The North Shore Weekend, April 22, 2023

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North Shore Market Share

Source: BrokerMetrics LLC, Closed Sales Volume, Residential Properties; Northfield, Deerfield, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, Glenview, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Evanston, Wilmette, Glencoe, Northbrook & Winnetka, 4/01/2022 - 3/31/2023

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PREMIER PRIVATE SCHOOLS SECTION

11 teach the children well

North Shore's privately owned independent schools are ahead of the curve in helping students overcome mental health challenges

26 game changer

The SAT is changing and Academic Approach is here to help students and parents adapt

NEWS

30 chez quis?

A landmark Chicago property that had a cameo in Ferris Bueller's Day Off recently sold, resurrecting iconic movie memories

32 full bloom

South African artist Joalida Smit's work is now on exhibit at The Gallery in Lake Forest

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

34 purse with a purpose

Angele Alvarez's artisanal handbag business serves a meaningful cause

36 everything went fine

Film critic Rex Reed raves about this French film, praising its fearless approach to a complicated subject

37 renfield

A new "vampire farce" with Nicholas Cage is so bad it doesn't earn one star

38 #hashtag

Find out what's trending with the North Shore's Hope Lutz Firsel, a Women’s Life Coach

40 north shore foodie

Learn how to make the famous hot cross buns of yore

41 material pursuits

Channel your inner James Bond and take a deep dive into the storied history of prep in this week's column

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

42 sunday breakfast

Buckeye State native Petra van Nuis thrives as a jazz vocalist in the Land of Lincoln

John Conatser FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING @NSWEEKEND.COM

Jennifer Sturgeon

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Michelle Crowe, Dustin O'Regan, Kemmie Ryan, Sherry Thomas, Megan Weisberg

FASHION EDITOR

Theresa DeMaria

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mitch Hurst, Bill McLean, Monica Kass Rogers, Ann Marie Scheidler

DESIGN

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Chris Geimer ADVERTISING COORDINATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Tom Bachtell, Barry Blitt

ILLUSTRATION

Cheyanne Lencioni ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ALL

PREMIER PRIVATE SCHOOLS

TEACH THE CHILDREN WELL

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Even before the pandemic, rates of depression among teens were rising. Studies show those rates have gone up even faster since, with more high school students reporting feelings of sadness and thoughts of suicide. A number of factors have been attributed to the increase, including the

isolation during COVID-19, stress about academic performance, competitiveness in athletics, and fears about the future.

The question now is do we move forward, as parents, as educators, and as a community.

In general, private and smaller, independent schools on the North Shore already have the conditions in place to buck national and regional mental health trends. The solution comes down to being able to provide more individual attention

to students and to having an infrastructure in place that intrinsically supports their students’ mental and emotional health.

And while public schools are also trying to enhance the resources available to help students navigate these same challenges, students in independent, privately owned institutions continue to be at an advantage. This week, we talked with a number of North Shore’s independent school administrators about how—and

why—mental health is important to their students’ success.

Alex Sheridan, Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Financial Aid at Lake Forest Country Day School (LFCDS), says class size and culture paid big dividends in how LFCDS was able to support students coming out of the isolation due to COVID-19.

“Everyone was impacted in very different ways. For the students who were

Continued on PG

With America’s youth in crisis, we talk to some of the North Shore’s independent, privately owned schools about how smaller class sizes and strategic partnerships with parents have helped them help students overcome anxiety and other mental health challenges.

impacted it looks different for each kid,” Sheridan says. “We're fortunate to be a small school with one that pays very deliberate attention to the social and emotional wellbeing of our students. When situations have arisen that required levels of intervention or support, we've been there to provide it.”

It all starts with how LFCDS defines itself philosophically. As a school that believes social and emotional health needs to live in equilibrium with students’ academic and intellectual development, Sheridan says that naturally draws the right teachers with the right orientation to their classrooms.

“You're talking about a classroom of 15 students, which are very favorable conditions to navigate the dynamics of the classroom and also manage the pulse of individual students,” he says.” The class size helps, and we've got two counselors on our learning development team. There's a social and emotional learning curriculum. There are a lot of things we do to help the kids grow in their social and emotional abilities. But I think what drives everything is just a very deliberate orientation and approach that we bring to school every day.”

Another key to providing support for students is for schools and parents to be on the same page. Sheridan says partnerships with parents are what really drive the student experience at LFCDS. Everything that is happening at LFCDS on a daily basis is only as good as what's getting reinforced at home by parents. Conversely, everything that's happening at home with parents is only as good as what's getting reinforced at school.

“We're both dependent on each other to be in constant communication, to support the needs of our students,” Sheridan says.

“If a student is struggling, if they are having a hard time understanding or developing their feelings, a parent can reach out to a student's teacher, they can reach out to a student's advisor, they can reach out to one of the school counselors.”

Sheridan says he feels fortunate that LFCDS is in the position to provide the resources and that what the school is able

to do is atypical in the broader context of education. That's not to say the school isn’t dealing with challenges on an individual level; they definitely are.

weather that storm,” he says. “It’s a privilege and we're grateful for it.”

“The data speaks for itself. We have a mental health crisis in this country. I think

“You hear so much about the compounding effects of the pandemic on student academic growth and in their social and emotional wellbeing and we're lucky that we've been able to

COVID-19 exacerbated it, but it certainly didn't cause it,” says Niall Fagan, Headmaster of Northridge Preparatory School in Niles. “Social media and all of the digital

experiences are the major change that's occurred in the last two generations.”

However, what kids spend their time on hasn't materially changed, explains Fagan, who’s given presentations on the topic of mental health. He says social media is one of the primary factors driving the current mental health crisis. Another is the ongoing issue of a lack of unstructured play with friends their own age, both boys and girls.

“Even without smartphones, there wasn't enough of that. The highly structured lives that we live in suburbia doesn't allow for this, and I’d say those are the two fundamental things,” Fagan adds. “It's a very complicated topic.”

How can schools support students?

Fagan says the more that schools can remove or reduce digital interactions (student cell phones are not permitted during the school day at Northridge Prep, for example) and foster unstructured play, the better.

“We provide a lot of that, and you see that the boys are thriving here. I think our boys are doing very well on average from a mental health perspective,” he says.

Like Sheridan, Fagan says smaller schools have an advantage in addressing or preventing mental health issues because of the level of personal attention they can offer.

“It's a lot harder for a child to fall through the cracks. I know every boy by name. I greet them all in the morning,” he says. “I can see how they're doing. I see pretty much every boy every day and you

with parents, an important component in helping students maintain strong mental health.

“It's almost like a good marriage, where the spouses and the health in their relationship gives stability to the children,” says Fagan. “I think that analogy somewhat applies to a school environment as well, where

independent schools have the advantage of having their students “known,” and that’s the first line of defense in terms of supporting them.

“We were founded on a philosophy of whole child education, which meant that their social and emotional health is a critical part of academic success,” Flemma says. “So, we structure our use of time, our staffing model, and above all our size as a way to make sure that every kid is seen, every kid is known. That allows us to be really supportive and to react quickly when we think a kid might be needing support.”

Flemma says one of the things NSCDS has been doing for years is providing “mental health first aid training” to all of the school’s teachers. It includes education about basic tenants of mental health for students’ age-appropriate group, and It means that the teachers who are with the kids every day already have their antenna up and know what to be looking for. They can either step in and help or they can ask for help from counseling staff or administrators.

their mental health challenges. In her experience, Lombardo says, it’s important for teachers, students, and parents to acquire the tools needed to tackle mental health issues in the long term.

“It’s not much different from learning calculus or English, and if teachers are equipped with the skills, it will carry over to

can tell if a boy is not happy. You can see it in his face.”

Each student at Northridge has a faculty advisor or mentor and Fagan says the students are free to discuss, confidentially, anything that may be troubling them. The school also maintains strong partnerships

our good relationship with the parents and a very explicit partnering provides added stability to their lives.”

Head of School at Winnetka’s North Shore Country Day School (NSCDS) Tom Flemma, like Sheridan and Fagan, says

“You basically create all these layers of knowledge and layers of eyes on kids, and I think that can be a game changer,” Flemma says. “The key is an awareness, but it's at an earlier stage. So, if you know the kids and you know what you're looking for, you don't have to wait until something becomes a problem.”

