The Magazine of William Penn Charter School
Spring 2018
Les Miz! Do You Hear the People Sing?
The STRATEGIC VISION for Penn Charter’s future is organized around six goals, each with a set of strategies.
Goal 1: Quakerism
Goal 2: PROGRAM
Advance our educational program to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a complex and changing world.
Goal 3: Teaching Goal 4: Time Goal 5: Space Goal 6: Financial Sustainability Educating Students to Live Lives that Make a Difference A Strategic Vision for the Future of William Penn Charter School
Curiosity + Passion =
Accomplishment
Why would a student want to pursue a Penn Charter certificate in Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability? Or in Global Studies? After all, the certificate programs require diligence and concentrated work: three semesters of coursework, three major projects, 80 hours of activity credit, and an 80-hour Senior Comprehensive capstone project. Students begin the work as juniors and finish at the end of senior year with the presentation of their Senior Comp. In Ariel Takle’s case, one of the answers is curiosity. “I am really interested in endangered species. Why are some species endangered and how to help them?” Ariel, a junior, is one of four students enrolled in the environmental certificate program PC introduced this year; next year the Upper School will roll out the Global Studies certificate. Inspired by the Strategic Vision, the certificate programs provide motivated students a new opportunity to dive deep to explore complex issues on a subject they feel passionate about and, while doing that, hone critical thinking skills, learn valuable research skills, and cultivate their ability to communicate in writing and before a live audience. “By combining courses, projects, and their Senior Comp, these students are engaged in activities here in school and out in the world that fit with their individual interest and pressing environmental issues,” according to Tom Rickards, Upper School religion teacher and coordinator of PC environmental programs. “They are demonstrating real passion and academic strength,” he said. They are also students who want to have an impact. Said junior Hadley Ball: “I have always held a passion for the environment, and now, as we are increasingly confronted with the warning signals of climate change, I find the need to make headway on environmental sustainability especially pressing.” TOP: Page Proctor and Stella Singer, two of the students working to earn Penn Charter’s first Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Certificate, on a project this winter removing invasive plants and vines in Wissahickon Park.
Contents Spring 2018
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Features
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How Far? Campaign Update Finding Balance:
Wellness at Penn Charter
Penn Charter educators working to help students manage stress, find contentment and understand that intellectual engagement can produce happiness recognize the new realities of life for children and teenagers today.
22 Athletes Driven to Service
Service has always been one of the pillars of the Penn Charter experience, and thanks to the continuing evolution of the school’s Center for Public Purpose (CfPP), PC athletes are discovering more ways to get involved.
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24 Bravo! Brava! Bravissimo!
The Upper School musical, Les Misérables School Edition, showcased the depth and breadth of Penn Charter’s performing arts program.
26 Passion Project:
Sharing Love of Lacrosse
Departments Opening Comments
From the Head of School. .................................................................................. 2 Around Campus
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Great Day to Be a Quaker. .................................................................................. 3 Campus Currents...................................................................................................6 Achievements in Athletics.............................................................................. 27 Alumni
PC Profiles Kenneth J. Young OPC ’68........................................................................... 10 Anna Davis OPC ’92. .......................................................................................12 Athletic Honor Society 11th Induction Class. ....................................... 30 Downtown Reception 2018. ..........................................................................34 Then & Now...........................................................................................................36 Class Notes............................................................................................................ 37 On the Cover The Magazine of WilliaM penn CharTer SChool
Spring 2018
Les Miz! Do You Hear the People Sing?
Upper School students wowed in powerful performances of Les Misérables School Edition. Photography by Michael Branscom.
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Opening Comments
From the Head of School This school year, I have had great experiences traveling around the country to meet with OPCs and, here at home, meeting with parents to engage them about the work of Penn Charter’s ambitious capital campaign—By the Light of Our Charter, How Far Can We See? Since our thrilling campaign opening on October 20, the campaign has made great progress, which you will see chronicled in this issue. I am always excited to tell Penn Charter’s story, hear the stories of our community, and accept a gift on behalf of the school. I am even more excited to communicate about our Strategic Vision and Penn Charter’s educational program, which are, of course, the reasons for the ambitious How Far? advancement effort. Penn Charter’s Strategic Vision has changed what we are teaching and how we are teaching. Our curricular content continues to focus on the fundamentals of reading and math to our youngest learners, but is amplified by emphases on developing personal strategies for learning and empathy for others. In Middle School, students read the classics and new classics, and also learn to communicate in other languages, including Mandarin Chinese, undertake hands-on learning in science labs, in art rooms, outdoors on our campus, and throughout the city of Philadelphia and the world; this learning opens their eyes, heads and hearts beyond what often is a self-absorbed middle school mindset. In Upper School, students study in a demanding college preparatory environment, all while striving for balance between their own passions, athletics, arts and other demands that most of us could never have imagined as teenagers, including the need to navigate social media. While the How Far? campaign supports facilities, faculty professional development and financial aid, it really represents an investment in our students now and in Penn Charter’s future. The investment now is evident in IdeaLabs for innovation and project-based learning for Lower, Middle and Upper School students; the 1:to:1 laptop program for students in grades 4 to 12; new facilities like Maguire Field and the Blaine A. Steinberg OPC ’11 Center for Fitness and Performance; new endowments to support faculty professional development and financial aid; the Teaching & Learning Center to keep faculty up-to-date on their craft; new courses like Ornithology and Literature of Rural America; a focus on wellness and fitness for life; and the Center for Public Purpose, which interweaves our Quaker mission with reflection and action while exploring entrepreneurship and stoking empathy. The future is evident in our plans for a new stateof-the-art Lower School; a new Athletics and Wellness Center; an outdoor campus that better teaches our students about the environment and our responsibility to steward it well. So, this year, when I am asked about the How Far? campaign and what it means for our school, I boldly respond that How Far? is about supporting Penn Charter’s Strategic Vision and educational program. It is about making an investment in our school today and securing our future. We do this by evolving our academic program and transforming our campus. We do this to prepare our students for success, and to educate them to live lives that make a difference. How Far? will always be about how far we, members of the Penn Charter community, can see.
The Magazine of William Penn Charter School
Darryl J. Ford Head of School Elizabeth A. Glascott Hon. 1689 Assistant Head of School Jeffrey A. Reinhold Clerk, Overseers John T. Rogers Hon. 1689 Chief Development Officer Brian Cash OPC ’00 Alumni Society President
Magazine Staff Sharon Sexton Editor Rebecca Luzi Associate Editor Julia Judson-Rea Assistant Editor Michael Branscom Feature Photography Proof Design Studios Design William Penn Charter School 3000 West School House Lane Philadelphia, PA 19144 215.844.3460
www.penncharter.com Penn Charter is the magazine of William Penn Charter School. It is published by the Marketing Communications Office and distributed to alumni, parents and friends of the school. In addition to providing alumni updates about classmates, reunions and events, the magazine focuses on the people, the programs and the ideas that energize our school community.
Follow Penn Charter at your favorite social media sites: Facebook facebook.com/penncharter Twitter @PennCharter youtube youtube.com/pennchartertube Instagram @PennCharter FLICKR flickr.com/penncharter/sets
arryl J. Ford D Head of School Please Recycle this Magazine
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Strategic Vision
Goal 6
Financial Sustainability
to be a
Students were welcomed to school with performances from small ensembles; parents enjoyed a pop-up espresso bar and presentation about the Teaching & Learning Center; blue and yellow cake was served at lunch; and the Penn Charter Quaker made visits to photo booths and classrooms, bringing great cheer. OPCs gathered for breakfast in Villanova, and in Center City to watch the opening games of the NCAA tournament and celebrate Penn Charter, a party sponsored by the Alumni Society.
Mid-March, often a snowy slog toward spring break, got a jolt of PC spirit on the third annual Great Day to Be a Quaker. The interactive day of giving unleashed a torrent of messages and memories of what our community loves and remembers about Penn Charter.
Great Day fueled an astounding gift tally of $406,017 from 515 donors. The community rose to meet–and exceed!– several donor matches and challenges. For the second year in a row, Blue came out on top in the Blue-Yellow Challenge.
Thank you for supporting excellence at Penn Charter!
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WINTER 2018: History of Access Athletics and Wellness
BY THE LIGHT OF OUR CHARTER
How far can we see?
Academic Village Legacy Gifts
WHY? The campus transformation that is central to the new How Far? capital campaign would tear down one building, erect two new buildings, and move the baseball field.
Why?
“By taking down Dooney—the one building on campus that no one is satisfied with—we create an ‘academic village’ that brings all three divisions together. Moving the athletics facility to the other side of campus where it is adjacent to the fields makes sense. And we can then repurpose the current Lower School building. “I am a fan of that kind of thinking: We expand without changing our footprint on the main campus, and we position the school for another 50 years.”
Timeless: Inquiry and excellence. Four Penn Charter leaders explain why this long-range master plan, why these buildings, and why now.
A New Lower School Kate McCallum,
Director of Lower School
Forward Thinking F. John White OPC ’65,
Overseer since 1995, Treasurer
“When you plan for a school that has been around for more than 325 years, you have to think in 25- and 50-year timeframes,” White said. “This plan will position Penn Charter to be excellent for the next 50 years.” In 2013, faced with realization that the current, 42-year-old Lower School must be
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replaced, Overseers could have approved construction of a new facility in front of the Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts, on Perrott Field. “That would be an immediate solution,” White explained, “but constructing one building to fill one need is not good planning.”
“Education is moving from a knowledge economy, where we needed to help kids learn facts, to an information economy,” McCallum said. “Now students need to know how to access information and then understand, manipulate and ultimately use it to solve problems, to create.” The Lower School building, opened in 1976, does not meet the needs of 21st century teaching and learning. “We need space and flexibility so that we can create dynamic learning environments, for example, space where we can set up project-based learning and then still have room to move around.”
Instead, the school engaged in a thoughtful, long-range planning process campaign.penncharter.com involving architects, planners, visits to When the Lower School building opened, other campuses, and input from PC faculty, each grade had two classrooms and there was students, parents. That process identified a third room available for breakout sessions. the site of Dooney Field House as the best Each grade now has three classes and the old breakout room is the third classroom. location for the new Lower School.
“Teachers do an amazing job with what they have,” McCallum acknowledged. But faculty meetings are in the library on small chairs designed for children. The admissions office has no windows. And I often loan my office to a teacher who needs a place for a parent meeting.” Lower School needs space inside, and outdoors. McCallum is excited about the vision for a new facility with outdoor learning spaces and more play spaces. How about a play space where outdoor musical instruments are integrated into a playground? “Children learn by seeing and smelling and feeling and listening, and we want to give them that opportunity,” McCallum said.
To evolve our educational program and build a new lower school designed for the way we teach now, the How Far? campaign seeks to raise more than $18 million.
Athletics are a significant part of the PC experience and identity, Angelakis said. The new center will fortify our athletic legacy and provide athletes with state-of-the-art training and competition facilities. “We also have come to recognize the importance of wellness—for athletes, for students generally, and for teachers. We have considered wellness and community in every aspect of the design.” More competition spaces will make it possible to schedule concurrent practices, and for students to finish and get home for family dinner and homework. And rainy days won’t always mean lost practice.
Christine Angelakis P ’11, ’13, ’18 Overseer since 2013
“The driving force behind the new Athletics and Wellness Center was the decision to build a new lower school in the best possible location,” Angelakis explained. “This presented an opportunity: We can remove an outdated, inadequate facility and create a new facility that is so much more than what we are replacing.”
