Acorn – Spring 2019

North Shore Country Day School

· Spring 2019

Searching for NSCDS Memorabilia As our year-long Centennial celebration creeps ever closer, we are desperately seeking a recording of our Founding Headmaster Perry Dunlap Smith’s voice.

If you have any old films with sound or reel-to-reel audio recordings of any of his remarks, please contact NSCDS Archivist Siera Erazo at serazo@nscds.org or 847.881.8844, or Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 at nwhiteman@nscds.org or 847.881.8848.

In an exciting surprise development last December, we received an email from a Chicago resident in the midst of renovating his home. During the demolition process, he opened up a wall and found the silver urn pictured here. He was going to throw it in the trash when he saw that it was engraved “Presented to the North Shore Country Day School by the Class of 1931.”

After searching for the School online, he contacted us and asked if we wanted the urn. Our answer, of course, was “Yes!” Several weeks later, we met to pick up the long-lost artifact.

You just never know where NSCDS treasures are hiding! Scour your basements, attics, garages and let us know if you uncover any items to add to our archives.

And if you know anything about this urn, we’d love to learn more about it and how it ended up behind a wall in a house in Chicago!

in this issue

a c o r n · Spring 2019

features 4 Fostering and Embracing a Diverse Community 10 Centennial Sneak Peek 12 Free Spirit Media Trio — Jeff McCarter ’88, Meera Sinha ’02 and Andre Lodree ’96

depa r t men t s 3

SPRING 2019 The Acorn is published by the Marketing and Communications Department of North Shore Country Day School three times a year 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.

North Shore Country Day School 310 Green Bay Road Winnetka, Illinois 60093 847.446.0674

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

HEAD’S LETTER

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ACADEMICS

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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EVENTS

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BOOK REVIEWS

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FA C U LT Y

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LIVE AND SERVE

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VISUAL ARTS

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PERFORMING ARTS

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AT H L E T I C S

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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

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H O M E C O M I N G S AV E T H E D AT E

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CLASS NOTES

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ALUMNI REFLECTION

Jay Young

Communications Associate jyoung@nscds.org Elaine Hancock Communications Associate ehancock@nscds.org

Christine Wachter

Molly Ingram McDowell ’80

Communications Associate, Co-Editor cwachter@nscds.org

Director of Development mmcdowell@ nscds.org Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 Director of Alumni Relations nwhiteman@ nscds.org

Photographers Christine Wachter Elaine Hancock Jay Young Marc Monaghan Tura Cottingham Margaret Ringia Hart Design, www.mermadeart.com Graphic Arts Studio Printing, www.gasink.net

On the front cover Student portrait artwork

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h e a d’s l e t t e r

“NORTH SHORE IS NOT JUST A SCHOOL, WE ARE A LEARNING COMMUNITY.” In February we enjoyed a wonderful community evening when we celebrated The Benefit 2019: Because of a Teacher. This annual event is an opportunity for the North Shore community to gather together and support a particular aspect of the School. Last year, we raised funds to bolster student scholarship aid; this year to support the wonderful faculty and staff who inspire and care for our students every day. We are blessed with wonderful teachers at North Shore, especially since the nature of teaching and education has changed and our teachers are ensuring we keep apace — and lead.

Of course, our instructors teach core skills, concepts and knowledge as always, but teachers today must add to their toolkits a range of skill sets that were not always a part of standard teacher training.

Today, in addition to their core subject responsibilities, our teachers must know about brain science, mental health, learning differences, rapidly changing technology, cultural competency, risk management, classroom architecture, pedagogical theory, and food allergies and diabetes treatment. It’s fair to say that the job expectations for top-notch teachers have grown tremendously.

That’s because education itself is evolving at a dizzying rate. The days of lecture-based classes, the “sage on the stage” model of desks in rows and blackboards covered in information to memorize, are long gone. North Shore Country Day was born with innovative teaching as part of its DNA, but the rapid acceleration and diffusion of 21st Century instruction is changing the nature of school itself.

Take, for instance, the transformation of the Hall Library and Conant Science Center we started in March. We have

1 Vasu Surakanti ’29 2 Raven Rumbolt-Lemond ’21, Emmy Cho ’20, Anita Rao ’21 and Kate McKown ’21 3 First Grade Science Class 4 Buddy Day 5 Emily Weil ’19 6 Noah Youderian ’24 and David Jackson ’24

always worked to be ahead of the curve in the way architecture shapes our approach to education. Consider our Upper School building, intentionally renovated into a cutting-edge learning space. It has helped transform the Upper School and has had an impact across the entire School.

That work continues. Thanks to a comprehensive and forward-thinking campus master-planning process last fall—led by architect Trung Le, the visionary who redesigned the Upper School—we were well-prepared when a frozen pipe f looded the Science Center and Library in late January. The plans we had recently received from Le and his colleagues at 180 Studio proposed physical changes to campus that ref lect not only the project-based, experiential, collaborative teaching-andlearning methodology we practice and aspire to, but also the balance of tradition and innovation that have always defined our School. The Library and Science Center are now the beneficiaries of this strategy and the next step of our evolution.

But has all learning changed?

Something like poetry, for example, must be pretty static, right? We read Tintern Abbey or Sylvia Plath, and we analyze and interpret it. Not so fast! Poetry, of course, has always been part of a North Shore education, but witness two innovations in the articles inside. Alex Carrigan ’20 (page 20) not only wrote her own poetry collection last fall, but published it on Apple’s iBooks. Thanks to the digital revolution, anyone in the world can download it, enabling broader access for both poets and readers. We are even enjoying entirely new styles and forms of spoken poetry on campus through the Louder than a Bomb club (page 20). Connecting to a larger Chicagobased movement, our students’ slam poetry works are reorienting our conception of poetry and its relationship to the public.

Of course, our teachers help students understand “traditional” poetry, but they are also helping them create and transform their own thinking about the creative process and communication to ref lect the modern world. Our students find their voices.

And what a wonderfully vibrant and diverse group of voices it is! Our cover story on diversity at North Shore (page 4) ref lects the changes to our School, our society and to education. This year, 540 students attend North Shore, JK-12, from 37 different Chicagoland zip codes. Every one is gloriously unique, bringing individual backgrounds and experiences to School each day. Every one enriches each other’s learning just by showing up and engaging in the transformative learning environment we’ve built over 100 years.

Our nation and our School have never been so demographically diverse, and that fact presents remarkable opportunities and significant challenges. Modern education today must engage those opportunities and challenges every day, working more than ever to help students understand their worlds and the vast range of people within it. That work happens intentionally, in the curriculum and daily life of School, and it happens unintentionally, in those moments when understanding breaks down or friction occurs. Both are tremendous learning opportunities and they ref lect that the missions of schools like North Shore include not only academic knowledge or skills, but the social, emotional and cultural understandings that allow us to realize our full potentials as students and citizens.

We are committed as an institution to ensuring that we are a diverse, equitable, inclusive place for all members of the North Shore community. It is important, difficult work. We may not always get it right, but we will keep trying.

I always like to say that North Shore is not just a school, we are a learning community. Both parts of that dyad are constantly changing, each acting as an accelerant on the other. No surprise, then, that the pillars of the North Shore experience—purposeful challenge, intentional design, courageous exploration, and conscientious community—stand tall, even as our School evolves and gets even stronger.

—Tom Flemma, Head of School

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FOSTERING AND EMBRACING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY Any school that is 100 years old has surely changed over the course of its history. While so many things at North Shore Country Day remain gloriously familiar—its close JK-12 community, the centrality of the arts, participation in athletics, rigorous academics, “Live and Serve”—much has evolved with the times.

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Josephine O'Brien ’27, Kami Day ’27, Nikash Bawa ’27 and Colin Wiercinski ’27

Our physical campus, for example, is continuously updated as the requirements of modern education demand.

The same is true of the student and family population. The “face” of North Shore, and of most independent schools in the United States, has changed over the past few decades. Our students, faculty and families have become demonstrably more diverse—in myriad ways. Today, about 30 percent of our 540 students and about 15 percent of our faculty and staff are people of color. These statistics ref lect the evolving demographics of Illinois and America, the growing body of evidence that diverse environments lead to better learning outcomes, and our mission and values.

The benefits of this shift are undeniable. Research has repeatedly shown that creativity and innovation increase by spending time in diverse groups, including a cross-section of race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, political affiliation, sexual orientation and gender identity. “The fact is that if you want to build teams or organizations capable of innovating, you need diversity,” wrote Katherine W. Phillips, a professor and senior vice dean at Columbia Business School, in an article published in Scientific American in October 2014. “Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem solving. Diversity can improve the bottom line of companies and lead to unfettered discoveries and breakthrough innovations. Even simply being exposed to diversity can change the way you think.”

While Phillips is referring to diversity in the workplace, the same applies to independent schools like North Shore.

According to Head of School Tom Flemma, there has been a real emphasis in recent years on fostering diversity in independent schools, many of which have been more traditionally homogenous. “That trend is accelerating,” he said. “It’s very much mirroring what’s happened in higher education over the last generation.”

Still, for many years after its founding, the School community remained mostly unvaried ethnically and racially. The first black students, Karen Spencer Kelly ’76 and Teel Spencer Miller ’72, were admitted in 1963. A handful of other African American families enrolled over the next decade, but the School remained predominantly white. Much has changed in recent years as the School has grown.

Not only has the geographic range of the student body widened—students travel from as far north as Beach Park near the Research has repeatedly Wisconsin border and as far south as Beverly—but one of the fastest-growing shown that creativity and populations over the past five years has innovation increase by been families of color from Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth and Glencoe. spending time in diverse “Building a diverse community is groups, including a crossimportant,” Tom explained. “It’s the right thing to do. We are blessed with section of race, ethnicity, tremendous resources, and making sure religion, socio-economic those resources are accessible and affordable to the broadest range of motivated stustatus, political affiliation, dents is part of our mission and values. sexual orientation and It’s also the smart thing to do. The more diverse your team, the better the outcomes. gender identity.

As we talk about the core competencies we want our students at North Shore to When North Shore opened its doors graduate with, one is cultural competency. in 1919, Headmaster Perry Dunlap Smith Preparing our kids for the world ahead is and the founding families were committed our number-one task, and graduating to economic diversity. In fact, Smith would students who are curious about their only agree to take the position if the Board world, empathetic, and able to collaborate of Trustees agreed to “do all that it could with the widest range of people is vital to do to take into the School all pupils whose our work and their futures.” For this families believed in its principles” regard- reason, “Fostering a Culture of Inclusion, less of their financial situation, and he Collaboration and Kindness” is one believed that North Shore would only the central pillars of the 2017-2022 reach its full potential and live up to its Strategic Plan. mission if its students represented a “cross-section of the community.” a c o r n · Spring 2019 5

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Upper School Science Teacher Joan Ryder

AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY AND CURRICULUM

Simply increasing diversity is not enough to accomplish these goals, however. North Shore also strives to create an inclusive community where all people are treated with respect and dignity, where multiple perspectives and experiences are welcome, and where students from all backgrounds can succeed. That’s why the traditional shorthand of “diversity” has expanded to include equity and inclusion as goals for educational institutions.

These goals are furthered by programming in each of North Shore’s three divisions. Each year, the School has a central theme for its equity, diversity and inclusion work; this year’s theme is “You Belong.” Teachers approach these efforts differently, in developmentally appropriate ways.

In the Lower School, students learn about these topics through the Kaleidoscope program, when they gather a few times a month to engage around common themes such as race, gender, family structure and identity. The curriculum is both informed by and rooted in the Lower School’s five key words of community: inclusion, kindness, respect, integrity and compassion.

Lower School Spanish Teacher Winder Holeman and 1st Grade Teacher Anya Leist serve as Kaleidoscope committee coordinators, and also sit on the JK-12 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council.

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They work with other teachers to ensure that the Kaleidoscope lessons are differentiated, and are geared to the grade-level, experience and maturity of the students.

Students in junior and senior kindergarten would have different materials than 5th graders, for example, but they all benefit from discussing similar topics.

“Kaleidoscope provides a window for us to look into other cultures and backgrounds and identities that may not be so prominent in this area,” Anya explained.

“And it helps us begin to teach our students about social justice. We have a lot of privilege in this area, so that makes learning about poverty and hunger and homelessness challenging because the students don’t see that in their daily lived experience. So we’re teaching them about these issues and the fact that they exist, but also finding the balance—not positioning ourselves as saviors for people facing these challenges, but just valuing their story because no matter who you are and what your circumstances, your story deserves to be shared.”

At any age, students can learn through conversations with each other in a guided environment. The Kaleidoscope time and the differentiated curriculum provide a venue to do this.

“Children can be so unfiltered in the best way, and their authentic perception just comes right out,” Anya explained. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for a teacher to either take something a student has said that’s profound and share it with the class, or to dig a little bit deeper. But it’s also a

time where you’re going to have that student who says something without thinking and hurts their friend’s feelings. And to have the ability to refocus and to root those conversations in the Lower School’s five words helps us build that foundation that we can refer back to when we have a student who’s made a mistake.”

In the Middle School, students meet monthly during the 9:30 block to dive into the equity, diversity and inclusion curriculum, which was first introduced in 2016 after Humanities Teachers Elizabeth Kindig and Sarah Walsh, Social Studies Teacher Dana Specht and former Spanish Teacher Sarah Muñoz received a summer curriculum grant to develop it. Each year, with the help of additional summer curriculum grants, they’ve fine-tuned the material and added a grade, so now 6th, 7th and 8th graders have different lessons that build on each other from year to year.

There is a different theme for each month, and the lesson for each grade generally focuses on the same theme. However, as students get older, they are able to dig more deeply into the topics.

Each year, the School has a central theme for its equity, diversity and inclusion work; this year’s theme is “You Belong.”

Teachers approach these efforts differently, in developmentally appropriate ways.

“For instance, in January, each grade talked about privilege, the idea that certain groups of people have varying access to resources or power,” Sarah explained.

“For 6th graders, it was an introduction to privilege—many of them had never even heard of the word. But after having three years of the curriculum, 8th graders were able to delve into more complicated material on the topic. By now they’ve developed the language to discuss this. They’ve developed ideas of how these different concepts work and look in our society and in our School.”

But even within the three Middle School grades, differentiating the curriculum can be a challenge. A lot depends on the diversity of the class, as well as students’ individual experiences and interest level. “Some kids are advanced in their knowledge of these topics, and they also love talking about it,” Dana said. “So they’re ready for really advanced conversation, where other kids are not. And, quite frankly, some teachers are ready and prepared to lead really complex conversations on some topics but not others.”

To help alleviate some of that, the faculty leaders changed the way teachers facilitated the lessons. Originally, teachers only worked with the grades they taught.

But this year, teachers could sign up for the lessons they wanted to lead. “So if they were more interested in talking about race or gender or sexuality, they could sign up for those lessons,” Sarah explained. “If they weren’t comfortable with that, they would choose something else. And that’s been really powerful.”

In the Upper School, issues of equity, diversity and inclusion are being addressed through “House meetings”.

The Upper School is divided into four separate groups for discussions throughout the year on various topics. This structure allows students from different grades to engage in conversations in groups larger than advisories, but smaller than the entire Upper School together. The first House curriculum was developed four years ago when current seniors were freshmen, and it focused on eight social identifiers that are commonly used to discuss

issues of inclusion in schools and elsewhere: ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. The lessons not only defined these terms but provided the vocabulary and venue to discuss how these categories shape all of our lives in unique, powerful ways, explained Assistant Head of Upper School and Upper School French Teacher Lynsey Wollin-Casey. Now, these lessons are incorporated into the Intro to Upper School course that all 9th graders are required to take. This year’s house meetings revolve around the School’s theme: “You Belong” and began by discussing what it means to belong in the United States and what it means to belong at North Shore.

