Fall 2013

outreach N E WA R K A C A D E M Y

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STEM Initiatives Enrich NA Curriculum

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CONTENTS FALL 2013 FEATURES

4 All in for NA Jeffrey Kaplan and Family Lead by Example 22 Systemic Connections NA’s Evolving STEM Curriculum 28 Ahead of the Class The Middle School Experience: Looking Back, Moving Forward IN THIS ISSUE

2 Perspectives 6 NA News

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36 From the Archives 38 Advancement 40 Homecoming & Reunion 2013 51 Alumni News 53 Class Notes Join the conversation: “Like” NA on Facebook; ! Follow NA on Twitter @newarkacademy;

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Visit us on the web at www.newarka.edu

outreach FALL 2013 Donald M. Austin Head of School

PERSPECTIVES

Lisa Grider Director of Institutional Advancement EDITOR Debra Marr Director of Communications

FROM DONALD M. AUSTIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R Marci Kahwaty Communications Associate CONTRIBUTORS Sean Allen ’03 David Hardin ’73 Elizabeth Barbado LaPadula, D. Litt.

Grace Alofe ’14 Elaine Brodie Jessica Lubow Matthew Gertler ’90 Blackie Parlin Ted Gilbreath Jeffrey Vinikoor Glenn Waldorf ’90 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairman Jonathan D. Olesky ’74 Executive Committee William Bloom Kim Hirsh ’80 Patricia Budziak Jeffrey Kaplan Laura White Dillon David D. McGraw ’77 Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 Jane Wilf Trustees Donald M. Austin Philip McNeal John Bess ’69 Samir Pandiri Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86 Sandra Peinado Lawrence G. Cetrulo ’67 Richard Redmond ’77 Jeffrey H. Cohen ’81 Alexander M. Rose ’96 Samuel W. Croll, III ’68 Mark Rosenbaum Mary Ellen DeNoon Joshua Weinreich Scott Hayward Larry S. Wieseneck Lauren Hedvat ’01 Suzanne Willian Betsy Zimmerman

Leading From the Middle While many changes at Newark Academy over the last five years are associated with the Upper School, the Middle School has steadily evolved as a center of excellence and

Emeriti Louis V. Aronson II ’41 William D. Hardin ’44 Paul Busse ’38 K. Kelly Marx ’51 Robert Del Tufo ’51 John L. McGraw ’49 William D. Green ’69 Gary Rose William T. Wachenfeld ’44

innovation, with its own unique character and signature

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S John Bess ’69 President

to improve a program that is already strong.

Van Stevens ’65 Vice President Amanda Addison ’06 Benjamin Purkert ’03 Sean Allen ’03 Edward Pursell ’02 Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ‘93 David Rattner ’03 Noah Franzblau ’86 Jed Rosenthal ’93 Peter Gruenberg ’81 Lara Samet ’01 Shannon Hedvat ’03 Alexander Senchak ’02 William Kaplan ’69 Andrew Somberg ’07 Lauren Jacobs-Lazer ’98 Glenn Waldorf ’90 Gillian Javetski ’07 Arthur Williams IV ’81 Brian Zucker ’84 Emeriti Lance Aronson ’74 J. Richard Beltram ’41 Richard M. Watson ’50 Newark Academy Office of Institutional Advancement 91 South Orange Avenue • Livingston, New Jersey 07039 Telephone: 973.992.7000, Fax: 973.992.8962 E-mail: dmarr@newarka.edu • Website: www.newarka.edu

programs. Much of the success of that division can be attributed to Middle School Principal Tom Ashburn and our outstanding Middle School faculty, who have worked hard

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eliberate shifts in our Middle School have strengthened the distinctive identity of the division and built a program that better serves our youngest students. Within our instructional framework, we have increased direct learning opportunities, such as Capstone Experiences and project-based learning. Our view is that students learn better through direct experience, and they tend to be more engaged when they can apply what they have learned in class to real-life situations. One such example is the Grade 6 pond study unit. Working in small groups, students take measurements of the water (science, teamwork), make calculations about their findings (science, math), and discuss the broader implications of clean water (sustainability, the role of government regulation). Our young citizen/scientists benefit from being active, and they enjoy the change of pace of working outdoors after a long winter in the laboratory.

Newark Academy’s Middle School teachers have moved away from content that tends to be department-specific to a blend of skills and content

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that is interdisciplinary. This is best illustrated by the Skills Tree, a visual depiction of the interrelated skills that form the core of our Middle School program.

Teachers help students to focus on how they learn and to seek the connections between skills and knowledge traditionally associated with specific disciplines. The ultimate goal is to guide students to be efficient, self-aware learners who are adaptable because they know how they learn best. That metacognition, incidentally, is a key element of the International Baccalaureate program that Upper School students study in the Theory of Knowledge class. In the Middle School, students demonstrate their acquisition of skills in the end-of-year, student-led parent conferences.

The Middle School parent-advisor conferences are a great example of repurposing a traditional reporting tool to enhance student learning. In a standard conference, the advisor reports to parents what the student has achieved and summarizes assessments of that student by his/her teachers. In this traditional model, students may not even be present during the conference, and if they are, their role is passive. In the Newark Academy model, a student works with the help of an

advisor to assemble a representative faculty office area. The “separate but portfolio of the student’s work from all connected” status of the building reflects classes over a full year. At the parentour goal to continue to enhance the student conference in the spring, the singularity of our Middle School while student leads a discussion about the preserving the one-school feel of Newark work and provides an analysis of how Academy, which is recognized as a core the work was done, the skills required, feature of the NA identity. We hope to and the challenges met and overcome. In break ground on the new Middle School this redesigned Newark Academy Middle in late spring 2014.

School student-parent conference, the The new building will allow for student has moved from the back seat to some increase in enrollment, a desirable the driver’s seat. Students proudly share expansion that offers programmatic and what they have achieved. Parents are social advantages. Enrollment is currently frequently impressed not only by the work at 176, reflecting modest increases over the produced by their children, but also by last five years. Our long-term goal, once the their maturity and insights about their new building is complete, is to have the own learning. capacity to enlarge the division to as many These significant changes in pedagogy as 200 students. The benefits of a larger are the direct result of the leadership of division include more diversity in the grade-based teams student population, of teachers. At each the expansion of The creation of an exemplary of the three grade extracurricular levels, teachers meet activities and athletics middle division program prompted weekly to discuss offerings, and the the decision to construct a students, update opportunity to build dedicated building for the each other on what a schedule designed Newark Academy Middle School. is going on in their to meet the needs respective classes, of Middle School and plan the use of common periods. students. Middle School teachers believe In the past, many Newark Academy that slightly larger cohorts in Grades 7 Middle School teachers were primarily and 8 will help alleviate social challenges Upper School teachers, and the division that can arise in a small group whose functioned more as a junior high school membership has been static for several than as a distinctive middle school. Today, years. Importantly, however, the growth most teachers in the division are middle in the division is not intended to increase school specialists; they design and deliver average class size. On the contrary, the lessons that are suited to this age group. average size of our Middle School classes Our Middle School teachers model the has dropped slightly in recent years even teamwork and collaboration that we seek as the division has grown. to inspire in our students.

The level of excitement about the The creation of an exemplary middle Middle School is palpable. Both teachers division program prompted the decision and students are fully engaged with the to construct a dedicated building for the program, proud of how far we have come, Newark Academy Middle School. Located and poised to take full advantage of the at the northern end of the upper parking new building. The Newark Academy lot, the two-story building will be Middle School is coming into its own as connected to the McGraw Arts Center. a strong and distinguished division with It will combine classrooms, science labs, the students, faculty, and facilities that a multi-purpose common space, and a are worthy of a best-in-class designation.

OUTREACH fall 2013

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All in for NA

by Lisa Grider

Jeffrey Kaplan and Family Lead by Example Jump in . . . buy-in . . . lean-in . . . get on board . . . get on the team . . . or get on the bus . . .

Exhortations to participate seem to bombard us at every turn, from the kindergarten playground to MetLife Stadium.

For many, these calls to action prompt us to place a phone call, follow a hyperlink or even write a check. For a small number of others, this kind of encouragement sparks a deeper commitment –

to engage, to serve, to lead.

NEWARK ACADEMY

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ewark Academy parents Jeff and Amy Kaplan are decidedly in the latter group. From the moment their daughter Lauren ’09 enrolled in 2005, Jeff and Amy have been “all in” for NA. Through eight years and two children (son Michael graduated in June 2013), the Kaplans’ relationship with the Academy has grown from merely interested to enthusiastically engaged to fully committed. Most recently their commitment is evidenced by their generous leadership gift of $500,000 to Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy and Jeff’s role as chairman of that campaign.

“Needless to say, we didn’t get here overnight,” Jeff notes. “We’ve been a part of this community now for eight years. When our kids started here, we knew it was a great place for them. Who knew Amy and I would come to feel so much a part of the family? It happened gradually for us.

The more we became involved, the more we realized what an exceptional place this school is. That made us want to do all we could to keep advancing the mission so that other families could benefit.”

Upon daughter Lauren’s enrollment, Jeff immediately became a fixture at Minuteman sports events – despite the fact that Lauren chose to pursue dance over athletics. Long before the Minuteman athletics Twitter feed was around, Jeff Kaplan could be counted on to know what happened at games – home and away. “Even before our son Michael

got here, I was into NA athletics,” Jeff said. “Then I became a baseball dad, then a wrestling dad and, in Michael’s senior year, a cross country dad. What’s better than that?”

Amy’s involvement took a more traditional route. She started as a Newark Academy Parents Association (NAPA) volunteer, working in the bookstore and at admission open house sessions. From there, she worked on special events like “Baskets & Boutiques” and the International Dinner. She also served as a class parent and dance event volunteer.

“Our kids joked with us that we were at school as much as they were,” Amy said. “We were so happy when our kids came to Newark Academy. They were having a wonderful experience and forming lasting friendships. We’ve been able to do the same thing. I’ve chosen to get involved in the areas of the school that are most appealing to me and through that have made some wonderful, lifelong friends.”

Amy’s involvement through NAPA grew stronger over her years as an NA mom, ultimately resulting in her taking on a leadership role as NAPA’s liaison with the Office of Admission. Amy said that her desire to work with NA Admission came from her own experience as a visiting parent. “When we first visited, Jeff and I were just so enamored with everything we saw at NA. We were so happy that our kids could be here and I wanted to be able to share with other visiting parents what we saw when we visited.”

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The Kaplan Family at son Michael’s graduation celebration, June 2013: Jeff, Lauren, Michael and Amy

Working closely with Director of Admission Will Taylor, Amy helped structure the Admission Information Sessions (formerly called “Open Houses”) and coordinated all parent volunteers.

“Thanks to Amy’s leadership, I believe our admission events became even more ‘parent friendly’ than ever before,” Taylor said. “She was incredibly supportive of our plans and that included giving us feedback and ideas about how to make those events more effective. The sheer number of parent volunteers that got involved in admission events was a credit to Amy’s leadership but her work behind the scenes was even more impressive.”

Jeff’s association with NA went deeper in 2009 when he accepted a seat on the Academy’s Board of Trustees.

His experience in managing major organizational change at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America (where he served as global head of mergers and acquisitions) proved valuable to the NA Board. In 2011, Jeff stepped into a new role as chief operating officer for Appaloosa Management LLC and stepped up to be part of the leadership team of Rise & Flourish, Newark Academy’s most ambitious fundraising campaign ever.

“Often when a great volunteer is moving into a new phase of their career, they’ll look to reduce their involvement,” noted Jon Olesky, Chairman of the NA Board of Trustees. “Jeff was just the opposite.

His new office was located in Short Hills and Jeff saw this as an opportunity to do more for NA. His timing couldn’t have been better!”

Taking seriously the concept of leading by example, Jeff and Amy were

one of the first couples to pledge their support to Rise & Flourish. They carefully considered how they would like their gift to impact NA, ultimately choosing to designate 70 percent of their $500,000 commitment to capital improvements and 30 percent to the NA Endowment. “We both believe strongly, that the Rise & Flourish campaign addresses real needs at NA,” Jeff said.

“The new Upper School and the improvements to the outdoor athletic facilities weren’t luxuries – they were necessities if NA is to remain a top choice for students in the area. We also want to make sure the school can remain affordable to as broad a group of families as possible. A strong endowment allows us to do that.”

As early gifts inspired other donors and the campaign garnered half of its overall goal of $30 million, Newark Academy again turned to Jeff Kaplan, asking him to formalize his guidance and leadership by taking on the role as chairman of Rise & Flourish. Once again, both Jeff and Amy said “yes.”

“We’re a team,” Jeff said, “and I wouldn’t have taken this on without Amy’s agreement and support. We’re both passionate about NA and excited about its future. For me, it’s a privilege to ask other people to get involved in this.

Newark Academy has done so much for so many people over the years and many

of those people are now in a position to give something back to this school. I am delighted to tell parents and alumni what we’re doing here and to give them a chance to get involved at a level that makes sense for their families.”

Not surprisingly, Newark Academy isn’t the only place benefitting from Jeff and Amy’s involvement. The Kaplans are serving as co-chairs of another

“ ” The more we became involved, the more we realized what an exceptional place this school is. fundraising campaign at their temple, B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills. “I know, most people look at me like I’m crazy when they hear that I’m chairing two fundraising campaigns,” Jeff said with a laugh. “Over the past year, I think I’ve officially become the most avoided man in Livingston and Short Hills!”

The truth is that few want to avoid Jeff and Amy Kaplan. Their enthusiasm for Newark Academy is contagious, their appreciation for the role it plays in the life of their family, palpable. Neither of them view their involvement as outof-the-ordinary. “We love this place,” Jeff said. “It really is that simple. If we can do something to give back, how could we possibly say ‘no’?” NA

OUTREACH fall 2013

NA NEWS 6

June Term Delights A VISIT TO LICKT GELATO PRODUCTION FACILITY IN KENILWORTH What do you get when you combine sugar, milk, cream and a whole lot of inspiration?

Lickt Gelato, of course!

Last June, as part of their “Food and the American Identity” June Term course, humanities faculty members Amy Rubin Schottland and Jeff Vinikoor brought a group of 15 juniors to the production plant of Lickt – an artisan gelato company owned and operated by Margaret Woods, mother of MacKenna Woods ’16. Margaret, a seasoned culinary scientist and businesswoman who spent more than two decades at M&M Mars, created Lickt so that she could share her passion for seasonally relevant gelato. She recently opened a large production plant and welcomed the group from Newark Academy.

Lickt

Featured Flavors jersey blue

lavender lemon lemon ricotta

red velvet cake

lemon cardamom salted caramel java chip

butter molasses

saigon cinnamon

Woods’ dedication to culinary excellence wowed the June Term students. They enjoyed learning about how Woods has combined her knowledge of science, her creative energies, and her entrepreneurial acumen to develop a successful gelato business. After the visit, one student, Maggie Brummer ’14, noted, “Mrs. Woods taps into her creative talents and can come up with anything you can imagine.” Another student, Emma Coffey ’14, remarked, “Mrs. Woods revealed the necessary link between science and flavor. She would never use traditional or safe flavors but rather she uses ones that expand our palates along with exciting our taste buds.”

While the students enjoyed learning about gelato, they most enjoyed tasting it, and Woods gave them plenty of opportunities to sample her latest flavors. “There were myriad flavors, each one delighting my taste buds,” said Matt Press ’14.

