Ad Summum Volume 1, Issue 3 — 2012-2013 Annual Report
January 2014
New Strategic Plan Charts Course to Kew-Forest Centennial The successful non-profit organization is organized for the new – organized to perceive opportunities. Innovative organizations systematically look both outside and inside for clues to innovative opportunities. Peter Drucker, Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practice With the successful conclusion of its 2010-2013 Strategic Plan last year (See Ad Summum, Volume I, Issue 2), The Kew-Forest School spent much of 2013 identifying opportunities and strategic initiatives that will propel Kew-Forest to its Centennial in 2018-19. A Board Retreat in January 2013 followed by surveys of students, parents, Faculty and Staff, Board, and administration, two days of Focus Groups, and three days of Board and educational leadership meetings in November 2013 led to an aspirational and practical FiveYear Plan unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees on January 7, 2014. That working document will now set the School’s annual goals and objectives for the next four years and will define the work of the Board, the Headmaster, and the Faculty and Staff. Highlights of key elements in each of the four major areas are: Program As a school concerned with both the process of learning and the outcomes of learning for each of our students, The Kew-Forest School wishes to be best-known for its highly responsive educational program. Socratic, inquirybased instruction and learning will be a hallmark of our school. To that end, we shall:
• Create and articulate an educational scope and sequence from Early Childhood through Grade 12 that reflects best educational practice and curricular alignment. • Develop a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program across the entire school. • Capitalize upon the advantages of being in New York City to expand community service and to use the City as a classroom. • Re-design the daily schedule to reflect best practice and ageappropriateness. • Improve/enhance extracurricular offerings and opportunities, assuring that they are age and community-appropriate. • Analyze technology at the School and define the role of technology in learning and teaching at Kew-Forest and then implement plan. • Enhance student life within the School with a student advisory/ guidance program. Address student social and emotional issues with a well-articulated and implemented program overseen by a qualified professional. Our goal is to develop students who understand their civic responsibilities and give back to their community and world. Faculty The Kew-Forest Faculty is a talented team, and they lead in the preparation of our students. KewForest is committed to building and maintaining a strong faculty culture, one steeped in professional development and consistent with our mission. To that end, we shall:
— Headmaster Mark Fish, Ed.M.
I am excited to share this preview with you. I thank this entire community for your part in this Plan’s creation and, now, in its implementation. • Attract, promote, and retain talented Faculty who inspire and value our students and who prioritize professional development. We will enhance faculty compensation and move toward wages that are consistent with the top 10% of National Association of Independent Schools. • Increase faculty professional development.
(Continued on next page)
Board News: Thank You for Your Insightful Input and Support On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank the entire Kew-Forest community for participating in bringing about the 20142019 Strategic Plan. Without the community’s insightful input and support, the Board and senior administration would not have had the ability to embark on this project. I would also like to offer my sincere gratitude to Terry Moore from Independent School Management. Terry was instrumental in helping us synthesize and prioritize our goals. The Strategic Plan is a comprehensive road map that will shape the future of our School. It is a responsive framework that can adapt to shifting circumstances. The goals at the core of this plan were guided by the responses that the School re-
ceived from the surveys and focus groups. The Board and senior administration met for three days and crafted the strategic plan based on the relevant issues that were most important to school excellence and to our many constituents, including Students, Faculty, and Parents. The strategic financial plan in place takes into account the economics of implementing the Strategic Plan. Some of the key issues that came to the forefront are: the creation of a master facility plan which will address space issues and building enhancement; ways to increase enrollment; exploration of a STEM program across the entire school; an educational scope and sequence that reflects best educational practice and curricular alignment; and undertaking a fund raising feasibili-
ty study with the goal of completing a successful capital and endowment campaign. This is only a sampling of the many pertinent issues that the school takes on as it approaches its centennial in 2018. I hope that you will join Mark Fish and me on either January 22 or 23, 2014, as we discuss the State of the School and look to the future. The actions that we take now will determine the future of our great institution. Your continued support will insure that our school will not only serve our children but also future generations. Best, Ellen Honig ‘86 Chair, Board of Trustees
(Continued from previous page: Strategic Plan) • Establish a Faculty Advisory Committee to support and enhance decision making within the School. • Develop and implement a carefully-designed faculty evaluation process. We are committed to building a high-performing and outstanding faculty culture. Advancement Advancement includes fund raising, marketing, and admission. The goal of advancement is to support the Kew-Forest community by proudly proclaiming the Kew-Forest brand, growing enrollment, and enhancing fund raising to support our students. To that end, we shall: • Set a long-term strategic goal to increase enrollment to 350375 students in Early Childhood through Grade 12, with each Lower School class containing 18 students and each Upper School grade containing 36 students. • Re-brand the School by carefully articulating the Kew-Forest mission, creating a portrait of a graduate, and then refreshing all marketing materials to communicate and market effectively. • In conjunction with the rebrand, redesign the website to include a student management
system, and improve internal and external marketing.
Board towards fund raising in order to achieve strategic goals.
• Develop a comprehensive approach to fund raising, including annual fund, planned giving, and capital and endowment campaigns. Increase annual fund raising and prepare for a successful capital campaign.
• Engage in a fund raising feasibility study as soon as possible, with the goal of completing a multimillion dollar capital and endowment campaign by the School’s 100th Anniversary in 2018-19.
