The Summit, Winter 2012-2013

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THE

SUMMIT Winter 2012 - 2013


THE SUMMIT The magazine of The Summit Country Day School WINTER 2012-13 EDITOR Nancy Berlier ALUMNI EDITOR Susan Maxwell ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Kathy (Hilsinger) Penote ’93 PHOTOGRAPHY Robert A. Flischel, Darren Weigl, Jolene Barton, Isabelle Saldana ’13, William Northern, Rick Norton, Nancy Berlier, Elaine Pearl, Whitney Bissantz, Lisa Galvin-Sang, Chicago Fire, Impact Action Sports Photography

CONTRIBUTORS Michael Amann ’05, Tino Delamerced ’14, Marc Soellner ’99, Stephen Schueler BMS ’80, Austin Berry ’07, Darren Weigl, Lauren Mahoney, Michele Duda, Donna Paulin, Emily Jolly, Nancy Snow PRINTING Arnold Printing ©

2013 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
 Exultant Ohio Division III Boys’ Soccer champions hoist their trophy and look to their fans in the stands. From left, seniors Brandon Lorentz, Ryan Hall, Jake Rawlings, Jack Meininger, Mosi ClarkCobbs, David Smith and junior Matthew Eustace. Photo: Impact Action Sports Photography. Story: Page 24 ON THIS PAGE
 The entire school community flooded into the front circle for an open-air Mass in September, which was dedicated to the 13 character traits students are studying. Inspired by faculty and student enthusiasm for the signature Character Education Program, the Leaders of Character Society is the new flagship of the Annual Fund for Excellence. Photo: Elaine Pearl. Story: Page 32.


Head of School Message

AFFIRMATION

Commendations from the Visiting Team for Reaccreditation Affirmation is a fundamental tenet of Christian life

Summit community was involved in a process of

and Catholic faith. Christ taught us that all

self-study – what is working well and what can be

of God’s children need to be affirmed for the

improved. The result was a 156-page document

talents they offer the world. Parents affirm their

which the Visiting Team reviewed prior to their

children. Spouses affirm each other. Employers

arrival. Once on campus they spoke with every

affirm employees. It feels good to be affirmed.

member of the faculty and staff, representative

Affirmation says, “You have value; I appreciate you;

students and parents, and the Board of Trustees.

the community is a better place because you are part of it.”

They issued their report in mid-November. It was a resounding affirmation of the work the faculty and

The Summit Country Day School recently received

staff do to deliver the best and most comprehensive

an important affirmation. During the last week

education our children are lucky enough to receive.

of October, 16 educational professionals spent

They outlined seven commendations which

three days on campus to assess how the school

are printed on Page 23. I’d offer the following

is doing. They were selected by the Independent

observations:

Schools of the Central States (ISACS), which is the organization that accredits all independent schools in the Midwest. The process

• The most important aspect of a school is whether it is achieving its stated mission. The

is so thorough that the

Visiting Team commended The Summit for

State of Ohio defers

“creating a school that is the embodiment of its

to the judgment of

mission,” and they went on to describe how all

this organization as to

parts of The Summit community embrace the

whether Summit should

mission “so completely they internalize these

retain its charter to

values and commit to them. This community

educate students in the state.

becomes the best example of what The Summit Country Day School mission looks like lived.” There is no higher compliment they could have

In preparation

paid us.

for their visit the entire

• The Visiting Team complimented the faculty and staff for its “courage, perseverance, kindness and sense of responsibility” during the difficult


Contents years of the collapse, the short tenures of two Heads of School and “the most significant financial depression in our lifetime.” The report goes on to say, “The faculty and staff lived the maxim of Honor in Action and cared for their students.” The faculty and staff are The Summit. They establish the culture of excellence, model it and encourage their students to live it. Excellent people, when they work together, can overcome any obstacle. • The team complimented the school on its “student-centered development” through our signature advisement program, assemblies, our outstanding athletic program, Chapel Talks and servant leadership projects. • The team also commented on the inclusiveness of The Summit community, which is so accepting of cultural and religious differences. While there are many areas where we want to improve, and the team offered suggestions in these areas as well, it is great to have educational experts walk into the school, thoroughly review what we do, and conclude, “There is a dedication to the education of the whole person that is palpable throughout the physical spaces and

6 12 14 19 24 32 45

Rapid changes in brain chemistry, physical growth and emotional maturation create challenges in adolescents, but faculty who understand the science of the brain see these years as opportune. Recent neuroscience findings and Maria Montessori’s research 100 years ago underscore why our Character Education initiative begins with teaching kindness to our youngest students.

A structured research writing regimen helped Theresa Rager become published in The Concord Review. She is the sixth Cincinnatian to appear in the journal. Three others were also Summit trained. Junior and world traveler Tino Delamerced asks sophomore Natalie Pearl what she has gained from participating in global educational study opportunities in a student-to-student Q&A. In the wake of two other state championships in the last year, absolute determination and teamwork gave Coach Barnard Baker and his Boys’ Soccer team a turn as No. 1. Taking a cue from Summit’s Character Education Program, the Leaders of Character Society has become the new flagship of the Annual Fund for Excellence.

A newly ordained priest, a new corporate vice president at Microsoft, a teacher following in his mentor’s footsteps and Major League Soccer’s Rookie of the Year headline our alumni news.

within the emotional make up of those who teach and learn here daily.” The Summit Way: Affirmed.

Rich Wilson Head of School

13 20 23 24 32 38 50 54

Early Childhood Education Symposium Newsmakers ISACS Commendations Athletics Philanthropy Alumni Class Notes
 The Legacy Photo Summit Magazine 5


Rapid changes in brain chemistry, physical growth and emotional maturation create challenges in adolescents, but faculty who understand the science of the brain see these as years filled with great opportunities. 6

Winter 2012 - 2013


“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom. It was the age of foolishness.” Charles Dickens might as well have been writing about Middle School when he penned these now famous lines from his classic, “A Tale of Two Cities.” Like Dickens’ London and Paris, Middle School is a land filled with contradictions. Students are beginning to acquire a sense of justice. They are learning how to navigate new challenges in their socialization. They want to clean up the environment, but they may leave their trash all over the lunchroom. They’re eager to do well in school, but they forget to bring their books to class. “The Middle School years are a time of transition,” says Mike Johnson, Director of The Summit Middle School. “As adolescence begins, all children mature physically and mentally at different rates. Boys and girls mature at different ages and speeds. Physically, their bodies change. Chemically, their hormones change. Physiologically, the frontal lobe of the brain develops and brain chemistry changes. All this has an impact on socialization. ” Brain development accounts for much of the chaos in Middle School, according to Dr. David Vawter who studies the Middle School mind as associate education professor at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. The brain’s frontal lobe contains the neo-cortex which has executive control over skills like judgment, organization, concentration, problem-solving, awareness of abilities, self-control, personality, emotions and self-monitoring. Recent brain research shows that the neo-cortex develops at different rates for girls than it does for boys, which

affects when they mature emotionally. In girls, the neo-cortex develops between ages 11 and 15. In boys, this development occurs between the late teens and early 20s. This physiological difference explains why boys and girls do not mature emotionally at the same time. The two genders do have something in common though. Specifically, the Middle School brain, both male and female, is going through the second most rapid change since birth, Dr. Vawter says, citing research by Dr. Jay Giedd, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Mental Health. “Right after birth, there’s a great deal of growth of dendrites and connections, but between the ages of 11 and 15, the brain destroys 20 percent of all the connections that it’s ever made,” Dr. Vawter says. “In essence, you can actually say these kids are brain damaged.” The theory is that the Middle School brain is getting rid of excess connections – connections that are not being used. Like pruning a bush in the garden, the result is the same for the brain. “It comes back thicker and denser,” Dr. Vawter says. “That, then, prepares the brain for more highly specified skills that they’re going to need in high school and in their careers. So, while it can be somewhat damaging at the time, it’s actually a very good thing for the brain to go through.” Adjusting academics All of this change requires The Summit Middle School teachers to summon a special set of skills and techniques to reach each of the students in grades 5-8, exactly where they are in their development.

Sixth graders spent three days at Woodland Altars in Adams County, an outing designed in part to strengthen respect for each other. From left, Emily Harris, Anna Fahrmeier, Julia Dean, James Speed, Nick McCleary, Dugan Hauser, Chris Ralph, Jake Schneider, Connor Woodruff and David Thomas.

Summit Magazine 11


“I want the kids to get their hands dirty with it,” Mrs. Lovell says. For one sixth grade class, while learning integers, she taped down number lines in her classroom. Students were able to get up and walk a number line so that they understood, for example, that negative 3 minus 4 would give them a smaller number, rather than a larger number. Early Middle School students tend to think only in concrete terms, but that changes as they move through Middle School. “Right now, in the beginning of sixth grade, we do keep the lessons more concrete with things that we can visually explain,” Mrs. Lovell says. “As we progress into the algebraic thinking, which happens toward the end of sixth grade and the beginning of seventh grade, it does become more abstract.”

Eighth graders Haley Hauser, Nicole Weyer, Hope Thomson and Rose Temizer build a marshmallow tower as a teamwork exercise.

Teachers have read and discussed two books on brain-based learning, “Emotional Intelligence,” by Daniel Goleman, and “Teaching with the Brain in Mind,” by Eric Jensen. Whenever possible, Summit faculty keep Middle School brain development in mind when building their lessons. The school has 70-minute block classes where you’ll never catch a teacher lecturing the entire time. Teachers have learned to teach in chunks, such as work on poetry and vocabulary for 10 minutes each, practice grammar for another 15 and study literature for 35 minutes.

Injecting liveliness into Middle School teaching is part of Social Studies Teacher Mark Schmidt’s technique. “You kind of have to be an entertainer. You have to appeal to their imagination. You have to tell stories

Working with groups on projects and moving about the classroom while learning both addresses Middle School minds and squirming bodies. “Not many people know this, but Middle School tailbones aren’t developed yet, so it’s uncomfortable for them to sit, and that’s why they squirm,” Dr. Vawter says. “They need to get up and move around. Middle Schools that do stations and centers and have hands-on activities, those are just gems.” Kristin Lovell, who teaches sixth and seventh grade math, starts off class with the traditional lesson for 20 to 30 minutes, but then switches to more active learning in small groups. She begins each chapter with a pre-test to determine students’ knowledge of the topic. Those who do well on the test work in enrichment groups, while others work on the basics in pairs or small groups.

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Sixth graders Colby Gordon, Filippo Tosolini and Colton Biggs have an opportunity to hold an alligator during their field trip to Woodland Altars.


and paint pictures. I’m a pretty creative person, I think, and I enjoy that part of it,” says Mr. Schmidt, who teaches eighth grade social studies and seventh grade geography. What’s more, he says, teachers have to try to get on their students’ level to know what they’re doing. “That means maybe listening to a radio station or watching an episode of some show that you would hate, but they love. Anytime you can bring in anything that is real to their life, I think they like that a lot more. If you can take one explorer and compare this person to somebody on a TV show, it might be an outlandish comparison, but they like that.” Meanwhile, Rosie Sansalone Alway has found her niche teaching Language Arts to eighth graders. She loves eighth grade, even though her sisters call her crazy for locking herself in a room all day with 14-year-olds. “The Middle School mind is an egocentric one,” Mrs. Alway says. “It struggles to understand the needs and perceptions of others. Therefore, I focus on teaching my eighth grade students to do just that – breaking away from this egocentric world to become righteous human beings who refuse to be indifferent to the needs of others.”

Eighth graders Hannah Fassler and Lillian Chow catch up on the first day of school.

study perseverance. Egocentric seventh graders study accountability. And eighth graders, who are beginning to intellectualize righteousness, study justice. “I love that each grade level has those character traits, because I think that they fit beautifully into the Middle School mind and what they’re experiencing,” Mrs. Alway says. Faith journey Like other aspects of their lives, middle schoolers are on different paths when it comes to their religion and spirituality.

She does this through literature, teaching students about the noteworthy and commendable rescuers during the Holocaust and having them read “To Kill A Mockingbird.” “Seeing past the surface of the words in a novel so that you can write an essay in response to a thesis is kind of like seeing past the surface of our own egocentricity to understand what’s going on in the world,” Mrs. Alway says. Eighth graders are ready for this kind of abstract thinking. “You couldn’t have a sixth grader write an essay, in that regard,” Mrs. Alway says. “A sixth grader is writing a book summary or a book report. But, an eighth grader can look past the words and look for the author’s intent and then form an opinion about it and then write about it. That’s why I love eighth grade.” There’s a broad spectrum of maturity among the grade levels, so even the Character Education Program traits match each Middle School grade. Fifth graders study courage as they make the transition into middle school. Sixth graders, who have to become more independent,

Sixth grader Maya Mehlman plays a member of a race of intelligent speaking horses called Houyhnhnms in Summit Magazine 9 the Middle School presentation of “Gulliver’s Travels.”


“That’s a very individual thing, because their development is so all over the place when they are this age,” says Penny Herr, who teaches religion to seventh and eighth graders. “I call this age the push me – pull you time of life. They want to be young adults or they want to be treated like they’re older than they are, and yet they still have one foot in childhood.”

Distancing themselves

As a result, like the lyrics in the popular song, “Some Nights” by American indie pop band Fun, middle schoolers still don’t know what they stand for. Mrs. Herr’s room has a poster on the wall that asks that very question, “What Do You Stand For?”

“They’re looking to their peer group to tell them whether or not they’re on the right track,” Mr. Johnson says. “And then, of course, as they move through later adolescence, that compass shifts internally, and they start to really get their own sense of direction.”

Much depends on their families’ faith development, which ranges from deeply committed to a religion or a philosophy of spirituality, to not being churched at all. And that’s OK with Mrs. Herr. “I think one of the reasons I’m successful at teaching them is that, wherever they are is where I’m willing to be with them when it comes to spirituality,” she says. “Sometimes kids this age will say that they’re agnostic or atheist just to see what your reaction is going to be. And if your reaction is going to be, ‘Oh that’s terrible. You’re a horrible person,’ then you’ve just shut the door to any kind of dialogue.”

The Middle School age is not just turbulent for students, but for their parents, as well; family dynamics change. Children looked to their parents for their moral compass, but during adolescence, the center of that moral compass shifts to their peer group.

Middle schoolers also like to keep secret how they feel about their families, Mrs. Herr says, beginning with fewer hugs, kisses and hand-holding with parents in public. While students often complain about their parents’ rules or chore requirements, their private journal writing tells a different story. “What has struck me all the years that I’ve done this is that most of the children really do love and respect their parents. This may not be apparent to their parents, but they actually do,” Mrs. Herr says.

The annual trip to Washington D.C. is an opportunity for students to practice good social skills as they become more independent of their parents. Eighth graders Laura Klug, MyKaela Murdock-Pace, Ale Valencia, Jordyn Northern and Haley Hauser pose for a photo outside the-White 10 Winter 2012 2013 House.


“That is what I find to be the most exciting piece of working with adolescents – that process of helping them to understand themselves in relationship to others. That is very difficult for them because their brain is not completely developed yet.” One thing that happens is that the kids have not developed the ability to read non-verbal cues very well, Mr. Johnson says, so social interactions can get difficult and uncomfortable. Tasked with climbing up a wall, sixth grader Gillian Fajack was able to depend on her classmates beneath her to give her a boost and classmates above her to lend a helping hand. Bottom, from left, Michael Hajjar, Julia Rosa Helm, JD Daly and Beckett Schiaparelli. Top, from left, a Woodland Altars naturalist, Jack Bergeron and Grace Kaegi.

