The Summit Magazine September 2018

THE

SUMMIT

Fall 2018 Magazine
 & 2017-18 Annual Report on Philanthropy

Sharingthe goodness of

God

THE SUMMIT The magazine of The Summit Country Day School Magazine and Annual Report 2017-18 EDITOR Nancy Berlier ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Kathy (Hilsinger) Penote ’93 PHOTOGRAPHY Nancy Berlier, Jolene Barton, Hannah Michels, Robert A. Flischel, Rick Norton, Kathleen (Hilsinger) Penote’93, Nick Robbe, Jennifer Schiller, Joe Smallwood, Tony Tribble.

CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Guip, Hannah Michels, Erica Miknius, Kathy Schwartz, Nick Robbe, Amanda Wood.

Special thanks: Conky Griewe, Nancy Snow, Jen McGrath, Mary Vetter.

PRINTING Arnold Printing © 2018 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 Email: communications@summitcds.org Alumni News Please submit news about new degrees, new jobs, marriages, births and other notable passages in your life.

Go to www.summitcds.org/submityournews Summit Online View an archive of The Summit magazine online. www.summitcds.org/magazine The Summit Country Day School serves students from age 18 months through grade 12 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.

2 Summit Magazine

ON THE COVER: Jack Baker, now in third grade, takes his First Holy Communion in May in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel where sharing the goodness of God has been The Summit’s faith tradition since the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) opened the chapel in 1895. Learn how The Summit teaches faith formation on page 28. Read what Head of School Rich Wilson says about the need to develop a strong spiritual core in children on page 4.

Photo by Kathy (Hilsinger) Penote ’93.

ON THIS PAGE: Amid the applause of faculty, sophomore Aidan Lawler escorts his sisters, twins Brigid and Regan, out the door after their graduation in May. Read how The Summit experience helped graduates make an impression on college representatives on page 17. See a report on the achievements of the Class of 2018 on page 23.

Photo by Jennifer Schiller.

Summit Magazine 3

Head of School Message

DEVELOPING SPIRITUALITY IN CHILDREN Developing children academically without developing them spirituality is a crime against nature. Children are born with an inclination toward the spiritual – an instinct about a guiding life force.

However, if that inclination is not developed, the instinct withers when the child is confronted with the secular world.

One of the most profound books I have read about spirituality in children is Lisa Miller’s “The Spiritual Child.” I recommend it highly and will share some of her insights. She defines spirituality as an “inner sense of a living relationship with a higher power.”

Early in our country’s history, religion was “woven into the fabric of the country.” However, in the last 50 years, that spiritual structure has broken down.

Spiritual teaching of children has declined and secular matters have crowded out practice of the faith.

While my spiritual life gives me peace, I never thought about it in terms of providing me a competitive advantage, but Ms. Miller makes the case that developing children spiritually gives them a competitive advantage in life. Children with a strong spiritual core: • Experience less depression, less substance abuse and fewer addictive behaviors.

• Have a stronger selfidentity; their sense of worth goes beyond their academic and athletic achievements.

• Have more emotional resilience because they are more reflective.

• Live life with a greater sense of purpose and greater joy.

Life has meaning beyond the

acquisition of material things.

• Are able to show greater emotional intimacy with others who are close to them.

Ms. Miller asserts that a “spiritual road map forms in the first decade of life…. Small children’s concept of God stems from how they are parented. The unconditional love of a child transfers to God’s unconditional love for us…. A newborn child is a spiritual soul. Our job as parents is to protect and nurture that soul.”

The attachment between parent and child develops the child’s natural capacity for compassion. Miller notes that children look for a spiritual parent in a relative or others if they don’t find it in their biological parents. Hence, the role of the parent is a sacred one.

The religious program in our Lower and Middle Schools focuses on ritual and prayer which have a strong appeal to children in this age range. Our emphasis on community, family and friendships cultivates the child’s spiritual sense.

We are finding that the introduction of mindfulness in these children dovetails smoothly with their religious training. Mindfulness and prayer relieve anxiety and focus attention. Calmer children are happier children. Dr. Maria Montessori was adamant that the classroom be a place of calm and order. In a world where messaging is incessant, children need an escape, silence and reflection.

In the second decade of a child’s life, “spiritualism surges” as physical and cognitive growth surges in adolescence. “The surge of hormones ignites a search for meaning and purpose,” Ms. Miller says.

“The habits we start in adolescence continue into adulthood.” She notes the teenage years are when children “build their spiritual house where they will live as adults. Without that, the house is colder and darker.”

In the turbulent teenage years, adolescents are looking for a state of calm, bonding and transcendence. Ms. Miller notes that the “genetic expression of spirituality surges during adolescence.” Without spiritual training, children

Contents may turn to drugs and alcohol in this pursuit. The effect is fleeting. Disappointment follows. She quotes from a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology that showed “children with a strong personal relationship with a higher power are 70-80 percent less likely to engage in heavy substance abuse.”

6 8 10 12 17 28 41

Developing a relationship with a higher power leads to closer human relationships. Humans are built to live in community. We look to hire teachers and coaches who have a steadfast interest and love for children and seek to create space where spirituality and bonds of community may form.

We preach acceptance and inclusion rather than judgment. Everyone is worthy. “Narcissism and cynicism obstruct relationships,” Ms. Miller points out. She goes on to cite studies showing cynical people having a higher likelihood of developing dementia and a higher rate of coronary heart disease.

We seek to teach our students to listen to their inner voice not the voice of the group. Their time at The Summit is about connecting their brain with their heart. “The moral compass is built on the spiritual compass which finds direction from a higher self, guided by a transcendent relationship,” Ms. Miller says. We need to help children find their own true north. Many schools produce students who are polished on the outside, but empty on the inside.

“The more we can help the child develop a transcendent relationship, the more resilient, emotionally and physically they will become,” Ms. Miller concludes. “With spiritual awareness the child believes, ‘my life has value.’”

Children who attend our school are part of The Summit spiritual family. We are not related by blood, but by The Summit Way – a spiritual way that helps us live an inspired life and sets us apart from others.

54

Rich Wilson Head of School

Features Our 18-month-olds join the 2-year-olds in mixed-age classrooms this year. With how captivated children are by their older peers, we expect this to have a significant impact on their learning.

Lower School science teacher Pat Seta is coordinating outdoor lesson plans in all subject areas. Read how outdoor learning promotes social-emotional health and hands-on learning.

Students had a hand in the design of the new playground outside The Summit’s Harold C. Schott Middle School. The space, which was built this summer, now includes Ninja Steps and a GaGa Pit. The College Counseling Office starts working with Upper School students as soon as they walk in the door as freshmen. Their motto: “Plan your work; work your plan.”

The 99 members of the Class of 2018 are an especially accomplished group of scholars, artists and athletes who were recruited by college admissions representatives nationwide.

We look at how The Summit experience helped them get into their dream colleges and report on the outcomes of these new graduates.

Sharing the goodness of God has been The Summit’s faith tradition since the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) founded our school. While teaching the Catholic curriculum, the inclusion of a broad diversity of faith traditions on our campus allows all our students to develop spirituality while learning to be empathetic and accepting.

End of year faculty recognitions included Maggie Prinner, who was the Schilderink Family Faculty Chair for Distinguished Teaching; Lower School Counselor Elizabeth Drumm and Upper School Head Librarian Marianne Cramer, Leader of Character Awards; Nurse Liz Means and Security Guard Doug Johnson, Summit Way Awards. We said goodbye to retiring faculty Pat Kelly, Mary Vetter, Skip Lynam, Penny Herr, Cathy Flesch and Lynn Bartley.

George Couros, author of “The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent and Lead a Culture of Creativity,” will be the keynote speaker at the Oct. 27 Early Childhood Education Symposium.

Departments 14 41 50 55

Newsmakers Faculty/Staff Recognition Athletics Save the Date

Insert Printed issues of this magazine include the 2017-18 Annual Report on Philanthropy

Summit Magazine 5

Toddlers Martin Pruneda and Reese Bastos water plants they have grown from seeds in the outdoor extended learning area just beyond their classroom doors.

Mixed-age Environments Benefit Montessori Toddlers

By Lauren Guip For more than 50 years, The Summit has been committed to the belief that young children flourish in mixed-age Montessori environments.

Children often learn best from other children, especially those to whom they admire, who often happen to be older. This is why the Montessori educational model works so well.

While The Summit has been practicing this philosophy for 3- to 6-year-olds since 1963, a toddler program for 2-year-olds started 11 years ago and a program for 18-month-olds was piloted in 2017-18. Beginning in the 201819 school year, the 2-year-old and 18-monthold programs merged to become mixed-age experiences.

6

Summit Magazine

“Embracing mixed ages for this age group opens up a whole world of growth opportunities for the children,” says Montessori Director Kathy Scott. “There is an explosion of language, motor control and emotional intelligence during the toddler years, and we have learned from the success of our 3- to 6-year-old program that children are captivated by their older peers. What an 18-month old can learn from a 36-month-old can have significant impact on their self-concept and overall experience in school. We want to maximize that potential.”

From the moment a child is born, he or she is learning. In fact, there is no time in life that a child learns more than in the first three years.

Each moment throughout those years holds great potential for the child to have experiences that deepen their knowledge of themselves, the

exciting world around them and the people to whom they are close.

Stepping into a toddler environment at The Summit, it’s clear the educators within those walls understand each child’s potential.

They carefully cultivate and support natural opportunities for learning all while loving, encouraging and nurturing each child’s potential.

Summit’s teachers see the benefit in the mixedage groupings as well.

“A mixed-age toddler environment promotes a deeper sense of community,” toddler teacher Melissa Grantadam says. “When the children remain in the same room for more than one year, it creates a stronger student-teacher bond as well. The younger children are more open to learning from older students. The older students learn patience and leadership skills. It’s a winwin. Everyone benefits.”

It is this same love and respect for the child that helped Dr. Maria Montessori to discover that mixed-age environments broaden the learning possibilities for each child. In her book “The Child, Society, and The World,” she writes “the main thing is that the groups [in school] should contain different ages, because it has great influence on the cultural development of the child. This is obtained by the relations of the children among themselves. You cannot imagine how well a young child learns from an older child; how patient the older child is with the difficulties of the younger.”

Dr. Montessori is not the only scholar to strongly state the benefits of mixed-age learning. Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College and author of “Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life,” agrees that mixed-age environments are advantageous.

In an article entitled “The Special Value in Children’s Age-mixed Play,” he writes: “When children play in age-mixed pairs or groups, the older, more skilled participants naturally, often unconsciously, provide scaffolds that raise the level of the younger participants’ play.” He also notes that older toddlers, who are naturally

Toddlers Harper Northern and Blakely Lewis play on indoor gross motor equipment designed to help children develop balance and large muscle groups.

more social than their younger counterparts, encourage social interaction that moves the child from parallel play to more collaborative play.

Essentially, the goal in embracing mixed-age groups and carefully creating these toddler environments is to create an optimal space where children feel safe to take risks, learn from others and can establish an authentic sense of community.

Research in early childhood brain development shows that cultivating the right conditions for learning is incredibly important. Early childhood researcher, writer and expert Alison Gopnik, in her 2017 book, “The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells us about the Relationships Between Parents & Children,” writes, “Our job is to provide a protected space of love, safety, and stability in which children of many unpredictable kinds can flourish. Our job is not to shape our children’s minds, it’s to let those minds explore all the possibilities that the world allows.”

It’s this hope for exploration and self-discovery that unites both teachers and administration in their role to provide the best possible toddler education at The Summit.

The Toddler Program for 2018-19 is full; reservations are being taken for 2019-20. Learn more about the program at www.summitcds. org/toddler or call Elaine Pearl, Associate Director of Admission, at 513-871-4700 x209.

Summit Magazine 7

Outdoor Experiences Enrich Student Learning

L to R, Fifth graders Paige Kropp, Callie Fox, Hana Conte, Emma O’Brien and Rosie Gieseke were part of a fourth-grade “River Explorer” excursion at Nisbet Park in Loveland. The goal was to determine the health of the Little Miami River based on what was caught in nets.

By Hannah Michels ity and hands-on activities through inquiry-based learning. Research shows that memories are

Four Lower School fourth grade girls trudge longer lasting when all the senses are engaged. through a creek bed arm-in-arm on a drizzling Getting out of a text-based learning environment October day, splashing up water onto their rainis an advantage for children who are visual, aural coats. In front of them, two poncho-clad boys or kinesthetic learners. Mini ecosystems can show use a seine net to retrieve children how natural and examine creatures and societal systems are caught in the river. connected.

