milestones and memories
empowered by robots
Program Celebrates 20 Years | PAGE 11
the legacy of miss zara’s school
Alumnae Reunite and Remember | PAGE 18
2023 alumni award recipients
Profiles of the Honorees | PAGE 22
FALL 2023
school
the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
A number of years ago, I remember a youngish faculty member petitioning to offer a course on public history. The semester-long course was designed to introduce students to the ways we commemorate the past, what we choose to remember, and what we forget or rediscover. The course was propelled by several questions: How are people and events memorialized? How do personal and public narratives intertwine? What happens when these narratives are broken? The National Council on Public History defines the field as “putting history to work in the world by building community.” This is routine at SCH.
Delvin M. Dinkins, Ed.D. Head of School
Board of Trustees
2023–2024
Rashad I. Campbell ’08
Annabelle B. Canning
Brooke DiMarco
Delvin Dinkins, Head of School
William C. Donato Jr.
William M. Doran, Honorary
William F. Dunbar
William H. Freeman ’91
Sarah E. Fuld
Alexander C. Goldsmith
Anuj Goswami
Thomas Shaw Greenwood III ’01
David Hayne
Richard A. Hayne, Honorary
Maria Sordoni Hudacek ’02
Thomas G. Kessler '88
Youngmoo Kim
Patrick S. G. Lindsay, Chair
Peter S. Longstreth ’62, Honorary
Deborah E. Maine H’16
Edward J. McDevitt III '93
Ludlow Miller, Honorary
Janie B. Parker, Honorary
Edward C. Rorer '61, Honorary
Elizabeth M. Salata ’02
Mary Shaifer '87
Marjorie Kershbaum Shiekman ’67
Nadine Badger Stevenson ’90
Andrew C. Topping
Thomas Watkins Jr. '78
Camilla (Kim) Whetzel H’17
Mims Maynard Zabriskie
As but one example, the final week in April, Blue & Blue and Blue & Gold Day fired on all cylinders. It was an event I had long heard about before becoming head of school, and the first I will always remember. In the weeks leading up to it, I could sense how amped students were. From our youngest learners to our seniors, everyone knew the time, date, and place. Outfits were being decided, themes chosen, and strategies planned.
A week later, when we welcomed over 600 alumni to campus for two days of reconnecting and reminiscing, I took great delight in sharing the heroics of B&B and B&G Day—how our kids soared in hard-fought battles and then found their way back to each other’s embrace after the victors were crowned. It was an absolute joy to see alumni mark their 50th reunion. As they observed this milestone, it felt natural to pause to acknowledge the amazing, storied lives they have lived since leaving the sanctuary of campus. It was reassuring for them to know that our school remains a caring, joyful community that has shaped—and been shaped by—limitless potential.
There is so much that contributes to an SCH education. This came into sharp relief at Commencement, my first. One of the class speakers, Brielle Attanasio, was so affected by her classmates’ speeches over the school year (all seniors are required to deliver a speech to their peers) that her graduation remarks stitched together all of the messages in those speeches. She said, “I sat down, for several hours, with the notes app on my phone and a pad and pen, and watched every senior speech. All one 125 students up here. Some, I watched multiple times, until I had embodied the message. I felt I couldn’t represent my class today without listening to what they had to say. Today, I want to share our story.” Her speech honored her classmates and in so doing venerated our school community. Brielle’s classmates will always remember that she connected the dots between them.
In this edition of SCHool, we highlight milestones and memories. One milestone is the 20th anniversary of our robotics program, which boasts widespread participation and is housed in a spacious, state-of-the-art lab. Chair Peter Randall ’69 has been at the helm since the beginning, seeing Team 1218 to multiple world championship appearances and a win in 2019. One memory is of Miss Zara’s School, which merged with Springside in 1955. During Alumni Weekend, nearly 20 women who attended Miss Zara’s in Chestnut Hill gathered in the Lawson Room in Vare Field House. Like public historians, they engaged with primary sources—photographs, annuals, even report cards—that shed light on their lives there. Some simply swapped stories.
As we welcome students to the new Commons, a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness center that also expands the dining and social areas that you can also read about in the pages of this magazine, I am incredibly thankful for the time, talent, and treasure that made it happen. The Commons, like the places and times before it, will continue the legacy of building community by putting our history to work in the world.
Thank you for your enduring support of this wonderful community. Your dedication, past and present, informs our future.
Delvin M. Dinkins, Ed.D. Head of School
Cover Photo Blue & Blue and Blue & Gold Days were a bright spot at the end of the academic year, a welcome tradition, despite the rain and cold. Light Blue and Gold teams won the day!
Delvin M. Dinkins, Ed.D. Head of School
Communications
Karen Tracy HA, P’10, P’14, P’23 Director of Marketing and Communications
Laura Breen Cortes ’06, P'34, P’35 Visual Identity and Creative Services Associate
Julia MacMullan
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
Laura Richards Communications Associate for Writing and Editing Editor, SCHool Magazine
O ce of Advancement
Kristin Norton P’20, P’22 Director of Development
Melissa Blue Brown ‘87, P’16, P’20, P’21 Director of Alumni Relations
Maggie Boozer
Assistant Director of The SCH Fund
Andrea Eckert P’23, P’25, P’29 Director of Parent and Community Engagement
Katy Friedland P’25, P’29, P’32, P’32 Director of Strategic Initiatives and Admissions Outreach
Paul Hines H’03, P’06 Special Projects
Jenny James McHugh ’84, P’15, P’19 Director of Major Gifts
Brooke Mattingly P’36 Assistant Director of Development Director of The SCH Fund
Bethany Meyer P'20, P'22, P'25, P'26 Development Coordinator
James Talbot II H’81, P’86, P’90, GP’26, GP’28, GP’30 Senior Gift O cer
SCHOOL the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy
O
ce
P=Parent GP=Grandparent HA, H=Honorary
Alumnus Design Services Monica Gilbert, 7ate9 Design 2 campus news Highlights of Recent School Events 8 campus updates 11 empowered by robotics Robotics Celebrates 20 Years at SCH 18 the lasting legacy of miss zara Alumnae Remember and Reunite 22 2023 alumni award recipients Profiles of the Honorees 26 alumni weekend photos 28 celebrating the class of 2023 35 end-of-year awards 41 class notes contents FALL 2023 2 11 We invite you to continue your enjoyment of this and other SCH publications in our interactive space at https://bit.ly/schpublications. 18 22 41 View Our Online Magazine with Links!
Alumna,
cel businesses benefit others
The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) continues to churn out projects that help others, locally and abroad.
Hope Kelly '25 and Lida Goloveyko '25, founders of Power Through It and winners of a CEL Sand’s Mindset Award, designed self-sufficient and eco-friendly tiny homes for Sanctuary Village who is leading the charge to create a new, 55-plus community for homeless Philadelphians. This past spring, the duo presented their designs and scale model to the organization’s leadership team.
"We are excited to be working with these creative and smart young women who have great ideas for how to promote the project. (Hope and Lida) have shown that anyone, no matter how young they are, can use their skills and passion to help alleviate homelessness,” said Cathy Farrell, founder and board president of Sanctuary Village.
Power Through It displayed their tiny home models at the Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival alongside a group of 2nd graders selling handmade “gifts for good” and
sophomore Leah Laudenbach selling nature-inspired resin earrings. The latter groups donated either all or a portion of their proceeds to the Friends of the Wissahickon, raising nearly $2,500 for the cause.
And benefiting those further from home was a CEL team that included Hirmand Azimi ’23 who organized an exhibit in the Barbara Crawford Gallery this past summer that raised awareness of and funds for a Kabul-based nonprofit, Shamsa Children’s Village. The organization provides housing, care, and education for 160 orphaned children left shelterless by the ongoing conflict in the country. “Through collaboration and teamwork, we want to help these kids who’ve lost their parents to war,” said Azimi who emigrated from Afghanistan in 2021.
In May, SCH 5th graders packaged 10,000 meals in two hours with an organization called Rise Against Hunger whose model aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets help to “remote, last-mile communities within hunger pockets designated ‘serious’ or higher on the Global Hunger Index.” SCHers learned that each box that they packaged had the potential to feed an individual for an entire year.
The Thornley Middle School cafeteria was transformed into an assembly line and packaging facility, staffed by nearly 70 students and adults. After each set of 1,000 meals, there was a moment of unified celebration and then the students went back to work.
school magazine fall 2023 2
CAMPUSNEWS | GENERAL
Hope Kelly '25 and Lida Goloveyko '25 present their tiny home project to Sanctuary Village.
Hirmand Azimi ’23 and his team raise funds for a Kabul-based nonprofit.
students rise against hunger
As the world marked one year of war in Ukraine, students continued to reach out.
In Upper School, Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership student Declan Lemole ’24 has been helping Ukrainian refugees or those injured in conflict through his fundraising project, SCH Supports Ukraine, which won the Social Impact Studio Award in 2022. Initially, he raised and sent more than $1,000 via the nonprofit United Ukrainian American Relief Committee. As the war raged on, he realized that his work was not done. With the help of his father, physician Michael Lemole '87, he recently collected, packaged, and sent medical supplies donated from a local hospital, such as catheters and gauze, to Ukraine.
“Going forward, I will stay alert for more opportunities to help,” said Lemole. “I realize that no service project really ends; the commitment is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the 6th-grade Social Impact class was writing letters of solidarity and support to their Ukrainian peers in partnership with Letters of Love to Ukraine. Through this campaign,
books and stripes: the power of tradition
Much-loved traditions returned (in person) to Lower School this year, including Literature Study for girls and Stripe Day for boys.
More than 150 girls at SCH took a deep dive into a book called Bob by Wendy Mass and Newbery Award-winning author Rebecca Stead during Literature Study, a signature three-day event at the end of March. Bob, about a girl and the green creature in her closet who wears a chicken suit, allowed Lower School girls to discover the power of friendship and imagination through literature. Lit Study, a much-loved tradition, is now in its 12th year at SCH. In years past, students have built a well, a robot, and a pulley system based on details from the chosen book, which is read aloud in class before the event. This year, the girls enjoyed a visit and talk from one of Bob’s authors, Rebecca Stead, and decorated Bob’s favorite food, sewed his likeness, built LEGO pirate ships, and danced together like chickens.
Stripe Day for Lower School boys celebrates the SCH values, represented on their uniform (and on the SCH seal!) as stripes: courage, integrity, diversity, thoughtfulness, and resilience. This year, each class had an SCH value to present and weave into a class-specific skit through music, art, history, and literature.
students—focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in class—took action on SDGs 16-17, "Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions'' and "Partnership for the Goals." One SCH student, who is Ukrainian, wrote, “Do not feel alone. I am Ukrainian too and do not want my ancestors' home and part of my past to be erased. Even when times are hard, think about all the people that want this war to end. We stand with you and our people.”
school magazine fall 2023 3
Newbery Award-winning author Rebecca Stead visits the Lower School for Literature Study.
Lower School boys celebrate SCH values during Stripe Day. students channel compassion for ukrainians
Declan Lemole ’24 sends supplies to Ukraine.
What’s the difference between Black History (capital H) and Black history (lowercase h)? To former SCH English teacher and poet Iain Haley Pollock, it's not a mere difference in grammar.
“Capital ‘H’ Black History can seem distant, like it’s not for you or about you,” he said during the school’s Black History Month celebration. “The beauty of small ‘h’ Black history is that it’s all around you, happening now, and now again. You have a role as the Black present unfolds into Black History.”
The author of two poetry collections, Ghost, Like a Place, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Spit Back a Boy, winner of the 2010 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, spoke to Middle and Upper School students about their place in history and shared his own experiences. He read several of his poems as a way to convey some of his own (“small ‘h’”) Black history.
Several Black Student Union leaders conducted a panel discussion with Pollock after his reading. He challenged students to think about how they want their voices to be heard but also to realize that "empowerment is listening, allyship is listening."
horizons at sch expands, animates mission
The act of listening was more powerful than ever later that evening as students snapped their appreciation for more than a dozen SCH community poets, including students, faculty, and alumni, during the 5th annual SCH Poetry Slam. experience a full day of learning opportunities, including literacy, math, STEM, and enrichment activities such as field trips, hiking, and instructional swimming. They also receive breakfast, lunch, and snacks at no cost. Over the next five years, the program will grow to 120 students.
“They have the opportunity to interact with other programs within SCH, such as the CEL Department and the Robotics Department," said the director of SCH at Horizons Kenyatta Patterson, “but one of the biggest takeaways is the sense of community that’s created here.”
Horizons at SCH offers a high-quality, hands-on learning experience outside of the traditional school year to support academic achievement and healthy youth development. This past summer, the program served 45 rising 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade students from Philadelphia communities experiencing educational inequity. Horizons students
As a result of the pandemic, on average, students are 4-5 months behind in reading and math. These challenges are multiplied for students from communities experiencing educational inequity–the very audience that Horizons serves. Horizons programming is proven to reverse learning loss and accelerate academic gains—students experience an average of 6–10-week gains in reading and math over the course of a summer with this program.
“This partnership has grown over the years and helps us to forward our mission and our outreach to Philadelphia,” said Head of School Delvin Dinkins.
