The Quill Magazine, Spring 2012 by Pike School

The

Quill The Pike School Magazine Spring 2012

A Message from the

Head of School Living the Belief The last sentence of our list of school values says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that by recognizing, respecting, sharing, and appreciating our similarities and differences, we grow and flourish.â&#x20AC;? Pike has always had this idea at its core, and this year, we have paid particular attention to this topic for two reasons. The first is that this year is the 25th anniversary of our Merrimack Valley Program that began by providing financial assistance to two Sixth Grade students from the Merrimack Valley to diversify our student body. Since that time, the program has expanded to offer two spots in every grade from Kindergarten through the Ninth Grade. I have seen the benefits of that program to our community not only from my perspective as Head of School, but also as a parent of three Pike graduates. It has been a delight this year to reconnect with several graduates of the Program and hear of their fascinating journeys that grew from the roots planted here at Pike. After enriching this community, those graduates have gone on to wonderful academic careers and are currently engaged as productive members in their communities. We are proud of them and this wonderful program. This past year, we hired a firm called Diversity Directions and its founder, Christine Savini, to do an assessment of the diversity work we have done at Pike. We are delighted by all that has been accomplished by Pike under the very able leadership of our Diversity Committee and its chair, Vanessa Taylor, and wanted to look at what we could be doing in the future.

Christine looked at our web site and admission materials as well as many other publications and documents. She looked at a great deal of data about Pike as well as the results of a survey administered to all faculty and staff. She spent five days on campus and during that time did thorough interviews with 63 adults and many students. She issued a very complete report that highlighted many of our impressive strengths as well as cited areas that needed improvement or further review. The summary of her report can be found at www.pikeschool.org/diversity_assess. It will be the work of a newly formed Diversity Leadership Council to use the report as the foundation of a strategic diversity plan that will guide our actions as we move forward. While our founder, Cynthia Pike, might be surprised at the many forms of diversity that exist at Pike today, she would find our commitment to treating all members of this community with respect quite familiar. There can be no doubt that our students today are growing up in a much different world, and their ability to live productive and ethical lives will be in large part driven by what they learn and experience at Pike. Skills such as communication and collaboration are essential in this new landscape, and those skills will only be enhanced by a broader world view as they try to understand people who may have backgrounds and experiences that are very different from their own. As a community, I believe we should be proud of all we have done to provide that experience while we continue to find ways to deepen those understandings.

The

Quill

Volume 18 No. 1 Spring 2012

Features

The Quill is a publication of The Pike School Office of Advancement. Office of Advancement, Tara L. McCabe Director Christen Hazel Associate Director Cliff Hauptman Director of Communications

Graduation 2011

Pike’s Merrimack Valley Program:

Our Professional Learning Community:

Our 75th Closing Exercises

Changing Lives for 25 Years

Cara Kennedy Advancement Associate Our Mission The Pike School seeks to develop within its community a life-long love of learning, respect for others, the joy of physical activity and a creative spirit. A Pike education is a journey that prepares students to be independent learners and responsible citizens.

A Focus on Learning

Editor-in-Chief Cliff Hauptman Contributing Writers Bo Baird Jenn Elkin Christen Hazel Laura Russell Design/Layout Cliff Hauptman The Pike School 34 Sunset Rock Road Andover, MA 01810 Tel: 978-475-1197 Fax: 978-475-3014 alumni@pikeschool.org www.pikeschool.org On the cover: Photo by Cliff Hauptman

Departments Facing Page 4 6 8 22 24 30 40

Message from the Head of School Upper School News Middle School News Lower School News Faculty News Alumni Profiles Alumni Events Class Notes

2011-2012 Board of Trustees

Lucy Abisalih, Chair Marcy Barker Firdaus Bhathena Robert Borek Andrew Chaban, Vice Chair Bobbie Crump-Burbank Shamim Dahod Scott Ginsberg

Louis Imbriano Lori Kavanagh, Secretary Michele Kerry Bruce Landay Brian Lawlor Rob MacInnis, Treasurer

Mary McKernan Ivy Nagahiro Kim Packard Renee Kellan Page ’79 Leslie Rosas Konse Skrivanos Robert Solano Richard Vieira

Trustees Emeriti Gary Campbell ’69 Tim Horne ’51

Upper School

News

This I believe...

Amor numquam perit

or the past few years, an important assignment in Eighth Grade English has been the “This I Believe” essay. Based on the radio addresses hosted by Edward R. Murrow, this assignment has become a rite of passage for students, and this year, English teachers Tina Morris and Amy Salvatore decided that interested students should share their essays with the rest of the Upper School during Assembly. The range of topics and ideas beautifully reflected the variety of interests and beliefs of the class, and each presenter earned high praise from their peers, indicated by rapt attention during the presentations and genuine applause at the end. Here is a sampling of students’ beliefs.

my case, my ancestors are from Latvia, and my family and I have continued the Latvian culture…. I started Latvian in pre-school…. When I graduated from Lativan school in 7th grade, I was selected to go on the “Sveika Latvia” trip. Many of the kids whom we met in Latvia were surprised that we could speak fluent Latvian and that we could understand what they were saying. This was my first time traveling to Latvia and I almost felt ‘home’ when I got there.” “My brothers are the keystone to the arch that is my family; take away that one stone and the whole arch won’t be the same…. “My two brothers leaving might not have been dramatic as that, but it still affected us all nonetheless. Since I barely see them now, I have very few things that remind me that we were once a family. The most significant of these things is the kitchen table. “The kitchen table has always been the ‘epicenter’ for my family’s getting along. Every evening from six to seven, our family would sit down and talk about our days. Those times were simpler times… “What used to be a glowing furnace of family compassion is now a memento of what used to be. The kitchen table is very unused these days, but still serves as a memory to one of the most important elements in my life – my family…”

“I believe that work is as important as play…. I always wanted to be Clara, the most beautiful ballerina in the nutcracker…. However effortless dancing may seem, practically every afternoon is consumed by hours of practicing….Dancing has taught me that I need to work as hard as I do in school so I can be the most beautiful ballerina.” “I believe in culture. Some people take their culture with them when they move to another part of the world, while others adopt the culture of their new country. In

The Pike School

by Laura Russell, Head of Upper School

www.pikeschool.org

lthough each Pike student has a favorite teacher, Seventh and Eighth Graders had a unique opportunity to express their appreciation to all teachers and staff members this Valentine’s Day. Under the secret direction of Latin teachers Sesame Zamora and Paul Heinze, students surprised teachers and staff with hand-crafted Valentine’s Day cards in their mailboxes. The twist was that their messages were written in Latin. Teachers were delighted to read familiar phrases such as “Amor numquam perit” (Love never dies), “Vivamus atque amemus” (Let us live and let us love – Catullus), and “Amor vincit omnia” (Love conquers all – Virgil). But they also learned new messages about the Roman perspective on love, such as “Amor tussisque non celantur” (Love and a cough are not concealed – Ovid), “Te plus oculis meis amo” (I love you more than my eyes – Catullus), “Militat omnis amans” (Every lover is a soldier – Ovid), and even this proclamation “Romani artem amatoriam invenerunt” (Romans invented the art of love.). Et cetera.

Notes from the Theater Department

he Grade 8 Playmaking course requires every student to take part in every aspect of scripting and producing an original play. This year’s Grade 8 theater production was titled “Bleeding School Colors,” but the title of the show should not sound familiar to you because it was a premier of an original production, as every show has been under the direction of drama teacher Trisha Gordon. The students created two fictitious colleges to explore how rivalries begin and why they continue. Students in Grade 9 performed “The Big Bad Musical” by Alex Strum and Bill Francoeur, a riff on fractured fairy tales. In this lighthearted courtroom comedy, the Big Bad Wolf goes on trial, but, as the Evil Stepmother says, “Justice is a complicated thing. It’s not easy. And it is not just black

and white.” Faced with a clueless judge, a biased jury, and unreliable witnesses, the beleaguered wolf is subjected to different endings to the trial, until he, and the audience, are completely befuddled about the wolf ’s innocence or guilt. At a recent assembly, the Improv Club presented some of the exercises they have been working on, including such games as “Ding!”, Hitchhiker,” “Gibberish,” and Slideshow.” The club members showed great courage as they took to the stage to demonstrate these games reminiscent of “Whose Line Is It Anyway.” They improvised their way through a chaotic bus ride or a crazy human slideshow, and the audience affirmed their peers’ courage and creativity with a lot of laughter and applause.

Faculty Reflect on Student Leadership

ecent educational research has indicated that when students can take “just right” risks, they tend to be more successful in many areas of their lives. Recently, Upper School faculty have been reflecting on some of the experiences our students have across their classes and extra curricular activities. Two arenas in which Upper School students can try these kinds of risks are in leadership and community service. A 2008 Quill article discussed Pike’s approach to leadership: “In a setting like Pike, where teachers can know each student individually and well, leaders are recognized not by their titles, but by their behaviors.” We continue to affirm this approach, and we agreed to the following statement. Leadership in the Upper School is guided by our belief that young adolescents need and want opportunities to try new things and take appropriate risks. We define leadership very broadly in order to provide every student with the chance to be a leader in some way. Some students may start with very small responsibilities and others are ready for bigger challenges. In general, we don’t believe that leadership has to be an

exclusive role for only a few, which is why we have very few “titled” positions in the Upper School. However, we do recognize that at times, it is important for one person to be the leader. To that end, Upper School advisors are continually looking for experiences that would help their advisees grow in their leadership skills at their own pace. In a recent faculty meeting this year, we created a list of skills and activities that we consider leadership. Our hope is that this list will clarify what kind of leadership experiences students have while in Upper School: Leadership Skills Appropriate risk-taking Public speaking Follow-through Inclusive behavior Interacting easily with adults Showing initiative Accountability Advocacy for self and others Active listening Creative problem solving Taking a stand

Some experiences where students practice leadership skills Game captains on athletic teams Compost duty – 6s learn how to do this and then train their peers International Supper – 6s are the wait staff for this community event Recycling – 7s oversee the collection of recycling for the entire school Spring Projects – 7s devise and implement service projects Pre-K Lunch cart – 8s Tour guides – Open House, Secondary School Fair Lower School Buddies Running Assembly Clubs 8th Grade Show Socratic seminars in English class Field work in science class Homeroom jobs Student Council committees (Dance, Philanthropy, Special Events, Snack)

Spring 2012

The Quill

Middle School

News

by Bo Baird, Head of Middle School

A Quiet Habit

hursday mornings you can hear a pin drop in Third Grade. But even a falling pencil or book wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. All you have to do is poke your head inside a homeroom to understand why, but don’t break the silence. Students are seated all around the room—at desks, under the board, and in the reading corner—lost in their books. Parents, grandparents, and

The Pike School

teachers are sitting alongside them, taking advantage of the quiet time to dive in to their own books. This is the way Thursdays start each week. The most important thing we do is help students become lifetime readers. Our daily work on fluency, comprehension, and decoding skills, gives students the tools to be strong readers. But lifetime readers have more than tools—they have a passion. Popular titles such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games

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ignite children’s interest in reading. Yet our busy lives can all but squeeze out reading time. It’s easy for me to tear through a book or two over vacation, but as soon as school starts, I’m reduced to a crawl. Reading also needs to be a habit. Third Graders develop theirs on Thursdays. If you want to feed your habit, come join us. It’s a great way to start the day.

