MBS Crimson Fall 2020 by MBS Communications

Contents Remarks from the Head of School................. 2 Campaign Update............ 4 New Additions.................. 6 MBS Moments................ 10

Community in the Time of COVID.......................22 Stronger Together.......... 30 Stories of Excellence in Teaching & Learning.....32 Beyond the Classroom.. 38

Crimson Corner............. 46 Powerfully Prepared......50 Alumni Moments........... 52 Class Notes...................... 62 In Memoriam.................. 68 Crimson Fall 2020

REMARKS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear MBS Family & Friends, At Morristown-Beard School, one of our core values is tenacity—the determination to persevere, often in the face of extreme difficulty. This determination has been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet our success as teachers and as a School during this difficult time can also be traced to another important characteristic—adaptability. Our ability to be flexible has been absolutely critical since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to suspend in-person, on-campus instruction. We carefully followed the guidelines and recommendations of the Governor’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others, while our teachers reimagined their courses for virtual learning. Some of our traditional spring events were held on Zoom, while others—such as our Curbside Commencement and Moving Up On the Go—were given a creative twist and held in person. Over the summer, a task force led by Darren Burns, Associate Head of School, and consisting of faculty, administrators, and staff met regularly to plan, acquire equipment, and prepare for a year that still remains largely clouded by uncertainty. Their planning took multiple scenarios into consideration, and was based around the premise that we could adapt and pivot quickly as different situations arose. In late July, we were one of the first schools in the area to move forward with a hybrid learning model—a blend of in-person learning with a remote option—confident that our plans, resources and layout would permit us to safely teach students on campus. As we opened School in September, it became clear that we had made the right call and I am grateful for the tireless work of Mr. Burns and the entire task force. It hasn’t always been easy to adapt to the plexiglass and the masks, but our students have been doing a wonderful job adhering to the policies and procedures that have been put in place. Although we have faced a few positive cases, we are pleased with the minimal disruption to in-person learning we have experienced so far this year. When we have temporarily moved to distance learning, the pivot has indeed been seamless. I am grateful that we have been on campus for close to two months this fall, giving our teachers the opportunity to forge strong relationships with our students. In addition, students have been able to bond with their classmates and participate in a variety of extra- and co-curricular 2

Crimson Fall 2020

activities. Our student-athletes began their abbreviated fall sports season on October 1, with several teams remaining undefeated after the first month of play. Our performing arts students have done an excellent job creatively keeping safe in their musical and dramatic pursuits. Upper and Middle School band students have been wearing special masks and using instrument bags that allow them to play while creating a barrier for germs and droplets. Meanwhile, performers in this year’s fall play, Mother Courage and Her Children, showed us that a powerful production can take place without being confined to the Founders Hall stage. Some of our most important institutional work—our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts—has also taken place this fall, unaffected by the pandemic. As you will read in this issue of Crimson magazine, our charge as a School has become clear—to become an anti-racist institution that creates a sense of belonging for each student and emboldens each student to recognize their unique story. Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Klarissa Karosen and our newly-formed Racial Justice Task Force have championed this cause, and MBS has strengthened its efforts to pursue diversity, to foster inclusion, and to promote equity through our

â&#x20AC;&#x153; I am grateful

that we have been on campus for close to two months this fall, giving our teachers the opportunity to forge strong relationships with our students.â&#x20AC;?

MBS Moments

Community in the Time of COVID

Stronger Together

policies, our curriculum and our programs. We truly believe that every day we have on campus with our students is a gift. We ask you to remain vigilant in these unprecedented times and help us maximize the time we enjoy on campus. A hallmark of the MBS experience has always been our strong sense of community. Now more than ever, it is vital that we come together and take care of each other. With best wishes for your health and safety, now and in the days ahead,

Beyond the Classroom

Peter J. Caldwell Head of School

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Transforming Our Future

MI L L I ON

The Campaign for Morristown-Beard School

CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2020 The extraordinarily successful completion of our ambitious five-year, $20 million comprehensive campaign—the largest in the School’s 129-year history—distinguishes Morristown-Beard School as an institution of excellence through which its students, its faculty, its alumni and its community continue to thrive.

The Morristown-Beard School community has much to be proud of and we have much to be grateful for! Thanks to the generosity of nearly 2,000 donors, our School’s historic comprehensive campaign, Transforming Our Future, has reached completion and has surpassed the goal of $20 million by 2020. This community-wide effort has raised over $26 million, allowing the School to transform the campus, provide increased financial aid, and enhance the student experience for every student.

President Michael Ranger, P’10, ’13, Campaign Chair Abbie Shine Giordano, P ’12, ’15, ’17, Steering Committee Co-chair David Gately, P’17, Advancement Committee Chair Gerry Scully, P’20, ’22, and former Advancement Committee Chair Katie Simon ’85, P’15. A special thank you to the outstanding and talented members of the Advancement team whose hard work, creativity and dedication truly helped make the campaign a success.

Because of your kind and generous support, we were able to fully fund the construction of the stunning $12.6 million Math & Science Center that opened in September 2017. Wilkie Hall is now home to an extraordinary new teaching tool—Science on a Sphere®, and the Simon Athletic Center and Rooke Pool have undergone significant improvements. Burke Field was re-turfed and the track was completely resurfaced. The 8,000-square-foot Center for Innovation & Design opened in October 2019, and is a stateof-the-art center bustling with creative energy and activity for both the Middle School and Upper School.

We had planned on celebrating this tremendous achievement on September 12 with a wonderful gala on campus, but due to COVID-19 we had to postpone the event. We are hopeful that we can gather in the future to celebrate in person as a community and to celebrate Peter’s leadership and vision as he prepares to retire. Until then, please be on the look-out for details of a virtual celebration on November 29 at 6:00PM.

The MB Fund exceeded $1 million for the ninth year in a row and with the establishment of the Emergency COVID-19 Fund was able to support current families during this difficult time. Finally, over the past five years new gifts to scholarship and endowment surpassed $1 million.

With gratitude,

Thank you to Peter Caldwell for his extraordinary leadership and support, as well as Board President John Fay, P’11, ’14, ’20, former Board

Crimson Fall 2020

My most sincere thanks to all of you who have chosen to support this historic campaign. We are immensely grateful for your generous support!

Betsy B. Patterson, P ’14, ’16 Director of Advancement

Our Path to Success $20 Million 2020 by

$14.6 Million

or more

$5 Million

or more

400,000 or more

Capital Projects

Morristown-Beard Fund

New gifts to Endowment and Scholarship

$19 Million Raised

$5.8 Million Raised

$1.3 Million Raised

TOTAL RAISED $26.1 Million

Please join us for a virtual event to celebrate the successful completion of our five-year comprehensive campaign, Transforming Our Futureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;$20 million by 2020. We hope you will join Head of School Peter J. Caldwell in a toast to the most successful campaign in the history of Morristown-Beard School!

Sunday, November 29, 2020 6:00 PM A link to the event will be emailed to you and posted on our website at www.mbs.net on 11/29/20.

Crimson Fall 2020

NEW ADDITIONS

MBS Welcomes New Board of Trustee Members LISSA JEAN FERRELL

Lissa Jean Ferrell, Esq. currently presides at Javerbaum Wurgaft as Of Counsel. She practices exclusively in the area of real estate, providing transactional services in all areas of commercial and residential real estate development, purchases and sales. Prior to joining Javerbaum Wurgaft, Lissa served as Vice President, Financial Crimes Advisory for Barclays Bank and also served as Assistant Corporate Secretary for the bank. Prior to Barclays, Lissa enjoyed a successful decade in a global leadership role for American Express, and in 2012, Lissa founded LJF Consulting, a boutique consultancy that creates and builds strategic initiatives, partnerships, collaborations and mutually beneficial relationships with and between organizations that align with a client’s business development, brand or philanthropic interest. In 2014 Lissa was recognized in New Jersey Monthly by Leading Women Entrepreneurs. In addition to serving as Finance Chair on the UNCF New Jersey Leadership Council, Lissa currently sits on the leadership council for the Seton Hall University Stillman School of Business Buccino Institute, and as the Women’s Leadership Program Executive Chair. Her prior board memberships include: Aurora Enhancement Organization, The Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, The Boys & Girls Club – Newark, and The Garden State Bar Association. Deeply committed to equality and justice, Lissa has also served on the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Municipal Practice. She received her B.A. from Rutgers University and her J.D. from New York Law School. Lissa is the proud mother of three lovely daughters and her one daughter Camille is a junior at MBS.

DAVID MCMANUS

David A. McManus is a resident of Summit, NJ, with his wife, Shelly, and their son, Luke. Luke is a senior at MBS and a member (goalie) of the varsity hockey team that won the 2019-2020 Mennen Cup. Shelly is an active MBS parent, most notably for her involvement with the annual gala. David is a Partner at Morgan

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Lewis, a global law firm with approximately 2,200 legal professionals in 31 offices across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. David splits his time between his firm’s New York and Boston offices, and he co-leads the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group with approximately 300 lawyers worldwide. David has nearly 30 years of experience developing and implementing practical and effective strategies to address the myriad of personnelrelated issues and challenges faced by employers. David has particular expertise counseling clients (including educational institutions) with respect to managing and responding to crises that pose reputational and economic damage and, as importantly, require proactive organizational change, including, most recently, matters stemming from the #metoo movement and racial justice crisis. David was named a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2019 and a Fellow of the American Bar Association in 2020. David received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.

DR. DAVID MOLOWA

Dr. Molowa, from 20062019, was a faculty member at Morristown-Beard School where he also held the title of Dean and Varsity coach. He began his professional career as a Senior Research Biochemist in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at Merck. He is the author of 17 peer reviewed scientific publications. Dr. Molowa has been recognized as one of the leading Biotechnology Investors by The Wall Street Journal and Institution Investor magazine. In this role he served as a Managing Director at UBS Securities, JP Morgan and Bear Stearns. He has also been involved in venture capital as a Venture Partner at Venrock Associates. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors of Favrille Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company and currently sits on the Board of Directors of University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. Dr. Molowa holds a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MBA from Rutgers University and a BS from the University of Richmond. David’s son Mark graduated from MBS in 2005.

DARNELL PARKER’00

Darnell Parker graduated from Morristown-Beard School in 2000. He is an expert in Title IX compliance and equity in higher education. He currently serves as the Senior Associate Vice President for Equity at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. He has worked for over 15 years at various colleges and universities in positions focused on student affairs and diversity including serving as Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Multicultural Affairs and Interim Director of Residence Life. While at Washington College in Maryland, he oversaw the development and successful launch of the Multicultural Affairs Office, leading a range of successful campus-wide diversity initiatives and programs. Darnell has taught courses on race, gender, and ethnic relations in both Education and Sociology departments. His professional involvements include serving on the Maryland Higher Education Commission's committee drafting diversity goals for the State Plan for Postsecondary Education 2013-2017, the Washington Regional Taskforce Against Campus Prejudice, and he is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Dr. Parker earned his Ed.D. from Widener University.

BRUCE SANFORD

Bruce Sanford is currently the president at Sanford Insurance Group. With over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Bruce is a well-known and respected insurance broker. Starting on the insurance company side of the business, Bruce worked for Crum & Foster for eight years as a supervisor and as an underwriter in the company’s NJ and Denver, CO locations. He joined his family’s business, then named Sanford & Purvis, in 1991 and has since managed the buy-out of previous partners and recruitment of new staff to help build Sanford Insurance Group to be the premier agency it is today. Bruce has widespread expertise across all the company’s services, but focuses primarily on commercial insurance. Bruce graduated from Chatham High School and then received

a B.A. from Roger Williams University. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Link Education Partners. Bruce and his wife Patti reside in Madison, NJ and have two graduates of MBS, Cole ’16 and Evan ’20.

LARRY SHERMAN

Larry entered Nat Sherman International, the family luxury goods business in 1994, where he was responsible for guiding and growing the company’s retail operations. Alongside his brother, Bill, in 2000 Larry was elevated to Executive Vice President, with expanded responsibilities that included the development and execution of the company’s national marketing and sales programs. Larry earned the respect of his industry peers and competitors for his skill in developing best of breed customer, consumer, and trade relationships. Larry and Bill continued to successfully run and grow the family business until 2018, when it was sold. Larry received a B.A. from Hobart College. He and his wife Maureen reside in Chatham, NJ, with their three daughters Emma, Annie, and Bridget—Emma graduated from MBS in 2020 and Annie is in the class of 2022.

JANINE WEBB

Since joining the MBS community, Janine Webb was the class parent for her son Jack’s 8th grade class and is currently the class parent for her daughter Bella’s 7th grade class. Janine graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City where she majored in Fashion Design, specializing in evening and bridal wear. During her time at Parsons, Janine worked with world renown designers, such as Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka and Carolina Herrera. After graduation, she founded her own custom couture bridal gown business based in Hoboken, NJ. As a couture designer, Janine worked one-on-one with each bridal client from initial consultation through sketched illustration to the final hand-sewn wedding gown. Janine now resides in Chatham, NJ with her husband, Mike, and their two children who both attend MBS.

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NEW ADDITIONS

MBS Welcomes New Faculty & Staff This year’s newest members of the MBS community include:

Rita Arias—World Language Rita Arias joined our World Language Department this fall. She previously served as an adjunct professor at the County College of Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Before that, she held several international positions at BadenWürttemberg Cooperative State University, Mannheim, Germany; University of Cambridge, England; and Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico. Rita holds a Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge, an M.Phil. in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a B.A. in International Relations (Major: Political Science) from the Universidad Iberoamericana. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and German and is the author of 12 publications. Rita states, “…teaching is about interacting with other people, learning from them, and understanding their stories. I try to always be openminded, bring a positive attitude to the classroom, and be helpful. Ultimately, I aim to encourage young minds to be the best version of themselves, and teaching gives me this opportunity.” Talia Chaves—Library Joining our library staff as Assistant Librarian is Talia Chaves, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Montclair State University. Talia has her sights set on finishing her master’s degree in Library and Information Science next year. She has worked in the children's book publishing industry for the last four years after receiving a “We Need Diverse Books” internship grant in 2016. During that time, Talia committed herself to following best practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion while building a love of reading and learning in children. Her passion for middle-grade literature is best seen through her “Book Talk with Talia” video series, where she has shared hundreds of book recommendations with librarians, educators, and readers. Talia states that her life “...has been colored by the importance of lesson planning and strong classroom management strategies, and as the Assistant Librarian, I would set my sights on building a bridge from the library to the classroom.” 8

Crimson Fall 2020

Alexis Chestnut-Andrews—Mathematics We welcome Alexis Chestnut-Andrews to the Math Department in our Middle School. Alexis is no stranger to MBS, as she is the parent of Ethan (2022). Alexis holds a B.A. in History/ Education from the University of the State of New York Regents College, a M.A. in Elementary Education (Math Specialization) from Queens College, and a Ph.D. in Learning, Development, and Instruction from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She brings a wealth of experience that includes teaching at the elementary level, administrative and supervisory roles at the middle school level, and college teaching. She made a transition from the business world to education after seeing so many students struggle with mathematics, and made a conscious choice to be a positive change in students’ lives. When she thinks of what drives her professional life, she says a quote from Maya Angelou comes to mind: “When we know better, we do better.” Raphael Dagold—English Joining our Upper School English Department is Raphael Dagold. Raphael holds a B.A. in English Literature from Swarthmore, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing/Poetry from the University of Oregon, and a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Utah. His experience in education includes teaching at the high school level in Portland, OR, and extensive college teaching, including at the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan. Raphael writes, “Early in my writing career, the poet Li-Young Lee told our class, ‘You must write only emergency poems.’ He also said, ‘You must find how you will inhabit the American tongue.’ I have mulled over these injunctions ever since. I’m sure I always will. Not all poems can be the literary equivalent of a 9-1-1 call; not all styles can be a necessary room in the house of poetry. But all students can strive for real purpose in their writing and in their reading: as another of my early teachers, the poet Corrinne Hales, once said, ‘Why not try to be Yeats?’ ”

