The Messenger Magazine
Annual Report 2017–18 Edition
Metropolitan Montessori School
Mission Metropolitan Montessori School is dedicated to providing an enriching and challenging educational environment where each child is encouraged to grow to his or her fullest potential academically, emotionally and socially. Through the dynamic partnership of child, parent and teacher, a consistent Montessori framework for learning is developed, offering “An Education for Life.�
Diversity Statement The Metropolitan Montessori School community encourages diversity within the student body, faculty, and administrative staff. In order to create an inclusive community and prepare our children for a multicultural world, Metropolitan Montessori School welcomes all types of diversity including, but not limited to, race, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, family structure, learning style, physical differences, and religion.
The Messenger
Letter from Head of School . . . 2
CAM P US DI SPATC HES MMS Shout-Outs . . . 4 All Fun + Games . . . 6 Just Your (Never) Average Day . . . 8 Let There Be Light! . . . 10 Language Development Experts Speak to MMS Faculty . . . 11 Debunking Montessori Myths . . . 12 Shelf Life . . . 14
FEAT URE STORI ES An Opening to A Different World . . . 16 Building a Better MMS . . . 20 Class Notes . . . 24
C O N T E N T S
Annual Report
Letter from the Chair of the Board of Trustees . . . 31 MMS Leadership . . . 33 Total Giving . . . 34 Revenue and Expenses . . . 35 Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow: The Campaign for MMS . . . 36 What Is the MMS Fund? . . . 38 The MMS Fund At-a-Glance . . . 38 The 1964 Society . . . 39 2017–18 Giving . . . 40 MMS Funding Priorities . . . 41—42, 45 Grandparent Giving . . . 46 Alumni and Former Family Giving . . . 47 Spring Benefit . . . 48 Raise Your Paddle . . . 50 In-Kind Gifts . . . 51 Ongoing Schools for Graduates . . . 52 Ways to Give . . . 53
Letter
FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear MMS community,
I’m
so happy to share the MMS Messenger Magazine + Annual Report with you.
This is a new annual publication that seeks to capture life at Metropolitan Montessori School right now.
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In these pages, you’ll find stories illustrating our latest curricular innovations, the quiet brilliance
of the Montessori pedagogy, and more. We also have a robust Class Notes section, which shows how a MMS foundation prepares our graduates for a breadth of careers and pursuits. Beyond these features you’ll find our Annual Report. Philanthropy goes hand-in-hand with the vibrant education MMS provides. Sure, we would not immediately shut down without donations. But they provide so much. They give our teachers the flexibility and resources to seek professional development, learn new teaching
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strategies, and generate exciting lessons for students. They enhance our physical space. Through financial aid, they ensure our school has a diverse group of families with various backgrounds and experiences. MMS would not be the same without your gifts.
You might be thinking, But wasn’t there a MMS Messenger
before? There was—just not like this. We have significantly revamped our communications tools in the last year and a half. Whereas in the past we ran two print MMS Messenger newsletters every year, now we have larger monthly primary e-newsletters and a brand-new elementary e-newsletter. Live this fall, a blog now houses our newsletter content. We also have launched an Instagram account and Vidigami, a photo-sharing platform. Through digital spaces, we are sharing more and doing it expeditiously. It’s
Every year,
our school changes and grows.
This is who we are at this moment.
sensible. Why wait for Winterfest photos for months in a print
newsletter when you can get them in a day or two on Vidigami?
Given these changes, it’s unnecessary to have a biannual Messenger newsletter.
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Nonetheless, not everything can be fully portrayed and properly honored online. This magazine
includes longer stories and graphics that don’t belong on a blog. I hope you see what I see here: a pub-
lication that conveys the creativity and enthusiasm of MMS teachers, the tight bond of our community, and the generosity of our donors. Every year, our school changes and grows. This is who we are at this moment.
On that note, I want to share how meaningful it is to be here right now. As you know, it is my last
year at MMS. I am so proud to have led this amazing institution for the past eight years. Being Head of School, I sew a few stitches in every part of the MMS tapestry: from getting involved in curriculum,
to working with the Board, to collaborating on school placement, and more. I’m grateful to everyone
who contributes to this community. Every inspiring teacher, dedicated staff member, and involved parent is an important piece of our school.
I will miss you all, especially your children.
With warm regards,
B renda Mizel
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After an open call this fall, members of our community acknowledged the following people:
We a ske d !
You a n s w e re d !
Marianne Garnier for always conceiving new and ambitious projects for her students, and capturing the essence of our school through her countless photographs. (RUTH SAMUELSON)
MMS Shout-Outs Bree Vandenberg for being a wonderful and welcoming PA chair. Thank you for working hard to help create great events for families to attend. (MARIELLE LOPEZ)
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I’d like to give a shout-out to parents Devina Bhandari,
Ralitza Horler, and Anna Sarly, who have graciously embraced their roles as chairs of this year’s MMS Spring Benefit. Planning is underway. It’s going to be a great night! (MELISSA STEWART)
I would like to give a shout-out to
George Kretzu for being
Shout-out to
kind and generous with his
Marielle Lopez for
time. He is always willing
always being available
to lend a helping hand and
to everyone with a smile
he does so with a smile.
and never letting anyone
I greatly appreciate how
feel that she has a
George goes out of his way
thousand things that she
to help members of the
needs to get back to.
MMS community every day.
(NATASHA DEHESH)
Thank you, George! (JOYCE MAFFEZZOLI)
Marielle Lopez for always being open to ideas and engaging the parents. (TOMMICA ELLIS)
I’d like to acknowledge Kim Dykes and Alicia Abel. They are usually the first faces I see when entering the building. I know that my son and I are always in good hands when we pass by the front desk, whether we’re coming or going. They are so much a part of setting the environment of the school, and it feels anchored, through their never-failing professionalism, warmth, friendliness, and kindness. We are lucky to have them. (JENNIFER RYAN)
ass How a New Math Problem -Solving Cl Creatively Engages Students
All Fun Games T he
fourth-grader approached the whiteboard with gusto, almost jumping out of her seat.
For the first 15 minutes of her math problem-solving class, she had
worked independently at her seat, tackling four different problems in her notebook. Even before the teacher, Dr. Patricia Pacelli, wrote the first problem on the board, she put in the request: Can I explain it to the class? The problem involved exactly one number and a bunch of different shapes, including something that looked like a rotten tomato. It was basically a logic problem, involving algebraic reasoning, multiplication, division, and addition. But to this student, it was a challenge to relish and master.
Starting this year, Pacelli—a current parent and longtime MMS teacher—launched hour-long, math problem-solving classes with each Upper Elementary grade. UE students take their regular math classes four times a week, with this class on the side. The point is not to teach new math concepts, but to engage students to stretch their brains with different logic puzzles and word problems that make math feel like a series of fun games. The class aims to improve students’ analytical reasoning skills and expose them to the broader ways math can be used. “Some kids finish their work quickly, and they will beg for something more challenging,” said Pacelli. “For the kids that don’t have that thirst, this is an opportunity to see what math can lead to.”
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The class also opens up a new extracurricular world for students. Many middle and high schools
have math clubs where students participate in contests involving logic problems similar to those that Pacelli chooses. “If the students don’t try them here, they may be intimidated to join a math club,” she said. In terms of real-world applications, these logic games and problems give students the same skills needed for coding.
Pacelli purposely chooses problems that don’t echo back to students’ regular math assignments.
The students are not supposed to solve a problem one way, with the latest strategy or concept they’ve learned. They’re encouraged to think creatively, tapping consciously or unconsciously into everything they’ve learned over the years.
But back to the fourth-grade class. After the students reviewed the class’s introductory questions,
Pacelli kicked off a new activity in which students had to break down various groups of numbers into different combinations and sums. She had selected this assignment because it had a “low floor and high ceiling,” accommodating a range of student levels. “Anyone can get in and start playing around, and then the high ceiling means that you can take it as far as you can go,” she said.
The students worked at first in pairs, then started to share their answers on the board, as Pacelli
wrote them down. “This is like a science experiment where we’re seeing a lot of different data. We’re going to challenge ourselves to look for patterns,” Pacelli said.
Eventually, the answers filled the whiteboard, and the students started to shout out the patterns
they observed. “They like having the chance to explain their thinking,” she said. That’s the creative side of math: approaching a problem from various angles and testing out what works. “They like doing everything at the board.”
Try Some Math Riddles written by fifth graders! You
know you’re onto something as a math teacher when students, unprompted, start writing their own problem sets. Pacelli has begun her fifth-grade class
with math riddles. Lo and behold, two students—Lola Ducroux and Mia Crawford— devised their own riddles, written below. Try ’em yourself! Answers are below.
Lola
• If you triple me and subtract 8, you get 19. What am I? • I f you multiply me by 9 and subtract 2, you get 79. What am I? • If you double me and add 4, you get 52. What am I? • I am a number between 40 and 50. The product of my digits is 8. What number am I? • If ____ + ____ = 14 and ____ × ____ = 48, what are the two numbers? • I am a number between 1 and 100. The sum of my digits is 9. I am divisible by both 3 and 7. What number am I?
s: 9, Lola’s answer
9, 24; Mia’s an
d swers: 42, 6 an
8, 63
Mia
9 a.m. The class circles up for morning meeting. There’s a special art project today! Also, after reading a book, students discuss the different continents. Can the class name them all? They can! There are some questions about the North Pole. Continent or not? Definitely not, it is decided. After that discussion, a teacher asks, “What work do you want to start with today?” The children close their eyes and think about it. When a student decides what work they want to do, they put their thumb on their knee.
Just Your (Never) Average Day In
a Montessori classroom, no two students’ days resemble each other—and no two days are alike. Subtly steered by their teachers, each Montessori student goes on his or her own educational “choose-your-own-adventure” every morning. A child often starts with their favorite “work,” a lesson with tangible
materials that lives on a tray on their classroom shelves. Throughout the morning, the students take and return different trays of “work.” Instructors balance out students’ selections with lessons that introduce them to more challenging and unfamiliar skills and concepts. To illustrate the range of these academic experiences, the MMS Messenger peeked into a primary classroom to capture some highlights of three students’ different journeys through a morning.