This master plan makes it possible. “By grouping the academic village on one side of campus, and athletics on the other, we are able to open the campus more and remain extremely green for a city school. And we are able to achieve everything programmatically, at a high level, pre-K to 12.”
During the school day, before sports begin, the facility will get a full workout from physical education and health/ wellness programs, both of which will have a home there. After school it will serve as a community hub. “Imagine a gathering community—a place where people are leaving a practice and stopping to watch a game, a center where we can gather not only for sports but for all-school events. We’re excited about the new facility as it will serve the entire Penn Charter community for many years to come.”
For the new state-of-the-art Athletics and Wellness Center, the How Far? campaign seeks to raise more than $16 million.
Athletics + Wellness
“It always bothered me,” Jeff Reinhold said of the idea of a second PC site, “even if the possibility was only down the hill or over at Woman’s Medical College. It was important to be able to provide everything right here in East Falls, on one campus.”
Read more about wellness at Penn Charter on page 14.
A Singular Campus Jeffrey A. Reinhold P ’12, Overseer since 2008, Clerk
Before this master planning process, and in order to advance the program in academics, arts and athletics, school leaders investigated buying land at a different location for athletics facilities or fields, or as a site for a new lower school.
Reinhold also sees enormous potential in repurposing existing buildings and facilities, including the current Lower School, the Old Gym and, eventually, the Graham Athletics Center. Classroom space would be a priority: “In the Upper School, if we want to add an elective, we can’t always find a classroom. This plan addresses the problem.” Reinhold said Penn Charter will always be committed to the city, and with this master plan it renews its commitment to East Falls. Penn Charter and East Falls are coming up on an anniversary: the school laid a cornerstone for a new gymnasium, now the Old Gym, in 1923, and opened the red doors of the main building in 1925. “It is a bit of a goal that the campus transformation would be complete on the day we celebrate our 100th anniversary in East Falls,” Reinhold said. PC
Check our progress: Visit campaign.penncharter.com to check our progress—we’ve topped $60 million!—and to hear from people supporting PC and the How Far? capital campaign.
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Campus Currents Students Walk out to Protest Gun Violence Hundreds of Penn Charter students in grades 5-12 walked out of school just before 10 a.m. on March 14, participants in a national, student-initiated protest advocating for stricter gun laws and increased awareness of the impact of gun violence on communities, schools and children.
Distinguished Speakers Penn Charter’s Distinguished Speakers Series brings stimulating programs to campus with a wide range of engaging speakers. Among the speakers PC welcomed this year was a documentary filmmaker, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, and experts in mental health and wellness. Ambassador Robert Gosende, a South African Quaker who played a key role in helping to end apartheid, spoke to faculty and staff at the annual Hubben Lecture.
Earlier in the day, Lower School students in grades 4 and under reflected on active peacemaking with their teachers and then made flags calling for peace, friendship around the world, and an end to gun violence. The flags flew in Chigwell Close for the remainder of the week. Demonstrating that our students live lives that make a difference, the 17-minute walkout by the older students began with a quiet walk through the halls, out the doors, and to the center of Maguire Field. Under a bright blue sky, with a March wind rippling the American and PC flags, they stood in silent worship. The call for a walkout was initiated by students in Parkland, Fla., after the tragic school shooting there that killed 17 of their classmates and teachers. PC students, moved by the tragedy and the courage of Parkland students who have demanded to be heard, stepped forward to organize the walkout here. Some students held signs expressing their views—Protect Kids, Not Guns— and some wore the color orange, meant to symbolize their solidarity with victims and support for gun safety. Students who chose not to participate remained in class with teachers. Head of School Darryl J. Ford joined in the protest and earlier that same week, with other Quaker heads, issued a statement praising students for their civic engagement with current issues.
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This winter, a historian and a graphic novelist were two popular visitors to campus. Erica Armstrong Dunbar, author of Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, spoke with parents, students and with a Parent Community book club. An historian and lecturer, Dunbar has committed herself to telling stories of slavery, racial injustice and gender inequality, mostly involving AfricanAmerican women.
Erica Armstrong Dunbar
In Lower School, children’s author, illustrator and cartoonist George O’Connor George O’Connor was the annual author-in-residence. His bestselling series Olympians retells the classic Greek myths in graphic-novel format. Captivating our youngest students, O’Connor drew dinosaurs on the fly as he talked about storytelling and illustration.
Campus Currents
QuakeMakers Pitch Their Innovations A panel of judges gathered in Gummere Library this winter to hear five pitches from students in QuakeMakers, a two-year-old pitch competition led by senior Evan Wilson and organized by the Upper School Business Club. Start-up ideas ranged from creating a secure box on your porch to protect deliveries from theft, to an app that shutters all social media in an effort to address distracted driving, to a denim upcycling business with a portion of proceeds going to support girls around the world. QuakeMakers pitch judges Antonio Williams P ’22, Margaret Bradley P ’18, Caesar D. Williams Jr. OPC ’80, P ’15, and Robert Rosania OPC ’82, P ’22, ’21.
PC senior Evan Wilson is the driver behind the entrepreneurship focus of the Business Club.
The judges—a group of OPCs, PC parents and faculty— listened to the five-minute pitches and asked questions of the budding entrepreneurs. The Eyes Up driving app and UpDenim were chosen to continue on to the finals, where students will compete against local schools, including Friends Select, Friends Central, Springside Chestnut Hill, Mastery Charter Schools, Germantown Academy, and Mercy Career and Tech. Thanks to support from anonymous OPCs, the winners of that competition will secure funding for their start-up.
Excellent! Robotics Team Competes Up As dawn rose over the Clock Tower on Jan. 20, the Penn Charter Middle School Robotics Team loaded equipment into the bright yellow community service van for the short drive to Central High and the Philadelphia First Tech Challenge Tournament. Eighth graders Emmett Garson and Will Betts Cope and seventh grader Matt Clarke spent the drive planning a strategy against some seasoned high school teams. After passing mechanical, program, and field inspections and judge interviews, the team took on a tough draw in the round-robin qualifying rounds and placed ninth. However, they then went on to compete in the finals with teammates from Girls High and Swenson Arts & Technology High School. Corey Kilbane, PC science teacher and IdeaLab coordinator, said the final match was so close that the teams and crowd sat hushed as they waited for the judges’ final score. “While we lost 127-121,” Kilbane said, “it was amazing to see our small group of middle schoolers compete with and against 24 high school teams, earning second place in the city tournament.”
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Campus Currents
Making a Difference on Martin Luther King Day On the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, students, families and teachers demonstrated that they are leading lives that make a difference. After gathering to learn more about King and discuss his legacy, more than 200 children and adults served mostly local organizations—and one that makes shoes for children in Uganda. Our community volunteered for Sole Hope Shoes, Feed Philly, Face to Face, SHARE, DePaul House, Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network, St. Raymond’s homeless shelter, the Pillowcase Project and Friends of the Wissahickon. The day on, not a day off, is a national event and annual tradition for the Penn Charter community that continues to grow.
Fly, Eagles, Fly! Leading up to Super Bowl LII, campus was buzzing with excitement for the Eagles, and “Fly, Eagles, Fly” was a regular in the repertoire of our bands and Quakers Dozen. We cheered on the Birds throughout the playoffs (and also Matt Ryan OPC ’03, QB of the Atlanta Falcons, who fell to the Eagles in the divisional round) and into the Super Bowl. Convinced the spirited dress-down days were the determining factor in the wins, the school was awash in Eagles green and PC gear for consecutive Fridays. Bottom: PC was a spirited sea of green on dress-down days before Eagles playoff games. Left: Michael Barkann P ’15, P ’18 interviews football skipper Tom Coyle about Matt Ryan OPC ’03.
#FlyEaglesFly
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Campus Currents
On Stage, Carnegie Hall Senior Jeremy Weiss played in Carnegie Hall as part of the international Crescendo Competition. Weiss, an accomplished pianist, played Moment Musicaux, Op. 16, No. 4, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Bravo!
Happy Birthday, Summer Camp! Penn Charter Summer Camp celebrates 50 years this summer! Summer camp began with one camp, 40 campers and 10 counselors. Charlie Kaesshaeffer OPC ’71, longtime summer camp director as well as assistant director of Lower School, was a junior counselor the first summer.
“I love watching the friendships develop between kids and their counselors,“ Kaesshaefer said. “Many of our campers develop an interest in working with children and later apply to be counselors.” Kaesshaefer’s longtime friend and assistant director, Chris Burnett (below, left), has seen this to be true. Burnett’s son, Dylan, was a camper and eventually senior counselor at Day Camp.
Today, PC hosts more than 20 camps, including traditional Day Camp and Sports Camp. New additions include Drone Camp and Adventures in Animation Camp; longtime favorite activities such as the color contest and archery remain. “Coming to PC Day Camp was—and is—a summer tradition for entire families,” Kaesshaefer said. Left: Charlie Kaesshaefer leads the color team contest.
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PC P RO F I LE S
Keeping Young with Minor League Baseball Kenneth J. Young OPC ’68 by Rebecca Luzi
Not many people can claim that the parttime job they enjoyed as a 15-year-old led them down the path to career success—in the same industry, no less. Kenneth Young OPC ’68 can. As a Penn Charter sophomore, he sold hot dogs and sodas at two famous local stadiums: the University of Pennsylvania’s Palestra and Franklin Field. Today, Young is executive chairman of Spectra, which he founded as Ovations Food Services in 1985 and later sold to Comcast Spectacor. Young had a good gig in high school. He took the elevated subway from 69th Street to 34th Street, near Franklin Field, and there he sold hot dogs for Ogden Food Services. Franklin Field, which is the oldest stadium still operating for football, also hosted the Penn Relays and other sports, but it was the Philadelphia Eagles games that Young liked
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working best. “I’d get to watch the fourth quarter,” he said, and in the end, “I’d make $50 to $60 in tips.” At the Palestra, the “Cathedral of College Basketball,” where he mostly poured sodas– which inevitably spilled on him because instead of lids they used heat-shrunk cellophane–he was able to see the last 12 minutes of Penn Quakers games. Not a bad job for a high-school kid. Young’s interest was piqued. A few years later, he graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a BS in food service and housing administration. After working his way up in the recreational food service industry, Young struck out on his own, and since 1985 has owned a number of food service companies specializing in the arena and stadium business. In 2016 he sold his latest company, Spectra, to Comcast Spectacor of Philadelphia, and continues to work as executive chairman. Today, his main responsibility is acquiring small food service companies. Over the course of his career, Young has coordinated and supervised the food, beverage and novelty services of Super Bowls, World Series, the 1984 summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and political conventions. He remembers well the 1979 World Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially the games played at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, one of his accounts. “We opened for game one and ended up getting snowed out,” Young said. “Then, the World Series went seven games, so we ended up with five home games. An extra special day.” Alas, better for the Pirates than the Orioles, as it turned out.