“So when I have conferences with parents, I always put a box of tissues on my desk because so many parents come here not to talk to me about their child’s religion grade. They want to talk to me about how their child is acting towards them, and that’s part of the push me - pull you philosophy … middle school kids are starting to differentiate from their parents, and that can be very painful.” It’s not that they’re rejecting their parents, she says. They just want to find out what else is out there. What do other people think? What kind of people do I really like? Where do I fit in?

For example, some of the misunderstandings that occur in middle school could be the result of misinterpreting a classmate’s verbal and non-verbal cues. Students this age can misinterpret a teacher’s serious facial expression as anger, or think their teacher is disappointed in them. Among all this confusion, Mr. Johnson says, it’s important to have good Middle School teachers who understand where the kids are at and provide them a safe harbor. “Middle School children need to know we understand them, we love them and we care for them,” Mr. Johnson says. “At the same time, we have to be able to handle the mood swings, the shift in focus, the challenging peer relationships, the drama that seems to go on at times. You have to be able to look at that and say, ‘This is normal. This is a normal part of the maturation process, and I’m here to walk with these kids.”’ “Mining the Middle School Mind,”
NAESP, David Vawter
 http://tinyurl.com/beb7yf2

IT MM E SU LIN ON

“A Place to Belong” http://tinyurl.com/b5hpxfk

“They like to try on different things,” Mrs. Herr says. “It’s like playing dress-up in a way. They’re going to try on different personalities and see what fits.” The positives Some critics characterize middle school years as a waste. But Summit Middle School educators beg to differ. These years are filled with opportunity. “I believe that there’s really no other point in a child’s development where their social conscience can be as developed as it is in Middle School,” Mr. Johnson says. Dressed in costume for the Monster Mash are, clockwise from left, sixth graders Gracie Anderson, Elena Roudebush, Grace Gilligan, Martha Seltman, Sammi Summit Magazine Crew, Bella Saba, Victoria Walton, Grace Kaegi and Caroline Kubicki.


Sowing Seeds of Kindness
Helps Toddlers Grow Emotional Intelligence ,

By Lauren Mahoney Each fall as a new batch of parents arrive for their orientation to The Summit Toddler Program, I discuss three key themes that become our focus with their children: safety, independence and love. Of course, safety is our utmost priority. And as a Montessori teacher, I strive to guide children toward independence and ownership of their own unique learning process. But then there’s that tough word: Love. What does this mean? What does it mean to love their children? And how can I best do that?

Lauren Mahoney, Head Teacher in the 2-year-old Toddler Program, helps Sebastian Swan and Finley Chavez with the classic Montessori pink tower.

I can show them my affection and tell them I love them, which I do beyond the shadow of a doubt, but I believe a teacher’s love for her students runs much deeper than a verbal expression of affection. How can I set these children up for success? We (myself and two other wonderfully talented teachers) walk in each morning to the eager and innocent expressions of 16 toddlers. Their exquisite faces remind us that how we answer all of these questions is essential to our practice of meaningful education. As I have labored over these questions, one simple word has stuck with me. Kindness. To fully demonstrate love for these children, I must teach them how to be kind. The seeds of kindness can be planted in a child’s soul and consciousness at a very young age. Maria Montessori believed that if we are to have hope in mankind, we must have hope in children. “If help and salvation are to come,” she said, “they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.” She saw kindness and peace as the glue that holds us together as human beings. The way I see it, I’m here to plant those seeds. The experiences Summit children have in the toddler environment 12 Winter 2012 - 2013

are the first in their educational journey. I am privileged to be one of their first guides to kindness, but it is also a great responsibility. A growing body of research in education identifies a shift from rigorous academics to a heightened emphasis on the social and emotional development of children. Ellen Galinsky’s book “Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs” focuses on non-cognitive abilities. She analyzed research on early brain development that shows us aptitudes like focus, self-control, independence and resilience are greater predictors of success in children than IQ or test achievement. Paul Tough reveals in his book, “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” that what matters most in a child’s development is “not how much information we can stuff into her brain in the first few years. What matters, instead, is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, selfcontrol, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and selfconfidence.” He found that when kindergarten teachers were asked about their students, they identified the biggest problem they face is not that children don’t know their letters and numbers, but that children have a difficult time controlling their


Early Childhood Education Symposium
 By The Numbers temper and calming down after a conflict. What is astonishing about this recent research are the remarkable similarities to the findings of Maria Montessori’s research more than 100 years ago. She found that children learn kindness and grow non-cognitive skills through the experience of community in conjunction with their own sense of independence. We see this happening consistently in the classroom, as early as toddler age. Because the child is free to choose, he soon learns that if someone else has chosen a work first, he must wait. This delayed gratification grows patience in the child, patience grows empathy and empathy grows kindness. They are all interconnected. Even further, when we allow the children to interact socially without our direct interference, they soon experience conflict. Researchers like Ellen Galinsky and Paul Tough have reinforced my notion that conflict is a good thing! Conflict helps them understand kindness in a meaningful context. It is not my job to solve conflict for children, but to serve as a guide and model so they can find the way to kindness themselves. I encourage children to look one another in the eye, understand how their actions impact their friends’ emotions and to use self-control to guide their future reactions. When they experience that for themselves, they truly learn it. Conflict is a normal part of every-day life. As a teacher, I must give children the tools to handle it, not protect them from it. For those of us in the Montessori Division, teaching kindness has also meant guiding children toward kindness through literature, lessons and role-play. As part of the school-wide Character Education initiative, Montessori teachers, parents and administrators have come together this year to provide each teacher with a kindness resource binder that provides literature, lesson plans and web resources that will help support us in our mission toward instilling the social and emotional skills our children need. I feel grateful for each day I have with children, and each day I feel a growing commitment toward approaching the children in a new way – the way that Maria Montessori saw them – as holding the key to a peaceful and successful future. In order for this future to be realized, we must take their entire being into account. As Maria Montessori said: “If an educational act is to be efficacious, it will be only that one which tends to help toward the complete unfolding of life.” We must not only guide children toward intellectual and academic achievement, but provide them with experiences that help them grow in spirit and character.

Nationally known parenting expert and columnist Julie A. Riess, Ph.D., delivers the keynote address at the fifth annual Early Childhood Education Symposium.

Nationally known parenting expert and columnist, Julie A. Riess, Ph.D. delivered the keynote address, “Mind in The Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills That Every Child Needs” at the jam-packed Early Childhood Education Symposium in October. She offered a bonus talk on parenting strategies over lunch, conducted an impromptu in-service training to teachers and held one-on-one meetings with parents. Here’s a look at the symposium, by the numbers. 700 Miles traveled to The Summit by the keynote speaker 250 Attendees 150 Number of recommended books and web resources given to attendees 100 Percentage reporting they will return next year and invite a friend 100 Number of best-selling “Mind in The Making”books given to attendees for free 68 Percentage of new parents visiting the campus who attended 24 Number of professionals making presentations 40 Number of teachers attending and receiving Continuing Education Units 20 Number of parent volunteers who attended 14 Number of sessions presented on early childhood education topics 7 Number of essential life skills presented 5 Number of annual symposiums hosted by The Summit to date 3.78 Average rating of symposium by attendees on a 4 point scale 1 Number of former NBA stars presenting a session
 Read More Online: Q&A with Dr. Julie A. Riess, resources, photo gallery and recap. http://tinyurl.com/br9up2d IT MM E SU LIN ON

Summit Magazine 13


How an Advanced Research Writing Regimen, One Ambitious Senior and a Purple Laptop Named Sasha Earned The Summit National Attention – Once Again By Nancy Berlier In her first quarter in Honors Research Seminar last year, senior Theresa Rager learned how to be an investigator of history. She studied research methodology, interviewing techniques, the difference in primary and secondary sources, types of books and the value of full-text data bases. In her second quarter, Theresa and her six classmates sat around Kelly Cronin’s Harkness table discussing possible topics until she landed on one that combined her love of science and love of history – tuberculosis. She made an extensive list of possible resources and plotted out which ones she would study each day in order to cover all of them in 12 weeks. Studying six hours a week in class, before volleyball practice and at home, she meticulously took notes in blue ink on 3X5 white-lined note cards. On the front of the card: a quote from the source. On the back: a bullet point about the context or subtopic.

she pulled the note cards from a Sperry shoebox and wrote on a purple Dell Netbook 10.1 she nicknamed Sasha (because it looks “sassy”). Sometimes she sat Sasha on a floral rug in her parents’ room while she and her mom watched her favorite show, “Grey’s Anatomy.” Most of the time, she plopped Sasha on a lap desk her dad gave her for Christmas and stretched out on her four-poster bed. When she faced writer’s block, she’d look out her windows to Mt. Storm Park for inspiration or lace up her yellow and gray Nike Flex TRs and go for a run. She tried writing in her back yard, but Cincinnati wind sent her note cards scurrying. Eventually, Sasha delivered to her a 50-page research paper called “The History of Biomedical Research on Tuberculosis.” That paper was published in December’s issue of The Concord Review.

Sitting on the floor of her bedroom in an 1890 house in Clifton’s gaslight district, Theresa sorted 450 note cards into categories -- epidemiology, thoracic surgery, bacteriology, pathology, public health, antibiotics – and bound them together with blue, purple and pink fun-shaped paper clips. The groups became sections of an outline which she vetted with her classmates and teacher before she began to write in the fourth quarter. Day by day,

14 Winter 2012 - 2013

Senior Theresa Rager with the purple laptop she nicknamed “Sasha” because a friend said it looked sassy.

Theresa became the sixth high school student from the Cincinnati area to


be published in The Concord Review during its 26year lifespan. Three of those other five students also learned how to write college-level research papers at The Summit.

well prepared our graduates are,” says Upper School Director Dr. Terrence Malone. “We hold our students to a high standard. We have a high expectation for their performance and the quality of the written word. In our most advanced classes, students are doing college-level writing, and we’ve heard from some alumni that their first writing assignments in college were easier than the work they did here.”

‘It is harder to get published in The Concord Review than it is to get accepted into Harvard.’

“The Concord Review selects only about 3% of the papers that are submitted,” says Ms. Cronin, Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator and Dean of Students. “It is harder to get published in The Concord Review than it is to get accepted into Harvard.” Dr. Margaret (NiehausEven Harvard University Sauter) Fuchs ’03, now acknowledges the prestige a second-year internal of a Review byline. William medicine/pediatrics R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s resident at The Ohio Dean of Admissions, told – Kelly Cronin, Social Studies Curriculum State University’s Wexner the New York Times that Medical Center in Coordinator and Dean of Students he keeps copies of the Columbus, was published quarterly in his office to in The Review during her sophomore year. inspire applicants and that being published in The Review is like winning a national math competition. “The greatest thing about The Summit’s writing program is that I was writing collegeThe champion of exemplary high school history level papers in high school,” she says. “We essays, Review Editor William Fitzhugh, recently learned to think clearly and to write concisely, lamented in The Atlantic about the failure of most organizing our thoughts well. This made the American high schools to prepare students for transition to college nearly seamless and, in college-level writing. “For generations, American fact, served me well throughout my undergrad children in our schools have had their writing limited experience. Compared to my college peers, I to short pieces about themselves, from primary was more comfortable writing and better able school up through their ‘college essays’ (those little to convey my thoughts. Even as someone who 500-word ‘personal’ narratives)…” he wrote. “Most entered a scientific field, the ability to write well of our students never read a single history book and is universally important, and Summit gave me they very rarely write the foundation.” a serious term paper before graduating Nick Corser ’08 was published in The Review from high school.” during his sophomore year. “No one can teach Obviously, that’s not the case at The Summit Country Day School. “The volume of writing that students undertake here at The Summit makes a difference in how

historical research and writing like Kelly Cronin,” he says. “There’s a reason she’s the only teacher in the country whose students have produced four Concord Review worthy papers. And the best thing about the research skills she cultivates in her students is that they continue to be useful throughout one’s entire academic career. I know I relied on the skills she taught me as a history Summit Magazine 15


major at Vanderbilt University, and as a result I found the prospect of writing large research papers significantly less daunting than my peers did. Now, as a first year student at Emory Law School, I use the same techniques she taught me my sophomore year of high school to do legal research.” Gates-Cambridge scholar Jane Abbottsmith ’08 was published in The Review her senior year, received the Concord Review’s Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize and was republished in the 2012 The Concord Review Readers Series. “In history, I learned to look for the big picture and the interconnection between ideas and events,” she said in an e-mail from Cambridge University in the U.K. where she is pursuing a master’s degree in theology and religious studies. “Even lab reports taught me to keep my sentences succinct and precise. That combination of creative reflection, broad thinking and pinpoint precision make for stellar writers who succeed in forums like The Concord Review, though I think Ms. Cronin’s careful mentorship in the History Research Seminar has a lot to do with helping students bring all those pieces together; it’s a phenomenal course.” While Honors Research Seminar is the most advanced research writing experience The Summit offers, it is by no means the only one. At The Summit, preparation for college-level research writing actually begins in the Lower School, where report writing and oral presentations are introduced in the third grade curriculum in preparation for the focus placed on them in fourth grade. In the Middle School, research writing culminates with a three- to four-page research paper in eighth grade that introduces some of the techniques used in Honors Research Seminar. Language Arts Teacher Rosie Sansalone Alway and Social Studies Teacher Mark Schmidt teach students the process of research writing, how to find sources and how to fully use The Summit’s 16 Winter 2012 - 2013

extensive full-text data bases. Those databases are carefully chosen to support the research needs of the student and faculty community, says Upper School Librarian Marianne Cramer. The range of subjects and grade-level appropriateness complement the school’s physical book collections and databases supplied by the Ohio Department of Education. Students can access the databases from anywhere using the school’s online Library Portal. In the eighth grade research paper, students use note cards to answer research questions, formulate a thesis statement, chart the structure of their paper, write their paper and construct a works cited page following Modern Language Association standards. Upper School students write a research paper each year, in addition to writing many other papers and reports across the curriculum. Theresa’s experience reveals the evolution of a coordinated writing process. “Summit has a detailed way of writing papers that help you present your information,” Theresa says. In her freshman English class, when students wrote a research paper based on “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens, her eight-page paper focused on how the British sent prisoners to penal colonies in Australia. “Sophomore year is a big year for research papers here,” she says. Hers was a 15-page paper for AP European history called “The Congress of Vienna’s Effect on Liberalism and Nationalism in Europe.” In her junior year, she wrote a paper in Religion, analyzing the text from the parable of “The Sower and The Seed” (in addition to the Honors Research Seminar paper on tuberculosis). “Each year you do more and more writing,” Theresa says. “I think you become more comfortable with the process. You develop an understanding that research takes time. You become comfortable with how to organize the paper. You become aggressive and rigorous about time management. That is what it takes to write a paper of that caliber.”


This year in College Prep Modern World History, Social Studies Teacher Jeff Stayton is requiring students to write a 1,500-plus-word research paper on the theme “Human Rights through World History.” Students must follow a detailed 13-step process which covers choosing the topic, detailed instructions on research note cards, a bubble chart to organize their ideas, time management guidelines and finally writing. Religion Teacher Jeff Carle will grade juniors on each of 16 detailed steps they must take in researching and writing a paper on “The Gospels & Paul’s Epistles.” Research writing is a component of The Summit’s signature Writing Program, which includes specific curriculum guidelines through all the grades. Summit Middle School students have distinguished themselves in the Ohio State Power of the Pen competitions, written and published two books. “We are always trying to get our students to be original thinkers, to figure out with their own minds what the complexities of a text are,” says Pat Kelly, Upper School English Department Curriculum Coordinator. “With research papers, they enter more fully into the community of scholars, which stretches back for centuries and millenniums as they read and analyze what others have thought about Oedipus or Hamlet or Nora Helmer. With the research they must test their own assumptions about a text against other scholars and come up with a synthesis that acknowledges the ideas of those who published before them and includes their own thinking as they write a more sophisticated analysis of the text.”

