the bulletin - Spring 2012

GROWTH the

SPRING

2012

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Stoneleigh-Burnham School

issue

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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 confidence to think independently and act ethically, secure in the knowledge that her voice will be heard.

Nafisatou Dasom Yoon ‘12 Acrylic on panel

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in this issue: 2

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Finding our voice, finding our stride

A letter from Sally L. Mixsell ’69 Head of School A Trimester in Photographs – Spring at SBS Real growth can’t occur without real change

by Bryna Cofrin-Shaw ’10

Fostering Growth: For Liz Jaeschke de Buenrostro ’82, Motherhood Happened Overnight

by Susanna H. Thompson

Growing Up: Now in its eighth year, the Middle School is bigger than ever and soundly committed to its roots. Bill Ivey reports on page 16. photo by John Nordell P’17

12 Rooted in Research and Guided by

Mission: The Growth of the Middle School

by Bill Ivey, Dean of the Middle School

14 Mrs. Patt Retires After Thirty-One

Years of Service

by Eric Swartzentruber P’13, ’16, Director of Admissions

16 Judith Howard Whitney Terry ’56B

to Receive Distinguished Alumna Award

by Susanna H. Thompson

18 Alumnae Events 20 Class Notes 34 In Memoriam 34 A Tribute to John Endicott Emerson

by Regina Mooney, PhD, Director of Development and Alumnae Relations

36 Coda – Being somewhere

other than home

by Sara Plunkett, Intern

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: 4+ year seniors from the Class of 2012: (from top to bottom) Bree Wisniewski, Monée Neal, Lizzy Galluzzo, and Mia Anthony.

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A Letter from the Head of School

Finding our voice, finding our stride

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ne day last spring one of our sophomores sauntered into my office and said, “You know how you always talk about wanting us to find our voice?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Well,” she continued. “It’s kind of amazing, but I think that has really hap-

a “growth year” for our young debate team resulted in one of our sophomores being chosen to represent the U.S. in the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Tournament in Australia. Three of our Middle Schoolers brought home a school placement of fourth in a field of fifteen high school teams at another recent tournament. Our Varsity Basket-

It is our love of StoneleighBurnham that has allowed for our notable growth pened to me this year.” She went on for some time about how and why that may have occurred, and she was extremely proud of herself for recognizing her own significant growth. There is no better feeling for teachers than to think that we had something to do with that kind of development in a child. It is why we delight in graduation, a time to reflect on each girl’s journey through high school and to marvel at some of the personal success stories that walk across the stage to accept a well-deserved diploma.

As we approach graduation this year we mark growth in all kinds of directions – individual and institutional, artistic and intellectual, fiscal and physical. For instance, as of February 29th our campus grew by 3 acres and a house; we are now the proud owners of 602 Bernardston Road, thanks to the generous gift of one of our alumnae. What was anticipated as 2

ball team won the River Valley (RVal) Athletic League tournament after getting a slow start in the season.

Nearing the end of my fourth year as head of school, I can also cite my own development as a first time head.

Lifelong learning has taken on a new meaning for me as I have battled the unexpected challenges of a weakened economy and its effects on a small New England boarding school. Bolstered by the strength of a smart and thoughtful Board, an incredibly nimble administrative team, a competent and patient faculty and a dedicated and talented staff, I have found myself turning to all I have learned and known in an effort to deserve the mantle of leader of this wonderful school. I have called upon many personal and professional friends to do me favors, give me guidance and serve as sounding boards, and I have

strengthened my own voice as we have clarified the language of our vision for the future. I naively thought my lessons from Stoneleigh-Burnham would have ended in 1969, the year of my own graduation. I was very wrong!

I recently attended the annual conference for independent schools where I listened to Mr. John Hunter speak. The inventor of the World Peace Game, a fourth grade simulation about which an award-winning documentary has now been made, Mr. Hunter talked about true learning as the intersection between love and challenge – a concept that I have mulled over ever since. I believe it is our love for Stoneleigh-Burnham School, paradoxically enhanced by the combination of normal and so many unexpected challenges, that has allowed for our notable personal and institutional growth over these past four years. How has that manifested itself in all areas of our school? That is the focus of this edition of the Bulletin.

You will read here about many other areas of growth in our School’s family from which we take inspiration. It has been a wonderful, wonderful year of excitement, pride, and – yes – growth.

Enjoy this edition of our Bulletin!

With continued inspiration from your own contributions to our development,

Sally Mixsell ’69, Head of School

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Hannah and Lizzy Class of 2012

Striving to be Our Best With your support we will have the tools and resources to become our best, just like all the girls who have flourished here before.

Make an impact. Increase your gift this year.

Ways to give: Give online at www.sbschool.org/gift Use the enclosed gift envelope to send a check or credit card donation.

Call the Development Office at 413.774.2711 Gifts are tax-deductable as allowed by law.

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the bulletin SPRING

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Editor Susanna H. Thompson Design Peter Chilton peterchilton.com Editorial Board Mitch Anthony P’12 Liz Feeley, Associate Director of Development and Alumnae Relations Sally L. Mixsell ’69, Head of School Regina Mooney, PhD, Director of Development and Alumnae Relations

Above Left: Emily Uwase ’13 and Tillula Lowe-Stuart ’13 at the ARTSPACE Teen Art Awards. Above Right: A day of ‘Color Wars’ closed Spirit Week with vibrancy.

Contributors Bryna Cofrin-Shaw ’10 Liz Feeley, Associate Director of Development and Alumnae Relations Bill Ivey, Dean of the Middle School Regina Mooney, PhD, Director of Development and Alumnae Relations Sara Plunkett, Intern Eric Swartzentruber P ’13, ’16, Director of Admissions Susanna H. Thompson, Communications Manager Photography Contributors Jessica Durfey Francesca Eremeeva Paul Franz Cole Garrett Laura Lavallee Michael Merritt Hank Mixsell John Nordell Susanna Thompson Chia-Jung Tsou Derrick Zellmann

Above Left: Debate coach Paul Bassett after the Debate Society took 1st Place at the KingswoodOxford Tournament. Above Right Top: Jane Logan ’14, Mary Pura ’13, Maraina Weyl ’15, and Caroline Lord ’14 took first place at the Kingswood-Oxford Public Speaking Tournament in January. Above: Students took a day off from school for our annual Winter Thaw day.

Student Art Contributor Dasom Yoon ’12 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 www.sbschool.org the bulletin is printed with vegetable based inks on 55% recycled FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper, with 30% post consumer fiber.

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Above Left: The first sign of spring in the courtyard bloomed early this year. Above Middle: On Super Hero Day of Spirit Week, English teacher Shawn Durrett dressed as Wonder Reader. Above Right: Over Spring Break, a group of twelve students and two teachers traveled to Costa Rica for community service, language immersion, and fun!

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Head of School Sally Leach Mixsell ’69 Board of Trustees Kathy Seyffer Opdycke ’70, Chair Allison Porter ’89, Vice Chair Rich Hubbard P’00, ’02, ’05, Secretary Ann Sorvino and Dr. Greg Snedeker were part of a group of artists who traveled to Thailand as the U.S. delegation to the International Folk Festival in Surin.

Annette A. Cazenave ’74, Treasurer Shayna Appel ’78, P’04 John Barrengos Nancy Corsiglia ’74 Anne Quantrell Dennen ’70 Kimberly Eldridge ’92 Jennifer Eremeeva P’15 Charles Gledhill P’13 Rebecca Knapp ’85

Above Left: Over Long Winter Weekend a group of students and faculty traveled to Quebec. Above Right: In the winter, skiing is an afternoon recreation option.

Below: A: Francesca Eremeeva ’15 with her horse, Twist. B: Students on the Costa Rica Spring Break trip went ziplining through the canopy. C: Students lit up the stage in “Happy End.” D: Head of School Sally Mixsell and Science Teacher Taylor Williams taught the art of a dinner party during Winter Thaw Day.

Barbara Mayo Llewellyn ’69 Mary Maloney ’69 Laura B. Richards ’60S Helene A. Robbins Sally Leach Mixsell ’69, Ex-officio Lisa Zereski Adams ’87, Ex-officio Alumnae Board President Nancy L. Diver ’53B, Emerita

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B

C

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F. Michael Donohue, Jr. P’78, Emeritus Elinor Johnstone Ferdon ’54B, Emerita John McNear P’79, Emeritus Elizabeth T. Stout ’61B, Emerita

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The Growth Issue – Alumnae Perspectives

Real growth can’t occur without real change

by Bryna Cofrin-Shaw ’10

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mph sustained winds and 40 mph gusts twisted the disc through the sky in every direction. With winds strong enough to pick my entire Ultimate Frisbee team off the field, the disc seemed to have a mind of its own, making catching, never mind any semblance of strategy or “flow,” a hard task. It was a difficult day of Ultimate, and even under the warm California sun, my team - Disco Inferno, was growing frustrated. Then, in our fourth and final game, I found myself flinging my body horizontally through the air and landing with the disc firmly in my hands. In Ultimate, we call this “laying out” and while I had slid or tumbled across many fields in the past year and a half to catch a disc, there was quite a difference between these scrappy grabs and a real layout. Laying out wasn’t just jumping or falling any which way; it was

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“The reason I’m finally able to throw myself across the field is the same reason I finally feel completely happy about how I spend my time and energy at college; I’ve stopped over-thinking.” its own graceful species. My catch didn’t win us the game; it didn’t even lead to a point, but for the next few days, every time I felt the soreness in my shoulders, I felt a little pride from that moment.

A week before traveling to this windy tournament at Stanford University, my coach had been reviewing proper layout form with our team. He had told us that if we constantly think, “I want to

layout,” it will never happen in a game.

Instead, we must stop thinking and start feeling only the need to catch the disc, whatever way we can. This was how layouts occurred. I can’t really say that my first legitimate layout was a profound moment in my life; but I can say that the more I pondered my coach’s words, the more I saw how his advice applied to much of my life these days.

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When I was asked to write an essay about my own “growth” since leaving SBS, I tried to think of significant moments in the last two years, but my mind kept coming back to the present, to this semester. As a second year student at Brown University, many of my friends are feeling the stress and limbo-lostness of the “sophomore slump,” but I’ve found it hard to relate to these sentiments lately. I believe the growth I’ve undergone is realizing that the reason I’m finally able to throw myself across the field for a disc is the same reason I finally feel completely happy about how I spend my time and energy at college; I’ve stopped over-thinking. I’ve stopped trying to be the “college Bryna” I imagined for myself when I was a student at SBS, and am going after what makes me happy and fits the person I want to be today, instead, while using everything I learned at SBS. From what I’ve heard, Stoneleigh Burnham is growing in many ways itself these days. I was so excited to hear that SBS placed second in the Green Cup Challenge, and that the school was represented by Jane Logan in Australia, for debate and public speaking. These are things that make me so proud to be an SBS alumna. The new International Baccalaureate program is a tremendous sign of growth, and along with growing enrollment and changes throughout the school, SBS is moving in an exciting direction. But all of these changes also mean that every time we, as alumnae,

come back to visit, this little school may be a little different from the one we remember. A year ago that may have made me nostalgic; today it just makes me excited to see what comes next. Real growth can’t occur without tremendous change, and though I admit I’m a little

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and value the Spirit of the Game more than the score. And these days, when I’m not studying or playing Ultimate, I’m writing and performing sketch comedy in Brown’s troupe Out of Bounds, or writing satire for our all-female comedy blog on campus.

“…I’m happy to see myself becoming someone who can take risks and make leaps without over-thinking exactly where she’ll land. I know I have SBS to thank for much of this…” jealous the IB program didn’t exist when I was a student, I am so excited to see Stoneleigh-Burnham expand and change shape.