Dillan DiGiovanni—Wellness We welcome Dillan DiGiovanni as he returns to the field of education as a member of our Wellness Department. Dillan holds a B.A. in Education from the College of New Jersey, and an M.Ed. in Integrated Wellness, Leadership, and Change in Individuals and Cultures. After leaving his successful early career as a middle school teacher, Dillan became a certified integrative health coach and began exploring other aspects of education. He used his teaching experience, expertise in integrative health, and passion for shaping the next generation to affect positive change in his new roles of youth advisor, campus ministry director, educational consultant, certified health coach, and as a Global Labs Mentor at WeWork. Dillan writes, “As an educator, I combine all the theory and praxis of many different learning environments and share what feels like my natural, effortless gifts: to lead by example and to reassure adolescents when they need comfort and confidence as they develop a healthy sense of identity from within. From unshakeable selfacceptance comes a sense of unlimited compassion and love for others. These take time and the right tools to develop. I feel grateful to possess these tools and hope to share them in abundance.” Brandon Jefferson ’09— Center for Teaching & Learning We welcome MBS alumnus Brandon Jefferson ’09 back to campus as a member of the Center for Teaching & Learning. Brandon earned a master’s degree in Special Education from Grand Canyon University after receiving a B.A. in Communications from High Point University. He has taught locally at Randolph High School, where he also served as a one-to-one aid for a Special Education student. Brandon began his teaching career at Belvidere High School, where he served as a permanent substitute. As a MorristownBeard student, Brandon received the Hauserman Award for his sincerity, compassion and character. He also won several basketball awards including the Coaches Award and the Sportsmanship Award, and later continued his passion for the game as a freelance sports writer for SB Nation, NBADraft.net, The Basketball Writers, and more. Stephanie Kealy—Science Stephanie Kealy joined our Upper School Science Department. Stephanie holds an M.S. in Ecology & Evolution from Rutgers University and a B.A. in Geology from Mount Holyoke College. She has been an Adjunct Professor for the past two years and a Lab Instructor at Brookdale Community College for the past seven. Stephanie states, “I seek to foster

a student-centered classroom that engages students in dialogue with their peers and myself, and provides multiple opportunities to revisit concepts, continually integrate new knowledge, and safely practice communicating concepts to best equip them to apply their knowledge in a constantly changing world. My classroom is strongly influenced by my experiences providing environmental education interpretation across diverse contexts.” Matthew Loy—Admission Matthew Loy joined our Admission Department as an Admission Officer. Matt was born in California and lived on the campus of Dunn School, a boarding school in Los Olivos until he was five years old. Matt’s family then moved to New Jersey, and he attended Rutgers Prep and The Hun School of Princeton. Matt went to Penn State after receiving a scholarship to play lacrosse and was a four-year letterman winner. Matt's post-college work experience has been diverse, as for the past nine years he has worked in the financial and technology industries as an Account Manager and salesperson. Matt lives in Jersey City with his wife Linsey, daughter Lennox, and puppy Gouda. In his free time, he practices and teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and received his black belt in the winter of 2019. He is very excited to be an active member of the MBS community, and looks forward to helping it continue to grow. Andrea Silvestri—Science We welcome Andrea Silvestri, who joined MBS as a Middle School science instructor. Andrea holds a B.A. in Biology and Licensure in Secondary Education from Green Mountain College. She comes to us from Purnell School, where she served as a STEM instructor. During the last six years, Andrea not only worked in education but also participated in several research experiences. She has followed Lyme Disease trends in the woods of Vermont, used gene editing technologies at the New York STEM Cell Research Foundation, and worked as a research assistant with a focus on place-based learning. Andrea states, “As an educator, I strive to provide my students with lessons and tools that will last beyond the classroom. This includes the ability to think critically, thoughtfully, and patiently. I believe that when students are provided with thoughtful and genuine educational experiences, they gain the ability to ask questions and investigate the world around them.”

Crimson Fall 2020

MBS MOMENTS

MBS Appoints Elizabeth Morrison Next Head of School The Morristown-Beard School Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to appoint Elizabeth “Liz” Morrison as the next Head of School, effective July 1, 2021, on the retirement of Peter Caldwell in June 2021. Liz will be the first woman to serve as Head of School for Morristown-Beard School since The Morristown School and The Beard School merged in 1971. She joins the ranks of only a handful of other women in the state serving in the position. Liz comes to MBS from Antilles School, an independent, coeducational college preparatory school in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where she has served as Head of School since 2016. She brings more than three decades of experience in independent school education, having served as Assistant Head of School at the Millbrook School in Millbrook, New York before joining Antilles School. “We are confident that under Liz Morrison’s leadership, MorristownBeard School will attain new heights, our horizons will continue to expand, and our students will continue to flourish,” said John Fay, President of the Board of Trustees. “We look forward to welcoming her this summer, and we wish her unprecedented success!” Liz’s appointment comes as a result of a thorough and inclusive process conducted by the Search Committee, under the leadership of Trustee Paul Hawkins ’85, ’P18, ’P20, and in conjunction with the experienced educational search firm, Carney Sandoe & Associates. The Search Committee was comprised of trustees, faculty and administration members working collaboratively to evaluate and select our next Head of School. Liz was selected from a national pool of highly qualified and talented candidates of diverse racial and gender backgrounds after a thorough search process that engaged students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees. “We were thrilled when she enthusiastically accepted our invitation,” said Mr. Fay. “Liz was chosen for her all-encompassing experience in education, her passion for teaching and learning, and especially for her ability to connect with students, earn the respect of faculty, and her commitment to diversity and inclusion. With a student population at Antilles School that is almost 50 percent students of color, Liz has grown in her understanding of the complexity of race in independent schools, and she is striving to create a curriculum and community where all students feel a deep sense of belonging. It’s clear that she understands the important role that the Head of School plays in shaping school culture.” The MBS Board of Trustees was impressed by the breadth of her credentials as an educator and administrator. At the Millbrook School, she held positions as Dean of Students, Academic Dean, and Director of College Counseling. Earlier in her career, Liz served as a math teacher and Chair of the Math Department at Oakwood Friends. More recently, Liz was inducted into the Headmasters Association, a highly prestigious association of only 100 members.

10 Crimson Fall 2020

A graduate of The Bryn Mawr School, Liz holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout the search process, Liz's supervisors and colleagues were uniform in their praise for her professionalism, work ethic, communications, and team-building skills, along with her business and curriculum development acumen. On a more personal level, Liz grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; she was a proud member of the 1986 University of Maryland NCAA Division 1 National Champion Women's Lacrosse team; has a son and daughter in their twenties, along with two adult stepchildren; her husband Tom is a corporate pilot; and she plans to reside in New Jersey near MBS. “My husband, Tom, and I are excited to move to New Jersey, and thrilled to join the MBS community. From my first introduction to the search committee, I felt a love of teaching from the faculty, the power of collaboration from the administrators, a sense of gratitude and pride from the trustees, parents, students and alumni. I share a belief in the value of an inclusive community, and its potential to transform lives,” said Liz Morrison. “I am grateful to be joining a school community that is willing to grow and learn and aspires to be an institution where every student and family feels seen and valued in the life of the School. The MBS motto, ‘To the stars through adversity’ really spoke to me as I envision a rich learning environment that is rooted in tradition while being simultaneously progressive, valuing the independence of mind and full participation.”

Parents & Faculty Discuss The Color of Law Students Honored by National Merit Scholarship Program Terence Luongo ’21 and Aneel Kahlon ’21 have been named Commended Students in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program and are among 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2021 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, they placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

The Crimson Conversations series kicked off in October as parents and faculty members gathered on Zoom to discuss The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, a groundbreaking book about systemic racism in America. The aim of this quarterly series is to build and extend community and parent engagement with the intellectual conversations happening at the School.

Diversity Leadership Summit The Student Diversity Leadership Summit—a daylong program designed to strengthen bonds among our various student leaders on campus—allowed Upper School students an opportunity to reflect on their personal identity, leadership style, and learn more about their peers, specifically in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The overarching goal of the event was to foster connectivity, accountability, and a unified approach to enhancing our MBS culture.

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MBS MOMENTS

Equity & Inclusion Summit MBS 7th and 8th graders participated in the virtual â&#x20AC;&#x153;See Us, Hear Usâ&#x20AC;? Equity & Inclusion Summit hosted by Gill St. Bernardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School. The day-long event focused on empowering students to serve as change agents in their school. Breakout sessions explored a variety of topics including what students need to feel included in their community, how can the community provide additional spaces of support, and what steps students can take to help make positive social changes in their community.

MBS Virtual Summer Institute Although classes were not held in person this summer, the following enrichment courses were offered to students online: Personal Writing and the College Essay offered Upper School students a variety of writing exercises designed to unlock their ability to write about themselves in a way that is honest, compassionate, and compelling. By assessing essential questions and analyzing each other's work, the students worked towards a draft of a college application essay. In Math Madness, Middle School students got a chance to polish their math skills through math-centered projects and puzzles. Topics included fractions, algebraic manipulations and variables, number sense, and error analysis, to name a few. Wordsmithing: Writing Skills Through Creativity helped students improve their creative writing skills in a fun environment using creative prompts and exercises. The Coding course enabled students to take first steps into the world of programming using an app called Scratch. Monologues: Performing and Writing was for those aspiring writers, actors, directors, or anyone interested in creative self-expression, to develop a voice, imagine the world from another perspective, and understand what it means to invent a character and bring them to life. Students write and rehearse a variety of monologues, which culminated into a live reading for invited guests.

12 Crimson Fall 2020

Class of 2020 Capstone “Passion Projects” Although members of the Class of 2020 were not able to complete the traditional Senior Project internships this spring due to the pandemic, they were engaged in a broad range of deeply engaging at-home “passion projects.” Some of these capstone experiences included collaborating with classmates on community service work, creating an art portfolio, learning a new language, creating a podcast, and becoming proficient in coding. Morgan Angelo and Sara Blanchard explored their love of cooking by putting together their own quarantine cookbook. Ian Cook presented music samples for his upcoming album. Dominick Commesso and Evan Zakhary decided to create their own podcast together. “We wanted to figure out a good way to connect with people during quarantine, so we decided to create our own podcast,” explained Zakhary. Sasha Berniker and Ashleigh Scully showed their photography portfolios created during quarantine. Rachael Kelson spoke about photo editing; and Nicole Westwood honed her graphic design skills and made a RedBubble store. Meg Karrat worked remotely with Boll & Branch, a luxury bedding company run by MBS alumnus and trustee Scott Tannen ’95 P ’22, ’25, ’25, and helped formulate ideas. Jessica Roitman was able to work virtually with the North Plainfield School District on a scaled-back project.

Student Publishes First Book Alexandra Miskewitz ’21, recently wrote, illustrated and published her first book—Zero Sympathy From Me: Just Sharing. The humorous middle school adventure was inspired by Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Dork Diaries, and Alexandra devised the story as part of her creative writing class at MBS. When she decided she wanted to write and publish a book, Alex signed up for an independent study with Mr. Lovelock, her former English teacher. She has already begun brainstorming a sequel to her book. Alex also created a website and YouTube channel to promote her work.

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MBS MOMENTS

Class of 2020 Commencement Morristown-Beard School held a virtual Commencement ceremony as well as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curbside Commencementâ&#x20AC;? for the Class of 2020 on campus on Saturday, June 6. Congratulations to the 110 graduates who received their diplomas. Welcome to the Alumni Association!

14 Crimson Spring 2020

DuBose ’20 and Merrigan ’20 Receive Military Academy Appointments JayShon DuBose ’20 and Patrick Merrigan ’20 received their official military academy appointment letters in the spring—Jayshon will attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, while Patrick earned appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

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MBS MOMENTS

Quad Dedicated to the Class of 2020 To honor their “unwavering grit, strength and determination, and especially the love for each other and the community,” the Class of 2020 received a gift this year at the Commencement ceremony instead of giving one, as is tradition.

We commend the Class of 2020 for their “many accomplishments and their dedication to the MBS community. We recognize them individually and collectively, and are proud to name the Quad at the heart of our beautiful campus, The Class of 2020 Quad, in their honor.

”

I know I speak on behalf of all my “classmates when I say thank you for this

extremely kind and thoughtful gesture. I could not think of a better way to celebrate our memory. It is with great honor to now claim the Quad as our own.

”

—Patrick Merrigan ’20 Class President 16 Crimson Fall 2020

—Peter J. Caldwell Head of School

is the safest place to stumble because no “oneMorristown-Beard lets you stay down. And that culture, exemplified by our

teachers, has become the mission of this class. We spent our time here building a support system that not even a pandemic could tear down. An especially valuable part of a Morristown-Beard education is not that you learn how to interpret a text for a test; it’s that you know how to work with others so that everyone can try to exceed their expectation for themselves.

” Whitney McDonnell ’20

SGA President, Valedictorian

Members of the Class of 2020 Inducted into Cum Laude Society This past spring, MorristownBeard School inducted eight students into the Cum Laude Society for outstanding scholastic achievement: Anika Buch ’20, Ashley Chen ’20, Julian Levy ’20, Matthew Lohmann ’20, Whitney McDonnell ’20, Patrick Merrigan '20, Sofia Scordley ’20, and Alison Stecker ’20.

Crimson Fall 2020 17

CLASS

OF 2020

MBS MOMENTS

8th Grade Class of 2020 On June 5, Morristown-Beard School held its 2020 8th Grade “Moving Up” ceremony for the Class of 2024—with a virtual ceremony as well as a curbside procession. This year there were 60 8th graders who received certificates and advanced from the Middle School to the Upper School.

20 Crimson Fall 2020

Crimson Fall 2020 21

22 Crimson Fall 2020

Community in the Time of COVID:

MBS RESPONDS TO THE PANDEMIC

By STEVE PATCHETT

There’s typically plenty of excitement on the first day of school, but this year was truly special. After being at home since mid-March due to the pandemic, MBS students, faculty and staff returned to campus in September. For many, it was their first time seeing friends and colleagues in person for nearly six months. “I can’t tell you how great it was to see the students return to campus—it’s been way too long!” said Head of School Peter J. Caldwell. “They bring such incredible enthusiasm and energy, and it was truly heartwarming to see them express such joy in seeing each other—even through the masks and the plexiglass.” Senior Sarah Karbachinskiy ’21 said she will always remember seeing her friends in Senior Lot on the first day of school. “Coming back was a rush and was really exciting,” she said. “I missed everyone so much, so to be able to gather somewhat normally was something I really appreciated.” Classmate Mikail Patankar ’21 echoed her sentiments. “I couldn’t wait to get back on campus as soon as possible,” he said. “There’s no place like MBS, and the feeling of being at school with my friends was almost impossible to replicate via Zoom.” During the first few days back on campus, it was important for students and teachers to become acclimated to the new routines and safety protocols including daily temperature checks, one-way hallways, social distancing practices, disinfecting shared spaces, and plexiglass partitions on the desks. “The students really seemed to hit their stride right away.” said Mr. Caldwell. “Their presence and their happiness were instant reminders of why we’re here.” English teacher Dr. Patrick Horan said that although the new COVID protocols were foreign at first, he has embraced the challenge. “It has been an adjustment teaching in a ‘hybrid’ environment, no doubt about it. However, I have been very impressed with how our students have adapted; they are attentive and really want to make the classes as productive as possible,” said Dr. Horan. “The pandemic has also enabled me to broaden my teaching skills. After being in front of a classroom for close to 40 years, I thought I had taught in every type of situation, but I was wrong. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!” Crimson Fall 2020 23

Preparing for an Uncertain Year Welcoming students back to campus this fall was no small task, and MBS did a great deal of planning over the summer to prepare for the opening of school. Associate Head of School Darren Burns was selected to lead the MBS Reopening Task Force to plan, acquire equipment, and prepare for a year that continues to be clouded by uncertainty. The task force, which was formed last April, was comprised of 60 members of the faculty and staff —nearly half of the School—and focused on five key areas: Academics, Technology, Community/DEI, Facilities & Operations, and Health & Wellness. To ensure that the community would be as safe as possible, the School committed more than $1.1 million to the reopening effort. “The hardest part was predicting what was going to happen in September when the landscape was changing day-to-day in the spring and summer,” said Mr. Burns. Mr. Caldwell concurred. “There were so many unknowns: What direction was the pandemic going to take, especially in New Jersey? What directives would we be getting from the Governor’s Office? What were other schools doing? How would our teachers react?” 24 Crimson Fall 2020

The task force crafted a plan that emphasized flexibility and took into account a variety of scenarios and risk levels—from full distance learning to full on-campus learning. “We decided relatively early to open the year with a hybrid model, which meant that we would offer in-person instruction and also give the option of learning from home. We made that commitment to our families towards the end of July and it wasn’t easy,” said Mr. Caldwell. Mr. Burns admitted that he had his fair share of sleepless nights. “It was a lot of worrying about plexiglass deliveries, bandwidth and protocols,” he said. “You can’t stress test the technology and the network ahead of time where 65 Zoom meetings are happening simultaneously, but our Technology Department did a great job—the infrastructure works!” He added that it’s extremely gratifying that the tireless work of the task force—and countless other individuals—helped the School open as planned in September. “It’s all worth it to see the students back on campus,” he said. “Their excitement to be back overshadowed the constraints that they had to operate under. Their joy to be back rippled through the campus and made it all worthwhile.”

