FALL
2017
the bulletin
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
THE ARTS AT STONELEIGH-BURNHAM
the bulletin F A L L 2017 Editors Hillary Hoffman, Director of Marketing & Communications Nicole Letourneau, Assistant Director of Communications Design Peter Chilton, peterchilton.com Editorial Board Susan Mattei, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School Sam Sattin Torres ’08, Development & Alumnae Relations Associate Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Assistant Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Contributors Hillary Hoffman, Director of Marketing & Communications Annalie Gilbert Keith ’18 Nicole Letourneau, Assistant Director of Communications Nes Mager ’20 Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School Hannah Richards, Art Teacher Andrea Tehan-Carnes, Middle School Teacher Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Assistant Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Photography Matthew Cavanaugh Paul Franz George Halkett Hank Mixsell John Nordell P ’17
ABOVE: Kaya Kim '17 glazes a bowl in ceramics class. Photo by John Nordell.
Change of address? Email kfontaine@sbschool.org or sbschool.org/alumnae/update-contact-info
Stoneleigh-Burnham School Board of Trustees Allison Porter ’89, Chair Lynn Schultz Kehoe ’77, Vice Chair Rich Hubbard P ’00, ’02, ’05, Secretary Jennifer Eremeeva P ’15, Treasurer Dr. John Barrengos Dr. Denise Bruner ’70 Anne Quantrell Dennen ’70 Sharon Lewis Gaffey ’68S Barbara Mayo Llewellyn ’69 Dr. Mary Maloney ’69 Charlotte Newton ’71 Kathy Seyffer Opdycke ’70 Leslie Powers P ’15 Laura B. Richards ’60S Dr. Cheryl Richardson P ’18 Dr. Nathalie D. Rioux P ’18 Dorothy “Darcy” McCormick Tarbell ’70 Susannah Wells Sally Mixsell ’69, Ex-officio Melissa McKallagat Shorey ’96, Alumnae Board President, Ex-officio Nancy L. Diver ’53B, Emerita F. Michael Donohue, Jr. P ’78, Emeritus Elinor Johnstone Ferdon ’54B, Emerita John McNear P ’79, Emeritus Elizabeth T. Stout ’61B, Emerita
in this issue: 2
Letter from the Editor
3
Support for the Arts Prepares Girls for Success
4
The Arts at SBS: Integrated and Integral
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by Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School
by Hannah Richards, Art Teacher
Performing Arts Department: Farewell and Introduction
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Destination Imagination
2017
by Hillary Hoffman, Director of Marketing & Communications
the bulletin F A L L
by Nicole Letourneau, Assistant Director of Communications
by Andrea Tehan-Carnes, Middle School Teacher
12 Class Notes 16 In Memoriam 17 Coda
by Annalie Gilbert Keith ’18 and Nes Mager ’20
We’d like to know what you think! Do you have story ideas? Send comments on the Bulletin and story ideas to communications@sbschool.org
ABOVE: Francelyse Joseph ‘18 performs during the Junior IB Dance Concert last spring. Photo by Hank Mixsell
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
574 Bernardston Road, Greenfield, MA 01301 413.774.2711 sbschool.org
ON THE COVER: Joy Lundberg '20 performs in Emerson Hall at the 2017 end-of-year concert. Photo by Paul Franz.
the bulletin is printed with vegetable based inks on 10% post-consumer recycled FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper.
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Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
Letter from the Editor
We are performers, and the audience You should be familiar with the stunning and diverse dance, music, and theatrical performances SBS puts on during the school year. You may also have attended a gallery talk by a local artist, and enjoyed student art on exhibit in Geissler Gallery and along our hallways. Over the past two years I’ve seen Claire Lane ’16 fly through the air as Peter Pan, been stunned by Edith Wang’s ’19 original musical composition, and cheered as our Rock Band students sang on stage with Antigone Rising – among other incredible performances. Our performers aren’t just students. Faculty, administrators, and staff get into costume for the faculty holiday skit and Farewell to Seniors (but you’ll never see photographic evidence of that, and I am forbidden from going into further detail). Behind the scenes, creative and supportive folks of all ages are writing skits, designing costumes, gathering props, finding music, and making backdrops.
Our day-to-day creative encounters can be just as rewarding. When you’re on campus you might hear students, or even our Equestrian Director, playing the piano in our practice room. Our music faculty teach and sometimes perform alongside their students, but you might also catch them at gigs in the Greenfield area. At certain times of the year, you’ll hear students singing in the halls, or you might see a few outside with a ukelele. Our Octet performs downtown during Jinglefest. And last but not least, our students’ presentations at weekly housemeetings can often, in themselves, be art! When we’re not on stage ourselves, or practicing, we’re part of the audience. We can each feel comfortable pushing ourselves to try new things, because we know our friends are there to cheer us on. As we share a piece of ourselves, we inspire others.
SERAFINA KNOWS NO LIMITS Your gift will immediately help a girl like Serafina gain the global education, strong voice, and creative freedom to define herself.
SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND Give online at sbschool.org
413.774.2711 x262
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So the next time you’re watching a Stoneleigh-Burnham performance, don’t forget to look around at the audience. Everyone you see has helped create that special moment.