“Taking students away “Outdoor experiences from their desks and out reinforce and enrich of the classrooms allows learning across many students to learn difareas of the curriculum,” ferently,” says Pat Seta, Ms. Seta says. When it Lower School science comes to math, students teacher. While outdoor look in nature for examlearning is often associples of bilateral and raated with science, Ms. dial symmetry, fibonacci Seta coordinates outdoor sequences and numbers, lesson plans for Lower geometric shapes and School students in all angles.

Lower School science teacher Pat Seta, left, helps students subject areas including

prepare the soil for the Monarch Butterfly Garden before planting milkweed. math, language arts, reliFor their outdoor langion and social studies. guage arts lessons,

students write poetry incorporating nature The benefits of outdoor learning for young chilsounds, after spending time outside, and stories dren are many. The very nature of it fosters activof animal adaptations based on an animal they 8

Summit Magazine

have researched. These stories are modeled after Rudyard Kipling’s “Just So” stories which are read in language arts.

The Garden for the Good has been used in religion class to inspire students to write skits about creation that are then performed in the garden space. Outdoor lessons in social studies have focused on how climate and geography determine what can be grown in various regions of the country. While studying the early history of the United States, students discover what early colonists learned about farming from the Native Americans, and how that knowledge to grow plants organically is used in the garden.

According to Ms. Seta, taking students outside to learn provides them with the opportunity for practical application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom.

“It helps students recognize that learning occurs everywhere and at all times,” she says.

Ms. Seta is continuing to create additional outdoor lesson plans. After observing compost critters, pollinators, garden insects and other living things found near the garden space, students will blend fact with fiction to create a writing piece of the students’ choice. Students will tell the story of life in the compost pile or garden from one of the organism’s point of view.

In the fall, as students learn about early American history, they will be given the challenge of looking at The Summit’s campus from a colonist’s perspective and will evaluate if it is a good place to settle. Students will analyze evidence of animal life, proximity to water and observation of vegetation to make their conclusion.

“It helps [students] to see that everyone is an integral part of a larger ecosystem and that our future depends on each one of us acting responsibly toward our environment,” Ms. Seta says.

“Outdoor learning experiences are the foundation of raising the next generation of involved citizens.”

Fourth graders help second graders work in the Garden for the Good, passing along what they have learned about gardening while developing leadership skills.

Summit Magazine 9

Middle School Ninjas Get Kick Out of New Playground The only problem was the firm hired to build it didn’t make the pits. Mr. Johnson’s solution was to ask the Boy Scouts if the project was something they could tackle. Shortly thereafter, the Scouts returned with a proposal, gathered the materials and built it themselves during a rain-soaked Sunday this spring. Boy Scout Benedict Domville, then a sixth grader, helped put it together and then won the first game in the new pit. The consensus among the students and faculty was that it was a huge hit. The Gaga Pit was dismantled during playground construction and then re-assembled.

By Nick Robbe Back in March, with the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, students in The Summit’s Harold C. Schott Middle School went gaga over the newest addition to their playground.

The school’s new GaGa Pit, a structure the students play with during trips to Camps Ernst and Joy, gives students the chance to play an equivalent to dodgeball. The GaGa Pit is one of several aspects of the new playground built this summer courtesy of The Summit Parents Association and individual donors.

The old playset, which had been around for many years, had developed serious safety issues and was actually taped off with caution tape to keep children off of it.

Lower and Middle School Director Mike Johnson saw a learning opportunity – to involve the children in designing a new playground.

Another huge hit with the age group is the popular television show “American Ninja Warrior.”

Students wanted elements from the show in their playground.

Ninja Steps and Sway Steps are now prime features of a ninja course that runs along the perimeter of the playground.

A GaGa Pit.

Sway Steps.

A Trapeze Rack.

“I am intrigued to see if the kids will use the ninja course in a competitive way,” Head of School Rich Wilson says. “Our hope is that the kids will get into it and time themselves.”

The Summit brought in an architect from SHP Leading Mr. Wilson and Mr. Johnson said Design to show students the Ninja Steps. the new playground clears up a process behind building a Page Border: Blue/black rubber surfacing. lot of the safety concerns they playground and explain which had with the old playground, elements of a playground giving the students plenty of chances to be physwould be feasible given the available space. ically active. Plus it improves the appearance of the school and hopefully simplifies carline, which After that, Middle School teachers Laura Priede is adjacent to the playground area, at the end of and Rob Schaaf worked with students in math the day. and social studies classes to come up with their own designs for the playground. The architect “The architect had to draw up seven or eight iterreturned to review the students’ design preations of the design,” Mr. Johnson says. “It took sentations. Across a lot of the designs, several a while, but the final design captured everything themes emerged. Students wanted to keep the we wanted.” trees that are a part of the space. They wanted some of the traditional elements like foursquare, tetherball and basketball. And they wanted the GaGa Pit.

10 10

Summit Magazine

Ed Melvin, a landscape architect with SHP Leading Design, and Erin Johnson, now a freshman, discuss her ideas for the Middle School playground.

Cooper Bush, middle, and Jamie Stephens, right, now freshmen, point out aspects of their three-dimensional playground plan.

Middle School Boy Scouts and their parents work in the rain to build the GaGa Pit.

11 Summit Magazine 11

Left: Senior Alonzo Motley meets with College Counseling Director Maureen Ferrell. Right: Ms. Ferrell and College Counselor Susan Miller visit MIT and Harvard in Boston.

College Counseling Office Helps Make Dreams Come True

By Nick Robbe “Plan your work; work your plan.”

That is the motto for a journey upon which every student embarks when becoming a freshman at The Summit.

A year-by-year work plan is spelled out in the College Counseling Handbook written exclusively for The Summit by College Counseling Director Maureen Ferrell. Updated this summer, the plan launches students when they are freshmen. Step One is take challenging coursework. Step Two is get to know your college counselor.

“Right away, they know our faces, they know who we are, we see them in the halls, we watch them at games and put anything that’s written about them in a folder,” says Ms. Ferrell. “When it comes time for them to apply to colleges, we can study the folder which shows their passions and skills. We use that information to present colleges to them that match their interests and ambitions.”

Ms. Ferrell has made additions to the college counseling programs every year since joining The Summit in 2009. In meetings with students and workshops developed at The Summit for students and parents, she and College Counselor Susan Miller help families navigate the search process to get into their dream colleges.

12

Summit Magazine

The department hosts programs like factors to consider in selecting a college, how to pay for college, when to take standardized tests and what colleges look for on an application.

One of the more eye-opening sessions is when the college counselors put out a list of 10 things college representatives want to see and students order them from most to least important.

She says the results often shock the students.

“Getting into a dream college takes more than grades and involvement in the community,” she says. “Making that dream come true is about finding your passion and identifying what you can do to stand out from the crowd. You have to be true to yourself and not do an activity to pad a resume. Colleges see through all that.”

During the first part of the “What’s in a Name” workshop in Flannery Gym, seniors Filippo Tosolini, Evan Hunt, Bennett Caruso and Jack Speight talk to college representatives about their programs without knowing the identity of the colleges. College reps reveal themselves in the second half of the program.

She encourages freshmen to try out new extracurricular and community experiences to discover their passions and focus on one or two of those in their remaining years in high school.

During sophomore year, an inventory of each student’s interests and strengths helps identify potential college majors. Then, students delve into the research to identify colleges that match their interests and strong suits.

One of the workshops Ms. Ferrell has presented is a version of speed dating where students spend 10 minutes apiece with multiple college representatives. The purpose of this is to introduce students to a variety of options quickly and broaden their thinking about what is available. Another workshop called “What’s in a Name” is a backwards college fair in which college representatives remain anonymous and speak about the top programs they offer. Armed with their pre-determined lists of top schools, students and parents meet the college reps and receive the school’s handbill (still presented anonymously). At the end of the program, the college identities are revealed. The point of the exercise is to overcome false perceptions about colleges and their programs. When looking at a program only, perceptions change. In another workshop, Ms. Ferrell hosts 16 colleges reps to review college essays, which gives students a reality check into how their essays are perceived and what colleges want to see in them. She’s also hosted practice interviews with college reps, which hones students’ presentation skills so they are more polished and confident when they have real interviews.

“My goal for them when they hit that submit button is that they feel they are submitting their very best work for that application,” Maureen says. “I want them to present the very best versions of themselves.”

More than 100 college representatives make the pilgrimage to The Summit every year to attract Summit students to their schools. In addition, she and Mrs. Miller visit about 25 colleges a year.“They help us keep up-to-date on the programs these colleges offer,” Ms. Ferrell says.

“They also help the college admission folks keep up-to-date on the rigors of Summit’s curriculum and the leaders of character we graduate each year.”

Ann Bader, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Miami University, talks to students during a junior class college counseling workshop at The Summit. More than 100 college reps visit campus every year.

Philip Schneider ’02, Director of Program Operations at Volunteers of America Greater Ohio, was among the alumni who talked to students about their jobs and college experiences during Career Day in October.

Because of her experience, Ms. Ferrell has been sought after to serve on university admissions advisory boards, including the inaugural board at the University of Chicago. She currently serves on three. Developing relationships with admissions representatives helps her stay up-to-date with their expectations of applicants and their program offerings as well as establishing rapport for the college search process.

“I get excited when I look at the number of students in a graduating class and the number of different colleges our kids have been accepted to and are attending,” Ms. Ferrell says. “We have some clumping at in-state colleges, but our graduates attend colleges border-to-border and coast-to-coast. As counselors, we are the behindthe-scenes people who help dreams come true.”

Summit Magazine 13

NEWSMAKERS Joseph Delamerced ’18 was named a Coca-Cola Scholar by the CocaCola Scholars Foundation and received a $20,000 scholarship. Joseph, who attends Brown University, was one of 150 honorees nationwide.

Scott Kinross ’18, left, was appointed into the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Scott was a National Merit Commended Scholar, a Buckeye Boys State delegate, a member of the National Honor Society and varsity letterman in cross country, indoor track and field, swimming and track and field.

Summit students demonstrated a firm grasp of world languages this spring. Sophomore Iona Mason received a gold medal in the National French Exam for the second year in a row. Her scores place her among the top five percent of students nationwide. Iona also earned a bronze medal for Level 3 Classroom Experience in the National Spanish Exam. Other French exam medalists 14

Summit Magazine

were sophomores Grant Gerhardt and Mona Hajjar, Level 2 silver; junior Anna Claire Bristow, sophomores Emma Mautz, Declan McGrath and Olivia Theders, Level 3 bronze. Other Spanish medalists were junior Lucia Castellini, sophomores Mariah Mukasa, Ben and Sam Perez and Melina Traiforos, Level 2 silver; junior Isa Bishop and sophomore Sophia Stanisic, Level 3 silver; sophomores Emma Perez, Naomi Purdie, Sam Vessel and Alexander Waak, Level 2 bronze; Lauren Lautermilch ’18, Level 4 bronze. Sophomore Jack Stewart and eighth graders Shannon Dennemann and Trey Butler placed third in the speech portion of the Ohio K-12 Chinese Speech Contest held at Cleveland State University.

Caroline Karbowski ’18 received a fourth place category award in plant sciences this spring at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, capping off multiple honors for her research on plant cryopreservation. She learned about the process at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden last

summer as a member of The Summit’s Science Research Institute. Prior to the Intel Conference, she and three other members of the institute had their peer-reviewed research abstracts published in the April issue of The Ohio Journal of Science and were invited to attend the Ohio Academy of Science’s annual meeting at Bowling Green State University. Shangqing “Albert” Cao ’18 presented his analysis and modeling of particulate air pollution. Lauren Lautermilch ’18 presented her research on Notch target genes. Michael Warden ’18 presented his genetic research on blind cave fish.

Irene Calderon represented Cincinnati at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council named her The Summit’s Student of the Year.

Summit students displayed superior math skills in contests this spring.

The combined scores of Shangqing “Albert” Cao ’18, seniors Hanchen “Jeffery” Huang and Yurui “Jerry” Wu and junior Junbo “Tom” Li gave them a fourth place

finish in the small-school level two division at the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Tournament, with Jeffery and Tom advancing to state competition. In the American Mathematics Competition exam, Jeffery and junior Ziyan “Richard” Zhang each scored in the top five percent nationally and qualified to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination.

At the U.C. Math Bowl, the level one calculus team of Albert, Jeffery, Keith Meyer ’18 and senior Neng “Ben” Chai placed in the top three and earned a superior rating.

Two teams participated at level two for Algebra 2 and geometry. Richard, juniors Ryan Burns and William Fassler and sophomore Wanli “Vennis” Yang scored a 97 out of 100, giving them a superior ranking. Juniors Zejun “Mark” Zhou and Jiamin “Jane” Zhou and sophomore Peini “Penny” Song earned a superior, scoring 96 out of 100.