11:11
Start here!
It’s raining, so there’s no outdoor recess. Bummer. A teacher rings a bell to gather the students again for another story. They read a story about a frankly quite selfish wombat. “I hate this wombat” says a student. “That’s too strong a word,” says a teacher. “You can say, ‘I don’t like it.’” During the reading, a teacher subtly calls different students to leave the circle, go to the bathroom, and change their shoes, so everyone is prepared to leave around noon.
11:35 8
The teacher selects pairs of students—one older, one younger—to work together for the rest of the morning until it’s time to go!
The three-year-old
The kindergartner
9:21 Right after group, this child immediately gravitates
9:22 The kindergartner loads up a wooden tray with
to the language area. Choosing sandpaper letters and
a bead chain that has intervals of four, labels, a cube of
objects, she traces “m” and says the sound “mmmmm,”
beads equaling all the beads in his chain, and a piece
then traces “c” and says the sound “cuh.” She then finds
of felt to do his work on. He counts out to 64. At the
some objects that start with “m”—milk and mug—and
end of his chain sits the cube of beads, which helps
for “c,” car and crab.
him understand the cube root of 4 (i.e. 4 × 4 × 4 = 64).
The four-year-old 9:33 Only one or two students at a time can complete today’s art project, and everyone wants to do it! The four-year-old starts her piece. Another student comes by, politely requesting, “Can you let me know when you’re done please?” That’s “grace and courtesy”— two core tenets of the Montessori philosophy—at its finest, folks.
tux nut
hut
The kindergartner 9:47 He sits next to his teacher and begins working on a writing assignment, sounding out his letters and practicing his cursive handwriting. He draws a capital A, but
cut
makes it as small as a lowercase a. “I notice you’re making this a capital letter, which is correct. It just needs to go up to the white,” his teacher says.
The four-year-old 9:50 She’s wandering around the classroom, talking to friends, when her teacher calls over, “What kind of work do you want to do?” The student doesn’t know and the teacher gives her some choices. The student selects work on the movable alphabet and sounds out words with the vowel “u.” So there’s “tux,” “hut,” “nut,” and “cut.”
The kindergartner 10:15 The kindergartner asks his teacher if he can do
The three-year-old
another bead chain. “Why don’t you do something else—
10:24 The snack table is finally empty! The three-year-
you already did that today,” she responds. “How about a
old is hungry after completing her math work counting
puzzle?” he suggests. Thumbs up from the teacher! He
out quantities 0–9 and learning that zero means nothing.
pulls out a puzzle of Africa.
Once a place at the snack table becomes available, she sits down for some bananas, apple slices, and pita.
The four-year-old 10:38 The four-year-old grabs a seat at the snack table.
Let There Be Light !
A New Inspiration for Lower Elementary Winterfest
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cross all religions, and from the days of early humans, people have used light to raise their spirits during the darkest days of winter around the winter solstice,” stated third grader Gaby Perez to kick off this year’s Lower Elementary Winterfest. Her introduction previewed the concert to come. For the
first time, music teacher Karen Paulson’s entire program focused on songs about the symbol of light in different religions, a subject that students simultaneously learned about in class that fall. “It was a very Montessori development, because we like to be holistic and go full circle,” said Paulson, who conceived the idea over the summer. “I started to research holidays and I wanted to be as inclusive as possible.” So the concert featured songs about different holidays and in various languages in addition to English. The students sang “Au Clair de la Lune,” a French folk song; “Ocho Kandelikas,” a Hanukkah song in Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language; “Aeyaya Balano Sakkad,” a Diwali song in Konkani; “Ujima,” a Kwanzaa song; and “S’Vivon,” a Hanukkah song in Hebrew. Several third graders also shared messages about the origin stories of different holidays and items like diyas (Diwali) and menorahs (Hanukkah) that hold candles. “It’s been great seeing the children make connections and realize how each song connects to the theme,” said Paulson.
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Barbara Harmon
is a speech-language pathologist with a practice on the Upper West Side of
Manhattan. She spoke to primary teachers about benchmarks for language development. “Language begins at the moment that the parent is communicating with the child,” Harmon said, sharing that there are different gestures, sounds, and other ways babies express themselves. She answered teachers’ particular questions about language development and which speech impediments tend to naturally diminish over time and which might require professional support. Harmon completed postgraduate work in psychoanalytically-informed analysis, which addresses the needs of children, adolescents, and their families.
Before the school year, MMS invited two experts on child language development to speak to teachers for professional development
anguage Development Experts Speak to M MS Faculty Jessica Salas
is a bilingual licensed speech-language pathologist who provides services in English and
Spanish. Salas spoke to the entire MMS faculty about language development in children who are learning multiple languages. She discussed the differences in language acquisition between children who are learning more than one language concurrently—for example when two languages are spoken regularly at home—and children who grow up with one language and then learn another when they enter school. With so many bilingual children at MMS, Salas’ talk was very helpful in understanding some of the reactions—which dissipate over time—that students have when adjusting to new languages.
We hear these falseho ods all the time, so we decided to set the record straight!
MONTESSORI MYTHS THE MMS WAY Montessori emphasizes independence and ignores socialization. Reality  In an organic way, students socialize when a child shares a mid-morning snack with another, or when an older student reads to a younger one, or sees him or her struggling with challenging work and decides to help. More deliberately, children gather through group activities, like specialist classes, recess on the playground or rooftop, and morning meetings. Here children interact, collaborate, and learn how to navigate different social situations.
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Montessori doesn’t allow for creativity.
Reality Students think creatively in countless ways in class: while telling stories, while solving problems and devising solutions, and while expressing themselves artistically. The prepared environment includes shelves with “work” trays that pique their curiosity and call out for exploration. Children want to experiment and play with the Montessori bells and the open-ended art projects. Other materials are designed to propel them to look for creative solutions. Think about various puzzles. If a piece doesn’t fit, it’s pretty obvious, motivating students to ponder and test other possibilities. Moreover, the Montessori curriculum lays the foundation for creativity, by teaching students the building blocks like language for expressing their thoughts.
Reality Oh, but it isn’t! When a student—anyone, really—is engrossed in an activity, they naturally work quietly. If a child gets distracted, their teacher knows to engage them in something exciting to refocus them. And what about those instances when a student has a question or wants attention and shouts across the room? The teacher will either walk closer to the child and deliver the response quietly in person along with a gentle reminder on how they can get their attention next time. Or the teacher might wait for the child
It’s unnatural for children to be so quiet.
to figure out they’re not going to get a response by shouting. Then the student approaches the teacher, puts a hand on his or her shoulder, and patiently waits to speak to him or her.
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Shelf Life In
5 Ways Maria Montessori Integrated Design and Psychology in LE Shelves
a Montessori Lower Elementary classroom, a shelf is not just a shelf. Maria Montessori developed her curricula with a design
mindset. She arranged materials to inspire students to pursue ever more challenging work. She created color schemes and teaching tools that helped children grasp connections between different concepts. We’ve chosen one Lower Elementary shelf to explore all the ways Montessori blended design and pedagogy. Next time you’re in a classroom, take a closer look!
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She organized her shelves to motivate her students.
Each shelf and material has a grand organizing principle: The first graders’ work begins at the top left corner and the most advanced work sits at the bottom right corner. Some materials are like mini shelves unto themselves. Take, for example, the money drawers, where students learn the value of coins and bills and how to make change. They sit on a shelf with other materials, but are organized with the simplest work is on the top left corner and the most complex work at the bottom right corner. Throughout their LE years, students watch with admiration as older students move further down the shelf. “What they don’t know how to use, they’re curious about—which builds intrinsic motivation,” says Jody Quam, co-director of Elementary.
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ABOVE: On each shelf, the least complex work begins at the top left corner and the most advanced work sits at the bottom right corner.
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She designed materials that embraced different learning styles.
A Montessori instructor can teach one concept, take multiplication, with multiple tools and materials. For example, multiplication first shows up in the bead chains, where the multiples of a number are laid out in a linear fashion, ideal for practicing skip-counting. Students also learn multiplication through other materials such as the stamp game, where they perform repeated addition with number tiles. After experience with these concrete materials, a child is ready for the more abstract multiplication tables or even math facts games with dice. This variety forces the mind to think about and represent math in different ways, which makes flexible thinkers.
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She designed versatile materials that could teach concepts ranging from the simple to the complex.
With each skill, teachers are using familiar materials, so students feel like they’re learning incrementally instead of bounding ahead to wildy unfamiliar concepts. For example, a child first uses the stamp game in kindergarten to visually explore and wrap their head around addition. Over their three LE years, they use it for subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, too. LEFT: The famous stamp game, showing the answer to a division problem here.
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She reinforced math concepts through color.
Green, blue, and red are all over LE math shelves. That’s because of what they represent: Green is the units place. Blue is the tens place. Red is the hundreds place. You can see that in various materials. RIGHT: Two materials with the same red/blue/green color scheme reinforce place value.
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Her work plans provide students with a sense of accomplishment.
LE shelves have most of the curricular materials students will ever need. Through student work plans, teachers guide children to select increasingly complex work from the shelves and then mark when that work is done. These work plans are a record of everything the students have accomplished, sometimes over three years (while others cover shorter periods of time). “They feel so satisfied looking back and thinking, ‘When I first came here, I had an empty sheet—I had no idea what was on these shelves at all. Now I’ve mastered them,’” says Quam. “It’s fuel for how we actually are as people.”
