Spring 2012 MKA Review Magazine

Page 1

SPRIN G 2012

In this issue: Building Tomorrow’s Libraries Today Words on Writing from Alumni Authors Reflections on 9/11 MKA At 125: Let the Celebrations Begin! Meet Some House Captains, Homecoming and Reunions, Book Fair, MKA in NYC and much, much more.


Profiles in Giving Barbara H. Malcolm: Proud Parent of Alumni and an Outstanding MKA Annual Fund Supporter MKA is grateful to longtime supporter and alumni parent, Barbara Malcolm. Barbara has been a loyal contributor to MKA’s Annual Fund for over 40 years, and her generosity and goodwill towards the school are deeply appreciated. When asked what keeps MKA in her thoughts, Barbara replied warmly, “How could I not continue to think of MKA? The school gave my children a wonderful education, and I have many great memories o f the MKA community and my family’s time there.”■ Barbara’s three children all attended MKA —Ellen was Class o f ’65 o f The Kimberley School, and Andrew and Douglas each studied for several years at Montclair Academy. Barbara spoke admiringly o f all that her children had learned at MKA, and added that the people at MKA were a very important part o f her memories. “The parents and other children at the school made our experience very special. We all shared so much together,” reflected Barbara. She told a great story about chaperoning a group o f roughly 35 Kimberley seniors, including her daughter, Ellen, on a pre-graduation trip to Bermuda. Fellow MKA parent Betty Debevoise was the other chaperone, and she and Barbara had a terrific time with all o f the girls, teaching them to play bridge and having the girls’ evening curfews turn into late-night talk-fests with Barbara and Betty. Leadership and volunteering were two central aspects o f Barbara’s life in Montclair, which she moved to with her husband in the m id-1940’s, and which she didn’t leave until the 1990’s. Barbara served |g President o f the Montclair Junior League, United Way o f North Essex, and Newark Youth Consultation Service. She was also a prominent Board member o f the Montclair Savings Bank and the Community Mental Health Board, as well as being very involved with many other M ontclair groups, including the Montclair Art Museum. Aubin Ames ’54, past President o f the MKA Board o f Trustees, has very fond memories o f Barbara. “She was such an outstanding leader in Montclair and the surrounding community. Barbara was a key role model for us, and we all looked up to her. She was extremely talented, smart and hardworking —Barbara was a real force in the community.” Barbara now splits her time between Vero Beach, Florida, and Nantucket, Massachusetts. Her daughter, Ellen, is the Founder and Chair o f the Board of EMILY’s List, the very successful political fundraising organization for pro-choice Democratic women running for offiM Ellen was also the recipient o f the 1993 MKA Distinguished Alumni Award. Barbara’s sons, Andrew and Douglas, are pursuing careers in carpentry and nursing, respectively.

Thank you, Barbara, fo r actively following M KA’s progress over the years and fo r being such a great supporter o f the MKA Annual Fund!


table of cor Profiles in G iving.............inside front and back covers

from the headmaster

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Letter from the Headmaster, Meet the Administrative Council............................ 2 125 Years: Let the Celebrations Begin.........................3

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Letter From the President............................................ 4 Meet the Board o f Trustees, A Trustee Teaches Classic,*;..: .,.;*». :.... .................5

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around MKA Building Tomorrow's Libraries Today....... Letters from the Heart: Remembering 9/11 In Memoriam................................................ The Gathering................... ,......................... Homecoming and Reunions 2011............... The 2011 PAMKA Book Fair ....................

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The Headmaster is Pleased to Announce.................. 22 Meet Some House Captains................................ .23-28 Cougar Athletics and Honors.............................. 29-32

Meet the New Faculty, Visiting MKA from Across the W orld.................. 33 Faculty Shout Outs, Introducing Keith W iggs....................................... 34 )ebbie Kozak library îarkers. students in their lak, Director of ng . Allen, Class Notes Secretary; Amanda Hirsh, Development Associate; Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76, Alumni Director; Judy Polonofsky, Director Special Events & Projects, Denise Wagner Photo Credits: Doug Allen, Steve Frantz, Amanda Hirsh, David Hollander, Deborah Jennings, Nick Kelsh, Debbie Kozak, Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76, Zandi Nammack, Karen Schifferdecker, Steve Tober MKA complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Meet the PAMKA Board, PAMKA's Winter B outique.................................. 35 Learning from a Master: Colbert Discusses Political Satire, PAMKA's Internship Auction .............................. 36

Letter from the President.................................... 37 Meet Members o f the Alumni Council, New Student Alumni S ociety.... ........................... 38 Words on Writing from Five Literary Alumni .......................................39-44 MKA On the Road in N Y C ........................................45 Young Alumni Lunch, Alumni Association Awards 46 Alumni Career Netw orking........................................47 MKA On the I c e ..........................................................48

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Profiles in Giving

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Barbara H. Malcolm: Proud Parent of Alumni and an Outstanding MKA Annual Fund Supporter

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MKA is grateful to longtime supporter and alumni parent, Barbara Malcolm. Barbara has been a loyal contributor to MKA’s Annual Fund for over 40 years, and her generosity and goodwill towards the school are deeply appreciated. When asked what keeps MKA in her thoughts, Barbara replied warmly, “How could I not continue to think of MKA? The school gave my children a wonderful education, and I have many great memories o f the MKA community and my family’s time there.”

Barbara’s three children all attended MKA —Ellen was Class o f ’65 o f The Kimberley School, and Andrew and Douglas each studied for several years at M ontclair Academy. Barbara spoke admiringly o f all that her children had si ra Kai learned at MKA, and added that the people at MKA were a very important part o f her memories. “The parents and other children at the school made Jg our experience very special. We all Wm ■ nm shared so much together,” reflected Barbara. She told a great story about chaperoning a group o f roughly 35 Kimberley seniors, including her daughter, Ellen, on a pre-graduation trip to Bermuda. Fellow MKA parent Betty Debevoise was the other chaperone, and she and Barbara had a terrific time with all o f the girls, teaching them to play bridge and having the girls’ evening curfews turn into late-night talk-fests with Barbara and Betty. Leadership and volunteering were two central aspects o f Barbara’s life in Montclair, which she moved to with her husband in the mid-1940’s, and which she didn’t leave untlfthe 1990’s. Barbara served as President o f the M ontclair Junior League, United Way of North Essex, and Newark Youth Consultation Service. She was also a prominent Board member o f the Montclair Savings Bank and the Community Mental Health Board, as well as being very involved with many other Montclair groups, including the Montclair Art Museum. Aubin Ames ’54, past President o f the MKA Board o f Trustees, has very fond memories o f Barbara. “She was such an outstanding leader in Montclair and the surrounding community. Barbara was a key role model for us, and we all looked up to her. She was extremely talented, smart and hardworking —Barbara was a real force in the community.” Barbara now splits her time between Vero Beach, Florida, and Nantucket, Massachusetts. Her daughter, Ellen, is the Founder and Chair o f the Board of EMILY’s List, the very successful political fundraising organization for pro-choice Democratic women running for office. Ellen was also the recipient of the 1993 MKA Distinguished Alumni Award. Barbara’s sons, Andrew and Douglas, are pursuing careers in carpentry and nursing, respectively.

Thank you, Barbara, fo r actively following M KA’s progress over the years and fo r being such a great supporter o f the MKA Annual Fund!

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table of contents Profiles in G iving.............inside front and back covers Letter from the Headmaster, Meet the Administrative Council.............................. 2 125 Years: Let the Celebrations Begin.........................3

Letter From the President............................................. 4 Meet the Board of Trustees, A Trustee Teaches C lass...................... 5

Building Tomorrow's Libraries Today....................6-13 Letters from the Heart: Remembering 9/11......... 14-16 InMemoriam.................................................................17 The Gathering...............................................................18 Homecoming and Reunions 2011...............................19 The 2011 PAMKA Book Fair .............................. 20-21

The Headmaster is Pleased to Announce.................. 22 Meet Some House Captains................................. 23-28 Cougar Athletics and Honors................................29-32

Meet the New Faculty, Visiting MKA from Across the W orld.................. 33 Faculty Shout Outs, Introducing Keith W iggs....................................... 34 Front Cover photography: Debbie Kozak Pre-K students begin to learn library organization by using shelf markers. Back Cover: Upper School students in their House T-shirts Review Editor: Debbie Kozak, Director of Communications & Marketing Assistant Editors: Debra Allen, Class Notes Secretary; Amanda Hirsh, Development Associate; Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76, Alumni Director; Judy Polonofsky, Director Special Events & Projects, Denise Wagner Photo Credits: Doug Allen, Steve Frantz, Amanda Hirsh, David Hollander, Deborah Jennings, Nick Kelsh, Debbie Kozak, Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76, Zandi Nammack, Karen Schifferdecker, Steve Tober MKA complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Meet the PAMKA Board, PAMKA's Winter B outique.................................. 35 Learning from a Master: Colbert Discusses Political Satire, PAMKA's Internship Auction ..............................36

Letter from the President............................................ 37 Meet Members of the Alumni Council, New Student Alumni S ociety................................ 38 Words on Writing from Five Literary Alumni .......................................39-44 MKA On the Road in N Y C ........................................45 Young Alumni Lunch, Alumni Association Awards 46 Alumni Career Netw orking........................................47 MKA On the I c e ..........................................................48

class notes


from the headmaster While many people refer to “private” schools, the word “independent” far more accurately describes the mission, curriculum, governance and financial model upon which MKA and other great independent schools are based. There is very little that is private about an independent school like MKA. As a non-profit organization, our financial information is a matter of public record; our web-based and print materials make most of our curriculum accessible to anyone. How our Upper School students perform in the aggregate and where our graduates matriculate to college and university is available in a public document called The School Profile. The names and credentials of those who work at MKA and serve on the Board of Trustees are published through the school’s website. MKA is an independent school and it is also an accredited school. In our case, the accrediting organization is the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Our next accreditation process is just around the comer (2013-14) and will be a joint responsibility of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and the Middle States Association o f Colleges and Schools. Just about every aspect of MKA’s program, operations and policies will be reviewed and measured against standards developed by these organizations. While MKA operates independently, it does so within a framework intended to foster continuous school improvement. Independence requires clarity o f purpose and MKA’s Mission Statement, which appears inside the front cover o f this magazine, reminds us of our purpose, sometimes in the face of competing expectations. MKA is not a private club, a house of worship or a museum, but there are times when students, colleagues, alumni and parents approach the school with some o f the functions of those entities in mind. Admissions is selective at MKA and our students and parents choose to join this community to be part of a diverse school whose students, teachers, alumni and parents have a shared belief in the empowering and ennobling purposes of education. The spiritual lives o f our students are nurtured by meeting responsibilities and expectations that evolve as befits the ages of our students and their understanding o f the world around them. We intentionally retain certain traditions and patterns of behavior over long periods of time because we believe those traditions have enduring educational value. We treasure our independence as a school because it allows teachers, administrators, Trustees and parents to maintain a steady focus on what |s*best for our students. What is “best” is determined by faculty and administrators who are educational innovators and exceptional creative problem-solvers, working in a school culture in which we never underestimate what our students are capable of understanding and doing. This Spring Review provides evidence o f MKA’s well-placed confidence in its students, past and present. An article featuring five alumni authors reveals a great deal about the quality of the MKA experience. Our librarians have written about aspirational plans for the complete re-thinking and renovation of our libraries as academic centers that will be at the heart o f every student’s MKA education. Finally, this issue includes poignant and heartfelt letters from Belle Koven ’02, and Ann Johnson, (mother of Margaret ’97x, Scott ’93 and Tom ’91x) written earlier this year to help our students and teachers make meaning out of the tragedy of 9/11/2001. Warmest regards,

Thomas W. Nammack, Headmaster

Meet The Administrative Council Back row 1-r: Carol Ippisch (Assistant to Headmaster), Geoff Branigan (Director o f Development/Extemal Affairs), William Stites (Director of Technology), Reshan Richards (Director of Educational Technology), Richard Sunshine (Assistant Headmaster/Chief Financial Officer), Sarah Rowland (Director of Admissions), Debbie Kozak (Director of Communications/Marketing) Front row 1-r: David Flocco (Head o f Upper School), Ginger Kriegel (Head o f Primary School), Tom Nammack (Headmaster), Karen Newman (Director o f Curriculum ape Professional Development), Randy Kleinman (Head o f Middle School), Missing from photo: Todd Smith (Director o f Athletics)


H i BsB M O N TCLA IR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY

Let the Celebrations Begin for MKA at 125! September 2012 will mark the start of a very special year for MKA —the 125th anniversary of the founding of Montclair Academy in 1887, one of the three schools that played such a pivotal role in the formation o f today's MKA, together with The Kimberley School (founded in 1906) and Brookside (founded in 1925). Under the leadership of Committee Chairs Marla Higginbotham and Jenny Zagariello, planning is well underway to mark this milestone in school history with a yearlong celebration that will involve students, parents, faculty and friends, alumni and neighbors in a variety of events. Marla has been an MKA Trustee since 2010 and an active member of PAMKA for many years preceding that. She and her husband, Rooney Nelson, are the parents of three current MKA students, Max in grade ten, Monty in grade nine and Matisse in grade five. Jenny is the former Director of Educational Technology and Associate Director of Curriculum and Professional Development and is currently a consultant to the school on science curriculum. She and her husband, Mike, are the parents o f Abigail, a member of the MKA Class of 2005.

W hat are your goals for the 125th celebrations? The 125th anniversary is such a special occasion for MKA and offers a unique opportunity to involve all the community in celebrating looking back over the past 125 years as we look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence into the 22nd

century. The events planned for the 125th anniversary will include past and present students, parents, faculty and administrators, staff, alumnae and Trustees. Because MKA has such a rich history in Montclair, the celebration will extend to the wider community with special lectures, gifts for our neighbors and a community service focus on Montclair. The celebrations will recognize MKA's notable achievements over 125 years, and we are working on a comprehensive Alumni Art Exhibition, as well as a display of many of the school's archival items. Because the teaching and learning environment at MKA has a tradition of innovation and creativity, those concepts have guided our planning, and we think the 125th celebration will be exciting and fun for all members of the community, from the graduates of Montclair Academy, The Kimberley School and Brookside, to the MKA Class of 2025. Let the celebrations begin!

Can you tell us about some of the events that we can look forward to? The best way to answer this question is to say, throughout the 2012-13 school year, we will celebrate all of our current events with an added twist and a few fun surprises along the way. PAMKA events such as the Book Fair, the Spring Fundraiser and Cougar Pride Day, and MKA traditions such as the Gathering and Maypole Dance, will have a focus on the 125th anniversary that will help make them even more special. Faculty and students will have a few surprise celebrations, and students and faculty are planning some creative events for each campus. The MKA Bookstore will offer a variety of 125th anniversary merchandise, showcasing both the formal and informal 125th logos (the latter, the result of a student competition, was designed by senior Megumi Umeda) including some new items that can be worn to school. We are thrilled to be part of this very exciting year, and we are enjoying working with representatives from the faculty, administration, student, parent and alumni bodies, and thank them all for their commitment, enthusiasm and creativity. We are confident that you will find something to enjoy over the next academic year and look forward to seeing you at many celebratory events, both on and off campus. from the headmaster


from the board of trustees

From the President of the Board At a time o f year that promises growth and renewal, I thought it w ould be opportune to update you on the work, progress and planning o f MKA’s Board o f Trustees and its various Committees. The “working Board,” meaning Trustees other than our esteemed Advisory and Honorary Trustees, consists o f 22 extremely hardworking volunteers dedicated to furthering the Mission o f the School. The Facilities Committee, chaired by Tim Bozik, has been diligently planning significant current and future facilities upgrades. Construction is well underway on an exciting and eagerly anticipated new Middle School Dining Hall and Common Room, and these facilities will be ready for the fall. The Committee recently studied the list of pending projects within the Strategic Plan and recommended that the next facility upgrade project will be an Upper School academic center comprised o f a significantly expanded and completely renovated library, technology center and learning center. Detailed planning is in full swing for this transformative project, and the Committee is also in an advanced planning stage for the reconfiguration and improvement o f Muenster Field located at 40 Upper Mountain Avenue. These renovations are all funded through generous donations to our Campaign. The Campaign Leadership Committee, chaired by Ken Barrett, has been instrumental in its support of Director o f Development Geoff Branigan, for critical (and ongoing!) fundraising. In another vital effort, the Development Committee, chaired by Denise Wagner, has been working diligently, and with great success, on dramatic increases in our ever-important Annual Fund (co-chaired by Denise and Jim Leitner). Steve Milke (Chair) and the Finance Committee, with Assistant Head and CFO Rich Sunshine’s invaluable assistance, have been hard at work budgeting. For the third consecutive year, MKA’s tuition increases are among the lowest of the past two decades. We strive to be good stewards of our financial resources while keeping in mind the key priorities of competitive compensation for MKA’s stellar faculty and the ever-improving quality o f the curriculum. Kate Logan has been superb as Chair o f the Committee on Trustees. This Committee is responsible for recommending new affiliates and members (this year, we have four new Trustees, as well as five Affiliate Trustees) as well as providing the resources and orientation to prepare this next generation o f volunteers for their responsibilities. Michael Friezo is in his first year as Chair o f the Student Life Committee, which serves as an important and direct link between the experiences and daily life o f our students and the Board. And Eric Pai ’79, as Chair o f Educational Programs and Policies, has led this Committee through some o f the most important and enduring governance work undertaken for MKA —the creation o f Dashboards o f institutional well-being in the areas o f academics, admissions, athletics and college admissions. These Dashboards will provide the Administration and Board with invaluable data for years to come. I cannot thank my fellow Trustees enough for their dedicated service to MKA. I also must add sincere thanks to PAMKA and its President, Karen Ross, for their tireless and inspiring efforts. Finally, please join me in a heartfelt thank you to Tom Nammack, who is wholly dedicated to making MKA the best school it can be. I wish you all a delightful and productive spring. Warmest regards.

Michael V. Johnson President, Board of Trustees


Meet the Board of Trustees

Back row 1-r: Hank Uberoi, Chiming Tse, Richard G. Jenkins ’77, J. Kent Walker '80, Merrick G. Andlinger, Jonathan M. Strain, Keith D. Phillips, Richard Sunshine (Assistant Headmaster/Chief Financial Officer), Geoff Branigan (Director of Development/Extemal Affairs), Daniel B. Carson ’83, Joseph V. Amato Middle row 1-r: Evelyn M. Colbert, Marla M. Higginbotham, Karen L. Ross, Aubin Zabriskie Ames ’54 (Honorary Trustee), Judy Polonofsky (Director o f Special Events/Projects), Tracy E. Higgins Front row 1-r: Timothy J. Bozik (Vice President), Michael P. Friezo, Steven C. Milke (Treasurer), Thomas W. Nammack (Headmaster), Michael V. Johnson (President), Eric F.S. Pai ’79 (Vice President), Kathleen M. Logan Missing from photo: Denise G. Wagner (Secretary), Kenneth W. Barrett, John T. Gaffney; Honorary Trustees: John E. Garippa, Alice M. Hirsh, Susan H. Ruddick, Newton B. Schott, Jr.; Advisory Trustees: Barry W. Ridings ’70, Robert L. Tortoriello, David L. Turock

A Trustee Teaches Class On November 4, 2011 Board o f Trustees member Rick Andlinger taught both sections of Tom Carroll's Honors Economics classes at the Upper School. Mr. Andlinger discussed how his firm purchases and sells companies in the industrial products and environmental services sectors. He gave the students a number of different case studies to illustrate the opportunities and pitfalls that can occur in the analysis and operation of his portfolio companies. Students were able to apply the concepts they are learning in class to real life business situations. Mr. Andlinger is one of a series of speakers who addressed the classes throughout the year, offering the students other opportunities to hone their analytical and practical skills.

from the board of tru stees | 5


around MKA

Building Libraries for Tomorrow Today Jill M aza

Should I buy a Kindle or a Nook? How can I sort through the massive amount o f information at my fingertips? How can I best harness the power o f connectedness? These questions overlap with those that libraries are considering with increasing urgency. To keep up with the ever-changing information and technology climate, libraries everywhere are undergoing a transformation and MKA’s libraries are no different. As information and cultural centers, libraries must evolve as rapidly as the technology in our back pockets. In this issue, we take a look at the role and future o f the MKA libraries in a world that not only changes constantly, but also has an apparently limitless capacity to generate information. As you will discover, far from becoming obsolete institutions, MKA libraries are in fact the key to preparing the school's students to take full and informed advantage of all that is available to them, both now and in the future. The physical transformation of the MKA Middle and Upper School libraries into hubs o f exploration that go far beyond their four walls is the school's next Strategic Planning priority. Let MKA Librarians Jill Maza, Tom Ruddy, Rosie DTJrso and Meghan Murray take you on a tour of their world, and share in their excitement as MKA develops plans to build libraries for tomorrow today.

As MKA’s Middle and Upper School Libraries prepare the groundwork to embark on major renovations, it is clear that a library and its resources can no longer be confined to a physical space. As we determine which new walls might be constructed, we also embrace the virtual walls crumbling down around us and move forward to dismantle others. MKA’s Libraries are asking a lot of big questions about the implications of our somewhat boundless world for our program. What is a library in the 21st century? Why do we need libraries in the Google age? Will prin t books disappear? How can we construct our library program to ensure it has a transformative impact on student learning? As you will see through the various articles in this issue, these questions can be answered not only in previewing the kinds o f spaces within our libraries’ walls, but in the curricular and instructional programs already in place. Architectural plans for MKA's new libraries encompass traditional library functions, and additionally house a technology center, learning lab, glass-walled classroom and spaces for both small group and quiet study. Comfortable seating and formal tables and chairs will facilitate the co­ existence of individuals and large groups. Shelving and furniture will be equipped with casters for easy reorganization


and flexibility to meet the community’s many needs. This inherent flexibility will create a library that can be many things to many people at the same timeB a place for quiet contemplation or brainstorming sessions, whole-class introductions to a research concept or quick troubleshooting sessions. As the school’s independent learning space, the library will be even better equipped to inspire students’ innovation and academic risk taking. Yet the “library” has also become boundless and cannot solely be defined by the activities possible within its physical walls. This fall, MKA launched the MKA Digital Library (libguides.mka.org). The Digital Library aggregates access to tens of thousands of journals, newspapers, magazines, ebooks, books, and “curated” websites through its research databases, the library catalog, and research or “lib” guides, custom-tailored to student projects through close collaboration with teachers. Students and teachers can easily access the library from their classroom, kitchen table or even in the checkout line at the grocery store. Resources catered to specific student projects are now available at the point o f need, not just when school is open.

and information. In our roles as curriculum leaders and instructional partners, w e’re able to move beyond merely providing resources to truly affect student learning. MKA's libraries strive to create engaged, informed community members by providing a nurturing learning environment where students are motivated to question, explore, evaluate, reflect and create. We aim to help students make sense o f the glut o f information around us and to create new information in original and innovative ways. The new MKA Libraries’ Mission Statement begins, “MKA’s Libraries empower students to think critically and imagine.” Through a combination o f regular, scheduled classes and collaboratively-planned and delivered lessons in grades Pre-K-12, MKA’s librarians strive to teach nothing in isolation, infusing information literacy skills throughout the curriculum and building critical research skills that can ultimately translate to success in any endeavor a student wishes to pursue beyond MKA. With the strength of many informing our program and our future, both within and without the library walls, MKA libraries are prepared to deliver on their promise.