As I said before, the person I am now is very different than the one I imagined for myself two years ago. I thought making a positive impact in the world required that I be a serious person involved in “serious” pursuits. While I am an Environmental Studies concentrator and hope to work in this field, this is the first semester that I’ve given up over-thinking whether I’m doing the “right” things with my time. Outside of class I play Ultimate Frisbee, and though we take the sport seriously, we also wear sparkly “flair” to tournaments, play Zip-ZapZop with the other team during halftime,

I suppose I’m doing sillier things with my time than I ever imagined. But I’m also happy to see myself becoming someone who can take risks and make leaps without over-thinking exactly where she’ll land. I know I have SBS to thank for much of this, and I can’t wait to be back on campus for graduation, proud to be witnessing all the ways SBS and my fellow alumnae have grown in ways different, and better, than I may have imagined.

Bryna Cofrin-Shaw graduated in 2010. She is a sophomore at Brown University where she is concentrating in Environmental Studies.

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The Growth Issue – Alumnae Perspectives

Fostering Growth: For Liz Jaeschke de Buenrostro ’82, Motherhood Happened Overnight

by Susanna H. Thompson photography by Cole Garrett

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t the time Liz Jaeschke de Buenrostro ’82 and her husband Mauricio decided to be parents, California had the largest foster care population in the entire United States. An estimated 86,000 children were in foster care, in group settings or living with relatives. In San Diego County alone, roughly 6,000 children were waiting to be adopted.

News reports were appearing in the paper and on the nightly news that up to 900 children each day were looking for homes in San Diego. Liz and Mauricio had married in their forties. They were successful and living comfortably, but Liz had always wanted to be a mother.

Throughout her career, she had volunteered at a homeless shelter and had quietly noticed just how many young women and children visited for meals and a safe place to sleep. It was 2005 and Liz and Mauricio decided to adopt.

In California, a family adopting is required to foster the child or children until the adoption process is final. It can take years from the time a family decides to adopt until a child or multiple children are placed in the home. And even then, the official adoption is far from being complete. At first, Liz and Mauricio agreed that they would adopt just one child. They began to sort through the paperwork, to enter the system as potential foster-to-adoptive parents. They were interviewed. Their home was assessed and approved by a social worker.

And then, they waited. And waited. Liz’s mother had influence in the community and offered to help them speed-up the process, but Liz insisted that it happen

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The Growth Issue – Alumnae Perspectives

“They didn’t come to us with a vision for their lives.

And now, we’re trying to help them explore the idea of a future." as it would for anyone else in the system.

As the years passed, Liz and Mauricio began to lose hope – they nearly gave up all together when they found out that the state did not allow for closed adoptions, in which adoptions could occur completely confidentially without the adoptive family knowing the biological parents. And then in 2009, Liz's mother, Nora Nugent Jaeschke ’54B, passed away and suddenly she felt a renewed sense of urgency to become a mother.

Throughout the waiting years, Liz had been gently trying to convince Mauricio that just maybe they could adopt more than one child. She is the youngest of three and Mauricio is the oldest of seven children, so neither was a stranger to the idea of a big family. Their home was revisited and the social worker approved the couple not just for two children, but for three. As Liz says, “I stressed to Mauricio that one child would be harder than three. And I felt like, ‘If I’m go-

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ing to do this, I’m going to go all the way.’” They agreed to foster-to-adopt up to three children, and shortly thereafter on a bright, sun-filled Monday in August 2010, Liz and Mauricio received the call for which they’d been waiting five years. On the other end of the line, a social worker relayed the news that a possible match had been found: three sisters aged two, eight and fifteen, each in different homes, but who wanted to remain together. Liz remembers that she and Mauricio looked at each other, sat up straight in their chairs, breathed in deeply and said yes, they would consider fostering-to-adopt these three girls.

They set up an appointment to meet with the social worker on Wednesday, just two days after learning of the potential match. At their appointment, the social worker would describe, in as much detail as possible, the girls’ histories – a step in the process known as the “telling”.

Liz and Mauricio braced themselves –

they knew it might be difficult to hear what had happened in the girls’ lives.

They learned about the conditions in which the girls had been living and about concerns that the youngest, two-year old Jaci, could be autistic. They learned that the girls had suffered abuse. Nevertheless, Liz and Mauricio were resolute.

They waited through the mandatory twenty-four hour period before calling their social worker to again say yes, they wanted to foster-to-adopt the girls.

They scheduled to meet fifteen year-old Shenya, eight year-old Cindy, and two year-old Jaci on Friday, just two days after the “telling”.

The three girls were living in separate houses, but geographically close to each other, not far from the Mexican border.

The drive from Liz and Mauricio’s house was about 40-minutes and during their trip, Liz and Mauricio wondered what the girls would call them – Mom? Dad? Auntie? Uncle? As they approached the

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house, Cindy and Shenya were in the front garden, standing against the backdrop of a simple home with vibrant flowers growing beside the door. A statue of the Virgin Mary peaked out from the window. A barking pit bull was chained up in the side yard. Mauricio was the first out of the car. Eight year-old Cindy’s jaw dropped and then she ran straight across the street and jumped into Mauricio’s arms while screaming, “Daddy!”

Three days later Cindy and Shenya arrived in their new home with nothing more than a pillowcase full of a few sentimental belongings. The baby, as Liz calls Jaci, arrived several days after her older sisters. As Liz recalls, she and Mauricio had to go on a massive shopping spree. Friends and family helped them to acquire a crib, toys and clothes, but first, Liz says, they had to strip the house to make room for their overnight family. They wanted the girls to feel like they had room to breath, spread out, to truly move into their home, and to feel safe. On August 26th, the one year anniversary of her mother’s death, Liz woke up for the first time ever as a mother of three. She says, “It was just like my mom – here it was, the first anniversary of her death and I was instantly the mother of three, just like she was. I could almost hear her laughing like thunder in heaven.

I knew she wanted to be a part of it. She couldn’t resist, even in death.”

Shenya and Cindy began school almost immediately and the three girls gradually adapted to their new surroundings.

Jaci was behind developmentally, but began to make great progress. Shenya and Cindy were both behind academically, but were also making progress.

And then one morning in January 2011, after Mauricio had dropped the girls off at school, he received a call from the family of his ex-wife who had been living in Mexico. Mauricio learned that his ex-wife had passed away suddenly, and that his sixteen year-old daughter, Lulu, would be coming to live with them. Lulu had grown up in Guadalajara and could not speak English. She wanted to finish her school year in Mexico before moving to San Diego. Liz and Mauricio had five months to prepare to add another teenager to the family.

They knew their home wasn’t big enough.

They didn’t even have a car that could carry everyone. So they began looking to expand. Liz and Mauricio had shared a dream of owning a ranch, but they never quite expected it would happen.

Liz stumbled on a parcel of land in North San Diego County, perfect for horses and with enough space for the family to spread out. As Liz says, “We always had this dream of an equestrian property, but quite honestly, it never would have happened without the girls coming into our lives - because of them, our dreams have come true.” They’ve named their new home the “Four Fillies Ranch” in honor of their four girls.

There are challenges to raising any children, let alone children who have bounced from house to house – some safer than others – throughout their lives. Lulu had been an only child raised in another country, speaking another language before coming to live with her Dad and stepmother. Shenya had always been the oldest child before Lulu moved in. And all four children have struggled to catch up to where they should be

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developmentally and/or academically.

Despite the challenges, Liz and Mauricio maintain a joint strength of spirit and unwavering positivity that is truly inspirational. They know some days will be harder than others, but they are encouraged by the drastic progress that the girls continue to make. Lulu has been able to share her Dad with her three new sisters and is now getting straight A’s in school. In Cindy’s last parent-teacher conference, Liz was told that she has grown academically by about three years in just one semester. Baby Jaci is thriving.

And for the first time ever, Shenya, Cindy and Jaci are able to dream about the future. As Liz says, “They’ve never had the opportunity to dream about what’s possible. They’ve been focused on just getting by, surviving. They didn’t come to us with a vision for their lives. And now, we’re trying to help them explore the idea of a future. We want to plant dreams in their hearts and minds.”

The adoption of Shenya, Cindy and Jaci is scheduled to be final on May 10th of this year. Liz’s birthday is May 11th.

And so, by the time this magazine has reached our readers’ hands, Liz will have woken up on her birthday – Mother’s Day weekend – the official mom of three girls who are now safe and free to dream about their futures.

Liz Jaeschke de Buenrostro ’82, her husband Mauricio and their four girls live in North San Diego County.

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Focus: Curriculum

Rooted in Research and Guided by Mission: The Growth of the Middle School

by Bill Ivey, Dean of the Middle School

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o get the obvious question out of the way: we have quadrupled our enrollment in the middle school since the founding year, 2004-2005. The far more important question is, why? How did we get here? As with all things StoneleighBurnham, it begins and ends with the students.

It was Fall Family Weekend, and I saw one of my 8th grade advisees approaching. She and her parents smiled at each

other encouragingly in a brief private moment before she turned and asked for her portfolio. As part of our mission to help students use their voice and be their own best selves, and given research on how young adolescents learn best, we ask our middle school students to lead parent conferences. They present a portfolio of sample work from all their courses and self-reflections on every aspect of the program, including service and athletics.

My advisee spoke as confidently about her successes as she did about her plans to improve where she recognized the need. Afterwards, her mom teared up as she reflected on the intellectual and 12

“Learning implies a willingness to take risks, which implies the possibility of failure.�

both by working to leverage the potential of its students and by serving as a model of growth.

social growth of her daughter since the previous year. Her daughter, beaming, rose to give her a hug, and then turned to her dad, a little misty-eyed himself, and hugged him as well.

years, and the strong response asking us to start a year earlier than originally planned confirmed our perception. The Association of Middle Level Education (then the National Middle School Association) had just issued the third edition of their position paper This We Believe detailing 14 research-based principles on which successful middle schools are based, and we fused those principles with the research of noted psychologist JoAnn Deak and her finding that connectedness, competence, and confidence are the core elements of self esteem in girls. Those ideas, of course, reflect and support the School’s mission effectively.

Such moments crystallize what we do and why we do it. The middle school years offer the potential for stunning growth. The brain is developing more actively than it will at any other time in life following toddlerhood. Young adolescents are developing a sense of themselves and who they are in relation to their world. A good middle school program will take advantage of that,

These ideas were built into the program from the start, even before the ten founders walked through the front doors to gather for their first day of classes. We perceived a need in the community for a school that would focus on supporting girls maintaining and developing their voices as they navigate the middle school

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For most people, and certainly the majority of girls, learning happens in relationship. Stoneleigh-Burnham Middle School teachers have a true love of learning and a belief that by sharing that excitement, we help each other and the students. We are also courageous. Learning implies a willingness to take risks, which implies the possibility of failure. Real life is not controllable and does not always run smoothly. By allowing ourselves to demonstrate resilience as we face our mistakes, we allow our students both to take risks and to develop their own resilience.

“The middle school years offer the potential for stunning growth.

The brain is developing more actively than it will at any other time in life following toddlerhood.”

At Stoneleigh-Burnham Middle School, then, individual teachers’ relationships with the world and each other lead to our individual and collective growth, which supports the growth of the program, which ultimately supports the growth of our students. All of this comes together beautifully and movingly at the end of the year in our 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony which centers on advisors reading tributes to their advisees reflecting on their accomplishments and what gifts they bring to the world. Last year, as I was speaking to one beaming advisee, I said:

“(...) I have seen first-hand your progress on trumpet, and I know this is a personal source of pride... [It] was not exactly your best friend at first, but you determined to master it, practiced, asked for and followed advice, charted your way. I will never forget the rehearsal when I looked at a high “D” and said, “You may want to take that down an octave,” and you said, “Oh no, I can do it,” and put the trumpet to your lips and blew one of the clearest and prettiest high D’s I have ever heard. You’d gone from hoping no one could hear you to being a confident and able asset to the instrumental program.