• Improve and enhance alumni relations. Governance The Kew-Forest Board of Trustees is responsible for the School’s fiscal sustainability and strategic direction. To ensure the long-term success of the School, the Board sets the following strategic direction. To that end, the Board will: • Continue to monitor and improve all aspects of the Board and the Board’s strategic components. The Board will continue to build cash reserves, safe-guard hard income coverage from tuition and fees, monitor Board performance against school stability markers, and annually self-evaluate to insure progress. • Reassess Board size and consider growing the Board to 1722 members to achieve strategic goals. It will assess Board needs and recruit to the Board’s needs. • Enhance the focus of the
• In order to have a stunning, purpose-designed facility which provides for best instructional practice and supports growing programs to accommodate 350-375 students, conduct a facilities condition and site feasibility study and create a facilities master plan that includes future building expansion and upgraded systems and incorporates sustainability into the design. • Use bequests and donations and consider long-term financing to accomplish facility goals. The total cost of these initiatives will be funded over a period of five years through a combination of operating revenue, fund raising, financing, and cash reserves. A standalone 2014-19 Strategic Plan document to be published next month will detail the Plan’s timeline and costs. For now, I am excited to share this preview with you. I thank this entire community for your part in this Plan’s creation and, now, in its implementation.
K-F Expands Kindergarten in 2014-15 to Respond to Demand; Re-enrollment Deadlines Advanced to Friday, February 21 Responding to unprecedented demand for its Kindergarten program, The Kew-Forest School will increase its Kindergarten population in 2014-15 by 50% from 16 to approximately 24 students. With approximately three applicants for each place, heavy demand from alumni and sibling candidates, and a strong candidate pool, this expansion will allow K-F to continue to strengthen its Kindergarten program, build its enrollment base for First Grade, and respond more fully to current parent, alumni, and community demand. Even with this expansion, the School anticipates that a waiting pool will persist into the summer. Current Kindergarten Lead Teacher Vita Russo will become
Kindergarten Team Leader, overseeing the two sections of approximately 12 to 13 students and two additional Lead teachers in two rooms, maintaining an 8 to 9 to 1 student:Faculty ratio and bringing her experience and wisdom to the expanded Kindergarten program. A search for two additional lead teachers has begun. This demand is the direct result, among others, of retention from our Early Childhood Development program, of the excellence of the Kindergarten program, of the strength of the Lower School (Grades 1-6) instruction and program, of Katie Rayer’s educational leadership in ECD-6, of the overall strength of the curricular scope and sequence through Upper School,
and of Director of Admission Henry Horne’s thoughtful shepherding of candidates and their families. The additional staff, materials, and classroom space for Kindergarten will be budget neutral in 2014-15. Due to the importance of responding in a timely fashion to both our new and returning families, the re-enrollment deadline for 2014-15 will move from March 1 to Friday, February 21. Kew-Forest will be unable to guarantee a place for returning students who are not re-enrolled after that date. Ms. Russo is excited and delighted to take on this opportunity to expand an exemplary Kindergarten program. We hope you share our excitement about the broader implications this expansion has for our community.
Building Restoration and Gym Renovation Update As you know from the November issue of Ad Summum, The Kew-Forest School Board of Trustees approved in October one of the largest capital projects in decades: to begin a $400,000 restoration during the 2013-14 school year of the School roof, windows, and façade along Union Turnpike. Due to an early and exceedingly cold and snowy winter thus far, the removal and replacement of the roof (which requires temperatures above 50 degrees) has been delayed. The School is meeting on a regular basis with its contractor, All-Con Contracting, to coordinate all aspects of the job, and we shall keep the community advised of the construction timetable as it is revised. Erection of the scaffolding to which we referred in November has also been delayed (as it is rented at a daily rate) and makes no sense until roofing work is imminent.
Second, the Buildings and Grounds Committee has reevaluated the reconfiguration of the athletic office and gym space, and has determined that the very best use of the $66,975 in restricted funds given at the 2013 Spring Gala and Auction would be the complete replacement of the entire Gymnasium floor. Repair, not replacement, was called for in the original plan. The Committee is currently reviewing various flooring materials, options, and bids with flooring contractors while also assessing moisture-abatement procedures to assure the longest life and best choice of materials for the new Gym floor. We hope that all of those who gave a restricted cash gift for the Gymnasium renovation will concur that this investment will have the greatest, most positive, and most immediate impact on student athletics and educational programs.
