THE
SUMMIT Spring 2016
Our
THE SUMMIT The magazine of The Summit Country Day School Spring 2016 EDITOR Nancy Berlier ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Kathy (Hilsinger) Penote ’93 ALUMNI EDITOR Janine Boeing PHOTOGRAPHY
Robert A. Flischel, Jolene Barton, Rick Norton, Leah Fightmaster, John Fahrmeier, Nancy Berlier, Lisa Nicholson.
CONTRIBUTORS
Janine Boeing, Sarah Cooney, Leah Fightmaster, Kathy Schwartz, Kathy Scott, Laura Adkins, Chang Gao ’17, Shabnam Fayyaz ’16, Zafe Udegbe ’17, Sophia Nery ’25, Karmah Khoury ’20, Humphrey Domville ’21 Special thanks: Jen McGrath, Nancy Snow, Kim Reed.
PRINTING Arnold Printing ©
2016 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 Janine Boeing, Alumni Engagement and Gifts Officer Phone: (513) 871-4700 ext. 240 Email: boeing_j@summitcds.org Summit Online View an archive of The Summit magazine online. www.summitcds.org/magazine
The Summit Country Day School serves students from age two through grade twelve in a coeducational setting. The Summit combines the academic excellence and one-on-one guidance of a top-tier independent school with the servant leadership and character building environment that are hallmarks of a Catholic education.
2 Spring 2016
Our
ON THE COVER: Lower School students Allen Wang, Elizabeth Klocek and Leah Berhanu help us illustrate our global diversity for a package of stories called “Our Global Summit.” Photo by Rick Norton. Related stories begin on page 16. ON THIS PAGE: In this scene from The Summit’s production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I,” the King of Siam’s family gathers at his death bed. The musical has ties to Cincinnati history, connects with our global curriculum and encouraged our large number of international students to take the stage. Photo by Jolene Barton.
Head of School Message
PREPARING CITIZENS OF THE WORLD Throughout the last 20 years we’ve seen remarkable
interviewed 10 schools in the U.S. who had switched
change in our country’s relationship with other
to IB, and we conducted four site visits.
countries. Improvements in transportation and communication have brought countries closer together,
The committee doing that work under Schott
and I would expect that trend to continue.
Middle School Director Mike Johnson’s leadership recommended against adopting IB because it would
While we think the world we live in today is very
require us to abandon many of the successful
global, the world our current Summit students will
pedagogical practices that The Summit has developed
inherit will be even more so. To succeed in that world,
throughout its 125 year history. However, one of the
they will need an education that prepares them for the
aspects of the program that impressed the committee
unique challenges of interacting with those who don’t
was the intentional “globalness” of the curriculum. So
share our language, our cultural heritage, our faith in
we decided to do IB The Summit Way – to develop a
God and even our values.
curriculum that is like IB but better.
While Catholic education is associated with the word
We kicked off this process last year by gathering the
parochial, our students need an education that is
entire faculty at the Islamic Center for a half-day of
anything but parochial. Their jobs, their vacations, their
immersion in a religious culture foreign to most. The
spouses and their mission work may take them far
experience deepened our respect for the Islamic faith.
from the well-known comforts of life in Cincinnati.
It was just the kind of experience we want to provide all our students.
When the Board of Trustees approved the strategic plan in 2011, they
Our move to a global curriculum is designed to
anticipated this need and
provide our students cultural competency. Regardless
set down the objective
of where they find themselves in the world, we want
of investigating what a
to equip them with the skills, knowledge and habits
more global education
of mind to feel comfortable in foreign environments,
should look like. We
but also to be successful in interacting with people in
thoroughly investigated
these environments.
the International Baccalaureate (IB)
There are multiple benefits to this approach:
program, which
• Curiosity: Summit students are life-long learners.
is considered the
Curiosity is the catalyst for that. The more we
highest form or
expose children to the world, the more curious
independent
they become. They like knowing about other
school education abroad. We
cultures. • Openness: The more we can open the minds
of students to the world, the more open
they become to things that are different
from their experience. The trait of open-
Contents
mindedness will bring opportunities to
these children.
6
• Empathy: Jesus was the model of an empathic
approach to life. His ability to step into the shoes
of others to see the world as they saw it and
to feel the way they felt was remarkable. If we
can educate our students to have an empathic
view of others, no matter how foreign they may
be, we will have given these children a great gift.
