Fall 2015 Magazine Annual Report 2014 – 15
Contents
Board of Trustees 2014-2015 Mark Hornung, chair
A Message to Our Community
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Why I Teach
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Jennifer Bryson McGahren, vice chair Nick Rumin, secretary Jeff Trent, treasurer Bill Bauer
Room to Grow
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Alumni News
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Christine Benson, faculty Christa Bruneau-Flynn ’01 Sarina Cirianni-Jones, faculty Janine Cleland Doug Jackson
In Memoriam
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Navdeep Jaikaria Sarah Karchere
Calendar of Events
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Annual Report
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Why I Give
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Chris Kneppers Pamela Shafer, faculty Amy Shor, faculty
Honorary Trustees Scott Albert
Volunteers 19 Development Highlights
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Tertia Gale Herbert O. Hagens Caroline Phinney Herb Saperstein Kearney Vrabel
Our Community of Donors
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Our WSP Story
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College of Teachers 2014-2015 Amy Shor, college chair Laura Beatty Christine Benson
PLEASE SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: Development Office Waldorf School of Princeton 1062 Cherry Hill Rd. Princeton, NJ 08540 609-466-1970 x121 development@princetonwaldorf.org COPY & EDITING: Diane Barlow, Beth Miller and Jamie Quirk DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Erika Steffen COVER PHOTO: Cari Ellen Hermann
Janine Cleland Susan Eggers David Heberlein Sarah Kessler Nancy Lemmo Signe Motter Jennifer Rosenstein Pamela Shafer
A Message to Our Community Looking out across the open expanse of lawn that serves as our village green, you may have noticed something going on in that curious little structure standing on the edge. For many years this structure seemed content merely to wait stoically on the sidelines, bearing silent witness to all that has happened on that lawn. Now, it seems to be waking up from an enchanted sleep. Before the transformation we’re seeing alters my impression of this structure’s evocative presence, I want to gather up my impressions and share them with you. Please take a moment to reflect with me on this humble being, this comfortable figure, this old, familiar friend. I’ve always found this little house curious, perhaps because of the quirky array of doors, seven in all, adorning an otherwise plain façade. Five of the doors are incongruously painted off-white and pink. “Rouge-taupe” may more accurately describe this hue, but such pretentious sounding words don’t fit this rugged frame. The playful color makes a striking contrast to the sober brown wood of the building’s outer walls. Always shut, it seemed, until lately, these doors screened the structure’s contents, preserved its dreamlike stillness, and added to its aura of mystery. The largest doors join together on the ground floor to form a broad, welcoming smile, the wry grin of a Jack O’ Lantern that has seen better days, providing some comic relief. Two small apertures look out from the loft above, a pair of twinkling eyes shining on passersby below. Situated between these upstairs windows, a door hovers above the smile, apparently serving no practical function. From this pretty perch, a homespun Rapunzel might have once let down her golden locks. Curious, too, on closer examination, is the building’s shape. Along the left wall from the eaves downward the barn gently narrows, betraying its original role as a
Parent and alumni volunteers cleaned, cleared, painted and prepped the Crib Barn for occupancy.
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lways shut, it seemed, until lately, these doors screened the structure’s contents, preserved its dreamlike stillness, and added to its aura of mystery.”
“crib” for storing corn. Once upon a time, the crib’s “taper,” so-called, and small air spaces between its wooden slats ensured that livestock would have dry corn to feed on in winter. Wherever farmers have raised livestock you will find crib barns. Some still serve their intended purpose. Others, like ours, are relics of a bygone era, echoes of a disappearing way of life. Over the years I’ve passed by our enchanted Crib Barn countless times without noticing it much, unaware of its evocative name, ignorant of the rich history its walls encompass. I’ve even had occasion to poke around inside in search of various orphaned items: old desks, dusty ladders, things that have been cast to the fringes of our school’s busy days.
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obvious reasons why the board decided to implement plans Chris Kneppers had drawn up. And, so, in due course, our Crib Barn will join in the life of our school, to serve as a school store and café, with the hayloft serving as additional space.
The “taper” of the crib and slats assisted with air flow around the feed corn.
And so this curious little structure didn’t really enter my awareness until early last year when Jennifer Bryson McGahren passionately urged the Board of Trustees to commit to its renovation. From that time on, this sleepy little shed has been calling out to me, its wistful presence beseeching me to break the spell hanging over it. Ah, if only the mere wave of a magic wand could transform this little house.
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Naturally, the Board needed strong reasons for directing valuable resources to such a project. And it turns out that, upon some reflection, we have many reasons. Who among us hasn’t lingered in the school parking lot during dropoff or pickup, chatting with others, getting caught up on the latest news, making the vital connections that enliven this little village of ours? What if we had a bona fide gathering place for formal and informal meetings? The Golden House kitchen can only welcome so many on any given day. So, too, our school store needs a place to call home. Making space for these extracurricular activities would open up room in the academic buildings for more teaching and learning to happen, and for our enrollment to grow. These are some of the more
Less obvious is the larger issue of making better use of our resources. The currency of such terms as sustainable, renewable, and recyclable alerts us how critically important it is for us to develop practices, and live by values embodied in the word resourceful—which is rooted in the Latin verb resurgere, “to rise again.” To rebuild the Crib Barn into a functional space, we’ve marshaled valuable resources—the expertise planners and designers have brought to bear, the financial resources our Development Office has raised, and the community spirit on which this school thrives. As with a traditional barn raising, the Crib Barn’s resurgence is giving us a chance to actualize the community spirit that courses through the life of the school. When a bunch of Waldorf dads assembled to empty the building of its contents, I was reminded of the day we installed the living roof over the Golden House entrance. Up there among the sedum, peeking out over the eaves, a small part of each of us lives and grows. Naturally, by helping us tap into our community’s financial resources, Beth Miller’s collaboration with the school’s leadership givers has played a key role in the Crib Barn project. But fund-raising is only the most visible facet of our school’s development function; less apparent, but no less significant to this effort, are the so-called friend-raising activities the school organizes, such as the Spring Gala and May Fair. The tangible gifts of time, expertise, and money we make take on a higher meaning precisely because they grow from our love for the school. Such gifts express our eagerness to nurture the school through good times and bad. Like the farmer replenishing a crib barn’s store of grain, each of us imbues the community’s collective will with our unique
personal energy. You could say our larger Truth as a village emerges from the individual kernels of truth each of us adds to the granary. By nurturing our sense of belonging to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, friend-raising puts the unity back into community. The school’s community building activities help us achieve together goals none of us can achieve alone—goals such as the magical transformation of a creaky old crib barn into a much-needed gathering place. Our shared cultural heritage is another resource that this structure’s adaptive reuse will tap into. To enable this historic structure to rise again, yet continue to reflect the agrarian culture that brought it into being, is to weave together the strands of past, present, and future. And so, even as we innovatively adapt existing structures to our evolving needs, we may also assert the value of our shared traditions, reaffirming their sustainability and their capacity to sustain us. Waldorf Education works this way, too, its roots reaching down, its branches reaching up, its well-established fundamental principles stabilizing and informing the growth that takes place in the classroom day in and day out.
Above: Class teacher David Heberlein with the Class of 1999 during a seventh grade physics block. Below: Designer/builder and former WSP parent Robert Brander shows off the newly re-hung barn doors, which now slide back to reveal a glass entranceway.
Next time you’re on the “village green,” maybe you’ll cast your gaze in the direction of our beloved Crib Barn as it mischievously peeks out from behind the bushes. And maybe it will pique your curiosity, too, as it has mine. If so, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating it as it assumes its new guise, raised up, restored to its former glory, glorious in its resurgence, an emblem of the resourceful community we have always been and will continue to be. Bill Bauer — Parent, Trustee, and Development Committee Chair
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Why I Teach SUZANNE CUNNINGHAM Gardening Teacher, Summer Camp Director “When I took over the gardening program in 2010, I realized I really wanted the children to love gardening. I hoped that one day they would remember gardening class, and it would change how they saw themselves in the world, and affect what kind of adults they would grow into.”
