SPRING
2018
the bulletin
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
THE LEADERSHIP ISSUE
the bulletin S P R I N G 2018 Editors Hillary Hoffman, Director of Marketing & Communications Nicole Letourneau, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications Design Peter Chilton, peterchilton.com Editorial Board Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Assistant Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Susan Mattei, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School Sam Torres ’08, Development & Alumnae Relations Associate Contributors Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Assistant Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Hillary Hoffman, Director of Marketing & Communications Nicole Letourneau, Assistant Director of Communications Susan Mattei, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School Alex Bogel, Dean of Academics Photography Matthew Cavanaugh Paul Franz Sara Gibbons ’98 Susan Mattei Hank Mixsell John Nordell P ’17
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ABOVE: Nadya Baum ’20 and Nikita Mangaru ’20 study on the Oval. Photo by John Nordell
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in this issue: 2
Letter from the Head of School
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Class of 2018 Celebrates 100 Nights
7
Alumnae Leaders Get Their Start at SBS
Alumna Highlight: Allison Porter ΄89
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by Sally Mixsell ’69
by Nicole Letourneau, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications
10 Teaching Leadership to Students
by Hillary Hoffman, Director of Marketing & Communications
12 A Tribute to Head of School Sally Mixsell
by Alex Bogel, Academic Dean
13 Donor Profile: Mary Maloney ‘69
by Susan Mattei, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Equestrian Wall of Fame: Vicki Humphrey Oliver ‘91
16 Class Notes 20 In Memoriam 21 Coda
by Jacqueline Morgan ’19, Julia Thayer ’18, Ira Hysi ’20, Jacqueline Kennick ’19, and Yuemeng (Monica) Wu ’21
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
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
574 Bernardston Road, Greenfield, MA 01301 413.774.2711 sbschool.org the bulletin is printed with vegetable based inks on 10% post-consumer recycled FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper.
ABOVE: Julia Thayer ’18, co-captain of the Debate and Public Speaking Society, practices for a debate competition. Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh ON THE COVER: Stephanie Luebbers, Sally Mixsell ’69, Lynn Kehoe ’77, and Allison Porter ’89. Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
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Letter from the Head of School
A Photo by John Nordell
LoveLetter to SBS
Dear Stoneleigh-Burnham, We have known each other now for over 50 years, hard as that is to believe, and I have loved you since I was 13 years old. I remember like it was yesterday, riding up the tree-lined drive with my parents, thinking I was about to see yet one more boarding school for me to consider. But when we got to the oval and met Mr. and Mrs. “E,” I was already smitten. I recall turning to my father to say, “This is where I want to go to school.” I remember, too, being junior class president and breaking ground for what is now Mary Burnham Hall and the Admin Corridor. My senior year, Sandy Wettingfeld and I were Student Council co-presidents, and together we accepted the responsibility of leading the student body through the uproar and enormous change of the merger of Stoneleigh and Burnham. This was in 1968-69, when the whole world was turned topsy-turvy. That was a trip! But it was one we persevered together, and today the two schools are indeed stronger being one.
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For reasons I will never understand, Mrs. Emerson (Mrs. E) was sure I would someday be the head of StoneleighBurnham. I never knew this until I actually became the head, and my mother
“I have all my career been a student of leadership and find it fascinating to think about. With this position I have also been tested to practice all I have learned in ways I was not previously called on to do. That’s been a pleasure, a humbling privilege, and an enormous challenge all rolled into one experience!” and my old roommate, Laurie (Fly) Janov, both started talking about what Mrs. E had said to them years before. Fly even brought a letter to my installation saying as much, which Mrs. E had written to her
after our graduation. I guess I was fated to be here in this role, though I never aspired to headship. That said, I have all my career been a student of leadership and find it fascinating to think about. With this position I have also been tested to practice all I have learned in ways I was not previously called on to do. That’s been a pleasure, a humbling privilege, and an enormous challenge all rolled into one experience! When I was asked to write about leadership in schools today, I thought it was an interesting question to ponder as I prepare to retire. The old notion of the “head master” still holds, but the job is now more than being the lead teacher or figurehead, letting the business manager run the financial end of things, and focusing primarily on the kids. Years ago, there was no development office, though alumnae associations did exist. The head master mostly asked affluent board members to foot the bill for any new capital project that was needed. Tuition paid for the rest
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since very few students were on financial aid, and the schools were by and large full. There was little diversity - socioeconomic, racial, religious, or cultural (though SPH, MAB, and SBS always had some degree of international students on campus). There was no diversity training, emergency training, anti-harassment or anti-bullying training, or technology training. Sexual and gender identity was not discussed, nor were many taboo topics of the day. The head master of days gone by still dealt, of course, with the issues of adolescence and family dynamics, but eating disorders, drugs and drug addiction, allergies, vegans, and gluten-free eaters were virtually unknown. Students have always had an undercurrent culture all their own, but early in my career it did not include social media. There are many areas of a school today that have come on line over the past 50 years, for instance: cell phone usage; a bona fide Health Center and school counselor; an athletic trainer; potential and/or real litigation (though this may have existed back then, there was not the proliferation of it as there is today); fundraising for the annual fund (to operations) AND for capital projects AND for the endowment. We have to educate about online predators and inappropriate use of social media. Sadly, we now train students what to do in the event of an aggressive intruder, and we have to ensure that our campuses are safe with locks and sirens and emergency notification systems. Preparing a student for college no longer means having her ready to do the schoolwork alone; now, it also means ensuring her skillful navigation through the sometimes dangerous world of college social life. It means not just saying that girls’ schools have advantages for developing confidence and voice, but showing explicitly how that is done.
Sally Mixsell at her Installation as Head of School during the 2008- 2009 school year.
What does all this have to do with leadership? Well, everything. I can remember walking down our tree-lined driveway early in my headship and being suddenly struck by the notion that I was responsible for everything I could see – and a lot I couldn’t see in that moment. It was up to me to maintain jobs for everyone we employed and to pay attention to the work environment. It was up to me to address the deferred maintenance. It was up to me to ensure a solid academic program and positive social experience for every student in the school. It was also up to me to work with the Board of Trustees, the Alumnae Board, and the Parent Network. It was up to me to operate in the black and be accountable to the trustees for every decision made at the school. It was
up to me to attract talented trustees and hire good administrators who would share in my passion to push the school forward, and to hire effective teachers who would buy into our mission in ways the rest of us here did. It was up to me to travel, visit with alumnae and parents, and raise money. It was up to me to direct the conversations and hope they lead us to a strong and appealing vision. Yikes! Why did I take this job?!?!
(continued on next page.)