Senior Lilly Gieseke, a veteran of The Summit’s stage, produced her own musical, which debuted at Knox Presbyterian Church in Hyde Park. Lilly wrote 14 original songs for “A Tale of Two Friends,” a fantasy in which pals must defeat an evil queen. Several Summit students were in her cast and crew.

Faculty/Staff Newsmakers

Lily Melink ’18 (right) pictured with biology teacher Kat Sickinger, placed third in Hamilton County’s annual Caring for Our Watersheds competition. Her wildflower-planting project along the Mill Creek Greenway Trail won $800 for herself and $800 for The Summit.

Junior Shiyi “Freya” Fang traveled to the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference this summer in Baltimore. Freya, a member of the Ohio Virtual Chapter of FBLA, earned her trip after placing second in the state on tests about Health Care Administration and Securities and Investments, and ranking third on the Personal Finance test.

The Summit Country Day School’s 2016-17 edition of the Rostrum received regional awards for excellence in cover and divider page design from Jostens. Led by editors Lillian Chow ’17 and Charlie Ferguson ’18 and under the direction of Dr. Tracy Law ’85, Ph.D. Some 15 representatives from Jostens evaluated more than 500 yearbooks from the region, and Rostrum received top billing from the large pool of submissions.

Kirstin McEachern, Curriculum and Instruction and Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, and Brendan McEachern, Middle School language arts teacher, were selected to lead a day-long workshop in June at the Creative Problem Solving Institute in Buffalo, NY. Their session was called “CPS Meets Sci-Fi: Using CPS to Solve Future Problems.”

Alison Bailey, a Montessori teacher, raised almost $50,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At 24, Alison was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma. She received chemotherapy treatments every other week for five months. It has been 13 years since she went into remission and eight years since she was labeled “cancer free.”

Alison agreed to allow her story to be told online during the Lymphoma Society’s online “Man and Woman of the Year” fundraiser.

Rosie Sansalone, Middle and Upper School language arts teacher, will serve on the Unsilence Advisory Council, a human rights foundation in Chicago started by Danny

Mike Fee, Upper School counselor, attended a twoday training course in Provo, Utah to begin training for students in a new peer-to-peer suicide prevention team called the “Hope Squad” that will launch this fall. Mike has a Master’s Degree with clinical endorsement for counseling from Xavier University. Tracy Law ’85 Ph.D., Upper School social studies teacher, received training locally and will partner with Mike to mentor the studentled group. Dr. Law has a doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of Virginia. She was also appointed Campus Historian.

M. Cohen, professor at Northwestern and author of the novel “Train.” The council assists the Unsilence staff and board of directors to stay informed and knowledgeable of emerging trends in the human rights sector, educational best practices around content associated with human rights and current human rights policies and standards.

Several members of The Summit faculty and staff walked or ran in the city’s Flying Pig Marathon.

Hilary Carvitti, Lower School art teacher; Brendan McEachern, Middle School language arts teacher; Kurtis Smith, Upper School religion teacher; Phyllis Williamson, Upper School English and leadership teacher, ran the full marathon. Upper School Spanish teacher Sue Kelly and Admissions

Administrative Assistant Paula Kistner walked the course. Alumni Colin Cotton ’11 finished in sixth place overall and John Murdock ‘15 finished 15th in the half.

Three Upper School teachers read Advanced Placement (AP) exams this summer. Martin Wells served as a reader on the AP physics exam June 1-9 in Kansas City. Tracy Law ’85 Ph.D. served as a reader for AP Human Geography June 1-8 in Cincinnati. Kat Sickinger read for AP Environmental science June 2-8 in Cincinnati.

Summit Magazine 15

16 16

Summit Magazine

F O S S A L C

8 1 0

2

The 99 members of the Class of 2018 are an especially accomplished group of scholars, artists and athletes who were recruited by college admissions How Summit representatives nationwide. The Experiences 53 colleges and universities they Helped these are attending this fall include Brown Grads University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Purdue, By Staffordshire University in England, The Nick Robbe Catholic University of America, The New School - Parsons School of Design, the U.S. Air Force Academy, University of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Yale. Particularly adept in science, math and the arts, here is what a few graduates said made a difference in their college search.

Making an Impression

g selin bers r college e Coun e; m e w m off thei e Colleg n Colleg ced, A fe GE: 8 show tside th , Bosto elamer s A P D E u m t ; 1 OSIT ss of 20 nners o ryn Ada ; Joseph achuset e Dame OPP ba otr ass Cla ath versity e N e K M h r f i t h , e t o iao of der they ar le Uni ity s, U.S. A s un a ry” X vers shirt . L to R, milch, Y yi “Sher ker, Uni t Kinros t r e a n offic n Laute ity; Wa ; Evan B sity; Sco e s r Laur Univer hnology lt Unive n c bi Brow ute of Te Vander , t Insti Warren . y a y m a e M ad e Ac Forc

17 Summit Magazine 17

Lauren Lautermilch was a National Merit Scholar,

State University. Jaden knows a great deal about the nurturing and inclusive

the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Network of Educators in Science and

culture The Summit provides.

In the summer before his freshman year, Jaden had

Technology “Promise of the Future” Award winner, a National

surgery to replace his heart.

While recovering in the hospital,

Spanish exam silver medalist and The Summit’s class of 2018 valedictorian.

She is attending Yale University this fall to study molecular biophysics and biochemistry. In her college admission essay, Lauren wrote about her insatiable curiosity to know why. When someone would answer her queries, it kept her at

teachers visited him a couple times a week and used Skype to include

Lauren Lautermilch Yale University

bay for a fleeting moment or two. Curiosity led her to discover that science is her passion. Yale, during its selection process, no doubt discovered a strong candidate in Lauren. She credits her time as a student at The Summit with setting her up for success.

The warm, inclusive culture, where each child is known and talents are valued, proved salient for her. “Most students can be successful at any school they attend as long as they do their homework and study for tests,” she says. “Here at The Summit, teachers knew my interests and potential. They empowered me to embrace them not only in the classroom, but beyond.”

Jaden Woodard ran track and cross country, was part of the film crew for basketball and went to the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference as a sophomore. He is studying economics and journalism at The Ohio

Jaden Woodard The Ohio State University

18

Summit Magazine

him in classroom work. Students stopped by to visit and check on their fellow Silver Knight. Jaden attended pep rallies via the internet. The Summit’s community atmosphere and advisement practices really stood out to Jaden and in a sense, it’s what drew him to Ohio State.

“Even though it is a large university, I like how they have learning communities that

allow people to grow closer to others who share similar interests,” he says.

Scott Kinross, who was a National Merit Commended Scholar, was a delegate to the American Legion Buckeye Boys’ State, was a member of the National Honor Society, graduated with 14 varsity letters in cross country, indoor track and field, swimming and track and field, follows a path similar to his father and attends the United States Air Force Academy.

With one glance at Scott’s list of achievements, it’s not difficult to see he is a renaissance person, someone who pursues varied interests. However, with Summit's rigorous academics, students must be adept at juggling their studies with their activities. Scott says time management skills, along with discipline, are some of the things he will take from being a student here at The Summit. Scott needs a lot of both now that he is a cadet in Colorado Springs.

Research Institute, were a boon,”

Scott Kinross

Sherry says. “I think the

United States Air Force Academy

opportunities, the range of classes and various leadership positions helped me a lot.”

Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao completed

Victoria Wilhelmy, who started the Paladin Knights, a student philanthropy club designed

classes in multivariable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations at Johns Hopkins

to connect students with alumni, has the gift of

University in Maryland during her senior year, was a member of Student Senate, a leader of

and Spanish). She was selected to be in the University of Cincinnati Lindner Honors Plus

the Chinese Club, Days of Grace and Wisdom

Program where she is majoring in finance and

retreat leader and was ranked No. 1 in Ohio in mathematics competitions among female students her sophomore and junior years. Now, she is studying mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT’s mission

gab in three foreign languages (Slovak, German

Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

to educate students in science, technology, engineering and math, among other fields of study, was lockstep with what Sherry was looking for in her college experience. Sherry also liked what she called the weird sense of humor the other students at MIT share. In addition to the

marketing.

A Summit education seeks to enrich a child spiritually, academically,

sense of humor, Sherry is going to need resiliency

physically, socially and artistically. Victoria says her experience checked all those boxes.

as she attends one of the top universities (with one of the lowest acceptance rates) in the

In addition to the number of ways Summit prepared Victoria for one of UC’s best programs,

country. Fortunately, Sherry already has a base for resiliency, something The Summit likes to instill in

the school’s college counseling department

its students when it comes to producing leaders of character. “The Summit’s unique opportunities, such as the Science

played a vital role. She is the oldest child in her family, making her the first to go through the application process. She admitted to struggling with managing it all at first, but says Maureen Ferrell, Summit’s College Counseling Director, and her unique programs helped put her at ease.

Victoria Wilhelmy University of Cincinnati Lindner Honors Plus Program

“Summit gave me the opportunity to improve my math skills, social skills, athleticism, foreign language skills and also strengthen

my faith,” she says. “Also, Summit is a nicely-

19 Summit Magazine 19

sized school

think the best part of my Summit education was

because it allows you to

the teachers,” she says. “They were dedicated, enthusiastic and prepared me well.”

get involved in many ways. Being

Robert Kerr, who was a National Merit finalist,

involved in so many clubs, sports and other things, while maintaining

the National Honor Society, was a senior retreat leader, studies biology at the University of North

good grades, pushed me to a high level of excellence.”

Kathryn Adam

Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his college essay, Robert chronicled his experiences as a camp counselor. The two-week time period was filled with trials and tribulations, but he eventually

Kathryn Adam was a

learned that he had to meet his charges where

member of Yale Young Global Scholars, a member of the National Honor

Boston College

won the Evangelist Matthew Award for Christian service here at The Summit, was a member of

they were and not where he wanted them to be.

It became about creating the best environment possible for the campers. Similarly, The Summit

Society and a four-year tennis player. She is attending

seeks to create the best environment it can for its students. Robert says he flourished in that

Boston College and is currently

type of situation. “In larger high schools, it can

exploring her options within the Morrissey College of Arts and

be difficult to stand out when so many people are vying for every leadership position and

Sciences. In her college entrance essay, Kathryn wrote about her

academic opportunity,” he says. “However,

distaste for love – in tennis. In her sport, love means not scoring and she found that unacceptable. Her competitiveness spurred her toward success.

As she moved into high school, Kathryn

Robert Kerr University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

found that tennis’ place in her life, and the way she thought about it, was changing. Kathryn

what makes

began to look at the physics and kinesiology of tennis and that allowed her to blend her two

The Summit so special is the amount of opportunities it provides

loves – academics and tennis – together. She

while still being a relatively small school. The

teaches a free tennis clinic for disadvantaged kids interested in the game who can’t afford

Summit fostered an environment where I could become more than just a student.”

lessons. Kathryn says her interests in academics, tennis and service is what drew Boston College

Maya Warren was an intern at the Ohio Justice

to her application. She also credits The Summit’s faculty for preparing her for the next step. “I

and Policy Center here in Cincinnati, was Editorin-Chief of The Summit’s student newspaper, was Parliamentarian her junior year and second

20 20 Summit Magazine

of 3-D printing to help the visually impaired

Maya Warren

“see” the world through objects, was a

Vanderbilt University

vice president as a senior for The

member of the Camerata, was a cantor for Masses, was an accomplished pianist and was a veteran of the stage at both The Summit and Moeller High schools, attends The Ohio State University. Caroline benefitted from a lot of

Summit’s state champion Latin club and was a member of The Summit’s mock

what The Summit has to offer, but perhaps the

trial team. She attends Vanderbilt University in Nashville. In her college entrance essay, she wrote

which gives students opportunities to gain internships and real-world laboratory experience.

about her love of reading, especially during her Middle School years when turning the pages

Joseph Delamerced was

of those books had so much influence in her

a Coca-Cola

most prevalent is The Science Research Institute,

life. Similar to reading different books, having options in school was important to Maya and

Joseph Delamerced

her time as a student at The Summit. Knowing

Brown University

she didn’t want to pursue business like both of her parents, the class offerings at The Summit helped Maya carve a path to what she wanted. “The classes The Summit offers allowed me to develop an interest in government and environmental science,” she says. “Small class sizes allowed me to talk to teachers one-on-one, fostering my love of learning. The Summit opened a lot of doors for me.”