This year's “House meetings” in Upper School began by discussing what it means to belong in the United States and what it means to belong at North Shore.

These are not just theoretical discussions. Last spring, leaders of the Black Student Union and Latinx Affinity Group

Tori Blair ’19, Nick Kohler ’19, Andrea Gomez ’19, Chris Aderupatan ’19 and Sam Schlunsen ’19

presented letters to administrators, detailing some of the challenges they’ve experienced as students of color during their time at NSCDS. The letters were intended to “begin a new dialogue and plant the seeds of change” that the students hoped to see in the School community and offered some suggestions on how to make North Shore a more inclusive and safer space for students of color. A series of meetings followed with administrators and teachers to plot next steps.

The Winter House workshops built upon the initial belonging conversations by introducing students to such concepts as understanding microaggressions, implicit bias and bystander intervention, and were a direct result of some of the issues brought up in the letters, explained Lynsey, who is also the chair of the JK-12 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council.

While she applauds the faculty and administration for wanting to educate the student body on these issues, Evelyn Nava ’19, one of the leaders of the Latinx Affinity Group, said it can be hard for students to fully engage in House meetings. “I think the faculty has good intentions,” she explained. “But when students hear the word ‘House meeting’ sometimes the response can be negative. So it’s really tricky to get students interested in what is being taught.”

Erik Cooper, Upper School Dean of Students, welcomes feedback from students about how to encourage participation and engagement. “These are tough conversations to have, and we understand that it might feel intimidating to speak up,”

Niabelle Comeau ’23 and Middle School Head Barry Fulton

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Carissa Schultz ’24, Ella Jain ’24 and Vivian Zhang ’24

acknowledge and operate cognizant of the differences we bring to the table.”

After researching a variety of options, the School decided on a tool called the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) in the fall of 2017. The following winter they selected Chere Nabor, a former diversity and inclusion executive for McDonald’s Corp. and Grainger, and a certified IDI administrator, as the consultant who would lead the School through the FA C U LT Y A N D S TA F F T R A I N I N G early stages of the program, and kicked off Feedback from several conversations and faculty and staff assessments in the spring. studies over the last few years all Toward the end of the 2017-18 school underscored the desire and need for year, returning faculty and staff received focused, sustained professional individual reports containing information development in equity, diversity and about their own orientations toward inclusion for administrators, faculty and cultural difference and commonality. staff. The need for this work was They also received information about their highlighted in the student letters and perceived orientation versus where they aligned with the professional development actually stood on the intercultural developinitiatives contained in the 2017-2022 ment continuum. After receiving this Strategic Plan. information, faculty and staff worked with “If we’re really committed to equity, Chere to develop year-long goals and a diversity and inclusion, there are both sysplan for achieving them. tems and individual pieces that we need to In addition to the individual work, work on as members of this community,” all faculty and staff are participating in explained Assistant Head of School and Professional Learning Communities, or Academic Dean Chris Boyle. “As we think PLCs, focused on one of four topics that about the individual piece of that, the idea align with their individual goals—buildof building intercultural competencies is ing cross-cultural communication skills; really at the core because if we can naviculturally responsive teaching; navigating gate difficult conversations and see things power, privilege and bias; and developing from other people’s perspectives, we’re a summer bridge program. The PLCs then going to find ourselves in the posimeet nine times over the course of the tion to work with individual students, famschool year. ilies and colleagues in ways that he acknowledges. He is proud that the entire North Shore faculty is enthusiastically supportive of the program, and believes it is vital that students are exposed to new perspectives and experiences. He explains, “The House conversations were created as a direct response to student feedback, and we have been working hard to create engaging, creative and compelling conversations.”

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A small group of North Shore faculty— Chris Boyle, Head of Middle School Barrington “Barry” Fulton Jr., Upper School English Teacher and Director of Service Learning and Community Service Drea Gallaga, Middle School Humanities Teacher David Kubacki, Anya Leist and Lynsey Wollin-Casey—completed IDI facilitator training and now make up the School’s IDI leadership team. They check in with other faculty and staff to obtain feedback about their PLCs and help with IDI goals, and eventually, they will be able to administer the inventory to new hires.

“My primary goal is to listen and learn about my colleagues,” Anya said. “I want to be helpful for them as they take steps toward achieving their goals and growing in their ability to meaningfully engage across cultures.” This work has been significant and will provide an excellent base for continued conversation and development amongst the faculty and staff.

In addition to helping current faculty and staff grow in their cross-cultural awareness, North Shore also is committed to hiring and retaining more people of color.

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

It is now undisputed in schools that truly serving all students demands that the faculty ref lects the diversity of the student body as much as possible. That means that in addition to helping current faculty and staff grow in their cross-cultural awareness, North Shore also is committed to hiring and retaining more people of color, which has been a challenge over the years for a number of reasons. While the student body is about 30 percent diverse, the percentage of faculty and staff of color is about half that.

“Having faculty and staff with diversity and dimension ref lects the world in which our students will operate when they leave North Shore,” Chris said. “And it gives them the opportunity to both gain from those experiences and perspectives, but

also to come to understand that there’s a range of what adulthood can look like.”

And while racial or ethnic diversity is one key piece, creating a truly diverse faculty goes beyond that. The School is also looking for faculty who are atypical for their grade level or subject area—for example, male Lower School teachers or female science and math teachers. To state it simply, it’s crucial for students to have adults around whom they can relate to in some way.

“As the student body diversifies, it’s important for our students to see people who look like them and people who understand their different experiences,” Tom Flemma explained. “It doesn’t mean our white faculty can’t be amazing guides and mentors and confidants, it just adds another dimension of understanding and experience that makes us stronger as a whole.”

When it comes to teacher recruitment, one of the things the hiring team is focusing on is diversifying the sourcing of

Brady Phillips ’25 and Sophia Medvin ’25

potential candidates. Thanks to a new partnership with LinkedIn, which includes recruiter access, the School can be more proactive about identifying and engaging with candidates who may be a good fit and making them aware of openings at North Shore.

The School also takes advantage of several job fairs that attract diverse candidates, including the Carney, Sandoe and Associates hiring conference and diversity forum in Philadelphia; the Diversity Job Fair in Chicago, sponsored

by Latin School of Chicago, Francis W. Parker School and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools; and the Education Job Fair, hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University and DePaul University.

Two years ago, Chris and Lynsey attended a conference on implicit and cognitive bias, and hiring for cultural competencies, which helped them begin to revamp the interviewing process. And just recently they were joined by Mathematics

Department Head Brian Frederick, English Department Head David Grossman and Head of Lower School Tim Sheehan at a conference in Lake Forest on hiring and retaining diverse faculty.

"As the student body diversifies, it’s important for our students to see people who look like them and people who understand their different experiences.”

–TOM FLEMMA

This training has helped teachers and administrators to challenge the sometimes fuzzy but always important idea of what “fit” is when hiring, Lynsey explained. Of course, the School wants new hires to be a “good fit” at North Shore, but too narrow of a definition of that concept can be an obstacle to diversifying our faculty and staff. In expanding the idea of fit, the School strives to hire faculty who are committed to its mission and, through their work, curriculum and life experiences provide both windows and mirrors to the students. “We want our kids to have lots of people to go to,” Lynsey said. “I’ve heard many people over the years say, ‘I don’t teach a subject or a grade level, I teach kids.’ Well if we’re really going to teach kids, we have to teach all parts of their identity.”

Creating an inclusive community at North Shore is difficult but rewarding work, explained Tom. And it’s crucial to the future success of the students. “North Shore in 2019 is more diverse than perhaps any time in its history, but we still have room to grow,” he explained. “We are proud of our community and of the learning that is happening every day in our classrooms and hallways. It is substantive and textured—and complex. We have always aspired to be an exceptional community, and that will never change. We are leaning into the challenging work of making North Shore the strongest, most inclusive community it can be.”

Razaan Ghazi ’25 and Becky Winkler ’25

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Get Ready to Celebrate As we prepare to celebrate the Centennial year of North Shore Country Day School, we honor the vision of our founding families and Headmaster Perry Dunlap Smith.

What matters most guided us in 1919, as it does in 2019.

We are in the midst of finalizing plans for our Centennial celebration, beginning with Commencement for our 100th graduating class on June 7. Here are just a few teasers of what to expect in 2019-2020.

CENTENNIAL EVENTS J U LY 4 , 2 0 1 9

Winnetka 4th of July Parade SEPTEMBER 27-28, 2019* Homecoming/Alumni Weekend and Reunions, including a barbecue, Special Centennial programs and exhibits, and more!

OCTOBER 2, 2019

Founder’s Day WINTER/SPRING 2020

Centennial Benefit M A R C H 5 - 7, 2 0 2 0 Spring Musical, Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance SPRING 2020 All-School Family Picnic *See Page 42

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The year will also include lectures, exhibitions and student-led projects to highlight and celebrate our first 100 years. Watch for a Centennial link on our website nscds.org and check back frequently for more details, fun facts, historical archives and Centennial merchandise.

HISTORY BOOK In 1919, North Shore Country Day School was born from the hearts of a group of Winnetka families and the leadership of an education visionary, Perry Dunlap Smith.

Together they created more than a school; they built a community of teachers, students and families, that has thrived and endured as a model of learning, living and serving for 100 years. This milestone is being celebrated in a limited-edition book.

Our School is a tapestry of people and ideas woven into a singular, lasting vision. In this history we honor the weavers—the students, teachers, parents, staff, administrators, thinkers and doers, change agents and dreamers—who have created an indelible model for learning thread by thread.

Connecting the past and present with hundreds of photos, the rich story of North Shore Country Day is revealed through facts, quotes and anecdotal stories honoring the ongoing legacy of one of the most highly rated progressive schools in the United States—where each student has a voice, is known and is valued.

In order to include this iconic Centennial year in the School’s history, the book will be published in the spring of 2020. Watch for information on how to preorder your copy in the fall of 2019.

Years with Us!

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Free Spirit Media Trio

Jeff McCarter ’88

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eff McCarter graduated from North Shore in 1988 and went on to become an Emmy Award-winning producer, cameraman, director and editor. Early on in his career, however, he realized he was looking for something more meaningful.

“At some point, commercial production, while very creative, was also very limiting.

Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to make images to sell products just left me feeling empty,” he admitted. He also saw a lack of diversity in the workforce

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Meera Sinha ’02 and content, and understanding the power of media, believed it needed to be more inclusive and equitable.

He stumbled into the world of youth and community media through his love of basketball, which inspired him to create Hoops High—a teen-led sports broadcasting project on Chicago’s West Side. The program caught fire when Westinghouse High School won the state championship in 2002, and suddenly their cable access show had tens of thou-

Andre Lodree ’96 sands of viewers. Jeff found the work more interesting than anything he’d done in the commercial world.

“It was about activating and amplifying voices that were not being recognized,” he explained. “So we created Free Spirit Media as a very open platform for young people to explore media and turn their dreams into reality.”

While Jeff was busy making dreams come true in North Lawndale, Free Spirit Media Operations Director Andre

feature Lodree ’96 was making his mark in the Chicago nonprofit world. His extensive work encompassed a range of organizations including membership, social service, education and faith-based.

“ I love that we are in a position to lead the conversation about diversity and inclusion.”

—ANDRE LODREE ’96 By pure coincidence, Andre applied for a job at Free Spirit Media, not realizing Jeff was also a North Shore alumnus until his interview. He’d mostly worked in larger nonprofits and wanted to make more of a direct impact with this work, and was drawn to Free Spirit’s approach.

“It was a turning point in my career,” he said. “I wanted to give back to the black and brown communities. I love that we are in a position to lead the conversation about diversity and inclusion, and to help media companies see the advantages of being more diverse. The Chicago film industry has really accepted us. I’m excited and proud to be working here.”

Andre is impressed by the resilience of Free Spirit’s participants. “There are hundreds of factors that can prevent them from staying on track—family issues, life issues. They have a lot to deal with at a very young age. They’re still getting up every day and getting out there and striving,” he marveled. “It’s amazing to see.

There are strikes against them before they even walk in the door and they don’t let obstacles get in their way.”

Andre also experienced challenges as a youth. When he attended North Shore, his family lived in the suburb of Maywood, and he had to wake up at five o’clock every morning to get to school—taking two trains to Winnetka.

“It really laid the foundation for me about work ethic,” he shared. “My parents were intentional about sending me to North Shore, and I was always taught to give back to the community. Make sure you’re not just helping yourself—that you

help your people, your community. ‘Live and Serve.’ I’ve worked in nonprofits my whole career because it’s something that’s stayed with me. It stuck.”

Both he and Jeff vividly remember North Shore’s focus on diversity and inclusion. Jeff recalls that he had “a little bit of a culture shock moving to the North Shore from a small country town, coming to a place of such aff luence. I really appreciated how I was welcomed,” he said. “I remember the time Gwendolyn Brooks spoke and read poetry at Morning Ex. It was just incredible. Mind opening. It was that commitment to learning beyond the bubble of Chicago’s North Shore that really came through for me.”

Jeff also remembered studying homelessness during Interim Week, as well as the first time he researched the old Maxwell Street Market neighborhood.

Andre recalls going to Paris one year and studying Route 66 another. “Those things really opened your eyes to the rest of the world and let you understand that there’s more to life than just what’s in front of you. The more you know about issues first hand, the more equipped you are to help others. There is a reason I took the train there for years,” he emphasized.

Free Spirit Media Board Member Meera Sinha ’02, has had a different career trajectory, but her years at North Shore also had a significant impact on her. “What’s unique about North Shore is the emphasis on doing things you might not feel comfortable with, or necessarily be good at. I had the opportunity to experience a lot of things I wouldn’t necessarily have been able to try otherwise,” she explained.

Free Spirit Media was her first job out of college and, like Andre, she didn’t know that Jeff was a fellow alumnus before she applied. She had studied film at Duke and was attracted to Free Spirit because she was interested in hearing voices she hadn’t heard, and wanted to learn how she could help young people of color amplify their voices. She connected this desire directly to her time at North Shore.

“I remember feeling that my voice mattered, that I had a seat at the table.

This sense was instilled in me there from a pretty young age. It was powerful in my own identity development—and there was also a curiosity that was sparked in me. Whose voices am I not hearing?

Who’s not at the table that I’m at?” she contemplated.

Meera’s work at Free Spirit had a powerful impact on her career development— she arrived interested in film and left interested in education. She went on to study early childhood development and is currently at Wildf lower, an organization that helps Montessori teachers create and run their own socioeconomically and racially diverse schools. She and Jeff kept in touch over the years and she joined the board of directors a few years ago.

“The Free Spirit board is incredible.

It’s very diverse and isn’t just folks in the media industry—we have a full range of ages, cultures and perspectives. Some members are past participants who have created amazing lives for themselves and started their own businesses, or who have done some really interesting media work,” she declared.

What Jeff finds most rewarding is the impact he sees when encountering past participants in his North Lawndale neighborhood. “They navigate the world with a creative lens and think critically about media as a force that can be very manipulative. They go on to teach their family members and peers about how to use media as a force for good.”