MKA’s librarians are the mortar that connects students and teachers to all the available resources

Architect's renderings for the proposed renovations of the Middle (1) and Upper School (above) Libraries show confident, forwardthinking and welcoming spaces that befit the learning hubs of the School.

a r o u n d MKA


around M

Rosem ary D’Urso

What do you picture when you recall your elementary school library? A grey-haired librarian, wearing glasses and constantly "shushing" you while she flips through an ancient card catalog? (See Bruce Guernsey's article on P. 41) Put away that stereotype and step into the 21st century at the MKA Primary School, where students are empowered to become digital citizens who leam to evaluate and create new information. The Primary School Library is a center of learning innovation. We teach “transliteracies,” visual literacy, print literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, and technological literacy to even our youngest students. Instruction occurs in weekly library class and, most importantly, through collaboratively delivered lessons with classroom teachers and through the use of 21st century resources that challenge students to question and think critically. One such collaborative unit between Art and the Library fosters first grade students’ creativity as they leam about the Pueblo tribe of the Southwest. Students are introduced to the Pueblo people and their myths, study story structure, write their own stories and share them using “storytelling dolls” they create out of clay in the art room. Research instruction begins in Kindergarten and develops with second and third grade collaborative inquiry projects, where students leam how to form a guiding research question and start building important lifelong skills such as searching, evaluating, revising and communicating information. As the wealth of information accessible to students through the Internet continues to increase, we are charged with creating digital citizens who can recognize and access quality information in multiple formats. With the addition of our digital library LibGuides, available at http://libguides.mka.org/primarylibraryhome, we can assist our students and teachers by supplying numerous resources connected directly to our online catalog. Students are gently guided to age-appropriate information sources where they can test out their searching “wings” in a supported setting. Our LibGuides further tear down the physical walls of the library by bringing resources directly to parents. With the touch of a finger, MKA parents can review library policies, see student work completed in library classes, and view resources available in our library.


While technology plays a significant role in the library, we have not forgotten the importance of inspiring a love of reading. The library provides a well-rounded, vibrant collection filled with classic literature, multicultural resources, and the best of new books. Through the use of song, rhyme, read-alouds and art, we make stories come alive to our students. Our goal is for our students to walk away with the expectation that opening a good book can transport them into an entirely new world where their imaginations can run wild. We look forward to our library continuing to improve and expand with the help o f parent volunteers and student assistance through our third grade Adopt-a-Shelf Program, where students are empowered to take ownership o f the library’s shelves. With the help o f the MKA community, we have been able to provide our students and staff with a library that not only serves their needs, but also challenges them to be the leaders o f tomorrow.

iPads in the Library (Connecting iPads With Education) Thanks to a PAMKA grant, we can continue to plant the seeds of digital literacy as we teach Pre-K and Kindergarten students how to demonstrate knowledge in new ways through the use of iPads. We have been able to enhance student learning by connecting picture books with educational applications on iPads. In preparation for the Book Fair, Pre-K and Kindergarten classes linked numeracy with literacy as they read Little Quack, by visiting illustrator and author, Derek Anderson. Using the mathematical elements in the story, we held in-depth discussions on different ways we can demonstrate our understanding o f numbers. Students then practiced the correct formation and identification o f numbers by tracing numbers using the Intro to Math app. This app further strengthens students’ ability to place numbers in the correct order, match and compare numbers, and solve quantitative problems through the use o f sight, sound and touch. We have also used Intro to Letters, Explain Everything, and the Drawing Pad apps. With its large screen and visual and auditory prompts, the iPad serves as the perfect tool for non and emerging readers to learn and explore creatively. This sophisticated tool especially lends itself to digital storytelling by allowing students to take pictures and orally narrate a story. With its ability to provide immediate feedback, the iPad serves as an important assessment tool for both student and teacher. a r o u n d MKA

9


Welcome to the Middle School Library Tom Ruddy

Its 3:30 p.m. Fourth through eighth graders can be found in the library, cozying up with a good book on the couch or bean bag chairs, gathered in clusters around laptops and tackling school work with a librarian nearby and ready to help. Welcome to the Middle School After-School Library, a new initiative that began in October and allows students to come to the library Monday through Thursday from 3:00-4:00 p.m. to work independently or collaboratively on projects and homework, and to enjoy and utilize library resources. A librarian is always on hand to provide support for students working with technology tools, searching research databases or simply seeking a compelling read. This is a small but significant adjustment to library use at the Middle School, and is evidence of the growing role that the library is playing in the daily lives of its students. As previously mentioned, one of MKA's Goals for Strategic Planning 2007-2014 was to "Undertake a study to determine what must be done to convert existing libraries into modem information and media centers/21st century learning spaces that allow for flexible use and collaboration." While the exciting plans for a new library space await realization, much is already underway to transform the Middle School Library into a 21st century learning space. New programming such as these afterschool library hours, opens up time and opportunities for students to determine when


and how they will utilize the space and its resources, an important part of students’ development as independent learners.

Middle School Library Club

As at the Upper and Primary Schools, a Middle School information literacy curricular program provides the foundation from which students can begin to make informed, independent decisions about how to best digest and create information within the library space itself and beyond its walls. 4th and 5th graders attend Information Literacy Class during regularly scheduled classes each cycle. This class provides a time to work through the research process in a supported setting and to develop skills that will be used during research and inquiry-based projects throughout students’ school years. The library also works on collaborative units with 6th through 8th grade classes, including a new 6th grade Ancient India research project, a 7th grade Renaissance project, and the 8th grade Colonial America and science research projects. To catch a glimpse of the kind of work that 8th grade students, teachers and librarians are tackling together, visit http://libguides.mka,org/williamsburg and http://libguides.mka.org/sunriseresearch.

Another new Middle School initiative is the Library Club, which began meeting in early October in anticipation o f the PAMKA Book Fair. The whole group read The Candy Shop War to prepare for meeting visiting author Brandon Mull, which made receiving a signed copy of his book especially thrilling! Club members wrote book reviews of a wide variety o f other titles, which were displayed during the Book Fair. Book reviews, penned by the Library Club, can be seen on the new bulletin board in the Middle School Library’s Reading Room and published in the Middle School’s online newspaper, the Cougar Call. During one meeting, Middle School Librarian Tom Ruddy shared the design plans for the future Middle School Library and the Club offered feedback. Most recently, club members made the library more festive for the winter holidays, decorating the fireplace with book recommendation snowflakes and paper chains. The Library Club is looking forward to its next cycle of meetings and plans to create more READ posters and digital book trailers to spread the word about great books and media to Middle School students!

The flexibility promised by the new library plans not only extends to the furniture —every table, chair and bookshelf will be able to move so the room can be changed to suit any need — but also in the potential for simultaneously accommodating numerous and diverse activities. From fourth graders seeking quiet nooks to podcast plans for remedying environmental issues, to 8th graders visiting as a class to hear nonfiction booktalks, we will no longer be forced to stagger activities; students and teachers will be able to fully utilize the library as and when they need it. This flexibility will truly allow us to take the final steps toward becoming a 21st century library where students can excel as independent learners.

Meghan Murray


around MKA

Welcome to the Upper School Library Jill M aza

An English class gathers in the library reading room to hear “booktalks” of some of the best, recent book arrivals to help inform their choices for an independent reading project. Four boys sit at a table discussing the next phase of developing the virtual world they’ve created in their free time. A junior and the Assistant Librarian discuss an Interlibrary Loan order of books on religion in the Antebellum South. Three girls grab headphones from behind the circulation desk to take to their French classroom. Another opts to take the reserve copy of her Geometry textbook to a quiet table. The Ed Tech Coordinator teaches 9th graders Information Literacy in the library classroom. Today’s lesson: multitasking and managing distraction. A sophomore Ethics class filters into the general seating area; students sort themselves into groups, ready to take the next step in the group research project they began last week. Many in the Ethics class type in the URL for the Ethics LibGuide, housing recommended databases and quick research tips. Still more students trickle in and out over the course o f the block to review for a quiz, work on a paper, and get started on homework. A teacher grades in the comer, while another browses the book display of faculty-recommended best reads of the year. So goes an ordinary morning in the Upper School Library, and all before 10:00 a.m. This bustle of simultaneous activity occurs on a daily basis. While the orchestration of accommodating so many needs at once will become significantly easier once construction plans for the new library space become a reality, this buzz of activity indicates the vibrant program already in motion at the Upper School. The Upper School Library program, like those at other campuses, can be characterized as student-centered, boundless and flexible. There is much at play behind the scene illustrated above. Both a 9th grade information literacy course and collaborative instruction delivered through partnerships between the library and subject area teachers set a strong foundation for guided and independent learning inside and outside the library’s walls. Therefore, while the scene above unfolds within the library, evidence of the library program can be seen and heard around the school, as a 10th grade Revolutions teacher helps his students tackle the French Revolution paper through the lens of the MKA Research Cycle; a 9th grader presents his Biology Biomes Digital Newsletter complete with Creative Commons-licensed images; or a junior hones her note­ taking system in the locker lounger after attending a Library Workshop.


Collaboration extends well beyond the instructional partnerships between the library and teachers. It lies, too, at the heart of collection development, both print and digital. Materials selected for the library focus on curricular areas of demonstrated need expressed by departments. The MKA Digital Library tailors digital materials to individual projects through its research guides, and houses e-books that can be purchased when needed. One of the most exciting collaborative “collection development” initiatives lies in student­ generated information such as the Junior Oral History Project. During this project, juniors record interviews which are now housed on the MKA Digital Library for use by researchers seeking primary source material on the 1960s. Projects such as this, focusing on student-generated content, smash the traditional walls of the library and provide students with an authentic audience and direct evidence of the impact their learning can make on the world outside MKA. The advent of a student library steering committee this winter will extend student involvement in library collection development and programming even further, as they craft purchase recommendations and pilot platforms for e-reader lending and ebook downloading. Walls between home and school, between the classroom and the library and between the library and students are crumbling down. Some will fall whether we help them along or not. Others we deliberately seek to dismantle, in order to empower Upper School students to become savvy information navigators, equipped with the skills needed to excel in the 21st century world.

a r o u n d MKA


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Letters From the Heart: Remembering 9/11

The 10th anniversary o f September 11th was marked at each campus. For students at the Upper School, there was an especially poignant and moving assembly, preceded by a letter sent to students from Belle Koven '02 and highlighted by the reading o f a letter from Ann Johnson, mother o f Scott Johnson '93. It is with profound thanks to both authors that we reproduce excerpts here.

To the Students of MKA Ten years ago, even the oldest o f you was no more than nine years old. Although you have all grown up hearing about 9/11 and the tragedy that unfolded that day, I doubt that many of you have clear memories about the events themselves. If any of you lost friends or families on that day, this letter is not addressed to you. I am deeply sorry for your loss and can only hope that your memories have lost the edge of pain in the intervening years. For everyone else, this letter is inspired by my sister Rose, who was very recently in your position. She graduated from MKA in 2010. During her senior year, she once complained to me about having to sit through the 9/11 Assembly. Like many o f you, she has grown up with the tragedy of 9/11 as part of her world, but the actual day is hardly seared into her memory. So, J write you on behalf of your teachers and in an attempt to bridge the misunderstanding I saw in my sister. The last year I was at MKA on September 11th was 2001, so I have never been to a 9/11 Assembly. Instead, I would like to tell you about my last September 11th at MKA. The first I heard about any sort of attack was in between first and second period when I ran into another student in the hall who looked very shaken. Apparently he had been sitting in French class in Room 21, staring out the window daydreaming, when he thought he saw a plane fly into one of the towers. I tried to reassure

him that whatever he had seen was probably no big deal but I doubt that I succeeded. He had a haunted look in his eyes that I will never forget and he almost staggered as he continued down the hall towards his next class. I proceeded to rush into my economics class and ran to the window where, sure enough, there was smoke billowing from one of the towers. I told my teacher what I had heard and he glanced out the window. Then he looked back at the class, pulled the shades down and turned on the video we would be watching for the first half hour of the class. But, by the end of the half-hour video, rather than turning off the TV, he switched to a broadcast station. At that point in time, somewhere around 9:30 a.m., you could have turned to any channel and learned that something was very wrong. It was early enough that no one was fully sure exactly what was happening, but it was clear that something was wrong. When we pulled up the window shades, both towers were smoking and the TV confirmed that it had indeed been airplanes that had crashed into the buildings. The rest of the day I can only summarize in a series of vignettes. I know that I was able to reach my father, who was often in Building 7, fairly quickly, and was reassured that he was safe and sound. I know that I spent almost no time in a classroom for the rest of the day. I wandered the halls, sat in the Cafeteria where several TVs were stuck on the news, or tried to talk with friends about anything


except what was happening. My cell phone rang, and I spoke to a friend with whom I had had a falling out and had not spoken to in many months. We agreed later that both o f us had thought that perhaps we would not have another chance to reconcile. I know that every time a plane flew overhead, everyone in sight tensed. The fact that if a nuclear weapon was exploded in Manhattan, we were only 12 miles away was present in everyone's mind. That seems so silly now: worrying about a nuclear weapon. But as late as 3:00 p.m. on September 11,2001, we still knew nothing. We hoped that the attack was over. We hoped that the worst was passed. But we knew almost nothing.

cool calm that soothed the students and left them with emotions that I can never even hope to guess. But all of the teachers who were at MKA that day remember. They remember, and on September 11th o f every subsequent year, they must remember. They are not holding an assembly because everyone else is holding one. At MKA, they hold this assembly to remember. So, please respect their memories. Accept that their memories may be very different from yours. Accept that September 11th has a deep, personal meaning for many of your teachers and support them through a difficult day. Sincerely, Belle Koven '02

What stands out most in my mind, however, was the Remembering Scott Michael Johnson ’93 moment when the first tower collapsed. We had September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day —cloudless heard mere hints that a collapse was possible and blue skies with a gentle breeze. I was out early that newscasters seemed to sincerely disbelieve that day standing on a comer in the Upper East Side of anything so dramatic might occur. But sitting in the Manhattan urging people to vote in the NYC Cafeteria, watching the news, when the camera primary election and to vote for Mike Bloomberg suddenly snapped to a view of the first tower for mayor. Just as I began to hear comments from collapsing, my head snapped around to the window. passerbys, my daughter and husband picked me up There, was a perfectly clear view of a tower folding in on itself, quickly being replaced by smoke and dust, just 12 miles away. I seem to remember running through the halls after that. Headed to the Gym, although I honestly cannot tell you why or even if I really did run anywhere. The other tower fell and I watched that too, through the Cafeteria windows. I stared at the hole in the skyline, filled with smoke and wondered what Manhattan would look like on September 12th. Wondered if we would see the skyline on September 12th. After school, we went home. The next day, we came back to school. With surprising speed, life Students in grades 1-3 marked the 10th anniversary o f 9/11 with a special assembly returned to normal. Eventually, 9/11 around the campus flagpole. A story about peace was read by Head o f Campus Ginger became a buzzword that I now Kriegel, followed by everyone reciting the Pledge o f Allegiance and singing God Bless associate more with politics than America. When a bell rang fo r a moment o f silence, students were asked to ponder how memory. I rarely talk about that day. they could individually make the world a more peaceful place. But I have been meaning to write this and took me to our apartment in the city. Our 26letter for several years, and have only now been able year-old son Scott, from the South Tower’s 89th to bring myself to do so. floor, had spoken with his father, brother, and I do not ask you to understand what I experienced. girlfriend, and left a message on our answering I do not ask you to pretend to know what that day machine that he was all right and about to evacuate. was like for me. What I do ask, is that you respect My private mantra in those early dark days was to the memories of your teachers, many o f which are keep saying to myself—“It can’t get any worse.” probably very similar to mine. Many of the teachers For the rest o f your life you won’t have to deal with with you today were there with me in 2001. Some anything more awful than... felt fear so sharp and immediate, I doubt that they will ever fully quell that feeling again. Some kept a a r o u n d MKA |


• Watching the planes strike the towers • Watching the South Tower fall and calculating over and over how long it would take to walk down stairs to below the impact zone • The smell and quiet of NYC in the immediate aftermath • Those awful, mind-numbing, desperate early days and nights hoping our son was alive and safe • Being barely able to function let alone be a parent to our surviving son and daughter • Going to the West Side Pier 94 as a “family member” and seeing the wall of missing photos including Scott’s - filling out forms and more forms - being given an American flag and an urn of Trade Center debris • Cleaning out Scott’s apartment and driving his belongings to Montclair • Planning Scott’s memorial service on my 55th birthday • Buying waterproof makeup for the memorial service and crying with the sales assistant • The memorial service and reception • Going to the NYC medical examiner’s office with a sneaker, toiletries and having a swab done of my mouth for I.D. purposes —no part of Scott's body has been recovered to date • My husband showing me Scott’s smoke damaged wallet with his I.D. and credit cards • Receiving Scott’s certificate of death in the mail— the word “homicide” for cause of death took breath away • People avoiding us —we represent every parent’s worst nightmare. I wanted to run away as well • Answering the innocent question, “How many children do you have?” Three? Two? • Listening to the “where I was on 9/11” stories • Facing holiday after holiday without our son Having told you all these things I want to now tell you about Scott. Then you will realize just how much we lost on 9/11 when we lost him. We lost everything. His years at MKA from 5th grade on were significant ones. He became an enthusiastic student, a hockey player, an observer, a dreamer, a school supporter and a curious and talented young man. He was so mellow and at peace with himself. He grew from a skinny, awkward kid with big feet, braces and glasses into a 6’2” blond, blue-eyedBJj handsome young man. The impish grin stayed with him, as did his zest for life. Scott’s lifelong friend and fellow MKA graduate, Eric Kusseluk spoke at Scott’s memorial service. He said: “To us, Scott was the epitome of good manners. He made our entire group of friends look good. He was the one you wanted your parents to talk to and your girlfriends to meet.” And later he a r o un d MKA | T

noted, “Scott loved life. He lived every day to the fullest, every hour and every minute had a purpose. Boy did he enjoy the simple things in life Bthe Sunday paper, a Giants game and a nice fall day.” He certainly did. Scott survived multiple bee stings, scrapes and bruises, almost drowning in Puerto Rico, a dislocated shoulder during an away MKA hockey game, mono, a car crash his senior year at MKA - only to be unable to escape the South Tower. He died not knowing why his future ended just as it was beginning. A career, perhaps graduate school, marriage, children, freedom, travel, adventures were all taken away from him. It seems so unfair, so wrong. Ten years later the anguish, anger and sadness remain. We’ve all gotten better at dealing with our grief, but we continue to grieve. There is no closure. Not even the death of Bin Laden restores us. In the past decade, there have been weddings, divorces, graduations, funerals (our 93-year-old fathers) and the birth of our four grandchildren. We endure airport frisking and read about endless wars. Bombings in Madrid, Mumbai, Baghdad, Kabul, London, Bali and elsewhere sicken us and rub salt in our wounds. However, we take great comfort in the Scott M. Johnson Memorial Award which is given each year to an MKA senior who: “Has demonstrated a spirit of warmth, generosity, and goodwill towards others. Scott M. Johnson, MKA Class of 1993, embodied that spirit as a student at MKA and Trinity College, as an archaeologist in Israel, as an investment banker in New York, and as a dear friend to many around the world. Scott’s life was tragically taken on September 11,2001, but his kind, welcoming spirit is alive in the hearts of his loving family and friends, and prevails each time a person treats another as Scott did. So that humanity may progress with respect and understanding, the recipient of the award is recognized as a torchbearer of Scott’s fine spirit.” These are the words read when the award is bestowed. The award was created by a group of MKA friends and has grown over the years. We know how proud the recipients are to receive it and we are just as proud to know that Scott is being remembered for all the right reasons. Past winners include: Christopher Jackson, Judith Ferreira, Elliott Platt, Manav Lalwani, Natalie Azzoli, Brian May, Cara Placentra, Isidra Myricks, Matthew Palmisano and Seth Bynum. In closing, you should know that Scott is in our thoughts each and every day. His is the face I see and the voice I hear before I fall asleep each night — may you remember Scott as well. Ann Johnson - August 2011


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In Memoriam

Joseph Crist was a beloved member of MKA's Physical Plant Department and a great friend to the School and to PAMKA, MKA's Parents' Association. He worked at MKA from 1999 until just a few weeks before his sudden death from colon cancer on September 13, 2011. MKA was Joe's third career. He served in the United States Navy from 1965 to 1969, and then worked at American Cyanamid (later CyTec Industries) from 1969 to 1998. Headmaster Tom Nammack commented: "Our community is truly diminished by the loss of Joe; his easy dignity and kindness were a part of his interactions with every student, colleague and parent." MKA extends condolences to Joe's daughter, Jennifer, and to his entire family. Rudolph H. Deetjen, Jr. ’50, former Head o f the Brookside School from 1973-74 and Head of MKA's Middle School during the crucial merger years from 1974-77, died suddenly on August 29, 2011 at age 79. In his role as an MKA administrator, Rudy provided "inspiration, encouragement and support." Over the years, Rudy was also a member o f MKA's faculty and was selected as the School's 1994 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. He was an avid Reunion Chair and a dear friend to MKA. A graduate of the University of Vermont and Columbia University Teachers' College, he was a lifelong educator dedicated to the best interests o f his students. At the start o f his Brookside tenure, he commented, "Our ultimate goal will be the continued humanizing of our School." One of MKA's most loyal and active supporters, Rudy was a regular presence at Reunions and was an extraordinary Class Secretary for many years, making frequent contributions to his Class Notes columns. MKA extends condolences to Rudy's wife, Patty, and his entire family.

Frances Ferlauto, Administrative Assistant for over 30 years, died on September 2, 2011. Fran retired from MKA in 1999, having started her career at MKA as a part-time employee in 1966, then becoming a full-time member of staff in 1978 and working as Administrative Assistant to four MKA Middle School Campus Heads. An active volunteer in her community and church, Fran enriched the lives o f all who knew her with her vivacity, keen sense o f humor and ability to live life to the full. MKA extends condolences to Fran's sister, Angelica Fusco, and to her family. Dr. Martin Fossett, a member of the Upper School Science Department since 2001, died tragically on September 16,2011 at age 44, following a courageous eight-year battle with brain cancer. A graduate of Hopkins School, Middlebury College and the University of Utah, Marty was a researcher, scientist and an inspired teacher. During his ten years at MKA, he co-chaired the Science Department, taught AP Chemistry and guided students engaged in independent scientific research. "Marty was a deeply respected colleague and an integral member of the MKA community," commented MKA Headmaster Tom Nammack. "In all respects, he has been a source of pride to MKA." Many of Marty's former students expressed their sense of loss in a special edition of The Academy News, including the following from Devon Barrett TO and Lauren Martin '12 respectively: "Dr. Fossett served as my inspiration to continue my chemistry work at Princeton, and was the one responsible for igniting that insatiable fire within me to learn and understand and grow." "Dr. Fossett was inspirational, kindhearted, loving, devoted and courageous beyond the farthest limits of one's imagination." MKA extends condolences to Marty's wife, Amy, an MKA Middle School science teacher, and his son, Caleb, a member of MKA's second grade.


