51 minute read
AROUND MKA
Established in 2020 to honor the life of former Trustee and MKA Parent, Philip McNeal, the Philip McNeal Leadership Program seeks to deepen the conversation on the topic of ethical leadership and help MKA students identify their own unique leadership style in order to best prepare for college and the world beyond.
In September, student leaders met virtually and participated in the first of what will be an annual Student Leadership Retreat. Participants were welcomed to the evening session by Tri-Campus Chair of Integrated Ethics and Upper School Dean of Student Life Kerry Verrone who asked participants “to reimagine what’s possible when it comes to student life at MKA.” She continued, “This program will allow us to reconnect throughout the year, as well as bring programming to a broader audience to think about who we are as a school, our values, and what it means to be a ‘good’ leader.”
After hearing from keynote speaker Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code, students attended 30 minute workshops each hosted by Tristan Love, Director of Learning and Engagement with Project Wayfinder, Seema Pothini, Lead Equity Specialist at Equity Literacy Institute, and Kobi Yamada, bestselling author. The evening was an incredible opportunity to bring four impactful leaders, thinkers, educators, and social justice warriors together with students to share their stories, perspectives, and the lessons they’ve learned. Montclair Kimberley Academy has been selected as one of only three collaborative institutions in the U.S. for the program, “Meeting the Terra-Cotta Army, Understanding Qin Culture,” conducted by the Xidian University, Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, and the Smithsonian
National Museum. This is an incredible honor for our MKA Chinese Program, the Upper School World Language Department, and our students in Chinese. Our students in Chinese will work together with peers from the Sidwell Friends School and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to participate in a series of 35-minute synchronous online lectures given by native Chinese teachers and five virtual field trips led by bilingual museum educators. Students will join in virtual field trips to Emperor Qinshihuang’s Terra-cotta Army Museum, the Museum of Bronze Chariots and Horses, the Shaanxi History Museum, and the Ancient City Wall in Xi’an. In addition, four recorded webinar lectures will be devoted to disseminating information about up-to-date research in archeology and conservation in the museums to deepen students’ engagement with ancient Chinese history and tradition. Students will also use the Smithsonian Learning Lab to explore the digital Terra-Cotta collections and understand the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history.
As a partner school, MKA students will have the opportunity to access the classes and webinars for free. The MKA Chinese teachers, Dr. River He, Ms. Fangzhou Zhang, and Ms. Tingting Chen, will help our students to fulfill the requirements for obtaining the certificate of completion as a celebration of their learning of Chinese. The program committee will present scholarships to four students who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the program and enthusiastic dedication to the language and culture, with a certificate of achievement and a $500 prize for each recipient.
Participation in this program will provide MKA students with a unique opportunity to develop what they have learned about Chinese language and culture while also enhancing their interdisciplinary research skills in language, sociology, social studies, and history topics.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Middle School students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of unique activities during Monday
Assembly. 4th grade students learned about Frida Kahlo and created their own paintings. 5th grade students learned how to make baleadas, a Honduras street dish over Google Meet. 6th grade students learned how to dance salsa, and 7th and 8th grade students watched the movie McFarland USA.
As a culmination of the unit on the Harlem Renaissance and completion of Wallace Thurman’s novel Infants of Spring, Upper School students in the Literature and History of NYC course conducted a self-guided walking tour of Harlem. Among the stops on the tour were Strivers Row, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, and the Apollo Theater.
The Middle School 8th grade Chinese class and the Upper School Chinese classes, along with the Upper School Asian Cultural Society, participated in the 2021 World Onigiri Action by making Japanese rice balls; onigiri
means rice ball in Japanese. The Onigiri Action is an annual food drive which is a part of the World Food Day campaign that was established by the United Nations to support and raise awareness for children who suffer from hunger and poverty and to inspire solutions for world change. Every photo of onigiri posted to the campaign website or social media with #OnigiriAction helps to provide five school meals to children in need around the world. MKA students proudly raised 185 meals in total during this event. This is the first year MKA participated in the Onigiri Action. This event is also a part of the new bi-campus Chinese language and culture curriculum which focuses on social justice and socialemotional learning. Throughout the event, students learned the language and history about Asian food culture and also learned about real-life global issues related to food security, food waste, and hunger.
Upper School Environmental Science students measured biodiversity in planter boxes on the Green Roof of the Johnson Academic Center and measured water quality at the Peckman River with Watershed Ambassadors.
MKA’s Primary School Black Boy and Black Girl Affinity Groups had their first in-person meeting. They enjoyed playing, getting to know each other, and looking forward to their next meeting where they will take part in a virtual book reading with the Middle School Black Girl Affinity Group.
Primary School students created care bags for newly adopted animals at the Montclair Animal Shelter as part of their school-wide
Thanksgiving Share Project. They personally decorated each bag, which included a crinkle bottle toy handmade out of water bottles, knee socks, and dry cat/dog kibble, and a can of wet dog or cat food. Once complete, each grade hand delivered the bags to the shelter. Students were so excited to participate in this community engagement project and learn how to create sustainable toys for animals.
To celebrate the kicking off of clubs at the Upper School, Jewish Cultural Society leaders Ben Sherman, Noah Weinberg, and Michael Bronstein welcomed new members to their Sukkot Celebration outside at The Sukkah in the amphitheater.
Students enjoyed fall food, music, and fun activities as part of this community-building afternoon.
With Gratitude
The MKA community is incredibly strong thanks to the deep network of volunteers who support our school. From planning events, to mentoring, to fundraising and supporting our admissions process, our alumni, parent, and grandparent volunteers play a critical role in supporting the school’s mission. MKA has always had a rich tradition of volunteerism; however, the number of individuals who have offered to support our school with their time in recent months has been remarkable.