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the bulletin F A L L
2017
Support for the Arts Prepares Girls for Success By Sally Mixsell ‘69, Head of School
One of the things I have most appreciated about our alma mater is something I inherited when I got here – the graduation requirement of 2/3 arts credit per year for the four years of high school. Most schools have no requirement or a minimal requirement over the duration of high school. Why are we different and why does it matter? Research shows that the arts teach creativity in ways that other disciplines do not; and yet, creativity enhances success in all disciplines. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, we value critical thinking and integrated learning and creativity in everything we do. A person who develops the right side of the brain – the creative side – will think in more out-of-the-box ways when coming up with scientific solutions, attacking complex math problems, or (more traditionally) choreographing a new dance. Daniel Pink, in A Whole New Mind, suggested that we need to develop both sides of the brain to be successful in the workplace of the future. According to Pink, “Engineers and programmers will have to master different aptitudes, relying more on creativity than competence, more on trait knowledge than technical manuals, and more on fashioning the big picture than sweating the details.” Pink defines the shift that is now taking place from the Information Age (20th Century) to the Conceptual Age – of creators and empathizers. We agree and this is, in part, why we insist on our heavy arts requirement. It is largely in these courses where students are pushed to use the right side of their brains. I dare say you would be amazed to see the outcome of our IB arts courses by the time a girl gets to her junior and senior years. Our students are choreographing their own dances for themselves and others,
creating autobiographical representations of themselves in visual arts, performing unbelievably difficult pieces in instrumental music, and challenging themselves with original compositions in vocal music. And so on. Many of our generous donors have made a difference to the quality of arts
Photo by John Nordell P '17
programming we can offer to our girls. We have been fortunate to send two girls every other year to the largest keyboard festival in the world, The Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo, MI, thanks to the generosity of the family of Helen Wattles ’50 SPH. Teachers Greg Snedeker and Ann Sorvino have accompanied our students who cite a transformational experience in the privilege of being there. Alumna trustee Charlotte Newton ’71 has invited our advanced dance classes for an annual trek to the Boston Conservatory for observation and a master class in dance before being taken out for lunch. The students not only benefit from a great day together doing what they love, they also gain insight into what a quality arts program looks like at the college level. Sisters Charlotte Lewis Hankus ’72 and Sharon Lewis Gaffey ’68 SPH have continued their mother’s
gifts to our photography program in memory of their father. When we moved to a mostly digital mode, they stuck with us and have helped us update cameras and the technology to be able to teach programs such as Photoshop. What was our darkroom is now a digital media lab where we teach digital photography, yearbook, and animation. Many of you have given to the Geissler Gallery renovation for which we are currently raising funds. I don’t doubt that the upgrades will inspire more art, attract more artists to our gallery, and help us highlight the creativity of our students. And this isn’t all. Donations of instruments have allowed us to teach more girls in classical, jazz, rock, and hip hop music. Support for Octet to compete in various Acapalooza-type events has deepened the experience of our best singers. Parents have long supported our theater program, volunteering hours and donating materials to make our plays successful. They have joined our actors to help design, build, and break down our many sets. Similarly, we’ve had donations to underwrite our Summer Dance Intensive’s perennial trip to Jacob’s Pillow. What a thrill the dancers have to watch the early evening Inside-Out performance on its outdoor stage and the evening performance of an accomplished, world-renowned dance troupe in the big theater. Why does this matter? Well, we cannot do it all as a small school; those who have cared for the arts at Stoneleigh-Burnham are as heroic as those who support Lincoln Center in New York. If you are one of those people, thank you! You have invested in our girls’ future, and they are grateful. Regardless of your philanthropic interests, we hope you will all enjoy this issue, which focuses on ways we are indeed preparing our students for a successful future. 3
The Arts at SBS:
INTEGRATED AND INTEGRAL By Hannah Richards
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The arts have long been celebrated as integral to the Stoneleigh-Burnham School experience, and our academic program reflects the ways in which the arts are not only celebrated, but fundamentally integrated into our curriculum and campus experience. Numerous studies demonstrate what we have long understood about the importance of combining the disciplines of math and science with the visual, performing, and literary arts. Creative problem solving, design thinking, and growth mindset are all linked to arts education. These connections, like the synapses reaching out to communicate in our brains, are not single ties but rather fully enmeshed together. Based on this research, and on both traditional and progressive models of education, SBS requires students to enroll in at least two trimesters of music, performing arts, or visual arts courses, in any combination, each year. With the broad offerings of various music ensembles, Rock Band, chorus and select choirs, students have many ways to get involved in the arts. Students often elect to exceed this requirement and take one or more arts courses or co-curricular activities during each trimester. The Visual Arts department now also offers a winter co-curricular activity, Arts Seminar, in which students propose independent projects in their medium of choice to work on with guidance. Students deepen their artistic practice through local gallery and Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
2017
museum visits, and support each other’s progress through weekly group critiques. Last year was the pilot for this program and it was a great success. This summer we also added a new Art and Animation Camp to the growing lineup of great SBS Summer Programs. Summer campers worked with SBS art teachers and animation teachers Aya and Jason Brown
in daily workshops, and often combined afternoon sessions with English Language Intensive students to further enrich their summer experience through the arts. In addition to adding new courses and programs, this summer we renovated our darkroom into a photography and digital media classroom, a project spearheaded by Sara Gibbons ’98. This new media lab allows for dedicated instruction space as well as more flexibility in our other classrooms, and it is part of a multi-step enhancement of our photography program through generous giving by the Lewis family. Last year, Sara Gibbons ’98 stepped into the role of Visual Arts chair after eight years 5
The Arts at SBS: Integrated and Integral (continued)
teaching in the department. She moved into this position after Linda Mahoney’s retirement in May 2016, after a tenure of 29 years at SBS. Sara now teaches the IB Art sequence, which focuses on developing a strong, cohesive body of work that is related either by theme or medium. Students
learn to research relevant art history independently and to write and speak critically about their own and others’ work, with the same emphasis on self-reflection that anchors all IB programs. This builds on the central practice of art-making: learning to truly look, to skillfully record what one sees, and to make thoughtful observations.