CAMPUSNEWS | GENERAL
community of poets
school magazine fall 2023 4
Poet Iain Haley Pollock reads his poetry during Black History Month at SCH.
Horizons counselor reads to student, summer 2023.
artists, authors, and scientists inspire and create
This past spring, students heard from several inspiring artists, authors, and scientists. The visits, which included master classes in jazz, small group composing sessions, handson experiments on climate change, book signings, and lectures, were made possible by endowed funds that have a long history of supporting guests to enrich the student experience at SCH.
• Class of 1954 Composition Workshop Fund Recipients: Ayinké Feit P'33, singer/songwriter, and Marcus Bryant, producer/writer
• Class of 1957 Artist in Residence: Kevin Snipes, artist, ceramics and drawing
• Dempsey Writer in Residence: Jerry Craft, author of award-winning graphic novels, including New Kid
• Jamie Bell '78 Music Fund Artist: Hailey Brinnel, jazz musician
• Kleckner Scientist in Residence: Simi Hoque, Ph.D., P.E., professor of architectural engineering at Drexel University In addition, the Barbara Crawford Gallery displayed the work of Dawn Kramlich, who made visits to each division to demonstrate encaustic painting and the power of the textimage relationship.
This spring, SCH said goodbye to several longtime faculty members:
• Dan Brewer H'10, Upper School Arts Faculty and Track & Field Coach, Arrived in 1989
• Mary McKenna H'12, Lower School Girls Faculty, Arrived in 1997
• Vincent Day H'15, CEL Program Director for Computer Science and Interactive Tech, Arrived in 2000
• David Salmanson H'16 (aka Doc Sal), Upper School History Faculty, Arrived in 2001
• Rob Ervin H'08, Resident Engineer and Upper School Robotics Mentor, Arrived in 1989
school magazine fall 2023 5
Dawn Kramlich, Barbara Crawford Gallery artist
Hailey Brinnel, Jamie Bell '78 Music Fund Artist
Kevin Snipes, Class of 1957 Artist in Residence
longtime faculty sendoff
Dan Brewer, at left, in the Barbara Crawford Gallery, 2023.
découvrir l’histoire: the story of bélizaire
“This is not our story to tell,” said Stephanie Kasten H'17, chair of the World Languages Department at SCH. In 1837, a wealthy German merchant in New Orleans commissioned a portrait of his three children and a fourth “child,” the family’s 15-year-old enslaved domestic named Bélizaire. While in the hands of the Frey family’s descendants, likely post-Civil War, Bélizaire was completely painted over. The fascinating story of this original painting, and its subsequent handling— both the covering and uncovering of Bélizaire—has been a yearlong focus of Kasten’s French students.
This is the story of a young, enslaved man hidden from view for more than a century. It is a story about Louisiana Creole and American history. And it is a story about understanding more deeply the power of language, history, and resilience through the intensive study of a single painting.
Bélizaire was finally uncovered in the hands of a private collector between 2005-2010. It underwent further restoration in 2022 (the 200th anniversary of Bélizaire’s birth!) to fully reveal the adolescent and his story, and it now hangs in Ogden Museum in New Orleans, LA, where Kasten discovered it last summer.
“There are more questions than answers; yet, there are people interested in getting to the truth, and that’s fascinating to me,” said Kasten, whose students worked tirelessly using primary and secondary sources to understand the story of Bélizaire this past semester.
lower school students take action against bird strikes
Transparent glass is not for the birds! Up to one billion birds die annually in North America due to collisions with glass, according to Bird Safe Philly, which has made great strides in reducing avian loss around the city in recent years. When 3rd-grade science students learned this startling fact earlier this year in a presentation by SCH parent, biologist, and Bird Safe Philly volunteer Stephanie Egger, they asked how they might take action. They decided to focus on the Lower School cafeteria windows, as this spot can be particularly dangerous because it reflects the Wissahickon woods and can draw birds in.
With the help of Feather Friendly Lower School science classes placed markers on the large cafeteria windows to reduce bird strikes, which most often occur at nighttime during migration.
Some stickers are simply dots from Feathered Friendly to alert the birds that the glass is a solid structure and others are small vinyl decals shaped like birds, hand drawn by the students and cut in-house in SCH's ever-awesome maker space.
school magazine fall 2023 6 | GENERAL CAMPUSNEWS
Students (bottom photo) spent a semester studying the above painting. Bélizaire, top photo, at right, was covered up more than a century ago and uncovered after two restorations.
Get all the news at sch.org/news
Lower School science students add markers to their cafeteria windows to reduce bird strikes.
women’s squash tournament draws world-class athletes
She was joined in the tournament by SCH Academy junior Allie Stoddard, who was thrilled to make her Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour debut after earning one of two wildcard spots to play in the first round.
crew news: fastest fleet
Keep an eye out for the fastest fleet on the Schuylkill River! Thanks to a comprehensive campaign, which included Athletic Giving Day and an erg-a-thon on campus, SCH raised more than $100,000 for new crew equipment. Our girls and boys crew teams are rowing in new carbon Filippi F31s quads with new oars, and coaches have like-new, refurbished launches.
SCH-sponsored Women's Squash Tournament Draws World-class Athletes
Twenty-four of the best female squash players worldwide spent five days in March battling it out on the courts of the Philadelphia Cricket Club at the inaugural Chestnut Hill Classic sponsored by SCH. The athletes from Belgium, Egypt, Latvia, Hong Kong, England, Malaysia, Switzerland, France, Canada, Germany, Ireland (and more!) also included two Olivias who grew up and learned the game locally and now live in Philadelphia. Ironically, after three hard-fought matches leading up to the championship, it was the Olivias, Olivia Fiechter ’14 (ranked No. 9) and Olivia Clyne (ranked No. 15), who faced each other on the court in the final round of competition.
Prior to the tournament, Fiechter, who wound up taking home the trophy, wrote, “It will truly be a dream come true to compete on the very courts where I first learned and fell in love with the game.”
“In addition to refurbishing our 20-year-old launches, acquiring new, right-sized boats will enable SCH to operate on a comparative plane with our competitors and allows SCH to embrace technological and structural innovations (carbon is better than aluminum!),” says boys coach Chris McElroy. One of the new quads is named in memory of William Newbold, Class of 2017.
What a season it has been!
Our student-athletes (and alumni!) have played their hearts out this past spring. We had a total of 28 athletes named to All-Inter-Academic Spring Teams! Here are some highlights:
LACROSSE
• Emma Bradbury ’23 was named a USA Lacrosse AllAmerican, finished with 300+ career draw controls, 200+ career goals
• Fallon George ’23 was named to the USA Lacrosse AllAcademic Squad
• Caroline Foley ’23, Alex Reilly ’24, Madison Freeman ’24, Emma Bradbury ’23, and Cortney Neverosky ’24 were named to the PASLA Lacrosse All-Academic Team
• Brendan Dundas ’23, Ross Prince ’24, and Hayes Schreiner ’24 were named to the All-EPLCA Lacrosse Team
SOFTBALL
• Softball finished 2nd in the PAISAA final with a tough 1-0 loss to Shipley after a big semifinal win vs league rival GA
BASEBALL
• Baseball, our Inter-Ac Champs, lost a tough semifinal vs Perkiomen in PAISAA
• Sean Finn ’23 was named baseball Co-MVP for the InterAcademic League
TRACK & FIELD
• Darrion Rascoe ’23 (discus), Stefon Dodoo ’25 (800m) & Tony Hicks ’25 (110h) were PAISAA Champions, and Dodoo was 2nd in the 800m representing SCH at New Balance Nationals
GOLF
• Evelyn Lauerman ’23 placed third at the Inter-Ac Championships at French Creek Golf Club; had a top 10 finish at PAISAA
CREW
• Boys and girls crew accumulated four silver and two bronze medals at City Championships and the Stotesbury Regatta, capping off a successful season
To get all the athletics news, visit sch.org/athletics
NEWS | ATHLETICS
CAMPUS
school magazine fall 2023 7
CAMPUS UPDATES
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
This summer, as part of SCH’s Campus Master Plan, improvements were made to the Commons, the multipurpose community hub in the historic heart of the Upper School campus. The Commons has served many purposes through the years (the hanging track in the gym is long gone and performances moved to The Rec decades ago!), but the current project provides more space and versatility for SCH’s growing student body. The updates included enlarging the interior gathering space on the first level of the Commons, building a new fitness and wellness center in the Woodward Gym, and transforming part of the Vare fitness center into a dedicated wrestling space.
At the time of publication, Upper School students were just beginning to arrive to enjoy the improved spaces, which allow them to gather, dine, and socialize together
and provide them with the fitness and wellness resources they need to achieve their athletic and wellness goals. There are new areas to study, read, eat, train, compete, perform, relax with friends, and hold meetings and events—both inside and out.
“We're thrilled to see the support and enthusiasm that our community has shown the Campaign for the
Commons,” said campaign co-chairs Jess Hayne and Ed McDevitt. “The impact this project will have on our community will be felt for decades to come.”
Please reach out to Jenny McHugh, director of major gifts, at jmchugh@sch. org to give or learn more about this important project.
school magazine fall 2023 8
Commons, 1907
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER EXPANDS
Having enjoyed full enrollment since opening its doors in 2020, SCH’s Early Childhood Center (ECC), has added 22 new spots and expanded into the Klein Building with newly renovated classrooms. This brings SCH’s ECC enrollment to more than 110 students, 18 months to 4 years old, making it one of the largest of its kind in the area.
The Center follows the Reggio Emilia approach—an internationally recognized and respected method of teaching that aligns with SCH’s mission to inspire unbounded curiosity and independent thought in students.
SUPPORT SCH STUDENTS!
The SCH Fund plays a crucial role in enriching the lives of our students and supports the arts, athletics, classroom resources, technology, professional development for faculty, scholarships and financial aid, and more.
We hope you’ll consider investing in our community with a gift to The SCH Fund. All gifts, regardless of the size, help ensure that each and every student has an exceptional learning experience in the classroom, on the playing field, on the stage, and beyond.
MAKE A DONATION TO THE SCH FUND TODAY AND SAVE THE DATES FOR SCH DAY: FEB 22-23, 2024.
school magazine fall 2023 9
New turf at Maguire Stadium
A renovated classroom in the Klein Building for SCH ECC students.
Commons, 2023
WELCOME, NEW SCH TRUSTEES
SCH extends a warm welcome to our newest members of the Board of Trustees who will serve a three-year term.
ANNABELLE CANNING P’10, P’14, P’14 Partner, Capitol Tax Partners SCH experience: Fundraised and volunteered for squash and crew programs BA, Dartmouth College; JD, Georgetown University Law Center
“As a parent of three young adults who were all lifers at SCH, I feel fortunate to assume a new role as a board member at this great school. SCH’s passion for innovation and excellence creates a unique and exciting academic experience to launch the next generation of future leaders. The fabulous athletics and arts facilities at SCH also provide students with opportunities for personal growth and leadership. As a board member, I hope to use my background as a lawyer, focused on federal and state legislative advocacy, to collaborate with and support SCH’s administration in its efforts to increase awareness of civic responsibilities and opportunities for engagement.”
BILL C. DONATO JR. P’22, P’25 CEO, The Safegard Group SCH experience: Volunteer for the robotics program BA, Schreyer Honors College Pennsylvania State University
“Growing up in a family full of educators, I believe in the power of education to drive change in our community and the world. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy excels in preparing our students for the evolving challenges they will face. I am excited to join the outstanding trustees and strong school leadership as we bolster the resources offered by our incredible school.”
SARAH KOLODNER FULD P’28, P’30, P’32, P’34 Community Advocate SCH experience: Blue Devils Club chair; brought National Girls and Women in Sports Day to the school; committed to mentoring young athletes BA, Princeton University
“SCH has a palpable spirit that’s felt throughout its incredible campus—a contagious energy that’s innovative, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented. As a member of the board, I hope to contribute to the school’s mission of growing an inclusive, supportive community where students of many varied backgrounds can thrive intellectually, are encouraged to pursue their passions, and are ultimately able to learn together and from each other.”
school magazine fall 2023 10
EMPOWERED BY Robotics Celebrates 20 Years at SCH
Building robots is hands-on, rollup-your-sleeves, problem-solving kind of work. It’s experiential learning at its best, and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy students have been “studying” engineering this way for 20 years with amazing success. Team 1218, the SCH Upper School robotics team, has qualified for 18 of 19 world championships during that time, won Worlds in 2019, and graduated about 15-20 percent of its students into top-notch university engineering programs over the past two decades, including MIT, Caltech, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, RPI, WPI, Virginia Tech, Drexel, Temple, Rose-
Hulman, and all three military academies. Graduates have gone on to jobs at Google, Tesla, Boeing, and SpaceX, and they’re also making strides as innovative entrepreneurs.
“We do very little in the way of classroom instruction in robotics at SCH,” says the chair of the Robotics and Engineering Department, Peter Randall ’69, who cofounded the program and Team 1218. He can almost always be found in the school’s 1,600-square-foot state-of-the-art lab amongst the computers, fabrication machines (CNC mill, CNC router table, laser cutter, and 3D printers) and, of course, tons of robots and other student projects. “During the build season, students are
school magazine fall 2023 11
here at night and on weekends, engaged and excited to be working on projects. And, boy, are they learning.”