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The Gathering

Montclair Kimberley Academy officially kickedoff the new school year with the 20th annual All School Gathering, a spirited morning that brought over 1,000 students, faculty, Tmstees and friends together to celebrate the academic, athletic and artistic achievements of the past year, and honor individuals in the school community. Led by Headmaster Thomas W. Nammack, a question for this year’s Gathering was “What Makes a Hero?” Members of the Pre-Kindergarten classes had provided the Headmaster with a wide range of answers, and Middle School Student Body President Charles Rilli and Upper School Student Government President Dean Paolucci spoke of those who make a difference in a community, be they national heroes, hard-working parents or imaginative, enthusiastic and open Kindergartners. The morning included recognition for Primary School Head of Campus Ginger Kriegel on her 35 years of service to MKA, the presentation of the 2011 Founders’ Cup for Teaching Excellence to Upper School French teacher Dr. Michael Houston and the awarding of special MKA sweaters to students who have made significant contributions in the areas of academics, arts and athletics. Student talent from all three campuses was celebrated with performances by the third grade Bellringers, the Strings Orchestra, the Upper School Mastersingers, the combined Upper and Middle School Jazz Bands and the Cheerleaders, Step Team, and Upper and Middle School dancers. Highlights included a violin solo from fifth grader David Zhu and a rousing rendition of the song Respect from eighth grader Kimani Freeman, backed by the Middle School Chorale. The tradition of seniors welcoming Kindergarteners with a gift was continued, as was the official ringing in of the new school year by Headmaster Nammack and the youngest member of the audience, Jaelyn Alexender ’24, using the 19th century Montclair Academy bell. And this year, the weather cooperated and the tri-campus celebrations concluded with an all-school barbecue held on Lloyd Road.


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Homecoming & Reunions

Days don't get much more perfect than Homecoming 2011. The sun shone, the air was crisp, Lloyd Road was packed with families, the Dining Hall was filled to capacity with returning alumni and both the Varsity Soccer and Football teams won hard-fought contests in front of capacity crowds! Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Sally Minard TKS '60 was honored at the Reunion Luncheon, while Athletic Hall of Fame nominees Chisako Sugiyama '05 and Frank Herrmann '02 were formally inducted at the evening Reunion Dinner.


Amidst a galaxy of books and visits from some stars of children's literature, reading for pleasure returned to people's lives for a few precious days as PAMKA's 2011 Book Fair proved without a doubt that "Reading is Out of This World!" Despite having to organize the country's largest Scholastic Book Fair in the midst of "otherworldly" weather conditions, Tri-Campus Chairs Jamie Gorodensky, Sam Kaplan and Claire Wilks, together with their team of over 100 parent volunteers and with the support of Scholastic's Judy Newman MacGregor and Carol Levine, created a truly stellar event that resulted in over $100,000 worth of book sales. All three campuses were transformed into "Out of This World" bookstores, complete with a Middle School reading nook that featured a lunar landscape with a giant crescent moon. Favorite Book Fair events including the Faculty Tea, Ice Cream Sundae Sunday, Pajama Night at the Primary School and the tradition of inviting sixth grade visitors from TEAM Academy continued to be popular, and once again, some of the biggest names in children's literature came to campus. Primary School students were treated to presentations

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from Peter Reynolds (Ish and Dot), Derek Anderson {Happy Birthday Hamster) and Doreen Cronin {Click Clack Moo), Middle School students enjoyed R.L. Stine {Goosebumps), Brandon Mull {The Beyonders) and Harlan Coben {Shelter). Upper School students saw Sarah Culberson (A Princess Found) and not to be left out, parents heard from New York Times "A Good Appetite" columnist and food writer Melissa Clark at an elegant lunch at Highlawn Pavilion. "You all work incredibly hard in preparation for this full school event, then work long hours during the week of the Fair, from set-up and Faculty Tea to breakdown. You arrive early, come in shifts, stay late, arrange car pools and play dates, eat on the run and generate a totally unbeatable buzz for reading and writing in a school community. My students literally beg for more class time to read their new treasures,

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and I know their reading legs will suddenly swell with a manifold increase for the next several weeks. All of this is thanks to you and Book Fair! You have my respect and gratitude for this spectacular project!" Susan FitzGibbon, 4th Grade Teacher Judy Newman MacGregor - ■"Authors now vie for the opportunity to come."

Derek Anderson — “Thank you so much for inviting me to speak at MKA. I had such a terrific time with the staff and students. Just as you'd promised, they were all so very bright, fun and inspired. It really is a school that encourages the arts, and it was a very special day for me.” a r o u n d MKA


student news

The Headmaster is Pleased to Announce... National Merit Finalist • David Frankl National Merit Commended Students Hope Dancy Devika Patel Devon Geyelin Emma Sterling Nell Hryshko Daryl Uberoi Billy Lennon Sophie Vandenbroucke Lauren Martin Jordan Walters

David Frankl National Achievement Finalists • Lauren Martin • Jordan Walters National Achievement Outstanding Participants • James Cockey • Chukwuemeka Uwakaneme Additional Senior accolades to: • Sarah Bradley on completing the New York City Marathon. • Jennifer Brunner on winning the gold medal at the New Jersey State Junior Road Cycling hampionships. Lauren Martin and Jordan Walters

• David Frankl on coming in 7th place in Still Rings, 8th place in Pommel Horse and 10th place in Parallel Bars at the Visa National Gymnastics Championships.

• Devika Patel on being selected to attend The NJ Governor's School of Engineering and Technology at Rutgers University this past summer and working with three others on a project to program two robots to play an autonomous game of Hide and Seek. See http://soe.rutgers.edu/files/2011 RobotHideAndSeek.pdf • Daryl Uberoi for being one of ten finalists in the Berklee School of Music's Performing Singer/Songwriter Competition. • Megumi Umeda whose informal MKA 125th Anniversary logo design was selected from 16 entries to be used for student and spirit ware in the upcoming year.

Everything You Can


student news

Senior Sampler: Getting to Know Some House Captains

“When Matt Metzger and I created the Houses, we were the rising student body President and Vice President, respectively. We owe the realization of it to Mr. Gerard's influence and assistance. Matt and I hoped to give greater responsibility to students who were not already in major positions of leadership. As such, we carefully selected a group of rising seniors who we felt could foster a fun and cooperative environment for students in all classes. Our main goal was to create an all-inclusive extracurricular experience for students .■v'. those . .... . . who were not already part of established extracurricular activities, like sports teams, plays, chorale, band, etc. In that first year, despite any difficulties in establishing the Houses, we certainly achieved our most important goal: the cohesion of the student body in the service of having fun together."

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Andrew Culbreth '08


IftWMli Now in its fifth year, the Upper School House system has become an integral part o f the MKA high school experience, providing the basis for relationship building between the grades, ongoing development and demonstration o f school spirit, and senior leadership opportunities. Here, we meet eight o f this year's sixteen House Captains, each o f whom has left an indelible mark on the character o f the Class o f 2012.

John Kubinak:

Hope Dancy:

Hometown: Allendale Years attended MKA: 4

Hometown: Glen Ridge Years attended MKA: 12 1/2

What are your goals as a House Captain? For everyone to feel involved and to have fun.

What are your goals as a House Captain? Be the first house to not only win twice, but also in a row.

What is the greatest challenge and/or reward to being a House Captain? Organizing a diverse group of kids. I'm still waiting for the reward! What is your favorite House Contest to date and why? The Build-a-Boat contest, because it requires engineering, brains, and athleticism. What is your favorite school subject and why? Math, because of my teacher Dr. Kan, who pushes me to achieve my absolute potential every day I am in class. What other in-school or out-of-school extracurricular activities/responsibilities are you involved in? I'm Hockey captain, a Lacrosse starter and a soup kitchen volunteer. Favorite book? Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner Dreams for the future? To get into college! s t u d e n t news I 2 4

What is the greatest challenge/reward to being a House Captain? Bringing unity is definitely both challenging and rewarding. The House system is a unique place where a freshman and a senior could be working together on a project. Although sometimes kids are reluctant, in the end, we're able to create a bond that improves school spirit and makes school more fun in general. What is your favorite House Contest to date and why? I love any of the competitions that result in the audience hysterically laughing. One of my all time favorites is our recent movie competition. What is your favorite school subject and why? History. I've always enjoyed learning about people's passions and stories. More recently, I have begun to look at history as a tool to solve problems in the present. History is the combination of Science and English. It is a science, consisting of hard facts and relying on cold evidence. However, it is also similar to English in that the interpretation of the facts are open to the scholar.


What other in-school or out-of-school extracurricular activities/responsibilities are you involved in? I am a Varsity Fencing Captain, a volunteer at the Children's Institute, President of Political Action, and President and Founder of the Diabetes Awareness CSI. Favorite book? Apart from the Harry Potter series, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, that unexpectedly impacted my view of the world, and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. I've never loved being so frustrated with a novel's characters. Dreams for the future? To come back to MKA 15 years from now doing what I love, cured of diabetes, and seeing my classmates happy and healthy as well.

G abe DiM asi: Hometown: Caldwell Years attended MKA: 4 What are your goals as House Captain? My goal is to unify the house so we become more than just a group of people that go to the same school, but people who make new friends and have fun experiences. What is the greatest challenge to being a Captain? Trying to get everyone involved without over-using someone or under-using another. What is your favorite House contest to date? Dodgeball, because it is so much fun and the whole school becomes involved. Favorite school subject? Chemistry, because I just enjoy everything about it.

Other school activities? I play football, basketball and baseball. I am also a Peer Leader and President of the Fine Dining Club. Favorite Book? O f M ice and Men, by John Steinbeck Dreams for the future? My dream for the future is to live life to the fullest. I want to experience everything life has to offer, from traveling the world to teaching kids sports.

Allie Sweeney: Hometown: Essex Fells Years attended MKA: 9 What are your goals as a House Captain? I really hope to engage a lot of kids with the House system. We have so many different events throughout the year that range from arts, to athletics, to really just fun, and I know there’s something for everyone. I hope the whole House can get excited about all the events and support their friends who are competing, even if it’s across House lines. What is the biggest challenge and/or reward to being a Captain? Organizing participants in events is both the biggest challenge and the biggest reward. The House system is about being on a team, melding each House member’s talents, and working together to move the whole house forward. Really, the events are about showing our classmates what we can do and a lot of times, you don’t even know about your friends' talents until you see them perform or play in a House event - it’s an amazing reward seeing our


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housemates shine on stage, on the field, or in whatever way they’re making our House stronger. Favorite House event to date? Build-a-Boat has to be my absolute favorite. Every House works hard to build the best boat they can with only cardboard and tape, and you can’t help but cheer for the freshmen paddling the boats to the finish line - the entire House gets to be involved. Favorite school subject? English, because I absolutely love to read, and even more, I love to write. This year, Em taking two English classes both semesters and Em so happy I decided to do so, because I get to read and discuss so many classic books, and even better, write about them. Other activities? I play volleyball for MKA, Em a Peer Leader, Em the Yearbook Editor, and I lead both the Action on Behalf of Children and Model United Nations clubs. I love muskM o Em also in the Mastersingers and the Orchestra at school. Favorite book? The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, and A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, because the characters and the stories felt so real to me in both novels. Dreams for the future? Taking all Eve learned at MKA and applying it in college. Eve had incredible teachers here and I hope to put everything they’ve taught me into my writing, whether it’s a paper, a report, or maybe even a book someday. I hope everyone at home is proud of me as I move on to college.

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Ed Rossini: Hometown: Montclair Years attended MKA: 6 3*

What are your goals as a House Captain? I just want my House to have as much fun with the system as I have. My sophomore year some of my best friends were House captains and they made the system one of the most fun parts of my year; and Ed love for the rest of the House to feel that way about the system too. What is the greatest challenge/reward to being a House Captain? Not getting too "into" the competitions. It would be very easy to become extremely competitive and have all my goals turn towards winning the House Cup, but that would be absolutely no fun and ruin the house events for me. What is your favorite House Contest to date and why? I always love the movie-making competition because it's one of the bigger collaborations within the House. We get a bunch of people together on a Sunday, film for about 3 hours and see what comes of it. It's not stressful, it's barely organized, and it's always fun. What is your favorite school subject and why? I love history, because there’s always more of it. (Also, I have a strange obsession with presidents and their unusual habits and character quirks...) What other in-school or out-of-school extracurricular activities/responsibilities are you involved in? Jazz band, the Winter Musicals and Deetjen shows. That’s about all Eve had time for.

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Bra5 Favorite book: How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (It was a book first!) Dreams for the future? I would love to be a working actor, but if that doesn’t work out, being a history teacher would be just as much fun for me.

Kelly Wallace: Hometown: Verona Years attended MKA: 4 What are your goals as a House Captain? To unite the House and demonstrate to the freshman the fun and spirit of the House games, so that the tradition of the House system can continue on. What is the greatest challenge/reward to being a House Captain? Sometimes it is hard to get people to sign up for the House competitions with the stress of school and busy schedules, but it is always a great reward when you can see the people who have signed up demonstrating their talents and enjoying the competition they are participating in. What is your favorite House Contest to date and why? One of my favorite competitions was the House cheer. We decided to present our House cheers at The Gathering this year, to show the Middle Schoolers and Brooksiders the unique House System that the Upper School has. Even though we didn’t win the competition, it was really fun to unite the House through our cheer and show all of the MKA community the spirit of our House. What is your favorite school subject and why? My favorite subject is Spanish. I think being able to communicate in a different language is very cool, and I hope to one day be fluent.

What other in-school or out-of-school extracurricular activities/responsibilities are you involved in? I managed Girls’ Varsity Soccer this past fall and play lacrosse in the spring. I'm a member of MKA’s Wellness Committee, and I am involved in Operation Smile. I also take a weeklong, annual trip to volunteer at The Children’s Promise Orphanage in Guayaquil, Ecuador, something that I have been participated in for the past four years. Favorite book? The Harry Potter series Dreams for the future? To find a career I am passionate about.

Ben Stern: Hometown: Livingston Years attended MKA: 5 What are your goals as a House Captain? To include as many students from different grades and backgrounds as possible to get involved by sharing common interests and to encourage my teammates to explore new activities. I make sure to remind everyone that it might be the only part of the MKA experience based solely on making social connections and overall fun. What is the greatest challenge/reward to being a House Captain? The greatest challenge is balancing House Captain duties along with workload and sports. It's really easy to blow House competitions out of proportion but it is just as easy to forget about certain events if they aren't necessarily your favorite and you have a lot else going on. The greatest reward is hearing other students talk (or argue) about the House

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Bra5fq> Strong system, seeing their enthusiasm and knowing that you were a part of creating that. What is your favorite House Contest to date and why? The Boys' Step Team. Ever since my freshman year, when my sister (who was a House Captain at the time) volunteered me without my knowledge, it has become my favorite. I never knew what Step was until coming to MKA in eighth grade, but I never imagined how hard it could be or how much fun it could be. I discovered a bit of a hidden talent and passion that started my love for the House system. What is your favorite school subject and why? Science (mostly chemistry, but also physics or biology). During my freshman year of chemistry, it hit me that studying the world around me at all levels, especially down to the atom, is fascinating. When you think about the fact that all the interactions you are reading about in your text book are happening over your head or underneath your feet, without you even noticing...it can be pretty mind-boggling. What other in-school or out-of-school extracurricular activities/responsibilities are you involved in? In school: Football, Hockey, Honor Council Senior Chair. Out of school: Guitar and Bass, home recordings. Favorite hook: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow Dreams for the future? Hopefully, I will move out of my parent's house and find a career that combines my interests in science and music. (Maybe Guitar pickup manufacturing /design or effect pedal/amplifier design.)

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Rebecca Strickland: Hometown: Maplewood, NJ Years attended MKA: 7 What are your goals as a House Captain? To win the house competition! And, get to know and bond with my MKA peers a little better. What is the greatest challenge/ reward to being a House Captain? Sometimes finding kids to do House competitions is hard, but you meet new faces and learn new talents, and watching them on stage is a huge reward! What is your favorite House Contest to date and why? Field Day - because everyone from the Upper School —teachers and students —are all participating! What is your favorite school subject and why? Spanish, because I have the most fun in that class. What other extra curricular activities are you involved in? I tutor at Robert Treat Academy, am a member of the Field Hockey team and volunteer at the Montclair Public Library and at the Montclair Animal Shelter. Favorite book? The Perks O f Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky What are your dreams for the future? To live in California


student news

Fall 2011 Team and Student-Athlete Honors and Awards

Lauren Martin ’12, Captain o s' Tennis Team and recipient of the MKA Fall Captain’s Award that is given to a team captain who demonstrates leadership, a strong work ethic and is a role model for his or her team.

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During the 2011 Fall Athletics season, the following MKA teams, coaches and athletes achieved honors:

Field Hockey Head Coach: Injoo Han (6th Year) Record: 10-12; 2011 NJISAA Prep B Runner-Up and ranked #3 in the “Top 1 0 ” Rankings in Essex County (Star Ledger) Olivia Haddock-Carter ’12 Honorable Mention All-Essex/Union Conference Allie Bond ’13 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team AllEssex/Union Conference; 3rd Team Al-Essex County, ECCA; Honorable Mention Al-SEC; MKA Coaches Award; 3rd Team Al-Essex County, Star Ledger Jasmine Cole ’13 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team AllEssex/Union Conference; 1st Team AllEssex County, ECCA; 1st Team All-SEC; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger Gina Guccione ’14 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team AllEssex/Union Conference; 2nd Team AllEssex County, ECCA; 2nd Team Al-SEC; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger Paige Pacifico ’14 MKA Most Improved Player Award

Molly Peek ’14 3rd Team Al-Essex County, ECCA Bridget Stanton ’14 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All-Essex/Union Conference; 2nd Team All-Essex County, ECCA; 2nd Team All-SEC; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger Aexandra Reynolds ’15 MKA Rookie of the Year Award

Football Head Coach: Lance Ramer (4th Year) Record: 9-2; Ranked #9 in the “Top 10”Rankings in Essex County (Star Ledger) Kyle Clark ’12 2nd Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC Gabe DiMasi ’12 1st Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC; 2nd Team Offense All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 1st Team Offense AllEssex County, Star Ledger Gregory Froelich ’12 1st Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC; 3rd Team Offense All Non-Public, Star Ledger Matthew Gregory ’12 1st Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC


Max Herrmann ’12 1st Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC; 3rd Team Offense All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 2nd Team Offense All-Essex County, Star Ledger Patrick Karole ’12 2nd Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC Power Lawrence ’12 1st Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC; 3rd Team Offense All-Essex County, Star Ledger Blake Rohde ’12 1st Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC Michael Sasso ’12 1st Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC Benjamin Stern ’12 2nd Team Offense All-Independence Division, SEC Emeka Uwakaneme ’12 1st Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC Jonathan Kingsley ’13 2nd Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC; 2nd Team Defense All-Junior Team Essex County, Star Ledger Todd Morici ’13 2nd Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC Robert Pannullo ’13 2nd Team Defense All-Independence Division, SEC Jamel Penn ’13 Honorable Mention All-Independence Division, SEC

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Boys’ Cross Country Head Coach: Tom Fleming (13th Year) Record: 16-5 Billy Lennon ’12 MKA Senior Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger Will Dudek ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Aaron Fenhagen ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Michael Henry Johnson ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Drew Crichlow ’15 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Girls’ Cross Country Head Coach: Tom Fleming (13th Year). Record: 6-10 Sarah Bradley ’12 MKA Senior Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Essex County, ECCA; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger Michaela Mclnerney ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Taylor Leake ’15 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC


Boys’ Soccer Head Coach: Jordan Raper (4th Year) Record: 21-2-2; 2011 SEC Liberty Division Champions; 2011NJISAA Prep B State Champions; 2011NJSIAA Non-Public B North Sectional Champions; 2011 NJSIAA Non-Public B State Champions; 2011 Star Ledger Essex County “Team o f the Year ” and ranked #2 in the “Top 10” Rankings in Essex County and #15 in the State Top 20 (Star Ledger)

Matthew Lane ’13 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; MKA Coaches Award; 3rd Team All NonPublic, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger; 1st Team All-Junior Team Essex County, Star Ledger Mark Phillips ’13 3rd Team All-Junior Team Essex County, Star Ledger Sam Eisen ’14 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Soph/Frosh Team Essex County, Star Ledger Ryan Fennelly ’14 2nd Team All-Soph/Frosh Team Essex County, Star Ledger Thomas Fusco 14 3rd Team All-Soph/Frosh Team Essex County, Star Ledger Malcolm Dixon ’15 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team AllSoph/Frosh Team Essex County, Star Ledger; Essex County “Freshman of the Year”, Star Ledger Katie Goulder ’12 MKA Players’ Player Award Kaitlyn Fda ’13 3rd Team All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Dominic Leone ’12 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-State, Star Ledger; 1st Team All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 1st Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Girls’ Soccer

Stephen Piela ’12 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; MKA Coaches Award; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Head Coach: Todd Smith (11th Year) Record: 14-8-2; NJISAA Prep B State Champions and ranked #9 in the “Top 10 ” Rankings in Essex County (Star Ledger)

Justin Gonsalves ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Junior Team Essex County, Star Ledger Miles Hackett ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; 3rd Team All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger; 1st Team AllJunior Team Essex County, Star Ledger

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Alexandra Kelly ’12 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Prep B Kim Kirnan ’12 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; MKA All-Time Leading Scorer Award; 3rd Team All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 2nd Team AllEssex County, Star Ledger Tess Meyer ’12 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; MKA Coaches Award

Kira Farris ’13 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team Doubles All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 2nd Team Doubles All-Essex County, Star Ledger Julia Perlmutter ’13 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 3rd Team Singles All-Essex County, Star Ledger Madison Rivlin ’15 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award

Emma Layton ’13 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep B; Essex County Top Juniors, Star Ledger Claudia Sheer ’13 Honorable Mention All-Prep B Carlie Till ’13 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team AllPrep B; MKA Points Leader Award; Essex County Top Juniors, Star Ledger Ellie Schaeffer ’14 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Most Improved Player Award; Essex County Top Sophomores, Star Ledger; Honorable Mention All-Prep B

Volleyball

Fiona Smallman ’15 Essex County Top Freshmen, Star Ledger

Head Coach: Mike Tully (7th Year) Record: 8-12

Nicole Romola ’15 Essex County Top Freshmen, Star Ledger

Jamie Buren ’12 MKA Valeria Reyes Award

Girls’ Tennis Head Coach: Bill Wing (15th Year) Record: 14-8; and ranked #4 in the “Top 10” Rankings in Essex County and #19 in the State Top 20 (Star Ledger) Lauren Martin ’12 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; MKA Fall Captain’s Prize; 2nd Team Doubles All Non-Public, Star Ledger; 2nd Team Doubles All-Essex County, Star Ledger

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faculty news Meet The New Faculty

Some of the newest members of the MKA faculty gathered outside the Headmaster's house at the beginning of the school year.