Hometown: Houston, TX Education: Smith College, dual BA in Government and Religion, 2007
Past jobs: Art curator, Small World Coffee; Chef, Lovin’ Oven Restaurant; Certified Yoga Instructor
Guilty Pleasures: Gummi candy and apple crisp. And young adult fiction; I get all my book recommendations from the eighth graders!
Favorite Smell of All Time: Lemon verbena. This year has been my fi rst time growing it in the school garden, and I love it!
Room to Grow
Learning and Working in theWSP Garden Waldorf Education is a unique experience—founded on holistic, sustainable models for human development. This focus on the whole human also branches out into humanity’s impact on the environment, both individually and within a larger community. Our 20+ acres offer a variety of environmental wonders, from fields and buildings, to woods, a creek, and a garden. Over the last five years I’ve had the pleasure of working in the school’s main garden, now more than thirty years old. It is amazing to experience the changing land, but more amazing to watch the children change and shape it with their own hands, weeding, pruning, watering, and harvesting the crops. Another amazing school-wide effort is the composting program. Composting here is so natural to the children and staff that it’s not even considered remarkable. Every classroom as well as the community kitchen has a bucket for collecting organic waste. At the end of every day, students from each class (kindergarten through eighth grade) are tasked with emptying the buckets into the garden compost piles, rinsing the buckets, and returning them to their rightful places. Another, rather different, use of the garden is its ability to teach us, in a safe way, about failure. Children get to see firsthand the effects of overwatering, insufficient soil, heavy snow, or warm winters. Our garden is a safe place to learn about what it means, visually and practically, when crops fail. This is important, as we learn more from our failures than from always succeeding. In addition, when the children are learning about when crop failure has triggered major changes throughout history, they can connect to some small experience of their own. But the success of the garden is not always up to us! Two years in a row the garden experienced a harlequin beetle invasion. These beetles have typically been a southern pest, similar in shape to stink bugs, with bright orange and black armor. The students asked where these bugs came from and why were they eating all of our kale, collards, and Brussels sprouts. After some research, we discovered that the harlequin beetles arrived in New Jersey because we had two very mild winters in a row. The mild winters allowed these normally southern pests to travel further
north and invade unprepared and unsuspecting northern farms and gardens! Not only did the children experience crop failure, but they also learned that mild winters are not always desirable—especially when you’re a farmer! Gardening, like many physical jobs, exercises an individual’s will forces. Whether or not one enjoys the work, it must be done and we must will ourselves to do it. This compulsion to do the physical work of the garden teaches our students how to persevere, and how to do work that is a challenge. The rest of the world is realizing just how valuable the principles of environmental responsibility and awareness are, and how much Waldorf schools already do. We are proud to have earned recognition for our environmental practices; with acknowledgments from Eco-Schools USA, the National Wildlife Federation, and Monarch Watch; we feel emboldened to reach further. More adults in our community are joining the momentum, attending parent education talks, and pushing our school closer to zero-waste events. All of these experiences expose the children to new ways of understanding the natural world and the responsibilities of humans in it. The work in the garden, both teaching and the general upkeep, has been incredibly fulfilling and challenging for me. The children have blossomed over the years into very capable stewards of the garden, and I feel privileged to be able to witness the fruits of their labors, even as they return as alumni to help out now and then. I know they are planting the seeds of what they learned here far and wide, to everyone’s benefit. —Suzanne Cunningham
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Gardening Through the Years “WSP prepared me for a changing environment because it gave me the confidence that I could take charge of and be responsible for my life and the world around me. I am not a passive victim of circumstance, but a being of power and possibility who has the ability to affect my surroundings, my world, and even the human race.” —Joe McLean ’92, woodworker, teacher Former gardening teacher Mary Capoferri with Dr. Sam Moyer, aka “the Jersey Jerry Broomsquire” and Class of 2014 as third graders modeling their handmade brooms. WSP’s fi rst gardening teacher, John Ryan
“Kids at that age need to know that they’re working for a better purpose. They can do so much for communities if given the opportunity.” —John Ryan, WSP’s first gardening teacher, in American Horticulturist (1995) The Class of 1992 creating the fi rst garden beds. The WSP garden was subsequently dedicated to their class teacher, Ekkehard Heyder.
We were awarded a Wrigley Grant from the Eco-Schools Project for our efforts in reducing landfill waste through the composting program. We were also recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation, and a Monarch Waystation
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WSP campers selling their wares at a summertime garden “farm market” in 2012.
“I don’t know of any other school, at least at the elementary level, that embraces nature as a classroom. I learned as much outdoors while at WSP as I did inside. Little things like watching the tadpoles scurry through the stream bed or seeing a favorite tree turn from green to golden orange in the fall are essential lessons in the cyclic nature of our planet. …” —Zane Bridgers ’05, filmmaker (degree in sustainable development, Colorado College)
“I feel that WSP was a good example of environmental education. I remember learning how to compost, putting our hands in to deliver the necessary components to make healthy compost. I also remember having a general understanding of the earth around me and what it gives to us living on this planet.” —Ilaria Elli ’07 (degree in advertising management, Michigan State University)
A young Class of 1997 earnestly tends the soil.
Current gardening teacher Suzanne Cunningham introduces rising first graders to the lay of the land in 2014.
Former gardening teacher Pam Flory with eighth graders in a 1995 newspaper profile.
“The relationship I gained to the things I used every day, from earth to final product, inspired a lot of what my work as an artist is today.” —Tessa Mania ’07, fashion designer (BFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago)
Former gardening teacher Nancy Kay Anderson with the Class of 2004 showcase a healthy harvest.
Restaurateur Alice Waters paid a visit to WSP in 1997 and praised our composting program.
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Pat Shannon and wife, Sue
Alice Tanner and wedding guests
Alumni News Please send your news to alumni@princetonwaldorf.org.
❉❉CLASS OF 1994 Pat Shannon reports: “It’s
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been a busy couple of years for me and my wife, Sue. After getting married in August 2013, we went on a rather untraditional honeymoon to New Zealand for six months to walk the length of the country on the Te Araroa trail. It was a 1900-mile adventure of a lifetime! We had a website where we both journaled and posted pictures from our trip: www. journeybeyondlimits.com. Upon our return in May 2014, I went back to an administrative role at Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead and continue to build up my nature/wildlife photography business I have now had for five years. Earlier this year Sue and I began a couple of adventures of a different kind. We became homeowners, buying a beautiful little home in Ringoes, and are expecting our first child in December.”
Arielle Giegerich and husband Matt Pregmon, who are living in Washington DC, welcomed the arrival of their son, James Egan Pregmon, on February 8. Alice Tanner reports: “My husband and I were married in April 2014. I was lucky enough to have two alumnae as bridesmaids— my sister, Elizabeth, and Arielle Giegerich—plus the entire Saperstein family in attendance! My husband, Chris, is an attorney here in Virginia, and I’m currently working at (yet another) local software startup.”
❉❉CLASS OF 1997 Ariella Saperstein reports: “I started a new job last year as Israel Program Officer at the Helmsley Charitable Trust, one of the biggest philanthropic foundations in the country. Last fall I actually took a vacation with Serena Bartlett, who was in my class through only second grade(!), but we reconnected a few years ago. We went to three national parks, including the Grand Canyon, and had a great time!”
Ariella Saperstein and Serena Bartlett
❉❉CLASS OF 1998 Stan Parish is the editor of a new magazine coming from The Wall Street Journal in December. His first novel, Down the Shore, is now available in paperback from Penguin Books.