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MMS teams with Kenyan school in enriching partnership
An opening to a different world y a d p s i r c a On in early October, Andrew Preston’s sixth-grade
global studies class is rapt in discussion over the day’s lesson on the Kenyan bildungsroman, Facing the Lion:
Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna. True to the title, the memoir by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton chronicles his encounter with a lion in the African countryside and how he gathered the courage to fight in order to protect his tribe and its prized cattle. While Metropolitan Montessori School students aren’t encountering real-life lions in New York City per se, Preston used the book as a launching point for students to compare and contrast their own coming-of-age experiences to Joseph’s.
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For many, it was a moment to consider their own metaphorical lions as they prepare for gradua-
tion and the next stage of their academic careers. “The lion is an opportunity to step into manhood,” said one student. “To vanquish it, you need a lot of bravery and courage.”
After visiting Kenya’s Sere Olipi Primary School this past July, Upper Elementary teacher Pres-
ton and MMS art teacher Marianne Garnier spent the fall semester identifying ways to weave Kenyan studies into the classroom. The trip was part of a partnership forged this year between MMS and The Thorn Tree Project, a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that supports educational efforts in Kenya’s Samburu region, located 200 miles north of Nairobi.
The idea to work with Thorn Tree was largely the brainchild of Preston, who previously worked
with the organization while teaching at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. It was made possible with help from the Robert Reveri Summer Grant, which supports faculty professional development to fur-
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ther MMS’s mission to offer an “Education for Life” for students and teachers alike.
In addition to teaching Lekuton’s memoir, Preston has taken lesson plans directly
from Kenyan social studies textbooks.
“When teaching about someone else’s culture, we don’t want to insert
our own cultural biases,” said Preston. “These books are produced by Kenyans themselves. We’re not putting ourselves into their history.”
As the students explore the textbooks, Preston asks them why
certain themes are discussed in detail and what that might say about their importance. For example, a section contrasting different soils—like fertile “Volcanic Soil” versus shallow and dry “Sandy Soil”—shows the importance of the agricultural sector in Kenya.
Other chapters focus on different peoples, such as the Bantu,
who migrated through lands that are now divided into different
them to grapple with
ideas that they don’t often
see in the news because it’s
not American culture or even Western culture. It’s a whole new set of ideas, values,
East African countries. What does this say about the connection between language and national identity?
I’m asking
“I’m asking them to grapple with ideas that they don’t often see in the
news because it’s not American culture or even Western culture,” said Preston. “It’s a whole new set of ideas, values, and problems.”
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and problems.
Brenda Mizel, MMS Head of School, said this initiative has a dual purpose: to help provide
resources and training to the Sere Olipi school, and to give MMS teachers an experience that will inspire new lessons and inject a global perspective into the MMS curriculum.
“We tend to be very Western-oriented in our studies,” she said. “This is awakening an interest that
students just didn’t have access to before.”
While visiting Kenya, Preston and Garnier taught math and English—a language that most Kenyan
students start learning in first grade—to a class of 70 students. The days at Sere Olipi were long, begin-
ning at 8 a.m. and wrapping up at 9 p.m. But that time allowed Preston and Garnier to develop a genuine bond with the teachers and students, playing soccer during their free periods and swapping stories about life in their respective countries.
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Garnier also worked with the Kenyan students on visual arts projects, which normally lack
resources. At Sere Olipi, she brought paper, pencils, and other tools for drawing projects and was amazed at the graciousness and resourcefulness of the Kenyan students.
“The kids were really excited,” she said. “Some of the drawings were really small because they
weren’t used to having so much paper and space to express themselves.”
Back in America, Garnier launched a pen pal program, sharing letters written by Sere Olipi stu-
dents with her third and fourth graders. The MMS students wrote back this fall and included pictures of themselves. They noted the various similarities they share with their Kenyan peers, like the subjects they’re learning, and various differences, like family size (Kenyan children often have many siblings, not just one or two) and homes. MMS third graders drew pictures of their high-rise buildings
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and described how homes are often “stacked” in New York City.
For kids, it has
to be real and tangible.
It’s hard to imagine what
something is like if they don’t actually see pictures or write letters . . . and have a
”
real connection.
Garnier said the candor of the letters from Kenya—which touch on issues like police violence and
strife in the community, in addition to professional dreams and personal aspirations—has helped foster important dialogues in the classroom about different cultures.
“It’s an opening to a different world,” she said. “I’ve started sharing pictures from the trip with dif-
ferent student groups in the school, and I’ve been watching their reactions. For them, it’s about being open to something that’s different from what they have.”
Moving forward, Preston and Garnier are working hard to maintain MMS’s relationship with Sere
Olipi and continuing to raise money for forthcoming trips to Kenya.
“It’s wonderful to have a buddy school that far away, but the relationship can only be fostered with
face-to-face interactions. That’s so important to the longevity of the partnership,” Preston said.
Mizel echoed Preston and said MMS plans to continue to foster the program in the coming years,
in order to strengthen the relationship with the Sere Olipi Primary School while continuing to enrich the lives of MMS students.
“For kids, it has to be real and tangible,” Mizel said. “It’s hard to imagine what something is like if
they don’t actually see pictures or write letters to kids and have a real connection. Having our teachers go every year will keep the program alive.”
—Bethany Biron
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! i t a p a Ch
Just in time
Sere Olipi’s Chief George Visits
to experience his first snowfall, “Chief George,” leader of the Sere Olipi community, visited New York last November. He spent one morning at
MMS speaking with third through sixth graders. Students were full of questions about the educational system, his community, and his job—the title “Chief” was clearly very intriguing! Queries included: How did you become chief? (He applied for the position and was judged by a panel of government officials.) What changes have you made to the community? (Increasing school enrollment, among others.) What does he think about technology? (It’s very useful for communication and sending money, including to buy cows.) What kind of weather do you have? (There’s a long drought, lasting from May to December, a short drought, and a rainy season.) How do you decide who goes to school? (Can your child reach over their head and touch their other ear—then they’re old enough to go to school! This usually happens around five or six years old.) And the most predictable elementary school question: Do you have pets? (Yes, but dogs don’t sleep inside. They’re too busy watching livestock.) Chief George has 26 years under his belt—though actually “under his bracelet” seems more apt, since he wore a traditional bracelet with “Chief” prominently beaded into it. After 40 minutes of questions, Chief George sat among the students in the UE Commons for a photo. “Chapati!” the group yelled when it was time to snap the pic—that’s the Kenyan version of yelling “Cheese!”
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Head of School Brenda Mizel may be retiring at the end of the school year, but her legacy won’t soon be forgotten
Building a Better MMS
Weekday mornings always follow the same routine for families at Metropolitan Montessori School. Children line up to greet Head of School Brenda Mizel—some with a handshake, others with a fist or elbow bump—before they make their way up to join their classmates.
Parents stop in to wish their kids a good day and chat with Mizel about whatever is on their mind, lingering over coffee at the bright benches at the back of the lobby if they have time. This daily ritual may seem commonplace for MMS families, but it’s one they don’t take for granted, especially the enthusiastic presence of Mizel.
When Dana Alpert was a new parent at the school, she looked forward to her mornings drop-
ping off son Max and catching up with MMS’s head of school. “She was just out there every day, and I always thought I could talk to her about anything, really—concerns I was having about the school, concerns I was having as a mom, questions about Montessori in general,” Alpert said. “I came to trust her quickly, and know that my son was in a place with a person I trusted deeply.”
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Finding Her Place in Education Mizel has put in the work to earn that trust. Like so many Montessori educators, she started out as a Montessori parent. After growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Mizel worked training salespeople in new technology at department store Carson Pirie Scott, before relocating to the Washington, D.C., area with her husband, Lou. The Mizels moved around before settling in New Jersey, where their three children attended the Montessori Children’s House of Morristown. When the school’s administrator moved to Texas, Mizel applied for the job.
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“I really became very focused on Montessori, partially because my kids went there,” Mizel said.
“The values of Montessori education, I could see them in my own children—how they were independent learners, how they were very self-sufficient, how very confident they were, how articulate they were. Now, I will take some credit for that, but I knew that their education was supporting that—and so I thought, this is really right for kids.”
During her 11 years at Morristown, Mizel worked hard to
grow the school, from increasing enrollment to overseeing an addition to the building and extending the curriculum through sixth grade. She also became involved with the American Montessori Society and developed a close relationship with its founder, Nancy McCormick Rambusch.
Mizel went on to lead a number of distinguished schools,
from Whitby School in Connecticut to the Lower School at Lake Forest Country Day School outside Chicago, before landing as the head of school at Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston, Illinois. At every institution, Mizel left her mark,
She’s a
change agent.
She also laid the
foundation for us to keep moving
”
forward.
often in the form of real estate. From renovating elementary floors and adding specialized classrooms, to heading up capital campaigns and overseeing the construction of new buildings, Mizel has left a tangible legacy behind.
“She’s a change agent,” said Robyn McCloud-Springer, Mizel’s former elementary program direc-
tor who is now the head of school at Chiaravalle. “I don’t think anyone else could have moved the organization as far as she did in the time that she was able to. She also laid the foundation for us to keep moving forward.”
Bringing Change to Metropolitan Montessori School
Mizel wasn’t looking for a change when she heard about the Metropolitan Montessori opening, but with two children and four grandchildren in the New York City area, she figured it couldn’t hurt to look. And what she found at MMS was an exciting, diverse school, ready to grow.
“It’s just a very vibrant community, and for me, that was one of the things I loved about being at
this school and in New York,” Mizel said. “We are a very diverse community. We’re very inclusive and
21
“
What we have is
an environment where you feel really good.
And because you feel
really good, you want to teach better, you want
”
we’ve become incredibly international. I mean, you would think that we were next door to the UN.”
to learn more.
With her signature wit and professionalism, Mizel worked to grow
MMS from a tight-knit neighborhood community school to a world-class
institution that could compete with the best of New York’s private elementary
schools. “We were always considered the best-kept secret on the Upper West Side,” Mizel said “[MMS] was a small little school in the neighborhood and nobody wanted to let anybody else know about it. It was just sort of like a club.”