Visiting Educators From Around The World This fall, MKA welcomed two sets o f visitors from Asia who made trips halfway around the world to see MKA's Culture of Ethics in action. First to visit were 13 members from the faculty and administration of the Taipei American School (PreK-12). TAS administrators first visited MKA two years ago as part of a fact-finding trip to observe ethics programs in American schools. They were so impressed with what they saw that they have spent the intervening time working towards developing a similar Ethics and Character Program for their own school. During their whirlwind two-day visit to New Jersey, the visitors spent time participating in and observing a wide variety of tri-campus and campus specific activities in order to help them further envision how they might implement a program based on the MKA model. They also spent time with MKA administrators and with representatives from the school’s Parents’ Association, saw classes in action, attended sports practices and met with Blauvelt Grant recipients —members of the MKA faculty who have created curriculum that specifically incorporates ethics. “What so impressed me,” commented one visitor after meeting with

members of the school Technology Department, “is that students really are encouraged to walk the talk. They are constantly reminded to take responsibility for their own behavior and actions, and the fact that they have administrative rights on their laptops is a remarkable testament to that.” Two weeks later, a group of five Japanese university professors made a similar visit, looking to find ideas for how to make character development a meaningful focus as students get older and how to collaborate to create a caring school community. As with the TAS contingent, the group's project leader (Dr. Tazuko Aoki from Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Education) had visited MKA before and been sufficiently impressed to make the school a return destination on an east coast trip funded by the Japanese government. Reflecting on the visit with MKA's Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Karen Newman, she complimented MKA on the "rich, imaginative formation" of the program that is apparent in everything the School does. These visits were equally productive for the MKA community. "As our visitors asked questions," noted MKA's Tri-Campus Ethics Chair Kerry Verrone, "it provided an opportunity to reflect on who we are as a school and to appreciate the value we place on educating the whole student. The visits served to recharge many of us."

Faculty Shout-Outs and Congratulations to: MKA Music Director Randall Svane, whose original choral work REQUIEM FOR THE UNKNOWN, commissioned by the Chamber Choir of Munich to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11, premiered in Munich in October and was recorded and broadcast nationwide in Germany by Radio Kultur on December 1st. Upper School Assistant Head of Campus Steven Valentine, who continues to be recognized as a thought leader in education. Author of the acclaimed Everything But Teaching: Planning, Paperwork and Processing and of the widely-

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followed refreshingwednesday blog (named by NAIS as a "favorite education-focused blog"). Valentine's article "The Professionalization of Independence: New Tensions and Opportunities for Independent School Teachers," was published in the Summer 2011 edition of Independent School Magazine www.nais.org/publications/is magazinearticle. cfm ?ItemNumberW 55224). It was read by the full faculty at the North Shore Country Day School, an independent school in Illinois, and by a mid-level leadership team at the Lakeside School, an independent school in Seattle, to help set the agenda for growth and change at the respective schools. In addition, he was invited to do a booktalk for school leaders affiliated with the Southern Association of Independent Schools, and in October, gave a lecture at Columbia University's Klingenstein Center about the responsibilities of independent

Montclair Kimberley Academy Welcomes a New Annual Fund Director January 2012 saw the appointment of Keith L. Wiggs as the school's new Director of Annual Giving. A current MKA parent of fifth grade twins, Wiggs comes to MKA with more than 20 years of fund­ raising experience in the areas of major and planned giving and foundation and corporate relations. An experienced nonprofit administrator, he also has expertise in the areas of strategic planning and communications. Trained as a classical musician, Wiggs earned a master's degree in arts administration from New York University, and worked for several of New York’s most acclaimed institutions including Lincoln Center, the Juilliard School, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Collegiate Chorale. More recently, Wiggs spent five years as the major gifts officer for the College of the Arts at Montclair State University, where he was instrumental in dramatically increasing major gifts from individuals, as well as grants from institutions, all in support of the fine and performing arts. He spent part of his last year as the University's

school educators in shaping the agenda for independent schools of the future. Valentine's next article, an interview with bestselling author and researcher Tony Schwartz, is due to be published in the Spring issue of Independent School magazine. Director of Technology William Stites who was interviewed about the role o f social media in education for the Christian Science Monitor in September. http://www.csmonitor.com/USAM/, Education/2011/0927/Schools-weigh-riskbenefit-of-Facebook Upper School F&PA teacher J.C. Svec, whose poster design for this year’s fall Deetjen play, Completely Hollywood, won a 2011 Gold MacCom Award for high standards in marketing / communication in the Ad/Poster Design category.

Interim Executive Director of Development where he oversaw an annual fundraising effort of approximately $4 million among six colleges. "Keith's deep experience, coupled with his knowledge of, and familiarity with, the MKA community makes him an invaluable addition to our Development Office," notes MKA Director of Development and External Affairs Geoff Branigan. "At a time when a robust Annual Fund is critical to the success of MKA's long-term Strategic Planning, we feel so fortunate to have been able to secure his skills and are very excited about all he can contribute." In response, Wiggs noted, “MKA has a wonderful reputation among independent schools, and this is an especially exciting time to be involved. I am tremendously grateful for the warm welcome that I’ve received, and I look forward to helping our superb team of faculty, administrators and volunteers make MKA even better in the coming years.”


parent news PAMKA's Winter Boutique Expands

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Meet PAMKA’s 2011-2012 Executive Board

Back row 1-r: Ruth Turkington (Special Events VP), Renee Brown (Community VP), Renee Rivlin (Secretary), Lori Yanes (Upper School VP), Angela Privitere (Middle School VP), Stephanie Salzman (Membership VP) Front row 1-r: Kim Walker (Communications VP), Mary Johnson (Finance VP), Karen Ross (President), Tina Jordan (Primary School VP)

Under the expert leadership of PAMKA volunteers Shelly Grossman and Kerry Murphy, PAMKA's second annual Winter Boutique was a huge success. Over 30 vendors, spread over 60 tables, turned the MKA Middle School Gym into an exotic bazaar full of tempting merchandise, ranging from homemade gourmet gifts to unique jewelry, and from children's games to hand-thrown ceramics. This year, Boutique hours were extended to incorporate a new preview evening for working parents, as well as a full day of shopping during school hours and many enjoyed getting a head start on their holiday gift buying.


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Learning from a Master: Colbert Discusses Political Satire MKA Upper School juniors and seniors enjoyed a very special evening lecture in October when satirist, comedic star, author and MKA parent Stephen Colbert addressed them on the history and role of political satire in society. Using examples as varied as Jonathan Swift, Will Rogers and Peter Cook, Colbert discussed the satirist's need to find "the game" - a humorous new way to highlight a particular element of society, or a new take on a point of view Bthat will appeal to some part of the general population. Students, drawn from history and English electives including Political Theory and Satire, were then able to ask Colbert questions ranging from "Is anything off limits for your satire?" (answer: Yes, personal tragedy) to "Do you and Jon Stewart exchange notes on what's going to be covered in your shows each night?" (answer: Not anymore), before enjoying some lighter-hearted entertainment as they got headshots signed.

PAMKA Helps Students Prepare for the Future

As the event's keynote speaker, MKA parent Robert Gulliver, Chief Human Resources Officer at the NFL, eloquently addressed the crowd on the inestimable value of internship opportunities at PAMKA's Prepare for the Future Internship Auction. Returning Chair Linda Sterling garnered over 40 remarkable summer internship and shadowing opportunities for juniors, seniors and young alums in the classes o f2009-11. The evening, run in conjunction with PAMKA's Spring Fundraiser, brought out great attendance from both current parents and parents of young alumni.


alumni news From the Alumni Council President Can you believe MKA is nearly 125 years old? This September will mark the start o f a significant year for M K A H the 125th anniversary o f M ontclair Academy, one o f our three founding schools. MKA will recognize this important time with a yearlong celebration o f events, and we are preparing for a very special Homecoming Gala for all alumni from all years! Mark your calendar now for Saturday, October 27th, as I know alumni from MA, TKS, Brookside and MKA will enjoy coming out to lend insight and perspective. This extraordinary celebration promises to be full o f fun, excitement and a bit of nostalgia. Personally, as I think about 125 years and my own experiences, I see two schools. One, that I remember with great fondness as I walk the halls, and one that is new and contemporary, for which I hold great affinity and pride. The physical changes at MKA serve as a metaphor. What was the Middle School Lower Gym has become a temporary Cafeteria while the current one is being renovated, and as you’ve read, there are plans to transform both the Middle and Upper School Libraries into innovative learning centers - two examples of how MKA is modifying itself to meet the needs of tomorrow. While I think we can all agree that we were provided access to a first-rate education that prepared us for the next leg of our journey, I am blown away by the global education being offered at MKA today. From offering Mandarin Chinese to opportunitiesto study overseas, MKA is helping its students cultivate a world perspective through experience and study. The Alumni Council is placing great focus on connecting with all of our alumni. Homecoming 2011 was a huge success with very strong turnout from a broad range of classes. From the sporting events, to the Luncheon and the Reunion Dinner, not to mention private parties, a great time was enjoyed by all. Our 2011 Distinguished Alumna Sally Minard ’60 was honored as a business pioneer and for her philanthropic contributions, and we also inducted two alumni - Chisako Sugiyama '05 for her extraordinary tennis career and Frank Herrmann '02 for his baseball prowess - into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Throughout the year, we invite alumni to participate in local and regional networking events, some purely social, and some where we focus on a particular career area to discuss the latest trends and issues and exchange ideas and insights. To date, we have held three networking events (Marketing & Communications, Finance, and Using Social Media), attracting more interested alumni each time. Amanda Hirsh and Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76 in the Alumni & Development Office have been the lifeblood for these events and I thank them for providing endless opportunities for alumni to stay in touch and broaden our exchange. MKA also recently welcomed Keith Wiggs as the new Director of Annual Giving. A healthy annual fund is vital to the success o f MKA’s long- term plans, and Keith is spearheading a continued effort to strengthen support. The Alumni Council has 100% participation and faculty is participating at over 95%, so I hope all alumni will join me in making a gift to the School to keep traditions strong and ever-evolving. Now, dust off your gear, ready your game face and mark your calendar for Saturday, June 16th for some no holds-barred (err, friendly) inter-class competition and sportsmanship when the Alumni Council sponsors an Alumni Games Day! Lacrosse (The Klank Klassic), baseball, field hockey and volleyball games will take place simultaneously across the campuses, and afterward we w ill all meet up at Tierney’s for some refreshments, camaraderie and good-natured boasting! In addition to Reunions, on and off campus events and networking opportunities, no matter what comer of the world you call home, we can stay connected through social media. Don’t forget to connect with other MKA Alumni via Linkedln to join or initiate a conversation; find us on Facebook (facebook.com/MKAAlumni) or follow us on Twitter (twitter. com/MKAAlumni). Warmest Regards, J. Kent Walker ’80 Alumni Council President


38 alumni news

Student-Alumni Society Launches

Meet Members of the Alumni Council

2011 marked the first year of the Student-Alumni Society, a new club for juniors and seniors, whose mission is to bring alumni and students together, strengthening the entire MKA community. In the first semester o f the year, the Student-Alumni Society participated in a num ber o f activities as am bassadors o f MKA to the alum ni body. At Homecoming/Reunions, they helped greet returning alumni and helped with a video project to record various alumni and their memories of MKA, Kimberley and Montclair Academy in anticipation of the school's 125th Anniversary celebrations. They also organized and sent care packages to the most recent graduates, the class of 2011, that contained personal notes, Halloween candy, a magnetic picture frame, a copy of the literary magazine Stylus and the Fall Review. They also participated in the Alumni Phonathon, making phone calls to alumni donors of all ages on behalf of the Annual Fund. In Spring 2012, the Society will focus on a senior class giving campaign with a goal of 100% participation to the Annual Fund.

Back row, 1-r: Cheryl McCants '82, Joshua Raymond '89, Rich Stanton '87, Cliff Finkle '92, Can Roberts '05, Andrew Kyrejko '05, David DeMatteis '95, Angela Garretson '94, Mitch Decter '94, Jessica Simpson Cook '99, Jared Cook '01 Front row, 1-r: Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley '76 (Alumni Director), Michele Mucci '84, Alex Aldea '95, Dennis Rodano '87, Jay Wecht '83, Diane Ridley-White '84, Kate Santoro '04, Amanda Englander '04, Amanda Hirsh (Development Associate) Emma Randall '13 sets up the camera to record Jessica Simpson-Cook's ('99) MKA memories.


alumni news

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Words on Writing: From Five Literary Alumni

The relationship betw een libraries and the p rin ted w ord offers a p erfec t exam ple o f sym biosis - the fo rm e r w ould not exist w ithout the latter, and f o r m any authors, those very words have been fa cilita ted by the existence o f libraries -p la c e s that can provide sanctuary, inform ation and inspiration.

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M K A has a long history o f teaching w riting to the highest standards. From the legendary teachings o f William A very Barras and M ary K. Waring, to today's Signature Program in Writing, students continue to graduate fro m M KA arm ed with the skills required to be effective, creative and cogent w riters and com m unicators.

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Here, a sm all sam pling o f som e o f the School's m ost successful literary alum ni fro m various fie ld s o f writing, share with us their thoughts about their craft, lasting m em ories fro m their school days, an d the role o f libraries in their lives. The Non-Fiction Writer: Philip Fradkin '53 As a young L.A. Times reporter, Philip Fradkin shared a Pulitzer Prize as the first journalist to cover Watts from the inside during the 1965 riots. One of the earliest environmental reporters, his 1981 book, A River No More, marked the first time a layman documented the thesis that the over­ allocated Colorado River would eventually run out o f water. It was followed by books about subjects as various as the Nevada Test Site’^ 5 downwinders, earthquakes, California's changing demographics, the well-received biography Wallace Stegner and the American West, and most recently, his 13th book, another biography, Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious Death, and Astonishing Afterlife.

photo: Alex Fradkin

What prompted you to pursue a career in writing? A curiosity about what was surrounding me, and the excuse to ask questions.

Is there a particular library that you fe e l an affinity to? The Bancroft Library at the University o f California, Berkeley, is one o f the premier research libraries in the country, and it contains a lot of material on the American West, which is where I have lived for the last 52 years and what I write about. I have used that library near my home for more than 30 years and spent 3 years as a consultant there.


What is the hardest part o f writing for you? Rejections of worthwhile proposals from publishers. My motto was "don't let the bastards get you down!"

What (or who) have been sources o f inspiration fo r you? I can't think of anyone beyond my wanting to succeed, which seems to have been enough.

Can you recall some lessons learned at MA/MKA that helped shape you as a writer? William Avery Barras writing NAS (not a sentence) and other abbreviations in the margin of my paper helped, but truthfully I was not a very good student at MA or in college. For some reason, I caught on later.

Can you describe where you do most o f your writing? Depending on my circumstances, either my home or an office in a building in the small Northern California town where I live. It has to be without a view so I am not distracted and has to, at least, give me the illusion o f control over my material.

What are you currently working on as your next writing project? I am wrapping up a 52-year career of working at all levels o f the craft of nonfiction, which includes newspapers, magazines and 13 books and am looking forward to exploring other things that interest me without having to take notes and write and rewrite and rewrite and yet again rewrite my observations.

Do you have a particular memory o f being in the MA library? Mrs. Violet Peterson was the librarian in the early 1950's, and I remember her as being a very sweet person who could not control us, so she appointed my classmate, football and baseball teammate, college roommate and remaining friend Dave Connolly as "captain o f the library monitors." I'm sure we didn't let him control us either. I have some vague memory o f Mrs. Peterson teaching us the Dewey Decimal System, but I probably learned it imperfectly. The library on the first floor of the old building was rudimentary at that time, and I don't remember using it for other purposes.

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The Fiction Writer: Ann Napolitano '90 Ann Napolitano is the author of two novels, A Good Hard Look and Within A rm ’s Reach. A Good Hard Look, a fictionalized ■ interpretation o f the life of Flannery O'Conner, received rave reviews in media including The Washington Post, The Seattle Times and coveted spots on Oprah's "O 2011 Summer Reading" list and on the independent booksellers July 2011 "Indie Next" list. She teaches fiction writing at Brooklyn College, New York University’s School o f Continuing and Professional Studies and at the Gotham Writers’ Workshop.

What is the hardest part o f writing fo r you? The hardest part lies a couple years into writing a novel, when I’m too far in to get out, and the end isn’t yet in sight, and I feel like I spend my days banging my head against fictional walls. That is not a fun time.

What (or who) have been sources o f inspiration for you? My parents told me that I should do what I loved, and that was certainly a source o f inspiration for me (although I know they were a bit concerned when it turned out that I didn’t love a steady profession like medicine or the law). Otherwise, a stable o f amazing writers inspired me, and continue to inspire me. Nothing makes me want to sit down and write like reading a great book.

Can you recall some lessons learned at MKA that helped shape you as a writer? I had a few excellent English teachers at MKA who helped shape me as a reader, and therefore also as a writer. Mrs. Tennaro in Middle School and Mrs. Benedict spring to mind. There are few things as powerful as a great teacher.


Can you describe where you do most o f your writing? I have two small children, so I almost never write at home. I belong to a communal writer’s space in Brooklyn, and I write there when my kids are in school. It’s basically a room M l o f cubicles, and it’s blessedly quiet.

What are you currently working on as your next writing project? I’m taking notes on a novel, which is a new experience for me. I’ve never tried to plot or plan before beginning a book, so I’m finding it to be an interesting (and frustrating, and hopeM ly rewarding) experience. The book is inspired by a news story I was obsessed with two years ago, but that’s all I can say about it at this point.

When you teach writing, are there any particular lessons you hope to instill in your students? I want my students to read as much as they can. If you ingest great sentences, it can only help the ones you write. I also insist that they take their writing seriously, word by word and sentence by sentence.

The Poet: Bruce Guernsey '62 Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Eastern Illinois University where he taught American Literature and creative writing. His poetry has appeared in well-known publications such as Poetry, The Atlantic and American Scholar. His books o f poetry include Lost Wealth, January Thaw, The Lost Brigade and New England Primer. Guernsey has been honored with fellowships in writing from the NEA, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. Four of his poems have been featured in Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry, and from 2006-2010, he edited The Spoon River Poetry Review which received Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards in 2008 and 2009. This spring, Ecco Qua Press will be publishing FROM RAIN: Poems 1970-2010, a selection of his work, described by Pulitzer Poetry Prize winner Claudia Emerson as “Truly an amazing collection.”

LIBRARY PRIVILEGES: The first thing I remember about starting seventh grade at Montclair Academy is the summer reading list that was sent to me before we left for our family cabin in New Hampshire. Reading in the summer? Huh? What do they mean? Summers are for fishing and trying out my new goggles and fins. And besides, reading in our family was determined by The Reader’s Digest, not by a list of novels, some o f them as long as 500 pages. When I saw one that size on the list, I understood why it was called O f Human Bondage. But for whatever reason, I got to know Philip Carey and to care about him too - about his deformity and the struggles he went through. Instead of fishing, I was the one who got hooked, reading in a rocker on our cabin porch, hearing the other kids splashing and laughing down the path to our lake. They were the ones who seemed far off, not that British kid Philip in boarding school, dragging his club foot as he tried to be like the other boys. And, when I looked up, it was September and I was in class with Mrs. Block, my seventh grade English teacher, plus all those smart kids from Brookside who talked about themes and symbols they found in our reading—who always seemed to find the infamous “hidden meaning.” I didn’t, and one day asked Mrs. Block if I could stay after class for some help. Thinking back on that 15-minute talk, I realize that it was then that my interest in reading and writing really began. She wanted to know what I ’d read over the summer, and when I told her, she asked if had ever felt like Philip Carey myself, alone like him sometimes. “You don’t have a club foot, but we all have something about us that’s a little different, don’t we? There’s no ‘hidden meaning■ in that, just the truth.” I had really never thought about such things before. I’d always read for the plot and to do well on a test, though I often felt strong emotions when I finished the reading which I almost always did, one reason that at the end of the first marking period I was

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awarded both “library privileges” and the nickname “brown-noser” by the older boys, whatever that meant.

been published in The New York Times Sunday Magazine ("Educational Experiences that Change a Life").

No more study hall! Instead, I could do my homework in the library with sweet, old Mrs. Peterson, who was always impeccably dressed in a blue suit and forever adjusting her- hearing aid. “Now boys, you are the best o f our students, so sit where you please and on with your studies,” which for a while we did until the spitballs started to fly or the Headmaster’s attractive secretary walked in and w e’d pretend to faint.

What prompted you to pursue a career in writing?

How ironic, all that youthful energy among the silence o f a library, the voices hushed in all those pages around us until a cover was opened and someone from a distant time and place began to speak. How appropriate then to have a librarian who was hard of hearing! “Shhhh — ” because there’s thinking going on here, imagining and wondering. What a privilege it was indeed to be allowed to dream in my faraway book until the bell for the next class called me back to time.

The Blogger: Amy Klein '03 A 2007 Harvard graduate, where she studied English and Creative Writing, Amy received a fellowship to study rock and roll and feminism in Tokyo. In 2010, while touring the world as a member of the punk band Titus Andronicus, she began posting her tour diary entries online. Amy's writing about A m y Rebecca Klein feminism and music soon attracted nearly 10,000 registered followers and led to the creation of Permanent Wave, an organization that encourages women, girls and their allies to participate in art and activism. National newspapers have recognized her blog, amyrebeccaklein.tumblr.com, and her writing has

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I have always been a writer. I wrote my first poem when I was in Kindergarten at Brookside —and I pretty much never slowed down. Writing has always been the easiest way for me to express myself. It's the best way I've found to discover what I really think. At MKA, I had wonderful English teachers who nurtured my love of language and literature —and in college, I found mentors through the creative writing program. When I discovered that these days, all it takes is an email or two to submit your writing to a website, I decided I might as well give freelance writing a try!

Is there a particular library that you feel an affinity to? I spent many late nights at Lamont Library at Harvard. It's the smaller o f the two major libraries —Widener is bigger and more architecturally impressive, but Lamont was open all night! My friends and I used to hang out there, reading, chatting on AOL Instant Messenger and playing ridiculous pranks on each other. It was every procrastinator's dream. Around exam time, the place was so crowded it was like a giant party.

What is the hardest part o f writing for you? Getting started! There's nothing more intimidating than a blank page. I wish they'd make Microsoft Word Docs with fake coffee stains or doodles on them. The good news is that writing really does flow once it gets going. Once the first paragraph is done, the rest comes easy.