At the 1984 Summer Olympics in L.A., Young had a terrific view of the 3,000-meter race that world champion Mary Decker was favored to win. “Mary fell on the track, dashing her hopes, so that blew any chance for her to medal,” Young recalled. “I was standing at the corner when she fell, coincidentally.” Another Ken Young endeavor is the largescale coordination of selling Super Bowl programs. For 16 years, he mobilized and organized a team of 400 to 600 volunteers from all over the country who would pay their own way to get to the game, obtain security clearance and then soak in the Super Bowl atmosphere as they sold programs. Each year, Young has donated the profits, almost $900,000 in all, to his synagogue in Tampa, Fla., where he lives. Although he enjoys big national events, Young’s real love is minor league baseball. He owns or co-owns five Minor League Baseball teams. As owner and president of the Norfolk Tides baseball club, affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles, he helped supervise the building of Harbor Park, a 12,000-seat baseball stadium. In addition, he is co-owner of the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies), as well as the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys (both Baltimore Orioles), and the Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers). When he was a kid, baseball was time well spent with family and friends. “My father took me to my first game on a Friday night,” Young recalled. “The next day I went with a friend’s Cub Scout group.” He was hooked. “Minor League Baseball,” he said, “really is centered around family fun. We provide between-inning contests, popular music—and every game the kids get to run the bases. Anything that can make the game more fun for fans.” Young, who takes in about 80 baseball games a season, makes a lot of his own fun when it comes to team ownership. When he bought the Pacific Coast League’s Calgary Cannons and moved the team to Albuquerque, N.M.,
OPCs at Spectrum Field, the Phillies’ spring training ballpark.
OPCs @ Spring Training OPCs heard the crack of the bat in Clearwater, Fla., as the Phillies took on the Baltimore Orioles on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon in late March.
he wanted to find just the right name. So did the residents of Albuquerque. Local media conducted popular polls, and it was clear that the name would have a scientific reference— as a nod to the storied Los Alamos National Laboratory. In the end, the Isotopes were also a nod to The Simpsons and the fictional Springfield Isotopes baseball team. Young negotiated with Fox over use of the name, and the real Isotopes Park soon featured statues of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa. “The fans have been terrific,” Young said. “They love the stadium; they’re proud. And the name took on a life of its own.” Young has built a career out of his love for baseball, recreational food service and the challenge of anticipating how customers will spend money. “I am a numbers-oriented guy,” he said. “The part that really excites me is on the operating side—trying to get the customers to spend an average of an extra quarter or 50 cents at a game, whether through menu selection or size selection.” The quarters add up. So do the hot dogs. Kenneth Young, that numbers guy, estimates that over the course of his career he is responsible for selling well over 100 million hot dogs. How does he take his? “With mustard and onions.” PC Ken Young OPC ‘68 was the keynote speaker at the Downtown Reception on Jan. 25. Story and photos on page 34.
Before the game, the group toured the David P. Montgomery Performance Center—where the Phillies do pre-season training and conditioning—guided by namesake and co-owner of the Phillies, David P. Montgomery OPC ’64. Montgomery introduced the OPCs to coaches and players. The night before, young and young-at-heart OPCs gathered on Clearwater Beach for a reception under the boardwalk.
Darryl J. Ford with his wife, Gail Sullivan, and their children, Jameson and Lucas, and David P. Montgomery OPC ’64 and Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera (center).
OPCs gather for a reception on Clearwater Beach.
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PC P RO F I LE S
Beyond the Fundamentals Anna Davis OPC ’92 by Mark F. Bernstein OPC ’79
Of all the things Alice Davis taught her in 10th grade chemistry, Anna Davis OPC ’92 said that one line stands out. “She used to say, ‘Everything I am telling you now is a lie,’” Davis (no relation) recalled. By that, her teacher meant that real-world chemistry is actually much more complicated than the simplified, introductory version that necessarily forms any high school curriculum. “She wanted you to understand the subject but also know that there was so much more to come.”
her current job, as R&D Strategy Leader, she helps Dow’s chief technology officer manage the company’s R&D portfolio ($1.6 billion as reported in 2016), developing and improving products for one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Davis has spent her entire industrial career at Dow, based in Midland, Mich. She started in the lab as a senior chemist focusing on watersoluble polymers and renewable chemical feedstocks, eventually heading several large R&D projects and supervising teams of researchers. In April 2016, she moved into her current post, where she interacts across Dow’s multiple businesses, advancing materials
and technology that impact consumer and industrial products across many markets. “When I came to interview here, I was amazed at the depth of science and the significant investment in cutting-edge methods,” Davis said. She attributed Dow’s dominant position in the market to its ability to translate that basic research into products that address important challenges and touch people across the globe. “It is an interesting approach to science,” she said. “A new product isn’t just something to be written up for a journal article. It has to be scaled and go to market.” Research and development is critical for an international corporation such as Dow, with ties to so many different industries. “We’re introducing new products all the time and improving existing ones,” Davis explained. Having someone in a strategic role who understands the basic chemistry is critical. A PC lifer, Davis was also in the first class of girls to graduate from Penn Charter and was
Anna Davis lives in Michigan with her husband, Jeff, and daughters Abigail, 8, and Lucy, 6–and their Newfoundland dog.
Anna Davis learned how true those words were, majoring in chemistry at Yale, earning a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, and conducting postdoctoral research as a National Institutes of Health fellow at Northwestern. For the last 10 years, she has worked as a research chemist and research and development (R&D) leader with Dow Chemical Company. In
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Anna Davis, far left, was president of the Class of 1992, the first in the modern era to graduate girls. The other class officers are Catherine McGuckin, Todd Goulding, and Alexander Colley.
PC P RO F I LE S president of her senior class. She admitted that her career could have gone in many different directions. “I was interested in everything!” she enthused, and not only in the classroom. Davis was a three-sport athlete at PC and played two sports (field hockey and lacrosse) in college. At first she thought she might major in English. “It’s very important that scientists have good communications skills,” she observed, “especially if you want to be in a decision-making position as an academic or at a company.” Ultimately, though, Davis turned toward chemistry, thanks in large part to Alice Davis’s class. “I think she inspired lots of people in science,” Anna Davis said of her teacher. “It’s a lot easier to pursue science in university if you have a good foundation.” Indeed, Davis is proud that she had a strong enough foundation to take physical chemistry as a Yale freshman.
“I was good at it, and I could compete with people from all over the country.” Although Alice Davis Hon. 1689 must have been especially proud to see one of the first class of PC girls decide to continue studying chemistry, Anna Davis noted that her classmate Eric Ross OPC ’92 was also in that advanced freshman physical chemistry class at Yale. (Ross is now a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Colorado State University.) “She was an equal-opportunity inspirer.” In her current job, Davis must look at the big picture but said that she still feels connected to the basic research that goes on in the lab. “I miss being on the frontlines of discovery and innovation in the lab, but I’m still connected to it,” she said. “We wouldn’t be good at what we do if we didn’t have strong ties to the fundamentals.” PC
Anna Davis working in the lab in graduate school.
New York OPC Reception
Penn Charter will be back in the Big Apple for the annual Quaker Meeting for Worship and cocktail reception. All OPCs are invited.
Wednesday, May 16
6:15-6:45 p.m. Meeting for Worship • 7-9 p.m. OPC Reception Stripes Group Rooftop Offices of Ken Fox OPC ’89 and Pat Keane OPC ’88
402 W. 13th Street, New York, NY 10014
Register at penncharter.com/NYC. Questions? Contact Chris Rahill OPC ’99 at crahill@penncharter.com.
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Strategic Vision
Goals 1,2,3,4
Quakerism • Program • Teaching • Time
Finding Balance:
Wellness at Penn Charter by Jennifer Lin
The world seems to be moving at warp speed, especially for young people. Text messaging. Streaming videos. Smartphones placing the Web in the palm of their hands. These constant distractions are changing the very norms of communication and human interaction. Into this vortex add the intense pressure to succeed that emanates from parents, peers and college admissions, and the fear many young people feel from gun violence and the threat of war. Penn Charter educators working to help students manage stress, find contentment and understand that intellectual engagement can produce happiness recognize the new realities of life for children and teenagers today.
In a darkened room, more than a dozen seventh grade students lie on the carpet with their eyes shut and palms up, following the soothing voice of Lisa Reedich as she guides them through a meditation session as part of a Quakerism class. “Leave the future. Leave the past. Be here right now,” the counselor explains. In an Upper School classroom, 11th and
12th graders explore with instructor Karen Campbell how the “culture of snark” corrodes meaningful debate and dialogue. Students nod knowingly as she explains this “slash and burn thinking, an argument culture of shutting people out.” In the Lower School that same day, kindergarteners sit in a circle, listening to a blue bunny and pink pig—puppets in the
hands of Reedich—talk about hurt feelings. Says Bunny: “I need to tell Piggy how I feel so we can solve the problem.” All of these moments from a typical day show how William Penn Charter School is broadening and deepening its efforts to address the wellness of students, not only their physical well-being, but also their emotional lives. continued on next page
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Lower School Counselor Lisa Reedich leads kindergarteners in a breathing meditation exercise.
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Finding Balance: Wellness at Penn Charter continued from page 14
The emphasis on health and wellness at Penn Charter aligns with time-honored Quaker practices of reflection and mindfulness, and it is woven into the goals of the 2013 Strategic Vision. “This is very much something that is part of our educational program,” said Beth Glascott, assistant head of school. “We have been steadily doing this work for a long time.” For Glascott, wellness means having a life in balance. It’s facing stress without letting it cripple you. It’s having time to exercise, to think, and to enjoy yourself. It’s being able to push yourself without overdoing it. And it’s feeling secure and confident enough to take chances.
As an educator with 36 years at Penn Charter, including 16 as director of Upper School, Glascott has seen a heightened anxiety among students today as well as pressure to be “everything to all people and perfect,” which can sometimes translate into an aversion to risk and fear of failing. “Parents and, quite honestly, colleges want both: They want healthy, intellectually curious kids, but also high grades and the most rigorous schedule possible, with students doing multiple things,” Glascott said. “We need to help students to slow down, to become better problem solvers and to recognize that with most mistakes, you can recover.”
The STRATEGIC VISION for Penn Charter’s future is organized around six goals, each with a set of strategies. Goal 1: Quakerism
Overseer Mark Hecker OPC ’99, clerk of the board’s Education Committee, led the committee last year on a deep dive to understand the pressures students face and the effort the school makes to help them be well. His takeaway: college admissions and parental demands to achieve are at least as challenging to wellness as social media. “I think teachers and students struggle between what we know is best for kids and what we feel pressured to achieve for or with them,” Hecker said. “In all the work that we’ve done and the conversations the committee had, I think the tension between outside pressures and internal efforts comes through really strongly.” Glascott and Hecker both used the word “tension,” and student conversation on the topics of college and parental focus on grades do convey tension. One senior said she appreciated that teachers don’t focus on college admissions. “They don’t ask you about it.” But, “Once you leave this door, at the dinner table every single night—even just a stranger, ‘Oh, you’re a senior, where are you going?’ It’s a lot.”
Deepen our identity and actions as a Friends school, and our students’ understanding of Quaker values, to prepare our graduates to live lives that make a difference.
Goal 2: Program Advance our educational program to provide students with the knowledge and skills they will need to thrive in a complex and changing world.
Goal 3: Teaching Promote excellence in teaching by supporting faculty to develop and advance their professional practice.
Goal 4: Time Reimagine the use of time, structuring the day to provide flexibility as we work to create a school experience that focuses on meaningful content and recognizes the importance of pace and balance for students and teachers.
Goal 5: Space Develop and repurpose space to serve the changing needs of the Penn Charter program and mission.
Goal 6: Financial Sustainability Provide for financial sustainability and support the mission of the school and the goals of this innovative strategic plan.
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Assistant Head of School Beth Glascott said students can feel pressure to be “everything to all people and perfect.”
Students put pressure on themselves, she said, but “my mom is more anxious than me.” Junior Ryan Maloney said the pressure is “more like thinking if you don’t go to college, or go to a certain college, you won’t be successful.” Penn Charter’s college counseling philosophy centers on finding the “best match” for each student, not necessarily the highest ranked institution but the college or university that is the best match for an individual student’s passions and abilities. Parents want that, too, but they often also want a top-ranked school. That’s where anxiety about grades enters the picture.