It was one thing to fly under the radar before the recession, but after 2008, Mizel knew that she
needed to get the word out to keep the school competitive. She worked tirelessly to take MMS to the next level, from involving parents in marketing efforts, to launching the school’s first capital campaign, to making sure the expansion was a success.
The previous board had purchased the townhouse next door, but it was up to Mizel to figure out
how to incorporate it into the school’s existing structure. And when the architect discovered that the two buildings’ floors didn’t line up, what could have been an insurmountable hurdle became an opportunity to innovate instead. The new school building is beautiful and bright, with a huge wall of
22
windows, landings throughout for students to convene, and a rooftop complete with a garden the students tend.
“The building actually showcased what we were doing in here all along,” Mizel said. It quite liter-
ally shed further light on the strong community and quiet rigor that has defined MMS for years. The spaces foster these elements, too. “What we have is actually an environment where you feel really good. And because you feel really good, you want to teach better, you want to learn more as a child, and parents feel happy being in here.”
Besides MMS’s beautiful new home, Mizel leaves behind a legacy of professionalism, passion, and
support for her staff.
“When people work with her you feel her enthusiasm and energy. It rubs off on people around
her,” said Joyce Maffezzoli, an MMS parent and co-chair of the capital campaign. “It’s definitely not just a job for her. It’s more than that. It’s something that means a lot to her.”
Beyond her infectious enthusiasm, Mizel also worked to
make her staff feel appreciated, supported, and empowered. “She would give me a little support, but then a little push to say, ‘You’ve got this,’” said Bertica Spencer, MMS’s former primary coordinator. “I think that was so typical of her, which was just so great for me. She was a great role model for me personally in my career.”
More than anything, Mizel brought her unique ability to
turn the school into a well-oiled machine.
“She brought administration, professionalism, and capa-
bility to the school right when we needed it,” said Jim Maffezzoli, MMS’s board chair. “She’s just incredibly dedicated to the success of the school.”
While Mizel may be stepping back from a full-time admin-
istrative role in 2019, that doesn’t mean she’ll be relaxing in retirement. Mizel could see herself consulting part time or volunteering wherever she settles. She’s also looking forward to OPPOSITE, LEFT TO RIGHT
having more time to read and cook, a passion she’s set aside in
Richard Bernero, Brenda Mizel, and
her apartment-living days in New York.
Jim Maffezzoli at the ribbon-cutting
event celebrating MMS’s new building. ABOVE LEFT
Brenda Mizel and Bertica Spencer ABOVE RIGHT
Brenda Mizel and husband Lou Mizel
“I don’t think I’ll be sitting and knitting and crocheting.
That’s not my thing,” Mizel said. “I’m a more active kind of person. I want to find something to keep me busy, and I’m not sure what it’ll be. Who knows? That’s kind of the nice thing about not having a plan. I get to try different things.”
—nicole price fasig
23
Class Notes Martina, Vivienne, and Annabel Diedrich stopped by MMS in October 2018, and Martina followed up with a note: After 12 years in New York, we moved to Zurich in June 2016 and enjoy our life here very much. Vivienne, who left MMS in second grade, now attends a local Swiss school and is in fourth grade. She likes the school a lot and already speaks Swiss German with her friends. Julia (not in this picture) is now 13 and in seventh grade at Zurich International School. And Annabel, who graduated MMS in 2015 and attended Nightingale for one year, is now in 10th grade at Zurich International School, where she wants to get an International Baccalaureate degree.
left to right
Head of School Brenda Mizel,
Vivienne Diedrich, Annabel Diedrich, Co-Director of Early Childhood Education Karina Cruz, Martina Diedrich, and Receptionist/ Admissions Associate Alicia Abel
All of us enjoy Lake Zurich in the summer. We walk 10 minutes down
the hill and meet all our friends at a swimming area. The smell of chocolate wakes us up every morning because we have the Lindt chocolate factory right in our small village. We can always see the snow on the mountains even in the summer, and on the winter weekends, we often drive just an hour to go skiing. We miss MMS and our dear New York friends, but our lives here are pretty amazing.
Cole McCracken ’04 After graduating Princeton in 2015, I moved to San Francisco where I worked at LinkedIn for almost three years as a software engineer. Recently I joined a small startup company in the Bay Area.
Julian McWilliams ’02 Hey, MMS family! It’s been a while! Going on 17 years, I believe. I graduated 2002. I don’t know — math was never my strong suit! So, that’s why I’m a writer in my professional life. I live in Oakland, California, now working as a beat writer covering the Oakland A’s. Basically, the job of a beat writer is to follow the team around from spring training through the end of the regular
at right
Julian McWilliams
season. Your main agenda is to provide daily coverage to fans on the team they love, from trades to wins and losses, team morale, you name it. The A’s did better than expected this season but were bumped out of the playoffs by my favorite childhood team, the New York Yankees. Being at Yankee Stadium as a reporter was kind of surreal since I grew up going there. Plus, the Yankees were the team that made me fall in love with baseball. Once I figured out I wasn’t good enough to be a Yankee, I found a different passion in writing, something I always enjoyed doing.
I always say — and my parents were the first ones to say it — MMS
served as my educational foundation, and some of my MMS relationships have endured all these years later. I’m happy to report Quasie Jones, my best friend since we met at MMS as six-year-olds, and I both live in Oakland. Some people you just never lose touch with!
left to right Alex Hayes ’17, Zara Suryadevara, and Grace Schuur ’17 These former MMS students are playing soccer together at Brearley.
25
Christina Ruiz ’99 Hello friends! I’m currently living with my husband, Zach Cooper, in Black Mountain, North Carolina. We got married in 2014 and bought a house here this year, so we’ll be sticking around for a while. I’ve been working at the Swannanoa Valley Montessori School for the past couple years. This year I began working as the Upper Elementary assistant teacher and absolutely love it. Our class is small with just seven bright students. You may remember Bertica Spencer, who is one of my co-workers at the school and works as the head of the Children’s House (Primary classrooms). We were so surprised to find each other in this small town, over 700 miles away from New York City! If you are ever in Asheville, North Carolina, I would love to see you. Feel free to send me an email (steena.inaru@gmail.com) so we can meet up. Hope you’re doing well!
Serena Benedetti ’78 I am married to Frank Pantazopoulos and have one daughter, Katina, age 11, who attended a Montessori school in the Philly suburbs and loved it, following in the family footsteps! Recent professional highlights include starring in Luigi Nono’s opera, “Intolleranza,” with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall last spring. In addition to being a classical soprano, my husband and I own a growing chain of bakeries in Philadelphia, Tiffany’s Bakery. I attended Saint Michael’s from my toddler years through first grade.
Dimitri Vlachos ’85 Vlachos stopped by MMS in December with his sister Zoë Vlachos ’82 (parent of IA’s Alexander Yang). Vlachos graduated from Bucknell University in 1996 with a degree in computer science engineering and then moved to Boston. After working in software development for companies like Cisco, he transitioned into the world of marketing and startups. He currently is the vice president of marketing at Devo, a platform for data analytics for operations, IT, security, and business teams. Another example of the longevity of MMS relationships, Vlachos and his MMS friend Dan Cavalletto ’85 remain close after a lifetime of proximity and shared experiences. They grew up three blocks from each other before the Cavalletto family moved into the Vlachos’ building just after both boys left MMS. As kids, they went on vacations and ski trips together. As young adults, they served as each other’s best
men in their respective weddings. And currently, they live about 20 minutes from each other in the Boston suburbs, where Vlachos has three daughters and Cavalletto has three sons!
Eva Kahn ’12 A recent Hunter College High School graduate, I am currently living in Austin, Texas, and dancing in the Butler Fellowship Program at Ballet Austin. As a fellow, I am continuing my dance training at no cost while rehearsing and performing with the company. I am also scooping ice cream at a local ice cream parlor and taking advantage of everything this vibrant, young city has to offer!
Lucy MacGowan ’11
Emma Prenn-Vasilakis ’08
I’m on my second semester at
I graduated from Tufts University
Colorado College, minoring in
in May and began working in public
music, toying with the idea of
relations at a firm called Goldin
pre-med, and spending as much
Solutions in June. I still have my
time as I can in the outdoors!
green hat.
Much love to MMS, as always!
Abbie Kouzmanoff ’05 After graduating from Dartmouth College in 2015, I moved out to California to start my career in tech! Since then, I’ve been working as a product manager at Dropbox. I often think about MMS and the nine years I spent there!
Clara Neubauer ’13 Currently a senior at Dalton, Neubauer attends Juilliard Pre-College at The Julliard School as a student of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin. Born on September 11, 2001, Neubauer shared the stage with Bernadette Peters and Robert DeNiro hosting a 9/11 Memorial benefit and can be heard leading the audio tour guide “for children and families” at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, available as a free app at the App Store.
Oliver Neubauer ’11 The violinist, who graduated from Dalton in 2017, is a student of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin at The Juilliard School as a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship.
27
Annual Report 2017–18 Edition
This report recognizes gifts to MMS for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. Gifts received after this date will be in the 2018–19 Annual Report. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report. For any corrections, please contact development@mmsny.org.
arning, le f o e v lo g n lo fe instills a li , d o o h d il h c s e t a r MMS celeb m and character lu icu rr cu on is as ph em l ua eq ts pu and
Letter
FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dear Members of the MMS Community, As part of our Head of School Search process this fall, I, along with the Search Committee, spent time considering where MMS has been and where it is going. Perhaps most important, we thought about the school’s core identity, and the qualities that attracted so many top-notch candidates, which I hope will exist here indefinitely. MMS is a place that celebrates childhood, instills a lifelong love of learning, and puts equal emphasis on curriculum and character. It’s the school’s belief system—valuing personal responsibility, critical thinking, resilience, respect for others, service, passion for learning, and self-awareness—that makes it so special.