What (or who) have been sources o f inspiration fo r you? My family! My older sister Lauren (MKA '96) has read more books than anyone I know, my dad writes poetry, and my mom tells wonderful stories.

do you remember the first book that "hooked"you? When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the book M y Side o f the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. It's about a boy who runs away from home and lives in the forest. He lives in a


hollow tree, eats berries and has a pet falcon. It's a fantasy o f complete independence. At the end, he decides he needs to go back to living with his family. But they meet him halfway S a n d agree to build a house near the forest. It's a wonderful coming o f age story. Actually, even today, I still think those are the best kinds of stories.

Do you have a particular memory from being in an MKA Library? I remember reading Howl by Allen Ginsberg. It was sitting on a shelf near the main seating area. It must have been a featured release. I read the whole thing at once sitting at the table near the bookshelf, and trying, and failing, to figure out what Ginsberg was talking about. I was enthralled. His sentences were like mysteries to me, filled with visual detail and yet elusive in meaning. I couldn't stop reading the phrase, "angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night."

The Journalist: Jay Greene '82 Jay Greene has enjoyed a successful and award­ winning career as a business reporter, ultimately serving as Photo: Brian Smale BusinessWeek’s Seattle bureau chief from 2000-2009, where he oversaw the magazine’s coverage in the Pacific Northwest with primary reporting responsibility for Microsoft. Writing about technology led Greene to cover the emergence o f design as a key business strategy for the 21st Century, and his well-reviewed book, Design Is How It Works looks at the innovation process at a wide-range o f companies. In March 2011, Greene joined CBS Interactive's CNET as a senior writer.

classmate) back then, and today, Jim Windolf. Jim is currently a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.) We would blow snot bubbles, cracking each other up, as we put together features for the paper. It was a hoot. It wasn't until college, when I worked as an intern at some local papers in St. Paul, MN, that I realized that I could actually make it as a writer.

What is the hardest part o f writing fo r you? Starting. It still takes me a while to figure out what it is I want to write when I start on a big article, or when I began writing each o f the chapters of my book. I often have to work my way into it, typing up sentences and paragraphs, and then reworking them, or even scrapping them. There's no efficiency in starting on a project. It's all trial and error for me. The next hardest part is the writing. And then, the finishing. Turns out none of it comes easy.

Can you recall some lessons learned at MKA that helped shape you as a writer? My senior year, I was co-sports editor o f the school paper with Chris Tortorello. We co­ authored a column dubbed "From T to Greene," which we thought was amazingly clever at the time. Back then, a few o f the school's teams were coached by outsiders, hired specifically for the job. Those teams were particularly successful. So I thought it'd be a good idea to write a column suggesting that the school should hire more coaches who had the specific skills to help kids succeed in those sports, rather than rely on teachers who volunteered, but didn't always have the expertise to be great coaches. The column wound up upsetting a few teachers, who saw the piece as an attack on their abilities, and they let me know it. It was the first time I really understood the power o f writing, even if that column existed just in our little MKA bubble. But, rather than deter me, the experience helped me understand that I could use writing to stand up to authority, to challenge the powerful. That was a dangerous bit o f knowledge for a 17-year-old.

What prompted you to pursue a career in writing?

Can you describe where you do most of your writing?

It really started when I worked for the school newspaper. I didn't think of it as a career then. It was just something I enjoyed. I wrote a bunch of wonderfully silly articles with my buddy (and

I currently write for CNET, a tech news website. And, while its main office is in San Francisco, I'm fortunate that they're quite happy to have me work from my Seattle home. I've been working from

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home for several years now, something I started when I was the Seattle bureau chief for BusinessWeek, and the magazine cut back, reducing the bureau to just me. I love working from home. I have a big window in my office that looks out over my neighborhood and a forest in my backyard. I get to hang out with my dog all day. And, I'm always home for dinner with my family every night.

Do you remember the first book that "hooked" you? I used to love reading the New York Times as a teenager, mostly the sports section. I devoured columns by Red Smith and Dave Anderson. And, I always enjoyed reading the musings o f Russell Baker. It wasn't until college that I really got hooked on books. The one that stands out now, as I think back, was Going After Cacciato, a terrific Vietnam War story written by Tim O'Brien. It won the National Book Award for fiction years ago. One o f the things that really captured my attention was that O'Brien attended Macalester College just a decade or so before I did. There's something inspirational about reading a book, and a terrific one at that, by an author who had traveled the same road I was on.

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Do you have a particular memory o f being in the MKA libraries? The only thing I really recall is Mrs. Clausen getting irritated with me for laughing too loud or being otherwise disruptive. In hindsight, she was probably right.

What role do librarians play in your writing today? Sadly, not as much o f a role as they once did. I've worked for a quarter o f a century at daily newspapers, a national magazine, and now a news website. And, as the economics o f journalism has eroded, publications have slashed budgets. One of the first places to get cut are libraries. It's tragic, to me. As a reporter, I've been the beneficiary countless times o f the creativity, intelligence and insight o f research librarians. They work behind the scenes and get no credit. And yet, those librarians have helped make the articles I've written, as well as those o f my colleagues, more detailed, more textured and more interesting. As research librarian jobs disappear, journalism suffers. I wish I had a solution, because as powerful a tool as Google is, it will never replace the librarians that I've been fortunate to have had as colleagues.


MKA's Annual Young Alumni Happy Hour took place on a lovely warm evening on September 14th at New York City's West 79th St. Boat Basin. The happy hour had a huge turnout and welcomed more than 95 alumni from the classes of 1997 to 2007. Everyone enjoyed the great food and drinks as they reminisced with classmates and faculty. At the end of the evening, a raffle was held for terrific MKA gear. This evening is always hailed by young alumni as the "best event o f the year!" A. 2007 classmates Nick Andlinger, Max Rudnick and Stuart Harwood with Upper School Academic Dean Deb Jennings. B. 1 to r: Kate Santoro '04, Noah Kessler '04, Drew Jennings '04, Edmund Kozak '05 and Tommy Beach '04 C. 2006 classmates and friends, 1-r: Chelsea Hubbell, Keara McCarthy, Caroline Crosland, Vicky Schalk and Liz Miller D. From the Class of 2007,1 to r: Hannah Gill, Taylor Breit and Eva Pogosian '07 E. 1to r: Representing the Class o f2001, Jared DeMatteis, Evan Sarti and Doug Wall F. 1-r: From the Class o f2005, Julia Roth, Mara Herrmann and Amanda Bennett G. 1-r: 2002 classmates Chris Carmona, Jess Block and Chris Jackson H. Anthony Gray '02, Amanda Shortall ’03, Kathryn Auw '01


alumni news

The Young Alumni Winter Luncheon The Young Alumni Winter Luncheon had record attendance this year! In early January, over 30 alumni from the classes o f 2010 and 2011 came back to the Upper School campus during their college winter breaks to catch up with each other, see faculty and share their college experiences with current students. Everyone enjoyed lunch, reminiscing and walking around the Upper School to see if anything had changed!

2011 classmates, 1-r: Everett Glenn, Jack Strain, Daniel Stem, Conor Breen and Mike DeVita

MKA Alumni Awards We Need You to Help Us Once again, it's the time of year when our Alumni Association asks for nominations for MKA's Distinguished Alumni Award and Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. Our Distinguished Alumni Award recipients have come from all fields o f endeavor, including philanthropy, business, medicine and the arts, and our Athletic Hall o f Fame honors outstanding individuals, teams and coaches from Montclair Academy, The Kimberley School and MKA. Do you know someone you believe to be deserving o f recognition from the wider MKA community? Please pass all suggestions along to Alumni Director Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley at lmcfeeley@mka.org. Full eligibility criteria and online nom ination forms can be found on the MKA website at m ka.org/alum niawards. Nom inations can also be mailed to the Alumni Office, 201 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ 07042.

And, don't forget Founders' Cup Nominations too! All members o f the MKA community—students, parents, past parents, faculty, staff and alumni - can nominate a teacher who has made a difference and exemplifies MKA's long-standing tradition of teaching excellence. From the Class of 2011, Kheri Freeman, Skylar Zlotnick, Justin Goldsman, Andrew Wagner, Alexa Burzinski, Andrew Lokker

Online Founders' Cup nominations can be submitted via the MKA website (see above) or mailed to the Alumni Office, 201 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ 07042.


alumni news

Alumni Career Networking Continues: MKA’s second installment in its Alumni Career Networking Series took place on October 3rd at Papillon Bistro & Bar in New York City. It featured three alumni who spoke informally about their careers in finance. Sharing their expertise were Melissa Cohn ’78, Founder, Owner and President of The Manhattan Mortgage Company; Bret Hirsh ’00, Senior Analyst at Scout Capital Management; and Luke Sarsfield ’91, Managing Director and Global Head of Medical Devices at Goldman, Sachs and Co. Melissa, Bret and Luke told their personal stories of how they landed their careers in finance and fielded questions from the alumni audience. Alumni Council member and attendee David DeMatteis '95, said, "The networking event was fantastic. Even though I don't work directly in the financial field, I was able to make two new contacts in my industry. These events are a crucial part to building a stronger alumni network. I would encourage all MKA alumni to join the Linkedln group and attend events in the future."

Social Media presenter Cari Roberts '05 The third installment of the Series took place in the Upper School Library on January 31st. This event was focused on Social Media and how to use Linkedln, Twitter, and Facebook for your professional advancement. Alumni Amanda Englander '04, Andrew Kyrejko '05 and Cari Roberts '05 created a terrific presentation on the three different media platforms, and following, there was time to field several questions from the audience and for everyone to meet and exchange cards.

Finance presenters Luke Sarsfield, Melissa Cohn and Bret Hirsh


alumni news

The Annual Alumni Hockey Game

A llN E W 2 0 1 2 A L U M N IG A M E SD A Y SATURDAY JUNE 16th

is!

4 Alumni Games - One Great Day! Featuring “Klank Klassic” Alumni Lacrosse, Alumni Baseball, Alumni Field Hockey & Alumni Volleyball Games

PP H | k ||

POST-GAME RECEPTION Tierney's 2nd Floor 3:00-5:00 p.m. f a ir in g food from il Smoke BBQ Alumnus Steve Raab's awardling fare) &

a

/erur 21-crowd open bar [beer/wine] for the

The Annual Alumni Hockey Game was once again held on the day after Thanksgiving at Clary Anderson Arena, this year's format pitting the returning alumni players against the current varsity. It was an exciting and hard-fought battle with the alumni team proving victorious in overtime, breaking a 5-5 tie. Nick Pepe '09 scored the game winner off of a great assist by Brian Saling '09. Also scoring for the alumni team were Dwight Jackson '08, Brian Thompson '05, long-time hockey coach and MS Phys. Ed. teacher Ken Smith and Derek Phillips '07, who had two goals. The oldest alumni players back this year were 2002 classmates Anthony Gray and Brett Allcom; joined by other alumni JR Devita '09, Michael DeVita ' ll , Kyle Duca ' l l , Billy Levering '08, John Dantzler '08, Matt Brown '03, Jack Merriman '09, Brian Saling ’09, as well as Dan Smith and varsity coach Dustin Good. The varsity team was looking sharp for the start of its season; Mark Bowen T3 and Eddie Haracz T3 each had two goals, and Kyle Morris T2 had one.

ALL ALUMNI, PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS INVITED!

Register today at mka.org/alumnigames


Class Notes Editor’s Note The deadline for news for the FALL Review is May 1 and the deadline for the SPRING issue is January 1. News can be submitted to the Alumni Office at any time on the back o f Annual Fund remittance envelopes, via mail or email to the Alumni Director (lmcfeeley@mka.org), the Editor (dkozak@mka.org) or your Class Secretary. We keep ongoing files for each class and welcome photographs in digital or hard copy. If your class does not have a Class Secretary listed, please consider volunteering for the position! It is a great way to re-establish contacts with old friends, does not require a great deal o f time and is essential to the ongoing vitality o f the school. Thank you. MA - Montclair Academy TKS - The Kimberley School MKA - Montclair Kimberley Academy

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TKS It was with great sadness that MKA learned of the death o f Virginia Stoutenburgh Svigals at the age of 101 on January 3, 2012. One o f the school’s most loyal and consistent supporters, Mrs. Svigals was also a regular contributor to this magazine’s Class Notes, entertaining readers with her good humor and enjoyment of life throughout the years. As noted in The Montclair Times obituary, she worked as a stylist and buyer for Lord & Taylor in New York before opening a gift shop in Montclair which she ran for 20 years. We send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Linda Martinelli, her son Barry, Svigals, her seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Mrs. Svigal’s involvement with, and attachment to MKA will be greatly missed!

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Mrs. Josephine Murray Schmid 118 Heron Point Chestertown, MD 21620 Sally Littlefield wrote: I am still living at North Hill in Needham, MA. My email address is sallyblittlefield@gmail.com. Would love to hear from classmates. MKA sends its condolences to the family of H. Ward Reighley, who passed away March 21, 2011.

--------------1937-------------MA Robert Livesey writes: I am still working a full schedule; all my friends still with us are retired. I must be really stupid. But, with six children 66 to 26, five grands and three great grands, I have to keep at it. Hello to everyone who remembers me. MKA sends belated sympathies to the family of Harold W. Lockhart, who passed away on June 9, 2009.

Kimberley; Jo was a student for 10 years. A n n ffo u r children live in NJ, PA and TX, and she relayed sad news that Jo’s son passed away two years ago. MKA sends belated condolences to both Jo and Ann, and wishes them continued good health.

------------- 1 9 3 9 ------------TKS News from Connie Serota: Ruth Hunt Timmons ’36 and I are both living at a retirement community, Westminster Canterbury, in Richmond, VA. We met recently by chance and discovered that we shared several early years at the Kimberley School. We were both astonished to meet fellow schoolmates so far from Montclair. We talked about the wonderful teachers that we admired and respected, and laughed about the unbecoming, green serge uniforms that we wore for gym. MA MKA sends deepest sympathies to the family of Bruce Swenson on his July 6, 2011 passing.

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--------------1 9 3 8 -------------TKS Ann McNair Scharadin checked in to say that she and her sister, Josephine McNair Schutt ’35, are well and continue to enjoy living in their own apartments in the same Longwood, FL retirement community. They like to take advantage of the many activities offered there. Ann spent 12 years at

Mrs. Alfred D. Williams (Joan Bayne) 15 Piper Road, Apt. K310 Scarborough, ME 04074 Summer Phone Number at Belgrade Lakes (May-September) is 207-495-2617

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TKS

Mrs. Albert Frell (Irene Burbank) 580 Admiralty Parade Naples, FL 34102

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TKS

Mrs. Stewart Carpenter (Josephine Fobes) Crane’s Mill, Apt. 2205 459 Passaic Avenue West Caldwell, N J 07006

Connie Serota ’39 and Ruth Hunt Timmons ’36

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1943

TKS

TKS

Mrs. James F.C. Hyde Jr. (Enid Griswold) 5402 Duvall Drive Bethesda, MD 20816-1872

Miss Lucile G. Mason 142 North Mountain Avenue Montclair, N J 07042-2350 MA

Our sincere condolences go out to the family o f Nancy Williams Brundage, who passed away April 12, 2011.

Mr. Edward S. “Ted” Olcott 23 Argyle Court Summit, N J 07901 mertedolcott@yahoo. com

Athletic Director Todd Smith met Joan Ailing Wuerth while on a soccer camp community service day visit to the Aegis . Moraga Senior Assisted Living Home in Moraga, California. Joan’s husband told a charming story of how she used to take the trolley down Bloomfield Avenue to get to Kimberley.

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Mr. Winterford J. Ohland 39A Cambridge Court Lakewood, N J 08701-6225

VIA

Mr. David Baird Jr. 9 Parkway Montclair, N J 07042

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Mr. Richard L. Charlesworth 27 Whipple Farm Lane Falmouth, ME 04105 diknan@maine. rr. com

Atheletic Director Todd Smith with alumna Joan Ailing Wuerth '41 MKA sends deepest sympathies to Nancy Tiernan Swenson ’42 on the passing of her husband, Bruce Swenson ’39, on July 6, 2011.

MKA sends its condolences to the family of Donald Rappaport, who passed away on August 12, 2011.

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Anne Feagley Wittels (Mrs. Jerome L.) 3970 Sepulveda Blvd., #403 Torrance, CA 90505 wittels@socal. rr. com MKA was sorry to learn of Pat Driver Shuttleworth’s November 1, 2011 passing and sends deepest sympathies to her family and friends. MKA sends deepest sympathies to Leigh Berrien Smith and her family on the January 8, 2012 passing o f her husband Procter Smith, Jr. MA

Mr. William B. Grant, 7330 Westmoreland Drive Sarasota, FL 34243 grantwb@tampabay. rr.com

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Honored Gift Club reception guests Lucile Mason '43 and Janet Mason ’48. Sisters Lucile Mason ’43 and Janet Mason ’48 were honored guests at MKA’s Annual Gift Club Reception held on October 1st. These accomplished Kimberley alumnae have supported Annual Giving at MKA for as long as records have been kept, and their loyal and consistent tradition o f giving has helped the school remain a thriving place for students to grow and learn. Lucile and Janet are both proud Smith College graduates and excelled in

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their respective careers (documented in an article about the sisters that appeared in the spring 2010 issue o f this magazine). At the reception, the sisters spoke glowingly o f the impact o f their Kimberley teachers and classmates teachers who created an extraordinary foundation that served them well throughout their lives. Both sisters were presented with engraved pewter boxes as tokens of MKA’s esteem and deep appreciation.

Eleanor Helm Ketcham 4 White Oak Eton, NC 27244 ellieketcham@aol. com Eleanor “Ellie” Helm Ketcham plans to catch up with a few classmates several times each year to gather news for upcoming issues of the Review. Elbe’s spring 2012 submission: Christa Arnold Buergin reports that she and Allan are considering a move from their home in Eatontown, NJ, to a retirement complex in Pennsylvania or Maryland, near one of their three children. They have lived


Enjoying their reunion luncheon from the class o f1946: Back row l-r: Daniel McGee and Connie DuHamel (TKS ’46) Front row l-r: Ray Ward, Arthur Hyde, Dean Lewis in Eatontown 41 years. She needs a hip replacement, but it cannot be done because of her previous open heart surgery. Christa told Ellie that she and Allan moved 18 times in 20 years while he was in the military and they were raising their children. She had gotten a Masters in Horticulture after graduating from Wheaton, but they moved too often for her to see many results! She and Barbara Becker Meyer chat frequently! Nancy Lockerty Hoffmann has lived in Rancho Santa Fe, California, since moving there from Martha’s Vineyard 11 years ago. Her youngest son, Jim, and his wife and daughter live nearby, while Chip lives in Switzerland and John in Hong Kong and Beijing. She reports that her major interest lately has been acting as Education Chair of the San Diego County Republican Women Federated, hoping that by hook or by crook she can get some of her ideas injected into the future of American/California secondary and Community College education. Until 1989, Nancy and Bill lived in Manilla, Hawaii and Hong Kong. Connie Munoz Hirshon gave up her childhood name of Sugie when she married. She has lived in the same house in NW Washington, DC since 1957, when she and Sid bought it and raised their three children there. She describes her pleasure in the programs of OLLI Lifelong Learning at American University, based on the motto that “curiosity never dies.” Connie takes courses for seniors every spring and fall, and attends lectures in January and June. Her daughter works for the State Dept, in Washington, and one son, Russell, lives nearby with his wife and two sons. Her other son, Harold, lives near Boston. If anyone wants to call or email Christa, Nancy or Connie, email or call me and I’ll connect you. The Alumni Office was sorry to learn of the

June Costikyan Cronin and her sons Phillip and Clarke, celebrating the 125th Anniversary o f the Costikyan fam ily’s business.

passing o f Jeanne Jordan Freeman on January 19, 2008. Belated condolences go out to her family and friends on behalf of the MKA community. Our sincere condolences go out to the family of Anne “Nancy” Rudd Eddy, who passed away on August 23, 2011. MA

Dr. Peter B. Lawrence 4802 Olympic Lane N #D Wilson, NC 27896-9148

----------- 1947----------65th REUNION OCTOBER 20, 2012 TKS

Mrs. David Hannegan (Louise Rudd) 49 Canterbury Lane Lakeville, CT 06039 weezieh@sbcglobal. net MKA sends its deepest sympathies to Louise on the passing of her sister, Anne “Nancy” Rudd Eddy ’46. MKA sends deepest sympathies to Patricia Cox Mansfield on the passing o f her husband Peter S. Mansfield on August 17, 2011.

----------- 1948----------TKS

Mrs. Sibyl Lewis Lotterle P.O. Box 3254 Hayden Lake, ID 83835-8148 sibstoy@icehouse. net MA Our sincere condolences go out to the family of James D. Dana, who passed away on March 20, 2011. A1 Murray just returned from Phoeniz, AZ where his 80+ Senior Softball Team from The Center for Sight, Venice, FL, won the Triple

Crown after winning the East Regional in Raleigh, NC, the East-West National and World Championships in Phoenix for the second year in a row. In late November, the Team will travel to Las Vegas for the World Masters, ranked #1 in the nation.

----------- 1949----------TKS On October 19, 2011 June Costikyan Cronin and her sons, Phillip and Clarke, celebrated the 125 th Anniversary o f the Costikyan family’s business. The original company, Kent-Costikyan, Inc. was founded by S. Kent Costikyan in 1886. It remains an important source of fine weavings from the Far East and Europe. The senior Mr. Costikyan established a service company to preserve fine period and antique rugs and weavings. His legacy was passed on to his son, Clarke, the second generation. June followed in her father’s footsteps, continuing with the original company. In the late 1970s, the present company, Restoration by Costikyan Ltd. was founded with Phillip Costikyan-Cronin appointed as President and June as Senior Consultant. Restoration by Costikyan still continues with the high standards set by the first and second generations. Under the direction of Phillip and guidance of June, the company has opened facilities in both Florida on the East Coast and Washington, D.C. Clarke, June’s son, heads the Florida office. The Costikyans have had a long association with both Kimberley and Montclair Academy. Kent R. CostikyanjiJ®, attended Montclair Academy in the 1940s. Alexandra Costikyan Jewitt attended Kimberley School in the early 1900s. June Costikyan Cronin ’49 and Judy Frost Costikyan ’51, both graduated from Kimberley.

c l a s s n o t e s | 51


Says June: “Enclosed is a color print taken at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York during our 125th celebration. The print includes me, 3rd generation, Phillip, 4 ^ generation Priscilla and Clarke, and Clarke’s daughters, generation Sabrina and Karli.”

----------- 1950----------TKS

Class agent: Mrs. Richard Lewis (Audrey Maass) 4551 G ulfShore Blvd. N, Apt. 804 Naples, FL 34103-4601 rdlew@aol. com MA MKA send its sincerest condolences to the family of Rudolph H. Deetjen, Jr. on his passing August 2011. (see page 17 for more.)