Some of the favorite flavors of the students and teachers included graham cracker, Nutella, red velvet cake, salty chocolate and caramel chocolate.

Pat Gerish ’14 said, “To be quite

honest, this is the best gelato I have ever tasted, and that is coming from a boy who grew up in one of the most Italian towns in the state, surrounded by gelato shops.”

During the visit, the group from Newark Academy was greeted by two members of the Class of 2013, Caroline Willian and Jen Koide, whom Woods welcomed as senior project interns. Caroline and Jen led an instructional demonstration and impressed the June Term group with their knowledge and newly acquired expertise.

Woods’ hospitality made the June Term group’s visit extra special. “I truly appreciate the time that Mrs. Woods set aside for our class,” said Faye Sheppard ’14. Indeed, by making sure that each student left her production plant with gelato and spoon in hand, Mrs. Woods imprinted her generosity of spirit and ensured that the students left with a sweet taste in their mouths. Kelly Lazarus ’14 put it this way: “Anyone who has not tasted Lickt Gelato has simply not lived.”

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A RARE GLIMPSE OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA Global Speaker – Matthew Reichel ’05 Matthew Reichel, co-founding partner and executive director of Pyongyang Project, visited Newark Academy as the first global speaker of the 2013-2014 Global Speaker Series. After graduating from Brown University in 2009, Reichel co-founded Pyongyang Project, a Vancouver-based education and capacitybuilding organization dedicated to responsible engagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and China’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Reichel’s presentation focused on Korea’s insecurity and turbulent history of repeated occupation, and described some of the challenges of working in North Korea.

Matt Reichel ’05 with Craig Haratz ’14 of the NA Global Speaker Committee

TALK TO ME! NA Hosts TEDx

UPPER SCHOOL ACADEMIC CENTER GETS GOLD FOR GOING GREEN The Upper School Academic Center has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The building is the first in Livingston to earn coveted gold status.

The certification process for new construction of schools is based on a checklist that tallies possible points for environmental stewardship in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Newark Academy worked with Nadaskay Kopelson (NK) Architects of Morristown on the design, and with Joseph A. Natoli Corporation on the construction plan for the building that would maximize sustainability.

Among its green features, the building is equipped with eco-friendly heating and cooling systems; water-conserving plumbing fixtures; indoor finishes that use recycled and sustainable materials; and classrooms designed to maximize effective acoustics and natural light to create high-performing learning environments.

“The lesson NA students can take from this achievement is that every sustainability initiative matters – from grassroots efforts to large-scale construction projects – and impacts the future health of our environment,” said Head of School Don Austin.

“Beyond the Newark Academy campus, the future of the surrounding community rests with the organizations that take on the responsibility of environmental stewardship.”

Originally started as a conference bringing together people from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment and Design, “TED” is a nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TED conferences around the world challenge fascinating people to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less.

NA is getting in on the act through the TEDx program, which gives communities the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TEDlike experiences at the local level.

With the help of Olivier Sherman ’07, now on staff at TED, a dedicated group of students and faculty, led by Humanities Department Chair Jeff Vinikoor and Claudia Lu ’15, applied for a license to host a TEDx event.

In May 2014, TEDx Newark Academy will host its first event with talk topics focusing on “skills for the future.” NA community members will give their own original TED-style talks and screen TED talks from the famed conferences.

OUTREACH fall 2013

NA NEWS 8

College Destinations for the Class of 2013

SaVonne Anderson Fordham University

Matt Cowen Northwestern University

Ashlyn Heller Amherst College

Charith Leelasena Lehigh University

Ethan Andrzejewski Duke University

Kendra Damodaran Pepperdine University

Eliza Huber-Weiss Bowdoin College

Grace Li Duke University

Nicole Andrzejewski Washington University in St. Louis

Rachel DeChiara Dartmouth College

Zoe Huber-Weiss Yale University

Alexander Liao New York University

Emily DeLuca Bucknell University

Jasmine Jett Emory University

Asia Lugo University of Miami

Dillon Denehy University of Richmond

Nicole Jones Spelman College

William McCarthy Dickinson College

Joseph DeNoon Haverford College

Michael Kaplan Cornell University

Emily Diehl Connecticut College

Zoe Kay Franklin & Marshall College

Ryan McDonnell Washington and Lee University

Arjun Arora New York University Matthew Baumel Cornell University Carter Beardsley New York University Ahlia Bethea University of Southern California

Daniel Eatroff Georgetown University

Matthew Bloom Boston University

Alena Farber Harvard University

Emma Brown University of Edinburgh

Cory Feinberg University of Pennsylvania

Alison Bu Boston College

Nathan Feinberg George Washington University

Molly Buckley University of Miami Charles Bushnell Johns Hopkins University Rebecca Butler Hamilton College Kevin Chan Massachusetts Institute of Technology Katherine Charney Reed College NEWARK ACADEMY

Jeffrey Frankel Northwestern University Katharine Fuzesi Hamilton College John Carl Gibbons Villanova University Rachel Greene Georgetown University Edward Harwood Wake Forest University

Jennifer Koide Middlebury College Spencer Kolek Bates College Thomas Kovar Lafayette College Jordyn Kronick Cornell University Erika Kronk University of Colorado, Boulder Robert Kwiatkowski Columbia University Francis Patrick Lai Vassar College Nicholas Lawler University of Richmond

James McKee Skidmore College Carly McMahon Loyola University Maryland Alyssa McPherson Brown University Alexander Mederos Franklin & Marshall College Gregory Melillo Gettysburg College Sabrina Merold Swarthmore College Clara Mooney Kenyon College Salem Najjar New York University Sararose Nassani Case Western Reserve University

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Nathaniel Okun Stanford University

Jalen Smith Muhlenberg College

Isabelle van de Walle Wellesley College

Christopher Paolini Yale University

Shreya Srivastava Washington University in St. Louis

Elizabeth Vogel University of Edinburgh

Christian Pinto University of Virginia Cody Reid-Dodick Georgetown University

Katherine Steffens Davidson College Carley Stein Oberlin College

Charley Wallach University of Virginia Daniel Wilf Vanderbilt University

James Sutherland-Foggio Villanova University

Nicholas Williams United States Military Academy

Elron Robinson Rowan University

Troy Sutton Rutgers University

Trevor Williams Yale University

Gregory Ruda Bucknell University

Natalie Swanson University of Richmond

Julia Savel George Washington University

Elizabeth Swenson Southern Methodist University

Caroline Willian Claremont McKenna College

Reid Schalet University of Miami

Grace Thompson Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Cynthia Yang Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Matthew Tobin Duke University

Halley Young University of Chicago

Marisa Tomaino Vassar College

Brian Yuran Syracuse University

Meera Toolsidas Washington University in St. Louis

Kenith Zhou New York University

Nathan Rice Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Annabel Sharahy Brandeis University Jaimie Sheppard Lafayette College Benjamin Shifrin New York University Edward Simpson Colby College Kamalpreet Singh North Carolina State University Arjuna Siva University of Miami

Brooke Trayer Saint Joseph’s University Emily Tross Northwestern University Anna Tyshkov Emory University

Samuel Wohlforth Amherst College

Lincoln Zweig New York University

CONVOCATION 2013 HONORING NA TRADITION Evan Zucker ’83 addressed students as the guest speaker at NA’s 2013 Convocation, the formal opening of the school year. He reminisced about the welcoming environment he found at Newark Academy when he transferred to the Upper School, and the lifelong friendships that began here.

Zucker has been active in real estate acquisition, development and redevelopment for more than 20 years. He is a principal of Black Creek Group LLC, a Denver-based real estate investment firm that he co-founded in 1993. above: Head of School Donald Austin, Evan Zucker ’83, NA Board of Trustees Chair Jonathan Olesky ’74

OUTREACH fall 2013

NA NEWS 10

Mary Ellen DeNoon

Scott Hayward

Samir Pandiri

Alexander Rose ’96

Betsy Zimmerman

NEW TRUSTEES The Newark Academy Board of Trustees recently welcomed five new members: Mary Ellen DeNoon spent several years working in arts and entertainment publishing before moving to JP Morgan, where she worked in the quantitative and markets research group and the business practices group. She has also coached four different sports at the middle school and high school levels. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and marketing from the University of Scranton. DeNoon has served on the parent association executive boards at the schools her three children have attended, including a term as president of the Assumption Home and School Association.

Her son, Joe, graduated from Newark Academy in 2013. Her daughter, Maggie, is a sophomore.

Scott Hayward serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Quantitative Management Associates LLC, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial. He is the president of the board of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum

in Summit, New Jersey, a member of the executive board of Give to the World, and a member of the Saint Barnabas Medical Center Miracle Walk Committee. Hayward graduated magna cum laude from Boston College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. His son, William, is in eighth grade at Newark Academy.

Samir Pandiri serves as executive vice president and chief executive officer of asset servicing at BNY Mellon. He holds BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering and an MBA in finance from Columbia University. His wife, Sujata, currently serves as vice president of the Newark Academy Parents Association. Their daughter, Shama, graduated from NA in 2012, daughter Shivani is a current NA senior and son Shaan is a freshman.

Alexander Rose ’96 is a principal at Crestview Partners, a middle market private equity firm. During his Newark Academy career, Rose played varsity football and basketball and was a member of the concert and jazz bands. He graduated cum laude with a BA from Harvard College and holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Rose serves on the boards of Key Safety Systems, a global automotive supplier; and Martin Currie, an Edinburgh-based active equities asset management firm. He and wife Lauren live in Manhattan.

Betsy Zimmerman currently serves as the president of NAPA. Previously, she worked as vice president of business strategy at Prudential Investments before retiring from that position. She has served as president of HAPI, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and well being of children in New Jersey and New York. She has also served in leadership positions on the boards of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum. Zimmerman holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Haverford College, where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She lives in Short Hills with her husband and children, Benjamin and Rebecca, who are in the seventh and ninth grades at Newark Academy.

TRUSTEE EMERITUS Former chairman of the Newark Academy Board of Trustees William D. Green ’69 has been named a Trustee Emeritus.

Green graduated from Newark Academy in 1969. He was an active young alumnus while attending Lehigh University and Seton Hall Law School, serving on the Newark Academy Alumni Association’s Board of Governors beginning in 1976. In 1982, he was invited to join the Academy’s Board of Trustees, serving as chair from 1999-2009. His tenure was a time of growth for Newark Academy — in its programs, enrollment, philanthropy, financial strength and academic reputation.

Green’s love of Newark Academy and respect for its ideals and mission inspired those around him. In 2009, Green accepted the Seymour Preston Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), which is presented to a school trustee who has exhibited exceptional commitment and leadership in developing voluntary support for his or her institution. Upon accepting the prestigious national award, Green thanked wife Barbara and son David ’99 and gracefully said, “I’m simply a volunteer at a wonderful place called Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey.“ NEWARK ACADEMY

FACULTY FOCUS 11

THE NEWARK ACADEMY FACULTY WELCOMED 11 NEW MEMBERS THIS YEAR:

welcome!

Kevin Bunch and Justin Milani (Arts); Jessica DeSanta, Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, Vanessa Jimenez Gabb and Marina Graham (English); Peter Reed (Humanities); Lynne Barker, Moussa Fall, Kristen Mulvoy Williams and Alexis Romay (Languages).

MILESTONES Congratulations to the faculty and staff members celebrating milestone anniversaries at Newark Academy: 30 YEARS Scott Johnson

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

25 YEARS Catherine Pursell

Joseph Ball, Humanities, recently published an article, Teaching to Empower, on MiddleWeb, an online resource for teaching and learning in the middle grades.

20 YEARS Nancy Celente Alexandra Mahoney Debra Tavares

Benson Hawk, Humanities, has been awarded a Stanton Foundation Grant, his second grant related to the Innovation in Civics initiative he embarked on last spring. Hawk’s proposal addressed the need to incorporate civics instruction into the IB curriculum. He has since created a course, IB History Higher Level: The European Route that augments the IB philosophies of inter-cultural awareness and peacemaking. To make the challenging course material engaging and accessible, the full course is available for testing by students and faculty on NA’s new Canvas Learning Management System.

Vanessa Jimenez Gabb, English, recently celebrated the first anniversary of her online literary magazine, Five Quarterly, a unique publication that offers guest editors the opportunity to highlight the work of emerging fiction writers and poets.

Candice Powell, Humanities, has been invited to present at the 2013 National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference. Her workshop, Taking Our Seat at the Table: Black Female Educators and the Will to Lead, will discuss the challenges facing black female educators on the path to leadership; and will provide a framework for change and self-empowerment, encouraging participants to seek challenges, take risks and boldly pursue their seat at the leadership table.

Powell is also participating in the 2013-2014 NJAIS Leadership Institute. Institute participants, nominated by their heads of school, take part in sessions designed to develop their understanding of leadership in independent school education, to build their management skills, and to give them a broader knowledge of available opportunities.

15 YEARS Richard DiBianca 10 YEARS Deborah Dixler Yvette Luxenberg Kirsti Morin Neil Stourton 5 YEARS Lisa Grider Jayme Kaczanoski Marissa Marino Lisa Mulligan Eileen Petrillo Elizabeth Sparacino Jeffrey Vinikoor

Scott Johnson celebrated 30 years at Newark Academy.

FORMER FACULTY/STAFF NOTE Former NA administrator, Fred McGaughan, is in his fourth year as director of admission at Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches and loves every minute of it. Nancy McGaughan, former director of alumni relations, is enjoying life in Florida and at the Jersey shore. She recently assumed the role of coordinator of the annual fund at Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, and published a book, “The Death of Peter Pan,” which is now available on Amazon.

Debra Tavares, Alexandra Mahoney and Nancy Celente celebrated 20 years at NA. OUTREACH fall 2013

NA NEWS 12

Mastering the IB Extended Essay Presentation

by Grace Alofe ’14, IB Diploma Candidate The Extended Essay is one of the pinnacles of the International Baccalaureate Program. In 4,000 words, Diploma Candidates have an opportunity to research, write and present a topic of their choice with the guidance of a faculty advisor.

DID YOU KNOW?

! Only 14 high schools in New Jersey offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

! The IB Diploma Program began in 1968 and is now offered by 2,457 IB World schools.

! A student pursuing the IB diploma takes six IB subjects.

! 41 graduates from the Newark Academy Class of 2013 earned IB diplomas - a record number for NA.

! Last year, 96 percent of NA Diploma Candidates earned their IB diplomas.

Internationally, 82 percent earned diplomas.

! The IB Americas region includes IB World Schools in 31 countries and territories in Central, North and South America.

! Newark Academy was the first New Jersey school to offer the IB.

NEWARK ACADEMY

The process begins with choosing a subject area and developing a research question. Then, mostly over the summer, students read numerous texts and sources pertaining to their papers. The actual writing process starts with an outline, then a rough draft, and then a final essay.

A common misconception about the Extended Essay is that it is strenuous to reach the 4,000-word mark. On the contrary, one of the most difficult parts was limiting the essay to just 4,000 words. After a summer of research, it is common that students find themselves with too much material. In such cases, the candidate’s faculty advisor becomes invaluable in condensing the essay as well as providing an objective perspective. The process of writing the Extended Essay is intensive, but it also gives candidates an appreciation for some of the thorough research that awaits them in college.