In addition to MKA’s 25 members of the Board of Trustees, and 17 Alumni Council Members, this year we have over 100 PAMKA volunteers, 75 parent athletic volunteers, 75 Admissions Ambassadors, over 40 Development Ambassadors, and 150 alumni volunteers. These individuals have generously donated their talents to help MKA thrive, and we could not be the school we are without them.
We are incredibly grateful to the members of our community who are caring for our school and building a community based on Knowledge, Vision, and Integrity. Thanks to you, there are endless possibilities that lie ahead.
THANK YOU!!!!!
—Jamil Zaki for the Atlantic
Last month, the Wounded Warriors Project club members replaced the tattered flag at the Upper School with the help of MKA’s Physical Plant
Department. The club members were very excited to do this and made sure they knew how to fold the flag and dispose of it properly.
Primary School students enjoyed celebrating Diwali with a visit from The Ajna Dance Company.
Students learned about the meaning of the holiday and engaged in an interactive dance experience with the group. Students who celebrate Diwali were invited to wear traditional clothing to school and share their culture with friends, faculty, and staff.
Ninety-five 9th graders and eighty 10th graders joined in on the festivities and fun at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk at the Jersey
Shore. Pizza, ice cream, rides, and games were just some of the things that the students were able to enjoy. It was a great night with perfect weather, and a ton of happy kids spent time with each other.
Primary School students enjoyed time with their new Head of School during the Halloween
parade where Mr. Furlonge sported “the Fresh Prince of Montclair” costume. They also shared a sweet treat with him during a visit from the ice cream truck.
A special MKA tradition was upheld on October 15, when kindergarten students crossed the bridge and were met on the other side by seniors who presented them with Cougar
beanies. Upper School Student Government President Brennan Columbia-Walsh and Senior Class President Kofi OduroManu read the name of each kindergartener. This special event presents an opportunity for the school’s youngest and oldest grades to connect and celebrate MKA, and it always brings out huge smiles.
Van Brunt Field was buzzing with activity for the Upper School Student
Life Fair. The newest members of our community had the opportunity to learn about Upper School student organizations, including general interest clubs, social action groups, community service initiatives, competitive organizations, cultural societies, publications, performance groups, and affinity groups. With over 60 organizations to choose from, ranging from Women in Business to Shades of Color to Cougar Chat Room to the Robotics Team, there are so many ways for students to pursue an interest and learn something new.
On Saturday, November 6, 170 people came together for the 2021 Fleming 5K at Brookdale
Park. Together, members of the MKA community raised over $4,000 which will be donated to Toni’s Kitchen, The Human Needs Food Pantry, The MKA Fleming Fund, and Special Olympics NJ. The donation to Special Olympics NJ is made in memory of Tom Fleming, a longtime supporter and advocate of the organization, and a dear teacher/coach at MKA who passed away in 2017. We thank everyone for their generosity, participation, and volunteering to make the 2021 Fleming 5K a wonderful community event. Special thanks to Fleet Feet Montclair for donating the gift certificates, Montclair Ambulance Unit for being present at the event, and DJ Lou Productions for providing the up-beat and fun music.
Arts
AT LONG LAST
After an almost two year hiatus, the Middle School choirs were back on stage to perform their annual winter concert. Mr. Anderson and choir students in grades 6-8 performed a varied concert program focusing on the joys of singing and the importance of unity and togetherness.
The US Winter Chorus Concert was one of the program’s most exciting and well-attended concerts held in Weiss
Auditorium. Chamber Singers and Concert Choir sang a few holiday favorites and classical pieces dating back to the 1500’s, and then they ended with a contemporary favorite, “You Will Be Found,” which featured four spectacular soloists from Chamber Singers. The newly founded Jazz Choir performed Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train” as well as a jazz ballad, and this group demonstrated harmonic and rhythmic skill with their advanced harmonies and scat solos. Remix A Cappella made a return to live performances with outstanding soloists and ensemble work. The performance was magical because of the great energy and joy in the room. Senior Natalie Morral said before the performance and summed it up for all who sang and attended: “We used to take having a concert for granted but now we don’t, and we are so excited to be able to perform again.”
Remix A Cappella had a special workshop with Shams Ahmed, an acclaimed vocal producer, who arranges and directs with Ben Bram
and Scott Hoying of Pentatonix. Shams
launched and produced Citizen Queen, an R&B group, as well as Acapop Kids. His groups recently performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Shams loves to give back to the music community by working with a cappella groups in workshops, judging the International Competition for Collegiate A Cappella, and producing large-scale university events. Shams greatly inspired MKA singers during their time with him. He worked on details in their current songs, made suggestions for their future songs and choreography, worked with how to best use microphones, and worked with our soloists. Students learned a great deal from him during the workshop and had fun in the process!
The Upper School fall play, which is always a comedy, was Artifice by Anne Flanagan this
year. The hilarious farce played to four sold-out audiences in Deetjen Theatre. The cast of eight actors included students in grades 10, 11, and 12, and the crew of seven students represented grades 9-12. It was a wonderful production by a small but mighty group, and it was especially great to hear laughter inside a theater again—for both the audiences and the actors.
When Nicole Met Marilyn
By: Steve Valentine, Assistant Head of the Upper School
The passing of the torch between two theatre greats: Marilyn Faden and Nicole Hoppe.
When Nicole Hoppe started at MKA, she asked then F&PA department chair Tony Cuneo what she should do to understand the history of MKA’s theater program. Tony said, “Marilyn Faden is considered the mother of MKA’s theater. If you can find her, there’s your history.” Through a series of lucky connections, aided and abetted by Alicia Cuccolo and Judy Nesbit, Hoppe and Faden met for a series of lunches and formed a bond that shapes MKA’s program, and Hoppe’s approach, to this day.