We anticipate that the cost of the floor replacement will exceed the $66,975 being held in escrow for the Gym renovation, with the difference being met from Kew-Forest cash reserves. Once hydrology studies had been completed, we will have a better idea of total costs and of a timetable for replacement. The Committee is pushing hard to complete the work within this academic year. Thank you for your generosity and patience as we do these projects both well and in as timely a fashion as possible. As painstaking as it has been, we believe that the community will be pleased with both the renovation and restoration when they are fully realized. We shall keep you up-to date. -- Headmaster Mark Fish For more information, www.kewforest.org/giving
Annual Report of Donors for the 2012-2013 School Year The Kew-Forest School, like all non-profit, independent schools, colleges, and universities, relies on charitable donations to support its ongoing operations and priorities. With Annual Giving, there are three ways to contribute to Kew-Forest: The Ad Summum Fund (previously called the Annual Fund), the Gala Benefit, and the Capital Gift (previously called the Cash Ask). Thank you to all our donors at every giving level for helping us continue to realize our mission of “Inspiring students to achieve...” Ad Summum Fund Donors: ANONYMOUS • Mr. & Mrs. Edul Ahmad • Ms. Carrie Anderson • Mr. Peter Axelsen • Mr. & Mrs. John Baldi • Mrs. Margaret Barton ‘51 • BBA Project, INC • Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Bertolini • Mr. and Mrs. Edward Besprozvany • Mrs. Shereen Beydoun ‘81 • Mr. Fouad Beydoun ‘75 and Ms. Christine O’Brien • Mr. & Mrs. Ravi Bhagwandas • Mr. Shankar Bhardwaj ‘93 • Mr. Nicholas Bookis ‘69 • Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Braatz • Dr. Ann Brandt ‘68 • Mr. John Brehmer ‘81 • Mr. Ethan Brown & Ms. Noelle Shearman ‘87 • Ms. Victoria Bruce • Mr. Dennis Burnham ‘68 • Mr. Robert Dominquez and Maria Maleca • Mr. Donald Capwell ‘46 • Ms. Regina Cataldo • Mr. and Mrs. Milan Chowdhury • Mr. & Mrs. Son Anh Chu • Mrs. Marianthe Colakis ‘73 • Mr. & Mrs. Sean Conroy • Mr. Cedric Cranko & Mrs. Samantha Cranko • Mr. Lee Cross ‘81 • Mr. & Mrs. Christopher D’Amato • The D’Arienzo Family ‘79, ‘80, and ‘81 • Mrs. Karen Dent ‘69 • Mrs. Marie Deppen ‘48 • Mr. Daniel Diaz ‘05 • Mr. Victor Diaz ‘80 • Mr. Raymond Disco ‘78 • Mr. and Mrs. Leszek Dudzinski • Mr. Ignatius J. Evans ‘59 • Mr. Andrew Fink ‘91 • Mr. Mark Fish • Ms. Lucy Fitzgerald ‘54 • Mr. Nicholas Fluehr & Ms. Nicole Shearman ‘83 • Mr. Matthew Fogelman ‘93 • Dr. William Follows ‘59 • Mr. & Mrs. Steven Frey • Mrs. Arianne Garcia • Mrs. Laura George ‘74 • Mrs. Gail Gifford Rudin ‘52 • Dr. Marshall Golan ‘63 • Steven and Jan Golann Fund ‘61 • Mr. Gary Gordon • Mr. Scott Gordon-Somers & Ms. Kelley Archer-Somers • Mr. Jack Gudes ‘76 • Ms. Karen Gunther • Mr. and Mrs. Marc Halpern • Mrs. June Hechinger ‘40 • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Honig ‘87 and ‘86 • Mr. Henry Horne • Mr. & Mrs. Sm Azad Hossain • Norman Hubbard ’52 • Mr. Travis Hunter • Ms. Shelly Irizarry • Mr. James Janowitz ‘63 • Mrs. Brenda Johnson ‘57 • Mr. Marshall Johnson ‘62 • Ms. Renne Joseph • Mrs. Susan Lippman Kannenberg ‘57 & Mr. Lloyd Kannenberg • Mr. & Mrs. Amir Karmazin • Mr. Philip Kart ‘67 • Dr. Donald Kass ‘63 • Mrs. Vasiliki M. Katsigris Tzougros ‘56 • Mr. Michael Kaufman ‘63 • Mrs. Soni Kaur • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Keane • Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Kenyon • Mr. David Kessler ‘00 • Ms. Sharon Kessler ‘86 • Mr. and Mrs. Neal Khoorchand • Mr. & Mrs. Byuk Kim • Mr. Jason Kim & Ms. Sarah Cha • Mr. & Mrs. Marek Kiyashka • Mr. Matthew Klipper ‘76 • Mr. & Mrs. Neil Koffler • Ms. Sophia Kotsilimbas ‘89 • Rev. Paul Koumrian ‘55 • Mrs. Marjorie Gibson Kulesa ‘64 • Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Lebowitz • Mr. Corey Lev ‘91 • Mr. S. Martin Lieberman ‘53 • Ms. Erica Lin ‘05 • Mr. Robert Lin and Dr. Suzanne Schick ‘70 • Mr. David Lin • Mr. Jay Lipman ‘79 • Mr. & Mrs. Jack Lipton • Mr. & Mrs. Carl Liu • Mr. and Mrs. Peter Magaro • Mr. & Mrs. Neil Mancuso • Mrs. Michele Manos • Ms. Angela Martin • Mr. Alexander Maryasin • Mr. & Mrs. Ahmed Massoud ‘78 • Mr. Gregory Matalon ‘91 • Mrs. Susan Match ‘57 • Mr. Robert Matigan ‘79 • Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Maycock • Ms. Christina S. McCarthy ‘87 • Mrs. Jeanne Judge McParland ‘47 Mr. David Mei & Ms. Jon Xia Bao • Mr. and Mrs. Ken Meier • Ms. Cindy Miller ‘76 • Ms. Joyce Miller • Ms. Sara Misthal ‘99 • Mr. & Mrs. Yoshito Mori • Mrs. Lynn Molfetta • Mr. Louis Moskowitz ‘53 • Mr. Charles Murphy ‘66 • Ms. Karen L. Nelson ‘84 • Jacqueline Norden • Ms. Janet O’Connor • Mr. & Mrs. Patrick O’Malley • Dr. & Mrs. Ion Oltean • Mr. Robert Pascal ‘51 • Mr. Daniel Paulson ‘59 • Mrs. Marianne Percival ‘70 • Mrs. Amy Perez • Mr. & Mrs. Dirgindra Ramnarayan • C.B. Ramsay Foundation, INC. ‘48 • Dr. Judith Ratzan ‘58 • Mrs. Katie Rayer • Lee and Kim Reichert • Mrs. Kim Reichert ‘68 • Mrs. Gaby RichardHarrington ‘78 • Mr. & Mrs. Marcel Robinson • Mrs. Leslie Roden ‘63 • Mr. Bill Romanowski • Ms. Dorothy Ross • Ms. Erika Ruda • Ms. Paulina Rys ‘06 • Mr. Claudio Salas & Ms. Kiki Hatziantoniou • Mr. Frank Sauro • Mr. & Mrs. Ronny Schindler • Mr. Jeffrey Schuckman ‘59 • Mr. Jeffrey Schwartz ‘71 • Mr. Daniel Schwarzkopf ‘63 • The Seattle Foundation • Mrs. Evelyn Seeler McKay ‘79 • Mr. Steven Shane ‘63 • Mr. Arvin Shapiro • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shearman • Mrs. Rupa Sheth • Mr. & Mrs. Gary Shillet • Ms. Ellen Siegel ‘71 • Mr. Michael Siegel ‘80 • Mr. Adam Silverstein ‘12 • Mr. and Mrs. Andy Sinha • Dr. Tristan Sipley • Ms. Tiffany Solo • Mr. Jeffrey Sommers ‘59 • Ms. Maureen Sossi ‘94 • Ms. Peggy Spacek • Dr. Christopher Spelman • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Stephen • Ms. Lauren Stransky ‘79 • Mr. and Mrs. William Su • Take Charge of Education • Mr. Randolph Taylor ‘57 • Mr. and Mrs. Nirmal Thapa • Mr. George Tsiatis ‘00 • Ms. Abbie Van Nostrand ‘75 • Ms. Norma Varsos • Mrs. Judith Wallace ‘57 • Dr. & Mrs. Wen Y. Wang • Mr. Zhonggang Wang & Ms. Xiaoquing Xu • Mr. Adam Wangerin and Ms. Jody Salzman • Mr. & Mrs. Brett Weatherston ‘98 and ‘00 • Mr. James Welsh ‘63 • Ms. Carolyn Whitman ‘46 • Ms. Jacqueline Winter • Ms. Jennifer Woerner ‘01 • Mr. Walter Woerner • Mr. Weiwei Xu • Mr. & Mrs. Tarek Zeid • Mr. Yuriy Zubatyy and Ms. Liliya Khaymovich In-Kind Donors: Aflac • Agora Taverna • Alberto’s • Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick • John Allan • Aquatic Recreational • The Arabian Family • Austin Ale House • Bamboo 52 • Bamboomoves • Bareburger • Beautiful Smile Dental • Matthew Berger • Terry Berryman • Chris Bianco • The Blue Man Group • The Board of Trustees • The Braatz Family • 5 Burro Café • Joe Casalino, Jr. • CBS • Claudio’s • The Community House • Kathy Connolly • Cosimo, Inc • Danny Brown • Dee’s • Adriana DeMartino • Dunkin’ Donuts • Jamie Ehrenthal • Emilio’s Ski Shop • Fencer’s Club • Mark Fish • Anita Fishbone • The Fluehr Family • The Fomaro Family • Arivel Furs • Arianne Garcia • Jeffrey Glenn • Gary Gordon • Scott Gordon-Somers • Jane Marie Hitch • Home Cooking New York • The Honig Family • Marilyn Honig • Henry Horne • Jim Huff • The Institute of Culinary Education • Jack and Nellie’s • The Jain Family • JetBlue • Khahim Johnson • JuJamcyn Theater • Peter Kalikow • The Karmazin Family • Melanie Karmazin • Marcelle Kaskawits • Katsuno • The Kenny Family • The Kim Family • The Khoorchand Family • The Kiyashka Family • The Klein Family • The Koffler Family • LAVO • Little Miss Party Planner • Liz Young City and Culinary Tours • Lucille Roberts Fitness for Women • Luxotica Group SPA • Luxotica Group SVA • Maharlika • Michele Manos • Martha’s Bakery • Rebecca Martinez • The Massoud Family • The Meier Family • Micciche Salon • Yunji Michelsen • The Natural • NBC Universal Studios • Patricia Nicholson • Oheka Castle Hotel and Estate • Oliloli • OXO • Amy Perez • Petit Gourmet • Philip Marie • Portofino • Potter’s Wheel Progressive Martial Arts • The Queens Museum of Art • Katie Rayer • Kimberly Reichert • Rein • Carol Rocker • The Romano Family • Rosetta Wine • The Rubin Family • Ruby’s Hotel restaurant • Esther Russ • Vita Russo • The Schindler Family • The School for Visual Arts • Christine Schott • Shakers & Bakers • The Shell Family • The Shillet Family • The Silverstein Family • Spectrym • Starbucks Coffee • Station Square Eyes • The Stephen Family • Dan Stone • Lauren Stransky • Pamela Stubenbord • Sushi Time • Rose Szatkowski • Take me to the Water Swim School • The 76 House • Tiger Schulmann • Tuscan Hills • USTA • Nancy Valentin • Jacqueline Velez • The W Hotel • The WestsideTennis Camp • The Westside Tennis Club • Eddie Wiernik • The Zeid Family • Arkady Zeldin We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the lists on this page. Please accept our apology and alert us by contacting Director of Institutional Advancement James David at jdavid@kewforest.org or (718) 268-4667, ext. 114 if you find an error.