More About Theresa Rager

 • Theresa has been interested in becoming a physician since age five when an aunt gave her a stethoscope and lab coat with “Dr. Theresa” written on it. She is one of three Summit students in the Greater Cincinnati Health Council’s 2012 TAP MD program and was accepted last summer into the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) five-week Excellence in Science Education and Learning program. She attended the Mayerson Student Service Leadership Workshop at UC. • She volunteers at Good Samaritan Hospital as a surgical care unit outpatient recovery assistant. She tutors students at other schools and bakes bread six times a year for Mass at her parish, Bellarmine Chapel. • At Summit, she played volleyball and has been involved with Model APEC, the Academic Team, the Diversity & Inclusion Team and Leadership Scholars. Upon graduation she will have completed six AP courses, including Biology, Chemistry and Physics, as well as 10 Honors courses including the summer Honors Marine Biology Seminar in Hawaii. • She plays popular music on the piano and guitar. Her favorite band is Hey Monday. Her favorite movie is Inception (maybe because her celebrity look-alike is Inception actress Ellen Philpotts-Page). • Her favorite thing to do when she has nothing to do is use her BlackBerry Torch to chat on Facebook and Twitter. She says she’d be on Pinterest more often if only she had an app for that.

Theresa says she has been interested in becoming a doctor since age five when an aunt gave her this lab coat and stethoscope. Summit Magazine


Sophomore Kara McSwain expanded her world view after spending three weeks last summer in a Vienna, Austria youth camp organized by CISV International, a peace education organization. “I definitely have a changed attitude on a lot of aspects of my everyday thinking,” she says. “I am able to see the bigger picture of life. I am more positive, more outgoing and more accepting to new ideas, people and concepts.” Kara attended the camp with sophomore Natalie Pearl. With students from 11 other countries, they focused on a theme of sustainable development. Several other Summit students were accepted into global educational programs in the last year. Here are snapshots of their experiences: Children’s International Summer Village Sixth graders Tara Franke and Victoria Walton spent four weeks in Bursa, Turkey with delegates from 12 other countries in a Summer Village. They gained multicultural experiences through educational, cultural and sporting activities which emphasize cooperative global living. Heinrich Huelsman, Dane Franke and Nicole Weyer, now eighth graders, were delegates in CISV’s Interchange Program in Graz, Austria. Over three weeks, they hosted a child from Graz and flew to Austria to live with their counterpart. They explored the Alps, Salzburg and Vienna, sailed in the Adriatic and learned about Austrian family life.

Initiative For Youth sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Selected from over 3,000 applicants nationwide, she lived with a family in the Guandong Province of China and took beginning level Mandarin Chinese classes at Beijing Normal University’s Zhuai campus. “I really learned how to get along with people from completely different backgrounds,” she says. Kara McSwain and Natalie Pearl

Mary Kirwan

Cooperative for Education
 Senior Mary Kirwan spent a week in Guatemala with a Cooperative for Education Project Tour. She experienced Guatemalan life and culture – gaining a deeper understanding of what life is like for impoverished Guatemalan students. “I was assigned to help with a second grade class and completely fell in love with those kids,” she says. “They were adorable and very eager to learn. I felt like we were able to really make a difference in their classroom, but there is still a lot to do.” People to People
 Seventh grader Ruben Tolble was among 40 Greater Cincinnati students who served as student ambassadors with People to People in British Columbia. Students met with government experts, toured historic landmarks, visited museums and gained leadership and team-building skills through guided activities. “I learned you should accept people for who they are and not try to change them,” Ruben says.

Ruben Tolble

National Security Language Initiative For Youth Sophomore Ellie Schwietering spent six weeks in Xhuxhi, China last summer with the National Security Language 18 Winter 2012 - 2013

L to R: Tara Franke, Dane Franke, Victoria Walton, Heinrich Huelsman and Nicole Weyer.

The Ulster Project
 Sophomore Nick Romanelli hosted an Irish student for four weeks last summer through the Ulster Project – a program that brings teens from Northern Ireland to cities in the U.S. Irish teens were immersed in U.S. culture and service projects in hopes of creating deep friendships across religious faiths.


Q&A

Q & A: Natalie Pearl’s View of the World

More than 30 international families at Summit add global perspective in the classroom. Junior Tino Delamerced, the son of Philippine immigrant physicians who has visited 15 countries, asks sophomore Natalie Pearl about her travels.

Q: How did all your traveling start? What got you into it? 

 A: My grandpa, a social justice advocate, inspired me from a very young age. When an opportunity came up at age 11 to spend a month with 48 kids from 12 countries in Holland, I was all for it! Little did I know that this experience would spark my passion for diversity and peace.

 Q: Out of all the places you have been, do you have a favorite place?

 A: I have been lucky to see many beautiful places. I fell in love with Lisbon, Portugal after spending three weeks in the home of a wonderful family who took the time to share their culture and to understand mine. At 12 years old, it was thrilling to be independent, a little scared and excited – all at once. From a religious standpoint, my favorite place is Jerusalem. Sitting and reflecting in the Garden of Gethsemane was one of the most powerful experiences I have had. Crossing over into the West Bank to Bethlehem was meaningful on many levels. 

 Q: How connected do you feel to other cultures now because of your experiences?
 A: Extremely connected. After traveling to the Middle East, I am now able to put faces on people from countries that are constantly in the media. Syria, in particular, strikes a chord with me. Recent political activity only makes me more hopeful that democratic principles will ultimately prevail and bring peace with justice to the Syrian people. The hardest part of having a connection with people in this region, those with whom I conversed, laughed, and hugged, is knowing that they could be suffering. I may not fully understand the reasons for the political uprisings; however, I will always remain hopeful for peace in the Middle East. 

 Q: How have you come to appreciate our world’s diversity through your travels?

 A: I’m in touch with friends from roughly 30 countries. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t Tino Delamerced

think about them and what they’re doing. Though our languages, customs, and cultures differ greatly, I am mindful that we are very much alike. We share the same hopes and dreams and aspire to leave the world a better place. We have discovered that friendships can be formed in spite of barriers. Q: What are some valuable life lessons you’ve taken from visiting different countries? A: While visiting five countries in the Middle East, I learned more about myself and my faith, simply by learning from the people I encountered every day. Communication is key. The hope of having people cooperate in the interest of peace and justice can only result from more communication. It is so important to establish those relationships and contacts with the people around you because perspective is everything. 

 Q: What are some breathtaking sights you’ve seen? A: In Jordan, we stayed overnight in a Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum Desert. At first, I didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into, but I finally understood why my grandpa thought this to be so important. I had never seen so many stars in my life. It felt like the entire galaxy was right above me. It was there that I realized how small I was in comparison to the world, and how lucky I was to have my entire life ahead of me to do something meaningful. The vision of that night sky will be forever engrained in my mind.

Q: Any plans for upcoming travel? A: I will accompany my grandfather to Haiti in January. I hope to see the work that he and other volunteers have been doing for the past 22 years, visit a school and clinic they built in Port-au-Prince and meet many wonderful Haitian people. As a result of the earthquake, we will be working with a local orphanage as well. This trip will certainly offer a new view for me. Natalie Pearl

Summit Magazine 19


NEWSMAKERS

L to R: Reeti Pal, Morgan Hughes, Alex Marcellus, Rachel Argo, Jack Schroder, Isabelle Saldana and Meg Mathile.

World Choir Games Sophomore Sarah Scoville is a member of the Cincinnati Children’s Choir, which won a Gold Medal in the Champions Category of Youth Choirs of Equal Voices in the World Choir Games in July. The Children’s Choir was No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world in the category. Sarah will travel with the choir in March 2013 to perform at a musical festival in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

National Merit Semifinalists
 Seniors Rachel Argo, Alex Marcellus, Meg Mathile, Reeti Pal, Isabelle Saldana and John Schroder have been named National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists while senior Morgan Hughes has been named National Achievement Scholarship Program semifinalist. National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists are among the top one percent of students nationwide who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and are among the highest-scoring entrants in Ohio. National Achievement semifinalists are among 16,000 semifinalists nationwide who show exceptional ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. National Achievement semifinalists include 1,600 academically promising African American high school seniors. In addition to The Summit students listed above, 10 seniors were recognized as Commended Students and one was named a National Achievement Outstanding Participant – bringing the total number of students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program this year to 18 – 18 percent of the senior class. Summit has a higher percentage of its graduating class recognized as National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists than any public or other Catholic high school in Hamilton County. National AP Scholars
 The College Board named five 2012 Summit graduates and one current senior National AP Scholars. Joining this group of top U.S. students were: graduates Carolyn Boyce, Madeline Chandra, Anna Delamerced, Cooper Schreibeis, and Ty Wahlbrink, as well as senior Alex Marcellus. All-State Choir
Senior Regina Merrill has been chosen to participate in the 2013 Ohio Music Education Association All-State Choir Feb. 8 in Columbus. She is among 120 students from across the state chosen for the choir from more than 450 who auditioned. This is Regina’s fifth honor choir experience. 
 20 Winter 2012 - 2013

Regina Merrill

Student Artwork Published
 Sixteen student works of art were published in a new picture book, “Cincinnati, Our City, Our Story.” Students whose work was featured include fourth graders Eric Meeks, Gabrielle Burns and Jamie Gieseke; sixth graders Noor Amir, Grace Anderson, Grace Gilligan, Evan Hunt, Caroline Kubicki, Maya Mehlman and Mia Semler; and seventh graders Margherita Favagrossa, Garrison Herfel and Mary Towell. Works by former Summit students Kendall Kearney and Emma Rademacher also appear in the book.


Newsmakers

L to R, Back Row: Christian Lipa, Alex Evans SMS ’08, Natalie Whitsett ’12, Nathan Whitsett, Kevin Boyce, Jesse Campbell. Middle Row: Carter Hall, Dustin Argo, Andrew Thomas, Tino Delamerced, Myles Casanas ’12, Chris Lapp ’07, Mark Samaan ’12, Kelly McBride, Emily Haussler, Steven Malseed ’12, Haley Hauser, Dylan Chambers SMS ’12, Tullus Dean, Elisa Stanis. Front Row: Carolyn Boyce ’12, Laura Schoettmer SMS ’08, Anna Delamerced ’12, Larry Dean.

National Latin Awards Summit Country Day School’s Dustin Argo helped Ohio’s novice-level team win the national championship at the National Junior Classical League Convention at Wake Forest University. The Ohio teams were coached by Summit Latin teacher Larry Dean and Chris Lapp ’07. This was Mr. Dean’s 13th year as Ohio Certamen Coach and his fifth national championship. The Latin Club won first place for Community Service. Anna Delamerced ’12, now attending Brown University, was awarded the Sister Jeanette Plante NJCL Scholarship, a $1,500 renewable award. Six students won first-place national individual awards: Anna Delamerced ’12, first in Jewelry; junior Tino Delamerced, first in Greeting Cards, Posters and Textiles; junior Emily Hauser, first in Couples Costume; senior Christian Lipa, first in Constructed Maps; Junior Kelly McBride, first in Couples Costume; Natalie Whitsett ’12, first in Charcoal. Regional Essay Winner
 Summit ninth grader Elena Montag presented her first-place essay, “A Silent Witness Is Not a Witness,” during the annual meeting of the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in September in Kenwood. The contest was a response to a speech given by Nobel Laureate, Holocaust Survivor and author Elie Wiesel at Xavier University. The contest, called the “Never to be Silent: Student Reflections on ‘An Evening with Elie Wiesel’” invited students to reflect on his talk through visual arts, poetry or prose. Elena Montag

FACULTY AND STAFF

Ed Escudero, Upper School Chemistry Teacher, presented a Materials Science camp for high school teachers at Howard University in Washington D.C. and brought the camp back to The Summit’s campus for the second year this summer. Representing the American Chemical Society as a “Polymer Ambassador” for Ohio, he presented a polymer workshop in October at the Louisville meeting of the National Science Teacher Association. Chem 13 news, an international chemistry journal, used a photo of his “Chemis-tree” on the cover of the December/ January 2012-13 issue and published an article and photo about the periodic table his class made from empty CD cases. Megan Rademacher, Middle School Science Teacher, has been selected to be a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fellow for the Dayton Regional STEM Center. She and other teachers are writing preK-12 curriculums which will be provided free

Ed Escudero with his “Chemis-tree”

Summit Magazine 21


Newsmakers to teachers across the country. This fall, she piloted a two-week STEM unit in which her fifth graders followed mathematical and scientific standards in creating a plan for a zoo. She will pilot a second unit created by her STEM Center group in the spring. Kendra Thornton, K-6 Academic Counselor and member of the Cincinnati Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team, was sent to Atlanta in August by the American Red Cross to be trained as a Reconnection Workshop Facilitator. Dr. Terrence Malone, Upper School Director, presented his doctoral dissertation, “Educators’ Perception of Parenting Styles and the Impact on Schools,” at the 35th Annual Mid-Western Educational Research Association Conference on Nov. 7 in suburban Chicago. Maureen Ferrell, Director of College Counseling, has been appointed to a one-year term on the Princeton Review advisory board. She has also been appointed to the Hanover College admissions advisory board in its inaugural year. In addition, she is in her second year on the Admission Advisory Board for the University of Chicago. Larry Dean, Middle School Latin Teacher, received the Joseph B. Whitehead Educator of Distinction Award from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. He was one of 250 educators across the U.S. who were recognized for making a difference in the lives of Coca-Cola Scholarship recipients.

Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame. He is in his second year on the Planning Committee for the Southwest Ohio Coaches vs. Cancer Breakfast, which raises money for the American Cancer Society. Jeff Stayton, Upper School Social Studies Teacher, is in his third year serving as a docent for student and adult tours at the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Center in Kenwood. Julia Almaguer, Lower School Math Specialist, is serving her first year on the board of EarthShares CSA, a community-sponsored agricultural organization in Loveland. She also volunteers at Grailville in Loveland. Laura Adkins, Middle School Language Arts Teacher, is serving the first year of her second three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Comfort Foundation, a national non-profit headquartered in St. Louis which helps adult orphans in Russia lead successful, independent lives. Three members of The Summit’s faculty and staff were appointed by Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr to serve a three-year terms on Archdiocese groups. Michael Johnson, Middle School Director, was appointed to the Board of Directors for St. Rita’s School for the Deaf. Rev. Philip Seher, Chaplain, is Chair of the Archdiocese Mission Board. Nancy Berlier, Communications Manager, is on the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Communications Commission.