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A Love Letter to SBS (continued)
I had at one time overseen a summer intensive graduate program for administrators and aspiring administrators in private schools. A part of this program, and my work, was to mentor these graduate students as they did a practicum in an administrative office at their respective schools. They journaled back to me regularly about what they were doing and thinking, and I would respond with thoughts for next steps. This job allowed me to see the inner workings of many different school models, as well as the leadership models of their heads. My sphere of influence was, I realized, enormous as I was potentially affecting the culture of administrative practice, and therefore everyone who worked in over
“The work is never done, and I am so grateful for an adult community so willing to do the hard work to keep us viable.” 80 schools around the world. That was an awesome task! However, it was not as challenging as my sphere of influence over the 150 or so students on the SBS campus every year, plus their parents and teachers and staff members who hold up the foundation for their learning to happen. As Head of School I have had to sit in my work (sometimes in my own mess!) and be accountable for everything that happens here. I may not be influencing quite as many people as I was at Columbia, indirectly, but I am influencing our community immediately and directly. This is a much more daunting task, and one where I receive more immediate feedback, both good and bad. 4
Top: Sally speaks to parents and guardians of students during Family Weekend. Left: Sally awards a diploma to Phoebe Karkos at Commencement 2017. Sally (middle) with classmates at Reunion 2017.
One thing I realized very quickly is that no matter who you are, you can’t do it all yourself, which is why I could walk back up the driveway to work the day after that overwhelming realization my first summer. Author Jim Collins (Good to Great) talked about getting the right people “on the bus” in order for an organization to flourish. This notion has been in the back of my head as I’ve hired new people, especially administrators, into the school. It’s a delicate balancing act to find cultural match with the institution and personality match with your own style of leadership. When I was consulting around leadership in private schools (post the graduate
school job), I ran the Beginning Administrators Workshop every summer, a weeklong opportunity for budding private school administrators. Each year we invited Hugh O’Doherty from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to speak about leading through change. O’Doherty’s definition of leadership was “getting people to change when they would rather not.” Though there are many ways of defining leadership, this lens is particularly a-propos for school headship. Schools are places where people can get comfortable fast and then resist change hard. At our school it has been important not to change for change’s
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sake, but to be able to make change in response to market demand and market forces, and to make ourselves that much better. We have worked hard to develop two strategic plans and to align all we do with our mission. With a clear focus on our work, the faculty, administration, and staff have accepted and been instrumental in most of the changes that have occured over these 10 years. We have spoken as a community about such topics as what it means to be an international community and how the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program can “fit” at SBS, how graduation can better reflect who we are as a community, what a “girl” and a “girls’ school” are in the context of gender and sexual diversity, and how our daily schedule may be contributing to student stress and anxiety. The work is never done, and I am so grateful for an adult community so willing to do the hard work to keep us viable. I could go on and on, but I would note briefly a concept from Susan Kenny Stevens’ Nonprofit Lifecycles: StageBased Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity as another guidepost for good leadership in independent schools. Stevens addresses the role of trustees in an institution’s success, especially during the vulnerable times of transition. We at SBS are fortunate now to have 20 board members, composed of alumnae, parents, past parents, and friends who have committed to making the upcoming transition as smooth as possible. Under the capable leadership of Allison Porter ’89 (and her successor, Lynn Schultz Kehoe ’77), the board started talking about transition immediately after I announced my retirement two years ago. Allison brought in consultant David Grant to speak about successful planning and pitfalls to be aware of as we prepared for my exit and a new head’s arrival. It was then that we determined the next
Mountain Day has been one of Sally’s favorite traditions at SBS, and she and her husband, Hank, have enjoyed joining students on this special day.
board chair would be the chair of the search committee so that the new head and new chair would know each other well before taking their respective helms. The board has orchestrated a textbook process from thinking about my leaving to ushering in Stephanie Luebbers, and the work continues. At the January board meeting, Allison and Lynn presented a powerpoint highlighting everything the
“Though I will be leaving my role as Head of School, my heart still belongs to you, SBS, and I will continue to support your efforts to build capacity to serve girls, especially in these challenging times for women all around the world.” school is committed to taking care of as we prepare for Stephanie. We have also thought about this transition in the context of our 150th Anniversary in 2019. The fun is just beginning! I have always been passionate about education, but it took a lot for me to consider taking on a headship. At one point in my career, I heard Beverly Daniel Tatum, former Mount Holyoke professor and retired President of Spelman College, speak on the topic of power. She helped me understand that leadership did not need to come from a place of hierarchical
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power – which I had always eschewed – but rather, it made sense to consider power through the lens of a sphere of influence. Tatum said that she had never taken a new job without thinking about the size of the sphere that job would ask her to influence and whether she was ready or not to assume that responsibility. I turned to this notion in considering if I was truly ready to take on the challenges that this headship would present to me. And I decided that I was. Back to the question: Why did I take this job? Here’s why: I took it because I truly and deeply love you, SBS – all that you are and all you can be – and I recognized that the school could use someone who would work from a place of love. Though I will be leaving my role as Head of School, my heart still belongs to you, SBS, and I will continue to support your efforts to build capacity to serve girls, especially in these challenging times for women all around the world. Thanks to all of you who also care so deeply for this school. I am truly humbled by the support I have felt throughout my 10-year tenure. When I took on this headship, I knew that Stoneleigh-Burnham would not flourish without the alumnae of the school caring deeply enough to step up. Many of you have, which I so appreciate because it means we continue to offer a remarkable education for some pretty incredible young women. I am proud of the very important work we have done, and I am eternally grateful for my 10 years here, but I’m even more excited about what’s to come. Please join me in welcoming Stephanie Luebbers when she arrives in July. She will be every bit the Head of School we need to keep the momentum going! With love and gratitude to you all,
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The Class of 2018 Celebrated 100 Nights The long-standing SBS tradition of 100 Nights is a special celebration that marks the seniors` last 100 days of school before they graduate. Top Left: Francelyse Joseph. Top Right: Class Dean Sara Gibbons ’98 talks to seniors before the 100 Nights ceremony. Bottom Left: Julia Thayer, Ember Larregui, and Clara RichardsonOmamo. Bottom Right: Siri Sundaraneedi and Annalie Gilbert Keith.
Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh
MIA LEADS WITH CONFIDENCE Your gift will support girls like Mia ΄20 every step of the way. And, a matching grant from the Tarbell Family Foundation will DOUBLE your impact. Give today at sbschool.org/donate
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Alumnae Leaders Get Their Start at SBS By Nicole Letourneau
At Stoneleigh-Burnham, there are opportunities everywhere for girls to become leaders, and leadership is central
Sally Mixsell ’69 with Laura Richards ’60SPH.
to the mission of the school. The mission states, in part, “Each student is challenged to discover her best self and graduate with confidence to think independently and act ethically, secure in the knowledge that her voice will be heard.” When you know yourself, when you have confidence, and when you know your voice will be heard, it is that much easier to be a leader.