Lessons for a Learner

eveloping good lifelong habits was also the theme this February when families poured into the gym before school to celebrate Heart Health Month. For an entire week, Wendy Hammond, Lori Goldenberg, and Kevin Pezanowski hosted fitness activities for all families. During the Middle School mornings, students and their parents were scattered across the floor, participating in eight different jump rope activities. “Shoot the Moon,” “Jump the Shot, ” “Long Rope Jumping,” and several others had ropes whipping and bodies bouncing all over the gym. Watching the beaming faces got me to put down my camera and join in. The first activity, “Jump the Shot,” I could handle. A student stood at the center of a circle, held one end of the rope and whipped the other end around the arc of children and parents. In addition to the exercise, timing was the key—if you didn’t jump in time the oncoming rope would wrap around your leg. I only stopped it once. Next, I moved to the double-dutch game where a couple of students had mixed success. Then Ryan Burba stepped into the middle. As teachers swung two ropes—one in either direction— the ropes whipped towards Ryan’s feet. Just

as it looked like he’d be lassoed, his feet lifted off the floor to clear the first rope. Immediately afterwards the second rope flew from the opposite direction and he rose off the floor again. And again. And again. Inside the blur of ropes was Ryan, a human piston, putting on a clinic.

ways to empower student learners. We are doing this by giving them specific “student-friendly” feedback they can readily understand to reach their goal, whether it is jumping rope or learning to write a paragraph. The days of grades and smiley faces have gone. Teachers are now creating rubrics that explain explicitly what children need to do to reach their learning goals. The power of this practice is that rather than having to guess what’s in the teacher’s head, students now understand what they need to do to meet success. We send this same information to parents now with our checklists of essential outcomes, but even more important is getting it in the hands of learners. I should certainly have it for double dutch.

It would be better if my attempts were not remembered. Ropes hit my legs, head, and feet, whether I jumped early, late, high or low. The conclusion was unavoidable to students, teachers, and me—I was a jump rope “project.” What a great reminder it is to be the learner again. One area of our professional development work has been to focus on

Spring 2012

The Quill

Lower School

News

Multicultural and Global Awareness Month

very year, all year round, our teachers work with students to learn about different cultures and ways of life. This year, the Lower School decided to designate the months of March and April as Multicultural and Global Awareness months, allowing us to deepen our focus on the many places and cultures connected to Pike’s curriculum and community. In each grade, diverse cultures are being explored through literature, writing, social studies, music, art and physical education. All of us are enjoying reading stories, learning about traditions, and trying foods from around the world.

The Pike School

Lower School Assemblies

First grade students created vacation scrapbooks, including photos of their cultural experiences over March break. Kindergarten, First and Second Graders made “passports” to keep track of the countries they “visit” at school during March and April. Our Pre-K students are playing games from around the world and learning how to say “hello” and “goodbye” in different languages. Our Lower School Literacy Night continues this focus, with the theme of “Around the World n Wednesdays, the entire Lower in Stories.” We culminate this multicultural School gathers together as a study by singing songs from many lands in our community. Our goal is to connect with Lower School concert in May. each other, share experiences, and teach each other. Assemblies are a mix between pre-planned activities and impromptu experiences. But, no matter the focus, we always begin with a friendly greeting. Sometimes we link pinkies, whisper our hellos, or sing a welcome. No matter what type of greeting we do, it always includes a smile, eye contact and a friendly voice. In this way, we practice a social skill that we hope every student will become comfortable with and use throughout his or her days at Pike.

Student “passports” of some of our world travelers. Oh, the places they’ll go!

by Jenn Elkin, Head of Lower School

www.pikeschool.org

Assemblies often involve sharing among grades. Rainbow Days are our favorite, giving us a chance to make our school’s mission explicit in each grade. Recently, the Second Grade gave us a thorough and highly engaging explanation of “Responsible Citizenship” and taught us where all the food we bring in on Rainbow Days goes. Students reenacted how it traveled from Pike to the Neighbors in Need warehouse. They described the Second Grade field trip to weigh and sort all the food Pike donates every month. We look forward to upcoming assemblies where the Kindergarteners will teach us the meaning of “Respect,” the Pre-K will demonstrate their natural “Creative Spirit,” and the First Grade will help us all engage in “the Joy of Physical Activity.” It is a pleasure to watch our youngest Pike students bring their energy and enthusiasm to teaching and sharing with each other.

Literacy in the Lower School

ost elementary schools have many reading and writing activities taking place every week. However, anyone wandering through Pike’s Lower School will see exciting and involving literacy activities happening in every classroom, every day. Whether it’s a student snuggled up in the reading corner, engrossed in a picture book, teachers and students working together in interactive writing, or an impromptu dramatic rendition of a classic tale put on by four-year olds, literacy is happening all around. The month of April brings extra special literacy events. “Read Across America,” a national celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and his many contributions to literature, is alive and well at Pike. In typical Pike style, however, instead of being a one-day event, as it is in the rest of the country, at Pike it’s a two-week affair! Susan Hauptman, our Lower School Reading Specialist, encourages and organizes the majority of Pike’s teachers to read in each other’s

classrooms. This is community building at its best, as teachers get to share the joy of reading their favorite childhood or bedtime story with students across the divisions. We celebrated Lower School Literacy Night for the third year this April 18. This evening of literacy provides parents and children the opportunity to gather and share in the joy of reading and writing. “All Around the World in Stories” was this year’s theme, and the night began with the Second Graders performing a Reader’s Theater presentation of a Mexican folktale. Then, parents and students convened in their anchor rooms to focus on different aspects of engaging and interactive literacy activities. Another thrilling annual literacy event happened in January. For First Grade students, no finer moment is there than when they receive their yellow “I Read to Mr. Waters” t-shirt! Students work hard, with the help of their reading teachers, to develop strong skills in fluency and

comprehension, allowing them each to proudly read an entire story to Mr. Waters. What a sight those broad smiles are! Digital Literacy is a new type of literacy being introduced in the Lower School and is part of the larger focus on digital learning that includes digital access, digital quality, and digital responsibility. From Pre-K to Second Grade, students are exposed to digital tools to enhance their learning of a subject. In Second Grade in particular, students learn how to navigate to, in, and around a web site. They also learn the different ways to read a digital text and to use digital vocabulary, while at the same time becoming familiar with the wide array of text features inherent in digital texts. I encourage you to come visit the Lower School any day to see and share in our excitement and eagerness to learn.

Head of Lower School Jenn Elkin (reading) and Lower School Reading Specialist Susan Hauptman delight a group of Kindergarteners within the coziness of the Lower School Reading Lab.

Spring 2012

The Quill

Photos: Katherine Taylor

Ninth Grade, Class of 2010

Citizenship Award Winners

George Theodore Coutracos Benzi Walter Edelson Gregory Steven French Lucas Harrison Glancy Yana Katherine Holden Matthew J. Menzie Doris Akinyi Nyamwaya Bailey Gray O’Neal Kellan Thomas Page Carolina Cecilia Rosas

A. Daniel Phelan Award: Benzi Edelson Nicholas Grieco Prize: Greg French Alumni Prize: Bianca Di Mauro Margaret J Little Award: Julia Reynolds David A Frothingham Award for Community Service: Jessica Hutchinson, Victoria Skrivanos Head of School Award: Gino Roy

Graduation

2011

The Pike School

Academic Award Winners Cynthia E. Pike Award: Justin Curtis Alice L. Jablonski Science Prize: Alexandra Barr, Tracy O’Donnell Biology Prize: Greg French English Prize: Tracy O’Donnell French Prize: Miranda An, Tracy O’Donnell History Prize: Gino Roy Latin Prize: Justin Curtis, Thayer Anderson, Jessica Hutchinson, Frank Geng Spanish Prize: Justin Curtis, Julia Reynolds, Carolina Rosas Rebecca Shovan Alumni Arts Award: Jessica Hutchinson (Visual Arts), Tiernan O’Rourke (Drama), Alexandra Barr (Music)

Athletic Award Winners John Hopkins Award: Caroline Shipley, Chandler Washburn Sally Bullard Award: Sydney Nagahiro, Jake Bobo Kerri Kattar Award: Lexi Britt, Andrew Hulshult Girls Athletic Award: Alexandra Barr, Molly Reilly Boys Athletic Award: Steven Schelzi

