Acorn - Winter 2022 by North Shore Country Day

North Shore Country Day

· Winter 2022

in this issue

a c o r n · Winter 2022

features 4 Integrating STEAM at NSCD 10 Mary Hubbard ’76: A View From the Top

depa r t men t s

Tom Flemma Head of School

WINTER 2022 The Acorn is published by the Marketing and Communications Department of North Shore Country Day for alumni, parents, grandparents and friends. Its goal is to connect our school community, celebrate recent accomplishments and capture the essence of life and learning at North Shore.

Christine Wachter Communications Associate, Co-Editor cwachter@nscds.org

North Shore Country Day

Jay Young

310 Green Bay Road

Communications Associate jyoung@nscds.org

Winnetka, Illinois 60093 847.446.0674

Tura Cottingham Director of Marketing & Communications, Co-Editor tcottingham@ nscds.org

HEAD’S LETTER

S AV E T H E D AT E S

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

EVENTS

FA C U LT Y

LIVE AND SERVE

VISUAL ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS

AT H L E T I C S

P H O T O S F R O M O U R PA S T

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI REFLECTION

Molly Ingram McDowell ’80 Director of Development mmcdowell@ nscds.org Tracie Frederick

Senior Associate Director of Development tfrederick@ nscds.org Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 Director of Alumni Relations nwhiteman@ nscds.org Photographers Jay Young Tura Cottingham Christine Wachter Margaret Ringia Hart Design, margaretringiahart.com Graphic Arts Studio Printing, www.gasink.net

On the front cover AP Biology students Peyton Hudson ’22 and Lila Golson ’22 examine genetically modified glow-in-the-dark bacteria. Opposite page Artwork by Emily Ver Eecke ’27 On the back cover Buckminster Fuller talks to lower schoolers about geodesic domes in May 1972 at Geodyssey, the school’s art and technology festival. If you know more, contact Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 at 847.881.8848, or nwhiteman@nscds.org

7 2

h e a d’s l e t t e r

AN ODE TO TEACHERS

Before a child reads a first sentence, solves an equation or performs that monologue, there is a teacher who lays a foundation, who tends the soil where the flowers bloom. In February, we hosted our annual benefit back on campus. The title was The Power of a Teacher, and that power was certainly on display all evening. The event brought together more than 250 members of the North Shore community—with many more watching online—to honor the work our teachers do every day and that they have done through two years (and counting) of a global pandemic. It had been two years almost to the day since we had gathered together for our centennial celebration at the United Center. Being together again was poignant in a lot of ways, but the fact that we were in the new library—the center of learning on campus—and the auditorium—the beating heart of our school—was utterly appropriate. The vibe was electric and the feeling was one of elation. We were together, old friends and new, faculty and staff and parents, feeling that perhaps the world was on its way back to normal. Masks started to come off and walls began to fall. It was emotional and inspiring to glimpse the return of the spirit and connections that make NSCD such a special place.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Seventh Grade Puppet Show Morning Ex: Winter Concert Preview Senior Kindergarten Butterflies Lower School Recess Middle School Inchworm Robot Race Class of 2022 Lifers Upper School Games Middle School Bottle Rockets Senior and JK Buddies

I read a poem that night—fitting, I think, since the Morning Exes that usually fill the auditorium always start with a poem. In “Ode to Teachers,” poet Pat Mora captures beautifully what it means to teach. The stanzas show the progression of the student-teacher relationship: reticence, an invitation, a clear sense from the student of being seen—really seen, a safe enough space to step out and take a risk, then faith that grows into courage. It is subtle and powerful. This is what North Shore teachers do every day, what they have done for more than a century. Unless you have been a teacher, mentor or coach, it’s hard to really understand how many steps there are before every visible triumph. Before a child reads a first sentence, solves an equation or performs that monologue, there is a teacher who lays a foundation, who tends the soil where the f lowers bloom. A teacher who worked to build trust and connection, created a space where taking a small risk felt less risky. That is the Power of a Teacher and it can change the world. During the pandemic, it was not simply the fact that our teachers came to work in person that was worthy of thanks and admiration. It was that they worked and struggled to find creative ways to protect all of these steps, all of this growth, to preserve those relationships and maintain that safety at tremendous personal cost. And let me tell you, our teachers didn’t just show up, they f lew! They adapted and shifted and grew.

Our renewed emphasis on STEAM education is a great example. Innovation doesn’t take a holiday, even during pandemics, so new teachers and programs have bolstered our existing curriculum and expanded opportunities for students. The new tools and approaches you see in our cover story are just part of our work to enhance STEAM work and connect it to our essential skills curriculum. And this is just one of the exciting initiatives we’ve managed to protect this year. Among the many things I resent about COVID-19, high on the list is the fact that parents and alumni have been robbed of the opportunity to witness so much of this work. We are usually a pretty open place, with strong parent partnerships. When we pulled up the drawbridges, we kept school open and folks safe inside, but it was hard to see that the f lowers continued to f lourish and bloom like they always have. But spring is almost here. We are emerging, step by step, from COVID-19. The walls are coming down and the masks are coming off. Whether you live nearby or across the world, we hope you are safe and well, and we look forward to seeing you back on campus again soon so you can witness for yourselves the beautiful garden that has been growing through these tough times. —Tom Flemma, Head of School

a c o r n · Winter 2022

STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics

feature

Christian Tao ’29, Julie Tuten, Parker Dubow ’29, Ezra Grossman ’29 and Lily Aiston ’29

In an increasingly complex and technological world, a robust STEAM curriculum is an essential incubator for crucial 21st century skills. Second grade art created from recycled bottle caps

Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Whoooosh. An oddly shaped contraption descends from the balcony of the North Shore Country Day Arts Center and lands not so gently near a target below. The normally gleaming f loor is hidden by a rock-covered tarp so it resembles the surface of Mars. Three fans pointing in opposite directions simulate the planet’s reduced gravitational pull and fierce winds. Seventh-grade scientists above and below peer eagerly at the contents of the container, trying to get a glimpse of its fate. Did it survive the landing or explode into a gelatinous mess? It’s a new twist on the old egg drop experiment. In the weeks prior, students researched the question of whether NASA should send humans to colonize Mars. After choosing a stance and writing a persuasive essay defending their position, they each had to embark on an engineering challenge to design a Mars lander that could safely drop an “astronaut” (egg) from the Arts Center balcony onto a 2-foot square marked off on the f loor below. In order to successfully complete the project, students had to go through the four stages of the engineering design

cycle: investigation, planning, creation and evaluation. They had to learn all about what it’s like on Mars, researching things like gravity and air resistance, and reading up on previous successful real-life missions. Then they had to come up with detailed drawings and blueprints. Once they were satisfied with their idea they had to actually build a prototype and test it—then test it again… and again. After the final launch in the Arts Center, the class presented their inventions. Half the class took on the role of investors, while the other half had to explain why their particular lander technology best met the design requirements and should receive funding. Then they switched roles. In an increasingly complex and technological world, a robust curriculum in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) is an essential incubator for crucial 21st century skills. Through projects like this one, students JK-12 learn to confidently ideate and solve real-world problems while they become more creative, critical, collaborative thinkers. As course offerings in science, math, coding, and art expand and evolve, NSCD is committed to integrating STEAM

principles into all disciplines. Right now, STEAM and computer science curricula in all three divisions engage students with hands-on opportunities to build, create and innovate, and offer students multiple pathways for pursuing interests and passions in engineering, design and programming through both coursework and expanded co-curricular opportunities. New to NSCD this year, Lower School STEAM Integrator Julie Tuten brings a wealth of experience in technology, and she has been working closely with Lower School Science Teacher Annie Collins, Lower School Art Teacher Emily Culbert and homeroom teachers in each grade level to create project-based learning to introduce basic coding and robotics, but also more advanced concepts like artificial intelligence. In fifth grade, students have been working to create smart houses. They’re taking what they’re learning in science class about circuits and renewable energy like wind turbines and solar panels, and combining that with technology as they code and program the various components for their houses. They’re also working in small groups, using computer-aided design programs in conjunction with

a c o r n · Winter 2022

feature

Sylvia Englander-Hill ’30, Elizabeth Shinn ’30, Tara Rai ’30 and Julie Tuten

“STEAM is important because it allows the students to play, but in doing so they’re also investigating ways to solve a problem.” Open Entrepreneurship Lab: Neil Behl ’23

laser cutters and 3D printers to conceptualize and then fabricate the parts to bring different aspects of their house to life— including voice-activated lighting, a garage door that opens as it detects an object, a car that stops when it encounters an obstacle, a self-watering garden that detects moisture and much more. In second grade, students used a program called AI for Oceans which allowed them to train a mock machine to sort through items in the ocean and decide which items belonged in the water and which were trash. They discussed how machines learn, and how artificial intelligence can be taught incorrectly. “The machine was removing octopus, starfish and anything else that did not look like a typical fish,” Julie explained. “This is what we call ‘unintended consequences’ in AI and machine learning, and the students were able to experience this first hand.” To connect the AI for Oceans unit to art class, the second graders studied the work of artist Chris Jordan who creates art from recycled plastic waste and garbage. They learned about how albatross chicks on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific are in danger because they are mistaking plastic and other marine debris for food. Next the

students used hundreds of plastic bottle caps donated by the NSCD community to create a collaborative mosaic of an albatross along with student illustrations of the albatross in its ocean habitat. All the artwork was then displayed in the lower school art show in the John Almquist Gallery. “It’s important not to forget the ‘A’ in STEAM,” Julie explained. “The really artistic kids loved this project, not just the techy people.” While there is not a dedicated STEAM integrator in the middle and upper schools, teachers across divisions are implementing STEAM principles into their curricula. Before coming to NSCD, Middle and Upper School Computer Science Teacher Arturo Garcia worked as a STEAM integrator and he’s looking forward to incorporating more hands-on multidisciplinary projects into his classes. He recently purchased loads of robot parts—not kits that have to be assembled a certain way, but individual sensors, lights, circuits and other pieces students can use to create whatever they want. The goal is to give students a taste of what it’s like to program a robot and to see what’s possible. “STEAM is important because it allows the students to play, but in doing so

they’re also investigating ways to solve a problem,” Arturo explained. “They have a purpose to what they’re doing versus just playing around with cool stuff.” Back in 2019, the school invested in an arsenal of tools when it reimagined the Hall Library, with the Live+Serve Laboratory as its centerpiece. The missionfocused makerspace, distinguished by its focus on active service, global citizenship and innovation, featured a digital recording studio with a green screen, a Glowforge laser cutter, several 3D printers, sewing machines, Cricut vinyl cutters, Makedo tools for cardboard and more. But a few months after it opened, the pandemic hit, sending NSCD students into remote learning for the rest of the school year. When everyone returned to campus in the fall of 2020, the space had to be repurposed as a fifth grade classroom. This year, as things slowly creep closer to normal, the Lab is up and running again. Director of the Live+Serve Lab and Upper School Social Studies Teacher Drea Gallaga is piloting a class called Open Entrepreneurship Lab, in partnership with The Garage at Northwestern University. The hands-on course, which is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors, gives

