUCOIN In us learning to think, not just parrot. To think creatively, originally, and also collaboratively. That’s one thing I love about theater, new plays in particular, they are necessarily collaborative. It feels very “GDS.” BEN MANKIEWICZ Sounds like your ensemble award for the Drama Desk production in 2015.

KELLY AUCOIN I did get involved in acting because of the camaraderie.

His wife Carolyn enters. Kelly stands and walks with her towards the open soundstage door. Ben calls after them.

BEN MANKIEWICZ When are you going to appear in a classic movie?

KELLY AUCOIN (over his shoulder) You think Top Gun is a classic movie.

BEN MANKIEWICZ You like originating roles too much.

KELLY AUCOIN It makes for a fascinating life.

The door bangs shut behind them.

End

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SEEING THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE Terence Carter ’97 is changing the game in Hollywood

We invite you to meet Terence Carter ’97, currently Executive Vice President of Comedy and Drama Development at 20th Century Fox TV. This GDS lifer has been instrumental in producing some of the most exciting television programming available: Empire, Gotham, Sleepy Hollow, a reboot of Lethal Weapon, and upcoming shows like The Passage and Proven Innocent.

Terence’s work is reshaping the landscape of broadcast, cable, and streaming. In 2009, he was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Generation: Top 35 Executives Under 35.” In 2017, Jonnie Davis, President of Creative Affairs, 20th Century Fox TV wrote, “Terence is a spectacular creative executive who has been responsible for some of the network’s biggest and boldest hits.” The same year, he was honored as the recipient of the Ron Brown Scholar Emerging Leader Award.

Lee Daniels, director of the films The Butler and Precious, for which he was nominated for a Best Director Academy Award, was unable to attend the Ron Brown Scholar event as he was finishing the finales to his standout shows Empire and Star for Terence. “I know you would kick my *** if I didn’t get them done on time,” he said via video introduction.

“The bottom line is that Terence has always embraced my insanity. He supports my vision and that’s incredible. I know that his position in the entertainment industry will empower 50

and inspire other talented, young African American men and women in this audience tonight. And I wish Terence luck as he continues forward with his groundbreaking approach and creativity in the arts and his dedication to empowering the next generation of young African American leaders.”

On what he looks for in a hit show.

“When considering material, I’m always looking for a story that a writer is incredibly passionate to tell. For a while, I’d been wanting to do a show set in the world of hip hop. It felt like a broadly-accessible, populist form of music that hadn’t yet been really explored in television. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I was always on the lookout.

“Then, Lee Daniels and Danny Strong walked in the door and they had a very specific take on it. First, Lee Daniels brought his own, personal experience as a gay, African American man whose father rejected his sexuality. Then Danny Strong [writer of The Butler, two-part finale of The Hunger Games, HBO’s Recount and Game Change] complemented that by asking how can we give these elements a Shakespearean, operatic kind of structure?

“I look for those layered elements. Is it going to be purely entertaining on the surface—excitement, thrills, awesome dance and musical numbers or other great opportunities for performance—but then also, will it explore substantive,

tangible stuff underneath that? Does it also feel timeless?

Ten years from now, will it still feel relevant because of its universal themes? You don’t always get all of those things.

Sometimes you have to settle for doing one or two of them really right. But I’m always hoping to get the perfect storm.

EMMA HOLLY JONES PHOTOGRAPHY

“Fundamentally, in broadcast you want to cast your show out to the broadest audience possible. When you are able to reach people from all different walks of life, have something inside of your show that can connect with all those different audiences, and let them feel represented inside of your show, that captures them as an audience and holds them inside your show. You do that best when there is a purity of vision and of voice where you are able to tell someone’s truth at the core of it.

On supporting diversity in Hollywood.

“ Coming to Hollywood, it was a real priority for me, a real agenda item to find—both in front of and behind the camera—great diversity in the programming that I was working on. I am always trying to find ways to prioritize that work and make those things run through all of the programming that I do.”