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Next Schools

Eighth Grade, Class of 2011 Ameer Hassan Ahmed Miranda Bonnie An Shuruthe Ananthakrishnan Thayer Locke Anderson Andrew M. Barker-Morrill Alexandra Shengyu Marion Barr Amy Alyssa Bolton Charles C. Bramhall Alexandra Forster Britt Caroline Rose Colletta Jessica Anne Conway Graham Richard Cook Justin Glanzer Curtis Olivia B. Demetri Bianca Adelina Di Mauro Nicholas Clark DiAdamo Aaron Jongkee Fang Emma Beatrice Fennessy Analiese Rebecca Fernandes Charlotte Emma Gacek Justin Bradford Galiney Frank D. Geng Mackenzie Leigh Gray Forest Steenrod Hallee Blaise Pierre Harmange Oliver E. Harston Joseph Monroe Holden Aoife Hughes Andrew Eugene Hulshult Jessica Martin Hutchinson

Emily Wei Jin Thomas Andrew Johst Caroline R. Kent Karina Matilde Keus Ritu Kumble Carl Liu Colleen Anna MacInnis Clifford Harrison Markell Dominique Mateo James Anthony Michaels Nikita A. Minocha Alex Michael Munick Margot Ann O’Brien Tracy A. O’Donnell Tiernan Francis O’Rourke Naveen S. Rajur Molly Elizabeth Reilly Julia Elizabeth Reynolds Charlotte J.C. Rogers Cameron Eugene Roy Steven Andrew Schelzi Emily Kathryn Schwartz George Konstantine Siodis, Jr. Victoria Rose Ophelia Skrivanos Zachary Robert Steer Kory Richardson Stuer Sathvik Reddy Sudireddy Meghan Tao Patrick Harrison Watrous Allen Zhou

Andover High School

Austin Prep

Brooks School

Central Catholic High School

Dexter School

Governor’s Academy

Lawrence Academy

Lexington Christian

Loomis Chaffee

Middlesex School

North Andover High School

Pelham High School

Phillips Academy

Pike Ninth Grade

Pingree School

Portsmouth Abbey

Proctor Academy

St. George’s School

St. John’s Prep

St. Mark’s School

St. Paul’s School

Walnut Hill School

Spring 2012

The Quill

Leslie Mateo â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14, left, and Nalia Medina â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14, now both in Sixth Grade, have been in the MVP at Pike since Kindergarten.

The Pike School

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Merrimack Valley 25 Program Changing Lives for

he Merrimack Valley Program (MVP) began at The Pike School in 1986. The objective of the program was to provide a Pike School education to qualified public school students from the Merrimack Valley. Families who qualify either speak in English in the home or are bi-lingual, are educationally focused, demonstrate financial need, and are committed to providing the much-needed structure at home to support their children’s education. The Program’s History From 1986 to 1997, thirteen students joined the Sixth Grade class. Those students were recruited with the help and recommendations of guidance counselors and teachers in the Lawrence public school system. In 1998 the entry point was changed to Third Grade so that the children would be able to solidify their academic foundation, make new friends, and feel secure in the Pike environment before they faced the many challenges of all adolescent children in Upper School. Teachers in the public school system and the director of the Lawrence Latch Key Program were again helpful in identifying appropriate candidates. In the academic year 2002-2003, The Pike School Board of Trustees made the financial commitment to give the MVP students the full advantage of a Kindergarten through Ninth Grade education with all the social and academic advantages this continuum would provide. Contacts were made and relationships begun with the directors of the YMCA’s

Years

Early Childhood Center and the Head Start Program, all in the greater Lawrence area. Since 2002-2003, Pike has admitted twenty students to join the Kindergarten class. The Pike School’s commitment to the Merrimack Valley Program is an important component of living out one of the values of our mission: “by recognizing, respecting, sharing, and appreciating our similarities and differences, we grow and flourish.” This is especially important in our increasingly diverse global community. The Merrimack Valley Program is a community outreach program that advances inclusion throughout The Pike School. Each academic year, through the MVP, Pike admits two new students to whom it provides need-based financial aid. The Pike Director of Admission collaborates with area early childhood programs to identify families who are deeply committed to the

education of their children and who may be unaware of the opportunity of enrollment at Pike School. MVP students represent a range of racial, economic, and cultural diversity that is reflective of the greater Merrimack Valley population. Participants experience the advantages of Pike’s strong academic program, small student-to-teacher ratio, unique enrichment opportunities, and inclusive community spirit. In return, MVP students and their families enrich the Pike community. Outcomes Thus far, eighteen MVP students have been graduated from Pike and have gone on to matriculate at independent secondary schools, including Brewster Academy, Brooks School, Commonwealth School, Kimball Union Academy, Noble and Greenough School, Phillips Academy, Pingree School, and Williston Northampton School. MVP students have also gone on to parochial schools in the area, including Central Catholic and Presentation of Mary. Additionally, our MVP graduates have attended the following colleges: Barnard College, Bentley College, Boston University, Brown University, Emerson College, Endicott College, George Washington University, Reed College, Simmons College, Suffolk University, Trinity College, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts, University of New England, University of Pennsylvania, and community colleges. There are sixteen MVP students currently enrolled at Pike in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Meet some of our MVP graduates:

First Grader Anthony Porro ’19

Spring 2012

The Quill

MVP 25 Years Jasmin Polanco ’93 by Christen Hazel

asmin Polanco still tears up when she thinks back to her days at Pike. “I was doing a home closing for a family who was refinancing in the area when the gentleman said he worked at Pike. I started crying,” said Jasmin. Though she recently came back to the area to practice law, Jasmin has come a long way since her days at Pike. She and her friend Angeli Alonzo’93 (whom she met when they were four years old in CCD class) were the first two recipients of the Merrimack Valley Program. Jasmin’s parents were both born in the Dominican Republic, but she was born in the United States and grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Jasmin remembers receiving a letter when she was in fifth grade from Pike’s Admission Director at the time, Judy Mosedale and then-Head of School David Frothingham, congratulating her on her academic success in the Lawrence Public Schools and asking her to consider coming to Pike. While the concept of taking a bus to the next town over and making new friends was daunting, she and her friend made the journey and entered Pike as Sixth Graders in 1990. At first, Jasmin found the experience to be difficult, both academically and socially. “It was hard for us to fit in,” said Jasmin. “Angeli and I stuck together most of the time.” Academically, Jasmin quickly realized that she needed to study more and focus on working harder than she ever had before. “I didn’t know what ‘homework’ was…It wasn’t something I had to do in the public school system at the time,” said Jasmin.

The Pike School

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Despite a less-than-perfect start, she credits several teachers at Pike with helping her to work hard and strive for the A’s. “I remember thinking one day, ‘Jasmin, this is a great opportunity. You’ve got to make this work,’” she said. Socially, she made friends with several of her classmates and remains in touch with some of them today on Facebook. During her three years at Pike, Jasmin learned to take full advantage of her Middle School education. She went on to graduate from Brooks School in 1997 and was the first person in her family to go to college. She was accepted at Holy Cross and Union College on a full scholarship, but she instead set her sights on D.C. and attended The George Washington University. She graduated in 2001 with a B.A. in International Affairs and a minor in Spanish-American Literature. During her time in D.C., Jasmin also had the opportunity to work in various non-profits, think-tanks, and in the Senate with late Senator Kennedy. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to be a lawyer and was graduated from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2006. Today, she lives in Methuen, Massachusetts, with her husband, Giuseppe, and has her own practice there, Polanco Law Office, focusing primarily on real estate, business, and immigration law. Through her practice, Jasmin has helped countless homeowners stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for The Psychological Center and The Notre Dame Education Center-Lawrence.

MVP 25 Years Peter Ly ’05 by Christen Hazel

hen Peter Ly tells the story of his journey from the Lawrence public school to Ivy League business school, it always starts with Pike. “To this day, my family and I still refer to Pike as the lifechanging factor in my life,” said Ly. Peter began his education at Pike in 3rd grade. From the moment he stepped into the classroom, he was immersed in a place that was conducive to learning. He was well aware of the differences between the Lawrence public school and his “new” school. “The fundamental environment differences should not be downplayed because I often attribute how I developed as a person to my surroundings, and Pike made sure I was in a safe and comfortable place to grow with integrity,” said Ly. Peter is grateful to Pike for helping him realize his potential as a learner, athlete, and leader. “I found a foundation in Pike that allowed me to succeed as I moved onto Phillips Academy and now the University of Pennsylvania. It is a powerful thing to offer a young student who has potential the tools to succeed, and in my opinion that’s exactly what Pike does,” said Ly. When asked what moments at Pike shaped who he is today, he rattled off a list of memories, still fresh in his mind today, including: receiving an award for improvement and leadership in athletics, telling ‘his story’ for the first time through the lens of the diversity initiative at Pike, giving back to the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, Massachusetts, and voicing his opinions on serious matters of the school on the Student Council. “If Pike had not pulled me out of Lawrence, I can’t even imagine where I would be now, or what I would be doing and what kind of person I would be. Pike offered me a higher education, a clearer perspective on the opportunities available to me.” Today, Peter is thriving at UPenn Wharton School of Business where he is a junior. He is concentrating in Marketing & Operations Management and then Finance and also minoring in Chinese Studies. His favorite class is Business Policy and Strategy because he has the opportunity to control every aspect of a virtual company, including financing, supply chain, labor factories, advertising, celebrity sponsorship, and global operations. Last summer, he interned at Time, Inc. in the Research and Insights Department. This summer, he will intern at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in their Global Wealth and Investment Management Department.

In addition to his studies, he is actively involved in several extracurricular activities including: Treasurer of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Member of the Order of Omega, a national Greek leadership honor society, Consultant for the Wharton Small Business Development Center, President of the Undergraduate Media and Entertainment Club, and Member of the Domestic Affairs Committee of the Penn Microfinance Club. Last but not least, he is involved with Charity Water, a non-profit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Even today, Peter often reflects on his Pike experience, and always concludes, “Whether it was through the classes, teacher interactions, or extracurriculars, Pike taught me to love learning, to work hard and persist in every situation, to be open-minded, to learn from my mistakes, and most importantly, to always aspire to greater goals.”