Scholar, was a National Merit Finalist, was an AP Scholar with Distinction, was president of the Ohio Junior Classical League, was president of the awardwinning Latin club, was a two-time overall individual state champion in the Ohio Junior Classical League State Convention, has had two

Caroline Karbowski, who received a fourth place category award in plant sciences at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, won a grant at TechOlympics 2018 for making strides in

perfect scores in the National Latin Exam along with four gold medals and was a U.S. Chess Federation National Scholastic chess champion.

He attends Brown University and is in its Liberal Medical Education program.

the use

Caroline Karbowski The Ohio State University 21 Summit Magazine 21

Gradua

Class o

22 22

Summit Magazine

ation

of 2018

When You Reach for The Summit, You Get Results • The 99 graduates attracted more than $14 million in scholarship offers.

• 19 full-tuition scholarships were awarded.

• 95% of the class took college-level classes through the College Board Advanced Placement Program.

• 9% of the class was recognized by National Merit.

• Athletes representing 11% of the class signed to NCAA Division I, Division II or NAIA teams. The national average is 6%.

• 72% participated in at least one sport during their senior year.

• Seniors performed 7,475 hours of community service, averaging 75 hours per student. The requirement is 48.

• They will attend 53 colleges and universities coast-to-coast in 18 states, the District of Columbia and the United Kingdom, and 54% of the students will attend colleges out-of-state.

National Recognition

National AP Scholar: Shang Quing “Albert” Cao, Davis DeFoor, Joseph Delamerced, Chris Kahle, Lauren Lautermilch, Keith Meyer, Ruku Pal, Michael Warden, Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao.

National Merit Finalists: Davis DeFoor, Joseph Delamerced, Lauren Lautermilch, Robert Kerr.

National Merit Commended Scholars: Evan Baker, Scott Kinross, Brigid & Regan Lawler, Keith Meyer.

International Science and Engineering Fair: Caroline Karbowski (fourth-place finish in plant sciences category).

U.S. Presidential Candidates: Davis DeFoor and Lauren Lautermilch.

Academic National Recognition United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American: Ravin Alexander.

Athletic National Recognition Soccer All-American: Ravin Alexander and Harrison Schertzinger.

Soccer All-American Game: Mimi Stines.

Summit Magazine Lacrosse All-American: Henry Schertzinger.

23 23

Clockwise from top left: Valedictorian Lauren Lautermilch and salutatorian Regan Lawler pose for an official portrait.

Chris Kahle, Brendan Ochs, Michael Warden, Joseph Delamerced, Davis DeFoor and Caroline Klette enjoy the gathering after the ceremony.

Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao, Elizabeth Bunte, Megan Riley and Maya Warren make a keepsake photo.

Jenna Eveslage, Scott Kinross, Keith Meyer, Alexa Santamarina, William Beckes and Emma Rademacher wait for commencement in the Dining Hall.

24

24

Summit Magazine

Ruben Tolble gets a hug from a teacher.

Among the faculty gathered before graduation are Pat Kelly, Bob Baechtold, Laura Haas, Stephanie Duggan and Kelley Schiess.

Lifers

The Class of 2018 included 19 students who were lifelong Summit scholars. L to R, front row: Lauren Ashley Jones, Mary Margaret Towell, Brigid Jean Lawler, Sydni Maree Brooks, Emma Cassidy Rademacher, Regan Mary Lawler, Margaret Lucille Harsh and Madeline Sierra Hendrix. Row 2: Patrick James Taguba Casanas, Joseph Cusi Delamerced, Evan James Stapleton, Robert Christensen Baluyot Kerr, Howard Henry Schertzinger, Conrad James Coldiron and Michael David McSwain. Row 3: Michael Alexander Warden, Maxwell T. Mosbacher, Harrison Hardin Schertzinger and Justin Alexander Zeilstra.

College Athletes

The following students have signed or committed to National College Athletic Association teams: Division I • Ravin Alexander, University of Louisville, soccer • Brennan Gick, Northern Kentucky University, baseball • Alea Harris, Wofford College, basketball • Xavier Johnson, Ohio State University, football • Nicholas Mishu, Wright State University, soccer • Harrison Schertzinger, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), lacrosse • Henry Schertzinger, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), lacrosse • Mimi Stines, University of Dayton, soccer • Diego Vallota, Wright State University, soccer • Michael Warden, Vanderbilt University, football NAIA •

Emma Rademacher is accompanied by her siblings, Josh, a 2016 graduate, and Keelin, a junior.

Kiana Allen, Bethel College, basketball

Division III • William Doran, Ohio Northern University, lacrosse • Lily Melink, Gettysburg College, soccer • Eva Nicholson, Depauw University, field hockey 25 Summit Magazine 25

Special Awards

From left, Megan Riley, Alexa Santamarina, Henry Schertzinger, Ravin Alexander, Harrison Schertzinger, Caroline Karbowski and Michael Warden.

Seven members of The Summit Country Day School’s Class of 2018 received special recognition awards during the graduation ceremony.

The Maurice “Bud’” O’Connor Memorial Award went to Ravin Alexander and twins Harrison and Henry Schertzinger. The award is given to students who exhibit excellence, dedication and Christian leadership in athletics.

The St. Julie Billiart Award was given to Megan Riley and Alexa Santamarina. The award recognizes seniors who exhibit the ability to love and bring love to others and possess a selfless nature, joyful disposition and dedication to The Summit community.

The Archbishop McNicholas Award was awarded to Caroline Karbowski and Michael Warden. The award honors seniors who have maintained the high ideals of academic achievement, Christian awareness and responsibility, service and loyalty to the school.

26 26

Left: Stephanie Kiley, Nick Latham, Robert Kerr, Eva Nicholson, Andrew Foley, Maddie Hendrix and Brigid Lawler are all smiles.

Summit Magazine

Right: Elizabeth Bunte, Sydni Brooks, Maddie Brault, Kiana Allen and Ravin Alexander line up for the procession.

The Graduates

As they are formally attired in tuxedos and gowns for their graduation, we present the Class of 2018 with the formal names they requested on their diplomas.

L to R, front row: Hali Imani Clark, Lily Christina Melink, Ravin Danielle Alexander, Megan McKinley Riley, Wanyi Xiao, Bailey Elise Goodwin, Victoria Marie Wilhelmy, Margaret Therese Pilon, Olivia Richard Hartman, Elizabeth Jie Bunte Row 2: Yunyi Wang, Yirui Man, Courtney S. Chamberlin, Madison Maly Brault, Stephanie Claire Kiley, Brigid Jean Lawler, Caroline Elizabeth Klette, Vivianne Jane Skavlem Row 3: Meghan Cecilia Byrne, Paige Hunter Griffiths, MacKenzie E. Robinson, Alea Rae Harris, Sydni Maree Brooks, Eva Alice Nicholson, Regan Mary Lawler, Lauren Rae Lautermilch, Rukmini Pal Row 4: Diego Alejandro Vallota, Harrison Hardin Schertzinger, Margaret Lucille Harsh, Kiana Amaya Allen, Emma Cassidy Rademacher, Jenna Karis Eveslage, Alexandra Raven Miller, Wenxin Wu, Christopher John Kahle, Evan Scott Baker Row 5: Robert Christensen Baluyot Kerr, Nicholas Andrew Mishu, Catherine Patricia Marx, Caroline Avery Walter, Elizabeth Dolcimascolo, Madeline Sierra Hendrix, Hope Eleanor Connelly, Alexa Santamarina, Maya Helen Warren, Patrick James Taguba Casanas, Caulan Roice Wallace Row 6: Nicholas Fitzpatrick Latham, Jaden Pierre Woodard, Asa Elinor Larson, Miriam Eileen Stines, Lauren Ashley Jones, Niah Kai Woods, Kathryn Olivia Adam, Jenna Jo Simpson, Mary Margaret Towell, Caroline Frances Karbowski Row 7: Samuel Ruben-Mikkel Tolble, Whitten Louis Massey, Owen Johns Seger, Mark Harris Taylor, Eric Christopher Kroencke, Sutton Walter Eyer, Samuel Joseph Smallwood, Jason Chen Albertson, Charles Alan Ferguson, Shangqing Cao, William Davenport DeFoor, Joseph Cusi Delamerced, Michael Taplin Rafi, Evan James Stapleton Row 8: Maxwell Baluyot Rowitz, Maxwell T. Mosbacher, Conrad James Coldiron, Scott Lawson Kinross, Griffin Altmix, Lucas Andrew Daniher, Keith Masluk Meyer Row 9: Charles David Steines, William John Doran, Quinton Meyer Lyle, Michael David McSwain, Simon Palmer Myers, Andrew James Foley, Justin Alexander Zeilstra, Francis Edward Bohlke, Michael Alexander Warden, Brendan John Ochs Row 10: Howard Henry Schertzinger, Xavier Ezreal Johnson, Nicholas Charles Sutkamp, William Isaac Beckes, William Jacob Berger, Samuel Hayes Gosiger, Oliver John Maggi, Nicholas Martin Bennett, Joseph Clark Collins, Brennan Christopher Gick

27 Summit Magazine 27

Not pictured: John Joseph Shannon

Sharingthe goodness of

God

A full Mass is said at every graduation in the 19th Century Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel. The sunflower, an iconic symbol at The Summit, was beloved by St. Julie Billiart, founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN).

28 28

Summit Magazine

‘We are teaching the student body to act in a way that’s faith-based, compassionate, empathetic and helpful.’

— Stephanie Duggan, Upper School Campus Minister

29 Summit Magazine 29

Spiritual Roadmap Guides Students on Journey of Faith

By Nancy Berlier Every Friday evening in autumn, The Summit’s varsity football team gathers for a pre-game tradition. Starting in the locker room under Flannery Gym, the band of brothers walk together into the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel. They sit in the front, right pews and take turns reading scriptures, prayers and poems.

Then, they spend time in quiet reflection.

“We’re not praying to win,” says Joe Collins ’18, captain of last year’s team. “We pray to play to the best of our ability, to have confidence, to have courage and, even if we’re getting crushed by a team, to have Summit pride and represent the name on our jerseys well.”

L to R: First graders Alex Bishop, Olivia Elfenbein and Arianna Trimm, preschooler Emery Cosgrove and first grader Tuula Hicks 30 Summit Magazine perform in the Montessori Christmas play.

Although the football players come from a variety of faith traditions, Joe, now a freshman at Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., is probably as Catholic as can be. Raised by a strong Catholic family, his early education took place at a suburban elementary school so traditional that the nuns still wear long, white habits and black veils. Joe says he chose The Summit over other high schools because he felt the “God is good” charism of the founding Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) remained strong here.

Coming from a school where almost everyone was Catholic to The Summit, where 40 percent of the students are not, Joe struggled at first with his Catholic identity and his internal desire to evangelize. “From early on, I was trying to think of ways I could change the school, and

then I realized I just need to be a good Catholic example. I just need to be a light. I focused on loving people, being responsible, being a leader and reaching out to kids who didn’t have friends.”

Being exposed to a diversity of nationalities, cultures, religions and co-education gave Joe the opportunity to practice his faith. “Summit really harps on respect,” he says. “As I started to meet people who confidently expressed their personal faiths, which isn’t hard to do here, it helped me to not focus on the differences but to focus on similarities between us. We’re human beings.

We believe we’re made by God. We’re loved. We have a dignity. We’re equal. We all have a basic idea which is to love, to respect others and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The Rev. Dave Lemkuhl, school chaplain, listens to Malcolm Moore, now in third grade, during the First Reconciliation ceremony.

The founding sisters would be pleased. “When I think about what I would expect from The Summit Country Day, I think that from the time the children come here they need to experience goodness,” says Sister Rita Sturwold, Summit’s liaison with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Why do parents send their children to The Summit, especially parents who are not Catholic?

“First of all, they come here for a solid academic education,” Sister Rita says. “I believe they also come here because they know it is going to be a values-based education. And if they are believers, they are going to see a living faith here, and that is what they want for their children. They’re going to find a sense of community here. They’re going to find their children engaged in service linked to a deeper meaning. They’re going to find good relationships. They’re going to find what one writer has called social capital where everybody is engaged in the upbringing of these children.”

Including non-Catholic students in events is a way Summit faculty make the religion curriculum inclusive. Avery Northern, now a third grader, places her personal cross on the large cross when Catholic students made their First Reconciliation.

Beginning the journey The faith journey begins with Catholic teachings from preschool through the eighth grade.

In the preschool, students begin their day in prayer and 3-to 6-year-olds hear Bible stories.

Children are taught how to behave in a sacred

Wyatt Miller, now a fourth grader, takes communion in anMagazine all-school 31 Summit Mass in Flannery Gym.

space and have opportunities to participate in chapel services and service activities. A special time for the kindergarteners is when they walk hand-in-hand with Middle Schoolers at the beginning of a May Crowning ceremony to place flowers at the foot of the statue of Mary.