While the robotics program has grown exponentially in 20 years, this hands-on approach hasn’t changed since it began in 2002 with a single robot. Despite almost no budget, that first team—powered by just eight students and approximately the 1,218th team (hence the name Team 1218) to join the league—was a success, winning Rookie All-Star and Regional awards in 2003. Five years in, Chestnut Hill Academy built the Rorer Center for Science and Technology and the Robotics Department filled it, floor to ceiling, with innovative projects (including an in-progress aircraft!) and awards aplenty.
There are now 15 SCH robotics teams, engaging over 150 students across campus and divisions (grades 1-12), who are learning how to approach and solve complex problems through perseverance and teamwork and gaining important skills along the way for whatever path they choose. Lower School students tinker with sensors and motors using LEGO kits, Middle School students begin to understand mechanical design and procedural programming by building LEGO and custom-fabricated robots programmed
in Scratch and Java, and Upper School students delve into microprocessing, fabrication, and programming.
THE BUILD SEASON
The robotics build season runs from January through May and requires each team to design and build an industrialsize robot that completes various challenges according to an annual theme. FIRST, a “global robotics community,” runs competitions that combine “the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.” There’s loud music, cheering fans, and an emcee hyping up the crowd. SCH hosts a qualifying event each spring with more than 30 teams from the tri-state area. From the very start of each build season, students are working fairly independently, making choices (and mistakes!) alongside their teammates and relying on faculty members and mentors for gentle guidance and advice. And they’re not just learning mechanics, circuitry, and programming, they’re developing resilience and leadership skills which come in handy during competitions.
12
The 2012 robotics teams, from the youngest to the oldest, gather in the lab.
WHY TINKER EARLY?
Early interest in engineering can lead to a career in it; more than 80 percent of FIRST alumni declare a STEM major by their fourth year in college. Our youngest learners start with LEGOs and K’NEX to imagine, design, and build their latest creations.
This past spring, 27 students traveled to the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, TX, for the season's culminating event. Of the high school programs around the world that field a robotics team, only 10 percent actually qualify to advance and compete at "Champs." The team didn’t place in 2023, but they did rank in the top 50 percent of their division. And they returned to campus with extraordinary perspective and experience, which makes visits to the Middle and Lower Schools to mentor the younger students in school and through summer programs even more a ecting. They’re passing on the power of creativity, innovation, and passion for STEM.
MENTORING YOUNG MINDS
“You really don’t know something until you’re able to teach it to somebody else,” says Ryan Comisky ’22, now an integrative engineering student with a robotics concentration at Lafayette College, who says this was one of the most important lessons he learned at SCH while mentoring younger students in the Lower School’s Physics and Engineering and Imagineering Labs.
Faculty members and Upper School students aren’t just teaching SCHers, they’re spreading the gospel of handson robotics at other schools. SCHers are the “boots on the ground," says Randall, visiting schools throughout the
region, including, in years past: The Philadelphia School for the Deaf, Ligouri Academy, LaSalle College High School, Abington Friends, Archbishop Wood High School, and more recently, Friends Central, Academy in Manayunk (AIM), and The Philadelphia School. They’re there as the experts, talking about how to build not just robots and camaraderie but also successful programs for all ages and experiences.
For their senior project this past spring, two Class of 2023 students created a LEGO battle bots curriculum for a weeklong summer camp for underserved students in Philadelphia in mentor Youngmoo Kim’s lab. Kim is an
school magazine fall 2023 13
Jonathan Berkson '23, trustee and parent Youngmoo Kim, and Daniel O'Connor '23 in Drexel's ExCITe Center this past summer. The students helped create a LEGO battlebots curriculum for underserved middle schoolers in Philadelphia.
BUILDING BETTER STUDENTS, ONE ROBOT AT A TIME
In 20 years, thousands of students have found their way in the world of STEM thanks to this program. Flair and fun are all part of the robotics experience. Team 1218 has worn yellow bows at FIRST events for several years to show, according to former captain Dominique Regli ’20, “you can wear a dress and a bow—traditionally feminine attire—and still be taken seriously in STEM industries.”
organization’s longitudinal study). Alumna Dominique Regli ’20, who was one of the three female captains during the World Championship 2019-2020 year, is one such student. She is majoring in engineering mechanics with minors in robotics, computer science, and philosophy at Johns Hopkins University.
SCH parent, trustee, and the director of the Expressive & Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Drexel University. He helps students understand the complex software that robots require, a big change from when the program began in 2002 and a big job in this era of AI.
Another 1218 mentor, Ellie Weinstein ’15, was still in Middle School when Randall challenged her to simply “create something that doesn’t exist.” She recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a mechanical engineering degree and is working toward patenting the 3D chocolate printer, aka the Cocoa Press, that she conceived of at SCH. “The world of engineering is allowing you to figure out how to solve problems. It translates to so many di erent fields,” she says.
All that problem-solving has paid o for Weinstein: She’s now selling commercial-sized machines that “print” chocolates the same day and even launching a line of smaller machines for at-home, DIY chocolate printers.
Fifty percent of female FIRST alumni declare a major in engineering or computer science by their fourth year of college (compared to 14 percent of peers), according to the
“Having women role models has been so important to me, I want to help show that you can wear a dress and a bow— traditionally feminine attire—and still be taken seriously in STEM industries,” she says. Responsible for the yellow hair bows that Team 1218 participants still wear during competitions, she eagerly seeks to mentor those who might follow in her footsteps. She has made it a mission to represent women in STEM at local and national FIRST Robotics events by working as a volunteer emcee and game announcer during her free time. In these roles, she does everything from providing game commentary to shedding light on team strategy to helping bring on the high energy that is a feature of any FIRST Robotics tournament. In her year as an SCH captain, the team was 50 percent female, a big uptick from the 5 percent just a few years earlier. One thing that hasn’t changed in 20 years? The excitement at the beginning of a new build season. “You just can’t stop that kind of enthusiasm,” says Team 1218 mentor and recently retired teacher Rob Ervin H’08 who helped found the program in 2002 and also founded AIM team 5407. “That enthusiasm for learning, that’s been there since the very beginning.”
school magazine fall 2023 14
“
THE WORLD OF ENGINEERING IS ALLOWING YOU TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. IT TRANSLATES TO SO MANY DIFFERENT FIELDS.”
Siblings at FIRST event: Tony '22 and Dominique '20 Regli – Ellie Weinstein
'15
THE FIRST IMPACT AWARD
Previously known as the Chairman's Award, this is the most prestigious award at FIRST. It “honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST.”
MIDDLE SCHOOL ROBOTICS FEATURED ON NEW WHYY PROGRAM
In search of students who do “hard things with adult tools,” a crew from WHYY PBS TV landed in the Middle School robotics lab earlier this year to film an episode of Albie’s Elevator, the newest addition to the station’s preschool programming. The episode, “Puzzle Picture Perfect,” aired on June 19 and can be found on the WHYY Kids YouTube channel.
The series features a puppet named Albie who operates the elevator in her building and explores a variety of problems she’s facing by meeting up with the very people that can help solve Albie’s challenge. In the episode filmed at SCH, Albie is struggling to complete a puzzle and needs some help. Who better than SCH’s robotics team students to jump in and share their tips?
Mia Bu ert, Sky Matta, Ariana Chan-van der Helm, and Devon Donato worked with the team from WHYY to demonstrate their cando spirit and problemsolving skills.
school magazine fall 2023 15
Melanie Rankin '14 and Rose Donahue '11 work on the robot.
2002-03 2006 2009
Robotics program begins with two teachers and eight students working in a hallway
Rookie All-Star and Regional Winners
Team moves into a classroom and out of a closet
SCH Robotics becomes stop on Admissions tours
Archimedes Division Winner (3rd in world)
Finalist, World Championship (2nd in world)
CHA builds LEED Goldcertified Rorer Center for Science and Technology; becomes the team’s new home in 2009
Peter Randall ’69 wins the Woodie Flowers Award, (for top FRC mentor) at New Jersey Regional Championship
2004 2008 2011
ROBOTS AND DRONES AND BALLOONS
The robotics program’s success begets further success, as drone and ballooning teams are formed.
An engineering power team comprised of four Team 1218 juniors earned first place this past spring at Philadelphia’s first Aerospace Robotics Challenge (ARC)—sponsored by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics—in the drone cage at the Pennovation Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
school magazine fall 2023 16
2012 2016 2020
Robot introduces a coveted mechanism that differentiates between hard and soft balls in 1/400 of a second, called the “Charminator”
Chairman’s Award (now called The FIRST Impact Award)
Peter Randall '69 is named a Phillies All Star Teacher of the Year, chosen among 400+ entries
Team builds two robots to upgrade the bot between matches, and the swerve drive is introduced Finalist, World Championship (4th in world)
Three female captains lead the team to the World Championship (1st in world).
Team goes to Worlds, receives several awards earlier in the season, including:
Quality Award
Industrial Design Award
2015 2019 2023
throughout
year to build and train a drone to follow remote commands as well as a pre-programmed route that would simulate the rapid delivery of medical supplies or other essential items necessary for disaster response. The team took first place in each of the event’s three competitions.
“We are four high school students who, in seven months, designed and built a drone that—if continually improved upon—could be used in those types of settings,” says Lyon.
Next up for these four seniors? A ballooning project through NASA. They were selected by NASA, alongside a handful of Drexel students, as one of 80 teams—and one of just a handful
of teams that included high school students—from across the country who are preparing small experiments to accomplish big science during two upcoming eclipses. Through the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, students contribute valuable scientific and engineering data through their projects. Experiments will be carried by weather balloons (about the size of a small car!) into the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere during the next two solar eclipses North America will experience—an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Stay tuned to see what these budding engineers can do.
school magazine fall 2023 17
The robotics foursome—Karina Chan-van der Helm, Cameron Lyon, Devin Gibson (who won the prestigious FIRST Dean’s List award this year), and Shaun Gupte—worked
the
The L ting Legacy
school magazine fall 2023 18
Picture this: A group of women in their 70s and 80s gather around photos and artifacts from their school days. One breaks into song and the others quickly join in. Together they sing something beautiful, a tune they learned more than six-plus decades prior. This is the enduring power of memory sparked by the life’s work of one Miss Zara, an Italian immigrant and educator in Chestnut Hill.
The alumnae of Miss Zara’s School, which eventually merged with Springside School, reunited for tea at this year’s SCH Alumni Weekend. The reunion was in part thanks to Phoebe Wetzel Griswold '58, who took an interest in her old school and Miss Zara in recent years after finding her teacher’s grave in the cemetery of Saint Luke’s Church in Germantown. Griswold made it a mission to rediscover the meaningful life and
lessons of Miss Zara. “Legacies are not decided by the people who go before us,” says Griswold. “Legacies are named by the people who come after them. That is what we are doing for Miss Zara.”
Caterina Cameron Zara, headmistress and founder of Miss Zara’s School, educated boys and girls in and around Chestnut Hill for nearly 40 years from 19171955 before her school merged
school magazine fall 2023 19
From left: Ellen Goodwin '63, Gerda Paumgarten '61, and Selby Fleming McPhee '61 gather at the Miss Zara's School Tea during the 2023 Alumni Weekend.
A school schedule from the 1949-1950 academic year.
Above left: Miss Zara (at left) speaks to the first graduating class of 1936. Below left: Miss Zara's School, 1953, 2nd grade
with Springside. According to Miss Zara's graduates, she not only held students to the highest academic standards but she and her faculty— most notably the French language teacher, Mlle. Lambert, and Miss Zara’s sister, Mrs. Randall—also modeled and demanded respect, helpfulness, integrity, courtesy, service, and kindness. While others may not remember details of their early school years, these women can recite a French poem they learned at age six and most recall lines from their favorite plays and outdoor pageants.
“I remember and sing the songs Mrs. Randall wrote to this day,” says Ernesta Ballard ’63. “There was a large beech tree that we played under. I see it still.”
The school opened in the fall of 1917 at the Maple Lawn Inn located at the corner of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike (now a childcare center), and it would move several times over the years, from the Parish Hall of Saint Paul’s on East Chestnut Hill Avenue to the corner of Germantown Avenue and Laughlin Lane to, finally, a house called Grey Arches at 432 West Moreland Avenue on five acres of land. It was here that the school’s enrollment peaked at 165 students.
In the school’s first year, 12 boys were admitted. Subsequently, girls and boys were admitted through 2nd grade; they would then head to CHA or Springside. But in 1934, Zara expanded the school to 3rd grade and added a grade each year until the school finished at 6th. However, because of space constraints, boys could only attend up to 2nd grade; therefore, the school “graduated” mostly girls.
Traditions were established early on: Field Day (with a sack race with
school magazine fall 2023 20
Gerda Paumgarten '61 as Master Bummel (left) in the final Miss Zara’s pageant, Rip Van Winkle, 1955.
The final graduating Miss Zara’s School class.
