WINTER
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the bulletin
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Stoneleigh-Burnham School
INSPIRATION ISSUE
THE MISSION: Stoneleigh-Burnham School is an academic community that fosters an international perspective. We inspire girls to pursue meaningful lives based on honor, respect, and intellectual curiosity. Each student is challenged to discover her best self and graduate with the confidence to think independently and act ethically, secure in the knowledge that her voice will be heard.
English Essay by Brianna Zimmerman ’15 Class: International Baccalaureate Art Year 2
Self-Portrait by Brianna Zimmerman ’15 Class: International Baccalaureate Art Year 2
Materials: Wax paper, wire, pastel, spray paint, gesso and charcoal on cardboard
Materials: Charcoal and pastels on cardboard
Artist’s statement: This piece expresses the artist’s frustration with the ambiguity we too often find in daily conversation. It is inspired by the desire to rediscover true conversational meaning that is lost in poor phrasing, tone, and sentence structure.
Artist’s Statement:This piece is a reflection on humanity’s heavy expectations of the artist to create order and perfection from that which cannot have either. It is inspired by the restless energy that comes with searching for answers and not finding them.
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in this issue: 2
Inspiring Progress, Purpose, and People
A letter from Head of School, Sally Mixsell ’69
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A Trimester in Photographs – Fall at SBS
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Athletic Hall of Fame and Equestrian Wall of Fame Induction Ceremonies Inspiring Change: Phase II of the Bridge Fund Focuses on Student Experience
12 Inspiring Greatness: Ann Sorvino’s Lasting
Impression on the Lives of Her Students
by Nicole Letourneau, Public Relations Coordinator
18 Inspiring Resilience: Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller
McIntosh ’72
by Nicole Letourneau, Public Relations Coordinator
22 Class Notes 32 In Memoriam 34 Coda
The Lessons of War: Aleppo, Syria
by Karen Mardini ’14
We’d like to know what you think! Do you have story ideas? Send comments on the Bulletin and story ideas to sthompson@sbschool.org
ON THE COVER: Inspiring Stoneleigh-Burnham students for three decades. Pictured on the cover with Aminata Barry ‘13 who was one of the first students to take IB Dance with Ann Sorvino.
Pictured: Equestrian Hall of Fame Inductee Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh ‘72, the subject of our profile on page 18.
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A Letter from the Head of School
Inspiring Progress, People, and Purpose
Dear Friends, Many of our previous Bulletins covered very concrete ideas: growth, money, leadership, the Bridge Fund and so on, but this time we have chosen the more esoteric topic of inspiration. Inspired by the work we have done over the past few years, the vision of our strategic plan, and our impressive extended community, we thought about the many inspiring stories we have in and among us. The word inspire means “to fill with an animating, quickening or exalting influence,” and it is this influence that we strive to share with you in this issue. Our mission calls for us to “inspire girls to lead meaningful lives based on honor, respect and intellectual curiosity.” One of the articles here highlights the work of Ann Sorvino P’01, our iconic dance teacher and Chair of the Performing Arts Department who has been inspiring dancers here for 31 years. In fact, many of her students have chosen to make meaning out of their own passion for dancing, started or secured under Ann’s tutelage, in careers in the field of dance.
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Others inspire us in different ways. Gigi Altmiller McIntosh ’72 has such an inspirational story that we named her one of this year’s Equestrian Wall of Fame inductees. Gigi, a lifelong equestrienne and once on track to compete as an Olympic eventer, has turned a tragic accident into a challenge to be her best self as a Paralympic rider. Recently the subject of a documentary film, Gigi is simply amazing. You will also read about Karen Mardini ’14 whose college essay we include here. Karen writes of her earlier life in Aleppo, Syria and how losing her home there became an opportunity for a new life in this country. Karen took full advantage of her two years at Stoneleigh-Burnham and is now a student at Harvard. Her story, too, inspires us to remember what privilege we all experience by being here. And then there are events at the school we believe to be inspirational. Working to effect our strategic plan and subsequent campus master plan, we launched a new Leadership Council last October to help grow our foundation of donors
and move the school forward in very concrete ways. This group of about twenty alumnae, parents and grandparents met for a full day in order to update their knowledge of SBS today and envision ways in which they can each support our goals. One outgrowth of this work is, we hope, to double the size of this group when we meet again next fall. Thanks to our recent Bridge Fund initiative (see our last issue), we are currently poised to renovate the Red Room and TV Room to include a new Student Center and Café, as well as a new foyer and terrace. This is Phase I of the Bridge Fund. The Board of Trustees has now determined the projects for Phase II as well, and they are described in this issue. You have inspired us to update the physical plant of this campus so that it mirrors the impressive programs we offer to our girls. Many thanks to all of you who have supported that effort! All these stories, to me, are representative of the kind of ethos that is nurtured here. We have been encouraged to accept the
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“All these stories, to me, are representative of the kind of ethos that is nurtured here. We have been encouraged to accept the challenges to be our best selves, to do good work in the world, and to stay true to ourselves along the way.” challenges to be our best selves, to do good work in the world, and to stay true to ourselves along the way. George Bernard Shaw wrote in Pygmalion: “What is life but a series of inspired follies? The difficulty is to find them to do. Never lose a chance; it doesn’t come every day.” I hope that our stories here will inspire you to continue on your own paths to “a series of inspired follies.” Enjoy!
Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School
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Editor Susanna H. Thompson Director of Communications Design Peter Chilton peterchilton.com Editorial Board Liz Feeley, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Mark Kaschak, Assistant Director of Communications for Development Sally L. Mixsell ’69, Head of School Ashani Petrizzi, Assistant Director of Development for the Annual Fund Contributors Liz Feeley, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations Rachel Jackson, Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations Mark Kaschak, Assistant Director of Communications for Development Nicole Letoureau, Public Relations Coordinator Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School Karen Mardini ’14
Above Left: New students meet the horses duirng orientation. Above Right: Students make gingerbread houses to ring in the holiday season.
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Photography Contributors Paul Franz Hank Mixsell John Nordell, P ’17 Derrick Zellman Student Art Contributors Brianna Zimmerman ’15 Yasmin Baksh ’15
A: Francesca Eremeeva ’15 enjoying some down time at the barn. B: The senior class huddles during their bonding trip. C: Mountain Day 2014.
Change of address? Email abridge@sbschool.org or mail to the Alumnae Office.
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
574 Bernardston Road, Greenfield, MA 01301 413.774.2711 sbschool.org 4
the bulletin is printed with vegetable based inks on 55% recycled FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper, with 30% post consumer fiber.
Above Left: Adora Webb ’17 and Georgia Fowler ’17 enjoy some late summer warmth on campus. Above Right: The Stoneleigh-Burnham Debate & Public
Speaking Society took first place on October 5th.
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Head of School Sally Leach Mixsell ’69 Board of Trustees Allison Porter ’89, Chair Barbara Mayo Llewellyn ’69, Vice Chair Rich Hubbard P ’00, ’02, ’05, Secretary Annette A. Cazenave ’74, Treasurer Dr. John Barrengos Nancy Corsiglia ’74 Erin LeBlanc ’18 at the bar during dance class with Ann Sorvino.
Anne Quantrell Dennen ’70 Jennifer Eremeeva P ’15 Lynn Schultz Kehoe ’77 Dr. Mary Maloney ’69 Charlotte Newton ’71 Kathy Seyffer Opdycke ’70 Laura B. Richards ’60S Helene A. Robbins Sharon Lewis Gaffey ’68S, Alumnae Board President, Ex-Officio
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Sally Leach Mixsell ’69, 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
Above A: Chamber Groups perform during Fall Family Weekend. B: Kezzy Windgate ’17 warms up before a JV Soccer game. C: Taking in the view from atop Mt. Holyoke on Mountain Day 2014. D: Dance Performance Project performs “Mad Science.”