Spring 2012

The Quill

MVP 25 Years Eliana Castro Martinez ’00

by Christen Hazel

liana Castro Martinez has gone back to her roots in Lawrence, Massachusetts, with a new outlook on life that began to take shape while she attended Pike. Born in the Dominican Republic, Eliana came to the United States when she was six. Eliana entered Pike as a Sixth Grader. Middle School, by its nature, challenged her academically and socially. “The demands that Pike placed on me were new to me and my family, but my mother was cognizant that I held great promise and that Pike was helping me realize it. With a great deal of coaching and persistence, I was able to take advantage of how industrious I had always been and hone some skills that proved essential to my later success,” Castro said. She learned to manage her time both in school and at home. She has a brother with autism and needed to help him with his homework in addition to completing her own. Socially, Eliana looked to faculty to help her navigate the changing tides of Middle School dynamics. “In all honesty, one of the toughest lessons I learned at Pike was social. Coming from Lawrence, I was subject to some of the misperceptions that other students had of me. I struggled to prove myself and to be liked, in the hopes that I would represent Latinos and Lawrencians well and change my classmates’ minds about us. That process made me self-aware in invaluable ways.” Eliana is appreciative for the encouragement and support she received from Pike faculty. “Middle school is a time of great change, and I had the full support of a wonderful faculty and staff; everyone was very invested in helping me learn and grow,” Castro said.

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Eliana graduated from Lawrence High School after attending Middlesex and Noble and Greenough. “Lawrence High School was the most accepting place that I had been since Pike. I was surprised to see that I could challenge myself there too; it merely required more of my own initiative, but I was more than prepared to be a self-directed learner and take responsibility for my own education,” Castro said. Eliana graduated from Brown University in May 2009 with a degree in education and a concentration in human development. In May 2010, she graduated from Brown’s M.A.T. program with a degree in secondary social studies and history. Currently, she is teaching social studies to English-language learners at Lawrence International High School. “I am taking advantage of every opportunity that I can to let students know how capable they are and how eager I am to help them,” she said. She and her husband, Victor, want to mentor Lawrence youth who are following our public school- to prep school- to liberal arts college footsteps. “My Pike experience was deeply empowering, and I feel well equipped to lead and make sound decisions in life,” she said.

MVP 25 Years Rosa Valentin ’05 by Christen Hazel

ccording to Rosa Valentin, she is a confident young woman with big dreams and professional goals that she is actively pursuing, thanks to Pike. “When I look back at the things that have molded me into this strong minded, motivated young lady, most of them come from the challenges I met and opportunities I was given at The Pike School,” said Rosa. She was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, into a large extended family from Puerto Rico. Rosa credits her 2nd grade teacher at the local elementary school for feeding her insatiable appetite for more work and urging her family to consider Pike. “After that, I owe all my success to Pike,” Valentin said. Rosa entered Pike as a 3rd Grader and instantly became immersed in a place that was safe, nurturing, and focused on academic success. She worked hard for her A’s and never once thought of giving up in her pursuit to succeed. “Pike taught me to work hard,” Valentin said. “I was exposed to an opportunity to succeed. There was never settling

for less.” After graduating from Pike in 2005, Rosa went to Lawrence Academy. Her best friends to this day are the same 3 girls she met in her first year at Pike. “My friends had more money than I did and lived in big fancy houses, but their families were not afraid to drop them off at my house in Lawrence. It was a non-issue,” Valentin said. She mentioned that while some kids had “everything they could ever want materially,” sometimes they were the ones who didn’t get the attention they craved. “If they do not have the support system at home, some kids struggle,” Valentin said.

“My education is worth more than a million dollars. I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities that have been given to me. I promise I won’t let anyone down,” Valentin said. In fact, Rosa is inspiring others. “Without my Pike experience, I would be stuck in a bubble. I would be afraid to pop it. Now that I have been successful, I have a duty to inform people that are in bubbles, that there are greater things in this world than what surrounds them on a daily basis. I can pop other bubbles, and that feels good. There is no need to stay at one level when there are so many higher ones waiting,” Valentin said. “I was lucky to be informed from a young age, but it’s never too late for people to know how wonderful and rewarding an education is.”

Rosa is currently working towards a major in broadcast journalism with a focus on producing news. She is minoring in dance, too. She is the associate producer for Emerson’s EIV News at 9, and she’s taken the role of News Correspondent for Good Morning Emerson, a magazine style talk show, from episode 5 until the end of the Spring 2012 semester. Beginning April 10th, she became the new host of a Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s cable network medical show.

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The Quill

Our Professional Learning Community:

LEARNING

A Focus on Learning

he traditional ways of schooling are familiar to us all. The teacher has a specific objective—that students understand the underlying causes of the Civil War or attain the skill of doing long division—and teaches it to the class. The teacher peppers several students with questions, determines that the class “gets it,” and moves on. At the end of the unit, the teacher tests the students on how well they learned the objective. Those who learned it well get A’s. Those who failed to learn it get F’s. The rest place somewhere in bet ween. Then the teacher moves on to the next objective. 18

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Essential Outcomes

As Utopian and starry-eyed as that sounds, it is what the Professional Learning Community (PLC) embraces. And it has been in the process of implementation at Pike for the past three years. Under the guidance of Nancy J. Gerzon, a senior consultant at Learning Innovations at WestEd, The Pike School faculty has been working to make Pike a Professional Learning Community by adapting the core concepts to fit our unique environment.

ut imagine a different scenario. The teacher again has a specific objective, one in common with her other grade-level colleagues with whom she has defined it. She designs lessons to teach the objective, perhaps, again in collaboration with her teammates. Over the course of a few days, she teaches the lessons to the class. This time, at key junctures in the unit, she stops and checks to see if the students have learned the concept, using a uniform system of assessments that she and her colleagues have defined together. The students’ knowledge may run the gamut from a little understanding to solid understanding. But now, having assessed students’ comprehension and exactly what each student has learned so far, the teacher can adjust her future lessons and/ or groupings to guide student learning. For those who need reteaching in order to learn the material, she designs appropriate lessons. For those students who are ready for more, she designs lessons to deepen and extend their understandings.

As a PLC, Pike is committed, first of all, to ensuring that all students learn, with a focus on results, and we are setting high expectations for every student to meet. We are also committed to gathering evidence of student learning to guide instruction, to targeting students’ needs through reteaching and enrichment, and to working collaboratively in teacher teams and as a community. To put this promising philosophy into practice, there are a number of things we must determine beforehand: What do we want all students to learn? How will we gather evidence of their learning? How do we adjust instruction to reach and/ or challenge all students? How do we empower students?

What we want all students to learn are called “Essential Outcomes.” For each course at each grade level, we have determined fifteen to twenty, fundamental learning goals we want every student to meet to a specified degree of mastery. Some of the Essential Outcomes are guided by or derived from state and/or national standards, and some are unique to Pike’s curriculum. Examples of Essential Outcomes are that every student in Grade 2 math will be able to read, write, and sequence numbers to 1,000. All students in Grade 4 language arts will be able to expand basic sentences with details that answer who, what, where, why, and how. All Grade 5 science students will be able to identify and control variables as they design and conduct an experiment to study which factors affect erosion and deposition. And all Grade 8 history students will be able to explain westward expansion of the nation and its impact on the U.S. and its people.

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ar n ch d i a ea fm ts o ories r to of c n s e t s t en elemion in s of the em l y r e y sto lut ral nc stor jor ing so he mo a y mai f m i d f t t n e o n y o h t ide nts d ntif ify resp will eme ies rea ent nd cor lso ide l s d e t i r y n a y r o a l e d st ay m sto ent Stu tion. jor tion in in sist proble ents m a n u o m l l u sett o e l c main . Stud ia ol s l h t d s i t n n t g w a y e (s) on in s nts g, the aloud Ess ome: ntif pondin r e e e d d t i c i r u St settin tly o lut rac tly rres Out cha ing so ten nd co 0 ), enden s n i . s i s ( d 4 a m on p re ma con Sco the orresp inde will proble ud. y f s i c t with nt and lo en ng, a s e a d n d i r u o St setti ssi em tly ly o omi ten probl 0 ), endent s i . s d s ( 3 n p re sa con ify a ye Sco rror inde Importantly, she can confer with her gradewill ident ud. e s stor on r t r o y n o j l o l e j t a a level colleagues, who are teaching the ma soluti Stud nsisten tly or ts m e i h b i t n same objectives concurrently and using ng exh tify pondi inco pende 2.0 t n n e e r s e the same “common assessments” of the ud rre o id Sco inde nd e st rt t nd co students’ progress, and benefit from their o h t rsta p a e , p r d u e m s insights to successful methods of reaching un ev le er s no How ents. ach a prob e e different types of learners. And she may t t a , s str elem t need setting ud. assess students one or two more times mon e n o , l d e ) a s during the course of the lessons. The goal nt Stud acter( tly or ude t r n s of this type of teaching, thereby, is not to a e 0 e . ch pend th re 1 lp, present the curriculum or concepts, record e Sco h inde ith each student’s level of understanding, nw Eve and then move on. It is, ultimately, to have .0 every student reach a specific, satisfactory re 0 o c S level of mastery before moving on. ac har

Spring 2012

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o gather evidence of student learning, we first must define the skills involved in the successful acquisition of each Essential Outcome. When we say, for example, that one Essential Outcome for a Grade 6 math lesson about two-step equations is that “students will be able to solve twostep equations using positives and negatives, fractions and decimals,” we must also determine what degree of accomplishment we deem satisfactory. What would be better than satisfactory? What kind of performance would be less than satisfactory? Thus, each Essential Outcome requires an objective and unambiguous performance scale.

Student Sample of a 3

Performance Scales

We start by describing what we think a “3” should look like. That will be our standard benchmark for the satisfactory mastering of a lesson. In the Grade 6 math example, above, we decide that a “3” means that the student will apply inverse operations to isolate the variable, solve equations that involve integers, solve equations that have a fraction as the coefficient, succeed no matter where the variable is placed in the equation, and show a reasonable amount of work to demonstrate the solution.