Philanthropy is an important part of the MMS identity. It not only exemplifies service, it enhances
our school in countless ways. I want to take this opportunity to thank the many parent volunteers who collaborated on our fundraising efforts this past year. I am grateful for Nicole LaMariana and Pim Kraaijeveld, who led the MMS Fund Committee in 2017–18, and for Monique Neal, Frank Kotsen, and my wife, Joyce Maffezzoli, who co-chaired the Capital Campaign, Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow, with me. Marialuisa Vitiello, Lenny Janecka, Charlotte Crawford, and Kali Theofanous organized a phenomenal Spring Benefit, bringing our community together for a memorable evening of “friendraising.”
Beyond donations, so many members of our community gave of their time. Thank you to Bree Van-
denberg and Sara Lind, of the Parents Association, and others who have devoted hours to the serving as Room Parents, helping out at admissions events, coordinating community service efforts, and organizing the MMS Book Fair and the International Potluck Picnic. I am also grateful to the Head of School Search Committee, who worked together for many months and meetings implementing a thorough process to evaluate numerous candidates, culminating with the selection of Racheal Adriko, who will begin in July 2019.
Lastly (but absolutely not least), I want to thank Brenda Mizel, who will be retiring in June. I
became Board Chair in June 2012, a year after Brenda became Head of School. Brenda’s partnership has been incredibly meaningful. Under Brenda’s leadership, MMS has grown by leaps and bounds, completing its first Capital Campaign and first important expansion since the school came to 85th Street in 1996. In the 2017–18 school year, we began the fall with $586,900 left to raise in our $4 million Capital Campaign, and through your collective generosity, closed the campaign in January 2019. We are a small school, and this level of fundraising reflects our donors’ love for MMS and Brenda’s commitment to this campaign. Warm regards, j im ma ffezzol i c ha ir, b oa rd of truste es
31
2018–19
Board of Trustees CH AI R
Jim Maffezzoli
Libbie Rice
M A RK E T I N G
Nicole LaMariana
Sharon Schuur
Jen Wekelo
Donald Moulds
Mark Sladkus Thomas Vitiello
VI CE CH AI R
Zoe Vlachos
Gerardo Rodriguez
Fred Wang
T R E AS UR E R
Jen Wekelo
Nicolas McKee S ECR E TARY
Board Committee Chairs
Alison Horton H E AD O F S CH O O L
Brenda Mizel Dana Alpert Brettne Bloom
Peter Schuur Rebecca Tilghman Thomas Vitiello
Jim Maffezzoli
Christine Wen-Ji
S C H O O L C U LT U R E
Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow: The Campaign for MMS
The MMS Fund Committee Claudia Hamilton, Co-Chair
Joyce and Jim Maffezzoli, Co-Chairs Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen, Co-Chairs
H E AD S U PP O RT &
Pim Kraaijeveld,
Brettne and Lawton Bloom
E VALUAT I O N
Co-Chair
Libbie Rice and Tom Botts
Brettne Bloom
Pim Kraaijeveld Ivy Lapides
Emma Rhodes
Zoe Vlachos
D E VE LO PM E N T
Anne Hayes
Monique Neal
H E A D O F S C H O O L S E A RC H
Carla Hargrove
Sarah Farivar-Hayes
Philip LaMariana
Alvin Crawford
Fred Wang
Nicolas McKee
Anne Hayes
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
A DV I S O RY
Alvin Crawford
Carla Hargrove
Libbie Rice
AUD I T
F I N AN CE
Claudia Hamilton
T RU ST E E S
Tom Botts
I N VE ST M E N T
Kaori Curran
Mark Sladkus
Sharon Finkel Christopher Hancock
Monique Neal
Anne Hayes
Anne and Nikko Hayes Alison and Edward Horton Dana Bledsoe and Nicolas McKee Brenda Mizel
2017–18
MMS Leadership Board of Trustees CH AI R
Jim Maffezzoli
Monique Neal
M A RK E T I N G
Benjamin Sarly
Libbie Rice
Sharon Schuur
Peter Schuur
Sharon Schuur Mark Sladkus
VI CE CH AI R
Fred Wang
Gerardo Rodriguez
Jen Wekelo
T R E AS UR E R
Nicolas McKee S ECR E TARY
Alison Horton H E AD O F S CH O O L
Brenda Mizel Brettne Bloom Alvin Crawford Sarah Farivar-Hayes
Board Committee Chairs
Philip LaMariana D E VE LO PM E N T
Anne Hayes
The MMS Fund Committee Nicole LaMariana, Pim Kraaijeveld, Co-Chair Tom Botts Kaori Curran
F I N AN CE
Jesse Gordon
Nicolas McKee
Claudia Hamilton Anne Hayes
H E AD S U PP O RT &
Anne Hayes
E VALUAT I O N
Anthony Ianno
Brettne Bloom
Philip LaMariana
Libbie Rice
Co-Chair AUD I T
Carla Hargrove
Pim Kraaijeveld
T RU ST E E S
David Leavitt Vivian Lubrano Donald Moulds
I N VE ST M E N T
Monique Neal
Mark Sladkus
Emma Rhodes
Mark Sladkus Brelyn Vandenberg Zoe Vlachos
Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow: The Campaign for MMS Joyce and Jim Maffezzoli, Co-Chairs Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen, Co-Chairs Brettne and Lawton Bloom Libbie Rice and Tom Botts Anne and Nikko Hayes Alison and Edward Horton Dana Bledsoe and Nicolas McKee Brenda Mizel
33
The MMS Fund
$175,164
Spring Benefit
$193,980
Capital Campaign pledges*
$228,526
Capital Campaign gifts received
$907,013 $38,640
Other Gifts GROSS FUNDRAISING SUPPORT
$1,543,323 $82,246
Fundraising Expenses NET FUNDRAISING SUPPORT
$1,461,077
Total Giving 2017–18 *forthcoming in 2018–19 and future years
34
R E V E N U E
Tuition and Fees
$7,527,373
Other Gifts
$38,640 $36,085
MMS Fund Contributions
$175,164
Interest and Dividend Income
Special Events
$339,767
Cash Reserve Contributions
Capital Campaign Contributions
$907,013
TOTAL REVENUES
$116,839
$9,140,881
2017–18 Revenue & Expenses
E X P E N S E S
Salaries and Benefits
$4,626,930
Administrative
$289,023
Debt Service and Interest Expenses
$1,080,712
Technology
$114,842
CAPEX/Depreciation and Amortization
$809,448
Academics and Program Materials Fundraising
$364,757 $82,246
Facilities
$221,952
Special Events
$145,787
Cash Reserve Replenishment
TOTAL EXPENSES
$1,405,184
$9,140,881
On October 23, 2016, MMS officially opened our expanded space with a ribbon-cutting and an opportunity for current families, alumni, and our broader community to tour our new building. This project was made possible through Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow: The Campaign for MMS, a transformative effort to enhance the environment where MMS students explore, learn, and take part in the rich experiences that remain with them for a lifetime. The campaign began in 2015 with commitments from 100 percent of our Board of Trustees. We publicly announced this campaign—with a goal of $4 million—at the 2016 Spring Benefit. Board Chair Jim Maffezzoli along with his committee co-chairs Joyce Maffezzoli, Monique Neal, and Frank Kotsen led this effort, which concluded January 2019.