Noted Lake Forest psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, founder of EleVive, works primarily with athletes and student athletes, but also non-athletes, to address

the classroom,” Lombardo says. “Social and emotional learning skills can play a critical role in addressing mental health issues for everyone involved in the education of our children.”

LAKE FOREST COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

FUSION ACADEMY

WEBSITE: lfcds.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 400

GRADES: Age 2 to Grade 8

TUITION: $5,925-$37,710

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: John Melton, Head of School

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: None

ADMISSIONS: The LFCDS admission process seeks to identify students and families who will contribute to and benefit from a program and community that develops the whole child. Applicants are invited to tour campus and participate in a shadow visit.

CONTACT: Alex Sheridan, Director of Enrollment, Marketing & Financial Aid

EMAIL: admission@lfcds.org

ABOUT US: For over 130 years, LFCDS has provided a program that is rich in tradition. With a commitment to progressive education embedded in that identity, our students benefit from a learning experience that spans the pedagogical and philosophical spectrum. We strive, intentionally, to maintain equilibrium between academic and social-emotional development.

ACADEMICS: A blended approach to learning allows LFCDS to subscribe to best practice while offering a curriculum that meets each child where they are. Small by design, with classes between 12 to 15 students and 7:1 student-teacher ratio across the school, size enables LFCDS the ability to individualize and differentiate based on student interest and need.

CO-CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT/ARTS & ATHLETICS: The LFCDS program builds participation in the arts and athletics directly into the school day. Students participate in visual arts and music at every grade level, and drama is added for students in the Upper School (Grades 5-8). The athletic program is also a requirement for Upper School students, who are able to participate on three different teams during the course of the year. Teams meet at the end of the school day before dismissal, which not only gives students the opportunity to develop their skills and hone their sense of sportsmanship, but also to appreciate the value of participation and inclusion.

CULTURE AND COMMUNITY: You can’t talk about LFCDS without talking about its culture and sense of community. There is a rare spirit that lives across the school’s 33-acre campus and 150,000 sq. foot building that has often been described as a warm hug. Relationships amongst students, parents, and teachers live at the center of the LFCDS experience and campus serves as a second home for families across the community.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: LFCDS has families from 36 zip codes, commuting from as far south as Willowbrook and as far north as Lake Villa.

WEBSITE: fusionacademy.com/campuses/chicago-lake-forest/

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: Each campus serves between 50 and 100 students

GRADES: 6th-12th

TUITION: Customized per student

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Mark Ostap, Head of School at Fusion Lake Forest

Annie Walchak, Assistant Director at Fusion Evanston

Kait Mullahey, Head of School at Fusion Lincoln Park

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: N/A

ADMISSIONS: Use the following link to connect with an Admissions Consultant: fusionacademy.com/connect-with-us/

CONTACT: Jennifer Elm, 855-333-7075

EMAIL: Connect@fusionacademy.com

ABOUT US: Our Methodology: Love, Motivate, Teach. We meet students where they are and help them thrive from their unique beginning. While the majority of students entering Fusion have academic skills at or above grade level, many report previous struggles in school for various reasons. Through our thoughtfully designed approach, we see students change their understanding of themselves and the futures they have the power to create.

ACADEMICS: Fusion Academy students benefit from a curriculum that is individualized and customized to their unique learning needs. We offer over 250 core and elective courses at various levels. They are taught one-to-one, one student and one teacher per classroom, and provide students the opportunity to not only help them meet their specific academic goals, but also explore their unique interests and prepare them for whatever their next steps may be.

CO-CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT/ARTS & ATHLETICS: We offer an array of classes in art, music, technology, and fitness. The student has a voice in the way the objectives of these classes are met. While so many schools today are cutting back on their enrichment offerings, Fusion continues to provide state-of-the-art equipment and studio spaces for students to develop their skills or explore their interests.

CULTURE AND COMMUNITY: The Homework Café has two separate areas—one designated for quiet, independent study, and one for students to socialize, work on less-focused assignments, and collaborate on projects. Our Social Homework Café® is a mixed-use space. You will often see students studying or reading independently, working collaboratively on projects, hanging out between classes, receiving support from the HC teachers, and playing games. Our Homework Café more closely resembles a home’s living room than a typical school study area. With comfortable couches, pillows, and blankets, students can truly relax while they complete their work.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: We’ve seen over the years that homework can be the leading cause of stress in the family unit. And we know from experience that the struggle to get some kids to do homework can rip apart the emotional wellness in the family. We believe that teenagers should be able to have time to explore, play, and figure out the world around them--and not spend all their time doing busy work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: We offer rolling enrollment so students can start any time of the year, even mid-semester. If your current school choice isn’t working and your student is struggling, connect with us. We’d love to help with supplemental tutoring/mentoring, or help you transfer schools easily.

NORTHRIDGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR BOYS

WEBSITE: northridgeprep.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 340

GRADES: 6 through 12

TUITION: $11,800 (Middle School), $17,550 (High School)

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Niall Fagan/ Headmaster

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Roman Catholic Independent School

ADMISSIONS: Building men of intellect and character is a team effort. We admit families, not just students. We look for families who share our values, and motivated young men. More information about the application process can be found on our website.

CONTACT: Director of Admissions: Joseph Egan (‘15)

EMAIL: jegan@northridgeprep.org

ABOUT US: Our mission to build men of intellect and character who love God is focused on educating the whole person. Northridge is a partnership between parents and educators dedicated to raising noble young men that strive to live by the highest ideals in life.

ACADEMICS: Middle School is designed based on the needs of students to both learn facts and subject matter and to grow in habits of study, organization, and an optimistic view of life. High School prepares students for college and builds men with a noble vision for life. Our Core + Elective model lays gives students flexibility and rigor suited to their God-given talents.

CO-CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT/ARTS:

High School: Concert/Pep/Jazz Band, String Ensemble, and Acapella Choir, Theater Department with multiple performances.

Middle School: Band, Strings, and Choir, Theater Department with multiple performances.

ATHLETICS: Athletics are an integral part of the Northridge curriculum and play a significant role in shaping the character of our young men.

High School Offerings: Soccer, Golf, Cross Country, Basketball, Wrestling, Swimming (club), Baseball, Track and Field, Lacrosse (club), Tennis.

Middle School Offerings: Soccer, Golf, Cross Country, Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball, Track and Field.

CULTURE AND COMMUNITY: Northridge’s culture is rooted in relationships and role models. Friendships are at the core of our approach and make Northridge a wonderful place. We focus on high expectations rather than rules and allow students to be themselves.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: First class faculty, not just teachers, but mentors and role models to the young men at Northridge. We do not allow cell phones to be used on campus because numerous studies have demonstrated that smartphones and related electronics are frequently disruptive to the social development and learning environment for young men. Recent graduates have been admitted to Ivy League schools and top private schools across the country. Gym class every day. Each student is assigned a mentor or “advisor” who meets with them on a weekly or monthly basis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

#1 Best All-Boys High School in Illinois

#3 Best Catholic High School in Illinois

Top 50 Catholic High School in America

WEBSITE: schoolofstmary.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 420

GRADES: PreK 2-through 8th Grade

TUITION: Tuition varies within the range of $4,000 - $12,000. Multiple siblings, military, and parishioner discounts are available.

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Mrs. Kathy Thompson

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic

ADMISSIONS: Online applications open in November (see website)

CONTACT: Mandy Castle, Director of Admissions

EMAIL: mcastle@schoolofstmary.org

TOURS: Call to schedule or complete the online inquiry form on our website.

CURRICULUM: From the youngest Primary Grade Center preschooler to the most mature 8th-grader at the Upper Grade Center, a School of St. Mary (SOSM) Crusader demonstrates genuine school pride, a sense of community, personal confidence, Catholic values, and a deep commitment to serving others. Since 1917, SOSM has remained committed to educating the whole child within and beyond the classroom.

ENRICHMENT: Accelerated reading and math programs in middle school allow students to move beyond grade level as they prepare for high school. Extracurricular activities allow students to further their education and focus on their non-academic interests, forming wellrounded individuals.