“ Stories are such a powerful way to learn about each other.”

—JEFF MCCARTER ’88 There is an undeniable shared ethos between Jeff, Andre and Meera: that it is critical to listen to voices outside of your own community and that all voices matter.

“Stories are such a powerful way to learn about each other,” Jeff said. “And the stories our young people are making open a door into different lived experiences, but they also illuminate what we have in common, and there’s a very strong sense of human dignity and honor in that.”

To learn more, volunteer, or attend their FOCUS 2019 fundraiser on May 30, visit their website at www.freespiritmedia.org.

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ac a demics Library Renovation Underway In the early morning hours of February 1, following two days of sub-zero temperatures that closed the School, a water pipe burst in the Science Center on the second f loor and f looded the Hall Library below.

Director of Operations Cindy Hooper and the maintenance department rushed to fix the break and call in recovery services to move the books and materials housed in the library to climate controlled facilities off site. The next phase brought in industrial dehumidifiers and other water extraction equipment to pull as much water out of the space as possible.

“The Library sits in the heart of our campus and serves all of our students in grades JK-12 on a daily basis. It was a total shock and devastating loss, but our librarians and teachers did heroic work to minimize disruption to classwork,” Cindy said.

What started as a disaster has turned into an opportunity. According to Head of School Tom Flemma, “The Board of Trustees moved swiftly to address this

event and charged the School administration and faculty with the modernization and re-imagining of the library space to ref lect modern pedagogy and design.

Fortuitously, this work had already begun as part of our campus master planning initiative. Our new, modern library will be based on the conceptual plans done by Trung Le and his team at 180 Studio. Le’s team is partnering with Eckenoff Saunders Architects to design and build a space that will serve our students now and into the future. We have contracted with Valenti Builders to perform the work on an expedited basis.”

In the meantime, a modular unit has been set up in the Middle School parking lot to house a portion of the library program for the rest of the school year. The library has been completely gutted and renovation work began during Spring Break. The goal is to have a fully transformed and modernized space when the students return to school in the fall.

In the next three months, contractors will carefully perform work—to minimize disruption to the school day—including demolition and reconfiguration of many of the School’s infrastructure systems that run through this building. On June 10, the first day of summer break, the scope of work and size of crews will expand to accomplish the project in time for the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.

“The unanticipated f lood of the Hall Library has provided us with an unexpected opportunity to accelerate our existing plans to reimagine this crucial learning space at the heart of our campus,” explained Tom. “Ref lecting the latest educational thinking, it will have a variety of spaces to accommodate our existing program and expand the way we teach and learn.”

Visit our website nscds.org and get updates under About Us > Library Renovation.

Construction In Progress

Library Devastation

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The view from the Library to the Science Center

Sydney Kalainov ’23 and Alicia Isasi ’23, “Untitled” (Collaborative Painting)

Emilise Comeau ’24, “Live and Serve”

Blythe Brock ’25, “Untitled”

Art Studio Doors are Open Within minutes of finishing a hasty lunch, the excited voices of a group of 10-15 Middle Schoolers can be heard thundering up the steps to the Middle School art studio. Middle School Visual Art Teacher Keith Sklar couldn’t be happier.

“I offer this time to students for exploring art in the studio. It isn’t an art club or a class that has a beginning and an end.

And it’s not just for ‘art’ kids but any Middle School students who are curious about art,” he explained.

Sydney Kalainov ’23 and Alicia Isasi ’23 were among the first to take advantage of the open studio time during recess. “We used to be the only ones, but it has grown in popularity,” they said. “We go every recess and sometimes after school. We like spending time together, and it’s fun to create something that looks good.”

Keith doesn’t prepare lessons for them, preferring they choose for themselves what to do. He just welcomes them into

the studio and they quickly, eagerly, noisily, excitedly pick up where they presumably left off. He answers their questions, provides the art supplies, circulates to see what they are working on, gives feedback or pushes them to try something out of their comfort zone they haven’t tried before. And while the students may not realize it, they are learning about art and themselves.

“When Middle School art became a trimester elective, I wanted to see how art could f low through the entire year,” Keith ref lected. “As long as this open studio model doesn’t interfere with the students’ classes, assignments and schedules, they can come in anytime they want.”

Students are welcomed into the studio whenever they have free time, even if that is while he is teaching a class. Depending on the day, there can be 4-15 students during recess, consultancy or from 3-5 p.m. after school. “It’s more work for me, but

it’s great—just what I wanted it to be.”

Emilise Comeau ’24 prefers going to the art studio instead of recess because she “doesn’t like the cold outside and it’s a good way to calm myself down, putting my feelings into painting.” She also said she especially enjoys the peacefulness in the studio after school. “When it’s quiet, it gives me a clear mindset. I listen to music and it’s very calming—especially when I have a lot of homework. It helps me prepare and focus on the work I need to do when I get home.”

Keith is also initiating more opportunities to embed art in other classes. He collaborated with 7th grade Humanities Teacher David Kubacki to create an interdisciplinary presentation for 7th graders before a field trip to the DuSable Museum of African American History. He also has worked with other Middle School teachers to incorporate art into math, French, history and Shakespeare projects.

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ac a demics

Joy Zhou ’20 and Elise Gupta ’20 with fellow students in Saint-Malo, France

Saint-Malo Exchange Program This year marks the 10th anniversary of North Shore Country Day School’s partnership with Lycée Les Rimains in SaintMalo, France. The long-standing culture and language exchange program provides an opportunity for North Shore students to immerse themselves in French culture and language through a reciprocal homestay, during which students attend classes at the high school and participate in a variety of activities around Saint-Malo, a port city in Brittany in northwest France.

For students, the program is a one-ofa-kind experience. It requires them to step out of their comfort zone, embrace new ways of doing things and take risks on a new scale. North Shore’s mission is to prepare students to become “self-confident, ethical citizens of the world.” And part of that means instilling in our students the ability to understand more deeply and belong within the outside world, able to ref lect and question their own selves in the process.

Many of the relationships the program has fostered over the years have endured and morphed into personal, educational and professional connections. Participating students have been inspired to study in France, either for a semester abroad or to pursue an undergraduate degree; many have gone back to visit their host families, bringing their own families along to 16

widen and strengthen their bond. Some of these relationships have opened doors to internships and professional opportunities.

“When we returned this year, I was struck by how much Les Rimains now feels like a home away from home,” said Upper School French Teacher Béatrice McKenna, who helped start the program at North Shore with Assistant Head of Upper School and Upper School French Teacher Lynsey Wollin-Casey. “I remembered the first time we set foot in Les Rimains High School, not knowing the lay of the land and relying on the staff there to guide us.

Throughout the years, we’ve been greeted by more and more familiar faces, and coming back to Les Rimains now feels like going to visit an ever-welcoming and attentive extended family.”

That close relationship is what sets the program apart from other experiences offered to our students, because it is customized at every stage of the program— from selecting and pairing participating students with host families to creating and refining the schedule, alternating between cultural activities, excursions and shadowing French students in their classes. While some features are recurring, like crossing the bay at Mont-Saint-Michel and visiting the D-Day Cemetery at Omaha Beach, the organizers strive to honor special interests

and respond to the feedback they receive from students.

Students are not the only ones who gain meaningful experience from these trips. For the faculty who chaperone, the visit to Saint-Malo serves as rich and formative professional development on many fronts. It’s an opportunity to foster a different kind of relationship with the students they teach, and an opportunity to get to know those they don’t. Once in SaintMalo, teachers (who are also hosted by Les Rimains faculty) are immersed in the language in a different pedagogical environment. While at school, they observe classes and discuss the many differences they see in the way the two schools operate. By gaining these different perspectives, they can engage more fully in their own practice and grow as educators.

Each year, participation in the program has grown. This year, 14 North Shore students visited Saint-Malo, and the School will host the same number from Les Rimains during Homecoming week in September 2019. NSCDS students who volunteer to host will be given priority when it is time for the next group to travel to Saint-Malo in 2020. Recruitment of host families is ongoing and anyone interested in hosting should contact Béatrice McKenna at bmkenna@nscds.org.

Cultivating Maker Minds Creating a culture of learning by doing is nothing new at NSCDS. Browsing through photos in our archives you’ll find students making and repairing toys before the holidays—a “Live and Serve” project to give to children in need that also involved math and hand-eye coordination. Students were even challenged to cut down a tree on campus with physics lessons interwoven.

Today, 5th grade students use 3D printers to make prototypes of devices designed to make life easier for people with disabilities. Meanwhile, all students in the Lower School develop an introductory understanding of coding as they program various types of robots, including Blue-Bot, Dash and Dot, and LEGO WeDo and Mindstorms. Ref lecting on his work with students in Tech Class, Lower School Teacher Jeff Shaw said, “I think it’s a great way to teach logical thinking and to see the results of your thinking in an interesting, fun way.” In Middle School, students produce gears for Rube Goldberg machines and applications for Science Olympiad projects. And Upper School technical theater students used a laser cutter to construct parts of the set for the Spring Musical Beauty and the Beast.

These lesson plans are intentionally designed to “embrace innovative educational practice by challenging the silos perpetuated by traditional academic disciplines,” according to our current Strategic Plan. “Furthermore, we will redefine and expand our notion of ‘classroom,’ adapt to the reality that educational technology advances in fast and unpredictable ways, foster creativity and imagination, and develop essential skills that will produce graduates who thrive in changing circumstances.”

Envisioning this kind of a program is one thing, but purchasing the technology and equipment needed for those lessons carries a hefty price. Two years ago, the 2017 Benefit planning committee foresaw the need and chose to raise funds to support this kind of experiential learning and technology. The theme of the event, “Experience NSCDS,” gave guests a glimpse into classroom lesson plans that engage students with some of the latest technology.

As a result of the evening’s emotional appeal, $60,000 was raised to purchase a new large-format laser cutter, three 3D

classroom printers and an additional nine LEGO Mindstorms EV-3 kits for the Lower School technology curriculum. The proceeds also supported faculty professional development including hiring an outside consultant to train 18 faculty and staff members on the laser cutter during two two-day workshops on campus, and two

“They were given a space where they were comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. The hurdle was going from two dimensions to three. It was really a great opportunity for the students to collaborate with each other to share ideas and solve problems—just like they would do if they were working at a company.”

Computer Science Teacher Arturo Garcia and John Sprenger ’21

Director of Educational Technology one-hour sessions on Maker Education Lucy Gray sees this as just the beginning during a professional development day. of integrating maker thinking into curricUpper School Mathematics ulum across the School. “Through profesDepartment Head and Teacher Brian sional development efforts, our teachers Frederick, led an Interim Week class have been inspired to apply their creativity using the laser cutter last November. “I knew we had this amazing machine and I when designing projects for students. We wanted to see what students could accom- are so fortunate to have equipment such as the laser cutter and 3D printers, and as our plish in a week. With Computer Science efforts to innovate grow, I expect to see an Teacher Arturo Garcia’s expertise, we increase in usage by students and faculty learned Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop across the board.” and melded it with what students have done in the classroom—understanding math, rotations, symmetry and the coordinate plane.

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ac a demics “The Power of One” Students are no longer content to sit on the sidelines, remaining silent on topics that affect them and their world. Front and center right now are issues involving gun violence at schools, and racial, ethnic and religious inequality and profiling.

Not only are high school students across the nation raising their voices, so are middle school students. Recently, seven North Shore Country Day Middle School 7th and 8th-grade students were invited to attend the Student Leadership Day at the Illinois Holocaust Museum on February 20.

Attending the “Power of One” program were Middle School Student Council Executive Board members Hadley Ake ’23, Ella Capozzi ’23, Niabelle Comeau ’23, Hugo Hourihane ’23, Syd LeSage ’23, Junnah Quraishi ’23 and Noah Youderian ’24, along with 477 7th and 8th grade students from 67 schools around Chicagoland.

The program, “The Power of One: Choosing to Make a Difference,” was designed to challenge students to think about lessons that can be learned from the past, empowering them to stand against indifference and injustice today. According to the Museum, “students leave with increased knowledge and new tools and resources that emphasize the importance of standing up against injustice and bigotry. The program offers participants an opportunity to engage with diverse peers and participate in discussions about perspectives other than their own, increasing their self-efficacy, potential for learning, and ability to return to their communities to promote greater acceptance and understanding.”

The designated keynote speaker was David Hogg, March for Our Lives cofounder, activist and Stoneman Douglas High School alumnus. As a senior at the high school in Parkland, Florida, David survived the largest school shooting in American history on February 14, 2018.

Having lost friends, classmates and teachers, David decided to take action so no other young person would have to experience what he went through on that fateful day.

Joining with his friends from the school, David organized one of the largest mass mobilizations of youth against gun violence that this nation has ever seen on March 24, 2018. (Hadley and Junnah helped plan the walkout at NSCDS.) 18

Hugo Hourihane ’23, Noah Youderian ’24, Ella Capozzi ’23, Syd LeSage ’23, Hadley Ake ’23, Niabelle Comeau ’23, and Junnah Quraishi ’23 at “The Power of One”

second semester. This course serves as an introduction to topics in the experience of black Americans, focusing on African and African American culture, the slave trade, the lasting impacts of slavery and emancipation in the Americas, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, 20th century social relations, and struggles for civil rights in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will discuss, write about and develop projects on topics that include privilege and racism, cultural appropriation, the development and cultural significance of African American New Upper School Courses vernacular English, historical and contemFour new courses will be offered next year porary economic implications of racism, mass incarceration and exploring the hisin the Upper School, giving students the torical roots of contemporary themes in opportunity to explore special topics in the black American experience. social studies and science.

Essentials of Human Anatomy and Latinx Studies: History, Culture and Physiology 1 is the first course in a twoPolitics of Latinx Peoples in the United semester sequence including language of States will be offered to juniors and seniors during first semester. The course anatomy, homeostasis, the study of structure and function of cells, tissues, and the will introduce students to the experience of Latinx people in the United States from integumentary, skeletal, muscular and digestive systems. The course also introthe time of Spanish colonization to the duces common human disease processes. present. While history will be a major A laboratory component includes anatomifocus of the course, contemporary issues cal studies using microscopy and dissecwill also serve as a window into the modtion and the study of physiological ern Latinx experience. Through written and project-based learning, the course will concepts via experimentation. Dissection of a cat or mink may be utilized to examine historical and contemporary experiences of transit, migration, exile and enhance student understanding of the muscular, skeletal and digestive systems. forced dispossessions of Latinx people.

Essentials of Human Anatomy and Students will acquire a broad, panoramic Physiology 2 is the second of a two-semesperspective on the Latinx collective and ter sequence including the study of the individual experience. Concepts such as nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymidentity, post-colonialism, borderlands, phatic/immune, respiratory, urinary and immigration, labor and gender/sexuality will be unpacked to better understand the reproductive systems including common human disease processes. The laboratory ways Latinx people have been positioned, component includes anatomical studies subjugated, survived and have succeeded using microscopy and dissection, and the in the United States. study of physiological concepts via African American Studies: History, Culture and Politics of Black America will experimentation. be offered to juniors and seniors in the

Unfortunately, David’s f light to Chicago was canceled due to weather. While disappointing, Middle School Humanities Teacher Sarah Walsh said, “There were some positives to the day. The program leaders worked with students from other schools to create awareness campaigns about issues facing young people today.