“Lee Daniels’ show Star brings the opportunity, for instance, to tell stories about an African American transgender experience that hadn’t been told on television before. So many people contribute to how great these shows are. My role is to identify these really talented people, figure out the best way to get them all to work together, and give them a path to bring their vision to life. But it makes me really proud to be able to do something that is both entertaining and also has that kind of impact. “…[E]ven a show like Sleepy Hollow—which I loved and was this fun, crazy, high-concept show—we had one of the most diverse casts on television, especially given the fact that it’s this tiny little upstate New York town of Sleepy Hollow. You know, not exactly realistic in its representation, but that’s OK. It’s a show about ghosts and goblins, so I didn’t feel so bad. Still, it’s the blackest town in upstate New York you’ve ever seen.

everything about the paper he disagreed with. His gesture told me, ‘I care so much about what you wrote that I want to give you this critical feedback. You did really well, but here is everything I think is missing from it.’ I so valued that kind of feedback that it ultimately conveyed to me to rewrite the paper based on his notes. Even though I had a win with that B+, his feedback is what drove me to want to get an A. “I’ve taken that lesson with me and try to give the same kind of respect and attention to the detail that I know others have put into things. I try even when being critical to give that kind of feedback. There were a lot of teachers like that in all of my years at GDS, challenging me to always be the best possible version of myself.”

On his GDS DNA and bringing it to Hollywood.

“When I reconnect with someone inside Hollywood from GDS, I get so excited. I remember I was so thrilled about a director I’d hired for a pilot because he is immensely talented—and it was Ruben Fleischer ’92 [most recently director of Venom]. We discovered the connection while working on the project. There is an unspoken common ground that you share having been through GDS. It’s a willingness to look at things in different ways, to consider other perspectives and opinions and not so be so entrenched in tradition or history or social norms or what one ‘ought’ to do. That is something a lot of people don’t get in their elementary and high school upbringing. It’s not woven into their DNA the way it is for GDS grads.”

“I feel like in this entertainment business especially, it’s really helpful to be able to see things from other perspectives.

Couple this open mindedness with a sense of responsibility to do right in this world. Spread good things, act morally— ethically, to have a core set of values.”

“Los Angeles is often dinged for NOT having those attributes and putting out content that is missing those things at its core. Whereas I love having those things at the core of most of the things that I do. I always try to infuse that into the things I’m working on. What can we say that is going to inspire somebody, even in a show as high-concept as The Passage? It’s a crazy, gory vampire show but, at the center of it, there is a beautiful, loving relationship between a little girl and her surrogate father. I am always trying to find that. I really do owe that ability to look at the world through that lens to my experience at GDS.”

On how GDS feedback has stayed with him.

“I especially remember a short paper I wrote for Gary McCown, my fantastic 11th grade English teacher. His response to my paper was probably longer than my paper was. He gave me a B+, but then proceeded to outline

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DAVENPORT STREET TO DAVENPORT THEATRE

Writer/Director S. Asher Gelman ’02 and the boldness of Afterglow

In his off-Broadway playwright/directorial debut in 2017, S. Asher Gelman sought to begin a courageous conversation with his audience that would last long after curtain calls.

Afterglow explored universal human struggles with love and loyalty––communication and commitment––through the story of three men in a love triangle. The play transcended identity, while both powerfully representing experiences in LGBTQ communities and shattering preconceived notions about relationships in the gay community.

This “little play that could” became the longest-running play in the 34-year history of Davenport Theatre (an offBroadway theater in New York City). Its initial eight-week run was extended to 14 months and 467 performances, closing on August 12, 2018. And yet, the conversations Asher had with audiences at Davenport Theatre actually began years before on MacArthur Boulevard at Georgetown Day School’s Lower/Middle School campus.

Young Visionary “On my first day with Asher in first grade,” said Jan Tievsky, former teacher of theater, dance and creative movement at GDS, “I remember entering our makeshift studio space to see him looking around, opening all the cupboard doors, even climbing inside some. Asher wasn’t acting out­—but instead didn’t want to sit still. It was clear that even in those first moments, he was already curious and fascinated by space.”

As a young choreographer in his Middle School years, Asher understood how to manipulate and explore space. His stunning dance productions took on tough conversations and had a strong emotional component. He carried that boldness forward through his time on the High School campus on Davenport Street. In High School, he put on unforgettable performances, including one that told through dance and spoken word the story of a woman battling breast cancer.

The conversation––about inclusivity and universal human struggles––continued there. “I get much of my courage from my parents,” he said. “They’ve always been incredible advocates, volunteers, and activists. I felt a lot of encouragement to put truth out into the world and to put good out into the world.”

In High School, Asher had the opportunity to apprentice with the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, given the 52

MATI GELMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

aptitude he had demonstrated in dance. He took home “Most Outstanding Choreography” and “Best Festival Dancer” awards two years in a row at the Washington Area Independent Schools Dance Education Association Dance Festival. Asher went on to complete a Masters in Fine Arts at George Washington University, where Dana Tai Soon Burgess served as his faculty advisor and professor.

