Solebury School Winter / Spring 2017

VISUAL EFFECTS Why make art?

Longtime Solebury School art teacher Kirby Fredendall P’21 answers the question. pg. 7 >

STEVEN ROWLEY VISIT The bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus is coming to campus on April 18th, and you’re invited. pg. 17 >

REUNION WEEKEND 2017 Show your support for Solebury School by joining us at any of our May 5th-7th events. pg. 23 >

Winter / Spring 2017

“Lasse”

by Laurie Rosenwald ’73

The portrait is of her neighbor in Sweden, Lasse Pettersson, who is also an artist.

See page 10 for more on Laurie.

Board of Trustees 2016-2017 Scott Bolenbaugh P’09 Chairman Tom Hunt ’74 P’16 Vice Chairman Elizabeth Wavle P’11 Treasurer Joan Reinthaler ’53 Secretary Jay Abbe ’59 Bette Jane (BJ) Booth P’11 Dan Cohen ’63 Andrea Devereux P’14 Jonathan C. Downs ’71 P’03 ’08 ’09 Andrée Newsome Falco ’63 Dr. Ellen Faulkner P’06 ’11 Jeremy Fergusson ’63 Andrew Gespass ’73 Patrick Hernandez ’95 Whitney Parker-Klimpel P’06 ’09 Josh Perlsweig ’03 Alan Sheriff P’08 ‘16 Anne C. (Annsi) Stephano ’58 P’77 ’78 ’81 Derek Warden ’79 Brett Webber ’85 Navarrow Wright ’88 P’16 ’19

Head of School Thomas G. Wilschutz

Honorary Trustees Bill Berkeley ’49 Chris Chandor ’60 P’86 Alan Donley ’55 Betsy Bidelman Meredith ’54 P’81 Richard Moss ’48 Eric Shaw ’55 Jean Tappan Shaw ’53

Tyler Scotti ‘21 at the Doylestown Rock Gym. Indoor rock climbing is an afterschool activity offered during the winter trimester. Photo by Kevin Cook.

Winter / Spring 2017

Contents

Solebury School Winter/Spring Magazine

Editor Jennifer K. Burns P’19 Director of Advancement and External Affairs

Managing Editor Deb O’Reilly Director of Publications and Online Communications

Alma’s Update Editor Renee LaPorte Director of Alumni Relations and Gift Planning

Contributing Editors Holly Victor ’89 Director of Marketing and Communications Kelly Roycroft Advancement Assistant

Design and Production Proof Design

Please send change of address to:

Solebury School

Features 7 Visual Effects

6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938 Phone: 215-862-5261 Fax: 215-862-3366 Email: alumni@solebury.org

11 The SoleStage Players Up Their Game

© Copyright 2017 Solebury School

Connect With Solebury School

FacEbook Facebook.com/SoleburySchool1925

Instagram @soleburyschool

www.solebury.org

This year our theater program debuted a new tech booth and wireless microphone system in the Barn Theater, as well as a new, year-round theater tech class.

14 Celebrating National Poetry Month

The editors of SLAM (Solebury Literary Arts Magazine) have shared student-written poems from their forthcoming annual issue.

23 Join Us for Reunion Weekend 2017

Twitter twitter.com/SoleburySchool youtube youtube.com/SoleburySchoolUWatch

Teacher Kirby Fredendall P’21 has inspired art students at Solebury School for more than 20 years. Plus: The Jenifer MacConnell ’73 Memorial Endowed Fund, and our cover artist Laurie Rosenwald ’73.

Get the details on the special events we have planned from May 5-7, including our spring dinner auction on Friday, May 5.

Departments 2 A Note from the Head of School A message from Tom Wilschutz

4 Beyond the Books

The Senior Class and Board of Trustees Dinner

20

Alma’s Update

Catch up on alumni news

A N o t e f r o m T o m W i lsc h u t z

Head of School education. However, we will not permit that ideal to be used as a proxy or a justification for an inappropriate sexual relationship between an adult and a student at Solebury School. Not in the past. Not now. Not in the future.” Even though I had spoken with many of the victims who shared their stories about how that respect was violated previously, it was incredibly difficult to read their stories.

The letter that I planned for this issue was very different than the one that I’m writing today, as we approach the end of February.

This issue of Solebury: The Magazine features the achievements and accomplishments of the individuals who teach and study the arts. However, I felt that this letter needed to focus on the recent developments regarding allegations of historical sexual abuse, a topic that the School brought forward to our community three years ago in 2014.

On February 1, 2017, the Bucks County Investigative Grand Jury that was initially convened in 2015 released its summary of testimony it heard related

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to reports of past incidents of sexual abuse at Solebury School. I had no advance notice of the release of the summary or what it would contain. As Scott Bolenbaugh, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and I wrote to many of you in 2014, Solebury School’s mission statement rests on a fundamental principle of mutual respect between students and teachers. As we said then and reiterate now, our School’s “ideal of a close and collaborative relationship between teacher and student is an important part of our approach to

Since the release of the Grand Jury report, much has happened. Many in our community — students, parents, alumni, friends of the School — have reached out to express their thoughts, their concern, their support or their disagreement with the openness and candor with which the School has approached the disclosures of past abuse. I’ve been asked a number of times why that openness and candor is important. In my mind, the answer is as simple as it is hard. We must have the strength to confront the difficult issues we face in an honest, straightforward fashion to retain the trust and support of our community.

As Head of School, I have tried to be consistent: to uphold the values of Solebury School by supporting the victims in whatever manner we can and to care for our current students, faculty and staff, for the alumni, for the prospective families and students, and for the community that is Solebury School.

My actions have been guided by these goals, in partnership with the Board of Trustees, and informed by experts in the field of child welfare as

Winter / Spring 2017

In my mind, the answer is as simple as it is hard. We must have the strength to confront the difficult issues we face in an honest, straightforward fashion to retain the trust and support of our community. to how institutions should respond

provided, but to strive to be best in class

to allegations of sexual abuse. The

for the protection and safety of our

Board has supported the School with

students. We are in the initial stages

vigor and thoughtful consideration

of this effort, consulting with partners

of our future, and by making difficult

like the Network of Victim Assistance

decisions, such as removing John D.

(NOVA), and already see a great deal of

Brown’s name from the Athletic Center

overlap between the recommendations

and other instances that honor his time

made and the policies and practices

as an administrator. John undeniably

Solebury School has had in place for

did so many good things for Solebury

a number of years in keeping with

School. However, John is named in the

our commitment to child welfare. I

Grand Jury report as an administrator

anticipate that I will share the results of

who did not intervene, investigate or

this effort with our community and the

protect the students in his care from

Bucks County District Attorney’s office

instances of sexual abuse by faculty

when it is complete.

and/or staff. For a school, that has profound impact and the Board and I believe that continuing to honor him in that fashion was inappropriate. Finally, a civil lawsuit has been filed against Solebury School and the alleged perpetrator by one of the victims cited in the report. As I shared in an email to our community on February 17th, now that this matter is before the court, I will not provide any further specifics on

And… we will keep being Solebury School, a safe place for students to learn and grow, with a profound respect between students and teachers.