❉❉CLASS OF 1999 Mike Lovett reports that he now works for Community News Service as an accounts executive. He has also gone back to what he loves doing most, which is performing; he can be seen in local community theater. He now resides in Ewing, and has visited campus for an occasional nature walk, remembering Old Man’s Tree, wild strawberry fields, and endless sports and games.
❉❉CLASS OF 2003 Lisa Silber received her MS in Chemistry and is now working as an associate researcher in the Department of Oncological Sciences at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in NYC. She is also the co-author of a
Lisa Silber with her sister, Emily
Jackson Boyar with his “Chinese mom”
Rachael Rivenburg with cohorts at WSU
paper on “Heteronuclear
Thomas Dethlefs competed on his 7th national rowing team this summer, representing the USA at the World Cup II in Varese, Italy, and the World Championships in Aiguebelette, France. With the Rio Olympic Games months away, he is training hard and focused on putting forward his best performance over the coming months. He still owns and operates a small tutoring company named Milestone Academic Counseling, which helps prepare students for the SAT, ACT, and SSAT tests, in addition to subject tutoring. His sister, Hanna, is back at UPenn after a year abroad traveling in Nepal, Southeast Asia, and Australia, and they are both excited they will get a chance to spend more time together.
❉ CLASS OF 2005
Ruthenium(III)/Ferrocene Complexes,” which was published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry last December.
❉ CLASS OF 2004 Jackson Boyar reports: “With Waldorf-inspired courage, I left a secure job at L.E.K. Consulting in Boston and started my own company, Shearwater International. It turns out startups require 110% of your waking hours, but the travel, inspiring work, and a great business partner have led to early success for Shearwater, which develops mentor-driven orientation programming for international students.” Interest in China sparked by early WSP exposure to Mandarin led Jackson to his current fl uency and appreciation of the need for cross-cultural literacy. The early startup days were also helped by none other than WSP ’04 class teacher Beverly Boyer, who made the introduction of Shearwater to their fi rst partner school.
Eliza Heberlein currently works as a registered dietitian at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, where she provides nutritional counseling and education to patients with eating disorders.
Rachel Rivenburg: After completing her BA at Bryn Mawr College and taking a year off to work at veterinary clinics in Walla Walla, WA, she is now in her second year at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She plans to apply for an internship following her fourth year and continue on to small animal emergency and critical care medicine.
THE VIEW FROM OLD MAN’S TREE
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Victoria Albert reunites with former teacher Elan Leibner
Soren Rubin and Celeste Goodman in France
John Garet Stoker
❉❉CLASS OF 2006
University’s Graduate School of Journalism in May and is now working as an editorial fellow, writing stories about birds, climate change, and conservation, for Audubon Magazine in New York City.
emphasis in fashion design. Her work as a fashion designer focuses on sustainability, using all organic and fair trade materials, as well as some vintage or second hand accessories. Her senior collection was made from vintage fabrics and organic cotton. She showed this collection in May at SAIC’s The Walk annual fashion show, in downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park and was seen on Windy City Live in May 2015. See her website tessamania.com for more about her work.
Victoria Albert graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College (2014) with a degree in Economics. She currently works as an Analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York. She lives in New York City. Lily Heberlein: After completing a year working at the New Foundations Charter School in Northeast Philadelphia as an Americorp/VISTA employee, Lily is enrolled in her final year at Rutgers, completing her major in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. She currently works weekends at Earth House—a residential treatment center for mentally ill adults. When she is not studying or working she enjoys spending time with her beloved dog, Mabel.
Soren Rubin is currently studying at Drexel University. This semester he is traveling in Europe and Southeast Asia with his fiancée and former WSP student, Celeste Goodman.
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Emily Silber received her Master’s from Columbia
John Garet Stoker graduated from Carnegie Mellon University a year ago with a BFA in drama. He now resides in Los Angeles. He recently appeared on MTV’s one hour drama Eye Candy.
❉❉CLASS OF 2007 George Boyar graduated early last December and decided to travel. He just returned from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Colombia. Instead of returning to Bain & Company, he has joined an education startup, Shearwater International, where he is working as the product manager. Shearwater is solving culture shock through mentorship that makes you feel at home in the world. Tessa Mania graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with
❉❉CLASS OF 2008 Mikey Gray is a senior at Bard College, majoring in theater. She enjoyed a semester abroad last year in Sydney, Australia, while studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.
Hanna Hayes Dethlefs traveled for eight months by herself, with Nepal being her favorite country! There she trekked to Mt. Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit, and enjoyed whitewater rafting. In Thailand
George Boyar on weekend road trip to Hot Springs, AK
Tessa Mania ’07 and sister Isabel Mania ’16
Soni Nandoskar Pomaski ’01 reunites with Elan Leibner and Tertia Gale in Hawaii
while working sustainable farmlands she spent Christmas in a yoga meditation retreat. Hanna is a certified whitewater raft guide leading trips down the Colorado River during the summers in Moab. She holds a NOLS certification as a Wilderness First Responder and advanced PADI certification in scuba diving. Having completed her first two years of college at UPenn before her international adventures, she is continuing her studies in anthropology.
Jonah Mania reports: “In
Moses Heberlein is in the
the past couple years I have been a part of the co-op education program at Stevens. This past spring I was working for L’Oreal research and development in Clark, New Jersey, as a data science co-op. I am currently working for Eikos Partners in Manhattan doing web development. I have also been playing on the Stevens Ultimate team for the past two years. I was able to take a quick trip during fourth of July this year with my good friend Dean Linkroum, who is also a WSP alum. We went up to New Hampshire to visit our friend Julian who does preservation work on Squam Lake. The weekend involved canoeing on the lake and camping at night.”
midst of his second year of a three-year welding certification program at the Mercer County Adult Evening School. He spends his days working with a local builder/ designer/contractor who does home remodeling and additions.
❉❉CLASS OF 2009 Dean Linkroum: During Dean’s second year at Ithaca College, he decided he definitely wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy. He applied to the PT program at the end of his sophomore year and was thrilled to have been accepted over the summer. Currently in his junior year, he has started his path to getting a doctorate in physical therapy as well as completing a minor in exercise science.
❉❉CLASS OF 2010 Corrie Gray is a sophomore at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. Corrie is busy studying art and business and plays on the Guilford women’s lacrosse team.
❉❉CLASS OF 2013 Melina Boutris: The Waldorf School of Princeton is delighted to hear that Melina is an honor roll student at Hopewell Valley Central High School, where she is the president and founder of the Martial Arts Club, and looks forward to seeing her at all future alumni events along with other members of the Class of 2013. Abigail Gray is a junior at The Hun School and started her third season playing varsity soccer and is proud to say helped start an environmental club (thanks, Waldorf!). Abby also stays busy playing club soccer and has recently started taking flying lessons.
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Class of 2014: Where Are They Now? Mia CondĂŠ The Purnell School Lakumi Moka Dias Solebury School
Elsa Fleurial Princeton High School Angelina Han Montgomery High School
Gareth Hornung Solebury School Donovan Kazakoff Hopewell Valley Regional High School
Adam Olkin Princeton High School Sophia Seliquini The Birch School
Emily Wasem The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs Nora Wynn Montgomery High School
Class of 2015: Where Are They Now?
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Alanna Ardastra Hopewell Valley Regional High School Angelina Bottomley George School Katherine Faas Princeton High School Astrid Fiverson Seattle Waldorf High School Shivani Hazarika Montgomery High School
Brendan Jackson Seattle Waldorf High School Zoe Jackson Princeton Day School Jacob Krause Princeton Learning Cooperative Chineda Lewis Sandy Springs Friends School Josephine Martin Villa Victoria Academy
Marshall Overhiser The Solebury School Noah Rebarber Princeton High School Fable Shor Princeton High School
In Memoriam Damien DeRose ’00, passed on November 18,
Marvin Jaffe, father of WSP teacher and
2015. He is survived by his parents, Nick and Lynn DeRose, and his brother Noah.
alumni parent Ondria Wasem, and grandfather of Elliot ’09 and Emily Wasem ’14, passed on June 23, 2015. He was a longtime supporter of the school.