Given how many ways students can exercise and build leadership skills and how much support they receive, it’s no wonder that so many alumnae have gone on to be leaders in their fields, not the least of whom is Sally Mixsell ’69, a leader in education who will retire as Head of School in June. (Read her letter on page 3.) Leaders inspire others, and this has been a focus for alumnae involved in volunteerism and philanthropy. Laura Richards ’60SPH, a long-serving trustee, has contributed to the school in countless ways and recently established the Sally Mixsell ’69 Endowed Scholarship Fund. With a goal of $500,000 for this scholarship, Richards honors the outstanding improvements and changes made by Mixsell since she became Head 10 years ago. Richards said, “I created the scholarship to honor Sally's leadership, and I hope that many constituents will be interested in supporting SBS with a gift to the endowment in Sally's honor.”
Leaders also look to the future. Charlotte Newton ’71 and Darcy McCormick Tarbell ’70 were key leaders in fundraising efforts for the student center that opened
Charlotte Newton ’71
Darcy Tarbell ’70
in 2015 and has improved the student experience. Efforts to improve SBS continue, with a challenge underway by Tarbell and her husband’s family foundation to match gifts to the Annual Fund up to $50,000 this year. In addition, Courtney Babcock Borntraeger ’70 has made possible a match by Babcock Borntraeger Foundation of gifts for the Fitness Center up to $35,000 this year.
Alumna Highlight Allison Porter ’89, President of Avalon Consulting Group in Washington, DC, was recently named to the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) Hall of Leaders. This award is one of the industry’s highest tributes and recognizes the lifetime achievements of DMAW members who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization and to the direct marketing industry over the course of their career. Allison’s service to the direct marketing fundraising community, along with her commitment and passion to giving back to the industry and nurturing future leaders, is exemplary. She has been recognized across both the nonprofit and fundraising industries for her strategic leadership and integrated, multi-channel approach to client programs. In its announcement, Avalon noted, “Allison has purposefully built a positive corporate culture that helps staffers to achieve a healthy work/home balance and fosters a true spirit of volunteerism.”
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Alumnae Leaders Get Their Start at SBS (continued)
SBS alumnae make it a priority to give back, but they are also working and excelling in many other areas. And, while their individual experiences and career paths differ, there is a common thread – they got their start at SBS, a small school for girls that abounds with opportunities in leadership. As we share some stories here, there’s no doubt we are only scratching the surface in telling the story of leadership at SBS through its alumnae. And, there is more than just anecdotal evidence that SBS offers something special. According to research by the National Coalition of Girls Schools (NCGS), there are specific advantages to an allgirls’ education. Girls attending all-girls’ schools have higher aspirations and greater motivation, are challenged to achieve more, and engage more actively in the learning process, according to Steeped in Learning: The Student Experience at All-Girls Schools, an NCGS report. They
“SBS allowed me to navigate the process of developing my leadership capabilities with support from many and without fear of being judged.” - Pamela Layton ’75 feel more comfortable being themselves and expressing their ideas. They show greater gains on core academic and life skills. And, they are more supported in their endeavors and more likely to feel that support. 8
Science and engineering have long been fields dominated by men, but Pamela Gadboys Layton ’75, former SBS trustee, says she has always tried hard not to allow society’s expectations of women to cloud her vision of what she wanted to achieve. Layton is the president of Bioarray, a Farmington, CT-based biotechnology company that develops predictive diagnostic tests for cancer treatment. Previously, she was the founder and CEO of Parcell Laboratories, which develops cell-based therapeutics based on Early Lineage Adult (ELA®) stem cell platform technology, and was responsible for taking one of the first pure stem cell products from bench to bedside for use in spinal fusion surgeries. “SBS was a perfect venue to inspire leadership in young women,” Layton said. “Leadership is a learned skill with trial and error along the way. SBS allowed me to navigate the process of developing my leadership capabilities with support from many and without fear of being judged. When I entered college I was comfortable taking on roles that required leadership knowing that I had small successes along the way at SBS.” Today, Layton serves as an advisor to entrepreneurial companies within and outside the U.S., and mentors companies through the MIT Mentor Smart program. She says leadership can take many forms and believes women can help other women. “Whatever leadership we as women take on, it is our responsibility to advocate and invest in changes that support the advancement of women,” Layton said. “We don’t need to be CEOs of corporations to be leaders, and for that matter do not need to hold a paying job. Women’s leadership is everywhere, even inside the home.” Another alumna in a male-dominated field is Jessica Meese ’04, a deputy construction manager in New York City whose work
“As a female construction manager, I have constantly had to rely on the confidence and strength I acquired at SBS to be taken seriously in an industry where women are less than 10 percent of the workforce.” - Jessica Meese ’04 focuses on the building of new tunnels, support facilities, and a concourse to bring the Long Island Railroad into Grand Central Terminal. Meese has also felt that pull to mentor and support women and girls and has connected with SBS students as a presenter at SBS Career Day. Meese also chatted with students during a housemeeting via Skype, describing her path to a career in engineering and answering students’ questions. Meese earned a master’s in civil and environmental engineering with a focus in green design. She’s been working on the East Side Access project for six years now. In college, she minored in vocal performance and chose to settle in NYC, in part, to continue to perform as much as possible.
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“Most of what I've accomplished can be traced back to my time at SBS,” Meese said. “As a female construction manager, I have constantly had to rely on the confidence and strength I acquired at SBS to be taken seriously in an industry where women are less than 10 percent of the workforce. Of course, SBS prepared me academically for the technical classes I had to take in college, but more than that, SBS gave me the ability to effectively communicate arguments and technical information, a skill that is in high demand in STEM fields.” Dara Raskin ’01 can speak to being a leader in the more female-dominated field of Human Resources. Her job at a large financial institution involves leadership development in support of the bank’s Global Risk organization, which is responsible for ensuring that many of the types of behavior that led to the financial crisis in 2008 are avoided. “I have plenty of female mentors, though it can still be an uphill battle to gain the credibility needed to have a true seat at the table,” she said. “Often times, HR leaders are women, while the rest of the senior leadership team in a company is male.” As a debater and member of Student Council at SBS, Raskin says she honed her public speaking and presentation skills at a young age. “I definitely learned to think critically, form an opinion, and speak up to share it, which is absolutely key to success in my particular organization,” she said. “I learned to be proactive and driven by intellectual curiosity, which helps me go above and beyond in my work life to identify solutions and move tasks and projects forward.” While she is early in her career, Kate Strousse ’13 has a leg up because of the foundation SBS gave her. She works as
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of Explore DC Coordinator, a summer position at AU that plans an exploration and community service week for incoming freshman. Jean-Pierre said SBS prepared her well for college and the leadership positions she has taken on as a college student. “SBS has not only given me the skills needed to be able to enter these environments with little fear, it has also given me vital knowledge that has
“Being a woman in leadership means being someone that other women and girls can look up to and look to for advice.” - Kate Strousse ’13 executive assistant to the Commissioner of Taxes in the Vermont Department of Taxes. As the administrative person for the senior leadership team, she coordinates meetings and events within the department and externally. “Being a woman in leadership means being someone that other women and girls can look up to and look to for advice. My experience at SBS taught me how to manage my time and work well with others. Many of my days now are so incredibly hectic, and the ability to get through them calmly under such pressure, while working with the 160 people in the Department is essential.” While still a student here at SBS, Mckim Jean-Pierre ’16 attended the Experiment Leadership Institute in South Africa the summer before her senior year, and by the end of her first year at American University (AU) in Washington DC, she became an intern for the institute’s umbrella organization, the Experiment in International Living (EIL). She also interns for the Love Quilt Project and DC Reads. Recently, she was offered the job
Mckim Jean-Pierre ’16
allowed me to stand out as a candidate during interviews as someone who has had working experiences with tasks at hand,” she said. She added, “I enjoy being a woman in leadership positions, and when thinking about my identities beyond being just a woman, my many other intersectional aspects about myself, I see my role in leadership not only being a part of the singular task at hand, but also being a role model, mentor, and example for other minorities in many different ways.”