Third grade paintings of the planets to accompany the models they created with the 3D printer

Third grade 3D-printed solar system

Ellie Stevenson ’22 and Emily Yoo ’22

Andrew Xing ’22 and Lance Zhang ’22

a c o r n · Winter 2022

Second grade art inspired by AI for Oceans project

feature

Elizabeth Laabs ’27, Amelia Millner ’27 and Lee Block

students an opportunity to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life. Over the course of the semester, students learn about innovation tools and entrepreneurial frameworks, and put them into practice through solving a problem in their lives, communities or the world. While the goal is to help students foster an entrepreneurial mindset and skill set, the focus of this course is on process, especially leaning in to failures, collaborating with partners and mentors, iterating on solutions, and listening to a customer’s needs. “These kids may or may not become entrepreneurs in the technical sense, but the skills they learn in this class will carry into other areas of their life,” Drea explained. “They’re learning how to be persistent, resilient and fearless. They’re getting to know their strengths and how they can push themselves. One thing we talk about a lot is that it’s really easy to have an idea. Lots of people have ideas. But how do you execute that idea? 8

They’ve really taken that to heart, and it’s an important skill not only for academic work, but also for life.” Drea is co-teaching the class with Melissa Kaufman, the founding executive director of The Garage. Melissa, who consulted on the Live+Serve Lab when it was being built, recently published a book entitled “Founded: The No B.S. Guide for Student Entrepreneurs.” When she first started working with student entrepreneurs, she realized they needed something to help them get up to speed quickly. When she couldn’t find the right book on the subject, she decided to write one herself. Then Drea helped turn the content of the book into a high school curriculum. Students worked on a range of products and ideas, from a TikTok page raising awareness and advocating for endangered elephants to a podcast about the most interesting people at school, to a lower school enrichment program teaching STEAM to fourth graders. For their final project, students created their own

three- to five-minute episodes in the style of the popular NPR podcast “How I Built This” with Guy Raz, where they explained their entrepreneurship journey over the course of the class. The skills NSCD students are learning as they come up with inventions, tinker with robots, bring business ideas to life— in science, technology, engineering, art and math classes, but also in extracurriculars like Science Olympiad, Math Circles, AI and coding club, Invention Convention and more—are preparing them to contribute in an increasingly technological and interconnected world. “Many people believe that in the next 20 years more is going to change about technology than it has in the past 2,000 years,” Arturo said. “And if that’s the case, students will need to approach their learning in very different ways. The same kind of transferable skills they’re going to need going forward are the same skills that STEAM has been teaching for many years.”

Arturo Garcia, Esther Milbratz ’28, Rose Barnett ’28 and Katie Considine ’28

The skills NSCD students are learning as they come up with inventions, tinker with robots, bring business ideas to life . . . are preparing them to contribute in an increasingly technological and interconnected world.

Alexander Roy ’27, Abigail Hardy ’27, Kami Day ’27, Lucrezia Bradley ’27 and Amelia Milner ’27

Morgan Sander ’27

a c o r n · Winter 2022

Kayak photos by Freddie Wilkinson/Nat Geo

A VIEW FROM THE TOP

MARY HUBBARD ’76

feature “Emphasizing the value of the arts—music, writing poetry, or using your imagination to write a story or practice visual arts— triggers something in the mind. You look at challenges in a different way. That is what is important.” “For us to fix problems, cure disease, make improvements and progress in society, we need to be creative. We can’t do what everybody has always done,” says Mary Hubbard ’76. As a geologist and professor in the Earth Sciences department at Montana State University, she believes in a 30,000-foot-view— both metaphorically and literally. Mary knows that learning to think creatively takes practice. “You have to devote the time and mental space to developing creative skills. Emphasizing the value of the arts—music, writing poetry, or using your imagination to write a story or practice visual arts— triggers something in the mind. You look at challenges in a different way. That is what is important.” As a young child, Mary was interested in geology. “My family enjoyed the outdoors and my father started a business that made scientific models for schools, such as the human ear and eye, and the Earth’s core. That sparked my interest in science,” she said. She also saw her parents explore artistic interests—her father enjoyed watercolor painting and her mother worked with ceramics. After attending public schools through eighth grade, Mary considered going to a local public high school but was drawn to NSCD where her older brother had attended. “It was a pretty easy decision for me to choose North Shore Country Day and it exceeded any expectations I may have had.” While a formal STEAM curriculum integrating science, technology, engineering, arts and math didn’t formally exist at North Shore during Mary’s time, the school’s requirements to participate in athletics and the arts, and the courses available to her gave her the breadth she desired. Mary attended ninth and 10th grades at NSCD before her family moved to Aspen, CO. Yet those two years fulfilled her desire to be busy and allowed her to experience a range of subjects beyond science including music, photography,

architecture, basketball and field hockey, and so much more. “All the memories are so positive on all fronts. “My freshman year at North Shore, I took a yearlong introduction to the arts curriculum. One trimester was printmaking, and another was architecture taught by Francis Stanton ’27. The class was highly relevant to geology, helping to visualize dimension when looking at layers of rock. A lot of what I do in geology is three dimensional.” She also credits the school for her passion for photography—the third of her trimester arts classes. To this day, Mary enjoys using her photography skills to capture the aesthetics of national parks, appreciating nature’s beauty through photography and connecting back to science. After graduating from high school in Aspen, Mary enrolled at Middlebury College. But when friends were leaving at the beginning of her junior year for a year abroad, Mary decided to enroll at the University of Colorado in Boulder (CU). Once on campus, she felt more connected to the nearby mountains and enjoyed the diversity of the student body. She called Middlebury and said she wouldn’t be returning. Mary graduated from CU with a bachelor’s in geology, and later earned a Ph.D in geology and earth science from MIT. Her career path took her to positions at the University of Maine, Kansas State University, Utah State University and in 2015 to Montana State University. In addition, Mary’s research and responsibilities have created a life of adventure, taking her to places like the French Alps, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Mauritanides of eastern Senegal, the Steilrandberg of Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Appalachians and more. In 2019, she was selected to co-lead a geology team for the ambitious, multi-disciplinary National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition (Nat Geo). “So much of life is circumstance— being in the right place at the right time,” Mary ref lected. “I have a friend in

Bozeman who introduced me to the Nat Geo project. This was a climate expedition, and it took multiple conversations for me to convince them that having climate and geologic teams involved in the expedition would be beneficial. By collecting old deposits from two lakes at more than 15,000 feet elevation in the shadow of Mount Everest, we learned about how climate affects the area.” National Geographic, described the mission as “the most comprehensive single scientific expedition to the mountain in history.” Mary says it was an amazing experience to have meteorology and biology teams working together using cell tower wifi to share photos and report what they found in real time. Mary has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct further research with teams from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, and hopes to return to the Himalayas in February 2022, pending relaxation of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. “We were only just scraping the surface of what could be done to really understand the retreat of glaciers,” she says. When she isn’t teaching, doing field work or climbing mountains, Mary enjoys practicing drawing and she takes Nepali language classes three times a week. She is also learning to play the traditional Scottish Donegal fiddle, taking a photography class and, in the winter, exercising with a group of cross country skiers twice weekly. Ref lecting back on the impact North Shore had on her life, Mary says, “I remember my English classes were one of those spots of challenge, reward and joy—Paul Krajovic and Jan Muhr pushed us as students. They made us read a lot, write and discuss, and that really helped develop study habits that carried on to college, graduate school and my career. I sometimes wish I could have stayed for my junior and senior years, but I couldn’t have gotten where I am without those two years at North Shore Country Day.”

a c o r n · Winter 2022

SAVE THE DATES 2022 Alumni & Friends Events Please Join Us! R E G I O N A L G AT H E R I N G S APRIL

MAY

Denver

New York City

Vero Beach, FL

L I V E A N D S E R V E D AY MAY 14

NSCD Raiders unite in service everywhere and anywhere. Show your Raider spirit with an act of service in your community. Local NSCD Live and Serve Day Information: www.nscds.org/alumni-events Interested in promoting the event in your area or organizing a service project? Be a volunteer captain.

HOMECOMING WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 1 Classes celebrating special reunions include: 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 (volunteers for reunion committees needed)

More details to follow on these special events. If you are interested in participating, please contact Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 at nwhiteman@nscds.org or 847.881.8848.

dis t inguished gues t s

Raj Vinnakota

Ryan Mohseni ’23 and Alan Plascencia ’23

Raj Vinnakota meets with students in the Live+Serve Laboratory

Rajiv Vinnakota: 2021 Harold Hines Visiting Fellow North Shore Country Day welcomed social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader Rajiv Vinnakota as the 2021 Harold Hines Visiting Fellow on October 20. Raj has dedicated his career to supporting students from underserved communities and to building a stronger democracy. After speaking to the entire middle and upper school, Raj met with several small groups of students and faculty, including the upper school Open Entrepreneurship class, middle and upper school student leaders, and the middle school public speaking class. Raj co-founded the SEED school network, a group of urban, college-preparatory boarding schools where more than 80% of graduates are first-generation college students. He also founded the Youth & Engagement division of the Aspen Institute and is now the head of the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, formerly the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. In this role, his work is most directly focused on engaging the nation’s young people through civic education and involvement. The Institute for Citizens and Scholars administers a portfolio of fellowships intended both to strengthen American education and to address urgent contemporary challenges. These include programs

to promote more gender and racial diversity in American higher education, improve the quality of K-12 education in our country, strengthen STEM teaching in high-need schools, and improve understanding of American history and civics. The foundation has recently been expanding the scope of its work to focus on civic education and the promotion of a more informed, productively engaged and hopeful citizenry able to sustain the reality of a democratic republic. A graduate and former trustee of Princeton University, Raj has dedicated his career to educating, empowering and supporting America’s youth. His work as a social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader has earned him national recognition in the form of prestigious fellowships from Echoing Green, The Ashoka Foundation and the Aspen Institute, as well as awards such as Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson Award, Harvard University’s Innovation in American Government Award and Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life award. In 1986, the Harold Hines Visiting Fellowship was established in memory of longtime trustee Harold H. Hines Jr., who provided exceptional leadership to North Shore as a trustee, having chaired numerous Board committees, including the Long

Range Planning Committee and the 50th Anniversary Endowment Fund Campaign, as well as serving as Board Chair from 1971-1973. In addition, his three children graduated from North Shore as Lifers and his wife, the late Mary Pick Hines ’49, was a distinguished alumna of the school and served as a member of the Alumni Board, Benefit Board and Board of Trustees. The Fellowship has brought distinguished individuals to NSCD who have exemplified the school motto, “Live and Serve.” There’s a special emphasis on the ethical consideration of societal issues, giving students the opportunity to define their responsibility to society. Past Harold Hines Visiting Fellows include former president of Yale University and Commissioner of Major League Baseball, the late A. Bartlett Giamatti; Dr. Jane Goodall; Chinese dissident, the late Harry Wu; founder and president of Habitat for Humanity, the late Millard Fuller; awardwinning poet, essayist, fiction writer, activist and professor Marjorie Agosin; and Georgia Congressman and civil rights icon, the late John Lewis with Andrew Aydin, co-author of the award-winning graphic-novel series “March.”

a c o r n · Winter 2022

dis t inguished gues t s

American Indian Center of Chicago

American Indian Center At the beginning of November, NSCD welcomed singers, drummers and dancers from the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC), who performed for the entire school at Morning Ex. The program was a cultural demonstration in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. The presentation was led by AIC Cultural and Education Programs Director Ronnie Preston of the San Carlos Apache Nation, who was joined by Redline, a Chicago-based intertribal, southern-style

drum group. They performed traditional songs and dances, including a men’s Northern Traditional Dance, a Jingle Dress Dance, a Diné Basket Dance and a Hoop Dance. Ronnie also shared stories and played a traditional f lute while teaching students about Native life and culture, both traditional and contemporary. The mission of AIC is to promote fellowship among Indian people of all Tribes living in metropolitan Chicago, and to create bonds of understanding and communication between Indians and non-Indians in the city; to advance the general welfare

of American Indians into the metropolitan community life; to foster the economic advancement of Indian people; to sustain cultural, artistic and avocational pursuits; and to perpetuate Indian cultural values. Morning Ex is held several times a month bringing the entire school community together for a shared experience. This all-school assembly truly binds the NSCD community together and features students, faculty and outside guests who engage, entertain and educate the audience.