CULTURE & COMMUNITY: The School of St. Mary partners with parents, parishioners, and staff to form a vibrant school community that engages, motivates, and supports students to be the best they can be! An active Parents Association and leadership team coordinates special events to engage students, build relationships, and broaden the community. Teachers pair Upper Grade Center students with buddies from our Primary Grade Center to mentor and assist them at school-related activities, including praying together at Mass, socializing at lunch, and sharing service projects.

LEADERSHIP: Mrs. Kathy Thompson, the principal, has served in many capacities at the school for twenty-six years. In April of 2022, she received the prestigious Lead, Learn, Program Award from the National Catholic Education Association. Overseeing two age-appropriate campuses, Mrs. Thompson regularly collaborates with a strong administrative team to focus on the development of the whole child, assuring faith formation, academic excellence, service learning, social and emotional wellness, as well as values for life.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS:

• Three-time recipient of the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon award in the category of academic excellence. Only 38 private schools in the country have ever received this award three times..

• Two campuses provide age-appropriate learning as well as social-emotional well-being.

• Our 100-year history of traditions and adaptations.

• Small class sizes mean students get differentiated curriculum to reach their highest potential.

• A robust student services department with a Director of Student Services, learning disabilities teachers, a reading specialist, and a social worker to meet the needs of all students.

• Covering two-year-old preschool through 8th grade allows students to stay within SOSM Family for their elementary years. Allowing them to be known and nurtured as they grow into their true selves.

The School of Saints Faith, Hope & Charity

The School of Saints Faith, Hope & Charity

Providing high-quality, research based instruction in a nurturing Catholic environment. A school where students grow in heart, mind and soul.

Providing high-quality, research based instruction in a nurturing Catholic environment. A school where students grow in heart, mind and soul.

Catholic faith based school

Catholic faith based school

Support for all levels of students

Support for all levels of students

Vertically aligned Units of Study Reading and Writing Program

Vertically aligned Units of Study Reading and Writing Program

Opportunity for all students to master Algebra I

Opportunity for all students to master Algebra I

Neighborhood school for students preK through 8th grade

Neighborhood school for students preK through 8th grade

NORTH SHORE COUNTRY DAY

THE SCHOOL OF SAINTS FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY

WEBSITE: nscds.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 547

GRADES: JK-12

TUITION: $24,055-$40,220

HEAD TEACHER: Tom Flemma, Head of School

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: N/A

ENTRANCE PROCEDURE: As part of the admission process, all families submit an application, fee and letters of recommendation, and participate in a student/parent interview. The application and information collected varies by the grade of the student’s entry.

CONTACT: Mullery Doar, Interim Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

EMAIL: admissions@nscds.org

OPEN: nscds.org/welcome

In-person tours and visits by appointment only. Please contact Admissions Office to schedule.

CURRICULUM: At North Shore Country Day, we take pride in offering a well-rounded, skills-based education to students in junior kindergarten through 12th grade. Students are asked to apply their knowledge through a range of assessments and projects, developing strong analytical thinking, communication and creative problem-solving skills. While our program is challenging and college preparatory in nature, an emphasis on co-curricular participation in the arts, athletics and service to others ensures students explore their full selves.

ENRICHMENT: By participating in arts, athletics and co-curricular activities, NSCD students gain poise and confidence, as well as forge lifelong friendships. Our lower school offers a number of after-school enrichment programs, and the middle and upper schools offer more than 35 student-led clubs. North Shore has always had a strong, diverse athletic program. Students play sports every school day throughout the year. Participation in athletics is required from sixth through 11th grades.

CULTURE & COMMUNITY: NSCD boasts a school community founded out of the progressive education movement, guided by our mission and core values, and supported by generations of alumni, families, faculty and staff. We take tremendous pride in the community ethos and vibrant school culture we have cultivated for more than a century.

NEW TO YOUR SCHOOL: Founded in 1919, NSCD was the visionary answer to a fundamental question: What matters most when educating a child? Since then, we have continually refined our answer to propel our educational model forward with purpose and passion, building a transformative JK-12 community on four essential pillars: Connecting, Challenging, Engaging and Exploring.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: Student-centered education for 547 students in junior kindergarten through 12th grade; students are from more than 28 suburban communities and Chicago, and 30 percent are students of color; 8 to 1 student/teacher ratio and 2 to 54 college counselor/student ratio; $2.5 million in financial aid allocated to 20 percent of the student body. Our school motto is "Live and Serve."

WEBSITE: faithhopeschool.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 280

GRADES: Pre-k (ages 3 and 4), K-8

TUITION: Varies

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Tom Meagher Ed.D., Principal

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Roman Catholic, Saints Faith, Hope & Charity Catholic Parish

ADMISSIONS: New families are invited to schedule a tour of the school and campus. Inquiries and applications may be made via the school website.

CONTACT: Linda Ransford, Marketing and Recruitment Manager

EMAIL: office@faithhopeschool.org

ABOUT US: At Saints Faith, Hope and Charity, our vision is to enable our students to grow in heart, mind and soul. We do this by delivering an exceptional academic experience; grounded in faith. We offer a leading edge curriculum; as well as advanced classes for middle school, a Learning Lab to meet the needs of students of all learning levels, a school counselor, and full-time nurse.

ACADEMICS: Beginning in kindergarten, we follow the Science of Reading approach to Reading, Writing and Phonics. Math classes are vertically aligned through all grades with a focus on students having the ability to master Algebra 1 prior to graduating. iReady Assessments are utilized to measure students’ academic attainment and growth. Faith is woven into each school day, and a school mass is celebrated once a week.

ENRICHMENT/ARTS & ATHLETICS: We offer both Intramural sports and interscholastic sports in competition with other catholic schools. Sports include football, basketball, volleyball, track & field, and cross country. Our after school enrichment program provides options such as art, chess, drama and technology. We also offer students high quality music, art, and french language instruction.

CULTURE AND COMMUNITY: We're supported by an extremely dedicated and caring community of families; and we connect new families with current families in similar grades. Events such as daddy/daughter dances and mom/son bingo nights, May Crowning and hope ceremonies help to bring our community together.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS:

• Neighborhood and community-based environment.

• Engaging and challenging academics.

• Spiritual nourishment that supports the whole child.

• Families that connect closely with our school.

Not Just Another School Day

AT NORTH SHORE COUNTRY DAY, WE FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST by developing critical thinkers, collaborative problem solvers and caring citizens of the world. Families of every background from across Chicagoland entrust us with their children’s education because here, every student is known, valued and empowered to reach their full potential.

LEARN MORE | NSCDS.ORG/INQUIRE

FAST FACTS

FOUNDED: 1919

MOTTO: “Live and Serve”

GRADES: JK–12

ENROLLMENT:

Total enrollment—547

Upper School—219

Middle School—132

Lower School—196

Students of color—30%

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE: 14

STUDENT TO TEACHER

RATIO: 8 to 1

COLLEGE C0UNSELOR TO STUDENT RATIO: 2 to 54

FINANCIAL AID: $2.5 million in need-based financial aid to 20% of students

310 Green Bay Road Winnetka, IL

847.441.3313

admissions@nscds.org

www.nscds.org/welcome

SACRED HEART SCHOOL

WOODLANDS ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART

WEBSITE: shwschool.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: Approximately 200

GRADES: 3-year-old Preschool through 8th Grade

TUITION: $7,750 before new family incentives and sibling discounts. Financial aid also available.

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Mrs. Margaret Webb, Principal

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic

ENTRANCE PROCEDURE: Schedule a tour and apply online.

CONTACT: Mrs. Margaret Webb, Principal

EMAIL: mwebb@shwschool.org

OPEN MORNINGS: Join us for an open house April 23, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.. Or schedule a tour online at www.shwschool.org or by calling (847) 446-0005.

CURRICULUM: Sacred Heart provides children with a premier, values-based educational experience where teachers and parents work together to help students in PreK-8th grade discover the joys of learning. All students experience music, PE, library, STEAM, and Spanish as a part of the school day with fully-certified teachers. We guide students as they grow to develop kindness, compassion, and self-control. Our goal is to develop life-long learners who are well prepared to be successful in high school and beyond.