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This practice strengthens students’ global perception skills and supports them in other areas such as math, science, and literary arts. In this way, we are strengthening the synapses of our brains, which recent research has now shown, are as elastic as the toddler brain.
Our Performing Arts program is another example of how an integrated arts experience at SBS enriches not only the education of our individual students, but of our wider community as well. Our music teachers, Bill Ivey, Meg Reilly, and Greg Snedeker support students in interdisciplinary endeavors that are one of the hallmarks of
the IB program. Last May for our Spring Performing Arts Concert, Tingcen (Lina) Dong ’17 performed a dance by Chinese choreographer Wu Tong in collaboration with Lanzehang (Lillian) Ying ’18, who played Jade Snow Flower on the guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument. Students
and families alike look forward to these well attended performances, as well as several informal concerts hosted in Geissler Gallery on weekday evenings which feature solo voice students, choral groups, and Rock Band combinations, as well as a series of IB dance student choreographers presenting their own pieces performed by student dancers. Rather than playing a supporting role in education, we believe that the arts are a core academic area essential to growing minds. We are thrilled to share these exciting developments as we continue to strengthen
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the arts at SBS. With so much research supporting what we’ve long known to be best for our students, Stoneleigh-Burnham School is proud to serve our students with a strong arts program that is well integrated into our academic experience.
2017
Performing Arts Department: Farewell and Introduction By Nicole Letourneau Stoneleigh-Burnham School recently said farewell to beloved dance teacher Ann Sorvino, who retired in June 2017. Sorvino spent more than 30 years inspiring students at SBS to share their unique “voice” through dance. A graduate of the Juilliard School and a former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Sorvino came to SBS in 1983, where she taught modern, ballet, jazz, pointe, dance history, composition and production, as well as yoga and Pilates. She was the first ever chair of the Performing Arts Department, a position she held until her retirement. She taught IB Dance, produced at least four full concerts each
Hannah Richards is a visual arts teacher as well as a practicing artist. Her work integrates her background in biology with drawing, painting and printmaking, and her teaching is informed by these practices as well as her training and interest in mindfulness, social emotional learning, and green art materials/methods. She has an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a BA from Smith College. She was awarded a Schultz Foundation Grant for biology research in 2003, a Kahn Foundation Fellowship in interdisciplinary studies in 2006 and is a recent grantee of a Turkey Land Cove Foundation Residency. Her work has been exhibited locally and internationally, most notably in several shows across the U.S. and at Manhattan Graphics Center in NYC.
school year and choreographed many musicals. She ran the SBS community dance program, directed the Sorvino Dance Project and spent nearly 20 years as a professor of dance at nearby Greenfield Community College. Sorvino will be honored by the SBS community by being inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Reunion 2018. We thank her and wish her all the best in her retirement. This year, we are pleased to introduce new SBS dance teacher Cat Wagner, who comes to us from Brooklyn, most recently as a teaching artist for Mark Morris Dance Center and Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Wagner has an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Cat Wagner
Meg Reilly
Smith College and a BA in Theater Arts from Brandeis University. She has been a visiting
artist at Mount Holyoke College, adjunct dance faculty at Amherst College, and a teaching fellow at Smith College. She has also worked for several summers at the Bates Dance Festival. In addition, SBS music teacher Meg Reilly has stepped into the role of Performing Arts Department Chair, which will rotate among faculty members. Among her many roles at SBS, Reilly leads Octet, which performs both on campus and at off-campus venues, including locally at Jinglefest each December in downtown Greenfield. Reilly is also the keyboardist for Northampton-based rock band Walking Ghosts. Reilly holds a BA in piano performance from UMass-Dartmouth and her MM in collaborative piano from UMass, Amherst.
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Destination Imagination By Andrea Tehan-Carnes
Thanks to the hard work of students, parents, and alumnae, we have established a new club called Destination Imagination (DI). While new to our school, DI has been around for more than 30 years, teaching young people how to engage in projectbased learning. Four students from the
use technical theater methods to perform a vanishing act of some sort that also took away one color from their world. Our students made up a story about a grandmother and granddaughter, a story line that was very mature for their ages and deeply touched audience members. DI is not only a challenge, but it has a competitive element, too. Participants go to a regional tournament. If they place in the top two, they move to the state tournament. Then, top teams advance to the World Tournament. Our girls impressed the judges all along the way, and made it in their first year as an SBS Team to the World Tournament in Nashville, TN.