What follows is a brief oral history, as told by Nicole Hoppe.
Marilyn and I went to lunch in Montclair, and she told me all about her time at MKA. I asked her what she thought was most important for the theater program. “When I think of the word program,” she said, “I think of the word family. And maybe it’s a little dysfunctional, a little loud, but the program can be family… When kids are comfortable, when they feel prepared and safe, and when they feel close to each other, they perform at their best. So you have to figure out the way to get there.”
At another one of our lunches, I wound up telling Marilyn that I was worried about having children of my own and putting on shows. She just said, “Don’t worry, it all happens. Just like the magic of theater, it all comes together.” She continued: “Nicole, you’ve done professional theater, so you know that even in professional theater, it doesn’t come together until the end. Even with adults, we’re a week away thinking, ‘We can’t open!’ And then, somehow, we do. So if that happens with professionals, there’s no shot it’s not going to happen with students.”
And then later she brought me pictures of her children. There were some of them playing dress-up in the MKA costume closet, some of them running around the stage during a rehearsal. “Neither one wound up in the theater,” she said, “probably because of this. But they thought it was just normal, and they were closer to me because they were always a part of what I did.” At that moment, she made me feel like it would be possible for me to do what I love at MKA and have my own family.
At the opening night of my first musical here, Footloose, we honored Marilyn. After all she had taught me and all I had learned about her impact on our program, I thought that was important to do. We unveiled a display case and a big, beautiful sign that said it was in honor of all that Marilyn Faden had done. She was stunned.
I never knew Marilyn was sick at that time, and she passed away shortly after. When her husband dropped off more of her books to me, he said, “I really think her coming full circle with you was a wonderful way for her to end her life.” I still have framed in my office a card she left me on opening night. I think of her often. She was such a special woman. She loved the kids as much as she loved the shows. She loved the madness and magic of it all.
20,000 Miles in an Electric Vehicle? Mr. Rich Tests the Limits
By Ben Rich, Upper School Science Teacher, Upper School Sustainability Coordinator
As I left my house in 2021 for a summer road trip, my mind shifted between excitement for the upcoming adventure and worry that I forgot something needed for a five-day backpacking trip in the wilderness. My plan was to go to Glacier National Park where I’d backpack through the backcountry then drive to Washington and Oregon before making my way home.
The urgency to visit Glacier National Park has become obvious in the past few years since glaciers are melting at an accelerating rate. In January of 2020, wildfires raged across Australia, and they destroyed an area the size of Syria and killed one billion animals. Hurricane season annually introduces a storm more devastating than the last, and the oceans are warming so much that coral bleaching is everywhere. All of these are impacts we have been warned about for decades due to anthropogenic (man-made) climate change, and I wanted to see glaciers in Glacier National Park before the name became a reminder of what used to be there.
There is one way to fight climate change, and that is to stop using fossil fuels. That’s it. There is no “trick”; there is no shortcut; there is no way to continue using fossil fuels and expect weather patterns to go “back to normal.” To reduce my own fossil fuel use, I switched to electric vehicles (EV) in 2008, and I rode an electric motorcycle until electric cars became affordable. Since then, I have ridden across the country six times on an electric motorcycle and twice in my Tesla Model 3.
To get to Glacier National Park, I drove for five days and visited friends in Ohio, hiked through the Painted Canyon of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and visited an EV buddy in Oconomowoc, WI who charged my car using his solar system. Each day involved stopping for 10-15 minutes at adeptly placed Tesla Superchargers to recharge about 150 miles of range. At night I would often plug into a 110V outlet or at a hotel that has a Level 2 charging station to start the day at a full charge.
Now for the highlight of my summer trip: backpacking through Glacier National Park. I can’t tell you exactly where I hiked because I was sworn to secrecy by a camp host in Glacier NP because my trip was in the area reserved for conservation, and they only want experienced hikers to visit who understand Leave No Trace camping. To get there, my Tesla had to traverse 30 miles of poorly maintained dirt roads.
There is nothing like crisp, clean mountain air, and in 2021 there was none to be found. I had traversed the country in search of the fresh mountain air that rejuvenates the soul, revives the spirit, and reminds you of how good life can be. But there was not a single day in which smoke didn’t dominate the skyline as a result of unprecedented wildfires in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California that burned millions of acres during a time that is not considered wildfire season. After leaving Glacier National Park, I spent time in Seattle, Olympic National Park (beautiful!), and Eugene, Oregon before heading back east through Texas. One of my favorite stops was near Austin where my friends Orion and Tina Weldon started a Regenerative Farm called TerraPurezza (https://terrapurezza.com/) on which they raise pigs and chickens while replenishing the nutrients in the soil. Even better than sustainability is regeneration in which people don’t merely live in a sustainable manner but replenish what has been lost.
On August 15 I found myself driving home after traveling 17,500 miles. As I contemplated how much rest my road-weary body would gladly soak up, I began to think that 20,000 is a nice round number and that it would only take one or two “short” weekend trips to New England to get there. After bouncing this idea off my friends who were fully supportive of this absurd idea, I did it. I drove to the top of Mt. Washington in NH, one of my favorite mountains, and got the sticker proclaiming my car’s success. Then, after a failed attempt to enter Canada, I arrived home with 21,111 miles on my odometer.
I’ll leave you with one last thought, which has led me to pursue becoming Sustainability Coordinator at MKA, Co-Chair of the Montclair Environmental Commission, and to go on these road trips: life is made of time. If you waste your time, you waste your life. How you choose to spend your time, and therefore your life, shows clearly who you are and what you value most.