A student reads her essay out loud on the grounds of Miss Zara’s School.
parents!), poetry contests, and original plays. In and out of the classroom, there was an emphasis on good citizenship, courtesy, and sportsmanship which, alumnae say, bonded them more closely. One of their favorite traditions was when they were allowed to use the main stairs in the school during 6th grade, their final year at Miss Zara’s. The school, alumnae say, was not a finishing school but a fairly progressive institution with a strong educational philosophy, sense of community, and mission led by a headmistress who treated the students fairly and with kindness.
Margaret Merryweather wrote a note to the school in 1973 and claims to have been the first girl admitted to the school. “Miss Zara was an angel, an unsung one,” she wrote. “People never knew what she did in her quiet way to show her love to her many children. She gave me so much in my tender years that I never forgot.”
And another alumna remembers arriving on a snow day. Instead of sending the girl home, they played cards in her o ce. At the end of the term, Miss Zara even met with each student to go over their report cards. “Miss Zara had infinite patience with me,” says Virginia Pepper Purviance '52. “She had to tutor me in arithmetic, even resorting to an abacus! I still need an abacus.”
In 1932 Miss Zara hired the beloved French teacher, Marie Lambert, who introduced the fine details of French sewing and plays. Many Zara graduates say that taking part in these activities not only improved their language skills but also were some of their most vivid memories from those years.
Nancy "Nanny" Carrel '50 calls her years at Miss Zara’s “an outstanding classical education” and says she remembers more than just the traditions. “French sewing was compulsory, and it was pretty exasperating and di cult, but the results were very rewarding. Mlle. Lambert had very high expectations and, for the most part, we met them.”
When Miss Zara’s School merged with Springside, Lambert became head of the French Language Department, bringing with her a belief in the importance of the arts, a gift that was appreciated well beyond her departure.
When the Springside-Zara merger was announced in 1953, The Chestnut Hill Local hailed it as a “bright banner in the forward march of independent education in a progressive community.” Virtually every graduate went on to attend Springside School. In 1950, Springside’s admissions grew substantially; in response,
admissions for Miss Zara’s students could no longer be guaranteed. After consulting with the University of Pennsylvania, the schools agreed to merge with the goal of continuing the “excellent educational opportunities to the community and greater strength to our own most vigorous institution.”
“The school was distinct in its emphasis on education and student support,” says Mary Oakes Smith ’59. “I value my years at Miss Zara's School and will forever.”
Longtime CHA history teacher Paul Hines H'03 dug into the history of Miss Zara’s School this past year—through extensive research and interviews, he learned about the woman behind the school. This article is based on his research. If you are interested, a full account of Miss Zara’s School can be provided. If you would like to read more, or if you have information to share, email alumni@sch.org.
Caterina Cameron Zara Memorial Scholarship Fund
school magazine fall 2023 21
This memorial fund was established at Springside in 1974. Income from the fund provides tuition assistance for the daughters and granddaughters of Springside alumnae to attend Springside’s Lower School (now SCH Academy).
Miss Zara graduates gather for a 2007 reunion.
Each year at Alumni Weekend, the school acknowledges significant alumni contributions and distinctions with special awards. The many accomplishments of the 2023 award winners are highlighted on these pages.
CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY
YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD
Rashad Campbell ’08
This award recognizes the achievements of an alumnus who has graduated within the past 20 years. It honors excellence in a career or service to the community.
Rashad Campbell is a partner and chief operating officer at Advance NIL, which provides comprehensive advisory and strategic NIL solutions to educate, equip, and empower all stakeholders in the collegiate and high school athletics ecosystem. He also continues to be deeply involved in the SCH community as a board member (since 2016) and the assistant head coach for the varsity football team (since 2012).
The genesis of his business was grounded in STAYCOOL, LLC, an “on-demand human performance company” that specialized in corporate health and fitness, financial consulting, online coaching, and life skills workshops and programs that he founded. Prior to the launch of STAYCOOL in 2014, Campbell served as an Internal Sales Consultant at Franklin Square Capital Partners.
As a student at Chestnut Hill Academy, he served in many student leadership roles and was a 10-time varsity letter award winner. He was inducted into the CHA Hall of Fame in the fall of 2022. Giving back and influencing youth positively is a big personal mission for Campbell. His advocacy for creating greater multicultural awareness and inclusion help for all students, as well as ensuring SCH students are prepared to thrive in an exponentially diverse world, is enormously powerful.
THE ROLL OF FAME AWARD
Gilly Lane '03
This award recognizes an alumnus who has made significant, far-reaching contributions to society. He is considered an expert in his field, and his work has had an impact that reaches beyond the bounds of a single community.
Gilly Lane is one of the greatest squash players in The University of Pennsylvania program’s history. Named head coach of Penn’s men's squash program in March 2016, he has led the university to an 82-26 record (31-10 in the Ivy League).
As a player, his titles and accolades are plentiful, including a four-time All-American and All-Ivy selection, eight PSA World Tour Finals, a U.S. National Team member, and a member of the gold-winning men's team at the Pan American Games in 2008. At Penn, he was named the 2022 Ivy League Coach of the Year and his team won the Ivy League Championship in that same year.
Lane’s success is more than just stats. Drawing on his own experiences as a player, he is known, as a coach, for his emphasis on teamwork, discipline, and mental toughness, and he has been credited with helping to cultivate a culture of excellence at Penn. As a player, he won the Skillman Award for best sportsmanship by the College Squash Association and his Penn team won the award in 2020.
2023 Alumni Award Winners
school magazine fall 2023 22
FRANCIS P. STEEL JR. ’77 AWARD
Bradley K. Moss '76, P'11, P'14
This award recognizes an alumnus who, over the course of many years, has made unique contributions and shown an outstanding and extraordinary devotion to the school.
Bradley K. Moss, a Philadelphia Municipal Court judge known for his service and tireless dedication to the court, has served on the CHA Alumni Association for more than three decades and he was president from 1998-2002. In 2003, he received the Alumnus of the Year Award in recognition of the Alumni Association’s positive contributions to the CHA community.
Driven by his passion for the traditions of Chestnut Hill Academy, Judge Moss's knowledge of the school’s history and culture was instrumental during the merger of the two schools. He has emphasized how the school's mission and values evolved over time and how they should continue to guide the school. His voice was important in building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, and community members as SCH came together as one school.
In addition to his leadership on the CHA Alumni Association, Judge Moss has been involved in the Upper School’s Mock Trial Club as a coach and judge of competitions. As a parent of two alumni, he recognizes the important educational benefits to having a diverse school and has shared his perspective in SCH’s Parent Diversity Series.
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Ed J. McDevitt '93, P'24, P'26
This award recognizes an alumnus for outstanding service to the Alumni Association or to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.
Ed McDevitt is a senior vice president of Wealth Management at UBS. He is deeply dedicated to the SCH Academy community. In 2021, he was named as a cochair of the Campaign for the Commons, charged with soliciting and hosting events to complete the $6 million dollar project.
In June 2022, McDevitt was appointed as a member of the SCH Board of Trustees and currently serves on the Executive and Assets Committees.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing McDevitt for most of my life," says classmate and friend Read Goodwin, "and one of the greatest attributes of that friendship is that you are instantly welcomed into his incredibly generous extended family. It is one of the best compliments you can give anyone: McDevitt treats everyone he knows and anything he does as if it were in his own family. This has clearly been the case in his support and giving back to the SCH community over the past several years.”
Read about Campaign for the Commons on page 8.
school magazine fall 2023 23
2023 Alumni Award Winners
SPRINGSIDE SCHOOL
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNA AWARD
Margaret O’Neill ’03
This award recognizes the achievements of an alumna who has graduated within the past 20 years and has demonstrated excellence in a career or service to the community.
Margaret O’Neill, director of Regulatory Legal at Merck, has practiced as an attorney in the field of commercial litigation since graduating from law school. Her career began in the litigation department at Sunoco, Inc., in Philadelphia, where she was responsible for more than 800 cases annually involving the company, its subsidiaries, and affiliates. She assisted with matters involving product liability, environmental, trade agreement/ contract litigation, and personal injury claims. At Merck, she is responsible for providing a broad range of legal support, including advising the business on key marketing initiatives in the oncology and precision medicine spaces, collaborating closely with compliance, regulatory, and medical affairs teams.
In January 2018, at the age of 33, she made partner at Goodell, Devries, Leach, and Dann, LLP. Not only is O’Neill a superstar litigator, but she is also committed to her community. She teaches Norristown high school students on various legal topics, mentors current law students through the Association of Corporate Counsel's DE&I mentorship program, and acts as a volunteer child advocate attorney for clients living in the foster care system in Philadelphia. She is also a founding board member of Friends of Cristo Rey Philadelphia.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Sarah Greenwood Salmon '97, P'28, P'33, P'35
This award recognizes an alumna who over the course of several years has made unique contributions and shown an outstanding and extraordinary devotion to the school. There are some people who commit themselves to the places in which they believe, and they do so with energy and gusto. Sarah Greenwood Salmon has chosen SCH as that place, and she is committed to bettering and expanding the SCH community.
Since returning to Chestnut Hill in 2016 with her family, she has volunteered regularly. She served on the Parents Association Executive Board as a Lower School representative, joined the Blue Devils Club, and volunteered as an alumnae class agent, serving as a liaison among her classmates. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Springside Alumnae Association Executive Board and, for the past two years, Salmon has served as the alumni admission liaison. In this role, she helps to steward new families and reach out to potential families who might be a match for SCH. In addition, she worked closely with the Admissions Office to connect with prospective alumni families.
In addition to volunteering on the Alumnae Association Board, she also served as secretary for the Parents Association Executive Board. She was a sub-committee chair for the 2021 parent fundraiser and also volunteered on the fundraising committee.
2023 Alumni Award Winners
school magazine fall 2023 24
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD
This award recognizes an alumna who has made a significant contribution in her field of interest and whose accomplishments have had an effect on the larger community. This year, the award was presented to two alumnae.
Sandy Kellogg '78
Sandy Kellogg has extensive experience in outdoor recreation and has worked in the field of adaptive sports, recreation, and wellness for the past 14 years. In 2009, Kellogg co-founded Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country (ASPNC), a nonprofit organization that provides outdoor, educational, and charitable activities for individuals with a variety of physical, emotional, and mental disabilities.
Many people in her New Hampshire community have benefitted from her outstanding leadership and service in the field of adaptive sports. The ASPNC program’s participants have been able to develop confidence and determination as they have worked to overcome unbelievable obstacles.
Kellogg developed programs focusing on year-round sports and recreation for people with all kinds of disabilities. By developing and using specialized adaptive equipment, participants with physical limitations were given opportunities to ski a mountain, ride a bike, follow a hiking trail, float a river and again feel a breeze, hear a waterfall, or see and smell nature. Under Kellogg’s leadership, the ASPNC grew with hundreds of specially trained volunteers reaching beyond New Hampshire and more broadly in the nation’s Northeast regions.
Jessie Jane Lewis '65 (posthumous)
Artist and activist Jessie Jane Lewis was diagnosed with a slowly progressing form of multiple sclerosis in her early 30s, and her illness would gradually influence the direction of her art. She was employed as a Certified Recreation Therapist—leading activities for elderly patients in nursing homes and hospitals—and was on the board of Woodmere Art Museum from 1972-76 and was an avid member of Nexus Foundation for Today's Art. In 1989, she added acting classes at Wilma Theater to her studies and began incorporating performance and video into her work. As her disease progressed, her art focused on her experience and her frustration with the realities of her disability.
An exhibition of her work, Chronic Creativity, was featured in the Barbara Crawford Gallery last year. Her work encompassed painting, printmaking, and performance art. She made paintings using her wheelchair using the wheels as paintbrushes, rolling over old paintings.
With the progression of her MS, she turned toward activism to support the rights of people with physical disabilities. In the early 2000s, she became involved in voting rights and was the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against The City of Philadelphia for failing to provide voting machines and polling places that were accessible to everyone regardless of physical ability.
school magazine fall 2023 25
2023 Alumni Award Winners
school magazine fall 2023 26
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2023
school magazine fall 2023 27 To view more photos from Alumni Weekend, visit www.sch.org/alumni
POWERFUL VOICES: THE CLASS OF 2023 GRADUATES
Lending his powerful voice during the 2023 Commencement exercises, Head of School Delvin Dinkins urged the 125 graduates: (1) Commit to something, anything, hard and of value, (2) learn to change your mind, and (3) invest in friendship. “Doing all three will help you carve out a fulfilling life, one of meaning and deep delight,” he said. Student speakers, chosen by the class, also left the graduates and their peers with powerful messages of hope.
“Life is still so fantastic, no matter how hard life is, no matter how ordinary it is,” said Jikai (Kyrie) Yang. “It is still so fantastic because we are able to find our own happiness that is so unique and special to every one of us.”
Speaker Brielle Attanasio, who listened to each of her classmates’ senior speeches from the past year in preparation for her Commencement speech, found power in their stories, their voices: “There are countless messages left by the Class of 2023; however, the one thing I think covers them all is something that can benefit everyone here for the rest of our lives: just listen. Everyone deserves to be heard.”