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Teaching Leadership to Students By Hillary Hoffman
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 Annette Cazenave ’74 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 Leach 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 *As of this publication; to read about updates to the Board of Trustees, please visit sbschool.org/about/governance/ Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
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This academic year, Stoneleigh-Burnham students have started a new leadership program implemented by Dean of Students Kristen Peterson, and supported by class deans and advisors. The SBS Leadership Program is tailored to each grade level, and has three components: student leadership roles, the residential curriculum, and leadership classes within the academic curriculum. Student leadership roles give StoneleighBurnham students the chance to represent their community in multiple areas of the school. Stoneleigh Burnham’s OEKs, or our “Eight Heads,” began in the 2016-17 school year as a way to give students an expanded voice and greater opportunity to participate with administration in school planning and operations. “A lot of times, schools act in the best interests of students, but sometimes we forget to ask the students what they really want and what they need,” said Peterson. “The OEK positions are a great way to make sure that there’s constant dialogue.” Juniors campaigned for each elected position through a short speech to the student body at Housemeeting and were elected to serve during their senior year. (See sidebar.) Team captains, residential assistants (RAs), student council, and Big Sisters also give Upper School and Middle School students opportunities to participate in leadership roles. The residential curriculum helps students develop important life skills tools, and addresses topics such as nutrition, sleep, health and wellness, and sexuality. Topics are discussed in leadership classes, class meetings, and dorm hall meetings. “People ask me, ‘Why do you need to know about nutrition to be a good leader? How does that fit into leadership?’ ” says Peterson. “If you don’t present well, it’s hard for
people to want to follow you. And that includes eating well, sleeping well, and learning how to take care of yourself and others. All of that is part of how we help students grow into young adults. These are essential pieces that we have to teach every student, because we’re a boarding school.”
Dean of Students Kristen Peterson
“Many SBS students come from all over the world to engage oncampus -- but when they leave this community, how can they engage with the world in a way that is meaningful and essential?” Beginning this year, leadership classes were integrated into the weekly academic schedule for grades 9-12. Each grade has a particular focus and builds upon the prior year. Ninth grade students focus on the self and are designed to support students as they transition from Middle School to Upper School. Tenth graders examine their contributions within their community, from peer-to-peer relationships to an off-campus, weekly capstone community service project in the spring term, where students identify and engage with a local community resource and work together to manage their contributions.
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Student Heads of School In eleventh grade, students are asked to view themselves as campus leaders, and to examine their on-campus legacy and their future college path. In their winter term, juniors begin their college counseling process: building resumes, practicing their communication skills, and learning how to best present themselves for interviews. In the spring term, the capstone project is an on-campus environmental stewardship project – “something that’s going to have a direct and positive impact in connecting children with nature and with the world,” said Peterson. In the senior year, students are encouraged to consider their roles as global leaders. Says Peterson, “Many SBS students come from all over the world to engage on-campus – but when they leave this community, how can they engage with the world in a way that is meaningful and essential?” During the fall term, seniors continue with the college process, working on their essays and applications. In the winter, each student identifies a potential career interest. Working with the alumnae office, they identify an alumna, parent, or friend of the school who is working in that field who can partner with that student – guiding and inspiring her to follow her passion. All students have exposure to additional enrichment throughout the year, via guest speakers in the classroom or at special evening events in keeping with the year’s theme. In this inaugural year, the program’s theme was “resilience.” “Leadership classes are meant to help students develop their whole self. There’s not one type of leader. As our mission states, our goal is to help each student discover her best self, so she can engage completely in a global world – now and then beyond, when she leaves StoneleighBurnham,” said Peterson.
Favorite Quotes on Leadership
Julia Thayer Student Head of School “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” - Rosalynn Carter Annalie Gilbert Keith Student Head of Big and Little Sisters “All of my creation is an effort to weave a web of connection with the world; I am always weaving it because it was once broken.” - Anaïs Nin Bri Rooks Student Head of Service “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
Lillian Ying Student Head of Curriculum “Don’t find fault, find remedy.” - Henry Ford
Grace Grover Student Head of Athletics
“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. She doesn’t set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of her actions and the integrity of her intent.” - Unknown
To’Londa Torres Student Head of Activities
“Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.” - Malcolm X
Sophie Hathaway Student Head of Health and Wellness “Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.” - Michelle Obama Ember Larregui Student Head of Community Alliance “It is time to teach young people early on that … in diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.” - Maya Angelou
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A Tribute to Head of School Sally Mixsell Delivered at the 1869 Society and Leadership Recognition Dinner on October 27, 2017 By Alex Bogel
Thank you, Allison Porter, and thank you to our Leadership Council members for being here this evening. Thank you all for supporting the wonderful work of our students and faculty and for acting on your vision and your faith in the bright future of Stoneleigh-Burnham.
Eight years ago, I was in need of my next adventure. I had been teaching for about 10 years, and I knew I was doing the work I loved, the work that I needed to do. But I had strained as much as I was able against the constrictions of school board and union wranglings. I had seen too many students failed by standardized tests and “Adequate Yearly Progress.” Through good timing and the luck of shared friends, I found myself in Sally’s office discussing Stoneleigh-Burnham’s opening for a Director of Communications. We had what I must characterize as a gently circuitous conversation, arriving at the shared conclusion that I had no business whatsoever in that role. We also agreed that SBS was where I needed to be. This was the first time that Sally’s faith and vision put me on the right path.
Alex Bogel delivers a tribute to Sally Mixsell ’69.
Of course, our future sparkles in large measure due to the work and love and devotion of Sally. That said, as we round out this decade of Mixsell, there will be plenty shared about how wonderful Sally is. I thought I would take this opportunity to mix things up a little and speak instead about myself.