A Day in the Life Adjusting to life on campus certainly seemed foreign at first—even for a veteran teacher or a seasoned upperclassman—as the daily routine was altered by many physical and programmatic changes. Each morning begins with daily temperature checks for all students, faculty and staff using thermal scanners. All members of the community are required to wear masks, and the high-tech video scanners are also able to detect if an individual has forgotten to wear theirs. To reduce density and to allow for physical distancing, new pathways were created throughout campus that include one-way hallways and stairwells. Inside the classrooms, desks are outfitted with plexiglass partitions and chairs are arranged facing the same direction to reduce face-to-face contact. “I think the aspect of the new classroom conditions that I find the most difficult is not being able to have my students’ desks configured in a ‘U’ shape so we can all look at each other. The desks placed in rows reminds me of an old-fashioned way of teaching,” said history teacher Dr. Gretchen Atwater. “On the other hand, the arrangement of desks has not stopped us from having lively classroom discussions about historical time periods and current events.” Senior Mikail Patankar agreed that the classroom configuration has taken some getting used to. “Honestly it’s been a little strange. With the plexiglass and social distancing, it can sometimes feel a little isolated in the classroom,” he said. “But my teachers have done a great job engaging everyone in class to make it feel like things are back to normal. It is now getting to the point where our situation feels like the norm, so it’s not as distracting as it was at the beginning of the semester.” As Mr. Burns remarked, “The other day I had a teacher tell me, ‘Yes, it’s difficult, but there are some moments when the plexiglass disappears.’” When students enter the classroom, their first task is to clean their space with multi-purpose wipes. The classrooms also undergo enhanced cleaning procedures on a daily basis and hand sanitizer stations are widely available across campus. In addition, frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, light switches and railings are now covered in disinfectant tape.

Crimson Fall 2020 25

Throughout the School, MBS installed a combination of air scrubbers and UVC lighting systems to clean the air. “The air scrubbing system that we invested in— the bipolar ionization purification system—removes particles and kills pathogens in the air,” said MBS Chief Financial Officer Philicia Levinson. “The great thing about this system is that it’s a proactive system that actively cleans the air in the room as well as the air that comes in through the HVAC.” Other facility upgrades include a new 1,300-squarefoot Nurse’s Office in the lower level of the Athletic Center featuring an isolation area for suspected illness and increased nursing staffing. “We’ve also repurposed some indoor spaces including Kirby Chapel and the Boardroom to create larger classroom spaces so we can accommodate social distancing in a proper way,” said Mr. Burns. The School is also taking advantage of its beautiful 22acre campus and has set up tents throughout Senior Circle and the Quad as small gathering spaces. “You’ll frequently see classes being held outside, and we’ve added 20 outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots,” said Mr. Burns. “Teachers can connect 14 devices to each hotspot and they are able to Zoom out to students learning at home.” To further enhance distance learning, MBS installed Owl cameras in each classroom which provide a 360-degree view of the class. The Owl reacts to sound and focuses one of its multiple cameras on the speaker so that remote learners can follow the classroom discussion in a very natural way. The School also increased bandwidth on campus to handle the demands of distance learning and provided new laptops for more than half of the faculty with enhanced video cards and HD cameras. While many of the physical changes on campus are striking, the structure of the school day itself has also undergone a transformation. MBS introduced a hybrid schedule that permits synchronous learning to take place for students on campus as well as for those learning from home. “The schedule includes four academic classes per day with longer class periods to allow for tech to be integrated, for mask breaks, and even to travel outside to outdoor classroom spaces,” explained Mr. Burns. “We’ve also added a 10-minute passing time between classes – doubling the previous passing time – and permitting a more staggered approach for students to move from period to period.” Lunch periods were also adjusted for the new 26 Crimson Fall 2020

schedule, with students using an app to order their food before picking up their “grab-and-go” lunches and returning to their advisory to eat. In addition to the hybrid schedule, the School introduced a new distance learning schedule that it can pivot to very quickly. “Based on what we learned last spring, we built in more advisory time, community meeting time, and grade-level meeting time as we wanted to make sure the mental health and the connectivity of the students was foregrounded in our schedule during distance learning,” said Mr. Burns. The curriculum itself has also been thoughtfully reexamined this year by a dedicated faculty who are committed to providing the best possible learning experience. “Our teachers made excellent use of the summer to prepare for the hybrid learning environment this fall. We asked all teachers to take their best practices and reimagine them for in-person and virtual learning,” said Ms. Boni Luna, Head of Middle School. “Many teachers have explored new apps such as GoFormative, which offers new ways to assess learning. We asked them to assess pedagogical practices such as student collaboration, which is central to our philosophy at MBS, and to think about new ways to incorporate collaboration into their teaching while carefully adjusting for safety constraints.” Throughout the summer, MBS teachers were trained on Google Classroom, which every teacher now uses as their primary platform, and all teachers post assignments on Google Calendar for students to access, centralizing and facilitating workflow. In addition to departmental curricular work, faculty also participated in a variety of workshops including the MBS Summer Educators Series, in-house technology workshops, and a collaboration with EXPLO Elevate. The 4-day EXPLO workshops helped faculty members create courses that could transition quickly between inperson and online learning. “I feel proud that our teachers were so well prepared to start the year with an impressive range of teaching tools,” said Ms. Luna. Outside the classroom, sports and activities were also adjusted during the pandemic. Following the NJSIAA guidelines, MBS Upper School sports

Crimson Fall 2020 27

teams began competing on October 1, except for the girls volleyball team, whose season was moved to February. Locker rooms were off-limits, and fans had to reserve a ticket for all home games to ensure limited crowd size and social distancing. In the Middle School, the new hybrid schedule posed some challenges for sports since that period is now held in the middle of the day. They made the best of an odd year, however, by introducing a girls badminton team when it was no longer feasible to drive to the tennis courts. In the performing arts, the MBS Jazz Ensemble and Middle School Band were able to stay safe and create music this fall without missing a beat thanks to special instrument covers made by local mask-maker Jane Berlant. The covers block small particles and create a barrier for germs and droplets. While playing, the musicians also wear special overlapping masks with stretchy fabric and a simple slit that allows them to access the mouthpiece. “The saxophone players adjusted particularly well since they do not need to see their hands when they play,” said Band Director Dr. John Girvin. The show also went on for the Upper School fall play, Mother Courage and Her Children. While MBS plays are typically staged in Founders Hall, this year’s production was slated to take place outdoors on Senior Circle – or virtually if the circumstances arose. Director Nick Corley explained that the play was chosen partly because it was easily adaptable to a variety of spaces and could be effectively staged with minimal set design and props.

28 Crimson Fall 2020

Presents

MOTHER COURAGE

AN D HE R CH ILD RE N By Bertolt Brecht English version by Eric Bentley

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A cornerstone of Morristown-Beard School’s COVID-19 plan is the School’s ability to be flexible and responsive to evolving circumstances. In early October, the School was able to pivot quickly to distance learning due to a reported positive case of COVID-19. After coordinating closely with public health officials and following CDC, state, and local health department guidance, the School was able to resume on-campus learning the following week for the majority of students. “We were extremely well-prepared to pivot to distance learning thanks to the exceptional efforts of our faculty and staff throughout the summer and at the start of the school year,” said Head of School Peter Caldwell. “I’m grateful for their ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness which allowed us to shift to virtual learning so nimbly.” Head of Middle School Boni Luna said that she received positive feedback from teachers during the brief period of distance learning. “The transition was pretty seamless; everyone appreciated the 9:00 a.m. start time and the big break in the middle of the day. The teachers reported that students were on task and engaged. They also enjoyed seeing their students’ faces without masks!” she said. “Although

everything went well, everyone was certainly looking forward to being back at school.” Middle School math teacher Jennifer Rose agreed, saying that her students adapted quickly to the digital learning environment. “It isn’t just that we were remote in the spring. Faculty and students have had the opportunity to practice using digital tools in Google Classroom, Google Sites, and GoFormative prior to our transition, and the classes ran incredibly well,” she said. “I am truly proud of my students and their engagement.” In the Upper School, English teacher Dr. Owen Boynton said his students didn’t miss a beat. “They engaged in breakout room collaborations and continued building on the skills we worked on for the first month,” he said. “For me, at least, the professional development from the summer — especially EXPLO — has made me much more comfortable scaffolding and managing a Zoom classroom.” After returning to campus the following week, students and teachers resumed their new routines – perhaps with an even greater appreciation for being together. Peter Caldwell said he is encouraged by how well the community has responded and he is confident the School is ready for any challenges that may lie ahead. Crimson Fall 2020 29

Stronger Working Toward a Truly Inclusive Community By Klarissa Karosen

30 Crimson Fall 2020

By Klarissa Karosen

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Creating a genuinely inclusive and anti-racist school environment requires patience, self-reflection, acknowledgment of intended or unintended harm, and ongoing education for every community member. I have seen a tremendous commitment from our Board of Trustees, Senior Administrative Team, and faculty and staff to tackle

equity and discrimination issues head on. At the heart of this campuswide effort are our students. This fall, we’ve called on our student leaders to partner with the adults on campus to become agents of change and cultivate an MBS culture where every student feels equally valued and welcomed. Only through their engagement and buy-in can we collectively rise to the task and become a stronger community. Our first goal for the 2020-21 school year was to teach students how to engage in civil conversations and productive dialogue. Empathy, understanding, and communication across differences are skills that require careful and intentional development. To help students practice these skills, we introduced a Cultural Competency and Ethical Leadership (CCEL) Program for grades 6-12. Before the start of the fall athletic season, we hosted a trio of CCEL workshops for fall sports captains, SGA officers, Student Justice Committee members, Peer Leaders, Crimson Ambassadors and club leaders. With a focus on leadership styles and accountability, students developed both a plan to include all members of their activity and a sense of what their role should be on campus. Our first Upper School CCEL workshop focused on responsible social media usage, while our first Middle School workshop provided a platform for students to think about what it means to be an upstander in our MBS community and gave them entrylevel leadership tools to start their year. This fall, the History Department presented a CCEL workshop on leadership styles and Constitutional guidance given to elected officials. Students also heard from alumnus Ian Elmore-Moore ’09 who spoke about the importance of truly listening to the views of others, civil discourse and how we can remain unified as an MBS community during a contentious election season. A series of workshops are also planned for November addressing the effective use of language related to the complexity of discussing race and identity. Building on our leadership and facilitation training in the fall, 50 of our student leaders participated in our first MBS Student Diversity Leadership Summit on October 1. The activities allowed Upper School students an opportunity to reflect on their personal identity, leadership style, and learn more about their peers in the area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The event was a huge success, and we are planning a Middle School Student Diversity Leadership Summit later this fall. Of course, we as educators must be equipped to lead the way. Effective teaching includes providing students with multiple data points, or perspectives, and allowing them to synthesize this information to develop their own understanding of the subject matter. In an effort to cultivate independence of mind, Morristown-Beard believes the role of the teacher is to instruct students “how to think” rather than “what to think”. As an institution, we always encourage culturally responsive teaching practices, and we will continue to encourage our faculty members to diversify curriculum in order to fulfill our promise of developing students who are global citizens of the world. Over the coming year, all faculty and staff will continue professional development in the area of cultural competency. Part of this training will include building classroom community and facilitation training

that aligns with our student programs, but this does not mean that all students will think in the same way or need to think in the same way. As an educational institution, we recognize different perspectives, and students should feel safe in expressing their views in a respectful manner. If a scenario arises where differing views become unproductive or hurtful, MBS teachers will skillfully respond in a manner that does not discount different perspectives, but addresses issues or language that are damaging, exclusive, or harmful. This important work is challenging but necessary if we are committed to ensuring that every student feels supported and heard. MBS faculty recently participated in workshops on topics including equity literacy, cultural competency in the classroom, and managing complex conversations and maintaining productive dialogue. We also understand that to fully embody anti-racist values, we must have a diverse community. To ensure that all members of our community feel welcomed on our campus, we have taken steps to diversify our faculty, student body, administration, and leadership as well as our Board of Trustees and Alumni Board. In September, the Board of Trustees added seven new members, two of whom are African American, bringing the total number of board members who identify as people of color to seven. We also successfully expanded the faculty of color with the addition of two African American and two Latina teachers for the 2020-21 school year. I am proud that my position as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was expanded and is now part of the Senior Administrative Team at MBS. I am also happy to report that for the first time, we have a Middle School DEI Coordinator, Michael McGrann. His position will ensure we have the resources to expand some of our well-established programs from the Upper School to the Middle School. To guide our School’s efforts, MBS formed a Racial Justice Task Force, comprised of a third party DEI consultant—Dr. Diana Artis of Olive Branch Educators—along with alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and administrators, who are committed to evolving the policies and practices of MBS to reflect an anti-racist agenda and to make recommendations as to how and where the School can improve. I have enormous gratitude for the nearly 100 MBS community members who required accountability from our institution and dedicated countless hours of their time to ensure the process was meaningful and will lead to real change. The recommendations have been finalized and will be presented to the Board of Trustees in November. In addition, our MBS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee was expanded from three faculty members to eleven, and we have asked Dr. Artis to administer specialized DEI training for this cohort to prepare them to lead school-wide workshops and participate in curriculum development. While the tasks ahead may feel overwhelming at times, we must remember the strength of our sum is greater than its parts. With great compassion and intention, we are leaning into the difficult conversations that will not only restore but grow a sense of belonging for all members of our community. Based on the work already underway, I am confident that we will collectively rise to this task and become stronger together. Crimson Fall 2020 31

Stories of Excellence

Teaching& Learning in

COVID-19 may have forced us to shift to distance learning, but it didn’t stop our dedicated and innovative teachers from continuing to provide our students with a challenging and engaging educational experience.

Graphic Design Students Make Posters of Hope Deanna Whelan’s Advanced Graphic Design students were tasked to create (for their “client”) a poster illustrating the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19. On the project due date, the students were told that the client suddenly changed the date and the students had to update their data to reflect the new number of recoveries. In order to create an informative graph for their “client,” they had to conduct research from reputable sources, find accurate information, and then design an appealing poster that conveyed the good news. They also had to learn the importance of having flexibility when dealing with changing deadlines and data.

32 Crimson Fall 2020

Italian Students Learn to Make Pasta World Languages teacher Jenifer Laviola held a live Zoom cooking class with her Advanced Seminar Italian class. Mrs. Laviola guided the students through a cultural, culinary, and language lesson while making Italian potato gnocchi. Students prepared the recipe step-bystep, right along with Mrs. Laviola and her mother-in-law from Italy who joined as a guest speaker and pasta-making aficionado.

Geography Students Share World Cultures Mrs. Swansonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6th Grade students each chose a different continent and then analyzed maps that illustrated how the land was used by people, reflecting on how the human experience is shaped by a region's climate, precipitation, and population density. They then chose a country from that continent to examine in-depth and studied and shared the culture of that nation by either cooking a signature dish, drawing or painting a famous site, performing a musical piece, or making a craft. Some of the creative projects included cooking Icelandic pancakes and sambusa from Madagascar, painting St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basilica from Poland, and creating Japanese origami and a South Korean floating lantern.

Crimson Fall 2020 33

IN THE CLASSROOM

Makerspace Class Gets Creative at Home Matt Martino’s Middle School students used the design process to solve a problem around the house. From a wall-mounted cat food holder to a lacrosse ball holder and dispenser, students exercised resourcefulness by using found materials around the home to build a functional solution. The project steps were: Identify the need; ask questions to refine the problem; sketch out an idea on paper; develop the idea further using 3D modeling in Tinkercad; build a prototype; evaluate; share ideas and observations; build your project! Pictured is Grace Tuttle’s wall-mounted cat food holder and dispenser.

Students Pursue Independent Study Programs The more than 25 different Independent Study courses offered last spring encourage students to expand their intellectual curiosity and explore an intellectual topic of interest in depth under the guidance of a selected faculty member with a special expertise or interest in the field. While the IS courses are self-directed, they have a clearly defined curriculum and include a final project that may be a research essay, a web page, a musical composition, or another project depending on the subject.

Ethan Hong ’21 Impact of Coronavirus on U.S. Economy

Allie Hess ’20 Abnormal Psychology

Aneel Kahlon ’21 Infectious Disease Modeling

Allie studied neurocognitive disorders and memory loss, and then concluded her study by reading Memory’s Last Breath, a memoir by Dr. Gerda Saunders, professor of Gender Studies who shared her personal experiences with dementia and how she coped with losing her cognition and independence.

Aneel presented “A Glance Into Modeling the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.” He discussed various approaches taken to model the current pandemic, and how models are being used to influence policy decisions across the country.

34 Crimson Fall 2020

For his study, Ethan looked at the latest statistics, then closely examined certain sectors and industries, including airlines, the retail industry and malls, technology, restaurants, movie theaters, live sports and e-sports, tourism and hotels. He offered a grim outlook for certain industries (malls, movie theaters) while predicting that others (technology and tourism) will boom when the pandemic ends.