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Hall of Fame
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME & EQUESTRIAN WALL OF FAME Created in 2010 and 2012 respectively, the Equestrian Wall of Fame and Athletic Hall of Fame honor equestriennes, athletes, coaches, teams, and others who have made outstanding contributions to riding and athletics during their time at StoneleighBurnham or in life thereafter. This year’s inductees to the Hall of Fame included Emily Kiablick ’97 who is the Head Coach of Women’s Lacrosse at Wheaton College; and Sonya Lamonakis who just became the IMO World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. This year’s inductees to the Wall of Fame include Gigi Altmiller McIntosh ’72, Alexandra Linscheid O’Toole ’03, Caroline Roffman ’06, and Alexandra Warriner ’90. Short biographies of all inductees can be found on sbschool.org. A
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A: A plaque honoring 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee, Emily Kiablick ’97 B: 2014 Hall of Fame/Wall of Fame Inductees, Sonya Lamonakis ’93, Emily Kiablick ’97 and Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh ’72 C: Students, parents, and friends engage in a Q&A with the 2014 Hall of Fame/Wall of Fame Inductees
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D: Sonya Lamonakis ’93 and Dr. Paul Bassett E: 2014 Wall of Fame Inductee, Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh ’72 with Head of School, Sally Mixsell ’69 F: Courtney Hartford ’13 stands in for her aunt, and inductee, Alexandra Warriner ’90
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G G: 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee, Emily Kiablick ’97 H: 2014 Wall of Fame Inductee, Caroline Roffman ’06 H
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I: Courtney Hartford ’13 (stands in for her aunt, inductee Alexandra Warriner ’90), Kim Hartford, and Alumnae Board member Melissa McKallagat ’96 and her husband. J: Sonya Lamonakis ’93, Heatherle Clingerman ’93 and Cristina Rubinaccio Freda ’93 K: 2014 Hall of Fame/Wall of Fame Inductee Panel members, Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh ’72 & Emily Kiablick ’97 introduce themselves to each other L: 2014 Wall of Fame Inductee, Alexandra Linscheid O’Toole ’03 & her mother, Patricia Dorfman with Head of School, Sally Mixsell ’69 M: Sonya Lamonakis ’93, Emily Kiablick ’97, Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh ’72, Alexandra Linscheid O’Toole ’03& Courtney Hartford ’13 (representing Alexandra Warriner ’90) Not Pictured – Alexandra Warriner ’90 & Caroline Roffman ’06
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THE BRIDGE FUND
INSPIRING CHANGE Phase II of the Bridge Fund Focuses on Student Experience
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n the summer edition of the Bulletin we introduced you to the Bridge Fund – Stoneleigh-Burnham’s two-year $1.2 million fundraising initiative. The Bridge Fund will address several small capital projects in the Campus Master Plan and provide additional support for the Development Office for the eventuality of a capital campaign.
“This package of projects will directly enhance student experience, be attractive to prospective students and benefit the community at large.” The summer Bulletin also unveiled the Phase I project of creating a Student Center complex out of the Red Room, TV Room, Foyer and outdoor terrace. We are delighted to introduce our Phase II projects. This package of projects will directly enhance student experience, be attractive to prospective students and benefit the community at large. PHASE II WILL CONSIST OF: • Complete renovation of 7 ensuite bathrooms and 2 group bathrooms on the student dormitory hall. • Doubling the size of the Fitness Room and adding a satellite Training Room area. • Adding one tennis court and repairing five existing courts to allow the School to host tournaments (the son of an alumna will donate $55,000 when we raise an additional $55,000 for this project). • Renovation of Geissler Gallery with new sliding doors, carpeting and fans for ventilation.
FITNESS CENTER & TRAINING FACILITY EXPANSION Renderings prepared by Liz Feeley.
Support the Bridge Fund Initiative. Make a gift today.
BRIDGE FUND STONELEIGH-BURNHAM
SCHOOL
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THE BRIDGE FUND
PRIORITIZING STUDENT EXPERIENCE
STUDENT BATHROOM RENOVATION Renderings prepared by Liz Feeley.
Join the Bridge Fund Initiative In addition to your Annual Fund gift, a gift to the Bridge Fund will help provide our students with a facility that matches the excellence of our programming. Donate to the Bridge Fund today and make a difference in your school and the lives of Stoneleigh-Burnham students. 10
Bridge Fund Goal: $1.2 Million Bridge Fund Target End Date: June 30, 2015 Phase I Estimated Cost: $600,000-$700,000 Phase II Estimated Cost: $325,000 Fitness Center: $100,000 Tennis Courts: $50,000 Bathrooms: $125,000 Geissler Gallery: $50,000
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GEISSLER GALLERY RENOVATION Renderings prepared by Liz Feeley.
BRIDGE FUND STONELEIGH-BURNHAM
SCHOOL
BRIDGE FUND STONELEIGH-BURNHAM
1.2 mil
SCHOOL
G OA L
$
MAIN ENTRANCE
717,351
$
Raised to date
TENNIS COURT EXPANSION
Includes cash and pledges as of December 16, 2014.
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Faculty Profile: Ann Sorvino
INSPIRING GREATNESS Ann Sorvino’s Lasting Impression on the Lives of Her Students
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By Nicole Letourneau, Public Relations Coordinator
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s a dance teacher and professional dancer, Ann Sorvino has spent the past 30 years inspiring students at Stoneleigh-Burnham School to share their unique “voices” through dance. As a graduate of the elite Juilliard School and a former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Sorvino is an accomplished artist who has danced
Pura enrolled as a student at SBS in the 10th grade. While she knew it was the right decision to transfer from her old high school, she found the change difficult at first. Sorvino stepped right in. “I was terrified and lonely,” Pura said. “So Ann sat me down and told me that she was there for me. She told me that everything was going to be okay. And guess what?
“Ann continues to inspire me to live my life with an open heart and with a love of art. I am dancing now because I remember the joy of dancing with Ann.” professionally in New York City. Yet, she describes herself as an eternal student, and her love of lifelong learning has left a lasting impression on her students here. “Ann continues to inspire me to live my life with an open heart and with a love of art,” said Mary Pura ’13. “I am dancing now because I remember the joy of dancing with Ann.” Pura was 8 years old when she first met Sorvino in the community dance program at SBS, and she still remembers her first impression. “I thought she was incredibly enchanting and lovely,” Pura said. “Every dance class was filled with joy. Ann loves to dance and that made me love it.”
Everything was more than okay.” Pura went on to become one of Sorvino’s advanced dancers. Now a student at Mount Holyoke College, she has taken modern and jazz dance classes in college and was recently cast in a student-choreographed piece. Hayley Descavich ’08 of Chicago and Rachael Leonard ’93 of Port Orange, Fla., also started out in Sorvino’s community dance program. “When I was little she really worked my imagination,” Descavich said. “She made me fall in love with dance.” She added, “I wanted to go to StoneleighBurnham because of Ann. I wanted to dance with Ann.” 13
Faculty Profile: Ann Sorvino
After graduating from SBS, Descavich attended the Hartt School, the performing arts conservatory at the University of Hartford, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ballet pedagogy. At Hartt, Descavich taught dance to children ages 3 to 15. After college, she moved to New York City. Now, she teaches at the Joffrey Ballet School, and recently started her own dance company, Descavich Choreography. “In starting my own company, I give Ann a lot of credit,” Descavich said. “She introduced me to choreography. She broadened my horizons. She was good about letting me do what I wanted and was always so encouraging.” Leonard directs Surfscape Dance Studio in Daytona Beach, and has kept in touch with Sorvino over the years. In 2011, Sorvino traveled to Florida to set a dance work for her.