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Fast forward two years and many thoughtful conversations about teaching and learning and growth, and I find Sally ushering me into my current role as Academic Dean, charged with shaping the academic vision for our school. I will not so humbly suggest that this is one of Sally’s great gifts: continually thinking, not only about the work that people are doing, but about the ways she can help them to stretch their capacities. Sally has boundless faith in the people around
2018
Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh
the bulletin S P R I N G
her. She has the vision to see a great future, and to see the roles that those on her team can play. This comes in the form of planning, surely, and in actively developing those of us fortunate enough to work with her. It also manifests itself in her tears. When Sally cries (and this hints, too, at how often Sally is seeing the future in the present), I believe she cries because, as strongly as anyone else I know, she revels not only in people’s successes but in the blossoming futures that these successes portend.
Sally would not, I suspect, frame her tears in this way, but her overflowings of joy underscore the magnitude of her own impact on this school and this world. So, to name it: my favorite thing about Sally is the glorious future that she so selflessly creates. We are in good hands moving forward precisely because she has so adeptly prepared us to progress on our own. And that is what great teaching looks like.
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Donor Profile
Mary Maloney ’69 By Susan Mattei
“I have two daughters who are products of independent education – a doctor and a CPA. We need more role models like them,” she says. Growing up in a small town in Vermont, most of Maloney’s peers were destined to attend the state university, and that would have been a solid option. Yet, she says, “Vermont was an environment with a narrow viewpoint. Through StoneleighBurnham, I met people from all over the world. It changed my worldview – I was able to think bigger and differently. Stoneleigh-Burnham solidified the idea that I could do anything I want.”
“My interest in ‘women supporting women‘ was started here at Stoneleigh-Burnham.”
While searching for a way to provide for family and for her beloved alma mater, Maloney discovered that she could leave a legacy through a gift through life insurance. “Not only will my family have the full benefit of the insurance, but I can give a percentage to StoneleighBurnham,” she said. “My interest in ‘women supporting women’ was started here at StoneleighBurnham,” says Maloney, who chairs
Photo by Paul Franz
“We have to invest in women’s education so more women will graduate and move us forward,” says Mary Maloney ’69, a Stoneleigh-Burnham Trustee. She gives back to the school because she believes that women have not reached equality in the workplace or in the political arena.
the Department of Dermatology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is a leading professional in Mohs surgery, and currently serves as President of the Women’s Dermatologic Society. “I’ve traveled throughout the United States and the world as a dermatologist,” Maloney notes. “I’ve been able to live my women-supporting-women philosophy as a result of the all-girls’ education I experienced at Stoneleigh-Burnham.”
2017 EQUESTRIAN WALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Vicki Humphrey Oliver ΄91
Vicki Humphrey Oliver was inducted into the Equestrian Wall of Fame for her accomplishments as a Thoroughbred trainer. Based at Keeneland in Lexington, KY, her North American career earnings exceed $10 million with 230 wins through 2017. She grew up with horses on her parents’ Shawnee Farm near Harrodsburg, KY. Before starting work at the race track, Vicki rode show horses in her youth and as a student at Stoneleigh-Burnham School. She then attended Wittenberg University and majored in sociology with a minor in business. Her early professional career began with summer work for a blacksmith and veterinarian. She then worked for the King Ranch and for horse trainer Elliot Walden. Vicki, who gallops many of her own horses, is usually well acquainted with the runners in her care. Such was the case with Frivolous, who won the 2014 Falls City (G2) and 2015 Fleur De Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs. Head of School Sally Mixsell ’69 presented the award at a dinner hosted by SBS in October 2017 in Lexington, KY. Attending the dinner and induction ceremony were Vicki’s parents G. Watts and Sally Humphrey, her husband Philip Oliver, SBS Equestrian Director George Halkett, SBS Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Susan Mattei, and several of Vicki’s close friends.
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Equestrian Wall of Fame Inductee Vicki Humphrey Oliver ’91 gallops Frivolous, winner of the 2015 Fleur De Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs.
Vicki Humphrey Oliver ’91 (center) with her parents (left), as well as Equestrian Director George Halkett and Development Director Susan Mattei.
the bulletin S P R I N G
Reunion
S BS REUNION WE E KE N D ING DAY OPEN
JOIN US FOR AN
ALL STAR PARTY
2018
FRI JUN
Please join us for
REUNION WEEKEND JUNE 1- 3, 2018 Register online, view a full schedule of activities, and see Who's Coming Back at:
sbschool.org/alumnae/reunion
or you may register by phone: 413.774.2711
x 317
SUMMER AT STONELEIGH-BURNHAM
Stoneleigh-Burnham School Alumnae Board 2017-2018 Melissa McKallagat Shorey ’96, President Charlotte Lewis-Hankus ’72, Vice President Erika Marback ’05, Co-Secretary Kate Strousse ’13, Co Secretary Melissa Ilg Alaimo ’81 Joyhdae C. Albert ’01 Allison Small Annand ’83 Michelle Savage Brynda ’84 Heatherle A. Clingerman ’93 Margaret Leonhardt Conger ’71 Charlene Antonio Currie ’78 Francesca D. Eremeeva ’15 Susan Stutzman Genereux ’85 Heather E. Hoover-Borromeo ’05 Tamar Cooke Luck ’90 Toni Ruth Manning ’65 SPH Jessica K. Meese ’04 Laura Lavallee Noel ’04 Megan E. O'Brien ’98 Anne T. O'Connor ’88 Jessica Gale Payne ’11 Hannah E. Risser-Sperry ’05 Elizabeth Cowperthwaite Schmittdiel ’84 June Coolidge Scott ’83 Jillian Q. Seigel ’14 Julie A. Singley ’04 Sam Sattin Torres ’08, Development & Alumnae Relations Associate, Ex-officio Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Assistant Director of Development & Alumnae Relations, Ex-officio Photo by Sara Gibbons ’98.
Overnight camps for girls ages 9-18 focused on riding, debate, dance, animation, and art.
To register and learn more, visit sbschool.org/summer
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Class Notes year run with Pilobolus, my granddaughter, Sayer, is dancing in Europe. In January, she came home to teach at Phillips Academy, Andover as their celebrity performer during interim session. Bob and I spent part of September seeing the Maritimes by ship, ending in Quebec. As snowbirds, we spend three months in Vero Beach, FL and in February hosted a party for Sally Leach Mixsell ’69 at the Club. Our sad news for this year: we lost Ursula Kendrtarvich Hogan ’56 MAB in the spring, and Esther Yi Chi Lee ’56 MAB lost their son, Julio, Jr., in November from a cerebral hemorrhage. We send our deepest condolences. Please contact me with your news at judith.whitney@gmail.com or call 508-237-5775.