In the Lower School, Catholic children are taught the Catholic Graded Course of Study for religion provided by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and prepared for the sacraments of First Communion and Reconciliation. While the sacraments are a Catholic tradition, the children of other faiths are included in special ways, such as presenting the readings, singing in the choir and serving as cantors. All students make banners after learning about the Holy Eucharist or post their name on a great cross at First Reconciliation. A longstanding tradition has been for the non-Catholic students to perform the parable of the lost son before their friends make their first confession.

Cecilia Hasan, now a freshman, holds hands with Cate O’Brien and Andreas Pagdadis, now first graders, as they place flowers at the foot of the Mary statue during the May Crowning ceremony.

“One of the main goals is to just teach about Jesus,” says second grade teacher Martha Rich.

“Children learn stories from the Bible and how much God loves us. Children are taught how to use the Bible, how to look up verses, what the sacraments are and why they are special. We have such a strong Character Education Program, and we can tie that to the gospels. As each grade participates in service projects and lessons which emphasize their assigned character traits – caring, respect, fairness and responsibility – the religion curriculum hones in on honor, dignity, community, justice and peace.

“Our students are taught they are special and unique children of God, and they come to understand the importance of empathy and respect for all people,” says first grade teacher Ceil Johnson. “We teach the two great commandments: Love God and love others. We show our children the importance of working together and helping others.”

Many parents appreciate that their children can talk about God in the classroom here, because their public school counterparts cannot, Martha says. “Being able to pray together and learn the love of God is appealing whether or not you are Catholic,” she says.”

Junior Zejun “Mark” Zhou helps second grader Dominic Montaque with a Christmas card in an annual service project in which older younger ones in making Christmas cards for people 32 students Summitlead Magazine who work on the river during the holidays.

Keenan Schomburger, now a freshman, is confirmed by Cincinnati Archidocese Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R. Binzer as Middle School math teacher Carolyn Varick assists.

Continuing a legacy Kristin (Hausladen) Baker ‘96 recalls when she walked down the round marble tiles of the central promenade in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel for her First Holy Communion. She wore a white dress with lots of frills and a veil.

She paused to hand her mother a carnation.

She was photographed on the front steps with her classmates. Afterward, her parents had a big celebration for her with her grandparents, godparents and lots of aunts and uncles. She had that same kind of celebration for her son, Jack, after his first communion in May. At his party, she displayed her own first communion photo and a sacrament keepsake book she made for Jack – just like the book she made for Haley, now a fifth grader, and Anna, in first grade.

The Bakers chose The Summit for their children because they thought it would best challenge them academically while also providing a path to faith formation. Kristin had taught at public school for nine years and knew she wanted her children to be in a Catholic school, but the tipping point for them was the religious diversity of The Summit. “I think there are wonderful public schools out there, but you are limited to what you can say,” she says.

“I think that being able to talk about God in a school helps with character development. We visited parochial schools which are very good as well, but my husband isn’t Catholic and it was very daunting for him for a school to be 100 percent Catholic. I tell my kids to let other kids praise the way they want to praise and be respectful of that. That is definitely a culture that is fostered here.”

After Jack made his first communion, she asked him how he felt. “I think what he said is pretty profound for a second grader,” she says. “He said: ‘I feel loved.’ And I think that’s the point.

That’s what these sacraments are all about, to tell you how much God loves you and to tell you how much your family and your extended family love you.” She hopes the sacrament books she made will remind her children that they are part of a community. “They are a reminder of God loving you, and that this community is going to be their cheering squad for life.

Teaching empathy, acceptance Like Kristin Baker, senior Noor Amir is a lifer.

But her faith journey has not followed the same path. Noor is Muslim.

Summit Magazine 33

Sister Rita Sturwold, Summit’s liaison with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN), shares photos from her cell phone with, L to R, Carson Hall, Jude Gerhardt and Joaquin Beatty, now seventh graders, at the Sisters’ headquarters in Reading.

Middle School Administrative Assistant Jen McGrath hands Matthew Sutton, now a freshman, a Bible during 8th grade graduation. Muslim students are also given a Qur’an.

One of the most profound moments in Noor’s faith journey happened at her Middle School graduation. Taking her turn, Noor walked into the front of the chapel to shake Middle School Director Mike Johnson’s hand. As he had with other students, he handed her a Bible. But he also gave her a Qur’an.

in Italian churches covering their hair in a similar practice.

“It meant a lot to me,” she says. “They truly understood that I’m different, but they wanted me to feel welcome. They didn’t just hand me a Bible. They knew what was important to me.”

A native Cincinnatian with Pakistani-born parents, Noor began attending The Summit in kindergarten and says teachers fostered respect for other faith traditions from her earliest years.

“I am Muslim, but obviously I’ve had a Catholic education my entire life,” she says. “I’ve always found that Summit students and teachers have been respectful to my faith. I always had the opportunity to share. If we had a religious project, they would always say, ‘Tell me about your faith.’ ” Noor shared the differences in the accounts of Noah’s Ark in the Bible and Qur’an. She explained the practice of fasting during Ramadan. She presented on her short pilgrimage, called an umrah, to Mecca. When her female classmates were asked to wear scarves during a visit to her mosque last year, she pointed out that she observed Catholic women

34

Summit Magazine

An executive in the youth group at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester, Noor says her Summit experience has given her confidence in her own faith. “In an age where Muslims are plagued with judgment and criticism, I am grateful that I have that basic understanding of the Catholic faith and am able to provide a perspective of Islam that many people are not usually able to see…It’s something so different to me than what’s portrayed in the media. It’s truly a faith of peace and love.”

Breaking stereotypes is an important way The Summit faculty helps prepare students for the world beyond these doors, says Lama Khoury, a parent and member of the Board of Trustees.

Lama and her husband are natives of Palestine and practice Eastern Orthodoxy, the second largest Christian church in the world.

“Maybe in the past you could separate faith from culture, but now they are so intertwined. It’s become an identity for a lot of people,” she says.

“To dismiss that or to dismiss someone because they’re a different faith, that’s not our right, that’s not our call. All we can do as educators and human beings is to listen to their story and accept them for who they are. That’s where I think faith

Middle School social studies and religion teacher Cooper Schreibeis ’12 chats with Ethan Lam, now a seventh grader.

Morgan Riley, now a freshman, sits with the Rev. Daniel Hughes, pastor of Shiloh United Methodist Church in Price Hill, whom she interviewed for her story in the eighth grade capstone publication of “Hear My Story; Be My Voice.”

plays a big role in that it allows us to be open. It allows us to be forgiving and accepting.”

that experience was the start of his four-year conversion to Catholicism.

Finding out what really matters

“I took religion class very seriously,” he says.

“Maybe it was different for me, not being a Catholic, because it was all new. I had to pay attention. I had to engage myself in those classes and I found them to be very emotionally provocative. It gave me the opportunity to think about things I hadn’t really thought about before. It was a matter of introducing me to these deeper questions about what really matters in life, things I hadn’t really thought about and wouldn’t have thought about if I hadn’t come here.”

Cooper Schreibeis ‘12 didn’t identify with any faith when he transferred here from a suburban public school district and probably had attended church only three times in his life. “I came here for the academics and the soccer,” he says.

He vividly remembers high anxiety about attending his first Mass freshman year. “I was starting to freak out about opening day Mass at school, because I’d never been to a Catholic Mass and I’d heard all these rumors about how you’ve got to do all this kneeling and all this standing and all this singing and all this responding. I thought, ‘I’m going to look like the odd duck because I don’t know what to do.’ ” So Cooper asked Eddie de St. Aubin ‘12, a Summit friend in his select soccer league, for help. Eddie told Cooper to practice the “Our Father” and everything would be OK. Cooper did, but he memorized the protestant version, called the Lord’s Prayer, which has an extra line. In the Mass, when the Catholics stopped at “and deliver us from evil,” Cooper continued out loudly “for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.” He laughs about it now but believes

Cooper enrolled in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Gertrude Parish which his pals Eddie and Nate Hertlein’12 attended and officially became Catholic his senior year. At the University of Notre Dame, he studied economics and theology but felt a calling to teach. He came back to The Summit in 2016 to teach social studies and religion.

The Middle School religion curriculum prepares Catholic students for Confirmation in the eighth grade. New textbooks focus on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching – dignity for life, actively doing things for the common good, human rights and workers’ rights, service to the Summit Magazine 35

Juniors KJ Cooper and Grace LaLonde pray during a Mass.

most vulnerable, pursuit of justice and peace and caring for the environment.

Now in a sixth grade classroom with students going through rapid and variable spurts in growth and maturation, the diversity of The Summit student body is a gift, Cooper says.

“Diversity is incredibly important, especially in middle school, because it allows students to grasp that not everyone lives the same life they do. In my own life, people who were not Catholic or were coming from other diverse backgrounds, whether that be socio-economic or religious or race or gender, challenged my thinking. In my case, that gave me a deeper faith in many ways than it would have if I had gone to a school that was primarily Catholic or only for boys.”

The Summit fosters acceptance without apologizing for being Catholic, he says.

“For people who are practicing a certain religion,

36

Summit Magazine

it is important that I’m still being authentically Catholic,” Cooper says. “For other religious people, whether they are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or other forms of Christianity, it’s important to see how people practice their faith and that faith is something that is lived. I know that’s something my non-Catholic kids appreciate. Really, that’s what I experienced.”

Setting a spiritual GPS The Upper School continues the prescribed Catholic curriculum. Over four years, students take classes in the life of Christ, morality, world religion, social justice and philanthropy. But the focus of religious education shifts to an internalization of what faith means to each student and how to become the best version of themselves.

“We are teaching the student body to act in a way that’s faith-based – compassionate, empathetic and helpful,” says Stephanie Duggan, Upper School Campus Minister.

New research indicates that students who have faith-based education are more likely to graduate from college, have lower rates of depression and are happier, she says. “There’s all kinds of data about students who are educated in religiouslyaffiliated schools, and not just Catholic ones, having higher rates of happiness and success.” (See “Developing Spirituality in Children” on page 4.)

Every freshman in Kurtis Smith’s religion class writes a reflective essay in a project he calls “The Last Lecture.” Students ask themselves three questions: Who was I? Who am I? Who do I hope to become?

Kurtis shares his own story and then asks them to share theirs. “The students get to see me being vulnerable, so as they are sharing their life stories, they know it is OK to be vulnerable. For many students, this is the first time they’ve had to think hard about and articulate what kind of person they want to be. The end goal for these young men and women is for them to start realizing that the people who got them to this point are relying on them to have a sense of who they are by the time they graduate and to take ownership of their beliefs.”

Faith formation comes from asking questions and deepening relationships, he says.

“When freshmen come into my classroom, I let them know that we are all on the same journey experiencing the same trials, tribulations and the emotional roller coaster of life – no matter what their faith,” he says. “I ask one simple question. I say: ‘You all agree that who you are right now is who you are. Do you want to be a better version of yourself?’ Actions that make you better is what we focus on.”

Adrianna Parker ’19 admits she had never thought about her end goal and how she would get there. “I just did things one day at a time, but now I’m thinking what can I do that’s going to impact my future,” she says. “I have an end goal.

It’s nice to know that’s a thing.”

A Baptist, Adrianna followed in the footsteps of her sister Ayanna, a 2013 graduate, when she came to The Summit as a freshman after attending an Episcopalian school from

Upper School teacher Kurtis Smith talks to sophomore Bry Woodard in his religion classroom.

kindergarten through eighth grade. “I fell in love with The Summit. I’ve been to religious schools all my life. I think my parents wanted to keep that tradition. Academics at this school don’t compare to what you see at other schools in Cincinnati – the curriculum, how hard the classes are and how they want you to succeed. And the place, it’s beautiful. The chapel is beautiful. The campus is beautiful. Sports teams are good here.

It’s just like a good mix.”

Upper School students have many opportunities to grow their faith through services, retreats and community service. Every November, all Upper School students have a retreat called “Days of Grace and Wisdom” before Thanksgiving, and every junior participates in Kairos. Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the “opportune moment.”

“Kairos was an amazing retreat,” Adrianna says. “Before Kairos, I wasn’t focused on religion. After Kairos, I was more focused on my relationship with God and becoming a stronger person.”