Ann with her first cohort of IB Dance Class participants in 2013.
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In addition to running a dance company, Leonard adjudicates for American College Dance Festival, teaches master workshops at colleges, and instructs dance for Very Special Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the arts into the lives of people with disabilities. She also instructs dance at Stetson University, serves on the faculty for the International Ballet Competition, directs dance films, and instructs yoga, Pilates, and group wellness classes.
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“Ann could have easily followed other paths within the field of dance, yet she “Ann was a foundational aspect of my career,” Leonard says. “She was one of the first people to introduce the choreographic aesthetic, and the first to present Pilates into my life.” Leonard said Sorvino is still one of her major role models and is inspired by Sorvino’s love of teaching and her desire to continue learning through teaching. “I applaud that she has stayed at SBS for so many years,” Leonard said. “She could have easily followed other paths within the field, yet she loves her role at the school. She has found a way to stay engaged in her craft and enthralled with her job.” Like many of her students, Sorvino was introduced to dance as a small child. Her mother, Maryann Westhoff, is a master tapper. Growing up in Quincy, Illinois, Sorvino took tap, acrobatics and jazz classes. Her passion for modern dance was sparked by the arrival to her hometown of a modern dancer from Chicago, Pamela Bedford. Sorvino’s mother started dancing with Bedford first and then later brought Sorvino along. “Eventually Pamela started a dance company that I joined and we began touring in the Midwest,” Sorvino said. “Pamela also took us to see the Jose Limon Dance
loves her role at SBS. She has found a way to stay engaged in her craft and enthralled with her job.” Company in St. Louis and my fate was sealed. I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to do anything else.” After graduating from high school in 1976, Sorvino went to Juilliard – “Somehow, I got in,” she says – where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. One of Sorvino’s greatest influences was Martha Hill, the dance director at Juilliard, who danced with Martha Graham. Hill encouraged Sorvino to attend classes at the Merce Cunningham studio on the weekends, which led to her joining the dance company after graduating from Juilliard in 1980. While at Juilliard, Sorvino performed the works of Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow, and Martha Graham with the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, and also performed throughout New York with the Lincoln Center Touring Program.
In 1980, Sorvino got a full scholarship to the Merce Cunningham Foundation and School. During her three years at Merce, Sorvino also taught classical repertory as an assistant to Sokolow at Juilliard and taught professional company classes at the Greene Street Dance Studio in New York City. She danced with Grethe Holby, Diane Frank, and Debra Reilly. In 1983, Sorvino came to Stoneleigh-Burnham, where she teaches modern, ballet, jazz, pointe, dance history, composition, and production, as well as yoga and Pilates. She is chair of the Performing Arts Department and also teaches International Baccalaureate Dance. At SBS, she produces four full concerts per year, and has choreographed many musicals, including Anything Goes, The Boyfriend, Chicago, Hello Dolly, Nunsense, and Little Shop of Horrors. For the past 18 years, Sorvino has also been a professor of dance at nearby Greenfield Community College, and has taught dance in other settings and performed professionally around the country and overseas. She is the director of the Sorvino Dance Project, which has produced more than 50 dances throughout New England, the Midwest, Greece, and Thailand. The company has produced many benefit concerts with proceeds benefitting AIDS research,
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Faculty Profile: Ann Sorvino
The Food Bank of Western Mass, the Children’s Defense Fund, and Necessities. Her professional dancing over the years also includes a stint at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Lee, Mass., and the Danny Grossman Dance Company in Toronto. Since 2002, she has been involved in the Chaos Theory Dance Company under Billbob Brown. She has also danced with the Dana Salisbury Dance Performance in New York and Blaze Dance in Philadelphia, Boston and New York. In 2014, she traveled with 18 student dancers and musicians from StoneleighBurnham to the Surin International Folkloric Dance Festival in Surin, Thailand. As part of the 10-day trip, the group performed a full-scale dance production of The Wizard of Oz, which was directed by Sorvino with a musical score arranged by SBS music teacher Greg Snedeker. Claire Lane, an 11th grader at SBS, was one of the student dancers who traveled to Thailand. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old and has been a student at Stoneleigh-Burnham since the 7th grade. Lane, of Greenfield, is an advanced dance student and a student in IB Dance. In a recent IB Dance class, Sorvino sat on the floor with several students and watched as Lane rehearsed “Fall and Rebound,” her IB Dance solo project. At first, Lane’s movements were fluid, but became increasingly choppy, strong and sharp as the dance continues and the “machine breaks down.” Lane’s written statement about her dance says it is a metaphor for her life: “… when I descend into failure and the difficulties I face as
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I try to move forward from these past mistakes. Recovery from failure is a large obstacle I face in my life because I tend to dwell on failure, which makes me less confident and hinders my ability to move beyond and achieve success.” Lane says Sorvino has given her a lot of confidence as a dancer and a student, and while she’s not sure which direction she will take her dancing after high school, she knows she will continue to dance. “For me, dance is the perfect balance,” Lane said. “It’s a stress reliever. When I am dancing or choreographing I don’t have to worry about anything except the movements.” Ashley Daigle ’10, recalls how Sorvino helped her deal with rejection. When most of her friends were getting accepted into college, Daigle was auditioning, often one of hundreds of dancers trying out for a very small number of spots in a dance conservatory. “Ann was with me through all of it,” Daigle said. “She said, ‘Welcome to the dance world. This is very much what it’s like. Rejection is a huge part of it.’ When I was feeling discouraged, Ann told me it would all work out and that I would end up where I was meant to be. She was very realistic. I don’t know if I could have done it without Ann.” Daigle went to Goucher College in Baltimore and majored in dance with a concentration in performance and choreography. Daigle recently moved to Chicago, where she trains and takes classes at the Hubbard Street dance company.
For Camille Mireku ’07, coming to SBS and taking dance classes with Sorvino eased her anxiety as a dancer and helped her in other aspects of her life. “I came from a dance school that was very strict and ‘nice’ wasn’t the way to develop future professional dancers,” Mireku said. “Ann was a breath of fresh air which allowed me to relax. Dancers have a lot of anxiety due to wanting to leave lasting impressions. Ann’s aura fashioned me to believe and trust that my talents truly speak for themselves.” Mireku went on to the College of William and Mary, where she minored in dance. In college, she traveled with and was a member of Orchesis Dance Company and Gravity Optional Dance Company. Now, she is a 6th grade math teacher in New York City. She still dances and plans to work with Leah Glenn Dance Theater in the near future. Mireku says Sorvino is one of the teachers to whom she owes her success. “Whenever I had an audition, or job interview, her teachings always resonated in my mind,” she said. “Ann helped me realize that my happiness as a person and dancer comes from within, and no failed audition or shortcoming could destroy that.” Sorvino says she tries to always remind herself what it is like to be a student. On school breaks, she travels to New York to take classes “to keep myself fresh in what is new out there and find new things I can then share with our students here.” Expressing yourself through dance can feel so vulnerable, Sorvino observes.