Kyle Lukoff

Brandon Bisbey

Alexandra Green

Author Kyle Lukoff On December 6, author Kyle Lukoff talked to North Shore Country Day middle school students about his new book, “Too Bright To See,” a 2021 National Book Award Finalist. The book is a haunting ghost story about navigating grief, growing up and growing into a new gender identity. “It’s the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug’s best friend Moira has decided the two of them need to use the next few months to prepare. For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes to wear, learning how to put on makeup, and deciding which boys are cuter in their yearbook photos than in real life. But none of this is all that appealing to Bug, who doesn’t particularly want to spend more time trying to understand how to be a girl. Besides, there’s something more important to worry about: A ghost is haunting Bug’s eerie old house in rural Vermont...and maybe haunting Bug in particular. As Bug begins to untangle the

mystery of who this ghost is and what they’re trying to say, an altogether different truth comes to light—Bug is transgender.” The New York Times Book Review described it as “A gentle, glowing wonder, full of love and understanding.”

the talk explored general theories of humor and differences in how LGBTQ+ population in the United States and Latin America approach humor in their construction of dissident identities.

Alexandra Green

Ethnomusicologist Alexandra Green, a professor of music at Prairie State College, presented a “Tour of Latin American Brandon Bisbey, Ph.D., a professor at Music and Culture” for the NSCD commuNortheastern Illinois University (NEIU), nity during a Morning Ex focused on spoke to NSCD upper schoolers in Hispanic and Latino/a/e/x Heritage October. Brandon, who teaches in World Month. After introducing students to a Languages and Cultures, Latina/o/x and number of Latin artists, she demonstrated Latin American Studies and Women’s many popular Latin music and dance Gender and Sexuality Studies at NEIU, rhythms using a variety of percussion gave a talk entitled “What’s So Funny About Being Queer: Camp LGBTQ Humor instruments. She also taught students a handful of Spanish phrases they could use in the U.S. and Latin America.” Based in part on his book Between Camp and Cursi: to cheer her along the way—“Eso,” Humor and Homosexuality in Contemporary “Wepa,” “Dale” and “Azúcar!” Mexican Narrative (SUNY Press, 2022),

Brandon Bisbey

a c o r n · Winter 2022

dis t inguished gues t s

Rocky Wirtz ’71 with his granddaughter Greyson and daughter Hillary Wirtz ’97

Rocky Wirtz ’71

Rocky Wirtz ’71 Receives Stanton Recognition Rocky Wirtz ’71 received the 40th annual Francis R. Stanton ’27 Recognition during Homecoming Weekend. As he accepted the recognition, Rocky ref lected on his time as a Lifer at NSCD and the lessons he learned, beginning on his first day of kindergarten. “I remembered it like it was yesterday,” he said. “Gazing up the staircase, looking up to the third f loor, I wondered if I would ever reach the top. Each building revisited brought back wonderful thoughts and ref lections.” He explained that NSCD did more than just prepare him for college: He learned what it meant to give back to society, how to help those in need, how to get along with others no matter where they came from, and how to relate to classmates, friends, co-workers and customers—whomever they may be. Rocky spent the day before the presentation meeting with students, faculty and staff across all divisions, including the entire fifth grade, and members of the upper and middle school community service clubs. There was also an open forum for upper school students. On Saturday, Alumni Board President Naomi Hattori ’02 presented Rocky with the official citation. C I TAT I O N

W. Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz serves as Chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks and President of Wirtz Corporation since 2007, where his role extends to a vast array of businesses from sports and 16

beverage distribution to entertainment, real estate, agriculture and banking. Rocky grew up within the walls of the storied Chicago Stadium, and oversaw the team’s historic Stanley Cup championship victories in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Rocky also serves as a member of the National Hockey League’s Executive and Audit/Finance Committees. Rocky has led the family’s beverage business since 1980, and has provided strategic vision, commitment to investment and time-honored focus on running a value-driven business. Recognizing his many contributions to the beverage industry, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America honored Rocky with a Lifetime Leadership Award in 2014. Wirtz Realty has developed properties in Illinois for decades, and the company owns and manages over 20 commercial and residential properties along Chicago’s lakefront and throughout the suburbs. Rocky also oversees Wirtz family banking interests in the Chicago and Miami areas, as well as their agriculture and entertainment holdings, including the United Center, home of the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Rocky transformed the building into a relief hub to support regional response efforts. Above all else, Rocky is most proud to lead his family’s commitment to numerous civic and charitable organizations. His dedication to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation and its mission to create a healthier, smarter, more

secure world for families in and around Chicago is unwavering. The foundation has donated millions of dollars to dozens of organizations focused on youth programs, education, housing, and health and wellness. His volunteer efforts are impactful— he is a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and serves as Board Chair at the Field Museum and a Trustee at Northwestern University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in communications in 1975. For North Shore, Rocky has given generously of his time, talent and resources that have significantly strengthened all aspects of the school. He has continuously served the school in critical and key leadership roles as a Trustee and Foundation board member, through steadfast and generous contributions in support of program, faculty, staff, students and facilities, and as an insightful and valued advisor to this day. Additionally, he was an active school parent for his three children, Danny ’95, Hillary ’97 and Kendall ’04. He and his children are NSCD Lifers. Rocky brings new meaning to the word “Lifer” with all the decades of his meaningful service and commitment to North Shore since he graduated in 1971. His impressive career, deep commitment and dedication to support, enhance and provide for those in need and build stronger communities exemplifies the school motto of “Live and Serve.” North Shore Country Day proudly presents the 2021 Francis R. Stanton ’27 Alumni Recognition to Rocky Wirtz ’71.

Alumni Board President Naomi Hattori ’02, Rocky Wirtz ’71 and Head of School Tom Flemma

Rocky Wirtz ’71 with fifth grade students

C L A S S O F 1971. Rob Rogers, Bob Jordan, Julie Bartholomay Geer, Ann Howard Hanna, Bucky Marshall, Rob Dehlinger,

Nancy Green Whiteman and Rocky Wirtz

events

Zhilin Chen ’27, Kami Day ’27, Teddy Cole ’27 and Emma Shinall ’27

Walter Weathers and Kayleigh ’35

Noah Youderian ’24, Laura Marshall ’22, Clark Murphy ’23 and Lance Zhang ’22

Homecoming North Shore Country Day’s annual Homecoming festivities cautiously returned to campus October 1-2, 2021, after a pandemic hiatus last year. Students decorated the campus and celebrated all week long with spirit days leading up to an outdoor pep rally for the whole school on Friday. Later that afternoon, the entire school community—from junior kindergartners to parents— was invited to participate in a series of one-mile fun runs that zigzagged through campus.

Other activities included an art gallery opening, featuring the work of faculty and staff; a bonfire for upper school students; a field hockey clinic where NSCD players and coaches taught the basics of the game to lower schoolers, who then practiced shooting and passing; athletic competitions for volleyball, field hockey and boys soccer; and a Homecoming dance. The school also welcomed some 175 alumni for an outdoor reception on Friday night. Saturday, alumni attended a program in the auditorium, featuring an update from Head of School Tom Flemma and a student panel of four seniors who shared about their NSCD

experience. The program also recognized Rocky Wirtz ’71, chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, as this year’s recipient of the Francis R. Stanton ’27 Recognition for his life’s work exemplifying the school’s motto “Live and Serve” (see story, page 16). Nico Gibson ’06, a senior brand designer at IDEO, also gave a presentation on his redesign of the school’s Raider mascot. A special lunch on Saturday was hosted under a tent on campus for the classes of 1970 and 1971 as part of their 50th reunion celebration. And throughout the weekend, all the reunion classes held various gatherings off campus.

Jack Saccaro ’22, Jamie Andren ’22, Hannah Gallin ’22 and Paris Fear ’22

Jake Frederick ’32 and Bella Flemma ’22

Liliana Green ’22, Paris Fear ’22, Charlize Guillen ’22 and Andrew Xing ’22

Mullery Doar ’06 and Nico Gibson ’06

Emma Greer ’23 and Allison Jiang ’34

Tessa Adamson-Tate ’24 and Alicia Isasi ’23

Ella Capozzi ’23

Mason Roberts-Jones ’22

a c o r n · Winter 2022

Leo Wachter ’33

events

Mullery Doar ’06 (@madebymulls on Instagram)

Jay Young

Brad Rose

Tura Cottingham

Izzy Steach

Faculty Art Exhibit This fall, the John Almquist Art Gallery featured a variety of artwork by NSCD faculty and staff, including ceramics; fiber arts including felting, knitting and quilting; photography; painting; and more. The exhibit opened during Homecoming and ran through November 19. Exhibiting artists gave brief remarks during a Morning Ex in October, offering insights to their creative process, history of making art and details of the pieces on display. The show included work by 17 faculty and staff members: Director of Marketing and Communications Tura Cottingham, Lower School Art Teacher Emily Culbert, Upper School Social Studies Teacher Tim Curren, Associate Director of Admission Mullery Doar, Upper School Art Teacher Matthew

and students—including upper school Dupont, Upper School Social Studies AP and Advanced Open Art students in Teacher and Director of the Live+Serve the spring. Lab Drea Gallaga, Lower School Spanish The John Almquist Gallery opened in Teacher Winder Holeman, Upper School 1992 as a professional exhibition space on Art Teacher Laura Hsieh, Middle School campus. John, who taught at NSCD for 39 Humanities Teacher Elizabeth Kindig, years, is remembered for his quiet leaderPerforming Arts Department Head and Theater Teacher Julia Macholl, Upper and ship, insightfulness and dedication to students. The gallery honors the inspiration Middle School Music Teacher Timothy he gave to so many during his tenure. Mah, Upper School French Teacher Beatrice McKenna, Technical Theater Teacher Manuel Ortiz, Visual Art Winter Celebration Department Head and Middle School Art Teacher Brad Rose, Middle School English The 2021 Winter Celebration was back to an in-person format this year—at least and Public Speaking Teacher Susan partially. Instead of a huge gathering of Schinleber, Assistant to the Head of the entire school community in the Mac School Izzy Steach and Communications Gym, lower schoolers sat in the Associate—Digital Specialist Jay Young. auditorium, while middle and upper Each year, the school hosts a variety of school students spread out in various shows in the Almquist Gallery featuring artwork by visiting artists, faculty, alumni

Vaccination Clinic: Bruce Braverman

Vaccination Clinic: Piper Held ’33 (right)

Winter Celebration: Class of 2022 Lifers Robert Hansell, Liliana Green, Anna Ristic, Laura Marshall, Chris Johnson and Tommy Flickinger

spots around campus and watched a livestream. A few special guests from the North Pole, including Santa, Mrs. Claus and a group of Elves, plus Snowman and Gingerbread made a special appearance onstage after the Grinch cut the power to the entire campus. Since “the North Shore power grid runs on happiness and dancing,” according to one of the elves in the skit, they called on the entire NSCD community to help restore order. Luckily, each grade and their buddy pairs had recorded their traditional dances together earlier in the week, and the fictional power outage didn’t appear to interfere with the videos. By the time the JK, SK and seniors finished “shaking it all about” with the “Hokey Pokey,” the lights came back on and order had been restored. Many thanks to

Lifers Jamie Andren, Tommy Flickinger, Jibraan Ghazi, Liliana Green, Robert Hansell, Chris Johnson, Laura Marshall, Anna Ristic and Ellie Stevenson for fulfilling their roles in costume, and for Lifers Zander Khan, Nick Potter and Mason Roberts-Jones for cheering them on in the audience.