I will continue to communicate directly to our community through email, postal mail and by posting to our website, Solebury.org. I’m heartened to say that our enrollment (and re-enrollment) trends for next

this particular matter.

year are strong; I am anticipating full

So what’s next? We are reviewing the

Many of our community members have

18 recommendations of the Grand Jury

taken this moment to express their

report and comparing them to the many

support by making an extra gift to the

safeguards we already have in place. To

School this year and have encouraged

be clear, our goal is not to minimally

others to do the same. We are

comply with the recommendations

incredibly thankful for this, as well as

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enrollment for the 2017-18 school year.

for the many positive comments made by alumni on social media. To clarify, Solebury School does not have an official alumni Facebook page but we are grateful for those who’ve created pages in support of the School.

And… we will keep being Solebury School, a safe place for students to learn and grow, with a profound respect between students and teachers.

This issue of Solebury: The Magazine boosts my spirit as I trust it will yours by celebrating one of the many aspects that makes Solebury School special: the arts. From highlighting the achievements of our alumni to sharing the artwork and poetic musings of some of our students of today, this issue, to me, is art therapy. Special thanks to Laurie Rosenwald ’73 for generously sharing her artwork with us for our cover. If you’re a member of our alumni ranks, you’ll also find all the info you need for this year’s Reunion Weekend, happening May 5-7, 2017.

We’d love to welcome you back.

As always, my inbox is open at twilschutz@solebury.org.

www.solebury.org

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Beyond the books

The 9th Annual

Senior Class & Board of Trustees Dinner January 27, 2017

Our teachers often tell us that this is their favorite event of the year. Here’s why.

By Renee LaPorte, Director of Alumni Relations PHOTOS BY KEVIN COOK

Solebury hosts many wonderful events throughout the year, but this one is special. During the evening, our seniors, faculty, staff and board members indulge in a special white-tablecloth-style dinner, prepared by our fabulous chefs and graciously served by our Middle School students, as is tradition.

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Beyond the books After dinner, we induct our seniors into Solebury School’s Alumni Association with a formal pinning ceremony, several people speak (Head of School Tom Wilschutz, Chairman of the Board Scott Bolenbaugh, and a few predetermined seniors), and then the real fun begins. Anyone can take the microphone. Sometimes seniors talk about who they were when they started at Solebury versus who they are now, how Solebury helped them evolve and grow, discover their passions, become better people. Almost everyone who steps up to that podium thanks those who’ve made a difference in their lives here on campus, and what I love is that not only do our teachers get a shout-out, but so do our coaches, our dining hall staff, our head of school. It is truly heartwarming.

I came up with the idea for this dinner almost 10 years ago. I wanted to offer our seniors a formal opportunity to spend time with our faculty and staff well ahead of graduation, but also to get to know our board members, who are deeply connected to the school and generously share their time and resources to Solebury’s benefit. I also wanted seniors to understand that becoming alumni of our school is meaningful. Their relationship with the school never ends. In fact, now it’s even stronger, because they’re connected to Solebury School alumni around the world.

To all of our alumni, I’d say, take advantage of your unique Solebury education and stay in touch! Follow us on social media, drop me a line at rlaporte@solebury.org,

TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Ryuta Utsumi ’17 takes the mic. Teacher Diane Dauer with Michael Wolman ’17. Mei-lin Sloan ’17 thanks friends and mentors.

SECOND ROW, FROM LEFT: Social Studies Department Head Peter Ammirati ’82 and Director of Admissions Scott Eckstein chat with Macio Sexton ’17. Trustee Bette Jane (BJ) Booth P’11 pins Fiona Bauman ’17. BOTTOM: Our Founders Award winners, from left to right: Kate Gregory ’17, Chris O’Brian ’17, Andrew Underwood ’17, Josh Poole ’17, Macio Sexton ’17 and Alex Babicki ’17.

or visit us when you’re in town. We’d love it.

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www.solebury.org

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A Champion of the Arts We’re exceptionally grateful for The Jenifer MacConnell ’73 Memorial Endowed Fund, which supports Solebury School’s Visual Arts program.

Jenifer MacConnell ’73 had her dream job. As the longtime managing editor for the Archives of American Art Journal, her work blended her natural writing talents with her deep love of art history. Jenifer would spend time in the private archives of the Smithsonian Institution, sifting through decades of artists’ sketches, letters and other ephemera, piecing together stories for the Journal from what moved her. It never lost its thrill.

“Jen’s boundless curiosity, intelligence, and enthusiasm for discovery transformed the creation of each issue of the Journal into an adventure,” Kate Haw, the Director of the Archives of American Art, wrote after Jenifer’s passing in May 2015.

Jenifer always gravitated toward art, but it was Mariella Sundstrom — a beloved Solebury School art history teacher — who steered her toward it as a career. “Mariella helped Jen define where she wanted to direct her energy, professionally,” shared her older sister, Jocelyn Durrance. “That was huge for Jen.” Jenifer majored in art history at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. After college, she moved to Washington, DC, where Jocelyn lived, and worked for the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Corcoran Gallery of Art before landing at the Archives of American Art Journal.

Throughout her adult life, she maintained some of the deep friendships she made at Solebury School, and there are characteristics about Jenifer that could be described as very “Solebury.” She commuted to work in D.C. on her bike. She rode often, finding great pleasure in it, as well stress relief. She also loved gardening and used her green thumb to give back to her community, starting a garden with children from a low-income community. She worked closely with the children to teach them about the life cycles of food, from seed to fruit to table.

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A photo of Jenifer shared by her daughter, Sally.

Jenifer leaves behind three children: Addison, 27, of Brooklyn, NY; Sally, 25, of Santa Fe, NM; and Lucien, 23, of Salt Lake City, UT. “They were the center of her life,” Jocelyn said. “I see them frequently and find that they embody many of Jen’s qualities and character that so many of us admired.”

Jenifer also left an extraordinary gift to Solebury School, the Jenifer MacConnell ’73 Memorial Endowed Fund. Established in 2015 by her estate, it will support Solebury’s Visual Arts program for years to come.

“Jenifer’s gift is a real game changer. Her generosity leaves me speechless,” said Art Department Chair Erika Fairchild P’13.

“Whenever we receive a gift in the Arts, we spend a great deal of time assessing our program, what we need and how we can impact the most students. We are currently reviewing our use of technology, bringing more guest artists and art to Solebury, taking our students on more field trips, and supplementing our art supplies. Jenifer’s gift will allow us to enrich our students’ experience in a myriad of wonderful ways.”

–By Deb O’Reilly

For more information on endowment opportunities at Solebury School, contact Jennifer K. Burns, Director of Advancement and External Affairs, at jburns@solebury.org.

Winter / Spring 2017

the arts

“Why make art?”

Visual Effects

Teacher Kirby Fredendall P’21 has inspired art students at Solebury School for more than 20 years.