In reflecting on Asher’s work, Dana said, “Even as a High School student, Asher demonstrated a willingness to experiment and take chances with his work. That carried through in his graduate work, where Asher always dove in to explore emotional terrain––his performances were always a real emotional rollercoaster [for the audience]. Asher brings a theatrical perspective to dance and conversely his theater productions are enhanced by the physicalization of his stories.”

Brave Space Asher explained that the boldness of Afterglow was informed by his time at GDS. “Jan was instrumental in my whole journey. She pushed me to create art that makes us think, and she continues to push me.” Then, he paused, looking back on the formative years through the lens of Afterglow. “It’s about creating not just a ‘safe space’ but a brave space...Staying safe and sheltered all the time––that’s not where learning happens. Learning happens in that place just outside your comfort zone.”

For Afterglow, “Asher divided the audience in half so they were facing inward toward the stage and each other,” explained Afterglow Assistant Director Nina Kauffman. “We wanted to keep our audience alert to each others’ reactions and body language. They’d forget each others’ presence altogether as they were drawn into the story; then they’d remember the person sitting across the room from them, often coming out of a very intimate moment.”

“We feel [as audience members] that we are voyeurs to the intimate scenes going on in front of us,” Dana said. With three frequently naked lead actors and a shower on stage, there were plenty of opportunities to experience discomfort.

Just as his placement of the audience drew them into the story, Asher was equally effective at drawing the cast and crew into the creative process.

“What made me especially proud to be a part of our Afterglow team is that no one person was at the center in terms of decision-making; this process was entirely a collaborative effort,” said Nina. “Everyone, regardless of their role on the team, was encouraged to contribute their unique artistic voice and vision to every aspect of the show, from the story line to the shower (and figuring out how to keep it from leaking during a scene!). Asher’s openness and wholehearted trust in all of our abilities as artists are what gave us the space to take chances, and for that, I’m very grateful.”

What Has Always Mattered When Jan cam to see Afterglow in November 2017 (above right), she felt the baton had passed. In 2016, she chose not to review the script when asked so that she could experience the show as an audience member. “‘I’ve influenced you as an artist,’ she recalled telling Asher. ‘Now the student is the teacher, and I want to come fresh to the theater.’ I was so moved by what I saw. Asher really captured so many of the emotions that couples go through, whether gay or straight, when hitting a rough patch. It was the kind of artistic experience that really stayed with me and had me thinking about it for weeks afterwards.”

“I want to continue to create art that makes us think and puts us in uncomfortable situations and forces us to have a difficult conversation, whatever that may be,” said Asher.

Afterglow will be produced in seven major cities next year, including Chicago and London, and his new project–– safeword.—is scheduled to open Off Broadway in April.

So much of what has always mattered at GDS––inclusivity, courageous conversations, full and truthful self-expression–– are a part of Asher’s story, just as his story remains a part of this school. S. Asher Gelman will surely hold firmly to all he learned on MacArthur Boulevard and beyond, from Davenport Street to Davenport Theatre.

FOUNDER’S AWARD Georgetown Day School opened its doors in 1945 as the first integrated school in a segregated city, founded by seven families who sought to create a school committed to academic excellence, educational innovation, and social justice.

The Alumni Founders Award is given in the spring to honor an alumnus who embodies the GDS values of fighting for social justice, equity, and serving the greater good. Nominations are open to all fields and levels of accomplishment. Alumni may self-nominate or nominate others for the award.

All nominees will be considered each year for three years.

The nomination period begins January 1 and ends April 15.

WAS THAT THE SWAMP THAT LAUNCH’D A THOUSAND SHOWS?

For director, producer, educator, entrepreneur, and culture-keeper Anna Shneiderman ’97, it was.

AARON KITCHIN PHOTOGRAPHY

It began––perhaps––with a rejection, a Senior Quest, and a fake swamp.

powerful theater could be, instilling in me an entrepreneurial spirit, and believing in my leadership potential.”

In 1994, Anna Shneiderman ’97 won her first acting role as a “snake-handling church lady” named Mrs. Neathawk in GDS theater’s production of Burrhead.