“We need to help students to slow down, to become better problem solvers and to recognize that with most mistakes, you can recover.” Penn Charter parents now have online access to student assignments and grades at regular intervals that make it possible for parents to have timely information about student progress. Each time the gradebook is open to parents, the school writes to advise parents to use the information to “engage in healthy conversations with your children about their learning. As always, we want to make sure that our students / your children are placed at the center of the conversation and are encouraged to take ownership over their learning. Teaching our students to advocate for themselves remains a top priority for us.”
Penn Charter’s How Far? capital campaign supports a campus transformation that will include a new Athletics and Wellness Center. The facility will provide superior competition spaces and promote fitness for life. “We have considered wellness and community in every aspect of the design,” said PC overseer Christine Angelakis. Read more about the new center on pages 4 and 5.
Penn Charter’s three college counselors coordinate a comprehensive and multifaceted program designed to help each student identify a range of colleges suited to his or her passions, abilities and finances. Even then, the increasingly competitive college admissions scene can produce stress and anxiety.
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Students and administrators observed that parental involvement regarding grades varies with family dynamics and a student’s progress. “Some get really involved,” one student observed about parents, “others say, ‘It’s your responsibility.’”
Slowing the Pace The work of addressing the needs of the whole student is taking place across grade levels and covers many areas—from adding a new fitness requirement in ninth grade to offering classes in meditation and yoga, and providing special speakers on topics like mental health and substance abuse. “Teaching kids to be healthy and well and having an academically rigorous institution are not mutually exclusive concepts,” said Travis Larrabee, director of Upper School. “Those two can coexist.”
Lower School students collaborate to build circuits in the IdeaLab.
Karen Campbell with Upper School students enrolled in her new elective, Interpersonal Communication in the Digital Age.
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To accommodate a better balance, Penn Charter has made significant shifts in academic scheduling, switching from a trimester to semester system and allowing for longer class periods in the Upper School. Both changes were designed to adjust the pace of learning. Teachers say they can go deeper into subjects, which helps students, too. “We have a longer time to situate ourselves,” said Leila Sor, an 11th grade student who entered Penn Charter seven years ago. With the previous system, she added, “You’d be three weeks into a trimester and already in midterms.”
“Teaching kids to be healthy and well and having an academically rigorous institution are not mutually exclusive concepts.”
The fast and furious pace of life has ramped up the pressure bearing down on young people. “We operate at the speed of light with everything we do,” said Debra Foley, who is PC’s director of health services and also oversees the school’s concussion management program and wellness programs for faculty, including yoga. “You have to step back and focus on taking care of yourself.”
In this age of social media, our ability to communicate and build relationships has deteriorated. It’s why Karen Campbell, an Upper School learning specialist, created an elective, Interpersonal Communication in the Digital Age: Friends, Following and Feuding, which is designed to blend communication theory with practical strategies and skills. “I felt like they don’t get enough opportunity to practice just being with each other,” she said. “Social media has made it so we don’t have to listen to each other anymore. That contributes to anxiety and isolates us.” It follows that if students are overwhelmed by fear, insecurity or anxiety, they will not do their best learning. “Teachers need to be better attuned to the social and emotional health of students, and not narrowly
focused on content anymore,” said Wilson Felter, director of the Middle School. “It means asking, ‘How can we help you get where you want to go?’ rather than just ‘Suck it up and learn.’”
Quieting Mind and Body At Penn Charter, looking at the whole child begins from the moment a student enters the Lower School. “We don’t just think about, ‘How’s your reading and writing, your academic skills,’ ” said Reedich, a Lower School counselor. “We’re thinking about the whole child, and a comprehensive education would include giving them wellness practices that are going to serve them throughout their lives.” continued on next page
In addition to a traditional school nurse’s office, Debra Foley oversees PC’s concussion management program and wellness programs for faculty, including yoga.
A generation ago, students didn’t have Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to stoke anxiety over FOMO—the dreaded fear of missing out. Today, their cellphones deliver instant reminders. “You’re constantly comparing yourself,” said an 11th grade student. Depression is on the rise among young Americans ages 12 to 17, exacerbated by inordinate screen time on phones and tablets, according to recent research. “I don’t think you can talk about anxiety and depression with young people without including the impact of social media,” said Elizabeth Coombs Hitschler, the Middle and Upper School counselor. “That’s a real, real issue for students, and there’s a disconnect because most adults cannot fully comprehend and understand what life is really like living in this instant, judgmental world.”
Sophomore Sam Nadol and junior Alexandria Eley presented a PopLunch to a packed Gummere Library about technology, social media and distractions. Sam and Alex led students and faculty in discussions on how social media affects students’ lives and relationships, and presented statistics on tech use nationally and within Penn Charter.
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Finding Balance: Wellness at Penn Charter continued from page 19
In the Lower School, Reedich is known as the “feelings teacher.” She meets with students from pre-K to fifth and works on things like expressing and identifying feelings; peaceful conflict resolution; methods for self-care and self-soothing; and mindfulness although she doesn’t call it that. Instead, she breaks it down for children, explaining that it means, “My mind is full of the present moment of what’s happening now, and whatever is happening, I’m trying to bring kindness to it.” In kindergarten, students use a “breathing ball,” a toy that expands from baseballsmall to beachball-big, to learn the mechanics of controlled breathing.
By fifth grade, they are experiencing guided meditation through an exercise called a “body scan.” “It’s a way to experience being calm in your body,” Reedich said. “They are learning how to soothe themselves.” It’s an idea that is appealing to parents, too. Every Tuesday morning, Reedich offers them a meditation class. “Practices like mindfulness are so popular nowadays because people recognize that we never slow down in our lives, we never stop,” she said. You can find smartphone apps that teach meditation methods, and you can follow #mindfulness and #meditation on Twitter. But this pop culture trend actually dovetails with the foundational Quaker practice
Lee Payton, Quaker, veteran PC teacher and chair of the Social Studies Department, recognizes the powerful benefit of Meeting for Worship and silent meditation.
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of silence. All Penn Charter students experience a time of silent meditation in the weekly Meeting for Worship, which can extend for five minutes for the youngest students to 40 minutes for members of the Middle and Upper Schools. To have 40 minutes each week for prayer, reflection, meditation or just to hit the “pause” button “is incredibly powerful,” said Lee Payton, chair of the Social Studies Department. In a world fraught with social and political strife, he added, “meaningful worship is one of those places where kids make sense of things.” In seventh grade, when students take a required course in the Religious Studies
Recognizing the mental and physical benefits of deep breaths, the Lower School “feelings teacher” uses stuffed animals to teach students the mechanics of controlled breathing.
and Philosophy department—the course is titled QUADS, short for Quakerism, Art, Design and Service—they begin to delve even deeper into how to quiet their minds and bodies. “We’re living in a society that’s so fastmoving, quick-witted and reactive,” Felter said. “Sometimes the best, best medicine for middle school students is for them to be able to wrestle with that silence, and they’re not good at it yet. But it’s the first place they’ll go to when they have a really challenging decision to make in their lives.”
Working toward Balance Together The Strategic Vision, introduced in 2013 and shaped with in-depth input from the Penn Charter community, puts wellness front and center in the Penn Charter mission. Consequently, there are new resources for professional development for teachers, as well as funding for expert speakers to address students, parents and faculty on topics like suicide prevention, mental health and substance abuse. The process of creating the Strategic Vision “confirmed for me how students are dealing with different levels of stress, and not all from school,” Larrabee, the Upper School director, said. That became painfully apparent after the recent tragedy in Parkland, Fla., where a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Eight Penn
Charter students knew one of the victims, Scott Beigel, a 35-year-old geography teacher who also worked during summer vacations at Camp Starlight in the Poconos. Meredith Bernstein, a senior who has attended the camp for many years, said the morning after the shooting, counselors approached the students “the second we got to school.” They were given a separate meeting room to gather, talk and grieve, and offered help and comfort from counselors. “They handled this tragic event the best way that they could,” Bernstein recalled. “The school is extremely aware of the mental health of students.” David Garnick, a junior who started at Penn Charter in kindergarten, said the tone comes from the top. “Whether it’s sports or family or school work,” Garnick said, “teachers make it clear that you need to find balance in your life.” PC
In Middle School, a new advisory program uses exercises and lessons to teach communications skills, time management, digital citizenship, relationship building and more.
In Middle School, students continue to work on life skills in a new advisory program. In groups up to 10, students meet their advisor each morning and at the end of the day; during Tuesday advisory lessons, they work on exercises and lessons to build relationship and communication skills, or to explore ideas like how to be a responsible digital citizen or how to better manage time. “So much lightning-fast change is happening in their lives,” Felter said. “We want them to have a safe place to talk about those changes and to work through friendship challenges.”
Frustrated and moved to action, hundreds of PC students in grades 5-12 participated in a national, student-led walkout to protest gun violence. See page 6.
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Strategic Vision
Goals 1 & 4
Quakerism • Time
PUBLIC PUR PO SE
Athletes
Driven to Service by Ed Morrone OPC ’04
Junior Emma Maley loves to perform community service, but as a multisport athlete at Penn Charter, Maley, along with many student-athletes like her, has difficulty finding the time to give back when her after-school hours are dominated by a soccer practice or basketball games. “Because of that, it makes it harder for athletes to do service projects,” she said. Service has always been one of the pillars of the Penn Charter experience, and thanks to the continuing evolution of the school’s Center for Public Purpose (CfPP), PC athletes are discovering more ways to get involved. Penn Charter hosted a two-day basketball tournament in December featuring six area high schools, with all proceeds benefiting Enable Sports and Fitness. Enable is a nonprofit established by Laurie and Robert Rosania OPC ’82 to provide meaningful fitness and athletic opportunities for youth and young adults with special needs. The Rosania family created the organization in support of their eldest
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child, Daniel, who has Down Syndrome. As Daniel grew up, he loved sports like most other children his age but lacked access to facilities that specialized in athletics for kids with special needs. The Rosanias are also parents of two current Penn Charter students, eighth-grader David and seventh-grader Andrew, and Bob is a PC Overseer, so the family connection with PC is complete. Around the time Enable was getting off the ground and establishing itself in the special needs community, Penn Charter basketball coaches expressed interest in hosting a benefit hoops tournament. That idea led to Alyson Goodner OPC ’96, director of the CfPP. One of the center’s ongoing goals is to establish a “community incubator” where students and alumni can brainstorm ideas for new service partnerships in the community. The tournament was born. “When our coaches first came to us with the idea and the Rosanias came in to talk to us about their vision, I was so psyched,” Maley said. “We were all so excited to do something that combined our love of basketball with a cause to help kids be able to play a game we love.”
Enable family and friends with the PC girls squad, tournament winners.
While Maley, her teammates and their boys basketball counterparts spread the word to the rest of the student body, the Rosania family worked diligently with the school to plan the event, which took place on Dec. 8 and 9, 2017.
the players’ minds to ways they can perform service while playing their sport, and also added critical life perspective watching Daniel Rosania and some of his Enable buddies’ eyes light up as the tournament unfolded.
“It’s a fantastic event,” Bob Rosania said. “Penn Charter has great traditions for both athletics and service, but they often operate in their own silos. This is a great way of joining the two, and it allows the athletes to be directly involved in a cause while they play their sport. We’ve got PC/GA Day in the fall and Color Day in the spring, and it’s our hope that this inaugural tournament grows in each subsequent year and becomes our winter tent-pole athletic event.”