By Deb O’Reilly

Art teacher Kirby Fredendall P’21 posed this question last December during a speech she gave on behalf of the Arts and Cultural Council of Bucks County, of which she is a board member.

“Art, both making art and looking at art, makes you more aware of yourself, more aware of those close to you, and more aware of the larger world around you,” she told a group of local high school students.

“When you learn how to make art, particularly when you learn how to work from observation, you start to see things more clearly. You start to see the spaces between things … you start to see relationships. You start to see more colors as you practice mixing them for yourself.

You start to notice the light and how it falls on things and through spaces.

“When you walk out into the world, you are more aware. Even if art isn’t your thing, even if you take an art class because you have to, being exposed to seeing things more intensely carries over into every other visual aspect of your life. This same awareness also works to help you see people around you. You start to notice more about them – how they are standing while they speak to you, how they are looking at you.

You become a more engaged listener.

“And finally, artists direct your attention to the larger world around you. An artist can paint an image and, at the same time, point a finger at social inequity through his or her subject matter. Think of art as the artist pointing a finger and directing your gaze to something that they feel is important and that might be somehow important to you.

“Every time you make a piece of artwork, you are expressing something important about yourself. You are showing us how you see the world. You are sharing your creative self with us through the act of making a piece of art.”

Continued next page

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the arts Kirby has taught painting, drawing and design at Solebury School for more than 20 years. She graduated from Duke University, where she studied art history, and then earned her Master of Arts in Art Education (with a concentration in painting) from Arcadia University. She began at Solebury as a student teacher, and later officially came on board as faculty.

Kirby is also an accomplished professional painter who specializes in gestural landscape paintings — her work was featured in six group exhibitions and one solo exhibition in 2016 alone. In November, she and her husband Alex (a dentist and photographer) hosted an open studio and spoke to The Times Herald about her recent landscapes of a lake in the Adirondacks. “Seeing the colors, manipulating them, ochre next to cerulean, seeing how an unexpected drip affects the final image … that’s all exciting for me,” she told the Norristown newspaper.

“And with this [move from abstractions to landscapes], it’s just my subject that’s different, not my process.”

Growing up in Carversville, PA, in the 1970s and early 80s, Kirby was surrounded by art.

At the time, Bucks County was a bona fide hub for artists. Her piano teacher’s husband was the late Charles Ward, a well-known Bucks County impressionist painter. A sculptor lived next door to Kirby’s family, a painter next to the sculptor. Art was an influence in her own home, as well — her mother was a metalsmith; her father, a restoration builder.

At Solebury School, Kirby teaches beginning students to those in AP Art. Her classes this year include Introduction to Painting and Drawing (in addition to Intermediate and Advanced), Life Drawing, TwoDimensional Design, and AP Studio Art. “I love teaching at Solebury because of our kids,” she told us during lunch in the art room. Kirby tidied up the space while a few students hung out, quietly

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PREVIOUS PAGE: Kirby working with Alex Babicki ’17 in AP Studio Art class. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Pen and Ink on Paper by Lauren Caraballo ’18; Charcoal on Paper by Olivia Lutz ’18; Oil on Panel by Danny Wang ’18. All photos by Kevin Cook.

Winter / Spring 2017

working on projects and chiming in from time to time. “My students will often take the same class with me more than once, so it challenges me to come up with new ideas and ways to teach the class, to keep building on what they’ve learned,” said Kirby. “In fact — because at this point in my career, I have enough material to draw from – I won’t plan my curriculum until I see the faces in front of me. I often plan tomorrow’s lesson tonight, based on how my students are progressing that week.”

Kate Voynow ’16, now a freshman at Washington College, took Kirby’s Life Drawing class four times. “She critiques your work as you go, and you practice and practice and practice and eventually, you start picking it up on your own. Then later, you revisit your earlier work, and you can’t believe how much you learned in such a short time,” said Kate.

That kind of individualized instruction, plus our unique art class offerings, are what sets Solebury ahead, according to Kirby. “I teach a few students privately because other schools don’t offer what we do, they don’t have AP Art. If you want to go to art school, you should be

Top: Oil on Panel by Alex Babicki ’17 (the piece Kirby was assisting her on from page 7).

Photo by Kevin Cook. BOTTOM: “Light’s Advance”, Oil on Panel by Kirby Fredendall P’21.

here,” she said matter-of-factly. “Not only for the classes, but because you can learn from professional artists, as well.”

Those pursuing art as a career have found Kirby’s professional advice not only helpful but reassuring. Even 20 years ago, her warmth and approachability, paired with her no-nonsense manner, resonated with her students. “What I loved about Kirby was that she took our work so seriously, as if we were real artists,” said Erika Scott ’97 of Esoterika Designs (www.esoterikadesigns.com). “That reflects back to you and makes you want to work hard and be proud of what you turn out. I remember us putting all of our work up on the wall and discussing it and

Winter / Spring 2017

everyone was respectful of each other.

Kirby created that environment. She wasn’t stern, but she didn’t take any BS, either. As a young teacher back then, she had a lot of confidence.”

An organic kind of camaraderie and respect does fill the art room. Art may be an individual activity, but as students work on their projects, they discuss everything from the mundane to complex issues. “We talk about what’s going on in our lives, about current news, and sometimes what we’re talking about works its way into our art,” Kirby said. “For example, last year during the primary elections, I had a few very

politically motivated students, and we had great conversations about politics.”

“My concentration in AP Art was political cartooning,” said Kate Voynow ’16. “Current news and [U.S. Government teacher] Russ Carrick inspired a lot of my art. During the election, I would pour my frustrations into my work; it was the best outlet.

“I would spend hours and hours working in that studio with Kirby — a bunch of us would,” Kate added, a bit wistfully.

“Honestly, she became like our school mom.”

Visit www.kirbyfredendall.com to view more samples of Kirby’s work.

www.solebury.org

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ALUMNI Spotlight

Laurie Rosenwald ’73 Painter, Illustrator, Author When we contacted Laurie Rosenwald with the bold

Nickelodeon, Target, Ikea and David Bowie. (Yes, THAT David Bowie. Laurie also once had a cameo on an episode of The Sopranos. She played the part of “Woman.” Read about it on her website, www.rosenworld.com.)

Laurie collaborated with bestselling author David Sedaris on a hilarious app called “David’s Diary,” which features six short films that she animated, inspired

request to feature a piece of her artwork on our

by his diary entries. She also “does

magazine cover, we collectively held our breaths until

marginally funny,” she wrote us. She

she said yes.

After all, Laurie is an accomplished editorial and commercial artist with a decadeslong career since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in the 1970s. Her artwork – which often marries illustration, typography and painting – has been published many times over in The New Yorker magazine and The New York Times. She’s served as an editorial designer for magazines such as Self, GQ and Mademoiselle. She’s designed typefaces, products, book jackets, posters, animation, advertising, packaging and logos for companies in France, Japan, Holland, Italy, England and Sweden — “even America” as she told us. Her notable clients have included Fiorucci, Bloomingdale’s, Kintetsu, Sony,

humor writing and writing which is only has published several books, including New York Notebook: A Blank Book with Useful Stuff in It, the young-adult book All the Wrong People Have Self-Esteem, and the picture book And to Name Just a Few: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, which was named a Best Book by Scholastic’s Parent and Child magazine. She is currently working on a memoir.