ENRICHMENT: Sacred Heart students thrive academically, but there is so much more to their day—we offer year-round, no-cut sports, a highly regarded drama program, numerous after-school enrichment programs (beginning in 3-year-old Preschool), and a teacher-staffed Homework Lab.

CULTURE & COMMUNITY: Sacred Heart is a community where friendships for life are made amongst the children and the parents. We are a family who is always learning and growing together. We value our time together and believe that we are called to live the core values of love, service, perseverance, discovery, and engagement. The Root Beliefs of the entire community of Sacred Heart are: we believe that we are all made in the image and likeness of God & we accept challenges as opportunities. Everyone is important, has dignity, and contributes to the greater whole.

NEW TO YOUR SCHOOL: Families have the option of either 1:30 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. dismissal as part of the robust JK program that prepares our students to succeed in our Kindergarten classes and beyond.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: As a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning school, Sacred Heart School continues its long tradition of educating children’s hearts and minds. Strong academics, meaningful service, and innovative technology are at the core of the Sacred Heart student experience.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Our mission is to educate children’s hearts and minds in a faith-filled, Catholic community. We are proud of our growing school, successful students, and innovative faculty. Come for a private tour to see what makes Sacred Heart School special.

WEBSITE: woodlandsacademy.org/admission/visit-apply

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 124

AGES: 14-18

TUITION: $29,500 tuition (day student)

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Susan Tyree Dempf, Ph.D.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic

ENTRANCE PROCEDURE: Prospective students and their families start the process by filling out an Admission Inquiry form on the school’s website. Then they can schedule a Shadow Day visit allowing the prospective student to experience the spirit and energy Woodlands Academy students possess in the classroom. The next steps are to fill out an online application, apply for financial aid and register for an entrance exam. All these steps can be completed by clicking on Admission at the top of school’s homepage and then Admissions Process.

CONTACT: Greg Lobe

PHONE: 847-234-4300

OPEN MORNINGS: There are some upcoming opportunities to learn about the transformative educational experience at Woodlands Academy. The school will be hosting an open house Thursday, Nov. 10, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Check woodlandsacademy.org/shadowday for upcoming opportunities. Contact the Officer of Admission at admission@woodlandsacademy.org to schedule a personal tour of campus any morning classes are in session

CURRICULUM: Consistent with the Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart education, Woodlands Academy’s academic program seeks to instill in its students a deep respect for intellectual values, academic integrity, and a lifelong passion for learning.

ENRICHMENT: The Woodlands Academy Center for Global Studies engages students with comprehensive curricular, extracurricular, and service opportunities to immerse them in a global outlook, equipping them with the skills to act as responsible leaders on issues of global significance. Its students can participate in an international exchange program allowing them to spend some time abroad at one of the other Sacred Heart schools.

CULTURE & COMMUNITY: Woodlands Academy is an independent Catholic day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. It’s part of a worldwide network of 25 schools in the U.S. and Canada and more than 150 schools in a total of 41 countries on six continents.

The benefits of an all- girls' school do not come from separating girls from the boys, but from the ability of a girls' school to focus entirely on the education, development, and well-being of girls. At Woodlands Academy girls learn experientially that they have no limits.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: In 2020, Woodlands Academy was recognized by the U. S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School. This coveted award, based on a school's overall academic performance, affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.

Woodlands Academy was once again named Illinois’ top all-girls high school in the 2023 report by Niche, an independent research company, which also ranks Woodlands #1 Best Catholic High School in Illinois.

what makes a sacred heart student?

She learns how to study & prepare, scoring in the top 10% on national tests

She takes music classes & participates in her 4th-grade class band

He gives back to those less fortunate and volunteers often

He can choose from a menu of no-cut sports

our 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio means she gets the attention she needs to help her thrive

He is prepared for high school and will take honors & ap math, science, and Spanish classes

GAME CHANGER

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

A daunting academic challenge for high school juniors—the SAT test—is undergoing some important changes. The College Board, the nonprofit that owns the SAT, is converting the test to a digital format. The test is also undergoing some structural changes that have significant implications for how students will prepare for and take the test.

We caught up with Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Founder, and CEO of Academic Approach, to get a sense of the SAT changes and their impact on students. Academic Approach is a premier, Chicago-based tutoring and test preparation company that works with students, parents, and schools to advise them on the SAT and other standardized tests. Pietrafetta says the changes to the SAT are big. The pencil-and-paper PSAT is gone this spring and the last paper-and-pencil SAT will be given in December 2023.

Pietrafetta says there are three main reasons the College Board is making the changes: 1) to make the test more equitable; digital tests are easier to deliver and less expensive; 2) to make the test more secure; question randomization and digital security measures will better prevent content leaks and cheating; and 3) to create efficiencies; school administrators will no longer have to worry about processing boxes of tests and

taking a digital, adaptive PSAT in October,” Pietrafetta says. “These sophomores are, unfortunately, caught in a major moment of change in standardized testing, and it will be up to them to navigate this paper to digital transition. They will need lots of guidance and support.”

From a student’s perspective, the construct, content, and format changes to the SAT matter, and matter differently, student by student.

“Some students benefit from pencil-andpaper problem-solving—annotation techniques, detail-oriented, step-by-step work,” Pietrafetta says. “Some, on the other hand, are digital natives, who can be accurate and efficient when working with digital material. No two students are the same.”

Academic Approach has a Department of Education that generates curriculum and assessments as well as a Technology Department that administers all content digitally. The company has been administering digital assessments with schools for many years, so these SAT changes are not a surprise.

“We've already digitized our curriculum and are continuing to expand our suite of digital SATs,” Pietrafetta says. “We're ready, and we’re excited to already be working

with schools to help them transition their instruction to support this new test-taking experience.”

Pietrafetta says that, given the changes to the SAT, the first thing to focus on is practice testing, especially for the high school class of 2025.

“We're looking closely now at the new cohort of students coming in—gathering diagnostic data, analyzing the differences among students, and offering consultations on our findings.”

Now that the digital SAT will be so different from the paper-and-pencil ACT, Pietrafetta says that determining which test will best suit your student is more important than ever.

“You want to analyze your student’s performance on both tests and personalize your student’s approach,” he explains. “The shared knowledge from the past has reached its shelf-life.”

Ultimately, it is crucial for parents and students to learn as much about the changes to the SAT as possible.

“We understand how overwhelming changes to the tests can be for families,” Pietrafetta says. “We’re here to lift some of that burden and share our expertise.”

The bottom line, he says, is “It’s a different landscape for Class of 2025. It’s not the same test that your older siblings took. You can’t rely on the same preparation that your nextdoor-neighbor used. The game has changed. Students need to be prepared to play.”

For more information about Academic Approach, call 847-796-6158 or visit academicapproach.com, where a human-staffed chat is also available.

bubble sheets, and grading will be done in real time so students get results much faster. However, it is the impact on students that Academic Approach is thinking through most.

“The Class of 2025, who just took the pencil and paper PSAT this April, will be

When some express concern for the Class of 2025, Pietrafetta agrees but reminds them that he's seen significant changes to the ACT and SAT before. The SAT underwent major revisions in 2005, 2016, and now again in 2023. Since 2001, Academic Approach has worked consistently with families and schools through these times of transition to navigate the change. This time is the exactly same—Academic Approach already has digital SAT-specific materials and instruction in place.

This month every public high school junior took a pencil and paper SAT—for the last time. Next year, the SAT is going digital.

Matthew Pietrafetta, founder and CEO of Academic Approach

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CHEZ QUIS?

The mansion that served as the exterior backdrop for one of the funnier moments in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—Abe Froman, the Sausage King—has sold for $5.6 million, it was announced last week.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

“4,000 restaurants in the Chicago area. I pick the one my dad goes to”—Ferris Bueller.

There are many notable scenes in the movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In fact, one could characterize the movie as a lengthy series of notable (and funny) scenes, from start to finish. Every now and then, there’s an occurrence that takes us back to the beloved film, outside of landing on the film while channel surfing.