Students Examine Possible Treatments for COVID-19 Dr. Janet Berthel’s Organic Chemistry and AP Chemistry students took a deep dive into examining the development of possible treatments for COVID-19 by looking at the viral cycle from cell binding through viral replication. The students examined each phase of that process in detail, looking at the biomolecules involved, their interactions, and the biochemical transformations taking place. Next, they considered how one might intervene to stop the virus at each stage, what chemistry would have to ensue, and what sort of treatment that might involve. The class was fortunate to connect with Dr. Diana Brainard, Senior Vice President of Clinical Research at Gilead Sciences, Inc., who sent materials and provided insights into the problem and potential solutions, and helped the class better understand the anti-viral drug candidate Remdesivir.

Kim Magnotta ’21 Sand Grain Photography

Kyle Gonyea ’20 and Caden Strauss ’20 Financial Modeling

Matt Liroff ’22 Politics in the Middle East

Congratulations to MBS senior Kim Magnotta ’21, who was selected to present her independent research on “Sand Grain Photography” as part of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Virtual Fall Meeting in December.

Kyle and Caden began their work by becoming more familiar with the financial markets, Wall Street vocabulary, and how to read and understand financial graphs and numbers. From there, they chose a different sector and focused on how to pick a winning stock and also explored the recent popularity of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. Once the pandemic hit, they shifted their focus to study the effects of COVID-19 on the markets, specifically Tesla.

Matt began his study by tracing the roots of the Syrian Civil War, including how the growing demands for democracy and freedom led to a civil uprising. He also examined major players in the conflict, including The Syrian Arab Republic, ISIS, Turkey, the Russian Federation, the United States, Syrian Democratic Forces, and the Syrian National Army.

Over the course of the past few years, Kim has been photographing and analyzing sand samples from around the world. This research has allowed Kim to understand sand from a general perspective, and also provided an opportunity for her to learn about the geological origins of sand.

Crimson Fall 2020 35

IN THE CLASSROOM

6th Graders Learn about Food Security This project started with students planting seeds under a grow light in the classroom and in the Math & Science Center using the aquaponics system in the Environmental Lab. But since the students could not return to see the progress of their plantings, geography teacher Lisa Swanson kept this year’s lesson going by planting broccoli, peppers and cantaloupe in her own backyard and had the class follow the garden’s progress via video updates during their Zoom classes.

History Students Create COVID-19 Archive Dr. Jordan Reed’s history students shared journal entries, artwork and videos as a personal record of their experience. Some students described how their daily activities had changed, what their neighborhood looked like, and whether they saw signs of hope. Other students used artwork, music, memes and videos to portray their feelings about the health crisis. “We are living in unprecedented times as a school community; that much is clear. One day in the future, historians will study this moment and write about it. When they do, they will turn to the archives our society leaves behind.” —Dr. Jordan Reed

36 Crimson Fall 2020

Ian Elmore-Moore ’09 Speaks about Unity and Community At a virtual All-School Meeting in October, Ian spoke about the importance of truly listening to the views of others, civil discourse and how we can remain unified as an MBS community during this contentious election season. He emphasized the value of community and respecting each other’s differences.

“Even though we may debate, even though we have disagreements, it’s

important to realize that we have so many similarities and things in common. We must unify and come together. Unity will always lead to opportunity.” —IAN ELMORE-MOORE ’09

8th Grade Students Create Historical Podcasts Mrs. Alders’ history students created their own lively and engaging podcasts that covered a range of historical topics from the atomic bomb and the AIDS epidemic to Woodstock and the Waco siege. In light of the historic events that we are living through right now, the students were asked to research another pivotal moment in American history and then produce a podcast explaining how it changed America and the world. Topics pictured: the invention of the atomic bomb, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Woodstock music festival, and the USA hockey team’s “miracle on ice.”

Crimson Fall 2020 37

Beyond the

Classroom

The COVID-19 outbreak shocked us, but didn’t stop us. Teachers and students continued the Crimson Spirit by giving back—now that’s MBS Strong! Student Outreach

MBS FAMILY HELPS FUEL HEALTHCARE WORKERS Supporting healthcare workers has become a family affair in Shaylan Patel’s ’24 household. His mother, Roshni Patel, cofounded a chapter of FLAG (Front Line Appreciation Group) of South Orange and Maplewood to help provide meals for healthcare workers on the front lines in Newark and East Orange hospitals. Following mom’s footsteps, Shaylan launched the SOMA “Fuel Box Squad,” a group of students that collects and bags snacks for workers at five area hospitals in Newark and East Orange. Shaylan and his friends—including classmate Jonah Tinkelman ’24—also decorated the bags before they were delivered.

Student Outreach

BOYS LACROSSE TEAM CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH HARLEM LACROSSE Although boys and girls from Harlem Lacrosse were not able to visit the MBS campus this spring for their annual lacrosse clinic hosted by the Crimson lacrosse team, MorristownBeard School is proud to continue this longstanding partnership. Crimson lacrosse players chatted with the youngsters via Zoom and gave them a series of drills and exercises to practice.

38 Crimson Fall 2020

SENIORS AND PARENTS ASSOCIATION DONATE FOOD TO LOCAL HOSPITAL This good deed actually resulted from a disappointing situation, when MBFest—a family celebration of the Class of 2020 scheduled for May 1—was cancelled due to COVID-19. Instead of asking for the deposit back from the contracted caterer, Mexican Spice, the Class of 2020 and the MBS Parents Association voted to donate the proceeds to FLAG (Front Line Appreciation Group). The donated food was certainly appreciated by the healthcare workers at Morristown Memorial Hospital.

Student Outreach

MBS HOLDS SUCCESSFUL SPRING FOOD DRIVE Despite the pandemic, MBS held a successful Spring Food Drive to benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry. Thanks go to Ellie Frohlich ’23, who organized the event, and the many members of our community who contributed in so many ways!

Student Outreach

The GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Club sponsored a Social Distance 5K and 10K to support the Jersey Battered Women’s Service (JBWS), a Morris-County based nonprofit that provides safety, support and solutions for domestic violence victims. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, more cases of domestic violence occurred, so the girls felt supporting the women’s shelter was especially needed during this time.

Student Outreach

JUNIOR OFFERS TIME AND TALENT TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

GLOW CLUB SPONSORS 5K AND 10K TO HELP LOCAL WOMEN’S SHELTER

Student Outreach

Michael Sciarra ’22 collected used equipment for Pitch In for Baseball & Softball, a nonprofit organization which accepts and distributes used equipment for underprivileged youth. Michael started by placing a box at MBS and continued during COVID, donating hundreds of items for the organization. Michael also hosted Zoom Bingo nights for his local Department for Persons with Disabilities, a welcome activity for those folks who couldn’t leave their residences during the pandemic.

Crimson Fall 2020 39

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY Donations for Market Street Mission In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyle Gonyea ’20, Tommy Matthews ’20 and Thomas Sokolowski ’20 helped their community by collecting donations for the Market Street Mission in Morristown. “My friends and I are doing this project because in a time like this it’s important to remember that there are people who are struggling with homelessness and addiction who need our help,” said Thomas Sokolowski. “We chose Market Street Mission because we wanted to help out people close to our School.”

SENIOR INTERNS WITH WHIPPANY WATERSHED ACTION COMMITTEE Brigid Atkins ’21 began an internship with the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee, a local nonprofit environmental organization. Her work included collecting data for a water quality study and developing a promotional calendar to highlight the watershed and raise funds for the organization. She also visited various spots throughout the watershed to test the acidity, salinity, and dissolved oxygen levels in the water. She hopes to help find a suitable environment for the threatened Eastern Lampmussel to live. Brigid’s work with the Committee is a direct extension of the work she did in her environmental science class.

40 Crimson Fall 2020

Helping the Homebound When Dylan Locke ’23 learned that homebound residents— particularly the elderly—were struggling with food insecurity in his hometown of Randolph, he took action. He organized a food and gift card drive so that he and other volunteers can shop and provide fresh food and hot meals to members of the community who aren’t getting adequate nutrition.

MBS Donates Pizza to Market Street Mission and Morris View Healthcare This spring, students earned a School-wide pizza party after MBS parents achieved a 65.8 percent participation rate in The MB Fund 30-Day Class Challenge. Because the pizza party was no longer possible due to the pandemic, the School donated nearly 100 pizzas to Market Street Mission and Morris View Healthcare Center on behalf of the entire student body.

Student Organizes Food Drive for Essex County MEND During the COVID-19 pandemic, Devyn Janay ’22 organized a food drive to benefit MEND, a nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding the hungry in Essex County. Devyn has helped provide food to local food pantries through her synagogue in the past. This is her first time working with MEND (Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity), which is an interfaith network of 20 member food pantries located throughout Essex County.

Holdsworth Family Makes Ventilator Splitters for Project C.U.R.E. In between Zoom meetings, Charlie Holdsworth ’24, Tori Holdsworth ’25 and their family made ventilator splitters using their 3D printer. Charlie downloaded a design from Johns Hopkins that they used to make about four or five per day. These homemade splitters were sent to Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) an organization that collects medical supplies and disperses them where needed domestically and to under-sourced countries.

MBS Donates Masks and Medical Supplies to Atlantic Health System Morristown-Beard School donated hospital supplies to Atlantic Health System to help our front-line health care professionals who were caring for the community during the COVID-19 crisis. The School’s donation included PPE gown and mask kits with eye shields and shoe covers, boxes of gloves and more than 200 masks including N95 masks, molded surgical masks, and ear loop face masks.

Student Organizes Food Drive in Chatham Ali Dorrego ’23 helped those who may have been experiencing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic by coordinating a food donation delivery in her hometown of Chatham. Ali, who organized the effort with the help of a friend also from Chatham, delivered the donated food to the Interfaith Food Pantry and Resource Center in Morris Plains.

BOOK CLUBS MEET VIA ZOOM

PARENT JAMES WOHLBRUCK SPEAKS TO BFI CLUB ABOUT THE ECONOMY MBS parent James Wohlbruck P ’21, a Managing Director with R.W. Baird and Company, met with members of the BFI (Business, Finance, and Investment) Club via Zoom to discuss his career in the financial markets and the current state of the economy. He discussed his career path and what a typical day looks like. Mr. Wohlbruck also commented on the economic damage inflicted by COVID-19. In a Q&A session, he answered questions about the impact of the federal stimulus, the importance of building infrastructure to help boost the economy, and the lessons he’s learned in his career.

The Non-Fiction Book Group met via Zoom to discuss higher education and the current pandemic after reading Paul Tough’s book The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes Us or Breaks Us. The book explores the inequities in American higher education, both in the admissions process and then once students get to campus. The group’s discussion focused on how the pandemic may end up affecting the way we think about college. The Parents Association read The Great Believers and enjoyed a lively discussion lead by Upper School English teacher Dr. Owen Boynton and Upper School Latin teacher Dr. Amanda Gregory.

Crimson Fall 2020 41

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Despite shifting to all distance learning this past spring, teachers and students continued extracurricular activities which included staying healthy, being artistic, and showing their Crimson Spirit. STUDENTS AND FACULTY CHANNEL THEIR INNER ARTIST FOR THE GETTY CHALLENGE Morristown-Beard students and faculty members re-created iconic works of art at home as part of the Getty Museum challenge. The Photography Club and the Student Government Association coordinated the activity.

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear / Jacob Shur ’22 turns to his toilet paper stockpile

Ramon Casas’ After the Ball / English teacher Kate Muttick's After the Quarantine

Edvard Munch’s The Scream / Landers Green ’22

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS CLUB HOSTS VIRTUAL PET SHOWS

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

42 Crimson Fall 2020

Mental Health Matters, a student-led club designed to increase awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health, routinely brings therapy dogs to campus through a partnership with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in Morris Plains. Since that was not possible, the club decided to host virtual pet shows where students and faculty spread a little happiness by showcasing their own pets.

CRIMSON MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS CLUB HOSTS ART LESSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

The Mental Health Matters Club helped MBS students and faculty unwind with a guided drawing lesson from art teacher Zach Mazouat. Zach chose a flower for the guided art lesson and began by identifying basic shapes in the model drawing, then offered some drawing tips on how to improve your drawing skills.

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

STUDENTS EXPLORE THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING

MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTICIPATES IN FITNESS RACE WITH AREA SCHOOLS Although the spring sports season was put on hold, MBS Middle Schoolers stayed fit by participating in a virtual fitness challengeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Amazing Race Across America. MBS teams consisting of students and faculty competed against participants from five other peer schools in the area. Participants earned miles for every 10 or 15 minutes of exercise.

Members of the MBS French Club put on their aprons and met online as Dr. Gorica Lalic taught them to make a tarte aux fruits. Students ranging from 7th Grade through 12th Grade participated in the online cooking demonstration which relied on only a handful of simple ingredients: eggs, milk, flour, butter, lemon, sugar, and fruit.

Crimson Fall 2020 43

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Crimson Day Sarah Karbachinskiy ’21

Crimson Day Molly Sommer ’26

Spring Break Day Gregory Sutton ’21

Black Tie Day Mikail Patankar ’21

Crimson Day Rachel Platt teacher

Spring Break Day Rose Costanzo teacher

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

44 Crimson Fall 2020

NOW THAT’S THE CRIMSON SPIRIT! Just because MBS students were attending classes from home, it didn’t stop them from rallying together to celebrate Spring Spirit Week. Students and faculty members posted pictures of themselves wearing the theme days’ attire.

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

MIDDLE SCHOOL WATERCOLOR CLUB PAINTS TOGETHER ONLINE Mrs. Laviola guided her students through an online demonstration of how to paint birch tree scenes. “It’s fun how everyone follows the same set of instructions but comes up with a work that is truly unique.” The students also learned how darker and lighter colors help establish the foreground and background of a scene.

OR T PP

E AT

Stronger Together

Students from the Spectrum club facilitated their first online meeting in April to help build student relationships, plan events and share resources with other Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs (GSA) from surrounding independent schools. The goal of the student-led meeting was to provide an opportunity for them to stay connected during social distancing.

CLUBS

ADVOCATE

CRIMSON

SPECTRUM CLUB BUILDS NETWORKS WITH AREA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

CRIMSON

CLUBS Stronger Together

QUIZ BOWL TEAM HOLDS ONLINE COMPETITIONS The Quiz Bowl team did not let social distancing stop them. The club held weekly online competitions (open to teachers as well as students) to test their trivia knowledge using protobowl.com to facilitate the meetings. To keep the game interactive, club president Tim Schietroma ’21 simultaneously invited players to participate in a Zoom meeting.

Crimson Fall 2020 45

CRIMSON CORNER

VARSITY SPORTS ROUNDUP Fall 2020

MBS officially kicked off the 2020 fall sports season at home on October 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the first time the Crimson hosted a varsity contest on campus since last February.

Girls Soccer

46 Crimson Fall 2020

Cross Country

Spring 2020 Updates Girls Ice Hockey Team and Coach Receive Honors The MBS girls ice hockey team and Head Coach Bruce Driver were named Team of the Year and Coach of the Year by NJ.com. The girls made history on March 5 at the Prudential Center in Newark by capturing the inaugural Girls Ice Hockey State Championship.

Vantassell ’22 Selected in OHL Draft Crimson Ice hockey center Nicholas Vantassell ’22 was selected by the Windsor Spitfires in the 14th round, 280 overall of the 2020 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Draft. Nick had career highs last season for the Crimson with 16 goals, 19 assists, and 35 points in 24 games played.

Girls Tennis

Leah Stecker ’22 Commits to Play Hockey at Penn State Leah was named the NJ.com Girls Ice Hockey Player of the Year this last season after tallying 16 goals and 20 assists as she helped guide the Crimson to a Prep Championship and State Championship title.

Dante Marinello ’22 Named to Nike All-Star Team The boys lacrosse defenseman was one of just 24 juniors from across New Jersey selected to the roster.

Crimson Fall 2020 47

CRIMSON CORNER

Football Team Wins Spirit Week Game The MBS football team gave the large Senior Day crowd something to cheer about as the Crimson staged a second half comeback to win 28-10 over Montclair Kimberley Academy at home. Keeping with tradition, the 28th annual Kirby Mile took place during halftime. Congratulations to our Upper School Winner Luka Okuzu ’21 (5:04.56) and sixth grader Freddie Ehrbar who took first place in the Middle School race. This year’s race was held in memory of alumnus and former Trustee Allan P. Kirby, Jr. ’49, who passed away in September. Mr. Kirby was an entrepreneur, well-respected philanthropist, and kind friend of MBS. He was instrumental in the success of Morristown-Beard School through his generosity and support, and with very high standards, kept careful watch over his beloved school. Private and humble, and a fan of all MBS sports, this extraordinary gentleman will be greatly missed.