Daniel Fasano ’07 passed on December 18, 2014. He is survived by his mother, Terry Fasano; his father, Pat Fasano; and his siblings, Patrick ’03 and Anna ’05. Terri Fredericks, mother of Ryan ’06 and Corey ’08 Fredericks, and Waldorf School of Princeton class teacher, passed on December 13, 2013. She is also survived by her husband, Bruce Fredericks. Brian Hillman ’07 passed on September 21, 2015. He is survived by his parents, Mark and Lisa Hillman, and his siblings, Alora ’09 and Noah ’11. Glenn Hobson, father of Madeline and Genevieve, passed on January 29, 2014. He is also survived by his wife, Pamela, and their younger daughters, Oriah and Olivia.
Cathy Ann Horn, mother of Sarah Elmaleh ’98 and Andrew Elmaleh ’02, passed on December 6, 2013.
Matan Kalif, son of current parents Tal and Esther Kalif, passed on August 4, 2015. He is also survived by his siblings, Rahm and Ella, who are in the early childhood program.
John Miller, father of current student Sara Miller, passed on January 22, 2015. He is also survived by his wife, Jill, and their older sons, Christian ’10 and Connor ’12.
Ganshet Nandoskar, father of Soni Nandoskar Pomaski ’01, passed on April 11, 2015. He is also survived by his wife Andrea, who resides in Hawaii. Stephen Traylor, father of Nathan ’92, Gabriel ’96, and Matthew ’01, passed on September 26, 2014. Grant Wiggins, father of Justin ’04, Ian ’06, and Priscilla ’08, passed on May 26, 2015.
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Calendar of Events THE SHEPHERDS’ PLAY
Friday, December 18 7:00 p.m. Mackay Campus Center, Princeton Theological Seminary
New first grade teacher Lori Pedersen (right) and assistant Lauren Hill welcome their class after the Opening Day Ceremony on September 9.
ALUMNI & FAMILIES HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, December 20 4:00–6:00 p.m.
SPRING GALA
Saturday, April 2
GRANDPARENTS’ & SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY Friday, May 6
MAY FAIR
Saturday, May 7 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Noah Rebarber ’15 models the latest in fairy wear at our most recent May Fair.
Nora Sheehan ’04 and former WSP Mandarin teacher Ning Yuan Yu give a tour of the campus to visitors from Chunzhigu College/ Beijing Spring Valley Waldorf School.
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Buttercup parent Vikas Shah helps son Neelamadhava spruce up the play yard at Community Work Day August 29.
All events to be held on the WSP campus unless otherwise noted. Electronic news, invitations, and reminders will be sent closer to the dates of the events. Please check princetonwaldorf.org/ calendar for updates. To add your name and e-mail address to our contact list, please contact Jamie Quirk, communications and marketing director: events@princetonwaldorf.org or 609-466-1970, x112.
Annual Report 2014–2015 Assets Current Assets Property & Equipment Other Assets TOTAL ASSETS
$323,051 2,563,081 356,140
WALDORF SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF THE PRINCETON AREA CONDENSED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2015
$3,242,272
Liabilities & Capital Liabilities Current Liabilities & Prepaid Tuition Long-Term Liabilities
$277,022 373,702
TOTAL LIABILITIES
$650,724
Capital Unrestricted Assets $2,366,678 Temporarily Restricted Funds 134,881 Permanently Restricted & Endowment 89,989 TOTAL CAPITAL
$2,591,548
TOTAL LIABILITIES & CAPITAL
$3,242,272
EXPENSES
Support & Revenue School tuition $2,785,239 Contributions 227,617 Special events & class funds 101,233 Other 42,105 TOTAL SUPPORT & REVENUE
$3,156,194
Expenses Programs $2,062,080 Financial Aid 549,706 General & Administrative 327,667 Facilities & Maintenance 257,061 Employee Benefits 234,552 TOTAL EXPENSES
SUPPORT AND REVENUE
$3,431,066
CHANGE IN NET ASSETS ($274,872)
This condensed financial statement information has been derived from the financial statements audited by Mercadien P.C., CPAs.
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Why I Give Mark Hornung & Lauren Jones Skillman, NJ For Mark Hornung and Lauren Jones, enrolling their son Gareth Hornung ’14 in nursery was just the beginning of their journey. Over the years, Mark has contributed his time and talents as a member of the Board of Trustees, serving as Treasurer and Board Chair as well as Chair of Finance Committee. Not to be outdone, Lauren has lent style and acumen to organizing the Fairy Tea at our May Fair, live and online auctions, graduation receptions, and a host of other development and community events. Combined, they have spent almost a quarter of a century championing Waldorf Education in the Princeton area.
Why Did You Choose WSP? “We wanted our son to be in an environment where children could be their own age,” says Lauren.
Having experienced WSP’s summer camp, she and Mark were impressed with the alumni counselors’ “unshakable confidence, believing they could move forward through anything.” It was the curriculum, though, that sold them on Waldorf, especially the integration of art, science, and nature: “Art is taken seriously,” says Lauren, “and is an important, essential part of human expression.”
Why Do You Stay Connected? “Waldorf provides an incredibly valuable social education, incorporating the hearts, hands and minds of students,” says Mark. “We just want to see WSP continue to thrive, and see through financial challenges by helping to broaden the base of givers.”
What Do You Value Most about WSP? Mark calls Waldorf a “wonderful education,” with Lauren quick to add that the methods “allow a person to think independently.” They believe the school is also a resource to a wider group of community members in Princeton and Montgomery, providing opportunities for children to imagine and dream at events like May Fair, and in public programs such as summer camp.
Why Do You Continue to Give Back? “Because people who receive this education can heal the world,” says Lauren. Mark also indicated that they support a small school for disadvantaged children in Mexico, but as he learned in Boy Scouts, it is important to help locally too: “Our community is a better place because of Waldorf School of Princeton.”