----------- 1951-----------

1951 alumnae backfo r Homecoming: Back row l-r: Gerrie Lockerty Hendricks, Nancy Jones Trescot, Ruth Ransom Wilson, Nancy Ehrhardt White. Front row l-r: Gail Robertson Marentette, Jane Gassaway Bonner, Judy Frost Costikyan

TKS

Class Secretary and Reunion Chair: Mrs. Lloyd Marentette (Gail Robertson) 93 Glen Avenue, Llewellyn Park West Orange, N J 07052 MKA sends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Anne LaBastille, author, photographer and renowned Adirondack Guide, who passed away on July 1, 2011. MA Mark Hanschka is now fully retired from Kaiser (1969-1998) and from his part-time work with Planned Parenthood (1999-2010). He’s downsizing from a house in Sunriver, OR to a condo in the same town, very busy with move. He’s also busy in the community with visits from, or to see children and grandchildren in, Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, Seattle, Phoenix and Martha’s Vineyard.

1952 60th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 TKS

Mrs. Clark Moran (Martha Gilbert) 8011 StrauffRoad Baltimore, MD 21204-1834 mmoran@iopener. net MKA sends condolences to Daphne Driver McGill on the passing o f her sister, Pat Driver Shuttleworth ’45 on November l H

2011.

cla ss n o te s | 52

MA

Class agent: Mr. Charles Sage 435 Welch Avenue Ames, IA 50014-7302 csage@iastate. edu

----------- 1953----------TKS Sally Maxon Jones writes: My husband and I are very much enjoying our new life in a retirement home. It is much like being on a permanent vacation. MA George Hertzberg wrote a moving ballad ten years ago, shortly after September 11th, in memory of Father Mychal Judge. Judge, upon hearing that the World Trade Center had been hit, rushed to the site where he was met by Mayor Giuliani, who asked him to pray for the city and the victims. Judge administered Last Rites to some people lying in the streets and in the lobby of the World Trade Center North Tower, where he continued to pray for the rescuers, the injured and the dead. Sadly, Father Judge was killed when the South Tower collapsed and debris flew into the North Tower lobby, killing many. George’s ballad can be heard at www.balladear.com. In 1956, while at the University of Vermont, George began two careers: singing/ entertaining and computer programming. He continued his work in computer applications and technology pretty steadily (for Univac, programming and helping develop COBOL; for ITT, helping develop the Strategic Air Command Control System and pioneering early data communications;

and for Exxon, designing inventory control systems in New York and in Caracas, Venezuela). He began to specialize in IT security, audit, quality assurance, cost containment and control in 1968 and received his MS in IE and Psychology from Stevens Tech in 1972. He taught at Baruch College, CUNY; FDU and NYU and now continues his consulting practice.

----------- 1954----------TKS

Ms. Georgia Carrington 38 Silver Spring Lane Ridgefield, CT 06877-5604 carrgeo@aol. com MA

Class agent: Mr. Sheldon Buck 51 Cornell Road Wellesley, MA 02181-7408 sheldon. buck@comcast. net MKA sends its sympathies to the family of Frederick J. Kaiser who passed away on March 17, 2011.

----------- 1955----------TKS

Mrs. Cecily Wilson Lyle 433 Wright’s Neck Road Centerville, MD 21617 ceci@dvm.com News from Class Secretary Cecily Wilson Lyle: It was a treat for me, as 2011 drew to a close, to call up some TKS friends to hear their news:


1956 TKS

Mrs. Carol Barnard Ottenberg 1420 41s*Avenue, E Seattle, WA 98112-3804 ottenbergc@aol. com Gail Zabriskie Wilson checked in with a note to say that she was sorry to have to missed her 55th reunion this fall. She also,v$ sent in this lovely picture o f her family from a wonderful anniversary celebration. MA

Mr. Eric Jaeckel P.O. Box 20153 Boulder, CO 80308-3153 efjaeckel@hotmail. com

Gail Zabriskie ’55 Wilson with her fam ily Had a wonderful chat with Leigh Eberstadt Brenza. Recently retired from the travel industry, she remains a fervent music lover who regularly gets down to NYC for the Philharmonic and other events. I was delighted to hear that she and her sister, Joan Eberstadt ’58, still share their dear old summer house on the Jersey Shore. Caught up with Priscilla Cole who has been living in Caldwell since the sixties and continues to love her community with all its many friends and activities. She is still an avid golfer. Her children all live nearby and also visit when she goes up to the family compound in Rhode Island. I loved hearing about a lobster dinner for the whole family including 10 grandchildren and friends.

Diny down, and soon — after that 50-year w ai^ H th e y were married. Although I couldn’t be at the wedding, Barbie, Nancy and Susie were there to represent the Class of ’55. I, on the other hand, have the pleasure o f having John and Diny as my new neighbors, as they are now residents of Chestertown, MD, just up the road from Centreville where I live. MA

Mr. Lawrence Martin P.O. Box 1058 Lexington, VA 24450-1058 martin@intelos.net Class agent: Mr. Robert Brower 131 East 6 6 ^ Street, Apt. 10C New York, NY 10065-6129 rereadclassics@aol. com

Class agent: Dr. Lawrence Nazarian 29 Surrey Place Penfield, NY 14526-1221 LFredN@aol. com

----------- 1957--------55th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 TKS

Mrs. Thelma "Tam ” Miller Knight 3001 Linton Boulevard, No. 201C Delray Beach, FL 518 tknightll 5@aol. com Class Secretary Tam Knight writes: Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot to write about, as I didn’t hear from many o f you. I can’t believe no one has any wonderful news to share with us. (Thank you Joan Keller Leggett for your kind words. Much appreciated!) As for me, I have gotten together with Joan Wallace Bryant and Fiona Nary Houston a few times. Both are

Barbie Ives Riegel is a bundle of energy as always, tending her marvelous garden in Montchanin plus making regular visits to children and grandchildren. In September, Barbie was host to Susie Forstmann Kealy, an active artist living and painting in Chicago - who joined her and Nancy Joyce Buckley at the following event: TA DA!!!!! Diana “Diny” Brown Donaldson, Kimberley ’55 and John Seltzer, MA ’55 were married on September 24, 2011 in Wilmington, DE. John and Diny had dated all through their high school and college years, but once college was over, their lives took them in different directions. For years, they tried to locate each other without success, until the class notes in the 2009 MKA Review alerted John about a luncheon held at Barbie Ives Riegel’s in Wilmington, where Susie Forstmann Kealy, Nancy Joyce Buckley and Cecily Wilson Lyle were in attendance. John, living in Texas at the time, lost no time tracking

A '55 celebration! Back row: Susie Forstmann Kealy, Barbie Ives Riegel and Nancy Joyce Buckley. Seated: Diana "Diny” Brown Seltzer and John T. Seltzer

class notes | 53


doing well and enjoying their retirement. Fiona was taking off for a trip to Antarctica! She told Joan and me about the many types o f clothing she would need for her trip. I am looking forward to her photos. I took a wonderful trip last summer to Eastern Europe. I have always wanted to go to Berlin, which I did. Loved it; so much history! Although I was there for several days, I still didn’t see as much as I would have liked. From there, I went to Warsaw and Kracow, Poland. Enjoyed Poland, except it rained for the entire six days we were there. Our next stops were Budapest and Prague, both of which I’ve visited before. I so love traveling and I am grateful that I am healthy enough to enjoy it! Hopefully some of you will drop a line or two before the next issue and share your news about your families or your lives! ’Til then. Joan Wallace Bryant kindly emailed to report that in a Christmas card from Lynne Kenny Scott, Lynne wrote that her mother hosted 22 family members, including children, grands and great-grands, at her home in the Rockcliffe in December. Lynne and Simon live in Toronto and have four grandchildren. Joan also mentioned thoroughly enjoying having lunch in Queechee, VT in September with Joan Keller Leggett, Jean Bonnell Goodrich and Connie Hay Van Heuven, with many fond memories exchanged over lunch at Simon Pearce. Joan also told of classmates traveling in 2011 and early in 2012, including her trip to Wimbledon, England for the Tennis Championships; biking and hiking. Jean Bonnell Goodrich went to Southeast Asia and San Miguel, Mexico. Georgia Sherman Glick checked in with class secretary Tam Knight with the following update: Tom retired after 45 years of practicing medicine! We have four grandchildren ranging in age from 8-17 months. I co-chaired my 50th reunion at Wellesley College and had a wonderful time. Our travel highlights include: Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, for birding and folk art; hiking and biking in Provence, France; in the US, to New Orleans, and Dallas/Ft Worth, Bozeman, MT and Maine, for a wedding and visiting friends and family. In between, I maintain my usual activities: grandson care, Boston Museum o f Fine Arts, Lexington Garden Club and two book groups. We use our home on the Massachusetts South Coast more each summer. Life is good!

cla ss n o te s | 5 4

Members o f the Class o f1956 back fo r Homecoming: Back row l-r: Janet Rodman Koskoff Molla Kaplan Reisbaum, Nancy Prescott Ward, Philip Hirsh (MA ’56) and Anne King Franges Front row l-r: Joanne Weisser Salomon, Carol Van Brunt Rasic, Sally Bever Zwiebach, Burt Zwiebach

MA

Class secretary and agent: Dr. Edward T. O ’Brien Jr. 3376 F em clijfLane Clearwater, FL 33761-1411 eobl0726@msn.com

----------- 1958-----------

Peter Grieves, Mark Jaffe, Marty Rosen, Dave Stroming, Dave Will, and yours truly were on hand for the party. Brother Jerry, not coincidentally himself marking his 70th year, flew in from Sacramento, CA with his wife Rosalie especially to be with his sibling, relatives and friends. It was a terrific gathering. As far as shindigs go, Rita Roth sure knows how to throw one!!

IKS

Mrs. Diana Bethell Little 1-K Buckingham Rd. West Orange, N J 07052-2703 littlecorp@verizon. net MA

Mr. Henry Agens 86 Eagle Rock Way Montclair, N J 07042-1629 hymelee@earthlink.net Mr. David Stroming 82 Halsted Drive Manchester, N J 08759 KStroming@aol. com Hy Agens writes:

LIM E:...... And don’t be so gloomy......... After all, it’s not that awful----- you know what the fellow said: In Italy fo r 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed---- they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, 500 years o f democracy and peace, and what did that produce?.......... The cuckoo clock. Last May, in the largest assemblage of 1958 MA classmates since the now legendary 50 year reunion of October 2008, ten (10) o f us journeyed to Sussex County, N.J., at the invitation of wife Rita Roth, to celebrate the completion of husband Jack Roth’s 70th year. Mike Chodorcoff, Jim DeBow,

Class Prez Fred Kramer reports that he took a trip of a lifetime traveling halfway around the globe to be present for the marriage o f his son Jonathon Parker Kramer in a formal Buddhist ceremony in Taiwan, China. Freddy left Florida in early November last year and winged to Chicago to pick up his other son, Oliver. Oliver is a financial planner in the Windy City. Together, they flew 16 hours from Chicago to Hong Kong, and then a 2 and half hour hop, on Dragon Airlines no less, to Taipei for the Nov. 15th nuptials. Jonathon and his bride Chen Wen Wang (a.k.a. Janis) met and will live in Los Angeles, where Jonathon is an actor and Janis is a registered nurse. Fred then journeyed to Thailand to visit with a couple o f expatriate friends, returning home in early December. Fred says he wants to do it again!! Alexander is Fred’s oldest son. He’s a Senior Vice President with Morgan Stanley. His children are Morgan (girl) aged 9, 3-year-old William, and 1-year-old Harrison. Well, that’s about it (to coin a phrase). Fred reminded me that another reunion is coming up in 2013. It’ll be our 55th. Think about it. Want to get together again? While talking with Fred about our 50th reunion, he noted that he found it remarkable at how easily and


smoothly we all connected with one another despite the intervening 50 years. A lot o f us were surprised at that.

MKA was sorry to learn of the passing of Diane Brolli Ruggiero on October 8, 2008. Belated sympathies go out to Diane’s family and friends.

Gotta go. Feel good and keep punchin’ and remember to keep those cards and letters!!

--------------1 9 5 9 -------------IKS

1962 50th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 IKS

Class secretary: Ms. Jarvis Reilly Nolan 15612 ViaMarchena San Diego, CA 92128-4420 jarvisno@aol. com

Mrs. C.D. Creed (Barbara Bywater) 1769 Forest View Avenue Hillsborough, CA 94010 bcreed@truckerhuss. com

MA

MA

William Marriott wrote: I am working five days a week while sneaking in some time for golf. My oldest son, Darren, lives locally with his wife and two children. Donald, son #2, lives near Charlotte, NC with his wife and two children. My golden retriever, Samantha, keeps me company and also drives me nuts. All is well.

--------------1 9 6 0 ------------IKS

Class agent: Mrs. Mary Anne Coursen Doty 21 Juniper Drive Queensbury, NY 12804 Sally Alice Unkles mailed the Alumni Office a nice write-up from Palm Beach, wherein her decades-long tradition o f giving out books as gifts to children on Halloween was featured. “I like to think I am teaching them to love reading as much as I do. About 10 years ago, I was inspired to share my love of books with even more children. Come Halloween, I let my trick-or-treaters choose from a selection of great books instead of sugary sweets.” Sally Alice wasn’t sure how her books would be received, but it turned out the ghosts, goblins and ghouls lit up at the sight of her book display. “We can pick whichever one we want?” a ballerina asked. Upon hearing a little girl in a cat costume pronounce, “thank you for my book,” Sally Alice’s sentiment was a resounding, “I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of hearing that phrase.”

Dr. John J. Farrar PO. 114 2069 Warren Creek Road Ovando, M T 59854 sharknose@starband. net Congratulations go out to Dr. Bruce Guernsey, whose selected poems collection called FROM RAIN: POEMS 1970-2010 will be published by Ecco Qua Press, a fine Boston literary publishing house. The book is due out late spring, and represents 40 years of Bruce’s work. (For more on Bruce, see page 41.)

----------- 1963----------TKS Mary Jane Gillespie Knapp has retired from West Virginia Presbytery, just in time to greet her first grandson, Westin. She then went back to work as an interim at College Drive Presbyterian Church.

MA

IKS

Mrs. Winifred Sage Wilson 13819 Vidal Place, NE Albuquerque, NM 87123-4729 wmsw98@msn. com Class agent: Mrs. Suzanne Scanned Hardy 47 Bartlett Parkway Winthrop, MA 02152

MA

Mr. D. Carter Fitzpatrick M0 Eastern Vista Sedona, AZ 86351-9085 fltzlaw@sedone. net Class agent: Mr. A. Craig Cameron 11 Bay Point Drive Ormond Beach, FL 32174-2203 ccameron@cameronhodges.com Lloyd LeCain, retired Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, recently retired as President of the Department of the California ROA (Reserve Officers Association). The ROA operates as an advocacy group supporting men and women in the military for almost 90 years, seeking to affect government policy. Lloyd also serves as the CEO of Executive Concepts, a military contractor based in Washington.

----------- 1967----------45th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 TKS

Ms. Margot Escott 1818 Imperial G olf Course Blvd. Naples, FL 34110-1010 MA

Class agent: Mr. Craig Perry 3467 Pinestream Road Atlanta, GA 30327 Craig.perry@rutherfoord. com

----------- 1968---------TKS

Mr. Bronson Van Wyck Arrowhead Farms 2141 Highway 224 East Tuckerman, AR 72473

Ms. Avie Claire Kalker 10 Knolls Road Williamstown, MA 01267 akalker@aol. com

John Benigno johnbenigno@fiotma.il.com

MA

----------- 1965----------TKS

--------------1961--------------

----------- 1966-----------

Ms. Marilyn “Lyn ” Schultz Blackwell 3779 Center Road East Montpelier, VT 05651-4103 lblack@ezcloud. com Our deepest sympathy goes out to Louise Brundage Lynch on the death o f her mother, Nancy Williams Brundage ’41, who passed away April 12, 2011.

MKA was sorry to hear of former Class Secretary Burton “Bim” Webb’s passing on August 20, 2011. The school sends its deepest sympathies to the Webb family and friends.

----------- 1969----------TKS

Christine Hannon 97 North Street Northhampton, MA 01060-3213 channon@smith. edu

cla ss n o te s

55


Lynn Ehrhardt Gildea updated the Alumni Office about her daughter Kristin, who had a little girl this past spring. Son Brian has five and a half year-old twins. MA

Dr. Edward A. Griggs Jr. 8 Yates Boulevard Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 eagriggs@optonline.net

----------- 1970---------TKS

Ms. Leslie Bryan 844 East Morningside Drive, NE Atlanta, GA 30324-5223 lbryan@dsckd.com Class agent: Ms. Kim Kolbe 38 Kent Drive Roseland, N J 07068-3707

MKA sends its sincere condolences to Peter Webb on the passing of his brother, Burton Mallory Webb, on August 20, 2011.

----------- 1971TKS

Miss Philippa Bowles 162 WoodruffAvenue Brooklyn, N Y 11226 bowlesphilippa@hotmail. com

Mr. V. James Castiglia 3 Lark Lane Oak Ridge, N J 07438-9171 vjc@vjamescastiglia. com Class agent: Mr. Peter Webb Mile Slip Farm 48 Mason Road Brookline, NH 03033-2203 pwebb@winerbennett. com Barry Ridings, an Advisory Trustee at MKA, checked in with the news that his fourth son (of five), Jake, was married in June. He and his wife Annie also became grandparents when oldest son Alex ’99x and wife Claire gave birth to their first child in August.

MA

Class agent: Mr. Peter Perretti 86 East Bracebridge Circle The Woodlands, TX 77382-2542 perretti@sbcglobal. net

MA

Reunion Chair: Mr. Anthony Vitale 10 North Wood Avenue, Apt. 601 Linden, NJ 07036 Tony. Vitale@TVOD.com

----------- 1972---------

----------- 1973----------TKS

Ms. Susan Read 38 College Circle Staunton, VA 22401-2375

Ms. Deborah Peck, Esq. 128 Victoria Bay Court Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418-5764 d cp ll @hotmail.com

Eden Buck Cross writes: I’ve been an interior designer with my own business in Florida for over 30 years. I have recently gone public about working with my gifts as an intuitive communicator, most notably an Animal Communicator. On my Facebook page: Eden Cross, Animal Communicator, you can find the three segments of my TV interview in Jacksonville, FL (ch. 4 WJXT). I’ve been doing this work for nearly 20 years. I would love to reconnect with girls I knew in 1st, 2nc^ and 3r^ grades at Kimberley!

Class agent: Mrs. Linda Finney Williams Box 1446 6 South Pasture Lane Nantucket, MA 02554 czarina@nantucket. net

Mr. Gregory Lackey 138 Paupukkewis Trail Medford Lakes, N J 08055-1310 gregory. lackey@usps.gov

MKA was saddened to learn of the passing of former Trustee C. Gorham “Doc” Phillips on December 8, 2011. Deepest sympathies go out to Tacey Phillips Carroll and her family.

Class agent: Mr. Thomas C. Galligan 504 Main Street New London, NH 03257-7818 tgalligan@colby-sa.wyer. edu

40th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 TKS

MA

Susan S. Huang writes: Our daughter is in first grade!! I am still retired from full-time work, but remain busy as an Independent Trustee of HSBC Investor Funds, as well as at our church and selective NFP Boards. Looking forward to our 4 0 ^ - Yikes!

Ms. Barbara Flessas 140 Lorraine Avenue Upper Montclair, N J 07043 akisister@aol. com

MA

MKA sends its condolences to David Webb on the passing of his brother, Burton Mallory Webb, on August 20, 2011. Robert “Bob” Jackson, Montclair’s youngest Mayor when he held the office in the late eighties, will again run for Mayor this May. On his slate, consisting of political newcomers, is Joseph Kavesh, an MKA ’84 Mumnus.

----------- 1974----------TKS

Class agent: Ms. Erin Cuffe Crawford 102 Buckingham Road Upper Montclair, N J 07043-2307 erincrawford@verizon. net

Classmates from 1971: Back row l-r: Former faculty member Ken Gibson, John Brandow, Jonathan Olsson, Robert Lipman, Tony Vitale, Geoff Close, Jim Bryan, John Guttmann, George Hrab. Front row l-r: Bruce Downsbrough, David Hoffman, Jonathan Golding, Bruce Pastorini, Jeffrey Levin, Kevin Basralian

cla ss n o te s I 5 6

Our sincere condolences go out to Geraldine Brundage Nolan, whose mother, Nancy Williams Brundage ’41, passed away on April 12,2011.


----------- 1975----------Class agent: Mr. Paul Zukerberg 1790 Lanier Place NW Washington, DC 20009-2118 pzuk@speakeasy. net MKA sends its deepest sympathies to Elizabeth Webb Rowe on the passing o f her brother, Burton Mallory Webb, on August

20, 2011. Nancy Nagel Lee writes: My twins, Ian and Noah, graduated high school in 2009. After a year at Florida State, Ian enlisted and now is || with the U.S. Airborne at Ft. Bragg, NC. Noah is a sophomore at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. My daughter Zoe just graduated high school and Tess is in 10™ grade.

----------- 1976----------Mrs. Paul McFeeley (Laurie Hoonhout) 238 Devon Road Essex Fells, N J 07021 lmcfeeley@montclairkimberley.org Class agent: Dr. Charles Read 1918 N. Daniel Street readca@gunet.georgetown.edu MKA was so sorry to learn of the passing of Moira Uskokovic Bogrov’s younger brother, Charlie Uskokovic, in November. The Class of ’76 and the MKA community send deepest sympathies to Moira, Lila Uskokovic Vidger ’78 and their families.

MKA sends belated condolences to Bill Prescott on the passing of his mother, Louise Marshall Prescott, on May 29, 2011.

MKA sends belated in d o len ces to the family of Roy Gates Perham, III on his January 28, 2011 passing.

MKA expresses its deepest sympathy to Paul Gelenitis on the passing of his mother, Eleanor Gelenitis, on October 2, 2011.

35th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012

Members of the Class of ’76 who returned t S MKA for their 35th reunion had a marvelous time at both the Homecoming luncheon and dinner at Montclair Golf Club. On the Friday night before Homecoming, David Hughes kept up his tradition of hosting those in town for the weekend and those living locally, as well as inviting alumni from surrounding classes who “hung out” with the class of ’76 back in the day (see accompanying photo o f David’s gathering). Class members who attended the luncheon, dinner or David’s soirée were: Hilary Hoffman-Fandel, Darcel DeVito Collins, Ana Rincon Gold, Sharon Sudol, Penelope “Penny” Wood Kulko, John Urga, Michael Rosenberg, Bill Dioguardi, David Minchin, Lisa Aufzien, Laura Scher, Rhys Jones, Paul McFeeley, Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley and Frank Godlewski. With next year’s Homecoming commemorating MKA’s 125th Anniversary, all alumni from all years are cordially invited to attend a smashing party with fabulous entertainment on the evening of Homecoming - October 27, 2012. No need to wait for a ’76, 40th reunion to come back and make more memories with dear old friends!