The Kew-Forest School appreciates gifts of many different types and sizes. The yearly cumulative totals below are comprised of contributions to the Ad Summum Fund and the Capital Gift. For more information, please visit www.kewforest.org/Giving Levels. Leadership Gift ($10,000 or more): Mr. Lawrence Rubin and Ms. Annaliese Kambour • Mr. & Mrs. Derek Sells Founders’ Circle ($5,000-$9,999): Mr. & Mrs. Christopher D’Amato (1918 Club) • Mr. & Mrs. Marek Kiyashka K-F Patrons ($1,000-$4,999): Mr. & Mrs. Edul Ahmad • Mrs. Shereen Beydoun ‘81 • Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Braatz • Mr. Ethan Brown & Ms. Noelle Shearman ‘87 • Mr. Mark Fish • Mr. & Mrs. Steven Frey • Steven and Jan Golann Fund ‘61 • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Honig ‘87 and ‘86 • Mr. & Mrs. Byuk Kim • Mr. Robert Lin and Dr. Suzanne Schick ‘70 • Mr. & Mrs. Carl Liu (1918 Club) • Mr. and Mrs. Peter Magaro • Mr. Alexander Maryasin • Mr. Gregory Matalon ‘91 • Mr. Louis Moskowitz ‘53 • Mr. and Mrs. Ken Meier (1918 Club) • Mr. Louis Moskowitz ‘53 • Mr. & Mrs. Peter Pak • Ms. Erika Ruda • Mr. Steven G. Schott • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shearman • Mr. & Mrs. Gary Shillet • Mr. Michael Siegel ‘80 • Ms. Lauren Stransky ‘79 • Mr. Weiwei Xu • Mr. & Mrs. Tarek Zeid (1918 Club) • Mr. Yuriy Zubatyy and Ms. Liliya Khaymovich Headmaster’s Club ($500-$999): ANONYMOUS • Mr. & Mrs. Dee Arabian • Mr. Fouad Beydoun ‘75 and Ms. Christine O’Brien • Mr. & Mrs. Mirwan Beydoun ‘76 • Mr. John Brehmer ‘81 • Mr. and Mrs. Milan Chowdhury • The D’Arienzo Family ‘79, ‘80, and ‘81 • Mr. & Mrs. James Frangos • Mrs. Gail Gifford Rudin ‘52 • Ms. Tamika Harold • Mrs. Brenda Johnson ‘57 • Dr. Donald Kass ‘63 • Mr. & Mrs. Amir Karmazin • Mr. & Mrs. James Kenny • Mr. Jason Kim & Ms. Sarah Cha • Mr. Matthew Klipper ‘76 • Mr. & Mrs. Neil Koffler • Mr. Corey Lev ‘91 • Mr. & Mrs. Ahmed Massoud ‘78 • Mr. & Mrs. Yoshito Mori • Jacqueline Norden • Dr. & Mrs. Ion Oltean • Mr. & Mrs. Everett Perry • C.B. Ramsay Foundation, INC. ‘48 • Lee and Kim Reichert • Mrs. Kim Reichert ‘68 • Mr. & Mrs. James Romano • Mr. & Mrs. Ronny Schindler • Mr. Daniel Schwarzkopf ‘63 • The Seattle Foundation • Ms. Ellen Siegel ‘71 • Mr. Randolph Taylor ‘57• Mr. Adam Wangerin and Ms. Jody Salzman Friends of Kew-Forest ($250-$499): Mr.& Mrs. Babtunde Aboyade-Cole • BBA Project, INC • Mr. Raymond Disco ‘78 • Mrs. Laura George ‘74 • Mr. Scott Gordon-Somers & Ms. Kelley Archer-Somers • Mr. & Mrs. Selwin Hart • Mrs. June Hechinger ‘40 • Dr. Norman S. Hubbard ‘52 • Mr. Michael Kaufman ‘63 • Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Kenyon • Mr. and Mrs. Neal Khoorchand • Mr. & Mrs. Jack Lipton • Mr. & Mrs. Neil Mancuso • Ms. Angela Martin • Mr. David Mei & Ms. Jon Xia Bao • Mrs. Lynn Molfetta • Mr. & Mrs. Patrick O’Malley • Mr. Claudio Salas & Ms. Kiki Hatziantoniou • Mr. Bill Romanowski • Mr. Jeffrey Schuckman ‘59 • Mr. Jeffrey Schwartz ‘71 • Mr. Jeffrey Sommers ‘59 • Ms. Elizabeth Stubenbord • Take Charge of Education • Ms. Norma Varsos K-F Sponsors ($249 and under): Ms. Carrie Anderson • Mr. Peter Axelsen • Mr. & Mrs. John Baldi • Mrs. Margaret Barton ‘51 • Mrs. Terry Berryman • Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Bertolini • Mr. and Mrs. Edward Besprozvany • Mr. & Mrs. Ravi Bhagwandas • Mr. Shankar Bhardwaj ‘93 • Mr. Nicholas Bookis ‘69 • Dr. Ann Brandt ‘68 • Ms. Victoria Bruce • Mr. Dennis Burnham ‘68 • Mr. Robert Busch • Mr. Robert Dominquez and Maria Maleca • Mr. Donald Capwell ‘46 • Ms. Regina Cataldo • Mr. & Mrs. Son Anh Chu • Mrs. Marianthe Colakis ‘73 • Mr. & Mrs. William Coleman • Mr. & Mrs. Sean Conroy • Mr. Cedric Cranko & Mrs. Samantha Cranko • Mr. Lee Cross ‘81 • Iea Degirmenci • Mrs. Karen Dent ‘69 • Mrs. Marie Deppen ‘48 • Mr. Daniel Diaz ‘05 • Mr. Victor Diaz ‘80 • Mr. and Mrs. Leszek Dudzinski • Mr. Ignatius J. Evans ‘59 • Mr. Andrew Fink ‘91 • Ms. Lucy Fitzgerald ‘54 • Mr. Nicholas Fluehr & Ms. Nicole Shearman ‘83 • Mr. Matthew Fogelman ‘93 • Dr. William Follows ‘59 • Mrs. Arianne Garcia • Mr. & Mrs. Michael Gittens • Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Goffman • Dr. Marshall Golan ‘63 • Mr. Gary Gordon • Mr. Jack Gudes ‘76 • Ms. Karen Gunther • Mr. and Mrs. Marc Halpern • Mr. Henry Horne • Mr. & Mrs. Sm Azad Hossain • Mr. Travis Hunter • Ms. Shelly Irizarry • Mr. James Janowitz ‘63 • Mr. & Mrs. Roland Jean • Mr. Marshall Johnson ‘62 • Mrs. Susan Lippman Kannenberg ‘57 & Mr. Lloyd Kannenberg • Mr. Philip Kart ‘67 • Mrs. Vasiliki M. Katsigris Tzougros ‘56 • Mrs. Soni Kaur • Ms. Renne Joseph • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Keane • Mr. David Kessler ‘00 • Ms. Sharon Kessler ‘86 • Ms. Sophia Kotsilimbas ‘89 • Rev. Paul Koumrian ‘55 • Mrs. Marjorie Gibson Kulesa ‘64 • Mr. & Mrs. Fernando Koatz • Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Lebowitz • Mr. S. Martin Lieberman ‘53 • Ms. Erica Lin ‘05 • Mr. David Lin • Mr. Jay Lipman ‘79 • Mr. Peter Lomtevas ‘78 • Dr. Richard Lupardo • Mrs. Michele Manos • Mrs. Susan Match ‘57 • Mr. Robert Matigan ‘79 • Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Maycock • Ms. Christina S. McCarthy ‘87 • Mrs. Jeanne Judge McParland ‘47 • Ms. Joyce Miller • Ms. Cindy Miller ‘76 • Ms. Sara Misthal ‘99 • Mr. Peter Moulinos & Ms. Peggy Spetsieris • Mr. Charles Murphy ‘66 • Ms. Karen L. Nelson ‘84 • Ms. Janet O’Connor • Mr. Robert Pascal ‘51 • Mr. Daniel Paulson ‘59 • Mrs. Marianne Percival ‘70 • Mrs. Amy Perez • Mr. & Mrs. Dirgindra Ramnarayan • Dr. Judith Ratzan ‘58 • Mrs. Katie Rayer • Mrs. Gaby Richard-Harrington ‘78 • Mr. & Mrs. Marcel Robinson • Mrs. Leslie Roden ‘63 • Ms. Dorothy Ross • Ms. Paulina Rys ‘06 • Mrs. Lily Sadik • Mr. Frank Sauro • Mrs. Evelyn Seeler McKay ‘79 • Mr. Steven Shane ‘63 • Mr. Arvin Shapiro • Mrs. Rupa Sheth • Mr. Adam Silverstein ‘12 (1918 Club) • Mr. and Mrs. Andy Sinha • Dr. Tristan Sipley • Ms. Tiffany Solo • Ms. Maureen Sossi ‘94 • Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Soto • Mrs. Peggy Spacek • Dr. Christopher Spelman • Mr. & Mrs. Mark Stamford • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Stephen • Mr. and Mrs. William Su • Mr. and Mrs. Nirmal Thapa • Mr. & Mrs. Danny Tom • Mr. George Tsiatis ‘00 • Ms. Abbie Van Nostrand ‘75 • Mrs. Judith Wallace ‘57 • Dr. & Mrs. Wen Y. Wang • Mr. Zhonggang Wang & Ms. Xiaoquing Xu • Mr. & Mrs. Brett Weatherston ‘98 and ‘00 • Mr. James Welsh ‘63 • Ms. Carolyn Whitman ‘46 • Ms. Catherine Wigdor • Ms. Jacqueline Winter • Ms. Jennifer Woerner ‘01 • Mr. Walter Woerner Capital Gift Donors: Mr. & Mrs. Babtunde Aboyade-Cole • Mr. & Mrs. Edul Ahmad • Mr. & Mrs. Dee Arabian • Mr. & Mrs. John Baldi • Mrs. Terry Berryman • Mr. Fouad Beydoun ‘75 and Ms. Christine O’Brien • Mr. & Mrs. Mirwan Beydoun ‘76 • Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Braatz • Mr. Ethan Brown & Ms. Noelle Shearman ‘87 • Mr. Robert Busch • Mr. & Mrs. William Coleman • Mr. Cedric Cranko & Mrs. Samantha Cranko • Mr. & Mrs. Christopher D’Amato • Iea Degirmenci • Mr. Mark Fish • Mr. Nicholas Fluehr & Ms. Nicole Shearman ‘83 • Mr. & Mrs. James Frangos • Mr. & Mrs. Michael Gittens • Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Goffman • Mr. Scott Gordon-Somers & Ms. Kelley Archer-Somers • Ms. Tamika Harold • Mr. & Mrs. Selwin Hart • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Honig ‘87 and ‘86 • Mr. & Mrs. Roland Jean • Mr. & Mrs. Amir Karmazin • Mr. & Mrs. James Kenny • Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Kenyon • Mr. and Mrs. Neal Khoorchand • Mr. & Mrs. Byuk Kim • Mr. & Mrs. Marek Kiyashka • Mr. & Mrs. Fernando Koatz • Mr. Robert Lin and Dr. Suzanne Schick ‘70 • Mr. and Mrs. Peter Magaro • Ms. Angela Martin • Mr. Alexander Maryasin • Mr. & Mrs. Ahmed Massoud ‘78 • Mr. Gregory Matalon ‘91 • Mr. Peter Moulinos & Ms. Peggy Spetsieris • Mr. & Mrs. Peter Pak • Mr. & Mrs. Everett Perry • Mr. & Mrs. James Romano • Mr. Bill Romanowski • Mr. Lawrence Rubin and Ms. Annaliese Kambour • Mrs. Lily Sadik • Mr. Claudio Salas & Ms. Kiki Hatziantoniou • Mr. Frank Sauro • Mr. Steven G. Schott • Mr. & Mrs. Derek Sells • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shearman • Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Soto • Mr. & Mrs. Mark Stamford • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Stephen • Ms. Lauren Stransky ‘79 • Ms. Elizabeth Stubenbord • Mr. & Mrs. Danny Tom • Ms. Norma Varsos • Ms. Catherine Wigdor • Mr. & Mrs. Tarek Zeid
Teacher Profile -- Michelle Vessio: An Alumna Returns
It is always special when alumni/ ae feel a strong connection to The Kew-Forest School. We see alumni/ ae return to campus to visit, to support the Benefit Gala, and to attend Alumni/ae Reunions. Then there are those alumni/ae who return K-F as teachers, such as Ms. Michelle Vessio, who returned this year as an Upper School History Teacher. With the perspective of being a student at K-F, she has a deep understanding of The School’s community and its current crop of students. “They are all motivated, but not in a selfish way. They are