Liz Burne ‘83 and Orva, puppy in training. 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.
1952 MAB
Peggy (Margaret H.) Dornish ’52 MAB is retired from chairing the Religious Studies Department, Ponoma College. She’s now in Carlsbad, working with the League of Women Voters and visiting Japan.
1954 MAB
Sandra Swanson Fries ’54 MAB had a painting accepted into the North East Watercolor Society’s International Show at the Kent Art Gallery (CT) (see photo with her five children and five grandchildren). Now living in Southington, CT, she married Joseph Fries twenty-five years ago, and together they have thirteen grandchildren!
Sandra Swanson Fries ’54 MAB (center) and family at the Kent Art Gallery.
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1956 MAB
Judith Howard Whitney-Terry ’56 MAB, P ’77 writes: The good thing about Christmas is letters from classmates! Linda Guthy Huzzen ’56 MAB reported that all of her grandchildren have now graduated from college. She and Carl spent the holidays visiting family and took a trip to the Carolina Mountains. Andy Welch Campbell ’56 MAB says all her grandchildren are also either in or through college. She hosts her Arizona daughter and family in the summer. Gaele Kalbach Shepard ’56 MAB lives in a retirement community in Oregon. She married a Japanese gentleman while living in Alaska, moved to Australia, then Wake Island and innumerable places elsewhere! She worked for various federal agencies, retiring from the Veterans Administration. Clarita Kushelevitch Kaufman ’56 MAB, despite some health issues, has been attending courses at Fordham University and visiting NYC museums. They have sold their Stockbridge home. I had a lovely visit from Jean MacLean Jankowski ’56 MAB last summer. They downsized and are living in a condo in New Albany, OH. She has accepted a sixyear commitment to the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, which involves a lot of traveling. Alexandra “Sandy” Durkee Switaj ’56 MAB noted that her granddaughter, Jane, was Vanity Fair’s “It” girl and one of Forbes’ Under 30 Artists. After a two-
L to R: Bob Terry, Lynn Schultz Kehoe ’77, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Susan Mattei, Pam Dempsey Kostanski ’82, Kay Bates Desai ’59B, Judith Whitney-Terry ’56B, P ’77, and Sally Mixsell ’69
1959 SPH
Barbie Meistrell-Lind ’59 SPH now lives in Saint Joseph, MO with daughter #2 and her husband in a Victorian home. “I love it but do miss my children and grandchildren in Florida. I have finally retired from nursing. If any classmates live near me, please get in touch!” Cell: 407-517-8071, and address: 2117 Faraon Street, Saint Joseph, MO, 64501
1962 MAB
Libby Apfel Sanderson ’62 MAB shares: Althea Prescott Cranton ’62 MAB, Jane Konheim Kasov ’62 MAB, and I made it to Reunion last June. I’m finally retired from being a school psychologist, but my daughter carries on the tradition. I’m making a lot of art and studying French (Madame Trembley’s teaching did not stick!) as I love going to France often. Althea Cranton ’62 MAB writes: There were only three of us at our 55th Reunion, but we had a great time. Jane Konheim Kasov ’62 MAB, her husband, Joe, and I met across from Burnham House and explored the beautiful Botanical Gardens at
Please find additional Class Notes online at sbschool.org/alumnae.
the bulletin S P R I N G
2018
1970
Courtney Babcock Borntraeger ‘70 hosted an alumnae event at her home in Boca Grande to celebrate Head of School Sally Mixsell ’69.
Libby Apfel Sanderson ’62 MAB and her daughter. Smith. Later, Libby Apfel Sanderson ’62 MAB met us at SBS for dinner. Personally I have had both knees replaced. I am still an instructor at Wildcat Mt. in NH and will go to Telluride in January for a visit with my sister Paula Prescott Hart ’64 MAB. Jane Konheim Kasov ’62 MAB reports that she and Joe moved into a condo in Stamford where she has joined the Stamford Chorale as a way to meet people. “Rehearsals were at night every Tuesday, the day Joe and I take care of our 4-year-old twin grandkids (Abby and Ezra) in Fairfield! Hoping ‘that which does not kill us...,’ I joined and went for Baroque, putting on a successful public concert of Handel’s Coronation Anthems, which came out sounding really beautiful!”
Carol Degnan Main ’63 MAB and family at her son’s wedding great outdoors and riding horses. I also found Mindy Marvin Kittell ’69 in upstate New York. I have reconnected with other Owls from my class: Sally Leach Mixsell, Fly Janov Williams, Mimi Morgan Merola, Ginger Nielsen Robitaille, Pris Lougee Rizzo, Debbie Rogers Eldridge, Tori Askerberg, and Barb Mayo Llewellyn. I would like to challenge the Class of ’69 to help celebrate Sally’s send off this June. Priscilla Lougee Rizzo ’69
L-R: Dottie Shannon Carter ’70, Cinda Savage Yaremo ’72, Wendy Cadley Presley ’72, Lynn Lynch Houston ’63 SPH, Sally Leach Mixsell ’69, Jill Chamberlain ’67 SPH, Courtney Babcock Borntraeger ’70, and Lynn Schultz Kehoe ’77.
1971
Charlotte Newton ’71 has been busy: Key Largo in March for fun in the sun and some golf. Trips to NYC for theater and the 16th annual reunion with her traveling women’s group, including a visit to the NY Stock Exchange and a 2.5 hour visit on the floor of the Exchange itself! In September, she packed up and moved with “Tuggie” (her French bulldog) to Sedona, AZ where she was seduced three years ago. “I continue to hear from Vivian Lee ’71, and have managed to locate and reconnect with fellow alumnae through the power of Facebook.”
While in Denver, Sally Mixsell ’69 visited classmate Priscilla Lougee Rizzo ’69 had a chance to talk about the 50th Reunion for the Class of ’69 in June of 2019. Jane Konheim Kasov ’62 MAB with her husband, Joe, and son, Charlie, after the Stamford Chorale Handel concert on December 15, 2017.
Barbara Mayo Llewellyn ’69
1963 MAB - 55th Reunion
Carol Degnan Main ’63 MAB shares: Our youngest, Nick, married in September in Saint Louis, MO. Daughter, Jennifer, and other son, Ken, came from San Diego and the Atlanta area. Linda Degnan Halverson ’63 MAB and I see each other frequently since we live a mile apart in Sun City West, AZ.
1969
Nancy Davis O’Leary ’69 shares: I traveled to Connecticut with Anne Sears ’70 to visit Loraine Sherman ’69 and had fun flying kites, seeing the sights, and reminiscing. I have also found Gillian Folley White ’69 who is in Wyoming, enjoying the
Hank and Darcy McCormick Tarbell ’70, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Susan Mattei, and Barbara Mayo Llewellyn ’69 in California.
Charlotte Newton ’71 and friends at the NY Stock Exchange.