Laurie splits her time between Sweden and New York City, where she has taught at the Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute.

She also teaches a popular creativity workshop called “How to Make Mistakes on Purpose” or “what to do when it’s too late to get burrs stuck on your pants and invent Velcro all over again,” she said.

(The man who discovered Velcro did so by accident; Laurie’s workshop teaches people how to have similar brilliant, happy accidents.) “Trying to be creative works about as well as trying to be charming. [The workshop] is not just for designers. Anybody can do it. In Canada, a herd of elk showed up,” she said. Laurie has hosted her workshop for Google, Ikea, Artek, ADC, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Eden Spiekermann and Starbucks, among many other schools and companies worldwide.

Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your painting with us! It’s an honor.

Here’s Laurie in Solebury School’s 1973 yearbook.

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–By Deb O’Reilly

Winter / Spring 2017

the arts

The SoleStage Players

Up Their Game

This year, our theater program debuted a new tech booth and wireless microphone system in the Barn Theater, as well as a new, year-round theater tech class.

By Deb O’Reilly Photos by Kevin Cook As a smaller, agile school, Solebury is in a constant state of forward motion.

Our theater department is no exception.

This year, they debuted two significant upgrades in the Barn Theater: a renovation of our tech booth, constructed over the summer and piloted during the fall

production of Peter and the StarCatcher, and a new wireless microphone system that our student actors used for the first time during this February’s sold-out musical, Into the Woods.

The tech booth is where students operate each production’s light and sound.

“Before the renovation, the tech booth was a box at the back of the theater behind the last row of seats. Now we have two separate rooms welded into the barn, built above the last row of seats — one for lighting and one for sound,” said Theater Tech Director Peter Martino, who began Continued next page

Connor Ott ’17 (left) and Jason Burns ’19 (right) in the new tech booth during rehearsal.

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www.solebury.org

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the arts The SoleStage Players Up Their Game continued teaching at Solebury School in the fall of 2015 after nearly a decade at the Bucks County Playhouse as a set designer.

“Students can access the tech booth from the hallway of the building’s second floor.

Before, they were kind of stuck there throughout the whole show,” he said.

“Also, now that the rooms are windowed in, they can communicate. Before, they had to be silent so they wouldn’t disturb each other or the audience.”

Replacing the old booth also freed up space for another row of 15 seats at the very back of the theater. “We really could’ve used those 15 extra seats last winter when we sold out every show of RENT and had to put people on waiting lists,” Theater Director Shawn Wright said.

The new booth was the last piece of our renovation of our theater space, funded by the special appeal at Solebury’s 2014 dinner auction. Last winter, when one of our microphones cut out during a pivotal scene in RENT, Peter and Shawn decided it was time to upgrade the system. Bob and Sally Huxley P’15, who witnessed the microphone snafu from the audience, graciously stepped in to fund the new mics. Now our actors use a wireless microphone system made by Shure, a well-known brand often used in regional theaters and schools. The

Kaileigh Fox ’17 and Ben Weinberg ’18, wearing the new wireless mics for Into the Woods.

body. We’ve upped our game with a

The class is offered all three trimesters

theater also features two new Bose

bigger live band, too, but that larger

and works on each production, with

speakers, two paddle antennas (to ensure

sound makes it harder to hear the actors

students learning the steps necessary for

coverage throughout the building), and

— the new mics balance that out. I am so

designing and building a set for a show,

a new soundboard that matches our

grateful that our generous families and

in addition to sound, lighting, costume

board in the Performing Arts Center so

friends have made all of this possible

design and more. Along the way, students

that students are learning one uniform,

with their giving.”

modern system.

The program has seen a change in

“These new upgrades are in keeping

curriculum, as well. Formerly, SoleStage

with the growth of our program as a

Theater Tech / Production was an after-

whole,” said Shawn. “Interest has grown,

school activity, but this fall it was brought

pick up skills in basic construction, carpentry, painting, sewing, architectural design, art, and more; they also learn how to collaborate as a group and how to problem-solve.

our casts have grown, our reputation

into the school day as a credited class,

is strong. This winter trimester, there

working in conjunction with the after-

and then break it down into tangible

were 24 kids in our cast and 22 in tech

school activity and offering the program

projects and work together to achieve a

— that’s about 20% of our entire student

and students much more precious time.

common goal. By the end of a show, every

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“Our students have to brainstorm an idea

Winter / Spring 2017

the arts directed by James Franco & Deborah Lavine, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Mary Lou Rosato, and more.

She’s currently working as the Scenic Designer for a movement-based, devised piece called Bandit; the venue is the Walt Disney Modular Theater (a.k.a MOD). ​ ”This is an incredible opportunity and one that most BFA’s don’t get,” Hester said. “The MOD is one of three theaters in the world of its kind, and it is the only one that is functioning. CalArts is a truly unbelievable place to work and learn.

The view from the new tech booth.

tech group — and every cast — becomes

predominantly responsible for teaching

really tight, like a family,” Shawn said.

me much of what I know and for

“Even if a tech kid has no desire to pursue the theater in college or as a career, they leave this class with really useful life skills, like knowing how to assemble your own furniture or even how to build yourself a bookshelf,” Peter added.

inspiring me to pursue engineering as a career.”

It’s no surprise that our theater program is a draw for many prospective students.

Those who want to pursue theater as a career get the training they need to start

Next year, Peter will teach an Intro to

college with confidence. Hester Krog ’15,

Theater Tech that focuses on rudimentary

who is working on a Bachelors of Fine Arts

skills, including tool safety. New students

(BFA) in Design and Production at the

will have to take this requirement before

California Institute of the Arts, agrees. “At

moving onto the Theater Tech class and

Solebury, I learned to be self-sufficient​and

the after-school activity, allowing these

follow my gut. It was easy to collaborate

popular offerings to grow in size.

with Shawn and other designers

As for the legendary Chris Langhart, not to worry, Chris fans — he’s still at Solebury School teaching AutoCAD software this trimester for the Arts Department, and continuing to inspire our students. “Chris Langhart is one of the most brilliant people I’ve

because Solebury is such a learning-rich environment​.​I am still very proud of the shows I did at Solebury. I think about

In the spirit of continued forward motion, our theater department’s next big project is to replace our lighting system, as the program’s dimmers are starting to malfunction and generate an audible humming noise. We are assessing a move to an LED system, which will eventually yield big savings on our electricity bill, as well as enable students to learn how to operate a modern lighting system. Catch a show with us to see all of these new upgrades in person.