Interestingly, Anna’s journey began––not with the kind of success she has seen in recent years––but rather with a rejection. Anna recalls how, as a first-year student at the GDS High School, she was denied a much-coveted role in a production of “Elephant Man.” Still, in Laura Rosberg’s theater company model at GDS, everyone has value to add whether they are acting, hauling lumber, designing lighting, or managing budgets. “What we try to do is get kids to try something,” Laura explained. “Join a sets crew, audition–– I’ll encourage a kid to do anything because I think so many are still really exploring what their passions are.” When Anna didn’t get the part, she joined the props crew. And so from the beginning, Anna became a theater generalist.

The unruly play––set in the Great Dismal Swamp––had an actual swamp onstage. “The students built this floor, put in pond liner, and pumped in water,” Anna recalls in a recent interview. “It was an incredible set. They brought in all this vegetation, and it was so intense because over the three or four weeks that stuff was in there, the smell became very realistic. You walked into the theater and––whoa, you were in a swamp.”

Something of the swamp or the play––or the GDS theater company itself––got into Anna’s bloodstream and runs there still.

Anna is executive director of Ragged Wing Ensemble, the theater company she co-founded in 2004 with her business partner Amy Sass in Oakland, California. The physical theater ensemble seeks to “rouse the human spirit through artistic action” and promises to “weave art into the fabric of community.” Ragged Wing Ensemble’s social impactminded original productions made possible the creation of The Flight Deck, a multidisciplinary venue supporting the performing arts in downtown Oakland. “As the landscape of Oakland changes [due to rapid gentrification],” Anna explains on the venue website, “it is essential to maintain a space where diverse, local voices can be heard and where artists can participate in the positive transformation of our city while keeping us connected to our roots.”

Anna received the 2018 Georgetown Day School Founders’ Award in acknowledgement of her work preserving local culture and enriching her community through the arts. The award was created to “honor an alumnus who embodies the GDS values of fighting for social justice, equity, and serving the greater good.”

Upon accepting the award, Anna wrote, “I want to especially thank [theater director] Laura Rosberg for showing me how

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Anna’s senior mentor on the props team quickly recognized Anna was ready for a leadership role and invited her to be a co-leader of the crew. It was a watershed moment for Anna. Even then, she understood the magnitude of the responsibility, rarely given to a first-year student, and the opportunity to manage a team of artists.

Soon, she was into everything––lighting design, props, stage management––and throughout Anna was leading a crew of her peers. Then Laura Rosberg came knocking. “She came up to me and she said, ‘You really should audition for this show,’” Anna remembers. And in short work, the snakehandling Mrs. Neathawk was cast.

In preparation for the show, the GDS theater company traveled to rural Virginia. “[Laura] took us on this amazing field trip as a company down to this actual swamp where we met the playwright. We talked with her about life there and all the people she had based the characters on.” Anna’s creative vision is steeped in memories of those characters, places, and experiences. She developed her director’s eye in the old Black Box theater and on journeys like that one.

“It’s stimulating to get out in these unusual worlds, and it’s not just for kids,” Laura explains of the theater company field trips. “That’s what professionals do when they design shows. They go everywhere they can for inspiration.

Anywhere they can touch the reality of the experience.

We’ve taken our High School theater company down to the Potomac River where we climbed down the rocks to rehearse by the water with the mist and the sand.” This fall, the cast of the musical Metamorphoses rehearsed in a swimming pool.

Anna has stayed grounded in the experiential beauty of theater. Whether teaching theater in public schools or creating grand, interactive events in public parks, she inspires audiences to play along. “That’s my identity as an artist,” Anna intones. “My medium is people and time and space. I’m always thinking about different ways we can create something magical, design a new kind of structure that gets people to actually connect with each other and connect with big ideas.”

Something of the scrappy, venue-less, street-level arts engagement still appeals to Anna even now that she’s managing an impressive theater, modeled lovingly after the flexible Black Box theater she remembers back at GDS. Even as a senior in High School at GDS, Anna had the audacity to pull together a company of her peers and coproduce two shows for their Senior Quest. “There were about ten of us who were fully committed to the theater and did every single show. We decided to form our own theater company. Whoever was the cast for one was the crew for the other. It was great because we realized we could rehearse all day and didn’t have to wait to do it after school.” She and Isaac Butler ’97––now an acclaimed director, theater critic, author, and alum of Barack Obama’s arts policy committee––put on both Lanford Wilson’s Burn This and Peter Shaffer’s Five Finger Exercise in one month.