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“With other forms of art, you are once removed,” she said. “But, with dance, it’s your body.” She keeps this in mind as she teaches but also notices how comfortable girls at Stoneleigh-Burnham are, as they are often seen dancing in the halls. “I really see that when a girl has success in the dance studio, that self-confidence spills over into other aspects of her life,” Sorvino said. “I also think that even if dance doesn’t play a role in their life in the years to come, they have an appreciation of the discipline and the grit it takes to become a dancer.” She added, “I feel like I am just now becoming a good teacher. It took 30 years to feel that confidence. I think the most important part about teaching is listening; to the girls and to what they are saying with their bodies. As Martha Graham once said, ‘Movement never lies.’” Mary Pura said she appreciated Sorvino’s inclusiveness as a dance teacher and her wholehearted support. “Ann sees the good in all her dancers,” Pura said. “She does not leave anyone behind and works to make everyone feel like they can be the best dancer they can be.” She added, “I always loved to see the expression on Ann’s face whenever we came off the stage from a performance. It didn’t matter if we were awful or if we were perfect. She was genuinely proud of us.”
Top: Ann pictured with Mary Pura ’13. Bottom: Ann pictured with Camille Mireku ’07.
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Alumnae Profile: Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh
INSPIRING RESILIENCE
Gigi Altmiller McIntosh ’72 Forges a New Path By Nicole Letourneau, Public Relations Coordinator
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his fall, Stoneleigh-Burnham School inducted Margaret “Gigi” Altmiller McIntosh into its Equestrian Wall of Fame. Established in 2010, the Wall of Fame honors equestriennes who have made outstanding contributions to riding during their time at Stoneleigh-Burnham or in life thereafter. McIntosh was one of four alumnae honored at the induction ceremony in September. Joining her on the Wall of Fame are three other accomplished riders, Alexandra Warriner ’90, Alexandra Linscheid O’Toole ’03 and Caroline Roffman ’06. For each of these women, the recognition for their outstanding achievements as riders was well-deserved. But, McIntosh’s story is unique. McIntosh, who lives in Reading, Pa., graduated from Stoneleigh-Burnham in 1972. For many years, she competed at the international level in three-day eventing shows. Known as the triathlon of equestrian sports because it incorporates dressage, cross-country and show jumping, eventing requires a high level of discipline and stamina. During the 1990s, McIntosh was on track to be a world-class competitor in eventing.
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In 1990, she made the U.S. Equestrian Team long list for the Pan American Games for the first time. She competed at that level throughout the 1990s and was invited to the USET training sessions in 1997 and 1998. She finished the Rolex Kentucky CCI three-star and the Fair Hill
Her initial diagnosis was incomplete quadriplegic. She had broken one bone in her neck, her C6 vertebra, and initially she was paralyzed from the chest down.
International three-star in 1997, qualifying her for competition at high-level events, including the Olympics. In 1998, she completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI Four-Star Three Day event. A CCI 4 * designation, the most prestigious, qualifies riders in the top eight international competitions.
At this high point in her career, McIntosh suffered a tragic fall. She was competing with her horse, Fred, at a cross-country event at Morven Park in Leesburg, Va. It was 1999, just three days before her 44th birthday. In a short film about her life titled “Fork in the Road,” produced and directed by Cindy Connors, McIntosh describes the accident. “When we came up to a formidable ramp jump, unfortunately, Fred stood off, and I asked him to stand off way too far from this jump,” McIntosh said. “His front end cleared the jump but his back legs were caught on the top of the jump like a rabbit in a snare, and it just grabbed his feet so he fell on his shoulder. My chin hit the ground with a lot of force, and the next thing I knew I was lying there. Fred had run away, and I couldn’t get up.” Her initial diagnosis was incomplete quadriplegic. She had broken one bone in her neck, her C6 vertebra, and initially she was paralyzed from the chest down. At first, McIntosh didn’t think she would ride again. She knew she would never be able to ride in the way she had enjoyed
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Alumnae Profile: Margaret ‘Gigi’ Altmiller McIntosh ’72
all her life, and admits that at first she thought to herself, “Well, what’s the point?”
trainer with farms in Vermont and South Carolina, where he and May continue to teach.
McIntosh began riding horses when she was 7 years old. As far back as she can remember, her mind was often occupied by the horses.
“The horses were always a priority,” McIntosh recalled. “Going to StoneleighBurnham made everything possible. I was able to ride every day, a little to the detriment of my social life. I missed several birthday parties because I was riding. That was the story of my life.”
“Every morning, I would get up and think, ‘What am I going to do today with the horse and what is my long-term goal that I am working towards?’” McIntosh said. “At night, I would go to bed and think about the good and bad parts of my riding that day. So many of those thoughts were intricately bound with the horses.” Stoneleigh-Burnham was the perfect school for McIntosh because it made it possible for her to ride every day. She also comes from a Stoneleigh-Burnham family. Her mother, Irene Geissler ’45, was an early member of the Alumnae Board and eventually a long-tenured Board of Trustees member. Geissler Art Gallery is named for her. McIntosh’s sister, Ricki Altmiller, graduated from StoneleighBurnham in 1980. Even before she graduated, McIntosh spent every summer working for May and Denny Emerson. Denny is the son of the couple who ran Stoneleigh-Burnham during McIntosh’s years here, and May taught riding here in the late 1960s. Denny went on to compete at the Olympic level and is still a well-known equestrian and
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“Sometimes things we see as obstacles or roadblocks are merely an opportunity to forge a new path.”
In 1976, after earning her degree in psychology from Cornell University, McIntosh went to work as the barn manager for Gunnar Ostergaard, a preeminent dressage rider, and his protogée Ellin Dixon. Then, in 1979, she traveled to West Germany to become a working student and groom for famed international dressage trainer, George Theodorescu. She returned to the United States in 1983.
McIntosh has been married since 1983 to Brian McIntosh, now a retired banker. They have two grown children, Charlotte and Cameron. At the time of her accident, her daughter was in the 8th grade and her son was in 6th grade. “They suddenly had to help me with everything,” McIntosh recalls. McIntosh spent six weeks in the hospital after her accident, where she underwent intense physical therapy, followed by nine months of outpatient therapy. Through her drive and determination along with support and encouragement from family, friends and colleagues, McIntosh began riding again just six months after her accident. “My former equestrian peers have been very enabling and even provided horses for me to ride,” McIntosh said. “They and my former coaches have all been very invested in keeping me in the loop. But, even if that had not been the case I would have tried to figure it out.” She started off working with Jane Cory, owner of the Cort Center for Therapeutic Riding at Pleasant Hollow Farm in Pleasant Valley, Pa. After years of hard work, McIntosh not only walks but she skis and rides competitively again. She initially asked Missy and Jessica Ransehousen for help just before the
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World Equestrian Games in 2010. The mother-daughter team runs Blue Hill Farm in Coatesville, Pa., a full training facility for riders in eventing and dressage and for para-equestrian riders. Lately McIntosh’s competitions are primarily in the para-equestrian world. In 2012, she qualified at the London Selection Trials for international competition in the Paralympics. She missed making the team by a narrow margin but has since been training for the 2014 World Equestrian Games. After earning Reserve National Champion status at the Selection Trials last summer, the bad timing of a para-reclassification disqualified her from the team. McIntosh reconsidered her goal and now has her eye on qualifying for the 2016 Paralympic team. McIntosh has been riding horses and competing for more than 50 years. But, today,
Through her drive and determination along with support and encouragement from family, friends and colleagues, McIntosh began riding again just six months after her accident. at the age of 59, she is a very different kind of rider than she ever imagined she would be.