Football

48 Crimson Fall 2020

Field Hockey

Boys Soccer

Cam Fernandez ’21

Erin Martin ’21

Jess Patricia ’21

Reagan Russo ’21

Four Senior Athletes Commit to Colleges Cam Fernandez ’21 will play lacrosse at Endicott College, Erin Martin ’21 will continue her basketball career at Emory University, Jess Patricia ’21 will join the field hockey team at Ramapo College, and Reagan Russo ’21 will play basketball for Rowan University.

Crimson Fall 2020 49

POWERFULLY PREPARED The alumni in this issue demonstrate that our graduates are exceedingly well prepared for college, careers, and beyond. Passionate and hardworking, these alumni are making meaningful contributions, and we are proud to be part of their journey. By Steve Patchett

DR. DARNELL PARKER ’00

Transforming Lives Through Education From his roles as a teacher and college administrator in residence life and multicultural affairs to his current position as Senior Associate Vice President for Equity at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Darnell Parker ’00 has dedicated his professional life to education and its powerful ability to transform lives. “A favorite part of my job is getting to know students, faculty, and staff and learning about their interests,” said Parker. “I enjoy engaging in conversations with students about the issues that are currently occurring in society and being able to challenge individuals to think beyond themselves.” Parker traces his passion for education back to his days at MBS. “I had wonderful teachers at MBS who really took an interest in my development,” he said. “Mrs. Koch, Mr. Furrer, Mr. Franz, Mr. Timek, and Mrs. Washington were individuals I could always speak with and they challenged me in different ways. Mrs. Koch had a true compassion for students and her teaching made a significant impact on my life.” He said his Senior Project also helped shape his career path. “I did my Senior Project shadowing Dr. Steven Loy, the Head of School at Rutgers Prep. He was willing to help me understand the field of education and the opportunities it provided,” said Parker. “From that point forward, I wanted to do something in education.” At Syracuse University, he pursued a B.S. and Master of Social Work after becoming intrigued by group dynamics. “Social work provided me with the tools to communicate with different groups and analyze issues on different levels,” said Parker, who added that volunteering as a social work intern at an elementary school was invaluable. “It opened my eyes to the many things that we sometimes forget about students. It’s not always about the academics, but the social and emotional development of students and how they perceive the world around them.” After graduating, he began his career at Monmouth University working in residence life, developing programs for students around diversity and inclusion. He then moved to Washington College as the Director of Multicultural Affairs before being promoted to Assistant Dean of Students. 50 Crimson Fall 2020

In addition, he taught courses about race and gender in education. “During my time in higher education, I noted the lack of African American males who possessed doctoral degrees in teaching, so I made the decision to go back to school and obtain my doctoral degree in Education.” Now, as Senior Associate Vice President for Equity at Case Western Reserve University, Parker provides training to faculty, staff and students on sexual harassment policies, by-stander intervention, and discrimination. He also collaborates with campus partners to develop programs that are geared towards changing campus culture. Recently, he helped Case Western Reserve conduct a Day of Dialogue for members of the community to discuss racial issues that are occurring across the country. He said he’s not sure whether 2020 will be a turning point for race relations in America. “These issues have been occurring for decades and they are just being exposed more due to technology,” said Parker. “We have a lot of work to do and cannot become complacent.” Parker believes strongly in the importance of giving back to his alma mater, especially in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. He has been active with the MBS Alumni Board and recently joined the MBS Board of Trustees. “I want to ensure that the School continues to work on improving the campus climate around diversity and I’d like to serve as a mentor for students the same way the MBS faculty did for me in my career,” he said.

MEGAN MATTALIANO KIEL ’07

Designing to Make a Difference As an Architect and Project Manager with Grimm & Parker Architects where she specializes in designing multi-family and affordable housing, Megan Mattaliano Kiel ’07 is using her passion to make a difference in people’s lives. “Designing multi-family housing is important to me because every apartment unit design will eventually be someone’s home, where they raise their family or celebrate birthdays with loved ones,” said Kiel. “Access to quality housing is so important and I particularly enjoy working on senior and affordable housing as these projects can truly transform the lives of the most vulnerable communities.” From an early age, Kiel has had an eye for detail and an interest in how things were designed. “This interest grew during my high school years at MBS,” she said. “I took two Engineering Drawing classes and two Architectural Design classes during my time at MBS, all with Mr. Timek as my teacher. Those were my favorite classes and are what most influenced me to become an architect. Mr. Timek allowed for independent work and I remember loving the creativity I found in his classroom, specifically the process of drawing and building models.” Kiel remembers coming in to Mr. Timek’s classroom during her free periods to work extra hours on her drawings and models. One project she vividly recalls was a dollhouse that she designed and built during her senior year as part of her Independent Study in Architectural Design II. “I still have this dollhouse and my daughters are always asking me to play with it,” she said. “It is very special to me, although I would definitely make some different choices if I were to redesign it today.” While Mr. Timek’s classes were clearly influential, her career path was also shaped by her service work at MBS. “I participated in Habitat for Humanity during my junior and senior years, and the hands-on experience of building homes reinforced my interest in pursuing architecture professionally,” she explained. After graduating from MBS, Kiel studied architecture at Catholic University in Washington, DC, where many of her classes involved visiting nearby museums and public spaces to analyze and sketch. She was also able to study abroad in Rome, which reinforced her love of urban design. She graduated from Catholic University Magna Cum Laude and continued her studies at Virginia Tech, where she completed her Master in Architecture. As part of the program, she was able to intern at the State Department’s Overseas Building Operations. “That was an incredible opportunity where I was able to participate in the

design and construction of embassies and consulates overseas,” she said. After completing her degrees, Kiel began her career at Grimm & Parker Architects in the Residential and Urban Design Studio, working on multi-family residential projects in the Washington, DC area. “I initially started working as a staff architect doing construction administration on a large renovation project in the construction phase, and over the years have worked on a variety of projects in various phases of design and construction,” she explained. “In order to become a licensed architect, I needed a professional degree, three years of internship time and to then pass seven architectural registration exams. Combined with my six years of schooling, the entire process took me nine years.” While her job often requires long hours, Kiel says the field of architecture is also very rewarding. “My favorite part of the job is watching a building come to life during construction,” she said. “I am currently working on a high rise apartment building which is being built right now, and it is incredible to watch it progress and go from being a big hole in the ground to a building. Architecture is collaborative, and I am fortunate to work with a great group of people.” In the future, she hopes to “continue to challenge myself and keep learning more every day. There is always something new in the field with continually changing building codes, sustainability, accessibility, design technology and more. You can never get bored in this profession!” Crimson Fall 2020 51

ALUMNI MOMENTS

Alumni Heroes

MBS is proud to share the stories of our alumni who have given their time and resources to help others during the pandemic.

Alumni Heroes

Alumnus, Roche VP Helps Bring First COVID-19 Tests to the Market Nicholas Solimo ’91 is playing a pivotal role in the fight against COVID-19. As Vice President for Global Operations at Roche Molecular Systems and Site Head at the Roche manufacturing center in Branchburg, New Jersey, Nick oversees the production of COVID-19 tests that are being distributed worldwide during the health crisis. “The ability to change people’s lives is what motivates me to come to work. When it was evident that the COVID-19 outbreak was going to become a pandemic, there was no doubt in my mind that my site was going to lead the effort for high throughput testing and that we were going to be first to market. This has probably been the most rewarding experience in my professional life.”

Boll & Branch Donates Hospital Mattresses in Fight Against COVID-19 Alumni Heroes

52 Crimson Fall 2020

Starting at the outbreak of the pandemic, alumnus, parent and trustee Scott Tannen ’95, P’22, P ’25, P ’25, Founder & CEO at Boll & Branch, manufactured and initially donated more than 1,000 specially-made hospital mattresses for emergency medical operations in the fight against COVID-19. In April, May and June, as part of their Helping from Home™ program, Boll & Branch donated 2,888 mattresses and 5,000 pillows to emergency medical operations in New York and emergency homeless shelters in Pennsylvania and Florida in response to the pandemic.

Alumni Heroes

Fiesta Bowl Donates $1 Million in COVID-19 Relief Scott Leightman ’88, Senior Director of Communication with the Fiesta Bowl, announced in April that the company, a nonprofit organization known for top-level college football, donated $1 million in COVID-19 emergency relief funding to 18 non-profits across the state of Arizona to be used especially for food services and youth programming needs when school was not in session. Some of the organizations that benefitted from the donations include local chapters of the YMCA, Homeward Bound, Children’s Cancer Network, Boys & Girls Clubs, and various food banks.

Cartwright Bag Donates 10,000 Masks for Hospital Workers

Alumni Heroes

Alumnus and trustee Cartwright Wallace ’93 is the Founder and President at Cartwright Inc., the parent company of Cartwright Bag, a luxury handbag company. In April, the company halted production of its luxury bags to devote resources to producing more than 10,000 N95 face masks to support the response to the coronavirus. The first shipment of masks arrived in April for immediate delivery to local New Jersey hospitals. The company also donated 100 percent of the profits on the sale of each of their privacy accessories through April 30 to be used for producing and donating masks to U.S. hospitals.

Young Alumnae Write Articles on COVID-19 Before finishing her last trimester at Northwestern University, Molly Glick ’16 wrote an article about COVID-19 for Popular Science, where she was working as an Editorial Intern. The article, “Should I Shave My Beard, Can I Get COVID-19 Twice, and Every Other Question You Might Have About the Coronavirus,” can be found in the March edition. As an Editorial Intern for Popular Science, she pitches, researches and writes web and print stories for the 5 million-plus monthly readership. In September, The USA Today Network published an opinion piece written by Rebecca Tone ’19 entitled, “NJ Students Return to College Campuses with Anxiety, Frustration – and Hope,” which recaps the feelings of Rebecca’s MBS classmates as they tackle COVID-19 and college life. MBS graduates quoted included Pamela Beniwal ’19, Jason Bloomenthal ’19, Lauren Liroff ’19, and Ava Namar ’19. Rebecca, a sophomore at Georgetown University, also published an opinion piece on NJ.com about the pandemic titled “College? Turns Out I was Worried about All the Wrong Things. The Pandemic Changed Everything.”

Ravi Chopra ’97 Holds Zoom Meeting with BFI Club In April, MBS trustee and alumnus Ravi Chopra ’97, spoke with members of the BFI (Business, Finance and Investment) Club via Zoom. He traced his career path, gave advice to students seeking a career in finance, and offered his perspective on how the markets will recover after COVID-19. Ravi is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Azora Capital, a hedge fund focused on financial services investing.

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Alumni Association

Morristown-Beard School

NION U E R 021 2

SAVE THE DATE Saturday, June 5, 2021

A recent graduate of Boston College with a B.S. in Management and Concentration in Finance, Nicole was nominated for The Edward S.J. Award—the highest undergraduate award at Boston College for someone who truly exemplifies the university motto, Ever to Excel. She was the chosen nominee for the Carroll School of Management. “Reflecting on my accomplishments in the midst of all that is going on, I am beyond grateful for all of the opportunities and support my family and communities have provided me, specifically Morristown-Beard. I truly attribute who I am today to MBS. The education, community, and friends pushed me to be the best version of myself and gave me the foundation for success at BC, and now out in the real world.” Nicole has started her business career at UBS in Investment Banking in New York this past July.

Mo r

ol ho

own-Beard Sc t s ri

Nicole Robertson ’16 Nominated for Undergraduate Award

REUNION June 5, 2021

1950 1951 1955 1956 1960 1961 1965 1966 1970 1971 1975 1976 1980 1981 1985 1986 1990 1991 1995 1996 2000 2001 2005 2006 2010 2011 2015 2016

Hopefully, we will be able to welcome you back to campus in person. If not, we will hold Reunion virtually! Join us as we celebrate the class years ending in 0,1, 5, and 6 Visit www.mbsconnect.net to get up to date details or contact Monya Taylor Davis ’88, Associate Director of Alumni Relations at mtaylor@mbs.net or 973-532-7578.

REUNION IS FOR EVERYONE— DON’T MISS OUT!

54 Crimson Fall 2020

MBS Holds Alumni Toast on Zoom REUNION 2020 On May 30, alumnae and alumni from The Beard School, The Morristown School and Morristown-Beard School gathered together on Zoom for a champagne toast in honor of MBS Reunion 2020 which was cancelled due to COVID-19. Attendees included graduates from the classes of 1960 to 2015 and represented states from New York to California.

ALUMNI MOMENTS

Gwen Whiting ’94 Introduces New Speaker Series Gwen Whiting ’94, co-founder of The Laundress, an eco-friendly line of detergent fabric care and home-cleaning products, announced a new speaker series called “Let’s Work” this spring. This series invited female thought leaders around the world to share, inspire, and connect during this challenging time.

Perri Easley ’19 Featured in New Lady Gaga Book Congratulations to MBS graduate Perri Easley ’19, whose essay “Learning to Live Life As Is” was published as part of Lady Gaga’s new book, Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community, which was released in September. Perri is now a sophomore at Wesleyan University, and has been a longstanding Channel Kindness reporter with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation (BTWF). In this role, she has written articles pertaining to her personal mental health journey, and also submitted vlogs pertaining to areas of youth positivity in her immediate community.

MBS Alumna holds Virtual Concert Broadway artist Kathryn Allison ’10 (Company, Wicked, Aladdin) was featured in a live-streamed archive performance from the iconic stage of Joe’s Pub in New York City in August. The show (recorded live in 2019) featured her first-ever live performance of her debut album, Something Real, which features reimagined R&B hits and jazz standards. A portion of the proceeds from albums sold during the event were donated to CLOTH, an organization close to Kathryn’s heart that supports and empowers economically disadvantaged residents of Washington Heights.

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While this year has been one of many challenges, it has also given us opportunities on MBS Connect, the Alumni Networking Portal, to find one another, to help each other, and to bring our membership together. Since the launch of the portal in June 2019, we continue to grow, hitting milestone after milestone producing a current membership of over 750 users of which 88% are alumni. MBS Connect houses an alumni Online Directory, Social Posting, Job Board, Business Directory, Resource Center, Groups, News and Willing to help growth Events. Our constituents include senior students who learn through in-class training how to register, utilize, and conduct themselves on our networking platform. However, no other attribute can compare in the portal to the always increasing number (currently 303) of alumni who have self-selected “Willing to Help” in a variety of professional networking ways.

2019

2020

The spirit of community is alive and well within the MBS Alumni Community.

New to MBS Connect MBS Connect continues to grow, change, and improve along with our community. Some of the updates since spring 2020 include:

• • • • •

56 Crimson Fall 2020

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Button – found on the main page (Feed) of the portal. Click on the button to find the School’s most up-to-date initiatives on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. MBS High School Sports and Clubs - have been added as a profile question. Fill this question out on your profile page and then search in the directory to find other alumni who participated in the same sports and/or clubs! Google Maps – Search for alumni in the directory by “My Location” and Google Maps will pin point all alumni in your state. Use this on the mobile app as well! Business Directory – this is FREE to all MBS alumni, family and friends. Advertise your business or service (or one you frequent) at no cost and with no expiration date. Resources - New to the platform is our “Resources” branch. Here you will find information on a wide variety of topics including Portal Video Tutorials, an Alumni Deceased List, and much more!

So, how do you become a member of MBS Connect?

It’s easy! You can join in 3 simple steps: Step 1 Go to www.mbsconnect.net

Step 2 Click the white button to get started and create your account using your email address or social network of choice.

Step 3 Complete your profile by answering questions. You may share as much or as little information as you wish. The more you share, the more customized your experience will be.

Now start connecting!

MBS Connect on the go!

Use your mobile device to download our MBS Connect app Android Users Search for Morristown-Beard School in the app store and download “MBS Connect.”

Crimson Networking: A VIRTUAL SERIES

MBS Alumni Relations will host its first in a series of three virtual events in January. The first Zoom event will include a panel consisting of young MBS alumni currently attending colleges and universities. Discussion topics moderated by MBS seniors will revolve around the college experience. Some of the many questions that will be asked by the seniors to the panelist are: What was the transition like to college academically and socially? What did you feel most prepared for going into college? Least? What is your advice for the seniors at this stage? Two more Crimson Networking: A Virtual Series will follow later this school year.

UPCOMING VIRTUAL SERIES Alumni to Alumni (February)

A networking event in which five alumni “titans” in their respective industries give their opinion on a common topic. Alumni to Upper School Students (April)

Similar to past Alumni Career Panels, a diverse alumni panel will share their career paths with the Upper School students. For questions regarding the Crimson Networking: A Virtual Series, please contact Melissa Hedley ’90, Project Manager Alumni Relations at mhedley@mbs.net or log on to our Alumni Networking Portal’s “Events” page for more details.

www.mbsconnect.net iPhone / IOS Users Download “Graduway Community” in the app store and search for Morristown-Beard School.