The latest occurrence is the sale of the mansion used to depict the exterior of the fictional French restaurant Chez Quis, in which Ferris, somewhat embarrassingly to his mates, pulls off his imposter of Abe Froman, the sausage king of Chicago, to land not just an impossible-to-get table, but personal attention from a snooty maître d’.

The house, located on North Dearborn Street, sold for $5.65 million, down from the original asking price of $5.95 million. The seller was the estate of the late private equity manager and philanthropist Richard Driehaus. The estate also recently sold another home in Chicago on Schiller Street and a mansion in Lake Geneva. Driehaus passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage in 2021.

Driehaus’s philanthropy focused on architectural preservation—the Driehaus Museum on Erie Street in Chicago celebrates his passion— so it’s perhaps fitting that his former home received a cameo in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. While the interior scenes were shot at a restaurant in Los Angeles, a side entrance to the mansion on Dearborn Street depicted the restaurant’s entrance.

The film itself yo-yos between scenes shot in the L.A. area and Director John Hughes’s beloved North Shore and Chicago. As clever

and well written and funny the movie is, it’s also a personal homage to Hughes’s hometown. He once said of the Bueller residence that’s shown on camera in the opening scene, “This house was in Long Beach, California, and it disappointed me that the first shot in my movie that took place in Chicago was in Long Beach.”

In addition to the well-known, Chicago locales featured in the film—Wrigley Field,

the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Board of Trade, Willis Tower, the North Shore features heavily in the film. Hughes, who passed away suddenly in 2009, spent much of his youth in Northbrook and attended Glenbrook North High School. The school has featured in other Hughes films and serves as the backdrop for the scene where Ferris springs Sloane from school (grandma met an untimely death), an event that kickstarts the rest of the movie.

The water tower in Northbrook, known as the “Save Ferris” water tower in the film also make a brief cameo, as does Glencoe Beach (where Ferris and Sloane try to calm Cameron down after the Ferrari mileage fiasco), downtown Winnetka (Ferris’s mom’s real estate office), and of course 370 Beech Street in Highland Park where the red Fer-

rari meets its ultimate, unfortunate, fate. Circle back to Chez Quis and the historic mansion on Dearborn Street. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of those get-stuck-on movies while channel surfing. You see it, you smile, and you’re stuck. The scene in the restaurant is especially reflective of the philosophy Ferris expresses at the very beginning of the film.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you can miss it.”

When Sloane suggests to Ferris that he is going too far in trying to sausage king his way past the intolerably snooty Chez Quis maître d’ and he might get busted, Ferris replies, “A—you can never go too far; B—if I’m going to get busted it is not going to be by a guy like that.”

John Hughes

Photo courtesy ofJim Zenk/Paramount Pictures

Native

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Joalida Smit was living the happy life in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2019 when her husband, David du Plessis, got an offer from his company to transfer to Chicago. Du Plessis flew solo to Chicago and soon after Smit and her two children came over for a visit. However, the idea of moving into a small rental apartment in the big city—she had already done that for almost 20 years living in central London working for the National Health Service—was out of the question.

FULL BLOOM

her work, titled In Full Bloom: A Meditation on Paradox. The show opened on April 4 and runs through June.

"The collection brings together my love for the work of the American artist, Georgia O’Keefe,” says Smit, “along with my lifelong obsession with chiaroscuro, an oil painting technique where light and dark hues are blended with soft brushes to create the illusion of rounded shapes on a two-dimensional surface.”

The chiaroscuro technique was perfected by the Dutch Masters (Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Holbein) and requires a delicate balance between the white canvas

neuropsychologist,” she says. “I ran a survivorship service for adolescents who were treated for brain tumors in childhood. So, apart from high school and the first couple of years during my early 20s, I didn't really make any art. Until I came to Lake Forest, I had sort of packed it away, but there was always a dream to go back to it one day.”

When she first started painting, Smit says, she was “like a kid in a candy shop.” She wanted to try all the different styles, media, and techniques.

“It was quite hard to get back into it, finding my style and thinking what I wanted to say through art,” she says. “So, during COVID, intimidated by my rusty skills, I started working with a palette knife—I wanted to feel how the oil felt again after 25 years—creating a large series inspired by my forest runs during COVID.”

Because Chicago winters are so brutal, Smit says her forest paintings felt somber. Bracing her second winter in isolation, she needed to do something that lifted her spirits, so she began painting flowers. It is those paintings that will be featured in the exhibition at The Gallery.

“I knew it was going to be difficult, coping with the isolation, unable to work, in a strange country, not knowing anyone, and struggling to find myself through art again, so I thought if it’s going to be this hard, let it at least be pretty,” Smit says. “I’ve always worked large, even in high school, so I set out to really dig into this idea of shade and light, trying to push the genre to its limits and giving it a contemporary angle.”

After nine months, it was either her husband come back home to Cape Town, or gamble on a big adventure. They took the gamble, and somewhat randomly, they settled in Lake Forest.

“When we visited Chicago, we stayed in an apartment in Lincoln Park. I told my husband there are two things that I liked about Chicago. Number one, the lake. I want to be by a lake,” Smit says. “And I want to run in a forest. So, I Googled lake and forest and Chicago, and Lake Forest turned up and I said, ‘OK, we’re going there’.”

With her new life in Lake Forest, Smit, a neuropsychologist and clinical psychologist by training, couldn’t practice in the United States due to a different set of requirements and certifications. Six weeks after arriving, COVID-19 hit and as a way to cope with the harsh winters, she began painting.

This artistic journey led to Smit opening a studio in Lake Forest’s Gorton Center, and The Gallery is now hosting the first exhibition of

(which creates a sense of illumination) and dark undertones (which creates a sense of depth), Smit explains. It also draws a tenuous line between her Dutch heritage and her new life in the United States.

“Smit’s work is a stunning representation of a lifelong practice and passion for this beautiful painting technique,” says Cecilia Lanyon, co-founder of The Cotton Duck Hospitality Group, which includes The Gallery. “In addition to the power of scale, these large-size paintings create an illusion of depth and dimensionality that transform a space and the viewer in front of them.”

Smit says she’s always had an interest in art, though she has no formal art training. She wanted to study art, but family challenges prevented her. Concerned about the instability in her native country at the time, she started studying psychology because it was a profession that allowed her to work in the UK.

“After my master’s in psychology, I went over to the UK and I retrained there as a pediatric

Smit says she was initially ambivalent about becoming known as an artist who paints flowers, but she realized she had to decide on one theme and stick to it. When Lanyon asked her if she would do an exhibit of her large floral works, she had the motivation she needed to press ahead.

“All of the doubts about whether the work was good enough, whether I really could make this pivot from psychologist to artist, all of those voices, I had to quiet them and just see it through,” she says. “To be honest, I think it's the only way to do it. You have to create a body of work and you develop through that work. The art teaches you; it helps you to find your voice through the act of doing.”

It's actually not about the content at the end of the day, Smit says, but how one matures as an artist through facing oneself in front of a canvas on a daily basis. She realized that through her work she can tackle psychological themes in a visual way.

“It is really what this exhibition is about, using the metaphor of the flower in bloom to

ponder existential themes of ageing, transition, and understanding the paradox inherent in nature—that the flower doesn’t bloom less bright because its fleeting,” she says. “It leans into that moment.”

She’ll continue to paint flowers, she says, but also tackle other themes because her “love of nature is the overarching inspiration.”

In Full Bloom: A Meditation on Paradox runs through June at The Gallery in Lake Forest, 202 Wisconsin Avenue. For more information visit thegallerylf.com. For more information about Joalida Smit, visit joalidasmit.com.

Leaning into the lightness of being

Lake Forest-based artist Joalita Smit, White tulip

South African artist Joalida Smit took to painting during the pandemic, and it’s led to her first show running now through June at The Gallery in Lake Forest.

BY ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Lake Forest’s Angela Alvarez knows beauty when she sees it.

A native of Nicaragua, Alvarez moved to the United States with her family when she was a teenager because of the war taking place in her home country. Nearly two decades went by before she had the chance to return.

“10 years passed, then 12, and I honestly thought I would never go back to Nicaragua,” Alvarez says. “On my first visit, the experience was surreal—to return and see places I had worked hard to preserve in my mind. Some places were as I remembered and others were completely different.”