2015
to raise awareness about all the ways disabled people can enable themselves to do things that at one time seemed impossible. “This is the best time to have a disability because everyone will give you a chance to try things,” she said. Sometimes things we see as obstacles or roadblocks are merely an opportunity to forge a new path, McIntosh said. “If your horse goes lame, or your instructor moves away, don’t give up,” she said. “Even though you may fail, there will always be more opportunities,” she said. “Grasp that opportunity. There are just so many opportunities out there to explore something new. Be open-minded. Keep exploring and keep going.”
“Before I got hurt I was a huge physical snob,” she said. The experience of being a disabled rider has changed her perspective. Her hope is
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Class Notes Courtney Hartford ’13 with her beloved horse “Kat”
Class Notes Please note: If your class is not listed, unfortunately we did not receive any notes to post. The Bulletin is now published as winter and summer editions. You can submit a class note and photo at any time to alumnae@sbschool.org or on the SBS website sbschool.org/alumnae/ classnote/ or email notes. For Class Agent contact information, please contact the Alumnae Relations Office at 413-774-2711 x317.
1943B
Class Agent needed! Audrey Willgoos Meehan writes: I am now 91 and have happy memories of Mary A. Burnham.
1945B - 70th REUNION!
Linda Barrows Bloodgood shares: My husband and I spent four weeks in Charleston, SC, where we had the pleasure of visiting several friends, including the couple (in this photo) who we have been close to for so many years, Ruth Metts Wright and her husband Winton Wright, from Savannah, GA.
Class Agent: Winifred Steele Walker – winwlk@yahoo.com Winnie Steele Walker writes: Hello to all classmates! I`ve been doing very well as my life in Vermont is great as my family is healthy and active; the only shadow that fell on us is my brother Frederick Steele passed away suddenly last February and we are still recovering from his sudden departure. The kids are growing and I retired from horse ownership last October when I sold my last Paint mare to a loving family near my home. They have another horse and children that will learn to ride on her, so I know she is going to a great place. Horses have been a part of my life since I was ten years young; so thankfully, I have friends that have offered to let me ride a horse of theirs anytime I wish. I have been in touch with Barbara Holden Hobart over the years and I can say that it has been wonderful to keep such a great friend over the course of my life, ever since our days at Stoneleigh. Barbara and I were able to visit earlier this summer when she came up to New England. She has sold her motor home and is living in Wilmington, NC with her mom. Her new address is: 817 Santa Maria Ave., Wilmington, NC 28411 (Ph: 910.686.5860). Hoping the rest of our classmates are well and sending my best to all!
1960B - 55th Reunion!
Class Agent: Rachael Chamberlain Schlegel – rcs4335@aol.com
Class Agent needed!
1945S - 70th REUNION!
1960S - 55th Reunion!
Class Agent: Connie Johnson Corsiglia – 101 Country Side Rd, Greenfield, MA 01301
Class Agents: Margery Lawton Cooper – mtlcooper@yahoo.com; Laura Richards – lrichards102@gmail.com
1950B - 65th REUNION!
Class Agent: Emily Cooper Stephenson – PO Box 957, Carmel, CA 93921, emilystephenson@sbcglobal.net
1965B - 50th Reunion!
1950S - 65th REUNION!
1965S - 50th Reunion!
Class Agent: Addie Warner Minott – 2518 Stage Rd, Guilford, VT 05301, pulpitfm@ myfairpoint.net
Class Agent needed!
Linda Bloodgood Barrows ’55B with fellow sister Ruth Mett Wright and husbands
1955B - 60th Reunion!
Class Agent: Patt Reinking McBane – 1200 North Shore Dr NE #212, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, forbirch@aol.com
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1957S
1955S - 60th Reunion! Class Agent needed!
Class Agent: Patricia Roberts – proberts6@ nyc.rr.com
1970 - 45th Reunion!
Class Agent Chair: Kathy Seyffer Opdycke – wlpmom@verizon.net; Class Agent: Perky Heath Hamill – peezola@optonline.net
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1974
Class Agent: Vicki Zialcita Strousse – 121 Cream Pot Rd, Hartland, VT, 05048 vzpickles@aol.com Mimi Gridley writes: I had a wonderful time at Reunion 2014 and was so excited to reconnect with classmates! Recently, I relocated to my family home on Seneca Lake right in the heart of the Finger Lakes in New York. If anyone is traveling in the area please let me know…I always have
duties every day after school. A true joy! Jesse has just become a probation officer and will go to school for nine weeks during February and March of next year. Our duties for Syble will increase at that time. I am still a part time Veterinary Technician and loving it! Between mountain biking and boot camp I am feeling fit and happy. Much love to all, Bar.
1975 - 40th Reunion!
Class Agent: Susan Murphy Mulcahy – emeraldsm@sbcglobal.net
1976
Class Agent: Susan Tyrrel – styrrel@cox.net Kimberly Meyer Ladkin shares: I am living in Bend, OR with my husband, Craig, daughter, Ruby (17), and son, Jasper (15) and continue to work in the Health and Fitness field (30 + years). During the 1990’s, I focused on Personal Training “The view from my window” - Mimi Gridley ’74 room for SBS alumnae! This is the view out my window and there are wineries just up the road. I’d love to take my sisters on an adventure up here! Tenley Morse Chevalier shares: Thoroughly enjoyed seeing classmates in June at Reunion after 40 years and marveled at how we teenagers have evolved into wonderful women! My husband and I learned later in the summer that a second granddaughter is on the way and due in February. Aging is happening but Florida is a great place to do so, and we are enjoying children/grandchildren visits when they occur. Holiday cheers and a happy new year to all! Barbara Cochran Cocherell says: As a helping class agent partner, I thought I best get some news into the Bulletin! All is well here in the mountains of North Georgia. Mack retired from flying Life Flight helicopters eight years ago and is happily retired. Our son, Dade, is happily married and after adopting Brittany’s son, Brendan, is the happy father of a ten year old! He works for Cornell Iron Works in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania. Our daughter, Jesse is happily married and has a daughter, Syble who has just turned seven. Jesse and her husband, Chris live just north of our town of Dahlonega, so we have grandparent
Kimberly Meyer Ladkin ’76 with husband Craig
“Just horsing around” Kimberly Meyer Ladkin ’76 with daughter, Ruby and son, Jasper
If you don’t see your class listed, unfortunately we did not receive any notes for your class.
2015
Betty Stout ‘61B: Susan G. Komen Survivor of the Month Betty Stout ’61B was named the Susan G. Komen (Coastal Georgia) Survivor of the month in September 2014. Shortly after relocating from New England to Savannah, GA in 2008, Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her faith, friends and pragmatic approach to all things helped Betty persevere and conquer the disease that gripped her. It has been five years since the beginning of her challenging journey and Betty still takes each day as it comes with curiosity, aplomb and a sense of humor. Through her personal trials, Betty never forgot about her alma mater and her passion for the all girls’ education at Stoneleigh-Burnham School. In the spring of 2011, Betty completed a gift at the Legacy Circle level of the 1869 Society (gifts of $100,000 or more). In the fall of 2011, she generously signed on for another Legacy Circle gift and is supporting both the Annual Fund and Endowment with her donation to StoneleighBurnham. Just recently, Betty also offered $10,000 toward the Bridge Fund. We can attribute the growth and advancement of SBS today to Betty’s generosity and the generosity of many other donors just like her!