During the last decade, our school has done a great deal of work in the area of diversity and inclusion (D&I). Diversity Director Yngrid Thurston has done a marvelous job in leading the efforts of D&I committees at the board level as well as in each division. While much of that work has been focused on issues of race, gender and socio-economic levels, our experience with the increasing enrollment of international students has sensitized us to how
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Features Three legends of the school – Montessori Director Phyllis Schueler, Lower School Director Helen Clark and Technology Director Ken Uckotter – are seeing us through the anniversary year, but then they plan to retire. A new generation of leadership steps up: Kathy Scott, Kendra Thornton and Holly Northern. Are kids having too much fun at school? Innovative learning models are getting kids excited about coding in the third grade and competing in technology challenges in the Middle School.
relevant this work is to global citizenship. As we globalize the curriculum, we will also seek to imbed the principles, lessons and experiences of D&I into the curriculum at the same time. We want to assure our families that all students, not just those active in D&I work, are exposed to these issues and experiences. Parents send their children to The Summit to be challenged. Inherent in challenge is discomfort. Our
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Parents and students who took our community survey last fall ranked The Summit’s performance extraordinarily high compared to other independent schools surveyed. In Our Global Summit, we illustrate how we are living the part of the school’s mission that calls on us to develop and use our Godgiven talents to make the world a better place. Read about our international students, European language trip, Global Evening, how our teachers have put our global curriculum on the map and three alumni who have been working abroad. Pat Kelly, Tracy Law ’85 Ph.D, Kim Ashcraft and our Lower School students have authored books that will preserve The Summit’s history for future generations. Among the 42 merit and 21 endowed scholarships awarded to the Class of 2020 were three newly endowed scholarships.
vision for the global curriculum is to expand the comfort zone of our students. The process of doing so will be difficult for children, but the end result
Departments
12
Summer Curriculum
habits of mind to be confident global citizens.
36
Knight of Stars
42
Newsmakers
Rich Wilson
48
Winter Athletics Season
50
Alumni News
52
Alumni Around the World
will be children who have the skills, knowledge and
Head of School
Aiming Higher Report A special pullout section in this magazine thanks the many people who made our Aiming Higher campaign a success.
Summit Magazine
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NEW LEADERSHIP Montessori Director: Kathy Scott By Nancy Berlier On a recent weekday afternoon, a 4-year-old in Kathy Scott’s Montessori class talks about the ocean biome he has studied and the magnificent creatures that live in its layers. The dumbo octopus lives in the deepest part of the ocean, the trenches and there is no light that far down. The snailfish, lives there, too, and uses its legs to find its way and vibration to find food. The midnight zone is so dark, he says, that some animals are bioluminescent. That means they make their own light. When we go to the beach we play in the sunlit zone. The deeper you go in the ocean the darker and colder it gets. The rich vocabulary of the 4-year-old reflects the Early Enrichment curriculum which offers this young scholar the opportunity to explore scientific topics in depth. The curriculum was designed by Kathy Scott, who will become the Montessori director this fall. “Kathy captures the children’s imagination and believes in the potential of the child to learn,” says retiring Montessori Director Phyllis Schueler. “She keeps current with trends in neuroscience research and exposes the children to advanced concepts because this develops new neural pathways in the brain. She gives them a higher level of education.” “We cast a nationwide net to make sure we found the right person to lead our Montessori program into the future,” Head of School Rich Wilson says. “Kathy’s Montessori teaching expertise, administrative and professional development experience, leadership and knowledge of The Summit culture and community put her well ahead of the rest.” Mrs. Scott left a nursing career in Minneapolis, where she managed a congestive heart failure clinic and coordinated pharmaceutical and device clinical research trials. After moving to Cincinnati, she and her husband, Kevin, chose The Summit for their children, Brianna and Gabriel. Upon watching how each of them grew and loved learning in the Montessori environment, she became a teacher 6 Spring 2016
Kathy Scott
in the Montessori Program in 1999. Becoming a master teacher in the classroom, she also became the coordinator of Summer Exploration, initiating Montessori summer classes for ages three to six, creating a day camp program for ages three to eight, broadening the curriculum in educational and enrichment summer classes and maintaining a wide variety of sports camps for age three to 18. In 2009, she took over administration of Before Care, Extended Day and After School Specials, improving enrichment opportunities after school and beginning Homework Start. She has been a leader in developing professional development opportunities for faculty and has facilitated the Ohio Praxis Entry Year program for many years. She has a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood with Montessori three-to-six certification through Xavier University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Webster University in St. Louis. Mrs. Scott will take leadership of a well-established Montessori pre-school program, started in 1963. The program is one of a few in Greater Cincinnati applying the Montessori philosophy to children as young as two. Mrs. Schueler, who is retiring after 27 years as director and even longer as a teacher, developed the Toddler Program and many of the other programs that have made The Summit’s Montessori program distinctive. “Kathy believes in the infinite potential of each child to learn,” says Mrs. Schueler. “That is Montessori.”