all kind to each other and willing to help each other understand the material. They are mature and show a desire to learn. We have so many bright students but each one of them is unique and able bring something to the table. What makes the classroom so great is the variety of knowledge each student brings with him or her and the multitude of personalities in the room. They are all inquisitive and think outside of the box,” Ms. Vessio said. Ms. Vessio uses unique approaches to help students remember key facts that they may be tested on during the Advanced Placement Exams this spring. For example, Ms. Vessio uses popular songs to help students retain information and one day she set up her classroom like a factory to give students a deeper understanding of the Industrial Revolution. “I don’t just stand up and talk to them. I use different approaches for different needs, based on whether someone is a visual, auditory, or hands-on learner.” As successful student herself,
Ms. Vessio was the valedictorian of her graduating class at SUNY Stony Brook. “It was incredible,” she said of the moment when she found out that she would be a valedictorian of the university. “I worked really hard. I earned a 4.0 GPA my freshman year and I wanted to maintain that for my three remaining years of college. It meant a lot to me that I was recognized for that.” With her success as a student and in her current role as a teacher, Ms. Vessio has advice for her students that she hopes will help them succeed. “Don’t doubt yourself. Even if you find a particular subject challenging, that should not affect how you will perform in a class.” Ms. Vessio found Science to be a challenge throughout her education, but she did not let that stop her. She received her college’s Feingold Award and was a teaching assistant for a biology class. “If you tell yourself you are bad at something, then you will be bad at it. If you look at life as something you can learn from and get better at, then you can do better.”
Headmaster for the Day: Eshaan Modi ’19 “Being a headmaster for only one day can seem easy, but after you actually handle the mind-blowing tasks, you might regret that thought. Besides all the difficult tasks, you also get to enjoy the feeling of having K-F behind your back. For once, I realized how difficult it is for the faculty and the administrative office. All the people that work in K-F are so generous, amiable, caring, and helpful. As being the current head-
master, there are many things I have to handle. Being a student for three years, and the headmaster for only one day, K-F is the best school for your child to have a successful career ahead in his future.” Eshaan Modi ‘19 served as Headmaster for the Day on December 13, 2013. Headmaster for the Day was a silent auction item at the 2013 Gala Benefit.
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d Summum Newsletter Contributors: Ms. Ellen Honig ’86, Board of Trustees Chair; Mr. Mark Fish, Headmaster; Mr. James David, Director of Institutional Advancement; Ms. Michele Hoyos, Advancement and Database Associate; Ms. Erica Lin, Alumni/ae and Social Media Coordinator; Mr. Arvin Shapiro, Director of College Counseling & Student Support Services (7-12); Mr. Tristan Sipley, Upper School English Teacher; Mr. Frank Sauro, Upper School English and Math Teacher; Mr. Eshaan Modi ’19; Ms. Hannah Lee, Group 113 The Kew-Forest School is incorporated not-for-profit in the State of New York and is tax-exempt under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code of the Internal Revenue Service. Gifts to the School are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. The Kew-Forest School does not discriminate because of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation in the administration of its admissions, employment or educational programs or policies. The Kew-Forest School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New York State Association of Independent Schools, and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation and is approved by the New York State Department of Education. K-F is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the Secondary School Admission Test Board.