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Class Notes
Lise Armstrong ’76 with daughter Lille
and Movement Therapy in New York City and Connecticut before moving to Oregon in 2001 where I began designing and teaching movement arts programs for children. Most recently, I am teaching healthy cooking classes and I am loving it! Shortly after leaving Stoneleigh-Burnham, I took up studying Mime Theater and worked and performed in several Mime Theater companies during and post college years. At Stoneleigh-Burnham, I have fond memories of spending numerous hours in the darkroom printing photos for the yearbook or spending all of my free time down at the barn riding horses. Although I have gone many years without, I can now proudly share that I have two four-legged family members to complete the circle. I would love to hear from StoneleighBurnham sisters through email or good old-fashioned telephone calling! Lise Armstrong writes: My sons, Brendan (28) and Christian (25), are living and working outside of Boston, MA; and my daughter, Lille (21) is finishing her senior year at the
“Family trip to Norway” - Lise Armstrong ’76 with her family, daughter Lille and sons Brendan and Christian
“My sons - Truman and Whitney” - Sue Tyrrel ’76
My son, Whitney and I at his football game Sue Tyrrel ’76
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University of Vermont with plans to move on to graduate school for Occupational Therapy. I am still working at the criminal court in Burlington, and I try to get up to my cottage as much as possible which sits on a lake in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. I hope all of my sisters from the class of 1976 are doing well! Sue-Bence Trotter Woodcox shares: Healthy and happy in Atlanta, GA, with my husband Jim and our two sons, both of which we enjoy on every level! Vance (21) will be graduating from the University of Georgia this spring and our youngest son, Buck, has a couple more years in Athens, GA. They are both avid lacrosse players and are members of their school teams! Yes… for all of my “Northern friends”, you may be chuckling about southern LAX, eyes wide open?!? I would really like to get our class of 1976 back for a reunion and I am willing to do whatever I can to see all of you back on campus - I look forward to seeing all of you back at reunion! Nancy Maurer Preston shares: I do hope that everyone is well and will contribute some news to share with the class! Recently, my biggest joy has been my grandson “Wes” who turned one year in August; I just wish I could see him more often! This past summer, my sister and I enjoyed an amazing trip over to Japan for two weeks… it was a trip of a lifetime! Otherwise, life on the mountain in rural Pennsylvania is full of black bear, turkey and deer. I do get to fly the coop when cabin fever sets in! Hope to hear from my SBS sisters!
“My Family” left to right - Marti McIntire ’76, son Alex, Mrs. McIntire, daughter-in-law Kate, daughter Megan, grandaughter Payton, son-in-law Eddie
My very “GRAND”daughter Payton and I - Marti McIntire ’76
“Japan, a trip of a lifetime” - Nancy Maurer Preston
the bulletin W I N T E R
2015
I AM A STONELEIGH-BURNHAM GIRL. “I am discovering creativity that I didn’t know existed.” Star Stryker Class of 2017
YOUR GIFT makes self-discovery possible for girls like Star.
JOIN US. GIVE NOW. Ways to give: •
Give securely online at sbschool.org/donate
•
Set up a Monthly Gift, call Anne Bridge in the Development Office at 413.774.2711 x262
•
Use the enclosed gift envelope to send a check or charge a gift to your credit card
Thank you! Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law. 25
Class Notes me in the next Bulletin! Happy New Year! Marti McIntire shares: Two photos of her family and very “Grand”daughter, Payton!
1980 - 35th Reunion!
Class Agents: Kim Day – 403 Pacific Cir, Newbury Park, CA 91320; Dawn Slaney Hill – 303 Tutwiler Dr, Trussville, AL 35173; Cindi Grader Viola – jckviola@comcast.net
1981
Class Agent: Becky Rawson Aronson Weaver – baronson75206@yahoo.com Janet “DeLucia” Cimmino ’81 with fellow SBS sister Jennifer “Jones” McIntyre ’81
“My biggest joy, my grandson, Wes” Nancy Maurer Preston Happy Holidays! Sue Tyrrel writes: Life in Arizona suits me well. I moved here in 1986 and think I might stay awhile longer. I will admit summers are long and HOT, but easier to deal with than the snow. The first photo is of my sons Truman and
Janet DeLucia Cimmino writes: Her love to fellow SBS sisters and recently visited with fellow sisters Jen Jones McIntyre & Laura Luther ’80! My sister was taking her son to orientation at the University of Colorado and Laura came to visit me at home for an overnight visit. Becky Rawson Aronson Weaver writes: I had the opportunity to see Alice Tully in Jackson Hole, WY on Friday, August 22nd. We got together for lunch and had a wonderful visit. It was great seeing her again after 33 years! I’m hoping we can see each other again at our 35th reunion in 2016!
Janet DeLucia Cimmino ’81 with fellow SBS sister Laura Luther ’81
Class notes are due May 15th and November 15th to correspond with our publishing schedule. You can submit class notes directly to the Alumnae Office on our website at sbschool.org/alumnae/classnote/
Whitney. Truman is going to ASU studying software engineering. Whitney is graduating from high school this coming year. The second photo is of me and Whitney and as you can plainly see he plays football. Not so obvious is that I pray for him and the team before each game not only to win but more importantly to receive no serious injuries, so far so good. Sending hugs to all! Jennifer Piffin Portz says: SO much has happened recently I wouldn’t even know where to begin! I am still living in the United Kingdom, in fact, I just moved into a new house last week. The Christmas rush has hit us at work, but I have to say I am loving life after many changes, such as running an interior design biz! More from
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“All of my boys” - Jennifer Jones McIntyre ’81 with her husband and four sons
Becky Rawson Aronson Weaver ’81 and Alice Tully ’81 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you don’t see your class listed, unfortunately we did not receive any notes for your class.
“Back on campus..and it feels so good” photo taken by Laura Hellman Hill ’81 while visiting SBS campus
the bulletin W I N T E R
2015
REUNION 2015 SCHEDULE
Friday, June 12th 4 - 7 p.m.
5 - 7 p.m.
Registration Wine & Cheese Reception hosted by the Alumnae Board Class years are responsible for their dinner this evening.
Saturday, June 13th 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 9:30 a.m.
12 p.m.
CALL ALL YOUR SBS SISTERS AND GET THEM TO
REUNION 2015 June 12th – June 14th Register online at sbschool.org/reunion or call the Alumnae Office at 413-774-2711 x317
Fresh Start: Enjoy a minimanicure, a massage, tennis, School tour, Pilates and more
Luncheon & Award Ceremony: We honor 1965 MAB/SPH for their 50th Reunion and all alumnae with milestone reunions. Present awards to alumnae for their dedication and support of the school.
2 p.m.
Class Photos
2:30 p.m.
Mary A. Burnham School Tour & Gathering at Wiggins Tavern
Transportation provided.
3 p.m.
Afternoon Activities: Enjoy tennis, School tour, or horseback riding. Send ideas for additional activities to the Alumnae Office.
6 p.m.
Cocktail Reception: Celebrate with fellow alumnae, faculty and the school community.
7 p.m.
Reunion 2015 Dinner and Distinguished Alumna Award (DAA) presentation
8:30 p.m.
Music and mingling.
Sunday, June 14th 8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
Join us for a girls’ weekend getaway!
Registration
11 a.m.
Breakfast
Memorial for Alumnae and Friends of the School
Alumnae Board Meeting – All alumnae welcome!
All alumnae are welcome! Full schedule to be posted online. 27
REUNION Weekend 2015 R.S.V.P. Register online at sbschool.org/reunion Or complete this registration form and mail with payment to: Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Alumnae Relations Office 574 Bernardston Road, Greenfield, MA 01301 Early Bird Special: $20 discount if you register by April 15th, 2015. Young Alumna Discount: Additional $30 off for class years 2005-2014! Name: Address: Class Year: School (circle one):
MAB
SPH
SBS
Guest(s): Dietary restrictions or special needs? (circle one): Y If so, we will call you to discuss.