Metaphor noted?! (…)”

It was.

You can read more from Bill Ivey on our blog at sbschoolorg.wordpress.com 13

Focus: Faculty

A trusted guide who is unfailingly kind Mrs. Patt Retires After Thirty-One Years of Service

by Eric Swartzentruber P’13,’16, Director of Admissions

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” Lucille Ball spoke these words years ago and they perfectly describe Mrs. Andrea Patt’s career at Stoneleigh-Burnham School.

Since 1980, one thing has been consistently true at SBS: If you came as a student from another country you could turn to Mrs. Patt if you needed help with anything at all. From explaining how to use a washing machine, to figuring out the best cell phone plan, to offering a home-cooked meal, Mrs. Patt was always there for you. She was also there as a reassuring presence for anxious parents far away. Now, thirty-one years later, Mrs. Patt will be retiring from the SBS family at the end of this year, taking generations of memories with her.

It is a challenge to list all the areas of school life where Mrs. Patt made a difference. Beginning in 1980 as Academic Assistant, she worked for several years assisting with scheduling as well as

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grades, comments, and transcripts until her formal appointment as Registrar in 1989. Just before, in 1988, she had also taken on the role of International

Student Advisor. As the international student population grew, Mrs. Patt was appointed Director of the International Program in 2002.

Many alumnae will best remember Mrs. Patt as their college counselor.

She was first appointed Associate College Counselor in 1985 and Director

of College Counseling in 2001, a position she held until 2009. In that year, she became International Liaison in the Admissions Office, where she still serves, while also retaining the position of International Program Director.

Other duties she has held over the years include jobs as varied as academic advisor, Junior Class Dean, and member of the residential weekend duty team. As a teacher she taught TOEFL Prep and ESL history. As an administrator, she served as a member of the curriculum committee, the administrative team, the Prize Committee, the Middle School Social Team, and Upper School Student Services.

Mrs. Patt has lavished genuine motherly care on generations of girls who came to Stoneleigh-Burnham from great distances away. As the years have gone by, Mrs. Patt has worked ever more closely with our international students and their families to ensure

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“Mrs. Patt has lavished genuine motherly care on generations of girls who came to StoneleighBurnham from great distances away.” a successful transition to their new school. The paradox of Mrs. Patt’s career at Stoneleigh-Burnham is that she may be better known outside the United States than within them. Along with her husband Roger, she is also devoted to two girls who live closer to home: daughter Amy Patt ’87 and granddaughters Audrey Patt ’17 and Summer Raimondo.

Mrs. Patt has never been afraid to roll up her sleeves to help international students tackle whatever challenge they face. She guides, instructs, and if need be, gets right down into the details of any situation. Unfailingly kind, she has been a trusted guide to some, a dear friend and mentor to many, and a friendly presence to all.

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Distinguished Alumna Award 2012

Giving Back: Embodying the values of Stoneleigh-Burnham Judith Howard Whitney Terry ’56B to Receive Distinguished Alumna Award

by Susanna H. Thompson

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udith Howard Whitney Terry ’56B was standing at the front of a classroom in a small, impoverished school in Argentina on one of her numerous international service trips when she asked a young boy what he could do to make a positive change in this world.

“What could I do? We are too poor.”

Terry responded, “Well, do you have a grandmother? Can you go to the store to help your grandmother carry home her groceries?” Terry recalls that the little boy’s face was very serious as he replied, “Oh yes. Absolutely – I can do that!”

The idea that everyone can do something to affect positive change is the

an extended period of time, but you can go get Granny’s groceries. When you start very early with children, with the idea of giving back in any way you can – maybe eventually this idea, this message will stop wars,” says Terry.

Her belief in the power of giving back has taken Terry all over the world, but she credits her foundation in civic service to her family. She notes that her parents were committed to volunteerism throughout their lives. The daughter of one of the first woman pilots in World War II, she also credits her family with her strong sense of self-confidence and her conviction that women need not be limited by

“Maybe you can’t give money, maybe you can’t give an extended period of time, but you can go get Granny’s groceries. When you start very early with children, with the idea of giving back in any way you can – maybe eventually this idea, this message will stop wars.” guiding maxim of Terry’s life. She has brought this message with her both internationally and to her own backyard community in Cape Cod. “Maybe you can’t give money, maybe you can’t give 16

professional choice. She says, “I always had the drive to say, ‘I can do that.’”

A self-proclaimed “Dad’s girl,” Terry describes growing up under the auspices of her father’s successful printing

business as instilling in her the work ethic and desire to go into the business world. At Mary A. Burnham School in Northampton she recalls an affinity for mathematics, a skill that would help her later in life. She was also an accomplished musician and performed with the Smith College Band and in Burnham’s Glee Club.

After graduating from Mary A. Burnham in 1956, Terry was determined to explore beyond New England – an early wanderlust that would pervade the rest of her life. She enrolled in the finance and accounting program at the University of Colorado where she stayed for two years before transferring to Boston University. She ended up leaving BU to marry, but never lost sight of her college degree aspirations.

She raised two children, Kathryn Whitney Mansfield ’77 and John A. Whitney, Jr., before founding a real estate investment company with two locations in Boston, MA and Melbourne, FL. With a strong business savvy and no-nonsense approach, Terry built

the bulletin S P R I N G

her business from the ground up and managed successfully to fill a unique niche for out-of-state and international real estate investors. In doing so, she earned the nickname ‘Iron Lady’ from her peers in the industry.

At the same time her business was growing, Terry enrolled at the University of Massachusetts at Boston in the Business Administration program.

She ended up teaching classes in real estate concurrently while achieving her long-desired goal of a bachelor’s degree, earned in 1982. She was honored with the Department Tutorial Award for helping her peers to learn account-

accepted into the program, sold her business and was sent by the organization to Honduras, where an entrepreneurial service program was just beginning. During her service tenure, Terry initiated and implemented numerous projects in conjunction with and to benefit the Honduran people.

She served as a financial advisor to women in the process of developing businesses, she designed business plans for diverse agricultural, mercantile and social service organizations, and established an English as a Second Language (ESL) night school.

Following her service tenure in Hon-

Bob Terry and Judith Whitney Terry ’56B at their home in Cambridge, MA.

ing and business skills. She also earned an Academic Award for Excellence in Finance and Accounting and a VITA Award for Tax Assistance to the Community.

In 1987, Terry seized on an opportunity to fulfill a long-standing dream of serving in the Peace Corps. She was

duras, Terry remained committed to civic service while also returning to real estate on the Cape where she was an owner, broker and treasurer. She has maintained a strong connection with the Peace Corps throughout the last thirty years, including service on the Board of Directors of the National

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Peace Corps Association. In 2002, she married Robert C. Terry, Jr. who was a founding member of the Peace Corps and has also served on the Board of Directors. Most recently, Terry served on the Board of Directors for Los Niños de Chapala y Ajijic in Ajijic, Mexico, a charity for children in need, and she has also been a long-term volunteer for the Nauset Fellowship Unitarian Universalist Association, the Lower Cape Outreach Council and numerous town committees on the Cape. “I firmly believe that I’ve been blessed – I’ve been given so much in my life.

And the way you return that is to give back, somehow, in some way. It’s so important to give time, to give effort,” she says.

For her selfless dedication to civic service, for her significant achievements in business and because she wholly embodies the values of a StoneleighBurnham School education, Judith Howard Whitney Terry will be honored with the School’s third annual Distinguished Alumna Award during Reunion Weekend. The Distinguished Alumna Award was created in 2010 to honor one alumna each year who has distinguished herself in her personal or professional life, in her intellectual pursuits, or in her dedication to service of community, country or society. The award also serves to inspire the entire Stoneleigh-Burnham School community to strive ‘to become their best selves’ in their pursuit of a meaningful life.

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Alumnae Events A

B

C

A: Arizona Alumnae Reception: (Left to right) Bob Hechler, Bev Lockwood Hechler ’57B, Skip Halverson, Linda Degnan Halverson ’63B, Philip Main, Carol Degnan Main ’63B, Jane Trewella Wagner ’52B, Sue Tyrrel ’76, Brooks Dye Simsar ’76, Kim Wagner LaFrate ’79, Ashton Nebeker with his mom, Amy Morford Nebeker ’93 and Brent Nebeker.

B: Jennifer Jones McIntyre (center) graciously hosted a visit from Sally Mixsell ’69 and Liz Feeley in her Malibu, CA home.

C: Sally Mixsell and Amy Tessler Butman ’94 in San Diego.

D: 1960’s era gathering in La Jolla, CA: Patricia Yuengling ’64S, Julie Steiner Stone ’67S, Susan Pease Patterson ’69 and Amy Nolan Woodruff ’68B. E: Audrey Kellogg Lampe ’48B attends the alumnae reception in Bradenton, FL with granddaughter Elizabeth, daughter Deborah and granddaughter Rachel.

D

F: Beverly Lockwood Hechler ’57B hosted an alumnae reception at the Arizona Country Club in February.

G: Liz Feeley and Sally Mixsell enjoy breakfast at Pannikin’s in La Mesa, CA with Amy Nolan Woodruff ’68B (center).

H: Heather Walker Wentworth ’68B and Sally Mixsell in Heather’s Garden.

I: Megan Cunningham Ferguson ’00 and her sons Milo and Liam in Hollywood, CA. I

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E H

G

F

the bulletin S P R I N G

2012

A

B

C

A: Luncheon at the Concannon Vineyard in Livermore, CA. Liz Feeley, Susan Dowdney Safipour ’80, Darcy McCormick Tarbell ’80, Sally Mixsell, Joyce Cornish Suter ’68B and host Barbara Mayo Llewellyn ’69.

B: Penny White Morrill ’64S and husband Dave at the Bradenton, FL reception.

C: Linda Degnan Halverson ’63B and her husband Skip at the Arizona reception.

D: Sara Jane Gould ’81 and her husband George hosted an alumnae reception at their home in San Francisco. Bottom L to R: Liz Feeley, Michelle East-Krull ’07, Geo Gould, Karen Asselta Beard ’57S, Page Gould, Mary Robertson Skidmore, Sally Mixsell. Second row: Angel Huntington-Ortega ’95, Kayleigh Walsh ’03. Third Row: Stephanie Cook Gibbs ’72, Susan Tuttle ’72, Emily Rosenfeld ’05 and George Gould. Last row: Amy Owens Sullivan ’72, Sara Jane Gould ’81, Tamara Monahan Donovan ’81 and friend Nancy.

E: Sally Mixsell, Jacquie Wieber Woods ’48S, Liz McLean McLain ’46S and Liz Feeley after breakfast at Torrey Pines Country Club.

F: Bradenton, FL Alumnae Reception at Pier 22 (l to r): Liz Feeley, Elizabeth Chandler, Audrey Kellogg Lampe ’48B, Deborah Chandler, Rachel Chandler, Cinda Savage Yaremo ’72, Amy Matthews Elftmann ’71, Wendy Cadley Presley ’72, Penny White Morrill ’64S and Sally Mixsell.

G:Wendy Cadley Presley ’72 and Cinda Savage Yaremo ’72 at the Bradenton, FL reception.

G

D

E F

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Class Notes Ashley Nee ’04 is currently ranked 38th in the world in her weight class for women’s professional mixed martial arts (MMA).

1950S Class Agent: Addie Warner Minott – 2518 Stage Rd, Guilford, VT 05301, pulpitfm@ myfairpoint.net

1951B Class Agent: Susan Huber Gross – 49 Ravenwood Rd, West Hartford, CT 06107

1951S Class Agent: Joan Walthers Parks – 37 Church St, Westminster, MA 01473, bowtie-1@mindspring. com

1952B - 60th Reunion!