It was on this trip that Alvarez had a serendipitous encounter with an artisan making handbags.

“I met this man who was making highly ornate handbags from exquisite materials with impeccable craftsmanship,” she explains. “I knew that if he was willing to simplify his designs, his product would appeal to a clientele that would appreciate his work, as well as the materials he was using. I hoped this would command a higher price and a volume that would create a consistent income he could count on. We celebrated 15 years of working together during Covid. It’s been nothing short of great.”

While Alvarez never studied fashion formally, there has always been an element of design and a true passion for color and texture in her life.

“When I was in college in Miami, I worked for a luxury shoe manufacturing firm,” Alvarez says. “We were the makers for private labels, big names of the day—Florsheim, Nunn Bush, Castañer, and others. My job was to work with Spain to source raw material. I had a good eye and spoke Spanish, English, and French. I got to experience the production process in its entirety. I translated and worked closely with the tanneries, which allowed me to become well-versed in skin and hide color, texture, and caliber. I loved every minute of the work then and I cannot believe my good fortune that I’ve been able to circle back to this industry after so many years. I know

PURSE WITH A PURPOSE

Photography by Monica Kass Rogers

Angela Alvarez merges her passion for beautiful handbags with purposeful production.

this is a God-wink and I am so grateful.”

In Alvarez’s first years working with the Nicaraguan artisan, she developed a prototype for whom she thought she could collaborate with on design and how this relationship would work. Today, in addition to producing bags in Nicaragua, she also has workrooms in Columbia and has recently started working with an artisan in the United States.

“It’s important to me that my business means something to the person who is doing the work,” she says. “If I can contribute to someone’s economy, I prefer it to be with a small outlet where there is a significant impact being made directly on the maker as a result of his/her work.”

An example of such an impact can be seen in the lives of those who are employed by Alvarez’s Nicaraguan and Colombian workrooms.

“Something I am very proud of is our K-12 scholarship program for the children of our artisans,” Alvarez says. “And in our workrooms, we have a master artisanapprentice program. If an apprentice has the opportunity to move on to somewhere else where their lives and those of their families can be better, that’s what we want for them.”

Alvarez—married to fellow Nicaraguan

Eduardo and mother to four—is especially committed to working with indigenous women in Colombia and Ecuador. Through her connections with fair trade organizations that highlight the craft of these indigenous people, she has discovered incredible hand-woven fabrics and beadwork that she has incorporated into her lines.

“I love technology! Even in the most remote parts of these Latin American countries, the artisans use smartphones,” Alvarez says. “We FaceTime and I get to see the work happening in real time. It’s made the accessibility to these artisans and the opportunity to work with them so much easier.”

Alvarez believes that by managing the growth of her business carefully, volume will not trump the quality of the bags, the impact on the makers’ lives, or the relationship she has with her clients. She currently serves a clientele throughout Illinois, New York, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.

“I can tell if I show somebody a bag if it’s for her, about her, and the story behind how the bag has been made resonated with her,” she says. “I can also tell if she’s just trying to agree with me and that the bag will end up on a shelf. In my mind, for my business, few things scare me more than a client purchasing a bag that will never get used. I try to

Sacred Heart School

listen carefully and come up with a bag that will fit her lifestyle perfectly.”

Clients can meet with Alvarez and create a one-of-a-kind custom bag, or purchase one from existing inventory. If someone visits Alvarez’s showroom, they will be overwhelmed with the sheer beauty, color, texture, and stories behind each of her handbags where she has clearly thought of the many uses a woman may use her products. Everything from the mini crossbody of the moment in an exotic neutral skin, to a vibrant-colored oversized woven clutch— Alvarez has captured every woman. She has also recently debuted a sleek weekender bag that would make an unforgettable gift for the most discerning man in your life.

“I love that I get to be a part of the different stages of the making of these pieces,” she says. “I love going to Italy to source lining, hardware, zippers, adhesives—seeing the newest technology for stitching. I love working with the artisans in South America, knowing that this business is making their lives better. And I love knowing that a client has purchased a bag from me that is exactly as she wanted it to be.”

To learn more about Angela Alvarez’s bags, visit angelaalvarezdesigns.com. You may also reach her at 847-767-1814.

It’s important to me that my business means something to the person who is doing the work.

EVERYTHING WENT FINE

This new French film about euthanasia is both life-affirming and heroic in its own unique way.

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 52 minutes

RATING: 4 stars

BY REX REED THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

At a particularly bleak time in movie history when a good 90 percent of everything I see on the screen is regrettably dumb, pointless, and forgettable, leave it to the French to elevate the cinema with something beautiful, touching and memorable.

Written and directed by the prolific Francois Ozon, Everything Went Fine is an exemplary work that intelligently explores the pros and cons of euthanasia with the kind of love, truthfulness, and power that is rarely captured on film. If you fall into the dwindling category of filmgoers who demand more from motion pictures than mindless junk, it will restore your faith in humanity.

Emmanuele and Pascale Bernheim are loving and devoted sisters in a prominent and cultured Jewish family in Paris. When their elderly father Andre suffers a crippling stroke and all of its dire consequences, they rush to face responsibility, administer care, and prepare for his inevitable death.

The Bernheims are a sophisticated lot—highly educated, professionally accomplished, and culturally advanced—so it is not surprising that they handle misfortune with reserves of calm and control, but in a crisis they can still feel pain and sorrow intensely.

The film peels away layers of guarded emotion in the internecine relationships between their father and various relatives and friends, but Mr. Bernheim touches his two already worried daughters' raw nerves even more when he confides in them his desire for them to help him die with dignity.

Famed film critic Rex Reed weighs in on Everything Went Fine and Renfield

Emmanuele is a novelist, her husband Serge is a film historian planning a retrospective on Luis Bunuel, and Pascale is a musician with two children. These are mature people willing to go the extra existence to enrich the final days in their father's life, but he's a man of many conflicting personality shifts—irascible, temperamental, demanding, challenging, and

a homosexual with a violent, dangerous lover reluctant to say goodbye, even if it means reporting everyone to the police to face arrest and a prison sentence.

Worse still, there's no help from their mother Claude, a notable sculptress separated from their father for years and suffering from depression and the last stages of Parkinson's disease.

A small but galvanizing bonus to Everything Went Fine is the cameo performance by Charlotte Rampling as the mother. This film is further proof that she can do no wrong in any role, regardless of size.

It all sounds relentlessly sad and hopeless, but a mesmerizing fascination ensues as the film leads the viewer through myriad complications in the lives of a diverse group of characters as Emmanuele investigates the legal consequences of assisted suicide. From the myriad personality snafus to the carefully detailed regimen of antidepressants, statins, and blood thinners that keep the old man alive while his family struggles to get him to a clinic in Switzerland that will legally terminate his pain and give him freedom, to the aftermath of the phone call confirming that "Everything went fine," Ozon's meticulous screenplay and compassionate direction leave no stone unturned in telling this true story, based on the book Emmanuele Bernheim published following her father's death, and enhanced immensely by a perfect cast that includes the ravishing Sophie Marceau as Emmanuele, Geraldine Pailhas as Pascale, and veteran actress Hanna Schygulla as the woman who runs the actual Swiss organization that provides solutions to terminally ill patients. Most of all, the multi-faceted centerpiece performance by Andre Dussallier as the father is deeply devastating.

Movies about growing old gracefully and dying heroically are often avoided like a virus by audiences seeking happier and more entertaining feel-good subjects.

I hope this is not the case with Everything Went Fine because it's life-affirming and teaches us something valid about life's unexpected but unavoidable challenges, eschewing all temptations to give in to sentimentality. It's a very fine film indeed.

Illustration by Tom Bachtell

RENFIELD

This so-called “vampire farce” is sorely lacking in originality and wit, earning not even 1 star.

BY REX REED THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

RUNNING TIME: 93 minutes

RATING: 0 stars

Although the length of Renfield is mercifully brief, an hour and a half of total garbage is more torture than a sane mind deserves.

The worst film since Babylon, this surfeit of loud, obnoxious, violent junk audaciously claims to call itself a vampire farce, but there isn't a genuine shred of originality anywhere in sight and it's as witty as an ambulance with a flat tire.