The Harkness Table: Socratic Learning, Innovative Instruction A question for the adults: how often in your daily life are you asked to sit quietly and absorb information from a single source without responding? My guess is almost never. From the college classroom to the boardroom, from the dinner table to the polling place, modern life is about questioning, discussing, collaborating, and networking. And so why, after hundreds of years, do American schoolrooms continue to look like factories, with students sitting in rows and listening to a lecture, having their supposedly “empty” heads filled with knowledge? Why do we continue to prioritize rule-following and memorization over critical thinking despite study after study showing that this does not optimize learning or prepare children to be 21st century citizens? Fortunately, there exists an even older tradition of active, studentcentered learning, going back to Socrates, who claimed that the best way to teach is not to tell, but rather to ask. This ancient tradition of inquiry has been kept alive into the present day by forward-thinking schools. For example, in the 1930s, the Phillips Exeter Academy, using funds donated by philanthropist Edward Harkness, instituted what has come to be known as the Harkness Method. The premise is simple: a wooden, oval table that seats 12-16 people; there is no longer a “head of the table” where a teacher can sit or a “back of the room” where a student can hide, and all students can make direct eye contact with each other. The Harkness table is more than an exquisite piece of furniture that beautifies the learning space – it is a philosophy. The teacher is not removed from the equation, but is a mentor and guide, and the students now have greater responsibility for their own education: every student is required to participate in class by generating
interesting questions and responding thoughtfully to peers. Recently, Kew-Forest purchased two Harkness tables for the Upper School Humanities departments. Junior and Senior English classes, as well as electives like Playwriting and Philosophy, now follow this format. As an English teacher I’ve already noticed a dramatic change in my students. The classic, dignified look of the table helps impart a serious and focused demeanor. Furthermore, the interactive nature of the space encourages students to see themselves as scholars – as real thinkers with opinions that matter. This is not to say that the transition will be easy. A great Hark-
Upper School
ness discussion is not immediately spontaneous, and students and faculty alike need training and practice. But the most encouraging thing I’ve noticed is that the students themselves are excited about this transformation. My Junior class was giddy with anticipation on the day of the table’s arrival. Making learning participatory is a way of making learning fun, without sacrificing rigor. I warmly invite all past, current, and prospective students and parents to visit Kew-Forest and join us at our table – to hear and be heard – and to experience the energy that arises when a classroom becomes an intellectual community. -- Dr. Tristan Sipley
College Counseling: An Intensely Personal Process College Counseling at The KewForest School is about more than exam preparation: it is a process of personal development for every student and acts as a support network for families. College Counseling is an intensely personal process with Director of College Counseling Arvin Shapiro and begins in earnest for students in the 8th Grade, when students take the ACT Explore test, which includes a career exploration component. Mr. Shapiro analyzes each student’s results and meets with each student individually to review their exam results, planning strategies for academic improvement with the career component results in consideration. From 9th Grade through 11th Grade, students take the PSAT exams in conjunction with individual College Counseling meetings every year. In these meetings, students discuss their academic skills, participation in extracurricular activities, selection of summer activities, and their own personal development. Student
schedules are reviewed and evaluated so that students are equipped to choose their schedules for the following academic year. In addition to parent meetings held twice a year, parents of students in their Junior year are included in individual College Counseling meetings. K-F provides parents with a strong understanding of what colleges are looking for in prospective students, the use of testing in the admissions process, and the various types of colleges and universities students can apply to, so that a firm college admissions strategy is created. Students in their Junior year are also escorted on tours of college campuses - Yale, Wesleyan, Vassar, Columbia, NYU, Barnard College, and more - in the fall and spring. Student resumes are created and college essays are developed, reviewed and critiqued so that students have a complete college application by the end of their Junior year. www.kewforest.org/CollegeCounseling
A sampling of Acceptances Garnered by the Classes of 2012 and 2013 American University • Amherst College • Bard College • Bentley University • Barnard College • Boston College • Brown University • Boston University • Colgate University • Columbia University • Cornell University • The City University of New York • Duke University • Emory University • Fairleigh Dickinson University • Fordham University • The George Washington University • Grinnell College • Hofstra University • Hamilton College • Harvard University • Iona College • The Johns Hopkins University • Lehigh University • Middlebury College • Mount Holyoke College • New York University Northwestern University • Providence College • Rochester Institute of Technology • St. John’s University • Spelman College • The State University of New York at Albany • The State University of New York at Binghamton • The State University of New York at Brockport • The State University of New York at Oneonta • The State University of New York at Stony Brook • Syracuse University • Temple University • Trinity College • University of Pennsylvannia• Vassar College • Wake Forest University • William and Mary • Williams College
The Kew-Forest School most cordially invites you to
The Headmaster’s State of the School Address On either Wednesday, January 22, 2014 or Thursday, January 23, 2014 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. RSVP to Peggy Spacek at pspacek@kewforest.org should you desire on-site childcare (ages 3-12) by noon on Tuesday, January 21 (Adults Only)