NEW LEADERSHIP Lower School Director: Kendra Thornton By Nancy Berlier On the morning after Head of School Rich Wilson announced that Lower School Guidance Counselor Kendra Thornton would become the next Lower School Director, the first, second, third and fourth graders were gathered in an assembly. Helen Clark formally announced her retirement to them and told them Mrs. Thornton would be their next director. Their reaction: immediate, spontaneous, smiling applause. Mrs. Thornton has Mrs. Clark’s endorsement, of course. But the cheers of the children were an undeniable and heartfelt affirmation. Mrs. Thornton’s appointment ended a nationwide search in which many candidates were vetted. “Kendra brings impressive strengths to this position,” Mr. Wilson says. “Not only does she know the Lower School students and their families well, but her counseling training, expertise in data-driven instruction and experience in providing professional development training have already made her a leader among the faculty. She has a passion for learning the best practices and applying them to daily lessons in the classroom. She is an expert on standardized testing and analyzing student performance data.” Mrs. Thornton has served as the guidance counselor for students in kindergarten through grade four since 2009. She is on track to receive a doctorate in education this summer from Johns Hopkins University with specialization in mind, brain and teaching. She received her master’s degree in community counseling from Xavier University and bachelor’s degree in political science/pre-law from the University of Cincinnati. In addition to serving as a guidance counselor, Mrs. Thornton teaches weekly lessons on character and social skills in the classrooms. She creates accommodation plans and facilitates systemic support for students with learning differences. She is a regular presenter on professional development topics at Lower School faculty meetings.
Kendra Thornton
She is licensed by the state of Ohio as a professional clinical counselor. She has been published in the Ohio School Counselor Association’s professional journal, OSCA Advocate, and she is a frequent presenter at The Summit’s annual Early Childhood Education Symposium. Since 2006, she has served on the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team. Kendra was also a practicum supervisor for Xavier University’s Community Counseling Program. Mrs. Thornton will take over direction of a school where innovative programs started by Helen Clark, such as Conceptual Math, Five Star Reading and Character Education, have made The Summit distinctive in the region. “Since joining our faculty as Lower School guidance counselor in 2009, Kendra has become a well-respected, integral member of our community,” Mrs. Clark says. “In her current position, she is in every Lower School classroom on a regular basis. She has conducted professional development opportunities for the faculty and they already see her as a leader in our division. The faculty trusts her, looks up to her and values her many contributions to them and to the program as a whole. I am so very thankful that it will be Kendra standing in the spotlight overseeing and orchestrating the Lower School’s future.”