Student Sample of a 4

Next, we decide what a “4” –the highest rating—would look like. Clearly, it will comprise everything described in a “3,” plus something extra. In this case, students can solve two-step equations with multiple fractions and multiple decimals, solve equations involving more than two steps, apply the distributive property, and exhibit impeccable written work. Finally, we frame the characteristics of “2” and “1” ratings. These indicate less than satisfactory understanding of the lesson and may be exhibited by any of several shortfalls from the “3” rating. In our Grade 6 math example, again, these may be defined by a student’s ability to isolate the variable in an equation of the form ax+b=c but struggle when the variable is moved about the equation, by inconsistent success with integers and/ or fractions, or by not showing enough written work to substantiate solutions. The “2” and “1” ratings often indicate areas of misconception and common errors, as well. But these are often the first steps toward mastery. Once we create the performance scale for each Essential Outcome, teachers regularly check students’ learning through daily questions, whiteboard practice, mini

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quizzes, and other forms of assessment to see where each student falls within the performance scale for that objective. Teachers then give extra help and may regroup students with “1” or “2” ratings, concentrating on their specific shortcomings, and collaborating with colleagues to develop effective alternative approaches. At the same time, they provide students with “4” ratings with more challenging work on that objective.

Shifts of Focus

Although Pike has always sought and employed innovative teaching techniques and programs that best prepare our students for continued success in their educational journeys, The PLC program represents something of a shift from previous paradigms. Where focus may have previously been on the entire class’

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progress through the completion of a unit, PLC has shifted the focus to where each student stands in his or her learning of the unit. Instead of focusing assessment on final unit test scores, assessment now samples student understanding throughout a unit, so that adjustments in teaching and learning can be made well before the “final bell.” Teachers have shifted from only planning units together to collaborating to create and analyze assessments together. We have changed from teaching to either the whole class or individuals to targeting specific instruction to smaller groups. And we have shifted our focus on curriculum planning to ensuring that all students are learning. It comes as no surprise that it is a lengthy process to create unique performance scales and assessments for each of the fifteen to twenty Essential Outcomes in

every course in every grade. And that process is still under way in every grade. Yet, the program is in full swing across the school, and teachers have expressed both surprise and delight with the results, so far. “We have been pleasantly surprised by how easy it has been to describe the criteria for each performance level,” said one team of teachers, while others have discovered that the performance scales have made it easier “to define the areas where students commonly have misconceptions.” Teachers who are now working with completed sets of Essential Outcomes and performance scales agree that, “As we teach topics, we are finding we are able to more clearly describe the essential goals for our students, so that they know what we expect them to master.” Similarly, Professional Learning Teams (PLT)—teams of teachers who regularly collaborate—report that their “conversations are more constructive because we are looking at what we expect students to learn in even more concrete ways than we did before we started these PLTs.”

Looking ahead

Expectations Although rare this winter, a substantial snow storm did not deter an interested crowd of parents from attending a presentation by faculty about the PLC. The audience was asked, upon leaving, to briefly state their expectations for their children as PLC practices become further embedded in a Pike education. This small sampling is typical of their responses, and our assessment indicates that everyone demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the lesson.

Looking ahead, we project that nearly all Essential Outcomes will be defined by the end of this academic year. As more assessments are completed, they can be put into school-wide general practice. In some grades, completion of the entire spectrum of Essential Outcomes by teachers will be followed by studentfriendly versions of the objectives and rubrics, so that students will have a clear understanding of what we expect them to learn. Students will also encounter increasing numbers of challenging learning opportunities as teachers more easily determine their level of mastery. And increased collaboration among teachers will hone assessment accuracy and allow more focused planning for individual student achievement. Teachers’ awareness of, and attentiveness to, every student has long been a hallmark of a Pike School education. Now, with the sharp clarification of objectives and their itemized performance assessments in each grade through the PLC work, not only teachers but also students and parents can be fully aware of what things students must learn, how well they are learning them, and how Pike, as a true Professional Learning Community can ensure those things be learned.

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Faculty In Memoriam

News Pam Palmer

December 1, 2011 Pam Palmer, former Upper School Drama teacher, passed away peacefully on December 1, 2011. Ms. Palmer came to Pike in 1975 and taught for 10 years. While she was here, she influenced the life of every student who came into the Upper School. She was a beloved teacher, colleague, and largerthan-life figure of the school. In honor of her and John Hopkins (opposite page), the Alumni Council and their closest Pike colleagues are organizing a gathering to celebrate their lives next year. We will keep you informed of the details as they develop. Please know that their spirits lives on at Pike.

“Pam and I shared a lovely friendship way back when although, when I moved to Virginia, we pretty much lost touch. Pam was a vital, energetic woman—passionate about the theater, her students, friends, and life, really.”—Sue (Wish) DeGeare, former Grade 1 teacher

“I have very fond memories of Ms. Palmer and the great effort that she put forth to get us involved and motivated with our class productions - she was inspirational.” —Stephen Prochniak ’85

“Pam was a fabulous teacher and a fun-loving, dynamic, and loyal colleague. She had boundless energy and creativity. Her spirit will always be a part of Pike’s theatrical excellence which nurtures the creative spirit in each child.”—Becca Shovan, former Upper School art teacher

“Great woman, director, and teacher. What I remember most was that she taught us to break from what was comfortable.” — John Barker ’83

“She had a beautiful spark and such a unique and endearing way about her. I’m sad she is gone.”—JoAnn Kalogianis Nikolopoulos ’84 “I will always remember Pam (Mrs. Palmer) as a very special person and teacher with a unique -- and uniquely powerful -- way of connecting with kids and giving them real confidence in themselves...particularly, I think, the kids who most needed a bit of such help in order to blossom.”—Adam Reeder ’79 “I came across this quote by Helen Keller- ‘What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love becomes a part of us.’ That is a quote lifted from Pam Palmer’s Facebook page just a month before her passing, and this is simply what Pam did for me and for her countless admirers and students she touched. She always inspired us, didnt she? Pam brought joy to life, and to teaching. She instilled passion, and she was one of the few outstanding teachers out there. “All that we love, becomes a part of us.” I know I speak for the many when I say, “Thank you, Pam! Thank you for being a part of my life, bringing hope, and joy, and love. From all of your students, we believe your memory will be eternal.”—George Miserlis ’78

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“Her passion and energy were infectious. I remember the play Jump that she helped to co-write.”—David Popowitz ’81 ”’Mrs Palmer’ was definitely one of those teachers who made a difference.”—Linda McCarthy ’82 “Mrs. Palmer was one of the most amazing teachers! I loved her enthusiasm, her dramatic style of teaching, her playfulness during study halls. (She taught me a card trick I still use to this day!) I was so sad to hear of her passing. Her smiling face will forever be a part of my Pike experience. I will never forget how “cool” she was that she let us play paper football in her class. You know, the one where you make a little triangle out of paper and hold up goal posts on the edge of the desk? She even played with us. I graduated over 30 years ago and forget much of the details of what was learned in junior high. But the lasting memories of a teacher who cared...that is truly what was important. Thank you!”—Kiristin Lewis Haight ’79 “She had a way of making everyone feel like a star in her class. Her class was by far one of my favorites at Pike! How wonderful that she left that same impression on all of us who were lucky enough to share some time in our lives with her.” —Merri-Lee Steeves ’80

In Memoriam

John Hopkins

December 18, 2011

John Hopkins, former Upper School English teacher, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2011. Mr. Hopkins came to Pike in 1976 and taught for 18 years. While he was here, he taught English, Latin, and literature. He coached hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. He photographed events and helped to co-write the play Onions with Pam Palmer and Larry Robertson. Mr. Hopkins influenced the lives of many students. In 1995, the John Hopkins award was established at Pike. The award honors him and Seventh Grade students (one boy and one girl) who have shown extraordinary commitment to Pike athletics and who have been the ultimate team players.

“I had Mr. Hopkins for 7th Grade homeroom and lit class. He was an amazing teacher; funny, caring, enthusiastic about what he was teaching. He got me excited about literature that year and I have carried that love of literature and books through my life. I have many fond memories of him reading stories aloud to our class. Also, his bowties were legendary. Though I haven’t seen him since I graduated Pike, I will miss Mr. Hopkins but am grateful to have had him as a teacher.” —Hope Carter ’93 “Another great loss. Very sad.” —JoAnn Kalogianis Nikolopoulos ’84 “John was a great friend and colleague at Pike. I was sorry to hear of his passing but know that he was not in good health and that he is now at peace. Best to all.” —Gail der Ananian, (Mrs. D) former Phys. Ed. teacher “John Hopkins was truly a one of a kind personality. He is inseparable from my fond memories of Upper School at Pike.” —Aidan Riordan ’85 “I will always remember him as one of my favorite teachers.” —Rima Hopkins ’88 “Saddens me greatly to hear. Best.” —Michael Ercolini ’95

dedication to Pike is quite legendary. His children are two of the finest students that attended Pike.” —Becca Shovan, former Upper School art teacher “One other role that John Hopkins played was set designer and builder for Pam and Larry’s musicals. I can still see him with his hammer and drill. He was eccentric but very talented, and he was always pleasant to all of us, who revered his intellect.” —Theda Logan, former Upper School math teacher “I loved Mr. Hopkins. He was a great English teacher, and I used to see him every day at Lawrence General, where he worked as a volunteer. He also volunteered as a member of the chess club at the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club. He had advanced Parkinson’s but lived with it for years. He was a very good teacher and a very good person and set a very good example for service.” — Paula Muto-Gordon ’76 “Pike has lost a great member of their “family”. Some of my fondest memories of Pike are from his English class or watching him coach on the side lines. He had a great sense of humor and will surely be missed.” —Melissa (Armstrong) Fabick ’95 “John was quite a character in many ways—the quintessential ‘rugged individual’ if ever there was one. His son, Thomas, and daughter, Cindy, both were my First Grade students and were delightful—and as unique as both their mother and their father. —Sue (Wish) DeGeare, former Grade 1 teacher