Vaccination Clinic Almost 150 children received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic held on campus in November. The school partnered with the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 5-11, as well as booster doses of Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for faculty

and staff. The clinic was open to NSCD students and their families, even if their siblings attend school elsewhere. A second vaccination clinic was held three weeks after the first dose, as recommended by Pfizer. Then in January, the school hosted a third clinic offering booster doses. All three clinics were free and run by trained providers. “We were very excited to offer this opportunity to our students and families,” said Head of School Tom Flemma. “The availability of vaccines for children 5-11 is a hopeful sign, especially as the weather turns colder. We are now seeing very low transmission numbers and can begin to envision what school will look like going forward. We are all looking foward to the day when COVID-19 is a thing of the past.”

a c o r n · Winter 2022

Katie Sheehan ’28, Brad Rose and Sadie Haupt ’28

Xander Athas ’34, Georgia Wellstein ’34, Kitt Smith ’34 and Kit Collins ’34

Majed Tabbara ’24

Annual Giving Fall Fundraising Events You make a difference! November efforts raised over $150,000 for Annual Giving. During our virtual Fall Connectathon, Annual Giving parent representatives and Alumni Board members reached out to the NSCD community, not only to help spread the word about Annual Giving, but also to share school updates and gather class notes. Later in the month, donors participated in #GivingTuesday—a global day of generosity. The first five donors of $100 or more received a Tervis tumbler featuring the new Raider logo as a thank you gift. A successful alumni match, surpassing a $15,000 goal, provided an incentive to new donors or those who missed giving last fiscal year. As the first fundraising priority of the school, Annual Giving provides f lexible resources to support the annual operating budget. It helps provide the exceptional NSCD experience, through academics, the arts, athletics and service, and directly supports our greatest assets—our students and our teachers. We are grateful for everyone who contributed their time and gifts during these two events in support of Annual Giving 2021-22. To make a gift or learn more, visit www.nscds.org/give. Give Annually. Impact Daily. D O N O R S S H A R E W H AT

W E A P P R E C I AT E O U R FA L L

INSPIRES THEM TO GIVE:

C O N N E C TAT H O N V O L U N T E E R S :

If you’ve made a gift online, you may have noticed the prompt, “What inspires you to give?” Below are some reasons, and we’d like to add yours to the list! Email Development Associate—Annual Giving Maureen Wilde at mwilde@nscds.org with your reason to give.

Annie Aggens ’88

Tom Geraghty ’62

Firouz Niazi ’17

Carlos Angeles ’12

Ted Notz ’53

Jay Bach

Madelaine Kukanza Goldstein ’08

Cathy Bell Bartholomay ’79

Naomi Hattori ’02

Nat Roberts

Ravi Batista

Betsy Perkins Hill ’70

Sarah Geist Rosen ’86

Phyllis Beattie ’72

Marcia McMillan Hines ’56

Ann Settimi

Jackie Cotter

Manny Hodzic ’15

Jennifer Shreve

Jim Davis ’64

Darla Hovden

Steve Shultz

Kerry Day

Stefani Jackson

Katie Todd ’96

Kenzie Doornweerd

Jenny Kalyviaris

Julie Ugarte

Pascale Dunaway

Deb Keyt

Grace Flickinger ’12

Katie Laabs

Ashleigh Palmer Weathers ’04

Tom Flickinger

Gaby Levi ’95

Diane Williams

Katie Florig

Suzanne Folds McCullagh ’69

Vera Xu

Erika Milbratz

Anne Hines Young ’77

“The spirit of community and the dedication of the teachers and staff at NSCD.” –parent “Wonderful four years of my life.” –alum “My 40-year reunion.” –alum “Son’s great high school experience.”

–parent of alum “Lifelong learning.” – faculty

Kim Frezados Nina Gallin Susan Gallun

Susan Millner Kavita Narasimhan

Marika Pinetti

Larry Williams ’87

facult y

Fifth Grade Teacher Libby Ester

Libby Ester: Louis Conant ’12 Lower School Faculty Grant I’ve wanted to visit Yosemite National Park for the past 20 years, ever since my first year at NSCD when a group of fifth graders molded miniature replicas of the El Capitan and Half Dome rock formations out of clay, painted them slate gray and glued them onto pieces of plywood along with other Yosemite landforms as part of our national parks unit in social studies. I figured if a 2-by-2 foot model created by a group of earnest children could make me yearn to see Yosemite in person, it must be well worth the trip. In the 20 years since that first majestic model, our fifth grade national parks unit has undergone many transformations, and now it’s both a social studies and language arts unit. After learning about the national park system in social studies class, each student investigates and writes a research essay on a specific national park and then wraps up the unit by writing a persuasive letter to United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, explaining why she should protect the park the student has studied. A few years ago, my fellow fifth grade teacher Ellen Rasmussen, knowing how much I enjoy the national parks unit and love visiting national parks, gave me a poster on which I could check off all the parks I’d visited. While I was able to check off a lot of them, it always bothered me that Yosemite remained unchecked. So when Assistant Head of School Mary Fielder let me know last fall that I was the recipient of the Louis Conant ’12 Lower School Faculty Grant that supports a lower school teacher in pursuing a long-term

interest, I knew exactly what I would use the grant for: a trip to Yosemite! I would be able to fulfill that decadesold desire to see the actual El Capitan and Half Dome. I also hoped I would come back to my fifth grade teaching duties even more enthusiastic and knowledgeable about not only Yosemite, but the entire national park system. That is exactly what happened. Before we arrived at Yosemite, my husband Mike and I were joined by our son Peter and his wife Lauren, and my sister Mary and her wife Julia, who live in Los Angeles, for three days of hiking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We marveled at the largest tree on earth by volume (the General Sherman in Sequoia) and then the second largest (the General Grant in Kings Canyon), and were completely awestruck by the size and beauty of each of the many sequoia trees in the forests there. Hiking in their midst made us feel our complete insignificance, but also made us realize how significant our voices must be in making sure the national parks are preserved and protected. Mike and I headed on from Sequoia and Kings Canyon to Yosemite, where we were again awestruck, but this time even more by the landforms than by the plants and animals. El Capitan and Half Dome exceeded my very high expectations from those fifth grade models. While the Yosemite website had told us the week before we arrived to expect Yosemite Falls—the United States’ tallest waterfall—to be dry, it happened to rain a few

inches in the days just before we arrived, and water was f lowing in the falls even in August. We hiked up and down mountains and through meadows and saw Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Bridalveil Falls, and Tuolumne Falls from close up, from far away and from many different angles. Each was more beautiful than the last. With every step on mountains and through meadows, the words of last year’s fifth graders urging Secretary Haaland to protect our national parks provided inspiration. Claire Ziegler ’28 wrote about Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and here is her conclusion: “If we were to let these parks succumb to foul businesses such as fracking, mining and other such awful things, we would be doing America and the whole world a great disservice. We must protect all of our national parks for us to enjoy now and for future generations to enjoy all of the wonders and nature they hold.” Ishana Iyer ’28 wrote about the spectacular rock formations and waterfalls at Yosemite that provide people with “great opportunities to have fun without being on electronics.” She talked about its natural beauty—the towering sequoias and its unique wildlife like the pseudo scorpion discovered in 2010 that lives in Yosemite’s caves, and the acorn woodpecker, who pecks more than 2,000 holes in a single tree to store acorns in for the winter. “Yosemite is in danger because of pollution, and…deserves more funding,” she concluded. I am more excited than ever to teach the national parks unit with Ellen and our new fifth grade partner Ethan Rodehorst this year. When I do, I will be especially grateful for our country with all its natural wonders; for the fact that we all can enjoy those wonders in our national parks; for the fifth graders who continue to inspire me at least as much as the General Sherman Tree and Yosemite Falls; for NSCD and its fifth graders; and especially for the Conants’ support of lifelong learning for the lower school’s teachers.

ABOUT THE LOUIS CONANT L O W E R S C H O O L FA C U LT Y G R A N T

The family of Louis Conant ’12 established the grant in his memory to honor their son’s love of learning by inspiring teachers to continue learning themselves and sharing their knowledge and passion with students.

a c o r n · Winter 2022

facult y Professional Development

Director of the Live+Serve Laboratory Drea Gallaga was a facilitator at the virtual