1976 classmates at Homecoming: Back row l-r: Lisa Aufzien, Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley, David Minchin and Michael Rosenberg. Front row l-r: Laura Scher, Hilary Hoffman-Fandel and Paul McFeeley

1977 Mr. Andrew Pedersen 1 Washington Avenue Rumson, N J 07760-2013 andrewpedersen8@aol. com Class agent: Mr. Robert Hubsmith 16 Warren Road Maplewood, N J 07040-1814 robert.hubsmith@mountsinai.org MKA sends its deepest sympathy to Elizabeth Gelenitis Alison on the passing of her mother, Eleanor Gelenitis, on October 2,

2011

----------- 1978----------Ms. Pamela Zeug 60 W. 57th Street, #15F New York, NY 10019 pzeug@downinggroup.com Class agent: Ms. Jane Lugaric Burkhard 299 Crown Road Kentfield, CA 94904-2711 janeburkhard@comcast. net MKA sends condolences to Lila Uskokovic Vidger and her family on the November passing of her brother, Charlie Uskokovic. MKA sends condolences to Kerry McGill on

1976 Alumni celebrated at the home o f David Hughes on the night ■ before Homecoming, joined by alums from ’77 and ’79. Seated, L-R: Rob Hubsmith '77, Hilary Hoffman-Fandel ’76 (parent o f alumni twins Hank ’06 and Phillip Fandel ’06), Lauren Waters ’77, MKA friend Nancy Berkson and Peter Valentine '77. Standing, L-R: David Hughes, Cheryl D ‘Alessandro McMullen '77 (parent o f alumna Elise McMullen ’08) Leah Healy ’77x, Darcel DeVito Collins ’76, Paul and Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ’76 (parents o f alumnus Brian McFeeley ’08), Bill Dioguardi ’76, John Urga ’76, Larry Duca ’79 and his wife, Kim Fenesy (parents o f MKA alumnus Kyle Duca ’l l andfreshman Erin Duca ’15).

c l a s s n o t e s I 57


the passing o f his father, Henry A. “Harry” McGill on August 1, 2011

----------- 1981

MKA sends deepest sympathies to Melissa Cohn on the December 2w]passing of her father, Albert L. Cohn.

Class agent: Mrs. Laura Itzkowitz (Laura Reisch) 37 Nottingham Road Manalapan, N J 07726-1834 howardandlaura@optonline. net

3

.

MKA was saddened to learn o f the passing of former Trustee C. Gorham “Doc” Phillips on December 8, 2011. Deepest sympathies go Erato Tyler Phillips and his family.

----------- 1979----------Dr. John Brink 1246 Beach Haven Rd. Atlanta, GA 30324-3842 drjack2020@aol. com Mrs. Carlos Ortiz (Shawn Mahieu) 2163 GilbrideRoad Martinsville, NJ 08836-2235 csaortiz@optonline. net MKA sends best wishes to Ruth Perretti on her December 3rd wedding to Eric Kaplan. Ruth and Eric are the proud owners of Ruthies Bar-B-Q & Pizza on Chestnut Street in Montclair, where Eric is the chef extraordinaire. It is a favorite spot of many in the MKA community!

----------- 1980-------Mary L. Cole, Esq. 1 Ferrous Court Chester, N J 07930 Mary_Cole@wellsfargois. com Class agent: Mr. George Reimonn, Jr. 199 Winter Street Hopkinton, MA 01748 GeoReimonn@gmail. com Our sincere condolences go out to James Gelenitis on the passing of his mother, Eleanor Gelenitis, on October 2, 2011.

Hearty congratulations to Pam Berkowsky, who lives with her family in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. In October, Governor de Jongh (Governor of The United States Virgin Islands) promoted Pam to serve as his Chief o f Staff. Pam previously served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor. Before moving to the Virgin Islands in 2002, Pam held several senior positions in Washington D.C. She served at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon, including four years as Assistant Chief o f Staff to Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. Pam earned her Bachelor’s Degree, magna cum laude, in 1985 from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and a M aster’s Degree in 1988 from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She spent a year studying international relations at the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Etudes Internationales in Geneva, Switzerland, as a Fulbright Scholar. MKA extends deepest sympathies to Christa McGill on the passing of her father, Henry A. “Harry” McGill on August 31, 2011.

1982 30th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012

Cheryl McCants 7 Holly Court Bloomfield, N J 07003-3004 cmccants@eimpactconsulting.com

Members o f the Class o f 1981: Back row l-r: Agnes Wong, Paul Amirata, Ken Smith, Laura Reisch Itzkowitz and husband Howard Itzkowitz, Robert Cunniffi Vanessa Christman, Hyla Ames Bauer, David Newman & Richard Moskowitz. Front row l-r: Eric Wong and son, James Habron, Margaret Johnson Cunningham, Harry Heist and Christina Heist

class notes | 5 8

Thomas Robbins 6 Bradford Terrace Newtown Square, PA 19073-190 MKA sends its deepest sympathy to David Bailey, whose mother and former faculty member, Sally Bailey Burkat passed away on August 4, 2011, and on the passing of his father, John R. Bailey, Esquire, on December

10, 2011. Congratulations to Anthony Del Gaizo who will be one of only nine players inducted into the NJ High School Hockey Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 18.

----------- 1983----------Ms. Amy Felber Trapp 229 Cardinal Road M ill Valley, CA 94941-3618 amy@jhevents. com Ms. Maureen Towers Natkin 5 Riverview Road Irvington, NY 10533 motowers@aol. com Class agent: Mr. Walter J. Davis 66 Oakwood Drive New Providence, N J 07974 davisteam@comcast. net Congratulations to Gary C. Powell who was recently elected Basileus of the Omicron Kappa/Kappa Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Jay Wecht, a teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, was featured in the West Orange Chronicle in October. Jay uses cartoons to relate to his students and to create an environment where they can drop their defenses and focus on classroom material. Each year, Jay creates a cartoon animal or object to serve as a character for the year, and holds a contest to name the character. This year, he drew a bald eagle with an Uncle Sam top hat and stars and stripes suspenders; Jay chose the bald eagle because of the 10th anniversary of September 11th. Student Josephine Kravits came up with the winning name: Pan Am Uncle Sam.

Jay Wecht ’83, fa r right, with the students who won his cartoon-naming contest.


----------- 1984----------Mrs. Jennifer Jones Ladda 110 Glen Rock Road Cedar Grove, N J 07009 laddafam@optonline. net From tifefpiass o f1986: Back row l-r: Adrienne Amirata Porca.ro, Lisa Unger, Erica Lubetkin, Joe Kavesh, Damon Zeigler. Front row l-r: Elyse Dmker Fenerty, Claudia Ross NemphoSj Julia Weil Lazarus, Paul Voltmer

Class agent: Mr. William Stone 99 Larch Road East Greenwich, R 102818-2205 bstone@outsidegc. com MKA sends best wishes to Joseph Kavesh in his campaign to join Montclair’s Township Council. Joe is a part o f former Mayor and MKA ’73 alumnus Robert Jackson’s slate in Jackson’s bid for Mayor this spring. MKA sends deepest condolences to Liza Cohn Wallach on the December 27, 2011 passing of her father, Albert L. Cohn. MKA was sorry to learn of the passing of Cameron Fleming in December. The School sends its deepest sympathies to Cameron’s twin sister Bryn, his wife, three children and the entire Fleming family.

----------- 1985----------Class agent: Mr. Jeffrey Schackner 1435 Lexington Avenue, Apt. 3E New York, New York 10128 jeffrey.schackner@citi.com MKA sends deepest condolences to Thaddeus Cohn on the December 27, 2011 passing of his father, Albert L. Cohn.

----------- 1986----------Ms. Sherry Ahkami PO. Box 3187 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 shirin@lajollaspine. com Ms. Jennifer Remington-Knodel 44 Hamilton Drive East North Caldwell, N J 07006-4629 jenremknodel@aol. com Class agent and reunion agent: Mr. Patrick Sweeney 1750 Scarlett Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15241-3140 p_sweeney@ml. com Reunion Co-chairs: Bruce Redpath - Bruce.Redpath@rbccm.com Elyse Decker Fenerty - elfenerty@yahoo.com Paul Voltmer - paul.voltmer@gmail.com Sherry Ahkami - shirin@lajollaspine.com Our deepest sympathy goes out to Laura Bailey Brown, whose mother and former faculty member, Sally Bailey Burkat, passed

away on August 4, 2011, and whose father, John R. Bailey, Esquire, passed away on December 10, 2011.

----------- 1987--------25th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012

Mr. Dennis Rodano 14 Wayland Drive Verona, N J 07044-2331 rodanod@verizon. net Class agent: Mrs. Lynne Y. Krest (Lynne G. Yellin) 7408 East Main Street Lima, N Y 14485

----------- 1988----------Ms. Susan Bartlett Rankin One Barbaree Way Tiburón, CA 94920 srankin@microsoft.com Class agent: Mrs. Hillary Johnston (Hillary Windolf) P.O. Box 35 New Vernon, NJ 07976 hwjohnston@mac. com In August, Jason Spiotta traveled to Raktrul, a village in a remote area o f eastern Tibet, to install solar equipment in the impoverished town, including portable solar desk lamps for school children and two battery-based solar electrical systems for the school and medical clinic. Jason, a proprietor of Solar Generation, a solar installation business in Woodstock, NY, was quoted in the Woodstock Times saying, “A big part of our dreams and aspirations was not only to work every day and support our families with a business we believed in, but also to help our community and help a part of the world that doesn’t have what we have.” For more information on the project, visit www.raktrul.org.

----------- 1989----------Mr. Louis Lessig 2009 Morris Drive Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 llessig@brownconnery. com Class agent: Mr. Josh Raymond 33 Oak Place North Caldwell, N J 07006 jraymond@trenklawfirm. com MKA sends condolences to the family and friends of Andrew Weiner, who passed away on July 29, 2011.

----------- 1990----------Class secretary and agent: Ms. Meredith McGowan Zengo 383 Middlesex Road Darien, CT 06820-2518 mczengo@aol. com Ms. Lorelei Muenster Leia9sioux@aol. com

----------- 1991----------Ms. Dara Marmon 52 Park Avenue, Unit 14 New York, NY 10016 wackohead@nyc.rr.com Class agent: Mr. Luke Sarsfield 105 Franklin Street, Apt. 4 New York, N Y 10013 luke.sarsfield@gs.com Gene Mazo wrote in: We write to share the news that Leopold Parker Mazo came into the world on Sunday, June 19, 2011, at 5:23 p.m. He weighed 6 pounds and 3 ounces (2.82 kilograms), was 19 inches long (48 cm), andi? was bom at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California. Max (4) is now a proud big brother, I got the best

class notes | 5 9


From the Class o f 1991: Back row l-r: Luke Sarsfield, Steven Goldberg, Stephanie Decker Grable, Mark Marshall, Kim Kohlman, Michele Sorce Silverman, Dora Marmon, Marci luliani Young, Melissa Dichiara James. Front row l-r: Brooke Sullivan Troisi, Balaji Gandhi, Owen Grover, Nils Ostberg, Michael Kramer The Mazo family: Gene, Gwen, Max and the new addition, baby Leopold Parker. Father’s Day gift ever, and Gwen and little Leo are both in great spirits. We look forward to introducing you to Leo soon! Congratulations to Dr. Dana Holwitt, who was honored with the Luster o f Life Award at the American Cancer Society’s 32nd Annual Diamond Ball in November.

1992 20th REUNION, OCTOBER 27, 2012

Mr. Enrique Neblett 718 Ainsley Court Durham, NC 27713 enrique. neblett@gma.il.com Ms. Tamar Safer 816 Chippewa Trail Franklin Lakes, N J 07417 tsafer5400@aol.com

Class agent: Ms. Anne Marie Verdiramo 302 Iimberbrooke Drive Bedminister, N J 07921 amverdiramo@gmail. com

Class agent: Mr. Damien Vena 385 Grand Street, #L906 New York, N Y 10002 venad@yahoo. com

Congratulations to Alison Schwartz on her September 10th wedding to Jim French. Alison and Jim tied the knot in an absolutely breathtaking setting - the Deck at the Highlands Inn, Carmel California. Alison and Jim have made beautiful northern CA their home.

Kudos to Vejay Lalla, elected as a partner in the entertainment, advertising and promotion groups at his firm, Davis & Gilbert, LLP, effective January 1, 2012. He and his wife have two young sons (now 5 and 2) and live in Chatham, NJ.

MKA sends deepest sympathies to Scott Weiner on the passing of his brother Andrew on July 29, 2011.

----------- 1993----------Mrs. Renee Ciccarella (Monteyne) 43 Veranda Avenue Little Falls, NJ 07424 rmonteyne@yahoo. com

Congratulations to a thrilled Renee Monteyne Ciccarella and husband Robert on the birth of their son Reide on November 19, 2011. Reide was bom at 5:07 a.m., weighed in at 6 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 inches long.

----------- 1994----------Ms. Dana Fiordaliso Martin 102 East 9 ^ Avenue Conshohocken, PA 19428-1504 dfiordalisomartin@gmail. com Class agent: Mr. Jason Awerdick jasonawerdick@gmail.com Congratulations to Dana Martin who writes: We are proud to announce the arrival of Jackson Joseph Martin, bom June 30, 2011 at 10:41am. Jackson was 8 pounds 10 ounces and 21 inches long. Everyone is doing well and big sister Emily is thrilled.

----------- 1995-----------

More from the Class o f 1991: l-r: Jodi Sarsfield and Luke Sarsfield with daughter Victoria and son Luke, Michael Kramer and Tanya Kramer, Stephanie Decker Grable, Mark Marshall and Lourdes Marshall and Scott Marshall ’89

class notes I 6 0

Alex Joerger now works for Corporate A&P in Montvale, NJ and is the Director of the Wine & Beer divisions for all the stores A&P owns. His wife Martha is a lawyer for Bryan Cave Law Firm in NYC. They have a daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, bom June 2010, now 18 months. Time marches on! Alex’s sister Kate ’98x, who also attended MKA, works as an examiner for the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, DC. She commented that MKA provided her with the writing and composition skills which she needed for college - she could still quote Colonel Cooper’s mles from 7™ and 8™ grades on “How to write a paper!”


Congratulations to Parul Agarwal Harle '94 on the birth o f son Cian Kailash Harley, born April 15, 2011. Jonathan Hirsh, in his new role as an MKA parent (of Pre-K’er Phoebe), visited the Primary School Campus in October to talk to students about the work of an EMT. Jonathan is President of the Board o f Trustees of the Montclair Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

-1996

Members o f the Class o f1996 at Homecoming: l-r: Colleen Rabke Meyer, Tashie Murphy Ludlow, Daniel DiRocco, Beth Noell Lambert, Juli Peterson Hibbard, Liz Mangum DeStefano

Class agent: Mr. Lee Vartan 700 First Street, Apt. 17P Hoboken, NJ 07030 ldv@alumni.princeton. edu Congratulations to Allison Connolly and her husband Eric Oishi on the fall 2011 birth of their son, Cole Russell.

Ms. Tanya Barnes tbames@fas. harvard, edu

Congratulations to Barry Janay and his wife, Lauren, on the July 7th birth of their daughter, Sophie Claire Janay.

Ms. Erica Hirsch 10 West 1 5 Street, #902 New York, NY 10011 ehirsch 77@yahoo. com

Best wishes go out to Lee Vartan on his February 18™ marriage to Kim Bryce. Alexis Silver writes: I graduated with a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. I will begin working as an Assistant Professor o f Sociology at Purchase College —State University o f New York (SUNY) in the fall o f 2011.

Jonathan Hirsh ’95, visiting the Primary School Campus.

■1997 15th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 Steve Raab emailed with the wonderful news that Fat Angel BBQ won its 3rd Grand Championship in as many years at the NJ State BBQ Championship in Wildwood in July. The team dominated the field of 66 teams, winning 1st Place in both Chicken and Brisket and earning a Fourth Place finish in Ribs and Pork. Congratulations to Chris Bellapianta on his November 2011 engagement to Morgan Weiner ’99. Their upcoming marriage will add to the ever-growing list of MKA’s married alumni! Claudio Kawecki was voted the grand prize winner of the 2011 Caddie for Love contest. Claudio won not only a chance to caddie for

More from the Class o f1996 at Homecoming: Back row l-r: Lee Vartan, Steve Little, Racquel Booth and husband Roman Kosz. Front row l-r: Jake Elberg and daughter Annie, Lacey Elberg, Kim Vartan, Felicia Little


Claudio, a semi-finalist after the first round of votes, then submitted a humorous video that again won votes and impressed Davis Love and others involved in the voting process.

Barry Janay '96 with wife Lauren and baby girl Sophie. Team McGladrey Member Davis Love III at the RSM International Pro-Am during the 2011 McGladrey Classic, but a lovely invitation to the draw reception at the home of Davis and Robin Love and round-trip airfare and two nights of accommodations at Sea Island Resort. Claudio won the prize out of 22,183 registrations by submitting impressive essays and photo entries that were voted upon. They illustrated his knowledge of the pros, the game of golf, and The Power o f Being Understood (McGladrey’s approach to doing business by understanding clients’ needs and providing exceptional value).

Dana Tyson married Nicholas Bonsell in New Orleans on November 5, 2011. Kira Ebling Breard ’97 served as Matron of Honor. Dana’s brothers Glenn ’99 and Mark ’06 were present. Dana is the daughter of retired faculty member Sonia Tyson. Dana and Nic met through HandsOn New Orleans, an organization that provided aid to residents after Hurricane Katrina. Dana is currently teaching first grade at the Andrew H. Wilson Charter School in New Orleans. She earned her Master o f Arts in Teaching at Xavier University in that city. Dana and Nic have a Katrina rescue dog, Sarena, that Dana rescued from a no-kill shelter after the hurricane.

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1998 -------------------

Ms. Lauren Moses laurenmoses3@yahoo.com Class Agent: Ms. Gemma Giantomasi gemmagiantomasi@gmail. com On August 27, 2011, Karson St. John married Mitch McGinley on the beach near their home in San Diego, CA. Karson and Mitch both attended Emory University, and reunited when Karson moved to San Diego in 2008. In addition to teaching yoga, Karson has been performing regularly in Southern

Dana Tyson '98 married Nicholas Bonsell on November 5, 2011 California, most recently as the EmCee in Cabaret at Cygnet Theatre and the Angel in Angels in America at the Lyceum Theatre. Best of luck to Lauren Moses in her new business venture, Peace and Joy Today, LLC. Lauren is President and CEO of the fledgling company, its mission to inspire friends and neighbors “to live at their highest possibility, with love, urgency and integrity.” The company’s first product, Inspiration Kit #1, is an album consisting of a collection of interviews, affirmations and readings “unlike

Siblings and actors Kristen and Will Connolly, respective members of the MKA Classes of 1998 and 2003, were the subject of a major feature in The Newark Star Ledger on January 9. Entitled “Move over Barrymores, here comes ... the Connollys,” reporter Ronni Reich profiled the remarkable success of the two, both of whom began their careers with lead roles in MKA Middle and Upper School productions. Kristen has enjoyed success on both stage and screen, with TV roles in Guiding Light and As the World Turns, film roles in Mona Lisa Smile, Revolutionary Road and as the lead in the upcoming The Cabin in the Woods, directed by Joss Whedon. Her stage roles include Shakespeare in the Park, most recently as Cordelia to Sam Waterston’s King Lear at the Public Theater. Meanwhile brother Will is set to debut on Broadway in the musical Once. The show enjoyed a sold-out run offBroadway and opens at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre next month. His theatrical path has included co-founding a theater company in New Orleans and co-writing a musical Fly By Night that has been performed in California, and hopes to stage on the east coast soon. MKA Middle School theater teacher Christian Ely who worked with them both recalls, “I enjoyed working with them both because they approached the theatre with great passion and rigor. I knew early on that they had great things ahead o f them.”

cla ss n o te s I 62


Congratulations to Stefania Lambusta '98 (current MKA Middle School Math teacher) and husband Daniel on the birth o f their identical twins, Zoe and Gabrielle. Born on January 5, the girls were bom a minute apart and weighed in at 5lbs 15 oz each! anything else in the marketplace.” Lauren anticipates an album release celebration in NYC in January 2012.

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1999 -------------------

Ms. Sandra Tritt 29 Brookfield Road Montclair, N J 07043 sandratritt@gmail. com Class agent: Mr. Alexander Holz 538 E. 85th Street, Apt. 2A New York, NY 10028 alexbhlz@gmail.com Congratulations to Jenevieve Duron ’99 who married Matthew Treiser on May 29, 2011 in New York City at the Metropolitan Club. Wirh many MKA alumni in attendnce. Jenevieve and Matt met as freshmen at

Columbia University and both graduated from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in May of 2011. They are currently living in Boston where she is a resident at Tufts Medical Center and he is at Massachusetts General Hospital. The Alumni Office was very excited to learn of Morgan Weiner’s November 2011 engagement to Christopher Bellapianta ’97; another great MKA “married alumni” couple in the making! Congratulations to Leroy Watkins on the birth o f his first child. Leroy John Watkins fV was bom in Boston, weighing eight pounds and measuring twenty inches long. Baby, mom and dad are all doing well. Congratulations to Jessica Simpson on her marriage to Jared Cook ’01 on Friday,

Karson St. John ’98 and Mitch McGinley. September 23rd. Several members of the wedding party were MKA alumni, including Danielle Greer ’00, Ben Feldman ’01, Lood Olibrice ’02 and Josh Berg ’01. There were also many alumni in attendance, including Lindsay Braverman ’01, Bill Martini ’98, Christine Paschal ’98 and Klaudia Pyz ’98. Alex Holz’s company Rightsflow, o f which he was one o f the original four co-founders, was acquired by Google in midDecember. Alex is now a full-time Googler (working primarily on music licensing for YouTube). Alex and his partners built their original business to represent and serve licensees - artists, record labels, distributors, and online music services - by making the licensing process a whole lot easier for everyone. Since the company’s launch in 2007, it has accomplished just that, with royalties paid to songwriters and publishers all around the world. Alex and his firm are thrilled to have taken the momentous step with the team at YouTube, that shares in their vision of solving the really challenging problem of copyright management. Combined with the worldwide platform and reach of YouTube, Alex and co-workers will now be able to drive awareness, adoption, and licensing success to a much larger audience - S ultimately benefiting users, artists, labels, songwriters, publishers, and the entire global music ecosystem.

---------------

Jenevieve Duron ’99’s wedding guests included MKA alumni Ali Wolf ’99, Madeline Frank ’09, Miranda Saylor ’09, Courtney Knowlton ’00, Robyn Pruzansky ’99, Leslie Cafferty Ryan ’99, Amy Gabel ’99, Lindsay Pisani Floria-Callori ’99, Liza Boutsikaris Spina ’99, and Kim Trabka Kilfoyle ’99.