Please find additional Class Notes online at sbschool.org/alumnae.
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Class Notes
1978 - 40th Reunion
Regina (Tina) Livingston Ford ’78 shares: I shared Christmas 2017 with my 12 grandchildren here in Maryland. Although retired from police work, I still work as a teaching assistant with D.C. Public Schools. I recently spoke with classmates Miki Kydd Schattilly ’78, Cathy Salerno Furtak ’78, and Mindy Merriam O’Brien ’78.
Elizabeth Jaeschke de Buenrostro ’82 shares: We were lucky to escape the California wildfires in December 2017. We were evacuated from home and office for a week; however, all the animals, children, and home were saved thanks to the first responders. My daughter is on the USA Pentathlon Team, aiming for Olympics in 2020!
who lives temporarily at home, and Jack,11, who keeps me busy with his very active schedule. Jennifer Jones McIntyre ’81 visited last October when she got to experience Friday Night Lights - it was football season!
The O’Brien and Steffen families.
Tina Livingston Ford’s ’78 twin grandsons, Zion and Zavier. Laurie Martin Amato ’78 and Thomas F. Amato were married on May 30, 2017.
1979
Joan McNear Beneduce ’79
John and Anne McNear P ’79, parents of Joan McNear Beneduce ’79, and Sally Mixsell ’69 enjoy a sweet visit at Ethel M.’s in Nevada.
Rachel Hobbie ’82 and Karen McHugh ‘82 visiting SBS in July. Rachel Hobbie ’82 writes: 2017 was both wonderful and heartbreaking. I added a new family member in June: Libbie, whose show career has begun! In September I became the lending specialist for the interlibrary loan dept at UMass-Amherst. I had the pleasure of catching up with Karen McHugh ‘82 in July, here in MA for her job. Her visit included a trip to campus. In August, I caught up with Missy Ilg Alaimo ‘81 who was at Stoneleigh-Burnham eventing her horse. Sadly, in November, my Dad died after a courageous battle with dementia. Wishing you all a great 2018 and keep the updates coming.
1982
Pam Dempsey Kostanski ’82 writes: My husband, Jay (of 25 years in May!), and I live in Vero Beach, FL. Prior to that we owned and operated Jay K’s Liquors in Turners Falls.
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1983 - 35th Reunion
Holly Black ’83 and family.
Jennifer Jones McIntyre ’81 and Moira Leech James ’82.
Pam Dempsey Kostanski ’82 and her husband, Jay.
Bridget O'Brien ’82 writes: Greetings from the O’Brien and Steffen families! Abigail is a junior at Trinity College, and Claire is in 6th grade - future member of SBS Class of 2024! Our picture includes Kerry O’Brien Steffen ’84 and her kids, Sydney, who works at Barclays, and Ryan, a junior at Miami University (OH), and Max, a freshman at Fairfield and rugby superstar. Also pictured are our parents, Frank, a former member of the SBS Board, and Carol O’Brien.
Moira Leech James ’82 says: I would love to hear from more of the Class of 1982. Please either Facebook or email me with your contact info! My email is: shoelady64@yahoo.com, Facebook - Moira Leech James, Lakeway, TX. Rick and I have Will, 21,
Holly Black ’83 says: I am currently a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse in the Air Force, stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I have been in the Air Force for about eight years, seeing various places throughout the world. My 24-year-old daughter is a Navy Officer studying Nuclear Propulsion. My son is a college senior with a plan of going to law school. My youngest is a junior in high school in Okinawa. I wish I could make it to the reunion, but I can’t take leave at that time. Please keep in contact with me either through Facebook or email me at hblack23@ymail.com. Liz Burne ’83 shares: I never realized the value of the SBS experience until moving on in life, noticing
Please find additional Class Notes online at sbschool.org/alumnae.
the bulletin S P R I N G that our classmates consistently took on leadership and initiative roles in ways I do not see friends from other schools doing. I still live in the NW corner of Connecticut and several years ago became a volunteer search and rescue K9 handler, which got me reconnected via a legislative project to Amy Stegall ‘85. (see photo on page 16)
Sarah Redeker Bompastore ’83 adds: My daughter, Mikayla, will graduate from Mohawk Trail Regional High School in June and attend college in the fall.
2018
1984
Libby Cowperthwaite Schmittdiel ’84
Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Susan Mattei with Jacque Waxenberg ’77 and Libby Cowperthwaite Schmittdiel ’84 in North Carolina.
1986
Karen Kelley ‘86
June Coolidge Scott ’83 at her company’s booth. June Coolidge Scott ’83 writes: It has been a great year - Year One of my Masters program and continuing to teach a class at Simmons College. Sally Leach Mixsell ’69 attended my class for a day! Lois Kuiper Fuller ’83 adds: Our eldest daughter, Molly, graduates from Colchester High (VT) this June! She will attend Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, Canada. Her sister, Jordan will begin 5th grade! Carrie Mitchum ’83 says: I live in Santa Barbara, CA with my boyfriend, a Deerfield Academy guy and the first boy I ever kissed! Until last year I had been a chef - the perfect career choice after being on a diet the entire time I was an actress! After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, my partner and I had a nationwide film catering company based in Memphis and a restaurant. We split up, and I opened a restaurant in The Hamptons, returning to California in 2013 to be closer to family. I was Executive Chef of SBCC, and worked with Alice Waters to set up an Edible School Yard Project at the college level. After my boss died, I lost the funding for my projects. My boyfriend encouraged me to create a food line, so that’s what I’m doing now! My kids are great. Daughter, Gracie, stars on the Netflix series “Greenhouse Academy,” and my sons are both in school. These past few months have been trying here with terrible fires and lethal mudslides. I have been raising money for victims, cooking for evacuees, and organizing donated items. Hoping 2018 will bring peace and blue skies to all. I can not wait to see many of you in June!
Maria Giusti Dezenberg ’83 and her children in Italy. Maria Giusti Dezenberg ’83 says: I recently completed a PhD in Leadership and Change, and sharing my research (organizational culture) has been an inspiring experience. I will be presenting in South Africa the week of Reunion so I will not be there. I have accepted a position with Richard Bland College of William & Mary to lead their internationalization strategy - one heck of a commute from Spokane, WA where my husband, Carl, and teenagers, Alessandra and Aston, reside! Courtney Longaker ’83 writes: Hi everyone! I am excited for our reunion! After many years of eventing, I have traded in my saddle for golf clubs. I am an avid golfer, co-chairing our annual women's invitational. Allison Small Annand ’83 shares: I joined the Alumnae Board this year and am so excited to be working on our 35th Reunion! I hope many of you will join us June 1-3. Both my daughters have graduated from college. My oldest will be starting medical school this summer and my youngest is living in Indianapolis.
Karen Kelley ‘86 and her horse, Chosen, were featured on the cover of the Aiken Spring Classic program.