Director of Development Molly McDowell attended the INDEX

During faculty orientation week in August, Advancement Conference in San Diego. NAIS People of Color Conference. Lauren lower school faculty participated in a Upper School English Teacher Kathy Collins, Upper School Visual Art Teacher workshop facilitated by Britt Hawthorne, Laura Hsieh, Yoo-Kyung Kim, Carin Peacock, McHugh attended a summit on teaching diversity practitioner. The workshop cenimmigration through Facing History and Receptionist Lucilla Richards, Christine tered on developing classroom environRitchey and Communications Associate— Ourselves entitled “Identity, Membership ments that are inclusive and equitable for Digital Specialist Jay Young also attended. and Belonging.” She also participated in all learners. All new faculty also particiseveral workshops through the Bard Development Associate—Events and pated in Mental Health First Aid training. Alumni Relations Kim Baker, Development Institute for Writing and Thinking: Over the summer, Senior Kindergarten Operations Coordinator Karen Cunningham, “Hybrid Narratives and the Power of Voice” Teachers Carin Peacock and Cristina Torres; Senior Associate Director of Development and “Trouble in Paradise: Visions of Black First Grade Teachers Cristy Athas and Utopia & Despair in Zora Neale Hurston’s Tracie Frederick and Development Berkley Wellstein; Third Grade Teachers Associate—Annual Giving Maureen Wilde ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ and David Green and Stephanie McShane; Fifth Marvel’s ‘Black Panther.’” attended the Midwest Independent Grade Teachers Libby Ester, Ellen Schools Development Network virtual Stephanie McShane attended the workRasmussen and Ethan Rhodehorst; Lower Summer Camp 2021. shop “Small Group Instruction: Starting School Learning Specialists Claire Detjen, Physical Education Teacher Katia the Year with Intention and Power.” Amy Luckey and Vimla Patel; and Lower Louis Mercer organized a panel of histoAdams, Assistant Teacher Sophie Hay and School Reading and Learning Specialist rians titled “Carceral Chicago: Case P.E. Department Head and Teacher Kyle Sharon Lieberman began ongoing training Jones attended the Illinois Association for Studies in Conforming with and Resisting in Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) through the Carceral Apparatus in the Second Half Health, Physical Education, Recreation EarlyBird Education. SWI is a method of of the 20th Century” and presented a and Dance Annual Convention. word study being piloted in SK and grades paper at the American Historical Lauren Collins and Drea Gallaga 1, 3 and 5 this year, and implemented in the Association Annual Meeting in New attended a workshop entitled remaining lower school grades in 2022-23. “Reimagining the Bake Sale” with Schools Orleans. Various faculty received summer curin Partnership. Catalina Rincón-Bisbey participated in riculum grants. Upper School Social Director of Marketing and the College Board’s AP Spanish Language Studies Teachers Louis Mercer and Tim Communications Tura Cottingham and Jay Workshop, hosted by Northwestern Curren revised the United States History University. Young attended the virtual Finalsite curriculum. Fourth Grade Teachers YooUpper School Learning Specialist Ceil University conference for website, marketKyung Kim and Jackie Haug updated the ing and communications professionals. Scanlan attended the summer workshop, reading units and the reading library for Lee Block received a Lifelong Learning “Executive Skills in the Classroom: the grade. Assistant Head of Middle Grant to attend “School of Rock” this year. Applying Strategies to Help Students School Rachel Sun and Middle School Lower School Art Teacher Emily Culbert Improve Executive Functions.” Counselor Laura Cooper developed a digiMiddle School English and Public attended the Teaching for Artistic tal citizenship curriculum. Upper School Speaking Teacher Susan Schinleber Behavior Virtual Institute at Math Teacher Karen Park and Middle Massachusetts College of Art and Design. attended a number of webinars throughSchool Math and Science Teacher Lee out the summer and fall, many of them Drea Gallaga is participating in the Block revised the Pre-Algebra and Algebra focusing on race and antisemitism: ongoing ISEEN Professional Affinity 1 curriculum. David Green developed a Group for Service Learning Directors. She “Teaching Lincoln’s Evolving Views on prosthetics unit as part of the grade’s “Live Race,” “Analyzing Propaganda and also attended a workshop hosted by and Serve” project. The Middle School ImpactEd and AnchorEd on the new book, Teaching Media Literacy,” “Abolitionist Equity, Diversity and Inclusion advisory Teaching and the Future of Our Schools,” “Anti-Oppressive Education in ‘Elite’ curriculum was redesigned by Middle and “Challenging Anti-Immigrant Bias in Schools,” edited by Katy Swalwell and Upper School Instrumental Music Teacher Schools,” “Prewar Jewish Life,” “Music in Daniel Spikes. Ann Goodrich, Director of Equity, Inclusion the Holocaust,” “Considering Whole Ann Goodrich attended the Rainbow and Community Engagement Lauren Summer: Exploring Identity with LGBTQ+ School Culture,” “Teaching Salvaged Collins, Middle School Learning Specialist Pages” and “Examining and Responding Young Adult Literature conference. Christine Ritchey, Middle School to Antisemitism in American Culture and David Grossman attended a workshop Humanities Teacher Sarah Walsh, and Society.” this summer, sponsored by the Folger Middle School Humanities Teacher Lower School Counselor Debbie Shakespeare Library entitled “Teaching Elizabeth Kindig. Shakespeare is Teaching Race.” Youderian participated in the following Upper School Mathematics Teacher Upper School Chinese Teacher Di Li webinars: “The Body Keeps the Score, and Penn Fellow Andrew Block, David Trauma Healing” with Bessel Van Der attended the Chinese Language Green, Jackie Haug, Junior Kindergarten Kalk; “Sensory Based Strategies for SelfAssociation of Secondary-Elementary Teacher Kristi Kamen, Assistant Head of Regulation” with Stormy Hill MD, OTR/L; Schools Virtual Summer workshop in Lower School Caitlin McLennan and and “ADHD: Diagnosis, Symptom August and Swapshop in November. Berkley Wellstein attended the virtual Presentation and Treatment” with Joshua National Council of Teachers of Math Yeager, PsyD. Conference in November. 24

Faculty Profile: Paaven Thaker MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

much I stayed there for 11 years. While I was teaching, I went to graduate school at night and earned a master’s degree in middle school education. Q. What’s one of your favorite assignments that you’ve given to your students? A. The sixth graders right now are work-

ing on an inventor’s challenge, which has been pretty awesome. They have to design something with a positive purpose, but it also has to integrate an understanding of how simple machines work and an understanding of forces. This one is great because it combines science with trying to actually have a positive impact on Q . Where did your passion for science begin? society, and it’s really interesting to see how different all the students’ projects A. It started pretty early, in elementary are based on their interests. One student school. I really loved when my teachers is working on an eco-garden, which is would do something hands on with like a portable garden designed for an materials, because it always felt more urban setting. Another is working on a exciting that way. Then in fifth grade, hydro-stick—a hiking stick that has an we did a science fair for the first time. I integrated water bottle. Someone else is did a project where I explored how fast a working on a kind of claw that helps banana ripens when it’s placed in different people pull up their socks if they have locations. And I found that putting limited mobility. bananas in brown paper bags makes them ripen much more quickly than if you put Q. Why is offering an integrated science, them in other places. My poor parents! I technology, engineering, arts and had bananas all over the house—in the mathematics (STEAM) curriculum freezer, in the closet, on the counters. It important? was a really weird idea for an experiment A. STEAM connects to the real world in but my teacher saw that I was interested such a tangible way and it allows students and said, “Great! You’re really interested in to really f lex their creativity and think bananas. Let’s do it!” Science has always critically in a way that’s different from been a place where I could really be myself, how they think in any other subject. It explore and take ideas as far as they could really teaches them skills that they need go. One of the most exciting things about to be successful in life. For example, the teaching science is—I hope—being able to engineering challenges we do help them inspire that same curiosity in my students. understand the idea of learning from Q . Did you always want to become a teacher? failure. Actual engineers, in order to be successful, have to mess up all the time A. I actually thought I would go into and then learn from their mistakes. You something related to environmental make a prototype and it fails, and then science or policy, so none of my underyou have to think about how you can do graduate coursework was teaching related. this again—but better. But after I graduated from Williams College, I decided to move to Spain for a Q. What’s it like being a woman in science, year to teach. While I was there, I realized particularly a woman of color? that when I’m teaching, I actually feel A. Representation matters a lot. I was the most like myself. So when I moved to lucky that when I was in high school I New York, I applied for a whole bunch had multiple female science teachers who of teaching jobs and ended up getting a showed me that I could be successful. position in Brooklyn. I thought it would I could see myself as a scientist or an be temporary—that I would just explore engineer, but I know that not everyone teaching for a little while. But I loved it so gets that. And, actually, I did not get that in college as much as I’d hoped.

I want the female students I teach to feel like science is a place where they can be themselves and that they can see themselves as a scientist or an engineer, not just at the middle school level, but that they can see themselves as people who could be very successful in the field as adults. It’s an interesting planning burden sometimes—to find inventors of color, teenage inventors, women. A lot of the curricular materials out there do not have enough representation, so it’s something I have to look at whenever I’m planning a lesson—what are the images I’m showing the students, what are the texts we’re looking at, who are the people we’re studying—to make sure it’s not just white men. Q. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? A. Because I’m more introverted and shy, I wasn’t going to step up and say, “Here is something really amazing I’m doing— people should see this.” But I had a mentor teacher who encouraged me to invite people into my classroom more and make sure I was not selling myself short. In my family, traditionally, women were expected to be behind the scenes in more of a supporting role. She helped me learn that I didn’t need to be in a supporting role in my career. It’s totally fine to be really good at something and to let people know you’re really good at it. You don’t have to be modest all the time. Q. What advice would you give an aspiring scientist? A. Everyone is actually a scientist and everyone is an engineer. I teach science and I also used to teach math, and it’s interesting because early experiences of not feeling successful in these areas can really turn students off for the long term. It’s sad because there are a lot of people out there who feel like they could have been something they were interested in, but they had some negative experience that made them feel like they couldn’t do it and so they quit. But really anyone can. If they work hard and find people to inspire them in whatever discipline they’re interested in, they really can be successful.

a c o r n · Winter 2022

live and serve

Junior Kindergarten Pajama Drive

Vikram Kelly ’28 and Eamon Kelly

Pajama Program The JK class collected 29 pairs of PJ’s for the Pajama Program, a national nonprofit organization that promotes and supports a comforting bedtime routine and healthy sleep for children to help them thrive. For every pair of pajamas collected, Scholastic Book Clubs contributes a brand new book to accompany the donation. The class talked about how they love to wear their pajamas and read a book before bed. Their teachers talked about how some families need shelter and food, and sometimes there just isn’t enough money for pajamas or books. Once the students understood the need, they brainstormed ways they could help these children and decided to collect new pajamas to share with the children in need. To visualize how many pairs of pajamas the students collected, the teachers created a graph. Each student who brought in a pair of pajamas decorated a paper cutout of a person and added it to the graph. Counting and subtracting the number of “people” on the graph became part of the math unit. Since 2001, the Pajama Program has delivered over 7 million good nights for good days to children facing adversity by providing new pajamas, storybooks and resources for caregivers. The program offers bedtime resources and sleep education nationwide. To achieve its mission, they rely on a national network of volunteers, generous donors and partnerships with 4,000 community-based organizations across the United States, including Puerto Rico. 26

Esther Milbratz ’28

Northwestern Settlement House

Fall Day of Service NSCD held a Fall Day of Service on Saturday, November 13, benefiting The Bloc in Chicago and Connections for the Homeless. More than 200 food items were donated on Saturday for The Bloc, supplementing what had already been collected by an upper school student-led food drive. The Bloc is an enrichment program that provides mentoring and academic support to teens in Chicago while teaching them how to box, and also provides a food pantry for those enrolled. The organization, which is one of NSCD’s newer community partners, is also a partner of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation. In addition, the school community collected toiletry items, supplies and other items for longtime community partner Connections for the Homeless, which runs a shelter and drop-in center for people experiencing homelessness. Meanwhile, parents, students, faculty and staff volunteered at Connections sorting clothing donations, while other school families prepared and packed meals.