class of 2022, Victoria Malcolm, Elizabeth Musselman, Amalia Rubenstein, and Julia Shulman, were our founding members. This past year, these students participated in the fine arts challenge, which required students to tell a story about a colorful character in a colorful world. They had to
All of a sudden that meant we needed to fundraise to send them to this possibly oncein-a-lifetime event: a week at the University of Tennessee with 30,000 participants and chaperones. The families and alumnae did a ton of work fundraising, but a few weeks out from the fundraising deadline we were still only about halfway to our goal. It was the generous help of Board of Trustees member Charlotte Newton ’71, who donated the rest of the needed funds so that we could travel. It was a wonderful gift to our team who was blown away by Charlotte's generosity at the most crucial time! For Worlds, the girls missed the last week
of school, and ended up placing 45th out of 85 teams from across the globe! It was a wonderful way to end our first year together, and I look forward to many more SBS students trying out DI in the years to come! Andrea Tehan-Carnes is a middle school science and math teacher, a middle school houseparent, and head coach of the varsity cross country team at SBS. After graduating from Union College with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Biology, Andrea began her teaching career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica where she taught environmental science to students in grades 2 - 6. Upon her return to the US, she worked for a non-profit in Washington, DC, but missed the classroom and decided to earn her MA in Transition Special Education from The George Washington University. For three years she worked as a special education teacher in science, math, and academic skills in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Andrea and her husband left the city for greener pastures and have been at Stoneleigh-Burnham School since 2011.
Summer Arts at SBS Two new camps debuted at Stoneleigh-Burnham this summer. Art Camp, directed by faculty member Sara Gibbons '98, gave aspiring visual artists the chance to try various 2D and 3D projects while learning about form, color, and various techniques. The Animation Intensive, run by Aya Brown and faculty member Jason Brown, focused on hand-drawn and other 2D animation on paper and computers. Students from both camps collaborated for a show at Geissler Gallery at the end of session.
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We're pleased to offer Art Camp and Animation Intensive again for 2018, along with our dance, debate and equestrian camps. Check sbschool.org/summer for dates and rates!
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2017
Be a Part of Stoneleigh-Burnham History Sally Mixsell '69 Endowed Scholarship You can be part of a special effort underway to honor Head of School Sally Mixsell ’69. Trustee Laura Richards ’60 SPH has established the Sally Mixsell ’69 Endowed Scholarship Fund and invites alumnae, parents, and friends to join her in celebrating our loyal and dedicated Head. In creating the Scholarship, Richards honors the outstanding improvements and changes made by Sally during her 10-year tenure as the School’s leader. The Sally Mixsell ’69 Scholarship goal is $500,000.
WATCH US GROW IMPROVING OUR STUDENTS’ EQUESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AT STONELEIGH-BURNHAM $1.5 Million Equestrian Center Expansion Campaign New planned facilities: • Outdoor paddocks • Horse show parking area • Outdoor all-weather arena Contact Susan Mattei, Director of Development or George Halkett, Equestrian Center Director for more information on ways to support young riders and the Equestrian Program. 413.774.2711
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Reunion 2017 TOP ROW, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Class of 1967 MAB celebrates their 50th Reunion. Back row, left to right are Nancy Booth Woodworth, Cynnie Mitchell Bassett, Susan Riege Tracey, and Jody Gebhardt. Front row, left to right are Catharine Cain, Mona Malkin Heck, Judy Lilleston, and Terry VanHeusen. Class of 1987 alumnae Damiane Adamczyk, Sarah Greenspan, Nina Heller, and Cindy Deane Mahr. Melissa Leach Dickson ’72 takes a photo of sisters Sharon Lewis Gaffey ’68 SPH and Charlotte Lewis-Hankus ’72. Tracy Allison Evans ’92 and Courtney Bartlett Cardona ’92 take a selfie. MIDDLE ROW, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Kimbererly Igoe Rodriguez ’97, Melissa Hemming McWeeney ’98, Nikita Wick and her wife Kathleen Wick ’97, Alison Young ’97. Head of School Sally Mixsell ’69 and Distinguished Alumna Award recipient Dr. Mary Maloney ’69. Helen Shaskan ’67 SPH, Lucia Sanders Beer, ’67 SPH, Nancy Meyer-Mann ’67 SPH, and Susie Hine ’67 SPH. BOTTOM ROW, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Anne Morris-Stockton ’64 SPH chats with Pam Brewster Bensen ’64 SPH P ’89 while shopping in the school store. Alexandra Madden Rosenberg ’01 and her son join members of the Class of ’02 Amanda Macchi, Sarah Kretzenger, Sara Dugas, Erica Lovely Reynoso, Juliana Clark Ishzuka, Leigh Martin LaGrant, Ashley Girard, and Bryn Woodworth. Alumnae Board member Jessica Gale ’11 with Reunion Committee Co-chairs Tamar Cooke Luck ’90 and Kate Strousse ’13. Classmates from ’82 Patricia Pecoraro Conway and Nancy Cramer Pingitore. Members of the Class of 1969 Jennie Hollister Kroll, Tori Askerberg, Sally Mixsell, Mary Maloney, and Meg Long White celebrate Mary as the 2017 Distinguished Alumna. Roberta Lee Gerber ’57 MAB shows off her companion, Emma, to Jennifer Pickering ’72. Photos by Paul Franz and Hank Mixsell.
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Commencement
Photo by Paul Franz
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Xiangge (Coco) Zhao ’17 was chosen to represent her class as the Student Speaker. Student Alumnae Association President Kearsten Crocker ‘17 with Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ‘83, Assistant Director of Development and Alumnae Relations. Board of Trustees Chair Allison Porter ’89 welcomes the graduates as new alumnae. Each member of the Class of 2017 receives a red rose before the ceremony. Head of School Sally Mixsell embraces Meredith Nordell ‘17 after awarding her diploma. The Class of 2017. Photos by Paul Franz.