Our students also spent some time working together to discuss issues facing North Shore.”

accomplishmen t s

By Livvy Whitmore ’19

By Alessandro Colzi-Risaliti ’19

Rita Obelleiro, Lorenzo Lopes ’19, Alessandro Colzi-Risaliti ’19, Lydia Lane ’19, Sheridan Tyson ’19 and Livvy Whitmore ’19

By Ashley Cotter ’20

Upper School Artists Receive Awards Providing opportunities for Upper School visual art students to enter competitions is an important element of the program.

And while it may create more work for Visual Art Department Chair and Upper School teacher Rita Obelleiro, she says, “It is important for student-artists to have opportunities to exhibit and share their work with the greater public. By submitting their artwork to a jury, young artists take risks beyond the School art classroom; by exhibiting and sharing their work, they welcome personal growth and engage in relevant cultural exchanges.”

Illinois High School Art Exhibition

For the first time, North Shore Upper School students participated in the Illinois High School Art Exhibition (IHSAE), a competitive show that featured an impressive number of student works from all over Chicago, including 20 artworks from our students. The show opened on January 24 and was on display through the first weekend of March.

The IHSAE was established three years ago by a group of Illinois art educators who believe the visual arts are a powerful force in culture and education and that it enriches the lives and endeavors of humankind. Their mission is to advance art education for young people by providing art exhibition and education opportunities that celebrate students’ artistic achievement, promote mastery and ingenuity in learning, and facilitate post-secondary opportunities.

This year’s “Best of the Best” general exhibition on display at Zhou B Gallery in Chicago featured works from five North Shore students: Evelyn Nava ’19, Hal Phillips ’21, Eloise Richards ’20, Justin Hartley ’19 and Joy Zhou ’20. The IHSAE received over 2,500 submissions for consideration for the General Exhibition and selected works by more than 500 student artists for exhibition.

In addition, the works of 10 NSCDS seniors were selected for the Senior Exhibition. Their work was on display at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago.

A special reception was held on February 24 that included a College Recruitment Fair where students could learn about educational opportunities, admission procedures, financial aid, portfolio reviews, entrance requirements, and more by meeting and developing relationships with college representatives.

Last year, the IHSAE facilitiated over $43 million in tuition scholarship offers to 312 seniors. This year, participating North Shore seniors were offered $1,134,592 in tuition assistance and received an award for being one of the few schools to receive over one million dollars in scholarship offers. Seniors who participated include Alex Arenson, Ben Berghammer, Malcolm Hansell, Lorenzo Lopes, Alessandro Colzi Risaliti, Martina Colzi Risaliti, Anna Roszak, Sheridan Tyson and Livvy Whitmore.

Scholastic Art Awards

Ashley Cotter ’20 received a Gold Key Art Award for her “Char À Voil” photo, Alessandro Colzi Risaliti ’19 received a Gold Key Art Award for his “The Last Breath” photo and Malcolm Hansell ’19 a Silver Key Art Award for his “American Party” painting from The 2019 Scholastic Art and Writing awards competition.

In addition, Alessandro received a full scholarship to Drexel University based on his photography portfolio.

The mission of the organization is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Through the Awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.

Students across America submitted nearly 350,000 original works this year in 29 different categories of art and writing.

Teens in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) from public, private or home schools can apply in 29 categories of art and writing for their chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited and published.

Other North Shore students receiving Honorable Mention were: Alex Arenson ’19, Martina Colzi ’19, Betsey Freiburger ’19, Lydia Lane ’19, Lorenzo Lopez ’19 and Joy Zhou ’20.

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accomplishmen t s

Lorenzo Lopes ’19

It was also his first time competing in the over 21 division, which he qualified for because he turned 18 before the competition. He was happy to place 5th in the tournament which makes him an alternate, but he is not expecting to make the team this year.

“Athletes take a lot of caution because they don’t want to get hurt and understand that someone will take your spot if you do,” he explained. “But I’m extremely proud of myself because I was the youngest person in the over 21 division.”

Lorenzo has been incredibly busy this year competing around the world—he traveled to Denmark before Colorado Springs and may fight in Anaheim, California this summer. Next year, he will begin college at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. and plans to continue training at a local club.

National Judo Championships Lorenzo Lopes ’19 has been practicing judo for over 12 years, but it was not love at first sight. When he was younger, he thought karate looked more exciting and was not thrilled about judo's focus on discipline. But now he is grateful that his mom encouraged him to stick with it because it has become much more than a sport for him. He won his first tournament at age 11 and has not looked back since.

“I adopted it as a whole lifestyle,” he shares. “It’s something that defines who I am.” He embodies the judo moral code throughout the day and focuses on respecting others’ time and being kind.

Judo literally translates to “gentle way” and demands both physical prowess and great mental discipline. The martial art has helped Lorenzo develop self control and became a form of meditation for him. Training every day is also a big stress reliever.

In early March, he was elated to compete for the first time in the USA Judo Youth National Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is an annual Olympic-level tournament, and he was joined by other youth he trains with at Wolf Judo, located at the Menomonee Judo Club. He has been with his coach Brett Wolf for years and has also enjoyed training alongside guest coaches Ruben Martin of Texas and Shingo Uto of Japan.

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the seventh poem she ever wrote. “It is one of my favorite poems. I really liked the line and I thought it had a cool vibe to it,” she explains.

Milk and Honey was the first publication by Rupi Kaur that she read. “I’ve always written stories or come up with stories in my head,” she explains. “I used to take writing classes with my aunt, who is an author, and I would always find it really fun when we had creative writing assignments in school.” After she read Rupi Kaur’s second book of poetry, The Sun and Her Flowers, she realized she wanted to stop writing stories and start writing her own poetry.

Her process began by journaling every night. That freeform writing then evolved into poetry. Alex said that poetry comes more easily to her than other forms of creative writing because it feels like an extension of her thoughts. “I don’t really hold anything back when I write. I’ve written 15 poems in a single class.” She adds, “My day-to-day life ref lected what kinds of poems I would write or what I was thinking about.”

Alex doesn’t want Lower or Middle School students to feel intimidated by poetry, and wants them to know that poetry can be whatever you want it to be.

For example, one of the poems in her book is written in gibberish because she liked it and didn’t want to feel limited by constraints about what poetry is supposed to be. fractured forests and butterfly queens can be downloaded at apple.co/2EEplKf.

Alex Carrigan ’20

Poetry Book Published Alex Carrigan ’20 has loved creative writing for years and after reading the work of poet Rupi Kaur, she was inspired to explore the medium herself. This fall, she wrote and published a book of poetry called fractured forests and butterfly queens.

She developed the collection during an Advanced Open Creative Writing course she took with Upper School English Teacher Drea Gallaga. Advanced Open courses allow students to pursue a specific course of study or project within a discipline, and Alex chose to work on her poetry collection.

The title of her book is also a line from

Slam Poetry Festival Emmy Cho ’20 has written poetry for as long as she can remember, and shares the passion with her twin sister Izzy Cho ’20.

Their older sister Hayun Cho ’13 originally sparked their interest and introduced them to slam poetry while she was in college. After viewing the documentary Louder than a Bomb in English Teacher Kathy McHugh’s class, Emmy and Izzy were motivated to start their own slam poetry club at North Shore Country Day. Slam poetry is a style of spoken word poetry that began in Chicago in the 1980s.

Its goal is to bring poetry out of academia into popular culture, making it more accessible and relatable. Louder Than a Bomb (LTAB) is the largest youth poetry festival in the world and is hosted by Young Chicago Authors.

Raven Rumbolt-Lemond ’21, Kate McKown ’21, Emmy Cho ’20 and Anita Rao ’21 at Louder than a Bomb

from 100 different zip codes gathered on Emmy and Izzy started the NSCDS the South Side, where the event has been club this year with English Teacher held for the past 19 years. It is called Christina Baik to foster awareness and appreciation of slam poetry within the stu- “Crossing the Street” because LTAB was originally developed as a way of connectdent body. The School club grew to about 20 regulars, and four students participated ing people across the different segregated in the LTAB festival: Emmy Cho ’20 (cap- areas of Chicago.

The students entered the event on a tain), Kate McKown ’21, Anita Rao ’21 and red carpet with a Chicago Bulls mascot, Raven Rumbolt-Lemond ’21. while a DJ got everyone dancing. After a Writing and performing slam poetry scavenger hunt, the students split up into has been transformative for Emmy. “It groups, each led by two teaching artists, unearthed a different dimension of what poetry can be,” she explained. “We always many of whom are published poets and songwriters in the city. Groups then split associate poetry with something that’s into smaller teams of 4-6 students who very silent and introspective, and I think wrote a group poem together. The heart that’s why a lot of high schoolers might find it less interesting than other forms of of the day was celebrating each other through the group writing workshop. creative writing.” She thinks slam redeAfterwards, one group from each team fines the potential of poetry because it gives young poets a stage on which to per- performed on stage.

After the inspirational kickoff meeting, form their art, which allows them to interNSCDS competed in the first preliminary act with the audience and bring their bout on February 23 in the individual and words to life with their own voice. group competitions held at Columbia The students in the School LTAB club College. As a team, Emmy, Kate, Anita worked hard all year crafting, workshopand Raven were thrilled to place second, ping and practicing their individual and and their group piece received an impresgroup poems during their common work sive 10/10 as one of their scores. Emmy period, lunch and after school. The pasalso received a 10/10 on her individual sionately personal content has moved Christina, who revealed that “at their final performance. More importantly, they all performed with confidence and were full practice run I got chills, and I may also have shed a few tears of joy and pride.” inspired by the moving pieces from the The preliminary meeting on February other schools.

Emmy admits that she, Kate, Anita 16 at Tilden High School was their first and Raven were anxious before their first time attending an LTAB event, and they had a fabulous time. A thousand students performance but after the first bout their

nerves subsided. “Louder than a Bomb doesn’t focus on the competition— that’s why they call it a Festival,” she explains. “The slam mantra is ‘the points are not the point, the point is the poetry’ and it feels more like a celebration.”

The second preliminary bout was held on February 27. The group did not rank in the top 32 teams so they did not advance, but Emmy ranked in the top 24 individual poets and moved on to the Quarter Finals on March 6 at Columbia College.

Emmy has been emboldened by slam.

“It’s redefined what I can accomplish as a poet. I used to think of it as a solitary literary endeavor, but slam is an opportunity to make my work available to people in a new way. I’ve connected with kids across Chicago that I would never interact with otherwise.” She continues, “I was the only Asian-American performing in the Quarter Finals, and loved sharing my identity and experience.”

After the Festival, the four participating students were thrilled to lead a workshop for the Upper School X Day on March 6, continuing to share their newfound passion for slam poetry with their fellow students. Christina is excited to see this club continue to grow. “I feel a lot of momentum and support from the School,” she said. “I’d love to partner with others to bring slam poetry to the Middle and Lower Schools, and look forward to hosting performances for the whole school in the future.”

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events The Benefit 2019—“Because of a Teacher” “They make me happy because they take care of us.”

“Definitely knowing you as a person is something that’s really important.”

These quotes, from a student in the Class of ’32 and a member of the Class of ’19, respectively, summed up nicely why we love our teachers. At The Benefit— “Because of a Teacher” on February 22, at the Michigan Shores Club, the collective feeling in the room was an outpouring of support for the people who touch the lives of our students every day. More than 300 members of the North Shore Country Day community—parents, alumni, parents of

alumni, current grandparents, and faculty and staff—helped raise more than $400,000 for faculty and staff professional development, recruitment and retention.

The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception, then guests were led into the dining room by Paula Fiegl ’19, singing alternate lyrics to Be Our Guest. The jazz band performed, followed by three soloists including Paula, Rachel Block ’19 and Gerald Leesch ’20. From the cocktail reception to the student performances that wowed the room, and from the success of the Live Auction to an emotional appeal video and Paddle Raise and a hard-fought Heads or Tails Game, it was a night that

will long be remembered. Funds raised help ensure that our faculty and staff have all the resources they need to excel at their work, nourishing the knowledge, creativity and passion of our students, and infusing our classrooms and curriculum with joy.

Benefit Co-Chairs Chase Stevenson and Nina Yoo thank the entire community.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of generosity from everyone who supported the Benefit ‘Because of a Teacher.’ It was wonderful to be able to raise funds that will have a positive impact in our classrooms and our School. Thank you to our wonderful teachers who touch the lives of our children on a daily basis.”

Ed Keller, Walt Bay, Linda Bay and Shelley Keller

Lower School faculty Janet Lord, Kathy Irvin and Rebecca Reategui ’12

Mark and Jennifer Gent, Christina and Dennis Self

The Benefit Planning Committee: Betty Fisher Wiggins ’93, Ritu Jain, Brook Wharton, Chase Stevenson, Nina Yoo, Kelly Hudson, Irene Bradshaw, Janelle Wood, Natascha Freeman and Sarah Geist Rosen ’86

Tyler Doornweerd ’20 and Liliana Green ’22

Rachel Block ’19, Paula Fiegl ’19 and Gerald Leesch ’20

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A true Raider welcome

Small group sessions

Youth connecting at The V

Statewide LGBTQ+ Youth Leadership Summit On February 16, North Shore Country Day was proud to host the annual Illinois Safe Schools Alliance Youth Leadership Summit, thanks to the impressive efforts of Justin Hartley ’19, with support from Upper School English Teacher and Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Advisor Drea Gallaga.

The Alliance is a statewide organization that promotes safety, support and healthy development for LGBTQ+ youth in schools through advocacy, education, youth organizing and research. Justin has been involved with the Alliance since 2017 and meets downtown in Chicago every other Friday with the Youth Committee.

There he has connected with people in other youth groups and learned more about how to organize events and take actions that create safer school environments for LGBTQ+ youth.

From working with school administrators to change bathroom signage and guidelines to learning how to best support trans youths navigating school, he says the experience has been life changing. As a member of the Youth Committee, he has also helped create guidebooks and learned how to pursue legal action to support students. “It’s a really amazing group

because we’ve had the opportunity to go to Springfield and advocate for the Inclusive Curriculum Bill that calls for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ education in public school in Illinois,” he said.

He has also attended The Alliance’s Action Camp since 2017, where he and other youth across the state spent five days together each summer learning the basics of organizing and managing a GSA. He became a camp counselor and helped organize the event in 2018, and his commitment and passion for the Alliance and their programing inspired him to propose North Shore Country Day as host for the 2019 annual Youth Leadership Summit.

The Alliance holds the annual Summit every winter to kick off the spring semester with GSAs across the state, as well as provide an opportunity for youth and interested adults to come together to organize, network, learn and develop leadership skills within the movement.

This year, almost 100 people from as far away as Starved Rock got together at NSCDS, the largest summit in the Alliance’s history. “It was amazing,” Justin marveled. “It was the blending of two worlds for me. It was probably the most queer people that have ever been in this school at once.” He was energized and

inspired by the transformative conversations the youth had around gender, sexuality and queer sexual health.

Justin is also a leader of North Shore’s GSA and a member of the LGBTQ+ Affinity Group. The first GSA was formed at the School in the 1990s and was restarted again about five years ago by students. Drea is thrilled that the administration has been fully supportive from day one. Justin says that North Shore has been a safe space for him from the beginning.

“I chose North Shore Country Day School for Upper School because my middle school wasn’t as supportive,” he explains.

“After learning that they had a GSA, I knew it was exactly the kind of school I was looking for.”