In classroom discussions on ethics, morality and religion, Adrianna has a broader perspective than some students. “I bring more than one perspective because I’ve seen Baptist, Episcopal and Catholic ways of living. I have been encouraged to be more spiritual, not more religious. There’s always a focus on faith, to think deeply. Just because it’s a Catholic school, you don’t have to be Catholic. Summit doesn’t try to put Catholicism on you. They respect who you Summit Magazine 37

In the days that followed, Bry witnessed group after group of Summit students and teachers coming to the hospital to meet and visit with Jaden. “I thought, that’s a community I want to be part of,” she says. “Now, it’s like my second home. I’m always comfortable here, even though I’m not Catholic.”

Bry’s father, Chris, is the senior pastor at River of Life, an evangelical Christian church in Over-theRhine. Growing up on the south side of Chicago, he became a licensed minister while in high school and received a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Languages at Moody Bible School, an MBA from National University and a master’s degree in General Theological Studies at Wheaton College.

Well-grounded in theology, the minister and his wife, Betty, chose The Summit for Jaden primarily because of its academic reputation and diversity.

“And I would say the faith component was a factor for us,” he says. “Having some component of faith was more important than having none.

Just the talk of faith gave us a sense of security. It was a safe place if nothing else.”

L to R, Freshmen Adam Johnson, Parker Bricking and Hudson Ritch lead the recession after a Mass in Flannery Gym.

are right now, and they encourage you to get better. They challenge you.”

Providing a safe community A preacher’s daughter, Bry Woodard ’21 has a clear memory of her first Catholic Mass.

Her brother, Jaden ’18, had received a heart transplant just as the school year was beginning and couldn’t attend a freshman Mass where new families had been invited. Bry and her younger sisters, Aniya and Sasha, sat with their mother toward the back of the chapel. Bry sat on the aisle to get a clear view as she used her iPhone to Facetime Jaden so he could watch from his hospital bed. Bry felt embraced by a sense of community. “I was in sixth grade and kind of shy,” she says. “After the service, people were coming up and talking to mom. They were nice.

Even the security guard talked to us.”

38

Summit Magazine

The Summit’s focus on social justice aligned with the Woodard family values and the differences in Catholic traditions generated great dinner table conversations. “At the end of the day, our children come home to us, and we talk it through,” he says. “We’ve talked about the reformation, Vatican I and Vatican II, and we were really able to get into the knitty gritty differences between the Christian churches.”

Chris is a big believer that, as a parent, you can’t dictate religion to kids. “I believe if you force something onto kids, they are going to naturally reject it.” That’s why The Summit’s approach to faith formation works. “Summit does a good job of maintaining its identity – this is who we are, this is what we believe – while also being open to other faiths,” he says.

Seeing the goodness of God The point of Catholic Social Teaching is to bring God into your life and live a virtuous life, says freshman Parker Bricking. He likens it to a starburst where the goodness of God “would be bursting out of different things.”

Greg Williams, Middle School Music and Religion teacher and Associate to the Chaplain, addresses the entire student body in Flannery Gym for an all-school Mass. Traditionally, all-school Masses are held three times a year – at the beginning of the year, for the Feast of Guadalupe, when Spanish is spoken, and during Catholic Schools Week.

It isn’t always easy to be virtuous, he says. When a student tells a joke that belittles someone else or throws paper on the floor in an effort to stand out, sometimes it is hard to go against the grain.

“If it’s negative, I try not to follow the negativity of this person who is standing out. Like not laughing if the joke isn’t funny. It’s hard to be in the moment and stand up and say, ‘That’s wrong, don’t do it.’ ” Early this year, Parker was trained to be a Eucharist minister. It was a passage, he says, from learning the Catholic tradition to living it and leading it.

“People here come from different backgrounds, and the stories of how they grew in life and in faith reflect what they believe,” he says. “I’ve learned that what they believe and what the Catholic church believes usually are almost the same. “If you’re from a different part of the world or a different neighborhood, it doesn’t mean you believe different things. Knowing that and loving everyone would make the world a great place.”

Luis Valencia, now a freshman, digs a hole where classmates Erin Johnson and Irene Calderon can plant daffodils in the circle in front of the Middle School as part of a worldwide “Daffodil Project” to remember the 1.5 million children who died in the Summit Magazine 39 Holocaust.

40

Summit Magazine

Schilderink Family Faculty Chair for Distinguished Teaching Maggie Prinner

By Nancy Berlier Maggie Prinner’s creativity in her preschool Montessori classroom is the stuff of legend.

There was the day she was discovered wobbling about on her heels with a ball between her ankles teaching her students how male penguins are responsible for caring for their offspring’s eggs.

Or the time she had all her students on their backs under the desks painting upside down the way Michelangelo did. Or when she helped her preschoolers create a golden sarcophagus out of a toilet paper role, paper mâché and paint to house the craft stick mummies they made. Or International House of Turkeys where every child in her global classroom presented their geographic heritage via Thanksgiving turkey artwork. Or the scientifically labeled pasta skeletal system, which she has seen framed in a child’s home.

The Schilderink Chair Award for Excellence in Teaching represents the highest level performance minute by minute, hour by hour, year in and year out. Out of many worthy candidates at The Summit, the Educational Team this year honored Maggie.

Maggie has been a Montessori teacher here for 25 years, with 10 years of previous experience teaching K-3 in Sydney, Australia. For the past 10 years, while other teachers took well-deserved summer breaks, Maggie has remained on campus teaching in summer programs. In her classroom, Maggie knows each child well, knows what each one needs to progress, addresses each one with kindness and makes a connection with them to provide social-emotional support in their learning journey.

“Maggie has exemplified the spirit of the award of teaching excellence during her 25-year tenure here,” says Montessori Director Kathy Scott. “She has demonstrated consistent enthusiasm for educating the youngest of our community. With well-honed teaching skills as a foundation, she goes above and beyond to make learning fun and experiential for the children. Her teaching expands a wide range of methods and processes.”

Among many parent testimonials on her behalf, one parent said: “She is patient, kind, and insanely creative. The art projects my daughter did under her direction are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Her thank you notes are out-of-this-world creative. In fact, I’ve kept every one she sent us; they are that special. She never raised her voice yet the children knew when she meant business. She always took the time to send me a note during the day with a picture attached of my daughter at school. I so appreciated that; it reassured me that my child was loved and safe at school.”

Another parent said: “She exhibits the values that The Summit stands for in the way she treats people – students, parents and co-workers. She welcomes children to her classroom with her kind, caring demeanor. She sees children for their true selves and reaches out to every child in her quiet, patient, understated, and genuine manner to make these young people feel welcome, safe and loved at The Summit.”

There have been many times when Maggie has gone above and beyond what she is expected to do day-in and day-out in the classroom. When a student was in the hospital, she developed lessons and took them to the child’s hospital room so the child wouldn’t fall behind. When she realized a child in her classroom didn’t have shoes that fit right and she knew the parents were going through tough financial times, she bought a pair of right fitting shoes for the child. She tutored a child who was ill so the child could have the same experiences as her twin and not feel left out.

“She treats parents with respect and warmth,” says a parent. “She is a true partner in raising Summit preschool children. She leverages her creativity to make learning come to life – whether it’s about a country, a season, plants, animals or holidays.

She ensures that learning is in color, 3D and full of personal expression - and often with humor. Not only does she bring this energy and creativity to her classroom, but also to many weeks of camp throughout the summer.”

41 Summit Magazine 41

Leader of Character Awards Elizabeth Drumm

Marianne Cramer It can take years for someone new to an organization to make an impact. Lower School counselor Elizabeth Drumm seems to have never heard that.

Since arriving in 2016, Ms. Drumm has focused on students’ socialemotional wellness.

She teaches lessons in character and social skills, such as how to resolve conflict or overcome disappointment. She created resource files so teachers can share innovative practices. She connects with students, parents and faculty and volunteers without hesitation.

Ms. Drumm was one of two recipients of the Leader of Character Award at the Faculty Recognition Reception in May. “This award recognizes individuals who model the character traits we teach children,” says Rich Wilson, Head of School. “Leaders see opportunities, form a vision of what can be achieved, challenge themselves and others, overcome obstacles, focus on priorities and handle multiple priorities well.”

Ms. Drumm’s impact has been far-reaching.

“Our students love seeing her at recess because she teaches fairness using fun games,” says Mr. Wilson, “Students see a person who exudes patience, caring and respect.”

She has also been a resource for faculty. “Her expertise is sought across divisions, especially in times of crisis, due to her level-headed professionalism,” says Mr. Wilson. “Ms. Drumm can read a situation and know exactly what is required. She is a calming presence in tense circumstances and a cheerleader for colleagues on low-energy days.”

42 42

Perhaps most importantly, she walks the talk.

“She models all the character traits we teach, and she demonstrates a servant leader approach in all that she does,” Mr. Wilson says.

Summit Magazine

Keeping the resources in The Summit’s four libraries in order and updated with new materials and technology takes someone who is dedicated to high standards for academic rigor.

Marianne Cramer has been that someone since 1986.

As head librarian, Mrs. Cramer automated the Upper School library, assembling an extensive repository of full-text databases for student research. She masterminded renovation of the Upper School Library and design of the Helen Williams Reading Room where every work space connects to the Internet and seating meets the varied learning styles of students.

She has modeled generosity and a sincere desire to serve others. This past year, a leader was needed for the sophomore retreat – someone the students would respect, someone who knew how to reach students in regards to faith and someone who would go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of students – and she responded. “The retreat exceeded any and all expectations,” says Head of School Rich Wilson.

She develops close relationships with her advisement group. She checks their grades, writes them notes on their successes and helps them schedule classes, serves as a sounding board for any difficulties and helps them learn how to solve their own problems.

She’s kept in touch with many students long after they graduated.

“Professionally, she is a leader,” says Mr. Wilson.

“Personally, she models a life that honors St. Julie.

She sees the best and brings out the best in each student. This is the kind of person she is and why she is valued.”

– Nick Robbe

Summit Way Awards Liz Means

Doug Johnson The Summit Way Award recognizes dedication, excellence and integrity of faculty and staff who embody the “Aim High” spirit. “We aren’t here for our glory, we’re here for the glory of the children we serve,” says Head of School Rich Wilson. “We have a “can do” spirit. We believe in hard work, honesty and integrity.”

School nurse Liz Means embodies what it means to serve children.

Since this Summit Way Award recipient was hired, Mr. Wilson says he often has joked that, with the way she moves from building to building, she needs her own pair of roller skates. But the shift in scenery doesn’t bother her.

Ms. Means is just working to make sure sick children are comforted and attended to by administering medication when necessary, keeping medical records and policies up-to-date and running hearing/vision tests. She is well-known for her follow-up with children who are sick or injured, even making those calls on her time.

Whenever an emergency situation arises, it creates a tense moment. The situation can break down and worsen if there isn’t a calming influence to take the lead. That’s where Ms. Means takes control, often being the first responder.

“Not only does her confident and knowledgeable demeanor bring comfort to those who have fallen ill, it brings comfort to the rest of us given someone is now on the scene who knows just what to do,” Mr. Wilson says. “Keeping children safe is always our first priority, and she spends her days doing just that.”

An important tenet of The Summit Way is what’s referred to as a servant leader mentality. It’s the belief that God has brought us to this place for a reason, and we need to humbly do His will.

The Summit Way also challenges us to treat everyone who walks through the door with kindness and respect. It’s a fitting description for this Summit Way Award recipient because he’s often the first face students, faculty, staff and parents see when they arrive on campus to start each day.

For the past seven years, Doug Johnson has manned his post in the entrance of the main building, ensuring everyone who arrives feels welcomed, knows where to go and has identification badges so other adults in the building know they’re OK to be here.

This year, when fellow security guard Michael Walker was admitted to the hospital with health concerns, Doug stepped up to work every day instead of his normal two-and-a-half-day schedule.

Doug has come in at a moment’s notice when needed. Last year, he helped curtail a panhandling issue by patrolling the grounds. An accomplished trumpet player, he also has shared his gift in performances here. And, Doug spends a few days a week with the summer work crew maintaining the grounds and sprucing up the building for the upcoming school year.

“He has a servant leader mentality with a ‘can do’ spirit,” Head of School Rich Wilson says. “He models The Summit values well. He cares deeply about our school and has become part of The Summit family.”

– Nick Robbe 43 Summit Magazine 43

Retirees: A Legacy of Grace and Wisdom

J. Patrick Kelly J. Patrick Kelly and Mary H. Vetter have retired. They leave a school so shaped by their 38 years of service that their wisdom and grace will bless our community as long as Summit stands. The contributions of Mr. Kelly and Ms. Vetter are as disparate as the contrasting circles of marble in Sister Superior Julia’s “Pompeii Pavementium,” and like our beloved chapel walkway, their legacies offer a dignified path of loving guidance and tradition.