Robert Gorey, Upper School Science Teacher, has been reappointed to a two-year term on the Patient Education Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Kelly Cronin, Upper School Social Studies Department Chair and Dean of Students, has been appointed to a two-year term on the WhippleHill Advisory Board. She is the sole teacher representative on the 12-member board whose role is to provide feedback to project managers on products and suggest enhancements. Rich Hoyt, Middle School Religion Teacher, is serving the second year of a three-year term as District 16 Director for the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches’ Association. He was appointed in June to the Advisory Committee for the Greater 22 Winter 2012 - 2013

Rev. Philip Seher

Nancy Berlier

Michael Johnson


ISACS: Commendations Host Families Needed
 for International Students

 The Summit Country Day School and Westar Education are looking for families to host international students for 2013-14. Five Westar students attend The Summit this year. “We hope that more Summit families, empty nesters, alumni or grandparents will host additional students next year,” says Barnard Baker, Associate Director of Admission. “These students broaden the global diversity of our school, enriching the lives of all our students.” 
 Parent Heather Spanbauer says her family’s experience hosting freshman Alex Yang, has been an excellent opportunity for her children – Jocelyn, Calvin and Stewart. “Alex is a great student and a Alex with his first carved wonderful pianist,” she Jack-O-Lantern says. “We have had a lot of fun taking him to a Reds game, helping him carve a pumpkin, serving him Thanksgiving turkey, preparing him for his first Homecoming dance and so much more. Alex is taking tennis lessons and helping Calvin learn Chinese.” Westar seeks families who can provide a loving Christian home for their international students. Student selection and placement follow the Council on Standards for International Education Travel. Students must demonstrate high academic performance and character through multiple tests and interviews. • 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 accomodate 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

John Buxton, Chair of the visiting team from The Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS), presented the following major commendations to the faculty and staff at the end of the visit:

1. Success in creating a community that is the embodiment of its Mission. Students, faculty, parents and staff are nearly unanimous in their support for the Mission, and in embracing it so completely, they internalize these values and commit to them. This community becomes the best example of what The Summit Country Day School Mission looks like, lived. 2. Courage, perseverance, kindness, and a sense of responsibility demonstrated by the faculty and staff during what has to have been the most trying period in the school’s history. Starting with the collapse of a major school building in 2004; and followed immediately by the resignation of two Heads of School; and in the context of the most significant financial depression in our lifetime, the faculty and staff lived the maxim of Honor in Action and cared for their students while governing bodies worked to repair the damage, which was both physical and emotional. 3. Selection of and support for its new Head of School who has restored the trust in the School community and with parents and faculty and staff and is now leading the School out of the troubles of the past seven years as a confident yet humble leader. His openness and honesty combined with his business acumen and quick mastery of a new profession make him the perfect choice for The Summit at this time in its history. 4. Creating of, commitment to, and adoption of a new Five Year Strategic Plan that will address the challenges identified in the last ISACS report in the areas of academic identity, enrollment and retention, and financial sustainability that has been blessed by the entire community. 5. Positive and effective response to the Major Recommendations of the 2005 ISACS Visiting Team Report that called for new initiatives to address discrepancies in employee benefits, to bolster enrollment and retention, to create the infrastructure for Technology, and to commit more resources to Professional Development. 6. The emphasis on student-centered development evident in School activities like Advisement, Assembly, athletics, Chapel Talks, and servant leadership projects. 7. Acceptance, and the inclusivity that accompanies that acceptance, of the cultural and religious diversity of the School by its entire School community, its parents, and the Board of Trustees.

Summit Magazine 23


When the dust settled on Ohio’s 2012 Division III Boys’ Soccer season, the Silver Knights were the only team left standing. They brought home Summit’s second boys’ soccer state championship in the program’s history and the school’s third state championship in a year. Here is their story. By Darren Weigl The Boys’ Soccer team went into its 2012 campaign driven to reach the pinnacle of high school sports. In previous years, the team might have compiled a list of goals to strive for throughout the season, with the state crown at the top. This season, it was at the top of a very short list. It was the only goal. “What is so hard about winning state is that only one team wins,” says Boys’ Head Coach Barnard Baker. “So if you lose, say in the state semifinals, that’s not a failure; but to these guys, it is.” Essentially, this was the team that was trounced 6-1 by Madeira in the 2011 regional semifinals. Having lost only two starters to graduation, this was the final shot for the eleven seniors on the team. The Silver Knights were anxious to return to the field with a new state of mind. The weaknesses were

Winter 2012 - 2013

few, but crippling, for a team that had won fourstraight district titles. “Last year’s disappointing conclusion showed us that we needed to work harder if we wanted to be more successful deeper into the tournament,” says senior defender Ben Emery. The interior seemed to be the most prominent issue, and it was there the coaches started to focus in an effort to build a stronger foundation. Coach Baker took each player aside individually to unite them as a team. These players were used to being in the spotlight on their club teams. Coach Baker wanted a brotherhood of Knights who had each other’s backs and were focused on securing another Summit state championship.


Coach Baker recalls when this senior class came in as freshmen looking up to a stellar group of seniors in the Class of 2010 – Alex Priede, Nico Posada, Scott Mays, Sam Chasnoff, Mark Humpert, Jimmy Oltman and Michael Van Sant. The two classes scrimmaged, and the seniors put the freshmen in their place. The coach saw beyond that lopsided game and was excited about the potential. “I stood out there thinking that this freshman class will be remembered,” he says. Senior defender Jack Meininger describes the team’s urgency. “Coach Baker started by speaking with each of us, and he treated it like it was everybody’s last season, not just the seniors – juniors, sophomores and freshmen too. It was his last year. This was THE last shot; and he made it clear that this would be our mentality.”

Crucial to the success of this team was the need for cohesion. The coaching staff implemented an online message board so players could chat and get the word out on practices and uniforms that they were wearing. At first, only a handful of players participated, but eventually they saw it as a sounding board, a place to joke around and become closer as a team. “Before there were a lot of cliques, different clubs (teams) or they hung out with a different group of guys; sort of a fractured team,” says

Clockwise from left: Coach Barnard Baker holds daughter Bella at a rally. L to R, jubilant victors junior Isaiah Chapman, seniors Ben Emery, Jack Meininger and Caelan Hueber and junior Christian Hay. Senior Joey Kunkel. Senior David Smith throws his arms wide. 25 Senior Brandon Lorentz offers a huge smile. One of the two goals. With the Ohio championship trophy in sight, Summit players first Summit Magazine applaud their opponents during the award ceremony. Junior Christian Hay and senior Mosi Clark-Cobbs double team a Gates Mills Hawken player during the Nov. 10 championship game at Crew Stadium in Columbus. Senior Ben Emery advances down the field.


Coach Baker. “This year was more fun because everyone was together all the time.” Junior midfielder Matt De Jesus says that this is what made the season unforgettable. “I wouldn’t say any game was the most memorable, but rather all of the moments when we would just hang out. All of these guys are hilarious and that’s how we came together.” After a grueling summer of workouts and a brutal preseason schedule in which the Knights did not win a single scrimmage, the state title seemed distant at times. Team-bonding activities outside of practice and individual sacrifice during games formed a family of Silver Knights who battled through the regular season and allowed only five goals en route to a 13-2-1 regular season record. “We talked about sacrifice in the beginning of the year,” says Coach Baker. “Sacrifice doesn’t mean coming to practice and working hard. That’s what you’re supposed to do.” From the inception of the season, the Silver Knights picked up a few insights from Summit’s two defending state champion teams – girls’ soccer and boys’ basketball. One was to chant “Family” when breaking the pregame huddle. “I think that word summed up what we wanted,” says Coach Baker. “By the end of the year, it really meant something to them. That’s when I realized that we were going to be pretty good. That’s the difference. That’s something we didn’t see last year at this time.”

Senior Joey Kunkel carries the trophy through the Spirit Tunnel.

The formation of the team from a group of highly talented individuals into a team meant change. Several players were asked to focus on learning a new position beneficial to the team. This proved difficult, but once players accepted the challenge, the team meshed better as a unit. Senior leader Jake Rawlings was paramount in this effort. Rawlings, a member of Summit’s state champion basketball team, was looking for a second state title. “I think that success breeds success,” says Coach Baker. Another key to success for this team was knowing when to lead and when to follow. Having played at the highest levels on the club side, many of the players worked and trained with other high caliber coaches. They had to be able to accept different coaching styles. “I’ve coached both girls and boys, and the big difference with boys is that they have to respect you in order for it to work,” says Coach Baker.

Senior Jake Rawlings, the one Summit athlete to be on two state championship teams in the last year, hugs Coach Barnard Baker. Jake was also on the winning basketball team.

Within Summit’s experienced coaching staff is a mixture of personalities and styles. Ryan Johnson, new this season, brought a cool, calculated approach to the bench. Dr. Terry Malone, Upper School Director, is a former scholarship player at Holy Family University where he was a captain and Conference Player of the Year. He delivered spitfire tenacity and readiness to jump onto the field with the guys. Coach Dan Cosgrove ’07, a former Summit captain, related to the players as Silver Knights and shared his passion for the program. Goalkeeper coach Craig Salvati, a National Champion at Maryland University, was a mentor to senior goalkeeper Ryan Hall and junior Alex Vance. His knowledge and ability amped up the skills of Summit’s goalies.

26 Winter 2012 - 2013

The team erupts after the second goal. From left Assistant Coach Dan Cosgrove ’07, senior Robby Wellington and freshman Charlie Maciejewski.


That is something that Ryan will carry with him for years to come. Ryan recalls freshman year when Coach Salvati said to him: “You know, I do hold the state record for career shutouts.” Ryan says his response was: “I’m going to get you. I bet you that I am going to get you.” As a player, Coach Salvati experienced success on many levels but felt the void of never winning a high school state title. Ryan remembers him describing that feeling before the postseason began. “He said to me, ‘Ryan Hall, this is your senior year. What are you going to do that’s different?’ And that hit me. I was like, ‘What am I going to do that’s different?’ ” At an Oct. 30 pep rally, Ryan boasted that the defense would not allow any goals. “I knew that we could win state, but just saying that we would go scoreless and actually doing it was one of the coolest things,” he says. “You can either take it as pressure or as a driving force. I took it as a goal and put it on my shoulders and carried it.” Other players took Ryan’s challenge in stride, having the confidence in their teammates to remain on track. “I was not surprised at all,” says Ben. “I truly believed everything he said. Throughout the year, our defense barely gave up shots, let alone goals.” Jack Meininger agrees. “We definitely had that confidence that we were not going to allow a goal,” says Jack. “We went into every game saying, ‘If they don’t score, we’re not going to lose.’ ”

He hustled so that I wouldn’t finish my career on the bench in street clothes, and wasn’t worried about breaking a record.” Ryan did seize the record that night with his 43rd career shutout as he and the defense secured the programs’ fifth straight district title, 1-0 over CCD. “The Madeira and Worthington Christian wins probably felt the best behind the last one, but our district final against CCD was probably the most memorable,” says Ben. “It felt really good to finally have some sense of recognition for all our hard work throughout the four years. Ryan did a good job of making us, his defense, know that we deserved this award as much as he did.” After a 2-0 defeat of Springfield Catholic Central, the Knights earned a spot in the regional final against the last team to have defeated them, Madeira. The team wanted redemption. “We were definitely looking forward to them,” says Matt De Jesus. “They were a big obstacle for us, but our familiarity helped.” Jack reiterates this sentiment. “Once the tournament brackets came out, we saw that we could have a rematch. We looked forward to

Personal achievements had become an afterthought for these Knights. Ryan tied the state career shutout record for a goalie vs. Mariemont in the district semifinals. However, during that match, Jack suffered a concussion and was lost for the upcoming final vs. Cincinnati Country Day whom they had tied earlier in the season. Jack remembers what Ryan told the team in the pregame huddle. “Ryan said to everybody, ‘We’re not winning this game for me, but we are going to win this so that Jack can keep playing,’ and that just solidified us. Ryan was worried about me.

Summit Magazine Clockwise from top: Senior goalkeeper Ryan Hall set a personal state record – No. 1 in career shutouts. L to R, fans on the front row: juniors Bryce Hueber, Caroline Hertzel and Sarah Mahon, seniors Chrissy Thurner and Gus Stewart. Senior Robby Wellington in play.


that, as they were one of only four teams to have scored on us and had knocked us out the year before,” says Jack. The match took place on a monumental day for Summit Athletics, as four fall teams were still competing the same day deep in the post season. Madeira brought two of the city’s top three scorers, but the Knights struck first off the leg of senior Joey Kunkel late in the first half. Junior forward Carlos Garciamendez added an insurance goal in the second half to punch the Knights’ ticket to state. Facing defending state champion Worthington Christian in the state semi-finals, another team that had beaten them early in the season, the Knights avenged themselves with a 3-0 shutout victory. The boys came home to The Summit the next day riding the congratulatory wave from students and faculty but feeling their journey was not complete. Little did they know Ryan was keeping a secret. He had sustained a shoulder injury. “It’s such a psychological sport,” says Ryan. “I didn’t want these guys to have any doubt, as I knew we could do it. We had already beaten so many top-ten ranked teams in the state.” All arduous journeys have their ups and downs, and the stars must be aligned for success. In the days before the final battle, everything had clicked perfectly in place from the moment the team left The Summit for Columbus on Friday amidst an inspiring student sendoff, to the first whistle at noon in Crew Stadium on gameday. Girls’ Soccer Head Coach Mike Fee was on the sidelines in Columbus, contributing his wisdom from winning a state title last year on the same field.

‘We’re struggling. I’m struggling. Win this one for us,’ ” says Jack. “And that was cool to know that the girls’ team, who won it last year and had every expectation to win it this year, was there supporting us, and that their coach was on the sidelines with us after a devastating loss.” Throughout the season, many Summit soccer alumni worked out with the team during breaks and ran drills over the summer. Austin Berry ’07, Major League Soccer’s Rookie of the Year, rode the team bus to Columbus and stayed for this game. Robert Partin ’05, currently serving in Afghanistan, added impetus to the team from the front line. He had sent Baker a message describing his awful months of being shelled, and how this team’s journey was the one thing that was keeping up his spirits. Partin wrote: “Tell the boys that Battle Company 1-28 Infantry is rooting for them. When they play that national anthem, know that what you’re doing matters to people around the world. It is really more than just a game.” Both coach and players were inspired. “It was such a heart-touching letter, that I was just pumped and ready to go after hearing it,” says Matt De Jesus. Coach Baker reflects: “It really brought me chills to hear that from someone, who is doing more important things than any of us. Here he is defending our country and he’s looking to us for inspiration. I thanked him, and he said ‘I’m just doing my job.’”

“Something that was really neat was having Coach Fee, who was obviously upset from the girls’ loss in this year’s state semifinals, coming up to me and saying,

2012 - 2013 L to R:Winter Barnard Baker receives his medallion. Junior Matt De Jesus struggles for control of the ball. Senior Caelan Hueber, who scored both goals in the championship game, makes a run.


Fall Sports

The 2012 Ohio Division III Boys’ Soccer State Champions. Back Row, L to R: Upper School Director and Assistant Coach Dr. Terrence Malone, Head Coach Barnard Baker, Ben Emery, Ryan Hall, Jake Rawlings, Matt Eustace, Matt Meister, Philip McHugh, Jack Meininger, Caelan Hueber, Alex Vance, Christian Hay, Assistant Coach Dan Cosgrove ’07, Trainer Amber Gerken and Assistant Coach Ryan Johnson. Middle Row: Theo Austin, David Smith, Joey Kunkel, Taylor Jones, Brandon Lorentz, Austin Smythe, Brendan Jones and Assistant Coach Craig Salvati. Front Row: Carlos Garciamendez, Isaiah Chapman, Mosi Clark-Cobbs, Matt De Jesus, Charlie Maciejewski and Robby Wellington.

The players took the field against last year’s state runner-up, Gates Mills Hawken, in what Ryan described as the fastest game of his life. The Silver Knights controlled both ends, taking 20 shots with eight on goal while holding Hawken to five and one, respectively. Midway through the first half, after strategically splitting the defense, Ben sent a crossfield pass to senior Caelan Hueber, the team’s scoring leader, who buried it into the goal. Caelan, the stoic player who Coach Baker says is one of the best in the state, added a second goal with two and a half minutes left in the 2-0 game to seal the deal on the school’s second boys’ soccer state championship. “I was waiting for that (second goal) to happen, and when Caelan broke free it was a sigh of relief,” says

Coach Baker. “There was so much pressure up to that point, none of it outside pressure, just pressure we had put on ourselves.” Coach Baker still finds it hard to believe. “I’ve been so used to picking players up off the ground that last game of the season. It’s weird. It really hasn’t hit me yet. I don’t have to knock on wood anymore,” he says with a laugh. As Coach Baker looks at the framed jersey on his wall that is signed by The Summit’s 1999 State Champion team, he thinks about how this team will be remembered. “The names on that jersey are legendary, and the names of these guys will be the same.” Summit Magazine 29


Silver Knights Reach New Heights During Fall Season By Darren Weigl

Forward Elizabeth Williams leads the attack during the state semifinal against Bishop Fenwick.