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MBS Party in a Box is a fun new way to host a small alumni cocktail party! Party in a Box is equipped with photo op items like MBS baseball hats, sunglasses, and mini handheld flags. Also included in the box is a large vinyl alumni banner and MBS plastic cups and napkins, not to mention a surprise gift for the host/hostess. For more details on how you can get your MBS Party in a Box (supplies for 10-12 people), register on MBS Connect, our Alumni Networking Portal, at www.mbsconnect.net and visit the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Resourcesâ&#x20AC;? section. Supplies are limited and some terms do apply.

Save the Date for N U O

A G

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M U L

Y A D

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Please join fellow young alumni from the classes of 2017-2020 virtually to reconnect with teachers, former classmates, and friends! More details coming soon.

ALUMNI MOMENTS

The MBS Black Alumni Alliance was called to action, sent a letter of intent Morristown-Beard and met with members of the MBS Senior Administration Team in July. School Members of the group have not wasted any time in making their vision The social injustices that we have been experiencing as both a community and a nation led to the formation of the MBS Black Alumni Alliance. The Alliance is made up of 64 Black alumni ranging in class years from 1998 – 2019. After watching videos and reading some of the stories that surfaced on social media last summer, this group formed organically out of their love for MBS and a desire to be part of the solution in creating positive and lasting change. Working in partnership with the MBS Director of DEI, the goal of the MBS Black Alumni Alliance “is to create a community that addresses the needs and concerns of all MBS students and alumni who identify as members of the African diaspora. We are committed to building relationships that foster collaboration and a sense of belonging for Black students and alumni.”

MBS

on the

of diversity, equity, and inclusion a reality. Some have volunteered on the MBS Racial Justice Task Force. A couple of the members submitted their bios and were voted on to the Alumni Board. The Black Alumni Alliance is committed to supporting MBS in doing the work that is needed to make the School a safe, nurturing and welcoming environment for all students, where each person feels valued, respected and “powerfully prepared for learning and for life.” The Black Alumni Alliance is an example of how MBS alumni live out the School motto “ad astra per aspera,” as they work to help move our community forward “to the stars through adversity.” If you are interested in participating in the Black Alumni Alliance, please join the group on the MBS Alumni Networking Portal www.mbsconnect. net or send an email of interest to mbsblackalliance@gmail.com.

ROAD

Head of School Peter J. Caldwell and MBS faculty & staff will be visiting the following towns and cities via Zoom this year:

NEW YORK CITY NAPLES, FLORIDA VERO BEACH, FLORIDA JUPITER, FLORIDA BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS WASHINGTON, DC

– – – – – –

January 2021 February 2021 February 2021 February 2021 April 2021 May 2021

Please let us know if you are interested in attending via Zoom. Contact alumni@mbs.net for further details. Crimson Fall 2020 59

NEW ADDITIONS

Alumni Board Welcomes New Members

MBS is happy to announce the appointment of five new board members. In true MBS fashion, these people bring to our community the unity, spirit, and dedication coveted among our past and present MBS families. Jerome Brown ’08 Jerome Brown ’08

Michele Cestone Fusco ’83

After graduating from MBS, Jerome attended La Salle University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree. Jerome currently works as an Investment Advisor at Vintage Wealth Management Group in Charlotte, North Carolina where he lives with his wife Chaye. Jerome’s diverse background in finance and business development has enabled him to achieve professional success in a variety of roles including serving as a Trading and Client Service Representative, a Business Development Management Manager and a Business Support Associate. Jerome has even been featured in Black Enterprise magazine. Jerome says, “I’ve always had the desire to come back to Morristown-Beard to serve, as attending MBS was indeed one of the best decisions in my life.” After the murder of George Floyd and the national social unrest that followed, Jerome decided that the time to serve is now “in a place and capacity where my presence and insight would make a difference.” He feels that it is his “obligation to reach back to students who may be having the same experience that (he) had,” and to “help make their experience easier and more fruitful.”

Michele Cestone Fusco ’83

In support of her daughter, current MBS senior Joele Russomanno ’21, Todd McConnell ’02

BeLara Bryant Palmer ’98

Michele Cestone Fusco serves as parent coordinator for the field hockey team. A tireless and committed volunteer, Michele has donated her time, talents and energy to the following organizations: Montclair Chamber of Commerce, Special Olympics at William Paterson College and the Newark Archdiocese to name a few. She has also founded and served on the Women’s Auxiliary of Livingston Community Hospital and the Daylight for Daytop organization for children. Daylight for Daytop raises money for children to “get off the streets and go to a safe place.” Michele graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A proud member of the Class of 1983, Michele keeps her classmates connected to the School and each other in her role as Class Agent. Michele says, “I believe in our School as a parent, an alumna and a donor…. It’s not where you go to school, it’s what you get out of it.” Having gotten a lot out of her MBS experience, Michele hopes to give back even more as an Alumni Board member.

Todd McConnell ’02

Eriqah Williams Vincent ’06

Todd McConnell “proudly graduated from MBS in 2002,” and he has been bringing his classmates together ever since. Todd honored the memory of his best friend and fellow MBS alumnus, Remmey Bumsted ’03 by “spearheading a charitable event to raise money in his honor for the past 10+ years with annual gatherings.” Todd says, “MBS has been a huge part of that support. Not only via the alumni who knew Remmey, but also via the School itself reaching out” to Todd in support of his work. Todd graduated from Gettysburg

College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business. He was married in the spring of 2019, and he and wife Rachel live in Madison, New Jersey. They are expecting their first child in December. Todd has been working in financial services for more than a decade and he has experience both in brokerage and RIA models, creating new relationships with individuals and business owners. Todd says, “I have always wanted to give back (to MBS) and am now thrilled at the opportunity to do just that.”

BeLara Bryant Palmer ’98,

BeLara Bryant Palmer is the CEO of The Geryn Group, a realty services firm she founded in 2015. She earned her Masters Degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. BeLara began her professional career as an Urban Planner working with Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District – one of the leading community development organizations in Newark, New Jersey. After having lived in Atlanta for several years, BeLara is excited to be back in New Jersey and she “desires to reconnect with her peers and to re-engage through service.” As a student at MBS, BeLara co-founded “Umoja-Imani,” an organization conceived in response to the need to support students of color at the School, while serving the greater MBS community through cultural programming. As the 1998 recipient of the Nancy Carolyn Hoyer Memorial Award, BeLara received this award for demonstrating “personal integrity, responsibility, friendliness and school spirit.” BeLara continues to exude these characteristics and looks forward to demonstrating them through her service to the MBS Alumni Board and the MBS community at large.

Eriqah Williams Vincent ’06

A proud native of Newark, New Jersey, Eriqah Williams Vincent is a 2010 departmental honors graduate of Spelman College with a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Women’s Studies with a concentration in activism. While attending Spelman, Eriqah began what is now a 12 year career in environmental and racial nonprofit advocacy, currently serving as the Network Engagement Director at the Power Shift Network. In January 2018, she started her own event and logistics consulting business, Logistics by E. Ré. Eriqah lives in Lithonia, Georgia with her husband James and their 5-year-old dog Nox, although she still very much considers New Jersey her home. Eriqah joins the Alumni Board because, “My high school experience at MBS was such an enjoyable time for me. Many people say they did not enjoy high school and I am always thankful I don’t have that story.” A self-described “theater kid, doing plays and musicals and taking chorus and dance,” Eriqah joins the Alumni Board hoping to “ensure MBS is not only as enjoyable for other Black kids like myself, but to be a continuous thread of connection for other Black alumni who may feel we (they) don’t have a place at MBS” since graduating.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Alumni Board or helping with a specific event, please contact Monya Taylor Davis ’88, Associate Director of Alumni Relations at alumni@mbs.net or call 973-532-7578. 60 Crimson Fall 2020

Alumni Association Reunion 2021

MILESTONE CLASS AGENTS* Class Agents are imperative to our alumni community by keeping their classmates connected to MBS. Milestone Class Agents have a primary role in encouraging their classmates to attend their Milestone Reunion. This year’s classes celebrating Milestone Reunions are all classes ending in 0’s, 1’s, 5’s and 6’s. We have combined the missed Reunion 2020 with Reunion 2021. Carolyn Clarkson Markham ’50

Herman Kurz ’86 hkurz@setonco.com

anjali.ramchandani@outlook.com

**Fred Greenberg ’55

Melissa M. Hedley ’90

**Eriqah Williams Vincent ’06

Bettie Francis-Lajara LaVallee ’55

Suzanne Tregenza Moore ’90

Richard L. Stinson ’56

Stephanie Gowski Bush ’91 stephaniejbush@me.com

lerner.rebecca@gmail.com

Hope Phillips Hazen ’60

**Kelly MacMahon Ewing ’91

Emily Martuscello ’10

Pamela Norman Apito ’65

Sallie Oakes O’Connor ’91

cmredfox3@gmail.com fgwindswept@aol.com

manjimger@gmail.com kb3kbc@gmail.com

hopehazen@aol.com

pnorman.bes@gmail.com

Martha Root Brody ’65

mhedley@mbs.net

suzannetmoore@gmail.com

ewing517@aol.com

oakessal@yahoo.com

Chip Rollinson ’91

marwdhnd@stny.rr.com

chip.rollinson@gmail.com

Paul Koepff ’65

Dr. Christina Toth Breen ’95

paul.koepff@clydeco.us

Michaele Espositio ’66 Meme105@yahoo.com

Delevan Barrett ’70

del_barrett@yahoo.com

Cathy Fischer ’70

cathyfischer@icloud.com

Shaun Wentworth ’75 sjjnj13@gmail.com

Kristin Monsen Petry ’80

cnt1978@gmail.com

**Ryan Carr ’95

ryancarr4@yahoo.com

Darnell Park ’00

darnell.t.parker@gmail.com

**Tashia Martin ’01

tashiam.martin@gmail.com

Tyler Mulvihill ’05

tyler.g.mulvihill@gmail.com

Greg Williams ’05

Anjali Ramchandani ’06 eforeman817@gmail.com

Zach Borker ’10

zborker@gmail.com

Rebecca Lerner ’10

emar2cello@gmail.com

Maggie Ranger ’10

maggie.ranger1@gmail.com

Sam Taggart ’10

staggart19@gmail.com

Anna Balliet ’11

annaballiet@gmail.com

Lauren Capo ’11

Lcapo93@gmail.com

Alix Shulman ’11

alixshulman1@gmail.com

John McDonald ’15

jdmcdonald19@gmail.com

Maddie Carroll ’16

maddiecarroll@icloud.com

Nicole Robertson ’16

kristinpetry@gmail.com

gregory.williams86@gmail.com

nrobertson707@gmail.com

David Moretti ’85

Lee Grant Bogaert ’06

Whitney McDonnell ’20

proskomedia@gmail.com

William “Bill” Trimble ’85 billtrimble901@gmail.com

lee.bogaert@gmail.com

wamcdonnell1@gmail.com

Jennifer Conway ’06

jennifer.lynn.conway@gmail.com

Gail Kaltenbacher Kurz ’86 gail@setonco.com

* For a full list of MBS Class Agents, please go to the alumni section of our website: www.mbs.net/alumni-association/class-agents ** Denotes Alumni Board Member

Crimson Fall 2020

CLASS NOTES

Updates From the

Alumni Board Greetings MBS Alumni, It is an honor to serve as President of the Morristown-Beard School Alumni Association. I stand on the shoulders of a line of very dedicated alumni presidents. I am grateful for the help and support of my Alumni Board members and the MBS staff, each of whom bring distinct gifts and talents to our organization. The mission and commitment of our Alumni Association remains the same—to keep our alumnae and alumni from The Beard School, The Morristown School and Morristown-Beard School connected to our school and each other, while supporting the students who will follow us as future alumni. With gratitude for our strong and stable foundation, we will continue building upon traditions from the past, creating new ones and moving MBS alumni forward. As we reflect back on where we have been and where our School is going, we are always thinking about and strategizing on how we can meet the needs of those who will follow us. I am grateful that many alumni are already participating at so many levels, giving of their time and talent. In big ways and small, your contributions are important and valuable. As alumni we are a vital thread in the fabric of this School, and your support and participation are needed now more than ever. You too can get involved by serving as a Class Agent, hosting a senior project, offering to speak to an MBS club, or making a donation to The MB Fund. For more ways to stay connected, visit our alumni networking portal www.mbsconnect.net and get involved, stay informed, and utilize its resources. Go Crimson!

Amy Chaiken Wolffe ’78 Alumni Board President

62 Crimson Fall 2020

Need volunteer or event information? Please visit www.mbsconnect.net or email alumni@mbs.net

1944

“I hope to hear from anyone in the Class of 1944,” writes Janet “Janey” Evans McBride. “I have lived in St. Petersburg, Florida since 1996 and have loved every minute. I’m 10 minutes from the beach and from downtown and have the bay outside my living room window. I’ve been involved at Eckerd College working with faculty and students all these years. I have two sons, two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren in Erie and Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Life is good to me I’m grateful to say. I’m proud to be an alumna of MBS and applaud the work they are doing to understand and end racism. Hope to hear from my classmates.” Note to classmates, please email alumni@mbs.net or call 973-532-7578 to request Janey’s contact information.

1947

“Best wishes to ALL and congrats to (the) new Head of School. Sorry to hear about Rose Koch, most of our family was touched by her. The book on over 75 seniors and their life histories entitled 75 Plus – Seniors Life Stories, with me playing softball finally came out, and now we are waiting for another book, The History of Lake Valhalla, where we lived and raised our Palmer family. Being 91 has not been easy, but we have enjoyed keeping up with the School. Wish we could make one more trip north, but that's not possible,” shares Richard Palmer.

1948

Robert Greenberger writes, “changed address from Leesburg, Florida to Kennedy, New York, (to be) closer to family.”

1949

Buffie McKim Powell called and shared that last year in June of 2019, she and classmates Gerry Gedney and Sue Smith Yeaw went to visit Virginia Wilson Thomson at her retirement home in Red Bank, New Jersey. They had a lovely visit.

The Beard School Class of 1960 Reunion

1953

Joyce Christian Bodig states “After 36 years at the Frick Collection, I retired at the end of October. I had what I thought was the best job in New York—for 21 years as Special Events and Concerts Coordinator and a final 15 years as Concerts Coordinator. I will miss it.” Mo r

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Classmates Eric Johnson, Dick Stinson, and Paul Kiselik agree - “The older we get, the better we are.” And they share that their class motto is the reason why, “We grew up, without a doubt, during the best time in America, where we were taught by the fantastic masters to study and work hard; thus, we could become, within reason, whatever we wanted to be.”

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Members of The Beard School Class of 1960 gathered together via Zoom in June to celebrate their 60th Beard School Class Reunion. Pictured as follows – top row, left to right: Pam Russell Bush, Hope Phillips Hazen, Susan Town, Margaret Maguire Bernhard. Middle row, left to right: Gail Widdowfield Warner, Mary Ann Griffin Tully, Eliza Brooke Hensler Morrison, Pat Berger Negus and bottom row left to

right: Julie Sage Day, Melinda Mitchell Lyon, Terry Alfano Vance, and Leigh Bates Olshan.

1962

Dr. Jeanie Hayes raises two-day old baby chicks in her kitchen until they are strong enough to live outside in their totally enclosed “playground.” Dr. Jeanie explains, “these exotic breeds are friendly pets” that she uses with children, adults, and families in her animal assisted therapy private practice in Marin County, San Francisco, California. Peter Engler celebrated 40 years living in the wonderful San Francisco Bay Area. He and his second wife, Carole, share five children and 12 grandkids, all but one living out in California. Peter is active in The San Francisco Yacht Club near his home in Belvedere, writes novels and career books (amazon.com/author/ peterengler) and corporate/family legacy books (www.companyhistoryproductions. com). Peter “avoids exercise and misses September in the east.”

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“2020 started off great with a class reunion in February in Florida which was well attended and was graced by Head of School Peter Caldwell joining us. Really great to catch up with classmates!” writes Doug Mockett. “After that the best view of 2020 has been in the rear-view mirror. Who could imagine the murder of George Floyd, civil unrest, pandemic, recession, and divisive politics like never before, all in a few short months? And

Ken Phillips is excited to report that he released his first book Make a Better World - A Practical Guide to Leadership and Fundraising Success. In April, the first month of the book's release, it ranked #1 in Nonprofit Management and Leadership and #1 in Nonprofit Fundraising. Not resting on his laurels, Ken says, “I’m focused on books two, three and four! Strategic Planning and Culture for Nonprofits was released in October.” For more information go to: www.ngofutures.com. ol ho

1958

ongoing. On the plus side, my wife of eight-plus years, Rita, and I are blessed with good health, and basically hunkered down at home in Palos Verdes, California. Been pretty quiet but a wonderful lady to be quarantined with. Though COVID-19 is taking a toll, especially here locally on Los Angeles and SoCal, my biz of 40 years is doing okay; sales are down a bit, but not in the tank. Be thankful for small mercies. Still racing cars, still flying, and still enjoying life with a wonderful partner. Best wishes to Peter and many thanks for your tireless and successful efforts on behalf of MBS.”