Mr. Kelly has fulfilled his purpose as a teacher. In words he penned in the epilogue of his history book, “To Grow in Grace and Wisdom: The History of The Summit Country Day School,” that purpose is “so that each student can feel respected and loved and eager to make his or her life more kind and more noble.”

In the words of Ms. Vetter, J. Patrick Kelly is “the resident poet, the official historian, the gifted raconteur, the inspiring educator, the tour guide, the loyal 44 44

Summit Magazine

Mary H. Vetter friend and colleague, the writer of a daily journal, the prolific reader, the compassionate confidant, the devout Catholic, the protector of the antiques and the Beatles aficionado” who has “truly enriched the halls of the building he has cherished and the lives of the students he has loved.”

One of these students, Neil Schmidt ’88, recalls Mr. Kelly’s ability to bring “great stories to life” and “[connect] them to our world.” This passion and reverence is lauded by former students with careers in law, medicine, art, science and education. They thank Mr. Kelly for his role in their journeys, and for inspiring them to love reading and to love that which literature “teaches us about the human experience.”

(Laura Janneck ’01) Ms. Vetter describes “a file cabinet stuffed with letters from all those young men and women, who have benefitted from his teaching and his uncanny ability to sense their needs, as evidence of Mr. Kelly’s “sig-

nificance to those fortunate enough to have basked in his wisdom, laughed at his jokes and cried at his stories of those characters he so brilliantly immortalizes.” Indeed, a montage of moments, in which J. Patrick Kelly has made a positive impact on the heart, head or hands of a child, would cover every wall and ceiling of The Summit.

dents during their four years in the Upper School.

At the heart of Mary H. Vetter’s strength as a teacher are her work ethic and spirit. Meg Mathile ’13 writes: “The Vetter approach, as I like to call it, is direct, pointed and effective. No word is there without a purpose.” Ms. Vetter has sat for hours laboriously working one-on-one with one young woman or man after another, who is preparing a speech or crafting an essay. And more hours rehearsing talks. The resulting excellence in quality and execution is the reason why students (and teachers) have lined up at Ms. Vetter’s desk for four decades.

Freshmen students will continue to learn from him as his book is now part of the curriculum, giving access to gems from Patrick’s vast treasure of knowledge even when he is no longer in the classroom.

And many future students will have the opportunity to attend The Summit thanks to a scholarship in endowed in Mr. Kelly’s name by former trustee Bob Conway and his wife, Cindy.

Ms. Vetter’s cautionary advice, “Thinking can be its own form of procrastination,” inspired Anna Albi ’10 to become a person who is “the first to sit down and just start rather than spending so much time thinking about what to do.” Ms. Vetter has her own collection of well-written letters from college students worldwide, who are better prepared than their peers to express themselves with clarity and to carry themselves with grace. Their gratitude addresses more than technical skills; Ms. Vetter is known and appreciated for her spirit. Dan Cosgrove ’07 writes to her, “You gave me the greatest classroom experience and teaching experience in my years at Summit … I could really just be myself and know that it wouldn’t lead to any more detentions.”

This is documented in Patrick’s book which preserves the school’s history and lore. As retired teacher Carole Fultz observes in the book’s forward, Patrick writes in “a prose mingled with the poetic cadence of music.”

Patrick and Mary leave their classrooms to English teachers who were taught by both of them. In each room, light through the sunflower-colored glass in the upper windows blazes like a torch.

According to St. Julie, “a school is a ‘net to catch souls.’ ” From 1980 to 2018, The Summit net was strengthened by J. Patrick Kelly and Mary H. Vetter.

Their influence endures.

– Alice O’Dell ’85

Lasting images of Ms. Vetter dancing, singing and wearing a sparkly Summit blue hat to all sporting events reflect the blithe spirit of a person who is guided by the same light that beautifies the sunflower.

The Summit has been vivified by her warmth.

In the wake of the departure of Ms. Vetter and Mr. Kelly, The Summit enjoys a profound bequest.

So many of Mary’s ideas, born of her intuition and experience, were put into place. Advisement, the structure that best allows us to meet the individual needs of our students and create a family-like community at school, was Mary’s idea. Her understanding of the importance of teaching etiquette, establishing rites of passage and honoring traditions has influenced the meaningful activities in which we engage our stuSummit Magazine 45

students to not only remember the message, but to want to share it with their family. That is truly a gift.”

Skip Lynam What do snake skins, paint brushe, a New York Yankees cap, cologne, stories, hugs, and Florida beach cams have in common? Skip Lynam. Skip has been an institution in classrooms from Florida to Ohio for 58 years. He is a father, grandfather, husband, friend, good man, colleague and of course teacher and administrator who connects with students through the power of story. He realizes the importance of humor and challenges students and colleagues to triumph in the face of overwhelming odds.

Whether it is his good humor as he greets students at the door or his ever-present affable nature, we are better for having taught with him. He is the first to express concern when he sees a colleague or student going through difficulty, the first to cheer an achievement and the first to school each morning.

46 46

Middle School Director Mike Johnson says: “More than any faculty member with whom I have worked, Mr. Lynam’s stories end up being part of many families’ dinner time conversations. The poignancy, the detail and the conviction with which he recounts meaningful snippets from history compels the Summit Magazine

Upper School history teacher Jerry Hilton ‘91 shares: “Skip is a natural storyteller. By remembering the story of the snake skin he keeps in his desk, it reminds him that every student, no matter what ability or temperament, has something to contribute.”

And yet, there is a side to Skip that only the select few of the summer crew know. Here is a classic story shared by Bob Baechtold and Al Sagel. “We were painting in the basement of the old Montessori building. Being the professional painters that we are, we usually grab a chair or anything nearby if we need to paint higher. Skip being short of stature found himself in such a situation often. So he grabbed one of the small chairs used by the Montessori children. Skip got on the chair and lost his balance. He tumbled and his head went through the drywall and left a hole the size of his head. Luckily Skip made the impact with a non-vital part of his body – his noggin – so no lasting damage was done… For the first day of classes after the head-through-the-wall-incident, we found a piece of drywall, cut a hole in it, and inserted one of Mark Wiesner’s papier-mâché head and torso creations. We put it alongside a broken Montessori chair and set it up behind his desk. Skip was both quite surprised and amused.”

For this “young” teacher, my enduring memory of Skip will be his willingness to be lead-off batter for our Middle School spring poetry jam each year. Descending the stairs in Kyte to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” he gave tribute to the “The New Kid” by reciting his favorite poem about baseball and the triumph of the underdog!

And yet, the indelible impressions he has made on the hearts of students is where Skip’s legacy resides.

Senior Brigid Devine remembers: “One of my favorite memories of his class was a sign on his desk that read, ‘For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.’ Mr. Lynam has been a vision of happiness in our school, and I am certain that his joyful legacy will live on for many years to come.”

Certainly, Skip’s presence among us helps us understand that “lives of great men all remind us that we can make our lives sublime, and departing leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.”

Skip, thank you for the sublime joyful footprints you have left for us to follow.

– Rosie Sansalone

teacher and campus minister then. “Someone had given him my name and he wondered if I was interested in being a substitute for a teacher who was going to take medical leave. Could I work anywhere from three weeks to a year?”

She came in for an interview with Mike and former Upper School Director Tom Monaco. The next day, 13 years ago, she began teaching at The Summit and hasn’t left until her retirement at the end of last year.

After her first year here, she was hired to teach religion in the Middle School. Penny says her life journey has felt like God opening one door after another for her. “It was just being put in the right place at the right time,” she says.

Her favorite memories are of the students she has taught, relationships with faculty and staff, the support of former Summit Chaplain Phil Seher, attending Kairos her first year here and receiving the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick in 2013.

Penny Herr Penny Herr’s life sounds like a classic west-side Cincinnati saga. The oldest of five children in a Catholic family of German heritage, she went to Mass every Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes and then to grandma’s house for dinner. She attended Mother of Mercy High School where she fell in love with Mike Herr, an Elder High School student who she eventually married.

She was the editor of her high school paper and went to the University of Cincinnati with the intent of majoring in English and pursuing a career in writing.

Instead, she got a two-year degree, became a medical secretary at Deaconess Hospital, got married and started a family. Working on and off while her three children were young, she eventually began studying religion at Mount St. Joseph University. After earning a bachelor’s degree in religion, she put her name on the substitute teachers list with the archdiocese.

“Out of the blue, I got a call from someone named Mike Johnson,” she says. Now the Lower and Middle School Director, Mike was an Upper School religion

Penny had a bilateral mastectomy in her battle against breast cancer. With six chemotherapy treatments still ahead of her, she returned when school started in the fall and turned what could have been a very private blessing into a lesson on the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. The entire Middle School raised their hands to bless her in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel.

“Thinking like a teacher, I said this is a way for these kids to experience the Anointing of the Sick, which they may not otherwise ever get to experience,” she says. “The kids gave me the strength to carry on.”

Carrying on wasn’t easy. She had to take some time off when the chemo made her sick, and she had to face her kids after her hair fell out.

“I brought a hat to wear for confirmation. I didn’t want my bald head to be the center of conversation because it was supposed to be about the kids, but the kids said don’t wear your hat,” she says, pausing to wipe away her tears. “They said we love you just the way you are.”

A powerful moment for the students was Penny standing at the podium with her bare, bald head saying the petition for others who were sick or suffering.

Summit Magazine4747

“The kids really did give me purpose,” she says. The Summit community also rallied for her, supplying so many meals that her family didn’t have to cook while she was getting chemo. “We have a big, caring community here,” she says.

After five years, her cancer is in remission and she is excited to spend more time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

Among the many students who sent notes wishing her well in her retirement, one from Meghan Glass ‘ 12 sums up their sentiments. “How can I begin to thank you for the impact you made on my life and the lives of the thousands of students you’ve taught during your career as an educator at Summit?”

Meghan writes.

“You had a humility and grace in your classroom that was inspiring. You made religion class relevant, and you always encouraged me to be the best version of myself. Summit will truly miss you.”

– Nancy Berlier

In fact, as a senior, she laughed off any notion of becoming a teacher. Fortunately for The Summit Country Day School, Cathy (Anderson) Flesch came around to the idea.

During a conversation with Sister Katherine Hoelscher, a math teacher and administrator at Alter, the two discussed plans following high school.

Upon informing Sister Katie that she planned to attend Miami University in Oxford and be a systems analysis major, the sister calmly told her she should consider getting a minor in math education.

“She said: ‘I’m just saying it would save you from having to go back and do it again later,’ ” Cathy said. “I was always good at math; she just knew before I did. I saw her at our 25-year reunion and had to tell her she was right.”

After graduating, Cathy began her career as a systems analyst for Fifth Third Bank and Procter & Gamble. She did that for several years before retiring to have her kids. After having her children, Cathy wanted to get back to work, just not as a systems analyst.

“I really didn’t want to go back to that schedule,” Cathy said. “I looked at education, got my teaching certificate and worked for a few years in Missouri. We moved back and I taught at a parochial middle school for a few years. 13 years ago, I came here (to The Summit) and the rest is history.”

Cathy’s goal was to take math, something she’s always had an interest in, and make it something others could enjoy as much as she did.

Numbers aren’t the only thing she enjoys, however.

Cathy Flesch

48 48

As a senior walking the halls at Archbishop Alter High School, Cathy Anderson wanted nothing to do with being a math teacher.

Summit Magazine

She’s also the head coach of the girls’ golf team at The Summit and she’s an avid participant in music ministry. Cathy became the coach in 2014 and was tasked with resurrecting the program after an eight-year hiatus. The experience has been a good one because the girls came in with the right attitude.

“The girls weren’t hardcore with that state-orbust mentality,” she said. “If they had been that

way, they would have been miserable the whole time.”

The mindset has paid off as the Silver Knights reached the districts for the first time, placing fifth. She will continue to coach the team and has nine girls returning next year.

In addition to keeping her own score when she plays or tabulating her players’ scores, she also keeps track of three-quarter time, half notes and whole notes.

Cathy, when she was a junior at Alter, was Dorothy in “Wizard of Oz.” It was then, she said, that she discovered she wasn’t much of an actor, but she could sing.

“I didn’t really sing in choirs until my children were babies and I was looking for something to do in the evening that didn’t require bottles or diapers,” Cathy says. “I joined the church choir at St. Columban and enjoy it very much. It’s a ministry that, to me, is a natural fit, and it’s a good feeling when you can bring that to a community.”

She gets asked to sing for school events three to four times a year. However, she added it’s more important for the kids to learn about ministry from that perspective.

Cathy arrived at The Summit at the start of the 2005-2006 school year, a total of 13 years. She had 20 years of teaching experience overall. Upon retiring after last school year, she will finally be able to fully move into the lakehouse, which her husband has been renovating for 18 months, and get to spend more time with her grandchildren.