Renfield is a testament to the mediocrity of movies in general these days, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I had higher hopes for the idea of a film that further explores the colorful but understated character of Renfield, Count Dracula' loyal servant, so memorably immortalized in the classic 1931 horror film by Dwight Frye.

After centuries of abusive servitude, the pathetic creature tires of procuring fresh bodies for his narcissistic master and sets out on his own to see if there's life outside the various asylums he calls home, a respectable job besides slavery to the Prince of Darkness, and the taste of something besides the meals of rats and spiders provided by his mean-spirited boss.

So, I approached a film about the mind and feelings of Dracula' only partner in depravity with elation and the promise of something fresh and interesting. The result, I'm sorry to say, had the excitement of a dried prune and the impact of a tax audit.

From a screenplay as vibrant as road kill to a uniformly miscast list of actors who can't even bring an eternity of the undead back to life with computer graphics, everything about this calamitous cinematic demolition derby goes wrong.

Nicholas Hoult is too young and handsome to play a freak who has existed for centuries on a menu devoid of protein. Among the criminally wasted is Shoreh Aghdashloo, the powerful, Oscar-nominated Iranian actress from House of Sand and Fog. Watching her share the screen with the dreadful rapper

Awkwafina is one of the year's major embarrassments. And worst of all, Nicolas Cage chews every piece of scenery that isn't nailed to the floor as Count Dracula himself. It's not the first time he's played a bloodsucker, but nobody remembers a microcosmic mess called Vampire's Kiss

Now, playing the Transylvanian terror might be a bad dream on his overcrowded bucket list, but even with black lipstick from years of draining jugulars, press-on nails and yellow razor blades for teeth, flying like a bat through the midnight streets of New Orleans with a penchant for tourists and nuns, he's no scarier than a Halloween card from Walgreen's.

His Dracula is a cadaverous chunk of bloody hamburger covered with sores. Sipping plasma from a martini glass, he overplays every scene under the clueless direction of a hack named Chris McKay, rolling his eyes and licking his hives like a mental defective. Cage is a fearless actor (in real life, also one of the nicest), but as Dracula he's also outrageous, absurd, and hysterically over the top—more Butthead than Bela.

Fortunately, he doesn't have much to do. The moronic screenplay by Ryan Ridley focuses mainly on Renfield, who decides, after centuries of dragging Dracula's capes to the dry cleaners, to throw in the towel and get a life. To change, claim his freedom from his toxic, narcissistic boss, and grow to full power, he starts by buying a colorful sweater at Macy's, moving to present-day New Orleans in modern clothes, and enrolling in group-therapy sessions for disillusioned codependants.

He seems unaware that Anne Rice got to the Big Easy first, with a much more interesting band of vampires, rendering any attempt at originality dead on arrival.

His goal: To fly like Lugosi, eat some beignets in the French Quarter without his usual menu of flies, and, God forbid, find happiness. To that end, the movie follows all of the current trashy trends—gouged eyes, severed heads. exploding bodies spraying blood all over the wallpaper, and worse—it seeks but fails to find a believable balance between fright flick and farce.

I went out of curiosity—the same curiosity, it turns out, that killed the cat.

#HASHTAG

EDITED BY DUSTIN O'REGAN ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

I am always reading at least one book related to human behavior, mindfulness, or self-love. Currently, I am reading everything written by Jon Connelly, as I am in training with his certification program, Rapid Resolution Therapy. For pleasure, I am reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I love how the author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, allows you to feel connected to such a legendary star and makes you feel as if you are in an old Hollywood movie.

#ON MY MOBILE

My clients are women going through difficult times—infertility, cancer, or divorce. They have access to me 24/7. My calendar changes frequently because of the unanticipated changes that occur when someone is in trauma. My clients are global, so FaceTime is how I conduct most of my sessions. I also keep up personally and professionally on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I enjoy Instagram the most; it’s definitely where I find myself unconsciously consuming content.

#IN MY EARBUDS

I listen to podcasts incessantly. I am religious about listening to The SimplyBe. Podcast with Jessica Zweig, Manifestation Babe with Kathrin Zenkina, and Dear FoundHer with Lindsay Pinchuk. This week, however, I started listening to On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Shetty, a world-renowned coach, has such fascinating conversations with his guests. I am always left with a new perspective on how to live my life intentionally. In terms of music, you can typically find me listening to Fleetwood Mac, The Grateful Dead, or a mix on Spotify made by one of my teenage boys.

HOPE LUTZ FIRSEL is a Women’s Life Coach with a deep expertise in guiding women through life’s unexpected turns. In addition to having her master’s degree from The London School of Economics in Organizational Behavior, a life coach certification, and training in Rapid Resolution Therapy, Hope offers wisdom from overcoming her own personal traumas. She provides both private and group coaching, via Zoom or in person, with an approach that is a blend of the strongest philosophies from both Eastern and Western cultures. In her sessions, she empowers her clients to determine the right plan for how they are going to move through change most effectively. She believes that you can overcome anything, you just need a plan and a little Hope.

HOT CROSS BUNS

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

“One ha’ penny, two ha’ penny, hot cross buns!” was once a British street-vendor cry heralding the sale of spiced and fruit-studded buns.

When I was a little girl, I loved the American version of these buns, soft and warm, with snow-white icing crosses piped over their glossy tops.

Although the buns are now imbued with Christian symbolism (crosses for Christ’s crucifixion, citrus peel for the bitterness of his last drink, and spices for his shroud) food historians tell us the buns have pagan roots. Ancient Romans offered cross-marked buns to their moon goddess Diana. And before that, Saxons baked buns etched with horns in a cross-shape meant to represent the four quarters of the moon’s cycle.

In the centuries since, superstitious Britons have credited the buns with all sorts of good luck charms: Curing illness, protecting from shipwrecks, warding off kitchen fires, and more.

Although the buns are usually made with just raisins or currants, I like versions that include additional dried fruits and candied fruit peel. Our recipe plumps a mix of seedless black raisins, sultanas, dried apricots, and sweetened dried cranberries in hot rum. That, plus a few tablespoons of home-made candied citrus peel. The dough is spiced with a perfectly balanced mixture of freshly grated nutmeg, Jamaican allspice, ground cinnamon, and clove.

The buns are best eaten hot from the oven, but it does take a long time to make them, so, well-wrapped and then warmed the next day, they are still delicious.

Yield: 1 dozen buns

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CANDIED CITRUS/MARMALADE

• 2 seedless clementine oranges, cut into thin wheels

• 1 fresh lemon, seeds removed, cut into thin wheels

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

FOR THE DRIED FRUIT MIXTURE

• 1/3 cup rum

• ½ cup seedless black raisins

• ¼ cup sultanas (golden raisins)

• ¼ cup dried apricots cut into small pieces

• ¼ cup dried cranberries

• 2 Tbsp candied citrus peel, (from recipe above,) cut into tiny pieces (save the marmalade portion to serve with the buns)

FOR THE DOUGH

• 1 ¼ cups whole milk warmed to room temperature

• 2 large eggs plus one large egg yolk (reserve white to glaze buns)

• 6 Tbsp butter, softened

• 2 tsp active dry yeast

• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp Jamaican allspice

• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

• 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

• 1 ¾ tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

FOR THE EGGWASH

• 1 Egg white (reserved from dough ingredients)

• 1 Tbsp whole milk

FOR THE ICING

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

• ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/16 tsp salt

• 4 tsp whole milk

METHOD

Make the candied citrus peel/marmalade: Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small pot over medium high heat. Add sliced clementines and lemon. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the citrus slices are translucent and the liquid in the pan has cooked down to become a marmalade. Cool.

Make the dough: Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Set aside. Mix dried fruit together in a microwave-safe bowl; add rum. Cover with plastic. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Set aside.