The 2012 fall athletic season was one for The Summit record books, as the Silver Knights continued to aim high. The Summit was represented in four sports on the state level of postseason competition, with Boys’ Soccer reaching the pinnacle bringing home Summit’s third athletic state title in the last 12 months, the school’s sixth team state title in history. The team locked up its 14th Miami Valley Conference title, followed by a fifthstraight district championship. The season culminated in a 2-0 victory over Gates Mills Hawken at Columbus Crew Stadium for the Division III State Championship, the second in the boys’ soccer program’s 32-year history.

 “People ask me how we can have so much athletic success with a no-cut policy,” says Head of School Rich Wilson. “The answer is twofold: the quality of our coaches coupled with The Summit culture of excellence. Our motto is ’Aim Haley Bosse and Sara Bissantz High.’ Not only do our parents, teachers and coaches have high
expectations of the students enrolled here, but the students have high expectations of each other.”

 Here’s a quick look at a monumental fall season for Summit Athletics.

 Girls’ Soccer: The Silver Knights kept the momentum alive from their 2011 state championship season, as senior Elizabeth Williams set a school record with her 50th career goal in August. The team finished the regular season at 13-1-2 with a perfect conference record en route to the MVC title. The Knights chalked up six straight shutout victories by a combined score of 27-0, to reach the state semi-final, a rematch of the 2011 state semifinal overtime victory over Bishop Fenwick. The two teams yet again needed OT to determine a victor. Summit was stunned by a game-ending Fenwick goal in the seventh minute. Elizabeth Williams was named MVC Player of the Year and Head Coach

Sean Steinman won a district silver 30 Winter 2012 - 2013 medal and advanced to the state tournament for the second year.


The Cross Country team, dubbed the “Wolf Pack” by Upper School Director Dr. Terrence Malone, runs in close formation during the state meet in Hebron.

Michael Fee was named MVC Coach of the Year and Southwest Ohio Private School Coach of the Year.

 Cross Country: The Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country teams each won district championships for the second time in three years. The girls narrowly missed a state invitation after a sixth place finish at regionals. After winning the team’s second regional title in the last three years, the boys placed fifth at state. Senior Dale Lakes and sophomores Mason Moore, the MVC Runner of the Year, and John Murdock each finished within the top 50 at state. Head Coach Kurtis Smith was named MVC Coach of the Year for both boys’ and girls’ teams.

Tennis: Two freshman tennis players, Sara Bissantz and Haley Bosse, advanced to the district level in doubles competition. The tennis team had five members compete in the sectional tournament.

 Volleyball: The Volleyball team finished its season with a 15-6 record, losing to Madeira in the Sectional playoffs. Hannah Cunningham was named MVC Player of the Year. Donna Paulin contributed to this report.

Golf: Summit Golf team Captain Sean Steinman qualified for his second state tournament with a silver medal finish after a four-way playoff at the Division III Southwest District championship. The team won the sectional championship for a seventh time. “Sean’s 2012 season is statistically one of the best in the last decade for The Summit Golf program and his district silver medal capped off a great season for him,” says Head Golf Coach Tim Jedding.

 Football: The Football team earned its third-straight playoff appearance and made history with the first playoff win in program history. The team was 11-0 before getting tripped up by Covington H.S. in the regional semifinal. Michael Barwick was named Associated Press Division V Southwest District Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-Ohio. Antonio Woods was awarded MVC Player of the Year and Coach Mike Brown was named MVC Coach of the Year. 

 Mike Barwick tackles the North College Hill quarterback during the Homecoming game.

Summit Magazine


Students display grade-level character traits during the procession of the open-air Mass in September. In the foreground, clockwise from left are Benny Penote, Addy Smythe, Emily Haussler, Philip McHugh, Mary Kirwan and Ethan Traiforos.

Annual Fund for Excellence Introducing the Leaders of Character Society By Nancy Berlier The sunflower stained glass window over the front door of The Summit has stood the test of time. A symbol of the values of the founding Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the school has been developing the intellect and character of students who have walked beneath that window since 1890. Just as constant as the window, the commitment to develop the whole child – intellectually, physically, spiritually, socially and artistically – has endured here for more than a century. “This is one of the nation’s premier Catholic schools,” says Jim Jackson, Director of Development. “The Summit provides rigorous college-prep academics, and the five pillars 32 Winter 2012 - 2013

on which the school is based ensure that students get personal care and attention so the whole child is developed. There is an expectation that our students become ethical adults who use their Godgiven gifts to try to make the world better, solve and eradicate social inequities and answer the challenges that plague our society. When you educate the whole person, you envelope them in character values. You enlarge their heart as well as their intellect. We’re able to make what could be an ordinary experience and make it extraordinary through gifts to the Annual Fund for Excellence.” The Leaders of Character Society is the new flagship organization of the Annual Fund. Inspired by The Summit’s signature


Character Education Program and using the stained glass window as its logo, the Leaders of Character Society pays tribute to extraordinary work done last year by faculty to codify character education into age-appropriate curriculum and their ongoing commitment to intentionally teach it. Because of the generosity of donors, the annual infusion of monies helps the school flourish by meeting critical needs above and beyond the year-to-year operating costs. The Annual Fund provides: • Financial assistance to deserving and talented students who dream of having The Summit advantage. • Professional development for a distinguished and talented faculty who take personal interest in each child so they can nurture that child’s talents. • A college counseling team devoted to helping each graduate find the best fit for his or her individual needs and aspirations. • Support for an athletic program that has produced state champions while allowing every child who wants to play a sport the opportunity. • Purchase of vital 21st Century technology and classroom materials. • Maintenance of our historic landmark main campus, beautiful chapel and Athletic Complex. “The Annual Fund provides the extras that tuition doesn’t cover,” says Head of School Rich Wilson. “Many of the improvements we made over the summer – the new playground surface and additional SmartBoards for the Lower School, improved lighting in the hallways of the Middle School, the new Collegiate Learning Center and centralization of the computer lab in the Upper School, new piano and violin studios in the Main Building – were all funded through dollars raised in the Annual Fund.”

and I cannot imagine a better environment for our children – an environment which shares some of the same life-changing faculty that blessed our presence, along with many new members who are working together to enrich the lives of all Summit students. This is truly special.” The Leaders of Character Society organizes donors into giving circles. “There will be gatherings and social events for these circles, but the point of them is to join a group of like-minded people who share a passion for the mission of The Summit,” Jim says. “The circles acknowledge that everybody has been helped somewhere along the way by someone else, whether it was a teacher who inspired you or a parent who sacrificed for their education, and they are now passing their blessings forward to help others.” The Leaders of Character Society recognizes donors at whatever level of giving they can make. The levels are: Saint Julie’s Circle 1890 Circle Julia & Louise’s Circle Grandin Circle Trustee’s Circle Head of School’s Circle Director’s Circle Five Pillars Circle Silver Knight Circle (under age 35)

$50,000 + $25,000 - $49,999 $20,000 - $24,999 $15,000 - $19,999 $10,000 - $14,999 $5,000 - $9,999 $2,500 - $4,999 $1,000 - $2,499 $500-$999

This year, the Annual Fund for Excellence is led by Stuart and Holly (Friesz) Seltman, lifers from the Class of 1986 who are giving their own four children – Elly ’12, Stuart, Jr. ’14, Hank ’16 and Martha ’19 – The Summit advantage. In their appeal to donors, Stuart and Holly reflected on the commonalities between their experience as students and those of their children – a dedicated and passionate faculty, the development of leaders of character and an environment which encourages and challenges students to grow in grace and wisdom. “Our family is blessed to have had the opportunity to be educated at The Summit,” Stuart said. “Holly

Freshman Gracie Kunkel reads with toddler Kayla Dwyer Summit Magazine during Character Day in October. The Montessori character33 trait is kindness. Freshmen reflect on patience.


Lower School students watch Director Helen Clark unveil the Character Education Banner. A banner hangs in each of the four divisions, reminding children of the grade-level character traits they are studying.

Donors can be “Patrons” of the Annual Fund with gifts of less than $1,000. A Silver Knight Circle for donors under age 35 was created to make the Leaders of Character Society more accessible to people just starting out. The Annual Fund also includes Angel Donors who make a commitment of at least $2,500 per year for four years specifically to support students with financial need. Angel Donors join circles based on the dollar amount of giving per year. (See story, Page 35.)

New to The Summit, Jim Jackson acknowledges that the rapid growth of U.S. non-profits and needs resulting from two recessions have left many people experiencing a trend known as “donor fatigue.” “There’s not a day that goes by when you’re not being asked to help someone some way,” he says. “As Christians, we’re told ‘To whom much has been given, much is expected.’ Each of us must determine the best recipients for our philanthropic giving. I believe investing in education can multiply our gifts more than any other way. Investing in The Summit shows our commitment to an institution we believe can make a difference in students’ lives so they will pay it forward too. Investing in circle-level giving strengthens our resolve and encourages like-minded people to join us so that, collectively, our efforts can have a more powerful impact. Right now, we are the stewards. Our mission statement challenges us to be people of character and improve the world we’ve inherited. That window over the front door reminds us that the world begins here.”

“I hope everybody who believes in this institution and has been touched by it will join the Leaders of Character Society,” says Nick Ragland IV BMS ’83, the Chair of the Leaders of Character Society who, with his wife Joelle, have two children at The Summit – Alex ’19 and Sydney ’21. “As a charter member, you’ll be showing your commitment to a school that you believe provides a world-class education. You’ll be showing your appreciation for talented and dedicated faculty and coaches who have made a difference in your lives or the lives of your children and grandchildren. I hope to see a passion for philanthropy from everyone who believes our Character Education Program will help students grow in grace and wisdom so they can use their intellect and talents to make the world a better place. By joining these giving circles, you’re encouraging friends, family and classmates to see the value in giving back to the place that enriched your lives so that others receive the same blessings. It is Junior Carlos Garciamendez, sacrificial giving that will affect the lives of center, works with first graders students and the quality of education in our James Johnson, left, and Owen Lawler, on caring trees. The first school this year.” 34 Winter 2012 - 2013

grade character trait is caring. Juniors study compassion.


Angel Donors
Give Students
Wings to Fly

Donate Now
 Annual Fund for Excellence donation envelopes have been inserted in this magazine to make it more convenient for you to make a tax-deductible donation now. For more information about the Annual Fund for Excellence, please contact:
 Jim Jackson, Director of Development, 513.871.4700 x242 or email jackson_j@summitcds.org.
 Michele Duda, Assistant Director of Development, 513.871.4700 x243 or duda_m@summitcds.org.

The generosity of Angel Donors can help meet the needs of deserving and talented students who have the desire to attend The Summit but are in need of financial assistance. The Summit is committed to assisting families by making our educational program affordable. One out of every four Summit students receives need-based tuition assistance. This assistance is available to qualifying students as early as third grade. In the 2012-13 school year, $2.9 million in need-based tuition assistance and merit scholarships were awarded to qualifying students. “The need for tuition assistance is far greater than the Annual Fund can provide,” says Jim Jackson, Director of Development. “However, a growing number of benefactors see the value in earmarking their gifts specifically to help students. Initially, donors will not know who will receive their monies, but they have confidence that whoever receives it will get The Summit advantage. These gifts increase the economic and cultural diversity on campus which enriches the lives of all the students. Our Admission Department will pair benefactor’s gifts with passionate applicants who meet or exceed our academic standards but are limited by their ability to pay. Sometimes, these students don’t need a full ride, they just need a little boost.” Angel Donors are asked to make a commitment of at least $2,500 per year for four years to help students in financial need. This level of giving automatically places an Angel Donor in the Leaders of Character Society within the Annual Fund for Excellence:

Middle School Math Teacher Carolyn Varick gathers eighth graders for a keepsake photo in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial during their Washington D.C. trip. Justice is the eighth grade character trait. L to R: Mrs. Varick, Tullus Dean, Bates Crowther, Thomas McLaughlin, Ryan Schneider, Sophie Hartmann, Logan Taylor, Alejandra Valencia, Jordyn Northern, Laura Klug, MyKaela Murdock-Pace.

An investment of $2,500 per year earns the donor a place in the Director’s Circle.

An investment of $5,000 per year provides 25 percent tuition assistance and places the donor in Head of School’s Circle.

An investment of $10,000 per year provides 50 percent tuition assistance and places the donor in Trustee’s Circle.

An investment of $15,000 per year equals 75 percent tuition assistant and places the donor in Grandin Circle.

A full-tuition gift of $20,000 per year qualifies the donor to be a member of Julia & Louise’s Circle.

“Becoming an Angel Donor is one way for people in The Summit community to place their beliefs into action in a very tangible way,” says Mr. Jackson. “All of us received help of some kind somewhere along the way. For most of us, it was our parents, and many others, who sacrificed to give us a better life than they had. Here is an opportunity to lift someone else, to develop and educate a child so this one child can have a successful life. Angel Donors give children wings to fly.” Summit Magazine 35


2012 Board of Trustees Donor Recognition Reception The Annual Leadership Donor Recognition Reception was held Sept. 5 at the Bell Event Centre downtown. The event recognized more than 200 Leadership Donors who gave $1,000 or more in 2011-12 to the Annual Fund for Excellence, Love Your School Auction, endowment and capital campaigns.

L to R: Holly (Friesz) Seltman ‘86, Lynn and Wayne Lippert, Phyllis and Richard Schueler and Stuart Seltman ‘86.

Christopher and Kelly Lyle.

Father Philip Seher and Dr. Amador Delamerced.

Rosine (Daoud) ‘74 and James Cassidy.

David Smith and Maureen DesMarais. Trustee Cenona Taveras and David Bastos. 36 Winter 2012 - 2013


By Darren Weigl Over 350 runners and walkers along with countless volunteers gathered at The Summit on a gorgeous Saturday morning in mid-August for the fourth annual Marc Bohlke Memorial 5K Run/Walk. The event has become a tradition for many families. “It’s a fun family event for a great cause, and anyone can take part regardless of age or fitness level,” says Anna Bohlke. Her late husband, Marc, was a member of The Summit’s Board of Trustees. After his tragic death from a 2009 skiing accident, friends and colleagues created the memorial event which funds a scholarship to honor his leadership, passion and enthusiasm. The scholarship is awarded every four years to a student entering the ninth grade who demonstrates leadership through commitment and passion for their interests and endeavors, inspiring those around them to pursue their own interests and activities with dedication and enthusiasm. This years’ race had an approximate net gain of $70,000 toward the scholarship fund, thanks in large part to the efforts of the M. Bohlke Veneer Corporation and the Bohlke Race Board. The 2012 race drew sponsors from 76 companies spanning the globe, including Greece, Mexico, Hong Kong, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Japan, The United Kingdom, China, Spain and Canada. Within the U.S., sponsorship stretched from coast to coast. Summit sophomore Austin Smythe, first recipient of the Bohlke scholarship, was the race marshal, triggering the start of a fun-filled race which saw participants from age five through 75 years young.

 “We get some hard-core, elite runners who love the competition but we also get Summit families who run or walk the course together and then have fun visiting as a community at the end,” says Kurtis Smith, race spokesman and Summit Head Varsity Cross Country Coach. “It’s a great way to continue the legacy of Marc Bohlke who gave so much to The Summit and the community.”