ATHLETICS 2021
FALL 2021 TEAM AND STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORS AND AWARDS
*During the recently completed 2021 Fall Athletics season, the following MKA teams, coaches and athletes achieved honors:
FIELD HOCKEY
Head Coach: Injoo Han (2nd year) Record: 15-7-1; NJISAA Prep B State Champions
Natalia Espinosa-Dice ’22
Captain; MKA Fall Captain’s Prize Recipient; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference
Angela Grace Flocco ’22
Captain; 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference
Ayantu Flowers ’22
MKA Coaches Award; Honorable Mention All-White Division, Essex/ Union Conference; Essex County “AllTournament” Team
Lara Pramanik ’22
Captain; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 1st Team All-Prep B
Allie Sherman ’22
Honorable Mention All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference
Kate Weinstein ’22
1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 2nd Team All Non-Public, NJFHCA; 3rd Team All Non-Public, nj.com
Phoebe Williams ’22
MKA Players’ Player of the Year Award; Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 1st Team All-Prep B
Cameron Lienhardt ’23
1st Team All-Prep B
Caroline Murphy ’23
2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/ Union Conference
Natalie Yu ’23
1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All Non-Public, NJFHCA
Margaret Horn ’24
Honorable Mention All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; Essex County “All-Tournament” Team
Ava Moore ’24
MKA Most Improved Player Award
Mimi Temkin ’24
2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; Honorable Mention All-Prep B; Essex County “AllTournament” Team
FOOTBALL
Head Coach: Anthony Rea (8th Year) Record: 4-5
Mahmoud Hassaneen ’22
1st Team Defense, All-MIFL
Jake Pryor ’22
Captain; MKA Offensive Player of the Year Award; 1st Team Offense, All-MIFL
Brodie Snyder ’22
Captain; MKA Weiner Award
Austin Davis ’23
Honorable Mention All-MIFL
Nicolas Lembo ’23
MKA Defensive Player of the Year Award; 1st Team Defense, All-MIFL
William Simms ’24
MKA Coaches Award
Kalvin Thomas ’25
MKA Rookie of the Year Award
BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY
Head Coach: Timothy White (3rd Year) Record: 6-3
Caleb Fossett ’22
MKA Most Improved Runner Award
Rohan Jain ’22
Captain; 3rd Team All Non-Public B, nj.com
Nate Zuckerberg ’22
Captain; MKA Leadership Award
Aidan Szilagyi ’22
Captain
Freddy Bishop ’23
MKA Most Valuable Runner Award; Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 3rd Team All Non-Public B, nj.com
Nicholas Snyder ’24
Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All Non-Public B, nj.com
GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY
Head Coach: Timothy White (3rd Year) Record: 11-0; 2021 SEC Liberty Division Champions
Christina Bonarti ’22
MKA Coaches Award; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC
Emma Burd ’22
Captain; MKA Leadership Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Martine Gulliver ’22
Captain; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Lindsay Driever ’23
1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Rebecca Herrick ’23
MKA Most Valuable Runner Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Ella Martin ’23
1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Olga Shandarivska ’24
2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
BOYS’ SOCCER
Head Coach: Rob Leather (8th Year) Record: 12-6-1; 2021 NJISAA Prep B State Champions
Sean Cadigan ’22
Captain; MKA Players’ Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B
Arush Gopalji ’22
MKA Most Valuable Player Award; Honorable Mention All-Prep B
Koome Murungi ’22
Captain; Honorable Mention AllAmerican Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B
Zachary Seeve ’22
Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B
Omar Martinez ’23
1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B
Asaph Saybe ’25
Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Head Coach: Jordan Raper (3rd Year) Record: 12-7-2
Katherine Hulse ’22
Captain
Chloe Skipper ’22
Captain; MKA Players’ Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All Non-Public, nj.com; 2nd Team All-State, nj.com
Caia Carlesimo ’23
1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team AllAmerican Division, SEC
Isabella Douglas ’23
MKA Points Leader Award; 1st Team AllPrep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All Non-Public, nj.com
Brooke Huntington ’23
2nd Team All-American Division, SEC
Sofia Vinasco ’23
Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC
Liah Lim ’24
MKA Coaches’ Player of the Year Award; Honorable Mention All-Prep B
Lindsay Fouche ’25
Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC
GIRLS’ TENNIS
Head Coach: Bill Wing (25th Year) Record: 17-1; 2021 NJISAA Prep B State Champions; 2021 SEC American Division Champions; 2021 Essex County Champions
Katie Nossa ’22
Captain; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC
Chiara Frungillo ’23
Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team Doubles All Non-Public A, nj.com; 3rd team 2nd Doubles All-State, nj.com
Hanna Ganchi ’23
MKA Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 3rd Team Singles All Non-Public A, nj.com
Amara Sood Bhatia ’24
MKA Most Improved Player Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC
Milagros Carbajal Diaz ’24
MKA Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC
Katie Chung ’24
2nd Team All-American Division, SEC
Hannah Lewis ’24
Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team Doubles All Non-Public A, nj.com; 3rd Team 2nd Doubles All-State, nj.com
VOLLEYBALL
Head Coach: Molli Dowd (4th Year) Record: 20-3; 2021 SEC Liberty Division Champions
Samiyah Abdur-Rahim ’23
Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep; 3rd Team All Non-Public A, nj.com
Hailey Fouche ’23
Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Kai Gibson ’23
Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC
Amara Lerner ’23
1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Julia Narucki ’23
2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Hunter Levine ’24
2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC
Avery Pratt ’25
MKA Rookie of the Year Award
CONGRATULATIONS TO SENIOR FIELD HOCKEY CAPTAIN, NATALIA ESPINOSA-DICE...THE RECIPIENT OF THE FALL 2021 MKA “CAPTAIN’S AWARD.”