“These kids are just like us in that they want to be part of a team and have a place they can call home,” senior Jake Nicastro said. “The values Penn Charter instills in us allow us to offer these kids a home here and show them they’re welcome. It aligns with the Quaker belief to find a Light in everyone. An event like this not only helps the cause but also raises the awareness of every student who came.”
Throughout the tournament’s two days, Enable had a table set up in the lobby of Dooney Field House staffed by Laurie Rosania and Enable program director Liz Grande, informing attendees of Enable’s mission to become a safe haven for athletes with special needs, offering them a place to work out, play sports and socialize with friends. “As founder, Laurie has personal family experience, and she and Bob realized a gap in the market,” Goodner said. “Their son loves athletics, but because of his physical disability, there aren’t places for him to go work out to the level able-bodied kids can. They created a solution, and it’s our hope that the tournament keeps getting bigger as Enable continues to raise money and awareness.” And even though the PC girls team won their side of the tournament while the boys finished second, the weekend was about much more than wins, losses and a couple of basketball games. It opened many of
Goodner said the Enable event inspired sophomore basketball player Lizzie McLaughlin to get the team involved in work with Project HOME, and head girls basketball coach Joe Maguire has connected with Athletes Helping Athletes, another sports organization that supports kids with special needs. “This,” Goodner she said of the student-athlete service work, “is just the start.” For student-athletes like Maley, the event had a full-circle meaning. “Mr. Rosania went to school with my dad, so it’s crazy that I’m now able to help him and his son Daniel all these years after our dads played football together,” she said. “Our families have gotten so much from Penn Charter, and I know this tournament adds to that. It will be something I’ll remember when I’m older.” PC To learn more about Enable, visit www.enablesportsandfitness.com.
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Strategic Vision
Goal 2
Program
Bravo! Brava!
Bravissimo! The Upper School musical, Les Misérables School Edition, showcased the depth and breadth of Penn Charter’s performing arts program.
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More than 100 actors and singers, pit and crew staged a tour de force over three days in February. Originally scheduled for Feb. 23 and 24, the school added a Sunday matinee on Feb. 25. The tale of love, war, courage, justice and redemption was the hottest ticket in town. Months before students took to the stage, director Jessica Bender and Head of School Darryl J. Ford had conversations about whether, in a Quaker school, the production should use guns. Bender said they decided, “the idea of trying to tell this story without guns—we would not be telling this story.” She purchased the gun props and locked them up between rehearsals. The Les Miz experience took on new meaning for the cast in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, just the week before the play opened. Bender gathered the actors together to talk about portraying students shooting guns, and being shot by others wielding guns, and about singing songs like “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.” Students were emotional, and also frustrated. WHYY interviewed cast members and Bender during a dress rehearsal. Listen to the story at whyy.org. See more photos at flickr.com/photos/penncharter/albums.
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Strategic Vision
Goal 1
Quakerism Pa s s i o n P r o j e c t:
Sharing Love of Lacrosse by Ed Morrone OPC ’04
Lacrosse has been an integral part of Colleen Magarity’s life wherever she has ventured. Now a professional lacrosse player—as well as Penn Charter’s associate director of athletics and head girls lacrosse coach—Magarity spends much of her free time giving back to the sport that has rewarded her with so much. Magarity’s passion project is teaching lacrosse to girls in inner-city neighborhoods where the sport is unfamiliar and opportunities to learn and play are scarce. And she has recruited some of her PC players to the effort. Throughout the fall, on Wednesdays after school, Magarity and a handful of PC players worked with about 30 girls, grades 5-8, at the Thomas K. Finletter School in the Olney section of Philadelphia. They taught lacrosse knowledge and skills, as well as teamwork and sportsmanship. Most of the Finletter students had never picked up a lacrosse stick before and often practiced in jeans and khakis instead of athletic wear. But that’s the exact reason it has become such a fulfilling part of Magarity’s life. “Lacrosse is just a sidebar at this point,” Magarity said. “They aren’t all-stars, and they’re far from learning how to even catch a ball,” she said. “Being able to help them work through problems and see sports become a character builder for them, that’s where the fulfillment comes in. Finding that girl or girls running around with a huge smile on her face who might not get that opportunity otherwise because there’s no parks near the school … we get a lot out of teaching them more than just lacrosse.”
Harlem Lacrosse, a New York City-based nonprofit, has made the work between Finletter, Magarity and Penn Charter possible. Magarity worked with organizations like Harlem Lacrosse in Chicago and Denver, and was eager to continue that work in Philadelphia. She connected with Christine Page, who is now the Harlem Lacrosse program director at Finletter. Page played college lacrosse across the street from PC at Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University). “Harlem Lacrosse wouldn’t be the organization we are today without the help from people like Colleen and partnerships like Penn Charter,” Page said. “She’s energetic and passionate about helping our students and growing the game of lacrosse. Most importantly she’s present in our students’ lives. It sends the message to our kids that people care, and it’s clear she and her players are making an impact. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. Winter weather prevented outdoor practices (sessions became study halls instead because Finletter doesn’t have an indoor gym to practice), but Magarity attended study halls to help with schoolwork and included some Finletter students in Penn Charter lacrosse clinics. With the lacrosse season in full swing, Magarity plans to hold a Penn Charter practice at Finletter once a week, allowing all of her players to interact with their younger counterparts. “It has to be every week, because it’s important that they see us and trust us, as opposed to showing up once and never showing our faces again,” Magarity said. Looking into the Finletter girls’ future, Magarity said “maybe only one or two of them will end up going on to play in high school and beyond.” But observing the girls here and now leaves her smiling: “We’re starting to see more and more how excited they get when we come.”
For more information on Harlem Lacrosse, visit www.harlemlacrosse.org.
Colleen Magarity, Penn Charter’s associate director of athletics and head girls lacrosse coach, was drafted in 2016 by the Boston Storm, a team in the nation’s first professional women’s lacrosse league. From 2012 to 2015, she was an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at the University of Colorado. Magarity won three Division 1 women’s lacrosse national championships at Northwestern University, where she was a captain and All-American. In 2007, as a star for Germantown Academy, she was named Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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PC
Athletics ACHIEVEMENTS Swimming
Historic Swim Champions! With a perfect record in the Inter-Academic League, the girls swimming and diving team became the outright Inter-Ac champions for the first time in school history. Just a few short weeks later, the girls swam their way to the top again, winning Eastern Interscholastic Championships (Easterns). On their way to being champions, the girls squad broke school and pool records several times. Coach Brian Hecker has his eye on a repeat; the team is young with strong sophomore and freshman swimmers. Review the stories on penncharter.com/sportszone.
Record-Busting Reece
Photo: Zamani Feelings
At Easterns, senior Reece Whitley broke a national record with a time of 1:43:55 in the 200 individual medley (beating the second-place swimmer to the touchpad by seven seconds). The very next day Whitley raced to another national record time of 51.16 in the 100 meter breaststroke. He was honored as Swimmer of the Meet. Whitley is headed to Berkeley in the fall. Keep an eye out for Reece at Olympic Trials in 2020!
Basketball
Mason Williams Hits, Surpasses 1000 Points
Senior guard Mason Williams etched his name into the record books in a roller coaster win against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, hitting his 1,000th point from the free-throw line. SCH was hit with two technical fouls, so Mason planted himself at the line, and one, two, three, four swishes later, the cherished number was his! Williams finished his Penn Charter career with the school’s third highest oneseason average in this century—529 points in 28 games for an 18.9 norm— trailing only Sean Singletary OPC ’04 and Sean Knitter OPC ’00.
Williams, holding the game ball, with his parents, Keith and Pauline, and his sister, sophomore Carmen.
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Athletics ACHIEVEMENTS
Students Commit to Play on in College In ceremonies in November and February, 11 student-athletes committed to play their sport in college.
Top: Noah Schwartz, golf, Cornell University; Lindsey Reina, soccer, Emory University; Griffin Barnes, soccer, Widener University. Bottom: Brian Isztwan, golf, Harvard University; Giovanna DeMarco, soccer, Wake Forest University; Connor Sullivan, soccer, West Chester University.
Top: Mike Siani, baseball, University of Virginia; Ryan Dickson, lacrosse, Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Bottom: Alexis Joseph, lacrosse, Duke University; Reece Whitley, swimming, University of California, Berkeley; Grace Stansfield, softball, Rider University.
131st The 131st PC/GA Day competition between the storied rivals remained as fierce as ever. Penn Charter and Germantown Academy each captured five events, tying for the day and the Competition Cup. However, Quaker fans had the last cheer. In the final competition of the day, PC football earned a 2617 comeback victory, thanks to a clutch performance by senior John Washington, who brought home Most Valuable Player honors and the Geis Trophy.
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Athletics ACHIEVEMENTS
Girls soccer captured a 4-0 shutout victory on the heels of a three-goal performance by MVP Giovanna DeMarco in her final game with the program. And although boys soccer fell to GA by a score of 3-2, Penn Charter’s Connor Sullivan earned the James H. Rumpp OPC ’55 Award. Boys cross country nabbed a 27-28 victory over the Patriots, and despite a tight 27-30 loss to GA on the girls side, PC freshman Emma Zwall earned MVP honors for the Quakers. Girls water polo delivered a 9-6 victory, thanks in large part to PC MVP Hayley Hunt, a sophomore. Golf got the festivities started earlier in the week with a 7.5-0.5 match play win. The seniors all plan to play their sport in college: Washington at Muhlenberg College, DeMarco at Wake Forest University, and Sullivan at West Chester University.
Total results listed below: Sport Winner, Score Football Win; PC, 26-17 Boys Soccer GA, 3-2 Girls Soccer Win; PC, 4-0 Boys Water Polo GA, 19-3 Girls Water Polo Win; PC, 9-6 Boys Cross Country Win; PC, 27-28 Girls Cross Country GA, 27-30 Girls Tennis GA, 5-2 Field Hockey GA, 8-0 Golf Win; PC, 7.5-0.5
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athletic honor society
11th induction class
The 11th induction banquet of the Athletic Honor Society honored nine athletes and three of the most successful teams in Penn Charter history. The crowd at the Union League on the eve of the 131st PC/GA Day included three generations of one PC family (Shipon), quite a large contingent from two other families (Andris, Gallagher) and a teacher who left Penn Charter in 1977 (former physical education teacher Peter Nagafuchi). Keynote speaker William A. Graham IV OPC ’58 charmed the crowd with his personal tale of a young boy who became a tenacious athlete and business leader. Graham said he was small and skinny when he came to Penn Charter in seventh grade. By ninth grade, he was still small for his age, so he took the advice of an older student who encouraged him to join the wrestling team because it would be the only sport where his opponent would be about the same size. His confidence, along with his stature, grew. He wrestled at Bucknell University for four years and was co-captain of his 1961-62 team, which was undefeated. “In addition to building my confidence, wrestling helped to develop my drive, perseverance and persistence. I learned not to be satisfied with being number two, but to always strive to be number one. “No matter what you choose to do in life,” Graham said, “the qualities that make you a successful wrestler or football player, soccer player, or whatever sport you play—will also make you more successful in your career and in life.”
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Head of School Darryl J. Ford with OPC ’58 members Jef Corson, Robert Morrow and William Graham. Ford shared progress about the How Far? capital campaign and showed renderings of plans for the new baseball field.