28 school magazine fall 2023
29 school magazine fall 2023
LEGACY FAMILIES
school magazine fall 2023 30
KEVIN '28 AND TOMMY '23 ANDREWS BRIELLE '23 AND BRADEN '21 ATTANASIO
TARA '23 AND J.R. '88 BENNING
CLASS O F 2023
HOLDEN '29, HANS '23 AND COOPER '25 BODE
ELIO '24 AND NICK '23 COLAVITA
ALEXANDER '26 AND BELLA '23 BROWN
AVA '24 AND ISABELLA '23 DECESARE
AUBREY '23 AND DAKOTA '20 CARTER
GRANT '29, SAKI '23, AND WILL '24 DUNBAR
31 school magazine fall 2023
OLIVER '29, ELI '23, AND ETHAN '25 ECKERT
OWEN '19 AND NORA '23 ELLIOTT AND CHASE ROTELLE '20
AIDAN '23 AND JOSEPH '21 FALCONE
AUDREY '25 AND LUCY '23 FLANAGAN
MADISON '24, PEGGY '62, WILL '23, HOLDEN '28, AND BILL '91 FREEMAN
KOBRIN '23 AND LIDA '25 GOLOVEYKO
CAROLINE '23 AND TAYLOR '25 FOLEY
JACK '23 AND PATRICK '25 GAGHAN
RILEY COIT ’29 AND SAMAYA GOODWIN '23
ISABELLA '26 AND MICAH '23 FORD
ANTHONY '25, ROB '19, ISABELLA '23, AND JACK '20 GENTILE
GRANT '23 AND TYLER '21 GUZIK
ALEXA '19 AND DILLON '23 FRANKEL
LEGACY FAMILIES
LILLIAN '19 AND NELLY ’23 FORREST
32 school magazine fall 2023
MAYA '23 AND PRIYA '25 JONAS
ANDREW '21, EVELYN '23, AND CONNOR '25 LAUERMAN
MADISON '23 AND JILLIAN '26 MAJOR
CHRISTINA MORSE '87 WILLIAM '23, HOPE '25, AND HARRY '21 KELLY
ALEXIA '19 AND SIENNA '23 LINDSAY
SAM '23 AND JOSHUA '25 MILLER
RAVEN '23 AND GEOFF '87 KILCOLLUM
JOANNA '26, MATTHEW '23, AND GABY '22 LEON-PALFREY
HANNAH '21, RICK '92, ELLA '23, AND KYLE '25 KNOX
TATYANA '23 AND JADON '28 HALL ASHLEY '27 AND JT '23 HUGHES
MARK ’93, CLAIRE '21 GREENBERG , KEELIN CUMMINGS '91, BRADY '23, SCOTT '91, ANNIE '23, CHARLIE '25 GREENBERG
LEGACY FAMILIES
SAMUEL '16, ZACHARY '23, AND JOSHUA '16 HOSAY
33 school magazine fall 2023
COLEBE '19 AND COURTNEY '23 OLIVER
NATHANIEL '88, NATHALIE '23, AND WHITNEY '22 TAYLOR
HARRISON '14, WINSLOW '23, AND DYLAN '10, AND KAREN HA TRACY
MAGGIE '23 AND CATALINA '28 PEGUERO
IDY '23 AND AIDA '30 WATT
SARAH '26 AND FAITH '23 SCALLY
AARON '20, DARRION '23, LELA '31, AND ADRIAN '27 RASCOE
SAMIYAH '18 AND KALIYANI '23 WARDLAW
STEPHANIE MILL HA AND MASON '23 MOWER ROBBIE '26 AND SOFIA '23 MURRAY
JAMES '19, ANNA '23, CELIA '21, CHRISTIAN '20 MAZZARELLI
LEGACY FAMILIES
GEORGIA '25 AND DANNY '23 O’CONNOR
ELLIE '23 AND TOMMY '25 STRATZ
AINSLEY '21 AND HUNTER '23 REXFORD, PEPPER JOHNSON '92
SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY
COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES FOR THE CLASS OF 2023
Albright College (2)
American University (2)*
Amherst College
Arcadia University
Arizona State University - Tempe
Art Center College of Design
Babson College*
Bard College
Barnard College*
Barry University
Bentley University
Binghamton University- SUNY*
Boston College (3)*
Boston University (3)
Bowie State University
Brandeis University (3)*
Carnegie Mellon University (2)*
Case Western Reserve University
Chestnut Hill College (3)*
Clark Atlanta University (2)
Coastal Carolina University*
Colgate University (2)
College of Charleston (4)*
College of New Jersey
Columbia University*
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Delaware State University
Denison University (2)*
DePaul University (2)
Dickinson College
Drew University*
Drexel University (21)*
Duke University (2)*
Duquesne University (3)
East Stroudsburg University (2)
Eckerd College (3)
Elizabethtown College*
Elon University (6)*
Emory University (2)
Fairleigh Dickinson University (3)*
Florida A&M University (3)
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Institute of Technology*
Florida State University
Fordham University (3)
Franklin & Marshall College (6)
George Washington University
Georgia Institute of Technology (4)
Georgia State University
Gettysburg College
Goldey - Beacom College
Gwynedd Mercy University
Hampton University (5)
Haverford College (2)*
Hawai'i Pacific University
High Point University (3)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (2)
Hofstra University
Holy Family University
Howard University (4)*
Indiana University - Bloomington (3)*
Ithaca College (3)
James Madison University (5)*
Johns Hopkins University
Kennesaw State University
King's College
Kutztown University (3)
Lafayette College
La Salle University (4)
Lehigh University
Lincoln University (2)
Louisiana State University (3)*
Loyola University Maryland (5)*
Lynn University (4)*
Macalester College (2)
Marquette University*
Marymount Manhattan College
McGill University (2)*
Michigan State University
Millersville University (3)*
Misericordia University*
Monmouth University (3)*
Moravian University (2)*
Morehead State University*
Morgan State University (5)*
Muhlenberg College*
Neumann University
New York University (3)*
Norfolk State University (2)
North Carolina Central University
Northeastern University (6)*
Oberlin College and Conservatory (2)*
Occidental College*
Ohio State University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Pace University (2)*
Peabody Institute - Johns Hopkins University
Pennsylvania State University (21)*
Pennsylvania State UniversityAbington (3)*
Pennsylvania State University Honors College
Pittsburgh University (14)*
Providence College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College (3)
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rollins College
Rowan University (2)
Salve Regina University
The Savannah College of Art & Design
Shippensburg University
Siena College (2)*
Southern University and A&M College
Spelman College (3)*
St. Augustine's University*
St. John's University (4)*
St. Joseph's University (10)*
Susquehanna University (2)*
Syracuse University (4)*
Temple University (15)*
Thomas Jefferson University (5)
Towson University (3)
Union College (2)
University of Alabama (2)
University of Arizona (2)
University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Davis (2)
University of California - Irvine (3)
University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - San Diego (5)
University of California - Santa Barbara
University of Colorado Boulder (4)
University of Connecticut (2)*
University of Delaware (8)*
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Hartford
University of Illinois Chicago*
University of Iowa
University of Louisville
University of Maryland (3)*
University of Miami (4)*
University of Michigan (3)*
University of Mississippi
University of North CarolinaCharlotte*
University of North Carolina
University of Notre Dame*
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania (6)*
University of Pittsburgh Honors
College
University of Rhode Island (3)
University of Richmond (2)*
University of South Carolina (3)*
University of South Florida
University of Southern California (2)*
University of Tampa (4)*
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
University of Vermont (5)*
University of Washington (2)
University of Wisconsin
Ursinus College (3)*
Villanova University (4)*
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (3)*
Virginia State University (2)
Wagner College*
Wake Forest University*
Washington and Lee University*
Washington University in St. Louis (2)*
Wesleyan University (2)
West Chester University (9)*
West Virginia University (3)
Widener University (2)*
William & Mary
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University (2)
Xavier University of Louisiana
–Dr.
school magazine fall 2023 34
*where students will matriculate
"SCH has developed in you a pioneering and innovative spirit that will help you seize the opportunities the future holds."
Delvin Dinkins, Head of School
END-OF-YEAR AWARDS
At the end of each school year, the Upper School takes a moment to recognize students who have distinguished themselves through academics, athletics, character, or service to the school. The following awards were presented to students at the 2023 awards ceremony on the eve of Commencement.
DEPARTMENTAL DISTINCTIONS
arts
9th: Reece Corvasce
Tristan Ferraro
Reed Knoblock
Lauren Wilson
10th: Sylvia Landis
Ava Lanzetta
Joseph Trotter
11th: Camden Burns
Matthew Rizzo
12th: Jonathan Berkson
Hans Bode
Sofia Foote
Yichen Huang
Katharine Rossman
Sarah Shoff
Andrew Wood Jr.
cel
10th: Lida Goloveyko
Hope Kelly
11th: Coleman Benner
Ava Szalay
12th: Anabella Castellanos
John Gaghan IV
engineering and robotics
9th: Quinton McDonnell
10th: Connor Brown
11th: Shaun Gupte
12th: Daniel O'Connor
english
9th: Reed Knoblock
Grian O'Connor
Lauren Wilson
10th: Naomi Becker
Zarin DeVeaux
Caitlin Keough
11th: Arthur Fifield
Zahkiyyah Frazier
Antonin Zappala
12th: Tara Benning
Emily Eisenman
Eleanor Forrest
history
9th: Reed Knoblock
Roman McNichols
Lauren Wilson
10th: Emma Lundwikowski
Evelyn Seawright
Andrew Shmelzer
11th: Zahkiyyah Frazier
Sophia McDevitt
Gabrielle McHugh
12th: Aidan Falcone
Yuxi Gu
Winslow Tracy
mathematics
9th: Jahi Al-Uqdah
Aaron Jia
Charlotte Trayes
10th: Leah Laudenbach
Andrew Saunders
Tiara Williams-Mears
school magazine fall 2023 35
Arts Distinction (from left): Front: Katharine Rossman ’23, Sarah Shoff ’23, Ava Lanzetta ’25, Sylvia Landis ’25, Lauren Wilson ’26; Middle: Sofia Foote ’23, Jonathan Berkson ’23, Joseph Trotter ’25; Back: Andrew Wood Jr. ’23, Matthew Rizzo ’24, Hans Bode ’23, Tristan Ferraro ’26, Yichen Huang ’23 (Not in picture: Reece Corvasce ’26, Reed Knoblock ’26, Camden Burns ’24)
CEL Distinction (from left): Anabella Castellanos ’23, Ava Szalay ’24, John Gaghan IV ’23, Coleman Benner ’24, Lida Goloveyko ’25 (Not in picture: Hope Kelly ’25)
Engineering & Robotics Distinction (from left): Daniel O'Connor ’23, Connor Brown ’25, Quinton McDonnell ’26, Shaun Gupte ’24
English Distinction (from left): Front: Caitlin Keough ’25, Zarin DeVeaux ’25, Naomi Becker ’25, Lauren Wilson ’26, Grian O'Connor ’26, Eleanor Forrest ’23; Back: Tara Benning ’23, Arthur Fifield ’24, Antonin Zappala ’24, Emily Eisenman ’23 (Not in picture: Reed Knoblock ’26 and Zahkiyyah Frazier ’24)
11th: Ward Dobeck
Shaun Gupte
Antonin Zappala
12th: Caroline Foley
Kobrin Goloveyko
Grace Hannigan
science
9th: Aaron Jia
Eloise Levin
Roman McNichols
10th: Connor Brown
Zarin DeVeaux
Lida Goloveyko
11th: Devin Gibson
Anya Rosenbloom
Stone Xin
12th: Micah Ford
Kobrin Goloveyko
Winslow Tracy
world languages
10th: Owen Franzen
Caitlin Keough
11th: Anya Rosenbloom
Alexandra Stoddard
Antonin Zappala
12th: Brielle Attanasio
Hirmand Azimi
Caroline Foley
Eleanor Forrest
Terri Jackson
Ella Knox
Hunter Rexford
History Distinction (from left): Front: Yuxi Gu ’23, Gabrielle McHugh ’24, Emma Ludwikowski ’25, Evelyn Seawright ’25, Lauren Wilson ’26; Back: Winslow Tracy ’23, Sophia McDevitt ’24, Andrew Shmelzer ’25, Roman McNichols ’26, Aidan Falcone ’23 (Not in picture: Reed Knoblock ’26 and Zahkiyyah Frazier ’24)
Leah Laudenbach ’25, Charlotte Trayes ’26, Caroline Foley ’23,
Science Distinction (from
Front: Kobrin Goloveyko ’23, Lida Goloveyko ’25, Anya Rosenbloom ’24, Zarin DeVeaux ’25, Aaron Jia ’26, Eloise Levin ’26; Back: Stone Xin ’24, Connor Brown ’25, Devin Gibson ’24, Roman McNichols ’26, Micah Ford ’23, Winslow Tracy ’23
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS
Recognizing seniors who were among the 15,000 students who reached the status of National Merit Finalist for the year 2023.
school magazine fall 2023 36
left):
Math Distinction (from left): Front:
Tiara Williams-Mears ’25, Grace Hannigan ’23; Back: Antonin Zappala ’24, Ward Dobeck ’24, Aaron Jia ’26, Shaun Gupte ’24, Kobrin Goloveyko ’23 (Not in picture: Jahi AlUqdah ’26, Andrew Saunders ’25)
World Languages Distinction (from left): Front: Caitlin Keough ’25, Caroline Foley ’23, Brielle Attanasio ’23, Ella Knox ’23, Eleanor Forrest ’23, Anya Rosenbloom ’24, Terri Jackson ’23; Back: Hirmand Azimi ’23, Hunter Rexford ’23, Owen Franzen ’25, Alexandra Stoddard ’24, Antonin Zappala ’24
Shangchen Cai Daniel O’Connor Qimou Song
National Merit Finalists (from left): Qimou Song ’23, Daniel O’Connor ’23, Shangchen Cai ’23
BOOK AWARDS
the bowdoin college book award
Presented to a member of the junior class who helps others and works toward positive change to improve the world. This student is working in service to the common good and towards developing ethical and balanced approaches to how they live and do work.