Although he is busy breaking ground himself, what most inspired Justin at the Summit were the middle school students he met. “They are the next generation, and they were even more radical and even more confident in—and connected to— their queerness,” he remarked. “It was inspiring to see progress evolving in front of my eyes. These younger kids are the next vanguard that will keep pushing society and schools forward.”

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events

Alex Silets ’87 and Jeannie Lea Scully ’63

Suzanne Folds McCullagh ’69

Naomi Hattori ’02

Caren Helene Rudman

Springtime Is Connectathon Time Alumni and other volunteers gathered on campus on March 4 to kick off the spring Annual Giving effort. They made calls, wrote notes and sent texts and emails to alumni and others in the NSCDS community to share updates and raise funds for the School. The event was made twice as nice by a group of loyal alums who matched donations up to $16,000. Thank you for the positive response from donors—your gifts exceeded our goal.

The Connectathon provides an opportunity for alumni to reminisce and share stories about their days at NSCDS while encouraging support that helps make stories like these possible for students and teachers today.

There’s still time to contribute and help increase participation in Annual Giving. Please use the envelope in this issue or visit www.nscds.org/give for online gifts. NSCDS is grateful for the support of alumni, current families and all in our community.

Your Impact. Their Stories.

Susan Mullen

Herstory is Ours The Visual Arts Department currated an exhibition titled “Herstory is Ours” that was open from January 25-March 30 in the John Almquist Gallery. The show featured the work of three women artists, Caren Helene Rudman, Susan Mullen and Diana Solis, who use their art to ref lect on their lived experiences, and their own power and spirituality.

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We appreciate our dedicated volunteers who participated on and off campus: Danny Lowinger ’08 Annie Aggens ’88 Ches Manly ’89 Carlos Angeles ’12 Suzanne Folds McCullagh ’69 Jay Bach Ciara McDonagh ’90 Cathy Bell Bartholomay ’79 Mike Murdock Phyllis Beattie ’72 Ted Notz ’53 Benjy Blenner ’02 Scott Olson ’79 Karen Block ’09 Marnie Paul ’64 David Brown ’84 Maggie Scheyer Jim Davis ’64 Jeannie Lea Scully ’63 Charlie Doar ’03 Todd Searle ’05 Bob Elisha ’77 Alex Silets ’87 Jeff Foreman ’80 Katie Todd ’96 Katie Freiburger Jack Viellieu ’09 Sarah Cody Gallas ’04 Susanna Ver Eecke Tom Geraghty ’62 Larry Williams ’87 Naomi Hattori ’02 Andrew Wood ’90 Betsy Perkins Hill ’70 Suki Lipman ’70

book re v ie ws

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

by Trevor Noah PUBLISHED 2016

Front Desk

by Kelly Yang

Hello, Universe

by Erin Entrada Kelly

PUBLISHED 2018

PUBLISHED 2017

WA L K E R B O O K S A U S T R A L I A

G R E E N W I L L OW B O O K S

Don’t let its cutesy, colorful cover art and middle-grade target audience fool What a memoir. you. Front Desk tackles tough topics like The text is rich and provides many racism, injustice and poverty in an emoopportunities for conversations about tionally striking and inspiring way. the attachment of identity and culture She may be only 10 years old, but Mia to language, the ubiquity and danger of Tang works the front desk at the Calavista hyper-masculinity, detrimental socially Motel. She lives there, too. She desperately constructed hierarchies of race, smallwants to be a writer, despite her mom’s and large-scale identity politics, the insistence that her English will never be significance of reaching out to the one good enough. She’d also like a pair of lost in the middle, how easy but foolish jeans, not some comfy but not-so-stylish it is to judge others, the range and subjecGoodwill pants. tivity of poverty, the power of women and Mia’s parents left China in search of the power of faith. All of this is embedded a better life, but instead they face many in a riveting story that is at once hilarious injustices as immigrants in America. and sobering, as Trevor tackles parallels They’re exploited by their boss because between race dynamics in the United of their immigrant status. Mia struggles States with those in South Africa with socially because she looks different from his characteristically open-hearted voice. her classmates, and she hides the realities Noah has a gift for finding genuine of her life outside of school. She finds humor and light in the midst of extreme companionship in Lupe, a Mexican struggle. And what a mother he has! immigrant classmate, and the “weeklies” All of this is in a page-turning form. who live at the motel—they know her Simply put, it is an astounding story. It is situation and can relate. an excellent book to offer (older) reluctant Mia and her family risk everything readers. It is a fantastic conversation to give back to those who are in even starter and a great inspiration to all of us, worse circumstances than their own. regardless of how similar or dissimilar our Mia is resilient, kind and courageous. own circumstances have been from his.

She fiercely fights for who and what she It is no wonder that it has received five believes is right. Her story is important, stars across over 5,500 reviews on Amazon. and her strength and compassion are Pick it up before the movie comes out! inspiring. Kelly Yang’s authentic voice shines through in a retelling of her own Christina Baik experiences, and the emotion with which Upper School English Teacher she shares this story translates powerfully from the page to the reader. A must-read for all ages.

SPIEGEL & GRAU

In Hello, Universe, 2018 winner of the Newbery Medal by Erin Entrada Kelly, the main character, Virgil, has just finished 6th grade without so much as saying hello to the girl who has captured his heart at school—Valencia. On top of that, he is the target of the school bully, Chet, who lives in his neighborhood. His summer vacation is not looking good. Virgil reaches out to his friend Kaori for help in meeting Valencia. Kaori, who fashions herself an astrologer and who relies on her spunky little sister as an assistant, agrees to put her powers to use in Virgil’s aid.

After a series of disasters that take place over a single day, Virgil is finally able to reach out and make his first tentative connection with Valencia. Is it coincidence that brings them together, or is it the powers of the universe that Kaori has summoned on his behalf?

The story is enhanced by the distinctive identities of the characters whose lives intersect on that single summer day. Each of the 11-year-old-ish characters has parents who love them but have not yet realized they are leaving behind the little kids they just were and becoming the more independent humans they are intended to be.

Even Chet the bully can’t keep this book from being a charming exploration of the important issue for middle grade readers of establishing one’s identity, complete with one’s f laws and limitations, in the context of friendships and family.

Libby Ester 5th Grade Teacher

Jessica Brown Library Specialist

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facult y Professional Development The annual February In-Service Day for all faculty and staff focused on professional development sessions related to equity, inclusion and diversity, and innovative teacher practice. Faculty/ staff-led sessions included The Art of Mindful Inquiry, Innovating Through Maker Oriented Practices and Tools, Implicit Bias, Modeling Interfaith Dialogue, Using Art to Teach Challenging Topics, and Using Technology to Facilitate Discussions in Math (and other classes). The following faculty/staff led sessions: Library Specialist Jessica Brown, Upper School Dean of Students and Upper School Social Studies Teacher Erik Cooper, Upper School Science Teacher Becky Corrigan, Upper School Mathematics Teacher Vinny Cousineau, Mathematics Department Head and Upper School Mathematics Teacher Brian Frederick, Upper School English Teacher and Upper School Director of Service Learning and Community Service Drea Gallaga, Associate Director of College Counseling and Upper School English Teacher Lizzy Giffen, Director of Educational Technology Lucy Gray, English Department Head and Upper School English Teacher David Grossman, Lower School Spanish Teacher Winder Holeman, Upper School Visual Art Teacher Laura Hsieh, Help Desk Manager Chris Jurack, Middle School Humanities and Science Teacher David Kubacki, 1st Grade Teacher Anya Leist, Upper School Social Studies Teacher Louis Mercer, Head Librarian Jenna Nemec-Loise, Middle School Mathematics Teacher Graham Rosby, Upper School Social Studies Teacher and Penn Fellow Brian Sarfo, Middle School Science Teacher Ty Scaletta, Middle School English Teacher Susan Schinleber, Lower School Academic Integrator Jeff Shaw, Middle School Humanities Teacher Sarah Walsh, 3rd Grade Teacher Berkley Wellstein, and Assistant Head of Upper School and Upper School French Teacher Lynsey Wollin-Casey.

Upper School English Teacher Christina Baik attended the Young Chicago Authors National Symposium.

Christina Baik and David Grossman attended two workshops held by Facing History and Ourselves entitled Chicago: The House We Live In-Memories and Legacies of the 20th Century and History

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and Immigration: Identity, Citizenship and Belonging in a Changing World.

Development Assistant Kim Baker, Development Associate–Annual Giving Maureen Wilde and Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Whiteman attended the CASE/NAIS Independent Schools Conference in Philadelphia.

Upper School Mathematics Teacher and Penn Fellow Zach Blickensderfer, Middle School Science and Computer Science Teacher Lee Block, Middle School Assistant and Centennial Events Coordinator Sheila Burke, 5th Grade Teacher Libby Ester, Upper School Mathematics Teacher Carissa Clark, Science Department Head and Lower School Science Teacher Annie Collins, Director of Marketing and Communications Tura Cottingham, Lucy Gray, Chris Jurack, Visual Art Department Head and Upper School Visual Art Teacher Rita Obelleiro, 5th Grade Teacher and Mathematics/Social Studies Lower School Academic Team Leader Ellen Rasmussen, Help Desk Manager Froy Reyes, Graham Rosby, Middle School Visual Art Teacher Keith Sklar, Jeff Shaw, Assistant to the Head of School Izzy Steach, and Middle School Mathematics Teacher Rachel Sun participated in a two-day laser cutter training workshop held on campus and led by staff from Depth and Light.

Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean Chris Boyle attended and served as a facilitator at the Independent School’s Experiential Education Network Winter Institute in New York City.

Carissa Clark, Erik Cooper, Brian Frederick, Lucy Gray, 4th Grade Teacher Caitlin McLennan, Rita Obelleiro, Middle School Learning Specialist Christine Ritchey, and Jeff Shaw attended the Illinois Computing Educators Conference.

Middle School Counselor Laura Cooper, Upper School Counselor Terri Webb, and Lower School Counselor Debbie Youderian attended a Grand Rounds session held at New Trier Township High School entitled Self-Driven: Why a Sense of Control Is so Important for Children and Teens. Laura and Terri also attended both an Adolescent Health Summit and Mental Health First Aid Training.

4th Grade Teacher Claire Detjen, Anya Leist, Ty Scaletta, Sarah Walsh and Terri Webb attended the 2019 Conference on Social Emotional Learning sponsored

by Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy and Walcott School’s Tyree Institute. The conference centered on diversity, equity and inclusion in social emotional learning, with sessions including Using Assessment to Promote Students’ SEL competencies, Foundations of Restorative Justice, and Implicit Bias in Education Settings.

Director of Finance Susan Downing attended the National Business Officers Association Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

Vinny Cousineau and Drea Gallaga participated in the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education’s virtual course on Building the Beloved Community.

Head of School Tom Flemma and Director of College Counseling Kristen Kaczynski attended the National Association of Independent Schools Conference in Long Beach, California.

Middle School Head Barrington “Barry” Fulton Jr., Laura Hsieh, and Anya Leist attended the Leaders of Color in Conversation symposium organized by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).

Barry Fulton, Winder Holeman, Upper School Head Dave Potter, Lower School Teacher Sara Pyne, Ty Scaletta, Sarah Walsh, and Lynsey Wollin-Casey attended the ISACS’ Diversity Summit.

Lizzy Giffen attended the Midwest College Small College Counselor Institute.

Lucy Gray attended the Consortium for School Networking Conference in Portland, Oregon.

Lucy Gray and Middle School Spanish Teacher Alejandra Mendoza attended the Northern Illinois Computing Educators Mini-Conference.

David Kubacki and Sarah Walsh attended the Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking Workshop on Thinking Historically Through Writing: Case Studies in American History in Chicago.

Kristen Kaczynski attended a Mastery Transcript Consortium Site Directors Meeting in Long Beach, California.

Upper School Mandarin Teacher Di Li serves as the Executive Director of the Suburban Chinese Teacher Alliance. She recruits and mentors new presidents, helps to plan and organize two conferences annually, and collaborates with the Midwest Chinese Teachers Alliance and Chinese teachers in the greater Chicago area.

Louis Mercer attended and presented at the Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. His presentation entitled “Some Information is Being Turned Over to the Proper Authorities”: Policing Black Power Activists in Chicago’s Schools, 1966–1972 was part of a panel entitled Reforming Schools and Redefining Freedom in Post–Civil Rights New York and Chicago that was endorsed by the History of Education Society.

Rita Obelleiro attended and presented at the National Association of Art Educators National Convention in Boston. Her presentation was entitled K-12 Students Can Become Artists with Political Agency.

Lower School Learning Specialist Tobye Ostrow participated in the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center’s Multisensory Mathematics online course.

Ty Scaletta was invited to host the New Generation Science Standards Twitter account for a week in January.

Additionally, Ty participated in a national science curriculum-writing workshop organized by OpenSciEd in Colorado.

Suffering From Realness Middle School Visual Art Teacher Keith Sklar has been selected to be part of an exhibition at MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, Massachusetts. The show, Suffering From Realness, opened to the public April 13, 2019, with an opening reception on May 25, and is on view until February 2020.

Realness in the 21st century is an increasingly complicated concept. In an age where fake news is created by individuals, politicians and corporations, artists are increasingly probing the notion of realness, using art to create moments of political resistance while also trying, difficult as it may be, to forge paths towards reconciliation.

The exhibition explores the politics of representation and the ways in which artists use the body to grasp at and re-center the “aura of realness” in an age of uncertainty. In addition to Keith’s work, the show includes pieces by a series of internationally and nationally renowned artists: Aziz+Cucher, Cassils, Adriana Corral, Joey Fauerso, Jeffrey Gibson, Hayv Kahraman, Jennifer Karady, Titus Kaphar, Robert Longo, Christopher Mir, MPA, Wangechi Mutu, Allison Schulnik, Robert Taplin and Vincent Valdez.

According to MASS MoCA, in Suffering From Realness, the artists examine the human condition from all sides, creating

Keith Sklar

works in various media that are both personal and universal, addressing racism, violence, gender equality, the politicized body of wartime, the anxious body, the complexity of responsibility, and the future. Ultimately, the exhibition endeavors to provide a sliver of optimism, to show how tenderness and collective action can lead to a new form of realness, one tied less to uncertainty and more to liberation. No longer bound, we can “resist or move on, be mad, be rash, smoke and explode” (Morrissey, Hold On to Your Friends), and ultimately, find hope in something lasting and real.

Over two years ago, Keith was invited by the show’s curator to be an exhibitor.

“There is always social engagement within my work as well as self ref lection on the tension between what is going on in my head and interaction with the outer world,” he explained.

“The art I am making now deals with big issues that I find personally and socially painful. I’m noticing things that I thought we, as a society, had moved on from, that are now back with a vengeance.

Therefore, the colors in my works are a little biting and acidic. These are not comfortable works. But it’s really important to me that my work connects with something both deeply personal and bigger than myself. This discomfort and anxiety is something many people are feeling.”

Keith said he believes it’s important for him to keep those feelings away from his students. “They are separate worlds but there is also a f low. I get inspiration in my studio from my teaching practice and vice versa. My Middle School art studio is an empowered classroom. It’s messy. I’m OK with that. Students have to self-negotiate with support from fellow students and me.

They have to explore in their own terms.

“I want to make my classroom a safe and welcoming environment. I want to help my students grow in a world where they have tremendous possibility and belief in their own strengths to make changes in their lives and the world around them.”

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facult y Faculty Profile: Annie Collins S C I E N C E D E PA R T M E N T H E A D & L O W E R S C H O O L S C I E N C E T E A C H E R

leaving with my master’s degree because I realized the most enjoyable part of the program was being a teaching assistant.