Class Agent: Sandra Williams White – PO Box 790, Franconia, NH 03580

Class Notes Class Agents are needed for the following years: 1943S, 1944B, 1944S, 1945B, 1947B, 1947S, 1948S, 1951B, 1956B, 1968S, 1979 and 2002. Contact Liz Feeley in the Alumnae Office if you are interested in becoming a Class Agent at alumnae@sbschool.org or 413-774-2711 x247.

1943B

1947B - 65th REUNION!

Class Agent: Jane Swift Wood – 4231 Grattan Price Dr, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Class Agent needed!

1943S

Class Agent needed!

Class Agent needed!

1944B Class Agent needed!

1944S Class Agent needed!

1945B Class Agent needed!

1945S Class Agent: Connie Johnson Corsiglia – 101 Country Side Rd, Greenfield, MA 01301

1946B

1948B Class Agent: Joan Fenton Clark – 313 Tally Ho Dr, Indian Trail, NC 28079, jclark020@ carolina.rr.com

1948S Class Agent needed!

1949B Class Agent: Jacqueline Oothouse Mitchell – 131 Cumberland Rd, Burlington, VT 05408, jacqmitch@comcast.net

1949S

Class Agent needed!

Class Agent: Sue Heubisch Milkey – 27076 Kindlewood Ln, Bonita Springs, FL 34134

1946S

1950B

Class Agent: Elizabeth McLean McLain – 12725 Via Nasca, San Diego, CA 921281572, patmclmcl@hotmail.com

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1947S - 65th REUNION!

Class Agent: Emily Cooper Stephenson – PO Box 957, Carmel, CA 93921, emilystephenson@sbcglobal.net

1952S - 60th Reunion!

Class Agent: Barbara Schaff Blumenthal – 36 Sullivan Dr, West Redding, CT 06896, Barbglea@aol.com

1953B Class Agents: Gaye Alexander Cavanaugh – cjcava1@aol.com; Jane McGrath Packer – jpacker796@comline.com Nance Hill Ross writes: It has been quite a year! I got Lyme disease from ticks in February of 2011 then beat breast cancer in November of 2011, then celebrated with a month long trip to New Zealand last month!

Nice to be home again after enjoying kayaking, swimming, hiking and generally the most diverse flora, fauna and landscape I have ever seen. New Zealand is a very odd combination of Hawaii, New England and primordial forests. I’m back to work at my favorite job as docent at the Natural History Museum in Norman, Oklahoma. My gallery specializes in the animals of Oklahoma and I am again dealing with many of the same ones I used to handle at the Santa Ana Zoo in California, where I was a docent in the education department for several years.

The only difference here is that they are all stuffed; so no feeding, cleaning up after them nor getting nibbled on! I love working here and take classes every time they are offered by our curators. Starting next month, I shall

the bulletin S P R I N G Margot Dunbar Bleier ’63B and her sister Christine Dunbar Kuhn ’61B share this sad news: Our sister, Diane Dunbar Wimer ‘54B passed away at home June 9, 2011, after a 2 year battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband of 46 years, William C. Wimer, her daughters Karen Wimer and Deborah Bauer, her son Eric Wimer and his wife Karen, and her 4 granddaughters, Samantha and Rachel Bauer and Caroline and Elise Wimer. She is also survived by her 2 sisters, Christine Dunbar Kuhn B ‘61 and Margot Dunbar Bleier B ‘63, and one niece, Kimberly Bleier-Woods.

1954S Class Agent: Linda Jennings Kraus – 58 Judson Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824-6655

1955B Nance Hill Ross ’53B at work as a docent at the Natural History Museum in Norman, Oklahoma. also be helping to prepare paleo specimens for storage and sometimes for exhibition, along with interpreting the exhibits in my own gallery. My children are healthy and doing well. Kerrie and her husband moved to the border area of Florida and Alabama, where they inherited his family farm, so she is working for the county government in Florida doing much as she did for Riverside County in California. She is recruiting and screening new hires for all the county agencies that are part of Homeland Security. Two granddaughters are both doing well; one finishing up college and the older one in a supervisory position in the County Assessor’s office. My son’s two boys are in the service and one is headed for Afghanistan soon. I stay very busy with a houseful of pets, the Polymer Clay Guild, League of Women Voters and the museum...and staying healthy! Hope to join you all next year at our 60th year reunion.

How the heck did THAT happen?

1953S Class Agents: Pat Birge Johnson – 4130 SW 25th Pl, Cape Coral, FL 33914

1954B Class Agent: Jill Crawford Stoll – spunkygram57@ aol.com

Class Agent: Pat Reinking McBane – forbirch@aol.com

2012

Connect with SBS

Check out our photo albums and connect with the School and other alumnae using our two facebook pages: http://www.facebook.com/sbschool http://www.facebook.com/sbsalumnae

1955S Class Agent needed!

1956B Class Agent: Judith Howard WhitneyTerry – ­judith.whitney@gmail.com Judith Howard WhitneyTerry shares: Since no one has come forth to take over my Class agent position, I will try to continue for a bit longer. A few Christmas letters brought greetings from several of you including Ester Yi Chi Lee who is still in Braintree, MA and babysitting for the Grandchildren including a new grandson born in November. As most of us have discovered retirement doesn’t mean slow down; the kids keep Esther and Julio hopping! Alan and Jean MacLean Jankowski just never sit still with a project every month it seems, including chairing the Air Force Reunion for Pease Air Force Base (1956-1966) in Dayton. That didn’t excuse Jean from any of her duties as Regional Director of Region 8 of the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs or the Granville Garden Club Daffodil Show.

Wish I had her green thumb! They also did three Elderhostel Service events. For the first time in many years, Bob and I had a chance to visit with Dennis and Sandy Durkee Switaj in their charming and historic 17th century town house in the Baltimore waterfront area.

With contributions from all corners of the School, our blog is brimming with fun and informative snippets of life at SBS. Read it regularly at http://sbschoolorg.wordpress.com/

Follow our tweets at twitter.com/sbschoolorg Questions? Contact the Alumnae Office at alumnae@sbschool.org

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Class Notes

Our Exclusive Stoneleigh-Burnham Alumnae App! Download it for Free

Features: News, events, social media and an Alumnae Directory • Contribute pictures or news • Connect with alumnae worldwide • Network through LinkedIn integration

They also spend April through September fly fishing on a lake in the Poconos. Her three extremely cute and very lively long haired Chihuahuas keep her busy along with visits from her girls and grandchildren and work with the Historic Preservation Society in Baltimore. Unfortunately, I ran out of time on our way home from our short visit to Florida and (ghastly) cruise to the Caribbean to visit more of you. However, last summer, Carole Hart Barbour came for a week’s visit, which was great fun. She’s still working with groups traveling on cruise ships; the luxury type (is that really working?). Bob and I did not winter in Mexico this year after the murder of one of our neighbors there rather discouraged us from returning until things calm down a bit. So I’m back to working at the Lower Cape Outreach Council and, sadly, we are still very busy with people in distress despite the upturn of the economy. Of course we live in a “seasonal employment area”, so some of that will be relieved shortly. Finally, I had a chance to catch Judy Park Coyne, unfortunately only to learn the sad news that Joanne Coyne Thibert, her sister-in-law had died unexpectedly in Florida last summer. I do wish you all would give me a call, I so enjoy talking with each and every one of you. May you all have a safe and wonderful summer.

1956S Class Agent needed!

1957S - 55th Reunion!

Class Agent: Winnie Steel Walker – 14 Honey Corners Rd, West Topsham, VT 05086

1958B Class Agent: Karen Preefer Hanauer – khanauer@optonline.net

1958S Class Agent: Anita Smiley Bailey – PO Box 83, Boyce, VA 22620

1959B Class Agent: Susan Cummings Campbell – beachrosedesigns@comcast.net

1959S Class Agents: Betsy Barry Beaudin – betsy@ beaudins.com; Joannah Hall Glass – jhallglass@ aol.com

1960B Class Agents: Rachael Chamberlain Schlegel – rcs4335@aol.com; Cynthia Poltrack Skinner – cynth6@earthlink.net

1960S Class Agents: Margery Lawton Cooper – mtlcooper@yahoo.com; Laura Richards – lrichards102@gmail.com

Class Agents: Judy Vandeveer McDermott – judithmc33@aol.com; Toni Schust Zegras – tzegras@optonline.net

1961S

Questions?

Contact the Alumnae Office At 413-774-2711 x247 or alumnae@sbschool.org

Class Agent: Julie Stephens Wyman – Julie4cats@gmail.com

1962B - 50th Reunion!

Class Agent: Kathy Conathan Reardon – kathyr1230@aol.com

Android App

Roberta Lee Gerber ’57B and her dog Katie Mae in her garden in Bonita Springs, FL.

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Class Agent: Roberta Lee Gerber – 47 9th St, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, rlgerber@me.com

1961B

Available on iPhone, iPad & Android

iPhone App

1957B - 55th Reunion!

Kathy Conathan Reardon shares: Happy Spring to everyone! I can’t believe the mild winter we had in Pennsylvania this year. But, it was a welcome surprise. Our big news is our beautiful granddaughter, Fiona, joined

the bulletin S P R I N G big brothers Trevor and Declan on January 2nd. We were thrilled and will be making our second trip this year to Denver to visit. After years of threatening to retire, my husband plans on retiring from FedEx this summer.

Not sure what he will do; it will be a huge adjustment for both of us. Libby Montague Mundy and her son Chris had a wonderful trip to South Africa in late 2011. Pat Wood Corcoran spent time in Paris with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren in February. Wish I had more news from classmates, maybe next time. What I do know is that we should have a great group for reunion. If you haven’t sent in your registration please register as soon as possible. So far, I know of at least ten coming to reunion and hope that number will go up! If you plan on coming for Friday night, I am going to research some restaurants, so we can all have dinner together. Now, as threatened, since no one sent me any news, I am sharing a recipe. I am sure this will be familiar because it was one of our favorite desserts in the Burnham House dining room. My sister Janet (Conathan Wrightnour ’63B) and I loved it, so my mother found it in an old Wellesley College Cookbook, then years later it was on the last page of Gourmet Magazine.

Pompadour Pudding Custard: 3 Cups whole milk ½ cup sugar 2 tbsp. cornstarch Pinch of salt 2 egg yolks, beaten 1tsp. vanilla extract Meringue: 1 square chocolate 4 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. milk 2 egg whites For custard: Combine all ingredients except vanilla and cook in top of double boiler till thick and smooth (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Fill custard cups 2/3 full (at Burnham we were served it in a large bowl).

Meringue: melt chocolate with sugar and

milk in top of double boiler. Beat egg whites stiffly and add to chocolate mixture. Spread over custard. Place custard cups in a pan of water and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Yield: 8 servings

1962S - 50th Reunion!

Class Agents: Roby Akin Phillips – rphillips@ worldtrav.com; Charlot Martin Taylor – PO Box 1333, Wainscott, NY 11975-1333

1963 class photo

1963B Class Agent: Judith Whalen Dunbar – Judidunbar@aol.com Well my lovelies are you shocked and amazed by the column inches? Margot Dunbar Bleier moved back to New Hampshire in August and the dynamic duo is back together in time to get the buzz started for our (wait for it…)

50th Reunion in 2013. So if we have not yet hunted you down, be warned that we are on the march. It would be lovely if you could send me your current e-mail address and any other info you would like to share so I could stop feeling like a stalker on the internet!

You should also go onto the SBS website and update your info there. And while you are tiptoeing through the Alumnae tab under Reunion take a careful look and you will find a photo with some familiar faces. Life goes on a pace here in the wilds of New

2012

Hampshire. Primary season is over and life has returned to order. I equate all the presidential hopefuls to the black flies (sometimes referred to as the NH State Bird) they come and buzz around for about a month and then go away. It’s the price we have to pay to live in New Hampshire. I am still toiling away as an insurance agent – working through my “Leap List” before pulling the final retirement plug. Wendy (daughter) is still living about 20 minutes away, working for Fidelity and directing the hand bell choir at our church.