TURN YOUR LOYALTY INTO A LEGACY Did you know it’s easy to give to Stoneleigh-Burnham through a simple charitable bequest from your estate? Even if you’ve already created your plan, it’s possible to update it at any time. With a bequest, you can give a set gift amount or percentage, an IRA, securities, or real estate after your lifetime. Your gift will further the mission of Stoneleigh-Burnham and ensure the future of the School.
The Sayles Planned Giving Society welcomes individuals, like Tori Askerberg ’69, who have named the School in their estate plan. For more information on ways to give or the Sayles Society, call Director of Development Susan Mattei, 413.774.2711.
Tori Askerberg ’69
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Class Notes guided by one of the barn managers. Glad to have been at the school to spend time with Gail, Roberta and "Emma." My drive home to Vermont included an overnight stay with Gail and her husband at their home in Manchester, VT. Roberta, Gail and I exchanged email addresses to be able to keep in touch. We have, too. My summer here is busy with church, music events, visits with family here and in New Hampshire. My younger sister, Joanne Steele, and I are planning to meet in Las Vegas, NV for a tour of the various state parks in Utah, Arizona and Colorado. That will be in October.
1960 SPH
Laura Richards ’60 SPH: Sally visited Laura to honor her birthday by presenting her with a piece of original artwork by student Adriana Bermúdez Ortiz ’19 Meghan Rigali ’99 poses with her artwork on exhibit in Brattleboro, VT. Her artwork was inspired by her visit and teaching experience in Ethiopia.
Submit class notes and photos to alumnae@sbschool.org or at sbschool.org/alumnae/classnote. We want to hear the latest, as well as update your contact information. If you would like to request contact information for another alumnae, please call the Alumnae Relations Office at 413-774-2711 x317, or email alumnae@sbschool.org. Please find additional Class Notes online at sbschool.org/alumnae.
1948 SPH – 70th Reunion in 2018
Jacqueline “Jacquie” Wieber Woods ’48 SPH
day of interesting events. We were joined by Roberta Lee Gerbar ’57 MAB, and her little companion "Emma." We visited and exchanged good memories about our years attending the classes at both schools at the time. I had hoped for more classmates at Reunion, but glad that we were there to represent the Class of 1957. I learned a lot while attending the questions and answer time with students of the Classes of 2017 and 2018, and enjoyed walking around the school seeing the changes (for the better). We enjoyed a lovely luncheon after which several of us alumnae walked to the barn for a tour
Sally Leach Mixsell ‘69 and Laura Richards SPH ’60.
1967 SPH
Helen Shaskan ’67 SPH and Shelly Jenkins ’67 SPH.
Head of School Sally Leach Mixsell ‘69 visited with Jacquie this past spring in La Jolla, CA.
1957 SPH and MAB
Winifred Steele Walker ’57 SPH writes: Our Reunion gathering this past June at StoneleighBurnham was a nice time. Gail Robison Brodie, ’57 SPH and her husband Donald were there for a
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Roberta Lee Gerbar MAB ’57 and "Emma".
Lucinda Sanders Beer ’67 SPH, Molly Beer ’96, and Susie Hine ’67 SPH enjoying Oak Bluffs, MA in July.
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2017
1968 MAB – 50th Reunion in 2018
Carolyn Austin ’68 MAB says: Looking forward to Reunion 2018 next June! I am hoping to see all the Burnham alumnae, whether you graduated or not, at the various festivities! During the Saturday Luncheon, they honor the 50th Reunion Class of ’68. It would be great to have as many of us there to celebrate! We all have friends from other years, so to have classmates from ’65 through ’72 would be wonderful. Several of us from Burnham are already planning for the weekend. There will be a trip to Mt. Tom and Wiggins Tavern, charades, and more! Put June 1 - 3, 2018 on your calendars, and watch for more information in the coming weeks!
Charlotte Lewis-Hankus, Jennifer Pickering, and Melissa Leach Dickson, Class of ’72, celebrate their 45th Reunion. Bridget O'Brien ’82 and her daughter, Claire Drahzal, with SBS Admissions Director Eric Swarzentruber.
1971
Charlotte Newton ’71: Charlotte Prescott Newton ’71 sits on a bench overlooking the School's new tennis court and renovations, which she helped fund. The bench bears a plaque that reads: 2016 Tennis Court Renovation In Celebration of Sport and for All Who Played Honoring Dorothy "DJ" and Rich Kells
1983
Charlotte Lewis-Hankus ’72 and her husband with their new puppies, Lucy and Ricky.
1979
Dr. Rachel Blakey Westerlund ’79 stopped by the Stoneleigh-Burnham booth at the U.S. Pony Club Championships this past July in Lexington, KY to visit with George Halkett, Director of the Equestrian Center. Rachel, who is an equine veterinarian, has two sons who were at the Championships that week.