I loved listening to my professors and how they organized lectures. And while I was very capable in a physics lab, I knew I was never going to be passionate about that. So I enrolled in a Ph.D. program in education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My second year there, my T.A. job was being the head of the physics circus. We would travel around to local elementary schools and put on physics shows. It was just the best! From then on, even though I was pursuing a doctorate, I knew I always wanted to be connected with kids.

Q. When you first started, you were teaching physics and engineering to high school students in Chicago. What’s your favorite part about teaching Lower School at North Shore?

a different spirit in our department than there might be in others—just because there’s that connection to the little kids.

We team up all the time. Upper School Science Teacher Jerry Rietveld taught Lower School for a week during Interim when I was in Belize. Becky Corrigan’s Upper School environmental science class will design something that 2nd graders will have to test and evaluate. Leanne Marcus and her Upper School physics students will come and build stereo speakers with 4th graders from scratch. And I don’t know that those kinds of opportunities were really happening before.

Q. You’ve had a lot of pets in the Lower School Science Lab over the years.

What are some of your favorite memories of the animals?

A. Stephanie Chandler ’15 came to me

during her senior year and told me her rabbit died. She wanted to get a new one, but her mom said she couldn’t unless she A. We get to be our crazy, quirky selves.

Q . When did you know you wanted found a home for it after graduation. The We all share a core set of values, but to do science? minute I met Theodore, I was like, “Yup, there’s not a “North Shore” teacher. I get A. I had an amazing physics teacher to be so creative and that’s why I love this done.” He was a giant French lop rabbit my junior year in high school. He was and he was crazy awesome. He would so much. Not only do I get to talk nerdy everything—he was totally quirky, and always escape and hop around the School. science, I get to be really creative with he showed up to field hockey games in There was one day when I was gone and projects and how I organize lessons. I addition to teaching these amazing physLower School Administrative Assistant passionately love physics because I love ics classes where he made everything Diane Olson and a team of little kids had math, and physics is an excuse to apply relatable and fun. He had us drop water to figure out how to get this rabbit back to math to science. But then there are these balloons from classroom windows and we other aspects of me—I like to sew and the classroom. I had to build an elaborate, had to calculate exactly when to drop it so cook and be funny and sing. Lower School fenced-in situation and get him a real that it hit a target painted on the top of his lets me do all that, and I don’t take that hutch after that. Then, when he was 2, he bald head. I was lucky to have that in the for granted. Literally, I have done all those passed away suddenly over Memorial Day mid-90s when teachers weren’t always weekend. And I’ll never forget, I was devthings today. I’ve painted little penguins that fun. When I went to college, I ended astated because I really do love these anifor JKers for a motion activity. I sing all up majoring in physics and math, did mals. But I was also just so worried about day long. And I just get to be me more summer research at Stanford, and then the kids because Theodore was like a legthan I did in a high school classroom. went to grad school for physics. end. I stressed so much about how to Q. In addition to being the Lower School share the news with the Lower Schoolers.

Q . So how did you make the leap science teacher, you’re also the department And Head of Lower School Tim Sheehan, from physicist to educator? head for the JK-12 science department. in his brilliance, asked the teachers in What’s it like being a Lower School teacher A. I know it sounds cliché, but teaching their morning meetings to explain that in that role? was in my blood. My mom was a high Dr. Collins had lost a member of her school English teacher for 35 years. My family and that we needed to take care of A. It can be really challenging because dad was a school district attorney for the the rest of our department is in the Middle Dr. Collins. And so by f lipping it, when all small town where I grew up, Keene, or Upper School. I’m geographically sepa- the kids came to science, instead of being New Hampshire. So our family was rate from everyone and our schedules are sad about the bunny, they were trying to absorbed in the field of education. When help me. And it was the perfect way to totally different. But it is so crucial that I originally started at the University of empower the kids. there is Lower School representation at Connecticut, I was enrolled in a doctoral that table of department heads and that program in physics. But I ended up we’re truly thinking JK-12. I think there’s

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Sabrina Mulvaney ’28

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live and serve

Dunk Alzheimer’s

Caroline Segal ’20

Dunk Alzheimer’s On Saturday, January 26, the School came together once again for its seventh annual Dunk Alzheimer’s Basketball Bash fundraiser to support Alzheimer’s research. Although it was delayed by a week due to wintery weather, not even the snow could stop this year’s effort as donations reached about $7,500. The event was started by Jonathan Segal ’15, and is now carried on by a new group of students, including his younger sister Caroline Segal ’20, who is a junior on the girls basketball team. Their grandmother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s about 15 years ago. Since 2013, the North Shore community has raised more than $45,000 for Alzheimer’s research. In addition to a full day of basketball games from both the Middle and Upper School teams, raff les were held and the Snack Shack offered a variety of concessions where all proceeds went to the cause.

Dance Marathon Susan Schinleber’s dramatic interpretation of Justin Bieber’s Baby; Science Teacher Ty Scaletta, Humanities and Science Teacher David Kubacki and Theater Arts Teacher Austin Gruber stoically getting pies in the face; French Teachers Anne-Marie Dall’Agata and Stephanie Waterman’s interpretative egg-toss dance; Science Teacher Lee Block (a die hard Cubs fan) was forced to wear a Cardinals jersey; Math Teacher Rachel Sun, Music Teacher Ann Goodrich, Visual Art Teacher Keith Sklar and Counselor Laura Cooper performed Hula-Hoop Karaoke; and P.E. Teachers Rebekah Kauffman and Jordan Holod competed in a diapering contest.

The entire event was a big success supporting a great cause, generating lots of laughs and building connections between students and teachers. The Middle School is grateful to all those who participated.

On March 2, Elizabeth Savin ’21 and Assistant Upper School Head Lynsey Wollin-Casey organized a dance marathon for the Upper School in partnership with Northwestern University’s annual dance marathon. Elizabeth and Lynsey were joined by the organizing committee: Abby Kaplan ’21, Alex Carrigan ’20, Anita Rao ’21, Charley Bell ’21, Claire Umpleby ’20, Cooper Rhoads ’22, Elise Gupta ’20, Eloise Richardson ’20, Emily Weil ’19 and Phoebe Casey ’20.

Over the past 45 years, Northwestern University Dance Marathon (NUDM) has raised over $20 million through the efforts of over 1,000 students.

NUDM is one of the largest independent student-run philanthropies in the nation, and each year they select a charity that benefits children. This year, they selected Communities In Schools of Chicago (CIS of Chicago), an organization that works to increase graduation rates in Chicago Public Schools. They work with Supporting RAICES— Jump Rope for Heart students from kindergarten to 12th grade A Successful Student On Valentine’s Day, the holiday synonyto further develop their interest and motimous with hearts, Lower School students vation to stay engaged in school.

Council Fundraiser! once again laced up their sneakers, The inaugural six-hour NSCDS maragrabbed their jump ropes and raised The entire Middle School student body, thon was divided into three two-hour money for the American Heart with the help of the Student Council, segments. Students danced continuously Association (AHA). This was their sixth raised over $800 for The Refugee and for one hour and 45 minutes with 15-minyear supporting the AHA and the work it Immigrant Center for Education and ute breaks between segments. Each segLegal Studies (RAICES). And because the does fighting heart disease while encourment had a theme, including Throwbacks, aging healthy lifestyles. students reached their fundraising goal, TV Shows and Movies, and House Colors.

Aside from jumping rope, activities for Those who participated in the theme their teachers agreed to participate in a the day included dance breaks, lessons for earned extra points for their houses. fun and entertaining Teacher Charity a healthy lifestyle, special guests and more.

Challenge in the Auditorium.

Duff House raised the most money, Their efforts raised over $7,000 for the Middle School Head Barrington earning them 4 points. Millet House AHA, bringing the total raised over the last earned 3 points, Steel House 2 points, “Barry” Fulton, dusted off his hip-hop 6 years to more than $50,000. To make a dance skills and performed over 15 popuand Hall House 1 point. In total, the lar dances (one was a Facebook sensation). donation and help them reach their goal, School raised $1,400 and is proud to please visit the Lower School Jump Rope Other highlights were English Teacher add it to NUDM’s contribution for CIS for Heart Page at bit.ly/JRFH2019. of Chicago!

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Austin Gruber at the RAICES fundraiser

Austin Gruber, Graham Rosby, Alejandra Mendoza and Ty Scaletta

Devlin Shultz ’28 with classmates at Jump Rope for Heart

Carter Wilson ’32 at Jump Rope for Heart

connected, supportive and involved with North Shore in so many ways: reunion committee member, Morning Ex presenter, steward of NSCDS history and coordinator many special alumni architectural and cultural educational tours in and out of state including Asheville, North Carolina, Las Vegas and Chicago, to name a few. He has developed and strengthened the connection of alumni to each other and the School. His commitment to the School is an example to all of his “Live and Serve” spirit.

Heritage Society Spotlight: Bill Hinchliff ’64

W H AT C O M P E L L E D YO U T O MAKE A PLANNED GIFT TO NORTH SHORE?

It was the most exciting educational experience of my life—light bulbs Individuals who have made provisions in f lashing on left and right—better than their will or estate plans to benefit North Shore Country Day School are recognized grammar school, college and graduate in the School’s Heritage Society. One such school, though the latter gave North member, Bill Hinchliff ’64, has remained Shore a run for its money.

W H AT PA R T O F YO U R N O R T H S H O R E C O U N T R Y D AY E X P E R I E N C E H A S R E M A I N E D W I T H YO U I N YO U R L I F E ?

A love of classical music, inspired by Vincent Allison; a love of literature inspired by the great English teachers I had through all four years; and admiration for great teaching in general, inspired by my German, Latin and history teachers.

W H AT D O YO U H O P E YO U R P L A N N E D GIFT WILL ACCOMPLISH FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL?

That it will continue the traditions of splendid teaching, exposure to the wonder of the arts, and community that it has fostered for 100 years.

For more information about North Shore’s Heritage Society, please contact Molly Ingram McDowell ’80 at 847.441.3316 or mmcdowell@nscds.org.

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v isua l a rt s

Emmett Sheehan ’28

Jonathan Ramirez ’20

Arely Garcia ’22 Joel Murphy ’23

Alexandra Gascoigne ’23 Max Steinhandler ’30

Ethan Yoo ’28

Kavya Keswani ’29

Robbie Black ’23 Ishana Iyer ’28

Lila Golson ’22

Raven Rumbolt-Lemond ’21 Jola Adebiyi ’24

perfor ming a rt s Middle School Winter Performing Arts Showcase This annual showcase featured performances from the Middle School art lab, acting, dance and a selected group of instrumental ensemble members, while technical theater class students ran the sound and light boards, fulfilled stage crew duties and handled costumes. This year’s performance was presented on February 1 (delayed by two days due to our school closing because of the severe cold weather) and was a celebration of the process that each of these classes has journeyed through during their first semester.

Instrumental Ensemble Concert Band and instrumental students from 3rd grade through 12th grade demonstrated what they have been working on since the beginning of the school year. For some students, this represented the first instrument they have ever learned to play. And for others, their performances were a culmination of years of lessons and practice.

The all-school instrumental ensemble concert was held on February 7 in the Auditorium providing each student the opportunity to showcase the musical skills they have developed.

Welcome to the Jungle For more than 30 years, it has been a tradition for the 2nd grade to learn and perform a short musical play at Morning Ex for their parents and the entire School community. This year, the selected piece was Welcome to the Jungle, a musical re-telling of the Aesop fable The Lion and the Mouse set in an African jungle. Except for the lion, the names of the characters were the Swahili word for that animal (kiboko = hippo; twiga = giraffe, etc).

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast The entire School community was invited to “Be our guest, be our guest…” for the Upper School Spring Musical. The Performing Arts Department and our students were definitely at their best in their production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

The classic production tells the tale of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. It is a race against time. If the Beast does not learn his lesson, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. The showed was performed March 7-9 to packed audiences. Some 65 students were involved in the production.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Every year, the Upper School produces a Winter Play before leaving for Winter Break. This year was no exception. The storyline of the December 2018 production followed Lilly who loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can’t wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions.

Lilly’s fury leads to revenge and then to remorse and she sets out to make amends.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse premiered on Friday, December 7 in the Auditorium and was repeated on December 8. Following each show, there was a meet-and-greet with the cast to the delight of the younger members of the audience.

The students learned how to read a script, memorized their lines and the songs, learned a dance and their blocking for the play. This year was special because some of the the current 12th graders had done this play when they were in 2nd grade at NSCDS. Another tradition of the 2nd grade play is that most of the roles are shared by multiple actors, allowing each 2nd grader to fully participate.

Rachel Block ’19 and Gerald Leesch ’20

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Gerald Leesch ’20 and Paula Fiegl ’19

Carissa Schultz ’24 and Rithik Khanna ’23

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

Porter Hilton ’29

Campbell Fleming ’24, Meonda Collins ’23, Alli Smith ’24, Jola Adebiyi ’24 and Niabelle Comeau ’23

Max Flemma ’26, Will Rapp ’26 and Hailey Kalainov ’26

Olivia Theodosakis ’21

2nd Grade Play Welcome to the Jungle

Jesse LeSage ’25 and Jesse Forrest ’25

at hle t ics Boys Basketball

All-Conference G I R L S B A S K E T B A L L : All Conference 1st Team Caroline Segal ’20;

All Conference Honorable Mention Edith Edwards-Mizel ’20 and Emma Smirl ’20 B OY S B A S K E T B A L L : All Conference 1st Team Mazeed Oluewu ’19;

All Conference Honorable Mention Matt Bay ’19 and Packy Murdock ’19

Emma Smirl ’20

Packy Murdock ’19

The Raiders posted a 14-12 record to end the season and tied for 3rd place in a talented conference. Despite losing all but one returning starter and nine seniors the previous year, the new crop of players used chemistry and passion to fight in every game. Big road wins versus the second place University High and Francis Parker highlighted the season. The most disappointing loss came at home as the boys lost down the stretch to that same strong Uhigh team it had beat a month before.

The season saw the growth of starting point guard Matt Bay ’19, who posted 13 double-digit scoring efforts and a game winner. He had backto-back-to-back 15 point outputs as he anchored the defense and manned the boards. Senior sharpshooters Zach Barker ’19 and Ward Madigan ’19 put the ball in the hoop from the arc. Packy Murdock ’19, also a senior, manned the middle as he blocked shots, rebounded and provided scoring on his way to All-Conference recognition.

Will Karmin ’19 was the glue providing energy off the bench. The Raider who stood out the most was senior wing Mazeed Oleuwu ’19.

He posted three 30-point performances and 13 20-point performances. When he wasn’t scoring, he was chasing defenders down in transition for big-time block shots. He finished his career as a three-year starter, a 1,000 point scorer and a two-time outright All-Conference performer.

Joining Mazeed as All-ISL were Matt and Packy.

The Raiders look forward to junior guards Imaad Vohra ’20 and Trevor Hayward ’20, who played heavily down the stretch providing scoring, defense, energy and passing.

Girls Basketball Despite losing three of our top four scorers and top two rebounders to graduation and injury, the team quickly came together and produced a 16-5 season that included decisive wins over three Chicago Public League champions with enrollment of more than 1,000, a 3rd consecutive Regional championship and a near win in the Sectional despite a less-than-healthy starting lineup.