N
Reunion Activities & Fees (prices are per person): Reception at Coleman House (complimentary) On Campus lodging
Y
($50/night/person)
$
Saturday Breakfast
($15)
$
Saturday Luncheon
($30)
$
MAB Trip to Northampton
($30)
$
N
I would like to room WITH I would like to room NEAR
Lodging On-campus lodging is available Friday and Saturday nights at $50 per person, per room, per night. Rooms are not airconditioned and will have basic conveniences (sheets, one pillow, one blanket, one towel, one washcloth, soap and hangers). We recommend guests bring an alarm clock, a fan, a robe, and flip flops or slippers for going to and from the bathroom.
Reservations at any of these establishments is entirely up to the alumna. Hampton Inn – Greenfield (413) 773-0057
Saturday Reception & Dinner* ($50)
$
Sunday Breakfast Buffet
($15)
$
Reunion Registration Fee
(required)
$35.00
Brandt House – Greenfield (413) 774-3329 Deerfield Inn – Deerfield (413) 774-5587
Total Registration:
$
Less Early Bird Special**
-$20.00
Less Young Alumna Discount***
-$30.00
Quality Inn – Greenfield (413) 774-2211
New Total with Discounts Enclosed
$
Hotel Northampton (413) 584-3100
*Includes full bar **Early bird Discount – registration MUST be received by April 15, 2015 ***Young Alumna classes are 2005-2014
Visa
Mastercard
Greenfield Lionhouse – Greenfield (413) 774-1732 High Pocket Farm B & B (413) 624-8988
Please make check payable to: Stoneleigh-Burnham School Please charge my:
Red Roof Inn – South Deerfield (413) 665-7161
AmEx
Account # Exp. Date:
/
Refund Policy The Reunion Registration fee is non-refundable. Requests for refunds of meals or on-campus lodging payments must be made in writing and received or postmarked no later than May 28, 2015. Questions? Contact Rachel Jackson in the Alumnae Office at 413-774-2711 x317 or at rjackson@sbschool.org
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Class Notes Jennifer Jones McIntyre says: After 20 years in Malibu, we moved to Westlake Village so we could be closer to schools and after school activities; we have two boys in college and two boys in high school. I have had several visits with Janet DeLucia Cimmino, Melissa llg Alaimo and Bridget O’Brien, over the past year – it goes without saying that we don’t miss a beat – we just pick up where we left off. I’ve also had the chance to visit with Stoneleigh-Burnham School’s Sally Mixsell and Liz Feeley when they head west! I have enjoyed catching up with alumnae on Facebook and I hope that the class of 1981 is healthy and happy! Laura Hellman Hill shares: Laura Hill Designs is moving along, more exciting than that, my daughter just got a job with Reebok in the Corporate Offices and is moving into an apartment on Beacon Hill. And, my amazing son is getting his masters of finance at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Thank goodness they are going to be successful because someone is going to need to take care of this lady in her old age! Oh, and we rescued two kittens in June and they are ridiculously adorable!
1983
Class Agent: Lois Kuiper Fuller – lcmfuller@comcast.net Huntleigh Basemore-Price shares: I am currently in Los Angeles, CA and most recently adopted the cutest Chihuahua “Chappy”. Love from the West Coast! June Coolidge Scott says: It has been so great getting involved with SBS again and getting to know all of my sisters, as I most recently joined the Alumnae Board. The big news for me this year is that I have started my own business: Visual Vitality Consulting Inc. Check us out: www.visualvitality.org. We are a nurse owned and operated disability awareness and training and compliance firm. I have also just finished shooting for a local cable show and host an international show on the web so our voices will be heard afar.
1985 - 30th Reunion!
Class Agents: Suze Stutzman Genereux – suzedesigns@verizon.net & Evelyn D. Trebilcock – Evelyn.Trebilcock@oprhp. state - Sharon Barbour Petrecca resigned as Class Agent for 1985 as of November 2014. Suze Stutzman Genereux shares: Hello to everyone in the class of 1985! I just adopted
the bulletin W I N T E R a new Chihuahua named MzBeanz and I took her on a road trip back to StoneleighBurnham during Parent’s Weekend this past October. Here she is on the bench at the main entrance. I plan to return again for Reunion 2015. I do hope to see many of you back as well – this is our 30th! Carole Knaus says: My passion for horses is as strong as ever, and I have now passed that passion on to my daughter, Molly. Here she is pictured with me at a horse show. I plan to return to Stoneleigh-Burnham this June for Reunion 2015. I hope that many of you will join me! Sharon Barbour Petrecca shares: We rescued two dogs a while back and are so delighted that we did. They are such a wonderful addition to our family. My girls are strong and independent in which I credit with my SBS experience. Cheers to all!
1989 Class Agents: Julie Gunther – julesgunther@ yahoo.com; Sam Loud Migon – migons@ bellsouth.net
2015
STONELEIGH-BURNHAM HAS AN ALUMNAE APP!
SBS Board Chair Allison Porter is the 2014 Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) and DMAW Educational Foundation recipient of the Industry All Star Award, which recognizes her for exemplary work in marketing fundraising, her strong and effective leadership, and her many talents surrounding her work as a dedicated and generous member of her community. This award honors Allison for “behavior that should be emulated throughout the industry,” “serving as a role model,” and “constantly getting the best out of people and continuing to attract the best and the brightest.” Allison is the co-founder and president of Avalon Consulting Group.
1990 - 25th Reunion!
Dionne Cason, Melanie McCusker Fenstemaker, Tamar Cooke Luck ,Teresa WilliamsYetming
1995 - 20th Reunion!
Class Agent: Emily Clarke Whitney – ewhitney@ bement.org
1996 Carole Knaus ’85 and her daughter Molly at a horse show
Class Agents: Mary Ellen Hennessey Blake – mary_ellen_hennessey@hotmail. com - Marguerite Barrett Murray – margueriteba@yahoo.com Sara Dodson Holmes writes: The last time I wrote in the Bulletin was probably four years ago after I got married. In typical write-to-schoolnewsletter-after-major-life-event fashion, this time it’s to share we have a one-and-a-half year old little boy, Rowan Dodson Holmes, who is keeping us (happily) busy. I’m back at my architecture job, focusing on sustainable design following LEED and PassivHaus among other things (psst...the solution doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated). My husband stays at home Mr. Mom’ing it. We defy you, traditional gender roles! I’ve been lucky to see some of my 1996 SBS sisters
“Visiting SBS campus with my newly adopted Chihuahua “MzBeanz” - Suze Stutzman Genereux ’85
If you don’t see your class listed, unfortunately we did not receive any notes for your class.
DOWNLOAD the Stoneleigh-Burnham alumnae app for FREE
With the app you can:
• Easily share the app with classmates through the “Invite a Friend” feature • Network with other alumnae through LinkedIn • Connect with other alumnae worldwide through the Directory Download by scanning this code with your phone or searching for StoneleighBurnham Alumnae in the iTunes store.