The MKA “Captain’s Award” is given out each season to that male OR female captain who has exhibited the qualities that we look for in our team captains...leadership, dedication, respect, work ethic, and being a role model both on and off the field to his or her teammates and peers.
Head Field Hockey Coach Injoo Han says, “Natalia is one of the hardest working, coachable players I have ever had. She has so much heart, is a leader by example, and a player who doesn’t want to let down her teammates. Her work ethic is simply unmatched. Her presence on and off the field was felt by all.” One of her teammates wrote at the end of the season, “Working the center is not an easy task, but Natalia fills the role with heart and determination. If you were to ask the team who your role model is, everyone would say her. She’s approachable, relatable, and someone you can go to for anything. Having her on the field is not only reassuring but inspiring because it encourages you to play better.”
There is not one person in the program, old or new, that doesn’t have the utmost respect for Natalia, not only as a skillful player, but more importantly as an amazing person and friend. As a senior captain, it’s her leadership both on and off the field that sets her apart from others.
MKA Community &Officially Welcomes the Fifth Head of School
NIGEL D. FURLONGE
Listening Leading I’M SO EXCITED to get to know and understand the absolute fullness of our community. We have such rich, robust, dynamic, passionate, and committed community members. In my first years, I want to listen to the community: to understand, to know, and to then be a part of it in the ways that I know I can be. There has to be more than speaking to the community, which of course is important, but I feel you have to also listen to understand it. I have to pay attention, and I have to discern the differences between the MKA that was, the MKA that is, and the MKA we will be. I like to think of myself in some ways as a bad ethnographer. A good ethnographer listens and seeks to understand a culture and observe that culture but tries to not impact that culture. I consider myself a bad ethnographer because, yes, I want to understand, but I also don’t have the luxury of not being engaged and not being active. This is the balance between listening and leading that is central to my first years at the school.
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, Montclair Kimberley Academy officially installed Nigel D. Furlonge as its fifth Head of School. The school had been under the leadership of only four other Heads of School: Richard Ward Day, Dr. Frances O’Connor, Dr. Peter Greer, and most recently, Thomas Nammack.
President of the Board of Trustees, Kathleen M. Logan, presided over the official ceremony, noting, “This is a significant moment in our school’s history and a celebration of this very special person—Nigel Furlonge—who will lead us forward in unity and purpose. We welcome him, his wife Nicole, and their children to our community, and we celebrate the official start of his tenure at MKA.” She continued, “An authentic leader, fully aligned with MKA’s mission and beliefs, Nigel Furlonge will help us to uphold our most valued traditions and lead our growth in a transformative way.”
Other speakers included Phil Peck, long-time Head of School at Holderness School, former colleague, and special friend to the whole Furlonge family, who introduced Nigel at the official ceremony. “Nigel is a passionate learner and has a contagious growthmindset. You are getting a truly remarkable person and leader to serve and guide your wonderful school.” Mr. Peck drew on his long, professional experience as colleague, mentor, and friend when he stated, “Leading schools for Nigel is not a job; it is a lifestyle that he embraces, [and] it brings him great joy.” He concluded by congratulating the school on its choice and said, “Hold on Montclair Kimberley Academy: your joyful journey of a lifetime under the very capable leadership of Nigel Furlonge is beginning!”
The official Investiture included the ceremonial handing over of both the Kimberley School Bell and the Montclair Academy Bell to Nigel, both of which played significant, symbolic roles through the history of both founding schools. In his Keynote Address, Nigel acknowledged this rich tradition and looked to the future. He shared his commitment, “to leading a school that sustains the adults that work in it as professional learners and co-designers who find joy and purpose in
their work here. And, as much as I want students to thrive academically, I am equally committed to leading a school that intentionally cultivates intellectual curiosity,w wcapacity, joy, and integrity.” Senior Faculty member Scott Coronis closed the ceremony by sharing the faculty’s commitment to Nigel. Mr. Coronis said, “I hope that you will take your gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness to open yourself to what we have to offer so that we can all have a hand in creating the singular school you envision.” Attended by family members, colleagues, and special guests in person and via livestream, the Investiture of Nigel D. Furlonge was a significant and celebratory event in MKA history. As Nigel said, “This Investiture is not only about me as your new Head of School; it’s about all of us. It’s about the MKA story we will write together. It’s about the way we stand in community. And it’s about why we say, over and over again, ‘We Are MKA.’” • “An authentic leader, fully aligned with MKA’s mission and beliefs, Nigel Furlonge will help us to uphold our most valued traditions and lead our growth in a transformative way.”
&QA
with NIGEL D. FURLONGE Nigel, tell us a little bit about
yourself. I was born in Toronto, Canada, and I grew up in Boston. My parents and my grandparents immigrated from Trinidad in the West Indies. I met my wife, Nicole, in the 10th grade at Boston Latin School. After Boston, I went to college in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania.
Not everyone in my family went to college. But there was a kind of wisdom from my parents and grandparents, especially my grandparents who possessed a special ability to change their minds based on new evidence. In fact, I’ve often reflected that the mark of an educated person isn’t determined singularly by acquiring a high school or college degree, but rather by the ability to pull themselves beyond the immediate circumstances they are in and to consider new, potentially mind and heart-changing evidence. That to me is a signifier of an educated mind.
My wife, Nicole Leta Brittingham Furlonge, is an educator herself. She taught English primarily in independent schools for 25 years. She’s currently the Director of the Klingenstein Center, at Teachers College at Columbia University, a Center that focuses on graduate and professional learning programs for independent school educators.
Tell us about your professional
life in independent schools. Right after college, I took a job at the Holderness School, which is a boarding school in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. I started as a history teacher and coached basketball and soccer. I was also named the co-chair of their Diversity Program at 21 years old. That role put me in conversation with Trustees, parents, the Admissions’ office, and the College Counseling office in ways that I probably wouldn’t have been otherwise as an early-career, fulltime history teacher and coach.