Follow the SoleStage Players at www.facebook.com/soleburytheatre or @solestageplayers on Instagram.

them all the time. They have informed my current work quite a bit...the SoleStage Players and The Barn Theater will always have a special place in my heart.”

ever met,” said Chris O’Brian ’17 at

While in college, Hester has also worked

this year’s Senior Class and Board of

as an Assistant Scenic Designer on

Trustees Dinner (see page 4). “He’s

shows such as The Glass Menagerie

Winter / Spring 2017

“All this to say, simply, I wouldn’t be here or be doing these things without Shawn Rowley Wright. She is an amazing teacher and mentor. I think of her daily and rely on her still. Shawn gave me so many opportunities​, ones that she never had to give me; she put her trust in me and I am so grateful. Without Shawn’s guidance​, I wouldn’t be at CalArts. I owe her my all.

I work as hard as I do to be my best and make her proud.”

Interested in donating to our theater program?

Contact Jennifer K. Burns, Director of Advancement & External Affairs, at jburns@solebury.org.

www.solebury.org

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the arts

Celebrating

National Poetry Month April is National Poetry Month and in its honor, the student editors of SLAM (Solebury Literary Arts Magazine) have shared the following poems from their forthcoming issue, which publishes in May. You’ll also find a sneak preview of their beautiful cover at left; illustration by Bianca Sessegolo ’19, design by Aviva Nachman ’16.

Follow our library on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SoleburyLibrary) or Instagram (@solebury_library) to check out the fun, school-wide activities that librarian Hanna Howe hosts throughout April, from book spine poetry to Poem in Your Pocket contests.

I Am Not What I Am

by Jack Landis ’18

Internally, I am not what I am.

Those words, I never once have vocalized.

But jotted down, aloud, and otherwise, I make it clear as glass, of course I am.

So I’ll gather up my gallantry and will, And shout up out the vale through which I roam.

In the interest of returning myself home, I’ll climb and claw my way up o’er my hill.

My fabricated fictions spoke aloud And written down and placed ‘fore hungry eyes That never once perceived protective lies, Come in the light beyond their darkened shroud.

Though maybe I seem fine from where you stand, Believe you me, I am not what I am.

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Winter / Spring 2017

veni vidi amavi

by Kaileigh Fox ’17

capital R Romantic, babe, let’s go see, loving’s in my blood- or, somewhat soa heart may bruise, but break, it can’t not try, well, maybe I will just not think to die.

I take your laughter with me where I go I keep it in my chest- it makes a homedear, rhythm keeps my soul contained in lines in prose, in verse, in beat, in song, in time-

I hold your hand, won’t let you get away I squeeze and think the things I cannot say.

I let my fears all go, no longer crykeep thinking about you, your face, your eyeswe came, we saw, we loved, we felt, we died, we kept each other close- at least we tried.

Matches

by Kate Gregory ’17 (after Allen Ginsburg’s “Howl”)

I saw the best minds of my generation split on butcher blocks, Left halves bleeding into the gaps between college-ruled fences ruled by constancy, Drawing hands to draw the dust-blue prints of future furniture, the stuff of industry, flat planes of desks and minds alike.

Breakthroughs lie contained in a state of deliberation, and the ball drops slowly, surely, safely, hardy candy hued and fruitlessly striking.

No hands scrape the jacks from the basement of December, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow’s antecedent, the roof of resolutions with no resolution to bark at the moon.

The unheeded, gold-rimmed dreams conduct aspirations through the paths of twin-engines, to the toaster, to the chalkboard, to the twin-bed and back.

Bedhead and booze breath and artistry collapse off the right side of rigidity’s resting place, crashing, bedside manner aside, leaving new colors coating the breakage of pre-splintered floorboards.

Twisted cerebra catch on coat hangers, tea kettles wolf-whistling from the sidewalk, kitchen sink philosophies, bricks of churches now smashed to sand, Abbey road and clench-jawed Rosie curling from the walls, end-on-end.

Hardly are the nine-and-five-and-in-between met with iron clubs on seasucker paths with no faltering objectives, but Narcissus’ hounds chase streaking somebodies across convenience store isles.

Those pursued light smokes and torches, hands swapping pulled teeth for painted delusions, and our liberty for the contents of the produce section.

Winter / Spring 2017

www.solebury.org

15

the arts Celebrating National Poetry Month continued

Danger Days: The Quest for Success

by Valerie Kuppek ’17

Hey, okay, let’s hit it from the start Ever since I was a kid I didn’t feel very smart So I looked around, Wanted to see what’s for me – Maybe prioritize math over climbing trees?

It was first grade, Pigtails and pink lemonade – I tried biking round the playground like a renegade, Next thing you know, I’m on the ground And yep, you know it, my smile turned to a frown I tried out the arts when I was nine years old According to my mother, my pottery was gold But my teacher Mrs. Golcher said, “THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH”

So it’s on to the next one, And I tried to get buff – Water polo changed me like 1-2-3, I played alongside guys twice the size of me Played 4 years then called it quits The ball was thick rubber, and I took too many hits Ugh… now I’m seventeen – And, to be honest, I don’t know what it means To have a hobby, a passion, a “special gift” If I could ask God, I’d simply wish for a tip And I know, I’m young, I got a while to go So I’ll take a break from searching, And just go with the flow.

The Drifter

by Eliza Mlodzinski ’17 Go west, they said When I was sitting in a holding cell, head in my hands asking what’s next Go west I shrugged and agreed Where else?

Where do I go? I asked the bartender When I had tissues stuffed up my nose and knuckles rubbed raw on someone else’s face Go west, he said, polishing another glass I thought I was there He shook his head, not yet. Try again.

Where do I go? I asked the sky When I was alone and slightly more west, golden grass tickling my bare feet Go west, it whispered with the wind Is there any west left? I wondered Had I gone too far? Had we burned it all?

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But I went, Where do I go? I asked a stranger When I was cold and tired, the rain’s chill leeching into my bones, wind caught in my hair Go west, they said, not meeting my eyes I’ve been. It’s nothing special They looked at me sadly. If you think that, then you haven’t really seen it, Where do I go? the woman asked me When I was watching the sunset over the sea Go west, I suggested, I hear it’s nice there, I saw her again and I said I can’t help but wonder Where are you going?

Her smile was like a promise West Let’s go west.

Winter / Spring 2017

Join Us For An Evening with

Bestselling Author Steven Rowley

As part of Solebury School’s annual spring Arts Festival Week, we invite you to a reception and discussion with Steven Rowley, author of the national bestseller Lily and the Octopus, which has been translated in 16 languages and is currently being optioned for a feature film. Steven has worked as a freelance writer, newspaper columnist and screenwriter.

Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

April 18, 2017 • 7:00 to 8:00pm Founders Library

Books available for purchase, courtesy of Farley’s Bookshop Please RSVP to Kelly Roycroft at kroycroft@solebury.org or 215.862.5261.

“Sensitive, hilarious, and emotionally rewarding.... The intimacy of pet ownership is sweetly suffused throughout this heartwarming autobiographical fiction... In generous helpings of bittersweet humanity, Rowley has written an immensely poignant and touchingly relatable tale that readers (particularly animal lovers) will love.”