She divorced some years ago and has a lovely significant other, George, who came with 2 teenagers who are great. Liz is 17 and waiting on college acceptance letters and she has heard from everyone but BU and of course that’s her first choice. Jake is 14 and is your stereotypical teenage boy, drum corps in the marching band and wrestling team. And then there is 5 year old Aiden who alternatively keeps me young or makes me feel 100, but is the apple of my eye! So family, work and friends keep me busy. I am on the Fund Raising Committee for the local soup kitchen and shelter and am also active in the local Rotary Club, which keeps me very involved in the community and I do as much traveling as time and budget allow. I had a long talk with Linda Rouzee Halley, retired and still living in beautiful LaJolla, CA. I have frequent flier miles just waiting to find the right time for a visit and I am hoping that with over a year to work on her that she will come to this coast for reunion. Linda talked with Wendy Walters Veigel in September and found all to be well with her. I also talked with Joanne Hall Von Culin and we are hoping to get together in April when she and Joe will be in NH. I will turn this over to Margot for a bit and then share our e-mail gleanings: Margot Dunbar Bleier reports: My life has taken some unexpected turns in the new millennium. Divorce in 2000 and my office in NH closing in 2001 forced me to sell my house and move to MA for work. Ten years later, in June 2011, I retired and soon moved back to NH. I feel very fortunate to have seen so much of this country and the world while working most of my adult life in travel, and I loved my job, but

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Class Notes several happenings prompted my decision.

First, the travel agency where I worked was sold to a huge worldwide organization and major changes were certain to come. More important, I had battled breast cancer in 2003 and lost my sister Diane ’54B to lung cancer in June 2011. Most important, my granddaughter Elizabeth was born premature in November 2010 and I felt she really needed time to catch up before going into a day care situation. All seemed glaring signs that the time had come for me to move on to the next phase of my life. I sold my condo and built my cozy retirement dream home in NH down the street from my daughter Kimberly, her husband Travis and my granddaughter Elizabeth. I take care of Elizabeth 5 days a week, just for this school year, (Kim teaches high school social studies). I am so glad for this special bonding time with her and she is a total joy. I have no idea as yet what retirement really feels like, but look forward to that when school is out in June. I plan to volunteer at a nearby horse rescue farm and am exploring other new possibilities. I am also once again close to Squam Lake where I spent all my summers. Though we could no longer afford the taxes to keep our family cottage there, my sister Chris ’61B owns a home near the lake and our group of friends remains close.

I look forward to a visit from Nan Vail Jewell in April. She lives in her hometown of Binghamton, NY, and though basically retired, still sells precious books. She also does some doggy day care. She loves her gardens and is going to help me landscape my yard. Judi and I are starting early on our reunion plans in hopes that all of our classmates will make every effort to attend. I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible. In the meantime, I would love to hear from anyone at mdbleier@yahoo. com. That’s it I guess. It will be fun to see so much class news this time around! Maybe in the next newsletter we can list everyone who’s committed to the reunion and hope it’s a lot of names to get others inspired!

Marion Zeisel Iglecia shares: I work as the Attendance Technician at Moorpark High

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School. I have been working for the Moorpark School District since 1991, and even through I took off a short time to pursue the career of X-ray Tech, life meant for me to come back to the schools and the kids and that’s where I have been. I love my job but hope to retire in 2 years at the most. I will have been married 40 years in April. My son Alex, now 34, just celebrated his 4th wedding anniversary to his beautiful bride Beth. Alex specializes in body health, yoga, uzazu and more, while Beth is in the corporate world and teaches yoga. They currently live in the Marin County area north of San Francisco.

My daughter Monica, 29, was married in September to her sweetheart of 7 years, Scott.

Monica is working as a Conservation Biologist with Audubon in Davis, CA, and Scott is working on his PhD in Geology at UC Davis. Both are very happy in their marriages and their professions. My stepson Gerry “finally” got married in October. He is an engineer working in the Medical Device field. His lovely bride, Annette is also in the medical field. For the last 6 years I have been part of a women’s fishing group called the Gold Coast Lady Anglers. We deep sea fish out of the Channel Islands and into Mexican waters out of San Diego. I’ve also been fishing to Alaska! Love it! I look forward to reunion and reminiscing old time! Anyone wishing to contact Marion can do so at meiglecia@gmail.com. Claudia Saunders Abbott writes: It certainly is hard to believe that so many years have passed since Mr. Bourgeouis (Mr. Bouge), Round Hill, Mensendick classes, ice cream with jimmies, etc... When my husband and I traveled to Vermont one day, we decided to explore Northampton. The town was so much bigger than either Bill or I had remembered. However the steeple of the Episcopal Church guided us to Southwick House. It was truly heartbreaking to see our school a “ghost” with no acknowledgement of the many footsteps that had walked the campus in the past.

My three years as a girl boarder were great fun, but sadly some of my dearest friends were lost early on. We’ve just completed a massive renovation of our family home. Life

made a circle and we are back in CT where I have been working as a full-time tutor at The Rectory School. If you search their website you may even see a picture of me running an afternoon program I started called MUSH (make-up study hall.) My husband does healthcare recruitment from home and is thankful not to have to drive to the Providence office every day. Our sons are working hard and sometimes too diligently to have a social life. Bill Jr. is at the Hilton in Burlington, VT. After 12 years in IT, he made a career change and is graduating from NECI this spring. John is in equity research for oil and gas and living in Houston, TX. As a result, our grand “kitties” are two Maine Coons (ages two and one). What a delight their antics are, and they certainly run this household! Suzy Brown Blake writes: I’m blocking out ALL of June 2013 so will PROBABLY be able to come to Reunion.

Kristin (my daughter) lives in Marcellus, NY with her husband and three children, Schuyler, Emma, and Liam. Of course they are all perfect! Mieke (my youngest daughter - now 41) lives in Woodbury, CT and owns Clapp & Tuttle Fine Arts and Framing. They are both so far from here that we’re lucky to see one another once or twice a year. Gaile Reynolds Schafer shares: It is shocking to realize that it has been nearly 50 years since we lived for chocolate chip ice cream with jimmies and cokes. (My children thought it was terrible that I “was sent away to school.” Little do they know how terrific those days were...)

Things are fine with us. We have lived in the same house in a western suburb of Cleveland for 38 years and hope to stay until our kids put us in “the home.” (They don’t threaten us on a regular basis.) My husband, Joe, is a business consultant with no thought of retirement in the near future. He is still happy to be working. In his spare time he directs and writes the music for the children’s’ choir at our church. Our kids all live within a reasonable distance. Amber (divorced) lives in Cleveland with her son, Mason (13). She is a medical assistant and is currently training to be an EMT with hopes of eventually becoming a paramedic. (The thought of her

the bulletin S P R I N G driving an ambulance through the city of Cleveland does not thrill me.) Ethan and his wife, Kelly, live about 45 minutes away. They have two boys, Andy (2) and Adam (5 months). Ethan has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and works at two private schools and also has his own practice. He reminds me often that he is a licensed health care professional who can put me away with the stroke of a pen. I think he is kidding, but you never know. Justin and his wife, Michele, live 20 minutes from us and have a 2 year old son, Will. Justin has a masters in astrophysics from Princeton and teaches upper level math and astronomy at a private day school. (Please note, I have 4 grandsons. Is it too much to ask for just ONE granddaughter?) I have taken up mahjongg (the real game not the computer matching version) in my old age and am the coordinator for a large mahjongg group at our local senior center.

It keeps my brain from turning to oatmeal.

At our church, I wear many hats; co-chair of religious education, board member and archivist. Most of the time I am overwhelmed with too much to do, but it beats sitting on the front porch and knitting my golden years into oblivion. Margot and I exchange cards/ notes at Christmas so I feel mostly caught up on her life. I was delighted to hear about her little granddaughter. We often ran into each other when our kids went to camp together in Maine in the ‘80’s. I hope the plans go well for the 50th. I cannot imagine that I will be able to come but I will definitely give it some thought. Myra Bluesteing Rufo shares: I had recently been thinking that next year marks our 50th anniversary, and like you, I marvel at how quickly the years have flown, but it seems that we all have accomplished much in our lives! Bob and I have just returned from a visit to San Antonio to visit our son, daughter-in-law and almost2-yr old grandson. Every time I go there, I think of Kitty Prevost, and wonder whether she is still living there. I spent the month of January in NYC, where my oldest daughter lives; she just had her second baby. So now I have 3 grandchildren under the age of 2!

Our younger son is getting married next fall, and our youngest daughter is here in Flag-

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staff, AZ, attending nursing school at NAU. Bob retired at the end of last August and we moved from Massachusetts to Arizona in 2003, at which time I retired from Tufts and he continued to work 3 days a week in Flagstaff/Sedona for the past 8 years. We love the west, and even though our family is widespread, we now have the leisure to travel and visit as much as we like. We celebrated the retirement with a 2-week driving trip through France in October. I would definitely be interested in attending the reunion next spring.

Carol Degnan Main writes: Last night Linda and I, with our husbands, went to the Phoenix Stoneleigh-Burnham Alumnae reception.

It was great fun! I’m a Face book friend of Myra who lives in the Flagstaff, AZ area.

She couldn’t come because she was out of the state. Linda and I are seriously thinking of attending our 50th. My husband’s 50th is in October 2011 in Taunton, MA. We’ll be going to that and visiting his brother in Connecticut. From Sally Wood Post: I have not had contact with any classmates so it’s fun to read about plans! I should be available for a June 2013 reunion even though it is so far out that it is hard to make any guarantees!

Keep me on your list!

1964S

1963S

Class Agents: Jody Geberhardt – jodyg@ cableone. net; Judith Lilleston – lillestonj@ hotmail.com

Class Agent: Sally ImFuller@ sopris.net

Miller

Fuller

–

The School sincerely apologizes for misplacing Susan C. Smith’s class notes for the Fall Bulletin.

Susan C. Smith shares: Hi everyone! Briefly, I have retired after teaching for 40 years and purchased a house in Maine. I am married and living in the town and area I’ve always wished to live. A dream come true! I often think of the wonderful times at SPH and the activities of the Riding Club. Great years!

1964B Class Agents: Gail Martin Clock – gclock@ aol.com; Ellen Chello McFarland – ejmcfarland@ snet.net

Class Agent: Anne Morris-Stockton – annasenf@yahoo.com

1965B Class Agent Needed!

1965S Class Agent: Patricia Roberts – proberts6@ nyc.rr.com

1966B Class Agents: Kiki Black – henshaw66@ yahoo. com; Mandy Burr – RevMandy@ aol.com; Judy Arnold Conner – jmac333@ comcast.net Jane Hall Longchamps writes: I retired from Tara Estates in August of 2011 and I am loving every moment of the next chapter of my life. I am traveling, reading books whenever I want, not only when I have time and I’m even enjoying being a “mystery shopper” for several companies.

1966S Class Agent: Beth Born Mellina – 710 Dartmoor, Westfield, NJ 07090

1967B - 45th Reunion!

1967S - 45th Reunion!

Class Agent: Susie Hine – PO Box 96, East Dennis, MA 02641 Robin Fowler Rochette writes: I am enjoying retirement, but I am still a volunteer with Spencer Animal Control. I presently have five foster cats here that we try to find homes for. My daughter Gianna is involved in International Missions trips (Haiti, Germany, Thailand and Cambodia). My son Jonathan is in the IT field and is a computer guru. My husband and I are still working on home renovations. I am on Facebook and would love to reconnect with friends.