MMS’s Buildings: A History 1964
MMS founded in St. Michael’s Church Parish House at 99th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
1996
Moved from St. Michael’s to 325 West 85th Street
2011–12
Board purchased 325 building and the adjacent townhouse
2014–16
Master planning and construction of new facility
September
Renovated building opened on time for the start of the 2016–17 school year
2016
Giving Eager Minds
Room to Grow T H E C A M PA I G N F O R M M S MMS would like to thank the following donors who have contributed generously in raising $3.93 million as of June 30, 2018: THE 1964 SOCIETY Head of School Honorary: 50,000+ Anonymous (5) Libbie Rice and Tom Botts* Alsún Keogh and Ahmass Fakahany Stephanie Johnson and Kaushik Ghosh Sarah Farivar-Hayes and Adam Hayes Alison and Edward Horton* Jaharis Family Foundation
Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen*
Claudia Hamilton and Jon Hlafter
Dana Bledsoe and
Claire and Anthony Ianno
Nicolas McKee* Sharon and Peter Schuur
Lisa and Mark Sladkus The Hershey Foundation
Joshua Lehrer and Jeffrey Seller Fumi and Yasumasa Takeda
Maria Montessori Council: $25,000 and up Anonymous Shikha and Girish Bhakoo Daria Pizzetta and Charles Brown Martina and Joerg Diedrich
36
Founder: $15,000 to $24,999 Anne and Nikko Hayes* Rachel and Doug Jarrett Joyce and Jim Maffezzoli* The Vlachos Family Fund Nicole Joffe and Mark Walton Kelly and Fred Wang Jen and Chad Wekelo
Patron: $10,000 to $14,999 Brettne and Lawton Bloom* Barrie Gillies and William Drummy Willa and David Fawer Jeanette Mall and Stuart Fischer Dana Alpert and Adam Guren Anne Wiliams-Isom and Phillip Isom Montserrat Prado and Gerardo Rodriguez Gloria Stowers Sandra Stowers Sharon Finkel and Saul Zion Society Benefactor: $5,000 to $9,999 Yixin Dai and Lei Chen Kaori and John Curran Claire Timoney and Joseph Kelly Nadia Titarchuk Le and Quan Le Brenda and Louis Mizel* Kate Folmar and Donald Moulds Pilar Esnaola and David Sekiguchi Nina Dastur and Dietrich Snell Dhivya and Raj Suryadevara Vivian Lubrano and Kevin Tapalaga Shirley Tilghman Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy
LEADERSHIP GIFTS Pacesetter: $2,000 to $4,999 Sherry Glied and Richard Briffault Ralitza and Robert Horler Levien & Company, Inc. Suzanne Valetutti and Eric Weinberg Courtney Hagen and Michael Wilson
SUPPORTERS OF MMS Friend: $500 to $1,999 Anonymous Janis and Stephen Block Rita and Hershel Bloom Kimberlee and John Bollbach Georgia Stitt and Jason Brown
Charlotte and Alvin Crawford
Lisa Henricksson and Jim Kelly
Angella Goddard and
Aliza and Naveed Khalidi
Cemal Dosembet Christina and Erik Elwell
Marianna Guliyeva and Boris Kogan
Sandra and Michael Frenz
Ivy Lapides and Adam Kolber
IBS Direct
Sara Lind and David Leavitt
Shirley and Stav Gaon
Kirtley Mitchell
Suzanne and Mark Grether
Heidi and Michael Morrison
Sheila and Nicholas Hayes
Claudia Neumann
Aileen Denne-Bolton and
Danurys Sanchez and
Anthony Hume Magdalena CerdĂĄ and Johnathan Jenkins
David Noboa Celenia Nivar Flavie and Arturo Ospina
Karine Rouge and Oliver Jonglez
Patricia Pacelli
Beth and Patrick Kennedy
Sondra and Ronald Papanek
Nicole and Philip LaMariana
Kushagra Saxena and Smiti Paul
Jessica Rothstein and
Jillian and Neel Parekh
Kurt Lageschulte
Kate and Ben Peacock
Christine Wen-Ji and Jingle Liu
Andrew Preston
Chitra Bopardikar and
Wendy and Bob Reveri
Joshua Marwell Laurie Morison and Ajit Nimalasuriya Emma and David Rhodes
Danika and Travis Robertson Karina and Dennis Sagiev Nicole Dreyfuss and David Seaman
Joanne and Alistair Southern
Abby and Marc Spetalnik
Brelyn and Gregory Vandenberg
Jennifer and Matt Tobin
Beatriz Ontanon and
Janice Chyou and Mathew Tomey
Carlos Varela
Rebecca Tilghman and Jeffrey Tracy
Contributor: up to $499 Teresa Scala and Michael Arena Elina and Adam Cohen Laura and John Coles Karina and Lawrence Cruz Barbara and Kavsky Dastur Kimberly Dykes Shawna and Paul Fagone Marguerite Frenz Elizabeth and Jesse Gordon Tatyana Trakht and David Greenwald Lenny Janecka and Michael Gregoris Alicia Abel and Terry Griffin Peter Guren Carla Hargrove April Henry Crystal and Patrick Isom Emiko and Christopher Iwai Lori Joachim
Rosa Rodriguez and Carlos Urgiles Cynthia Vandenberg Marialuisa and Thomas Vitiello Jessica Wasilewski and David Wright Caitlyn Slovacek Yaeger and Steven Yaeger
All gifts made from April 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, were generously matched by a challenge grant funded by an anonymous donor. * Capital Campaign Committee Total commitments are represented. Gifts and pledges to The Campaign for MMS are made over and above annual giving amounts reported later in this report.
What Is the MMS Fund? The MMS Fund makes an immediate impact, strengthening and invigorating our community in myriad ways each day. This annual fundraising effort supports and expands four critical elements of our school:
¡
1
Investing in Faculty and Staff
2
Developing Innovative Curricula
3
Supporting Financial Aid
4
Improving Classrooms and Facilities
The MMS Fund $175,164
¡ At a glance Amount Raised in 2017–18
72%
Parent Participation
100%
Board Participation
23
Major Donors ($2,000 and above)
16
New Donors
10
Gifts from Grandparents
$2,035
Average Parent Gift
18
Alumni and Former Families Contributed
$23,915
From Current and Former Staff Members
55 $34,245
Families Increased Giving From 12 Employer-donated Matching Gifts
The MMS Fund 2017–18 Founder
Pacesetter
$15,000 to $24,999
$2,000 to $4,999
Anonymous (3)
Kaori and John Curran Claudia Hamilton and
Patron
Jon Hlafter
$10,000 to $14,999
Lucia Saramello Hoffman and
Sarah Farivar-Hayes and
John Hoffman
Adam Hayes
Claire and Anthony Ianno
Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen
Rachel and Douglas Jarrett Brenda and Louis Mizel
Society Benefactor
Kate Folmar and Donald Moulds
$5,000 to $9,999
Emma and David Rhodes
Anonymous
Anna and Benjamin Sarly
Anne and Nikko Hayes
Pilar Esnaola and
Alison and Edward Horton
David Sekiguchi
Nadia Titarchuk Le and Quan Le
Lisa and Mark Sladkus
Dana Bledsoe and Nicolas McKee
Nina Dastur and Dietrich Snell
Sharon and Peter Schuur
Kelly and Fred Wang
Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy
Jen and Chad Wekelo
39
2017–18 Giving The following list includes contributions to The MMS Fund, as well as purchases at the Spring Benefit live and silent auctions, Raise Your Paddle, and sign-up events. Corporate matching gifts pledged before June 30, 2018, are reflected in giving levels. In-kind gifts to the Spring Benefit, in-kind gifts to the School, and total Capital Campaign pledges and donations are listed separately in this report.
$25,000+
Jenny and Roy Niederhoffer
Anonymous (2)
Joyce and Jim Maffezzoli ••
Kathryn M. Jaharis ••
Anna and Benjamin Sarly Sharon and Peter Schuur ••
$15,000 to $24,999
Jonathan Sheffer
Anonymous (2)
Lisa and Mark Sladkus •
Sarah Farivar-Hayes and Adam Hayes •
Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy •
Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen •
Marialuisa and Thomas Vitiello•
Kelly and Fred Wang •
$2000 to $4,999 $10,000 to $14,999
Alhia Chacoff-Berger and Harlan Berger
Dana Bledsoe and Nicolas McKee •
Devina and Anmol Bhandari Brettne and Lawton Bloom •
$5,000 to $9,999
Hélène Brenkman
Barbara Corti and Jean-Noel Jetzer Corti
Kaori and John Curran •
Natalia and Christopher Hancock
Sandra and Michael Frenz
Anne and Nikko Hayes ••
Melissa Naple and Douglas Geogerian
Claudia Hamilton and Jon Hlafter ••
Aimée Steele and Pieter Kraaijeveld •
Robert and Ralitza Horler
Lenny Janecka and Michael Gregoris
Alison and Edward Horton •
Susanne and Mark Grether •
Magdalena Cerdá and Johnathan Jenkins
Dana Alpert and Adam Guren
Kelmar Designs, Inc.
Lucia Saramello Hoffman and John Hoffman •
Marianna Guliyeva and Boris Kogan • Nadia Titarchuk Le and Quan Le •
Claire and Anthony Ianno ••
Kristen Folmar and Donald Moulds
IDB Bank
• Grandparents
• 5–9 years of consecutive giving
• Alumni and former families
• 10+ years of consecutive giving
• Current and former faculty/staff
40
MMS Funding Priority
Professional Development
Jody Quam
Co-director of Elementary, has taught three groups of Lower Elementary students from first through third grade. In addition to leading LE,
she instructs future LE Montessori teachers in two training programs, one in New York and the other in Massachusetts. After so much LE experience, she started to wonder: What’s next? What other skills could she develop to support her students and deepen her teaching abilities? “I’ve always wondered how I could help our third grade students better transition into Upper Elementary,” she said. “The logical step is to study it.” So, with support from MMS, Quam began a training program at the Montessori Education Teacher Training Collaborative in Lexington, Massachusetts, over the summer. Throughout this year, she’s been attending daylong weekend seminars, completing academic coursework, and observing lessons in various Montessori schools. At MMS, Upper Elementary students don’t adhere to a strict Montessori curriculum. Nonetheless, a lot of the content is the same. For Quam, learning about the UE Montessori methods for teaching square and cubed root or ancient civilizations “frames and gives context to the work we do in Lower Elementary” and “helps us ready our students for the upper grades. It's particularly important for our third graders who are functioning at fourth and fifth grade levels.” Quam calls her entire training program, especially the school visits, “very inspiring.” She graduates in May!
41
MMS Funding Priority
T he
Upper Elementary musical is a beloved event at MMS. Every Upper Elementary student has a role in the show, and most begin with little to no performance experience. After directing the musi-
cal last year, Chelsie Nectow was asked to create a new UE performing arts curriculum, oriented to building a tool kit to draw from for the musical, and for life. Students go beyond learning what notes to sing and what words to say. Nectow is teaching song and script analysis, an inherently empathetic exercise, as students dig deep into who they are, what they want, and how they relate to those around them. Nectow believes that with this background and framework, the students will be more immersed in the world of the play and attune to their roles in this year’s UE musical, Into the Woods. The rehearsal process highlights collaboration, accountability, and confidence as students prepare as individuals and as a group to sing, dance, and act in front of their community. Also woven into the curriculum are musical theatre history, jobs and parts of the theatre, stage combat, improv,
Innovative Curricula
music theory, and team-building theatre games.