2000 ----------------

Mr. John Garippa 8157 Madison Lakes Circle South Davie, FL 33328 oceanhut@aol. com Ms. Anna Labowsky 5 Highview Court Wayne, N J 07470-6271 annafiabowsky @yahoo.com

cla ss n ote s

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Reading Liaison at the Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester, MA. She graduated from Bates College and has a master’s in urban teaching from Simmons College. Diana Reiter married Sean Mersten on Sunday, September 18th at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House in Edgartown, MA, on beautiful Martha’s Vineyard. Diana is a law clerk for Judge Paul G. Gardephe of Federal District Court in Manhattan. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale, where she also received her law degree.

Future MKA 'ers? Emma Joyce Feldman and brother Jack Bradley Feldman Class agent: Mrs. Jaclyn Latzoni Spedaliere 58 Burnham Parkway Morristown, NJ 07960 jaclynlatzoni@yahoo. com Lauren Hooper is in a new dramatic series on BET Networks called Lenox Avenue, featuring A1 Thompson and Dorian Missick. She also starred in a movie called King o f Paper Chasin’which was featured on Showtime, The Movie Channel and Showtime OnDemand for the month of July. To learn more about the movie$y® visit www.sho.com. Whitney Brown updated the Alumni Office - she graduated from veterinary school at Auburn University and has begun a Theriogenology Internship (Equine Reproduction) at North Carolina State University.

-----------------

Ms. Dana Pisacane dana.piscane@gmail. com Class agent: Ms. Lindsay Braverman 340 East 34th Street, Apt. 5A New York, NY 10016 Ibraverman 1@gmail. com Congratulations to the many members of the Class o f ’01 who were recently married! Jared Cook married Jessica Simpson ’99 on Friday, September 23rd.

From Ali Roberts Feldman: After a very long wait, the Feldman twins made their debut on Friday, July 8th, 2011. Jack Bradley Feldman was bom at 7:46 pm, weighing in at 5.5 lbs, and his sister, Emma Joyce Feldman, entered the world three minutes later at 5 lbs. The babies were bom six weeks early and were able to come home from the hospital after spending a few days in the nursery. “We are adjusting to our new lives as parents and we couldn’t be happier.” Says Ali.

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2002 -------------

10th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012 Nicole Kessler married Jon Sandler on Saturday, October 15th at the University Club in New York City. Abigail Raymond married Bradley Frost on Saturday, June 4th at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY. Abigail is the

Jessica Simpson ’99 and Jared Cook ’01 ’s wedding, with MKA alumni (left to right) Danielle Greer ’00, Ben Feldman ’01, Lood Olibrice ’02 and Josh Berg ’01

cla ss n o te s | 6 4

2001-----------------

Heather Abramson married David Symons on Saturday, December 3r^, at the Plaza in New York City. The couple met at Cornell, from which they both graduated. Heather is the director for marketing o f Value Companies and vice president o f the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation. Her husband is a vice president in the asset management division o f Credit Suisse.

Class secretary: Mrs. Melissa Fortunato Slomienski 40 Holton Lane Essex Fells, N J 07021 fortunme@mac. com

Class o f2001 at Homecoming: Back row l-r: Alexandra Seidenstein Seidenshaw, Heather Abramson Symons, Lauren Abramson Mirman, Michael Braun, Lindsay Braverman, Dionne Gronda, Bryan Bishe, Jared Cook, Ben Feldman, Alex Dunham, Tatjana Gall, Dan Weller, Kathryn Auw, Pascalle Arnold. Front row l-r: Ali Roberts Feldman, Melissa Branco Bowman, Laura Brown and Alex Vassilowitch, Marissa Ferrazzo- Weller


Miss Emily Santangelo 27 Woods Road Little Falls, N J 07424-2010 emilyannesantangelo@gmail. com

Theater production, Tierney and the cast will tour through May in the U.S. and Canada. Light Wire Theater and Corbian Visual Arts and Dance brings new life to the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale; lined with electroluminescent wire, the well-known characters continue the Corbian tradition as they illuminate the darkened stage and wend their way into audiences’ hearts.

Class agent: Mrs. Lauren Tortoriello Ertel lauren. tortoriello@gmail. com MKA sends sincere condolences to Lauren Sunshine on the passing of her mother, Dehlia Sunshine, on August 1, 2011.

-----------2004----------Ms. Kate Santoro 333 River Street, Apt. 539 Hoboken, NJ 07030 Kate.santoro@gmail. com

Congratulations to Natalie Ghosh on her engagement to Brian Nolan. Natalie graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland where she earned her degree in medicine. She is doing her residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. Brian is from Ireland and works in corporate finance in Dublin. Kathryn Chase returns to the tri-state area to be the Head Teacher for Third Grade at Avenues: The World School, opening in Manhattan this fall. This new independent, international school, run from New York, will eventually have campuses in twenty countries and promises its students a truly international educational experience. Kathryn, who graduated from Princeton University in 2006 and obtained her M aster’s Degree in Education in 2010, has spent the last five years teaching at the American School in Asuncion, Paraguay. MKA sends deepest sympathies to Corinne Gaby on the passing of her mother, Corinne “Corky” Gaby, on September 26, 2011. Congratulations to Lauren Tortoriello Ertel and husband Jason on the birth of their baby girl, Kyle Olivia, bom January 4, 2012.

----------- 2003----------Ms. Judith Ferreira 819 Clifton Avenue Newark, N J 07104-3211 jferreir@ pratt. edu

Class agent: Brendan McCaffrey 345 East 5th Street, Apt. 1C New York, N Y 10003 brendan. a. mccaffrey@gmail. com Congratulations to Hachette Book Group’s Editor Amanda Englander on Two Kisses

For Maddy: A Memoir o f Loss and Love

Denise Sarkor Wilson '93 with her new husband Ryan Wilson. included Natalia Torres ’02, Alyce Harriott ’02 and Jessica Bishop ’04. Ryan is a Chemical Engineer and Denise starts graduate school at Columbia University SIPA this fall for a Masters in International Affairs. Congratulations to Michael Silverman on his engagement to Aranoa Roldan. Michael recently completed a two-year teaching program in the Ministry o f Education in Spain; Aranoa hails from Seville, Spain. Tierney St. John opened with the cast of The Ugly Duckling in January in Austin, TX. A Corbian Visual Arts and Dance & Lightwire

winning the 2011 goodreads Choice Awards. Amanda was author Matthew Logelin’s editor on the project, and in his acknowledgements he thoughtfully relays a “special thanks to my editor Amanda Englander for pushing me to get this done and for not giving up on me when I missed each and every deadline.” MKA sends condolences to Donny Gaby on the September 26, 2011 passing of his mother, Corinne “Corky” Gaby. Joshua Rudbart writes: “Now a full time production manager for Kadan Productions. We build and run fashion events for a long list o f clients. I love what I do.” :' MKA sends deepest sympathies to Randi Sunshine on the passing of her m other,® Dehlia Sunshine on August 1, 2011.

Class agent: Ms. Melanie Braverman 484 South Parkway Clifton, N J 07014-1243 mel. braverman@gmail. com Amy Klein (see P. 42 for more) returned to MKA in January as the co-presenter for the Hemmeter History Lecture Girls in the Front: 15 years of Punk Rock and the Community.’ Together with author Sarah Marcus, she discussed the legacy of the Riot Girls and the role o f women in punk rock. Congratulations to Denise Sarkor Wilson who married Ryan Wilson in an intimate ceremony on June 10 in Manhattan followed by a wedding blessing and reception for their family and closest friends in West Orange, NJ on June 11. MKA guests in attendance

Amy Klein ’03 (l) with co-presenter Sarah Marcus ’03 at the Hemmeter History Lecture.

cla ss n o te s | 6 5


----------- 2005----------Mr. Manav Lalwani 132 Blue Heron Drive Secaucus, N J 07094-2391 201-617-5312 manav. lalwani@gmail. com Class agent: Mr. Edmund Kozak 17 Summit Street Glen Ridge, N J 07028 973-748-7016 e.g. kozak@gmail. com A ri Bildner is working in DC in foreign policy, doing writing projects for a nonprofit» focused on Israel and Middle East Issues. Amanda Bennett let the Review know that Conor Kinkead is currently serving his first tour in Afghanistan with the United States Army. A First Lieutenant, Airborne Ranger qualified and a Scout Platoon Leader, Conor is responsible for 30 men stationed at an outpost and is involved in daily patrols and misfipns.

-----------2006----------Natalie Azzoli 60 Lloyd Road Montclair, N J 07042-1729 nat6888@aol. com Class agent: Ms. Angela McCaffrey 93 Rensselaer Road Essex Fells, N J 07021 angelamccaffrey@gmail.com Henry Fandel, Phillip Fandel and Nicolai Naranjo departed for an extended bike trip in Europe last fall. Henry and Phillip both hiked (in separate summers) across the United States, which took them about 3 months each. The brothers then decided they wanted to spend some time together and see a bit of

the world. Being avid bikers, they decided to experience Europe by bike, and classmate Nicolai decided to join them. The three flew into Gatwick Airport with bikes, trailers, tents and other gear, and then hiked to Barnes, London to stay with their first host, Dale Frederick Horne ’76 (MKA classmate of their alumna mom, Hilary Hoffman Fandel ’76). As well as seeing the world, the three wanted to find eco-villages, learn how Europe is handling the energy crisis, observe just how green Europeans are when building new construction, examine how waste and recycling are handled and determine how carfriendly and/or bike-friendly the towns are. They are tweeting about their adventures @Livingonbikes.

----------- 2007----------5th REUNION OCTOBER 27, 2012

Mr. Brian May 22 N. Bayard Lane Mahwah, N J 07430 bmay88@gmail. com Class agent: Mr. Harry Raymond 120 Ridgewood Avenue Glen Ridge, N J 07028-1121 raymond. harry@gmail. com n.auren Pugh wrote in over the summer: I have been interning at Imaging Sciences International in Hatfield, PA. In the Fall I will return to Villanova to pursue a m aster’s degree in Sustainable Engineering with a concentration in Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies.

-----------2008----------Ms. Cara Placentra 125 Upper Mountain Avenue Montclair, N J 07042 placentra@bc. edu

Class o f2006 enjoying Homecoming: Back row l-r: Will Wagner, Jack Moore, David Prentice, Kassie Dantzler, Keara McCarthy. Front row l-r: Sabrina Schmidt andfriend Devon Wambold, Sean Finn, Ian David

cla ss n o te s | 6 6

Class agent: Mr. Matthew Metzger 707 East Saddle River Road Ho-Ho-Kus, N J 07423 metzgermd@gmail. com Congratulations to Alayjah Watson who was recently named Miss USC by the University of Southern California. This designation, based upon a student’s academic performance, community service and schooWi involvement, follows a rigorous selection process. Alayjah was selected from twelve finalists, all of whom have the honor of holding the Order of the Torch. A Theatre major with a minor in Cinematic Arts, Alayjah is on the Dean’s List and is CoExecutive Director of Troy Camp, USC’s official and oldest philanthropic arm. She is also a USC Helenes hostess and Director of Management for Youth Exploring Passion, an organization that mentors pregnant and parenting teens. Congratulations to Rob Fortunato on being awarded the Lawrie Riggs - Commitment and Citizenship Award for his accomplishments during the 2011 University of Virginia Lacrosse season, when UVA took the 2011 NCAA title. Melanie Brady was featured in The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University’s student newspaper. The article discussed Melanie’s plan for her thesis, which is the first ever library, non-laboratory thesis in the Neuroscience department. Her thesis topic is about vision and visual deficits and how they relate to the brain. She is focusing on coloboma, which is a rare birth defect that impairs vision. Melanie said, “I’m trying to develop an interdisciplinary framework by which science and writing are conjoined to bring insight to a medical condition that otherwise would not be able to be properly understood in its entirety if either discipline were individually discussed.”

2006 classmates Henry Fandel, Phillip Fandel and Nicolai Naranjo


Kara Shepard ’06’s sister Kristin was married in Newport in 2011, with several MKA alums on hand to celebrate the occasion: Kara Shepard, Regan Shepard ’08, Erin Cole Furlong ’10, Sue Cole ’78, Cheryl McMullen D 'Alessandro ’77 and Peter McMullen ’77 Melissa Schlobohm, currently a senior majoring in art at Skidmore College, had an exhibit of her prints in the Weiss Gallery of the Greer Arts Wing this fall.

-----------2009---------Ms. Jane Stanton 240 South Mountain Avenue Montclair, N J 07042 jrs670@aim.com Class agent: Mr. Brian Purcell 89 Davis Avenue Bloomfield, N J 07003 prephockey98@aol. com Emily Naranjo is attending Colorado College.

-----------------

Elise McMullen ’08 (r) is currently a co-captain o f the Boston College Club Field Hockey team, pictured here with fellow MKA alumna and club teammate, Jane Stanton ’09.

2010---------------

Ms. Devon Barrett 109 Llewellyn Road Montclair, N J 07042 dlbarret@princeton. edu Class agent: Mr. Matthew Palmisano 51 Grover Lane West Caldwell, N J 07006 nbovals@att. net Congratulations to Oyinda Adefioye, a sophomore at The University o f Pennsylvania, and is one o f the winners of the Executive Leadership Council’s Award for Excellence in Business Commentary 2011 Essay Competition. The theme was

“Corporate America: Leading Passionately. Thinking Globally. ”

Sheridan Watson is a Cinematic Arts major with a minor in Spanish and Anthropology at USC. While continuing her successful, and now international, modeling career, Sheridan is also a member of Thomas J. Kilgore Honor Society and Sigma Alpha Lamb da and Gamma Phi Beta, writes for the Trojan student newspaper and helps tutor inner city children in Spanish.

--------- -

2011---------- -

Class secretary: Seth Bynum 32 High Street West Orange, N J 07052 sefaref22@gmail. com Class agent: Carina Wong 9 Deer Trail Road No. Caldwell, N J 07006 carinamwong@gmail. com Lance Barnard, a freshman at Southern Methodist University, was the winner of S M U ’s Green-Minute Video Contest, held annually to foster sustainability and concern for the environment. A member of MKA’s Environmental Club, Lance was eager to continue pursuing this area of interest at SMU, and his award-winning video, a spoof on Mission Impossible, won him an iPad2. Visit http://www.smu.edu/News/201m! green-minute-winner-05dec2011 to find out more! MKA sends deepest sympathies to Barrie Holtz on the death of her mother, Jill, on February 5, 2012.

Melissa Schlobohm ’08 at her MKA exhibit.

c l a s s n o t e s I 67


Marriages

M ONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY

125th Anniversary Homecoming October 27,2012 Save the date and don’t miss the party of a lifetime! All Alumni of All Ages from All Decades are invited to a very special Homecoming

Anniversary Gala at Mayfair Farms, West Orange. This fabulous event will feature a five hour open bar, extravagant cocktail hour and a gourmet sitdown dinner. Live entertainment by the celebrated Philadelphia Funk Authority, featuring alumnus George Hrab ’89 will

1955 1979 1992 1996 1997 1998 1999 1999 2001 2001 2001 2001

Diana Brown Seltzer and John T. Seltzer Ruth Perretti and Eric Kaplan Alison Schwartz and Jim French Lee Vartan and Kim Bryce Dana Tyson and Nicholas Bonsell Karson St. John and Mitch McGinley Jenevieve Duron and Matthew Treiser Jessica Simpson and Jared Cook ’01 Abigail Raymond and Bradley Frost Diana Reiter and Sean Mersten Heather Abramson and David Kiram Symons Nicole Kessler and Jon Sandler

Join classmates, former faculty and old friends for a night to remember! PHILADELPHIA

December 2011 October 15, 2011

In Memoriam 1928 1936 1937 1939 1941 1944 1945 1946 1946 1947 1948X 1950 1951 1954 1961 1968 1976 1984 1989

Virginia Stoutenburgh Svigals H. Ward Reighley Harold W. Lockhart Bruce Swenson Nancy Williams Brundage Donald Rappaport Patricia Driver Shuttleworth Nancy Rudd Eddy Jean Jordan Freeman Patricia Cox Mansfield James D. Dana Rudolph Henry Deetjen, Jr. Anne LaBastille Frederick J. Kaiser Diane Brolli Ruggiero Burton Mallory Webb Roy Gates Perham, III Cameron Fleming Andrew Weiner

January 3, 2012 March 21, 2011 June 9, 2009 July 6, 2011 April 12, 2011 August 12, 2011 November 1, 2011 August 23, 2011 January 19, 2008 August 17, 2011 March 20, 2011 August 29, 2011 July 1,2011 March 17, 2011 October 8, 2008 August 20, 2011 January 28, 2011 December 15, 2011 July 30, 2011

Faculty, Former Faculty, Staff and Trustees

provide music for all tastes and from all eras.

September 24, 2011 December 3, 2011 September 10, 2011 February 18, 2012 November 5, 2011 August 27, 2011 May 29, 2011 September 23, 2011 June 4, 2011 September 18, 2011

1999-2011 1973-1977 2001-2011 1968-1999 1974-1976

Sally Bailey Burkat Joseph Crist Rudolph Henry Deetjen, Jr. Martin E. Fossett Frances B. Ferlauto C. Gorham Phillips

August 4, 2011 September 13, 2011 August 29, 2011 September 16, 2011 September 2, 2011 December 8, 2011


Montclair Kimberley Academy’s Annual Fund helps maintain MKA’s preeminence among independent schools with high academic standards, diversity and engagement among students. The chool to attract and retain excellent faculty and provides crucial support for our dailv onoratimi«' arts, athletics and financial aid. Also, it helps us s our commitment to today’s cutting-edge technologies, st meaningful steps alumni, parents and friends can take e creative, innovative and empowering education for rnation, please contact Keith Wiggs, Director of Annual Give today at www.mka.org/supporting MKA.

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| and the demands of family life (spent with wife Alisa and young liley, almost 4) Josh has remained involved with MKA. A longi Council, he was President of the Alumni Association from 2004 to .... „.„„j jvcus a v^jiss Agent, and is currently involved with the 125th Anniversary Committee, working to help shape the events surrounding alumni participation in the celebrations.

"It is because of the dedication o f the faculty, the fond memories of relationships with classmates that have lasted a lifetime, and the tremendous opportunities to be part of the community that I feel so connected to MKA," explains Josh. That feeling of connection extends to supporting the Annual Fund. As he so eloquently shares: “I am committed to helping MKA in any way possible, even through the most modest o f donations to Annual Giving. Hopefully, contributions to MKA will allow future generations of students to achieve their goals and make friendships that they too will cherish forever, and will ensure that the faculty and the facilities always live up to the exceptional expectations that we have all come to appreciate."

An exemplar fo r the alumni community, Josh's commitment to the School and to the Annual Fund is remarkable, and MKA is so grateful fo r his support.


Marriages

M O N TCLA IR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY

125th Anniversary Homecoming October 27,2012 Save the date and don’t miss the party o f a lifetime! All Alumni of All Ages from All Decades are invited to a very special Homecoming

Anniversary Gala at Mayfair Farms, West Orange. This fabulous event will feature a five hour open bar, extravagant cocktail hour and a gourmet sitdown dinner. Live entertainment by the celebrated Philadelphia Funk Authority, featuring alumnus George Hrab ’89 will

1955 1979 1992 1996 1997 1998 1999 1999 2001 2001 2001 2001

Diana Brown Seltzer and John T. Seltzer Ruth Perretti and Eric Kaplan Alison Schwartz and Jim French Lee Vartan and Kim Bryce Dana Tyson aruLNicholas_Bonsell Karson St. Jolj Jenevieve Duij Jessica Simpsj Abigail Raym Diana Reiter Heather Abrai David Kirai Nicole Kessld

In Memoriam 1928 1936 1937 1939 1941 1944 1945 1946 1946 1947 1948X 1950 1951 1954 1961 1968 1976 1984 1989

Virginia Stou H. Ward Reij Harold W. Li Bruce Swens1 Nancy WilliJ Donald Rapj Patricia Driy Nancy Rudd Jean Jordan Patricia Cok James D. Di Rudolph Ha Anne LaBas Frederick J. Diane Broil] Burton Mai) Roy Gates j Cameron F| Andrew Wc

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•ley Academy’s Annual Fund helps maintain MKA’s preeminence among 1* high academic standards, diversity and engagement among students. The ool to attract and retain excellent faculty and provides crucial support for our ling enhanced academics, arts, athletics and financial aid. Also, it helps us t and facilities and deepens our commitment to today’s cutting-edge technologies, and is among the most meaningful steps alumni, parents and friends can take Icontinue to deliver the creative, innovative and empowering education for t has become known. For further information, please contact Keith Wiggs, Director of Annual 5, at kwiggs@mka.org or 973-509-7933. Give today at www.mka.org/supporting MKA.

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Profiles in Giving Joshua H. Raymond '89: Dedicated Supporter of the MKA Annual Fund and all things MKA For alumnus Josh Raymond, MKA class of 1989, giving to the Annual Fund is a natural way to say “thanks” for the opportunities he received as a student. Fie credits his parents for their sacrifices and his MKA education for helping shape his life as an adult. Says Josh: "My parents’ decision to send me to MKA changed my life in so many respects. I am grateful for the experiences that I had in and out o f the classroom while attending MKA. I am thankful for the wonderful faculty that always made time to provide advice and guidance that helped me to realize my maximum potential. Being able to participate in the performing arts and athletics, even though I never necessarily excelled at either, afforded me opportunities to be a well-rounded individual. During my Senior Project, I interned with a local law firm and gained great insight about a career that would ultimately become my profession." After leaving MKA, Josh received a B.A. from Skidmore College, and a J.D. from the New England School of Law. From 2006 to 2011, he was named a “New Jersey Rising Star” by New Jersey Monthly Magazine. A former public defender, Raymond now concentrates his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, corporate restructuring, debtor/creditor rights and commercial litigation. Despite his busy work schedule and the demands of family life (spent with wife Alisa and young children, Max, almost 6 and Hailey, almost 4) Josh has remained involved with MKA. A long­ standing member o f the Alumni Council, he was President o f the Alumni Association from 2004 to 2006, was for many years a Class Agent, and is currently involved with the 125th Anniversary Committee, working to help shape the events surrounding alumni participation in the celebrations. "It is because of the dedication of the faculty, the fond memories of relationships with classmates that have lasted a lifetime, and the tremendous opportunities to be part o f the community that I feel so connected to MKA," explains Josh. That feeling of connection extends to supporting the Annual Fund. As he so eloquently shares: “I am committed to helping MKA in any way possible, even through the most modest of donations to Annual Giving. Hopefully, contributions to MKA will allow future generations o f students to achieve their goals and make friendships that they too will cherish forever, and will ensure that the faculty and the facilities always live up to the exceptional expectations that we have all come to appreciate."

An exemplar for the alumni community, Josh's commitment to the School and to the Annual Fund is remarkable, and MKA is so grateful fo r his support.


Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #6871 Newark, NJ

M o n t c l a ir K im b e r l e y A c a d e m y 201 Valley Road Montclair, New Jersey 07042 www.mka.org

Homecoming October 27,2012 ■Reunion Years Luncheon ■All-Years Dinner 7947

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1992

1952

1967

1982

1997

1957

1972

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2002 2007


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