Mendoza, Middle School French Teacher Anne-Marie Dall’Agata and Middle School Chinese Teacher Yun-Chu Chen came to show them how to write cards in Spanish, French and Chinese. They’ve also been creating dog toys to send to animal shelters. “We use a pattern in which we cut up old t-shirts to create a braided dog tug toy,” explained Middle School Math Teacher Kristen Slamar, the faculty sponsor of the club. Around Thanksgiving, some of the club members wrote letters of gratitude to members of the school community. And others have been knitting scarves to donate to organizations supporting people experiencing homelessness. Drea and Associate Director of Admission Mullery Doar taught the students how to knit, and several of them have scarves in progress.

Northwestern Settlement House

For more than a quarter century, NSCD has partnered with Northwestern Middle School Service Club Settlement House in some capacity. In the past, upper school advisories adopted famThe middle school service club has been ilies and provided holiday gifts and other meeting once every seven days this school household items to those in need, but year, and students have been hard at work logistical challenges brought on by the on a variety of projects curated by Director coronavirus pandemic actually created an of the Live+Serve Laboratory and Upper unexpected way to expand the program. School Social Studies Teacher Drea For the past two years, individual school Gallaga. families, coordinated through the Parents’ For one project, middle schoolers partAssociation “Live and Serve” committee, nered with Lurie Children’s Hospital of as well as faculty and staff have stepped in Chicago to make cards for hospitalized and continued the tradition. This year, the children, and in a recent meeting, Middle school community sponsored 50 families. School Spanish Teacher Alejandra

Craig Johnson ’70, Nick Johnson ’72 and Chris Johnson ’66

“ O ur mother especially valued North Shore’s faculty. The primary purpose of her gift was to attract and retain the best and brightest.”

Robyn Tantleff ’25, Isabel Roberts ’25 and Kate Carter ’25

Paws for Patrick The upper school has a new student club this year with a goal to bring therapy dogs to campus once a month to reduce stress and depression. Mac Devereux ’23 decided to start the Paws for Patrick club because his dog Gigi, a Bouvier des Flandres, is a certified therapy dog involved with the local organization. Paws for Patrick aims to de-stigmatize and bring awareness to mental health struggles in teens. They also match therapy dogs with teens in need. According to the organization, one in 10 children, including teens, suffer from emotional and mental disorders. And 50% of those living with mental illness never seek or receive help due to the stigma. “I thought a Paws for Patrick club at North Shore would be a great addition, and a way to remind the upper school students that many struggle with mental health challenges, and let them know support is available,” Mac said. “We held our first dog visit on October 15 and the students seemed to love having the dogs on campus.” Mac said the club also plans to bake and sell dog biscuits to raise funds for Paws for Patrick, and bring awareness to Mental Health Awareness Month in May. “Club members will help ‘turn the town green’ by tying green ribbons on trees and distributing Paws for Patrick Mental Health Awareness Month yard signs.”

Katrina Wolcott Kelley ’43

Heritage Society Profile: Katrina Wolcott Kelley ’43 Katrina Wolcott Kelley ’43 was a steadfast and devoted alumna who served the school in many ways. (See page 42 in the spring 2021 issue of the Acorn for her full obituary.) As a member of the Heritage Society, her support of the school included leaving a generous monetary bequest to NSCD, as well as an original painting of former Art Teacher John Almquist, now on display in the Almquist Gallery. Katrina’s three sons Chris Johnson ’66, Craig Johnson ’70 and Nick Johnson ’72 recently ref lected on her reasons for giving: “Our mother especially valued North Shore’s faculty. The primary purpose of her gift was to attract and retain the best and brightest. She was aware of the many positive experiences we had with our teachers. She would routinely ask us, ‘Well, what did you learn in school today?’ Our mom was usually quite pleased and impressed with the high quality of what we were being taught. Besides academic instruction, she saw that our teachers also focused on our ethical and emotional growth, which she valued greatly. “In addition to supporting the faculty in general, our mom would have liked North Shore to continue to expand the socio-economic, racial and ethnic diversity of the faculty and students. She saw exposure to diverse perspectives as an essential part of a good education. NSCD has made great strides in this area since we were students and we expect our mother would want to help continue this progress.” Individuals who have made provisions in their will or estate plans to benefit North Shore Country Day are recognized in the Heritage Society. This significant support and commitment of many friends of the school have allowed North Shore to grow and expand.

a c o r n · Winter 2022

v isua l a rt

Tommy Kalotis ’24

Pratyay Rao ’27 Hope Frederick ’31

Rafael Vanden Heuvel ’33

Emily Yoo ’22

Lauren A’Hearn ’27

Samantha Ackley ’30 Maddy Boneck ’24

Lucia Bullock-Puzon ’28

Raina Khanna ’27

Ned Sprenger ’25

Nicholas Olvera ’22

Amelia Slobodsky ’27

Eva Smith ’31

Christian Tao ’29

perfor ming a rt s Fall Play: ‘Drop Dead!’ North Shore Country Day upper school students took to the stage October 8 and 9 to present the fall play, “Drop Dead!” by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore. In this suspenseful play-withina-play, a cast of has-been actors plan to revive their careers in “Drop Dead!,” a potboiler murder mystery directed by “Wonder Child of the Broadway Stage” Victor Le Pewe (a psychotic eye twitching megalomaniac played by Lucas Fitz-Gibbon ’24). But when the murders and mysteries exceed those in the script—the thespians must save the show and their careers—as well as their lives!

Fall Play: Nicolette Fox ’23

Winter Play Brings Lower School Stories to Life A troupe of upper school students known as the Duff Players performed an original production entitled, “You Want Some Lunch? You Betcha!” on November 18-19. The students were tasked with bringing to life a collection of third and fourth grade stories through movement, music, costumes, props and much more. The cast worked on the art of storytelling and submersed themselves into the imagination and heart of each piece, while the crew worked on creating an environment where truly anything could happen and be created in an instant, visually setting the stage for success.

Lower School Music Video Since the entire lower school was unable to come together onstage for the traditional Lower School Holiday Program, each grade recorded the song “Give Us Hope,” by Jim Papoulis. The videos were then combined and shared with the school community.

Winter Play: Carissa Schultz ’24 and Leif Steele ’24

Middle and Upper School Chorus Concert Middle and upper school chorus students put on their first concert in the auditorium in two years on December 9. The winter concert, entitled “Together,” featured a wide variety of music, from traditional holiday favorites to pop tunes to gospel. The following students participated: (Middle School Chorus) Paul Atia ’26, Marina Bullock-Puzon ’26, Julia Capozzi ’28, Thomas Carlino ’26, Teddy Cole ’27, Kate Connolly ’26, Avalon Felty ’26, Annie Ford ’26, Morgan Gallagher ’26, Sofia Green ’26, Paige Highlander ’26, Ishana Iyer ’28, Bennett Koster ’28, Samuel Rosen ’26, Gabriella Schiffman ’28, Lexi Shultz ’26, Caroline Wolfe ’26 and Ethan Yoo ’28; (Upper School Chorus) Vivien Johnson ’24, Laura Marshall ’22, Clark Murphy ’23, Noah Youderian ’24 and Lance Zhang ’22.

Instrumental Ensemble Recording The upper school instrumental ensemble was also hard at work this fall, and although they were unable to show off their skills in a full concert, they recorded two videos before winter break that were shared with the school community: a compilation of Disney film favorites and some holiday classics. The ensemble also shared the latter with local residential facilities to spread some holiday cheer.

Chorus Concert: Ishana Iyer ’28 and Caroline Wolfe ’26 Thomas Carlino ’26

Jamie Andren ’22, Lucas Fitz-Gibbon ’24, Kiran Jorgensen ’23, Mariel Flickinger ’24 and Sky De la Cruz ’23

Via Kelly ’25 and Jamie Andren ’22

Sophia Medvin ’25, Anoushka Mitra ’24, Edgar Romero ’25 and Quinn Devereux ’25

Carissa Schultz ’24, Emi Comeau ’24 and Sky De La Cruz ’23

Middle and Upper School Chorus Concert Vivien Johnson ’24 and Noah Youderian ’24

Lower School Music Video

a c o r n · Winter 2022

at hle t ics Fall Athletics

Fall 2021 Conference and State Honors

Despite continued challenges brought on by the pandemic, NSCD athletes celebrated some big accomplishments in the fall, including bringing home a state trophy, and winning two Independent School League (ISL) conference championships and two Illinois High School Association (IHSA) regional championships. But even more important than the successes on the field is the work coaches and families have done off the field to keep students active and engaged during these challenging times. This fall, 258 NSCD students participated in a sport—103 in middle school (about 75%) and 155 in upper school (about 72%).

C R O S S C O U N T R Y : ISL Sportsmanship Award Boys Cross

The boys varsity golf team had a record-breaking season, finishing No. 2 in the state after winning both the ISL and regional championships. In the sectionals, they advanced as a team to the state tournament where they were runner-up by one stroke. Their overall team score at state was the fifth-best in IHSA 1A competition ever and our best performance at state by score ever. They earned the school’s 19th state trophy and the fifth state trophy for golf. Other season highlights include: • Boys varsity soccer won both the ISL conference and regional championship games. • Varsity volleyball finished off the regular season with a string of wins and hosted another successful Dig Pink day. • Field hockey had a strong year competing at the top of the ISL conference and earning a top-10 ranking in the state. • Girls tennis was fourth in the ISL conference and advanced five members of the team to state competition after finishing second in the sectionals. The second place finish in sectionals ties NSCD’s second-best performance ever at that level of the state series. • Cross country had a strong season, advancing out of the regional to the sectional with a squad of mostly freshmen and sophomores.

Meonda Collins ’23

Emi Comeau ’24

Country Team F I E L D H O C K E Y : ISL All-Conference Ella Capozzi ’23, Lindsey Glew ’22, Charlize Guillen ’22 and Lexi Jackson ’22; Honorable Mention Charlotte Bartell ’22, Kendall Vallas ’22 and Taylor Vallas ’22; ISL Goalie of the Year Charlize Guillen; Illinois High School Field Hockey Association (IHSFHA) All-Conference Ella Capozzi, Lindsey Glew; IHSFHA Sportsmanship Award Charlize Guillen; ISL Sportsmanship Award Girls Field Hockey Team G O L F : All-Conference Robbie Black ’23, Hugo Hourihane ’23, Dusty Karmin ’22, Jack Hunt ’22 and Luke Madigan ’22; ISL Player of the Year Luke Madigan S O C C E R : All-Conference First Team Finn Doornweerd ’22,

Walter Luglio ’23, Nick Potter ’22, Mason Roberts-Jones ’22; All-Conference Second Team Benji Leonetti ’23 and Tae Won Lillig ’23; ISL Goalie of the Year Nick Potter; All-Sectional Mason Roberts-Jones and Nick Potter; Honorable Mention Walter Luglio; Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) All-Sectional All-Academic Award Finn Doornweerd V O L L E Y B A L L : All-Conference Alicia Isasi ’23; Honorable Mention

Alma Fitzgerald ’22 I S L C O A C H I N G S TA F F O F T H E Y E A R G O L F : Cy Oelerich’89, Bill Bach ’87, Jay Bach, Jason Giffen and Tom Saleh B OY S S O C C E R : Kyle Jones, Aldair Dominguez, Josip Lovric,

Dave Potter and Bijan Zojaji

Lila Golson ’22

Boys Golf

Danny Becker ’24

Girls Field Hockey

Jibraan Ghazi ’22

Emily Yoo ’22

Boys Cross Country

Kate Henry ’24

Marissa Youderian ’22

a c o r n · Winter 2022

pho t os from our pa s t “A picture is worth a thousand words” and tells an important and interesting story. If you can identify any of these photos or tell us a story about them, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Green Whiteman ’71, 310 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL 60093, nwhiteman@nscds.org or call her at 847.881.8848.

a c o r n · Winter 2022

a lumni connec t ions Homecoming and Reunions Alumni, parents of alumni and former faculty returned to reconnect and celebrate during Homecoming weekend. Since Homecoming 2020 was virtual, reunion classes that would have celebrated last year (ending in ’0s and ’5s) were also included in this year’s in-person celebration. The combined reunion classes offered even more fellowship, camaraderie and meaningful connections. Alumni enjoyed on-campus events, school tours, the faculty and staff art exhibit, student games, and their special reunion class dinners and gatherings.