Charlotte Prescott Newton ’71
1972
Charlotte Lewis-Hankus ’72 shares: Since the last Bulletin a few things have changed in my life and one very special announcement is that I will be a grandmother in November to a little boy! I am also a new dog mom to two golden retrievers puppies. They, Ricky and Lucy, are 13 weeks old and FULL of energy and love. They are training me for when my grandson arrives. I am going to be in great shape! I continue to work and my husband has become Mr. Mom for Monday through Thursday. He is doing a great job. As the new school year begins I will also be reconnecting with alumnae around the globe and encouraging everyone to stay in touch with their friends from SBS. We have an amazing history and group of women to inspire future SBS young girls to succeed and make a positive difference in our world. Be well and we are Owls For Life!
Dr. Rachel Blakey Westerlund ‘79 and SBS Equestrian Director George Halkett.
1982
Bridget O'Brien ’82 with daughter and future SBS student Claire Drahzal, joined Eric Swartzentruber at HITS horse show in New Jersey. Eric was on a recruiting trip to find talented student riders.
– 35th Reunion in 2018
June Coolidge Scott ’83 shares: Greetings to all! It has been a busy year for me, I jumped into graduate school working on a Master’s in Disability Studies. My business, Visual Vitality Consulting Inc., is growing. Along with curriculum design in disability awareness and trainings that we launched, we are teaching it on a college campus in Boston. We have also developed a girls empowerment workshop called Finding Beauty Within and are pleased to announce that L'Occitane en Provence has joined forces with us in this endeavor. I have just sent my youngest off to college. It is also such a joy to continue to serve on the Alumnae Board.
1990
Tamar Cooke Luck ’90 says: Hello fellow SBS Sisters. For the past 2 ½ years I have been living in Augusta, GA with my husband and twin 16-year-old boys, JD and Andrew. We moved here for Aaron’s job – Army duty calls! He is the Liaison Officer to the Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) stationed at Ft. Gordon, GA setting up the Cyber Center for Excellence. We are due to move in the summer of 2018, but at this point, only God knows where that will be, while we wait to find out if he will make colonel. He has served in the Army for going on 29 years this November. I home school the boys and we are really enjoying it. We are part of a program, Classical Conversations, that teaches classically and is Biblical based. They are juniors this year, so we are in the throes of SAT prep and looking at colleges. They would love to get appointments to West Point, US Military Academy and follow in their dad's footsteps. Lord willing, it will happen. They are keeping their options open. I am still a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, celebrating 20 years with the company. I really enjoy being able to set my timeline of my business. I am active with the boys’ activities outside of schooling. They are both Life Scouts,
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Class Notes currently working toward their Eagle, and I am on the Troop Committee as the Advancement Chair. I am also on the basketball committee for JD's basketball team and the Student Council Committee as the Yearbook Advisor for their Home School Program. Andrew started rowing with the Augusta Rowing
1992
Breck Baker ’92 writes: I don't think I have submitted a class note EVER! I attended my 25th Reunion and thought I ought to submit. Anyway, last year was an interesting year to say the least. I graduated with my doctorate in nursing with plans to move to Phoenix to work with Native Americans. However, my sister died in July of 2016 and in October I moved back to western Massachusetts. I finally took my boards and plan to start not one but two NP jobs. Life is about to get very busy for me. My yellow lab will likely throw a few temper tantrums. I've attached a pic of Greylock, my yellow lab, at my property in Clarksburg.
1996
Tamar Cooke Luck ’90 with her husband, Aaron, and their sons.
Melissa McKallagat Shorey ’96 writes: Met up with Maura Gillon ’98 and Melannie McVey ’00 (holding Elizabeth) this past summer. Ran into another alumna, Kerry Orshal Cosentino ’96 at the trailhead in my small town. We had just finished a hike with our 3-month-old Elizabeth, and Kerry was headed to the Woodstock Fair with her family. It really is a small world. In other news I started a new job in Hartford at Travelers Insurance and we had a baby girl in May. Hope everyone is well.
Megan Rigali '99.
2001
Joyhdae Albert ’01 writes: I had a pretty quiet summer so not much to share on my end this year. Took a nice vacation to Antigua, but am now gearing up for the fall.
Joyhdae Albert '01 Katherine Short ’01
Tamar Cook Luck’s sons, JD and Andrew. Club this fall and he is very excited. They both are in a Local Speech and Debate Club, and while they have not loved it, they are learning a lot. It has been a very fulfilling last couple of years for us all. I am excited to continue serving on the Leadership Committee and the Alumnae Board at Stoneleigh-Burnham. I love being able to get back to SBS every so often and help where I can. I encourage everyone to return, see the changes, and be a part of it as well as take a walk down memory lane. I have been back for the last three Reunions, including my 25th and I really look forward to coming to the next one (Lord willing we have not moved to another country). I most look forward to the 150th Celebration in 2019! Hope all is well with my fellow SBS sisters! Cheers! #owlsforlife
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Melissa McKallagat Shorey ’96, Maura Gillon ’98, and Melannie McVey ’00 (holding Melissa's daughter).
1999
Meghan Rigali ’99 graduated from SBS with a focused passion for art, which she was able to put to use at San Francisco Art Institute. Since graduating, she has taught, traveled, studied, and been exposed to a wide variety of arts and ideas. Recently, she visited and taught in Ethiopia which is the subject of her show in Brattleboro, VT.
SBS Equestrian Director George Halkett and Director of Development and Alumnae Relations Susan Mattei caught up with Katherine Short '01 in Lexington, KY in July.
the bulletin F A L L
2004
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
Julie Singley ’04 shares: It’s been an exciting year. I was promoted to Program Manager for Community Impact, Research, Evaluation, Economic Prosperity at Berkshire United Way. I will be celebrating my 5-year work anniversary in October.