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How You Can Help: Every gift supports WSP’s culture of excellent teaching and substantive learning. Give online: www.princetonwaldorf.org/support/ webforms/give-now
Volunteers 2014–15 AF Phonathon
Enrollment Task Force
Diane Barlow William Bauer David Henry Mark Hornung Sarah Karchere Susie McCoy Sharon Mizels Heide Ratliff Cyndi Vega
Christa Bruneau-Flynn ’01, co-chair Doug Jackson, co-chair Navdeep Jaikaria Mary Langeron Susie McCoy Jennifer Bryson McGahren Trisha Merriam Jennifer Torres
Development Committee William Bauer, chair Christa Bruneau-Flynn ’01 Lauren Jones Sarah Karchere Gayathri Koropati Jennifer Mulvihill Robert Phinney Nick Rumin
Facilities Planning Committee Jennifer Bryson McGahren, co-chair Chris Kneppers, co-chair Mada Iwamoto Jennifer Dowd
Finance Committee
Common Ground Representatives
Jeff Trent, chair Douglas Chin Janine Cleland Navdeep Jaikaria Sarah Karchere-Sun
Mary Langeron Jennifer Torres
Governance Committee
Dads’ Programs Jay Fiverson Doug Jackson Wayne Rebarber
Enrollment Activities Support Scott Albert William Bauer Felicia Bland Linda Bolis Zane Bridgers ’05 Christa Bruneau-Flynn ’01 Sunny Chen Jennifer Curtis Astrid Fiverson ’15 Lori Horton Doug Jackson Dylan Karchere-Sun ’10 Sarah Karchere Terri Levy Tessa Mania ’07 Oliver McIntosh ’13 Trisha Merriam Kremena Mironova Jennifer Mulvihill
Nick Rumin, chair Mark Hornung
High School Task Force Pamela Shafer, chair Diane Barlow William Bauer Maria Cardenas Jennifer Dowd Kevin Fisher Lynne Fox Doug Jackson Elan Leibner Susan Mania Kelda Mazzone Robert Phinney Genevieve Solomon Ondria Wasem
IT Support Kevin Fisher Bela Pados
May Fair Committee William Bauer Sha’ree Berkhout Kremena Mironova Sara Young Singh Jennifer Torres
Auction Committee
Class Parents
Sha’ree Berkhout, chair Lisa Boyles Mada Campos Fiona Christano Liesl Fisher Donna Garcia Amy Krause Angela Kneppers Terri Levy Susie McCoy Chi Park Wendy Pickford
Lisa Boyles Tami Denette Annie Jain Makiko Kato Kremena Mironova Jennifer Mulvihill Gina Totaro Gretchen Overhiser Chi Park Jamie Quirk Anna Roberts Sarah Teo Cyndi Vega
Parent-Teacher Conference Catering Coordinators
Parent Council Delegates
Cari Ellen Hermann Susie McCoy Rachelle Rebarber Peggy Sayben
Sha’ree Berkhout Joanne Farrugia Mada Iwamoto Esther Kalif Angela Kneppers Margaret Lee Susie McCoy John Orrok Stefania Alina Rosca Lilian Sampaio Tineke Thio Kimberly Trent
School Store
Class Giving Agents
Joanne Farrugia Kremena Mironova
School Doctor Deborah Ginsburg
School Photography
Christiane Bargheer Brenda Behrend Fiona Christano Jennifer Mulvihill Sarah Teo
Scrip Chi Park Krisztina Debreczeni
Yearbook Committee Kamalakshi Hazarika Cari Ellen Hermann Susie McCoy Rachelle Rebarber Tineke Thio
Parent Council Steering Committee Joanne Farrugia Liesl Fisher Mada Iwamoto Susie McCoy
Jamie Quirk: Morning Garden Parent-Child Class (Thursday) Susie McCoy: Morning Garden Parent-Child Class (Friday) Esther Kalif: Buttercup Children’s Garden Class Jamie Quirk: Lilac Children’s Garden Class Katrin Bernewitz: Rose Children’s Garden Class Esther Kalif and Natalia Prokopenko: Sunflower Children’s Garden Class Susie McCoy and Sha’ree Berkhout: Grade 1 William Bauer: Grade 2 Cyndi Vega and Tami Denette: Grade 3 Susie McCoy and Makiko Kato: Grade 4 Sarah Karchere: Grade 5 Cyndi Vega: Grade 6 Makiko Kato: Grade 7 Gretchen Overhiser: Grade 8
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Development Highlights 2014–15 ANNUAL FUND “100 in 30” and 30K Angel Challenges Congratulations to our entire community of angels who supported WSP last year. We met our $30,000 Guardian Angels challenge and we exceeded receiving 100 pledges and gifts in the 30 days in March. In meeting these challenges, our families have proven their dedication to WSP with 100% family participation in the Annual Fund. It is great to be back at 100% this year after being at 99% last year. Together this year we achieved 96% of our Annual Fund goal of $140,000.
Quiet Money Makers… This year we promoted several fundraisers. With corn mazes and lantern walks in the fall and May Fair in the spring, we were able to bring some fun to the community and raise money for WSP too. Using the Amazon Associates program we received 6% of total sales. In total, we raised almost $6,000 with these and other programs.
Fourth Annual Holiday Auction Special Thanks to WSP parent Shar’ee Berkhout who worked with a dedicated team to support our Online Auction. With the help of Auction Angels, we raised over $13,000 that was used for faculty education at WSP.
CAPITAL AND SPECIAL PROJECTS HIGHLIGHTS Crib Barn On October 18 we launched the first phase for our Crib Barn project. Over the course of the year we raised over $55,000 through donations and popcorn sales which allowed for phase 1 to begin. The project broke ground in Fall 2015.
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Angela Kneppers and Pamela Shafer pause for a snapshot while priming the remodeled Crib Barn this fall.
Infrastructure support (Database) Special thanks to the Rumin family for their generous financial support of the database infrastructure at WSP. Our former database was obsolete and creeping along and needed to be replaced to support our ever growing student files and donation records.
Mr. Hagens Supports Us Again! Special thanks to Mr. Hagens for his contribution to help with our website redesign. This contribution will allow us to communicate more effectively to our current community and families who are interested in learning more about WSP. Check out our new look at www.princetonwaldorf.org.
Stretching children’s minds and bodies— Class of 2015 Parents’ Legacy Gift The Class of 2015 parents wanted something special to leave to the school as a gift, so they decided to fund a new climbing structure in the sheep pen as well as an outdoor sculptural arts tent for our students and faculty. Now our children and faculty have even more opportunities to explore, create, and be outside.
The Class of 2017 grabs a breath of fresh air under the new sculptural arts tent, a gift from the parents of the Class of 2015.
Alex Yoffe ’01 and Toshi Woudenberg ’01 brush up their star-folding skills at our Alumni & Families Holiday Open House held December 20, 2014.
Second graders Anna McLean, Viviana Fiverson, and Laura Alfaro take a break from the 2015 May Fair to enjoy a slice from Nomad Pizza.
Sherryl and Lynedon Horton share a laugh at Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day on May 8, 2015.
Fourth graders demonstrate their May pole dance before an audience, May 9, 2015.