New—Fall Tailgate Fun! This year we kicked off what we hope will become a new NSCD tradition with a fun pre-game tailgate gathering in the parking lot of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field on October 30. Alumni, parents of alumni, current families and other NSCD friends stopped by to visit and enjoy food, drinks and good company! Elizabeth Savin ’21 and Andy Sullivan ’79

Tom Flemma and Susan Gaud

Tom Doar, Jim Deuble ’76, Amy Deuble and Paul Dionne

Cy Oelerich ’89, Kyle and Lauri Reagan Harris ’87 and Molly Shotwell Oelerich ’87

Mike Graham ’70 and Gayley Atkinson Patterson ’70

C L A S S E S O F 1970 and 1971

C L A S S O F 1980. Barbara Raffaldini, Betsy Blank Regan, Jeff Foreman,

Melinda Roenisch, Michael Fitzgerald, Molly Ingram McDowell, Liz Schwarz, Miriam Feinstein Lupien, Liz Miller Leonard and Arthur Handelman

Phillip Fortune ’71, Julie Bartholomay Geer ’71, Maggie Parsons Nichter ’71 and Mark Nichter (seated)

C L A S S O F 2011. Back Row: Riley Mostrom, Alex Appelbaum, Aliyea Rizai, Julia Lowe and Leigh Kukanza; Front Row: Meera Valliath, Madeline Tank, Caroline Whitmore and Sammi Edelson

Bucky Marshall ’71, Mary Hubbard ’76, Tony Blumberg ’76 and Lewis Hunt ’76

Geff Kenly ’70, Jim Golden ’70, Carolyn Kenly and Donald Whiteman ’70

Mimi Hobart Petke ’65, Elisabeth Olson ’65, a c oGeraghty r n · Winter 2022 Andy Durham ’59 and Lea Durham Kenny ’66

Denis Healy ’91, Peggy Smith Coffee ’90, Jim Deuble ’76, Ellen Kelly ’90 and Ciara McDonagh ’90

Eric Whobrey, Linda Kiracibasi and Christine Perkins ’06

C L A S S O F 1981. Back Row: Bill Friend, Pam Scott McBride, Brian Perkins Front Row:

Chris Charnas ’83 and C.J. Charnas ’16

C L A S S O F 1960. Bruce Everett, Harley Hutchins,

Virginia Caspari Gerst, Biff Steel and Peter Darrow

Ken Gorman, Elise Mackevich Salchli, Price Deratzian Arana, David Hines, Lynne Harwich McAlevey, Deborah Thalberg, Steve Galler, Steve Sacks, George Smith and Bill Penner

Jennifer Franklin Friedman ’96, Katie Todd ’96, Dana Brown Davenport ’96, Melissa Schmidt ’95, George Toscas ’96, Jeff Rothbart ’95, Gaby Levi ’95, Drew Masur ’95 and Mike Downs ’96

C L A S S O F 1971. Back Row: John Stern, Rocky Wirtz, Bucky Marshall, Rob

Dave Burnell ’86 and Erik Almquist ’85

Dehlinger and Phil Fortune; Front Row: Nancy Green Whiteman, Lee Barker Savinar, Marianne Ware Maltman, Ann Howard Hanna and Maggie Parsons Nichter

a lumni connec t ions 2021-2022 Children and Grandchildren of Alumni North Shore Country Day is proud of our alumni connections, especially those current students, pictured here, whose parents and grandparents attended the school.

FIRST ROW: Kayleigh Weathers ’35 (Ashleigh Palmer Weathers ’04), Nico Athas ’34 (Chip Herndon ’72), Xander Athas ’34 (Chip Herndon ’72), Olivia Gent ’34 (Jennifer Gonzalez-Gent ’98), Marissa Sanchez-Andersen ’34 (Kelsey Andersen ’06), Levi Todd ’34 (Katie Todd ’96), Riley Todd ’34 (Katie Todd ’96), Georgia Wellstein ’34 (Georgia Elmes Welles ’48) SECOND ROW: Aidan Gent ’33 (Jennifer Gonzalez-Gent ’98), William Wellstein ’33 (Georgia Elmes Welles ’48), Walter Weathers ’32 (Ashleigh Palmer Weathers ’04), Greyson Gent ’31 (Jennifer Gonzalez-Gent ’98), Shahaan Ghazi ’31 (Rashid Ghazi ’85), Finley Todd ’31 (Katie Todd ’96), Payne Wood ’30 (Andrew Wood ’90), Margot Ake ’28 (Bill Ake ’88) THIRD ROW: Bronwyn Wood ’28 (Andrew Wood ’90), Teddy Cole ’27 (Elizabeth Graettinger ’94), Benjamin Levi ’27 (Gaby Levi ’95), Camilla Sheftel ’27 (Gordon Hall ’40), Devin Todd ’27 (Katie Todd ’96), Dixie Oelerich ’26 (Cy ’89 and Molly Shotwell Oelerich ’87), Samuel Rosen ’26 (Sarah Geist Rosen ’86) FOURTH ROW: Thomas Scott ’26 (Hilary Bishop Scott ’96), Razaan Ghazi ’25 (Rashid Ghazi ’85), Daisy Stone ’25 (Jennifer Stone ’82), Jonathan Wiggins ’25 (Betty Fisher Wiggins ’93), Gabriel Rosen ’24 (Sarah Geist Rosen ’86), Penrose Bigelow ’23 (Marcia McMillan Hines ’56) FIFTH ROW: Buckley Oelerich ’23 (Cy ’89 and Molly Shotwell Oelerich ’87), Margie Blair ’22 (Bruce Blair ’69), Jibraan Ghazi ’22 (Rashid Ghazi ’85), Dusty Karmin ’22 (Peter Karmin ’83), Anna Ristic ’22 (Lisa McClung ’87)

a c o r n · Winter 2022

cl a ss notes

1940s Louise Konsberg Noll ’40 recently cele-

brated her 99th birthday with family. She reports,“I have two new great grandsons. Emilio is the son of my grandson Andrew and his wife Suzie. Jake is the son of my granddaughter Megan and her husband Nick.”

1950s Rod Lowery ’54 is “presently 85, in good

health and still writing poetry/short stories. Been writing since age 75. I still live at the same residence retirement community in St. Louis—sure miss everybody and love to all.” Hall Healy ’59, a member of the Glencoe Sustainability Task Force, spoke about the environmental impact of the use of leaf blowers at a community forum in December, according to the December 12 article in the Chicago Tribune.

on the grants committee, and a long-time financial supporter of the Pace Center for Girls in Jacksonville. A voracious reader, Helen’s nose was at home in all sorts of books, from complex histories to Harlequin romances. She was creative, at times making the family Christmas ornaments and other crafts, pranking friends with f locks of plastic pink f lamingos and providing the perfect idea for her children’s homework. In her mid-50s, she became a proficient skeet-shooter. She is survived by her husband and three sons, Greg Jr. (Marietta, GA), Geoff (Chicago) and Will (Humble, TX), and seven grandchildren, as well as her sister, Nancy Scribner Clarke ’64, of Green Valley, AZ. She was predeceased by her brother, William Scribner ’65. A memorial service was held in December in Jacksonville.

David Webster ’73 reports he will be retiring at the end of the year. Elizabeth Springer ’75 has “just moved back to Lake Forest and joined a dermatology practice in Buffalo Grove. My two sons live in Chicago, daughter in DC. My older son and daughter work in real estate and the younger son just graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.“

1980s Elizabeth Ingram ’82, “Enjoyed getting together with fellow classmates: Rob Kleiman, Bob Vieregg, Marc Peters and Jennifer Stone recently!”

1990s

Kris Gardiner Barry ’91 currently lives with her husband, Dave, and 7-year-old Jeff Gardner ’65 reports, “wife Barb and twins, Mikey and Cassie, in Bangor, ME. I are living in New Orleans, where there’s Kris is a licensed clinical psychologist who no snow and we can be close to our works with a large virtual private practice, extended family of two kids and three Psychology Specialists of Maine. She also grandchildren. I’m still working, restoring conducts disability evaluations for veterIn October, Biff Steel ’60 and his wife historic New Orleans shotguns, playing ans. She and her husband celebrated their Adwoa had a visit with Thandi Steele ’18 at golf and enjoying life.” 18th wedding anniversary in May 2021, Williams College where Biff also attended. and her kids are in the first grade. Both families became acquainted at David Misch ’68 shares, “During the NSCD when Biff learned Thandi would pandemic, my post-career career of speakDana Brown Davenport ’96 was featured be attending Williams and the two ing about comedy around the world (from on the cover of Main & Luxe Magazine families continued to stay in touch. the Smithsonian to Oxford University to (January Issue) - mainluxe.com. conferences in England and Italy) has Helen Scribner Euston ’61, wife, mother become something I do from my office. Bill Newman ’98 married Caitlin Vitale and community volunteer, died November I’d love to have some NSCDers in the on December 17, 2022, on Sanibel 25 in Jacksonville, FL, after years of crowd; you can check my upcoming Island, FL. Bill’s aunt Polly Ross ’70 declining health. She was 78 years old. schedule at davidmisch.com.” attended, along with friends and family She attended North Shore Country Day from all over the United States and and Sweet Briar College. She married Winnie Boal ’69 wrote, “At age 70 and after Canada. Bill and Caitlin are currently Gregory E. Euston in a service at Christ 32 years of service, I retired as an epidemiresiding in Kenilworth. Church Winnetka in 1965 and the couple ologist with the Centers for Disease recently celebrated their 56th anniversary. Control and Prevention (CDC). Please In the era of latch-key kids, she was a get fully vaccinated and wear a mask!” stay-at-home mom. Over the next 25 years, Ross Blumfeld ’03 wrote, “I am happy to as her growing family moved frequently, share that I’m starting a new position as she volunteered with a variety of organizaRecruitment Lead at Virtasant.” tions, including many years as a Cub Scout Jim Golden ’70 is “still living in Rowayton, Den Leader and in other roles with the CT, and still very, very retired. Enjoyed Lisa Doi ’09 and Eric Langowski are Boy Scouts of America. Dedicated to the our Class of ’70 50.1 reunion this past fall. getting married in June 2022. The bridal arts, Helen volunteered for more than 25 It was great to be back on campus and to party includes classmates Blair Hunt years with the Cummer Museum of Art enjoy the company of our classmates. Bobier, Emily Gavin, Melissa Jesser and & Gardens in Jacksonville and served Looking forward to our 55th!” Jim also Hannah Walchak. several terms with Sweet Briar’s Friends had a mini-reunion with classmates Emily Keyser ’09 has started a new position of Art, helping to grow the college’s art Huntley Gill ’70, Marina Florian ’70 and as Director of Program Management at collection. She was also an early supporter Ann Patton Lowenstein ’70 last year on the Knock in Chicago. of the Women’s Giving Alliance, serving East Coast.