“John had the spark of brilliance and a robust and contagious sense of humor. He was a well-beloved and superb teacher whose dedication to Pike was especially long-lived. He attended Christmas gatherings at Pike even during his later years of infirmity. I adored him as did a multitude of Pike faculty and students! We were lucky to know John. His

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Alumni

Profiles

Alex Campbell ’02

“I enjoy going to places that most people don’t like to go,” said Alex Campbell ’02. Campbell is an investigative reporter at the Indianapolis Star, a daily newspaper serving Central Indiana. He graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern in 2011 and was one of ten graduates in the country to receive the coveted Pullman Fellowship at The Star. After writing 10 frontpage stories (as primary or solo byline) during the 10-week summer internship, he was hired full time in October 2011. One of his stories exposed a state representative’s paid encounter with a man via Craigslist. “Not exactly the kind of story you dream about… It was kind of awkward,” said Campbell. He attributes Pike with helping him to hone his critical thinking skills. “I think my eyes glazed over at the time I was learning to think critically in the classroom, but in practice, it’s so important to question everything,” said Campbell. “When a government official says something, I can’t take it at face value. Everyone is trying to preserve an image.” Campbell attended Pike from third through eighth grade and then attended Phillips Academy. He was not particularly interested in journalism until a sports editor friend at PA asked him to write a weekly column. “It was a little goofy. One of the stories I reported on was an analysis of the different food-eating contests around the world,” said Campbell. After graduating from PA in 2006, Campbell spent the next year in Scotland where he attended The University of Edinburgh. In 2007, he headed to Medill. There, he began writing for “North by Northwestern,” a daily online student newsmagazine. During his time there, Campbell spent eight months on a reporting internship in South Africa- five months in Johannesburg and then three months in Zambia. He then interned for the Medill News Service in Washington D.C., reporting and photographing prominent figures including Hilary Clinton and John McCain.

by Christen Hazel “I’m interested in just about everything,” said Campbell. “Journalists are always trying to come up with their own stories; working on solo projects and searching for that unique angle.” In his spare time, Campbell writes a blog about a vacant lot and never runs out of material to report on. “I enjoy going to parts of town that are unsavory,” said Campbell. “I meet interesting people there with interesting lives.” Whether it’s interviewing the good citizens of Indianapolis after they rescued a 3-year old girl from the wreckage of the rigging collapse at the Sugarland concert last summer, or researching the effects of the recession on nonprofits, or uncovering truths inside the Ivory Coast’s U.S. embassy during the political crisis, Campbell is grateful for his time spent in Mr. Lynch’s history class at Pike. “Mr. Lynch sharpened my attention to detail,” said Campbell. Just as this article went to press, Alex won 3 first-place prizes at the Society of Professional Journalists “Best of the Best in Indiana Journalism” awards banquet.

Alex Campbell ’02 is shown here with sisters Eliza ’02 (left) and Zoe ’09 (right) at Northwestern commencement, June 2011.

The Pike School

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Jennifer Fines Jones ’91 by Christen Hazel Jones attended Pike from First Grade through Eighth Grade and graduated in 1991. Though Jones remembers many great teachers and lessons, one teacher comes to mind quickly- Becky Cutts, Upper School Science. “When Mrs. Cutts was pregnant, she let her students touch her belly to feel the baby move.” To this day, Jones wonders if that experience might have impacted her decision to become a pediatrician. Another moment she remembers, nearly as fondly, was when she received an “F” from Mr. Roehm on a paper because it contained too many run-on sentences. “My parents would say this was a formative moment in my education.” Jones matriculated to Brooks School where she met her husband, Nate. She then went to Harvard and studied Biology. After that, she headed to Yale Medical School. The curriculum at Yale relies heavily on self-directed learning, and all classes are pass/fail. Jones said “I studied hard because I wanted to be a good doctor, not because I needed to do well on a test.” She feels that she learned many of the fundamentals of how to learn during her time at Pike. She and her husband, a school psychologist, got married while she was in medical school, and she then did her pediatrics residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire.

“Modern life can be hard on families,” said Jennifer Fines Jones ’91. Jones is a pediatrician in Exeter, NH who spends her days providing medical care to babies, children, and teens. Most patients go to see her for physical illnesses or for wellness checkups, but she also sees a number of patients with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. “It’s a part of the job that I wasn’t really expecting, and it can be challenging, but I think helping kids deal with stress and mental health challenges is a really important part of what I do every day.” Lucky for her, she is part of a big group practice of professionals who collaborate on how to best treat patients and their families. “I love my job. It’s hard work, but I think [going into medicine] was a great choice for me,” said Jones.

Jones enjoys living in New Hampshire and being a part of her community but thinks about her experience at Pike often. “I wish I could send my kids to Pike, but we live too far away,” said Jones. She remembers Sargent Camp, drawing portraits of classmates in Mrs. Shovan’s Art class, and the 8th grade play where she had a solo part. “I could probably still sing my song today,” said Jones. She also remembers Middle School Science with Mrs. Corey where students had the opportunity to learn through observation and experimentation. One lesson involved watering plants with different liquids such as milk and Coke and then recording the effects. “I was a science nerd,” said Jones. “Pike helped me grow as a person and instilled in me the idea of lifelong learning.”

Jones is the mother of two children- a four-year old daughter, and a six-month old son. “Now that I’m a parent myself, I’ve got more ‘street credit’ with my patients,” Jones said. “I’ve learned so much about how to give advice to other parents.” Jones tries to reassure parents that they are doing the best they can do. “My patient is the whole family,” said Jones. “When a child isn’t sleeping through the night, the parents aren’t sleeping through the night either,” said Jones. “Sometimes, I just fall back on things that I have learned from my own kids.”

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The Quill

Alumni

Profiles

Patrick Mahoney ’85

In the past three years, Patrick Mahoney ’85 got married, is expecting his first child in August, adopted two golden retrievers, and recently opened a hip wine lounge in Nashua, N.H. with his wife Jo Mahoney. Their venture, Napa East Wine Shop & Lounge, opened in March 2012 and is the perfect mixture of business and pleasure. In 2010, Mahoney and his wife marked their one-year anniversary with a whirlwind trip to California’s wine country. “We visited over 100 vineyards in the Napa Valley and thought, wouldn’t it be great to bring this experience to the East Coast,” said Mahoney They brought wines, artwork, and even a chef from the Napa Valley to the Merrimack Valley. In addition, they infused innovative technology with stylish décor and voila, the place has been buzzing with activity ever since.

by Christen Hazel lounge space. The Lounge is a trendy combination of barn wood floors, cement walls lit with fuchsia floodlights, and half-moon booths- creating the perfect atmosphere for lingering over dinner with friends. “It’s an eclectic group of people that come to Napa East, and we love it,” said Mahoney. Mahoney is glad to have attended Pike from third through eighth grade because of the diversity of its student body. “Independent schools offer a diversity of family backgrounds in terms of geography, socio-economy, and race,” said Mahoney. “In public schools, there is a general sameness to the student body because they all come from a specific district.” Mahoney rode the bus to/ from Lowell to Pike with sixteen other students. “My two sisters went to Notre Dame Academy in Lowell. To be honest, if they had accepted boys at the Academy, I probably would have gone there,” said Mahoney. He remembers Mr. Vivien and Mr. Hopkins fondly. In fact, the Latin he learned at Pike carried him through college. After graduating from Pike, Mahoney went to St. John’s Prep and then Fairfield University where he majored in political science.

Alumni Profile

Napa East offers 100 wines by the glass, ranging in price from $6.00-$70.00 a glass. Mahoney uses a state-of-the-art Napa technology wine system that allows an uncorked bottle of wine to be preserved for up to sixty days. “However, our philosophy is that if a wine’s been open for thirty days and it’s not gone, it’s time to rotate it out,” said Mahoney. “We haven’t had too many losers though.” Napa East has a certified sommelier on staff who is invaluable to the wine selection and tasting process. The bottles are lined up in the sleek, steel system and create a dramatic backdrop to the long bar that extends down the right hand side of the lounge. The 6,500 sq. ft. space with 20 ft. ceilings is divided into 500 sq. ft. of retail space, 3,000 sq. ft. of kitchen area, and 3,000 sq. ft. of

Interior view of Napa East Wine Shop & Lounge in Nashua, New Hampshire

The Pike School

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Patrick ’85 and Jo Mahoney

Now, more than ever... The Challenge: For every new alumni and/or alumni parent donor to the 2011-2012 Annual Fund, The McGrath Family*will give an additional $250 to Pike’s Annual Fund.

The Purpose: To inspire 100 new alumni and/or alumni parent donors

Minimum Gift Size:

There is no minimum. However, where else could you give a gift of $100 and have it turn into $350? Please know that your gift will go a long way to helping Pike provide the best education possible for all children.

*David J. McGrath, alumnus parent of Matthew ‘03, Patrick ‘07, Tim ‘05, and Peter ‘10

www.pikeschool.org/mygift

...your support matters.

Alumni

Artists

Ellie Parnes Campbell ’97 Photography

Garrett Cook ’02 Paintings

The Pike School

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Kate Majike ’05 Photography

Erika Mitkus ’04 Paintings

Brendan Riordan ’91 Yacht Design

A Call to Arts! Pike is pleased to offer alumni the opportunity to display their artwork, on a rotating basis, in the beautiful Community Room of the Dahod Center for Community and Creative Learning. The Community Room is a 15’ x 22’ space with high ceilings, natural light enhanced by track lighting, and beige panels designed for displaying artwork. The room also has a deep ledge in the back, ideal for showcasing sculpture, pottery, ceramics, and other threedimensional works. For entry guidelines, send an email to Christen Hazel at chazel@pikeschool.org or call 978-409-6608.