“This team exceeded expectations right from the beginning and continued to raise and meet them throughout the season,” said head coach Bruce Blair ’69. “It was a group of girls who played hard with great teamwork, were really dedicated on defense and always eager to improve. They competed with a lot of enjoyment and were really fun to coach and watch.”

The final Associated Press/MaxPreps Class Poll ranked North Shore 41st out of 158 Illinois Class 1A teams. In Independent School League play, the team was an overtime loss away from a Caroline Segal ’20

second straight 2nd place finish and was voted by league coaches winners of the Sportsmanship Award for the 3rd straight year.

Guard Caroline Segal ’20 was again a unanimous 1st-Team All-League selection and finished 2nd in coaches’ voting for Player-OfThe-Year and, for the 2nd straight year, was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Special Mention Class 1A All-State team—one of 65 out of 790 starters to receive All-State designation. Center Paige Forester ’19 was named to the Illinois High School Association’s Honorable Mention Academic All-State Team- one of 75 boys and girls from 702 schools who participate in 31 IHSA sports.

The junior varsity season introduced many freshmen to competitive basketball and featured a lot of team and individual improvement, as well as fun, under the leadership of popular new coach Pam Swenson who came to North Shore after seven years as head JV coach and varsity assistant at Loyola. Pam also assisted in coaching the varsity along with seven-year assistant Beth Schillen, a former first team All-Stater at Loyola; and Brendan Kolton ’01, an All-ISL player at North Shore and founder of the Hoops 4 Health basketball academy that has trained many of the top players in the Chicago area.

Mazeed Oluewu ’19

Winter Track The winter track and field season had a smaller group this year than in the past—15 boys and eight girls competed in seven indoor meets. We started the season on Super Bowl Sunday at De LaSalle Academy in Chicago.

The girls team also went to Rockford for the first time to compete in a 15-school indoor meet. Both boys and girls teams competed in three meets at the University of Chicago and single gender meets at New Trier.

The season was highlighted by many record-setting marks. Overall there were 11 boys marks and 11 girls marks that made it onto our top-10 list of all times and distances for Raider indoor track and field. We had two class records: Robert Hansell 9th grade 3200m run and Sam Roszak 10th grade long jump. Sam’s long jump of 19' 10" is the furthest boy long jump indoors or outdoors since Seong Hoon Kim jumped 20' 1" in 2000.

The performances and practices put in this winter set us up nicely for our outdoor season that opened up after Spring Break. We hope to have a large number of conference champions and state qualifiers this spring given the preparation last winter.

Meredith McCabe ’19

Eun Hae Lillig ’21

Ian George ’21, Robert Hansell ’22 and Brinton Roberts ’20

a lumni connec t ions December Young Alumni Gatherings Two annual young alumni events were held on December 21. Our collegeage alumni, classes ’15 through ’18, returned to campus to visit for a morning breakfast, and to see faculty and students. Following the breakfast, they attended the all-school Winter Celebration in the Mac Gym joining faculty to sing Winter Wonderland, the traditional program finale.

Later that evening, young alumni gathered at Firehouse Grill in Evanston to enjoy catching up with each other and a number of faculty.

Philadelphia Regional Gathering Alumni and Friends in the Philadelphia area enjoyed an evening together on January 28 at the Union League of Philadelphia. The regional event offered a fun time to connect, visit and hear an update on NSCDS today.

Those attending included: Celeste Black ’10, David Brown ’84, Emily George ’16, Murph Henderson ’83, Brian Malpede ’06, Leslie Bredimus Purple ’68, Lille van der Zanden ’17 and members of the Alumni/ Development Office.

Xander Mitchell ’15, Gabe Biggs ’15 and Jackson Lubin ’15

Valentine’s Day Means Care Packages North Shore’s Community Service Club coordinated the assembly of special Valentine care packages for the classes of 2017, 2016 and 2015.

The student organization helps with this project every year, and it is a fun way to connect our current students with our young alumni.

April Young Alumni Gathering Our second young alumni networking event was a great success, connecting alumni from the classes of ’01 to ’13. This year’s program was an entrepreneurs speaker series. Guests heard from fellow alumni Stephen Smith ’12, who presented on what inspired him to create his company NOCD, whose mission is helping people with OCD feel better every day, and Kenna Sullivan Johnson ’09 with her husband and business partner Dylan Johnson, who shared their story of how they started their company Total Sona Fitness. It was impressive to hear what these young entrepreneurs have accomplished. A special thank you to our speakers, attendees and to our Young Alumni Committee who coordinated this event!

Nashville Regional Gathering

Stephen Smith ’12, Kenna Sullivan Johnson ’09 and Dylan Johnson

Alumni and Friends in the Nashville area enjoyed an evening together on April 10 at the home of Hank and Dina Healy Richter ’89. The regional event offered a fun time to connect, visit and hear an update on NSCDS today from Head of School Tom Flemma. Those pictured include: Susan and Stuart Rogers ’74, George Whiteman '06, Dina Healy Richter ’89, Tom Flemma, Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 and Alex Whitmore ’09. There were also other opportunities while there to visit with Jonathan Segal ’15, Nick Babson ’64, Bill Davis ’65 and Tyler Whitmore ’06.

Susan and Stuart Rogers ’74, George Whiteman ’06, Dina Healy Richter ’89, Tom Flemma, Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 and Alex Whitmore ’09

Lynsey Wollin-Casey, Ned Whalley ’04 and Ben Bezark ’04

Destin Teamer ’17, Ceil Scanlan and Firouz Niazi ’17

Julia Price ’10, Meredith Price ’07 and Alex Barker ’12

Lisa Doi ’09, Hannah Walchak ’09 and Drea Gallaga

Brian Malpede ’06, Emily George ’16, Lille van der Zanden ’16 and Celeste Black ’10

Quigg Veach ’18, Richard Austin ’18, Trevor Yamada ’18 and Thomas McDowell ’18

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 847.881.8848.

COME ONE, COME ALL! Alumni, Parents of Alumni, Former Faculty & Friends

Centennial Homecoming and Alumni Weekend September 27-28 Details to Come!

F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 7

Cocktail Reception for Alumni, Parents of Alumni, Former and Current Faculty Hall Library (complimentary) Alumni Artists Exhibit Almquist Art Gallery Young Alumni Gathering Classes ’04-’16 Off Campus (complimentary) S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 8

Special Programs, Events & Activities Welcome and School Update with Head of School Tom Flemma Centennial Program Alumni Singalong Premiere of Centennial Documentary Video Lunch on campus (complimentary) Centennial Exhibits & School Tours Student Sports Games Class Reunion Gatherings Off Campus

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cl a ss notes

Join the Fun—Class Reunion Committees Class reunion committees have been forming for the Centennial Alumni/ Homecoming Weekend September 27-28. The Alumni Office makes it easy and fun to be involved with reunion planning. If interested, contact Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 at nwhiteman@nscds.org or 847.881.8848.

1940s undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1961, his Dick Golden doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Chicago in 1966 and studied Louise Konsberg Noll ’40 writes, “I am as a postdoctoral fellow with Anna Freud. still in my apartment at Winchester After launching his career with a facGardens. My oldest grandson and his ulty appointment at Stanford University, wife (and three daughters) bought my he returned to Chicago in 1972 to accept house so are nearby.” a position as the first dean of Roosevelt 1949: 70th Reunion Committee: University’s College of Education. In 1980, Joan Hauser Gately and John Roberts he moved to Albany, New York to serve as the Dean of the School of Education at the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany. In 1988, he took a position in St. Louis, Missouri as the senior vice-presi1954: Reunion Committee needed dent of The Danforth Foundation, where Elizabeth Washburn Borozan ’57 is “loving he developed the Policy Makers Program life in and with the desert! Children and for state legislators, the American Schools grandchildren are near, still showing Superintendents (the forerunner of the my fabulous Golden Retrievers, doing Superintendents Roundtable), and the water color painting and photography, Jeff/Vander/Lou initiative to revitalize a cruising our oceans—so much to do on neighborhood in St. Louis. Dr. Koff that bucket list!” returned to academia in 2003 to serve as director of the Center for Advanced Learning at Washington University in Saint Louis. Dr. Koff was a prolific scholar, authoring or co-authoring more than 80 papers or monographs and four books. He also co-authored the Superintendents Fieldbook, which is used throughout the country at college and universities in the training of aspiring school superintendents.

His vision has shaped American schools for the better and helped improve the lives of tens of thousands of children.

Dr. Koff was committed to the best and most humane values of American life and was passionate about and dedicated to all levels of education. He was the driving force behind the creation of the National Dr. Robert Hess Koff ’57 passed away at Superintendents Roundtable, a profes80 years old. He is survived by his beloved sional development association that wife, Linda Riekes, four children, eight revealed cutting edge theory and practice grandchildren, a brother, a brother-in-law, about school improvement.

Since the and countless colleagues, friends and beginning of the St. Louis Internship admirers. Dr. Koff was born in Chicago and graduated from North Shore Country Program (SLIP) in 1992, Dr. Koff has unwaveringly invested his time, talents Day School in 1957. He earned his and resources to help shape SLIP’s 1944: 75th Honorary Reunion Chair:

approach to mitigate educational disparities for all the students SLIP serves. SLIP is an organization that provides inner city high school students with summer paid internships, job readiness training and educational and career development activities. SLIP has an amazing award-winning history and has been replicated in 38 cities.

1959: 65th Reunion Chair: Hall Healy

1950s

Linda Tanenbaum Weissbluth ’59 “passed away at her home on January 23, 2019 surrounded by her family. Linda was born in Chicago and graduated from North Shore Country Day School in 1959. When young, she loved reading, studying Latin and playing the cello. Her classmates described her as extremely friendly and always in the library. She enrolled in Mt. Holyoke College where she majored in Russian language and literature and graduated in 1963. One college highlight was bussing, with classmates, to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation where MLK delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

After graduation, Linda helped her mother and brother for several months, then, on a whim, she applied to the

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cl a ss notes Russian Studies program at Stanford University where she started in the spring quarter of 1964. When classes resumed in the fall of 1964, she met her future husband, Marc, in the Stanford main library.

On their first ‘date’ they went on a motorcycle ride. Four weeks later, he invited her on a herpetology expedition to Mexico for the winter break and on this exciting lizard-chasing adventure, in Topolobampo, they decided to get married. They were married May 2, 1965 and a month later, Linda received her master’s degree from Stanford.

Linda was always intellectually curious and when her four sons were growing up, she would often say, “What good is money if you can’t spend it on education.” But she also was fond of saying, “Don’t let school interfere with your education” and thus, annually, she would declare a school holiday in the fall when the apple orchards had their first day for picking. She and her four sons would return with bushels for the neighbors and local firemen, and to make homemade apple pies and apple sauce.

Linda also loved to garden, from planter boxes in married student quarters at Stanford to large plots in Winnetka starting in 1973. She loved taking her young sons to the Chicago Botanical Garden and watching it develop. She was a nurturer, always generous with a radiant smile and infectious laugh. She devoted herself to her family. Friday Sabbath meals were elaborate events and she joked that she had to begin preparing on Thursday mornings. She was always an optimist. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” was her refrain to help her children overcome a difficulty. In 1990, she moved to the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago.

Linda was an adventurer with a ready willingness to try new things. She discovered the Northwestern University Medical School Galter Library across the street and decided to investigate why babies might cry a lot in the evening hours. This led to her publishing three research papers on the effects of melatonin on intestinal smooth muscles in 1991 and a paper on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in 1994. In 1994, she took courses in office medical management and became Office Administrator in a pediatric practice. In 1995, she succeeded in obtaining permission to develop a rubble strewn one-acre lot at 600 North Lake Shore Drive into a community garden.

She single-handedly organized

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neighborhood volunteers and civic organizations to donate trees and plants.

Linda continued to play her cello as an adult, go to symphonies and the opera.

She enjoyed tandem bike riding, tennis, dancing the Tango and yoga. In 2000, Linda got the travel bug and made annual international trips from watching Alaskan brown bears catching salmon to wildebeests and zebra herds migrating. She enjoyed adventure travelling with mountain hiking, white water rafting, kayaking, and camel riding in Tanzania and Morocco. Linda continued to be an intellectual explorer; in 2006 she wrote in an email to her husband, “You knew I was spunky and spirited and speaking my mind—never mind that I give thoughts and ideas from left field. It’s part of the creative process.” She learned to sew and crochet and enjoyed making many original afghans for her 10 grandchildren.

Even as Alzheimer’s developed, she continued to be engaged in art, music, dance and yoga. Her four sons independently remembered her cheerfulness (“My mother’s giggle was unique and infectious. Even recently when she could not speak, she could still giggle.” “Her laughter used to ring contagiously through the house.” “She created a home full of love and laughter.” “She had a laugh that could fill the entire house.”) And her cooking (“Mom knew the keystone of the family is the family meal.” “She knew that the fried matzah was crispy enough ‘when the smoke detector went off’.” “Learning how to make spaghetti sauce.” “She taught me how to sew, iron, cook and clean because ‘You will be alone for a long time’.”) As a wife, mother, office manager or community organizer, Linda was always a gentle, compassionate and extremely empathic person. She always said hello to, smiled at, and wished to embrace friends and strangers, especially those with canes, walkers, wheelchairs, children or dogs.”

1960s 1964: 55th Reunion Committee: Barney Carrington, Merle Chambers, Bill Hinchliff, Marnie Paul, Holly Potter Fromm, Gwen Stern Polly (Nicki) Steel ’65 reports, “I continue to expand my photography business (nickisteel.com and Nicki Steel Photography on Facebook) and had my first magazine photo essay published in the

fall issue of Vermont Magazine. The article chronicles a loon family on a local lake in 2017. I continued to follow the loons in 2018 when tragedy struck and the male became entangled in fish line. I was able to work with the state loon expert and although we tried three times to catch him and cut the line he eluded us. He did eventually migrate and I will be waiting to see if he will return in the spring. I have spent hundreds of hours observing them and now give talks on them. My love of loons started in 3rd grade at NSCDS when I played a loon in a play. Besides my photography business, I also tutor elementary students in math and I am chair of the Wilmington, Vermont Old Home Week 2020. Old Home Week is a town reunion that has been held in Wilmington every 10 years since 1890.”

Peter Buckley Garrison ’66, “died peacefully on July 16, 2018 surrounded by his family at home. He was born in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on June 13, 1947 and grew up in Wilmette, the son of Carlton and Jane Miller Garrison. Peter graduated from Union College as the president of his class in 1970, and received his MBA from Columbia University in 1972. He began his finance career at The First National Bank of Chicago and joined Greenwich Associates in 1979, eventually becoming a partner in 1986. Peter held a variety of leadership roles throughout his 40year career.

He was the husband of Elizabeth Aldrich Garrison, with whom he spent 46 devoted and loving years. A true midwestern gentleman with an understated presence, Peter’s thoughtful and measured perspective was highly valued and often

1970s sought. Peter was a man of strong, quiet eloquence, who spent his time supporting his children throughout their academic and athletic pursuits.

A wonderful man by every measure that matters, Peter was always quick with a laugh and a smile, beloved as “Pops” by his four grandchildren whose company he cherished. An avid golfer at Woodway Country Club, and history buff, he delighted in simple pleasures; family dinners, time with friends, lacrosse games and his “perch” on the deck in Falmouth.