• Kamaha'o Bode
the brown university book award
Recognizes a junior who best combines a high degree of ability in English expression, both written and spoken, with those outstanding personal qualities which, in the words of the Brown Charter of 1764, give promise that the student will become one of the “succession of men and women duly qualified for discharging the o ces of life with usefulness and reputation.”
• Cameron Harrop
the harvard university book award
Awarded to an outstanding junior who displays excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other fields..
• Shaun Gupte
the smith college book award
Awarded to a junior who exemplifies the academic achievement and leadership qualities that characterize the thousands of women who have graduated from Smith College.
• Alexandra Stoddard
the university of pennsylvania book award
Presented to a junior who best exemplifies the qualities and characteristics of Benjamin Franklin, the founder of the University of Pennsylvania—a scholar, innovator, and one who served the community.
• Devin Gibson
the university of virginia book award
Presented to a junior who is outstanding in academics as well as extracurricular activities in acknowledgment of that student’s commitment to academics, leadership, and community involvement, which Thomas Je erson held in high regard.
• Ava Szalay
the yale university book award
Presented to a member of the junior class who has shown intellectual promise, significant involvement in extracurricular activities, and service to the community.
• Arjun Goswami
DEEDED AWARDS
DEEDED AWARDS IN ACADEMICS: THE ARTS
the players on- and off-stage awards
Given by the director of Players for a significant contribution, loyalty, and commitment to Players—on stage and o .
On Stage
• Elizabeth Sho
O Stage
• Emily Eisenman
the suzanne turner rebmann award
Given in memory of Suzanne Turner Rebmann for excellence in one of the performing arts.
• Ryan Agnew
The Wendy Romig Concannon ‘82 Photography Award
Given by her classmates, family, and friends in her memory in 2022, this award honors Wendy’s myriad talents and skills as well as her grace and elegance and is presented annually to a promising Upper School student whose photography work represents Wendy’s love of color, texture, and strong design principles.
• Taoxi Xie
the alumni association art award
Given to a member of the senior class who has demonstrated extraordinary interest, ability, and accomplishment in the visual arts.
• Elena Martinez
DEEDED AWARDS IN ATHLETICS
the meredith s. & langdon w. harris iii award
Given by the Harris family in memory of Langdon Harris and in honor of Meredith to the parent or parents who have been most supportive of SCH athletics and athletes during the school year.
• Edward J. McDevitt III '93
• Jessica Hayne
the junior vare award in memory of johanna sigmund ’94
Named for the former head of the Physical Education Department and given in memory of Johanna Sigmund ’94, this award is given to a junior who exhibits a keen interest in athletics, demonstrates sportsmanship, and maintains consistent academic achievement.
• Alexis Reilly
school magazine fall 2023 37
Book Awards (from left): Front: Ava Szalay ’24, Shaun Gupte ’24, Cameron Harrop ’24; Back: Devin Gibson ’24, Alexandra Stoddard ’24, Arjun Goswami ’24 (Not in picture: Kamaha'o Bode ’24)
Deeded Arts Awards (from left): Ryan Agnew ’24, Elena Martinez ’23, Emily Eisenman ’23, Elizabeth Sho ’23 (Not in picture: Taoxi Xie ’23)
the phyllis m. vare sportsmanship award
Given in honor of Miss Vare, former head of the Physical Education Department, to a senior who has loved and participated wholeheartedly in the physical education program throughout the years and who, through their leadership and example, has shown to others the highest standards of sportsmanship and play.
• Caroline Foley
the lawrence r. mallery 1905 award
Established by the family of Lawrence Mallery from the Class of 1905, this award honors a scholar-athlete of the senior class.
• John Gaghan IV
the blue & gold award
Presented to a female athlete in the senior class who best exemplified excellence in athletics this year and is voted on by the Athletic Department.
• Lisa McIntyre
• Emma Bradbury
the j.l. patterson cup
Named for Dr. James Patterson, headmaster from 1897 to 1923, this cup is awarded to the best all-around athlete in the senior class.
• Darrion Rascoe
• Ryan White
the edward morris mcilvaine memorial scholarship
Provides an outstanding summer opportunity for a student who exhibits leadership potential and seeks a special growth experience. Given in memory of Edward Morris McIlvaine, CHA Class of 1995, this award will provide an Outward Bound experience.
• Roman McNichols
DEEDED AWARDS IN ACADEMICS: SCIENCE
the society of women in engineering award
Recognizes and honors students who have achieved excellence in the study of mathematics and science for at least three years and have demonstrated an aptitude and interest in engineering.
• Karina Chan-van der Helm
the rensselaer polytechnic institute award for excellence
Awarded to a member of the junior class for outstanding academic achievement in the study of mathematics and science.
• Shaun Gupte
the m.i.t. promise of the future award
Given to the student who, through personal initiative, has done the most to
promote the awareness of science and technology.
• Devin Gibson
DEEDED AWARDS IN ACADEMICS: GENERAL
the class of 1959 award
Awarded to the student or students who show the greatest intellectual curiosity during each of the high school years.
9th: Quinton McDonnell
Lauren Wilson
10th: Lida Goloveyko
Griffy Whitman
11th Bird
Karina Chan-van
der Helm
12th: Hans Bode
the christopher fraser carpenter ’60 memorial award
In memory of Chris Carpenter ’60, this award is granted to that member of the junior class who has shown the greatest improvement during the year.
• Cameron Lyon
the daniel webster charles memorial award
Given in honor of legendary faculty member Dan Charles, who taught at CHA from 1943-1971, to a junior or juniors who have demonstrated excellence in historical research and creativity in writing.
• Amelia Baird
the franklin & margaret steele fund for entrepreneurship
A scholarship to support summer work given to a student who wishes to pursue their entrepreneurial passion through an internship in a certain industry or business.
• Hudson Barry
the rebmann summer study award
Established in memory of former Springside parents Bill and Suzie Rebmann. This award is presented to an Upper School student or students to enable them to participate in enriching opportunities to supplement and extend the normal scope of school experiences.
• Karina Chan-van der Helm
• Cameron Lyon
• Shaun Gupte
• Devin Gibson
DEEDED AWARDS: CHARACTER
the franklin d. sauveur memorial award
Honoring an alumnus from the Class of 1911 and given to a member of the 9th grade for character and scholarship.
• Jahi Al-Uqdah
• Roman McNichols
the garrett d. pagon award
Given to a member of the 10th grade for moral courage and integrity.
• Zarin DeVeaux
school magazine fall 2023 38
Deeded Awards in Athletics (from left): Front: Emma Bradbury ’23, Caroline Foley ’23, Alexis Reilly ’24, Lisa McIntyre ’23, Roman McNichols ’26; Back: John Gaghan IV ’23, Edward J. McDevitt III '93, Ryan White ’23, Darrion Rascoe ’23 (Not in picture: Jessica Hayne)
Deeded Awards, Character (from left): Front: Tatyana Hall ’23, Caroline Foley ’23, Samantha Simon ’23, Grace Hannigan ’23; Back: Roman McNichols ’26, Neil Hutchinson ’23, Jayden Sumpter ’24, parent of Jahi Al-Uqdah ’26 (Not in picture: Sela Perryman ’24, Jaime Neris Jr. ’24, Abdoul Diallo ’24, Zarin DeVeaux ’25, Jahi Al-Uqdah ’26)
Recognizes a senior student for their extraordinary commitment to the community and meaningful service connections throughout their school career.
• Samantha Simon
the robert a. kingsley award
Given to that student below 12th grade who has shown the highest degree of academic promise and scholarship, along with the most responsible type of leadership.
• Abdoul Diallo
the kevin kirk ’15 memorial award
Presented in memory of Kevin Kirk ’15 who passed away during his freshman year and given to a student, new to Upper School, who has made the greatest positive impact on the community.
• Jayden Sumpter
the jane bell memorial award
Established to keep alive the memory of the founder of Springside School, Jane Bell, a woman of noble personality, full of enthusiasm and courage, and to remind students that in this everchanging world, there will always remain a need for these virtues.
• Jaime Neris, Jr.
• Sela Perryman
the martin henry dawson ’90 memorial award
Presented in memory of Tinry Dawson ’90 to that senior who has, by vote of the members of the senior class, provided the most positive support and friendship to their classmates during their years together in the Upper School.
• Neil Hutchinson
the sara wetherell blake ’70 award
Given in memory of Sara Wetherell Blake ’70, by vote of the senior class, for service, simplicity, and sincerity.
• Grace Hannigan
the alice morice ’24 memorial award
Given in memory of Alice Morice ’24, by vote of the faculty, to that senior who has shown loyalty and devotion to the school in all aspects of school life.
• Caroline Foley
the edward savage memorial award
Named for Edward Savage, who worked at CHA from 1915 through the 1930s taking care of athletic equipment as well as maintaining the athletic fields, and presented by the alumni for loyalty and service to the school.
• Tatyana Hall
the caroline susan jones junior & senior awards
Given in honor of Springside’s headmistress from 1900 to 1921, Caroline Susan Jones, by vote of faculty and students, to a junior and senior for courage, cheerfulness, fair-mindedness, good sportsmanship, influence widely felt, and the courage of their own convictions.
11th: Alexis Reilly
12th: Winslow Tracy
alumni gold & silver awards
Presented to a junior and senior who, in the judgment of the Alumni Association and after consultation with faculty and students, best exemplifies those characteristics of leadership, academic standing, character, and service to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.
Silver: Ha'oa Bode Gold: John Gaghan IV
NON DEEDED SPRING ATHLETIC AWARDS
tri-varsity athletes
Recognizing seniors who were awarded varsity letters for three different sports this year.
• Isabella DeCesare
• Grace Hannigan
• Julania Marechal-Raymond
• Faith Scally
• Julia Thomson
the inter-academic athletic league athletic directors award
Alumni Gold & Silver Awards: John Gaghan IV ’23 (gold); (Not in picture: Silver Award Winner Ha’oa Bode ’24)
the corning pearson ’30 service award
Given in recognition of extraordinary service to the school, long-standing commitment to the school’s educational experience, dedication and loyalty to the school’s values and mission, and passion for its traditions, as personified by Corning Pearson, Class of 1930, student, athlete, educator, administrator, and benefactor.
• William M. Doran
Presented annually to two senior students who have been multi-sport varsity athletes and have exemplified dedication to their teams and school. Recipients are considered to be outstanding representatives of the InterAc League in sportsmanship and leadership.
• Julia Thomson
• Andrew Wood Jr.
the chestnut hill academy fathers’ award
Presented to the senior who, as a varsity team player, has demonstrated the most outstanding combination of enthusiasm, perseverance, and dedication to their team and the school.
• Thomas Andrews
school magazine fall 2023 39
the community service award
Caroline Susan Jones Award (from left): Winslow Tracy ’23 and Alexis Reilly ’24
Non Deeded Athletics (from left): Front: Avi Oliver ’25, Faith Scally ’23, Julia Thomson ’23, Grace Hannigan ’23, Julania Marechal-Raymond ’23, Isabella DeCesare ’24; Back: Maria Morrison (assistant athletic trainer), Joseph Markey ’26, Thomas Andrews ’23, Andrew Wood Jr. ’23
THE SHIELD AWARD
• RYANNE LESLIE '23
the chestnut hill fathers club award
Presented to the student below the varsity level who has demonstrated the qualities of constructive school spirit, determination, and courage in athletics throughout the year.
• Joseph Markey the varsity pride award
Honors a varsity senior athlete that has demonstrated passion, respect, Intensity, determination, and enthusiasm both on and o the playing field.
• Faith Scally junior varsity pride award
Honors a junior varsity athlete that has demonstrated passion, respect, Intensity, determination, and enthusiasm both on and o the playing field.
• Avi Oliver
james f. mcglinn award
Presented to a member of the faculty or sta for their dedicated interest and loyal support to the athletes and athletic program.