Representing PC girls sports and the Women’s Legacy Fund: Tori Small OPC ’96, Rachel Dyer OPC ’92, Megan Duffy OPC ’93, Kathleen McCoy OPC ’96, Debbie White Hon. 1689, Jennifer Gallagher OPC ’94, Megan Wilson OPC ’94, Chelsea Erdmanis Greenspon OPC ’01, Alyson Goodner OPC ’96, Elizabeth Flemming.
Former colleagues Peter Nagafuchi and Val Erdmanis Hon 1689. The Shipons: Judith; Jacob; Sara, Class of 2020; Danielle, Class of 2023; David OPC ’88; Marc OPC ’84; and Alexander, Class of 2018.
Hank Resch OPC ’71 with Associate Directors of Athletics Colleen Magarity and Ed Foley OPC ’81. Track coach John Kinley, former faculty member Anthony Stevenson and Stephen A. Bonnie OPC ’66. Spring 2018 •
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athletic honor society The 11th induction banquet of the Athletic Honor Society highlighted stellar athletes who brought championships and honor to Penn Charter.
2017 AHS Induction Class Richard Allman OPC ’60 Kenneth Devenney OPC ’01 Jennifer Gallagher OPC ’94 Colin Hitschler OPC ’05 Jennifer Leath OPC ’99 Megan Miller Wilson OPC ’94 Brendan Moore OPC ’97 David Shipon OPC ’88 Mark Skoczynski OPC ’87
David M. Shipon OPC ’88 lettered
Jennifer R. Gallagher OPC ’94 lettered
in tennis seven years.
in field hockey, basketball and lacrosse.
Megan Miller Wilson OPC ’94 lettered in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse.
Brendan Moore OPC ’97 lettered in
Richard P. Allman OPC ’60
Jennifer S. Leath OPC ’99 lettered
Kenneth J. Devenney OPC ’01 lettered
lettered in football and track.
in track and field.
in football, wrestling and baseball.
Team Inductees 1961 Baseball Team 1976 Lacrosse Team 1993 Football Team
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football and lacrosse.
athletic honor society
The 1961 baseball team led by Ralph Palaia—and represented here by David Williams OPC ’61, David Geyer OPC ’61, Duncan McFarland OPC ’61, Christopher Dunham OPC ’62 and Richard Redeker OPC ’61—dominated the Inter-Ac and contributed to Palaia’s 12-year run of Inter-Ac titles. Sadly, Christopher Dunham passed away in April.
“These teams’ accomplishments epitomize the tradition of excellence we strive to maintain,” said William A. Gallagher Jr. OPC ’91, chair of the Athletic Honor Society.
The 1976 lacrosse team led by Joseph Perrott Hon. 1689 (second from right) set a high standard in the early years of the sport.
The 1993 football team lead by William Gallagher Hon. 1689 (far left) was an undefeated football squad with remarkable stats on both sides of the ball.
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Downtown Reception 2018 Featuring
Ken Young OPC ’68 Food Services Executive and Minor League Baseball Team Owner The Downtown Reception popped up this winter in another new location, the Cescaphe Ballroom, once an ornate movie palace from the olden age of cinema in the city’s Northern Liberties neighborhood. The venue and the food were a hit, as was the keynote speaker, Kenneth Young OPC ’68. Young visited Penn Charter during the school day to talk with young entrepreneurs about his career, and in the evening he told his adult audience about the arc of his life from boyhood food vendor to stadium food executive and owner of five minor league baseball teams. A baseball teams belongs to a community, Young said, and he learned about community at Penn Charter. Read more about Ken Young in the Alumni Profile on page 10. PC
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Ken Young OPC ’68 and Rich Balderston OPC ’69.
Andrew Greenfield OPC ’02, Luke Hoffman OPC ’03, Jessica Kolansky OPC ’03. Howie Canfield OPC ’72 and Bruce Balderston OPC ’72.
How Far? After assuring the PC audience that the school is thriving, Head of School Darryl J. Ford shared details of the new capital campaign—By the Light of the Charter, How Far Can We See? The campaign, Ford said, is designed to position Penn Charter for the next 50 years: “The new capital campaign is the means by which we achieve our vision for the future of PC.” More about the How Far? campaign on page 4. Stephanie Walters OPC ’95, Ilana Eisenstein OPC ’95, Christine Angelakis P ’11, ’13, ’18, PC Senior Director of Giving Stephanie Ball and Chris Ball OPC ’89.
Andrew Stein OPC ’02 with Alumni Society President Brian Cash OPC ’00. The Alumni Society sponsors the annual event.
Rob Mitchell and Laura Windham P ’28, ’30, Sara and Paul Evans P ’28 and Darryl Ford P ’20.
David Stewart, Caesar Williams OPC ‘80, Chris Mouzon OPC ’04, Robert Stith and Robert Watlington.
Chrissy and Christopher Carroll OPC ’96 with Will Carr OPC ’69, and Jon Sprogell OPC ’70.
Ken Young with friends and classmates: Bruce Gill OPC ’68, Robert Canfield OPC ’69, Dale Van Wieren OPC ’68, Ken Young OPC ’68, Tom Muldoon OPC ’68, Joe Hoeffel OPC ’68, Tim Rice OPC ’68 and Rick Mellor OPC ’69. #community #foreveryoung
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William Penn Charter School
Then & Now
Circa 1976
Lower School teacher Linda Phelps primarily taught fourth grade when the brand new Lower School opened in 1976.
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Forty years later, Joel Eckel engages his second grade students in mental math, writing workshops and research for the class’s virtual trip to Costa Rica.
Alumni
Class Notes Penn Charter magazine wants to hear from you, and your classmates do, too! Submit your news and photos at penncharter.com/classnote. Digital photos should be 300 dpi JPEGs.
1948 Edward B. Collins writes, “I am alive and well and still living in the beautiful southwestern Pennsylvania countryside near Pittsburgh and my three kids, their spouses and six grandkids. I’ve been retired since 2000 and keep my hand in writing with an essay/newsletter to a passel of email friends twice a week. I have self-published three books of poetry and essays. I think often and fondly of my old PC days!” edcollins@yukonwaltz.com
1949 Harry E. Richter writes, “For those of us who have been involved for over 20 years in the right whale recovery efforts, the last few years have been terrible. So far in 2017-18 there have been 18 right whales that have been found dead. The most recent population estimates are down to 450 total whales for the North Atlantic population, of which only 100 are females that can produce calves to replenish the rapidly shrinking numbers. With more than half of the 2017-18 calving season over, there have been zero new calves and almost no females even sighted in the winter calving grounds off Georgia and Florida. The North Atlantic right whale population has been greatly impacted by global warming and the changing ocean conditions. It has forced them to alter their traditional feeding and breeding grounds and forced them into new areas where they are much more exposed to entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes, which are the two highest human
causes of whale mortality. The North Atlantic right whales have not been able to adapt to the new warmer ocean waters and alter their feeding habits, unlike other whale species. The net result is that the population may continue to shrink and soon reach such low numbers that survival is in question and recovery of the species almost impossible. A sad turnaround from the trends of a few years ago when the population was growing at an average of 20 new calves a year and mortality was at a fairly low level. This is a very disappointing trend for those of us who look forward to the winter months to observe, identify and study these magnificent animals. To end on a personal note, Christmas and New Year’s this year were quite sad as one of our Yorkie puppies, Ashley, died on Dec. 18 and her brother BoBo followed on Jan. 18. They both crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and I am sure are running free again like puppies. They were 17-and-a-half years old and lived long, happy lives, but we miss them greatly as they were so much a part of our life and gave us so much love and joy over the years.”
1951 Allen M. Barstow writes, “In January, we just had to escape from Connecticut, if only for a week. So Jo and I boarded the largest sailing ship in the world, the Royal Clipper, five masts, in Barbados. We sailed to Antigua, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Les Saintes, St. Kitts, etc., the southern islands that escaped major damage during the 2017 hurricane season. Lots of Europeans and Canadians, New Yorkers and other
Americans, but none from Pennsylvania. Two hundred passengers, 150 crew, everything a class act. Brass shined and mahogany polished every day. Now that we’re back home, we can start up the maple syrup operation for the 40th year. Come and help us!” George C. Denniston wishes all his classmates well. He can be found on YouTube discussing a variety of medical topics. He adds: “On another note, starting with baseball at PC, I have played 240 sports to date.”
1952 William H. Brehm writes, “I spend my winters in St. Pete Beach, Fla., and my summers in New Jersey. My grandchildren keep me quite busy. I go fishing about once a week and attend Silver Sneakers three times a week.” George C. (Skip) Corson Jr. writes, “Penny and I just enjoyed a long Presidents’ Day weekend in the Poconos at good ol’ Skytop Lodge, a venue never heretofore visited by her. The primary excuse for said hegira is a commemoration of our very first “date” on Feb. 21, 2009—ye gads!” C. Richard Cryer writes, “I am retired from Xerox, retired from teaching statistics at SUNY, and retired from publishing my newsletter, Bob Lape’s Dining Guide. My old age is catching up with me.” Francis F. Embick Jr. reports, “We closed on our condo in the sky (13th floor) and have moved. The address is 14655 Champion Forest Drive #1305, Houston, TX 77069.
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Alumni
Class Notes That should keep us high and dry if Harvey should ever do an encore appearance in Houston, but if not, we will book a spot on Noah’s Ark. Anna and I try to stay active, she with her tennis and me with a little golf. We both miss those mini-PC reunions; so many classmates living in such wonderfully interesting parts of our country. The Chinese say that 2018 is the Year of the Dog but of course we know better … it is the year of the Eagles! Best wishes to the Class of ’52 for a healthy and happy 2018!!” Colson H. Hillier and his wife, Pat, took a 12-day cruise in Australia on the MS Noordam, starting in Sydney and stopping in Melbourne, Port Lincoln, Kangaroo Island, Adelaide, Port Arthur and Hobart. “Small ship, about 1900 people, which was nice,” he said. “We highly recommend that touring Australia be put on your ‘bucket list.’ Keeping active is the key if you are able, and we are looking forward to our next adventure at the end of May when we travel, with our church, to the Holy Land. Good health and blessings to all.” David M. Jordan writes, “My only news is that I’ve got a publisher signed up for my biography of Robert A. Lovett (McFarland, from North Carolina; they’ve published several of my baseball books), but it looks like it will still be some time before it actually comes out. Otherwise, Jean and I are just going from day to day and keeping an eye on our grandchildren—two of whom, of course, are at Penn Charter.” William J. McGuckin writes, “We have sold the house and are now resting our heads in South Carolina. We hope that doesn’t qualify as news. We are enjoying golf.” (Rumor has it that, after their summer in Rangeley, Maine, they will be joining a retirement community nearby, in the Ambler, Pa., area.) Michael P. Ritter writes that he and wife Margo continue on their merry way, “she teaching ice skating, doing Bone Builders
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and yoga, I leading two bands each week and playing with others, like my Amherst classmate’s bluegrass and folk unit, Three Boys Night Out. Daytimes I’m cranking out video edits and enjoying life. We just sold our cottage in Thousand Islands, N.Y., but we’re still active in the community and doing some video shooting for a final video for the TIP Museum. So far we’re both healthy.” Frederick J. Yannessa writes, “Joan and I are currently at our Florida residence in Delray Beach, which is right on the Intercoastal Waterway. This past year, we had vacations in Australia, New Zealand, England and France. The year before, we went to China and the rest of Southeast Asia. We plan to stay in North America in the future in respect of our age—that is, mine, and not Joan’s. As you are aware, I robbed the cradle. She is also playing better tennis than me.” Joseph B. Van Sciver writes, “We have just returned from a nice two-week vacation in Jupiter, Fla., and then Orlando, visiting daughter Carolyn and granddaughter Chloe, including a lovely day trip to St. Augustine. Good to be out of the cold for a while. Upon our return, though, we went to NYC to celebrate Beckett’s second birthday and visit with our son Jay, his wife, Kate, and granddaughters Elodie (8) and Auden (5). This past year marked a big decision for us, with the easement placed with the Chestnut Hill Conservancy and Historical Society on the stream and valley of eight acres of woodlands behind our house. It was a busy process, but satisfying to know the water will continue to flow to the Morris Arboretum Pond and eventually to the Wissahickon. The paperwork’s now complete. We are currently home, and are looking forward to spring.” Editor’s note: The Chestnut Hill Community Association, at the annual Black and White Gala in October, recognized “the centurylong commitment of the Van Sciver family to preserving open space at the family estate.”