2003 - 15th Reunion
Mary Dooley ’03 writes: I am working on my PhD in School Psychology at UNC Chapel Hill. I work at Duke in the School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and as a research assistant at UNC. I bought an OTTB (off-the-track Thoroughbred) in March 2017, who has been a very nice distraction from school! I am looking forward to Reunion this year!
2008 - 10th Reunion
Hayley Descavich ’08 shares: Living in Manhattan for the past six years, I am teaching ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School. I’ve also been the artistic director of my small dance company, DC2, where we have been performing in many NYC venues for five years. I continue to produce an annual dance festival promoting female choreographers and will bring my company this summer to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland!
Please find additional Class Notes online at sbschool.org/alumnae.
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In Memoriam
Listed Left to Right, Top to Bottom: NAME
CLASS DECEASED
Ruth W. Giles
’42 MAB
1.26.2017
Judith Smead Pierson
’44 MAB
12.4.2015
Carol Morrissey Patterson
’47 SPH
6.11.2017
Elizabeth J. Butler Bailey
’51 MAB
6.30.2017
Elaine Fellows Fahle
’53 MAB
9.15.2017
Barbara West Saul
’53 SPH
12.16.2017
Elizabeth Suttton Stuart
’58 MAB
6.29.2017
Susan McLaughlin Humphrey
’62 SPH
7.4.2017
J. Elizabeth Carter Warren
’66 SPH
9.17.2017
Lee Hollingsworth Horan
’67 SPH
11.5.2017
Nancy Lamb Franklin
’73 SBS
11.3.2017
Patricia Blake Sayles’ will said a lot about her. What can your will say about you? Although she passed away in 2014, Patricia Blake Sayles ’51 and her beloved husband, Tom, who died 10 years before her, will live forever because of the gift they included for SBS in their estate plan. The Sayles Music Scholarship helps students attend Stoneleigh-Burnham School every year. Sayles Scholarship recipients have had their lives changed for the better through the education they received and are making the world a better place. To learn more about how easy it is to leave a legacy through a gift, call us at 413.774.2711 x247 or visit plannedgiving.sbschool.org.
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Coda
the bulletin S P R I N G
2018
Looking Toward New School Leadership Stephanie Smith Luebbers will become the next Head of School at SBS on July 1, 2018. As part of the transition, last fall current SBS Head Sally Mixsell visited the Cincinnati Country Day School, where Stephanie currently serves as Head of the Upper School. Sally returned to SBS with a video that she showed at Housemeeting in which Stephanie shared her eagerness about taking on the Head role at SBS and eagerness to meet our community. Then, in January of this year, Stephanie and her husband, Mark, visited our campus, where they met and talked with many members of the school community, including one-on-one time with individual students. Below are some impressions about Stephanie from members of our student body who are also leaders in the Student Council.
Jacqueline Morgan ’19 Student Council Vice President “My impressions of our next head of school are nothing but positive. Stephanie is a very kind woman who seems like she will be highly dedicated and very hard working as the next leader of Stoneleigh-Burnham. Beyond these traits is her clear enthusiasm and the passion that she already has for our school that makes me confident that she will be not only an excellent Head of School but also a truly amazing community member who will mesh with the school culture impeccably. I am beyond excited to see all that she will contribute to the Stoneleigh-Burnham experience!”
Julia Thayer ΄18 Student Council President “I think that our future Head of School Stephanie Luebbers will be a great fit for our community. I have had a few conversations with her, both one-on-one and with my fellow OEKS, and each time I noticed how interested she was in learning about the culture we have here at SBS. She wanted to know about all of our favorite school traditions, and was very excited to participate in them as well as to help preserve them for future Stoneleigh-Burnham girls to enjoy. Stephanie's husband, Mark, was also very impressive to me; he knew when to add little comments or ask insightful questions that would help further the conversation. I will be sure to come back and visit next year to see Stephanie in action!” Ira Hysi ΄20 10th Grade Class President “I believe that Sally’s successor as Head of School is incredibly worthy. From the video that we have seen of Stephanie Luebbers performing her duties as Head of another school, I think we can all agree that she is a responsible, understanding, and passionate role model, especially for girls. She brings out the best in people, and always has a smile on her face while doing so! I believe that Stephanie will be a wonderful new addition to our small but welcoming Stoneleigh-Burnham community, and I am excited to see her as our new Head of School.”
Jacqueline Kennick ΄19 11th Grade Class President “From the few times I have interacted with Stephanie Luebbers her passionate disposition has left with me no doubt that she is quite capable of being Stoneleigh-Burnham’s new Head of School. She has embraced Stoneleigh-Burnham with open arms and has welcomed every single student into her heart. I cannot imagine a better successor to embolden all Sally has done for the school, and indeed to further all Stoneleigh-Burnham has to offer.” Yuemeng (Monica) Wu ΄21 Freshman Class Vice President “The impending arrival of Stephanie Luebbers has enlightened the SBS community. I’ve had conversations with her several times, and she has fully expressed her passion for working at SBS as the next Head of School. She also demonstrated her enthusiasm to be friends with every SBS student. During the days Stephanie visited our school, she always preserved a beautiful and welcoming smile on her face. Sometimes she would even come to talk with students spontaneously and thereby having some relaxing and approachable conversations with them. We can clearly see that Stephanie is eager and extremely willing to know and communicate with every student at SBS. I really look forward to seeing Stephanie again and all the wonderful work that she will contribute to the SBS community!”
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Upcoming Campus Events May 25, 2018...................... 149th Commencement June 1-3, 2018 .................... Reunion 2018 (celebrating the classes ending in 3 & 8.
All classes welcome.)
June 2, 2018........................ Celebration Dinner for Sally Mixsell ’69 August 10 & 11, 2018 .......... Board of Trustees Meeting September 22, 2018............. Alumnae Board Meeting October 13, 2018 ................. Installation of Stephanie Luebbers, Head of School
Gatherings of the Leadership Council, 1869 Society,
and Sayles Planned Giving Society
The Stoneleigh-Burnham School Board of Trustees invites you to a
Celebratory Dinner Honoring Sally Mixsell ’69 In Recognition of Her Leadership as Head of School, 2008-2018 Saturday, June 2, 2018 Reunion Weekend
November 9, 2018................ Fall Alumnae Career Day
Cocktails - 6:00 p.m.
December 8, 2018................ Alumnae Board Meeting
Dinner - 7:00 p.m.
Volunteer Work Day, 2019 Reunion (All classes ending in 4 & 9)
January 1, 2019................... 150th Anniversary Begins
RSVP by May 15, 2018 Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83 413.475.1662 Proceeds to Benefit the Sally Mixsell ’69 Endowed Scholarship Fund sbschool.org/celebrate-sally-leach-mixsell-69
For more event information and Reunion Registration, visit sbschool.org/alumnae