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Bettie Francis Comas LaVallee writes, “I had an accident and my mobility of both my knees and right arm has made it difficult for me to do much. Thank God for my husband who has been a great help. As for me, this time of coronavirus has been a time of staying at home and going to visit doctors and cooking - which I love to do. Arizona has had a record high in temperature so before the accident, I was swimming in 94-degree water. I swam for one hour a day. It kept me in shape. We also walked daily for 35 minutes. I have been in a virtual book club. We’ve read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and Persuasion by Jane Austen among others. Bless you all.”

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“It has been a very quiet, isolated summer here for my family and me,” writes Martha Root Brody. “Although I have not heard from any classmates, it is my sincere hope that everyone

Crimson Fall 2020 63

CLASS NOTES

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“Greetings from Acworth, Georgia” from William “Bill” Terhune. Bill and Linda enjoy traveling with Royal Caribbean and Viking River Cruises and spending many wonderful hours with their three grandchildren. In March 2020, Bill, as the oldest member of the dive team, has “clocked 10 years as a volunteer SCUBA diver at the Georgia Aquarium cleaning the exhibits, feeding the animals (yes, sharks are present) and other maintenance duties. Google “Secrets of the Georgia Aquarium WSB-TV Ch2” to view the video of this very educational attraction in Atlanta.” Linda and Bill extend their best wishes to Bill’s classmates and alumni friends at MBS.

Bill Derrico lives in Milford, Connecticut. He is “married (with) three sons and two grandchildren. I'm still in the hardware business.” As class agent for Morristown School (MS) Class of '68, I would like to hear 64 Crimson Fall 2020

Although retired from teaching, Stewart Holmes is entering his 27th year as Minister of Music at Old Paramus Reformed Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on many choral groups, including the 24-voice Chancel Choir at the church, but Stewart has taken advantage of the shut down by practicing three hours a day in the historic sanctuary with the 53-rank hybrid pipe organ. He and his wife, Jean, have two grandchildren and a couple of grand puppies! Gary Lineberry retired from LL Global in March, where he was Managing Director of Retirement Education. He notes, “Driving our efforts in retirement education was an opportunity to ‘give back’ to an industry that had been tremendous to me.” Not kicking back, in April Gary co-founded FidVisor, a fintech company dedicated to reinventing financial advisory services for the mass market. Gary and his wife, Joyce, reside on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire.

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1968

from my classmates. Also, I would like to hear from any one from the MS Class of ’69. My email is billd981@yahoo.com.”

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and their families are healthy and well. As an agent for the Beard Class of 1965, I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of myself and classmates, to welcome the new Head of Morristown-Beard, Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Morrison. I am hopeful that she will find the School and Morristown a wonderful place to work and live. Welcome! As always, classmates, please remember to send your information along. Please take care and stay safe”

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Class Agent Cathy Bohn Fischer sent in the following updates on she and some of her classmates. “I’ve been working on gathering some notes from our class. I did learn that Lisa Shara passed away a few years ago from ALS. Charlotte Hartshorn passed away several years ago as well. Karen Kantor is living in Portland, Oregon. For me, as a realtor, the last few months have been extremely busy as people are leaving the more congested northeast to move to the Charleston area. An interesting result of the pandemic, companies are allowing more of their employees to work from home so they are no longer restricted to live near their office. Hated to miss our 50th Reunion!”

1972

“Hello all! My wife Wendy and I retired a little over a year ago and moved from Milford, Connecticut to Bluffton, South Carolina right

outside Hilton Head,” writes Chris Jolls. The couple live in a “gated 55 and over community called Sun City.” said Chris, “We absolutely love it here! Many, many things to do... I remember sitting in the grass playing my guitar in front of MBS and have great memories of my time there. Nowadays I am playing out in restaurants, bars and at different functions here in Sun City.” There are “quite a cross section of people from all over the US living here, including my friend who was the Phantom in the Phantom of the Opera in NYC who sings with me. I have to get him to use his ‘inside voice’ when singing James Taylor songs! My wife Wendy is in a number of different groups and has made many close friends in the short time we have been here. I’m still in touch with several 1972 graduates but would love to hear from more of them!”

1974

Bob Namar created and launched an ecommerce business during the summer. His new website, YesterCool.com, features tee shirts, mugs and gifts with retro/vintage designs from curated art and artists. “Every design has a history, and a story to tell. We are each the product of our yesterdays, and cool is whatever makes you happy.” Among the first collections are Americana, Baseball, The 70s and Austin, Texas. Bob invites interested artists/designers to share suggestions or submissions for consideration via email at bob@yestercool.com.

1978

Amy Chaiken Wolffe and Cindy Carlson Schollmeyer reunited at Amy’s daughter’s restaurant – The Pheasant in Dennis, Massachusetts.

Alumni Association

Morristown-Beard School

Proud father Art Lewis is happy to report, “My daughter Jillian graduated Brooklyn law, got admitted to the New York Bar and started (working) with the Manhattan District Attorney as an Assistant District Attorney in October. She is also planning her wedding, with a date for next October 2021.” Art continues that he is “enjoying life with my wife Daryn (Newark Academy class of 82’) in Boca Raton” and “golfed with Steve Fusco this past June in Colts Neck, New Jersey.” Mo r

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Warren Bobrow writes, “I’m writing to report that I’ve founded

1981

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“MBS knuckleheads annual golf outing in Nantucket.” In October, Steve Fusco and Peter Van de Graaf got together with friends Tripp Billings and Bruce Eshbaugh (pictured left to right). Tripp and Bruce both attended MBS but graduated elsewhere.

my own company with financial and logistical support from an incubator in California. The company named Klaus (named for my gnome) will be manufacturing the only legal THC infused mocktail in California. I anticipate a mid-November 2020 release.” Mo r

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David Moshier combines a background in graphic design and marketing with a broad knowledge of high-end computer applications. A graduate of Morristown-Beard School and Northeastern University, he also attended The London School of Economics, Harvard University School of Business, and the School of Visual Arts. David founded Oasis Creative Resources in New York City in 1991, successfully growing this graphic design and advertising agency, while concurrently teaching Computer Graphics and Desktop Video Editing at Pratt Institute. He moved to Vero Beach in 1997 and has provided marketing, design, sales promotion and advertising for clients both locally and nationally. He designs marketing and fundraising materials including PR for many non-profit organizations throughout Indian River County in Florida. David is also the publisher

Stay in Touch with MBS! Keep the MBS community updated on your latest personal, professional, and civic achievements. Please email alumni@mbs.net by February 5, 2021 to be included in the next issue of Crimson.

Calendar of Virtual Events JANUARY 2021 Friday, January 8th

Young Alumni Day Date TBD

Crimson Networking: A Virtual Series - Part I Young Alumni Panel and Seniors Date TBD

MBS Alumni & Friends New York City Cocktail Party FEBRUARY 2021 Dates TBD

Crimson Networking: A Virtual Series – Part II Alumni Industry Leaders’ Zoom with Alumni

MBS Alumni & Friends Naples, Florida Cocktail Party MBS Alumni & Friends Jupiter, Florida Cocktail Party MBS Alumni & Friends Vero Beach, Florida Cocktail Party APRIL 2021 Dates TBD

Crimson Networking: A Virtual Series – Part III Alumni Career Panel & MBS Upper School Students

MBS Alumni & Friends Boston Cocktail Party 6:30 – 8:30 PM

MAY 2021 Date TBD

MBS Alumni & Friends Washington, D.C. Cocktail Party 6:30 – 8:30 PM

JUNE 2021 Saturday, June 5th

MBS Alumni Reunion 2021

Recognizing Milestone Years 0’s, 1’s, 5’s & 6’s

Crimson Fall 2020

CLASS NOTES

1988

Loryn Barnes Clark serves as the Executive Director of the Office of Housing and Community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she is helping to implement the town’s COVID-19 response plan.

1984

“In February I joined Spencer Savings Bank of Elmwood Park, New Jersey as Vice President, Cash Management Sales Officer,” writes Rosalie Small.

1987

David Hedley and his husband, Bryan Hancsin, proudly announce the birth of their son, Alexander Hancsin Hedley on September 25, 2020. Alex was born weighing 7 lbs. 12.6 oz and happily joins his big brother Connor in Hillsborough, California. The entire family is looking forward to moving to Morris County in the summer of 2021.

66 Crimson Fall 2020

1992

For the past five years Darren Cregan and his business partner/head brewer, Heath Traver, have been quietly working to bring the first brewery to Morristown, New Jersey. Glenbrook Brewery, currently under construction, is planning to open its doors in November 2020. The revolutionary themed brewery will eventually have approximately 12 styles of beer available, each named for local lore. Cregan is currently a Creative Director based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will serve the brewery in that capacity. For more information visit their website: http://www.glenbrookbrewery.com.

Scott Michael Robertson, Ph.D. has been quite busy and shares what’s been going on in his life. “Since the summer, I have co-led a qualitative research study on autistic adults’ coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on daily living. I have also served on the MBS Racial Justice Task Force. At work, I attained my promotion to senior policy advisor, and began managing a $3.5 million national initiative on fostering inclusive apprenticeship opportunities to drive career pathways in information technology, data science, and healthcare. Dorris Consulting International awarded a national Service to the Citizen Award to my colleagues and me for advancing national policy and practices to promote accessible work technology, including for emerging technology like virtual reality and artificial intelligence.”

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Jen Seabury Sowa, Sandi Appet Pesso, Caroline Elias Turben and Kate Carlson Furer “spent a fabulous, COVID-free weekend in the Catskills. It was great to be together! Go class of 87!”

1999

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of City Guide of Sebastian & Vero Beach, a popular quarterly publication promoting nonprofits, community events and local businesses. He is also the host of City Talk, a live stream, radio, podcast and cable TV talk show on the Treasure Coast. He is on the board of the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce as well as several non-profits.

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After postponing and reimagining their wedding due to COVID-19, Greg Williams married Sarah Weitzman on October 3, 2020 at his family’s lake house in the Hudson Valley. Greg is thankful to both Tyler Mulvihill (officiant) and Seth Podell (best man) for the roles they played on the special day.

June 5, 2021

Brittany Doyle Barrett got married on October 13, 2019 in Newport, Rhode Island with quite a few of her fellow MBS alumni in attendance. Brittany met her husband James at Hobart & William Smith (HWS) Colleges where they both studied. Jennifer Evans, Gregory Alberti and Cory Doyle ’04 all MBS and HWS graduates attended the wedding along with MBS alumni Patrick Yannotta, Heather Giddings Alberti, Timothy Drury, Daniel Tuckman, Caitlin Thrower Donovan, Meghan Evans ’08, Pipi Sendowski, and Jennifer Raimo.

2010

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REUNION June 5, 2021

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Samuel J. Taggart currently lives in Denver, Colorado, where he's the Managing Editor of FREESKIER magazine, a globally circulated ski publication. He’s worked at FREESKIER for over three years as an editor and photographer covering resorts, athletes, brands and more. Every season is a new adventure and opportunity to travel, so keep your eyes peeled

to FREESKIER.com to see jaw-dropping imagery and read captivating stories about Sam’s adventures at high-altitude.

2012

Matias “Dusty” Pribor shares, “I started at Tulane University Law school and plan to graduate with a Maritime Certificate in 2023.”

Alumni Association

Morristown-Beard School

Meet the Alumni Board!

The Alumni Board maintains and cultivates relationships with alumni in various forums, while keeping them connected with MBS. It also represents the voices of their alumni constituents, while helping to build a strong commitment that will help to sustain annual giving and capital campaigns.

In July 2020, Eriqah Williams Vincent “stepped into an amazing position in becoming the new Network Director at the Power Shift Network (PSN) (powershift. org).” In this position, Eriqah “leads PSN’s central staff effort on network engagement, including recruitment, collaboration, and leadership development with Network members. This includes (but is not limited to) leading the development and implementation of the Network’s engagement and growth strategies, supervising program staff and supporting them in shaping and meeting their goals with regards to partner support and development, and serving as the staff leader in Power Shift convergence planning, with a focus on network member engagement and programming. The Powershift Network is a Black Woman-led network of young people and organizations staffed by young people that support youth organizing. The Network mobilizes the collective power of young people to mitigate climate change and create a just, clean energy future and resilient, thriving communities for all.”

Alumni Board Executive Committee Amy Chaiken Wolffe ’78, President Matthew Engel ’07, Vice President KC Hnat Joubran ’84, Secretary David Kramer ’69, Treasurer The 2020-2021 Alumni Board Members Gregory Bendelius ’88 Nancy “Taz” Tasman Brower ’47 Jerome Brown ’08 John Capo III ’08 Ryan Carr ’95 Sue Driscoll ’02 Kelly MacMahon Ewing ’91 Michele Cestone Fusco ’83

Frederick Greenberg ’55 Jillian Griffith ’14 Tashia Martin ’01 Todd McConnell ’02 Robert “Bob” Namar ’74 BeLara Bryant Palmer ’98 Eriqah Williams Vincent ’06

Join the Alumni Board! Alumni Board Members meet four times throughout the school year. They are looked upon for their engagement, dedication and leadership within the MBS alumni community. Term limits are three years with possible extension. If you are interested in becoming an Alumni Board member, please email your request to Monya Taylor Davis ’88, Associate Director of Alumni Relations at mtaylor@mbs.net or call 973-532-7578.

Crimson Fall 2020

IN MEMORIAM Rose Franke Koch, Former Faculty, July 3, 2020, age 75. Beloved 40-plus year Beard School and Morristown-Beard School teacher Rose Franke Koch is memorialized as the conscience and moral heart of the School. She held social and ethical issues central to School decisions. A change agent, she helped establish many ongoing School policies and institutions. Born July 24, 1944, the eldest child in a Quaker family, Rose lived the Quaker values of egalitarianism, inclusion and service. Growing up in Yardley, Pennsylvania and Hopewell Township, New Jersey, Rose contracted polio in the 1948 epidemic. Swimming therapy made her a lifelong swimmer; she swam pre-dawn laps in the MBS pool. Years later, post-polio syndrome limited her mobility, but nothing stopped Rose. In a succession of preowned Volvo station wagons, Rose was a road warrior, whisking friends to a local medical appointment or a new home 10 states away. She crisscrossed the country cheering former students and friends in joy and supporting them in sorrow. Teaching defined Rose. She graduated from Hopewell Township Central High School in 1962 and Pfeiffer College in 1965 with a social studies major and secondary education minor, briefly teaching in North Carolina. She trained for the Peace Corps in Watts, Los Angeles during violent unrest there, a proving ground for dangers ahead: she and fellow volunteer David Nicholas Koch later escaped under fire from the Nigerian Civil War. Requesting reassignment, the future couple trained teachers in Ethiopia. Back stateside, Rose braved new danger working in the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. These powerful experiences forged Rose’s demand that the voices of the powerless be heard. Beard Headmistress Edith Sutherland hired Rose in 1969 to confront social and educational challenges. In a 2009 interview Rose recalled, “In the late 1960s, curricula were expanding to include the history of non-Western cultures; I taught African-Asian Studies in addition to a more traditional European History course.” There and at MBS, Rose’s texts included the writings of African authors. “I wanted my students to understand Africa and its history through its own voice,” she

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said. She also sent book collections to African students. When Morristown and Beard merged in 1971, Rose was among the handful of Beard faculty coming to the Morristown campus. She was crucial to the successful transition to co-education. Rose and Beard-MBS colleague Lynn Daniels were Co-Deans of Girls. Rose recalled, “The administration and staff from (Morristown) Prep were accustomed to a different style of discipline than Beard’s which was more emotionally sensitive. The Headmaster or Dean of Students would say ‘What are you going to do about your girls?’ and we would counter, ‘Well, what are you going to do about your boys?’” Rose inspired all her students. “Miss Franke was a major role model. Here was this fearless woman whose experience and teaching of Africa and Asia opened our eyes; you left her class thinking,” wrote Jane St. Lifer ’74. “When Miss Franke became Mrs. Koch, this was another role model, showing how people mature and take a mate. In 1991 when her husband died, she never brought her grief into the classroom,” Jane said. After living on campus, Rose and David soon settled in the Koch family home in Mountain Lakes, filling it with house guests, former students and friends. (Rose moved to single-story living in Yardley, Pennsylvania a few years before her death.) Rose fought for her goals, gracious in both victory and defeat. Rose stood for the MBS elective system, new instructional methods, and early on team teaching ethics with Art Farmer of English. She was instrumental in the creation of the Student Government Association (SGA) to supplant the Morristown School Prefect system and The Beard School Association. She remained as SGA advisor until retirement, mentoring it through a new constitution in the 1980s and encouraging SGA’s diverse roles. Rose, among others, advocated for the Service Learning Program. Skilled at handicrafts – she was an accomplished quilter. Rose taught a coeducational Winter Workshop on how to knit chemo caps for young cancer patients. During her tenure, she was also the director of Upper School activities and in 2002 was among

the first three recipients of the MBS Kellogg Appreciation Award. Rose traveled extensively on four continents and brought the Model United Nations to MBS. She rigorously prepared her participants for regional conferences as well as for a storied trip to Russia. She had panoramic interests in music, film and literature and was a superb nature photographer. (For years, Rose was the photographer of record at School events.) In her second yearbook dedication, the editors of the 2006 Salmagundi wrote “You have been a wise advisor and affect our lives. You apply the experiences gained from world travel.” With her wide-ranging knowledge and interests, Rose could talk with anyone about most anything. If you were new to the School or alone at an event, Rose brought you in. No School or alumni event was complete without her. Until recently, joining the Yardley Friends Meeting, she long was part of the Montclair Friends Meeting and relished discussions there with her multicultural book group. Rose had a ready laugh and could laugh at herself. She long kept one of David’s 1960s vintage convertibles and would take faculty and her brothers out for Sunday drives.