Countless times, I have been asked to explain my Extended Essay, entitled, Reflective Intention: A Proposal for a Post-Kantian Ethic. In short, I investigated different classical philosophers’ standpoints on the etymology of morals in an effort to discern my own modern moral system. I began by disproving Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative as a usable moral system through evaluating other philosophers like Mills, Aristotle, Hegel and Kierkegaard. I ended by proposing my own moral system called “Reflective Intention.” Had I not written an Extended Essay, I never would have imagined myself developing my own formal moral system or grappling with the ideas of some of the most studied philosophers in history. This

aspect of pushing personal intellectual boundaries is something that is common among all of the candidates, regardless of their topics.

The Extended Essay at Newark Academy is, therefore, unlike most other research papers because it is ultimately meant to expand the knowledge of not only the author, but of the larger community.

Similarly, all Extended Essay authors share another experience: the Extended Essay Presentation Night in late September. At Newark Academy, we often celebrate athletic and artistic accomplishments. The IB Extended Essay Night is one annual event that praises academic accomplishment. Each diploma candidate prepares to present his or her essay to an audience of family and friends with a brief question-and-answer session afterward. Going into Extended Essay Night, I felt a bit of anxiety about placing my essay up for critique and examination.

I soon learned that that is not the nature nor the purpose of the presentations.

This is an opportunity to share your deep insights into a topic to which few people have given any thought. The Extended Essay at Newark Academy is, therefore, unlike most other research papers because it is ultimately meant to expand the knowledge of not only the author, but of the larger community. With this in mind, I found the presentation process to be enjoyable because I was the resident expert. By the end of the night, my peers and I recognized a feeling of having accomplished something truly outstanding.

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VALOR BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY The entire NA community gathered for a special Morning Meeting on Coursen Field on November 11. The Veterans Day event paid tribute to Korean War hero Samuel Coursen ’45. Lieutenant Coursen sacrificed his life to save the life of a soldier in his command.

Faculty member Blackie Parlin told the poignant story of Samuel Coursen’s heroism. A year after his death the young lieutenant’s wife and baby accepted the Congressional Medal of Honor on his behalf, the nation’s highest medal for valor in combat that can be awarded to members of the armed forces.

Head of School Don Austin spoke with Coursen’s wife, Evie, and son, Samuel Coursen Jr., prior to the event. The family was touched when they learned that NA would be rededicating Coursen Field to celebrate its renovation and to honor the memory of its namesake.

JAZZ SCHOLAR Coleman Hughes ’14 has been awarded a prestigious Davidson Fellows scholarship. Each year, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development grants college scholarships to students who have completed a significant piece of work that has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. Twenty students nationwide were awarded grants this year. Coleman is the only winning musician and the first jazz musician to earn the scholarship since its inception in 2001.

He plans to pursue a joint academic and conservatory degree after graduation.

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ATHLETICS

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WHAT ARE THE

Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation?

By Ted Gilbreath, Director of Athletics

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This year as the fall sports season began, Harrison Glatt, a senior on the soccer team at Newark Academy, found himself in hot water with his coaches. Not his NA soccer coach James Morris, or even his baseball coach Frank Dasti, who encouraged him to go out for the team, but his out-of-school, out-of-season, club baseball coaches, who wanted the catcher to give up on soccer in order to devote himself to baseball full-time.

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arry had refused, much to the chagrin of those club coaches who argued that he was hurting himself by not focusing on baseball. Harry is not alone, more and more young athletes are being pressured to focus on a single sport, sometimes before they even reach high school. In this instance, Harry, his parents, and his high school coach, were resisting a destructive tide of specialization that is rising through amateur athletics.

Newark Academy is strongly in favor of students following Harry’s lead and playing multiple sports in lieu of specializing. This is our point of view, not just because it is good for our athletic program (at a school our size we need students to play multiple sports in order to field healthy programs), but also because the research demonstrates that specialization at an early age is simply bad for children. Focusing on a single sport leads to increased injuries, burnout and diminished developmental returns.

Playing multiple sports is healthier, both mentally and physically, and yields the same results or better in the college admission process. Plus, as Harvard Men’s Lacrosse Coach Chris Wojcik recently told Inside Lacrosse, “You’re also only in high school once, so have fun!”

Certainly the pressure to specialize has never been greater. The college admission process seems more competitive than ever and the boom in club/travel programs and private coaches has created opportunities to play a sport year round which has not,

heretofore, existed. Additionally, an industry has grown around the college recruiting process where experts offer to guide athletes through its tangled labyrinth. These forprofit agencies fuel the specialization ethos because it keeps them in customers year round. It takes a courageous parent to resist the pressure these organizations generate regarding specialization. A close examination of relevant facts though, should convince parents that their child will only benefit from a second or third sport.

If college is the end game that directs so many students to focus on a single sport, then it merits examining the rosters of college athletic teams and the attitudes of college coaches on the subject. Starting with an example close to home, of the 38 former Newark Academy athletes who are currently playing a sport in college, 65 percent played on multiple athletic teams during their time on South Orange Avenue. A close examination of the athletic rosters at Dartmouth (a school selected because it is indicative of the type of school our students gravitate toward yet still has excellent Division I athletics), reveals that close to half of their student athletes played multiple sports in high school. College coaches routinely sing the praises of multi-sport athletes. Jack Parker, the legendary former hockey coach at Boston University, caused shockwaves to ripple through hockey-mad Massachusetts when he claimed that he was more interested in recruiting players from

California and Texas because they did not play hockey year round; whereas, the specialists from Massachusetts were “bored, burnt out and often injured.” Parker added that “specialization is killing hockey (in Massachusetts).” This is a sentiment being echoed across the landscape of college sports.

As Parker alluded, there are numerous physical benefits to playing multiple sports.

Players who specialize are often denied the developmental benefits offered by cross training and also run an increased risk of the aforementioned repetitive-use injuries, burnout and limited development. Adam Naylor, the director of the Athletic Enhancement Center at Boston University, argues that athletes develop a host of different skill sets by playing multiple sports when they are young and that “the development of overall conditioning, OUTREACH fall 2013

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balance and coordination through multiple sports ultimately makes a far better athlete than using your body in one way.” Naylor also observed that athletes who specialize early also peak earlier. An athlete who opts to specialize at age 12 will peak by the age of 16 – the opposite of what a college coach wants in a prospect. Repetitive use of the same muscles also leads to injury.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 3.5 million athletes under the age of 14 receive treatment for sports injuries each year and that more than half of them are preventable. Among high school athletes, the CDC estimates that more for different types of supervisors in the than half of all injuries are the result of workplace by playing for different types of overuse. A study presented at the Loyola coaches. Additionally, college coaches rouUniversity Medical Center showed that, of tinely stress these benefits of suiting up for 1,206 athletes between the ages of 8 and other teams in high school; competing 18 (during the timeframe of 2010-2013), more often in pressure-filled scenarios in 859 injuries were recorded and, of those, meaningful contests (which breeds mental 564 were labeled as overuse injuries. Of toughness), exposure to various coaching those, 139 were deemed serious enough styles, and of course, cross training. to potentially derail young athletic careers.

Perhaps former Princeton University and There are also current University of mental benefits to Denver Head Lacrosse playing multiple An athlete who opts to specialize Coach Bill Tierney sums sports. Studies at age 12 will peak by the age up the opinions of show that, even of 16 – the opposite of what a many coaches when for young athletes college coach wants in a prospect. he says that multiwho are passionate sport athletes have about a single “experienced sacrifice, sport, a little time off will improve their teamwork, different coaching styles, made performance by eliminating burnout and different friendships, pushed their bodies bringing the simple joy of playing back to different limits, experienced the joy of into the equation. In addition to Parker’s victory and disappointment of defeat, and observations about hockey players, wrestling I believe, appreciate lacrosse a lot more.”

Coach Jack Maughan of the University of There are some instances, however, in Northern Colorado laments that athletes which the reality of what our athletes are often arrive on campus burned out. Aside dealing with cannot be ignored. Top tennis from the physical benefits, a season spent players who opt out of tournaments to play playing a different sport may be the perfect soccer will see their USTA rankings drop. kindling to stoke an athlete’s passion for Soccer’s top club programs now demand their primary sport. Many coaches also that those athletes not play for their high believe that an athlete experiences some of school teams. For some students, the their most profound personal growth in a option of being a multi-sport athlete is secondary sport. Perhaps it is sitting on the being denied them by outside agencies. In bench for the only time in their athletic cases like these, we can help educate those careers before college, perhaps it is preparing NEWARK ACADEMY

athletes about making great choices and help them determine if specialization should be the road for them. In those rare cases, it will be incumbent upon the high school coach to guide the athlete to the strength coach to offset the physical deterioration associated with playing a single sport, and to steer them into other activities to offset any mental fatigue or burnout. The number of athletes for whom this is a reality, however, is quite small. While it may be true of the first singles player on the tennis team, it may not be the case for the rest of the team. In that case, it is up to the coach to delicately indicate to the athlete where they stand in that equation.

Newark Academy invites its athletes to develop more fully by participating in multiple sports. NA requires that its coaches encourage their players to play multiple sports, and will not tolerate a coach who encourages an athlete to specialize. Newark Academy will support only multi-sport athletes in the admission process and will work hard to ensure that they serve as the face of the athletic program. Beginning this fall, Newark Academy will recognize high-achieving athletes with membership in the Minuteman Varsity Club. We expect to see that the results will be happy athletes and successful teams!

As for Harry, despite the dire predictions of his club coaches, he has committed to play baseball for Union College. NA

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Visit “Athletics� on the NA website for team information and athletics news.

Need more Minuteman info?

Log on to Twitter and follow @NAMinutemen for news and play-by-play commentary.

NA NEWS

THE ARTS

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Encore!

A BANNER YEAR FOR THE ARTS

by Elaine Brodie, Chair, Arts Department

The performing arts at Newark Academy are thriving. The students are charged and excited by their work, sensing the possibilities that lie ahead when they can come together on the stage after endless hours of rehearsal, to create something that is cohesive and complete – something that moves and inspires, and something that one does not easily find the words to describe.

Those visions of greatness, those pinnacles, are made tangible and reachable by the performers who have been there themselves, the teachers.

They are driven to share this magic with their students, who, in turn, stretch to reach it.

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The audience was on their feet in Rose Auditorium last spring as more than 100 beaming dancers took their final bow, their faces flushed with excitement.

Before the sound of the last cheer died down, Zoe Kay ’13 stepped forward with a bouquet of flowers for her beloved dance teacher of seven years, Yvette Luxenberg. Choking back tears,

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Zoe told us that she discovered a passion when she took her first dance class in sixth grade, and it forever changed her life. This tearful tribute to her mentor was a poignant moment, one that I felt blessed to witness. What is most remarkable, is that this was just one of many such moments that had unfolded before me last spring.

If you were lucky enough to score a ticket to Newark Academy’s winter musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, then you well know what a delight it was. I grinned from the opening number to the curtain call. The large ensemble cast, pit band and stage crew worked tirelessly for months under the expert direction of Scott Jacoby, who has directed 30 years of musicals at Newark Academy.

This dazzling, mad-cap, fast-paced performance was so far above a high school level it was easy to forget that the characters on stage were our very own students. The performance of the narrator, referred to as “Man in Chair” and played by Jake Mundo ’14, was nothing short of professional. For three nights he sparked our imaginations and transported us to another place. He soared in that role and took us along for the ride. The elation emanating from Jake as he took his final bow was so tangible I felt I could have snatched it out of the air with my hands.

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One of my favorite events of the spring season is the “Master Works Concert” that Amy Emelianoff organizes each year.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Summit provided glorious acoustics as NA’s Concert Choir joined forces with NA’s orchestra to perform several challenging pieces; among them, the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In this bright space with its vaulted ceiling, the musicians were intent as they took on what has been regarded as one of the finest musical compositions ever written. The music was lovely and flowing.

Then Beethoven led the choir and orchestra into a fugue, slowly bringing the two groups together in unison with a great crescendo that took my breath away. The music was so powerful I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes scanned those young faces, intensely playing, glancing from the music to Mrs. Emelianoff, whose baton danced expertly before them, leading them through this incredible masterpiece. Once again I was witness to an exquisite moment that, I find as I write this, is truly difficult to describe.

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choral cabaret

In early May, the Newark Academy dining room was transformed into a dinner theater for the muchanticipated Choral Cabaret.

A stage, bathed in lights, featured singers festooned in costumes, while a pit band accompanied them through an evening of Broadway show tunes that delighted the standingroom-only audience.

What struck me most was the exuberance of the student performers. They were beyond excited and rightly so. The level of talent was matched only by the fine preparations and guidance offered by

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our choral teacher, Viraj Lal. He, too, was saying goodbye to a number of seniors who had invested years in the choral program. This was never more evident than when Clara Mooney ’13 and her freshman sister, Erin, held hands to sing to one another about their love and impending separation.

The sentiments in this Broadway song were hitting home, as Clara would soon depart for college.

Eyes brimming, they held the last melodious note as long as they could and then embraced through thunderous applause.

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jazz

Newark Academy’s jazz program is on fire. The band room is alive with crisp, true and nuanced music that is so mature in nature that I have to ask myself, “How could this possibly be a group of high school kids?” These teenagers have discovered the joy of jazz music under the inspirational leadership of Julius Tolentino, who has opened the door to the world of this exhilarating, thought-provoking music. The accolades and accomplishments our jazz musicians have earned, in the past year alone, will tell you volumes. They have been accepted into, and then have swept, numerous competitions and festivals on both the regional and national levels. At the fundraising event, An Evening of Jazz for Newtown, our students took to the stage with professional jazz musicians and pulled out all the stops. With the auditorium packed to capacity, I recall thinking that one would be hard pressed to find a jazz performance of equal value in neighboring New York City.

THE ARTS BRING A VIVACITY THAT PERMEATES NEWARK ACADEMY, breathing life and excitement into our daily lives. Talented students and teachers are also gifted performers and mentors who are committed to bringing to life that intangible mix of skill and imagination.

Combine that with a community that embraces and celebrates the arts, and the sky is the limit. Another year is underway. The music suites, Black Box Theatre and dance studio are a buzz of activity and I eagerly await those exquisite moments that can happen only through the arts. NA

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Dream On A DREAMY EXHIBIT

The 2014 NA Community Art Show If you can dream it, submit it!

Now in its 11th year, the Newark Academy Community Art Show gives the entire NA community a chance to get involved in the arts.

Each January, the McGraw Gallery showcases works by NA students, faculty, staff and families.

This year’s theme is “Dream On.” Take your inspiration from your own dreams, surrealist artists, or any other “sleep-related” theme and submit your work to Arts Department Chair and McGraw Gallery Director Elaine Brodie, ebrodie@newarka.edu, 973.992.7000, ext. 222 NEWARK ACADEMY

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ALUMNI ARTISTS ON DISPLAY In October, the McGraw Gallery featured the works of four young artists at a unique exhibit showcasing NA alumni talent:

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1. Emily Chow Bluck ’08 studied the politics of race, class, gender and sexuality at Scripps College. Her graphite drawings draw heavily upon Asian American and feminist social history.

2. Emily Li Mandri ’05 is a clothing designer and visual artist. She started her company, Natty Paint, as a student at Johns Hopkins University. It has evolved into a contemporary women’s clothing line heavily influenced by the fast-paced New York lifestyle.

3. Eric Berlin ’92 studied sculpture and animation at Boston Museum School, Harvard University, and the New York Academy of Art. His work explores rhythm in form and the use of objects as support for meditation.