 Approximately 40 awards were given out to both runners and walkers, along with raffle prizes. Jason Ordway, an Olympic trials qualifier for marathon, of Bellbrook, OH was the overall winner for the fourth straight year, setting a course record in each successive run. Placing second was twoRecipes to Nourish Your Knights in the Queen City time Ohio Division III state Cross Country champion, Colin Cotton ’11. Nicole Camp was the first place female runner, with Summit’s Ellie Adams ’14 (second) and Sophie Adams ’14 (fifth) rounding out the top five.

Car Line to Candlelight

Become a Sponsor or Donate Now

For more information about sponsoring next year’s race or donating to the Marc Bohlke Memorial Scholarship, please contact:
Sandy Champlin, Development Assistant, 513-871-4700 x 244 or email champlin_s@summitcds.org.

Buy your copy in The Summit Spirit Shop or buy it online at www2.summitcds.org/giving/Summit-Cook-Book.cfm

Summit Magazine 37


Alumni Summit junior quarterback Antonio Woods unleashes a pass downfield while being chased by Trojan defenders in the first half of the Silver Knights’ homecoming victory on Sept. 21.

Robert Baechtold gives fellow Upper School Spanish Teacher Monica (Haas) Desch ‘90 a hug while presenting her with her Hall of Fame Award during the Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon.

You can take the football player out of Summit, but you can’t take the Silver Knight out of the alumni. Grant Bailey ’02, Eddie Maag ’02, Rene Cheatham ’03, Ty Hogan ’02, Joe Sanzere ’02 reunite on Williams Field.

The Homecoming Court was recognized during halftime. L to R: Upper School Director Dr. Terrence Malone, seniors Larson Robinson, Madeline Stine, Morgan Hughes, Robby Wellington, juniors Sydney Carter and Antonio Woods, sophomores Philip McHugh and Cecily Nelson, freshmen David Temming and Allison Kinross and Head of School Rich Wilson.

 38 Winter 2012 - 2013


Alumni say greeting former teachers is one of their favorite parts of an alumni weekend. Former faculty enjoy the reunions too. At the Annual Alumni Reception were, L to R, Gregg Kummer, Bob Juenke, Betty Ann Freemal and Carole Fultz.

Fall Festival kicks off Homecoming Weekend. Fourth grader Kendall Hamilton tests his strength with a sledgehammer as he tries to ring the bell at a carnival game in front of the school.

Mary Agnes Walter holds the Honorary Family Award given to her during Mass on Homecoming Weekend. Her daughters, MaLissa (Walter) Geers ‘76, left, and Josie (Walter) Funk ‘80 manage Summit’s food services.

2012 Homecoming Weekend Class of 1992 alumni Meg Grulee, Suzanne Clyne and Ayanna Terry catch up with each other at the reception.

Summit Magazine 39


Four New Members Inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame The Summit welcomed four new members to its Athletic Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony on Williams Field at the Homecoming football game Sept. 21, 2012. The Silver Knights treated alumni to a 14-6 victory over North College Hill. The inductees received their awards during an Alumni Awards Luncheon on Sept. 22 as Alumni Homecoming and Reunion Weekend continued.
The Summit Alumni Association established the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984 which now has 93 members to date. Monica (Haas) Desch ’90 lettered in three varsity sports while attending The Summit – track and field, tennis and cheerleading. In track and field, she competed in the 100 and 400 meter events, along with the 4 x 100, 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 relays. As a junior, she was the team’s Most Improved Runner after competing in the regional championships on the 4 x 400 relay team and was a team captain her senior year. She currently teaches Upper School Spanish at Summit and was an assistant coach in field hockey from 1990-2000, and in track and field from 1998-2000.

 Nick Kaiser ’92 lettered in football and baseball. There was much anticipation surrounding his arrival at The Summit as a freshman. After starting his first game as a quarterback, his football career came to an end two games later with a catastrophic knee injury. He was a firstteam All-MVC selection in both 1991 and 1992 as a pitcher on The Silver Knights’ baseball team. He led the team in 1991 in home runs, RBI and ERA and was commended by teammates for shining when they needed him the most. In his senior season, he threw three one-hitters and was among the city leaders in batting average.

 Jeff Roth ’02 was a four-year starter on The Summit Football team, where he was an All-MVC Honorable Mention as a freshman and sophomore at the linebacker position and All-MVC First Team at tailback in his junior and senior campaigns. He was Second Team All40 Winter 2012 - 2013

The Summit Country Day School inducted its four newest members to its Athletic Hall of Fame during halftime of the Homecoming Game. The inductees, from L to R: Former coach and alum Jeff Roth ’02, former coach and Upper School teacher Gregg Kummer, Nick Kaiser ’92 and Upper School Spanish teacher Monica (Haas) Desch ’90.

Cincinnati Metro in his junior season at tailback. He set The Summit career rushing record with 2,905 yards and was also a varsity letterman on the lacrosse team for three seasons. He was named to the Ohio All-State Lacrosse First Team as a defenseman his senior year. He went on to play for Centre College and DePauw University, where he was the starting fullback on DePauw’s Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-championship team in 2005. Roth was also SCD’s Middle School Head Lacrosse Coach from 2009-2011.

 Gregg Kummer was a teacher and coach at The Summit from 1987 through 1997, serving the entire time as Assistant Varsity Football Coach. He also had stints as head boys’ track coach, swimming coach, assistant boys’ track coach and head boys’ track coach. While serving as a strength coach, he supervised weight training and started a weight-lifting club. He was well known throughout The Summit program for well-placed clichés which his football players still remember to this day, such as “Be the hammer, not the nail.” On the faculty, he taught many different levels of math.


Four Alumni Awarded for Achievement, Service Four outstanding alumni were recognized for their service to the school and community during the annual Homecoming and Reunion weekend Sept. 21-23. “Not only did they excel during their time at The Summit, but they continue to live The Summit mission through their amazing service to others,” says Kirstin (Fullen) Klein ’95, President of the Alumni Board.

his tenure, DART was named best Narcotic Task Force in Ohio. He has been involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, Cop on Top, Shop with a Cop, Dan Beard Council/ Boy Scouts of America and Lock Up for Muscular Dystrophy Association. He and his wife, Brigid, have two children: Ellison, age 4, and Evan, 8 months.

The Meritorious Service Award recognizes Joe Kroeger ’97 for service to school, community, state or nation. A close friend and classmate of the late Austin Jay “A.J.” Cohen, who died tragically in a house fire in 2000, Mr. Kroeger currently serves as president of the A.J. Cohen Memorial, Inc. Board of Directors which benefits fire prevention programs and funding for the A.J. Cohen Memorial Scholarship at The Summit. During the Awards Ceremony, Mr. Kroeger presented a $10,500 check to Head of School Rich Wilson for the scholarship. Mr. Kroeger is the DeVry University High School Programs Representative. He and his wife, Jamie, have two sons: A.J., age 2, and Jack, age 1.

The Young Alumni Award recognizes Alicia Bond-Lewis ’97, a Summit “lifer,” for outstanding professional and service accomplishments. An attorney at Dinsmore & Shohl, she handles complex commercial litigation matters and also serves as the prosecutor for the City of Blue Ash and the Village of Silverton. Named a 2011 Rising Star by the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, she is a member of the Board of Directors of March of Dimes Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Public Policy Council of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Corporate Guild of Dress for Success and the NAACP. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she has lived and worked abroad in Spain, Chile and Argentina. She had internships in the Colorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal Affairs; U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado; and United Nations Secretariat Office. Prior to her legal studies, Alicia was a writer/editor for Women’s Policy, Inc. She has authored articles published nationally by the American Bar Association and U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She is married to Dr. Christopher Lewis.

The Christian Service Award recognizes Mike Dreyer ’91 for service to others. A detective for the Springdale Police Department, Mr. Dreyer was a founding member of the Springdale Police Department bike patrol and a member of the Springdale Honor Guard. During three years on the Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART), the organization was named best in Ohio and he was promoted to field commander. During

The Artistic Achievement Award recognizes Dave Wachter ’94 for contributions to the arts. A comic book illustrator, Mr. Wachter has been nominated for several prestigious awards in his field, including 2012 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award at Comic-Con International; 2011 Harvey Awards for Best Online Work; and Best Digital Comic in the 2010 Eisner Awards for the webcomic, “The Guns of Shadow Valley.” He is the artist and co-creator of the critically acclaimed independent comic series, “Scar Tissue.” His work has been featured in various anthologies.

Summit Country Day Alumni Award winners, from L to R, Meritorious Award winner Joe Kroeger ’97, Young Alumni Award winner Alicia Bond-Lewis ’97 and Christian Service Award winner Mike Dreyer ’91 were honored on Sept. 22 during Summit’s annual Homecoming and Reunion weekend . Not pictured: Artistic Achievement Award winner Dave Wachter ’94.

To find out how you can nominate alumni for next year’s awards, go to http://www2.summitcds.org/alumni/

IT MM E SU LIN ON

Summit Magazine 41


Walter Family Honored during Homecoming Mass

H

omecoming weekend culminated at a Sunday Mass with recognition of one of The Summit’s largest legacy families, the Walter family. Sponsored by The Summit Alumni Association, the Homecoming Mass traditionally honors one family. “The Walter family legacy dates back to 1907, and today includes a new generation of six current students and two staff members,” says Director of Development Jim Jackson. “We are grateful to each and every one of them for the impact they have had on this school.” While the Walter family is extensive through many aunts, uncles and cousins, the Mass celebrated Mary Agnes Walter, her children and grandchildren. Mary Agnes and her husband, the late Edward Walter, a Summit Boys School attendee, sent all eight of their children to The Summit. Attending Mass in honor of the family were, back to front, Row 1, L to R: Glen Maringer, Nicholas Maringer, Fritz Schroder, Jack Schroder ’13, Bill Funk, Robert Walter BMS ’74, John Schroder ’79. Row 2: Kevin Kroencke ’15, Diego G. Vallota, Mamie Maringer, Elizabeth (Walter) Maringer ’89, Scott Kroencke, Kari Walter, Eddie Walter BMS ’84, Dan Geers, Dan Kelley, Ryan Faehnle; Row 3: Eric Kroencke ’18, Diego A. Vallota, Fritzi (Walter) Vallota ’86, Mia Walter (att.), Gabriella Vallota, Tina (Walter) Kroencke ’82, Carli Vallota, Avery Walter, Gracie Walter (att.), Emily (Geers) Faehnle, Tina Walter, Mamie (Walter) Schroder ’78. Row 4: Lily Kroencke ’15, Lucy Schroder ’16, Maria Vallota, Chloe Walter (att.), Dylan Kelley, MaLissa (Walter) Geers ’76, Mary Agnes Walter, Ava Rose Kelley, Lauren (Geers) Kelley, Megan Funk ’13, Josie (Walter) Funk ’80, Laura Geers. Row 5: Marley Walter, Mac Walter, Reilly Walter. Not pictured: Francie (Geers) and John MacCauley, Paul and Geers, Gus Walter (att.), Charlie Walter (att.), Emmy Schroder and Katie Funk ’12. 2013 42 Winter 2012 -Jackson


HOMECOMING REUNION WEEKEND 2012

L to R: Tate Yarnell ’01, Paula (Bien) Yarnell ’65, Jeff Roth ’02, Skip Yarnell and Tyler Yarnell ’97.

Cary Daniel ’93 and Thomas Wessner ’93.

Sanford Pauly ’82, Peter Saba ’83, Alison Miller ’82 and Benjamin Maraan BMS ’78.

Camille Maynard ’07, Meaghan FitzGerald ’07, Kyndal Michel ’07, Emily Earls ’07.

Yolanda Everett-Wilson ’82, Tina (Walter) Kroencke ’82 and Byron Foster ’82.

Patrick Cosgrove ’07, Zach Kling ’07, Matt Humpert ’07 and Jeff Rost ’07. Summit Magazine 43


Thanksgiving Gatherings

The McKenzie-Sargent Distinguished Alumni

Flannery Gym turned back the clock the night after Thanksgiving and welcomed home many alumni members of The Summit basketball program. With several lead changes, the game came down to 89-89 at the end of regulation and went into overtime for the fourth straight year. The gray team prevailed 96-95 victor. Following the competition, players and other young alumni reunited nearby at O’Bryon’s Irish Pub in O’Bryonville.

Award, named in honor of our first two alumnae, Anna McKenzie and Olive Sargent from the Class of 1893, is the highest honor given to a Summit alumna/us. The award is presented annually at Commencement to a graduate of the Upper School, Boys School (through 1971), or Boys Middle School for his or her achievements in career, community volunteer leadership and/ or service to The Summit. All graduates of The Summit are eligible for nomination, except those currently serving on The Summit Country Day School Board of Trustees or The Summit Alumni Association Board. Nominations must be received

L to R: Patrick Cosgrove ’01, Dan Cosgrove ’07, David Koepfer ’06, Ryan Glass ’11, Jack Deardorff ’02, Tommy Kreyenhagen ’12, Charlie Kazior ’08, Rene Cheatham ’03, Chris Koepfer ’01, Christian Melson ’11, Ben Trautmann ’01, Tim Trautmann ’03, Tate Yarnell ’01, Ben Chassagne ’99, Mark Hoeck ’03.

by Monday, March 4, 2013. Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Award nominations are accepted throughout the year. Presented annually during Alumni Reunion/ Homecoming Weekend, the awards honor alumni who carry out the mission of The Summit – to develop spiritually, academically, physically, socially and artistically, and to become people of character who value and improve the world they inherit. Adam Haas ’97, Ben Chassagne ’99, Jordan Cortez ’97, Tyler Yarnell ’97, Tate Yarnell ’01.

To submit a nomination for these distinguished awards, please send nominees’ name, class year and why they should be considered to Susan Maxwell, Alumni Relations and Special Events Associate at maxwell_s@summitcds.org. You can mail your nomination to 2161 Grandin Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45208. For a list of past recipients or more information, call at 513-8714700 x 245.

Winter 2012 - 2013

Jeannette Holm ’05, Hope Schmidt ’05, Jimmy Champlin ’05, Lisa Mays ’05, Amanda Regensburger ’05.


Marc Soellner ’99: Journey of Faith Leads to Priesthood By Fr. Marc Soellner ’99 I can remember as a young child always wanting to be a priest. In the fourth grade, I felt God calling. I was fortunate to be taught in Catholic schools. From my local parish grade school to attending The Summit, I have been formed and brought up in the faith that I love. My time at The Summit was a time where I grew and experienced so much; from the classroom, to the football field, to the baseball diamond, to the wrestling room, I learned discipline, hard work and how to strive for excellence. After my time at The Summit, I went to the University of Cincinnati (UC) where I eventually found my true calling. I had a normal college experience: I lived in a house with seven other people. I liked to hang out with my friends and loved the college life. Even though I was living my life the way I wanted, God had called me to another way of life. It was my junior year at UC when I had some heart problems that sent me to the hospital for three days. I remember sitting in the hospital bed thinking to myself: “How did this happen?” “What could I have done differently with my life?” “What had I done with my life that meant anything?” A common recurring thought frequently entered my mind, “If I died today and saw Jesus at the gates of heaven, what could I say that I did with the gift of the life He gave me?” I searched and pondered, and began to pray. This was the first time I had prayed in a long time in my life. I was searching for meaning, and as I asked these questions, I felt God’s loving heart calling me to the priesthood. I almost couldn’t believe it. For the first time in years, the thought of the priesthood came back to me. I decided that I would take some time, three years, to figure out if this is truly what I was called to do with my life. I began praying the Rosary every day

Marc Soellner ’99 was ordained May 19, 2012 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral by Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.
Seminarian Alex McCullough assisted in the ceremony.
Photos by E.L. Hubbard, Courtesy of The Athenaeum of Ohio.

asking for the intercession of our Blessed Virgin Mary to help me discern God’s call for my life. I also went back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in a while, and what a wonderful experience that was for me to embrace the cross of Christ and ask for the forgiveness and mercy that we all need. I then decided to enter the seminary and after six years of prayer, study and hard work, I was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ. After ordination, I was sent by our Archbishop to Coldwater, Ohio – a cluster of three parishes – Holy Trinity, St. Mary and St. Anthony. I love being in the rural country. The people are great and there is a lot of work to do. I am so excited about being a priest, and I love every day that I can celebrate Mass, hear Confessions and anoint those who are being called back home to God. I will continue to pray for all of you, and that God blesses The Summit.