Rose’s brothers Karl and Mark, sister Elise, Aunt Carolyn Lapham, Karl’s wife, two nieces, two nephews, many close cousins and scores of multigenerational friends worldwide survive her - all sharing Rose stories and all knowing she is holding us in the light. Virginia (Ginny) Wilson Thomson, ’49, April 3, 2020, age 89. Ginny was a Beard girl through and through. A dedicated class agent, she loved the School lifelong. She hosted events at her home and actively participated in reunions, Beard at Bayhead gatherings, and alumni Paper Mill Playhouse theater outings. Born in Newark, she grew up in South Orange, New Jersey. On her first day at Beard as a 7th grader, World War Two gas rationing was in effect, and there was no ride in the family car. Ginny jumped on her bicycle, headed into Orange, saw another girl in a pastel uniform and called out, “Which way to Beards?” In later years she well knew the way to Beard and then to MBS, driving her New Jersey shore area classmates to alumnae events. “I’m the only one who sees at night,” Ginny would say. After Beard, Ginny earned a bachelors degree from Connecticut College, marrying her first husband upon graduating. The couple lived in Hartford, Connecticut; had their first daughter there; relocated to Llewelyn Park in West Orange; had another daughter and a son; and, loving the ocean, moved to Little Silver, New Jersey. After divorce, Ginny taught kindergarten in Sea Bright public schools while bringing up her three children and enjoying summers at Sands Beach Club in Sea Bright. She met Harold S. Thomson in the late 60s. The couple married in 1976 and lived in Westfield, New Jersey until Harold’s retirement and their move to Sea Girt, New Jersey. Harold had gone to the then all boy Pingry School, saying once that “At Pingry we said the Beard girls were the prettiest and most spirited. Ginny proves us right.” The couple traveled the world and after Harold’s death in 2006, Ginny continued to travel including many trips to her beloved immersion language school in Spain. A lifelong learner, Ginny loved reading, history, opera, tennis and bridge; was a devoted, caring friend to many and volunteered extensively. She was a loyal New Jersey advocate and the keeper of

family history. She is a past member of the Red Bank Tower Hill Presbyterian and Westfield Presbyterian Churches. Her children and her four grandchildren and their spouses as well as a loving nephew and his family survive her. Allan Price Kirby, Jr. ’49, Former Trustee, September 16, 2020, age 89. Allan Kirby was a devoted and valued Morristown School alumnus. He participated in School events throughout his life, was a Trustee from 1986 to 1992, and was named Trustee Emeritus in 2010. Allan generously supported the School. The Kirby Chapel and Kirby Mile are named in his honor. The Kirby Mile was run annually for 27 years during half time at Homecoming; the 28th race was held during halftime of the first football game of the season on Saturday, October 3, 2020. In addition, Allan was the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for his philanthropy both to MBS and multiple educational and historic causes. A valued Morristown School football player, he was inducted into the 1989 MBS Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 1948 football team. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Allan’s ties to Pennsylvania were cemented during his post Morristown School years at Lafayette College where he played football and was among the best quarter-milers in the college's history. He belonged to the Knights of the Round Table and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity there. Allan later established the Lafayette College Kirby Art Study Center in honor of his father, Allan P. Kirby, Lafayette’15. After graduation and

Naval Reserve Officer Candidate School, Allan was assigned to the USS Winston in San Diego. He and his bride lived in San Diego until Allan completed his active tour of duty in 1955. The young couple then moved to Madison, New Jersey where they reared their daughter and four sons, including Allan P. Kirby III ’75. His children, the wives of his three younger sons, and 16 grandchildren survive him. Allan’s business career began with Reynolds & Company and Manufacturers Trust Company. He was president of Liberty

“Allan has been instrumental in the success of Morristown-

Beard School through his generosity and support. With very high standards, Allan kept careful watch over his beloved school, often driving through unannounced just to make sure that the School was in good hands. With a sharp wit and vigilant eye, MBS was led and then cared for by this generous man. He will be greatly missed.”

—Peter J. Caldwell, Head of School Crimson Fall 2020

IN MEMORIAM Square, Inc., his family real estate investment company. A generous philanthropist, Allan’s giving promoted his beliefs in free enterprise and entrepreneurship. He established the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C. in association with Hillsdale College. The college later awarded him an honorary doctorate in public service. He chaired the A.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation and the Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Wilkes University. Allan was director of the F.M. Kirby Foundation, a trustee of Fred M. and Jessie A. Kirby Episcopal house, Inc., chairman of the executive committee of Investors Diversified Services, Inc. and director and chairman of the executive committee of the Alleghany Corporation. In 2002, Allan was both recognized by the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania and received the Salvation Army's OTHERS Award. Allan was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying boating, fishing, hunting, tennis and time on his Mendham farm with his children and grandchildren. He rooted for the Giants, liked baseball and always encouraged excellence and hard work. Allan is remembered as a private, extraordinaryordinary gentleman, who sometimes chose to give anonymously that the spotlight shine on someone else. Mary “Mimi” Hamilton Kugushev ’53, April 1, 2020. “After Beard’s, I along with six classmates (I believe) went on to Smith College, majoring in music,” Mimi wrote in 2003, “But I must say that my best friends are the ones who were at Beard’s,” she continued. Mimi’s memories of her Beard’s days were vivid and many. Some are memorialized in the Beard pages of 125 Septembers. She recalled driving her brother’s two seater car to School with four classmates stuffed in: “Marcia usually had the privilege of lying on the ledge behind the front seat,” Mimi wrote, “Today we would be hauled over by the police…but wasn’t it fun?” Mimi lived in Washington, D.C. for 22 years - the first 10 with her first husband. She remarried in 1980 and the couple relocated to California, where she

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died in her longtime Menlo Park home. She is survived by her husband Alexander Kugushev, the author of Resilient America; three children from her first marriage; two grandchildren and her brother Kenneth Hamilton. She and the multilingual Alex traveled the world and put down strong roots in their community. Mimi was president there of the Peninsula Volunteers, an organization devoted to elder care. Music was central to her life. She played piano and sang, performing in choral groups both in D.C. and then in California. For decades she and her fellow choir members in the Cleffhangers gave concerts for the elderly. Music was also central to her volunteer work. Through her teaching and fund raising, Mimi brought classical music to underprivileged children. Mimi headed Concerts for Kids for the Mid-Peninsula League of the San Francisco Symphony and led the symphony docents for the entire Bay Area. The Symphony recognized her service, leadership and dedication with their 2016-17 Volunteer of the Year Award. Susanne Kirkpatrick Albert ’54 and Former Trustee, May 25, 2020, age 83. Fiercely intelligent, Susanne was an innovator across diverse careers. She enriched the School as a Trustee from 1994 to 1999 and conceived and helped shepherd the first MBS Leadership Symposium. She advocated involving the many: “The process of how the School achieves a goal is as important as the end result,” Susanne would counsel. She was instrumental in establishing the RodmanReed Family Fund to support a scholarship in honor of Miss Beard’s having given a home to one of her students, the newly orphaned Virginia Rodman (Reed) ’24. After Beard, Susanne graduated from Vassar College in 1958, taught young women in private schools and then entered the Peace Corps in 1962. There she taught English and literature to young women in Igbo Elerin, a village outside of Lagos, Nigeria. Returning to the US, she earned a Master of Education from Harvard in 1966. In a 2002 interview, Susanne said “I like to shake myself up, challenge myself every few years.” She left teaching and brought her independence of thought and critical thinking skills to the private sector. She was with AT&T for 13 years, creating intense

retreat programs that challenged corporate executives with outside thinking. As a middle management assessor, she identified future leaders, especially women, for the company. For AT&T Information Services she created the first Employee Feedback Survey Systems which led to key, company-wide innovations. Increasingly interested in finance, Susanne made another change, working in partnership with S. Dillard Kirby at IDS, Morristown, New Jersey as a Certified Financial Planner. When the company was bought up by American Express, Susanne became a stock broker in Boston, then New Jersey, and finally on Cape Cod before retiring in 2006. Part of “shaking herself up” was travel and experiencing new cultures worldwide. She relished cruises on all the great seas of Europe. Susanne’s mother was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution; her father was a Swedish born and educated civil engineer. In Susanne’s later years, she extended her mother’s genealogical research in the family’s Dutch, Swedish and ScotsIrish history. She joined the New England Historical Genealogical Society and went to Ireland to study family lines in Belfast and Dublin. Susanne is survived by her longtime partner Dorothy M. (Dottie) Smith, her brother John W. Albert and his wife and her nephew, nieces and their spouses as well as a great nephew and many cousins in Sweden, plus lifelong friends from her many careers and travels. Marilyn Lee Klass Sigel ’55, May 27, 2020, age 83. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Marilyn lived most of her life in Ohio. After her years at The Beard School, Marilyn received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Miami University as well as a Bachelor in Education with a Certificate in Special Education from Ohio State University. She taught at Chatham (Ohio) Elementary and became a long-term substitute teacher, primarily in Black River, Ohio schools. She was married for 58 years; husband David, three children and four grandchildren survive her as well as her brother and one sister, Joan Klass Levin ’58. Another sister predeceased her. Marilyn was also vice president of the family business, Sigel Cattle Company at Damar Farms in Homerville, Ohio where the

couple lived in a Victorian era home. “That entails paying bills, answering clients’ calls and questions, keeping them abreast of the market, and giving general input,” Marilyn explained to a reporter doing a story on the only Jewish cattle farmers in Ohio. The name Damar Farms is a combination of David and Marilyn’s names. Marilyn was devoted to her community - contributing to over 50 charities, as well as teaching, reading, and cooking to underprivileged communities. She also donated a room to the Lodi Hospital Emergency Department. She served on the boards of various local charitable organizations and was active in the American Cancer Society, Eastern Stars, the Black River PTO, Homerville Ruritan Club, Black River Comedy Club, Temple B’nai Abraham sisterhood, Hadassah, Leadership Medina County and Gleaners and was a leader in the Cub Scouts. She also organized political fundraisers for 2020 candidates and loved opera. Elizabeth “Liz” Williams Beatty, ’63, July 23, 2020, age 75. Liz was a striking presence at Beard, very tall and very blond with a natural athlete’s confident stride. She grew up in Maplewood and after Beard worked in fashion in New York City, meeting there her first husband, Marvin “Nick” Nicholson, a Canadian. Married in 1967, the couple moved to Toronto where they had three sons, Walter, Marvin, Jr. and Peter. Liz would live in Canada for the rest of her life. When Liz lost both her father and Nick in 1980, she concentrated on continuing a good life for her sons. She later met and in 1985 married John Beatty. The family moved to Victoria, British Columbia putting down deep roots in the community. Her two elder sons survive her along with Marvin’s wife, two beloved grandsons and Liz’s sister Stephanie Detjen ’58 and brother-in-law John. Her son Peter died in 2009. The Beatty home was affectionately known as the “Poodle House on the Hill,” a tribute to Diva, an outgoing standard poodle that, like Liz, captured hearts. Liz and Diva were fixtures in the dog parks of North Saanich-Sidney. Liz relished bridge, playing regularly on Fridays with the Saskatchewan Ladies and Mondays at the Victoria Golf Club where she made the frame

a number of times. Classmate Sue Jennings remembers as new Beard ninth graders, Liz was the friendly face in first year Latin. As adults, Sue and Liz forged a valued longdistance friendship. “Liz had strong beliefs, a huge sense of humor and deep kindness for all her many friends,” Sue said. Peter Turner Ross ’65, March 25, 2020, age 73. Born in Summit, Peter lived in New Jersey until relocating in 1973 to Camillus near Skaneateles in upstate New York. At The Morristown School, Peter was an outstanding athlete in football, hockey and track. MBS inducted Peter into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Later, he coached Camillus Youth Hockey League players for over 10 years. After Morristown School, Peter graduated from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. He then began a long, satisfying career as a printing and packaging specialist. Starting at Anken Industries in New Jersey, he went on to co-own and serve for 20 years as vice president for sales and marketing for Northern Graphics Printing in Baldwinsville, New York. He later sold packaging for TimBarr of Hanover, Pennsylvania then Cenveo of Toledo, Ohio and Innomark of Dayton, Ohio. Peter's expertise in printing was well recognized in the industry. He was president of the Institute of Packaging Professionals of Western New York for two years and was a member for 15 years. In 1982, Peter converted to Catholicism and became an active parishioner of St. Joseph's Church in Camillus. He was a longtime member of the Skaneateles Country Club, the Somerset Hill Country Club of Bernardsville and the Hunt Club of Peapack, New Jersey. His survivors remember his generosity and kindness. They include his wife of 40 years, Susan Delmonico Ross, two stepdaughters and their husbands, four grandchildren, his sister, nephew and many cousins and other family members. Peter G. Clark ’72, June 11, 2020, age 66. Born in Windsor, Ontario, Peter Clark proudly obtained his United States citizenship in 2014, having lived in America since childhood. After MBS, Peter graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University. In 1978, he married his high school sweetheart, now

Janice Clark, who survives him along with their two daughters, their husbands and two grandchildren. He had a long, productive career in fire protection services, befriending and mentoring many. In 1999 Peter was elected president of the Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA), also serving as chair of the FSSA Manufacturers Division. He began his career as International Sales Manager for National Foam in Lyonville, Pennsylvania. He then went to Ansul in Marinette, Wisconsin and later was vice president of sales at Kidde-Fenwal in Boston. Before retiring in 2013, he was at Notifier, first as international sales manager for the Mideast and Canada then as vice president of marketing. Peter lived many of his retirement years in Guilford then Westbrook, Connecticut. He enjoyed spending time along the shoreline both during solitary walks and with family and friends. He enjoyed photography and was an avid New York Giants and Boston Red Sox fan. A devoted family man he is remembered for his keen sense of humor and always making everyone laugh. Jonathan ( Jon) Bruce Kiselik ’82, June 9, 2020, age 56. Jonathan grew up in Livingston, New Jersey and later lived in Lincoln Park and Glen Ridge. Jon followed his father Paul, a 1956 Morristown School graduate, to MBS. With a generous warmth and exuberant personality—in recent years he favored wide, colorful ties— Jon made many lasting friends there. After graduating from MBS, Jon earned a bachelor’s degree from Marist College and forged a career based on his longtime love of music. He founded Music Trust Marketing Management and had been with New Generation Music. Jon’s knack was identifying rising stars and new musical trends. Jon was a DJ for MTV, worked in both retail and wholesale music distribution, and was a music producer. Several of Jon’s recordings were Billboard Breakouts. He wrote admiringly about older music masters, celebrating the soulfulness of Sly Stone. Baseball was Jon’s other love. He cheered for the Yankees and had an encyclopedic knowledge of statistics. Jon’s father Paul ’56, mother Teri, older brother Daniel, sister-in-law Alice, two nephews and his many friends survive him.

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professional development $50,000

COVID-19 emergency aid $150,000

• MBS summer educator series

• Additional aid for those affected by the pandemic

• Technology training workshops • Google classroom training

every gift matters The MB Fund

The Morristown-Beard Fund

health & wellness $170,000 • New 1,300 square foot nurse’s office • Temperature scanners • Air purification system

The MB Fund—our School’s annual fund— supports every aspect of MBS and pays for those tools and resources that our operating budget does not. In addition to covering the many costs associated with COVID-19, it also ensures that all students have the resources they need to succeed in all facets of campus life.

Please make your gift today! www.mbs.net/support

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