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NEW LEADERSHIP Technology Director: Holly Northern By Nancy Berlier Wearing a hard hat and sturdy shoes last summer, Holly Northern walked through the construction zones over and over again with contractors seeing to the logistical details involved with 31 different trade groups building a new east wing addition, rehabbing the Upper and Middle School science labs and reconfiguring the Middle School administrative area. On any given day, find her in the Lower School defending the school’s email server from intrusive spam, in the Middle School lending support to a teacher who is Skyping with a classroom on the other side of the world, remotely checking the feeds of the video security cameras, tweeting a score from an Upper School basketball game or coding items for the online auction. Mrs. Northern will become Technology Director effective July 1, replacing Ken Uckotter, who is retiring after 38 years of service. “Holly has worked beside Ken managing our complex technological operation for 16 years,” Head of School Rich Wilson says. “Knowing the school, the personnel, the technology and the students made her the logical successor.” Mrs. Northern has a bachelor’s degree in English from Xavier University and multiple technology certifications. Before coming to The Summit 16 years ago, she had served in various technology roles, from support to management at St. Xavier High School, Productivity Point International and Clinton Memorial Hospital. As network administrator at The Summit, Mrs. Northern manages the infrastructure and technical operations for the school. She assisted in managing the technology aspects of last year’s construction project and also assists annually in the management of the technological aspects of the school’s annual online auction. She has been involved with Interalliance of Greater Cincinnati, The Women in Technology conference and mentors students in broadcast communications, as well as serving as moderator for the Upper School Ski 8 Spring 2016
Holly Northern
Club. Her son, Austin, is a 2014 Summit graduate now attending The Ohio State University, and daughter, Jordyn, is a Summit junior. Mrs. Northern takes over leadership from Ken Uckotter, the man who installed the very first computer the school ever had and continued to champion technological upgrades and innovative uses of technology in the classroom throughout his tenure. “Ken’s retirement is the end of an era at The Summit,” Mr. Wilson says. “There likely isn’t a single employee he hasn’t personally helped during his years here.” Mr. Uckotter came to The Summit in 1978 as the Upper School principal and became technology and curriculum director in 1990. He was the architect of a $1.5 million investment in technology infrastructure. As a champion of innovative uses of technology by teachers, much of the investment was focused on the classrooms where computers, wireless laptops and smart whiteboards build virtual bridges to vast online educational resources. He also implemented the digital communications portal that enhanced the personalized educational experience for students and parents. “As a result of Ken’s efforts, outside consultants have told us The Summit is one of the most technologically advanced schools in southwest Ohio,” Mr. Wilson says. “Our department has benefited enormously from the leadership that Ken has shown to all of us,” Mrs. Northern says.
NEW LEADERSHIP Instructional Technology Integration: Kim Ashcraft By Nancy Berlier Award-winning Latin teacher Kim Ashcraft has been appointed to a new position of Instructional Technology Integration and Portal Manager beginning July 1. She will work with teachers to manage the integration of educational technology into the classroom and curriculum. She will also manage the school’s communication portal for teachers, students and parents. Mrs. Ashcraft received her master’s degree in Learning Design and Technology with summa cum laude distinction from Purdue University. She has been a pioneer of blended learning at The Summit. After hundreds of hours training on Promethean ActivBoards and achieving advanced certification, she revamped her lesson plans to utilize every available function of the technology to maximize student interaction. She incorporated thousands of images and resources into her curriculum. Her students use digital devices to interact with the smart board, getting immediate feedback on how well they understand a lesson and explore subject matter in a visual, entertaining way. She also helped other teachers learn functions of the ActivBoards. “Kim has modeled how technology can be incorporated into the curriculum to enhance how quickly and how well our students grasp their lessons,” Head of School Rich Wilson says. “Her unique experiences and advanced educational specialty have positioned her to advance the effective use of technology for students growing up in a digital world.” Mrs. Ashcraft came to The Summit in 2000. Along with Latin teacher Larry Dean, she helped turn classical studies at The Summit into a signature program. The reorganization of the Technology Department also resulted in the promotion of two key technology staffers. Network Specialist Niko Kitsinis was promoted to Technology systems and Innovation Administrator. Technology Specialist Alex Clark was promoted to Technology Systems Administrator.
CELEBRATING LEGENDS Three legends of The Summit will retire at the end of this year when a new generation of leaders takes over their domains. Phyllis Schueler has greeted thousands of The Summit’s youngest scholars as they walked through the doors of the Montessori Program. Beginning as a teacher in 1971, she has been director for 27 years – putting her mark on every aspect of the curriculum and design of the new Lower School building and classrooms. Helen Clark is retiring as Lower School Director. She began teaching at the school in 1987 and became director in 2011. As a teacher, she was known for her understanding of what made each child tick. As an administrator, she helped launch Character Education, Social Skills and Global Citizenry programs. Ken Uckotter is retiring as Technology Director. He came to the school as Upper School principal, and served for many years as director of both technology and curriculum. Ken brought computerized technology to The Summit in the first place and was the architect of a recent $1.5 million investment in technology infrastructure that has positioned The Summit as one of the most technologically advanced schools in southwest Ohio. All three of these directors believed so much in the mission of the school that they sent their own children here. Please help us celebrate their long careers in our September magazine. Tell us how these three directors affected your lives and the lives of your children. Send your stories to communications@summitcds.org. Summit Magazine
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Summit Network Analyst Niko Kitsinis assists third grader Luke Pappano with a program called “Scratch,” designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the foreground, Lilly Sievering works on animating her character.