Measure flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Remove 2 Tbsp of the flour to a small sauce pan. Whisk ½ cup of the 1 ¼ cups of warmed milk into the pan set over medium high heat. Cook the mixture, whisking continuously, until it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Remove 1 more Tbsp of the remaining warm milk to a small bowl. Mix with yeast. Set aside to bloom yeast. Stir spices, salt and baking powder into the flour. Add cooled thickened milk/ flour mixture, 2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk, butter, brown sugar, baking powder, and yeast. Knead mixture with the dough hook until soft and elastic. Remove dough from mixer bowl and knead a bit more. Pat dough into a large flat circle. Stir 2 (or slightly more) tablespoons of the snipped candied citrus peel with the plumped mixed fruit. Spread the fruit mixture over dough. Repeatedly fold and knead dough until the fruit is mixed throughout the dough. Butter a large bowl; place dough in bowl. Cover and set dough bowl in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 1-1/2 hours. Divide the dough into 12 balls. Place dough balls three across in the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan and allow buns to rise for another hour until buns have puffed up a bit. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk egg white and whole milk together; brush over the buns. Bake buns for 20 to 25 minutes until a deep golden brown.

Remove buns from the oven; cool slightly and then turn out of pan. Once cooled, whisk together icing ingredients to make a thick frosting. Place in a piping bag; pipe an icing cross on the top of each bun. Allow crosses to set slightly. Serve buns split and buttered with a little of the marmalade reserved from making the candied citrus peel.

MATERIAL PURSUITS

This weekend’s curated luxury trends

THE KINGDOM OF PREP: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE RISE AND (NEAR) FALL OF J.CREW

DRIVE IT

Celebrating 60 years of James Bond movies, Moke America’s latest collaboration with EON Productions and 007 is a love letter to the James Bond film canon. The Moke has appeared in four 007 films: You Only Live Twice (1967), Live And Let Die (1973), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). This limited edition 007 Moke features a midnight blue exterior, “Mango Tree” wooden dashboard, wood steering wheel, wood gear shift knob and many touches that call to mind the swashbuckling style of the world’s most famous spy. mokeamerica.com

Maggie Bullock began her career as an editor at Vogue and served as ELLE’s deputy editor from 2010 to 2018. Now, Bullock has penned a book on J. Crew, the one-of-a-kind American brand. With unprecedented access, Bullock brings to life the deliciously idiosyncratic people who erected J.Crew; unpacks the foundation upon which it was built (the complex legacy of prep, a subculture born on the 1920s campuses of the Ivy League); and examines how one brand rose to epitomize “American” style in two very different golden eras. barnesandnoble.com

CONNECTING THROUGH MUSIC

Interactions with musicians—on and off stage—mean the world to Evanston resident and jazz vocalist Petra van Nuis.

BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

An only child who grew up in Cincinnati, jazz vocalist Petra van Nuis today likes nothing more than to be surrounded by talented musicians when she entertains.

She formed the band Petra’s Recession Seven in 2008, right in the middle of the Great Recession. Her six partners in sublime artistry are her husband, Andy Brown (guitar), Art Davis (trumpet), Eric Schneider (reeds), Russ Phillips (trombone), Dan DeLorenzo (bass), and Bob Rummage (drums).

Each man, other than Brown, ranges in age from 64 to 75.

“Musicians,” the 47-year-old van Nuis insists, “don’t age, because their spirit is so strong. I’ve always sought to work with people who are more experienced than I, more seasoned, because that’s the best way to learn. I’ve learned jazz through them. Russ Phillips’ dad (Russ Phillips, Sr.) performed with Louis Armstrong.

“They’ve also been teachers in the ‘school of life,’” she adds. “I’ve learned their vibe, how they carry themselves on stage and off. They’re into swing music and they swing through life. They’re also nice and humble. It has always been a thrill for me to simply be around them.”

Petra’s Recession Seven will perform music from the Great American Songbook at Studio5 in Evanston on May 5 from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

Studio5 is an intimate performing arts center that also boasts excellent sight lines and comfortable seating. Co-founders Steve Rashid, an Emmy Award-winning composer, and Bea Rashid, a dance educator, choreographer, and theater director, opened the welcoming space in 2016—expanding Dance Center Evanston to include Studio5 as a performing arts venue presenting professional dance and music events among other forms of entertainment.

“It’s a great setting,” van Nuis says. “If you like swing jazz, or classic jazz, and you’re into traditional jazz songs from the 1920s to 1940s, the show is for you. The audience will leave with smiles, because they will have had a rollicking, fun, joyous time. They’ll walk out feeling happy, uplifted. We interact well on stage. People have told us that it’s clear we’re having fun while performing.”

The daughter of the late Pieter, a Baldwin Piano Company employee who tuned pianos and invented piano parts, and Rosalie, a Frank Sinatra fan, Petra van Nuis (pronounced Pay-tra van Nouse) was 6 when she auditioned for a role in a musical that would be staged by the local North Avondale Neighborhood Association (NANA) in Cincinnati.

“My mom first recorded my singing voice when I was 2,” van Nuis says, adding NANA had rented an auditorium at nearby Saint Xavier University for the auditions. “You know how moms are. She thought it was great. I sang ‘Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer’ at my audition. I wanted a part, any part, in the show.”

Years later, at the age of 11, she landed a role with the Cincinnati Opera and got paid for

performing for the first time. Being a part of a national tour—another first—followed.

Van Nuis attended The School for Creative & Performing Arts (SCPA) in Cincinnati. It was for students in grades 4 through 12 at the time. She started there in the fifth grade.

“It’s a cool place,” van Nuis says. “I danced, sang, and acted there. It was good training for the real world of arts. Not how to be a superstar but how to make a living in the arts. I skipped my lunch period and ate during English so I could take more arts classes. I performed in gigs at afterschool events. “I practically lived at the school.”

One day, in 11th-grade American History class, a new boy at the school caught the attention of van Nuis and more than a few other students.

Van Nuis and Andy Brown got to know each other and began dating shortly thereafter.

“One of the first things we did together was decorate a Christmas tree at his house,” van Nuis recalls.

Not too many people can say they had their first kiss while watching the movie The Exorcist, but Petra and Andy—a pair of googly-eyed 16-year-olds then—can.

Perhaps the devil made them do it.

But a serious courtship followed and they got married some eight years later. Van Nuis had earned a BFA at the University of Cincinnati College—Conservatory of Music (CCM) and performed on national tours in musical theater when they exchanged vows 23 years ago. Brown was a blues musician and would become a jazz guitarist.

“I was tired of touring and being on the road all the time,” van Nuis says. “Plus I had dance injuries. I was 24 and I wanted to spend more time with Andy. I’d listen to Andy’s jazz gigs and think, ‘Now that’s artistic and creative.’ In musical theater, you’re told what to do. With jazz you get to create your own show with other freelance musicians. That creative process—I loved it then and I still love it.”

The married couple have performed as a duo all over the country and in several other countries, including Germany, Belgium, and Holland.

Van Nuis’ debut album, A Sweet Refrain, was released in 2006, and six others followed. Brown booked 30 gigs this April, and his wife wasn’t too far behind, with 24. Busy, busy.

“I have zero pop music in my voice,” says van Nuis, who moved from Roscoe Village in Chicago to Evanston 13 years ago. “It’s probably because I’ve always liked listening to music from different eras. And, as an only child, I hung out with adults a lot at a young age.

“For me, making connections is an essential aspect of music. Music allows me to connect with my band members and our audience.

“Connections enrich us.”

Studio5 is located at 1934 Dempster Street in Evanston. For more information, and for ticket information for Petra’s Recession Seven concert at Studio5 in Evanston on May 5, call 847-328-6683 or visit studio5.dance.Van Nuis’ website address is petrasings.com.

In musical theater, you’re told what to do. With jazz you get to create your own show with other freelance musicians. That creative process—I loved it then and I still love it.

Petra van Nuis

You are invited to a community healthcare education event at no cost:

What Every Man Should Know About Prostate Cancer, From Warning Signs to Treatments

Northwestern Medicine urologists specializing in prostate cancer will highlight advances in prostate cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Monday, April 24, 7 pm

Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital Conference Center 1000 North Westmoreland Road Lake Forest, Illinois

Your questions are welcome!

Refreshments will be served. Space is limited. Please RSVP today by emailing Rosie Schalka, Northwestern Medicine Physician Services, at tcroghan@nm.org.

nm.org/urology

Presented by:

Michael McGuire, MD

Dennis Pessis, MD

Matthew Schaff, MD