In 2000, my wife and I left Holderness and went to the St. Andrew’s School in Delaware. While at SAS, in addition to teaching and coaching, I also served as Chair of the Honor Committee and the Director of Studies. I count my blessings all the time that I happened to be in those schools for the first 13 years of my career, during which time community, educational values, integrity, honor, and leadership were interwoven into the daily life of each school.
What drew you to MKA? Every school talks about community, but what does community at full stretch look like? When I first visited MKA, there was a strong sense of community and of family: a family that is there for one another, on behalf of one another. MKA, I have discovered in my brief time here, is a soulful space.
So one of the things that was so important to us as we joined this community was answering the question: “Is this a community that our own children can learn and grow in?” Our children have different interests and passions. I have one child that lives and breathes sports. I have another child that lives and breathes theater and the arts and writing. I have a third child for whom music is going to be a big part of their life. I can already see and feel that MKA will be a place of growth for all three of these different kinds of kids who are living under our roof.
What are your first impressions of
MKA? I joined a community. The first thing I would tell new students and new families is that you may not know this, but you’re joining a community. Whether you’re in Pre-K or primary school, middle or high school, you’re going to be on the edge of your learning, and you will experience joy. You will experience belonging. You will experience a community that holds all these pieces.
What is most important to you?
The promise we make to our families. The Knowledge piece of our mission is informed and framed by Vision and Integrity. Knowledge is the pursuit of a sense of self, a pursuit in the sense of how we create a world that’s inclusive, that’s empathetic, and that’s honorable. I think about, “What does it look like when our students
walk across the stage, not just the literal stage but the metaphorical stage, in terms of the transitions that they’ll see between pre-K and senior year?
Do they think critically really well? Are they sophisticated communicators, both orally and in the written form? Do they solve problems? Do they reason analytically? Do they ask questions—generative questions of themselves and of the world beyond them? Are they empathetic? Have they grown a sense of belonging and value?” That’s what I want our promise to be to our families, whether their children started in the ninth grade or they started in Pre-K.
How do you describe your
leadership style? In terms of my leadership style, I think I learn, listen, and lead in equal measure. I see, as do many people, a world of opportunity at MKA and will
be strategic and prioritize the many, many things that we can do. In this journey, which I know is going to be a long one here at MKA for me, listening deeply, leading with purpose around our shared community values, and then continuing to engage our institution and ourselves in growth. That’s what we’re going to do. •
Professional Experiences that have Prepared You for Your Leadership Role Today
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS that comes to mind is the work I did at Christina Seix Academy (CSA). Having the opportunity to build a school from the ground up really allowed and forced me to think about things like school eco-systems, culture, values, hiring and developing a faculty, and programmatic goals for a school that didn’t exist. That was really transformative for me because every other school that I’d worked with had already existed. In this case I was coming into a community (Trenton, NJ) and had to do different kinds of work in terms of understanding Trenton and helping applicants and the faculty imagine something that didn’t exist.
The second experience that comes to mind is when I was at the Holderness School as the Associate Head of School. I built something called the Learning Master Plan. It was conceived parallel to the school’s existing Campus Master Plan. The Campus Master Plan was implemented to think about what the campus was to look like five, 10 and 20 years down the road. A Learning Master Plan does something similar. It helps us imagine what teaching and learning looks like five, 10, and 15 years down the road. I felt that was important and that it could work in concert with the Campus Master Plan. It sent a signal that when we were working on a particular building or redesigning a classroom, we should have a vision for what teaching and learning looks like in those spaces moving forward. This vision of what learning will look like in the future ultimately informs the teaching and learning experiences we design in the present.
As I reflect back on my time as Associate Head of School at Holderness, I’m proud of how much we were able to do in a short amount of time. It took three years to design and implement the Learning Master Plan with a nuanced understanding from key constituents in the community. I remember being there with some faculty members, legendary faculty members, who said, “We’ve been talking about this stuff for a long time, but it hasn’t ever happened.” And while I’m not claiming that I was the sole driver behind this one thing in this one moment, I think I was there at a certain time when I was able to collaborate and build with other folks who were like-minded in service of a greater goal that would benefit, first and foremost, student learning.
For the first 13 years of my career, I was a full-time teacher. At St. Andrew’s I taught, but I was also doing some administrative work. I was the chair of the Honor committee, for example. At Holderness, I co-chaired the Diversity committee, was teaching and coaching, and engaged in residential life as a dorm parent. That time connected to both Holderness and St. Andrew’s really helped me think about the place that independent schools play in the educational landscape. I didn’t go to independent schools; I didn’t really have a sense of what they offered.
Then I started to understand what role an independent school can play, certainly in teaching students and creating positive relationships with those students, many of whom I have those relationships with today, but also in producing leaders and citizens out in the world. If I had not been so fortunate to have been a part of those two institutions, I don’t know that I would have come to that understanding. When I graduated from high school, I was so focused academically; I was so focused on, “Get into a good college and then get out in the world and be successful.” But I believe that the students from independent schools, much like the students who are connected to MKA, think of how they might make the world a better place now and long after they graduate. That’s really important to me, and it’s really important to our world that independent schools exist.
Another experience I am thankful for and that helped prepare me for the role I’m in today is serving on the Board of Trustees at the Holderness School.
It allowed me to understand in a much more intimate and thoughtful way how valuable the Board of Trustees is, and then by extension, how valuable Alumni and Parents are in the ecosystem. These constituencies allow MKA and all independent schools to be the special places that they are. When I was a faculty member, I honestly didn’t have that appreciation. I just didn’t. I was so focused on teaching and coaching, building relationships with kids, residential life, being an advisor, and in graduate school that I wasn’t thinking about some of those other pieces. As a Trustee, I started putting some pieces together that are really important when thinking about your school’s community.