Wish I could make reunion, but I had made other plans already.

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Class Notes

1968B Class Agent: Joyce Cornish Suter – ljsuter@ comcast.net Suzie Scull Trzcienski writes: Bob and I just celebrated our 40th anniversary in our new home in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Our daughter Aime accepted an assistant professorship in cancer biology at the University of Arkansas School of Medical Sciences, and while Bob and I were getting her family settled, we found our waterfront “dream house”. The Village, the world’s largest gated community, has eight lakes and eight golf courses and is a wonderfully friendly community. We plan to share our time here with the three grandchildren and in Connecticut with our other daughter, Torrey whom is also in the medical profession. Torrey, married her partner in a lovely October ceremony and Amy Nolan Woodruff and her daughter, Suzy, shared a very special weekend with us. If anyone is in the Arkansas area, give us a call!

1968S Class Agent Needed!

1970

1969

Class Agent Chair: Kathy Seyffer Opdycke – wlpmom@verizon.net; Class Agent: Perky Heath Hamill – peezola@optonline.net

Class Agent Chairs: Meg Long White – me-

Tori Askerberg ’69 (left) joins friends Donna Pucci and Kelly Cook for a round of golf in Hawaii. gevents@gmail.com; Bonnie Briskin – bonnieb351@yahoo.com; Class Agents: Deborah Chamberlain – dorchamb@aol.com; Mary Maloney – maloneym@ummhc.org; Tori Askerberg – tori@us.ibm.com

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Reunion photo of Class of 1964S taken in the ’70’s.

Kathy Seyffer Opdycke Happy Spring to our classmates! What was your favorite memory of your days spent at Stoneleigh-Burnham School? Who was your best friend? Who was your favorite teacher? Who was your big sister? I encourage each of my classmates to send me, or the Alumnae Office at school (alumnae@sbschool.org) one special memory of your time at SBS. We would love to hear from you! Flash-forward 42 years...send us pictures of your children or grandchildren, or a family photo taken on vacation. Our school continues to take great interest in your lives and your personal accomplishments and we would love to share that news here in classnotes. Holly Burns Johnson and her family vacationed in Naples, Florida in March. Holly’s senior year roommate Pamela Coffin Williams also lives in Naples, and Holly and Pamela were planning to get together. We look forward to hearing details

of their reunion and receiving pictures. My grandson, William Lowndes Peple, V will turn 2 in August. I’ve included a photo of Lowndes feeding crackers to the geese at the University of Richmond lake. He’s a brave little guy and he returned home with all fingers still attached! I hope each of you, and your families are well, happy and healthy. I look forward to hearing from many of you!

1971 Class Agent: Lynda Decker Gallagher – lyndadeckergallagher@gmail.com Charlotte Newton writes: It was great to be a part of Reunion last June; to see classmates and share memories! I continue to see Jennifer Pickering on a regular basis. The year has proved to be a very busy one, ladened and loaded with some major volunteer activities.

Spring will be here soon, yeah...golf season in New England will begin anew! 2012 will permit for some out of country travel in November with a planned trip to the eastern Mediterranean. With luck I can cross paths with Vivian Lee during the course of 2012 as well. I will become a great aunt (yikes!) again

the bulletin S P R I N G in July with the birth of my eldest nephew’s first baby. I would enjoy hearing from my fellow SBS-mates. Please drop a line to me at wrldcruisr@aol.com.

1972 - 40th Reunion!

Class Agent: Melissa Leach Dickson – MelissaLDickson@gmail.com Ellen Easton writes: My February 2012 keynote speech on the Artistry of Afternoon Tea- Sandwiches and Savories at the Coffee and Tea Festival drew a standing room only crowd. I’d love to hear from those of you who have a favorite tea recipe or ritual. Please email me at teatravels@aol.com. As I begin work on my eighth book, a special thank you to classmate Liz Devito for helping me all those years ago in the early 1990’s to format my first book from hand written pages into a print ready manuscript.

1973 Class Agent: Susan McVie – 1731 Rose Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18018

1974 Class Agent: Victoria Claman Hewitt – vchewitt@aol.com

1975 Class Agent: Susan Murphy Mulcahy – emeraldsm@sbcglobal.net

1976 Class Agents: Nancy Maurer Preston – npreston07@gmail.com; Susan Tyrrel – styrrel@ cox.net

1977 - 35th Reunion!

Class Agent: Kathryn Whitney Mansfield – kat.mansfield@verizon.net

1978 Class Agent: Lynne Schulthess – SabrinaS@ optonline.net

1981

1989

Class Agent: Becky Rawson Aronson Weaver – baronson75206@yahoo.com

Class Agents: Julie Gunther – julesgunther@ yahoo. com; Sam Loud Migon – migons@ bellsouth.net

1982 - 30th Reunion!

Class Agent: Bridget O’Brien – bobrien@ comcast.net

1983 Class Agent: Lois Kuiper Fuller – lcmfuller@ comcast.net

1984 Class Agent: Susan Mahoney Casey – suem65@flash.net

1985 Class Agents: Sophie Aikman – sophieaikman@ hotmail.com; Sharon Barbour Petrecca – spetrecca@cox.net; Suze Stutzman – Suzedesigns@verizon.net; Evelyn Trebilcock – Evelyn. Trebilcock@oprhp.state.ny.us Suze Stutzman writes: Fellow classmates please connect with me on facebook! You may also contact me by phone #781-8373979 and email, suzedesigns@verizon.net.

I really want to reconnect with classmates and network. Also I have opened a new pet boutique called Four Paws Pet Boutique and Bakery in Village Landing, 170 Water St., Plymouth, MA. I am selling my artwork and a line of my designs along with healthy food and treats. Plus I am showing other local artists’ animal-themed work. I would love to carry SBS alumnae work and current student work, so I am looking to network with other artists.

1986 Class Agents: Liz Engel – eengel1241@ aol. com; Liz Tichenor Percheson – elizabeth. percheson@pharna.com

1987 - 25th Reunion!

Class Agent: needed!

Class Agents: Damiane Adamczyk – dadamczyk@ snet.com; Jenny West Pender – penderjenw@ yahoo.com

1980

1988

1979

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

2012

Class Agents: Linwood Bardusch Kenneally buggie221@yahoo.com; Taffy Bassett-Fox – tbassettfox@hr-k12.org; Travis Stewart – travandboo@sbcglobal.net; Kelsa Fuller Zereski – kelsa96@aol.com

1990 Class Agents: Dionne Cason – 5904 Terry Parker Dr N, Jacksonville, FL 32211; Melanie McCusker Fenstersmaker – dmfence@aol. com; Tamar Cooke Luck – twnsrul@yahoo. com; Teresa Williams-Yetming – paris100@ aol.com

1991 Class Agents: Amy Christiansen-Burton – ajchristiansen@aol.com; Rebecca Whiting Harr – rwharr2@aol.com; Brooke Harris – ebrooke326@yahoo.com

1992 - 20th Reunion!

Class Agent: Ashley Guertin Whitney - awhitney@cushing.org

Shana Hiranandani ’92 with sons Zev and Leo and partner Netania Shapiro Shana Hiranandani shares: I have been so excited to be back in touch with many of you as I have finally entered the world of Facebook!

I am planning on attending the reunion this June and hope you are as well. My family is growing and growing. Zev is now eight and Leo is almost 5. The picture I sent in is a bit old but one of my favorite shots with both boys and my partner of 12 years, Netania Shapiro. We just moved to a new home and are enjoying its lovely big

27

Class Notes

back yard in Florence, MA. My Life and Career Coaching business has also evolved and I adore my work. Get in touch with me or see more of what I have been up to @ www.Coaching-with-Compassion.com.

1993 Class Agent: Virginia Dunn vhdno@hotmail.com

1994 Class Agent: Amie Tessler Butman – amieb@cox.net

Catherine Manning ’94 with one of her INTO students, Hammed.

I have been teaching English as a Second Language for just over a year. Since I started I have been selected to give presentations linking art to language learning at Tri-TESOL in Washington state and the annual INTO Conference. It’s been a lot of fun working with students from all over the world and seeing the world through their eyes. I hope you all are doing well. Please keep me posted at catherine.manning@oregonstate.edu. Grainne Johnson Archer writes: Hello all! I am writing from Kennebunkport, Maine where all has been eerily warmer than usual. I have just joined Kennebunk Beach Realty as an associate broker and I am really excited. I enjoy my children, Declan (10) and Grace (6.5), everyday, and I am in awe at how fast the time seems to go. I hope that everyone is doing well. I stay in touch with many of you through Facebook, but for those I do not talk to on Facebook, I miss you and my time at Stoneleigh and hope that you are all happy and safe. Amie Tessler Butman shares: I am still in San Diego, CA and life is good.

My husband and three daughters just took a family vacation to visit Courtenay Boncy Monfore and her family in Oregon. My girls were not only ecstatic to visit her two daughters, but to see snow. It was great hanging out with them, reminiscing about old times, but also watching the next generation get along so well. I hope everyone is doing well.

1995 Class Agent: Emily Clarke Whitney – ewhitney@ bement.org

Amie Tessler Butman ’94 and Courtenay Boncy Monfore ‘94 visit with each other in Klamath Falls, OR. Catherine Manning tells us: My newest adventure is teaching at INTO Oregon State University. INTO is a UK based company that works with public universities to build intensive English programs. Currently OSU is the largest INTO Program in the world.

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Emily Clarke Whitney writes: Class of 1995, I haven’t heard from many of you lately but I see Kim Tower Kostelis who had a baby boy, Xander, in October. She is living in CT and doing well. I know from Facebook that Tangerine Curry-Dinnick recently welcomed a new baby girl, Meadow, to her family.

Congratulations Tangy! I also know that Rebecca Velinsky Weiner recently bought a new house with her husband and their two boys. Congratulations Becky! Beth Jenest just returned from a trip to Disneyworld with her mom and her son, Tyler. She has attached a picture of Tyler in his Mickey ears. They had a great trip. John and I also took our boys to

Tyler Jenest, son of Beth Jenest ’95 shows off his mouse ears.

Disney last week and we had so much fun.

The boys loved the Peter Pan ride, the Toy Story Rides and Star Tours. We can’t wait to take them back again next year. I hope everyone is doing well. Happy Spring!

1996 Class Agents: Marguerite Barrett – margueriteb@ yahoo.com; Mary Ellen Hennessey Blake – mary_ellen_hennessey@hotmail.com Carissa Tudryn Weber shares: Hi everyone!

My husband, Alexis, and I welcomed a son, Walter Theodore Weber, on March 2, 2011.

He is bringing us a lot of joy and we are working hard trying to be the best parents. I was also excited to see the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, named Curiosity, launch last November 26, 2011. I developed new electronic packaging technology for it. So, I have hardware going to Mars! (smile) I’m also applying to the astronaut corps again.

Looking forward to keeping in contact with you on Facebook and hope to make it to our next Reunion!

1997 - 15th Reunion!

Class Agents: Erin McDonald – emcdonald82@ hotmail.com; Becky Plough – rtp9979@aol.com; Kilian Tracy – kiliantracy@yahoo.com

1998 Class Agents: Sara Brown Gibbons – sarambrown@hotmail.com; Melissa Hemming McWeeny – melissa5074@yahoo.com; Meg O’Brien – megoatc@hotmail.com

the bulletin S P R I N G

1999 Class Agent: Alexandra Slack Hindle – alexandra.slack@gmail.com Cristen Cirrincione writes: Hey, ladies! Wow, I can’t accept the fact that we are two years shy of our 15-year Reunion! I have yet to make the trek to Greenfield for any of our reunions so far. But my goal is to be there in 2014. Can we all agree to start saving and planning now? I would love to see as many of you as possible! For those of you who don’t see my multiple posts on Facebook per day; I’m still living in Euless, TX right outside of Dallas. Forrest and I are quickly approaching our first five years of marriage.