Spring 2012

The Quill

Alumni

Events

Beelzebubs and Peking and the Mystics

October 2011

The Pike School

www.pikeschool.org

1. Joe Kolchinsky ’98, Jennifer Kolchinsky, and Gail Der Ananian 2. Ethan Solomon and Jessica Hellmann Solomon ’93 3. Elliot Wish ’99, Carolyn Tobey, and Telly Jorden 4. Gina Finocchiaro ’93, Julie Petralia Derderian ’95, Christian Derderian ’93, and Michael Tarshi ’93 5. Fran Mellin, George LeMaitre, and Connie Weldon LeMaitre ’49 6. Paula Muto-Gordon ’77, Dana Limanni-Tarlow ’81, and Stephanie Gardner Ginsberg ’81 7. Jolene Buttress, Joyce Andrews, and Liza Waters 8. Carolina Rosas ’10 and Aoife Hughes ’11 9. Eliana Castro Martinez ’00 and friends 10. Wendy Wise ’79 and Paula Muto-Gordon ’77

It’s About Time! Have you wished your class year reflected your graduation year from Pike 8th Grade? Well, your wish has been granted. We’ve made the change in the “official” Pike database for the 1986-2011 classes.

You’re welcome.

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Alumni

Events

Beelzebubs and Peking and the Mystics 11

The Pike School

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11. Laura Russell, Betsy DeVries, Sarah Bardo, Carolyn Tobey, Penny Joel, Susan Hauptman, and Carmen Lonero 12. Suzanne Goldberg Barnhart ’81, Dana Limanni-Tarlow ’81, and Stephanie Gardner Ginsberg ’81 13. Carolyn Tobey, Gina Finocchiaro ’93, and Fran Mellin 14. Paula Muto-Gordon ’77 and Carrie Smotrich ’78 15. Pauline Kellan, Muddy Waters, and Tim Horne ’51 16. Bob Hutchings, Aoife Hughes ’11, Carolina Rosas ’10, Mary Hills, and Tim Hills 17. Renee Sanft ’75 and David Frishberg 18. Ronnie and Bob Berman 19. John French and JoAnn (Kalogianis ’84) Nikolopoulos 20. Moorea Colby ’10 and Debbie Anderson 21. Joe Carrolo, Leslie Stecker Dumont ’70, and Bill Dumont

Spring 2012

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Alumni

Events

Beelzebubs and Peking and the Mystics

22. Peking & the Mystics (center: Tim Vaill) 23. Peking & the Mystics (center: Tim Vaill) 24. Tufts Beelzebubs 25. Peking & the Mystics (Back Row, fourth from left: Tim Vaill and the Tufts Beelzebubs 26. Tim Vaill 27. Robert and Pauline Kellan 28. Zoe Gates ’10 and Stephen Gates 29. Pauline Kellan and Naomi Gardner 30. Chris Andrews ’69 and Debbie Martin 31. Ollie Brown ’96 and Elizabeth Armitage Brown

The Pike School

www.pikeschool.org

Spring 2012

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Alumni Visiting Day

Events

November 2011

The Pike School

www.pikeschool.org

1. Kelly O’Donnell ’09 and Tracy O’Donnell ’11 2. Emma Gordon ’10, Bailey O’Neal ’10, Yana Holden ’10, and Olivia Foderaro ’10 3. Victoria Skrivanos ’11 4. Tiernan O’Rourke ’11, Naveen Rajur ’11, Joe Holden ’11, and Aaron Fang ’11 5. Ameer Ahmed ’11, Justin Galiney ’11, Karina Keus ’11, and Oliver Harston ’11 6. Nick DiAdamo ’11, Gino Roy ’11, Harrison Markell ’11 7. Ameer Ahmed ’11, Sathvik Sudireddy ’11, and James Michaels ’11 8. Emily Hathaway ’10 and Lizzy Rao ’10 9. Tracy O’Donnell ’11, Kory Stuer ’11, Nikita Minocha ’11, Amy Bolton ’11, Victoria Skrivanos ’11, Dominique Mateo ’11, Bianca Di Mauro ’11, Julia Reynolds ’11, Caroline Colletta ’11, and Carolina Rosas ’10 10. Alumni Panel: Chris Cowie ’08, Zoe Campbell ’07, Zander Buttress ’09, Adam Gerber ’10, Emily Hathaway ’10, Gino Roy ’11, Abby Katz ’09, and Jimmy Rullo ’08 11. Alumni Parent Panel: Marla and Larry Curtis P’00, ’03, ’07, ’11; Lori Gerber P’98, ’04, ’10; Nick Di Mauro P’11; Noreen Britt P’08, ’11, ’15; Janet Smith P’06, ’09; Muddy Waters P’98, ’00, ’04; Annette Wilkinson P’08; and Nancy Bergeron P’07

Spring 2012

The Quill

Alumni

Events

Classes of ’59 to ’61 Special Dinner

December 2011

The Pike School

www.pikeschool.org

1. Jeff Freedman ’59, Karla Haartz Cortelyou ’59, Margaret Kimball ’59, Sharon Seeche Rich ’59, Cynthia Kimball ’59, Franny Bridges-Cline ’60, Marc Garnick ’60, Daria Bolton Fisk ’59, Muddy Waters, Wendy Burns Conquest ’61, Dusty Miller ’59, Lee Clark Hoehn ’60, and Tony Sapienza ’60 2. Jeff Freedman ’59, Marc Garnick ’60, Karla Haartz Cortelyou ’59, and Dusty Miller ’59 3. Jeff Freedman ’59 and Margaret Kimball ’59 4. Tony Sapienza ’60, Dusty Miller ’59, Marc Garnick ’60, and Franny Bridges-Cline ’60 5. Wendy Burns Conquest ’61 and Lee Clark Hoehn ’60 6. Tony Sapienza ’60 and Franny Bridges-Cline ’60 7. Sharon Seeche Rich ’59 and Daria Bolton Fisk ’59

Spring 2012

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Class

Notes

This photo of Ms. Connie Cole, who sends her regards to all her former students and colleagues, was taken in her home this past February. Ms. Cole attended Pike when Mrs. Pike was the Head of School. She also taught First Grade at Pike for 36 years.

1940s

Stephen Quint ’49 is retired and enjoying Colorado. Email: QUINTSM@aol.com for contact.

Muriel (DeStaffany) Karr ’59 writes, “Getting ready for a trip to Israel/Jordan, leaving on Halloween!”

1950s

1960s

Ralph Kimball ’54 is living in Paxton, outside of Worcester, MA. He plays hockey with a senior team and has two kids and four grandchildren. Lucy (Kemper) Pieh ’55 writes, “I am loving my life and family. Living in Maine and learning continuously about love and life.” Karla (Haartz) Cortelyou ’59 is still showing horses, still lives in Virginia, and still teaches math.

Bruce Ganem ’61, a Franz and Elisabeth Roessler Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University, is the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s 2012 Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest. The annual award recognizes a chemist whose scientific and technical work has contributed to the public well-being and has communicated positive values of the chemical profession. Ganem specializes in synthetic organic chemistry, and is being recognized for developing methods to synthesize pharmaceuticals, for contributions to the treatment of lysozomal storage diseases, and for a new process to sterilize human allograft tissue for surgical transplants. Christopher Andrews ’69 writes, “Debbie and I got married in July and we were blessed with a grandchild in December. Very exciting!”

1970s Karla (Haartz) Cortelyou ’59

The Pike School

Architect John Margolis ’75 is the president of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), the leading national www.pikeschool.org

Muriel (DeStaffany) Karr ’59

nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the classical tradition in architecture, urbanism and their allied arts. An interview with him appears in the January/ February 2012 issue of New England Home magazine.

1980s

Kristen (Toscano) Messina ’80 has a 3 1/2 year old boy named Luca. She is a stay at home mom. She and her family are moving March 1st. Robin Hessman ’85, director of the highly acclaimed and award winning documentary, My Perestroika, announces that the film’s showing was extended in Boston and New York once again. The Boston Globe gave the film 4 out of 5 stars the weekend of April 10th. Patrick Mahoney ’85 writes, “My wife Joanna and I are expecting our first baby in August and just recently opened a wine lounge in Nashua, NH. It’s called Napa East Wine Lounge. Life is very exciting at the moment. :)” Rima (El-Hoss) Hopkins ’88 writes, “My husband started a new job in Palo Alto, CA so we moved to Northern California this past July.” Major Jonathan Velishka ’88 is back from a year in Afghanistan and Kuwait and is now at the Navy War College in Newport, RI with his family.

1990s

Marcel Faulring ’90 writes, “My wife and I live in Roanoke where we recently bought an old house built in 1900. We’ve always wanted to live in an old house since it has a lot of charm and character you just can’t get in a new construction house. She is a high school teacher here in Roanoke where she teaches 9th and 10th grade World History. I’m a pilot at US Airways Express - Piedmont Airlines (US Airways wholly owned subsidiary) where I’ve been working since ’99.” Gina Finocchiaro ’93 and Wendy Mellin ’04 met up at Gina’s 10th Mount Holyoke reunion last June. Gina is the current President of the Class of 2001. Jessica (Hellmann) Solomon ’93 announces the appearance of Stella Louise Solomon on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Salvatore Bellia ’94 married Laura Belkus on September 18, 2010. He is CEO of Bell & Williams Associates, Inc. in Windham, NH. Jillian Horgan ’94 writes, “I am the show runner on the series “Call of the Wildman” for Animal Planet. We are now in Kentucky filming our second season, which premieres June 3 at 10 PM EST on Animal Planet. See my photo of the crew last season with NASCAR star David Ragan at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina!! The Turtleman, is front and center of course and I am to the right. J” Colleen Boylan ’95 got married, and she and her sister, Annie Boylan ’03, are working for the same farm