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4. Mike Mszanski ’09 is a self-taught photographer. He is interested in art portraiture - telling stories of beautiful moments with an anachronistic aesthetic. He has produced several photo essays dealing with contemporary, social and political issues with a sense of humor.

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Systemic Connections NA’s Evolving STEM Curriculum

by Jessica Lubow

STEM science technology engineering math

It is almost impossible to read about current trends in education without encountering a lengthy series of acronyms. The most popular of these is undoubtedly “STEM,” which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Since the 1990s the United States government and the educational establishment have become very interested in what can be done to better prepare the country’s students for a world in which the job market, and the very advancement of our nation, will depend largely on our population’s competence in the STEM disciplines.

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A recent study by the National Math and Science Initiative summarized the issue as follows; “Scientific innovation has produced roughly half of all U.S. economic growth in the last 50 years (NSF, 2004); and The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects significant growth in the overall STEM workforce.

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eventeen of the 20 fastest-growing occupations over the coming decade will be in healthcare and computer fields. BUT – only 5 percent of U.S. undergraduates today earn college degrees in science and engineering, compared to 42 percent in China.”

The attrition rate in the study of STEM subjects at the college level is fairly high, prompting educators at all grade levels to look for ways to encourage students to continue their studies in these disciplines by creating more opportunities for experiential learning, combining STEM disciplines in a more integrated, realAs the world becomes world approach, and by increasingly dependent examining the strength of the STEM disciplines at the K-12 on technology, level. The more prepared high school graduates are in the advancements in the STEM disciplines, the more STEM disciplines likely they will be to continue to study these subjects at the are happening college level, entering the job at a faster pace market better equipped for the employment landscape than ever. they will face.

“Trendy” is not a term or a concept associated with Newark Academy. Although the idea of “STEM” may be relatively new, the curricular ideas behind it have been fundamental to liberal arts education since its inception. In Western universities of the Medieval era, the seven liberal arts were divided into two groups, the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the quadrivium (geometry, arithmetic, music, and astronomy). The definition of liberal arts has evolved to reflect the needs and aspirations of the society. In modern colleges and universities, the liberal arts include the study of literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, and science.

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, advancements in the STEM disciplines are happening at a faster pace than ever. NA is responding

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by examining its approach to those subject areas which are poised to take a more prominent role in higher education and the economy than ever before.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH Last spring Newark Academy’s Board of Trustees presented a new five-year Strategic Plan to guide the school and identify its top priorities for the years 2013-2018. In keeping with the school’s commitment to fostering the deep learning connections that are fundamental to the NA experience, the plan highlights two specific curricular areas to focus on over the next five years. First, the plan directs NA to “make superb science programs a priority.” This will be accomplished by “forcefully demonstrating Newark Academy’s commitment to excellence in the sciences by upgrading resources and facilities, and scrutinizing curriculum to offer the most compelling opportunities for learning, including more advanced options.”

The Strategic Plan’s directive regarding technology is to “embrace technology to advance teaching and learning.”

With these goals in mind, NA created a task force composed of faculty, parents and students to discuss how the school will translate these strategic goals into concrete measures. The first step the task force took was to break down its mission into two key areas: facilities and curriculum.

The task force studied 15 schools across the country, all of which are widely acknowledged leaders in teaching science and related subjects. “One thing that all these schools have in common,” says task force leader and NA Science Department Chair Nancy Celente, “is a research component that engages students in what is currently being studied at universities and corporations.” Celente explains that involving students in current research not only will allow them to be more connected to their subjects through real-world application, “It will teach them the important discipline of

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research itself, which is a much-needed skill as they move forward in their studies and in their careers.”

As a result of this finding, the task force recommended that Newark Academy hire a Science Research Coordinator, effective Fall 2013. After a candidate search that reached both inside and outside of the NA community, the position was given to Robert Bitler, a physics and engineering teacher at NA, and the faculty advisor of NA’s Robotics and Engineering Club. Bitler holds advanced degrees in physics and economics.

Prior to joining the NA faculty he was an international economics consultant in New York, working with scientific and pharmaceutical companies around the world. Bitler will serve as a liaison between NA students and local universities and corporations where interesting and relevant research is taking place. In this role, Bitler will help NA students identify the research opportunities that best suit their needs and interests and will assist them in the application process. Finally, Bitler will design opportunities for NA students to share their research experiences with the school community. Creating this new faculty position will greatly benefit NA’s strongest STEM students, and will create opportunities for those students whose experience and talents are less developed to increase their potential for STEM success at NA. Science faculty member, Deb Tavares, has tapped into another vital resource in the effort to focus NA’s STEM curriculum: parents of current NA students. In May 2013, Tavares coordinated a science forum that paired NA parents currently working in science or related fields, with NA teachers for an open discussion about the needs of the marketplace, and what NA can do to best prepare its students for the jobs they will be seeking after college.

Some of these parents, in addition to providing helpful insights about the marketplace, have offered to host NA students for research and

FROM UPPER SCHOOL SENIOR TO STEM PROFESSIONAL What better way to learn about the nuts and bolts of a STEM career than to step into one? Several students in the Class of 2013 chose technology and medicine for their senior projects. Ryan McDonnell and Elron Robinson interned at engineering firm Croll Reynolds.

Sabrina Merold spent a month working in the Stroke Program at Morristown Medical Center.

Robinson and McDonnell were able to see the path from NA to a career in engineering, working directly with alumnus Samuel Croll ’68, CEO of Croll Reynolds (pictured above).

A common theme among the students’ reflections on their experiences was the value of seeing the full spectrum of the work in their respective fields.

McDonnell and Robinson observed engineers at work designing steam jet ejectors with 3D CAD computer programs and even tried their hand at designing.

“I observed engineers who were drafting, designing, writing quotes and fixing problems,” said McDonnell.

Their projects eventually took them to the testing center, where the equipment that the engineers design on their computers comes to fruition.

Merold agreed that the project helped her see a process in its entirety: “I had the opportunity to experience all stages of the stroke program … from prevention to education … to intervention once someone has been diagnosed, and lastly to rehabilitation.”

The in-depth experience had a profound impact on all three seniors. “Working at Croll Reynolds gave me insight into what I might be doing in the future,” said Robinson. All three NA graduates are considering a STEM path in college.

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internship opportunities which will give them practical, hands-on exposure to a variety of technical fields.

EVOLVING CURRICULUM The Science Task Force determined that input from young alumni would be crucial in identifying the strengths of NA’s current STEM curriculum, as well as opportunities for improvement. Celente and her team surveyed recent graduates (NA Classes of 2009-2012) focusing on those students who had been strong performers in science at NA, and who Our goal is to offer were likely to continue their STEM studies in our science- and college. The respondents, math-focused students who have attended or are currently attending a pathway to deeper universities including Duke, Cornell, Lehigh, the study and University of Chicago and engagement in the the University of Pennsylvania, had many STEM subjects. positive things to say about how well-prepared they were for their college science courses. Recent graduates, currently studying and/or working in STEM disciplines and who had taken advanced science courses at NA, felt that they had great preparation in terms of lab training but they noted that they would have liked better lab facilities at NA, more experience with research, and more exposure to higher level computational and problem-solving skills.

While Newark Academy’s first concern is the quality of the education it provides to its students, the school is also interested in the priorities of the nation, which, on the topic of STEM, are clearly moving in tandem. In a statement announcing its Next Generation Science Standards, the National Research Council, in conjunction with the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Teachers Association, writes, “In the 15 years since state science education standards were developed…many advances have occurred in the fields of science and science education, as well as in the innovation-driven economy…When comprehending current events, choosing and using technology, or making informed

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decisions about one’s healthcare, science understanding is key. Science is also at the heart of the United States’ ability to continue to innovate, lead and create the jobs of the future. All students – whether they become technicians in a hospital, workers in a high tech manufacturing facility, or Ph.D. researchers – must have a solid K-12 science education.”

PLANNING FOR 2014 With the young alumni survey behind them, and using the Strategic Plan as their guide, a group of faculty members including Celente and Math Department Chair Derek Kanarek are designing a STEM curriculum which will mirror the IB curriculum for students with a deep interest in studying math and science at a more intense level. The program will offer a two-year curriculum for juniors and seniors.

Likely components will be a STEM core course (think of it as a STEM version of the IB’s overarching and iconic Theory of Knowledge course) and a major research project. The faculty hopes to iron out the details this school year, in time for the current sophomore class to have access to the new STEM core curriculum by Fall 2014. “Our goal,” says Celente, “is to offer our science- and math-focused students a pathway to deeper study and engagement in the STEM subjects.

In addition to designing the specific components of this new curriculum, the committee will also examine NA’s current science and technology facilities. Many of the young alumni surveyed indicated that with larger and better-equipped science labs at NA, there is no limit to the potential of the department to challenge and inspire its students.

“As research becomes more integral to the STEM course requirements,” says Celente, “We will need to develop our facilities accordingly.”

Celente explains that the new courses and requirements currently in development will deepen students’ knowledge and exposure in the areas of science and technology, and she emphasizes that this benefit is not just reserved for those students with prior skills in the STEM disciplines. “Just as students currently enjoy sampling elements of the International Baccalaureate offerings, the new STEM curriculum will provide enrichment opportunities for all NA students, and will add to the well-roundedness of our student body as a whole.” NA

NA Robotics and Engineering Club members at work building a hot air balloon frame

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UNLIMITED IMAGINATION When Robert Bitler came to NA four years ago to teach Physics and Engineering, he was struck by the talent of the students and by the keen interest many of them shared in the field of Robotics. Although previous efforts to begin a Robotics and Engineering Club at NA had been unsuccessful, a combination of good timing, the right mentor, and a crew of highly-motivated students made the 2011 effort a success, albeit on a shoestring budget of $200. The Club’s mission is deceptively simple; “to build things which do things.”

And their motto, “No rinky-dink!” sets the bar high, with a sense of fun built in for good measure.

Bitler is passionate about the role the STEM subjects will play in NA students’ lives long after they have graduated from high school. “Robotics, engineering and artificial intelligence are the wave of the future,” says Bitler. “This is where many of the best-paying and most innovative jobs of the 21st century will be found, and our students need to be prepared for the challenge.”

As the faculty advisor of the Robotics and Engineering Club, Bitler is determined to allow the students to conceive their own projects, from inception through design and execution. “I have been so impressed by the ambition the kids display. Many of the projects they have chosen to pursue require very high-level skills and tremendous fortitude to build.

We have had some spectacular successes and some spectacular failures, too. This is where kids meet the real world …” Some recent projects, such as a wind turbine that will soon be fully functional with new and improved blades; and a hot air balloon that will hold a video camera to capture birds-eye views of football games, have been one to two years in the making.

With 50 members, the Robotics and Engineering Club is one of NA’s largest and most active organizations.

Two years ago a group of students from the club entered the prestigious Panasonic Design Competition sponsored by the New Jersey-based corporation. The competition dictates that all contestants must build robots that accomplish the same designated tasks, and restricts their building materials to simple, easily accessible materials. In 2012 a group of Robotics and Engineering Club members spent five months preparing a robot that would travel along a track of varied terrain and perform a few simple operations. They came in 16th place out of 48 schools. The next year, armed with more savvy and familiarity with the contest, the group entered again. This time their challenge was to build a robot with a functioning mechanical arm that could perform sustainable “green” tasks like planting model trees, spinning a windmill and sweeping bottles into a recycling bin. The students, Kevin Chan ’13, Dave Yaroshevsky ’14 and Tom Bernhardt ’14, finished a very impressive third place. Each of the three won $3,000 in scholarship money for college, plus an additional $2,000 “Rookie” award as a team with only two years of experience in the competition.

“The third place finish, especially as a rookie group, really put NA’s Robotics and Engineering Club on the map,” said Bitler. Eventually, Bitler hopes that some of the exciting work club members are doing will be incorporated into the curriculum. “Of course faculty, funding and time will be among our challenges, but the school is committed to providing these opportunities for its students.” Bitler and his students know the future of STEM at NA is as bright as their unlimited imaginations.

STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES NA’s Research Coordinator Robert Bitler is currently conducting a search for scientific research opportunities that will provide students with real life experiences, enabling them to learn, observe and contribute to the scientific research process. Partnerships are being explored with pharmaceutical companies, corporations and major universities in New York and New Jersey. If you have a connection to a research opportunity or a student internship, please contact Robert Bitler at rbitler@newarka.edu.

Ahead of the Class The Middle School Experience: Looking Back, Moving Forward

by Elizabeth Barbato LaPadula, D. Litt.

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There is a small, almost unnoticeable placard that hangs where Tom Ashburn, principal of Newark Academy’s Middle School for the past seven years, can see it from his desk. On it is written: “Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope,” a quotation from the opening of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. In this line, Nick, the novel’s narrator, reminds himself that judgment – and its cousin, criticism – should not be entered into lightly, though of course each of us, in our own way, goes through life making decisions based on the critical analysis of situations, people and things.

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Former and current faculty, administrators, and “lifer” alums (those who attended NA from grades 6-12) were asked to consider their experiences, beginning with the current leader.

During Tom Ashburn’s time as principal, the Middle School population has grown from 141 to 173 students, but the most significant change to date is that this year, for the first time, there will be four sections of sixth grade (53 students). In contrast,

the sixth grade class in 1997 numbered 26. The number of students in the seventh and eighth grades has also increased.

One of Ashburn’s fondest achievements as principal has been the creation of the Middle School Skills Tree, a concrete, graphic representation of the skills students should take with them after their middle school years. The tree demonstrates his philosophy that the focus during these years should be on students’ progress toward self-sufficiency, rather than a strictly academic agenda. It is also a tree that won’t be allowed to petrify; Ashburn believes the skill sets we wish to impart to our current students may change in just a few years, so the graphic will too.

In the next five years, Ashburn is most excited about creating a distinct Middle School presence.

Currently much of the Middle School schedule and structure is grounded in the Upper School schedule format. “Perhaps Middle School students would benefit from meeting five out of the six days of the cycle, or four out of a five-day schedule. We might have varied class times, or longer ones; we are very interested in creating more space for students to meet with their advisors. We are also considering the possibility of having a dedicated Middle School counselor. Finally, in terms of curricula, although we are forward-thinking about putting a focus on students’

Tom Ashburn

shburn keeps that little reminder in constant visibility because it sums up the purpose of educating children in early adolescence: to participate in a paradoxical series of lessons in which teachers challenge students to critically assess problems in every area of their courses of study, while also asking them to reserve their often knee-jerk judgments of each other and their surroundings. That the sixththrough eighth-grade years are times of tumult is a well-established truism; we all know children must pull away from their parents in order to begin establishing a more secure sense of self. At Newark Academy, we are on the brink of a similar process: as we look toward the expansion of the Middle School and the construction of a new facility in which to house it, it behooves us to consider what has made these years so special for so many. The evolution of this part of NA is a story of infinite hope.

OUTREACH fall 2013

One key element in this process is trust: students need to understand that teachers are committed to helping them grow, even when that means requiring them to take on difficult tasks...

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progress and skills, we still make assessments in a very traditional way, and I think we need to ask, ‘Are we assessing what we value? How do we assess qualities of character and habits of mind like respect, resilience and leadership?’”