Summit Magazine 45


Stephen Schueler BMS ’80, Microsoft’s new Corporate Vice President of Retail Sales and Marketing, is joined by his family at the opening of Microsoft’s Kenwood store. L to R, Stephen; his father, Richard; his mother, Phyllis, Director of Summit’s Montessori Program; sister Kristi Eastman (att.); sister-in-law Rosie Schueler; and brother, Todd Schueler ’96

Stephen Schueler BMS ’80:

Thanks for a Strong Foundation By Stephen Schueler BMS ’80 Many people ask what is it like to work for Microsoft. My usual answer: It is similar to the old movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory where an ordinary boy wins a golden ticket to the most amazing candy factory and gets to see what is behind the secret door. A few months ago, I left Procter & Gamble after a 24-year career that fueled my passion for international business, took me to 119 countries and allowed me to live in Argentina, Venezuela, South Korea and Russia. Along the way, I met some amazing people and made a lot of friends around the world. I was thankful for my time with P&G, including my last role as General Manager, Global Retail Operations. I could not resist the opportunity to be a part of one the most historical corporate battles of all time while having the ability to make a difference. I have started my new 46 Winter 2012 - 2013

position as Corporate Vice President responsible for Global Retail Sales and Marketing for Microsoft which has already been an incredible experience. In a short time, I have had the opportunity to participate in one of the most exciting times in Microsoft’s history with the launch of many new products including Windows 8, Windows Phone, Skye, the Xbox Halo 4 game and our first tablet, Surface. I visited eight countries and met the legendary Bill Gates. And, I was part of the November opening of the new Microsoft retail store in Kenwood. One observation from my time with Microsoft is the humility within the company that is lead from the top leaders throughout the entire organization. This has been an extraordinary experience with the ability to give back. I participated in a charity event where Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer joined cofounder Bill Gates at a celebration recognizing


$1 billion of philanthropic giving by Microsoft employees. Microsoft has donated $1.5 million in software to local Cincinnati charities. I credit The Summit Country Day School and my parents for giving me a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning. I entered The Summit Montessori as a 3-year-old with an added bit of fortune. My mother is Phyllis Schueler, the Director of the Summit Montessori Program. As so many of you know, The Montessori is focused on developing skills that positively influence the child’s character, social responsibility, ethics, confidence, self-reliance, and strategic thinking skills. The Montessori experience fosters a love of learning and lays a strong foundation for the education that follows. I was at The Summit the day that Microsoft announced my new position. Being at the school reminded me what a launching pad The Summit is and how lucky I was to have this in my background. My two sisters and brother also attended The Summit. Currently, I have two nieces and a nephew in the Montessori program and another niece attending the Lower School. Next year we all will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Summit’s Montessori Program. Again, Summit, thanks for giving me a strong foundation. Thanks for making a difference every day in preparing students to be global citizens, so they can improve our world.

A Global Odyssey 
 Stephen Schueler’s career with Microsoft and Procter & Gamble has been a global odyssey traversing 119 countries and intersecting with some notable historic figures.
 2012-Present: Corporate Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Microsoft in Redmond, Wash. Opportunity to work for the legendary team of Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates. 
 2011-2012: He was General Manager for Global Retail Operations at P&G.
 2007-2011: P&G General Manager Eastern Europe and Russia. There, he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
 2003-2007: P&G Director managing product sales in Seoul, South Korea.
 1999-2003: P&G Associate Director Latin America fabric care business in Caracas, Venezuela where he met Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
 1998-99: He managed the P&G fabric and home care business for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Stephen visits his family in the Montessori school. L to R: niece Lexi Eastman, Stephen, niece Kylie Eastman, mother Phyllis Schueler and nephew John Schueler.

Summit Magazine 47


Gavin Tabone ’92: Alum Hits a High Note with Texas Children’s Choirs
 By Michael Amann ’05 Inspired by his own music teacher at The Summit, Gavin Tabone ’92 hopes to share his passion for music by planting the seeds of music appreciation in the next generation. Working in the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas, Gavin is an elementary school teacher and choir director at Barton Hills Elementary School. The Barton Hills Choir – comprised of third, fourth and fifth grade singers – is an ensemble that performs both the classics (think, the Beatles) and Gavin’s original children’s rock songs, accompanied by a band of professional musicians from Austin. Before Barton Hills, Gavin founded and led the Palm School Choir. “My choirs have had many great opportunities over the years,” says Gavin. “We have performed on every local TV channel and our local NPR.” The Barton Hills Choir has participated in such high profile events as The Austin City Limits Music Festival, The South by Southwest Music Conference and the city of Austin’s annual Zilker Park Holiday Tree Lighting. In 2006, the Palm Elementary Choir, which released six CDs, was featured on NBC’s Today Show. “Al Roker came to our school for his Al Roker Lends A Hand series and the choir got to perform with Lyle Lovett on our cafeteria stage in front of our whole school,” says Gavin. Last spring, the Barton Hills Choir got the opportunity to play with Pink Floyd ‘s Roger Waters during a sold-out performance of The Wall. “Our kids sang ‘Another Brick in the Wall,’ ” says Gavin. “The kids acted with tremendous poise and self-control. I was the one freaking out because I’m such a big fan of both artists.” Gavin credits Bruce Bowdon, who teaches Music and Film in Summit’s Middle School, for inspiring, encouraging and mentoring him. “I would never have become a music teacher if it hadn’t been for my music teacher at Summit, Bruce Bowdon,” he says. Even now, Gavin says he draws inspiration from his former teacher and bounces ideas off his mentor on occasion. Gavin also says that he would like to return to his alma mater with his choir. “The dream is to one day go on a road trip to Summit,” says Gavin. 48 Winter 2012 - 2013


Austin Berry ’07: MLS Rookie of the Year 12 Things You Don’t Know about Me Summit alum Austin Berry ’07 has been having the time of his life in the first season of his professional soccer career playing for the Chicago Fire. The 6’2” defender from Anderson Township was named Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year after a media campaign featured him on a Life cereal box. Austin shares little-known details about his life. 1. I have a cat named Michelle. She’s very human- like. She gets offended easily and thinks the world revolves around her.
 2. I don’t live without TiVO. I TiVO “South Park,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “Modern Family.” 
 3. My favorite celebrity that I’ve met is Bill Murray – the man, the myth, the legend. 
 4. People often say that I look like Daniel Tosh from “Tosh.0.” 
 5. My guilty pleasure is video games. I’m an avid video game player. 
 6. On my fantasy soccer team I would have Zinedine Zidane (retired French midfielder), Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (retired Brazilian striker) and Thierry Henry (New York Bulls striker). 7. My most embarrassing moment was probably tripping on stage when I got drafted.
 8. My favorite band is Silverstein or Greely Estates, and my favorite movies are “Gladiator,” “Braveheart” and all the other classics. My favorite holiday is Halloween because I absolutely love candy. My favorite food to order on the road is Chicken Parm at any restaurant.

9. When I come home to Cincinnati I have to go to Donatos. I have Donatos immediately upon arrival in Cincinnati. My favorite pizza is extra cheese with pepperoni. I always have Graeter’s ice cream, I make sure I try to have El Coyote in Anderson Township and Montgomery Inn ribs. But definitely Donatos. My favorite home-cooked meal is pasta. My mom makes really good pasta sauce so we have pasta a lot.
 10. My dad and my grandpa are my heroes. I’d like to be like them. They’re really good people and they’ve always been there to watch me play and succeed.
 11. The one thing I wish I’d known in high school was how much more I could have worked at soccer. I did a lot but I could have done more. 
 12. I’ll always be grateful for the environment at Summit that allowed me to succeed and get to where I am now, and I’ll always cherish the relationships that were forged. It was an all-around great high school experience for me. Summit Magazine 49


Class Notes Tom Marioni SBS ’51 is a conceptual artist who has created a large body of work in sculpture, drawing and printmaking. His private beer salon, held weekly with friends since 1973, was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Tom has turned half of his San Francisco studio into a piano bar. Located on Howard Street near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the piano bar consists of five stools, two vinyl booths and an industrial strength refrigerator. Tom has also published Beer, Art and Philosophy: A Memoir in 2004. The subtitle is appropriately, “The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends Is the Highest Form of Art.” For more updates on Tom, a link to the article and details on his memoir, visit www.tommarioni. com.

Eileen (Steinle) Alexander ’76 was accepted into the University of California,

50 Winter 2012 - 2013

Los Angeles Statistical Genetics summer program 2012 and received a Grant from the Center for Environmental Genetics, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, to study the contribution of environmental and genetic factors to (eosinophilic) food allergies. She was also the recipient of the Young Investigator Award given by the International Eosinophil Society in June 2011 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

John McJoynt ’80 was invited to attend The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Boston this fall. Across the country each year, veterans at Veterans Administration facilities compete in a local creative arts competition. The competition this year includes 53 categories in the visual arts division that range from oil painting to leatherwork to paint-bynumber kits. In addition, there are 120 categories in the performing arts pertaining to all aspects of music, dance, drama and creative writing. A national selection committee chooses first, second and

third place winners among all of the entries. Select winners are invited to attend the Arts Festival each year.

Jo Haas ’85 received the Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award for Experienced Leadership in the Field from the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) during the association’s annual conference in Columbus. Jo is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Science Center. The Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards are presented annually to ASTC members and their employees from around the globe in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments that not only enhance the performance of their own institutions, but also significantly advance the mission of sciencetechnology centers and museums. She received the award for propelling the Kentucky Science Center to fulfill its role as the state science center of Kentucky. Under her direction, the Kentucky Science Center is maximizing its state and community engagement thanks to

the entrepreneurial skill and deep experience she has gained from 24 years in the informal science education field. In addition to her work at the Kentucky Science Center, Jo serves on the Board of Directors of The Chance School, Greater Louisville, Inc’s Arts and Cultural Attractions Committee, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation.

L to R: Rob Sibcy, Pam (Dixon) Sibcy ‘66, Julie (Kelley) Back ’87 and Robin (Sibcy) Sheakley ‘87.

Julie (Kelley) Back ’87, Executive Sales Vice President for the Sibcy Cline Hyde Park office, has been named Sibcy Cline’s No. 1 Agent (Leader of the Year) for the company’s fiscal year of 2011-2012. She was also recognized on October 3, 2012, in Columbus by the Ohio Association of Realtors as the No. 4 agent in sales for the state. Julie began her real estate career with Sibcy Cline Realtors in 1994. She has earned numerous sales honors throughout the years with the company. Highlights of Julie’s sales career include Number 1 Agent - Sibcy


Class Notes Cline Realtors, 2012; Number 4 Agent in Ohio, 2012; No. 5 Agent in Ohio, 2011; No. 1 Agent - Sibcy Cline Hyde Park office, 2009-2012; and Sibcy Cline East Regional Leader, 2011. In addition, she has earned local and state sales honors that include: Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors’ Circle of Excellence, 20022011; Ohio Association of Realtors’ Presidents Sales Club, 2002-2012; and Sibcy Cline Realtors’ highest sales achievement, Platinum, 2002-2012. In addition to her work at Sibcy Cline, Julie has volunteered for many years for the Cincinnati Antiques Festival and Kindervelt #50.

Brett Heekin ’92 was named to the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 list. Forty Under 40 recognizes Greater Cincinnati’s next generation of young leaders and innovators – people who have already made a mark professionally and in the community. Brett is the President of TechBrite and co-founder/CFO of Hoist. Nicholas Fryer (attendee) is currently the Associate Director of the Brubeck Institute in Stockton, CA. Prior to working at the Brubeck Institute, Nick was an Associate Professor of Music at Minnesota State University Moorhead

where he coordinated the guitar program and directed jazz combos, taught jazz history and directed the jazz guitar ensemble.

Lydia (Balmos) Casey ’02 graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2009 with a Master of Divinity, and was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and served as a hospital chaplain in Greenville, SC and Birmingham, AL. She is currently serving as the Interim Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church Birmingham, and is actively involved in Birmingham Faith in Action, an interfaith grass-roots community organizing effort seeking to advance policies to benefit low-income and working class families, regarding predatory lending and the use of mace in public schools. She and her husband, Jeb, welcomed their son Isaac

Keller Casey on January 29, 2011.

Thomas Herman ’04 graduated top fifth of his class from The Ohio State University this spring with a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering. As a race bike enthusiast, both mountain and road racing, Thomas worked as a bike mechanic through his college career. He is now working as a quality engineer at Plating Technology, Inc., a metal plating company and factory located in Columbus, OH.

Brian Kelso ’06 walked over 500 miles this summer to complete the “Walk of St. James.” The spiritual journey started in St. Jean de Port in France and followed through the Pyrenees across northern Spain to Santiago de Campostela where St. James the Great is said to be buried. This is a journey that pilgrims have been taking for over 1,000

years. Since completing his Masters in Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, Brian has started his first year of Law School at the Robert H. McKinney School at Indiana University in Indianapolis.

Mara Arvin ’07 is currently employed as a Sales Associate with Covidien, a large global healthcare products company in New Haven, CT. Mara is working in hospitals throughout the United States selling innovative medical and surgical devices for surgeons and hospitals. Mara graduated from Indiana University in 2011 with a degree in Communications and Culture. Meaghan FitzGerald ’07 is a second-year law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where she was selected to the 2012-13 Ohio State Law Journal. She is active in the Law and Leadership program and is the rising secretary/ treasurer for the American Constitution Society. This summer Meaghan completed an internship at the Department of Commerce, National Summit Magazine 51


Class Notes Telecommunications & Information Administration in the Congressional Affairs Office. Meaghan graduated from Duke University in 2011 with a BA in Philosophy and a minor in Classical Studies.

chosen to address the audience and introduce Vice President Joe Biden and his daughter Ashley at a University of Toledo Campaign Rally during this most recent election. A crowd of over 1,500 people filled the Student Union auditorium on the campus of the University of Toledo in October to hear a speech from Vice President Joe Biden.

Melissa Wagner ’07, after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design, moved to New York City. There she and a good friend founded a non-profit project called Project Chile: Youth Empowerment. This program is dedicated to raising awareness and bringing hope to children living in a refugee home in Concepcion, Chile, who were affected by the February 2010 earthquake. Together, they were able to organize various ways of fundraising and put together a youth soccer mentorship program. After returning from Chile, Melissa began Jim Price ’95 and his wife an internship at LPK in Jennifer welcomed their Cincinnati. first child, daughter Crosley Jay on September 29, Alexandria Barnes ’08 2012. graduated from Wellesley College in May 2012 and Frederik Dale Coen is now studying at The (Frederick Coen Heinrich) University of Pennsylvania’s ’88 and wife Melissa School of Design in welcomed their third Philadelphia, PA. She is daughter, Samantha Grace working towards a Masters in Urban Spatial Analytics. on October 15, 2011.

BIRTHS

WEDDINGS in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel

Guyton Mathews ’10, a University of Toledo junior studying political science and communications, was 52 Winter 2012 - 2013

Heather Fullen ’91 and Richard Lewis, April 14 Chris Baechtold SMS ’97 and Bob Groenke, April 21 Angela Shinkle ’01 and Justin Swann, April 21

Laura Straubing ’99 and James Ghory, May 5 Muna Kassem and Michael Grefer ’99, May 19 Kaitlin Shumrick ’03 and Matthew Cornelius, June 2 Marie Moeggenberg ’07 and Scott Day, June 23 Betsy Sundermann GMS ’90 and David Laing, July 28 Molly Oliver and William Vollmer SMS ’00, August 18 Courtney Dorger and Eric Ragland ’02, September 8

Madelyn (McGoff) Matter ’48, May 30, 2012. Joseph Jorling Jr. SBS ’49, brother of David Jorling SBS ’60 and Thomas Jorling SBS 54, July 4, 2012. Harold LeBlond Jr. (att.), July 4, 2012. Edna (Kelley) Brinkman ’51, July 16, 2012. Joseph Alexander SBS ’55, February 10, 2012.

Katie Grote ’02 and Karl Pembaur ‘00, September 29

Theresa (Homan) Seavey ’67, sister of Alice Katie Cassidy ’03 and (Homan) Hehman ’60, Richard Tranters MS ’99, Mary (Homan) Engel October 6 ’55, and Richard Patrick Paige Johnston GMS ’93 and Homan SBS ’54, June 6, 2012. Andrew Morckel, October 27

IN MEMORY ALUMNI Kathryn MacGregor ’31, September 2012. Polly (Krieger) DeCourcy ’40, mother of Karen (DeCourcy) Graham ’67, Ludie (DeCourcy) Bobbitt ’65 and Connie (DeCourcy) Cussen ’63, April 2, 2012.

Judith (Boiman) Chrzanowski ’73, June 4, 2012. Matthew Keefe ’10, October 8, 2012.

FRIENDS Fr. Raymond Aichele, former Chaplain at The Summit, September 2, 2012.

Martha Berger, mother of faculty member Amy Berger and Carl Berger Judith (Kuertz) Gallagher SBS ’61, October 6, 2012. ’40, September 22, 2012. Edith (Nietzel) Sause ’46, June 29, 2012.

David Celesti Sr., father of David Celesti ’86, April 15, 2012.

Robert Herbert SBS ’46, husband of Nancy (Hess) Herbert ’50 and father of Robert Herbert BMS ’79, October 17, 2012.

Jeanne Cole, mother of staff member Donna Paulin, August 22, 2012.

Eugene Jochem SBS ’46, April 12, 2012.

Ann Cullen, sister of faculty member Beth Canarie, June 14, 2012.


Class Notes Crescentia Cullen, mother of faculty member Beth Canarie, July 1, 2012.

Ruth Junker, mother of George Junker ’76, October 22, 2012.

David Cramer, brother of Jeremy Cramer ’99 and step-son of faculty member Marianne Cramer, April 25, 2012.

Patricia Koons, mother of Jeffrey Koons SBS ’62, and Deborah (Koons) Garcia (att), July 29, 2012.

Thomas Graham, husband of Karen (DeCourcy) Graham ’67, February 17, 2012. Robert A. Harpenau Sr., father of Richard Harpenau SBS ’71, Susan (Harpenau) Fitzgerald ’69, Thomas Harpenau SBS ’63 and Robert Harpenau Jr. SBS ’61, June 13, 2012. Laura Jean Ibanez, mother of Ricardo Ibanez ’78, August 3, 2012. Mary Esther Jolly, mother of staff member Emily Jolly, July 21, 2012. Najla Joseph, mother of Marie Joseph ’69, Teresa Joseph ’65, Shirley Joseph ’57 and Renee (Joseph) Perry ’55, May 3, 2012.

Sr. Pauline Peng SNDdeN (Sister Agnes Pauline), September 1, 2012. Walter Remke, father of James Remke ’82, June 5, 2012. Ruth Schloemer, mother of faculty member Sherry (Schloemer) Schneider ’81 Susan (Schloemer) Peck ’79, Jeffrey Schloemer BMS ’72, Alane (Schloemer) Shoemaker ’68, Garry Schloemer SBS ’63, James Schloemer SBS ’61, July 11, 2012. Mary Virginia (Geoghegan) Vollmer, mother of J. Philip Vollmer SBS ’59 and Barbara (Buse) Vollmer ’67, Christopher Vollmer SBS ’66 and Susan (Thurner) Vollmer ‘74 and Stephen Vollmer SBS ’62 and Lynne (Hillenbrand) Vollmer ‘68, January 21, 2012.

Reported as of October 29, 2012

Alumni Composites on Display Thanks to the generosity of 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, and look forward to displaying more this spring. Please consider reframing your class composite or one of a family member as a gift. Or organize your class for a group effort. Each composite will be reframed with archival glass and matting for about $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, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2008. Help us preserve and display these historical photographs. Contact: Susan Maxwell, Alumni Relations Associate (513) 871-4700, ext. 245 or maxwell_s@summitcds.org.

Collegiate All-Stars These alumni currently play collegiate athletics: Football
 Michael Bynarowicz ’12, Colgate University 
 Logan Eyer ’11, Denison University 
 Nate Goodhart ’12, Ohio Wesleyan University
 Devante Hunter ‘11, Morehead State University
 LaDon Laney ’12, Kentucky Wesleyan College
 Alex Nourse ‘11, Marietta College 

 Soccer
 Tess Akgunduz ‘10, Eastern Kentucky Anna Albi ‘10, Carnegie Mellon University
 Liz Arnold ’11, Emory University
 Alex Priede ‘10, University of Notre Dame 
 Andrew Vance ‘11, Denison University

 Lacrosse
 Evan Albertson ‘11, College of Wooster
 Sam Baldwin ‘11, University of South Carolina
 Liz Edwards ‘10, Davidson College
 Nate Gustafson ‘10, United States Military Academy at West Point
 Lissie Russert ‘11, College of the Holy Cross
 Brianne Ward ‘10, Presbyterian College

 Cross Country & Track
 Colin Cotton ‘11, University of Cincinnati
 Charlie Michel ’12, St. Louis University Baseball
 Gabe Scott ’12, The George Washington University
 Jack Gustafson ’11, St. Thomas University

 Basketball
 Khiry Hankins ‘09, Holy Family University
 Holden Hertzel ’12, Centre College
 Kyli Parker ‘10, Denison University
 Brittany Williams ‘11, West Virginia Wesleyan College

 Tennis
 Gabby Steele ‘09, The Ohio State University

 Cheerleading
 Lauren Terry ’12, High Point University
 Andrea Bacho ’11, Denison University Swimming
 Bryan Bedacht ‘09, Loyola University Maryland

Summit Magazine 51 53


The Summit Alumni Association would like to recognize Legacy Families of alumni who have continued The Summit tradition. Each Fall, students who have a parent or grandparent who attended The Summit gather on the front steps for this commemorative photo opportunity. Their alumni relatives are invited to join as well. Throughout The Summit’s extensive 120+ year history, our roots often run deep – to two, three and even four generations. This year, there are over 165 legacy students enrolled. Montessori Elyse M. Arling, Miles Butler, Mason Castellini, Chloe Castellini, John Castellini, Millie Castellini, Finley G. Chavez, Jillian Chavez, Asher Clauder, Dillon S. Fox, Christian M. Francis, Esme N. Gonyo, Dylan Gonyo, James M. Griffith, Barbara H. Heekin, James Heekin, Jr., Sarah J. Hill, Alexander Johnson, Brady Johnson, John B. Kountz, Finn Kropp, Paige Kropp, Annette H. LaLonde, Trey Lippert, Holland Lippert, Christine E. O’Donnell, Abigayle Penote, Cecilia E. Ragland, K. Chloe Ragland, William Ragland, James M. Reynolds, John H. Reynolds, Caroline W. Reynolds, Charles F. Ritch, Anna G. Sanders, John W. Schueler, Jenna R. Smyth, Michael Stagnaro, Samantha Stagnaro, Holly Stagnaro, Riley C. Stagnaro, Liam Tan, D. A. Valz, Tate Yarnell Jr., Lilly Yarnell. Lower School Michael J. Butler, Andrew P. Cavallo, , Mia Cavallo, Cecilia Chavez, Joshua Clauder, Katie Conway, Grant Desch, Mary Anne J. Drew, Elizabeth V. Dziech, Margaret O. Harsh, Katherine T. Headley, Sarah E. Headley, Cecilia E. Hill, Parker S. Hill, Oren S. Jenkins, Sarah S. Joseph, Ronald G. Joseph, Kathryn G. Kelly, Gregory T. LaLonde, Lily F. Lippert, Oscar T. March, John W. Penote, Benjamin J. Penote, Sydney L. Ragland, Margaret K. Ragland, John F. Ragland, August E. Ransick, Adeline I. Ransick, Elizabeth T. Ritch, Andrew H. Ritch, Mary M. Saba, Lucas Schneider, Sophia R. Schueler, Nicola R. Settle, Maggie Stagnaro, Katherine Stagnaro, James E. Stahl, Susanna M. Stahl, Matthew Sutton, Edward Thompson, Luis E. Valencia, Avery F. Valz, Barrett A. Wade, Charles A. Wilson. Middle School Samantha V. Crew, Luke J. Desch, Mateo Emilio K. Fernandez, Margaret Harsh, Robert H. Headley, Robert Kerr, Eric C. Kroencke, John C. LaBar, Catherine G. LaLonde, Estelle R. March, Connor McMurry, Emma O. Nies, Caitlin O’Donnell, Alexandra O. Ragland, Elizabeth R. Ragland, Isabella B. Saba, Caroline Schmerge, Benjamin Schmerge, John C. Schmerge, Kyle Z. Schneider, Ryan S. Schneider, Jacob B. Schneider, Martha A. Seltman, Sarah M. Sutton, Hope A. Thomson, Mary M. Towell, Alejandra E. Valencia, Caroline E. Walton, Victoria C. Walton, Paul Wilson. Upper School Sydney C. Beckmeyer, Allie Berding, Sebastian G. Bohlke, Kathryn M. Byrne, Christine Cassidy, John E. Castleberry, Caroline V. Crew, Rachel Cummings, Cecilia Dowling, William J. Dowling, Anna C. Erickson, Kyle J. Fisk, Margaret L. Fisk, Megan Funk, Mary Frances Harsh, Elizabeth Harsh, Robert Hock, Craig James, Allison L. Kinross, Olivia P. Klosterman, Kevin Kroencke, Lillian Kroencke, Madelyn M. LaBar, Julia J. Lee, Christopher Lee, Helena J. March, Jessy McKeever, Jay R. McKeever, Nicolas R. Montag, Elena Montag, Colin A. Moser, Luc O. Moser, Kathryn M. Nies, Emily F. Nunlist, Katherine F. Ryan, P. Georges B. Saba, Monica R. Saba, Jonathan M. Sang, Alexandra N. Schmerge, John Schroder, Lucy F. Schroder, Paul S. Seltman, Henry R. Seltman, Christine J. Thurner, Emily K. Walton, Noelle Weber, Nathan Whitsett, Elizabeth Williams, Monica M. Windholtz. Alumni Parents & Grandparents 
 Ronald Joseph BMS ‘81, Daniel LaBar BMS ‘77, Nicholas Ragland BMS ‘83, Paul Schmerge BMS ‘78, Michael Smyth BMS ‘86, Wendy (Sutphin) Ritch GMS ‘86, Hugh O’Donnell SBS ‘65, Jeffrey Hock SBS ‘71, E. Robert Sanders ‘91, Phillip Castellini ‘88, Rob Dziech ‘88, Peter Saba ‘83, Emilie (Ransick) Butler ‘97, Midi (Amann) Drew ‘81, Oren Jenkins ‘90, Lindsay (Byrnes) Reynolds ‘97, Josie (Walter) Funk ‘80, Kathryn (Stahl) ‘84 and Keith Harsh ‘84, Christine (Walter) Kroencke ‘82 , Allison (Hiltz) Kropp ‘93, Tracy Law ‘85, Christine (Castleberry) Lippert ‘89, Kathleen (Hilsinger) Penote ‘93, Jereme Ransick ‘94, Katherine (Savage) Ryan ‘78, Sherry (Schloemer) Schneider ‘81, Mamie (Walter) Schroder ‘78, Todd Schueler ‘96, Holly (Friesz) ‘86 and Stuart Seltman ‘86, Molly (Moran) Towell ‘84, Todd Kinross ‘87, Victor Walton ‘83, Alfred Weisbrod SBS ‘56, Susan (Smith) Castellini ‘56, Margaret (Hollmeyer) Fisk ‘42, Christine (Thurner) Byrnes ‘70, Alice (Homan) Hehman ‘60, Mary (Holters) Moran ‘50, Patricia (Moran) Savage ‘56, Paula (Bien) Yarnell ‘65, Mary (Kotte) Smyth ‘64.

54 Winter 2012 - 2013


Dear Alumni/ae, MAY 10, 2013 Fleur-De-Lis Mass & Luncheon (Celebrating alumni who have graduated 40+ years ago) Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel & St. Cecilia’s, 11 a.m. MAY 31, 2013 Senior Induction Luncheon Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel & St. Cecilia’s, Noon JUNE 2, 2013 McKenzie-Sargent Distinguished Alumni Reception, Alumni Parlor Class Of 2013 Graduation, Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel OCTOBER 4 - 6, 2013 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 
 All-School Reunion Cocktail Party
 Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, 6 p.m.
 Alumni Awards Luncheon
 Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, 11:30 a.m. All-Community Mass
 Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013, 11 a.m. 
 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.

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. www2.summitcds.org/communications/ submit-your-news.cfm.

During the 2012 Homecoming/Reunion Weekend in September, we celebrated our students and alumni by once again hosting them together on campus. It was a great time of fellowship that gave our alumni a glimpse of what life at Summit is like today. We loved seeing alumni, current students, families, faculty and staff mingle and share stories about their Summit experiences. The weekend started when The Summit Parent Association’s Fall Festival filled our grounds with the sounds of children laughing as they challenged themselves to maneuver their way through giant inflatables, sing karoke or attempt a trapeze swing. Alumni from many generations gathered in St. Cecilia’s for an evening of fellowship. Outside at the Homecoming game, the Silver Knights delivered a 14-6 victory on the Williams Field where four new members of the Athletic Hall of Fame were inducted at halftime. On Saturday, we recognized those athletes, along with four other distinguished alumni at our annual Alumni Awards Luncheon. An all-community Mass on Sunday brought the weekend to a close as we recognized one of the largest legacy families to ever pass through our doors. It was our honor to recognize Mary Agnes Walter, her late husband Edward, and their children and grandchildren. Throughout a weekend filled with fellowship, reminiscing, networking and worship, I heard many conversations about alumni who have traveled far and wide to pursue their careers. Many alums shared stories about favorite teachers and noted changes to the Summit’s architecture, curriculum or class demographics. One thing was clear in all these discussions. As much as things have changed, Summit remains home. This feeling of belonging seems to be a common link for graduates, students and families. The Sisters made The Summit a home for our first students more than a hundred years ago and it remains home to those who reunite here year after year. The Homecoming/ Reunion Weekend gave us an opportunity to commemorate what we have been and to celebrate who we are.Thanks so much to everyone who came and celebrated this Homecoming/Reunion Weekend with us. We hope you had a great time reconnecting with former classmates and had a chance to meet some new friends. We definitely did! We look forward to seeing you next year for Homecoming/Reunion: October 4-6, 2013.

Best regards, Susan Maxwell Alumni Relations & Special Events Associate (513) 871-4700 ext. 245 • maxwell_s@summitcds.org


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Celebrating 50 Years of Montessori Excellence in 2013 - 2014

LOVE YOUR SCHOOL AUCTION Exclusively Online February 14 - 28, 2013

Go to www2.summitcds.org/auction to register, view the catalog, bid and support The Summit!


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