—Publishers Weekly

Winter / Spring 2017

www.solebury.org

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ALUMNI Spotlight

Suzanne Ives Cunningham ’01

Gardening Teacher at the Waldorf School of Princeton When Suzanne Ives Cunningham ’01 was struggling her way through public school, she probably never thought that she would end up where she is now.

someone who, perhaps more importantly, knew what she didn’t want; a girl with a singular inner compass that led her precisely to where she is now. And that, she admits, is a pretty great place. “I didn’t make a million at age 20,” she smiled. “But I’ve explored a lot and done a lot of things, and they all continue to be so exciting.”

“I was failing 8th grade,” said the woman who ended up receiving an award at graduation for the student with the most improved grade point average.

What she wanted: Solebury School. “The decision was 100 percent mine,” said Suzanne, who had heard about Solebury from a friend and eventually became a freshman boarding student. “It worked, and it changed my life,” she said. Suzanne said that she is fully aware that it sounds corny, but for her, it’s true. “I know it’s sappy; honestly, I get choked up,” she said. “The teachers were what made life work for me. They let you be who you wanted to be, but encouraged you to be more. What kept me moving forward and helped me more than anything were the teachers.”

“I was not interested in art at all,” said the artist who discovered her talent at Solebury School, and who has shown her work in galleries more than 30 times since 2007.

“I had never been strong before,” said the athlete who became an accomplished rock climber through Solebury School’s program.

“I am so surprised to be a teacher,” said the gardening teacher at the Waldorf School of Princeton who said that her Solebury School teachers are the models for the kind of teacher she hopes to be.

As she curled up in the corner of her couch, her wide blue eyes gleaming, Suzanne shrugged as if to say that her life has been a series of happy accidents that ultimately pointed her in the right direction. “My path was not traditional,” she said, “but in retrospect, it was the best thing for me.”

Yet as she spoke, a different narrative began to unfurl — the story of a young woman who somehow always did know what she wanted;

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She recalled many teachers who left a lasting impact on her.

She remembered Martin Smith, who she said, “taught me to listen more than I talk.”

She remembered Steve Buteux, who taught her how to write.

“Without Steve I wouldn’t have had any of my jobs,” she said. “If I write anything now, it all comes back to Steve’s class.”

She remembered Jon Freer. “From his love of fun and science, I learned that it could be fun,” she said.

When she looks back on her four years at Solebury School, her list of what the school gave her is long. “Confidence, actual ability and not just on-paper ability, resourcefulness, that failure is what it is, but you have to pick up the pieces somehow, and how you do that,” she said. “Solebury gave me resources — socially, emotionally, academically. It gave me that ability to really work within who you are and to grow.”

What she didn’t want: college. At least not right away. Suzanne said that she “took a gap year by accident.” After one month of school at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, she left. She worked for six months, then went rock climbing in Nevada with two friends.

Winter / Spring 2017

Suzanne with her students in the school garden.

After that, her trajectory continued to zig and zag. Suzanne went to the University of Hartford, but didn’t stay there, either. She took another gap year between sophomore and junior years, spending half the year in India and several months in Mexico.

Finally, she spent two years at Smith College, graduating with majors in government and religion. After six years, three colleges and two gap years, Suzanne’s plan was to go to law school, so she got a job at the American Arbitration Association.

What she didn’t want: a job in law. “I walked out,” she said. “I was not ready to sit at a desk.” From there, she ended up working as a chef at Whole Foods and the Lovin’ Oven in Frenchtown, NJ, where organic, sustainable food is the emphasis. That’s when she became interested in farming and the slow food movement, so she completed the Master Gardener program in Mercer County, NJ, and finally became the Gardening teacher at Waldorf School of Princeton, a position she has held for seven years.

Try to map this meandering path and it may evolve into a tangled scribble. But talk to Suzanne, and the dots begin to connect in an elegant design. “In my mind, what I liked about religion and government and food culture is that those are the three most important things in human society – that’s how I look at it,” she said. “It’s what unites us. I like the systems that organize us. So, if not law and government, then I wanted something that wasn’t so divisive and that was food culture.

Everyone needs to eat, and not everyone does.”

At Waldorf School of Princeton, Suzanne teaches about sustainability, organic farming, native and non-native plants, and more. She runs a one-acre farm that grows annual and perennial

Winter / Spring 2017

vegetables and flowers, and manages the school’s apple trees, greenhouse and composting. “Teaching is the hardest, best job I ever had,” she said.

Her goal is to help children connect with nature and foster their sense of stewardship.

“I have a chance to work with children who have so much,” she said. “They have the power to make change. If I can teach a love of nature, a love of learning, and a love of physical work and combine that with environmental responsibility, it’s the best opportunity. Because if you’re not in touch with nature, if you don’t care, you won’t do anything about it.”

What she wants: her life now. At 33, Suzanne seems grateful to have landed where she is. She teaches four days a week. She is an artist who also works as a curator, planning 24 art shows a year at Small World Coffee in Princeton. She has been married for four years and has a son, Calvin, who turned one last December.

As she spun the tale of her life, Calvin squirmed across her lap, swatting at her dangling earrings, and staring back at her with wide, curious blue eyes, just like his mom’s. Suzanne clearly has her hands full — figuratively and literally — yet she seems like she wouldn’t want it any other way.

“It feels really right,” she said. “I’ve got it really good. Even the struggles are great.” And as Calvin took another swipe at her earrings and Suzanne laughed, it was clear that she meant it.

–BY LAUREN ECKSTEIN

www.solebury.org

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A lum n i N e ws a n d C lass N o t e s

Alma’s Update Submit a Class note Mail: Solebury School Attn: Alumni Office 6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938-9682

E-Mail: alumni@solebury.org Class Notes are edited for length and clarity.

Class of 1947 Alice Haines Bates recently traveled to Alaska with her granddaughter. They enjoyed the fresh air, sunshine, mountains and flowers. The people she met were so kind, thoughtful, generous and delightful.

Class of 1953 Jean Tappan Shaw helped to produce the musical, Footloose, at her local high school.

This past summer, Jean traveled to the east coast to visit her cousin, Wallace Taylor ’42.

Class of 1956 Joyce Bulifant and her husband, Roger Perry, wrote the musical, Christmas at the Grand Ole Dame. The 40-member cast included Gavin MacLeod from the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

School of Classical Studies in Greece back in

and Noah are doing well. Jonathan is a

the early 1960s.

professor and researcher at University of Chicago Subatomic Physics and recently

Class of 1960

received a Young Scientist Award from former President Obama.

Monica McGoldrick published a new book, The Genogram Casebook, and a 5th edition of The Expanding Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives. Monica also reports feeling very dedicated to what Solebury is still doing nearly 60 years after she attended.

Rick Smith is still enjoying his clinical psychology practice in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. He continues to make music and poetry. His latest CD is titled Roadhouse Resurrection.

