Who’s Who at M K A

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W ho’s Who at MKA

1 . The MKA Board of Trustees Back row 1-r: Michelle Harbeck, Michael Friezo, Rick Andlinger, Tim Bozik, Dan Carson ’83, Kate Logan, Bob Tortoriello, Alex Nolan, Michael Frasco. Front row 1-r: Aubin Ames ’54, Steven Milke (Treasurer), Karen Dias-Martin (Secretary), Tom Nammack, Alice Hirsh (President), Michael Johnson (VP), Denise Wagner. Missing from photo: Trustees Eric Pai ’79 (VP), Joe Amato, Ken Barrett, Elisa Spungen Bildner, Reg Hollinger, Rick Jenkins ’77, Phil McNeal, Keith Phillips, Jon Strain, Hank Uberoi, John Weisel. Honorary Trustees John Garippa, Susan Ruddick and Newton Schott, and Advisory Trustees Anne Muenster, Barry Ridings ’70, Michael Rodburg and David Turock.

2 . The MKA Alumni Council Back row 1-r: Dan Carson ’83 (President), Jared Cook ’01, Jay Wecht ’83 (EVP), Mitch Decter ’94, Klaudia Pyz ’98, ClifFFinkle ’92, Michael Braun ’01 (Network VP), Dennis Rodano ’87 (Treasurer), Mark Politan ’91, Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76 (Alumni Director). Front row 1-r: Alex Aldea ’95,

Jessica Simpson ’99, Skylar Zlotnick ’l l (junior AC rep), Brian Elberg ’10 (Senior AC rep), Cheryl McCants ’82. Missing from photo: Keshia Trotman-Amaldy ’92, David DeMatteis ’95 (Secretary), Lindsay Braverman ’01, Erin Culbreth ’02, Angela Garretson ’94, Dionne Gronda ’01, J. Kent Walker ’80, Jaclyn Latzoni ’00, Bill Martini ’98, Michele Mucci ’84, Tory O’Kane ’02, Richard Stanton ’87, Lee Vartan ’96, and Advisory Members Dean Paolucci ’73 and Josh Raymond ’89.

3 . The MKA Administrative Council Back row 1-r: Randy Kleinman (Middle School Head of Campus), Sarah Rowland (Director of Admissions), Debbie Kozak (Director of Communications and Marketing), Bill Stites (Director of Technology), Geoff Branigan (Director of Development and External Affairs), Todd Smith (Director of Athletics), David Flocco (Upper School Head of Campus). Front row 1-r: Karen Newman (Director of Curriculum and Professional Development), Richard Sunshine (Assistant Headmaster and Chief Financial Officer), Tom Nammack (Headmaster), Ginger Kriegel (Primary School Head of Campus), Sue Reiter (Director of Student Services).

4 . The Parents’ Association of MKA Back row 1-r: Amy South (Community VP), Beth Milke (Middle School Campus VP), Shelley White (Primary School Campus VP), Bianca Bator (Finance VP), Trish Perlmutter (Upper School Campus VP). Front row 1-r: Melissa Wetzel (Special Events VP), Alex Nolan (President), Karen Ross (Secretary), Sam Kaplan (Volunteer Coordinator VP). Missing from photo: Diana Fennelly (Communications V P ). 5

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Sports Through the Campuses

In this issue, we focus on the areas o f Athletics and Physical Education as experienced by MKA students, grades P re -K - 12. United by the common goals o f developing sportsmanship, participation and lifelong skills, the curriculum and range o f activities offered at each campus reflects the unique needs o f the age group they serve.

P hysical Education a n d B itty Sports a t Brookside

Under the Pied-Piper leadership of “Coach P,” MKA’s youngest students enjoy every moment they spend in the gym or on the field. Here, Ralph Pacifico, Director of Intramurals and Children’s Sports Programs Pre- K - 3 and MKA Varsity Baseball Coach, explains the program.

The aim of Brookside’s Physical Education program is to prepare students to develop and demonstrate a firm understanding of three different areas by the time they leave third grade: • To display and fully understand the value of sportsmanship and be able to exercise it through a lifetime of activities. • To become comfortable and confident with their bodies and have been exposed to a broad spectrum of both team and individual sports. • To ensure that students of all skill and coordination levels live, love and learn in the sprit of healthy competition.

During the fall and winter months, Brookside students leam the importance of sportsmanship through various games and activities.

At the Pre-K and Kindergarten level, students master the movements of skipping, galloping and hopping. Class time spent on exercising both coordination and small and large muscles are important in their motor- skills development. In their health classes, students also gain a firm understanding of the importance of hand washing and sanitizing.

In the winter, the students explore proper catching and throwing mechanics through a variety of enjoyable activities. They also jump rope and participate in a Gymnastics unit. Low-level tumbling and balance bring out the best in all the children as they develop a better understanding of their bodies through movement and space.

For students in Grades 1-3, soccer skills, spatial relationships and dodging and fleeing activities are the

review spring 2010

major areas of concentration. Students are also taught how to monitor their heart rate and the general importance of exercise and physical activity.

In the health curriculum, Brooksiders learn about the skeletal system, and become familiar with the internal and external parts of bones and joints, as well as learning how bones can be made stronger through diet and nutrition. In addition to the formal PE curriculum, participation in sports is provided by Brookside’s enormously popular Bitty Programs, - an afterschool program supervised by Coach P and largely staffed by parent volunteers.

This past fall, over 75 students in grades Pre-K - 3 participated in the 10-week soccer program. Games and practice sessions were held on the new Brookside synthetic turf field, and parents came out in full force every Saturday to coach and cheer on their kids. The players developed skills and sportsmanship throughout the season. In the winter, the action moves indoors with the ever- popular Bitty Basketball program. Students in grades Pre-K - 3 are coached by Pacifico, while those in grades 4 and 5 enjoy a Junior Cougar program run by Middle School PE teacher Leon Shade ’98. The season is comprised of both skills and instruction clinics and a full-scale schedule for league play. Parents serve as team coaches and get to see their children in a competitive arenll Spring sees the return of Bitty Baseball where, once again, Coach P and parents work together to provide an enjoyable and enriching early athletic experience for many young Brooksiders.

An Olympian Comes to Call

Second grade students explored the Olympic experience with its opportunities for learning about different cultures, in preparation for an information literacy research project. They enjoyed a very special treat when MKA parent, Charles Smith, shared his firsthand experiences as an Olympic athlete for the 1988 US basketball team in Seoul.

Students reveled in the opportunity to touch Mr. Smith's bronze medal, Olympic ring and other memorabilia, and enjoyed hearing about the different international cuisines he sampled and the different clothing all the athletes wore at the opening ceremonies.