My eldest daughter, Sonora, is 11 years old.

My youngest, Bettysue, is 4! I feel fortunate to be able to be at home with them. This year I was finally able to start dancing again on a regular basis. After almost nine years of no dance classes, I’m happy to discover I’ve managed to retain most of my dancing skills. I guess dance is a lot like riding a bike?

I love and miss you all! Find me on Facebook if you haven’t already. If any of you are ever in the Dallas-Ft.Worth area, drop me a line so we can meet up! Nikki Wells shares: I’m still working for the Amherst public schools, specifically with children who have Autism, Aspergers and/or Down Syndrome. I love my job and feel very fortunate to be able to do something I truly love. My daughter is 10 and 1/2 and is three quarters of the way through the fourth grade. It seems like time has flown by! Hopefully everyone from the class of ’99 (and every alumna for that matter) is doing really well!

2000 Class Agent: Caisey Jefferson Kakascik – cjeff2@ yahoo.com

2001 Class Agents: Joyhdae Albert – simply.joyhdae@ gmail.com; Katelyn Morgan – kmorgan@hartford. edu Dara Raskin writes: It’s been a totally fun year reconnecting with SBS! First, reunion in June: It was wonderful to see so many from our class at SBS, and I was able to get back in touch with two of my SBS besties - Ann McCoppin and April Greene (Ainsworth),

which then allowed us to plan mini reunions of our own. I went out to LA in September, stayed with Ann and had a blast running around the city with her and her three adorable children! Then, because I had such a great time at reunion, I was thrilled when Liz Feeley asked me to join the SBS Alumnae Board and invited me to come back to school for 100 nights. It brought back so many memories, and made me really excited to continue reconnecting and to start giving back to SBS. It also gave me the opportunity

2012

so much fun to meet the families of my classmates and I can’t wait for the next reunion!

It’s an exciting period in my life right now, I just got a promotion that I am extremely proud of/happy about/excited about and will hopefully be able to share more information about it a little later on! I’m looking forward to connecting with more ladies from the class of 2001 and working on setting up some mini-reunions/alumnae events in the future!

2002 - 10th Reunion!

Class Agents: Amanda Macchi Macchi.amanda@gmail.com; Emily Gamelin - egamelin@gmail.com Emily Gamelin writes: Amanda Macchi is living in Brooklyn, NY working for a small Cambodian non-profit and applying for business school. Brandi Crumley graduated from Elon University. She married Alex Runyan on August 30, 2008 and they welcomed their first child, Colton James Runyan, on June 4, 2010. Brandi currently owns and operates Heart to Heart Stables in Tandleman, NC. (www.hearttoheartstables.com) Bethany Hubbard is working towards her Master of Science in Journalism degree at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Bethany’s work can be seen on their website: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/Chicago/

Naomi Gendron-Waidlich ’01 and her son Blake Michael Waidlich.

2003

to spend some QT with April and her incredibly cute son Chase at their lovely house in Northfield. I look forward to staying even more connected in the coming year, and hopefully organizing some awesome NYC alum events! Joyhdae Albert writes: Note from our esteemed former class advisor Tom Iampietro: Despite the ladies of 2001 being a handful and shaving a couple of years off of his life---he is still alive and kicking! **Note to ladies--we should SO remind him of what made us so great via Facebook, I’m sure he’d love that!** Well 2011/2012 has been great so far! We had a great turnout at our 10 year reunion and many of us were able to reconnect in person despite our social media presence! It was great to see so many of my classmates looking and doing so well! It was

Mary Dooley writes: I graduated from the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies and I am planning my move to California to work at an adolescent treatment center. Emily Hadley Peterson and husband Chris Peterson welcomed their second child and first boy, Corbin, who was 7 lbs, 8oz on March 1st. Emma Morzuch writes: I am currently finishing up my final semester as a Graduate student at UMass Amherst in the environmental conservation department with a green/sustainable building systems concentration. Before going back to graduate school, I spent a year and a half living and working in Melbourne, Australia where I met my fiance, Lyndon Iles. I will be moving back to Melbourne September 2012, where I hope to secure a job, and to start planning a wedding!

Class Agent: Jessica Fydenkevez – jess.fydenkevez@gmail.com

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Class Notes

currently ranked 38th in the world in my weight class for women’s professional mixed martial arts. My overall MMA and grappling record is 17-5 and I recently placed 2nd in the knife fighting division at the North Carolina Stick Fighting Invitational (and I was the only woman to compete against all guys)! I love my martial arts life!

2005 Class Agent: Erica Marback – Wedges9@aol.com

Emily Hadley Peterson’s ’03 son, Corbin Peterson.

2004 Class Agent: Jessica Pleasant – jesipleasant@gmail.com Ashley Nee tells us: I am now living in Charlotte, North Carolina working as program director and teaching adult and children classes at Scott Shields Martial Arts Academy. I have black belt/instructor ranks in Muay Thai Kickboxing and Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, a brown belt in American Combat Jiu-Jitsu and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Master Scott Shields. I won the first ever

Ashley Nee ’04 is currently ranked 38th in the world in her weight class for women’s professional mixed martial arts (MMA). professional women’s mixed martial arts (MMA) fight in North Carolina and I am

30

Alicia Billingsley writes: This past summer I had the opportunity to live and work in Philadelphia with HEI Hotels and Resorts. I worked at Le Meridien Philadelphia, a newly opened Starwood property in an old YMCA building in the heart of downtown Philly. I lived in the hotel while I worked there for four months as a Manager in Training with HEI. After completing HEI’s Manager in Training Program in September, I was transferred and promoted to San Antonio, Texas. I am now working at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk in San Antonio as the Assistant Director of Housekeeping. It is such an exciting time to join the team here in San Antonio, as we are undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation to our 410 room hotel! I love living in the South and am enjoying my first snow free winter! If there are any alumnae in the San Antonio area, reach out to me, I’d love to connect! My email is abillingsley24@gmail. com. Lacey Faulkner writes: I’m graduating this semester and looking to pursue a graduate degree, perhaps in pharmacy. I still see Erica Marback and Lauren Kasnet once a year. I miss SBS and still wish I could go back! Lauren Kasnet shares: I am riding racehorses and the most exciting days for me are when my horses win! I keep in touch with a bunch of people including Jessica Ellioitt, Erica Marback, Lacey Faulkner. For the last few years I have been working for Christophe Clement racing stables galloping racehorses in the mornings. I spend half the year in Saratoga Springs, NY and the other half in Stewart, Florida. It’s great getting to see the different places and I get to spend my summers in sunny Florida! Recently I have

been having a good winter with five of the horses I ride winning their races! I also get to see my friend Jane Turner at work each day who also graduated from SBS. I am looking forward to the summer! Elizabeth Stensrud Simmons shares: I just recently moved to Colorado Springs to attend the University of Colorado with my husband and children.

We have two children, Lillian who is 4, and Gabe who is 1. I recently started connecting with Kit Davis again, who also lives in Colorado Springs. We spend a lot of time together. I am thrilled that George Halkett is back at SBS! Jennifer Warner writes: I’m in nursing school with the goal of becoming an ER or ICU nurse and I graduate 2013.

I work for a large animal veterinarian and Wildlife Rehabilitation center. I teach riding lessons and still continue to horse show. I am happy to hear that George is back at SBS! And to all of those who thought I would be pregnant and married! Nope! I am neither!

XOXO. Heather Hoover shares: I have a baby boy Sebastian who is 10 months old!

I love being a mom to this baby boy! I still see Pearl Childs, Liz Welenc, Meira Wainstein and Joanna Hunt. Sara Dalzell shares: I am living in Seattle but spending a lot of time down in LA with friends. I recently began hiking and just completed my first 5k. I am still horse showing often and went to congress with my horse Rumbles and we won! I am so excited to hear that George is back! Erica Marback shares: I am still living at SBS and working on my masters in social work. I will be graduating from Westfield State in May! I still keep in touch with a lot of SBS people! Megan Royal shares: I am living in Boston. I am in my first year for my masters in social work and I also work for the Deptartment of Children and Families on their after-hours hotline. I keep in touch with a few people including Angela Smith Laclare and Julia Blakney Hayword. Carrie Dempster writes: I am still living in Portsmouth, NH and working as a business systems analyst for a successful insurance company. Right now I am in NC visiting Lexi Chaytor!

the bulletin S P R I N G

2012

Elysse Wadman ’08 and her research partner Rebecca Lang in front of their Research Poster at the Society for Neuroscience Conference.

2008 Class Agents: Martha Kingman – foremek@ sover. net; Caroline Marsden – cmarsden@ student.umass.edu

Marcy Segel ’06 and Becky Volk ’06 riding some old favorites at SBS.

2006 Class Agent: Natalie Rosenstock – rosenstock_n@mitchell.edu; Marcy Segel – mwindy15@aol.com Stephanie Viada writes: I started my own on-site event makeup business called Kosmetica. I did hair and makeup for Boston fashion week this year and a hair and makeup promotional video shoot for Boston and New York fashion weeks as well. I specialize in weddings, print models and runway shows. I just started doing pinup photo shoot hair and makeup too. You can find my information at http://www.KosmeticaLook.com or on facebook! Amy Falcone shares: My graphic novel Cardigan Weather officially begins being posted in April of this year. It covers a span of about ten years and includes chapters

about my time at SBS. It will be available for viewing online, along with all my other comics, at www.cn-comics.com. Marcy Segel writes: Becky Volk and I returned to campus to ride some old favorites. (see photo)

2007 - 5th Reunion!

Class Agents: Ashlee Houle – ashleehoule@ gmail. com; Kirsten Porter – kirst.porter@ gmail.com Janelle Batta shares: I graduated from Barnard College and am now working as a Paralegal in Manhattan while studying for the LSAT. I also volunteer at a therapeutic horseback riding center in Brooklyn which serves children on the autism spectrum. (And I am exceedingly modest).

Elysse Wadman writes: I am finishing my last year at the College of Wooster in Ohio.

I have just completed my Senior Independent Study project entitled The Impact of Perinatal Exposure to Bisphenol A and Polychlorinated Biphenyls on Learning and Memory in Mice.

This past November I was given the chance to present this research at the Society for Neuroscience conference held in Washington, D.C. I am currently applying to one year service programs for next year and then I hope to attend graduate school for either Neuropsychology or Speech Pathology.

2009 Class Agents: Audrey Lewis – alewis@sbschool.org; Chi-Hung Liao – xurucj@hotmail.com; Colleen Mangan – mangan.colleen@gmail.com

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Class Notes

2010 Class Agent Chair: Ashley Daigle – Ashley. daigle@mail.goucher.edu; Class Agents: Dylan Tomalin – dylansierra13@yahoo.com; Kim Balk – kbalkyunxi@gmail.com Julia Short writes: Classes are going well enough; I have a communications class, accounting 2, practicum at the barn and a lesson twice a week. In the practicum we are learning how to braid the horses manes and getting the horse presentable for an in hand class. We are also learning more about lunging and how to trailer. Kat Bordewieck shares: I love Cornell University as an Animal Science major. I work at the school’s Raptor center and am applying for my migratory bird license. I am about to go on spring break to Martha’s Vineyard with my boyfriend so I’m in the middle of midterms now. This summer I’ve got an internship with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science as well as the usual wildlife rehabilitation. Dylan Tomalin tells us: I’m at Connecticut College this year and I like it a lot. I’m playing club lacrosse and work with the peer education group on campus. I’m a Human Development major and this summer I am working at a therapeutic camp in VT for kids with mental health and emotional needs. Sophie Dorsh writes: I am still an equine management major at the University of Kentucky. I also work weekends at the barn where Katherine Short keeps her horse Lil. Super pumped about basketball this month; everyone wish UK luck in the finals! Leah Zraunig shares: I’m still at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Currently, I am a Criminal Justice major and I decided that I specifically want to work with juveniles and abused children. I took part in intramural basketball in the winter, and this spring I will be playing intramural soccer and club softball. I’m also in the Criminal Justice Club and hopefully I will be able to get an internship in the Manchester area in my field of work. I still love it here! Irina Bouchard writes: I just moved to Westbrook, Maine with my boyfriend Tim. Still have the same job. I am looking to start a possible internship with dog trainers around me. School is still on hold due to my mom

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being sick, but making the best of things.