42
Rachel and Douglas Jarrett •
Ivy Lapides and Adam Kolber •
Beth and Patrick Kennedy
Nicole and Philip LaMariana •
Aliza and Naveed Khalidi
Sara Lind and David Leavitt
Kristin Brunner and Laurent Le Guernec
Natalie and Andrew Merelis
Chitra Bopardikar and Joshua Marwell ••
Pilar Nava-Parada •
Brenda and Louis Mizel ••
Claudia Neumann
Myo and Patrick Quinn
Laurie Morison and Ajit Nimalasuriya •
Emma and David Rhodes •
Van and Vinh-Duc Nguyen
Maria Esnaola and David Sekiguchi
Karen and Ian O’Connell
Martin Shnay
Marielle Lopez and Steven Oliveri •
Nina Dastur and Dietrich Snell •
Chloe Baszanger Marnay and Regis Paquette
Jen and Chad Wekelo •
Petra Post-Janssens and Eric-Jan Post
Courtney Hagen and Michael Wilson •
Edith and Lev Ratinov
Sharon Finkel and Saul Zion
Angela Hunter and David Reiter • Danika and Travis Robertson
$500 to 1999
Montserrat Prado and Gerardo Rodriguez •
Keila Vall and Octavio Boccalandro
Karen Shaer and Benjamin Rosenberg •
Libbie Rice and Tom Botts •
Amy and Lauren Schwartzreich
Senait Breyer
Nicole Dreyfuss and David Seaman •
Hedda Samson and Andrew Brick
Beatrice Sibblies
Georgia Stitt and Jason Brown
Joanne and Alistair Southern
Irene and Richard Coffman •
Abby and Marc Spetalnik ••
Pamela Paredero and Carlos Concha
Fumi and Yasumasa Takeda •
Charlotte and Alvin Crawford •
Kali and Paul Theofanous
Jean and Alvin Crawford •
Shirley Tilghman
Beatriz Escudero and Ernesto Culebras
Rebecca Tilghman and Jeffrey Tracy
Laura and Edmond DeForest ••
Sophie and Steven Tishman •
Natallia and Farhad Dehesh
Brelyn and Gregory Vandenberg
Sheekha and Rohan Dewan ••
Beatriz Ontanon and Carlos Varela
Christina and Erik Elwell •
Georgia Kaspiri and Panayiotis
Shawna and Paul Fagone •
Vitakis-Pantelos
Catherine Pan-Giordano and Joshua Giordano
Suzanne Valetutti and Eric Weinberg •
Nicole and Jeff Glor •
Zoe Vlachos and Ho Yang •
Elizabeth and Jesse Gordon • Tatyana Trakht and David Greenwald •
Up to $499
Aferdita Hakaj •
Anonymous (2)
Celeste Koeleveld and Paul Haskel ••
Coretta Essilfie-Akrong and Charles Akrong •
April Henry
Janis and Steve Block •
Sharon Agar and Richard Johnson •
Kimberlee and John Bollbach ••
Cricket and Alan Keener ••
Pam Botts and Stephen Brown •
43
Elva Infante and Roberto Bueno
Karina and Dennis Sagiev •
Susan Carman
Ruth Samuelson •
Elina and Adam Cohen
Smiti Paul and Kushagra Saxena
Jill Leithauser and Brian Davis •
Noela Evans and John Seiter •
Laetitia and Stéphane Ducroux ••
Mara Smith •
Jimena and Max Faerber •
Daniel Syndacker
Pamela Farrar •
Jane Ginsburg and George Spera ••
Myriam and Darren Fieulleteau ••
Valeria Puca and Fabio Stefanini
Marguerite Frenz •
Vivian Lubrano and Kevin Tapalaga •
Marianne Garnier •
Patricia Iranzo and Iñigo Tena
Stephanie Johnson and Kaushik Ghosh ••
Francesca Gianoli and Mihai Teognoste
Tommica Ellis and Oscar Green
Mildred Morency and Herve Thenor-Louis
Alicia Abel and Terence Griffin ••
Janice Chyou and Matthew Tomey
Carla Hargrove
Juliane and Thomas Trautmann
Juliette and Frank Hentic
Rosa Rodriguez and Carlos Urgiles
Maya and Irwin Hoffman •
Cynthia Vandenberg •
Sviatlana Fadzeeva and James Hunt •
Susanne and Philipp von Turk ••
Crystal and Patrick Isom ••
Elena and Nicholas Wilski
Lori Joachim ••
Jessica Wasilewski and David Wright
Deborah Pessin-John and Richard John •
Caitlyn Slovacek Yaeger and Steven Yaeger
Lisa Henricksson and James Kelly • Angie Tonuzi and Shef Koci •
Matching Gifts
Patti Specht and Alan Kouzmanoff ••
Twelve employers contributed $34,745
Anna-Sophia Leone •
to MMS through matching gift programs.
Sophia Liu ••
Thank you to the following:
Emiko Iwai and Christopher Louie • Lesya and Bohdan Lysyj ••
Alliance Bernstein
Kirtley Mitchell •
AmazonSmile Foundation
Anniqua Brown-Nazaire
Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Kerry McDermott and Paul Neubauer ••
BlackRock Matching Gift Program
Danurys Sanchez and David Noboa •
The Commonwealth Fund
Kerrie and Stephen O’Gallagher •
Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation
Jillian and Neel Parekh •
Giving Assistant, Inc.
Kate and Ben Peacock •
Goldman Sachs Matching Gift Program
Annette Perez
Google, Inc.
Patricia Perez and Iñigo Rementeria
Marsh & McLennan Companies
Christie Ann Reynolds •
Matching Gift Program
Jataon Whitley and Yoram Rodriguez
Morgan Stanley
Irene Shih and Lawrence Rosenberg
Penguin Random House
Jennifer Ryan
44
MMS Funding Priority:
Financial Aid
Every member of our community—our teachers, parents, students, and staff—brings a unique perspective and background. All of these different languages, cultures, and life experiences enrich our community. Financial aid, received by 23 percent of our student population, provides the flexibility to support many families in paying for their children’s education and fulfilling our mission.
MMS Funding Priority:
Classrooms and Facilities
Our school weathers wear and tear, just like any other. Over the summer, we paint, add and replace furniture, and make other select improvements. This July, we removed the stairs leading into our back playground, which were never utilized and took up space.
The MMS Fund also helped support the work of the Gardening Committee, which involved students in various efforts to beautify spaces in the school. 45
Grandparent Giving We extend a heartfelt thanks to the following grandparents who made gifts of $2,944 to The MMS Fund and $66,751 to Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow: The Capital Campaign, totaling $69,695 to MMS in honor of their grandchildren’s future: Janis and Steve Block
Kirtley Mitchell
in honor of Anna and Eloisa Bloom
in honor of Lucien and William Horton
Rita and Hershel Bloom
Patricia Pacelli
in honor of Anna and Eloisa Bloom
in honor of James and Katherine Wepsic ’18
Pam Botts and Stephen Brown
Noela Evans and John Seiter
in honor of Thomas ’16 and Camille Botts
in honor of Leon Aldort-Ryan
Jean and Alvin Crawford
Daniel Snydacker
in honor of Uma, Elle, and Mia Crawford
in honor of Lucien and William Horton
Barbara and Kavsy Dastur
Gloria Stowers
in honor of Jack and Alixandra Snell
in honor of Blake and Quinn Wekelo
Pamela Farrar
Sandra Stowers
in honor of Annabelle and Alexandra Hayes ’17
in honor of Blake and Quinn Wekelo
Marguerite Frenz
Shirley Tilghman
in honor of Rory Frenz
in honor of Nora and Henry Tracy
Debbie and Peter Guren
Cindy Vandenberg
in honor of Max Guren
in honor of Nate and Alex Vandenberg
Sheila Donovan and Nicholas Hayes
Susan Deakins and Peter Vlachos
in honor of Annabelle and Alexandra Hayes ’17
in honor of Alexander Yang
46
Alumni and Former Family Giving We are grateful for donations from our alumni and former families. We’re heartened by their lasting support and their desire to ensure that others may benefit from an MMS education the way they or their children did. Thank you to the following alumni and former families who made gifts of $10,015 to The MMS Fund and $29,375 to Giving Eager Minds Room to Grow: The Capital Campaign, totaling $39,390 to MMS: Teresa Scala and Michael Arena in honor of
Lisa Henricksson and James Kelly
Anna ’07 and Micaela ’10
in honor of Luke ’11
Irene and Richard Coffman in honor of
Clare and Joseph Kelly in honor of Kerong ’06
Michael ’00 and Andrew ’02
Patti Specht and Alan Kouzmanoff
Laura Truettner and John Coles in honor of
in honor of Abbie ’05
Sam ’01 and Jessica ’04
Anna-Sophia Leone in honor of Isabella ’13
Karina and Lawrence Cruz
Sophia Liu in honor of Carson Brisk ’10
Laura and Edmond DeForest in honor of
Heidi and Michael Morrison
Edmond Peter and Meredith ’07
Kerry McDermott and Paul Neubauer
Christina and Erik Elwell in honor of
in honor of Clara and Oliver ’11
Christopher, Alexandra, and Caroline
Laurie Morison and Ajit Nimalasuriya
Alsún Keogh and Ahmass Fakahany
in honor of Stephen ’06
in honor of Aramis ’16
Celenia Nivar in honor of Ofelia Garcia ’06
Myriam and Darren Fieulleteau
Kerrie and Stephen O’Gallagher in honor of
in honor of Olufela ’16
Brin and Taylor
Celeste Koeleveld and Paul Haskel in honor of
Flavie and Arturo Ospina in honor of Alix ’16
Aaron ’09, Melina ’14, and Justin ’15
Sondra and Ronald Papanek in memory of
Aileen Denne-Bolton and Anthony Hume
Anika and in honor of Ella ’11 and Clay
in honor of Sam ’06
Wendy and Robert Reveri in honor of
Claire and Antony Ianno in honor of Eleanor ’16
Jessica ’94, Timothy, and Matthew
Anne Wiliams-Isom and Phillip Isom in honor of
Karen Shaer and Benjamin Rosenberg
Aiyanna ’04, Phillip ’08, and Ande ’14
in honor of Jessica ’05
Deborah Pessin-John and Richard John
Jane Ginsburg and George Spera in honor of
in honor of Denton ’01
Clara and Paul ’98
Sharon Agar and Richard Johnson in honor of
Sophie and Steven Tishman in honor of
Mathew, Nicholas, and Stephen
Etienne and Tyler
Catherine and Alan Keener in honor of
Susanne and Philipp von Turk in honor of
Christina ’97 and John ’02
Julia and Christopher
47
SPRING !!!