Third Graders ‘Scratch’ the Surface of Coding By Leah Fightmaster If school is a place to prepare students for their futures, and technology is becoming increasingly integral in most fields, then Summit third graders are on the right track with their newest subject: coding. At The Summit, the Lower School focuses math education on 21st Century learning. Technology-based skills are becoming more in demand, and learning these at a younger age presents an intentional benefit to students for future employment, says Niko Kitsinis, Summit network analyst and instructor of the coding lessons.
“Students learn the same theories in coding that will help in every other subject,” Mr. Kitsinis says. “They learn how to work through problems systematically, troubleshoot, gain basic logic skills and to start at the beginning of a problem and work through to the end.” While Upper School students have been learning coding in computer classes for years at The Summit, this is the first time it’s been taught in Lower School classrooms. Scratch allows students to start on the ground floor of coding and improve to more advanced levels – all while seemingly playing a game.
Coding classes are integrated Third grader Joey DiPaola uses a Promethean SmartBoard to into their normal lessons, review information in a coding class. Third grade teacher Sally in which Mr. Kitsinis uses a Ryan says her students program called “Scratch.” look forward to their coding lessons, and that the Designed by the Massachusetts Institute of program requires them to pay attention to details – Technology, Scratch provides a platform for an attribute that is sometimes difficult to teach. students to implement basic coding techniques that manipulate the characters, called “sprites.” Using “My students are learning to stick with a project,” animation as a medium makes the lesson fun and she says. “They are learning in a concrete way game-like, which aids in focus and progression that listening to and following directions is very through the fundamentals and into more important. They’re loving Scratch!” sophisticated methods. 10 Spring 2016
Jessica Horton Ph.D sets up an “Instant Challenge,” a five-minute problem-solving activity, for some of the students who participated in Destination Imagination this year. With Dr. Horton, L to R, are sixth graders Jimmy Fraley, Molly Ragland, Sadie Joseph, Erin Johnson, Irene Calderon, Jack Crane and Hudson Ritch.
Middle School Teams ‘Challenge’ Their Imaginations By Leah Fightmaster As logical and technology-based skills are becoming more in demand, The Summit is implementing creative activities for students to develop them. In its second year in the Middle School, three Destination Imagination teams competed in challenges that use science, technology, engineering and mathematic, or STEM, skills. Destination Imagination is a nonprofit program for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in which teams solve open-ended, STEM-based challenges in innovative ways. There are seven challenges from which Destination Imagination teams can choose: scientific, technical, structural, fine arts, improvisation, service learning and rising stars. Teams compete regionally with the hope of eventually presenting their solution at the state level, or even global finals in Knoxville, Tenn. This year, The Summit fielded teams in the fine arts, technical and service learning challenges. The Super Six fifth grade team tied for third place in the service learning category. The two sixth grade teams placed fourth in fine arts and sixth in the technical category. Preparation and competition helped the students solve problems and develop independence.
Jessica Horton Ph.D, a Middle School science teacher, headed the team in the fine arts challenge. Students were tasked with developing a mystery story where the characters use a TechniClue to help solve the case. The big catch is that they must write three different endings to their story and they won’t know which ending will be selected by the judges to present. They write the script, build the set, make costumes and invent the TechniClue – all without guidance from adults. “My favorite aspect of the program is the strict, no adult interference policy,” says Dr. Horton, who is also the school coordinator of the program. “It puts the onus on the kids to work through their struggles, and with that work comes great pride as teams overcome each obstacle.” The Summit’s two other Middle School teams – led by science teacher Megan Rademacher and religion teacher Laura Dennemann – competed in the technical and service learning challenges, respectively. Mrs. Dennemann’s team of fifth grade students identified a community problem of hunger and homelessness, which they worked to solve by making food to donate and served it on Feb. 13 at local nonprofit Tender Mercies, as well as decorating it with crafts their advisements made for Valentine’s Day. “It’s an amazing process and a phenomenal program,” Dr. Horton says. Summit Magazine
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Summer Exploration
Learning Heats Up on Campus during Summer By Kathy Scott skills. