THE
SUMMIT Spring 2012 - 2013
MONTESSORI
C e l e b r a t i n g 5 0 Ye a r s o f E x c e l l e n c e
THE SUMMIT The magazine of The Summit Country Day School SPRING 2012-13 EDITOR Nancy Berlier ALUMNI EDITOR Susan Maxwell ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Kathy (Hilsinger) Penote ’93 PHOTOGRAPHY Robert A. Flischel, Darren Weigl, Rick Norton, Nancy Berlier, The Coast Star, Impact Action Sports Photography CONTRIBUTORS Sister Eileen Connelly OSU, Michael Amann ’05, Louise Zhou ’14, Hannah Fassler ’17, Rosie Sansalone Alway, Rich Hoyt, Darren Weigl, Donna Paulin, Stephanie Creech, Gabe Weiss, Michele Duda, Sandy Champlin, Emily Jolly, Nancy Snow PRINTING Arnold Printing © 2012 The Summit Country Day School, Cincinnati, OH. The Summit magazine is published three times a year by the Communications Department of The Summit Country Day School, 2161 Grandin Road, Cincinnati, OH 45208. Please direct address changes or other correspondence to the above address.
Summit News Phone: (513) 871-4700 ext. 291 E-mail: communications@summitcds.org Alumni News Phone: (513) 871-4700 ext. 245 E-mail: maxwell_s@summitcds.org Summit Online View an archive of The Summit magazine online. www2.summitcds.org/communications/Magazine.cfm The Summit Country Day School serves students from age two through grade twelve in a coeducational setting. The Summit combines the academic excellence and one-on-one guidance of a top-tier independent school with the servant leadership and character building environment that are hallmarks of a Catholic education.
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ON THE COVER Celebrating 50 years of Montessori excellence, Summit’s modern classrooms were designed for Montessori teaching with materials carefully displayed to optimize learning, independence and curiosity. Enjoying a moment in Brooke Byam’s classroom are clockwise from bottom left, Marley Pickard, Leah Berhanu, Campbell Coyne, Georgina Kenneally, Jack Casper, Aaron Fraley and Lucas Hoyt. Story: Page 22.
ON THIS PAGE The Summit won the Ohio Junior Classical League Championship for the fifth consecutive year. After being celebrated by their classmates in the Middle and Upper Schools, members gathered for a Hallmark moment. L to R, Front Row: Tino Delamerced, Jesse Campbell, Thomas Quan, Davis DeFoor, Joseph Delamerced, Teo Fernandez, Patrick Casanas, Christopher Samaan, Tullus Dean, Nicholas Smith and Kevin Boyce. Middle Row:Â Christian Lipa, Inessa Chandra, Lillian Chow, Haley Hauser, Julia Dean, Michael Warden, Alex Marcellus, Carter Hall and Dustin Argo. Back Row: Latin Teacher Larry Dean, Sofia Ordonez, Rachel Argo, Emily Haussler, Sarabeth Stretcher, Emily Hogya, Regina Merrill, Marie Cossins, Morgan Hughes, Elisabeth Dieckman-Meyer, Sunanda Tamraker, Caroline Klette, Cara Kirkpatrick, Paige Angne, Elisa Stanis, Mary Towell, Eliot Schiaparelli, Latin Teacher Kim Ashcraft and Adelaide Tsueda. Not pictured:Â Ellie Cooney, Chris Lee and Kelly McBride. Story: Page 16.
Head of School Message
Maria Had It Right It is generally agreed today that the Montessori Method is the best way to introduce a child to the joy of learning. School shouldn’t be a passive experience. Children need to be free to explore. Children should grow in independence. Read Dr. Maria Montessori’s words: Ours was a house for children rather than a real school. We had prepared a place for children where a diffused culture could be assimilated from the environment, without any need for direct instruction…Yet these children learned to read and write before they were five, and no one had given them any lessons… Only after repeated experiments did we conclude with certainty that all children are endowed with this capacity to absorb culture. If this be true – we then argued – if culture can be acquired without effort, let us provide the children with other elements of culture. And then we saw them absorb far more than reading and writing: botany, zoology, mathematics, geography, and all with the same ease, spontaneously and without getting tired. And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment. The teacher’s task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.
Dr. Montessori was doing her work in the early 20th Century, and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur were paying attention. They learned from her method and experimented with it in their schools. They found it worked! The Montessori Method was completely in sync with the educational philosophy of the Sisters: To live life joyfully, to educate the whole child, to discover and develop each child’s God given talents, to expect excellence, to be kind and care for each other. Maria’s method developed from observation, trial and error. Neuroscience today explains what she observed. Children can make rapid progress when placed in the right environment. At this age, children’s brains are developing faster than at any point in their subsequent lives. Neurons are developing massive and detailed dendritic branching. Synaptic density is reaching a lifetime peak. The largest gain in vocabulary happens during this period of life. That’s why Montessori teachers use precise language, never baby talk. When we built the Lower School, careful attention was paid to what the ideal environment should be for very young children. When we hire teachers, we’re looking for a loving educator who has mastered the Montessori methodology and is able to guide the child in the environment. When we started the Enrichment Programs, which few schools had conceived at the time, we sought to prepare the children for the global world they will inherit by giving them an understanding of world geography, science, culture and the arts. When we started exposing children to French and Spanish as young as three, we knew that was the best time for them to learn a non-native language effortlessly. Montessori uses all the senses to the fullest. The very young child needs the foundation of the concrete in order to move toward abstraction. This is especially true in math. The Montessori materials make math concepts – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – concrete. The same approach is employed with fractions and place value. The counting, classification, measuring, and sorting are fun ways for the children to learn these concepts in a hands-on way.
Contents Beyond cognitive development, the social and spiritual development of children at this age is just as critical. Montessori teachers recognize that peace and kindness are the cornerstones to developing children of strong moral character. Montessori classrooms are calm and harmonious places where distractions are limited. Everything is in its place. Kindness is modeled by the teachers and internalized by the children. They learn how to share and how to respect the personal space of others in their environment. They also learn the value of learning from each other, which is why the mixed age grouping in the classroom is effective. Maria Montessori focused on spiritual development which resonated with the Sisters. Children at this age can learn that God exists, God is good, and God loves them unconditionally. Physical development is carefully arranged. Both large and small motor skills are practiced. The children work on balance, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. Running is for the outside. Use of the hands in a careful way comes naturally. Again, listen to Maria: He learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so passes little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading always in the paths of joy and love. In this issue we begin to celebrate the 50 years The Summit has been providing a rich Montessori environment for the children under our care (see page 22). We celebrate the people who have enhanced our practice of the Montessori Method. We celebrate our beautiful building which is ideally constructed for learning. We celebrate the innovations the Sisters brought to our teaching. Montessori Director Phyllis Schueler and our teachers continue this innovative tradition today. But most of all we celebrate the children for whom all of this is dedicated. How we start them off will determine the path they will follow in life. We take that responsibility very seriously. Maria had it right, which is why we have incorporated her method as part of The Summit Way.
Rich Wilson Head of School
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Features Eight international students are experiencing our unique school while giving us a more global view of the world. Servant leadership is part of The Summit’s mission. Three groups of students in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools show us how they are lending help, offering hope and opening their hearts to those in need. Innovative Summit teachers are using Flipped Classroom techniques to leverage the best use of their face-to-face time with students. Q&A: In a north-south spin on the classic Cincinnati east-west divide, eighth grader Hannah Fassler explores community and common ground with senior David Herring. In the fall community survey, parents rated The Summit above benchmark compared to other independent schools in 28 attributes, and students rated the school above benchmark in 61 attributes. The Summit’s Montessori Program will celebrate its golden anniversary in 201314. We take a look back at the past 50 years and review the career of Director Phyllis Schueler. In its second year, SCD Broadcasting gives air to the three new voices of the Silver Knights.
Eighteen members of the incoming freshman class will get the benefit of The Summit advantage thanks to the generosity of special families who have created named endowed scholarships. World champion kayaker Jamie Simon ‘88 has turned her energies to entrepreneurism, and opera singer Antonia Tamer ’06 gets her first big break.
Departments
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Newsmakers Athletics Development Parents
Insert The Summer Program Guide shows how you can make the most of the scheduled classes and camps offered this year for Montessori through Grade 12.
Class Notes Summit Magazine 5
From left: sophomores Matthew Choi and Ryan Lee, freshman Justin Zhou, sophomore Selina Vogl, Upper School Director Dr. Terrence Malone, sophomore Suli Yang, freshman Jackson Xiong, freshmen Charlotte Luo and Alex Yang.
International Students Summit Welcomes Eight New
By Louise Zhou ’14 This year, we are blessed to have eight international students who have traveled up to 6,000 miles to join our Summit community. They include five students from China, two students from Korea, and one student from Austria. “This is a great opportunity for all the students,” says Barnard Baker, Associate Director of Admission. “The international students get to take part in our community and experience a unique school, while building their leadership, academics and spirituality, and while our Summit students get a global view of the world. They realize that they don’t live in a bubble.” All of these students are full of ambition and have a longing for something new and adventurous. They each made the very difficult decision to leave everything they know and journey to the land of
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freedom and opportunity. When I asked Justin Zhou, freshman, the reason he decided to leave China, he replied, “Education in China is boring and stressful. You have no choice in classes, and you are not allowed to play sports. School starts at 7:30 a.m. and sometimes goes all the way until 9:30 p.m. Our whole semester grade is based on one exam you take at the end of the semester. You only get one chance. It was so much pressure.” How did these students find their way to The Summit? You would think that a school with only 380 students in the Upper School would hardly be noticeable to families living oceans away. That assumption would be wrong. One parent came to the U.S., traveled to over 20 top-notch high schools and chose The Summit for her daughter to attend in the coming fall. She commented on how friendly the entire school was and how she thought her daughter would reach her highest potential
here. Other international families consulted with friends and relatives from the Cincinnati area who likewise thought highly of The Summit. Based on their experiences, they eagerly recommended The Summit. The Summit community has made a great effort to welcome these students and to help them make the hard transition of moving from their hometowns to a whole new environment. All of these students love Summit and America. “All the teachers are kind, the other students are nice and everyone is so accepting,” says freshman Charlotte Luo. “It is something I never would have expected.” Not only has Summit welcomed our friends from abroad with open arms, but the community has inspired the students to get involved with the school. They are joining sports teams, participating in clubs and taking advantage of everything Summit has to offer. If you stop to think about all the sacrifice and commitment these students have made for their futures, it’s truly astonishing. Not only were these students at the top of their class, but they also took it upon themselves to reach their fullest potential. They took the initiative to place themselves in an environment where they can strive and discover their interests while enjoying the life of a typical American teenager. They left their families to live in a new country that speaks a language foreign to them. I think we can all admire how much courage, ambition and maturity they have at such young ages. One of the most important things we have learned from our friends from abroad is how easy it is to find connections and common interests with people, regardless of their backgrounds and cultures. “Our international students have been wide-eyed and very willing to learn,” says Mr. Baker. “They are willing to take part and get involved in not only academics but also the community. Most importantly, they are enjoying their experience here.” It is obvious. The international students, as well as The Summit community benefit greatly from the
international students being here. The students have transitioned into The Summit community with outstanding ease. The Summit is proud to call them a part of our close-knit family. Junior Louise Zhou was born in Cincinnati but lived five years in Wuhan, a city in southwest China, with her parents. She speaks fluent Mandarin.
How to Host a Student The Summit Country Day School and Westar Education are looking for families to host international students for 2013-14. • Families must provide a safe environment, love and friendship, moral support, basic needs and parental guidance. Host families receive $700 per month for providing room and board. • Families receive guidance from Westar and The Summit in the process, which includes an application, interview, match with a student, family orientation and preparation for the student’s arrival. • Westar will provide holiday care if families cannot accommodate the student. To find out how you can host a student, please contact Barnard Baker, Associate Director of Admission, (513) 871-4700 x278 or e-mail baker_b@summitcds.org
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Gabi
Dispatching Help Across the Miles By Nancy Berlier Gabi is a timid 9-year-old who lives in poverty in a small mountain village near La Paz, Bolivia. She sleeps on a straw mattress in a small adobe home that she shares with her mother and four siblings. She likes to read, play soccer, sing, dance, jump rope and, like most little girls everywhere, play with dolls. Starting this year, Gabi is getting some help from 53 young American philanthropists whom she has never met but calls her “godparents.” Gabi’s godparents are third graders at The Summit.
Now, third graders are getting to know Gabi through letters and photographs that broaden their global awareness, offer opportunities for cross-curricular studies in geography, religion and World Language and also allow reflection on the third-grade Character Education trait “fairness,” says Third Grade Teacher Stacy Remke. “They recognize that, as small as they are and as little as they are asked to give, that they can make a difference in the world,” she says.
Andrew Murtaugh donated $50 he made from a lemonade stand in his neighborhood. “I felt like I made a difference in her life,” Andrew says. Khamia Brooks comments: “Learning Paloma Gordon, Khamia about Gabi has taught me Over the last 15 years, Brooks and Andrew Murtaugh that there are people that do about 825 Summit students with a piggy bank for Gabi. struggle. Sometimes I think donated 50 cents a month that my life is hard. Now I think to the Christian Foundation that I’m lucky.” Says Paloma Gordon: “We should all for Children and Aging (CFCA) to sponsor a Chilean be treated the same way even if we have different student, Roberto, who last year graduated from a names and hair color. We are all people.” culinary school at age 20. Teachers augment student contributions to meet a $30 a month commitment. 8 Spring 2013
Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the Wo
Members of a new Upper School Warmth from the Heart Club include, L to R, bottom row: Kassidy Michel, JoRia Cook and Katie Dolcimascolo. Top row: Emily Walton, Noelle Weber, Olivia Eveslage, Morgan Cavanaugh, Lily Kaegi, Elizabeth Harsh and Selina Vogl.
Delivering Warmth from the Heart By Darren Weigl It didn’t take much for Emily Walton ’15 to realize how she could make a difference in the lives of others. All it took were the glowing faces of a family on Christmas as they received fleece blankets that she and her sisters had made. It was those faces that planted the seed for “Warmth from the Heart,” a new service club in the Upper School that provides fleece blankets to women and families at the Cincinnati YWCA. The initial idea came from Emily’s family several years ago. Her grandma had heard about a family who couldn’t afford Christmas gifts, and she suggested that Emily and her sisters “adopt” this family and become Santa for them. At one point when they learned that the family didn’t have beds, they gave them blankets. Emily decided to introduce the concept of making blankets for needy families to The Summit community by creating a new Upper School club. She enlisted the help of other students and worked diligently to make the club a reality under the guidance of Upper School Spanish Teacher and advisor Monica (Haas) Desch ’90. With an inaugural membership of 15, Warmth from the Heart has since doubled. “Our group is unique because it is about anonymous service and giving something that lasts for a long time,” says Emily. Students never meet the people who
receive their blankets. Summit parent Stacey Pavlin, who works with Families for Families, makes the connection to needy families who need the comfort and warmth that the blankets provide. Mrs. Pavlin notifies Emily when a new woman or family is coming into the YWCA shelter, includes their genders and ages, and when the blankets need to be completed. Emily and two of her early recruits, sophomores Noelle Weber ’15 and Lily Kaegi ’15, designate someone in the club to make the blankets. They wrap the blankets up nicely and give them to Mrs. Pavlin who distributes them to the families. Students say the best part of the project is knowing something so simple can have such a monumental impact on others, especially on the mothers. “They’ve experienced the hardships longer, and they know more about what is going on than their children do,” Noelle says. “So, just the impact that one little blanket can make when they’ve lost so much, and then they have something, is truly rewarding.” Lily reflects this sentiment. “It is easy to make the blankets, yet a lot of people don’t realize how much of an impact that it makes on someone else,” she says. “Usually people think, ‘Oh, it’s just a blanket’ but it can really mean a lot to one person or an entire family.” For these Summit sophomores, it means hundreds of blankets are leading to many more smiles. Summit Magazine 9
orld We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit…
Hurricane Sandy left a path of destruction along the New Jersey shore. Photo reprinted with permission of The Coast Star.
Donating Hope with the Written Word By Rosie Sansalone Alway On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy moved ashore near southern New Jersey, leaving severe devastation in its wake. As is often the case with natural disasters, the aftermath filled the news channels and the frontlines of the newspapers, and thus became topic for discussion in our Middle School hallways, and ultimately around the table during our Knights of the Round Table student leadership meetings. Our Middle School students wanted to help even though we were 800 miles away and had almost no connections with this state in need. They saw it as an opportunity to put our Character Education Program into action. The question became: What to do? How to help? Mr. Johnson, Middle School Director and faculty advisor to the Knights of the Round Table, formed a subcommittee to brainstorm ideas. Since local New Jersey and national organizations had already been providing necessities such as food to those displaced by the hurricane, the committee came up with the idea of “Donating Hope” by writing letters of encouragement
to their school peers in New Jersey, to first responders, as well as to four children who lost their parents during the storm. The students were empowered by the idea but needed help to implement it. They reached out to the Language Arts Department for help. The students planted the seed, and the Language Arts Department enabled them to help it to grow through intentional writing instruction. Mr. Johnson wrote to the Language Arts faculty: “We are, of course, doing this because our faith and our school tradition call us to action; however, we are also doing it because it is an authentic application of the writing process we are teaching the students. This is a service learning activity which means we need intentional instruction to go along with the writing.” Through contacts that a member of the faculty had in New Jersey, students were able to connect our fifth and sixth grade students with peers in the Manasquan School District in southern New Jersey. In addition, our seventh graders wrote to the first responders in Manasquan, thanking them for helping the people in
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Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the Wo
Leaders in the Donating Hope initiative hold the issue of The Coast Star which heralded The Summit’s letter-writing campaign. They included, L to R, front row: Caroline Klette, Jack Bergeron and Joseph Delamerced. Middle row: Haley Hauser and Thomas McLaughlin. Back row: Jennifer Whitehead, Julia Rosa Helm, Emily Harris and Carter Fee.
need. Seventh grader Caitlin O’Donnell wrote, “Thank you so much for the time you put in to help these people. It must be hard to see all this happen with such short notice. Thank you for putting in volunteer hours to clean up the residue from Hurricane Sandy. Also, thank you for saving people’s lives. Because you were there, a majority of people have been rescued.” Unfortunately, there were many lives lost as a result of the violence of the storm. The eighth graders wrote to four siblings who lost their parents in Randolph, New Jersey. I learned of this loss when reaching out to a colleague to check on him and his family just after the storm. The faculty advisors to the Knights of the Round Table agreed that “our faith and school tradition” called us to action. I created a lesson on how to write a letter of condolence, and the students, after learning a bit about each of the siblings, wrote to them thus “donating hope.” The faculty member from Randolph High School in New Jersey shared these words of gratitude with our
eighth graders: “Please thank your students for their wonderful words of solidarity with Zoe’s family – they are getting such an opportunity to connect with peers in their country in such a meaningful and heartfelt way that you should be very proud of them.” As it turns out, one of our eighth grade students, Eliot Schiaparelli, had lived in New Jersey several years ago and had been neighbors to this family now in need. This connection was made after an email was sent to eighth grade parents regarding this lesson in writing a letter of condolence. Mrs. Schiaparelli wrote, “Thank you for recognizing the possibility that out of this tragedy, there is an opportunity for our children to reach out to others and provide a caring touch long distance.” Another subcommittee from The Knights of the Round Table, under the direction of Guidance Counselor Mike Fee, is letting students know about organizations where students can send food and other supplies to those still in need. Summit Magazine 11
orld We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit… Improving the World We Inherit…
Amy Girkin shows physics students how sand forms patterns on a Chladni plate, a vibrating membrane. L to R: Marie Cossins, David Judd, Radek Lord, Nia Warren, Christian Hay, Mrs. Girkin, Alex Vance, Ben Schloss, Quinn Smith and Otto Snelling.
Turning Traditional Classrooms Upside Down Makes Face-to-Face Time More Rigorous By Nancy Berlier When Amy Girkin assigns homework to the Honors and Advanced Placement Physics students in her Upper School classroom, she makes them do it backwards. That is to say, the kind of homework calculations that most other students are doing at home, her students do in the classroom. And instead of lecturing, she has turned her introductory materials into web-based homework. Mrs. Girkin is one of The Summit’s early devotees of the Flipped Classroom. Over the past two years, Mrs. Girkin has turned every aspect of her curriculum on its head by producing colorful PowerPoint videos that she posts on The Summit’s Portal. Her students review the videos at home and come to class prepared to discuss them, form theories, practice the math and conduct inquiry-based experiments.
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Flipped Classroom techniques are a form of Blended Learning which, by definition, combines computermediated activities with classroom instruction to leverage the best use of a teacher’s face-to-face time with students. “Flipped Classroom provides an out-of-classroom experience for students so when they come back to class, their conversations can be more rigorous,” says Ken Uckotter, Director of Curriculum and Technology. “It creates more class time for critique and allows the teacher to divide the students into multiple subgroups in order to differentiate instruction by focusing each group on particular ideas.” Two years ago, Mrs. Girkin would photocopy her handwritten lecture notes and hand them to students for her classroom lectures. During the past two summers, she turned those notes into colorful
PowerPoints, using online physics resources and her own drawings to illustrate them. She adds audio narrative, speaking in the video as if she were presenting the PowerPoint in the classroom. She posts those videos along with any other background information on the Portal as homework. “The videos are pretty short, so they don’t have to spend a lot of time with them, but that gives us time in class for exchanges,” she says. “We do in class what would have been homework. They get to work in groups of two, or three, or four and they can help each other. So instead of being at home and stuck on a math problem and thinking, ‘What on earth do I do next,’ they’ve got the benefit of me being here and other students being here. They collaborate and that’s the best way to learn.” And, the advantage of putting the lecture material out as a homework video is that students can review difficult material repeatedly on their own until they understand it. “A teacher’s time is limited, so if you present the material in class, you only do it once,” Mrs. Girkin says. “If a student wants to ask you questions, they can come after class and that’s great, but I can’t redo the lecture piece over and over in the classroom, because one student is having trouble. With them watching the video at home, they can repeat it.”
The idea of Flipped Classrooms has been around for a few years but has picked up buzz this year in academic circles across the country as more teachers have had time to develop materials. In the Middle School, sixth grade Language Arts Teacher Laura Adkins may have students watch a lecture or take notes on a grammatical concept at home. “Then, we come to class and work through the concept,” she says. “The students complete activities about the concept in class which helps them synthesize the concepts learned through notes and lectures and practiced in class. Students are assigned to write a blog article about the grammatical concept. I then select one article to post on our sixth grade grammar blog which allows them to comment on each others’ posts.” In the Lower School, Math Teacher Stephen Imwalle has also produced Flipped Classroom videos. At the development level for fourth grade, Mr. Imwalle believes parents still need to be involved in supervising traditional homework, and he wants his students to understand that learning never stops – even when they are not in his classroom. Flipped Classroom techniques work particularly well for fourth graders who are struggling to understand a particular concept, he says.
Students diagram sentences on the Promethean ActivBoard in Laura Adkins’ classroom. As a Flipped Classroom home assignment, they had already watched a slideshow on The Summit’s Portal about the functions of nouns. Mrs. Adkins was able to help students in the exercise, which she could not have done if the exercises had been 13 Summit the homework. L to R: Bella Saba, Robert Sims, JackMagazine Bergeron, Nick McCleary, Evan Hunt, Molly Mambort, Alexis Fee.
Students get their teacher’s help while working physics problems together. Clockwise from left: Matthew Eustace, David Judd, Mrs. Girkin, Lani Toebben, Nia Warren, Meg Mathile and Quinn Smith.
“I’ll post a video on, say, generating equivalent fractions or adding and subtracting unlike denominators,” he says. “This is a difficult thing for fourth graders and something new to them. So I am providing them something they can play, stop, restart, go back to the beginning and watch over and over again. This is the technology that they’re getting to use that will assist in their learning.”
with the idea and they’re trying to find ways that it makes sense within their curriculum to do it. The advantage of Flipped Classroom is it can be applied whenever it is appropriate. It doesn’t have to be exclusive. It doesn’t have to be every day. It can be targeted to benefit instruction in a particular class. It can be used to provide greater rigor and greater depth in conversation.”
Flipped Classroom techniques are just one way that Summit teachers are becoming more accustomed to the applied use of technology. Mr. Uckotter says: “The advanced technology that The Summit provides in the classrooms, the online libraries to which we subscribe and an increasing variety of high quality, cloud-based resources are rapidly increasing what Summit teachers have at the fingertips on their keyboards.”
Mr. Imwalle pretests each unit of the math curriculum so he can see what some of the students know, what many of them know or what none of them know. “I use that data to determine how to teach each concept to the group and also individuals within that group,” he says. “Some of them need more enrichment and some of them need remediation. If I know ahead of time there’s something that is a really difficult thing, I’ll just go ahead and make a video. Students who have more difficulty with that particular concept can review it at home.” Like Mrs.Girkin, Mr. Imwalle narrates a presentation that he would place on his Promethean ActivBoard in the classroom. Sometimes he uses theatrical voices just to make them more amusing. “I think there’s a performance element to it,” he says. “To be excited about something like math is something I want to bring out in them. I want them to be excited about it like I am excited about it, and the best way to do that is to show it.” “Flipped Classroom is a strategy with which more and more of our teachers are getting familiar,” says Mr. Uckotter. “A lot of people are intrigued 14
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Laura Adkins assists Micah Johnson with an exercise in her class while Alexis Fee, center, works on her own.
Student Q&A
Q&A: Finding Common Ground with David Herring Summit’s student body comes from 75 zip codes in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. In this north-south spin on the classic Cincinnati east-west divide, Hannah Fassler, an eighth grader who lives in Northern Kentucky, explores the idea of community and common ground with David Herring, a senior from West Chester. Q: I’ll be entering Upper School from the Middle School, but you came here from Bethany School in your freshman year. How have you managed to make new friends? A: You make your first friends when you meet your advisement group. Playing on a sports team helped me make my closest friends, because we all have something in common we love. But your passion does not have to be a sport. Instead, you could become involved with the school play or a club. Making friends is easy once you find something you have in common with each other. Q: Have you discovered common ground with people here, and if so, are you surprised by that? A: Of course there is common ground at Summit, which did surprise me because we come from so many different backgrounds. Summit has made me see that we all have more in common than we have differences. I’ve learned that different cultures have more in common than you would think; they just see it in different ways. For example, I’m different because I am Baptist, but I go to a Catholic school. This slight difference has given me a better view of my religion, but other religions as well. Q: I live in Kentucky, so of course I am stereotyped as a hillbilly or a redneck. What assumptions do people make about you because you live in West Chester and go to The Summit?
A: Things that surprised me were the overwhelming sense of community, the various teaching styles and the responsibility put on each student. These three things are really what I think makes Summit stand out from all the other high schools. Q: We both were in Power of the Pen, and The Summit takes pride in helping students discover their voice. What experiences have developed your ability to express yourself? A: I have been able to express myself every day in the classroom through the various works I turn in and the classes I take. The variety of classes allows you to find the right class so you can shine in your own way. Whether it is taking art classes all four years where you get time to express yourself in many creative ways, or taking two math classes like me, or just doing the things you love, Summit will help you find your strengths. Expressing yourself is a priority of Summit. Q: You are about to graduate and leave The Summit behind. What will you miss? A: I’ll miss most the enthusiasm of Mrs. Girkin everyday. She can make the hardest of physics class fun just with her enthusiasm. I think every student needs a teacher like Mrs. Girkin during their time in high school.
A: Many people assume I am in the upper class because I attend Summit and live in West Chester. Most assume I am not completely African American as well, but those stereotypes are not what define me. Most are surprised to find out I am actually opposite of these stereotypes. Q: Name three things that pleasantly surprised you about The Summit.
Summit Magazine
NEWSMAKERS digital works; senior Meg Mathile, two Gold Key Awards; and junior Marie Cossins, a Silver Key Award. Honorable mentions went to junior Abigail Semler and seniors Christine Cassidy, Margaux Hackett and Isabelle Saldana.
Carter Hall Aces PSAT Carter Hall, a junior, scored a perfect 240 on his PSAT test. A 240 on the PSAT is equivalent to a 2400 on the SAT. About 3.5 million students take the PSAT each year, according to the College Board. Only 100 students a year on average get a perfect score of 240 each year. “In my 26 years as a counselor, I’ve never known a student to get a perfect score on the PSAT,” said Maureen Ferrell, Director of College Counseling at The Summit. “It is really rare. He should be congratulated, as should the faculty. Clearly, he was well-prepared for this test.”
16 Spring 2013
Annie Peters Art Work Wins National Scholastic Award The portfolio of Summit Country Day senior Annie Peters was awarded a Silver Medal in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. National medalists will be recognized in a ceremony at Carnegie Hall on May 31 and may receive the opportunity for their work to be displayed at reputable galleries in New York City. For the first time, the portfolios of two Summit seniors – Annie and Rachel Argo – were chosen at the regional level of competition juried for the national competition. Also at the regional level, Annie received three Gold Key Awards for
Joseph Delamerced Wins Regional Spelling Bee Seventh grader Joseph Delamerced will represent Cincinnati for the second time at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C., May 28-30. Joseph also represented Cincinnati in 2011.
Two Students Win Awards in Ohio Art Criticism Open Fourth grader Lily Ritch won a second place award and first grader Nick Bergeron won a third place award in Ohio’s Jerry Tollifson Art Criticism Open competing against older students for their critiques.
Ceramic Art of Two Students in National Show A piece entitled “Dear Family” by fourth grader Auggie Ransick and a work called “Strangely Striped Dog” by third grader John Penote were featured in the March show at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts annual conference in Houston.
Student Newsmakers
28 Students Inducted into the National Junior Honor Society First row, L to R: Margo Dailey, Rachel Johnson, Waleed Amir, Christopher Samaan, Lillian Chow, Laura Klug. Second row: Emma Shelton, Nora Poch, Charles Kubicki, Carter Fee, Nicole Weyer, Rose Temizer. Third Row: Haley Hauser, Hannah Fassler, Maggie Cavanaugh, Jennifer Whitehead, Caroline Walton, Amalia Nichifor, Caroline Schmerge. Fourth Row: Sam Wiser, Lennox Brooks, Tullus Dean, Zachary Pavlin, Martin Amesquita, Nicholas Smith. Fifth Row: Bates Crowther, Connor McMurry, Jay Nagle.
Students Advance to State Power of Pen Eighth graders Haley Hauser and Hope Thomson finished in 13th and 14th place, respectively, at the regional tournament in February. Their standing automatically qualified them for a spot in the state tournament in May at Wooster College.
Mock Trial Sends Two Teams to State Two varsity Mock Trial teams won first and second place at the regional competition and were among the final sixteen teams in state competition. First-place regional Team Blue members were: seniors Rachel Argo, Emily Hogya, Alex Marcellus, Reeti Pal, Isabelle Saldana and Jack Schroder; sophomores Omar Khoury and Abbey Taylor and freshman Alexis Hogya. Secondplace regional Team Silver: senior Morgan Hughes; juniors Abby McIntyre and Georges Saba; sophomores Philip McHugh, Anne Klette, Morgan Cavanaugh, Nick Romanelli, Alex Stewart, and Thomas Quan.
Work of Two Students Featured in State Art Show Second grader Caroline Beckes and third grader Lucas Galioglu had work displayed in Ohio Art Education Association shows in March in Columbus.
Summit Magazine 17
Latin Club Wins State Championship for Fifth Consecutive Year
Four Juniors Accepted into TAP MD Program Juniors Allison Brophy, Tino Delamerced, Alexandra Schmerge and Monica Windholtz were selected based on high academic requirements by the Greater Cincinnati Health Council. The TAP MD Program attempts to identify “untapped” talent among regional high school students and encourages them to consider careers in medicine. The program allows students to explore medicine through visits to Tristate hospitals and outpatient clinics and by shadowing physicians.
Summit’s Latin Club won the Ohio Junior Classical League Championship (OJCL) for the fifth consecutive year in March. Summit students also were elected to three of the six state leadership positions. The top point earners for The Summit included junior Tino Delamerced, who at 132 points took top place at the convention for the fourth consecutive year; junior Kelly McBride, 103 points, third place; seventh grader Joseph Delamerced, 89 points, fifth place; senior Rachel Argo, 73 points, ninth place; eighth grader Tullus Dean, 65 points, 13th place; and sophomore Inessa Chandra, 63 points, 15th place. This marks the 13th consecutive year that Summit has had an officer on the OJCL Executive Board. Pictured above, L to R, are Kelly, who was elected first vice president of the OJCL; Tino, who was elected president; and junior Emily Haussler was elected secretary. See the entire Latin Club on Pages 2-3. 18 18 Spring 2013
Senior Dale Lakes Earns Eagle Scout Award Senior Dale Lakes has earned his Eagle Scout Award after completing an outdoor classroom for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish School in Anderson Township. The Leadership Service Project is one of several elements a scout must complete to achieve his Eagle Award, which is the highest rank in Boy
Scouts. Scouts are required to plan, organize, lead and manage the project. Summit Wins Great Youth Debate for Fifth Straight Year Junior Joey Kreyenhagen and sophomores Anne Klette and Philip McHugh were on a mixed-school team that took first place in the 2012 Great Youth Debate, marking the fifth consecutive year students from The Summit have won the top award. Their team, coordinated by Summit History teacher Tim Jedding, included students from Sycamore High School and Withrow University High School. Summit’s Team Russia tops individual awards at Annual Model APEC Summit’s Team Russia took four individual awards in the 10th Annual Model Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in March, the most of any team in the competition. This marks the eighth year that Summit has participated in Model APEC and the sixth year that a Summit team has won the most individual awards. Members of Team Russia included seniors Rhetta Maynard and Theresa Rager; junior Taylor Jones; and sophomores Nathan Whitsett, Ellie Schwietering, Noelle Weber, Emily Walton and Sarah Scoville.
Faculty and Staff Newsmakers coordinator of The Summit’s Latin Club, which this year won the Ohio Junior Classical League Championship for the fifth consecutive year. Brooke Byam, Montessori Teacher, is serving her third year on the board of the Cincinnati Montessori Society (CMS) and chaired this year’s Registration Committee for the annual CMS conference. Some 21 members of the Montessori faculty and two staff members attended the CMS conference where 16 workshops on continuing education topics and a keynote address were presented.
Deena Carey
Deena Carey, Upper School Chemistry Teacher, was elected Secretary of Permanent Records for the Board of Trustees of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Examinations Institute. The institute produces nationally normed exams in the U.S. for most chemistry courses, from high school through undergraduate curriculums and as pretests for students starting graduate school. She was also named High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year by the Cincinnati Section of ACS. Ms. Carey will graduate from George Washington University in May with a Masters in Educational Administration and Leadership. Karen Cruse Suder, Upper School Biology Teacher; Mark Wiesner, Upper School Art Teacher; and Kim Ashcraft, who teaches Latin in both Middle and Upper Schools, were listed among the top private high school educators in Ohio Magazine’s 2013 Excellence in Education issue. The article used Mrs. Suder as an example of a teacher who goes beyond the typical classroom experience to inspire students to learn – illustrating by example her expertise in differentiated instruction, summer marine biology seminar in Hawaii and a crime scene course at the College of Mount St. Joseph. This year at The Summit, several of Mr. Wiesner’s students won regional art awards and one was awarded a Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Silver Medal in national competition. Ms. Ashcraft is a co-
Ken Uckotter
Ken Uckotter, Technology and Curriculum Director at The Summit Country Day School, was among Cincinnati business and non-profit top executives who received a C-Suite Award in the inaugural issue of LEAD Cincinnati magazine. The magazine recognized Mr. Uckotter for his leadership in the area of technology and his community involvement. Penny Herr, Middle School Religion Teacher, was commissioned as a Stephen Minister at Our Lady of Visitation parish. Stephen Ministers are lay caregivers who receive training in “active listening” to support people who are experiencing grief, divorce, sickness, job loss, loneliness, disability, relocation and other life difficulties. Julia Almaguer, Lower School Math Specialist, was elected president of the board of EarthShares CSA, a community-sponsored agricultural organization in Loveland. Summit Magazine 19
Newsmakers
2013 Summit Community Survey Results High Praise for Delivery of Our Mission Summit parents and students were surveyed in October as part of the accreditation cycle for the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). This feedback helps administration and faculty measure performance against promise – how well are we delivering on our mission to bring out the best in intellect and character of every student. Parents and students gave high marks in most aspects of the school’s image and performance. In many cases, scores were higher than the national benchmark for other independent schools regionwide as indicated by a plus sign (+). In no attribute did both parents and students rate The Summit below benchmark.
Total Number of Attributes Rated Above Benchmark Parents: 28
Students: 61
20
Moral Values/ Character Development
20 2013 14 Spring *Agree/Strongly Agree
Caring/ Community Environment
Dress Code Appropriate
Mission Widely Known
Positive School Spirit
Students: 76%+
Parents: 69+
Students: 83%+
Parents: 92%+
Students: 78%+
Parents: 86%+
Students: 88%+
Parents: 92%+
Students: 88%+
Parents: 92%+
Students: 92%+
Parents: 93%+
Both parents and students rated these individual attributes above the independent school benchmark*
School Security
Quality of Education*
Academic Departments*
Overall Quality of Education
Language Arts 84%+
Parents: 89% Public Speaking 77%+
Students: 89% Support for Academic Achievement
Science 84%+
Parents
Geography 76%+
Parents: 95%
Religion/ Ethics 80%+ Language Arts 85%+
Students: 98% Public Speaking 63%+
Academic Departments
Students
Science 80%+
Parents: 84% Geography 66%+
Students: 85%
Religion/ Ethics 75%+
*% Selecting Excellent or Very Good
Parents Who Said... % of parents who strongly agree/agree
88%
The Summit 89% partners with me to educate my child/children in a way that produces measurable growth toward fulfilling their God-given potential.
Teachers at The Summit understand and believe in my child.
96%
The school has a strong commitment to moral values/ character development.
86%
The Summit has provided a good system whereby the teacher or faculty advisor takes a proactive role in guiding my child/ children.
Extracurricular Activities* The Arts
Overall Parents 78%+
Students 79%+
*% Selecting Excellent or Very Good
Parents 84%+
Community Service
Athletics Students 80%+
Parents 81%+
Students 88%+
Parents 78%+
Students 76%+
21
Summit Magazine 15
Working in a model Montessori classroom, Teaching Assistant Julia Ventura assists Caroline Hagerman with a painting. Cailyn Youtsey and Finn Kropp take advantage of the natural light from the large bay window as they work independently at a table.
We’re Golden
Celebrating 50 Years of Montessori Excellence 22 Spring 2013
By Eileen Connelly, OSU Great moments happen every day in The Summit’s Montessori. In classrooms designed for Montessori teaching, materials are carefully displayed to optimize learning, independence and curiosity. The creativity of these youngest Summit scholars is ignited. Montessoritrained faculty recognize the potential of each 2- to 6-year old preschooler and nurture every one of them. The most telling examples of success are the children themselves – 2-year-olds who are learning respect and organization when they are not yet out of diapers; 3-year-olds counting in French and Spanish; a 5-year-old reading at several grade levels beyond her age; and a little boy from Germany, who has only been in the United States a few months, but is already speaking English well and learning at the same level as his peers. The Summit’s Montessori program will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the 2013-14 school year. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN), who have their own place in Montessori history, many of The Summit’s programs – Toddler, Orff Schulwerk music approach, World Language and Enrichment among them – give the school distinction.
Montessori Timeline of History 1963 The Summit opens the Montessori Program under direction of Sister Mary Motz & Sister Jane Thomas.
1964 Montessori moves to the second floor of the Kindergarten Building.
1965 Kindergarten becomes Montessori. Montessori methods are extended into the early grades.
1967
“The Summit is a special place,” says Amy Berger, currently in her eighth year of teaching at The Summit. “We have the Catholic education at the core, the Sisters’ original founding philosophy, great teachers and our parents are wonderful. Our Montessori is unique in the set up of our day and the choices offered. No other Montessori program is quite like ours, and I am very blessed to be here.”
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur publish “Montessori Matters.”
Early Montessori History
1969
Any Montessori history begins with Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. She believed that if we are to have hope in humankind, then we must have hope in children. The Montessori philosophy emphasizes an intellectual, yet warm, creative and encouraging environment – teaching children a sense of order,
1968 Rosemary Roeding begins teaching.
Joan Hilton begins.
1970 The Summit Primary School opens for grades 1-3.
1971 Phyllis Schueler begins teaching.
Summit Magazine 23
1971
1965
1967
1975
24 26 Spring 2013
1964
1965
1963
independence, concentration and coordination, while recognizing their individual needs, range of readiness and ability. Certainly, Maria Montessori’s sentiments resonated with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who founded The Summit in 1890. Throughout their educational ministry, the Sisters also recognized the gifts and potential of the child and believed each individual should be nurtured with love. Maria Montessori opened her first Children’s House (or Casa dei Bambini) in 1907, enrolling some 50 to 60 children between the ages of two and three, and six and seven. Forwardthinking, the Sisters embraced her philosophy early. While The Summit is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the modern-day Montessori, the Sisters actually began 1965 to explore Montessori methods at The Summit as early as 1923. One year later, Sisters Josephine Mary and Marie Angela left for Europe, touring Dowanhill in Glasgow, Scotland, where the congregation ran the Notre Dame Child Clinic and had published A Scottish Montessori School. They also toured the Training College in Liverpool and the Dalton School in Clapham, England. They returned to Cincinnati with the vision of establishing a full-scale Montessori. That first school for grades 1-6 opened in 1925 in a new building called The Alpha (now the technology and World Language wing of the Middle School).
1973 Sister Noreen Joyce begins teaching.
1974 Sister Noreen Joyce becomes principal. Mary Brinkmeyer begins teaching.
1977 Sister Mary Motz begins a second stint as principal. Linda Regensberger begins.
1978 Mary Humpert begins.
1979 Linda Regensberger becomes principal.
1982 Karen Pohl begins.
1985 Christmas Play in Kyte Theater for first time. Linda Moeggenberg begins.
1986 3-day program for 3-year-olds begins. Julie Ventura teaches extra-curricular dance program. Martha Twombly begins.
1987 Michele Kaegi begins.
1989 Phyllis Schueler becomes Montessori Director.
1967
Summit Magazine 25
According to historic records, a number of factors eventually took their toll on the school. The early Montessori movement fizzled across the U.S. in the 1920s and it would be 40 years before it would return in force. The Alpha was turned into Summit School for Boys in 1941.
A ’60s Montessori Resurgence
1965
By the time the Sisters rekindled the Montessori idea at The Summit in 1962, methods once viewed as experimental had become educationally sound. The Montessori Program opened in September 1963 with 25 students under the direction of Sisters Mary Motz and Jane Thomas [now Jane (Bunker) Jones ’58], who had been trained and certified at two Montessori centers in the United States. Sister Mary continued to head the school until 1974, when she was succeeded by Sister 1965 Noreen Joyce. Sister Mary recalls that The Summit’s program quickly became a national model for other schools and filled requests to serve as an internship site for those training in the Montessori method, including students from Xavier University (XU), which began offering a Master’s Degree in Montessori education in 1965. The Summit’s faculty contributed to Montessori Matters, published by the Sisters in 1967 which became an invaluable resource for local and national educators training in Montessori techniques. “The 50-year dedication of The Summit Country Day Montessori School is a tribute to the efforts of the many people at Summit over the years who have worked to provide quality education for young children,” says Kathleen M. Duval, a longtime Montessori teacher who for many years served as a national consultant for the American Montessori Society. “The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur contributed significantly to the establishment and growth of Montessori in the Cincinnati area.” Indeed, Sisters Jane and Mary themselves went on to help found other schools and train Montessori teachers in several states.
1968
Looking back on those early years of Montessori and its continued success, Sister Mary says parental involvement was, and 26 Spring 2013
1969
1991 Noreen Petry begins.
1993 Margaret Prinner begins.
1994 World Language Program begins in kindergarten.
Three of the women who have headed the Montessori reunite: Sister Mary Motz, left, Phyllis Schueler and Sister Noreen Joyce, right.
is, critical. “I realize that one of its greatest strengths and sources of positive growth was the tremendous parental support and involvement in the program. Dr. Maria Montessori stressed in her program the close partnership needed with the children’s initial teachers – the parents.” Sister Mary said she realized early that many of The Summit’s graduates were destined to become business and civic leaders. “Another conviction I gleaned from my Summit Montessori experience was to closely observe each child and help them move from where they are to reach their highest potential,” she says. “This helped me realize the need to keep in mind the possibilities of each child’s future role in society. The potential leadership roles many of my students would find themselves in as adults necessitated careful focusing from their earliest years at home and in school on basic leadership life skills. Leadership skills need to be fine tuned in students at the earliest age… In their roles as adults, they have far greater power to either build up or tear down the society in which they live and function.”
1995 Educating with Character Program begins.
1996 Karen Koch begins.
1998 Anne Chambers, Brian Miller & Julie Ventura begin.
1999 Joan Hilton awarded Schilderink Chair. Kathy Scott begins.
2000 Linda Moeggenberg awarded Schilderink Chair.
2001 Yngrid Thurston begins.
The Modern Era
2004
As a protégé of Sisters Mary and Noreen, Phyllis Schueler ushered in the modern era of The Montessori Program. Mrs. Schueler came to The Summit searching for a “solid” program for her preschool-aged son and “fell in love” with Summit’s Montessori program. Sister Mary hired her in 1971 and she received her Montessori graduate school training at Xavier University under Hilda Rothschild, who was personally trained by Maria Montessori. In 1989, Mrs. Schueler became the school’s director.
2005
Montessori gets new home when new Lower School opens. Kim Bush & Kyle Wirthwine begin.
Amy Berger & Jane Hackett begin.
2006 Mary Schwietering Summit Magazine 27 begins.
Mary Humpert, the longest-serving Montessori teacher among the current faculty, enjoys an outdoor spring respite in 2011 with several students. From left, Tyler Fitzgerald, Joaquin Beatty, Kameron Givan, Mia Cavallo, Bella Baker and Ian Ferguson.
Another early Summit Montessori teacher, Mary (Foss) Brinkmeyer ’67, had the same two-degrees of separation from Maria Montessori and says that influence was profound. “Because of that strong training and the wealth of her early childhood teaching experience, Phyllis has been able to create a Montessori environment at The Summit that is truly a premier school,” says Mrs. Brinkmeyer. “She possesses a unique talent to observe the learning style of each child and, along with her teachers, assist the students to become individual learners. The Summit has the finest educational materials available. One of Phyllis’ crowning achievements was the construction of the Lower School.” As a parent first, Mrs. Schueler and her husband, Richard, enrolled all four of her children -- Stephen Schueler BMS ’80, Todd Schueler ’96, Tara Schueler ’03 and Kristi (Schueler) Eastman – in the Montessori program. Now, three of her four grandchildren, John and twins Alexis and Kylie, are currently in Summit’s Montessori. Like the Schueler families, many other Montessori alumni have brought their children “home” to The Summit. 28 Spring 2013
Mercer ’95 and Lindsay ’97 Reynolds both attended the Montessori program themselves and now have three children (Caroline, Jack and J. Mercer Jr.) enrolled. Jack, 3, attends three mornings a week. They say he has “blossomed” and been “comforted” by being able to learn alongside his brother, who is in kindergarten. One of the key components of the Montessori educational experience is peer teaching, which mixes three, four and five-yearolds in the same classroom. The multi-age mentoring enables the younger children to learn from their older counterparts, who C.J. Gordon in turn, are learning to be uses a hammer leaders in the classroom. to develop fine “Next year, Jack will do motor skills. the same for Caroline (currently in the Toddler Program),” says Mrs. Reynolds. “Our own Montessori experience provided both of us with a foundation on which to grow and influenced every facet of our lives,” says Mr. Reynolds. “Our children are benefitting the same way we did. They’ve matured in every facet of their lives. Mercer was such a shy kid and has really come out of his shell. I don’t
2007
think he would have experienced the same growth without Summit. We’re very proud of him and happy with his development.”
Toddler Program begins. 100th anniversary of Maria Montessori’s first school.
Wayne Lippert ’89 has fond memories of his years in Montessori and attributes his current success to the “strong sense of order, freedom to select work that interested me and was at my level, guidance of the teachers and the consistency of the materials.” He and his wife, Chris, have three children at the Summit – Lily, 9, and six-year-old twins, Holland and Trey, both in Montessori. “They’re learning the same values that were instilled in me,” Mr. Lippert says, “and those fundamental aspects of learning in reading, math, and science are laying a good, solid foundation for them.”
2008 Lori Meier & Meg Sanders begin. First Early Childhood Education Symposium.
2009 Mary Humpert awarded Schilderink Chair. Lauren Mahoney begins.
Looking back on the development of The Summit’s Montessori education program, Mrs. Schueler credits the faith and vision of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, as well as ongoing cooperation between parents, teachers and administration with its success. “The teachers really make our program with their dedication,” she said. “They stay with it, they build it, have such passion for what they do and always want to make it better for the children.”
2010 World Language Program expands. Bible Stories begin. Ai Li Brown, Amy McDonald, Jennifer McGrath, Barbara Powers & Caroline Rollins begin.
She believes in the unlimited potential of the children in her care. Her goal is to see that all of the children become independent and critical thinkers so they can reach their highest potential. “If you believe in the potential of children, they will exceed your expectations,” she says.
2011 Toddler Program Expands (2, 3 and 5 days). Lavina Ambani, Katia Palek, Rebecca Penker, Jill Puffer, Meredith Schiff ’02 & Lauren Yarnell begin.
Sister Eileen Connelly is news editor of the Catholic Telegraph.
2012 An enhanced Character Education Program curriculum begins. Fourth class of Extended Early Enrichment begins. Fifth Annual Early Childhood Education Symposium. Michelle Blake & Mary Walsh begin. In 2012 Millie Castellini traces the letter “b” in shaving cream on a mirrored surface.
Logo design: Marie (Moeggenberg) Day ‘07
2013 Summit Montessori 29 29 Summit celebrates 50 Magazine years.
30 Spring 2013
Phyllis Schueler has been director of the Montessori Program since 1989 and a teacher since 1971. She enrolled all four of her children in the program and her legacy continues as three of her grandchildren now attend while another is a Summit second grader. With her, from left, are grandchildren Sophia Schueler, Lexie Eastman, John Schueler and Kylie Eastman.
Phyllis Schueler Defines Modern Montessori By Nancy Berlier
the architecture and interior design to make sure classrooms, lighting and materials optimized Montessori methodology.
Having been a teacher in Summit’s Montessori since 1971 and director since 1989, Phyllis Schueler is largely responsible for the growth of this hallmark school and its current heyday. In her 42-year tenure, Mrs. Schueler started Early Enrichment and refined Advanced Enrichment Programs which present an academically strong curriculum in science, culture, geography and fine arts through thematic units of study. World Language expanded, bringing an immersion experience in Spanish and French to 3-year-olds. She started the Toddler Program for 2-year-olds. The Orff Schulwerk early music education program, which helps develop areas of the brain involved in language, reasoning and problem-solving, was revamped. Mrs. Schueler incorporated the teaching of “kindness” in the curriculum when the age-based Character Education Program was introduced. She added Bible Stories to address the spiritual pillar in The Summit’s mission statement. And she has fostered an open-door policy to include parents in all aspects of their children’s education. When the Lower School was being designed, Mrs. Schueler put her imprint on
1980
1991
1999
Her results are measurable. Kindergarteners are reading and writing stories prior to first grade, which leads to an accelerated start in lower grades. Montessori enrollment has peaked in the last two years. “The Montessori is a magical place,” says parent Adaire Hiestand ‘87. “Phyllis has built a world-class program in a facility that exudes sunlight and warmth. Teachers are amazing and caring. The Montessori has a great music program; the materials make adults want to sit on a rug and work with them; kindness is taught with compassion; and there is much more academic programming than you expect from pre-K.” “All of this is just part of what Phyllis has created,” she continues. “The other part is much larger and far reaching. What I see when I walk through the halls is lively, engaged and brilliant children who cannot wait to scamper to their teacher with their latest discovery. They know they are treasured. She has created a space in which children gain knowledge, confidence, enthusiasm and a curiosity of the world. Her greatest accomplishment is in every shining, 31 Summit Magazine 31
“Summit is an incredibly special place because of the deep devotion, commitment, and love that teachers display for children. Not only do teachers believe in the great potential that lies within each child, they also believe that Montessori education will help them to achieve more in life – academically, emotionally and socially. They are dedicated educators who continually improve their practice, not for personal gain, but for the benefit of the children. The Montessori teachers at The Summit have formed a deep bond and sense of community that allow them to continually encourage one another through their shared experience as educators.” - Phyllis Schueler Montessori Director
32 Spring 2013
smiling kindergartener who leaves the Montessori knowing that the world is his or hers.” Mrs. Schueler grew up in Hyde Park. Her mother was a homemaker and her father, whom she credits with her love for math and travel, was an engineer. She was educated in Catholic schools, leaving St. Mary’s High School to get her bachelor’s degree from Edgecliff College. She was a counselor and home economics teacher at McNicholas High School when she enrolled her oldest son in The Summit’s Montessori Program. “I fell in love with the Montessori program,” she said. “I felt The Summit was the right place for him and within two years I went back to Xavier University and got my Montessori certification as a master’s degree.” Sister Mary Motz, who was the principal of the Montessori at the time, recruited Phyllis to join her staff in 1971. “Summit is fortunate that Phyllis has stayed as long as she has,” says Sister Mary, now retired and living in Reading. Former Head of School Edward C. Tyrrell promoted Mrs. Schueler to Director in 1989. Now Headmaster at Malden Catholic High School in Massachusetts, Mr. Tyrrell says her strength is the ability to blend Montessori philosophy with The Summit’s mission. “She knows that a genuine thirst for knowledge and unlimited potential is within every child and that children learn best in a prepared environment,” he says. “Her mandate is to harness their gifts and talents and begin the path for them to make this world a better place.” The current Head of School agrees. “Phyllis is a pro,” says Rich Wilson. “She has very high standards for the program, for her teachers and for herself. Behind the scenes, the Montessori program is a complex operation to run with children on many different schedules, rigorous state standards that must be met at all times and children with a variety of special needs. Like a master conductor, she has it all under control. Given her years of experience, she knows instinctively what to do in any situation.” Sister Eileen Connelly contributed to this report.
Montessori Alumni, Parents: Summit Montessorians, as we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Montessori Program, we would like to share stories and testimonials about how the program has made a difference in your life or your child’s life. Please send your stories to communications@summitcds.org. Students show Montessori Director Phyllis Schueler their Valentine’s Day cards. 33 Summit Magazine 33
Recent Silver Knight Successes Bring Attention to Athletic Program Allison Brophy and Stewart Spanbauer
By Rich Hoyt There is no secret to the formula for recent success in The Summit Athletic Program. Outstanding, hardworking coaches, coupled with talented, motivated student-athletes have brought much team and individual recognition to this landmark school on Grandin Road. That success was evident again during this winter season. Divers Stewart Spanbauer, a sophomore, and Allison Brophy, a junior, continued the recent run of Summit student-athletes competing for state championships as they both medaled at the Division II state boys’ and girls’ diving meet in Canton. Stewart placed seventh in the meet while Allison finished eighth. Stewart and Allison joined the recent success of the girls’ soccer (2011 state champions), boys’ basketball (2012 state champions), boys’ soccer (2012 state champions) and boys’ cross country (2012 5th place state finish) programs as Summit student-athletes participate at the highest level the Ohio High School Athletic Association has to offer. The defending boys’ basketball state championship team created magic all the way to the regional 34 Spring 2013
semifinals, where they fell to Roger Bacon. Still, Michael Bradley’s team claimed their fourth district championship in the last five years, an era unmatched in Summit basketball history. Coach Bradley’s team completed a 23-2 season, finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Division III poll and was named city champion for Divisions II-IV by The Cincinnati Enquirer. Senior Kevin Johnson capped perhaps the greatest individual career in Summit basketball history by earning virtually every player of the year award possible – Miami Valley Conference (MVC), District 16, Southwest Ohio, the Associated Press State and Ohio High School Basketball Coaches’ Association Player of the Year Awards. In addition, Kevin was selected to play in the Ohio/Kentucky All-Star Game and Ohio North/South All-Star Game. Kevin has been a big reason why college basketball coaches have rotated in and out of the Flannery Gym doors over the last couple of years. Besides his own recruitment, which ultimately ended in a commitment to the University of Cincinnati last summer, junior guard Antonio Woods has garnered a lot of attention from Division I coaches as have several other team members.
Athletics With all of the success of Summit athletics, it has been inevitable that college coaches show interest in the student-athletes. Twenty-nine graduates of The Summit are competing at the college level this year. College Counselor Maureen Ferrell has witnessed this firsthand when college coaches ask for Summit student-athletes transcripts. “I hear more from parents and students that they are looking to play sports in college,” Ms. Ferrell says. “College coaches are so pleased to see our curriculum and how well our students are performing.” Flannery Gym has also been home to the success of Beth Simmons’ girls’ basketball team. She guided her team to a second consecutive MVC title while earning another MVC Coach of the Year Award. That combination of academic and athletic excellence was on display as senior Izzie Englehart was selected as a member of the Academic AllOhio team – one of only 10 in Division III girls’ basketball. “For us, it’s just the right time for my players and the girls’ basketball program to see our own success,” Coach Simmons says. “A lot of my players are multiple-sport athletes, who also provide their athleticism and success to other teams. In that way, I think there is a relationship to the overall success of the athletic program.” The recent success across the board of Summit Athletics is unmatched by other similar-sized schools in the area. The cross country program, led by Kurtis Smith, has experienced more participants than ever. This has resulted in both the boys’ and girls’ teams claiming
district titles in recent years, including a fifth place finish at the state meet by the boys’ team this past fall. 2011 graduate Colin Cotton won the Division III individual state title in 2010, as well as a state championship in the 3200-meter track event. Summit baseball has become one of the elite Division III programs in the city and state playing on a state-of-the-art, artificial turf home field. The 2012 team broke the school record for season wins (23), finishing fifth in the city and third in the state. In the past four seasons, the team had a 7134 record overall and 43-9 in the league. Coach Triffon Callos has taken the team to spring training for eight consecutive years at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., giving the players pre-season experience against Division I and II schools in a major league facility. The football team is another program that has grown and prospered in recent years. Head Coach Mike Brown’s team finished an undefeated regular season and won the program’s first playoff game in school history this past fall. Brown credits a supportive administration and school community, along with hard-working players, for the growth of the program. “The support for our program is outstanding and the young men are dedicated to getting better and better each year,” Coach Brown says. “When all of those things are in place, it creates a family environment around a football program, which is what I think is the most important.” The environment of a successful athletic program starts at the top with an administration who supports and enhances their athletic programs. During his eight years as Athletic Director, Greg Dennis has been instrumental in the growth of Summit’s athletic programs across the board. “I’ve tried to make it an environment to let our coaches coach,” Mr. Dennis says. “The only thing I ask is that what we do is within the mission of the school. Sure we like to win, but development of the athletes’ skills and character are of paramount importance. That’s why I focus my time on finding and hiring the best coaches in the city.”
In the last two school years, three Summit teams have captured state championships. L to R are the championship rings of the 2011 girls’ soccer team, 2012 boys’ soccer team and 2012 boys’ basketball team.
Summit Magazine 35
Summit Sports The tradition of excellence for the Silver Knights was continued with the 2012-13 winter athletics season and will be remembered for its pivotal individual and team performances. Summit athletes and coaches maintained their presence at the top of the Miami Valley Conference with two conference titles, eight first team athletes and two Coach-of-the-Year awards. Two Summit divers placed in the top ten at state and Kevin Johnson was named the Ohio AP Division III Basketball Co-Player of the Year. Diving and Swimming: Two Summit divers, Allison Brophy and Stewart Spanbauer, qualified for the Division II State Diving Championships. Both brought home medals for their top-ten finishes. Stewart placed seventh in the boys’ competition and Allison placed eighth in the girls. The girls’ swimming relay team – Maddie Amend, Maddie Shelton, Allison Kinross and Abby Semler – set new school records in the 200 Yard Medley Relay (2:07.32) and the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (1:52.85) at the sectional meet en route to qualifying for the district meet. Also, Maddie set new school records for both the 200 Yard Freestyle (2:03.14) and 100 Yard Freestyle (57.54) at sectionals and qualified for districts in both individual events. Spring 2013
Allison Brophy, top, performs a dive in the pike position during the state meet in Canton.
Diver Stewart Spanbauer eyes the pool midway through a back dive during the state competition.
Athletics
Members of the 2012-13 boys’ basketball team after winning their third straight district championship at UD Arena. L to R, Junior Varsity Head Coach Jerry Hilton ‘91, Assistant J.V. Coach and Scout Ryane Wynn, Freshman Head Coach Tyler Wright, Joey Kreyenhagen, Nathan Melson, Kyle Fisk, Eric Bond, Armand Walker, MaCio Teague, Kevin Johnson, Varsity Head Coach Michael Bradley, Jake Rawlings, Antonio Woods (kneeling), Michael Barwick, Michael Dorsey, David Herring, Evan Davis, Marshal Sang, Brett Tepe, Team Manager Derrick Buschbacher, Varsity Assistant Coach Pat Cosgrove ‘01.
Boys’ Basketball: The Silver Knights finished the regular season as MVC champions and the No. 1 team in the Division III Ohio AP Poll, as well as No. 1 in The Cincinnati Enquirer Division II-IV Coaches’ Poll. They carried an impressive 23-1 record heading into the Division III district final at UD Arena on March 7. The team secured its third straight district championship with a 63-49 victory over West Liberty-Salem. The Silver Knights were riding a 10-game winning streak as they faced a formidable opponent in the regional semifinal at Kettering Fairmont’s James S. Trent Arena. Roger Bacon was looking to avenge its loss of a year ago to Summit on the same court in the very same round of the playoffs and in the end, Summit could not overcome the tough play of the Spartans as their title defense came to an end by a final score of 61-53. In addition to the state player of the year award, Kevin Johnson was also First Team All-District and Player of the Year, along with First Team MVC and Conference Player of the Year. Joining Kevin on the MVC First Team were Antonio Woods and MaCio Teague. Antonio was also a Second Team All-District selection and MaCio was selected to the Third Team. Head Coach Michael Bradley was the MVC Scarlet Division Coach of the Year for the third straight season. Senior Destiny Williams, a First Team All-MVC member, cheers on The Summit basketball team 37 Summit Magazine 37 during the district championship at UD Arena.
Back to the Summit Event
The Summit girls’ basketball team secured its second consecutive Miami Valley Conference championship. L to R, Cece Dowling, Sydney Beckmeyer, Addie Englehart, Stephanie Slager, JoRia Cook, Izzie Englehart, Amauria Campbell, Gloria Beingana, Gabbi Gehner, Malauna Campbell, Kiley Barnard, Varsity Head Coach Beth Simmons (back), Varsity Assistant Coach Tiara Turner ’07 and Junior Varsity Head Coach Bill Bennett.
Girls’ Basketball: The Summit Girls’ Basketball team won the MVC Scarlet Division for the second year in a row. The team compiled a season record of 20-4, with two of their losses coming from Fayetteville-Perry, whom they lost to in the district final. Both Izzie Englehart and Amauria Campbell were named MVC First Team and Head Coach Beth Simmons was selected as MVC Coach of the Year. Izzie received First Team All-District honors, while Amauria and Gabbi Gehner were Second Team selections.
Cheerleading: The Silver Knights cheerleaders continued igniting The Summit faithful throughout the season. Destiny Williams was a First Team AllMVC selection.
Izzie was also awarded the MVC’s Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award for integrity and good sportsmanship during the season. Wrestling: It was a pivotal year for the team which finished second overall in the MVC. Ben Wilson and Davionne Laney captured the MVC title in their respective weight classes, and both advanced to the district tournament. Bowling: New records were set for Summit bowling, now in its sixth year. Sarabeth Stretcher bowled the season single game high for the girls with a score of 189. Both Matt Currie and John Harris set a new mark for the boys with single game scores of 222. 38 Spring 2013
Senior wrestler Ben Wilson pins an opponent in the 182 weight class during the Summit Invitational Tournament.
The Big Reveal: Two Teams of State Champions Summit’s 2012 Ohio Division III Champion Boys’ Basketball and Boys’ Soccer teams were memorialized with giant posters in Flannery Gym. Enthusiastic, cheering crowds filled the gym to capacity as the teams unveiled their images during separate ceremonies held at halftime of basketball games. Let’s recap.
At the unveiling for the state championship basketball team were, above, L to R: Brett Tepe, Tommy Kreyenhagen ’12, Head Coach Michael Bradley, Kevin Johnson, Jake Rawlings, Marshal Sang, Antonio Woods, Michael Dorsey, Armand Walker, David Herring, Kyle Fisk, Assistant Coach Pat Cosgrove and Team Manager Derrick Buschbacher. Not present for the unveiling: Michael Barwick, Joey Kreyhenhagen, Holden Hertzel ’12 and Matt Fry ’12.
At the unveiling for the state championship soccer team were, L to R, front row: Brandon Lorentz, Carlos Garciamendez, Matt De Jesus, Mosi Clark-Cobb, David Smith, Brendan Jones. Middle Row: Upper School Director and Assistant Coach Dr. Terrence Malone, Head Coach Barnard Baker, Charlie Maciejewski, Taylor Jones, Ryan Hall, Ben Emery, Theo Austin, Austin Smythe, Jake Rawlings, Alex Vance and Assistant Coach Dan Cosgrove ’07. Back Row: Robby Wellington, Phil McHugh, 39 Christian Hay, Matt Meister, Caelan Hueber, Matt Eustace, Joey Kunkel and Jack Meininger. Not pictured: Isaiah Chapman. Summit Magazine 39
@SCD Broadcasting The Voices of the Silver Knights Georges Saba, Chris Lee and Will Ng By Darren Weigl In a building whose walls have echoed the orations of thousands for more than 123 years, many aural moments live within the hearts of those who have embraced The Summit. These anecdotal voices are instilled through different avenues, from the chatter and laughter of the playgrounds and cafeterias, to the passionate eloquence of Chapel Talks. Now, a new chapter is being told by three fresh voices within the Upper School. The voices of juniors Chris Lee, Will Ng and Georges Saba have been permeating the airwaves through SCD Broadcasting, the student-run, online coverage of Silver Knights athletics. The success of three state championship teams within the last two years has given rise to a devoted athletic following that is fed by the student broadcast team’s live game coverage. “One thing that I have really learned about myself from broadcasting is how much I love the school,” says Chris. “It really gives me pride to be able to watch the football and basketball teams excel and put out the best teams in recent history for Summit.” 40
Spring 2013
“My appreciation for having winning teams has certainly increased,” says Georges. “Having a team that wins makes broadcasting significantly more enjoyable. The most difficult part is broadcasting a loss. I’m grateful that we don’t have to do it very often.” These juniors are carrying the torch passed to them a year ago by Peter Hoffman ’12 and Nate Goodhart ’12 who launched SCD Broadcasting during their senior year with the help of Middle School Religion teacher Rich Hoyt. An experienced broadcaster himself, Mr. Hoyt provides color commentary for Xavier University women’s basketball games. Summit’s Network Administrator Holly Northern provided the technical know-how to make the live broadcasts a reality. With Mr. Hoyt as their mentor, the duo began covering Summit boys’ varsity basketball games during the 2011-12 championship season. Many of their in-game calls are still tied to people’s recollection of that dream season. “Are you serious?!?! Summit Country Day has won the Division III State Title!! Unbelievable job!!” yelled Peter from Ohio State University’s Value City Arena as
SCD Broadcasters the Silver Knights secured the program’s first ever state title. With insightful analysis and unbridled play-byplay, Peter and Nate built a following within The Summit community, providing memorable calls reminiscent of Jack Buck, Al Michaels and Russ Hodges. Peter’s invention of the “Hoffman Cookie Player of the Game” became a highlight, and a tradition that has been carried on by the new broadcaster trio. Coverage by Chris, Will and Georges has given listeners the opportunity to be a part of Summit Basketball from miles away. Those listeners include the grandparents of Summit junior point guard Antonio Woods who live in Williamson, West Virginia. “It is absolutely the greatest blessing to hear his games,” says Antonio’s grandmother, Mabel Childress. “We haven’t been able to travel to many games, especially this year, but we are devoted listeners and this is the next best thing, other than television.” Both she and her husband, Walter, have never missed a game, even when the time conflicts with attending church. “We go to services on Wednesday evenings, and there was a game at the same time. So even though we knew the outcome of the game, we still listened to the whole replay on Thursday,” says Mrs. Childress. “We wouldn’t miss it for anything,” she laughs. She says that she and her husband get their computer ready to go in their home before game time. Even though she knows that there are many factors that could cause a broadcast delay, such as the junior varsity games extending into the start of the varsity tip-off time, they sometimes would get impatient. “We’re so ridiculous that if they are not on the air by 7:35 p.m., I’m on the phone calling my daughter just to make sure!” Mrs. Childress met Peter and Nathan last season and commended them for progressing with each game. She said that this year’s broadcast team is on the same path.
With three crew members, SCD Broadcasting has been able to push the envelope in 2012-13. The team has extended the coverage beyond the confines of the hardwood and began covering Silver Knights Football during the historic 2012 season in which the team finished the regular season undefeated. Georges, Will and Chris did a phenomenal job setting the scene for a suspenseful, 13-point second half comeback over Triad for Summit’s first ever playoff victory. Listeners of that game still hear the triumphant call on the play that sparked the comeback, a fumble recovery for a touchdown on fourth and inches by Brooks Taylor. “Touchdown, Summit Country Day! It is a tie game right now, 2727! Huuuuuuge play by the Summit defense! Huuuuuge play!” exclaimed Will. “They wanted to broadcast the football games, and they made this a reality,” says Mrs. Northern. “They sat through rain, sleet and some very, very cold weather.” Mrs. Childress, whose grandson is also Summit’s quarterback, remembers that frigid game against New Miami on Senior Night. “I could hear the wind and couldn’t believe how cold they must have been.” Chris says the prep work that goes into each broadcast doesn’t seem overwhelming as all three students are able to talk up the team for hours on end, as their classmates and families will attest. They have recently been recording pregame player interviews which are aired at halftime. SCD Broadcasting has also expanded to Twitter and their followers grow with each broadcast. The crew hopes to expand into other sports as well by reaching out to underclassmen who are interested in broadcasting next year. “I would like to see the program become more popular throughout the community and reach a larger audience,” says Will. All full-length game broadcasts are archived online. www.summit.localsportsradio.com www.twitter.com/SCDBroadcasting Summit Magazine 41
Three New Endowed Scholarships Give More Students The Summit Advantage
L to R, front row: Katrina Chandra, David Cook, Matthew Dalton, Lundy Wright, Maya Purdie, Elise Becker, Katie Anne Headley. 42 Spring 2013 Second row: Nmantendi Pierre, Caroline Bristow, Alejandra Valencia, Deja Malone, Hayes Snyder, Nicole Weyer. Third row: Connor McMurry, Joshua Campbell, Lennox Brooks, Zairn Davis, Tyrice Walker.
By Nancy Berlier Lennox Brooks is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and straight-A student who excels as a three-sport athlete, a member of chorus and an active giver in the community. Katie Anne Headley, also a straight-A student, has been in honors-level classes since the fourth grade. She has participated in an internationally recognized leadership program and plays the violin. Hayes Snyder is an honor student who has received awards for “Best Communicator,” “Best Attitude” and “Outstanding Academic Achievement.” With a passion for theater and athletics, he has been a lead in the school play and club level soccer player. “Lennox, Katie and Hayes are recipients of three new endowed scholarships awarded this spring at The Summit,” says Jim Jackson, Director of Development. “They are among 18 students in the Class of 2017 who will receive The Summit advantage thanks to the generosity of special families who are living the mission of our school by using their gifts to improve our world.” Lennox, a Summit eighth grader, was awarded the Farrell Ackley Memorial Scholarship which honors a Summit teacher and coach who challenged students for decades to be critical thinkers, good athletes and community-minded citizens. Katie, who attends Nagel Middle School, received the Ruth Jung Conway ’46 Memorial Scholarship, which honors the life of a woman who championed the disadvantaged and advocated Catholic education. Hayes Snyder, an eighth grader at Mariemont Junior High School, received the William J. Williams ’29 Scholarship which pays tribute to the legendary Cincinnati businessman who was an owner of the Cincinnati Reds during the glory years of the Big Red Machine and was a founding owner of the Cincinnati Bengals. “The Summit has more than 30 named founder scholarship funds which provide our Admission staff the ability to recruit many of the brightest students in the city, help increase the diversity of our campus and continue our longstanding tradition of producing exceptional scholars and leaders of character,” says Mr. Jackson. The newly-funded Farrell Ackley Scholarship has tugged at the heartstrings of students, faculty, staff
and coaches at The Summit who have helped raise funds for the endowment through individual gifts, the Upper School’s annual talent show and an annual golf outing. Two Upper School Social Studies teachers, who follow in his footsteps, remember his dedication and passion. “Farrell was my teacher and the person who brought me back to The Summit, first as a guest lecturer and then a teacher,” says Dr. Tracy Law ‘85. “He was intelligent, curious, sarcastic and witty. He loved to debate and welcomed challenges from his students. He was terribly proud of his students’ careers and accomplishments as they moved forward.” Says Kelly Cronin: “He was a constant reminder that the best teacher is one who is always a student. He never stopped learning. He told me once that you cannot expect your students to have a love of learning if you aren’t constantly learning yourself.” Roberta Ackley said her husband accepted a position at the school in 1972 because he wanted to give his own children a Summit education. “He would want the recipient of his scholarship to passionately embrace the challenges of the rigorous curriculum as well as exhibit leadership in activities that better the Summit community. “ Ruth Conway was a devoted Catholic who was always looking out for the less fortunate. With a Master’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati, she was an advocate for education and had a particular passion for single parents because her father died while she was in high school. “What my mother would have wanted is to create opportunity,” says Bob Conway, Jr. “If you have a Summit education, you become a much better investment opportunity to someone who is giving a college scholarship. You get an excellent education at The Summit and colleges acknowledge that. Education is opportunity and that’s basically what it comes down to.” The William J. Williams ’29 Scholarship honors a man whose business acumen, service on the boards of more than a dozen high-profile companies and non-profits and extensive philanthropy influenced all of Greater Cincinnati. The late Carl Lindner, who shared ownership of the Reds with him, called him a “great Cincinnatian.” Bengals owner Mike Brown said: “He was a man of complete integrity.” The patriarch of a multiSummit Magazine 43
L to R: Lennox Brooks, Katie Anne Headley and Hayes Snyder
generation Summit family, Mr. Williams inspired his own children to give back to the school that was so central to their lives. The family’s generosity to the school includes two endowed scholarships, the Silver Knights’ football field, the Upper School library and many other causes over the years. In selecting the criteria for this new endowed scholarship bearing the William J. Williams name, the family decided it should be given to students who demonstrate high integrity and choose to do the right thing. “The Summit challenges students to become people of character who use their gifts to improve the world,” said his son, Tom Williams SBS ’71. “Students who receive this scholarship will receive a great education thanks to The Summit, but they also will be guided in the formation of their spirituality, character and social conscience.” Added daughter Sharon Williams Frisbie ‘69: “We hope the young people who receive this gift of a scholarship will be inspired by the example dad set and, in turn, demonstrate the kind of integrity that inspires other people to do the right thing.” “The families who create the endowments, as well as the people who contribute to their fund-raising, are committed to The Summit, believe in the traditions of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 44 44 Spring 2013
and want to provide an outstanding education for future leaders,” says Kelley Schiess, Director of Admission. “We proudly display these gifts of generosity on plaques outside the Admission Office.” The following students who received endowed scholarships were recognized March 20 in an awards ceremony and reception: The Summit Alumni Scholarship: Alejandra Valencia, Summit Middle School; Anonymous Donor Scholarship: Katrina Chandra, St. Gertrude; Farrell Ackley Memorial Scholarship: Lennox Brooks, Summit Middle School; Marc Bohlke Memorial Scholarship: David Cook, St. Ursula Villa; Susan and Edward Castleberry SBS ’46 Scholarship: Nicole Weyer, Summit Middle School; Patricia and Joseph H. Clasgens II SBS ’37 Scholarship: Elise Becker, Mercy Montessori;
Ruth (Jung) Conway ’46 Memorial Scholarship: Katie Anne Headley, Nagel Middle School;
Margo S. Homan Scholarship: Nmantendi Pierre, St. Boniface School;
Kim and Scott David Family Scholarship: Maya Purdie, Bethany School;
PNC Bank Scholarship Fund: Deja Malone, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy;
Marc Gerard Fragge ’83 Memorial Scholarship: Connor McMurry, Summit Middle School;
Marge and Charles Schott Foundation: Joshua Campbell, Summit Middle School;
Amelia Hamberg Foss ’24 Scholarship: Tyrice Walker, St. Gabriel School;
Arthur and Irma Theobald Scholarship: Matthew Dalton, Resurrection School, and Zairn Davis, Summit Middle School;
Joan and James Gardner Family Scholarship: Caroline Bristow, Summit Middle School;
William J. Williams ’29 Scholarship: Hayes Snyder, Mariemont Junior High School.
Frank X. Homan Scholarship: Lundy Wright, Immaculate Heart of Mary School;
Doyle Family Seedling Program Sprouts Additional Scholarships The Seedling Program started by the Dennis M. and Lois A. Doyle Family Foundation in 1991 has cultivated more than 100 endowed scholarships at Catholic high schools in Greater Cincinnati, including seven at The Summit. This spring, the Farrell Ackley Memorial Scholarship and Ruth (Jung) Conway ’46 Memorial Scholarship were awarded for the first time. The Seedling Program will also benefit the Robert T. Hertzel ’81 Memorial Scholarship, which is near it’s goal. Four other endowed scholarships which received Doyle family challenge gifts are the Mary Foss Brinkmeyer ’67 Scholarship, Marc Bohlke Memorial Scholarship, Constance (Alf) Castleberry ’20 Memorial Scholarship and the Ragland Family Scholarship. The Doyles have a passion for Catholic education and very personal connections to The Summit. Their only daughter, Mary Beth, is a 1994 Summit alumnae. Her husband, Griff Vollmer, attended the school. Lois’ sister is former Upper School Director Dr. Pat White. Dennis’ brother, Ed, drove a Summit school bus when he was a college student. Dennis’ mother and sister attended schools which, like The Summit, were founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Their Seedling Program reflects their belief that a Catholic education offers the greatest return on investment in the personal development of students.
The Doyle’s philanthropic gifts challenge other families to create the Named Founder Scholarship Funds and help their own endowments over time. “Those of us who are able need to pay it forward,” Mr. Doyle says. “We stood on the shoulders of others, and we owe it to them to let others stand on our shoulders.” “Not many people understand the power of philanthropy the way Denny and Lois Doyle do,” said Rich Wilson, Head of School. “The Doyle Seedling Program is an innovative way to encourage others to ‘pay it forward’ so more of the next generation of students can afford a Summit education. The Doyles believe that our city and our country need more educated citizens who are not only smart but also lead their lives according to Catholic teachings and inspire others to do likewise. I’m very grateful for their generous contributions to The Summit.” LEARN MORE About Giving: If you are interested in starting a Named Founder Fund, please contact Jim Jackson, Director of Development, at 513.871.4700 x 242 or jackson_j@summitcds.org. About Awards: You may contact Kelley Schiess, Director of Admission, 513.871.4700 x 207 or schiess_k@summitcds.org, for additional information about scholarship opportunities. Summit Magazine 45
The Love Your School Auction Committee: L to R, front row Stephanie Creech, Kathryn (Stahl) Harsh ’84, Peggy Barker and Susan Beckmeyer. Back row, Deb Schaefer, Robin Ayer, Gretchen Rawlings, Kim LaBar, Caroline Joseph, Tricia (Castellini) Headley GMS ’87, Kathryn Kelly and Traci Van Dorselaer. Not pictured: Annie Bergeron, Eileen Stanisic, Jen Bastos, Karen Bosse and Becky Hogya.
How Much Do You Love Your School? Auction by the Numbers By Stephanie Creech In this crazy-busy world of ours, we all prefer to have our news netted out. We want just the bottom line. And we want it quantified. Well, when it comes to the success of this year’s Love Your School Auction and companion auction at the Black and Knight Masquerade, we’re happy to give you the results by the numbers. • $154,297 Value of auction items. (Not counting those priceless teacher experiences, pews and parking spots!) • 435 Love Your School Auction items. (Twice as many as 2012!) • 410 Online auction items. • 31 beautiful Summit class projects. • 19 Silent auction items. • 6 Live auction items. • 600 Volunteer hours procuring, logging, sorting, packaging and cataloging auction items.
46 Spring 2013
• 39 Dedicated teachers, staff and coaches donating time, experience or merchandise. • 30 Volunteer committee members. • 2 Love Your School Auction Committee chairs: Tricia (Castellini) Headley GMS ’87 and Kathryn (Stahl) Harsh ’84. • $100,000 was raised for The Summit. While these are some pretty impressive numbers, it’s important to remember that the most impressive number in all of this is the No. 1: • • •
1 Large, loving school community who came together for… 1 Purpose of supporting … 1 fabulous school.
A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who contributed to the success of this year’s events.
Black & Knight Masquerade Deb Schaefer and Eileen Stanisic chaired the Summit Parents Association (SPA) Black & Knight Masquerade March 16 at the 21c Museum Hotel, treating The Summit community to a look inside one of the city’s newest downtown attractions. Nearly 325 parents and supporters registered for the event where 19 silent and six live auction items provided some entertainment while also raising funds for the SPA’s Kyte Theater Fund.
Black & Knight Masquerade Chairs Deb Schaefer, left, and Eileen Stanisic.
Karrie and Chip Crowther and Caroline Joseph and Ronald Joseph Jr. BMS ’81.
Wakenya Chisley, Susan Grayson Hill and Gyasi Chisley.
Maryanne Burns Harsh and Scott Harsh BMS ‘77.
Caryn Franke and Karen Huelsman.
Committee members included, L to R, front row: Traci Van Dorselaer, Deb Schaefer, Jenn Bastos and Deb Borkowski. Back row: Caroline Joseph, Wendy Ritch, Tina Hendrix, Eileen Summit Magazine 47 Stanisic and Conky Greiwe. Not shown: Chris Lippert.
Jamie Simon ’88 World Champion Kayaker Takes Road Less Traveled to be tough as it didn’t exist. “There was no diving team at Summit,” says Jamie. “So I made my own diving team.” Practices were held at the University of Cincinnati. “I think we ultimately had a team of two.” Two decades later, that entrepreneurial spirit lives on in Jamie. In 2010, she and a colleague from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco founded Canopy Strategies, a grassroots agency which provides sustainability solutions for businesses. Today, Canopy Strategies, headquartered in California, is a global organization that helps businesses with sustainability programs while improving social and environmental impact. What is sustainability?
By Michael Amann ‘05 “I was always the one who took the road less traveled. I always did things a bit differently,” says Jamie Simon ‘88. When Jamie Simon attended The Summit Country Day Upper School, she wanted to take a dive. Literally: she wanted to be a part of The Summit diving team. However, joining the team was going 48 Spring 2013
“Sustainability is a three-part process: environmental, social and financial. It is how you do what you’re doing without depleting unnecessary natural resources; doing more with less, valuing human capital and being financially responsible,” she says. Canopy Solutions not only helps companies achieve sustainability, but also promotes the good works that companies do as part of their marketing strategy to enhance brand value. Clients range from an all-natural burger chain to school districts. After graduating from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and Environmental Science, Jamie took a less traditional route to her career. She became a
competitive kayaker. “I started kayaking because I needed a PE credit to graduate college,” says Jamie. “It sort of took hold of me.” She didn’t just catch the kayaking bug, she became a very successful kayaker. “I went to this competition in Southern California where there were five events,” she says. “I won all five events, and I got five medals. I called home and I was like ‘Dad! Dad! I won all five events!’ And he asked ‘Well what did you get?’ So I said ‘I got five medals!’ He said ‘Well, ya can’t eat medals!’” She laughs about the comment now, but says the truth of the words resonated with her at the time. “I was like ‘He’s right. I can’t eat these medals. I have to somehow earn a living,’” she says. She was working as a substitute teacher, but work was slow and she was spending more time on the water than in the classroom. “I was never available. They would call me and I’d be out on the river.” Instead of quitting her beloved hobby, she made it her career. “I took sponsorship dollars and I won competitions,” she says. She went on to win the 1995 World Championships in kayaking. Before long, she was supporting herself. “I was the only woman in the world making a full-time living on a kayaking salary.” Eventually her kayaking career led to a position at Red Bull. The energy drink company had sponsored her as an athlete and made the rare move to bring her onto their marketing team.
Department for Red Bull,” says Jamie. She earned her M.B.A. in Sustainable Management at Presidio. Red Bull is now one of Canopy’s clients. “It’s a path that’s less traveled,” says Jamie of her new industry. “It’s new, it’s innovative, and it’s not the way everyone is thinking, but I always try to be ahead of the curve and trends in business. I think going to Summit gave me the skills, well-rounded approach and attitude to feel confident to take that road less traveled.” “My experience at Summit taught me how to be the best I can be. Summit really helped me learn how to learn,” says Jamie. “The field I’m in is surely new and innovative and ahead of the curve, and at Summit I was really supported on being an individual. The academic excellence Summit reinforced helped me strive to be the best.” Striking out on the road less traveled, however, has its challenges. “I don’t want anyone to think it’s easy,” she says. “It’s actually really hard. It’s pretty lonely at times.” She still sees her former classmates in Cincinnati, many of whom are working for the family business, or starting families of their own. Talking with them, she says she sees the advantages of what could be considered a safer, more well-worn path. Still, she has little regrets. “One of the things that my friends from high school really like is that I did take the road less traveled. I feel confident that I have the ability to learn, and I have a solid education foundation that I got from The Summit,” says Jamie “You can do something off the wall and crazy, but you can still be industrious about it.”
“For seven years I was in marketing. Then, I went back to get my masters in sustainability and I started and ran the first ever Sustainability
51 Summit Magazine 49 49
Antonia Tamer ’06 Soprano Lands Major Role at Opera San Jose
Antonia Tamer sings in Gianni Schicchi in 2009 at Miami University.
By Nancy Berlier Antonia Tamer ’06 has fond memories of her first musical, a performance of “Footloose” at The Summit’s Kyte Theater. “I played the part of Rusty; we had such an awesome time performing this show,” she says. “To this day, ‘Let’s Hear it for the Boy’ is the only ‘belt song’ I have ever performed in front of an audience.” This spring, the lyric soprano took a big step forward with her first professional engagement, a debut with Opera San Jose. She portrayed Suor Dolcina in the Giacomo Puccini opera “Suor Angelica.” The opera is set in a cloistered convent, and part of the story line has Antonia’s character singing about her desire for good food. “The role of Sister Dolcina is really fun and gives this tragic opera a little comic relief with her love of food and innocent personality.”
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“An opportunity with a professional opera company is a major stepping stone,” says Theresa Merrill, Summit’s teacher of Choral Music. “Antonia has worked hard to achieve this.” Antonia lives in San Francisco where she recently completed a Master’s Degree in voice at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) as a student of renowned mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook. At SFCM, she performed Donna Anna in “Don Giovanni.” She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Miami University where she majored in voice performance and studied with Alison Acord, Professor of Voice. She traveled with Ms. Acord to study at the Ames Institute in Graz, Austria. While at Miami, Antonia performed her first three major roles: Third Lady in “The Magic Flute,” Tiny in “Paul Bunyan” and Lauretta in “Gianni Schicchi.” She also placed first in Ohio’s National Association of Teachers of Singing competition and second place in the Barry
Alexander International voice competition. She has added personal experience through summer programs including Rising Star, La Musica Lirica, the Franco American Voice Academy, Songfest in Malibu and AIMS in Graz, Austria. Antonia says her early experience on stage and with Mrs. Merrill – whom she nicknamed “Mrs. Merrolli” during her Summit days – gave her confidence to sing in front of crowds. “Being on stage in front of your peers is such a vulnerable experience, but having the opportunity to do it over and over makes you feel comfortable and powerful in your own body,” Antonia says. Mrs. Merrill wasn’t the only teacher who helped her find her voice. So did Upper School English teacher Pat Kelly. “One of my favorite classes in my entire school career was English class with Mr. Kelly,” she says. “Upon walking in his room, you will not see a blank space on the wall. Instead they are covered with magazine clippings of pictures and articles. It’s quite stunning! A large part of the class is discussion-based, which I had never really experienced in this way. My opinion was valued and respected which made it even more fun to participate. Experiencing this class introduced me to letting my imagination run wild; it wasn’t only accepted, it was expected and encouraged.” “From Camerata to the yearly musical theater performance, I loved every minute of it and know how fortunate I am to have attended such an amazing school,” she says. “Ultimately Mrs. Merrill’s teaching and support have helped me get to where I am today.” “Antonia always had a smile on her face and an infectious laugh,” says Mrs. Merrill. “She
Antonia Tamer sings in Gianni Schicchi in 2009 at Miami University.
was a pleasure to have in Camerata and musical productions. She has returned to The Summit in years past to sing at Christmas Eve Masses. It has been delightful to stay in touch with her and her family as she pursues her career.” Antonia is also planning another big step forward this year. She and her fiance Timothy Bankroff of Crown Point, Ind., will wed in September in Boston where her parents now live.
Car Line to Candlelight Recipes to Nourish Your Knights in the Queen City A true Summit keepsake, Car Line to Candlelight includes recipes from alumni, parents, students, grandparents and friends from all over the country. Family traditions, tips and helpful hints are included creating a wonderful collection to enjoy. Proceeds will benefit the Lower School Garden for the Good, the Pond and Garden Project, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel and campus beautification projects. Buy it in The Summit Spirit Shop or buy it online at www2.summitcds.org/giving/Summit-Cook-Book.cfm Summit Magazine 51
Class Notes The Commonwealth’s Attorney is responsible for prosecution of all felony criminal offenses. Rob and his wife, Delana, live in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., with their daughter, Anna Grace ‘25, who attends Montessori at The Summit.
Attending the 1968 reunion are, L to R, seated: Jon Blohm, Bill Nutting , Dan Ragland, Fred Schmerge, Jim Farrell and Joe Allen. Standing: Tim Shumrick, Jamie Deye, Tim Cassady, Tim MacConnell, Craig Miller, Mark Ginocchio, Tom Cassady and Wynn Becker.
60s Thomas Cassady SBS ’68 and his wife Karen (Heekin) ’72 hosted a Summit Boys School Class of 1968 reunion in their home in October 2012.
90s Dr. Craig Erickson ’95, an assistant professor for the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has won a $1 million grant to study a drug to help children with Fragile X syndrome. The study will test the effectiveness of the medicine acamprosate for treating ASD social
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impairment in a clinical trial for ages 5 to 17. Researchers will also examine biomarkers to better identify those likely to respond to treatment. Officials at the John Merck Fund said they hope Dr. Erickson’s study will lay the groundwork for future potential acamprosate research across a broad spectrum of developmental disabilities.
Rob Sanders ’91 was reelected for a second term as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 16th Judicial Circuit of Kentucky in November 2012. Sanders ran unopposed for the six-year term.
Renee Schuler ’91 opened “eat well cafe and takeaway” at 3009 O’Bryon St. in O’Bryonville in January 2013. The new cafe is open for lunch and carry-out and offers lunches of soup, salads and sandwiches, along with food to take home for dinner.
Hillary Kramer ’98 is engaged to David Lynch of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The two plan to marry in August of 2013 in Dallas, Texas. Hillary is a litigator in Dallas and David is a Senior Vice President in Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate Group.
00s
Theresa Uckotter ’01 is engaged to William Bailey from Bone Gap, Ill. The two plan to marry sometime in the next year.
Gigi Duarte ’02 and Robert “Chip” Heidt (att.) are engaged and plan to marry in the fall of 2014. Gigi is an intensive care nurse in Graduate Nurse Anesthesia School in Florida. Chip is a West Point Graduate and is a captain in the U.S. Army stationed in Afghanistan.
Austin Berry ’07 was the focus of attention in Flannery Gym when The Summit Country Day School retired his jersey – No. 21. Boys’ Soccer Varsity Head Coach Barnard Baker rattled off a long list of Austin’s soccer accomplishments at The Summit, the University of Louisville and Chicago Fire that culminated in November
with Austin being named the MLS Rookie of the Year. Austin spoke briefly to the crowd, expressed his thanks to The Summit community and fans who continue to follow his professional career. “It’s been quite a ride,” he said. Some of Austin’s 2007 classmates posed for a photo with him after the ceremony. L to R: Camille Maynard, Matt Humpert, Assistant Boys’ Soccer Coach Dan Cosgrove, Austin Berry, Hugh McManus and Tiara Turner.
Hugh McManus ’07 wrote text and anecdotes for Robert Flischel’s 166-page coffee table book, “The Ohio State University: Pathways to the Heart and Mind.” Hugh is also an OSU alumnus. President of the University, E. Gordon Gee states, “Flipping through these pages, I see the familiar, breathtaking scenery that inspires me each day. This book captures the very essence of Ohio State.” The book is available for purchase at www.pathwaysbook. com. Lauren Dean ’08 is a Fulbright scholar. She was awarded a grant to advance her research in India. She will graduate this spring from the University of Chicago.
10s Anna Albi ’10, a junior goalkeeper at Carnegie Mellon University, was named University Athletic Association Women’s Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week for her performance in the Tartans’ third round and quarterfinal games of the 2012 NCAA Division III Championship. Albi garnered the award after earning two shutouts in net for the Tartans. She finished the season giving up just eight goals and recorded a goals against average of .41, which is second best in school history. Pictured are Anna and Liz Arnold ’12, a freshman goalkeeper at Emory University after their teams met in the NCAA Tournament. Kelly Maier ’10 has been awarded a Theory-to-Practice Grant from Ohio Wesleyan University. The grant supports research, internships, service, and cultural immersion opportunities throughout the world. The Theory-to-Practice Grant supports a project titled “Why do Finnish Students Finish First?” which will be conducted in Finland. To date, more than 100 Theory-to-
Practice Grants have been awarded, and projects have been conducted in 12 world regions, 33 countries and 16 U.S. states. In addition to this award, Kelly was recently selected as one of only twelve students to be included in the class Shakespeare’s Globe. To be chosen for the class, students write an essay to support their qualifications and they must be recommended by their professors. The class will travel to London in May to visit the Globe. Kelly is an Early Education Special Needs major and currently assists teaching children with behavior disabilities in a local school in Delaware. She also volunteers with the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Colin Cotton ’11 was the top Cross Country runner for the University of Cincinnati in every meet this season. Colin led the team to a 1st place finish in the All-Ohio Championships and helped lead the Bearcats to one of its best team finishes at Regionals in school history by placing 13th. Colin ran a personal best of 24:19 (4:53 per mile) for nearly five miles at the Pre National Invitational.
WEDDINGS In the Immaculate Heart
wed Richard J. Lewis, Jr. on April 14, 2012 in The Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel. They enjoyed honeymooning in Ireland and now reside in Dublin, Ohio. Traci Vidourek and Chris Koepfer ’01, Nov. 3. 2012. Abby Witzgall and Colin Stayton BMS ’99, Nov. 17, 2012. Shannon Sibcy (att.) and Joshua Warrren, Dec. 8, 2012. Lauren Roedersheimer ’01 & Michael Ruehlman, Dec. 15, 2012.
BIRTHS
Margaret (Uckotter) Lebahn ’99, gave birth on November 2, 2012 to her fourth child and second son, Roman Matthew Lebahn. Margaret, husband Matt, and children live in Alexandria, Virginia.
of Mary Chapel
Heather (Fullen) Lewis ’91
Tucker Ryan Yarnell was born on February 15, 2013. He is the son Summit Magazine 53
of Tate Yarnell ’01 and Montessori faculty member Lauren Yarnell and brother of TJ and Lilly, who attend The Summit Montessori.
IN MEMORY ALUMNI Ann (Cahill) Obrecht ’65, Dec. 20, 2012. Judi (Boiman) Chrzanowski ’73, June 4, 2012. Katie (Lear) Gates ’73, June 2, 2012. Ann (Howard) Almodovar ’81, Jan. 2, 2013.
FRIENDS Elizabeth Beckmeyer, mother of William Beckmeyer BMS ’75, Chris Beckmeyer BMS ’77 and Anne McSwigan ’84, Dec. 2, 2012. Clifford Bott, brother of Alexis (Bott) Thompson ‘61, December 9, 2012. Patricia Clasgens, wife of Joseph Clasgens ’37 and mother of Joseph Clasgens SBS ’62, March 25, 2013. Larry Elfers, father of Kathleen Elfers ’73, Jeanne Cullen ’75 and Joseph Elfers BMS ’78, Dec. 24, 2012. Grace Halpin, mother of Antoinette (Halpin) Halsted ’78, Dec. 14, 2012. Helen Mae Hatfield, mother of Jody Liebert ’71, March 1, 2013.
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John LaBar, father of Sue Rohde ’74, Mike LaBar BMS ’73, Meg Frede ’77, John LaBar BMS ’76, Dan LaBar BMS ’77 and brother of Lou Thul ’51, March 14, 2013. Deanna Looby, wife of Ward Looby BMS ’74, Dec. 3, 2012. Dennis O’Conner, husband of Paula (Fey) O’Conner ’73, April 8, 2012. Gary Osswald, father of Garrett Osswald (att.), Nov. 15, 2012. M. Carl Shinkle, brother of Patricia Swinehart ’60, Nov. 6, 2012. Donald Shumrick, father Kevin Shumrick SBS ’67, Timothy Shumrick SBS ’68, Terrance Shumrick SBS ’71, Tobin Shumrick BMS ’72, Erin Dougherty ’77, Patrick Shumrick BMS ’75, Michael Shumrick BMS ’77 and Shannon Shumrick ’82, Feb. 9, 2013. Andrea Weis, wife of faculty member Larry Dean and mother of eighth grader Tullus and sixth grader Julia, November 20, 2012. Andy Wilton, son of Jane (Weber) Wilton ’50 and brother of Karen (Wilton) Crane ’73, May 11, 2012. William Young, father of faculty member Patty Manier, December 25, 2012.
Submit Your News To submit alumni news, call Alumni Relations Associate Susan Maxwell at 513.871.4700 ext. 245 or email her at maxwell_s@summitcds.org. To make it more convenient to submit news at any time of day when it is most convenient for you, we’ve created a “Submit Your News” form on our News web page. Go to www2.summitcds.org/communications/ submit-your-news.cfm.
IT MM E SU LIN ON
Alumni Composites Thanks to the generosity of many alumni, we have been able to reframe and hang many of the class composites in the Upper School dining areas where everyone can proudly view our heritage. We’re well on our way to completing this project. Please consider reframing your own class composite, one that includes a member of your family as a gift, or organizing your class to make the contributions that are necessary for reframing. Each one will be reframed with archival glass and archival matting for $250. The following is a list of those composites which have not yet been refurbished. 1926-1927, 1936-1937, 1938-1939, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000. Help us preserve and display these historical photographs. Please contact: Susan Maxwell, Alumni Relations Associate (513) 871-4700, ext. 245 or maxwell_s@summitcds.org.
Save The Date APRIL 30, 2013 Senior Induction Ceremony Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, 9:30 a.m. MAY 10, 2013 Fleur-de-Lis Mass and Luncheon (Celebrating alumni who graduated 40+ years ago) Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel & St. Cecilia’s, 11 a.m. MAY 31, 2013 Senior Brunch (Sponsored by the Summit Alumni Association) St. Cecilia’s, 10 a.m. JUNE 2, 2013 McKenzie-Sargent Distinguished Alumni Reception Alumni Parlor, 12:30 p.m. Class of 2013 Graduation Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, 2 p.m. OCTOBER 4-6, 2013 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend All alumni are invited and welcome to attend the events on campus. Class years ending in “3” and “8” are encouraged to plan their individual reunion gatherings for Saturday, Oct. 5. If you are interested in helping organize your class year reunion, please e-mail Susan Maxwell, at maxwell_s@summitcds.org. All-School Reunion Cocktail Party Friday, Oct. 4, 6 p.m. Alumni Awards Luncheon Saturday, Oct. 5, 11:30 a.m. All-Community Mass Sunday, Oct. 6, 11 a.m.
Dear Alumni/ae, Do you remember your days at The Summit? How frequently did you connect with or receive advice from an alum? Were you aware of all The Summit alumni network had to offer? One of the main areas of focus for The Summit Alumni Association in the coming years is to better connect our alumsto-be and you. We look to inform our students about the value of our alumni network and to build the strength of our Summit alumni community. As I’ve interacted with and gotten to know many alumni, over the years, I’ve realized Summit alumni are a tremendous community of lifelong learners. You have a connection that extends across the years and across many miles. I challenge each of you to do something this year – on Summit’s campus, in your company, or online – to support our current student body. There are multiple ways to be an advocate for your alma mater and to help the next generation of alumni. Studentalumni networking, college and career mentoring, professional development and practical advice are valuable tools that enhance The Summit experience and will make a great difference in the lives of our students. Our hope is those who benefit from alumni connections as students return the favor after they graduate, cultivating a beneficial cycle for all. Because you mean so much to The Summit, and The Summit means so much to so many of you, we are working hard to better connect you to The Summit and to each other. We appreciate your desire and enthusiasm to partner with us in mentoring the next generation, planning alumni events and your philanthropic support. Please call our office to find out how you can become involved and visit our website to keep up with the latest news. Thank you for all you do for The Summit. We are very proud of our alumni! As always, we welcome news of your recent accomplishments and life news. Please call me at 513.871.4700 x 245 or e-mail me at maxwell_s@summitcds.org. You can also give us your information in the Submit Your News form online at www2. summitcds.org/communications. Best regards,
Susan Maxwell Alumni Relations & Special Events Associate (513) 871-4700 ext. 245 maxwell_s@summitcds.org
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