Lastly, I will say that while I was at the Fieldston School, managing and leading in moments of crisis allowed me to think and grow as a leader. There are crisis issues that I think are important for any leadership team or any Head of School to be able to negotiate. What I learned is that it’s much less about, “Did you do the right thing at the right time or make the right decision at the right time?”’ It is more important to ask, “Did we collaborate effectively as a team? Did we ask the right questions of our thought partners?” Being able to ask the right questions and have the humility to say, “You know what, I don’t know. We don’t know, but let’s figure it out. Let’s figure out what the next right step is and how then, do we move forward and lead through that crisis moment.” That is crucial. •
Power Couple
INTRODUCING DR. NICOLE L. BRITTINGHAM FURLONGE
Considering the definition: “A power couple is two people who both complement each other’s strengths and support each other’s individuality,” Nigel and Nicole Furlonge are a power couple indeed. While they have taken different paths, both Nicole and Nigel have risen to positions of leadership in the education world. They are mutually supportive of one another while balancing their professional, personal, and family lives and clearly value knowledge as a path to a world that’s inclusive, empathetic, and honorable.
Nicole Brittingham Furlonge is Professor and Director of the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College Columbia University. The Klingenstein Center is dedicated to improving the quality of independent and international schools by developing and strengthening the leadership skills of teachers and administrators at every stage of their careers. Carefully structured programs provide enhanced learning that hones skills and philosophical approaches to leading and learning for teacher-leaders, mid-career administrators, and heads of schools. She also serves as Narrative Medicine Core Collaborator at Columbia Medical School and is co-founder of LEARNS Collaborative, a catalyst for human-centered, equitable change in organizations. A first-generation college student, Nicole earned her Ph.D. and B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. from the University of Michigan.
Prior to joining Teachers College, Nicole served as Director of Teaching and Learning at the Holderness School. She taught English and served as English Department Chair and Director of Diversity at several independent schools, including St. Andrew’s School (Delaware), The Lawrenceville School, and Princeton Day School. Nicole is the author of Race Sounds: The Art of Listening in African American Literature. Her book demonstrates listening as an essential interpretive and civic act that leads to deeper engagement with others. Nicole has previously served on the boards of People and Stories/Gente y Cuentos and Village Charter School in Trenton, NJ. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, SXSW Edu, and the Tang Institute at Phillips Academy Andover. Nicole’s research examines the intersections between listening, cognitive neuroscience, social justice, and school leadership.
Nicole and Nigel met in high school, and their relationship has grown and thrived through the establishment of their careers and their family. While raising their three children and achieving professional success, Nicole and Nigel certainly do, “complement each other’s strengths and support each other’s individuality.” We are thrilled to welcome Nicole as an integral member of the MKA community: a parent and a partner to our Head of School. “At the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College, we learn and work at the intersection of education, equity, and change leadership. Strong schools require strong leadership throughout.”
DR. NICOLE L. BRITTINGHAM FURLONGE
&Arts Athletics
INSPIRED BY Music
I think back to when I was a kid, and there are certain songs or bands that transport me right back to a moment. And in some of those moments, as the music transports me, it also transforms me. The impactful role that music and certain songs play is so important in so many people’s lives. In the context particularly of the pandemic, many of us reconnected to parts of our life that may have fallen by the wayside or weren’t necessarily being attended to in the same way. In our home, we made a conscious effort to listen to music a little bit more.
Nicole and I regularly led what we called Listening Salons with some of our friends who are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Providence, and Mumbai, just to name a few of the many, far-flung locations. We would come together over Zoom calls and play music for one another. Sometimes it would be thematically based, but other times the music would be in response to something that was going on in the world, such as the turn of the seasons or a holiday, George Floyd, the pandemic, or January 6 at the Capital: whatever it was that was happening in the world that had us thinking, wondering, and questioning. Sometimes we would just come together in that space and say, “You know what, this moment reminds me of this song, and this is what I’m thinking about.” So some of us would contribute songs, and we would talk about what that song meant, how we’re hearing it, and how we’re listening to it. Ultimately, it was a way for us to build and affirm community and friendship.
COACH
Furlonge
ON ATHLETICS:
When I first started working at Holderness, I was 21 years old, and I was teaching, coaching, and connecting to residential life for the first time, and it didn't occur to me until I had already started that I didn’t really know anything about any of those things. So, kudos to Holderness and Phil Peck and all those educators and mentors who I was connected to in those spaces for giving me a chance and really working with me and mentoring me in all of those areas.
I loved sports growing up. I liked to play, but I actually hadn't been a part of many teams. I played soccer a bit for a club team, but it was a local club team and not a club team the way we think about club teams nowadays. In high school, I played basketball a lot but not for my school, just pick-up hoops in Boston. My buddies and I would go around and find pickup games at the local Y or around courts in the city. In college I was an absolute gym rat. I played a lot of basketball. If I wasn't in class, I was pretty much at the gym playing basketball.
Once I was at Holderness, my main aim was to explore my interests in teaching and coaching (basketball, soccer, and tennis). As a coach, I found there was a special opportunity to build relationships with students on my teams. I taught many of those same kids, but being able to coach them added a point of contact that allowed for deep relationships to be built that have lasted in many instances throughout my life.
Athletics requires leadership strategies and roles, and one strategy isn't going to be useful for every situation. Those people who have either played or coached multiple sports understand that each scenario requires different approaches and skill sets. This is not expertise you can learn in a book, but you can certainly learn it through experience.