In her time at The Summit, which included a battle with breast cancer, Cathy said she made lasting bonds with people and the community.

Not being a part of it on a day-to-day basis is what she will miss the most.

“The day-to-day interactions with these people will be hard to get away from,” Cathy said. “This fourth floor is a special place.”

– Nick Robbe

Lynn Bartley For the past 28 years, Lynn Bartley has driven from her home in Mariemont to The Summit in time to open the Upper School Library for students. On her way in, she picked up the mail and newspapers to file in the appropriate slots on their shelves. She was responsible for checking in and out the thousands of books, dozens of laptops and extensive collection of educational DVDs housed in the library.

Dependable, steady and calm as the morning library assistant, she rarely called in sick.

As you might expect from someone with a bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in library science from the University of Michigan, she was very well-read in literature, history and government. She was engrossed in the political process and a supporter of the League of Women Voters.

“She always had that bright smile to greet people who walked into the library,” says Head Librarian Marianne Cramer. “She was just a great observer and commentator on life in general and had a good sense of humor when dealing with high schoolers.”

The mother of three children – David, Beth and Christian, grandmother and a lover of golden retrievers, Lynn joins her husband, David, in retirement – Nancy Berlier

49 Summit Magazine 49

Honor In Action

Summit Sports

Silver Knights: YEAR IN REVIEW

By Erica Miknius The 2017-18 year was another one for the Silver Knight history books as Summit teams, individual players and coaches distinguished themselves nationally, statewide and regionally. Here’s a look back: National Team Academic Awards: Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer, Baseball.

Academic All American: Ravin Alexander.

All Americans: Ravin Alexander and Harrison Schertzinger, soccer; Henry Schertzinger, Lacrosse.

State Champions: Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer.

State Qualifying Events: Boys’ Soccer. Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Cross Country and Girls’ Cross Country. Girls’ Tennis: Elizabeth Fahrmeier; Girls Swimming: Sophia Zaring, 200 Individual Medley and 500 Freestyle. Girls’ and Boys’ Track: Brian DeWine, 3200 meters; Catherine Coldiron, 3200 meters; Niah Woods, 4x100, 4x200; Sydni Brooks 4x100, 4x200, 400; Lauren Jones, 4x200, High Jump; Na’Kyah Kennedy, 4x100, 4x200; Sophie Young, 4x100; Rachael Montgomery, 4x100, 4x200; Hailey Harrell 4x100; and Leah Neltner 4x200.

All State Player of the Year: Henry Schertzinger, Boys’ Lacrosse; Ravin Alexander, Girls’ Soccer; and Harrison Schertzinger, Boys’ Soccer.

State Team Academic Awards: Volleyball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Field Hockey and Baseball.

Academic All State Awards: Catherine Coldiron, Luke Desch, Brian DeWine and Scott Kinross, Cross Country. Keith Meyer, Nick Mishu and Brendan Ochs, Boys’ Soccer. Chris Kahle, Boys’ Golf. Hali Clark, Paige Griffiths, Olivia Hartman and Jenna Simpson, Volleyball.

Ravin Alexander, Kiana Allen, Jenna Eveslage, 50

Summit Magazine

From the top, the Boys’ Soccer team hoists its trophy after winning the Ohio Division III Boys’ Soccer championship at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus. Celebrating the Girls’ Soccer state championship with a group hug are, L to R, Grace Kaegi and Victoria Walton, now seniors; Kiana Allen ’18; and senior Gillian Fajack. Swimming Coach Bret Miller, Ali Miller ‘18, Avery Walter ‘18, Cate Marx ‘18, Sophia Zaring ’20 and Swimming Coach Susan Miller are at the district swim meet at Miami University.

Stephanie Kiley, Lily Melink and Mimi Stines, Girls’ Soccer. Alea Harris, Catherine Coldiron, Brian DeWine, Sydni Brooks, Leah Neltner and Sophia Young, Boys’ and Girls’ Track. James Speed, Tess Wyrick, Joe Collins, Michael Rafi, Owen Seger and Mary Towell, Bowling. Joe Collins, Brennan Gick, Chris Kahle and Simon Myers, Baseball. Sydni Brooks, Sophie Young, Leah Neltner, Catherine Coldiron and Brian DeWine, Track & Field.

Regional Champion: Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Basketball.

All Region Player of the Year: Henry Schertzinger, Boys’ Lacrosse.

All Region Team: Mimi Stines, Ravin Alexander and Harrison Schertzinger, Soccer.

District Champions: Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country, Boys’ Golf, Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Basketball, Girls’ Track and Field (Boys were runner up).

All District Player of the Year: Alea Harris, Girls’ Basketball.

All City Player of the Year: Alea Harris, Girls’ Basketball; Catherine Coldiron, Cross Country; Sydni Brooks, Girls’ Track; Henry Schertzinger, Lacrosse and Harrison Schertzinger, Soccer.

All City Coach of the Year: Mike Fee, Girls’ Soccer; Beth Simmons, Girls’ Basketball and Kim Horning, Girls’ Track and Field.

Miami Valley Conference (MVC) Champions: Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Soccer, Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country, Boys’ Golf, Girls’ Tennis, Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ Basketball, Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse, Girls’ Track and Field and Baseball.

MVC Players of the Year: Ravin Alexander, Girls’ Soccer; Catherine Coldiron, Cross Country; Harrison Schertzinger, Boys’ Soccer; Elizabeth Fahrmeier, Girls’ Tennis; Alea Harris, Girls’ Basketball; Eric Fisk, Baseball; Sydni Black, Girls’ Lacrosse; Henry Schertzinger, Boys’ Lacrosse; Patrick Casanas, Boys’ Tennis; Lauren Jones, Track and Field.

MVC Coach of the Year: Tim Jedding, Boys’ Golf; Kurtis Smith, Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country; Michelle Hellman, Girls’ Tennis; Beth Simmons, Girls’ Basketball; Susan Miller, Girls’ Swimming; Jessica Burke, Girls’ Lacrosse; Triffon Callos, Baseball; Kim Horning, Girls’ Track and Field.

From the top, Nick Nazzaro, now a senior, delivers a pitch at a spring game. Head Track & Field Coach Kim Horning gets a hug from Sydni Brooks’18 at the state track meet. Brian DeWine, now a junior; senior Elijah Weaver; Scott Kinross ’18, Cotton Family Head Coed Varsity Coach Kurtis Smith; junior Catherine Coldiron, and senior Abby LaMacchia get a snapshot at the Fall Sports Awards Ceremony.

Summit Magazine 51

Fun Facts about our new students

The Summit is pleased to welcome 209 new students from private, parochial, public, international, Montessori and home schools in 2018-19. For many of our toddlers, The Summit will be their first formal school experience.Â

0.2 miles

7,143 miles farthest distance new student will travel to The Summit

closest distance new student will travel to The Summit

209

NEW STUDENTS

56%

51%

Female

Catholic

49%

44%

Male

other

15

52

Summit Magazine

students from Northern Kentucky

siblings

New students by division

59 45 10 24 71 Toddlers

Lower School

Upper School

Montessori

Middle School

11%

Citizenship outside the U.S. Countries of citizenship represented Australia, Canada, China, Italy, Hungary, Montenegro, Russia, Chile and USA

6 sets of twins

Areas from which new students are coming Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Texas, New York, China, Italy, United Kingdom and Switzerland

Meet the Silver Knights’ Class of 2022

108 freshmen

50% Female

24% multicultural

83%

retention of Summit 8th graders

46% Summit Middle School alumni in the class

51% 90%

students

scoring and higher on high school placement test

50% Male

22 Middle schools represented

The Summit, Bethany, Saint Margaret of York, Saint Ursula Villa, Immaculate Heart Of Mary, Saint Columban, Cardinal Pacelli, St. Gabriel, Mercy Montessori, Corryville Catholic, Guardian Angels, Indian Hill, Madeira, Mariemont, New Richmond, Ohio Connections Academy, St. Gertrude, Saint Luke (Illinois) Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, St. Mary, Walnut Hills, The British School of Guangzhou.

90% 90% 90% 100%

median High School

median test placement test score for Summit 8th graders score for Summit 8th Magazine graders Summit 0%

53

Get Out of the Box: Get an Innovator’s Mindset Early Childhood Education Symposium Saturday, October 27 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

He’s the keynote speaker This Is George Couros

He wrote this

8 reasons why you should attend the Early Childhood Education Symposium You are a parent of a young child thirsting for information on how to give your child the best education. Or you are a Middle School parent. Or you are a teacher (CEUs are available).

This is our 11th symposium and we’re The Summit, so we’ve got experience and expertise.

You have the time; it is on a Saturday and it’s a half-day.

We are bringing in a world-renown expert, George Couros, a former teacher and school administrator, author and technology expert to present about his book “The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity.”

You will learn some parenting tips you can use immediately when you walk out the door.

You’ll get to ask him your own questions in a Q&A.

The symposium is free and open to the public. (Thanks to Drs. Renee and Michael Kreeger for sponsoring the keynote.)

Middle School parents get a special session when he talks about how to use technology in meaningful ways.

Learn about all our speakers and register at

www.summitcds.org/symposium Learn more about George Couros and read his blog at www.georgecouros.ca.

5454 Summit Magazine

#InnovatorsMindset

VISIT THE SUMMIT SAVE THE DATE

ADMISSION OPEN HOUSE DATES Parents, grandparents and alumni who are considering enrolling new students in The Summit are welcome to attend one of our upcoming preview events.

Thursday, Oct. 25 Montessori Preschool-Grade 8 Preview Day for Prospective Parents • 8:30 a.m. • Alumni Parlor Wednesday, Nov. 14 Montessori Preschool-Grade 8 Preview Day for Prospective Parents • 8:30 a.m. • Alumni Parlor Thursday, Nov. 15 Upper School Open House • 6:30 p.m.

Main Building Thursday, Nov. 29 Montessori Interviews for Prospective Students 8:30 a.m. • Montessori Library Tuesday, January 8 Montessori Interviews for Prospective Students 8:30 a.m. • Montessori Library Tuesday, January 29 Grades 1-8 Parent Preview Day for Prospective Parents 8:30 a.m. • Alumni Parlor Thursday, February 7 Montessori Interviews for Prospective Students 8:30 a.m. • Montessori Library Tuesday, March 5 Montessori Interviews for Prospective Students 8:30 a.m. • Montessori Library Thursday, April 11 Montessori Interviews for Prospective Students 8:30 a.m. • Montessori Library Please RSVP for these events by calling (513) 871-4700 ext. 261 or email kistner_p@summitcds.org.

Nov. 13, 2018 Legacy Photo • 8:15 a.m.

Current students who have parents or grandparents who are Summit alumni are invited to join us in the chapel for a commemorative photo.

April 26-28, 2019 Alumni Reunion Weekend Reunions for classes ending in 4s and 9s Contact your class representatives about your class reunion details. Reunions can take place any day or time throughout this weekend.

If your class would like to host their event at The Summit, contact the alumni office to reserve space today.

April 27, 2019 Alumni Cocktail Networker 5-7 p.m.

Alumni and current and retired faculty are invited to attend this social event back on campus.

April 28, 2019 Campus Day Plans are underway for a full day of events including a new family reception, an art show, performances by student musicians and a Middle School play. In the meantime, please put this date on your calendar and plan to attend.

Art Show 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

All are welcome to attend the Campus Day art show featuring artwork from Summit students.

Alumni Mass Noon All alumni and the entire Summit community are invited to attend this special Mass.

Summit Magazine 55 55

2161 Grandin Road Cincinnati, OH 45208 513.871.4700 www.summitcds.org

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT #553

Address Service Requested Postal regulations require The Summit to pay at least 50 cents for every copy not deliverable as addressed. Please notify us of any changes of address.

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS

VISIT THE SUMMIT Parent Preview Days (Age 18 months - Grade 8) Oct. 25 & Nov. 14 • 8:30 a.m.

Upper School Open House (Grades 9 - 12) Nov. 15 • 6:30 p.m.

RSVP required. Please call (513) 871-4700 ext. 261

Please send alumni news about new degrees, new jobs, marriages, births and other notable passages in your life. Go to www.summitcds. org/submityournews.

JOIN THE BOOSTERS The Summit Boosters Association has helped build a strong tradition of athletic success by advancing The Summit’s mission through financial, volunteer activities, facility improvements and the K-6 sports program. For more information about the benefits of Booster membership, go to www.summitcds.org/boosters.

RECOMMEND A FAMILY If you know a family who may be interested in The Summit, use this link to send us a referral: http://www.summitcds. org/recommendafamily.