Laura Newton shares: This trimester I am in Jacksonville, Florida where I have an internship at a bakery called Bakery Moderne. The internship is for 11 weeks and I love it so far!

The bakery makes everything from scratch everyday and also supports other local businesses. I’m very excited to learn more and gain a better understanding of what it takes to run a bakery. After this, I will be done with JWU and ready to graduate school in May with my A.S. in Baking and Pastry Arts.

I am planning to be back in Greenfield this summer, hopefully getting a job at a local bakery and then transferring in the fall to another college to finish my Bachelors degree in Business and Restaurant Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Kim Balk tells us: All is good at Kalamazoo College. I am planning to go to Taiwan during July and August for more Chinese education. I am studying abroad next year in Beijing and then to Harbin for nine months. I am an East Asian Studies Major with a minor in International studies. I started taking Japanese and plan to minor in that as well. Ashley Daigle writes: I’m still at Goucher College, loving life. This semester I am taking a ton of dance classes and also started with my communications minor. I am currently in three dance pieces for our spring dance concert in April and plan on going back to Burklyn Ballet Theatre this summer as a full time counselor for six weeks. My biggest news is that I will be studying abroad in Taipei, Taiwan for the fall of 2012 for five months.

I will be studying dance at Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) with one other Goucher student. I’m both extremely excited and nervous for this coming experience! Emily Gray writes: I am at Simmons College in Boston. I am in my second semester because last year I took a year off to work and train ponies at Maplewood Farm. I am still undecided on my major but I love the school a ton! I work at another small farm Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays. I was on the COF (Colleges of the Fenway) cheer team fall of 2011. I just went to Canada on spring break to go skiing; tons of fun.

Bryna Cofrin-Shaw writes: Hi everybody!

I miss you guys! I’m still loving Brown; I’m busy playing Ultimate Frisbee and writing and performing in Brown’s sketch comedy group, Out of Bounds, along with being a Women’s Peer Counselor (RA specifically for women’s/gender/sexuality issues). I’m also an Environmental Studies major! Sheba Odei shares: Hi Everyone! Williams is still awesome. I received a fellowship this Winter and had the opportunity to study Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing. Other than that I am still active in the Williams’ Women of Color Coalition and a member of our West African Dance and Percussion Company, Kusika. This year I am a Baxter Fellow in my dorm (my job is similar to that of an RA at SBS). I am a Chinese and Biology double major. I am nervously waiting to hear back from numerous pre-med programs I applied to for this summer.

2011 Class Agents: Charli Brown, Tucker Dowrey, Theresa Oh We love your photos and we want to print them here! Some of the submissions we receive are too small to print. Please send highresolution (1 MB or higher) photographs to alumnae@sbschool.org. If you have questions about submitting photos, please email sthompson@sbschool.org Thank you!

the bulletin S P R I N G

2012

I’m leaving a legacy at our School “Stoneleigh-Burnham provided me with freedom to grow, room to express my individuality and guidance from caring faculty.

Each year I have followed the news of the school with interest and pride. I have chosen to put Stoneleigh-Burnham in my will because of the inspirational leadership of our present Head of School, Sally Mixsell. We should all be proud of where our School is today and we can all be a part of its bright future.”

- Anne Morris-Stockton ’64S

Learn more about our Planned Giving Program by contacting Regina Mooney at 413-774-2711 or rmooney@sbschool.org

photography by Derrick Zellmann

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In Memoriam

W

Not Pictured: Adele Cummings Gowen

’29B Departed: 2/21/2011 Mary A. Burnham

Joanne Dissette Zinn

’29S Departed: 8/17/2011 Stoneleigh Prospect Hill

Ruth Philbrick Jenkins

’29S Departed: 2/25/2011 Stoneleigh Prospect Hill

Sarah Abbott Hampton

’30B Departed: 1/22/2010 Mary A. Burnham

Inga Prier Wallace

’43

Departed: 2/26/2011 Mary A. Burnham

Listed Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Carolyn Stone Lepper

’42B Departed: 9/29/2011 Mary A. Burnham

Janet Bulk Mangold

’44B Departed: 1/29/2012 Mary A. Burnham

Joan Ainsworth Slocum

’45B Departed: 8/22/2009 Mary A. Burnham

Carmany Rulofson

’46S Departed: 12/1/2011 Stoneleigh Prospect Hill

Priscilla Boyden Johnston

’52S Departed: 8/16/2011 Stoneleigh Prospect Hill

Diane Dunbar Wimer

’54B Departed: 6/9/2011

Jacqueline Morrison Miller

’56B Departed: 3/18/2011 Mary A. Burnham

Joanne Coyne Thibert

’56B Departed: 7/12/2011 Mary A. Burnham

Mary A. Burnham

Candace Nielsen McIhanny ’63B Departed 3/14/2010

Mary A. Burnham

Kathleen “Kim” McNeily Davis ’72

Departed: 4/9/2012

Stoneleigh-Burnham

Patrice Hibbard

’76

Departed: 8/22/2011 Stoneleigh-Burnham

Sarah McKinnon

’93

Departed: 4/20/2012 Stoneleigh-Burnham

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e note with sadness the death of John Endicott Emerson, age 97, of Northampton, MA. For 30 years he was the business manager and director of development of the Mary A. Burnham School in Northampton, retiring in 1968 when the school merged with StoneleighProspect Hill School in Greenfield to become Stoneleigh-Burnham School. For several years during this same period he also served as business manager of Stoneleigh-Prospect Hill School and also of Burnham-by-the-Sea, a summer school for girls in Newport, RI. After his retirement he served as a trustee for Stoneleigh-Burnham School. As both business manager and trustee, Emerson helped bring the merged school into a new era.

John Emerson was a member of the First Church of Northampton, the Northampton Historical Society, and was an honorary life-time member of the Danvers Historical Society. He shared a birthplace with General Israel Putnam, a distinguished soldier of the Revolutionary War. Because of the relationship he was very active in the preservation of the Israel Putnam home in Danvers, MA. Along with a brother and a sister, John Emerson inherited this property upon the death of their mother in 1965. He set up a trust for the purpose of preserving and making available to the public this historic homestead. With it came its vast collection of antique furnishings and memorabilia, which had accumulated during 300 years of ownership by the

the bulletin S P R I N G

2012

IN MEMORIAM

John Endicott Emerson 1914-2012

‘Mr. John’, as students referred to him, brought years of experience and dedication to all three iterations of what is now Stoneleigh-Burnham School.

same family. He served as Managing Trustee until 1990, when the three family members terminated the trust and donated the homestead, along with all its contents to the Danvers Historical Society.

Active in local civic affairs during the 1950’s, he had served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, and of the Hampshire County Red Cross. His hobbies included travel, gardening and golf.

Born in Danvers, MA on April 15, 1914, he was the son of the late George Waldo Emerson and Susan Mabel (Hood) Emerson. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and in 1937 from Dartmouth College.

Survived by several nieces and nephews, he is predeceased by three sisters: Elizabeth Capen Emerson Kelley of Augusta, ME, Eunice Emerson Raymond of Palm Springs, CA and Miriam Putnam Emerson Peters with whom he resided, and three brothers: Galo Putnam Emerson, Sr. of Amherst, MA, Edward E. Emerson, Sr. of Strafford, VT, and George Waldo Emerson, Jr. of Newport, RI. “With the passing of John Endicott Emerson we sadly mark the end of a vitally important period of our history,” said Head of School Sally Mixsell. “‘Mr. John’, as students referred to him, brought years of experience and dedication to all three iterations of what is now Stoneleigh-Burnham School.”

- Regina Mooney, PhD,

Director of Development & Alumnae Relations

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Reunion - Save the Date

Coda

This piece originally appeared on our school blog, sbschoolorg.wordpress.com during our School’s International Week in January

L

ike many of our students and alumnae, I left home as a young adolescent for a boarding school. Like many of our alumnae have done and many of our students will do, I then continued this educational journey away from home as I went on to college. However, unlike many of our students, I never actually left home.

Call in Sick...

and Join Us for a Girls’ Weekend Get-Away!

REUNION 2012 Friday, June 22nd – Sunday, June 24th Register online at www.sbschool.org/reunion or call the Alumnae Office at 413-774-2711 x247 36

I grew up within the cozy confines of Rhode Island. My “leaving” for boarding school consisted of driving 40 minutes south of my hometown to Newport, Rhode Island. College took me just barely outside of New England for two years in upstate New York at Colgate University, a mere 5 hour drive from home. Yet, it was right back to New England (with a sigh of relief) for my final two undergrad years at Williams College, only 3 hours from a home-cooked meal.

So how, you might ask, did I end up in San Diego, California on the last day

the bulletin S P R I N G

“Not only was I suddenly unsure of what to expect from people, but there was gravy at the breakfast table!”

As it turned out, the road (I-40 to be exact) did not go on forever, only to New Mexico. Immediately after crossing into New Mexico, the terrain became dynamic, rising into countless mesas.

Flat topped mountains – a novel concept for the eyes of this New Englander.

Furthermore, there may not be snow in Greenfield, MA right now, but I can tell you there is snow in New Mexico and Arizona. Never before did I think of snow when I thought of the Grand Canyon. And the Grand Canyon – this is truly something you need to see to believe.

2012

are many of the students at StoneleighBurnham traveling to us from different states, many are traveling a lot farther than 3,000 miles!

This week at Stoneleigh-Burnham School is International Week. During International Week, we celebrate the diversity of cultures that comprise the StoneleighBurnham community. Our international students have shared with us the dance, the traditional dress and the food of their home countries. We celebrate all that our international students bring to the Stoneleigh-Burnham community, and it is

Being somewhere other than home A first-year teacher learns what it means to be away from the familiar

by Sara Plunkett of our recent winter holiday? Well, I drove. I drove for four days. I drove from Greenfield, MA to Kentucky to Oklahoma to Arizona to San Diego, CA. I drove for approximately 50 hours through 13 different states.

I drove in awe, looking at the changing landscape, terrain and climate around me. I grew up sailing, so the idea of seeing without limit in one (even all) directions was not new to me, but experiencing this on land was completely foreign. The road ahead seemed to stretch to infinity – where were the trees, the curves, the hills?

Not only was this trip eye opening for me in that it shattered some of my misconceptions regarding the geography of my own country, but really for the first time in my life, I found myself somewhere other than home. I can go pretty much anywhere in New England and feel comfortable. But that first stop in Kentucky – I was out of my element.

Not only was I suddenly unsure of what to expect from the people, but there was gravy at the breakfast table!

I had this experience on a 3,000-mile trip across my own country. Not only

wonderful. However, having completed my recent cross-country voyage I ask that we recognize something else too: Let us also celebrate the sacrifice, courage and confidence our international students demonstrate when they make the decision to leave home in order to attend Stoneleigh-Burnham. They aren’t just continuing their educational journey a few hours from home, but on the other side of the world.

Sara Plunkett is an admissions intern, an English teacher, a coach and also a resident at Stoneleigh-Burnham School.

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NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage PAID Permit 4256 Northampton, MA

574 Bernardston Road Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301-1100 www.sbschool.org Parents: If this issue is addressed to your daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae Office at alumnae@sbschool.org or 413.774.2711 x247.