In addition to his wife Elizabeth, Peter is survived by a daughter, Abigail Dunkin (Bradley) and her children, James, Alexander, Peter and Elizabeth of New Canaan; his three sons, Austin, Andrew (Katelyn) and Alexander all of New York City; and a brother, Dr. James Garrison of Keswick, Virginia.”

Scott built his life on kindness, humor and relationships. He enjoyed a frugal life of adventure and successfully crossed North America on three occasions by the extensive exercise of his thumb. Scott refused to follow any social constructs of “should” or “shouldn’t,” and instead insisted on following the impulses of his heart. Therein lay his humble wisdom: his impulses were to make everyone happy, and he was often (impossibly) successful.

He opened his heart with abandon. He was immediately available to help in a crisis; to offer sage advice, a listening ear and practical handiwork. He carried himself with self-effacing humility and goofiness, and emanated love for everyone he encountered. He was happiest with his sibStephen S. Fargo ’71 of Chicago, passed away on Sunday, February 17. He was 68. lings and in-laws, his children and his friends. His home was regularly filled Beloved son of Sondra Fargo and the late with friends and family, and he never hesiDan Fargo; brother of David, Jonathan and tated to invite in someone new.

Sarah; uncle of Ellen, Paul, Andy and He is survived by his four siblings and Chris Fargo; stepbrother of Kim Baksh their spouses (Tim and Amelia Milliken Half and Rhea Baksh Marro. , Karen and Jeff Milliken ’69, Small ’67 A longtime resident of York House, Mark Milliken ’71 , John and Alida Milliken a Thresholds home in Chicago’s Rogers ) his three children and Zimmerman ’74 Park, Steve was an accomplished pianist, their spouses (Lucas and Annie Gonzalez arranger and composer, and regularly Milliken, Nina Milliken and Jesse Wessel played selections from his classical and and Molly Milliken), and his grandchilcontemporary repertoire at York House dren Moira Milliken and Tilden Wessel. and the First United Methodist Church His 11 nieces and nephews will miss him in Evanston. He also loved playing guitar, as well.

A memorial was held on January painting, drawing, singing, calligraphy 13 in Blue Hill.” and photography. Steve was a graduate of the American Conservatory of Music.

Peter Dammann ’72 shared, “R.I.P. Music was his primary passion and Otis Rush, one of Chicago’s greatest sharing it with others was his life’s misand most inf luential bluesmen. For at sion fulfilled. least a couple of us who heard close-up

Otis’ blood-curdling opening howl to I Can’t Quit You Baby when he played Water Department in November and is Fay Donohue ’68, and Marcia Durling at a dance in the North Shore Country Williams ’68 at The Metropolitan Museum managing the City’s conjunctive use of Day School cafeteria (1969 or ’70, groundwater. of Art in New York City. anyone have any photos?), it was a Scott McLean Milliken ’72 “died peacefully life-altering moment.

1969: 50th Reunion Committee: on December 22, 2018 after compliMy NSCDS classmate/bandmate/ Bruce Blair, Suzanne Folds McCullagh, cations from emergency heart surgery, buddy, Jim Pugh ’73, then a freshman, Cathy Askow Thompson with family by his side. Scott was born in who booked the gig by calling Willie Chicago on July 9, 1954, to John Floyd Alice Marshall Vogler ’69 writes, “In Dixon on the South Side of Chicago, a and Elizabeth Wilcox Milliken. He was retirement, my new project, supporting decade later was the keyboard player in Advancing Women Artists (a U.S. charity the fourth of five children. He spent his the backing band for Otis’ set at the childhood in Winnetka with summers in restoring art by women in Florence), is San Francisco Blues Festival, a perforEast Blue Hill, where he acquired his love mance recorded and released on Blind keeping me busy. In October, we will of Maine. finish a four-year restoration of the only Pig Records as Tops. Jim has spent his Scott went on to St. George’s School Last Supper known to be painted by a years since leaving NSCDS touring in Newport, Rhode Island, making lifewoman in the Renaissance. I keep and recording with Etta James, Robert long friends and graduating in 1973. He thinking that Mr. Almquist would be Cray, Chris Isaak, Elvin Bishop and bounced from college to college and grad- recently founded the record label Little amused since I paid no attention to art uated (with more lifelong friends) from at NSCDS!” Village Foundation. the University of Maine Orono with a degree in journalism.

Leslie Bredimus Purple ’68,

Nick Johnson ’72 joined the San Francisco

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cl a ss notes I stumbled into the blues in a professional way in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-’80s, touring and recording with the late bluesman Paul deLay, and backing blues and soul legends like Pinetop Perkins, Solomon Burke and Hubert Sumlin on PNW tours. For the past 25 years, I’ve been artistic director of Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon, the largest blues festival in the West. It has raised over $10 million and 100 tons of food for hunger relief in the region. It really all started with Otis’ howl in the cafeteria.”

Jim Pugh ’73 was featured in Forbes

Magazine in November 2018 for “The Little Village Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization he founded in 2015 that specializes in presenting different sounds and stories by often overlooked artists operating outside the mainstream. The foundation is donor driven, financing the recording of the music and an initial run of 1,000 CDs for each artist they work with. The artists sell the albums themselves, keeping the profits, and can roll those profits into subsequent album pressings.” Read more about Jim’s work in Forbes Magazine at bit.ly/2Y0KWFF. 1974: 35th Reunion Committee needed Pamela Dreyfus Smith ’74 has a new position as New Patient Engagement Director at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts.

In January, Charlie Ingram ’75 was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Eriez Magnetics in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Tony Blumberg ’76 continues to be very

active in his community and has just been re-elected a City Councilman in Highland Park, IL. 1979: 40th Reunion Committee: Cathy Bell Bartholomay and Scott Olson

1980s 1983: 36th Reunion Committee: Alan Blumberg, Mike Bransfield, Chris Charnas, Budge Cooper, Jane Dettmers Bakey, Seemi Ghazi, Leslie Gordon Goldberger, Jamie Knupp, John Park, Alison Rosen

1984: 35th Reunion Committee: David Brown, Berni Ai Bourekas, Arla Medvin Silverstein Mark Bransfield ’86 announced “The

Bransfield Strait, an album which Liam Davis ’86, I and many others worked hard on. Liam was the producer of this project. I was the artiste and got to sing some original songs.”

1989: 30th Reunion Committee: Ches Manly, Dina Healy Richter, Cy Oelerich, Heather Axelrod Oliver, Laura Heinz Peters

1990s 1994: 25th Reunion Committee: Shirin Mobasheri Pope 1999: 20th Reunion Committee needed

2000s 2004: 15th Reunion Committee: Mike Moreau Ryan Randolph ’04 visited Abby Smith De Jager ’03 in South Africa while

on a 10-day school exchange from The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia.

Frank Dachille saw Georgia Rose Munns ’05, coach for the University of Washington’s women’s tennis team, who came for a match with the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Dan Killian ’05 was featured on Shark

Tank on April 14. Dan is the creator of Pricetitution, a card game where you guess how much money it would take your friends to do absurd things. He convinced two sharks to invest.

Dr. Avery Russell ’07 and his wife, Dr. Sarah Morrison, are very excited to soon be moving to Springfield, Missouri where they will be starting as Professors of Evolutionary Biology and Astrophysics, respectively, at Missouri State University in Fall 2019. They look forward to living in the Ozarks, building their research labs, and teaching undergraduate and master‘s students.

2009: 10th Reunion Committee: Karen Block, Caroline McCarthy Alex Kaplan Keefe ’09, Bill Reitz ’07 and Emily Finlay Vertrees ’07 attended

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this year’s Spring Musical at North Shore Country Day. Each of them

performed in Beauty and the Beast as Upper School students.

Sammy Gray ’10 has a new job as Human Resources Manager at The Kraft Heinz Company in Chicago.

2010s

Darling Kittoe ’13 was on campus to present at an Upper School community gathering about the Hands of Peace organization, which “empowers young Israelis, Palestinians and Americans to raise their voices as leaders of change.

The foundation of the program is a comprehensive group dialogue process, structured to take individual participants on a journey that includes: exploring the conf lict together, exposure to each other’s narratives and faiths, sharing of personal stories for greater understanding of our individual differences and common humanity, and individual and group actions that can be taken as involved leaders.”

Darlene is on staff as the Chicago site director.

2014: 5th Reunion Committee needed Connor Watrous ’17 is in the a capella group Ransom Notes and has advanced in a semi-final acapella competition.

Marriages Rob Kleiman ’82 to Kristen Kuhns ’85

March 30, 2019

Births james alexander and theodore patrick tesoriero June 29, 2018 Joe and Caitlin White Tesoriero ’07

maverick scott jessen February 5, 2019 Ashley and Brian Jessen ’02

liyana charolette miller March 27, 2019 Josh and Qui Bellows Miller ’04

Send in Your News!

THE DEADLINE FOR THE SUMMER A C O R N I S J U LY 1 5 .

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

Ryan Randolph ’04 and Abby Smith De Jager ’03

Frank Dachille and Georgia Rose Munns ’05

James Alexander, Theodore Patrick and Caitlin White Tesoriero ’07

Alex Kaplan Keefe ’09, Bill Reitz ’07 and Emily Finlay Vertrees ’07

Kristen Kuhns ’85 and Rob Kleiman ’82

Liyana Charolette Miller

Maverick Scott Jessen

a c o r n · Spring 2019

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cl a ss notes

The annual NSCDS Bus O’ Fun college trip included stops at Colby and Bates Colleges where they met up with North Shore alumni!

At Colby they visited with Margaret Chandler ’18, Hillary Swimmer ’18, Zeke Edwards-Mizel ’17, Bernie Sander ’17 and at Bates with Ben Goldberg ’17. A big thank you for these fellow NSCDS Raiders showing the students their campus!

In Memoriam claire missner weber ’52 May 2018

peter buckley garrison ’66 July 16, 2018

john (jack) ritchie, jr. ’39 November 8, 2018

barbara king macfarlane ’44

william battaglia

herbert geist

January 28, 2019 Father of Nick Battaglia ’91

March 25, 2019 Father of Glenn Geist ’63, Robin Geist ’67, Grandfather of Sarah Geist Rosen ’86 and David Geist ’89, Great Grandfather of Benjamin Rosen, Gabriel Rosen ’24 and Samuel Rosen ’26

margaret lang raub ’62 January 28, 2019

bernice wineberg February 2, 2019 Mother of Johanna Wineberg Kellman ’73 and Rachel Wineberg ’78

November 27, 2018

stephen s. fargo ’71

scott mclean milliken ’72

February 17, 2019

December 22, 2018 Brother of Amelia Milliken Small ’67, Jeff Milliken ’69, Mark Milliken ’71 and

robert hess koff ’57

Alida Milliken Zimmerman ’74

linda tanenbaum weissbluth ’59 January 23, 2019

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March 3, 2019

margaret otter street ’42 March 14, 2019

beth nevins hall March 16, 2019 Daughter of the late Nancy Graff Nevins ’41, Sister of Judy Nevins ’68 and Barbara Nevins ’70, Niece of Alice Graff Childs ’37

patricia blunt koldyke ’54 March 27, 2019 Sister of Carlene Blunt ’57 and Fran Blunt Steinwedell ’51

david schweppe ’70 April 6, 2019 Son of the late Lydia Elliott Schweppe ’39, Brother of Leigh Schweppe Buettner ’66 and Charlie Schweppe ’67

a lumni r efl ec t ion david thomas ’09

DIVE IN, HEAD FIRST THE DECISION

I never once thought I would transfer high schools. That was not in my original plan. I chose to attend a very large high school as a freshman. On paper, this appeared to be the perfect school. The state-of-the-art facilities, dominating athletic programs and my desire to be with some of my closest friends from childhood made the decision a no-brainer. But as my freshman year came and went, and sophomore year rolled around, I did not feel at home there. I didn’t feel like the school had my personal best interest at heart.

So I made the very tough decision midway through 10th grade to leave my friends and all that I knew at the time and look for a place that would take care of me and deliver a more well-rounded experience.

Little did I know this would be one of the best decisions I have ever made to this day, and that it would help shape and secure an incredible future for me.

T H E F I R S T D AY

My first day at NSCDS stands out. It was the day after winter break, so things got overwhelming pretty fast as every student was running around looking to update their friends on what they had done over the holidays. I didn’t have anyone to update, didn’t know where anything was, or if anyone would lend a hand to the new kid. I had so many questions. What if this is all a big mistake? What if everyone is already friends and I get shut out socially? Can a kid from the North Side of Chicago really fit in here?

But I learned quickly that the spirit of this new environment was one of inclusion. A witty, confident kid by the name of Jordy Blenner ’09 picked me out in no time as the new kid who was going to be in his math class. He and I walked in, he announced to everyone that I was his new friend David and I was “super chill,” and then introduced me to Danny Nolan ’09.

By the end of that 45-minute block, the three of us were laughing hysterically with each other. By the time the day had ended, I was part of a lunch crew, was invited to a Bears game by a basketball teammate, had a new person to carpool to school with and had a group text with two girls from my English class. This place wasn’t so bad after all!

THE CHALLENGE

By my junior year, I was settled in, and it became very apparent that NSCDS isn’t like any other place on earth. I slowly but surely began to become involved in varsity football, chorus and as a student ambassador. And in each activity, I excelled. I remember so clearly that the musical was announced as Pirates of Penzance and how badly I wanted to be a lead.

I auditioned and got the part, much to my rapture.

But as rehearsals began, our musical director, Michael Querio—more affectionately know as “Q”—asked me to do individual practices during my free block with him or accompanist Ingmari Wahlgren.

I obliged, but I came unprepared to my first few practices. I wasn’t taking it seriously. As I walked into my third individual session, Q had the piano closed and there was no music stand or water laid out like the previous ones. He just wanted to chat, and I’ll never forget what he said to me.

“You have everything inside of you to be great and it starts with these sessions,” he explained. “You are going to get the same results as the effort you put into it. Don’t go through these next few years just doing things to do them. Dive in, head first, and I promise you that you will leave this high school making an impact that people model for years to come.”

I felt awful that he even had to say that to me, but so incredibly empowered that he offered up that sentiment and took the time to articulate it. He could have written me off. He could have decided I was not the right lead for the musical. But he didn’t. He took the time to inspire in me what he saw.

T H E R E S U LT I N G M I N D S E T

As my graduating class prepares for our 10-year reunion, I realize that there are so many moments like the the one I shared with Q in my time as NSCDS, where this essence of care rings out. From classmates to teammates, coaches to teachers, parents to spectators—North Shore is a community full of people inspiring others to step into their unrealized potential. That mindset has stuck with me since high school and is something I apply to my daily life.

I am honored to be an alumnus; leaving as a three-sport athlete and the first Division I football player in school history, a two-time musical lead and an AP student, and now working as a sales professional for Salesforce (alongside Karen Block ’09 and Kevin Nathan ’08) and helping to manage the music career of Samuel Akainyah ’11.

Many thanks are owed to many people but to Dale Wentz, Jenny Sawtelle Koppera, Dayle Marks Block, Michael Querio, Kevin Randolph, Patrick and Kathy McHugh, Roderick Mobley, Carmen Gomez-Fiegl, Sarah Ross Mills, Chris Boyle, David Potter, Lynsey Wollin-Casey, Adam Mangana and the ever-beloved Vanessa Molzahn— THANK YOU for making a goofy teenager take himself seriously and apply his natural talents, and be open to learning wholeheartedly.

North Shore Country Day School 310 Green Bay Road Winnetka, Illinois 60093–4094

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