F. Bruce Waechter writes, “We are starting our fourth year at our retirement community—Spring House Estates—how time flies. We bypassed Minnesota at Christmas since our entire four days would have been below zero. However, our Minnesota daughter just came in for the Presidents’ Day weekend, so we caught up with all the local aunts, grandchildren and a great-granddaughter (8 months). She has just started to crawl and was able to mimic everyone at the dinner table at Phil’s Tavern.”
1954 Joseph H. Happe and Merle are glad to be doing well in South Carolina.
1955 David (Hugh) Rosenbaum moved into the Quadrangle retirement home in Haverford, Pa., in April after 23 years in London. He is looking forward to reentry into the Philadelphia and American scene. Owen B. Tabor writes, “Always fun to run into OPCs in different places: W. Barnes Hauptfuhrer OPC ’72 in Charlotte or basketball great Sean M. Singletary OPC ’04 in Charlottesville. Margaret and I split time between Memphis and Virginia, with the Isle of Skye a break from the summer heat. We spend time with family and not too much time looking ’round the bend. Remain forever grateful for PC and the wonderful classmates I have!” Richard N. Westcott has just written his 26th book. This one is titled Biz Mackey—A Giant Behind the Plate and covers the life and career of the Hall of Fame catcher and one of the great Negro League stars of all time. Hall of Famer Monte Irvin wrote the foreword.
Alumni
Class Notes and a sense of accomplishment,” he says. “I spend my time working on my pathetic golf game, exercising, reading, investing, being involved in local politics, being active in several nonprofits, and I am on the board of directors of my condominium association. My two daughters live in California. Moving forward every day is the way to go!”
1965
OPCs Class of ’58 get together for an annual dinner at the Tuckahoe Inn in Beesley’s Point, N.J. Among those in attendance (from left): William A. Graham, John E.F. Corson, Robert D. Morrow, Stephen J. Ruckman, Edwin A. Weihenmayer, Ross R. Hibbert.
1959 James R. Buchanan writes, “Happy in retirement and still upright and on the green side of the grass.” Kenneth J. (Chip) Stuart writes, “I gave my 4-year-old grandson an interactive book on the human body because he was asking a lot of questions. You stick all the internal organs (heart, kidney, lungs, stomach) in the proper place on a skeletal outline of a human body. A simple explanatory text accompanies the body parts. After spending 45 minutes with my daughter reading him the book, he said, “Mama, my kidneys are filtering my blood and I have to pee.” Looks like another doctor coming down the pike to join my brother William A. Stuart OPC ‘61.”
1961 David L. Geyer says he’s “Thrilled the Eagles won the championship for the first time since our senior year. This year we’re spending the winter in Kiawah, spring at the farm in Ohio, summer in Maine and
fall in France. Though our son’s house was badly damaged in the devastating Montecito mudslide, we’re quite thankful it was not crushed by the boulder that settled on the street next to him.”
In 2017, Harry (Skip) Stout published a book titled American Aristocrats: A Family, a Fortune, and the Making of American Capitalism. The publisher is Basic Books. He was also awarded the James W.C. Pennington Award from the University of Heidelberg and spent a month in residence at the university. Other than that, he is still enjoying the classroom and the great students who come his way. The Delaware State Fair 2017 hosted the seventh annual Battle of the Brews contest with a “Rock of the ’70s” concert and craft beer festival. David W. Reese Jr. received first place in the category Strong Lagers and Hybrids. We are not sure who among the faculty inspired Dave to this pursuit.
1966 1962
Peter S. Linton (right) watched the Eagles win the Super Bowl on the BBC, after skiing in the Alps.
John Sheridan received the annual environmental award of the Lake County Land Trust for his 20+ years of support for wetlands conservation around Clear Lake, Calif., 90 miles north of San Francisco.
1964 Jeffrey D. Barr is retired from the hedge fund business and living in West Palm Beach, Fla. “My new job is to maximize fun
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Class Notes
1969
1973
Jonathan H. Sprogell ’70, Thomas H. Lee II ’69, William B. Carr Jr. ’69 and Richard T. Markovitz ’69 enjoyed the wedding of Will’s daughter Adele to Max Abbott at Brushwood Stables in Radnor last September.
Glenn S. Koach writes, “I have moved out to Palm Springs; please let me know if anyone has plans to come out to the desert. On a lighter note, I have picked up English croquet.”
Robert S. Raines retired from Digital First Media in January after 40 years as a photojournalist and another four in the newspaper production department. His wife, Christine, is a web designer and information specialist for Prosthodontics Intermedica. His son, Evan, is an actor who also works with Philadelphia Young Playwrights.
1970 Peter T. Bryden writes, “This has been quite the year. Spent a week last April in Paris celebrating my 65th birthday. During the year I got to enjoy some time with three of my fellow classmates. I saw Russell R. Dickhart in Cape May, Eric P. Wagner in Philadelphia and Brantley Lippincott in Texas. Then, thanks to genetic testing on Ancestry.com, I learned that not only was I not an only child, but actually the
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oldest of six, and learned the identity of my biological father. While he is deceased, I did get to spend a weekend with three of my half-brothers.”
1972 David R. Gilkeson and son Christopher, age 14, rooted for the Eagles in the Super Bowl, from their home in Texas.
Jeffrey S. Meltzer writes, “It has been some time since I have been in touch and thought the death of John Schug Hon. 1689 was as good a time as any. I can remember parsing the words of “MacArthur Park” as an English lesson and to this day I can’t hear that song without remembering Schuggie. As for my life, my wife, Laurie, and I are about to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. We have two children: Matthew, who is practicing immigration law in Chicago, and Abby, who is practicing veterinary medicine in Virginia. While I am living in northern New Jersey, I do get back to Philadelphia every so often (less now that Abby left Penn) and do see what my fellow alumni are up to. I am the chief financial officer at Springer Publishing in New York City, where I have been for the last 11 years and am not thinking that retirement is anywhere in the near future. Hope my fellow OPCs are doing well, and if you want to be in touch, contact me at jmeltzer@springerpub.com.”
1974 David C. Hahn writes, “Here is news of my recent activities in music making: In January 2017, I recorded a Concert Imaginaire CD titled “Passionate Isolation,” which was produced with help from a grant from the Jack Straw Cultural Center and included performances by violinist Leslie Shank and guitarist Joseph Hagedorn. The CD is available as a digital download through my label, the Sublunar Society. Radiophrenia, a radio show based in Glasgow, Scotland, has broadcast my spoken-word piece “Slogan,” which attempts to clarify the inner meaning
Alumni
Class Notes of a certain political slogan. Urban Arts Berlin, an arts collective dedicated to new and challenging music, has included my caveman pop tune “Ooka Fookoo” in their experimental music for children. Among my new compositions are a madrigal cycle for choir and percussion using poems from indigenous people around the world; an instrumental piece for guitar, bass and drums; and a dark pop tune which thematizes the scourge of opioids in current society.”
1976 Robert C. Aitken writes, “It was great to see many of my teammates from our class back for the induction of the 1976 State Championship team to the Athletic Honor Society at the Union League in November. From the class of 1976, Nicholas A. Sommaripa, William N. Mebane, Brian F. Hall, William F. Larson and I were able to attend. Bill traveled from Florida to be part of the celebration and flew back to repack his bags and head to Spain the next day! From the class of ’75, Thomas E. Groshens, Bruce A. Dillard, Michael G. Roughton and Gary Dudek were able to make it as well.”
Brent Sherwood OPC ’76 just returned from safari in Tanzania during the Great Migration, the annual journey of more than a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra, and highly recommends the immersive experience to all. “The chance to visit the ecosystem where humans first evolved and absorb the sense of the place, including its tens of thousands of big mammals in the wild, is well worth the time and cost,” he says. “It was a rejuvenating vacation following a disappointing year for planetary science mission proposals at NASA.”
1977 Paul H. Hough writes, “Earlier this year I joined the board of Bottomline Technologies, a Portsmouth, N.H., company. Bottomline Technologies is an innovator in business payment automation technology that helps companies make complex business payments simple, smart and secure. I was pleased to see that Benjamin E. Robinson III OPC ’82 is also on the board.” James R. Malone Jr. writes, “In the fall, I was elected as a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. In December, I was elected secretary-treasurer of the Tax Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.”
OPCs high above the Philly skyline: Paul C. Mancini OPC ’78, Robert B. (Rudy) Resch OPC ’73, Robert H. Morrow OPC ’69 and off in the distance, the original OPC 1689, Billy Penn.
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Class Notes
1978 Brian P. McDonough writes “Greetings from New York, where I am project director for the Peninsula New York and the Peninsula Chicago. Have had the pleasure of seeing Robert S. Rachofsky and Nathaniel E. Sher in the city in 2017, and hope to see more classmates in 2018.”
of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama. The award recognizes the exemplary performance and leadership of an Alabama chamber executive to his or her local chamber.
1979 James N. Iademarco writes, “As is probably the case for most of us, I am not sure where the time has gone. I have enjoyed many commercial and innovation leadership roles over a 30+ year career. And now, after starting at Monsanto in 1985 and having worked at Bayer in 2005, the two giants will become one entity this year. A career highlight was living in the Netherlands for five years with Catalina. Now I am actively consulting and giving back to emerging and entrepreneurial startups in both agriculture and industrial biotechnology. Working from home and seeing Catalina every day is a fun change, and we are both looking for our next adventure. In an ideal world, she would like to go into event planning with her three children and three grandchildren. I am considering writing a book and expanding into professional speaking on the sustainability challenges facing our planet. Since English was never my strong suit at PC and didn’t improve much at Vanderbilt, I will be looking for a PC alum ghostwriter or, at the very least, a professional editor. I look forward to the 40th reunion! My math can’t be right! And that was my strong suit.” Kirk R. Mancer, Greater Shelby County (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, was named Chamber Executive
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1982 James L. Walker writes, “Between the Super Bowl and the Olympics, the Class of ’82 has been on hand for some legendary sporting moments this year. Our own Peter J. Maloney was one of 67,612 fans in U.S. Bank Stadium to see the epic unveiling of the Philly Special. Then just a short while later, Victor C. Mather of the New York Times trekked into the hills of South Korea to cover the Winter Olympics. In addition to providing live coverage at numerous events, Vic also interviewed Soohorang, the Olympic mascot. The white tiger, who has long been considered Korea’s guardian animal, seemed to enjoy speaking with the Times. Meanwhile, some classmates are actually still out on the fields chasing dreams of victory. Erik L. Enters reports that he was named as an alternate for the Over 50 U.S. Men’s Field Hockey Team. If a spot opens up, he will head to Spain for the Grand Masters Hockey World Cup this fall, and then be home in time for his daughter’s wedding in December.