Class of 1961 Sandra Mason Coggeshall writes, “The Milk Lunch article in the last magazine really hit home. In my seven years at Solebury, 1954-1961, we all enjoyed plenty of Oreos,

Class of 1965

Diane Levell (below, in blue) recently hosted an event for the Michener Museum in her home. It was the first event for the Photography Patrons Circle, which the museum launched to help fund photography.

Diane has exhibited at The Platinum Gallery in NYC, the Princeton Arts Council, Bucks County Community College, the Mercer Museum, Delaware County Community College, the Hunterdon Art Museum, and was a prize winner at the annual Phillips’ Mill photography exhibition in New Hope, among many others. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Bürgerhaus Bensheim in Germany, the City of Ludwigshafen in Germany, as well as the Musée Nicéphore Niépce in France.

Lorna Doones, Fig Newtons and milk.”

Class of 1962 Sally Bowie reports, “This year marks my 50th college reunion. And while Bennington [College] was a logical choice after Solebury, it lacked the community building/bonding that is so essential to loyalty. I have a long love affair with Solebury, spanning many generations now. For current news, no retirement in sight, just more vacations. Our two sons are thriving

Class of 1957 Pat Getz-Preziosi lives in a senior community in Hamden, CT. She’s working on a visual archive of Cycladic sculptures that she began as a student at the American

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in creative, generous careers.”

Class of 1963

Caroline Lebowitz Simon is still practicing as a clinical psychologist. Her sons Jonathan

Class of 1967

Harrison McCormick resides happily on a farm in northern central PA. He continues in his private practice in psychotherapy.

Winter / Spring 2017

Alma’s Update

Class of 1971

Anne Hunt White attended her niece’s, Leah Hunt ’16, graduation last May. Leah is the daughter of Tom Hunt ’74. Anne reports that the campus looks lovely. She is living in Corvallis, OR, as a CPA working with nonprofits and preparing individual taxes.

She hopes to retire in the near future. She

Annie Benjamin will graduate from

Other Solebury alumni pictured are (top

Ithaca College with a B.A. in Sociology and

left) Jun Seok Hong ’06, Ju Sung Yoon ’05

Counseling. She is currently interning at

(top right), and bottom row, left to right, are

the Syringe Exchange Program where IV

Woo-Jin Choi ’06, Junyong Jang ’04, and

drug users can get clean syringes, a place to

Jang Seop Lee ’04

shower and a hot meal.

Class of 2014

stays in touch with Kim Perry ’73.

Jian Dempsey is studying a year abroad

Class of 1999

University in Beijing.

Rebekah Horowitz is working for the National Coalition of STD Directors in Washington, DC. She recently bought a house in Baltimore and rescued a dog named Jacque.

Class of 2006

Tristanne Davis is a Fulbright Scholar at I.E. University in Madrid, Spain. Tristanne graduated from Yale in 2016 with a masters in Environmental Management.

through Dickinson College at Peking

Class of 2016

J.R. Madey is at New York University

Births

Rachel Duboski Emde ’02 Meet Rory Odin Emde, Class of 2034! Rory made his arrival on December 5, 2016, at 6lbs 9oz and 19 3/4 inches long. He and his mom, Solebury School Business Manager, Rachel Duboski Emde ’02, are doing great.

majoring in Biology and studying the pre-med track. He serves as the Director of Community Service on his Residence Hall Council and tutors first graders in an underprivileged Manhattan public school as part of the America Reads campaign.

Julia McDonald is a freshman at West Chester University and recently joined Kappa Delta.

Class of 2007

Carol Wright is a journalism major at

Lauren Porter started Lpottseatery, a

American University. She recently published

pop-up dinner experience. She hosts private

her 6th issue of Nyota, an online magazine

dinner parties in spectacular locations,

that highlights emerging stars in music,

rooftops, art galleries and art schools. She

fashion and culture. Carol writes and shoots

also does catering.

photography for Nyota, as well as serves as Co-Editor in Chief.

Class of 2008

Elena Tafoya Ambrose ’05 Oliver Jameson Ambrose made his entrance

Weddings

on January 4th, 2017, weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz.. He

in Seattle and working for Tableau Software.

Class of 2005

not, in his parents words, be more perfect.

Inga Noll is a doctoral student at RWTH

Congratulations to Ki Jun Keum (middle

Segundo Guerrero recently completed the 2016 Chicago marathon. He is currently living

Aachen University in Germany, working in

has his dad’s height at 21 inches long and could

top) on his wedding on December 9th, 2016.

the field of textile engineering. She plans to graduate in May 2020. She welcomes any Solebury family traveling in Cologne, Bonn or Aachen in Germany to reach out to her.

Class of 2013

Claire Batchelder spent time backpacking in Iceland. Soon she will head to Alaska to see the Northern Lights and then she’s off to New Zealand.

Winter / Spring 2017

www.solebury.org

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Alma’s Update for many. She and her late husband, The

Bank of Boston. John leaves behind his wife

Honorable William Gural, were proprietors

of 53 years, Alice Spalding Goldsmith ’61, a

Elizabeth Folinsbee Wiggins ’34

of Laurel Woods Nursery, later named

daughter Jill and her husband Scott Sullivan,

sister of Joan Folinsbee Cook ‘36, died

Springfield’s Hidden Garden where they

and three grandchildren.

peacefully surrounded by family at her

cultivated, grew, and displayed an enormous

home at the age of 99. Born in Brooklyn,

number of azaleas and rhododendron. Ellie

NY, Elizabeth, who was known as Beth or

was a Master Gardener and volunteered

Bessie, grew up in New Hope, PA, where

regularly at the Rutgers Extension Center’s

her father, John Folinsbee, was an eminent

hotline. She served the community in many

painter in the Pennsylvania Impressionism

other ways, especially fostering homeless dogs

movement, and her mother, Ruth, was a

and puppies before adoption into their forever

civic leader. Beth attended Smith College in

homes and delivering Meals on Wheels. She

Northampton, MA., and worked at McCann

was active at St. Stephen’s and at Calvary

Erickson in New York before marrying

Episcopal Churches. She loved to travel, meet

Elmer W. Wiggins, Jr. in 1940.

new people, try new foods and attend cultural

Beth was passionate about justice and peace,

events. Ellie graduated from Drew University

Obituaries

often commenting that many of the world’s ills could be attributed to human greed. She generously volunteered her time to the Family Services of Dedham, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Arts Committee at Thornton Oaks, Maine Mid Coast Hospital, and as a reader to the blind in her community. Her intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness only expanded as her age advanced, and she enthusiastically audited undergraduate classes at Bowdoin College well into her nineties and championed progressive politics and social equality. She was an avid reader, Boston sports fan, and letter-writer with a gift

and Bank Street Teacher’s College. She taught nursery school in Geneva, Switzerland and second grade at Far Brook School in Short Hills before raising her family.

passed away at his home in Blue Hill, ME. Ben was born Philadelphia, PA. Ben served his country honorably as a Marine medic in the Korean War. After his service, Ben returned to California where he attended UC Davis before settling in San Francisco. An accomplished sailor in a variety of classes of boats, Ben was a longtime member of the San Francisco, St. Francis, and Kollegewidgwok

Joan Folinsbee Cook ’36

was an avid outdoorsman, hunter and chef.

passed away peacefully at her home in

Ben was a consummate entertainer who was

Kingston, NJ. She was 97. Born in New Hope,

known for hosting epic parties and events.

Folinsbee and John Fulton Folinsbee, a wellknown Pennsylvanian/American Impressionist painter who taught classes at the Holmquist School for Girls and Solebury School for several years. She attended the Holmquist School for Girls then attended Smith College for one year and, in 1938, married Peter

(Blue Hill) Yacht Clubs. Besides sailing, Ben

Gavin earned her Masters of Science in Education from Gwynedd Mercy University. Nicole Mount – who runs our weekend activities, our Global Education Program and is the Assistant Director of Teach2Serve – earned her Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Dean of Residence Life Bill Christy earned his masters of science in Clinical Psychology from Walden University.

Former Faculty Carolyn Cassidy is still living in Centerport, NY. She’s retired and busy — she volunteers teaching English to Latina women as well as Spanish and French to home-schooled high school students.

Nancy Ennis and her husband David took their teenaged grandson and granddaughter to India last winter. It was a thrill for all and they learned how lucky they are compared to many people in the world.

from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in New York City, John attended Solebury and the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1963. During a long and productive career in the securities business,

Folinsbee. They were happily married until

Ball & Turben, a regional brokerage firm

Peter’s death in 1992.

based in Cleveland, OH, and from 1987 to 2003, of the Boston firm Tucker Anthony.

Deeply respected by his peers, John served

passed away in March 2016. An independent

on many boards and commissions over his

and passionate advocate for animals and

long career, notably as a member of the

nature, she was a source of inspiration

Board of Trustees of the Federal Home Loan

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masters degrees. Math teacher Michelle

of Swampscott, MA, died on September 16

John was Chairman and CEO of Prescott,

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Mount, and Bill Christy on earning their

John Goldsmith ’59

G. Cook, an artist who studied with John

Eleanor Wisner Gural ’45

Congratulations to Michelle Gavin, Nicole

Benjamin Glyde Wells ’52

for unusual and lyrical turns of phrase.

PA, she was the daughter of Ruth Baldwin

Faculty

Winter / Spring 2017

Alumni News

Solebury School

2017

Reunion Weekend Want to show your support for Solebury School? Come back to campus for these exciting alumni events.

We’d love to see you.

Please RSVP at solebury.org/reunionweekend2017 Questions? Contact Renee LaPorte at rlaporte@solebury.org.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2017

Alma’s Update

Schedule of Events Friday, May 5th 3:00-4:00pm Registration Carriage House School memorabilia available for purchase

Saturday, May 6th 8:30-11:00am Registration Carriage House School memorabilia available for purchase

10:00am Memorial Service Alumni Memorial Garden (behind Founders Library) Rain location: Abbe Science Building Honor the memory of alumni and friends who are recently deceased

11:00am-12:00pm

Induction Ceremony

State of the School Performing Arts Center

Saturday, May 6, 2017 • 2:00pm

Presented by Head of School Tom Wilschutz, Q&A to follow

Athletic Center

Join us as we celebrate two stand-out athletes and a “poet-coach” who shaped basketball, baseball, football, track and so much more at Solebury School.

Nate Croskey ’75 Gerald Clark, Jr. ’99 Coach Don McCook

12:00-1:30pm Reunion Lunch Herbert S. Boyd Dining Hall Complimentary

7:00-11:00pm Solebury’s Annual Dinner Auction Hotel du Village 2535 River Road New Hope, PA 18938 $125 per person, reservations required

2:00-3:00pm Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony Athletic Center See left for details

3:00-5:00pm Alumni Burger and Beer Bash Head of School’s Home $10 per person

3:00-4:30pm 1950s Reunion gathering Main Office

4:30-6:30pm Alumni Basketball Game Athletic Center

7:00-8:00pm Alumni Reception Hotel du Village Complimentary, reservations required

Sunday, May 7th 10:00am Farewell Brunch Herbert S. Boyd Dining Hall Join your classmates for a complimentary farewell buffet brunch

www.solebury.org

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S o l ebu r y Sc h o o l ’ s

Dinner Auction 2017

Join us for

Friday, May 5th, 2017 • 7:00 pm Hotel du Village, New Hope, PA www.hotelduvillage.com

Each year, our dinner auction raises critical dollars for educational programming, student activities, facility improvements and more at Solebury School.

These funds enhance the experience of every student at Solebury.

This year, our auction returns to the beautiful Hotel du Village, a venue with special ties to Solebury School. It’s the site of the former Holmquist School for Girls, which merged with the Solebury School for Boys in 1949. Until the 1970s, it served as Solebury School’s “lower campus.”

In addition to a stunning setting, our Life is a Fiesta! theme offers delicioso food and drinks and mucho fun! (After all, May 5th is Cinco de Mayo.)

We are excited to debut mobile bidding for the silent auction this year, as well. It’s surprisingly easy and simple — you don’t even have to download an app.

We’ll have plenty of assistance (and devices) on hand to walk you through it.

If you haven’t already, buy a ticket and join us! Tickets include valet parking, live entertainment, open bar, an elegant seated dinner, and our can’t-miss silent and live auctions.

RSVP: www.solebury.org/auction (click on “Purchase Tickets”)

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Winter / Spring 2017

Auction 2017 Special Appeal

Improvements to the Herbert S. Boyd Dining Hall Just as the kitchen is the heart of the home, our dining hall is the heart of our campus.

It’s the one building that hosts every student, teacher, and staff member at least once a day for a meal — but it’s much more than just a place to eat. Friends gather here to catch up. Students meet with teachers over a meal. Clubs hold meetings. Students fundraise for various charities here. Special events, like Cookies & Carols and our Senior Class and Board of Trustee Dinner, are held in the dining hall. This year’s Special Appeal will improve The Herbert S. Boyd Dining Hall by making the space more comfortable. The funds raised will improve its climate control, funding rooftop HVAC units and improving air delivery throughout the hall that will keep the space cozier during the coldest weeks of winter and comfortably cool and less humid in the spring, summer and fall.

ABOUT THE SPECIAL APPEAL During the annual Dinner Auction, we seek donations to fund a specific program or project. Previously, the Special Appeal has raised funding for the Above & Beyond Endowed Award for Faculty and Staff, and for initiatives like renovating the Barn’s Black Box Theater. If you attend the auction, please donate during our Special Appeal, which will be featured during the live auction. If you’re not able to attend, you can make a contribution at solebury.org/auction.

Thank you for supporting our community!

Solebury School is a 501c3 corporation and all Special Appeal contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Bellmawr, NJ Permit No. 280

6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938-9682 Address service requested

Save The Date

Arts Festival Week..........................April 17-21 Steven Rowley Author Visit.................. April 18 Reunion Weekend................................ May 5-7 Taming of the Shrew Production........ May 11-13 Graduation........................................... June 10 For more events, please visit www.solebury.org.