• Maria Morrison, Assistant • Athletic Trainer
Ryanne Leslie ’23 began fencing with the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia at the age of nine. As her success in the sport brought her to new heights, such as winning her first individual national championship title at age 11, Ryanne sought out new training opportunities in the New Jersey/New York area. Fast forward a few years: She was traveling on the international circuit, winning world cup medals, ranking among the top four fencers in her age bracket in the country, and, eventually, representing Team USA on the world stage. All the while, she was excelling in her honors and AP classes at SCH.
“I’m forever grateful for SCH. Teachers and administrators made sure that I put my mental health first. If I didn’t have that type of support, I would not be where I am today,” she says. “I didn’t grow up with a ‘normal’ social life; I felt saddled for a long time. I felt like I was doing something too out of the box, but as I got older I realized that being out of the box is a good thing.”
“Ryanne is dedicated, intellectually curious, incredibly resilient, and mature beyond her years,” said Delvin Dinkins, head of school, who presented
THE CORNING PEARSON '30 SERVICE AWARD
• WILLIAM DORAN Former Trustee
This award, given in honor of former Board Chair Richard A. Hayne, recognizes a student who has unbounded curiosity and independent thought while maintaining a courageous and resilient spirit with thoughtfulness and integrity.
Leslie with the Shield Award at the ceremony on behalf of the faculty. “As a student and stalwart member of the Honor Council, she leads a life characterized by integrity. Ryanne approaches life with the utmost thoughtfulness, courage, and ambition to make a di erence in our world.”
Leslie, who recently clinched the under-20 world championship fencing title alongside Team USA, is in her first year at Notre Dame where she hopes to follow in the footsteps of many alumni-turned-Olympic fencers. Notre Dame fencing is currently the university's most decorated sports program and qualified 11 former and current Irish fencers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
And Leslie’s long-term goal? To make the sport
accessible to all and “serve as representation for the next generation.” She spends Sundays at The PISTE Fencing Academy in Brooklyn, NY, teaching young underresourced communities.
“Ryanne is outstanding in her level of commitment and willingness to be of service to the next generation,” says Nzingha Prescod, PISTE founder and executive director. “We are so fortunate to have Ryanne and her giving spirit in our orbit!”
And, says Leslie, she will continue to give back. “The sport is expanding, things are changing,” she says. “There are more people of color in positions of power, and that brings me a lot of joy. I believe in helping minority youth achieve their dreams. I want to break barriers for people like me, that’s what I want to achieve.”
Given in recognition of extraordinary service to the school, long-standing commitment to the school’s educational experience, dedication and loyalty to the school’s values and mission, and passion for its traditions, as personified by Corning Pearson, class of 1930, student, athlete, educator, administrator, and benefactor.
40 school magazine fall 2023 NON DEEDED SPRING ATHLETIC AWARDS
CLASS NOTES
1940s
1941
Camilla “Cimmie” Thompson Williams celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends. There were many SCH members in attendance to salute her centenary birthday, including her daughter Kim Whetzel H'17.
1950s
1951
Bonnie Heckscher Wood, who spent her career as a director of fundraising at a hospital, moved from Germany to Philadelphia to Michigan to Florida with her husband, H. Curtis Wood, over the years. They have three children and are expecting their second great grandchild soon, and they currently live in Naples, FL. She says, “Curt and I have been more than fortunate in every way and are grateful to be 90 and still in relatively good health. Love to the Springside Class of 1951!”
1958
Patty Canby Colhoun celebrated her 65-year reunion in May. She recently spent four years as senior warden for St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Boothbay Harbor, ME, as well as seven years on the vestry. She is finishing her term as chair of St. Andrews
Village Association, her retirement community, and serves as the secretary for a small nonprofit movie theater, Harbor Theater, in Boothbay Harbor. Her original design for hooked rugs was awarded the grand prize in the Florida State Fair. She’s looking forward to a Viking River Cruise to Basel, Switzerland, in the fall.
Chris Hale Cowperthwait and her husband, Jimmy, have three children, six grandchildren and one big, black dog. They are now Boca Grande, FL, residents. “My delight has been the library,” she says. “A friend and I combined the public and private libraries into one special unit housed in the old private library building. There are four pink interconnected buildings with surrounding gardens. It’s the prize of the county library system, much to our gratification.”
Elaine Endres Kelton was thrilled to attend her 65thyear reunion. “Who, in 1958, would have guessed that we would gather for a 65th?” she asks. This year, Kelton has traveled to Kitzbuhel for a Dartmouth ski trip, London, Sante Fe, Jackson Hole, and Sun Valley. Punta Mita, Mexico, was, she says, “a blessed respite from three solid months of snow followed by gray skies daily. Blue skies and sun are needed in a world of white.” She continues to serve on the boards of Vail Valley Foundation, the Cancer Caring House, and Youth Power365.
Ann Finley Manierre lives in Clearwater Beach, FL, and her children live nearby. She spent 32 years working for a nonprofit and is now a personal assistant helping people relocate to the Clearwater area. Her husband, Carter, now works for a design firm in construction.
Bonnie Beck Noble moved to Goodyear, AZ, from California seven years ago. She is enjoying living in a 55+ community. In the summer, she and her husband go north to Camp Verde, AZ, in their fifth wheel camper where they stay for five months. “We enjoy going to wineries here and always looking for our favorite wine,” she says. “We were surprised to find so many we like after coming from central California where wineries are prolific.”
Martha Brownell Walker lives in Alameda, CA. She was a docent at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco prior to the pandemic. She has two daughters and six grandchildren and enjoys travel, museums, writing, reading, quilting, fabric collage, walking, swimming, and Wordle.
1960s 1961
Guy Fritts is traveling to Europe again this summer and will once again see his classmate Francois Midorge from Nice, France.
Selby Fleming McPhee attended Ms. Zara’s Tea in May during Alumni Weekend.
McPhee says, “Miss Zara’s Tea was a wonderful chance to recapture the magic of Mlle Lambert’s French sewing class (some of us still had examples of our work, 70 years later!) and Mrs. Randall’s spring plays. It was great seeing classmates Gerda Paumgarten and Charlotte Cheston Betancourt.”
R
1963
The Springside Class of 1963 celebrated their 60-year reunion in May. Here are some of their reflections and memories.
Ernesta Ballard remembers math with Miss Steinmetz. “I have loved math ever since, especially geometry,” she says.
Ellen Longstreth Goodwin says that “being part of a team—whether sports, music, song night, or committees— has been a great lesson on how to get things done and pick the right people for the right job.”
Nancy Greene Grove says she loved songwriting with her peers on song night and being one of the three little maids in The Mikado with Ellen and Peggy.
For 60 years, Barrie McNeil Jordan says she has felt fortunate to have been a part of the Class of 1963. “I still feel that so strongly. We were a diversely talented group of girls and the careers (whatever they were) were as diverse, exciting, and rewarding as one would expect them to be knowing the individuals.”
41 school magazine fall 2023 R = REUNION YEAR
NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI NEAR AND FAR
R
Betsy Steel Longstreth says she remembers “the multitude of talents that were in our class.”
Mimi Dixon Seyfert says, “Our class was an exceptional bunch and I’m still very best friends with some of my classmates.”
Peggy Malmed Wright says, “As an all-female school, women held all the positions of leadership at Springside. This prepared me to see the potential for women taking leadership roles in life after Springside.”
1964
Pam Hall Bawden joined the Anna Maria Island, FL, Rotary Club and has been involved with its fundraising and charitable contributions throughout the world. “I’m very proud of my five grandchildren. Maddie graduated from Conifer High School and was valedictorian of her class. She was awarded a five-year scholarship to the engineering school at Colorado State University. Two of my seven siblings live in Bradenton, FL, near me: Betsy Hall Hills ’68 and Barbie Hall Gummin ’73.”
Baylor H. Trapnell, who graduated from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, designed and constructed several homes around Santa Fe, NM, and is continuing to do so at age 77. Trapnell recently got together in Santa Fe with Pete Smith ’61 and his wife, Carol, who live in Estes Park, CO.
1965
Randy Morgan, John Rice, and Dave Gammon got together in York Harbor, ME. Morgan is retired, spending seven hours a week relearning his Spanish from
Peace Corps days in Belize. His son, Drew, recently got married in their backyard in Boulder, CO. Rice has had a long career in real estate and, while semi-retired, he still sells a house or two and adds his bass to two choral groups in Portsmouth, NH. Gammon is still working full-time as a professor of psychiatry at Yale, a consultant for school districts, and a private clinician. They hope to make this gathering an annual event.
Portage glacier and also to a viewpoint overlooking Anchorage,” she says.
graduated. John attended several memorable CHA class reunions including our 20th, 40th, and the funeral of our classmate William (aka Rug Hall) in 2016.”
R1968
Tim Greenwood, along with Nancy Goldenberg and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Philadelphia Outward Bound School (POBS). Greenwood, a founder of the POBS, says he is “lucky to have our three kids and six grands (five attend SCH) all living nearby.”
1969
1966
Charles B. Landreth sold his 1808 Society Hill house after living there for 37 years to move to his old neighborhood of Flourtown. “I am learning the dos and don’ts of an HOA and enjoying living five minutes from my son and his family, six minutes from my daughter’s family, and eight minutes from SCH’s Lower School where I experienced my first grandparents’ day. My fiveyear-old granddaughter and two-year-old grandson are both attending SCH. This summer, I spent time at my new family vacation house in Big Bass Lake in the Pocono mountains.”
1967
Susan Reynolds and her sister visited Marnie Hogeland Isaacs and her husband, Jon, in Alaska in June. “We went on a boat trip to the
Hildy Armour was interviewed as part of a short film by the Boulder County Agency on Aging called Project Visibility. The film features “rainbow elders” discussing aging from the vantage point of being gay and issues couples may face with senior housing.
1970s 1970
The CHA Class of 1970, along with other CHA alumni and teachers, attended the memorial service and reception for former CHA English teacher John McIlvain. Barry Shannon writes, “There were lots of wonderful stories told by fellow classmates to John’s friends and families. John, who joined the Middle School English Department in 1965, was by far our favorite teacher. We knew him for 57 years before he left us. David Lindy and his wife, Ruthie, continued to see John for years, long after we
Je erson M. Moak says that he has been staying busy in retirement, having been re-elected as president of the Furnace Town Historic Site near Snow Hill, MD, elected senior warden of the 331-year-old All Hallows Episcopal Church, and re-appointed as archivist of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton, MD. He is chief election judge during the annual diocesan conventions and was recently appointed to the Diocesan Task Force on Trinity Cathedral in Easton. He is also on the board of the Worcester County Historical Society. In addition, he serves as verifying genealogist for numerous lineage societies, and as general registrar for the General Society of Sons of the Revolution and Historian General for the General Society of the War of 1812. He also bikes away from all of these responsibilities for a daily 15-20 mile ride through the rural countryside.
Andrew Ross and his wife, Betsy, are relocating to Portugal. “We have been approved for initial residency
CLASS NOTES 42 school magazine fall 2023
Pictured: Andy Simon, Paul Warren, John Ely, Chris Fleming, Craig Charles, Barry Shannon, Rip Hastings, David Lindy, Robert McCracken Peck, Bill McKinley, and Tobey Ross. Not pictured: Sam Scott ’68, Je rey Hastings ’72, and Jim Talbot H’81.
Pictured, from left, are Dave Gammon, John Rice, and Randy Morgan.
and rented an apartment in the Campo de Ourique neighborhood of Lisbon,” he says. “Stay in touch and come visit!”
1971
In late April, Dave Sims was in Philadelphia to broadcast the Phillies vs. Mariners game. He visited SCH to speak with SCH’s junior varsity and varsity baseball teams. His words of wisdom to the team were, “Play multiple sports, outwork the others and beat Malvern!” Accompanied for the day by his former coach Jim Talbot H’81, Sims also had the opportunity to speak at SCH Upper School scholars lunch, encouraging them to “keep working hard and you can achieve your dreams.”
our 50th reunion. A highlight was dedicating a memorial bench to honor our classmates no longer with us; it made the weekend very meaningful. I look forward to our 55th!”
1974
Tim Brown still lives in Central New Hampshire where he owns and runs a small business with 12 employees. He says that he hopes his classmates will make it to their 50th reunion in 2024 and looks forward to seeing everyone.
“In September 2022, I did a two-week eco tour in Madagascar which was a real eye opener,” he says. “The wildlife made a big impression but the humanity made a bigger one.”
1975
may recall that Andrew was a star cross country runner at CHA in the 70s. I also speak with my old friend John Kleinfelder ’76 from time to time. If you were at CHA in the 70s, it would be hard to forget all that John did on the wrestling mat as well as the football field. He even starred in The Players performance of The Fantasticks.”
1978
1980s 1980
1973
Kathy Cunningham Minevitz has been employed for more than 22 years at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA, where she is the special events coordinator. “My favorite event to plan is reunion weekend,” she says. She married Bruce Minevitz at the CHA Chapel 42 years ago. Her two sons are married with children and, she says, “I am the proud grandparent of three little girls Georgia (three-and-ahalf years old), Rose (two years old) and Camilla (one year old) and enjoying every minute with them! I had not been back since our 25th reunion, so it was so great to reconnect with classmates from Springside and CHA at
Gretchen Kurtz Mertz has retired from Toppan Interamerica after 31 years. She is enjoying “playing golf, putzing in my garden with my cat, Putter, by my side, and spending time with family and friends!” she says. She is the editor of her church’s newsletter, The Epistle, and involved in other church activities. She also has a part-time job at the local golf course twice a week and says she is enjoying the golfing privileges!