1983 John D. Smith writes, “I’m doing well in Atlanta with my wife, Teresa, and our four kids: Jaden (7), Anthony (10), MaKayla (14) and Rayleene (19), who’s a freshman at the University of Texas. I recently became COO of Aaron’s Inc., the leading rent-to-own furniture company, with 1,800 stores. We also own a few franchises that Teresa runs, which keep the kids busy as well. As you see, we’re still big Dallas Cowboys fans but still happy for the Philly fans for finally winning a Super Bowl! By the way, I hope to connect with Andrew E. Vye and James H. Happe, who I think are still in the area. So if you guys are reading this, let’s connect!”
Alumni
Class Notes Benjamin E. Long married Beth Packel on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia and lives in Narberth, Pa. “We were walked down the aisle by our fabulous kids and then went on a ‘familymoon’ to Costa Rica,” he said. “Life is great on all fronts, and I look forward to seeing all of my classmates at our 35th reunion!”
Furthermore, in January I spoke on “teaching to the heart “ at Philadelphia’s Arch Street Meeting House, at the behest of PC overseer Grace Sharples Cooke; please Google it or visit the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting website for a full recording.” George J. Maley OPC ’88 and P.J. Maley OPC ’86 report, “Although the trip to the Super Bowl was reminiscent of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” complete with the hideous hotel and 5-hour drive through a blizzard, none of that mattered in the end! Finally!”
1989 Christopher B. Curtis is currently the technology leader and computer teacher at Samuel Pennypacker Elementary in West Oak Lane, Philadelphia. In his 16th year, he has started many programs, including a mentoring program for at-risk boys in grades 5 through 7. Pennypacker is now working on becoming a STEM school and getting a makerspace for the students’ creativity. To find out more, visit bit.ly/mrcurtisttl.
1994 Brian A. McMahon is happy to return to Penn Charter, as his daughter Molly (Class of 2021) and son Liam (Class of 2023) are current students enjoying all that PC has to offer.
1988 Sydney H. Coffin writes, “After 20 years teaching in Philadelphia public schools, I am taking a sabbatical to return to graduate school for a creative writing MFA, which means I have taken a leave of absence from the Yale University national summer program, as well as my work on the teacher advisory council of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I’d love to hear from all of my classmates and have spent a lot of time with Randy Granger Hon. 1689 and Bruce MacCullough Hon. 1689, attempting to bring better days to young people in public schools, along with Lindback Awardwinning special-education teacher George D. Green OPC ’86. For 10 years I lived across the street from classmate Timothy J. Tarpey OPC ’88 and miss him tremendously.
Last December in New York City, the Caldwell family, scholars and donors shared time together reflecting on Kenny Caldwell OPC ’89 and the impact of the Caldwell scholarship program at PC. From left: Head of School Darryl J. Ford, Barry J. Markman OPC ’90, Justyn G. Tokarczyk OPC ’89, Golda Markman, Davina Kennedy, Elsie Goss Caldwell and Caroline Waxler.
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Class Notes
1995
1999
2004
Thomas H. Scott and Ilana H. Eisenstein moved back to Philadelphia last fall. Ilana is now a partner at the law firm DLA Piper. Tom is opening his own medical practice focused on non-opioid pain management and anesthesia. They and their three children, Elliot (10), Sonia (7) and Charlie (4), are happy to be back near family and friends.
Dana A. Bate writes, “After taking time off from journalism to write novels for the past eight years, I’ve decided to jump back into the world of reporting as a freelance health and science reporter for WHYY. As a public-radio junkie, I’ve really enjoyed combining my science background with my love of storytelling. I’ve also really enjoyed reconnecting with a few OPCs in the process, including Gerri R. Trooskin OPC ’98, who is a rockstar at the Franklin Institute. I’m always on the lookout for a great story, so I’d love to hear from any Philly-based OPCs who work in the health and science spheres!”
Benjamin (Biff) Gottehrer is opening his first restaurant in Ardmore, Pa. Biff will be the chef/owner of Ripplewood Whiskey and Craft, a new take on a classic whiskey bar with modern American cuisine and a craft cocktail, beer and wine list. It’s located next to the Ardmore Music Hall. “GA alum won’t be welcome. Go OPC!”
Anthony J. Balsamo resides in Narberth, Pa., with his two children, Jack (8) and Juliet (7). Anthony is now CEO of Lamps.com, an eCommerce and design services company that supports consumers and businesses in need of light and design inspiration. His business partner is fellow Penn Charter alumnus Chris DiMarco OPC ’94.
1997 Allison (MacCullough) O’Neill recently launched her eponymous agency, which executes business development, marketing and retail-related projects for business owners in the fashion, beauty and fitness industries. Visit allisononeill.com for more information.
2005 Patricia (Byrne) Jablow and Patricia M. (Manning) Gannon and their babies, Ella and Gunnar.
2002 Aaron M. Greenfield recently joined the Regional Advisory Board of Caron Treatment Centers and is “very excited to be serving a great institution and cause.” Dean L. Drizin and family currently live in Jacksonville, Fla., where Dean serves as a Navy flight surgeon. Wife Nikki and baby son Jack will return home to Philadelphia while Dean deploys to Japan in 2018.
Jacob R. Markovitz is competing in the National Axe Throwing Championships in Toronto.
Kyle A. Maurer writes, “I, along with many of my fellow OPC ’08s, flooded the streets of Philadelphia to celebrate the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. To be able to spend moments like that with so many lifelong friends was something I will never forget.” Pictured (from top left, clockwise): Sam Yeoman, Kyle Maurer, Conor M. Gorman, Jeremy L. Maurer, Matthew Tausch, Gabrielle Badaway and Matt Cahn.
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Alumni
Class Notes
2010 Nash M. Robinson writes, “There was a lot to celebrate for us in 2017! Meghan Cecile Diaz finished her master’s in the History and Business of Art and Collecting from the University of Warwick and will graduate with merit honors in January. Also, in August during one of our hiking trips, I asked her to marry me while we watched the eclipse in the Catskills. We’re planning a September 2019 wedding and are happily living in Philadelphia with our two cats, Beau and Samson.”
OPC Reception Alumni celebrated Great Day to be a Quaker—and watched some March Madness together—at a reception hosted by the Alumni Society at Misconduct Tavern in Center City. Darryl Ford addressed the crowd of more than 60 OPCs from the ’60s through the 2010s and updated them on the latest and greatest at Penn Charter. We look forward to seeing you at this event next year!
2011 Colleen M. Fehm is engaged to Matthew Brotman. Rob Frieman OPC ’87, Michelle (Moses) Chaitt OPC ’00, Head of School Darryl J. Ford, Andrew Stein OPC ’02
Scott E. Matt recently returned to Vietnam to continue his career there. On his first visit, he impressed the Vietnamese people with his vibrant artistic work. [Editor’s note: A video of Scott in the Vietnamese news was featured in the April edition of OPC Spirit.]
Julia Tewksbury OPC ’06, Julie Bown OPC ’06, Lauren Ingersoll Heenan OPC ’06, Sam Biddle OPC ’07, Heather Hillas OPC ’06
2014 Bianca M. Santini has started her own business, Santini Communications, a meeting and event planning company with services that include social media marketing, organizational communication consulting and life coaching. Contact Bianca at SantiniCommunications@gmail.com.
Caesar Williams OPC ’80 and Connor Harbison OPC ’11
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2016 Hannah Fox OPC ’16, a sophomore at Amherst College recognized as All-American by D3Hoops.com, ended a second undefeated basketball season averaging 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She started at point guard in all 33 games that Amherst played and won this year. In the NCAA tournament, Hannah averaged 12.33 points per game. She scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had three assists and two steals in the National Championship game against Bowdoin, and was named to the Final Four AllTournament Team.
Christopher M. Dunham, on April 5, 2018.
1964
Jonathan M. Steere III, on Nov. 16, 2017.
1966
Steven P. DiStefano, on Jan. 21, 2018.
1970
Patrick R. Larkin, on Feb. 10, 2018.
1978 DEATHS 1941
1952
Walter G. MacFarland, on Aug. 20, 2017.
1946
Owen O. Freeman Jr., on Jan. 29, 2017.
1962
George J. Riley Jr., on Nov. 13, 2017.
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William A. O’Callaghan, on Nov. 13, 2017.
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Spring 2018
1991 Christopher Alexander Williams, on March 11, 2017.
Paul E. Quante, on Dec. 9, 2017.
Alumni
Class Notes Marriages
2005
2002
Evan F. Jaroff married Eliana Rieders on July 29, 2017. He writes, “We were grateful for Stephanie Judson’s guidance and support in holding a Meeting for Worship as part of our ceremony and were happy that a number of OPCs were there to help us celebrate the day.”
Jane H. Affleck married Pete Fitz on Sept. 23, 2017, at Pocono Lake Preserve, Pa. OPC guests included Katherine A. Ahrens, Chelsea K. and Brian Greenspon, and Julia Seitchik.
2004 Laura Kaesshaefer married John Murphy on Sept. 23, 2017, in Boston.
2007 Kiera Murasko-Blank married Mark Shimrock on Nov. 18, 2017.
Megan Kaesshaefer married Kirk Jones on December 8, 2017, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Spring 2018 •
47
Alumni
Class Notes 2008
2003
Mike Blechschmidt and Abby Foos married on Sept. 9, 2017, in Greensboro, Ga.
Beckham Ryder, to Alie and Bradford R. Shields, on Nov. 29, 2017.
Elizabeth M. Spagnoletti OPC ’08 and Mark D. Hecker OPC ’99 were married on Oct. 28, 2017. From left: Beth Glascott Hon. 1689, Jane Evans Hon. 1689, Brian Hecker, Stephanie W. Ball, Lee Payton, Mark D. Hecker OPC ’99, Charlie Brown Hon. 1689, Elizabeth M. Spagnoletti OPC ’08, Darryl J. Ford, Gail Sullivan-Ford, Stephanie Judson, Christopher Ball OPC ’89, Marc F. Spagnoletti OPC ’05, Meghan Walters OPC ’99, David Skinner OPC ’04 and William Skinner OPC ’74.
BIRTHS 1999
2002
Clara, to Ann and Young Min Kim, on Jan. 6, 2018. Pictured with Matthew B. Kessler.
Jack Rory, to Nikki and Dean L. Drizin, on Dec. 27, 2017.
2001 Parker Caroline, to Brock and Melissa Atkins, on Dec. 12, 2017.
48
•
Spring 2018
2005 Chloe Fox, to Michael and Jennifer Fox Bensimon, on Jan. 16, 2018.
2006 Logan John, to Jonathan and Rachel (Kohn) Sleva, on Feb. 18, 2018.
Before Our Very Eyes Sustaining the Annual Fund, Sustaining Excellence
As our How Far? capital campaign advances a transformative vision for the future, the Annual Fund is the means by which we secure excellence here and now.
Support Penn Charter. Make a gift today. penncharter.com/give
old penn charter
Weekend 2018 May 4 and 5
Visit www.penncharter.com/OPCweekend for photos and highlights.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID Philadelphia, PA Permit No. 6118 3000 West School House Lane Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144
Save the Date May 16
May 25
June 9
OPC NYC Meeting for Worship and Reception, Stripes Group Rooftop, 6:15 pm
Color Day, 1 p.m.
May 29
Commencement, 10:30 am
Alumni Society/Senior Class Meet-and-Greet, 4 pm
PC/GA Day at (GA)
Kindergarten student, with Lisa Reedich, jokingly stands inside the breathing ball used for meditation exercises.
November 10