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Our Community of Donors LEADERSHIP CIRCLES
Alumni Leadership Circle ($250 +)
1983 Circle ($10,000 +)
Christa Bruneau-Flynn ’01 Anonymous
Antonio Elmaleh and Anne Williams*+~ Mark Hornung and Lauren Jones*+~ Chris and Angela Kneppers*+
Golden House Circle ($5,000 +) Nicholas Rumin and Mary Langeron*+ Anonymous
Garden Circle ($2,500 +) Gordon Alter and Sharon Mizels*+~ Bank of America Charitable Foundation Colgate-Palmolive Company The New York Community Trust Anil and Elizabeth Warrier*~
Old Man’s Tree Circle ($1,000 +) Diane Barlow*+~ Nancy L. and Taylor Bello ’06*~ David and Michelle Bottomley+ The Breitman Family* Terry Fasano* ~ Jay Fiverson and Janine Cleland* Terry Flynn and Nancy Bruneau*~ FMC Corp Kevin and Lynne Fox Paul and Chandra Graves Healing Oceans Family Wellness Center Navdeep and Behroze Jaikaria* jaZams Gery and Anne Juleff+ Christopher and Aimee Knerr* John and Nancy Lemmo*+~ John McGahren and Jennifer Bryson McGahren*+~ Jill Miller*+ Tony and Francoise Nelessen~ Eduardo Pares and Dana Zampieri Bob and Caroline Phinney*+ Wayne and Rachelle Rebarber*
RECOGNITION CIRCLES
Willow Circle ($500 +) Patricia Ambrosio William and Fumiko Bauer*+ Belle Mead Coop Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Michael Cao and Grace Xu Douglas Chin and Beth Miller* Alma Hornung Edgerly* Dean Smith and Joanne Farrugia Stephen Griffies and Adi Benito+ Steve Han and Shirley Wang* David Heberlein and Sarah Kessler*+~ Marvin Jaffe*^~ The Karchere-Sun Family*+ Curtis and Margaret Lee Cun and Yuanying Lin Kamal Maruf and Rashda Chaudhary Jeffrey Olkin and Karleen Aghevli*~ Chinsook and Hae Seung Park Porta at Asbury LLC Pricewaterhouse-Coopers Henry and Heide Ratliff~ Patrick Sheehan and Pamela Shafer*+~ Sanjeev and Parizad Srivastava+ Target Stores Union Line Garage Peter and Ondria Wasem*+~ Whole Earth Center Anonymous
The Castle Circle ($250 +) Ameriprise Financial Services Bank of Princeton Michael and Maria Berger Jennifer Curtis~ Hillary Cunniff*~ Nicholas and Lynn DeRose*~ Susan Eggers+
Max and Barbara El Tawil*+ Lyn Farrugia Finetto Landscaping Kevin and Liesl Fisher* Adam Hackenberg and Marijane Harris The Hastings-Kimball Family Suranjoy and Kamalakshi Hazarika*+ Holly M. Houston*+ ~ Guilherme and Mada Iwamoto+ Gary and Rosanne Johnston The Kalif Family Kazunobu and Makiko Kato* James L. Kerr*~ Mahender and Gayathri Korapati Elan Leibner and Tertia Gale* Lifetouch National School Studios* Lu Liu and Ming Kuang James McDonough and Lorraine Shiarappa~ Tim McNulty and Chi Park*+ The Meehan Family Mercadien Princeton Supply Melissa Printon~ Carsten Prussog James and Jamie Quirk*+ Rue Insurance The Sampaio Family* Colin and Karin Sanderson September Schofield~ Madelane Shane Solebury School Jeff and Kimberly Trent*+ Joaquin and Cynthia Vega* Ron and Kearney Vrabel*~ Bill Yacker and Donna Krebsbach~ Anonymous
Meadow Circle ($249 and under) Scott Albert and Donna Garcia*~ Victoria Albert ’06~ Daniel and Jean Alexander*+~ The Alfaro Family* Peter Andolfatto and Ladan Mehranvar+
Karl Andrek*~ Ron and Dot Barlow*~ Keri Bauer+ Edward Baumgarten Laura Beatty Stalin Bedon and Tami Denette Rachid and Trinna BenMoussa* Bob and Barbara Benson+ Christine Benson Michael and Maria Berger The Berkhout Family Robert, Kathy, and Jacquelyn ’03 Berkowitz~ The Bernewitz Family Felicia Bland+ Blue Moon Acres Farm Paul and Denise Boisde Ravlek Bolczak and Beata Giermasinska*+ Linda Pellegrini Bolis~ George Boyar ’07~ Jackson Boyar ’04~ Elena Bridgers ’03~ David Campbell and Jennifer Murray* Martin and Mary Capoferri~ Maria T. Cardenas Yung Ling Chang Teresa Chicarilla James Chin+ Ray and Judy Chin+~ Pat and Wendy Ciccodicola*~ Sean and Sarina Cirianni-Jones*+~ Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Cleland* Aida Colon and Peter Sibole Craig Confoy and Beth Jarvie~ Dale Coye and Bev Boyer*~ Fiona Charlotte Ruth Crawford ’13~ Mike and Patty Cronheim~ Aram and Tina Dadian+ Bud and Barbara Darvin* Asaf Davidov ’09~ Doron and Hadas Davidov*~ Delisa Waste Services Brent Deisher Digital Dog Jennifer Dowd The Drake-Wilson Family Kyle Dunlap~ Kevin and Dolores Eaton+ Andrea Eberly+
* Sustaining donors who have made gifts to the Annual Fund for the past five years or more or alumni who have made a gift every year since graduation + Community members who participated in “WSP Angels” campaign ^ Community members who have since passed ~ Alumni Community members
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WA L D O R F S C H O O L O F P R I N C E TO N
Grace Egan*~ Mark and Cathy Eisemen Matthew Eldredge and Beth Patchel*~ Farmhouse Store Edward Fiszer Estabel Fiverson Brendan and Michelle Flynn+ Dennis and Diane Forer Douglas and Nancy Forer+~ Cynthea Frongillo Harry Georgeson~ Sami Ghandour and Natalia Prokopenko Rosemary Girone Richard Glass~ Johanna Golomb ’01*+~ Jonathan Gordon and Jane Francis*~ Herbert and Adelaide Hagens* Helen Hamilton Peter and Nancy Harisiades*+~ Benjamin J. Hart ’01*+~ Patti Hart and Laura Nash~ Diana Hayes~ David Henry and Deborah Ginsburg* The Hermann Family* The Hilgerdt Family Daniel and Betty Hoff~ Bill and Stephanie Hoffman*~ Melanie Holzberg The Horton Family Sheryl Horton+ Howell Living History Farm (Maze Days) Jay Hu and Mia Yang+ Doug and Alex Jackson* Deepak and Annie Jain Pamela H. Jardine* Nobuki and Momoko Kakizaki Jonah Kallen and Julie Loucks Danny and Julia Kerr*~ Shirley Kessler*~ Marcus Knowlton and Lisa Boyles Srinivas Kotla and Shruthi Ponnala Lya Kotys+
Eva Kovacs~ Kroka Debashis and Sonali Kundu+ Christian Lara ’01+~ Margaret Lauver Andrew Levine and Shawn Tepper-Levine* Moshe and Terri Levy The Zuberman-Leibman Family Sam and Nancy Leopold~ April Linkroum and John Christman~ Dean Linkroum ’09~ Pearce Linkroum ’02~ Irwin Liss The Mania Family* Eric and Julie Martin* Efrain and Kristin Martinez-Zuviria Thomas McAteer and Deirdre Owen The McCoy Family Scott and Dianne McGaunn Daniel McIntosh~ Deborah McKay and Family*~ Neil and Ilona Melker~ The Menapace Family Trisha Merriam Jeffrey Mershon and Janice Zuzov*~ Yves Meyer and Joelle Meyer-Korrichi+ Graham and Chelsi Meyerson+ Stephen J. Millner*+~ The Mironov Family Rick Mitchell*~ Bernice and Seymour Mizels~ Bill Moran and Carol Nyikita*~ Signe Motter Ganshet^ and Andrea Nandoskar Mathieu Nelessen and Gina Totaro+ The Nevers Family Anthony Newarski~ Robert and Jessica Niziolek+ Stefano Nodari and Laura De Santis*~ John Orrok and Marlen Dooley
The Overhiser Family Bela and Agota Pados Kenneth and Anja Palmowski-Wolfe~ Joaquin Pares ’19 Margaret Parish’05~ Joanne Pawelko Karrin Pearson’00*~ Lori Pedersen Douglas A. Penfield*~ Mike Pfeil and Annette Larson~ Evan Pierson and Carolyn Pearson Pierson ’98*~ Sangeeta Proddutur Dan ’92 and Hattie Ratliff+~ Karla Ratliff ’05~ Thomas Ratliff ’94~ Ellen Rebarber Timothy Rider and Sincia Liu Kit Rivenburg~ Rachel Rivenburg ’05~ Bryce and Anna Roberts+ Bogdan and Stefania Alina Rosca Amy Lynn Rosina*+ Annabelle Grace Royer ’05~ David Davis and Jennifer Santos Herb and Ada Saperstein*~ Frank Sauer and Miranda Mirfakhrai*~ Sara Sauer ’07~ Ronald Savoie John and Margaret Sayben Henry and Joy Sayen~ Miklos and Eszter Scholder Alessandra Schneider Leupold ’98*~ Johanna Schneider ’04*~ Marvin Schuldiner and Francine Pfeffer+ Barbara Sejeck Madelane Shane Hal and Barbara Shapiro+ Peter Sheen and Yifat Leibner*~ Muneeb Tariq and Farah Qureshi Sheikh Jonathan and Amy Shor*+ Mark and Heather Signorin
Shyam Maharjan and Sara Young Singh* Brenda Smith+ Genevieve Solomon Klonda Speer~ Susan Starr* Richard Steo and Cathy Petrilla*~ Stop and Shop John and Samantha Strickland Samuel and Millie Summerlin Aggie Sung Tang Paola Tayvah~ The Telfeyen-Glickman Family~ Alfredo and Michelle Thiermann Juan and Jennifer Torres Matthew A. Traylor ’01+ ~ Annick Tremel~ Alexis and Carol Troncoso*~ David Turnbull and Jane Harison+ Ed and Jaci Trzaska Jordan and Rachel Ullman United Way Jim and Nancy Valanzola*~ Valley Oil Annie and Ayla ’06 Van Beveren*~ David and Roslyn Vanderbilt*~ Ingrid Mentzel Virok* William and Tammy Wagner*~ Dava Walker~ Charles and Lee Warner~ Walter and Therese Wasem~ John and Diane Wassmer Jerry and Jennifer Wenger+ Tom and Lois White Brynleah Wiedorn ’09* ~ Jonathan and Sue Wiedorn*~ Amy Wolfe~ Andrew Wynn and Maureen Rocks+~ The Yegparian Family+ Zohara Zagouri Asela Zamorano+ Andrea and Anne-Laure Zancato The Zhao Family+ Bryan and Vicki Ziegler+ Anonymous
* Sustaining donors who have made gifts to the Annual Fund for the past five years or more or alumni who have made a gift every year since graduation + Community members who participated in “WSP Angels” campaign ^ Community members who have since passed ~ Alumni Community members
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The Michael Society The Michael Society recognizes alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, and friends who include provisions in their wills or estate plans to benefit the Waldorf School of Princeton and have informed the school of their generosity. These provisions may include bequest intentions, testamentary trusts, gifts providing life income, life insurance, retirement plan assets, and other deferred gifts. If you have provided for the Waldorf School of Princeton in your will or estate plan, or are interested in learning more about estate-related gifts, please contact the Development Office at: 609-466-1970, x121, or development@ princetonwaldorf.org. Members: Diane Barlow
William and Fumiko Bauer Antonio Osato Elmaleh Marie Fetzer* Gertrude Kren* Heide Ratliff Susan Starr
* Denotes a deceased member of the Waldorf School of Princeton community.