NEWARK ACADEMY

“It’s impossible to imagine having my formative adolescent years anyplace else,” remarked Julie Appel ’06, former president of the School Council, and an embodiment of the qualities Mr. Austin mentioned above. At her eighth grade homecoming dance, she and a number of compatriots sang The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and though she has not pursued a career on the stage, it’s one of her fondest memories. Appel recalled that it was her seventh grade American Studies class, taught by Blackie Parlin, that set her on her undergraduate path as a history major. She also lauded the exceptional English teachers that taught her during those impressionable years: “Moving from writing book reports to analytical paragraphs in sixth grade allowed me to do the sort of higher-level thinking required in seventh grade and beyond.” She added, “One of the reasons it felt safe to come to NA in sixth grade was that it was so small, almost like an incubator, and each of my teachers, especially Ms. Tavares, made it seem as if the sixth grade was their true milieu.”

And even though it’s been many years, that sixth grade safety net, embodied in the form of science teacher Deb Tavares, still exists.

At Newark Academy, Tim Hwang ’04 was involved in everything from the newspaper, to the Strategic Gaming Forum, to a barbershop quartet in The Music Man. However, Hwang’s adjustment to NA as a sixth

Julie Appel ’06

Though plans for the new Middle School facility are not yet completed, it will likely be a distinct building connected to the main building through a corridor (similar to the breezeway connecting the Upper School Academic Center to the McGraw Arts Center) according to Head of School Don Austin. The architecture will symbolically represent the spirit of this endeavor – not to be a school within a school, but to afford the younger students a more age-appropriate space of their own. The new building will have classrooms, science labs with prep spaces, a large common area, a faculty work area, and proximity to an outdoor recreation area.

Austin is perhaps most excited about the connections between NA’s strategic plan, and how the Middle School building and culture will foster resilience: “The Capstone and portfolio work in the Middle School already requires students to self-assess and to confront weaknesses and missed opportunities as well as celebrate successes,” Austin said. “One key element in this process is trust: students need to understand that teachers are committed to helping them grow, even when that means requiring them to take on difficult tasks at which some students will not readily succeed. As a school (and a society) we need to move away from the tremendous emphasis on grades and measurable achievement and move toward a sustained focus on developing skills and attitudes that will allow our students to be lifelong learners, good thinkers, creative problem-solvers and solid citizens.”

Looking ahead to the new facility, Austin said, “The most significant change will be that the space, the faculty, and the schedule will be designed to best suit the needs of Middle School students. They will still share the halls, the auditorium, and the dining room with Upper School

students, and many of the great cross-divisional experiences, such as the musical, will continue. But they will have room to spread out once the Middle School has its own building.” When asked what should be maintained from the current manifestation of the NA Middle School, Austin quickly responded, “The quality of the relationships between students and faculty, and the intimate feel. We need to take advantage of the slightly larger cohort to deepen, and in some cases broaden, activities outside the classroom: teams, musical groups, clubs and community service.”

grader was an amalgamation of pure panic and pure excitement.

Coming from a Montessori environment, he had never used textbooks before, and therefore carried everything around with him in a backpack that rivaled the giant shell of a Galapagos tortuga – a practice, incidentally, favored by many a sixth-grader eager not to forget anything he might possibly need while navigating the hallways of NA. Hwang recalled: “Although the initial semester was extremely foreign, the teachers knew exactly what was going on with me and actively provided feedback. Eventually I became a member of a tidy little group, including one person I was introduced to by Middle School Principal Joan Parlin who said, “You should know each other.” This small social sphere gave me a foundation upon which to build; I felt so engaged with the school that I felt like giving back in many different forms.”

The reflections of Ralph Pellecchia ’62 clearly echo Don Austin’s and Tim Hwang’s conclusions about the value of teachers and extracurricular activities.

Though Pellecchia graduated in 1962, he has sharp and heartfelt memories of his long career at NA, which began in second grade. He is, in a sense, a super-lifer; though we no longer have a Lower School (which once encompassed Grades 1-7 and was housed on the first floor of the 1929 building on the corner of First and Orange Streets in Newark). The second and third floors of the imposing, red-brick colonial structure were the realm of the Upper School, which was then called Forms I-V. Pellecchia said, “When the weather turned warm, windows were opened, and street sounds, including the loud chanting of the vegetable man riding a horse-pulled wagon, could be heard. Interestingly, my first crisis as a new second-grader involved food. Teachers monitored the lunchroom, and our lunch trays were inspected to make sure we ate everything. Coming from an Italian-American family that served flavorful meals, I was not prepared for the unidentifiable meat and vegetables that were served. Fortunately, on the

advice of my more experienced brother, the wise sixth-grader, I learned how to stuff the offending food into my milk carton and bluff my way through inspection. Otherwise my experience in the Lower School was mostly favorable and, after a while, I was even able to eat the food.”

“That culinary challenge was nothing compared to what was coming a few short years later,” Pellecchia continued. “Moving up from fifth to sixth and seventh grades was a major step, in large part because we were going to be taught by Mrs. Catherine Lynham.

To a fifth-grader, Mrs. Lynham was larger than life.

However, once classes began, any concerns I had were assuaged, because Mrs. Lynham taught us how to think and how to act. She challenged all of her students, regardless of their class standing or intellectual ability; this was how she built up our confidence. Mrs. Lynham loved competition. She supported NA’s sports teams, including our midget football team, which for eight consecutive years was unbeaten.”

Because of the relationship the legendary Mrs. Lynham created with her young charges, she was able to positively influence their attitudes and actions long after they left her classroom.

Here, Pellecchia beautifully demonstrates the power of the combination of academic and extracurricular activities in the Middle School of the past, and, in doing so, gives us pointers for the future: “During my senior year, a few of us were approached

by Mrs. Lynham following lunch on the Friday we were going to play Delbarton in football. We were underdogs, and in prior years had come close, but had never beaten Delbarton.

When she inquired about the approaching game, a teammate of mine hesitated then responded that we would try our best. Mrs. Lynham made it clear she was not impressed with that answer. She challenged us to go out that afternoon and play with confidence and emotion, as she knew we would. She fired us up.

She expected us to win – and we did, 40 to 0!”

Confidence. Emotion. Getting kids “fired up.”

Lynham knew that without passion, one remains an underdog in life. Middle school children are full of energy, and the future of the school as a whole depends on their positive experiences, both in and out of the classroom.

Mrs. Catherine Lynham

Ralph Pellecchia ’62

Tim Hwang ’04

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OUTREACH fall 2013

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Leah Feuer ’06, remembers faculty member Catherine James’ experiential English classroom (where they made masks to act out Animal Farm, or symbolically attended the infamous Camp Green Lake, the setting of Louis Sachar’s novel Holes) with fondness. “At that age,” Feuer recalled, “we were still on the cusp of pretending and make-believe.”

That liminal time of life creates intensity between students and teachers – and among students themselves. Feuer continued, “When I run into people from NA in New York, there’s definitely a bond, even with people I wasn’t friends with – after all, you spent eight years with them, you’re in the same orb with them – it’s almost like you’re cousins.

When you go to middle school with someone, you see the innocent side of that person, and you get to know them before all the pretensions and layers that happen in high school.”

On a lighter note, Feuer fondly recalled cafeteria assistant Rosa Meeker, who provided snacks for generations of students. “I distinctly remember thinking that my world might end if I didn’t get to school a little early to eat chocolate chip muffins before Morning Meeting. You’d wait in line with all the other kids, but Rosa would refuse to take them out of the tin – you were barely awake, but you could see them and smell them … but she was afraid we’d burn our hands. Eventually she’d determine nobody was going to get hurt, and we’d gobble those muffins down. Everybody had their own method of eating them, but of course every muffin fell apart – because they were too hot.”

Should we sometimes let middle school students metaphorically “burn their fingers” ingesting knowledge … as well as muffins? Tom Ashburn believes so, and so did the previous principals of the Middle School at the Livingston campus – Lee Abbey, Joan Parlin and Joseph Ball. Abbey’s forwardthinking intellectualism helped with the inclusion of the sixth grade in the school

during the academic year of 1987-1988. In many ways, that first year of sixth grade at the Livingston campus was prophetic, reflecting current pedagogical thought at the school.

Nancy Celente, currently chair of the science department, and Stephanie Acquadro, a member of the English department, were hired to share the responsibilities for teaching the entire grade, an arrangement that Celente and Acquadro quickly realized allowed them great freedom for team-teaching, experiential learning and working the schedule to fit the needs of the students. Celente recalled: “The best thing about teaching sixth grade was the freedom and flexibility. We each had half of the class from 8:30-11:00 a.m. and then switched groups after lunch for another two and a half hours. It required us to be extremely creative, student-centered and experiential in our teaching – so many of the things that we are talking about now at NA (i.e. June Term in the Upper School and the Middle School grade-level teams). We were also able to schedule cross-curricular units, field trips and activities. If I wanted the entire class for a three-hour lab, the only person I needed to check with was Stephanie. I really miss that part of it, the spontaneity.

We also really knew those students. We were with them all day, and they didn’t have sports, so after their last class they would go to their advisor (Stephanie or me) for another 45 minutes at the end of the day. In some ways we were the original Middle School team – we were able to share our strategies and challenges with specific students and bounce ideas off of each other.”

Both teachers remember how important their collaboration was to the success of the program.

Celente said, “Blackie Parlin still talks to this day about how his biggest fear as dean of faculty was that Stephanie and I would not get along, because the program required that we work so closely together.

On paper we shouldn’t have been a match. I was a single, sports-car driving, big-haired Republican and Stephanie was married with a son, driving him around in a sedan and voting Democrat; however, for whatever reason we clicked,

Stephanie Acquadro NEWARK ACADEMY

Nancy Celente

Catherine James

Leah Feuer ’06

The expansion of the sixth grade, and a willingness to listen, are Lee Abbey’s legacies as Middle School principal.

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The attitude of hopefulness was continued by Joseph Ball during his tenure. Ball’s legacy was a renewed focus on the social-emotional dynamics of students; one cannot meet him without imbibing some of his bubbling positivity. It would not be considered odd to walk past Ball’s office and see him in a yoga position on the floor, teaching a faculty member or child effective breathing techniques. His finest hour was one of our nation’s worst: by midday on September 11, 2001, Ball gathered all of his students together and gave them the opportunity, in a safe place, to express their thoughts and feelings about the horror that was unfolding on TV. He was also brave enough to answer the question, “Why would someone do this?” (asked by a sixth-grader) with a sigh and a gentle, wise “I don’t know.”

You won’t find Tom Ashburn on the floor of his office, though, because he’s seldom there. Asburn moves too fast to acquire a coat of varnish: what you see is what you get. “Look, it’s hard to be a middle school kid,” said Ashburn. “As many advantages as our students have, it’s still tough. And it’s even harder to be a parent of a middle school student, which is why I’ve established the Middle School coffees, where parents can ask anything they want, and I’ll answer honestly. My answers may not always be what people want to hear, but parents appreciate our belief that though every child has some growing to do, we know they become who they must be through that process.”

“Nobody knows you like the people who knew you when you were 11, and nobody forgives you like the people who knew you when you were 11,” mused Neha Bhalani ’03, who entered NA in 1996. “I am still remarkably close to many people I have known since sixth grade, and even though our lives have created paths we never would have predicted, there’s something valuable in knowing people as an adult who were there to witness your young adolescent insecurities. NA fosters

Tom Ashburn

and consequently that is why the program was so successful.

Our personalities, experiences and strengths complemented each other. Education always comes back to the people involved.”

Acquadro recalled, “Nancy was dressed like something out of a John Hughes movie, and I wore stockings every day, even to the end-of-summer meetings. But as she and I became more comfortable and confident in our positions, we began to define our curriculum more and more. I had never taught such little ones, but I got a taste of how cooperative and helpful the NA staff was (including the indomitable Mrs. Pickering, the wonderful woman who was the Middle School secretary and mother hen to us all).”

However, by the end of the year, Acquadro recalled, “The kids began to chafe at the isolation they were subjected to. So, we set them up in delegations and sent them off to Head of School Allan Strand, Dean of Faculty Blackie Parlin, Middle School Principal Lee Abbey and Athletic Director Bruno Tomaino and told them to make their case for an expanded role in the school – including participating in sports. To the credit of everyone who listened, changes were made: the role sixth graders now play in the Middle School is thanks to these little pioneers of 1987-88.” They even got to play sports, despite Dr. Strand’s worry that they would get hurt.

As an administrator, Joan Parlin, who succeeded Lee Abbey, believed every child could succeed relatively independently; teachers and parents simply had to support them and then get out of their way.

It might take them until their senior years but “they’ll make it,” she always said. Time and again, teachers and students would go to Parlin in distress, and in a few words, she would convey the message that “time takes time.” She might even share the most memorable of her pithy phrases: “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Then she’d smile. A week or so later, crisis averted and most likely already forgotten in the bustle of school life, the faculty member or student would receive a hand-written note from Parlin, filled with praise. Serenity and pragmatism were her hallmarks, her gifts to her students and faculty.

Joseph Ball

Joan Parlin

Lee Abbey

Neha Bhalani ’03 OUTREACH fall 2013

. . . when kids say to me, ‘I’m so sad Middle School is over,’ I think we’ve done our jobs.

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Señor Gomez

Chris Johnson’s official title is Middle School Office Manager, but in reality she is an unflappable sibyl who dispenses information and affection in equal measure. Like her predecessors, Maddy Onofrio who worked with Joe Ball in his years as Middle School principal and Bev Pickering who partnered with Joan Parlin during her tenure, Chris is a shoulder to cry on and a person who will stuff your field hockey stick or science presentation poster under her desk where it will bump her knees all day. She holds an advanced degree in reality-checking and is a genius at putting things in proper perspective. She keeps a watchful eye on the children and funnels information via a combination of the Pony Express and the latest technological

NEWARK ACADEMY

advances. Most of all, however, she, like her predecessors, is people-centered, not taskcentered. Somehow she gets all of her administrative work accomplished while nurturing young adolescents.

Likewise, an understanding of the particular needs of this transitional age group is a necessity for successful – and fun – teaching. Alexandra Mahoney, faculty member since 1990 and Middle School teacher for 11 years, shared, “My career for the first decade was in the Upper School. When I came to the Middle School, I had children of my own, which gave me more patience and tolerance. The most extraordinary thing is that these kids are willing to share their energy, love of learning and themselves.”

Several years ago, the school sent the seventh grade English teachers on a trip to Albuquerque Academy, where they witnessed how other independent schools practiced the team-teaching method. The school had a common space – a huge rug – where everyone could fit to sit and discuss issues. These practices formed the seed of NA’s grade-level meetings, common periods for experiential learning, and the Capstone trips. The location of Middle School Morning Meeting was also changed to the choral room. According to Mahoney, “These meetings have an informal charm – the Upper School needs a certain amount of formality to keep the machine oiled and running, but as an Upper School advisor I love stopping by the Middle School Morning Meetings. Music is playing, kids are jubilant; there’s a great energy.”

According to Mahoney the main question facing us in this period of transition is, “How do we allow connections between grades in ways that enhance their experiences? Here are some good examples: Upper School students help with the technology of the Middle School play and senior students have begun to act as assistant teachers in Middle School classes.

This is a phenomenal idea (that was borne from a

Alexandra Mahoney

Chris Johnson

that sort of knowledge because it’s so small – but that also means that perhaps people are more exposed than they want to be.” And when mistakes happened, Bhalani recalled, “Teachers were able to share their feelings with students, and they gave the students the benefit of the doubt. I will never forget how Ms. Tavares taught me the tough lessons I needed to learn about growing up in a human way, not a punitive one.”