1977
Richard Sheppard played in the U.S. Squash Doubles National Championships in Philadelphia and won the 60+ division with his longtime doubles partner Dominic "The Dominator" Hughes. “I am glad to say that classmate Andrew Day ’77 and I connect regularly and talk about the ’old days,’ and what lies ahead,” he reports. “Some
Lynda Morris Parham , who spent 30 years in direct clinical care as a psychologist in North Carolina, launched Mariposa Resilience and Wellness to provide services for women seeking to “nurture their body, mind, soul and spirit.” She will be hosting "Grit, Grace, and Gratitude" seminars, conferences, and retreats (live and virtual) in a variety of local, national, and international locations.
Jenny Segal Scott is still living in Florida with her husband and, she says, “grateful to have three happy and healthy children with our oldest (Ibit) a mile down the road. Our middle daughter, Victoria, is in Iowa City finishing her Ph.D. Our youngest, Leo, is living in Portland, OR. They have our respect for the sevenyear journey to transition to Leo from Lexie. Our middle daughter, Victoria, had Teddy (two years old) and Eloise (aka Lolo) Arden Burns. We are blessed by our children, our eight pups, friends, and family.” Scott has been running her husband’s neurosurgical practice for 29 years. They celebrated 40 years of marriage in October in Paris.
Joseph L. Messa Jr., founder of Messa & Associates, recently received the 2023 Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (PTLA) President’s Award. This is Messa’s second time as the PTLA President’s Award winner in recognition of the leadership and time devoted to the organization and fighting for the rights of injured victims and their families in our community.
Crin Tague’s nonprofit organization, The Lemong’o Project, will be featured on The Fixers television show. “The Fixers” are a group of experienced contractors who travel the world in order to accomplish life-changing and sustainable projects that a ect entire communities for the better. The crew visited the village of Lemong’o in March and completed a build for the women of the village which will create economic opportunities within their community. Watch the episode this fall to see the project!
1981
Je erson Kise is the director of Finance and Administration at the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, CA.
1982
Cherie York Bowen is starting a position as the early childhood director at the Duke School in Durham, NC.
Roger B. Hall, Lucy Nalle ’83, Zandy Nalle ’79, and Kate Knight Hall ’54 had dinner together hosted by Ellen Nalle Hass ’77. Roger Hall says, “We had such a lovely time together that we forgot to take a picture!”
43 school magazine fall 2023 n
CLASS NOTES R R
1984
Robert H. Spratt Jr. writes, “My company, Hill Partners, Inc., continues to acquire and develop experiential, retail-driven, mixed-use centers throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Our next new project is a 120-acre, mixeduse development with 3,000 linear feet of frontage on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, TN.” Spratt is excited to have a new grandchild, Robert H. Spratt IV ("Hugh") and another one on the way this fall.
1986
Doug Dolfman and classmate Anthony Sparango performed in Philly’s Phunniest Person Contest in June at Helium Comedy Club in Philly.
1990s
1990
Mark McGinnis writes that he and his wife are well and their eldest son, Evan, graduated from the Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in May 2023 and their youngest son, Owen, is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin Madison at the business school. “That leaves Donna and me in the strange and new reality of having an empty nest for the first time since spring, 2001,” he says. “I hope to see many of my classmates at our next reunion in 2025!”
1994
Miriam Schmidt serves as pastor of All Saints in Big Sky, MO, a shared ministry of the Episcopal and Lutheran (ELCA) churches. She and her spouse, Jeremy Blyth, and two daughters, aged 14 and 10, have lived in this
mountainous ski town for eight years. Previously, the family lived in Bratislava, Slovakia, and Plains, MT. Derek Webb will be joining Yale Law School this fall where he will be a research scholar for the 2023-2024 academic year. And in late October, he will receive the 2023 Sandra Day O’Connor Award for excellence in pro bono legal work from the American Inns of Court at a ceremony at the Supreme Court of the United States.
1998
For the second year in a row, Jalila Brown Parker was named by City and State magazine as one of the 100 most influential Black leaders in the Commonwealth of PA. Parker previously served as deputy director and deputy chief of sta for thenGovernor Tom Wolf, and in July 2022 became the chief executive o cer for the Delaware Port Authority.
2000s 2005
After six years of working for the Department of State in Jerusalem, Anne Eisenhower Turnbull is moving back to Washington D.C. with her family and will continue to work for the Department of State.
2007
Katy Rambo Bradley and her husband, Hunter, welcomed
their son, Asher Rambo Bradley, on January 26, 2023.
2010s 2010
2008
Daylan Bakes and her husband, Christopher (Cody) Heaslip, welcomed their son, Christopher Patrick Heaslip Jr., on November 13, 2022.
Natalie Klotz After a sixyear tenure at Dropbox as a tech lead—during which time the company moved from its headquarters in San Francisco to Tel Aviv—Klotz has a new position at Google as a software engineer. Last year she “made Aliyah,” establishing dual citizenship between the U.S. and Israel. She is also the captain of the Israeli Women’s Rugby National Sevens Team and was the 2022 Israel Women’s Rugby Sevens League MVP.
2011
Leslie Jacoby Hack was looking forward to celebrating her 15-year reunion in May, but her baby boy had other plans. She and her husband, Walter, welcomed son, Sawyer Hack, on May 6. Needless to say, they didn’t make it to Alumni Weekend, but they received the best gift!
Allison Bart received her MBA from Columbia Business School in May, and she traveled to 12 countries (on four other continents) in the past year.
2012
J. Luke Mulvaney married Kristen N. Walheim on September 10, 2022, at Union League National GC in Swainton, NJ.
2015
Grace Ortelere and her partner, Rahul, got engaged in June in Croatia. They are planning a March 2024 wedding in India.
Payden Howard is a U.S. Army engineer o cer; he was placed in charge of all construction operations for an entire country during a recent deployment to the Middle East (April 2022February 2023). He traveled to six countries (Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar) and experienced di erent cultures as well as
school magazine fall 2023 44 CLASS NOTES
R
R
worked with international partners from 12 separate militaries.
manuscripts,” she says.
“While I still have lots to do at this time, I’m so excited to see where my research ends up in the near future!”
Ellie Weinstein is producing 3D chocolate printers through her startup, Cocoa Press, a project that began at SCH and carried through her time as a mechanical engineering major at The University of Pennsylvania. The printers use foodgrade stainless steel, have a climate-controlled enclosure, and include chocolate cartridges to print your own chocolates, with logos if you so choose! Weinstein is still involved at SCH as a mentor to the robotics team.
2017
Matt Rahill was drafted by the Premier Lacrosse League’s Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club.
2018
Tess Gallagher has been working toward her master’s at the University of Bristol,
Aliyah Je eries is the new community partnerships coordinator at the Philadelphia Film Society. She and Ivanie Cedeño received an honorable mention at the Native American and Latino Film Festival for their short documentary, Sol Blossom Crochet. Cedeño is assistant program manager at A Better Chance, a nonprofit that “identifies, recruits and develops leaders among underrepresented young people of color throughout the United States.” Cedeño says, “My involvement in this endeavor holds particular significance, as I myself was a beneficiary of an educational program that prepared me for the ISEE test through two years of intensive academic training that eventually brought me to SCH in my 6th grade year. I hope to bridge the educational gap for families so that their academic outcomes can improve, just as mine did immensely at SCH.”
Jordan Lubell is attending medical school at A.T. Still University in Missouri.
Mo’ne Davis graduated from Hampton University in May and spent her summer in California interning with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the video production department. In addition to cutting and editing highlight clips for the games, she made commercials for giveaways and partnerships, including one with Pixar’s Elemental. In the fall, she will be heading o to graduate school at Columbia University.
top o his tremendously successful 2023 baseball season, he was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 7th round of the MLB draft.
researching fossilized skin from Diplodocus, a species of long-necked dinosaur.
“I’m hoping to take the research I have collected from my thesis and turn it into two independent
2019
Mahaa Ayub will be attending Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Je erson University in the fall.
Delaney Sweitzer, the goalkeeper for Syracuse women’s lacrosse team, was recently named an IWLCA All-American and Goalkeeper of the Year.
Friends since kindergarten, Phil Wrede, Will McHugh, Hayden Stephan, Mark GreenstreetAkman, and Cole McNeil celebrated their University of Pennsylvania commencement this past May.
Katie Walker and Hadley
Sager ’19, Players alumnae, worked on the same show at Penn State this past spring. Walker made her directorial debut with PSU’s Sweeney Todd and Sager was the lighting designer. Walker is following in the footsteps of her mom, former Players director, Debbie Gress Jansen ’87. Caden Traversari, also Class of 2020, was in attendance to support her friends.
Sabrina Wang is currently doing a summer internship in food safety as a member of the Supply Chain Department at Frito-Lay in Plano, TX. Wang is a food science major at Penn State University (Schreyer Honors College).
2020s 2020
Scott Bandura broke a 22-year-old Princeton University baseball record, tallying 120 total bases in one season. He led the team in runs (46), tying him for the second most in program history. Bandura made Firstteam All-Ivy, the Ivy League All-Tournament Team, and ABCA/Rawlings East AllRegion Second Team. To
2022
Henry Brandstadter was named a two-time AllAmerican for his track and field performances in the long jump and 4x100m relay at Emory University.
school magazine fall 2023 45 CLASS NOTES
R
in memoriam
from February 1 through August 15, 2023
ALUMNI
1940
Anne Atlee Jenkins
1944
Anne Paul Streeter
1945
Philip James Flanders
1949
Joan Glover Weiler
1956
Anne Clattenburg
1957
Lois Ellzey Gleason
1958
B. Schuyler Deming Wood
1959
Thomas A. Fernley III
1963
Joseph Thruston Manning
1965
Richard S. Wallace
Albert John Wenzel
1972
Joan Sagendorph
1988
Patrick J. Tyrrell
1995
Brian J. O’Neill
1996
James F. Mootz III
FACULTY STAFF
Martha Valciukas
Support the Restore The Rec campaign and name a seat for $1,000 in our theater. Engraving can include your name, the name of your student, a message of love, a memory, or the name of a loved one. A plaque will be mounted on the back of the chair.
CLASS NOTES
KEEP IN TOUCH
Wedding bells? New baby? Career change?
Share your news at alumni@sch.org
n CLASS NOTES
Marisa Magnatta ’01 and her partner, Matt Lindenmuth, had a historical elopement! The two were the first couple to marry at the brand new Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, NV, in April 2023.
Patrick Toomey ’99 married Kathleen Rodgers on April 15 at Pen Ryn Estate in Bensalem, PA. Pictured are CHA alumni Mark Stehle ’93, Matt Fink ’12, Adam Reekie ’02, Lou Petriello, Mike Toomey ’02, Jamie Young ’12, Chris Willis ’02, Chris Primavera ’02, Doug Malcolm ’02, Leo Schoenwald ’02, Alex Shuptar ’02, Greg Mino ’99, and Anthony Prousi ’99
school magazine fall 2023 46
Anna Kane ’16 married Matthias Bash in Friars Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, on June 21, 2023.
Daylan Bakes ’08 married Cody Heaslip in January 2021 and then had a wonderful post-COVID celebration with classmates, friends,
Victoria Roebuck ’08 married John Stokes on April 27 in Turks & Caicos. Victoria's brothers, Chelsey '06 and Chester '03 Roebuck celebrated the day along with many Springside and CHA friends.
Leslie Mintz ’98 married Jamaine Williams on September 18, 2022, at the Ballroom at Ellis Preserve in Newtown Square, PA.
at the Beach Club of
Quint Frazier ’11 married Emily High in the Highlands, NC, on June 24, 2023. Many SCH family and friends attended the celebration: Barbara Peake Frazier ’57 (grandmother), Liza Frazier ’13, Molly Clemmer ’13, David Peake ’62, Sandy Frazier Connelly ’78, and Ali Frazier ’22. Anderson Good ’11 was a groomsman. Other CHA/SS classmates who attended were: Ben Pulley ’11, Elliot Baxter ’11, Gri n Horter ’11, Corey Goldstein ’11, and Amanda Culp’11. The happy couple is living in Philadelphia.
MARRIAGES
and family at The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm in June 2022.
school magazine fall 2023 47
Janie Grace Robertson ’12 married Craig O’Neill on June 2 at the Curtis Arboretum in Wyncote, PA.
Libbie Maine ’12 and Carl Delacato III ’12 were married
Cape May, NJ, on June 17. Many CHA and Springside classmates and family members were there to celebrate their special day.
Gianna Pownall ’13 married Brian Ne on April 2, 2023, at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia.
Payden Howard ’15 married Alyssa Niedzwiedz on September 6, 2021, in Lake Wenatchee, WA.
Middle School students enjoy spring trips
Upcoming Events
school the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy 500 west willow grove avenue philadelphia, pa 19118 follow sch academy on social!