BENEFIT On April 27, 2018, over 200 current and alumni families, faculty, and friends attended The Starry Night benefit at the New York Athletic Club. The energy in the room was palpable and filled with inspiration, camaraderie, and talent, with many parents playing an instrument or singing. Together we celebrated our community and fundraised in support of many aspects of school life. A wholehearted thank you goes out to the Spring Benefit Committee and volunteers who made the event so memorable! 48
ROBERT REVERI SUMMER GRANT The first Robert Reveri Summer Grant, in support of faculty professional development, was launched at the 2018 Spring Benefit. Bob has always understood the importance of our mission to offer an “Education for Life” for students and teachers. Thanks to your incredible generosity, MMS raised $37,900 by auctioning off class art projects and teacher outings at the Benefit to fund this grant. In honor of Bob’s legacy, we awarded the grant to two teachers: Andrew Preston (Upper Elementary teacher) and Marianne Garnier (Art Specialist), who visited Kenya during the summer of 2018 and immediately began sharing their experiences with students and fellow faculty. Their trip inspired various lessons throughout the fall and will continue to do so. We hope to dedicate this summer grant to further global education. Read full story on page 16.
UNDERWRITERS Each year parents and supporters help to underwrite direct costs related to the Spring Benefit as well as teacher tickets. In 2018, underwriting totaled $9,900; thank you to the following: IDB Bank Libbie Rice and Tom Botts Kaori and John Curran Anne and Nikko Hayes Kelmar Designs, Inc. Merelis Production Jenny and Roy Niederhoffer Jonathan Sheffer Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy Marialuisa and Thomas Vitiello Kelly McMenamin Wang and Fred Wang Suzanne Valetutti and Eric Weinberg Sharon Finkel and Saul Zion
49
Raise Your Paddle For many years, the gym at MMS has been the scene of a steady stream of athletic activity for students and community events for parents. While the gym is heated in the winter months and pleasant in the spring and fall, it can be a sweltering hotbox in the summer. MMS began an effort to solve this problem with our “Raise Your Paddle” initiative to provide much-needed coolness and comfort for our students and families. Thank you to the following 36 families who raised $45,600 in 2018 for air conditioning installation in the gym at the Spring Benefit:
Devina and Anmol Bhandari
Marianna Guliyeva and
Danika and Travis Robertson
Brettne and Lawton Bloom
Boris Kogan
Maria Esnaola and
Alhia Chacoff-Berger and
Ivy Lapides and Adam Kolber
David Sekiguchi
Harlan Berger
Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen
Jonathan Sheffer
Sheekha and Rowan Dewan
Aimée Steele and
Lisa and Mark Sladkus
Lenka Janecka and
Pim Kraaijeveld
Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy
Michael Gregoris
Kristin Brunner and
Rebecca Tilghman and
Natalia and Christopher Hancock
Laurent Le Guernec
Jeffrey Tracy
Sarah Farivar-Hayes and
Joyce and Jim Maffezzoli
Brelyn and Gregory Vandenberg
Adam Hayes
Natalie and Andrew Merelis
Marialuisa and Thomas Vitiello
Claudia Hamilton and
Brenda and Louis Mizel
Suzanne Valetutti and
Jon Hlafter
Kate Folmar and
Eric Weinberg
Ralitza and Robert Horler
Donald Moulds
Jen and Chad Wekelo
Alison and Edward Horton
Jenny and Roy Niederhoffer
Tricia Pacelli and Eric Wepsic
Claire and Anthony Ianno
Edith and Lev Ratinov
Courtney Hagen and
Beth and Patrick Kennedy
Emma and David Rhodes
Michael Wilson
50
Macy’s
In-Kind Gifts
Masana NYC Portrait Artwork Dana Bledsoe and Nicolas McKee The Metropolitan Opera Miraval Arizona MMS Faculty and Staff National Jazz Museum in Harlem Pilar Nava-Parada Wendy Nichol Jenny and Roy Niederhoffer
MMS is grateful to the following
The Paint Place
people and businesses for donating
Perricone MD Pixies Did It!
gifts in-kind for the Spring Benefit
Petra Janssens and Eric-Jan Post
and to enhance the school’s
Emma and David Rhodes Carlo Ricci Barbini
facilities:
Montserrat Prado and Gerardo Rodriguez
Gabriel Aldort
Georgica Advertising
Rolling Stone
ABC News
GK Framing
Savage Dueling Pianos
Adam W. Cohen Visuals
Tanya Trakht and
Amy and Lauren Schwartzreich
All Skill Minority Manpower, Inc. and Terence Griffin Altamarea Group American Museum of Natural History
David Greenwald Lenny Janecka and Michael Gregoris Celeste Koeleveld Haskel and Paul Haskel
Donna Stern Bavuso, LLSW
Anne and Nikko Hayes
Pascale and Ludovic Blachez
Mary Heilmann
Libbie Rice and Tom Botts
Claudia Hamilton and
Georgia Stitt and Jason Brown
Jon Hlafter
Nicole Dreyfuss and David Seaman Joshua Lehrer and Jeffrey Seller Hélène Brenkman and Martin Shnay Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Aoy Srinuan Fumi and Yasumasa Takeda
CBS News
Mariko and Philip Hordle
Kali and Paul Theofanous
Susan Carman
Robert and Ralitza Horler
Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy
Ray Carman
Jason Huang
Brelyn and Gregory Vandenberg
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Claire and Anthony Ianno
Beatriz Ontanon and
Classic Kids
Patricia Iranzo
Elina and Adam Cohen
Rachel and Douglas Jarrett
Charlotte and Alvin Crawford
Jami Beere Photography
Kaori and John Curran
Jamie Kamlet, Black Rock Forest
The Voice Studio of Aimée Steele
Natallia and Farhad Dehesh
Karina Rouge and Oliver Jonglez
Kelly McMenamin Wang and
Emerigildo DeJesus
Aliza and Naveed Khalidi
Laetitia Ducroux
Marianna Guliyeva and
Jimena and Max Faerber Shawna and Paul Fagone Lisa Fairman
Carlos Varela
Boris Kogan
Thomas Vitiello
Fred Wang Mathew Nye and Jann Wenner The Whitney Museum of
Aimée Steele and Pieter Kraaijeveld
The Fhitting Room
Monique Neal and Frank Kotsen
Victoria Sanford and
Kristin Brunner and
Raul Figueroa-Sarti
Marialuisa Garito-Vitiello and
Laurent Le Guernec
51
American Art Courtney Hagen and Michael Wilson Sharon Finkel and Saul Zion Zion Physical Therapy
Ongoing Schools for Graduates 7th Grade: 2000 to 2018† OUR GRADUATES
Since 2000, our graduates have attended the following schools: Allen Stevenson (4)
Marymount (4)*
Avenues (4)
Mott Hall II (1)
Bank Street School (1)
Mount Saint Michaels (2)
Baldwin Middle School—LI (1)
Nightingale (10)*
Berkshire Country Day School (1)
North Star Academy (1)
Brearley (18)*
Public School (2)
Browning (3)
Riverdale (20)*
Calhoun (7)
Rumsey Hall (1)
Chapin (1)
Spence (3)*
Collegiate (10)
St. Ann’s (Brooklyn) (1)
Columbia Grammar (8)
St. Hildas and St. Hughs (1)
Dalton (3)
St. Margaret of
Delta Program (5)
Cortona (1)
De La Salle (1)*
St. Mary Hall—TX (1)
Dwight Englewood (8)*
Studio Elementary (1)
Dwight School (3)
Thomas Jefferson MS—NJ (1)
Fieldston (11)
Trevor Day (7)
Friends Seminary (3)
Trinity (8)
Glen Ridge High School (1)
York (5)
Grace Church (2)
Moved away (3)
Hewitt (3) Home School (1) Horace Mann (24)*
†Based on an average
Hunter (11)*
graduating class of 10–15 students
Little Red School House (1)
*Represents 2018 graduates’
Lycee Francais (1)
chosen schools
Ways to Give MMS, like any other independent school, relies on philanthropic revenue in addition to tuition to provide an exceptional education to our students. Your contribution signals a faith in Metropolitan Montessori School, its mission, and the faculty and programs that make it so special. MMS is grateful for your support, which strengthens our community and ensures its future. Here are some ways to offer your support:
Our Funding Sources MMS FUND
Appreciated securities Gifts of appre-
ciated securities are easy to arrange and can
WHEN Annual fundraising effort that closes
offer significant tax advantages to donors.
on June 30 every year WHY Provides support for four critical
SPRING BENEFIT
elements of our school: 1 Investing in Faculty and Staff
WHEN Annual event—this year’s is set for
2 Developing Innovative Curricula
April 26, 2019
3 Supporting Financial Aid
WHY This wonderful community-building
4 Improving Classrooms and Facilities
event raises money for a single specific project
HOW TO MAKE A DONATION
each year through silent and live auctions and
Credit card or eCheck through our website:
“Raise Your Paddle.”
www.mmsny.org/support
WAYS TO GIVE Auctions, party catalogue
Check Please make checks payable to
events, and ticket purchases
Metropolitan Montessori School and send to the attention of the Development Office at Metropolitan Montessori School, 325 W. 85th Street, New York, NY 10024
Metropolitan Montessori School is a 501 (c)(3) charitable
Corporate matching gifts
are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
organization. All gifts of cash or stock to The MMS Fund
Many employers offer matching gift programs
For more information about making a donation to these
and will match charitable contributions made
initiatives, contact Aferdita Hakaj, Director of Develop-
by their employees. If eligible, your gift to
ment, at ahakaj@mmsny.org or visit our website at
MMS could be doubled or even tripled!
www.mmsny.org/support.
53
C O N T RIBUTO RS
Editor Ruth Samuelson Designer Mark Melnick Writers Nicole Price Fasig, Bethany Biron, Karina Cruz, Aferdita Hakaj Photography Marianne Garnier, Ruth Samuelson Photography (Hashimoto art project) Daniel Root/The Root Group
A B O UT T HE A RT
The students’ circular artwork that appears on this page, on the cover, and on pages 28–29, is an homage to the work of New York-based artist Jacob Hashimoto. All students in grades 1–6 created their own pieces.
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