Alumnae Board 2017-2018 Melissa McKallagat Shorey ’96, President Charlotte Lewis-Hankus ’72, Vice President Erica Marback ’05, Co-Secretary
2005
Heather Hoover ’05 says: I currently live north of Boston with my husband, two children and dog. My 6 year old Sebastian is starting first grade next week and Gabriel is almost 1-year-old. Time flies! I manage a fitness studio, am able to work from home part time, and enjoy my newest hobby; I recently joined a book club (moms night out for the month). I spent a lot of time in my garden this summer and visiting family across several states. Loving the fall weather and looking forward to hopefully visiting the beautiful SBS campus soon!
2009
Ornella Umubyeyi ’09 writes: This summer I went to visit a refugee camp in Rwanda hosting Burundians who have fled the persecution in Burundi. Spending the night and listening to their life stories was moving and unreal. I bought a few items to help but I wish I could have done more for them. The camp has more than fifty thousand refugees (men, women and children). I wanted to be aware of their conditions and listen to their stories that aren't being covered by the media. It humbled me and has made me more inspired to find ways to help others.
Kate Strousse ’13, Co-Secretary Rider Christine Qiao '18 with packaged fencing for more than 20 new paddocks. Fundraising for several Equestrian Center projects is underway. Gifts can be made online at sbschool.org/donate.
2013
– 5th Reunion in 2018
Kate Strousse ’13 writes: This past year has been a whirlwind! I ran two successful campaigns this past fall for the Vermont House of Representatives and then graduated in May with a degree in political science and a minor in math with a focus in statistics. The day following graduation, I began my job as the Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of Taxes in the Vermont Department of Taxes and made the big move to Montpelier! I am loving every second of it!
Missy Ilg Alaimo ’81 Joydae Albert ’01 Allison Small Annand ’83 Michelle Savage Brynda ’84 P ’20 Heatherle Clingerman ’93 Margaret Conger ’71 Charlene Antonio Currie ’78 Francesca Eremeeva ’15 Jessica Gale ’11 Suze Stutzman Genereux ’85 Heather Hoover-Borromeo ’05 Tamar Cooke Luck ’90 Toni Manning ’65 SPH Jessica Meese ’04 Laura Lavallee Noel ’04 Megan O'Brien ’98 Anne O’Connor ’88
2012
The parents of Xuanting “Icey” Wang ’12 along with Christine Qiao ’18 and her family, joined Sally Leach Mixsell ’69 and Hank Mixsell for lunch at Coleman House and toured the Equestrian Center while visiting campus this summer.
2017
Hannah Risser-Sperry ’05 Elizabeth Cowperthwaite Schmittdiel ’84 June Coolidge Scott ’83 Jillian Seigel ’14 Kate Strousse
Julie Singley ’04 Sam Sattin Torres ’08, Development and
Sally Leach Mixsell ‘69, the parents of Icey Wang ’12, and the family of Christine Qiao ’18 at Coleman House. Back, l to r: Xin Qiao and Yamei Chen P ’18, Sally Leach Mixsell, Rong Zhang and Da Peng Wang P ’12. Front row: Abel Qiao and Christine Qiao ’18.
Tillula Lowe-Stuart ’13 says: I recently received a full-time job offer from PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) this summer. I will start as an Assurance Associate in the Transaction Services-Valuation group. I've interned with PwC for the past three summers, and upon graduating from Brooklyn College as a double major in Public Accounting and Business Management & Finance, I will begin full-time in September 2018 in the New York office.
Alumnae Relations Associate, Ex-officio Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Assistant Director of Development and Alumnae Relations, Ex-officio
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In Memoriam Connie Johnson Corsiglia ’45 SPH, P ‘73, ‘74, ‘77, ‘80 The Stoneleigh-Burnham family recently lost a devoted alumna, parent, administrator and volunteer, Connie Johnson Corsiglia SPH ’45, who passed away on August 3, 2017. A native of Greenfield and a “four-year Stoneleigh girl,” Connie graduated from the SBS predecessor, Stoneleigh Prospect Hill School (SPH) as a member of the Class of 1945. She also spent a year at the SPH sister school, Mary A. Burnham School as part of the SPH conservation efforts during World War II. Connie spoke highly of her teachers at Stoneleigh, who instilled in her a lifelong love of language, reading, writing and learning. She was an avid skier, golfer, sailor and spent many weekends on the ski slopes, as well as several summers teaching at a sailing camp on Cape Cod. Connie went on to Ogontz Junior College in Rydal, PA, majoring in Studio Art and Art History. She returned to Greenfield where she worked for the Greenfield Recorder Gazette, marrying George Frederic Corsiglia (who later served as an SBS Trustee) in 1952. They lived in Newport, RI, New York City and the Panama Canal Zone before returning to Greenfield where they raised five children, including four SBS alumnae; Cathy Corsiglia Offenberg ’73, Nancy Corsiglia ’74, Betsy Corsiglia ’77 and Sally Corsiglia ’80. As a full-time stay at home mother, Connie was an active volunteer, later finding herself drawn into the retail world. The educational world beckoned and she migrated into a long career in independent school admissions. Connie was recruited back to SBS by former Head of School Bob Wray to serve as Director of Admissions, a position she held for most of the 1980s. She subsequently served as Director of Admissions at the Linden Hall School in Lititz, PA and The Tuxedo Park School in Tuxedo Park, NY. Listed Left to Right, Top to Bottom: NAME