Anna and Isaac fought furiously over actors, including Hannes Meidal ’97, now an award-winning actor with the Stockholm Royal Dramatic Theater, and David Hanlon ’97, the acclaimed opera composer and conductor. David, who includes local work with the Wolf Trap Opera alongside his national commissions, had also composed the original music for Burrhead as a sophomore.

SARAH SMALL PHOTOGRAPHY

When asked about how he and Anna pulled it off, Isaac responded, “I just recall Anna being incredibly perceptive

in figuring out how to chart the nuance, the subtlety, and keep it interesting enough that people wouldn’t get bored.

It doesn’t surprise me that she had the wherewithal to form her own theater company. Imagine,” he laughs, tickled by their own teenage daring, “imagine––as a senior––directing a play that stars all your friends and you have to tell them all what to do.”

“Confidence was something I definitely built at GDS,” Anna said. “The teachers fostered the notion that we were smart, we were capable, and we would have the support we needed to do anything that inspired us. We also received the guidance of some crucial social justice values that would help us make the world a better place while doing all those things that we were inspired to do.”

In the 14 years they have worked side by side, Anna’s Ragged Wing partner Amy Sass has seen all sides of Anna’s expertise, including her ongoing commitment to community and justice. “She is a deeply compassionate human being with an ability to think widely about the scope of an industry, question, or problem and then build real practical steps to move forward. Obviously, GDS must have instilled a deep sense of responsibility toward community and a passion to do good for others. Anna is deeply invested in social justice, creativity, and bridging the gap in access to resources for all peoples.”

Like Laura’s “do anything” and Anna’s “try everything,” the GDS experience isn’t about one defining event. “It was more about the water we were swimming in,” Isaac said. Then later, perhaps unaware of the metaphor he’d just dived into, Isaac said, “I remember the bucket brigade when we broke the set of Burrhead. I just remember being drenched––and the water is supposed to look like swamp water so it’s this filthy, disgusting, leaf-filled water––and I’m just covered in it and covered in dirt and it was incredibly late at night, and it was the absolute best.”

After getting her start in that swamp, Anna developed the incredible ability, as Amy Sass described, “to stick it through the hard stuff, feel all the feelings, and keep the ship moving toward clearer waters.”

The incredible thing is that all these theater kids went on to success in all sorts of fields––like Simon SandovalMoshenberg ’97 who’s a social justice immigration lawyer or Lizzy Tuckerman Armstrong ’97 who’s a psychotherapist, and some, like Isaac Butler, Hannes Meidal, and David Hanlon who made big waves in the Arts––and Anna? Well, Anna did everything. For more info on Anna’s endeavors and to see how you can support, go to raggedwing.org and theflightdeck.org.

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JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

GDS IS WHERE THE HEART IS Nearly 270 alumni, current and former faculty, and friends from 18 states, the District, and abroad, traveled to GDS on April 13-15, 2018 to reconnect, share, and celebrate their time as a Hopper. We welcomed all classes, highlighting the classes ending in 3 and 8 with special events on Friday evening.

Class of 1993

The weekend concluded with an All Alumni Reunion Party on the High School campus, where alumni gathered to see the Library transformed into a fullblown party, and to walk the halls to see all of the new and exciting things happening with our GDS students. Local band, Down Wilson, helped us to get down to music from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. The lucky few, received a late night tour of the school from Bobby Asher.

We honored the inaugural recipient of the Alumni Founders Award, Anna Shneiderman '97 (see page 54) and thanked each of the nominees for their continued good work.

All Alumni Reunion Weekend is a fantastic time to rekindle your Hopper spirit, forge new friendships and rekindle old ones. You won't want to miss this celebration coming up this year on March 9, 2019 in conjunction with the One GDS Campaign Announcement.

JASON PUTSCHÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

A L L A LUM N I R EU NI ON W E E K E N D

March 8-9, 2019

Reconnect with friends and faculty during All Alumni Reunion Weekend!

Special celebrations for reunion class years ending in 4 and 9 will take place on Friday evening. Join us at The Hamilton Live on Saturday evening for our All Alumni Party! Event is free of charge. You won’t want to miss this event!

Interested in helping with your class party? Contact Nataki Corneille, Director of Alumni Programs at alumni@gds.org.

Register Now at www.GDS.org/Reunion.

Open 24 hours a day at www.GDS.org/SchoolStore and the LMS Advancement office during regular school hours.

4530 MacArthur Boulevard, NW Washington, DC 20007-4297

JASON PUTSCHE PHOTOGRAPHY

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