What Bhalani calls “the benefit of the doubt,” NA Middle School teachers would call “necessary freedoms.” Young students may decide (within reason) what to do with their hour-long lunch periods, and the time at the end of the day. Nobody eats lunch faster than Middle School students, so they have decisions to make with the 45 minutes they have at their disposal. What to do … practice your instrument?

Go to extra help you planned with a teacher earlier in the day? Library? Gym? Wall Ball, a version of handball that involves bouncing a ball ad nauseam off the Arts Wing wall? Play with Señor Gomez’s talking toys? Dart in and out of the junior corridor to see if those giants will notice? Or hang out with Mrs. Johnson in the Middle School office?

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June Term leadership course) and it has had incredible output. I signed up for a co-teacher senior right away!

This is the magic of interweaving both divisions.”

The songs of the past fade, but we look to the future and listen to what’s coming – new voices of students and teachers, the sounds of construction, debates about what each of us holds dear. Summing up his experience as Middle School principal, Tom Ashburn said, “During the rehearsal for eighth grade class night, as I shake the children’s hands, I think back to everything I know about them, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride. Most people would quail at the idea of re-living their middle school years, but when kids say to me, ‘I’m so sad Middle School is over,’ I think we’ve done our jobs. That’s the whole point of the Capstone trips – to end the year with joy.” As Newark Academy moves ahead, members of the community will be challenged to reserve judgments, but they have also had much practice with that skill. One thing is for sure; the school community, unlike those described by Nick Carraway’s final philosophical musing in The Great Gatsby, will not “be borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

NA

Bud D’Avella ’62

The magic of NA resides in the relationships between students and teachers. Bud D’Avella ’62 began his NA career in fourth grade. A testament to the connection his class feels to Newark Academy is the fact that 25 members of his graduating class began the celebration of their 50th Reunion at his home last year. “When we sit and talk, we know that much of who we are is because of Newark Academy. After 50 years, we can still, through our differences, get along, though we were not and are not homogeneous by any means. We still have a very good rapport. We were taught the value of honesty, academic work and ethical behavior.” D’Avella and his classmates were thrilled to be students at Newark Academy because the alternative for many of them would have been the Newark public school system. According to D’Avella, “We knew we were in a great place because of the teachers; people like Udell Stallings, who would carefully line the field and track with chalk before each sporting event and kept the gym in pristine condition, enforcing a strict “no shoes allowed”

policy. People like Arthur W. Nelke with the stylish moustache and pipe, who impressed his students not only with his flashy 1956 convertible, but with the camper he towed behind it when taking students on trips out West. People like John Strahan, who started in 1954 when I was in fifth grade … and, of course, people like Catherine Lynham.”

“Our teachers were good for our overall development,” continued D’Avella.

“Whatever Mrs. Lynham taught, she was terrific, but the things you remember most are the moral concepts. She was a strong, ethical person; we felt that if you followed her direction you would do well.

Though I received accolades, I was not made to feel as if I were better than anyone else; the teachers were there for everybody.” John Strahan was even there when Bud was honored at a performance of the New Jersey State Opera for serving as chairman of that organization for 25 years. Though the concert was wonderful, what D’Avella valued most was Strahan’s presence and the note he wrote. D’Avella recalled, “He praised me for my work in the arts – but as I read it, I was thinking it was all because he let me see new directions in his classes, in the plays he directed, and in the songs he sang.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES 36

by Blackie Parlin

Of Jackets, Ties and Chalk Erasers As I sit in the air-conditioned archives room, I know the outside temperature to be close to 100 degrees, a humid, airless 100 degrees. I’m thinking that if I had to go to an afternoon athletic practice, I would arrange to fall into the duck pond. The heat reminds me of my high school football coach, Luke, who believed water was anathema for an athlete. On a day with 100degree temperatures, Luke would yell, “Don’t drink water; it will give you stomach cramps.”

L

Former faculty member James Manning with Blackie Parlin, c. 1963

NEWARK ACADEMY

uke also felt strongly opposed to any medical applications. Any injury could be “shaken off.” Once, when my classmate, Robert, broke his leg (actually it was Chuck “the Gorilla” who broke Robert’s leg), Luke yelled from across the field, “Get up and shake it off, Robert. Don’t be a wuss.” Since the crack of Robert’s leg could be heard for 80 yards, Luke’s command seemed insensitive.

Before realizing that he needed to call an ambulance, Luke did give some medical advice to Robert: “Put heat on it.”

Some of the practices of a private boys’ school at mid-century must have been truly hurtful to some of the boys, but I came through the experience just vaguely amused. I still recall with delight some of the scenes from my first year at NA. One teacher annoyed by a young scholar, threw all of the young student’s schoolbooks out of the third story window onto First Street. (Much of the day was devoted to rumors that a passer-by had

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been seriously wounded by a heavy physics book.) Another teacher asked a recalcitrant scholar if he wanted to go to the gym and “put on the gloves.”

Throwing chalk and chalk erasers was a common, almost universal, method for gaining attention. In my high school, Mr. Metzger was the master eraser marksman. He could unerringly place the eraser horizontally across the forehead of a fourth row student whose attention to the lessons was wandering.

Having gone to a boys’ school with a “manly” physical culture, I brought that style to my early classroom management – until a dramatic, transformative episode.

In my first year of teaching, I was lecturing learnedly on the liberal philosophy of Thomas Jefferson when I noticed that a student had his feet on the desk chair of the student in front of him and was kicking the fellow student in the rear. With no change of pace or tone in my description of

Jefferson’s near-pacifist philosophy, I gave follow? When I started teaching, standards him a terrific kick in the calf. After class he of attire required tie and jacket at all times. came up close to me, very close, and said When it was as hot as Hades, Headmaster in a menacing tone, “Don’t ever kick me Robert Butler would go on the school again.” I did an inward gulp, then managed intercom and grant extraordinary to sound menacing: dispensation to “Then don’t you ever remove jackets. That I still recall with delight some kick another student.” was an occurrence as of the scenes from my first At home that rare as Halley’s comet. year as a teacher at NA. night I carefully I remember deliberated a teacher’s well a June end-of-year role in student meeting of the First Street faculty around discipline. I remember thinking, “I’m not a the solid oak table in the library. The person who kicks other people; what distinguished faculty members puffed on was I doing?” I confess that subsequently their pipes and solidly agreed that a causal I did lob a few chalk erasers on occasion, connection existed between jacket/tie and but essentially moved to a culture of rule mental development. This was my first year by reason. of teaching, and I considered it inappropriate Back to the heat for a moment. The to point out that even the Headmaster had new NA faculty dress code for men requires taken off his jacket. a collared shirt but not a tie. Can you So, behave yourself, keep on your imagine this collapse of genteel standards? tie and jacket or I’ll hit you with a chalk Is the collapse of Western culture soon to eraser. NA

Swish!

On the morning of Commencement 2013, keynote speaker Lanny Davis ‘63 and Mr. Parlin took to the courts in Wrightson Gym for a foul-shooting competition. The two had last matched skills on the basketball court when Davis was an NA student. After a 50-year hiatus they were ready for a friendly rematch.

Mr. Parlin won the first round 50 years ago. Davis rallied and won the 2013 rematch.

OUTREACH fall 2013

ADVANCEMENT 38

Col. William Kaplan ’69

NA’s 1774 Society Welcomes A Leader COL. WILLIAM KAPLAN ’69 NAMED THE SOCIETY’S FIRST CHAIRMAN After a career in the United States Air Force and founding a successful consultancy, William (Bill) Kaplan is turning his attention to his alma mater, eagerly taking on the role as the first-ever Chairman of Newark Academy’s 1774 Society. The Society recognizes those members of the NA community who pledge financial support to the Academy through their will, estate plan or other types of deferred gifts.

Newark Academy would not be what it is today without the forward-thinking parents and alumni of yesterday. To transform tomorrow, we must begin now. The 1774 Society recognizes those individuals who have become partners in the tradition of educational leadership by including the Academy in their estate plan or will. We welcome, as partners, those who have created in their estate plans gifts by annuities, charitable trusts, retained life estates and gifts of life insurance and bequests. Members of the 1774 Society share in the goal of ensuring the tradition of educational excellence at Newark Academy.

NEWARK ACADEMY

Bill joined the 1774 Society several years ago when he revised his will to include a bequest to NA. Since that time, Bill proudly shares his membership in 1774 with classmates and other alumni.

“The friends I made and the things I learned at NA have helped me to become the officer, businessman and father that I am today,” Bill said. “I knew that I wanted to give back to the Academy in some significant way and, for me, a bequest in my will is the best way to do that.”

Shortly after taking on the Chairman’s role, Bill sat down to answer some questions about the 1774 Society and the role that it plays in fulfilling the mission of Newark Academy.

Q

WHAT IS “DEFERRED OR PLANNED” GIVING?

A

Either term is fine. They both mean the same thing. Basically, it is a type of philanthropy that allows the donor to make a gift to Newark Academy in a way that does not impact his/ her current income and cash flow. Examples of planned or deferred gifts include: • A bequest in your will • A charitable trust or gift annuity • Making NA the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan

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Q

WHY WOULD I WANT TO MAKE A PLANNED GIFT INSTEAD OF A REGULAR DONATION?

Q

CAN I NAME NEWARK ACADEMY IN MY WILL AND STILL PROVIDE FOR MY CHILDREN IN IT?

A

Many people say that they want to make a meaningful gift to Newark Academy, but their current circumstances – beginning a family, starting a business, or heading toward retirement – mean that they may not have the cash on hand to make an outright gift. Others may already be loyally supporting NA with an Annual Fund gift but are hoping to “someday” do something more. In either case, making a planned gift and becoming a member of the 1774 Society is a wonderful way to make a difference at NA. You need not have great wealth to make Newark Academy one of the beneficiaries in your will, your life insurance or your retirement fund. It is a simple and pretty painless way to support Newark Academy and gain the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve given back to the school that has done so much for you and your family.

A

You can tailor your will to fit all your specific goals and objectives. An attorney can assist you to make sure your will meets your wishes.

Q

CAN I INDICATE TO NEWARK ACADEMY HOW I WANT THE GIFT FROM MY BEQUEST USED?

A

Absolutely! Because of the long-term nature of this kind of gift, the donation is directed to some aspect of the Newark Academy Endowment. The donor can either direct the gift to the general endowment or to any number of already existing endowed funds.

Q

WHAT IF NEWARK ACADEMY IS ALREADY IN MY WILL?

A

First of all, thank you! Now, you should reach out to the Office of Institutional Advancement {lgrider@newarka.edu or (973) 992-7000, ext. 320} so that you can be recognized as a member of the 1774 Society.

Q

WHAT DOES MEMBERSHIP IN THE 1774 SOCIETY DO FOR ME?

A

As a 1774 Society member, you’ll receive special recognition each time you attend an NA event. Also, you’ll receive periodic communications from Newark Academy with updates on the life of the Academy and any changes to federal tax laws that might impact your decision to make a planned gift.

Q

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT ME TO KNOW?

A

Just one more thing – regardless of when and how you choose to support Newark Academy, please know that every gift – of any amount – is valued and valuable. By including NA in your will you are joining with many others whose gifts are ensuring that the Newark Academy experience we enjoyed will be available to others for generations to come. NA

Q

CAN SOMEONE WHO IS RELATIVELY YOUNG JOIN THE 1774 SOCIETY? HOW DO I KNOW IF PLANNED GIVING IS RIGHT FOR ME?

A

Most people create their will between 30 and 40 years of age, long before they know what kind of “estate” they’re actually going to have. Joining the 1774 Society by making a bequest to Newark Academy in your will is a great option at any age. You should talk with your attorney or financial advisor about specifics, but in many cases you can indicate in your will that you wish to give a percentage of your estate (rather than an exact amount). This option allows your intended gift to NA to grow as your assets increase during your lifetime. Regardless of your age, a bequest to NA in your will makes certain that your wishes are carried out and that your loved ones are aware of your desire to help Newark Academy.

Q

WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND?

A

Your will can be changed at any time. Again, you should talk to your attorney and/or your financial advisor and everyone should update their will anytime there is a significant change in family or financial circumstances.

Q

ARE THERE ANY FINANCIAL ADVANTAGES OF MAKING A BEQUEST TO NA IN MY WILL?

A

I’m not an accountant or a lawyer, but I’ve been told by many such professionals that tax deductions are a tangible benefit of making a bequest.

For more information on planned giving please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (973) 992-7000, ext. 320.

HOMECOMING & REUNION 2013 40

5K RUN A chilly morning warmed up with a new tradition, the “Be the 1” 5K run, to benefit the Newark Academy Annual Fund.

NA families, alumni and friends kicked off the day with a 5K “tour” of the campus, starting and ending on the majestic new Coursen Field.

NEWARK ACADEMY

41

1 John Bess ’69, President,

Class Representative Breakfast

Alumni Board of Governors

2 Robert Cronheim ’46 3 Shannon Hedvat ’03, Evan Sills ’03, David Mazzuca ’03

4 Alex Senchak ’02 5 Glenn Waldorf ’90, Alex Senchak ’02, Van Stevens ’65

6 Stacey Bradford-

3

Greenberg ’89 (right)

7 Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86 and Charles Fischbein ’63

8 Glenn Waldorf ’90 9 Richard Worth ’91 with wife Michele Segal and son Lawrence

1

The Class Rep Breakfast was the perfect opportunity for class reps of many different years to reunite on campus. Board of Governors President John Bess ’69 welcomed and thanked everyone for their support and commitment. Glenn Waldorf ’90 then outlined initiatives to make the job of class rep easier and more effective. Expect to hear from your class rep throughout the year with updates from Newark Academy, news about events in your area and much more!

4

7

5 8 2

6

9 OUTREACH fall 2013

HOMECOMING & REUNION 2013 42

All afternoon, revelers strolled the tailgate area, enjoying food, music and fun activities, including a bounce house, pumpkin painting, rainbow loom and more. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and a great opportunity to meet or reconnect with other NA families.Â

NEWARK ACADEMY

43

Field hockey, and boys and girls varsity soccer celebrated the day with wins.

The newly renovated Coursen playing field, track and seating were crowd pleasers. During the football game, the NA pep band, directed by Mr. Tolentino, provided inspiration and entertainment for players and fans.