1960s

1970s

2000s

Dawn Steele, Adwoa Steel, Elizabeth Lamptey, Biff Steel ’60 and Thandi Steele ’18

Louise Konsberg Noll ’40 (center) with her family

Huntley Gill ’70, Jim Golden ’70, Marina Florian ’70 and Ann Patton Lowenstein ’70

cl a ss notes

Elizabeth Ingram ’82, Rob Kleiman ’82, Jennifer Stone ’82, Marc Peters ’82 and Bob Vieregg ’82

2010s

Former Faculty and Staff

Julia Lowe ’11 is “currently working as a photographer in LA, balancing commercial work for clients like Netf lix and Spotify, with more creative projects like shooting live music at festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. I’ve fallen in love with so many different areas of photography that I often toggle between concerts, portraiture, events and fine art photography, but I still miss assisting Art Jessen ’70 as a school photographer at North Shore a few years ago! I can’t say 2020-2021 were the most eventful years of my life due to the pandemic, but I feel lucky to have been able to take this time to explore painting as well. What started as a hobby now takes up about half of my work week, and I’m looking forward to putting on a gallery show of my paintings later this year.”

designed to counter malign foreign inf luence and promote government transparency around the world.

Mary Sturgis ’12 recently graduated with

Sophie Hiland ’18 is the CEO of Overeasy,

a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University where she studied U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. She now serves as a program officer for the National Democratic Institute where she manages projects

Hillary Swimmer ’18

Carl Anderson ’14 reports, “This winter

Nancy Emrich Freeman and husband Jim “ have bought a Leisure Travel Van (RV) and have traveled east to west and west to east TWICE in 2021! And Jim’s not retired yet!”

I’m working a lot with both Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol and in the local Emergency Department. Highlights of the Marriages year included trips to Mexico and Ecuador Bill Newman ’98 to Caitlin Vitale to kayak on some beautiful rivers.” December 17, 2021 During the Colby College exploratory term in January, Hillary Swimmer ’18, now a senior at Colby, interned with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), a nonprofit pioneering collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. During her time there, she co-authored a first-ever report that synthesized how GMRI projects directly address more than half of the state’s sweeping climate goals.

Births rowan halston fisher May 29, 2021 Laura Sachs ’01 and Jordan Fisher ’02

charles jonas villari July 2021 Chris and Katrice Krumplys-Vallari ’10

mason gael birnbaum-hans

October 11, 2021 a company that makes a wearable called a Haley Birnbaum ’01 and Sarah Hans HoodE—a unisex, helmet-compatible hood with a built-in face panel that is great for, but not limited to, keeping warm on the ski slopes. As a junior at Middlebury College, she is learning how to balance business and books.

Sophie Hiland ’18 (Photo by Caleb Kenna)

Caitlin Vitale and Bill Newman ’98

Rowan Halston Fisher

simeon “simmy” dunlap smith ’48

helen scribner euston ’61

ruth kahan gorelick

April 8, 2020 Son of Founding Headmaster Perry Dunlap Smith

November 25, 2021 Daughter of the late Gilbert Scribner ’35, the late Helen Shoemaker Scribner ’36 Sister of Nancy Scribner Clarke ’64 and the late William Scribner ’65

December 26, 2021 Grandmother of David Gorelick ’97 and Alissa Gorelick Wisniewski ’98

In Memoriam

mary hyde millard August 22, 2021 Former wife of the late Everett L. Millard Jr. ’26

christina margareta seger newenhouse

and Olivia “Penny” Millard ’77

December 3, 2021 Mother of Yan Newenhouse ’76, Astrid Newenhouse ’77, and Sonya Newenhouse ’84

david l. severson ’71

jean reddy armour ’45

September 18, 2021

December 6, 2021

john p. stallings ’48

jennifer pliska

September 19, 2021

December 6, 2021 Former faculty

Mother of the late Skeets Millard ’67, Mary C. “Corky” Millard ’69, Liza Millard Ferrier ’71

jay s. wallace ’49 November 3, 2021 Brother of the late Peter Wallace ’51 and Michael Wallace ’53

paul w. loomis ’56 November 12, 2021 Uncle of Wick Loomis Blasi ’67 and Jack Loomis ’69

dr. carl e. hill November 15, 2021 Father of Carl Hill ’00 and Megan Hill ’03

shirley l. gendell

linda m. porter ’58 December 28, 2021 Sister of Walter Porter ’70

annie louise furrer January 6, 2022 Mother of Blake Furrer ’79 and Kimberly Furrer Van Northwick ’81

patricia collins horne ’52 January 20, 2022

patricia mcgowan devereux January 24, 2022 Grandmother of Maeve Devereux ’21, Mac Devereux ’23 and Quinn Devereux ’25

December 8, 2021 Grandmother of Sam Gendell ’06, Billy Gendell ’08, Mikey Gendell ’10

and Lizzy Gendell ’13

Send in Your News!

nancy kron sievers

A C O R N I S M AY 1 , 2 0 2 2 .

December 12, 2021 Mother of Lucy Sievers ’80

THE DEADLINE FOR THE WINTER

Email nwhiteman @ nscds.org or call Nancy at 847.881.8848 .

peggy krasberg mason ’57 December 17, 2021 Mother of Bruce Mason ’89

george h. von gehr, jr. ’59

midge chace powell ’49

November 16, 2021

December 18, 2021

a c o r n · Winter 2022

cl a ss notes

Remembering Simeon “Simmy” Dunlap Smith ’48 (1930-2020)

Simeon “Simmy” Dunlap Smith ’48

Tom Doar and Simmy Dunlap Smith ’48

Following the tradition begun by his parents, Simmy insisted on tending his land without outside help, clearing trees and brush, keeping paths open in the woods, cutting cordwood, and raking and disposing of innumerable leaves. He was helped in this by his wife Sharon and later by his children, who may well continue the tradition. Simeon Dunlap Smith ’48, son of Founding Headmaster Perry Dunlap Smith, died in New York City on April 8, 2020, at the age of 90. Simmy, as his friends liked to call him, was born in Chicago on February 15, 1930, the youngest of the four children of Marian and Perry Dunlap Smith. He began his education in Winnetka as a Lifer at North Shore Country Day, founded and directed by his father, and ended it at Harvard in 1956 after performing his military service in Germany and France. Although he lived and worked in New York, Simmy’s true home was a small town in Massachusetts called Ashfield, population 1,695. His connection to the town goes back to his childhood when his parents, in 1937, bought the house, barns and land on Murr Road of which he eventually became the owner. Following the

tradition begun by his parents, Simmy insisted on tending his land without outside help, clearing trees and brush, keeping paths open in the woods, cutting cordwood, and raking and disposing of innumerable leaves. He was helped in this by his wife Sharon and later by his children, who may well continue the tradition. A general partner in a Wall Street firm, Simmy wintered in New York but spent every possible moment in Ashfield, not only summers but many weekends and holidays throughout the year. Ashfield always seemed the most important and satisfying part of his life. There he could indulge freely in one of his many gifts, for he was an expert and inventive craftsman, converting the smaller barn into a carpentry workshop. A great lover of sailing, he created a beautifully carved sailor’s chest as well as model ships and countless other

objects, including a press for another of his talents, fine book-binding. Always kind and generous to his friends, he never refused to repair their broken old chairs, tables or wind-up gramophones. Generosity was a tradition of the house, and friends and neighbors will not soon forget the many delicious meals on the summer porch with its view of Mount Monadnock, sitting at a large round table, moving dishes to one another on the old lazy Susan. In addition to Sharon, his wife of 48 years, Simmy is survived by three children by his first wife Claude: two daughters, Valerie and Natalie, and a son, Aimery; and by three grandchildren, Lucy, Cosmo and Felix.

a lumni r efl ec t ion by daniel viellieu ’15

“ THE OPPORTUNITIES I HAD AT NSCD WERE LIKE NO OTHER. AND THE MEMORIES I MADE ALONG THE WAY ARE PRICELESS.”

My experience at NSCD was absolutely wonderful, and I cannot even begin to describe all of the ways our school impacted who I am and where I am today. I was a Lifer at NSCD, starting in junior kindergarten and staying through 12th grade. Throughout that time, I could never see myself going anywhere else. I made some of my closest friends at NSCD, friends who I stay in touch with to this day. Teachers at NSCD were like family, so much so that just a few months ago I caught up with a teacher over lunch in my new home, Boston. Between being on stage in our spring musicals, competing in state championship golf tournaments, singing in the chorus and traveling around the world for Interim Week, the opportunities I had at NSCD were like no other. And the memories I made along the way are priceless. After leaving NSCD and starting at Bowdoin College, I quickly realized how well the school had prepared me. Courses were still very challenging, but North Shore taught me how to think critically, write effectively, advocate for myself and manage significant amounts of work. However, more than anything else, NSCD helped me start to develop the confidence, leadership skills and open-mindedness that have continued to serve me extremely well. These skills helped me quickly get involved in activities at Bowdoin like theater, choir, residential life and world languages, in which I made countless more priceless memories. To this day, I continue to find ways that North Shore’s values inf luence how I live my life. After graduating from college and starting a job in consulting, I found myself wanting more out of my career. I decided to take a bit of a leap

and join Teach for America in the Boston area. Since this past summer, I have been a fifth through eighth grade STEAM teacher at Guilmette Middle School in Lawrence, MA. Starting as a new teacher during this exceptionally challenging year has without a doubt been difficult, but the students I teach are absolutely wonderful, and I am confident this is another challenge I can tackle. The emphasis NSCD placed on its motto, “Live and Serve,” certainly instilled a mindset that brought me to where I am today. One of my fondest memories from my time at North Shore was spending time in Cáceres, Spain, during our Interim Week. Several of my closest friends and I lived together with Profe Carmen Gomez-Fiegl and her family during the week, exploring the town and immersing ourselves in the language. Like many other experiences at NSCD, that Interim Week led me to pursue a similar opportunity in college, living with a Spanish-speaking family abroad for a semester. The incredible language education I received at NSCD helped me navigate that experience, as well as my new experience leading a classroom with many recent immigrants from Spanishspeaking countries. I am excited to see how all of my years at North Shore continue to inf luence where I go in life. And I feel fortunate to have had so many amazing teachers who I now use as role models every day in my own classroom. Thank you to everyone who helped shape the amazing experience I had at NSCD and laid the foundation of the path I am on today.

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #2026 Northbrook, IL