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Class Notes
Haley Pierson ’03 celebrates her graduation from the Physician Assistant Program at Springfield College Jenna Hubbard ’05 and her husband Phil Karcher were married in Northampton, MA this summer. lately – Juli Goodwin Jakub, Karen Richmond Benin, Logan Mott Chase, and Linda Tucker Jones. Whenever I need to remember what year I graduated high school, echoes of chanting “96! 96! 96!” to open housemeetings always help and make me smile. Hoping to see lots of ’96ers at Reunion 2016. As Rowan says, “Bye, see you.” I would love to hear from my SBS sisters, email me at: sgdodson@gmail.com
rently employed at New England Orthopedic Surgeons at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. During the summer of 2014, I spent two weeks in Tuscany before starting my new position at Baystate Medical Center. My fiance, Samuel Dibble, owns New City Brewery in Easthampton, which is also where we are living.
2000 - 15th Reunion!
Class Agent: Erica Marback – Wedges9@aol.com
Class Agent: Caisey Jefferson Kakascik – cjeff2@ yahoo.com
2003
Class Agent: Jessica Fydenkevez – jess.fydenkevez@gmail.com Haley Pierson says: I graduated from the Physician Assistant Program at Springfield College in Springfield, MA and I am cur-
Class notes are due May 15th and November 15th to correspond with our publishing schedule. You can submit class notes directly to the Alumnae Office on our website at sbschool.org/alumnae/classnote/
30
2005 - 10th Reunion! Jenna Hubbard Karcher shares: On May 10th I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree. A little over a month later, on June 8th, I got married in Northampton, MA. My sisters, Kaylan Hubbard ’00 and Bethany Hubbard ’02 were bridesmaids. Meghan Royal, Alicia de la Vega Billingsley, Miriam Przybyla-Baum (SBS teacher) and Cathy Warren (former SBS teacher) were all guests of mine! My husband, Phil and I currently live in Jamaica Plain, MA. After finishing a yearlong externship in the audiology department at Boston’s VA Medical Center, I accepted a job as a clinical audiologist in a private practice in Brookline, MA. I would love to connect with any SBS sisters living in the Boston area!
Haley Pierson ’03 tours Tuscany
Huntleigh Basemore Price and her newly adopted Chihuahua “Chappy”
the bulletin W I N T E R
2015
In Memoriam
“Wedding Day” Erika Ahbel ’06 with fellow SBS sisters Kendra Fleming, Emily Palmer Lough, Elizabeth Smith and Mollie Bensen
2006
Class Agents: Natalie Rosenstock – djeterbaby02@yahoo.com - Marcy Segal – marcyasegel@gmail.com Erika Ahbel writes: On July 19th, I married the love of my life in New York City in an intimate ceremony surrounded by friends and family. Lucia and I couldn’t have asked for a better evening or a more memorable day. Fellow SBS sisters joined me, including Kendra Fleming, Emily Palmer Lough, Elizabeth Smith and Mollie Bensen.
2010 - 5th Reunion!
Class Agents: Audrey Lewis – alewis@sbschool.org; Chi-Hung Liao – xurucj@hotmail.com; Colleen Mangan – mangan.colleen@gmail.com
2013
Class Agent: Kate Strousse kstrouss@uvm.edu Courtney Hartford shares: I was able to get to the beach soon after Labor Day with my friends (both two and four legged), and the best part, we were able to ride our horses. The weather was perfect and we all enjoyed ourselves and let the horses gallivant through the ocean water (photo credits to my mother, Kim Hartford, for the amazing photo of Kat and myself). Not long after, I went to Connecticut for a horse show with Kat, where we had some amazing rides. It was a nice way to relax from schoolwork. I am looking forward to a great spring semester!
Listed Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Damaris “Dicey” Atwater Jane Crossland Bart Suzanne Hadley Himmelright Joan Bindloss Humphreys Luella Crocker Richardson Jean Carroll Moore Beach Judith Piel Skinner
40S 41B 45B 46B 46B 53S 65B
Departed: Departed: Departed: Departed: Departed: Departed: Departed:
1/6/12 3/3/11 2/19/12 3/28/13 1/22/14 4/10/14 7/12/14
Stoneleigh Prospect Hill Mary A. Burnham Mary A. Burnham Mary A. Burnham Mary A. Burnham Stoneleigh Prospect Hill Mary A. Burnham
37S 39S 42B 43B
Departed: Departed: Departed: Departed:
1/3/13 6/26/13 7/7/14 4/9/13
Stoneleigh Prospect Hill Stoneleigh Prospect Hill Mary A. Burnham Mary A. Burnham
Not Pictured: Nancy Edwards Cox Judith Ewing Kurzban Joan Prout Ruby Jean Holbrook Olsson
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Coda
The Lessons of War: Aleppo, Syria by Karen Mardini, Class of 2014
T
he first time I heard gunshots, I was lying in the safety of my warm bed. I was jolted awake at 2 a.m. in the dead of night and lay there quietly, ears straining for another sound. Fear and anxiety seized my body. I couldn’t move. My breath was labored and I could hear my heart pounding inside my head, demanding to be let out. I didn’t move for fear of rustling the sheets and making noise. I lay there, immobile, waiting for twenty minutes before I chalked up the gunshots to my overly active imagination.
“Cultural Identity” by Yasmin Baksh ’15
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The next morning, the streets were eerily quiet. It was Saturday, but my father hadn’t gone to work and there wasn’t the bustle of activity that I would usually hear from the streets. Instead, there were two men with rifles keeping guard near the roundabout my house overlooked. My mother and father were standing together in the living room, pointing worriedly at the empty streets. There appeared to be an altercation. One of the men had roughly grabbed a passerby and shoved him down onto the asphalt, pressing a gun to his head. My father tentatively took a step out onto the balcony to get a closer look, but the second man let loose a string of curses and raised his gun.
the bulletin W I N T E R
2015
I learned to cherish friendship. I learned that humans can adapt “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get back inside!” He punctuated his words with a gunshot. Everyone stayed indoors that day. Soon, gunshots and explosions became daily occurrences. Every day was littered with seemingly random bursts of artillery. In class, we learned to sigh and continue with our work. An increase in violence led to an increase in emigration. People started trickling out of the country. Close friends immigrated to Armenia. Others, to Lebanon. Yet I still went to school every day to learn about logarithms and imaginary numbers while others remained at home. I worked diligently to complete my 10th grade education in an environment where electricity was available five hours a day, school was often canceled, and even the classroom environment was hostile. I left Syria in May of 2012 and headed for boarding school in the United States. I have been here in Massachusetts for over a year and find myself constantly bombarded with news of my home. I cannot associate the Syria I remember with the pictures and videos of Syria that I see on the Internet. The buildings streaked with soot, the broken windows,
to any environment. I learned the importance of education. Most importantly, I learned what it feels like to lose a home. rubble, ruins, and flames are just pixels on a website. Rationally, I understand that the city has changed. The hotel I used to pass everyday on my way home really has been reduced to a pile of rubble. The national park five minutes from my house really has burned down. However, war isn’t ugly because of the physical damage it causes to buildings and landscapes. Physical damage can be repaired. In the two years of escalating conflict, I watched best friends become worst enemies. Those who worked together on projects, ate lunch together, and divulged their deepest secrets to one another no longer spoke. Classmates I had known since the age of five now
spat in each others’ faces because of differences in their ideological beliefs. A few of us who refused to outwardly pick sides became our own isolated group. The sense of community and friendship we had fostered for twelve years was ruined. I learned to cherish friendship and community. I learned that humans can adapt to any environment. I learned the importance of education. But most importantly, I learned what it feels like to lose a home.
About the author: Karen Mardini graduated in 2014 from Stoneleigh-Burnham School. One of the main reasons Karen came to SBS was our International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. She is now studying at Harvard.
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