OUTREACH fall 2013

HOMECOMING & REUNION 2013 44

THE 5TH ANNUAL

WOMEN OF NA LUNCHEON Honored Successful and Distinguished Newark Academy Women HONOREES Lesly D’Ambola, D.O. ’78, Keynote Speaker Julianne Rose, Former Trustee Ann Marie Keane, Former Faculty

Lesly D’Ambola ’78

WOMEN OF DISTINCTION Nancy Aronson Chilton ’78 Elizabeth Strand, Ph.D. ’88 Erica Goldberg Samuels ’93 Lisa Shah Sen ’98 Tiffany Bergin, Ph.D. ’03 Arielle Faber ’08

Elizabeth Strand ’88 with Amanda Addison ’06

Trustee Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 with former Trustee Julianne Rose

Arielle Faber ’08

Former faculty member Ann Marie Keane with Kumi Dikengil ’99

Nancy Aronson Chilton ’78 and Tiffany Bergin ’03

NEWARK ACADEMY

45

6 1 bl 7 2 bm 1 Asha Talwar ’99, Kumi Dikengil ’99 2 Elaine Brodie, Faculty, Elizabeth

3

8

Strand ’88, Anne Strand, Dr. Allan Strand, Former Headmaster

3 Von Rollenhagen, Dean of Faculty, Omika Popo-James ’88, Annette Tomaino

4 Lauren Hedvat ’01, Trustee 5 Summer Peace ’19, Tess Ostroff ’18 6 Hannah Zack ’14, School Council President

4

9

7 Nisha Suda ’03, David Mazzuca ’03 8 Lyndsey Scott ’02 9 Stacy Goldberger Pinelli ’77 bk James Ball ’02 bl Former Trustees Julianne Rose and Pamela Huttenberg

bm Dr. Strand, Von Rollenhagen, Alexandra Mahoney, Faculty

bk 5

HOMECOMING & REUNION 2013 46

Recognition and Honor at the Annual Alumni Awards Reception

1

Fulton MacArthur Award Margery Gering Feinberg ’78 Alumni Achievement Award Paul Kiesel ’78 Liz Maccie ’93 Athletic Hall of Fame Adam Miller ’88 Distinguished Faculty Award Allan Strand, Ph.D., Former Headmaster, 1979-1997

2

3

1 Margery Gering Feinberg ’78 with her sister, Linda Gering Kreisberg ’77

2 Ken Meyers ’78 accepts the award

4

for his friend, Paul Kiesel ’78, who was unable to attend

3 Liz Maccie ’93 4 Adam Miller ’88 5 Former Headmaster Dr. Allan Strand

5 NEWARK ACADEMY

47

REUNION When the sun went down, Reunion celebrations for 3s and 8s, in fun, new venues, capped a great day at NA!

1

KALTENBACHER HALL Classes of 1963 and 1968

OUTREACH fall 2013

HOMECOMING & REUNION 2013 48

DINING HALL Classes of 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988 and 1993

NEWARK ACADEMY

49

OUTREACH fall 2013

HOMECOMING & REUNION 2013 50

ROSE AUDITORIUM STAGE Classes of 1998, 2003 and 2008

NEWARK ACADEMY

ALUMNI NEWS

2014

51

ALUMNI CALENDAR JANUARY 4: IN-COLLEGE NETWORKING WORKSHOP Join us to discover what in-college alumni can do to improve their employment and graduate school opportunities months and weeks before the big day arrives.

From Sean Allen ’03 and Glenn Waldorf ’90

HOW CAN THE ALUMNI BOARD AND NA COMMUNITY HELP YOU? NEWARK ACADEMY WAS FOUNDED WITH A VISION, to be an inclusive community comprised of an exceptional faculty dedicated to encouraging a global perspective that empowers students to develop depth of character, innovative thinking, and commitment to service. Beyond that vision, Newark Academy has specific goals — to contribute to the world engaged individuals instilled with a passion for learning, a standard of excellence, and a generosity of spirit. We believe that Newark Academy’s mission is one that is applicable to all members of the Newark Academy community, including and especially alumni.

As members of the Alumni Board of Governors (BOG) we are in an interesting and incredible position. We can see the significant and continual improvements that Newark Academy makes to its curriculum, levels of student engagement and performance, faculty, and facilities to fulfill its vision and mission. The changes since we graduated just a few short years ago are impressive.

To serve our alumni better, the BOG has raised our own standards and performance bar. The BOG has two major goals: ! Communicate the school’s ongoing strengths and successes with our community of alumni; and ! Nurture and engage the Newark Academy alumni community so it can benefit from a deeper relationship with the school, its faculty, and one another.

To fulfill these goals, the BOG in conjunction with the Advancement Office, class representatives, and other alumni leaders is developing new programs, recruiting new volunteers, and increasing the dialogue with alumni so we can engage and serve our community better.

Specifically we are enhancing the class representative program. We greatly appreciate your classmates who communicate school and class news, support key initiatives such as reunions, encourage alumni to download and use the new “NA Alumni Mobile App” and encourage participation in the annual fund. These classmates perform a valuable service. Please help them build our community and stay in touch with them.

We have also enhanced our programming for the young alumni community to meet their specific needs and requests. We have created greater career mentoring opportunities and more targeted social events.

The BOG wants to help young adults find their footing and paths forward through the academic and professional worlds. We hope our young alumni will maintain close connections to Newark Academy and cherish their NA friendships.

Please join us at one of our upcoming events and let us know your thoughts on our specific efforts. Thanks for your help, suggestions and ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you during the school year.

JANUARY 9: NEW YORK CITY NETWORKING NIGHT Come share your experience, receive good advice, learn from experts and meet the talented young alumni of Newark Academy.

JANUARY 11: ALUMNI/STUDENT IMPROV NIGHT Relive the glory days of NA with Scott Jacoby and Elaine Brodie for an evening of improv.

FEBRUARY 7, APRIL 4 AND JUNE 6: SMALL

BUSINESS NETWORKING BREAKFAST Connect with other small business owners within the NA community. Develop connections and learn what interesting businesses your fellow alumni own and operate.

FEBRUARY 21: LETTERMAN RECEPTION Come celebrate with other alumni athletes as we watch the Minutemen take to the basketball court.

APRIL 26: ALUMNI DAY OF SERVICE MAY 19: NA MINUTEMAN GOLF & TENNIS INVITATIONAL Green Brook Country Club / Hit the links or the court to help support our beloved teachers.

MAY 29: ANNUAL NEW YORK CITY MEETUP We’ll be at the Central Park 79th Street Boat Basin so get ready to party.

MAY 31: ALUMNI LACROSSE Get out your stick and get ready to throw. The Alumni Lacrosse game returns.

JUNE 9: COMMENCEMENT AND OLD GUARD

LUNCHEON Just before we celebrate our newest graduates, we honor those alumni of 50+ years.

!

We will be on the road all spring. Visit alumni.newarka.edu for all event details and to find out when we might be coming to a city near you.

TAKE NA WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. Download the NA Alumni Mobile app, available in the iTunes and Google Play app stores.

ALUMNI NEWS 52

DAVID HARDIN ’73 REMEMBERS A TRUE CLASSIC Arthur Nelke, Faculty Member, 1942-1972, Ancient History

“

Without a doubt, Mr. Nelke is one of the most memorable teachers of my Newark Academy career, mostly because he was so different from anyone else I ever had. He was the first of my teachers to fit the classic prep school model for a teacher. He dressed every day in a tweed jacket and a wool tie. He wore suede Hush Puppy-style shoes. His sport coats had patches on the sleeves. He brandished a corncob pipe nearly all the time, and he sucked on it constantly throughout the day. Sometimes he would light it up, but not often if memory serves me correctly. Many of us in the class wondered if he ever changed pipes, because they all seemed in the same stage of decay at all times.

Mr. Nelke was a throw-back. I recall him as the prototypical New England school master – serious, disciplined, firm and fair. I don’t think he was particularly interested in independent thinking or innovation; he seemed more interested in making sure that we learned the substantive material, which I am sure he believed was essential for every educated

SEND US RECOLLECTIONS OF YOUR TEACHERS Newark Academy Alumni Relations is compiling stories of teachers from the most trusted source, the students they taught. If you have an anecdote or simply wish to put into words the impact your teachers had on your life, we want to hear from you.

If you would like to contribute to this vital piece of Newark Academy history, send an e-mail to Matt Gertler at mgertler@newarka.edu or mail your recollections to the Newark Academy Alumni Relations office.

person to know. I had him for history at the end of his career. He retired shortly thereafter.

Mr. Nelke used a textbook that he must have been using for many, many years. It was small in size, with a simple blue cardboard cover, and it had chapters that described and explained the great civilizations of Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Phoenicia and others. It was the classic Western Civilization course that I am sure was standard fare at the time. As we sat in class and listened to him lecture us on the great civilizations of the world, we often wondered whether he was teaching it or remembering it, as the words seemed to flow without any effort or reference to the materials on his part. As I now think about it, he probably was in fact remembering something, although it was probably not the events themselves but rather the prior year’s lecture on the same topic.

Mr. Nelke also played the organ at Morning Chapel, which was the precursor to the present day Morning Meeting.

”

CLASS NOTES 1949

1964

65th Reunion

50th Reunion

Contact: Kenneth Baum ’49 jackieandken@comcast.net

Contact: Michael Yogg ’64 michaelyogg@gmail.com

1954

1967

1978

60th Reunion

Leigh Bandekow was the first alumnus to submit a class note using the NA Alumni Mobile networking app: He happily reports that he is now retired.

Katherine Weiss DiSabito is proud to announce the graduation of her son, Anthony, from Westfield State University with a degree in business administration.

1969

Lesly D’Ambola is medical director of St. Luke’s Catholic Medical Services, serving the poor, uninsured and underinsured in Camden, New Jersey. She recently received the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine. As a native of Newark who lived in the city while attending Newark Academy in Livingston, Lesly was thrilled to learn of NA’s Newark Scholars Program. She encourages her fellow alumni to support the program and also reports she was happy to see her classmates at their 35th reunion in October.

Contact: Henri Gordon ’54 (512) 476-0900

Robert Wanner’s wife reported that her husband has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for many years and now resides in an assisted living community.

He remembers his time at NA and would love to receive news and messages from old friends. Please call Alumni Relations Director Matt Gertler at (973) 992-7000, ext. 367 for contact information.

1959 55th Reunion Contact: Douglas Slade ’59 Dslade542@aol.com

1963 After 40 years of pediatric practice in Connecticut, Chuck Fischbein authored his first book entitled Hey Doc, I’ve Got a Question … (available on Amazon or at www.heydocthebook.com).

The book is a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the real phone calls handled by the nursing staff of a busy pediatric office.

45th Reunion Contact: Leo Gordon ’69 gordon43b@gmail.com

1970 For the eighth year in a row, Richard Hofstetter was listed in the Best Lawyers peer review guide for media and entertainment law. He was also recognized as a top-tier lawyer for television, film, and media in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, which ranks the leading firms and lawyers in an extensive range of practice areas across the country.

1974 40th Reunion Contact: Lance Aronson ’74 lancetrezevant@aol.com

1976 In August, Francey Kanengiser Burke had the unique opportunity to ride in a Chevy

Camaro SS at the Pocono Raceway prior to a NASCAR headliner event. She reached speeds of nearly 140 miles per hour on the Tricky Triangle.

1979 35th Reunion Contact: Michael Schneck ’79 Mschneck@schnecklaw.com

1981 Sue Karlin reconnected with Dave Houghton in San Francisco for the first time

For information on our upcoming events or to submit class notes, log on to the alumni community at alumni.newarka.edu. There you can share your news, update your information and register for events. We want to hear from you!

We Fondly Remember ASHLEY B. CARRICK ’28 May 18, 2013 Ashley Carrick passed away at the age of 102, marking the end of an era. He was the last living graduate from the Newark Academy campus on Hyde Street. His son, William, recalled that his father often talked about how he enjoyed the time spent at Newark Academy and that his most vivid memory was of a teacher who passed away in the classroom from poison gas that he had encountered in World War I. He also remembered taking the steam engine train to school, and lining up for meetings in the auditorium, much like students do today.

Carrick attended Princeton University and entered Columbia Law School in 1932. He became a New Jersey judge in 1940.

Two years later, he joined the U.S. Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

After World War II, he worked in the federal courts until 1974. He retired from the Army Reserves in 1968 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

OUTREACH fall 2013

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We Fondly Remember Ashley B. Carrick ’28 May 18, 2013 Joseph Baker ’44 May 16, 2013 John Pell ’44 December 10, 2012 John R. Hardin, Jr. ’45 June 5, 2013 David Jones ’45 July 26, 2013 Pier Mancusi-Ungaro ’49 September 11, 2013 Thomas Ross, Jr. ’49 May 20, 2013 Donald Ryan ’55 July 7, 2013 Robert Mydans ’66 February 18, 2012 Stuart Cawley ’77 April 22, 2013 David Michael Jones ’83 September 23, 2013 Audrey Davis ’84 May 28, 2013

NEWARK ACADEMY

Andy Mulvihill ’81, Chaz Waggoner ’81, Artie Williams ’81

since their NA days and attended his wedding to Chip Larrimore. At Comic-Con International: San Diego, she interviewed Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis and celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson for NPR and Fast Company, and helped arrange a meeting between the two icons. Finally, she made the annual Burning Man pilgrimage with Brian Stroehlein ’80, where she reported on stories about personal drones for NPR, IEEE Spectrum and Fast Company.

Last April, Andy Mulvihill celebrated his birthday by playing football in Central Park with classmates Chaz Waggoner and Artie Williams.

1983 Stacey Kent has recorded a new album, The Changing Lights, released on EMI in September 2013. The title track was written for her by songwriting team Jim Tomlinson (Stacey’s husband) and novelist Kazuo Ishiguro.

The team had also produced a Grammy-nominated album in 2007, Stacey Kent’s Breakfast on the Morning Tram. Stacey recently gave

Cosmos TV series host Neil deGrasse Tyson, producer Ann Druyan, Sue Karlin ’81, producer Brannon Braga

two performances at New York’s famed Birdland jazz club.

1984 30th Reunion Contact: William Markstein ’84 wemarkstein@yahoo.com Brian Zucker ’84 brizuck@aol.com

Josh Dvorin was featured in an article in the Star-Ledger last May. Josh plays in golf tournaments in an effort to raise scholarship money for students who have suffered the loss of a limb. Josh, a cancer survivor and amputee, dropped an 82 when he played in the Howard Taylor Memorial Amputee Golf Classic in Monroe Township, New Jersey, last spring.

1985 Maria Rice Bellamy and her husband recently celebrated their sons’ first birthday. She reports that they have learned first-hand that a baby changes everything and that “two babies change, well, more than everything.”

Higham’s ’85 trip back East from Colorado to gather a group together for a fun night in the city. Amy Einhorn ’85, Lisa Chiappetta Cooper ’85 and Terry James ’85 joined Betsy and Jen for a great night of cocktails and catching up. All look forward to their Reunion celebrations in 2015 and 2016, and hope to see many more classmates then.

1989 25th Reunion Contact: Stacey Bradford-Greenberg stacey.bradford@gmail.com William Irwin billjirwin@yahoo.com

1990 Adam Gittlin is founder of GazziliWorld LLC, a company comprised of dedicated educational leaders who create

1986 Betsy Dollinger Bernstein took advantage of Jen Kang

Chloe Yelena Miller’s ’94 son Owen

55

Susan Olesky

Jon Olesky ’74

Sue Karlin ’81 and Brian Stroehlein ’80 at Burning Man

apps designed to help young children explore challenging concepts in a playful way through technology.

GazziliMath launched last May and is the latest addition to the GazziliWorld series of “edutainment” apps which can all be downloaded from the iTunes App Store.

Bob Whiteman and his wife, Nica, live in San Francisco.

In April, they welcomed baby daughter Eleanor. Bob works at a Silicon Valley mobile security startup company and takes time out to relax by riding his horse on Bay Area trails.

1991 A team of yogis led by Jodi Komitor, founder of Next Generation Yoga, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to train local Kenyans to teach yoga to young students. They will

partner with the Africa Yoga Project, which has been empowering Kenyans through yoga since 2007 (see page 57).