Gina Finocchiaro ’93, right, and Wendy Mellin ’04

in Georgia. Both girls rode nationals on October 28th in Tulsa. Melissa (Armstrong) Fabick ’95 announces the birth of her son, William Joseph Fabick, on Sunday, January 15, 2012. Joseph Giallanella ’95 and Lucia Campriello were married in December 2010 in Boston, MA. Joe ’95 is currently working as an associate brand manager at HJ Heinz. Kirsten (Lantelme) Newman ’95 and Ben Newman welcomed their son, Graeme Compton Newman on February 26th, 2011, weighting 7lb, 11oz. Michael Ercolini ‘95 just passed the New York bar exam and is dividing his time between film and law. Thanks to many of you for your wishes and facebook messages. Shalini Umapathy ’95 and her husband welcomed baby boy, Mokshay into the world on January 4th. Michael Kettenbach ’96 married Kelly Elizabeth on June 25, 2011 at the Annunciation Cathedral of New England in Boston, MA. Ellie (Parnes) Campbell ’97 and her husband welcome daughter Talia, who was born March 5, 2012. She writes, “We are loving life as new parents and letting ourselves be completely consumed by her.” Jeffrey Harnois ’97 is married 3 yrs now to his wife Mickey and both live in DC. Jeff is working for Wells Fargo and attending American University towards his MBA in Capital

Stella Louise Solomon, daughter William Joseph Fabick son of of Jessica (Hellmann) Solomon ’93 Melissa (Armstrong) Fabick ’95

Investment and Asset Mgmt. Alexandra Costello ’98 married Nick Marietti on September 18, 2010. Her bridesmaids were full of friends she met at Pike in the 3rd grade. The bride and groom met at Brown University and live in Chicago, Ill. Nick is an attorney and Lexi writes and travels for Groupon. Brittany Lonero ’98 writes, “I work at UC San Diego as a Development Specialist. I just got back from visiting Christina Stone ’98 in Beaver Creek, Colorado with my sister Nicole ’00, who lives in Boulder, CO.” Nels Nelson ’99 travelled to Ethiopia.

2000s

Meade Curtis ’00 is a real estate analyst for Blackstone in NY. Stephen Draheim ’00 is an army captain and recently married. Jonathan Grasso ’00 is engaged to Kristen Rogato. Jonathan graduated from St. John’s Prep in 2004 and received a Bachelor’s degree from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2008. He is a project manager for Construction Management & Builders, Inc. in Lynnfield, MA. Jonathan and Kristen are high school sweethearts and plan a June 2012 wedding. Ashley MacMillan ’00 is getting her MSc. in Education at Bank Street College in NYC. She writes, “I am just finishing up my first year student teaching and will be working as an Assistant 5-6s (kids that are

Jillian Horgan ’94

Left to right: Christian Derderian ‘93, Julie Petralia Derderian ‘95, groom Joe Giallanella ‘95 and his wife Lucia Campriello, Allison Sullivan ‘95, Ashley Nantoski ‘97, and Loren Giallanella Murad ‘92

Spring 2012

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Class

Notes

Ellie (Parnes) Campbell ’97, her husband, and daughter Talia

Alexandra Costello ‘98 married Nick Marietti on September 18, 2010. Her bridesmaids include: (3rd from the right) Suzi Costello ‘97, Zoe Costello ‘01, Crystal Turner ‘98, Emily Shaer ‘98, and Kristy Rudick ‘98.

going in to Kindergarten and 1st grade) teacher this summer at the college’s lab school summer program. The lab school is called Bank Street School for Children.” Ilana Segall ’00 is living in San Francisco, working in the computer industry. Melanie Kress ’01 will start a Master’s program at Goldsmith’s University of London next fall. She has a small gallery in Brookyn, Concrete Utopia. Charlotte MacMillan ’01 is graduating in May from the Rollin’s School of Public Health with Emory University with an MPH degree in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. For her Capstone project, she developed

The Pike School

a program proposal for a crisis nursery in Atlanta, GA, to prevent incidences of child maltreatment. After graduation, she will be spending the summer in Atlanta but hopes to move back to the northeast in the fall. Annie Boylan ’03 is working for the same farm as her sister, Colleen (Boylan) Cooper ’95 in Georgia. Both girls rode nationals on October 28th in Tulsa. Michael Draheim ’02 is working as a chemical engineer. David Curtis ’03 graduated from Yale with a BA in Classics and is the Colet Fellow at St. Paul’s School in London teaching Latin. Matthew Ferrante ’03 graduated from UVM www.pikeschool.org

Frank Cieri ’08 and Elizabeth Cieri ’05

Eliana Castro Martinez ’00

and is working at EMC in Hopkinton. Cecelia Jou ’03 writes, “I just graduated from Swarthmore College in the spring with a BS in Engineering. I’m working now as a software engineer at Raytheon in Tewksbury. I am enjoying being back in the area.” Marissa Ferrante ’04 is a senior at Clemson. Kevin Kress ’04 is a senior at Eugene Long, the New School in NYC and on the Dean’s List. Last spring/ winter, he was on a 3-month trek/ kayak tour of Patagonia with National Outdoor Leadership School. Elizabeth Mainiero ’03 graduated from Fairfield University. She is living and working in New York City. Wendy Mellin ’04 and Gina Finocchiaro ’93 met

up at Gina’s 10th Mount Holyoke reunion last June. Wendy is loving her senior year, studying English and economics. Liza Brecher ’05, a junior at Johns Hopkins University, has been awarded a $5,000 grant through the University to make her project “HEAR,” (Homewood Educational Advocacy Resource) a reality in Baltimore. HEAR was one of three student-run projects recently awarded funding in the Social Entrepreneurial Business Plan Competition, a new feature in the Homewood intersession course called Leading Social Change. Liza wanted to help Baltimore City students and their families find their way through the thorny special education mazeland and to be able to do so for free. Elizabeth Cieri ’05 spent her fall semester in Paris. She is currently a junior at Trinity majoring in economics. She is interning at Merrill Lynch in Hartford during the spring semester. Erica Segall ’05 is currently a junior at Yale, majoring in economics. Rosa Valentin ’05 writes, “I have found that I’m most passionate about producing news. Therefore, I am pursuing that part of the broadcast journalism world. I am currently the associate producer for Emerson’s EIV News at 9, and I’ve taken the role of News Correspondent for Good Morning Emerson, a magazine style talk show, from episode 5

until the end of the semester. Since April 10th, I have been the new host of a Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s cable network medical show that airs in Methuen once or twice a month.” Jared Curtis ’07 graduated from PA in June and is a freshman at Cornell University. Claire Harmange ’07 writes, “I will be attending Harvard University next year where I’m going to be rowing year round. I’m very excited! I’m enjoying my summer, and I’ll be off to Shanghai, China soon for an internship.” Rachael Berman ’08 writes, “Senior spring is finally here, so I have been busy with tennis and friends, but am a lot more relaxed since the college process is over! I am deciding between Bentley University and Northeastern University for next year, so we’ll see what happens!” Frank Cieri ’08 is a junior at The Governor’s Academy. He was on the football team this past fall. The Governor’s team was the ISL champions, with a 9 - 0 record and won the Jack Etter Bowl. Peter Ferrante ’08 is a senior at Holderness. Tucker Kavanagh ’08 is going to Washington and Lee University in the fall! Alex Mellin ’08 and Chris Cortner ’09 both recieved awards from METG for Excellene in Acting for their roles in the play “Epic Proportions.” The play was a finalist in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s annual competition. Alex continues to keep in touch with Pike friends, especially Ben Smith ’08 and Jimmy Rullo ’08. Sarah Dumont ’09 and Emily Dumont ’10 are both members of The North Andover Youth Soccer Association Red Hot Chili Peppers and are once again the best team in the state on the U-16 level after beating Mariner in a shootout to take home the Division 1 trophy. Rachel Bolton ’09 is running cross country and track and is the leader of the environmental club at Andover High School. This summer, she will be traveling to Europe. Abriana Mayer ’10 writes, “I’m having an amazing time at Phillips Academy, and I could not be happier! I’ve met lots of amazing people during the past two years,

and I’ve made so many friends that have been supportive, kind, and compassionate. I’m currently participating in two dances for the school’s major dance show--one of which I choreographed myself with a circus theme--and we’ll be performing in the middle of May. I’m keeping busy with my classes, friends, and both tutoring and babysitting programs, and I cannot wait to see my younger brother graduate this year. I’ve had so many unforgettable experiences within the past two years, and I wouldn’t change them for the world.” Justin Curtis ’11 is at PA. Tiernan O’Rourke ’11 writes, “I was a state finalist in the Rhode Island poetry out loud competition, and I was awarded 3rd place in the RINATS musical theatre singing competition of division 1A.” Sarah Dumont ’09, Emily Dumont ’10, and Mattie Burns ’09

Obituaries

Matthew Sanborn ’83 died in a mountain biking accident in Montecito, CA on January 31, 2012. He was a graduate of Pike School and Proctor Academy. Matt loved outdoor activities, including skiing, biking, ice hockey, rollerblading. He enjoyed deep-sea diving, the beach and the mountains, the Bruins, the Red Sox, and the Celtics. He is survived by a loving family and girlfriend, Stacey. Gary Caruso ’97 passed away on February 7, 2011. He is survived by his parents, Richard and Carolyn (Smith) Caruso of Andover, his brother, Richard Caruso ’93 of NY, his sister, Bethany Caruso ’94 of GA, and his grandmother, Phyllis Smith of FL. Gary is also survived by several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Gary was graduated from The Pike School and went on to Andover High School.

Chris Cortner ’09 and Alex Mellin ’08

The Class Notes in this issue of The Quill comprise those received as of April 30, 2012.

Spring 2012

The Quill

The Pike School 34 Sunset Rock Road Andover, Massachusetts 01810-4898 www.pikeschool.org Forwarding Service Requested

280 Years at Pike

Faculty and staff members honored this April for their years of service at Pike were, from left to right: Bob (Hutch) Hutchings, 15 years; Telly Jorden, 25 years; Sharon Libront, 10 years; Tom Lynch, 25 years; Susan Hauptman, 30 years; Colleen Welsh, 10 years; Terry Dash, 10 years; Maggie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, 20 years; Trisha Gordon, 10 years; Sue Dunn, 20 years; Jurika Dancikova, 10 years; Susan Schott, 20 years; Tobi Levis, 15 years, Mary Hills, 15 years; and Tina Morris, 15 years.