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GIFTS FROM CURRENT GRANDPARENTS James Chin Emma and Laura Chin Bill and Sigrid Cleland Astrid and Viviana Fiverson Bud and Barbara Darvin Liam and Valentina Vega Max and Barbara El Tawil Liam and Kieran Fisher Estabel Fiverson Astrid and Viviana Fiverson Rosemary Girone Josephine Martin Sheryl Horton Lynedon Horton Pamela Jardine Zoe and Ella Jackson Margaret Lauver Theodore and Mary Katherine Hackenberg Ellen Rebarber Noah Rebarber Sam and Nancy Leopold Calypso Hilgerdt Chinsook and Hae Seung Park Kees and Suki McNulty Madelane Shane Reuben and Azariah Breitman Brenda Smith Felix Farrugia Samuel and Millie Summerlin Jonah Merriam John and Diane Wassmer Anna McLean Asela Zamorano Alexander Fiszer Bryan and Vicki Ziegler Niko and Calypso Hilgerdt
GIFTS FROM ALUMNI AND STUDENTS Class of 1992 Anonymous Dan Ratliff Class of 1994 Arielle Giegerich Thomas Ratliff Class of 1998 Carolyn Pearson Pierson Alessandra Schneider Leupold Class of 2000 Karrin Pearson Karla Ratliff Class of 2001 Christa Bruneau-Flynn Johanna Golomb
WA L D O R F S C H O O L O F P R I N C E TO N
Benjamin J. Hart Christian Lara Matthew A. Traylor Class of 2002 Pearce Linkroum Class of 2003 Elena Bridgers Class of 2004 Jackson Boyar Johanna Schneider Class of 2005 Margaret Parish Rachel Rivenburg Annabelle Grace Royer Class of 2006 Victoria Albert Taylor Bello Class of 2007 George Boyar Sara Sauer Class of 2008 Ian McGahren Class of 2009 Asaf Davidov Dean Linkroum Brynleah Wiedorn Class of 2013 Fiona Charlotte Ruth Crawford
GIFTS FROM BUSINESSES, FOUNDATIONS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Acuity Wealth Management Amazon Smile Ameriprise Financial Service Baby Boot Camp Bank of America Bank of Princeton Belle Mead Coop Blue Moon Acres Farm Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Colgate-Palmolive Delisa Waste Services Digital Dog Farmhouse Store Lyn Farrugia Finetto Landscape FMC Corp Hartsough Kenny Chase & Sullivan Healing Oceans Family Wellness Center Howell Living History Farm (Maze Days) jaZams Just Give
Kroka Lifetouch National School Studios Mercadien Mercurius USA Porta at Asbury LLC PricewaterhouseCoopers Princeton Supply Rue Insurance Solebury School Stop and Shop Target Stores Union Line Garage United Way Uriel Pharmacy Valley Oil Whole Earth Center
Donor Advised Funds and Foundations The New York Community Trust
Matching Gift Organizations Matching gifts are credited to individual donors in leadership and recognition circles. Bank of America Charitable Foundation Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Colgate-Palmolive Company FMC Corp
TRIBUTE GIFTS
In Honor of … Laura Alfaro
Anonymous
Class of 2001
Matt ’01 and Christine Traylor
Class of 2005
Annabelle Grace Royer ’05
Class of 2015
David and Michelle Bottomley
Class of 2016
Aram and Tina Dadian David Turnbull and Jane Harrison
Class of 2018
David and Michelle Bottomley
Sarina Cirianni-Jones
Andrea Eberly
Janine Cleland
Jamie Quirk
Faculty and Staff
The Breitman Family
Seraphina Feron, Reuben and Azariah Breitman
Madelane Shane
Alex Fiszer
Brent Deisher
David Heberlein
Pat and Wendy Ciccodicola Jeffrey Olkin and Karleen Aghevli
Liam and Kieran Fisher
Max and Barbara El Tawil
Douglas and Nancy Forer
Dennis and Diane Forer
Ben and Sam Hart
Patti Hart and Laura Nash
Mark Hornung and Laurie Jones
Alma Hornung Edgerly
Nancy Lemmo
Ray and Judy Chin Jill Miller
Beth Miller
Jamie Quirk
Francoise Nelessen
Ray and Judy Chin
John and Clara Nevers
John and Adriana Nevers
Caroline Phinney
Eva Kovacs
Peter Sciarretta
Eva Kovacs
The Sciarretta Family
Ray and Judy Chin
Peter Sheen
Ray and Judy Chin
The Waldorf Community
John and Dianne Wassmer
In Memory of … Giorgio Bolis
Linda Pellegrini Bolis
Daniel Fasano ’07 The Albert-Garcia Family Gordon Alter and Sharon Mizels Patricia Ambrosio Diane Barlow Edward Baumgarten Robert, Kathy, and Jacquelyn ’03 Berkowitz Teresa Chicarilla Pat and Wendy Ciccodicola Aida Colon and Peter Sibole Delisa Waste Services Mark and Cathy Eiseman Terry Fasano La Familia Garcia Daniel and Betty Hoff Melanie Holzberg Alain Leibman and Marlene Zuberman John and Nancy Lemmo Irwin Liss Steven and Susan Mania James McDonough and Lorraine Shiarappa Anthony Newarski
Porta at Asbury LLC Annabelle Grace Royer ’05 Sara Sauer ’07 Barbara Sejeck Marshall and Caroll Sigman and Family The Telfeyan-Glickman Family Charles and Lee Warner Tom and Lois White Anonymous
Terri Fredericks
Scott and Dianne McGaunn Anonymous
Ortolf and Helga
The Bernewitz Family
Richard John Herrick EdD
Bob and Barbara Benson
Ekkehard Heyder
Douglas and Nancy Forer James Kerr
Dr. Edward L. Hoffman
Bill and Stephanie Hoffman
Family Pet Jake
Jim and Nancy Valanzola
John F Miller
Christian, Connor, and Sara Miller
Ganshet Nandoskar
Christa Bruneau-Flynn ’01 Joie Golomb ’01 Ben Hart ’01 Christian Lara ’01 Matt ’01 and Christine Traylor
Linda Phillips Penfield
Douglas A. Penfield
Bethany Schuler
Kenneth and Anja Palmowski-Wolfe
Daniel Speelman
The Menapace Family
Grant Wiggins
Holly Houston
DIRECTED GIFTS TO THE ANNUAL FUND
Tuition Assistance Daniel McIntosh
Sponsorships Silk Healing Oceans Family Wellness Center jaZams Wool Belle Mead Coop Mercurius USA Union Line Garage Whole Earth Center Linen
Ameriprise Lyn Farrugia Finetto Landscaping Hartsough Kenny Chase & Sullivan Mercadien Princeton Supply ProSkate Rue Insurance Solebury School Cotton Acuity Wealth Management Baby Boot Camp Blue Moon Acres Digital Dog Farmhouse Store Kroka
Paul and Chandra Graves Stephen Griffies and Adi Benito-Herrero Mark Hornung and Lauren Jones Gery and Anne Juleff The Kalif Family The Karchere-Sun Family Kazunobu and Makiko Kato Chris and Angela Kneppers John and Nancy Lemmo John and Jennifer McGahren Orchard Farm Organics Nicholas Rumin and Mary Langeron Ron and Kearney Vrabel Anonymous
Gifts to Endowment
High School Fund Herbert H. Hagens Nancy Lemmo
Elan Leibner Endowed Scholarship Fund Danny and Julia Kerr General Endowment Fund The Rumin-Langeron Family Mark Hornung and Lauren Jones
GIFTS TO CAPITAL AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
Class of 2015 Parents’ Legacy Gift Toward Installation of a Playground Climbing Structure and Sculptural Arts Tent Felicia Bland David and Michelle Bottomley Michael Faas and Tineke Thio Jay Fiverson and Janine Cleland Suranjoy and Kamalakshi Hazarika Douglas and Alexandra Jackson Amy Krause Eric and Julie Martin Ronald and Gretchen Overhiser Wayne and Rachelle Rebarber Jonathan and Amy Shor Anonymous