1994 20th Reunion Contact: Pamela Helfant Vichengrad ’94 pamelavich@hotmail.com

Chloe Yelena Miller and her husband, Hans Noel, welcomed their son, Owen, in May. They live in Washington, D.C., where Chloe writes and teaches.

Eva Olesky Ostrowsky ’05, Lynn Olesky ’08, Ben Olesky ’10

IRON FAMILY The Oleskys at the Lake Placid Triathlon An Ironman is a 140.6 mile triathlon event. It consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and finally a 26.2-mile run (yes, that’s a marathon). How many people do you know who

Shireen GianchandaniReddy gave birth to twin girls, Kareena and Karishma, on March 29, 2013. They join big brother Kabir (3). Shireen and her husband, Sanjay, live in the Battery Park area of Manhattan.

1995 Last April, Nicole Dispenziere-Pitcher and her husband, Robbie, welcomed their beautiful daughter, Ella, into the world and are enjoying life as a new family of three.

have completed an Ironman triathlon event? Now how many families do you know who have trained together and completed an Ironman?

The Olesky family took on their first Ironman together last year. Jon Olesky ’74, Chairman of the NA Board of Trustees, and wife Susan have been avid runners for many years, serving as track and cross-country coaches at Newark Academy since 2005.

Son Sam ’03 and his wife, Laura, are also athletes and the two couples decided to train for the 2013 Ironman Lake Placid.

The catch – Sam and Laura live in Michigan. So the family had to compare notes and encourage each other long distance.

Race day finally arrived after six months of training.

“There was some fear of the unknown on the day of the race,” Susan Olesky said. “You wonder how you’re going to get through it for a minute but there’s so much excitement and adrenaline that you know you can.” The four proudly completed the Lake Placid Ironman on July 28, 2013 in less than 16 hours.

Shireen Gianchandani-Reddy’s ’94 twin daughters OUTREACH fall 2013

CLASS NOTES 56

Nicole Dispenziere-Pitcher ’95 with daughter Ella

Keith Loughlin ’96

1996

1999

Keith Loughlin was recently appointed chief counsel for the New Jersey General Assembly, Republican office.

In his new role, Keith will oversee the Assembly Republicans’ legal staff and provide counsel to the Assembly Republican Caucus on ethics, conflicts of interest, and employment and personnel matters. Keith also serves as a councilman in Westfield.

15th Reunion

1998 Playwright Thomas Bradshaw’s new play, Intimacy, premieres in January 2014. The play will be performed by The New Group theater in New York.

Contact: Asha Talwar ’99 asha.talwar@gmail.com John Gregory ’99 Jcg681@gmail.com

Lillian Ball and husband Arthur Council welcomed a daughter, Pearl, on June 27, 2013. Lillian and Pearl visited NA in October and watched as proud grandfather Joe Ball introduced Pearl to the NA community.

Kumi Dikengil and Michael Kay were married last June at the Central Park Boathouse.

Stan Hsuing ’00, Adam Kaswiner, Jay Jones, Jackie Ko Dillon, Allegra Baldwin and Stacy Rapacon were all

Stan Hsuing ’00, Adam Kaswiner ’99, Joe Ball, Michael Kay ’99, Kumi Dikengil ’99, Jackie Ko Dillon ’99, Allegra Baldwin ’99, Stacy Rapacon ’99, Jay Jones ’99

in attendance. Faculty member Joe Ball was a guest at the wedding as well.

David Green and his wife, Sara, live in the western suburbs of Chicago and recently welcomed their first child, Matthew Benjamin.

William ’69 and Barbara Green are proud grandparents.

Sean McGaughan is a producer in the Digital Technology and Innovation Group at the Estee Lauder Companies. His wife, Susannah Gersten, is program director at the Henry Street Settlement in lower Manhattan. Sean and Susie, who live in Brooklyn, recently celebrated their adorable son Eli’s second birthday.

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Members of the Newark Academy community have collaborated on and published their first book together, “Mentoring for School Success: Creating Positive Changes.”

Julie Madison Jacoby, former NA faculty member and founder of the consulting firm Adolescent Mentoring, combined her expertise, talent, warmth and humor with the skills of educational consultant Lisa Podell ’98 to create a valuable resource for parents, students, teachers and learning specialists.

The book is filled with innovative strategies and educational tools that have helped many adolescents and adults create positive changes in school and in other areas of their lives. Edited by NA Humanities Chair Jeffrey Vinikoor, with assistance from Eric Fattakhov ’08, the book is now available at www.adolescentmentoring.com.

2001 Danielle Schwartz Auerbach and her husband, Jon, are thrilled to announce the birth of their twins, Robert and Allison, on March 29, 2013.

Brian McGaughan is a project manager and certified relativity administrator for Evidence Exchange in New York. His wife, Mary, earned a doctoral degree last spring and is the school psychologist at Robert Louis Stevenson School. Brian and Mary live in Brooklyn, not far from Sean McGaughan ’99, and still see Ben Loesser, Tom Hartley, Colin Griggs and Michele Scotto on a regular basis.

57

Jodi Komitor ’91 (far right) bringing yoga to Africa Faculty member Joe Ball, flanked by James Ball ’02 and Lillian Ball ’99, holds Lillian’s daughter Pearl

2002 James Ball is currently leading the development of a global initiative in partnership with the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation and Habitat for Humanity, to build green and healthy neighborhoods. The pilot project will build and renovate two neighborhoods (in Arizona and Guatemala) to the highest standards of green and healthy building practices. This pilot project will develop into a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative to serve as a replicable model for other affordable-home builders.

In early December James went to India to attend his best friend’s wedding in Chennai, study yoga at the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute in Lonavla and spend time with his family in Delhi.

Next fall James plans to

Danielle Schwartz Auerbach’s ’01 twins

attend graduate school and is contemplating two programs: the Master of Environmental Management program at Yale or the Master of Sustainable Solutions program at Arizona State University.

Krupa Savalia was recently honored by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) for the research she is conducting as part of an MD/PhD program at the ISH New Investigators’ Symposium in New Orleans.

2003 Rob Grant recently graduated from the acting program at Yale University School of Drama and will be touring with The Acting Company through May 2014. The company will perform both Hamlet and Rosencrantz and

JODI KOMITOR ’91 was first introduced to yoga as a teenager. She recalls watching her parents practicing yoga at their summer home on Fire Island on the dock of the bay at sunset. She became curious, tried it once and was immediately hooked. While at NA, she sought out yoga classes at a fitness club in her hometown of Livingston.

The same applied when she went to Syracuse University for her freshman year in 1991. By the time she transferred to NYU as a sophomore, yoga had begun to pick up momentum and classes were easier to find.

For Jodi, yoga became a way of life. In 1998 she founded Next Generation Yoga in New York. While she teaches yoga to children and adults, she has a particular interest in teaching yoga to those with special needs. She also trains yoga instructors, estimating that she has trained more than 1,000 teachers in the Next Generation methodology.

Recalling her days at NA, Jodi said, “Newark Academy, more than anything else, taught me to be myself and not be intimidated by what others thought. I learned to truly follow my heart.”

When Jodi turned 30 she traveled to Africa (Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi), an adventure she now refers to as “life-changing”. During her travels, she had the privilege of teaching yoga to children who had never experienced it before. Jodi was so gratified by the experience, she challenged herself to return to Africa and continue to share yoga with the people there. She connected with the Africa Yoga Program which uses yoga to “educate, empower, elevate and employ” the youth in Africa and was invited to train and certify more than 80 Africa Yoga Project teachers.

In addition, Jodi taught yoga to more than 500 children in informal settlements, an orphanage, prison and schools.

Now that Jodi’s heart has been opened to the joys of international service, she is committed to supporting the Africa Yoga Project through fundraising efforts. She plans to continue her volunteer service and to bring Next Generation Yoga to other areas of the world.

Tiffany Bergin ’03, Nisha Suda ’03, Ben Purkert ’03 OUTREACH fall 2013

58

Julie Brodie Magid ’88 and daughter Isabella, with Stephanie Levine ’86

ON THE ROAD…

Rabia Hassan ’04

NA headed north to Boston to take in a show at the Huntington Theatre Company in early October. The Boston area alumni were treated to a sold-out performance of “The Jungle Book,” a musical adaptation of the Disney animated classic. The performances were fabulous, and the costumes and artistic direction were outstanding, as was the turnout

by NA grads.

Guildenstern are Dead in more than 40 venues throughout the country, including theaters in Los Angeles and New York.

Visit www.theactingcompany.org for details on locations and show times.

Ben Purkert’s poem, Today is Work, appeared in The New Yorker magazine (May 20, 2013). It is the second time The New Yorker has selected Ben’s work for publication.

Jennifer Mandelbaum ’11, Julia Bumke ’09 and Dana Ellis ’08

Eric Walker ’87 and his wife Celeste with Loren Weiss Selig ’87 and her husband, Todd

Symon Perriman continues to promote Microsoft’s cloud and data center technologies as the worldwide technical marketing lead. He presented to nearly one million IT professionals over the past year and was the keynote speaker at several conferences.

He recently received two patents for products he designed, and has been published in six technical books and magazines. His other business, FanWide LLC, continues to grow. FanWide is about to release its 100th mobile app, and has expanded into social media

Newlyweds Christina Capatides ’05 and Doug Vollmayer ’05

and entertainment, providing technical and marketing services for several network TV shows. Symon recently became engaged and plans to remain in Seattle.

Nisha Suda met with fellow NA lifers Tiffany Bergin and Ben Purkert last summer in New York. A good time was had by all.

2004 10th Reunion Contact: Danielle Gruenbaum White ’04 dlsimon85@gmail.com Kathryn Pagos ’04 katie.pagos@gmail.com Louise Ball Schutte ’04 louisehira@gmail.com Stephanie Reingold ’04 simma.reingold@gmail.com

After graduation from NA, Rabia Hassan attended Barnard College where she majored in Asian and Middle Eastern studies, with a minor in developmental economics.

She spent her sophomore year in Amman, Jordan as a U.S.

Get your Newark Academy gear and gifts at NA’s online store.

Visit www.newarka.edu/store.

59

Andrew Binger ’09 in “Antigone”

State Department Critical Language Scholar and reports that one of her most gratifying experiences was learning Arabic. Rabia attended Seton Hall University School of Law where she focused on transactional and international law. She graduated in May 2013 and passed the bar in both New York and New Jersey. Rabia has managed to keep in contact with friends by organizing social, cultural and political awareness events, with a focus on the rights of South Asian women and children.

2005 Molly McGaughan was promoted to account manager at Bite Global Communications.

She moved to San Francisco in October and invites any classmates in the Bay Area to get in touch.

Doug Vollmayer and Christina Capatides were married in October 2012. The day after their wedding, they made a special stop at NA, where they posed with their new rings in front of the place where they first met. The happy couple now lives and works in New York City with their dog, Mooch.

Paul Dillon ’12 and Dennis Dillon ’09

Timarie Diehl ’11 (back row, third from right) with a cappella group The ConnChords

2007

2008

Lauren Kay recently founded The Dating Ring, (www.thedatingring.com) an offline dating network. The network targets 20- and 30-somethings in New York, combining the traditional format of online dating with old-school, in-person matchmaking methods. Vetted members are invited on group dates and events around New York. In 2009, while attending Brown University, Lauren founded SmartSitting, a Manhattanbased educational babysitting and nanny service. SmartSitting currently has a network of 250 fully screened caregivers.

In September, Ryan Keur was named general manager of the Burlington Royals, the rookie league affiliate of the major league baseball team in Kansas City. This appointment makes Ryan the youngest general manager in minor league baseball. After graduating from Elon University, Ryan served as assistant general manager of the team.

2009 5th Reunion Contact: Andrew Binger ’09 abinger1990@gmail.com Shannon Lam ’09 srlam17@embarqmail.com

Christina Colizza ’09 christina.colizza@gmail.com Rebecca Curwin ’09 Rebecca.curwin@gmail.com

Andrew Binger was featured in the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s production of Antigone last spring. He played Creon, the King, reprising the role he performed in the adaptation of the play at Newark Academy in 2008.

Andrew graduated from Drew University last spring with a bachelor’s degree in English and a double minor in Spanish and theater arts. He plans to pursue a doctoral degree in English literature.

Dennis Dillon received a degree in philosophy, politics

OPPORTUNITIES A CLICK AWAY For NA students looking to gain professional experience and explore career options, finding the right internship can be daunting. To streamline that process and give students a wider network of potential mentors, Newark Academy has partnered with Internships.com to connect student internship candidates with local employers.

The website offers resources for students, employers and schools in one location. Finding Newark Academy students the best opportunities helps put them on the path to success. To learn more, visit internships.com/group/newark-academy.

OUTREACH fall 2013

CLASS NOTES 60

Class of 2011 mini-reunion: Hannah Davidson, TJ Redmond, Callie Marx, Nicole Friend, Whit Harwood

and economics from Merton College, Oxford University, on May 3, 2013. Paul Dillon ’12, studying at the University of Chicago, made it over for the ceremony (as did his parents).

Jeff Kott graduated magna cum laude from St. Lawrence University with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and enjoyed four years of college baseball where he was All-Liberty League during his junior and senior years.

He is currently attending medical school at the Sackler School of Medicine, an American program, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

2011 Timarie Diehl is part of an all-female a cappella group at Connecticut College called the ConnChords. The group is completely student-run. They practice a minimum of six hours a week and perform contemporary music by artists such as Rihanna, Milo Greene, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith and Billy Joel.

Jake Goldenring helped the men’s golf team from Williams College secure a place at the Division III NCAA qualifier by placing among the top four teams at the New England Small College Athletic Conference fall qualifiers in

Jourdan McGhee ’11

October. A victory in the qualifiers ensures a trip to the championship round for a second straight year.

Several members of the Class of 2011 held an impromptu mini-reunion in Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest. Those in attendance included Callie Marx, Whit Harwood, Christina Kovar, Nicole Friend, TJ Redmond, Rachel Charow, Jack Lawler, Hannah Davidson, Luke Hudelson and Ariel Sadeghi.

The get-together was not planned, most just happened upon the others coincidentally.

A good time was had by all.

Jourdan McGhee recently completed an internship at Initiative, a subsidiary of The InterPublic Group in Atlanta, where she worked with clients including Kia, Arby’s and Hyundai. She hopes to work in the innovations area next year. Jourdan expressed her appreciation for the valuable experience she gained from her senior project at BDB Marketing, a marketing firm owned by Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86.

Nnadilim Okafor graduated from Cornell University and began a position with Teach for America, teaching tenth grade physical sciences at Johnson High School, a Title I school in Huntsville, Alabama.

2013 After being named a starter as a freshman, Nick Williams scored two goals in his first soccer game for West Point.

2010 Dudley Charles recently completed an eight-week summer medical program at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. During his OB/GYN rotation, Dudley not only observed a Caesarean section procedure, but also helped with a normal birth delivery.

Dudley will graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2014.

NEWARK ACADEMY

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It’s Going to be an

Excellent Summer at Newark Academy June 23 – August 1, 2014 Mott-Leeney Baseball Camp begins June 24

Strive for Excellence!

Northern New Jersey’s premier academic program

Prepare to Win! The best sports camps under the sun, including the acclaimed Mott-Leeney Baseball Camp

Pursue your Passion!

An array of specialized workshops

Many options fo r children in grades 1-12

www.newarka.edu/summer-programs