CLASS DECEASED
Constance Johnson Corsiglia Louise E. Reynolds Drew Dorothy Frizzell Williams Elizabeth A. Guyer Ebel Patricia Russell Eastman Ruth “Ruthie” Black Henchey Ann Jenney Schupp Susan Hawley Powell Cynthia Perkins Inman Ursula “Ursi” Kendrtarvich Hogan Julie Sonntag Sarah E. Bowman Alexis N. Lambros
'45 SPH '45 MAB '47 MAB '49 MAB ’51 MAB '52 MAB '52 SPH '54 MAB '55 MAB '56 MAB '59 SPH '76 SBS '96 SBS
8/3/2017 4/5/2016 3/26/2017 7/16/2017 1/15/2017 4/5/2017 1/19/2017 6/14/2017 8/14/2016 4/5/2017 3/3/2017 10/9/2016 3/24/2017
Not Pictured
Jeanette Hurley Reuben Joan “Dusty” Hutton Landis Norma Rossi Lovallo Mary D. Hough Fry
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'43 SPH '47 SPH '47 SPH '50 MAB
2/1/2017 5/7/2017 4/18/2017 8/16/2016
Connie retired initially to Martha’s Vineyard and later to Greenfield where she re-immersed herself in volunteer work and returned to old passions. A lifelong learner, which she attributed to her inspiring Stoneleigh teachers, she returned to her college roots in studio art and took up oil painting in earnest at age 75. Her many paintings now adorn the walls of her children’s homes and have been on display at SBS and featured in past SBS fundraising auctions. She was active as a member of the Deerfield Valley Arts Association, where she also served on its Board and was a regular presenter in their art shows. In retirement, she maintained her devotion to SBS as a volunteer and served for many years as her Class Agent and as a member of the Alumnae Board. She will be missed greatly by the whole SBS community of alumnae and staff. Connie is survived by her only sister, Priscilla Johnson Sorrells SPH ’48, four of her children, her son, Geordie and daughters Betsy, Nancy, and Cathy. Her daughter Sally died in 1983. Connie’s family plans to establish an SBS scholarship in her name and will be grateful for donations from the broad SBS community to help endow it.
Coda
the bulletin F A L L
2017
Reflection By Annalie Gilbert Keith ‘20
A man I never met sits in a chair, his hand, my father’s hand, extended suggesting the spark of a story yet to come. His mouth is opened suggesting words waiting to escape from the prison of his restless mind. His mustache curls
around his teeth, his lips taught. His bushy eyebrows are raised in excitement. I know the expression. Or rather its reflection on the man’s son. His ears stick out: uneven asymmetrical as if to match his tone. His square glasses frame the tired eyes of a man who has lived many years with too few left to come. His hair is the only thing on his body that is immaculate: parted and combed. His suit which ought to be straight, refined, is thrown in different directions,
pushed aside by the dog: a cocker spaniel looking for the way out, trying to escape, but restrained by the man’s gentle hand. My father sees a father in this man. I see a reflection of mine: so different with such similar Expression Hands Eyebrows Kindness Compassion Excitement
I see a human inside the frame which is perched upon a desk, tilted just so my father can see his father when I go up to his study and ask him questions that create the same excited furl of the lip, eyebrows raised, hand extended, sitting on the edge of his seat, caught up in the moment.
I never knew the man in the picture, but if pictures really speak a thousand words, I know all I need to. I see personality.
Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes By Nes Mager ’20 Media: Copics markers, pen, glitter, foam core, and paper. A “book jacket” based on Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury, published in 1953.
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Upcoming Campus Events
Celebrating Sally Mixsell ’69
October 20, 2017......................Grand Re-Opening of the Renovated Tennis Courts
Mark your calendar as we celebrate the leadership of
retiring Head of School Sally Mixsell ’69
Honoring the Wattles Family Foundation
October 27, 2017.......................Leadership Council Meeting & 1869 Society Dinner October 28 & 29, 2017..............Board of Trustees Meeting December 2, 2017 ....................Reunion Work Day (All classes ending in 3 & 8)
Alumnae Board Meeting
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 200 SPRINGFIELD, MA
January 20, 2018.......Denver, CO: Hosted by Priscilla Lougee Rizzo ’69 February 2, 2018.......Vero Beach, FL: Hosted by Judith Whitney-Terry ’56B February 3, 2018.......Boca Grande, FL: Hosted by Courtney Babcock Borntraeger ’70
January 26 & 27, 2018..............Board of Trustees Meeting
March 10, 2018..........Arlington, VA: Hosted by Denise Bruner ’70
April 6, 2018...........................Alumnae Career Event
March 24, 2018..........Boston, MA: Hosted by Allison Porter ‘89
April 21, 2018...........................Alumnae Board Meeting
May 5, 2018..............Los Angeles Area: Hosted by Travis Stewart ‘88
April 27 & 28, 2018..................Board of Trustees Meeting
June 2, 2018..............Celebration Event: Reunion Weekend 2018
May 25, 2018...........................149th Commencement June 1-3, 2018 .........................Reunion 2018 (Celebrating the classes ending
in 3 & 8. All classes welcome.)
For more event information and Reunion Registration, visit sbschool.org/alumnae