An important lesson I have experienced in sports is learning how to deal with loss. Loss is part of sports. Every year most teams end the season (if you're fortunate to be in a postseason) with a loss. There are ebbs and flows and ups and downs within a particular season. I don't so much remember the wins and the losses, (maybe a couple like a game winning shot, or losing at the buzzer, or that overtime goal that your team scored), but for the most part, dealing with loss isn't about getting over it. It is having that humility to learn from each moment and prepare more effectively for the next, similar situation.
It’s cliché to think about teamwork in an athletic context, but it very much is part of what I've experienced and what I learned over the years in athletics. Sports, like school really become spaces where our values are manifest, and ultimately, athletic competition becomes an occasion where our values are tested. Our notions of honor and integrity are both forged and affirmed and sometimes complicated under the pressure of competing. There are certain ways that competing athletically and competing honorably in those spaces endures from a value perspective and actually transfers to other fields and disciplines as well. Far beyond wins and losses, my hope is that the students I've taught and coached walk through the world with a sense of honor and integrity, and for me those concepts were very much refined in athletics.
Philanthropic Priorities
COMMITTED TO CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL INVESTMENTS
AT MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY, academic excellence is at the core of our educational experience. Fulfilling our mission to create a diverse, collaborative, and inclusive community that inspires students to lead lives of noble character, purpose, and distinction requires it. Philanthropy plays an important role in these efforts and has the power to enhance the student experience in the near and long term.
In my first year, I am already seeing opportunities for how to strengthen our school through the power of philanthropy. Facility improvements, expanding our financial aid program, and strengthening the resources we have for our faculty and staff are just three of the initiatives to which I am committed.
The school has grown significantly over the past years, and many commitments have been made and fulfilled; however, there’s also opportunity and room for us to grow, moving forward. Philanthropy is critical as we work to address the needs of students and families and to our aspirational goals for the future of this special school. Giving to MKA is one way individuals give back to a school they love and value. It is a way to speak to the belief in not only their firsthand experiences with MKA, but also to their belief in what this school can be and do going forward. A robust culture of philanthropy will help us shape the future of the school in transformative ways. I am incredibly grateful for the loyal and generous individuals—alumni, families, and friends—who have and will continue to support our work. •
&Arts Athletics
INSPIRED BY Music
I think back to when I was a kid, and there are certain songs or bands that transport me right back to a moment. And in some of those moments, as the music transports me, it also transforms me. The impactful role that music and certain songs play is so important in so many people’s lives. In the context particularly of the pandemic, many of us reconnected to parts of our life that may have fallen by the wayside or weren’t necessarily being attended to in the same way. In our home, we made a conscious effort to listen to music a little bit more.
Nicole and I regularly led what we called Listening Salons with some of our friends who are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Providence, and Mumbai, just to name a few of the many, far-flung locations. We would come together over Zoom calls and play music for one another. Sometimes it would be thematically based, but other times the music would be in response to something that was going on in the world, such as the turn of the seasons or a holiday, George Floyd, the pandemic, or January 6 at the Capital: whatever it was that was happening in the world that had us thinking, wondering, and questioning. Sometimes we would just come together in that space and say, “You know what, this moment reminds me of this song, and this is what I’m thinking about.” So some of us would contribute songs, and we would talk about what that song meant, how we’re hearing it, and how we’re listening to it. Ultimately, it was a way for us to build and affirm community and friendship.
Athletics
COACH FURLONGE
ON ATHLETICS:
When I first started working at Holderness, I was 21 years old, and I was teaching, coaching, and connecting to residential life for the first time, and it didn't occur to me until I had already started that I didn’t really know anything about any of those things. So, kudos to Holderness and Phil Peck and all those educators and mentors who I was connected to in those spaces for giving me a chance and really working with me and mentoring me in all of those areas.
I loved sports growing up. I liked to play, but I actually hadn't been a part of many teams. I played soccer a bit for a club team, but it was a local club team and not a club team the way we think about club teams nowadays. In high school, I played basketball a lot but not for my school, just pick-up hoops in Boston. My buddies and I would go around and find pickup games at the local Y or around courts in the city. In college I was an absolute gym rat. I played a lot of basketball. If I wasn't in class, I was pretty much at the gym playing basketball.
Once I was at Holderness, my main aim was to explore my interests in teaching and coaching (basketball, soccer, and tennis). As a coach, I found there was a special opportunity to build relationships with students on my teams. I taught many of those same kids, but being able to coach them added a point of contact that allowed for deep relationships to be built that have lasted in many instances throughout my life.
Athletics requires leadership strategies and roles, and one strategy isn't going to be useful for every situation. Those people who have either played or coached multiple sports understand that each scenario requires different approaches and skill sets. This is not expertise you can learn in a book, but you can certainly learn it through experience.
An important lesson I have experienced in sports is learning how to deal with loss. Loss is part of sports. Every year most teams end the season (if you're fortunate to be in a postseason) with a loss. There are ebbs and flows and ups and downs within a particular season. I don't so much remember the wins and the losses, (maybe a couple like a game winning shot, or losing at the buzzer, or that overtime goal that your team scored), but for the most part, dealing with loss isn't about getting over it. It is having that humility to learn from each moment and prepare more effectively for the next, similar situation.
It’s cliché to think about teamwork in an athletic context, but it very much is part of what I've experienced and what I learned over the years in athletics. Sports, like school really become spaces where our values are manifest, and ultimately, athletic competition becomes an occasion where our values are tested. Our notions of honor and integrity are both forged and affirmed and sometimes complicated under the pressure of competing. There are certain ways that competing athletically and competing honorably in those spaces endures from a value perspective and actually transfers to other fields and disciplines as well. Far beyond wins and losses, my hope is that the students I've taught and coached walk through the world with a sense of honor and integrity, and for me those concepts were very much refined in athletics.