Crib Barn Project Gordon Alter and Sharon Mizels Bank of America Diane Barlow Robert Boyar and Barbara Mitchell Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Sarina Cirianni-Jones Jennifer Curtis FMC Corp
Website Redesign Herbert H. Hagens
IN-KIND GIFTS Delicious Orchards Elan Leibner The McGahren Family Mercurius USA Joe McLean Beth Miller Bela Pados Parents of the Class of 2016
Scrip Local Vendors Green Design jaZams Nomad Pizza QuirkyBaby Whole Earth Center This 2014-2015 Annual Report includes gifts made between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. We have tried to recognize all who have contributed to the school and apologize if we have inadvertently omitted or misspelled any name. Please advise us of any errors so we may correct our records. Please contact the Development Office, 609-466-1970, x121, or development@princeton waldorf.org.
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Our WSP Story
Alisha, John, Shanti, and Sandeep
The Hastings-Kimball Family Lambertville, NJ When John and Alisha Hastings-Kimball found themselves looking at independent schools for their second graders, Shanti and Sandeep, WSP wasn’t the obvious choice.
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“We didn’t feel that the public school they were attending was a good fit,” said Alisha. She and her husband did not observe their children, who were adopted from Nepal as toddlers, blossoming under the workload, teaching styles, and lack of diversity they encountered. “As first and second graders they already hated school,” said John. “It shouldn’t be like this.”
At first, the family thought they might relocate. “But we really love where we live and our house,” said Alisha, of their home in Lambertville. “We thought, we’re going to send them to private school.” As they looked at local options, she and John just “stumbled onto Waldorf.” “We didn’t go into ‘Waldorf’ understanding the pedagogy… we’ve almost come to it second hand,” explains John. “I worked at Bloomberg for eleven years, and my wife grew up in West Windsor, so we just knew about the school.” “We loved the idea that the classes stay with the same teacher,” he continued. “Our kids couldn’t get used to all the different teachers [in public school], having to
bond with different people all the time.” “We’re always looking for as much consistency as possible,” says Alisha. “When Pam [Shafer] and Efrain [MartinezZuviria] explained the curriculum, the storytelling, how everything was multisensory, inclusive… the whole model was very, very attractive. Diversity here—the perspectives represented, the approaches—is ten times more in the fifth grade than what we’d seen! There were so many little things. … and we loved the community. Just nice, real people. No one putting on airs.”
“T
here is something absolutely brilliant about the holistic approach.… There’s a time and place for everything.” —John Hastings-Kimball “The clincher for us was when Diane [Barlow] introduced us to Shyam [Maharjan], who’s also from Nepal and has a child who would be in our children’s class. “We wanted them to be an environment where it was normal to have people from all different cultures.” Alisha and John weren’t sure about the transition. “We came in concerned that parents would see us as ultra-modern,” says John. “We were coming in at third grade, with a different background. Would we have to yell, ‘Hide the Wii!’ when people came over? But what we found was a community of respect.” So impressed were they with what they saw in the classroom, the couple decided to try new things at home. Now in their third year at WSP, they see the difference in their family life.
Share Your WSP Story! Send an e-mail to communications@ princetonwaldorf.org
John explains the “media thing”: “We said, ‘Guess what, kids, we’re not going to watch TV anymore.’ All of us. We tell people all the time, you should try it. It sounds crazy, but when we turn it off, we sit on the porch, color, play with clay, talk.” “Our kids are more creative,” Alisha agrees. “People said it would happen, but we saw it. And that just reinforced our decision. We’re absolutely doing the right thing.” Says John, “You have all these people who are deep thinkers in technology who make the decision to not give their children these things ... there’s something to it.” John and Alisha point to other differences as well. “I really appreciate the spiritual— as opposed to religious—aspect to the education,” says Alisha. “It goes along with how we’re raising our children at home.” “You wouldn’t get Buddhism anywhere else, and you’re certainly not going to get a whole lesson block on it,” says John. “We came in when the class was learning the Hebrew stories. We liked that they were learning about different religions, different communities. I like how math could be related to how Noah built the ark. Shanti and Sandeep seem to know more than I ever did at that age. They have a depth of learning that I did not.” “I like that they’re excited to go to school every day,” said Alisha. “They love school. I can’t tell you how happy I am. They belong. And that’s constantly being reinforced as they grow.” Would they recommend Waldorf to others? Says John, “Absolutely. I’ve told another family who was considering Waldorf in another part of the country: At first glance, there will be things that kind of make you scratch your head. But there is something absolutely brilliant about the holistic approach. … There’s a time and place for everything.”
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NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 399 PRINCETON, NJ
Waldorf School Association of the Princeton Area 1062 Cherry Hill Road Princeton, NJ 08540 www.princetonwaldorf.org
MISSION STATEMENT The Waldorf School of Princeton, part of an independent educational movement of over 1,000 Rudolf Steiner schools worldwide, is dedicated to recognizing the unique spirit of each child. Through a rich curriculum integrating the academic, the artistic, and the practical, the Waldorf School of Princeton guides children toward self-knowledge, to meet the world by awakening within them warmth of heart, clarity of thought, and strength of purpose.
ACCREDITATION The Waldorf School of Princeton is a fully accredited member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.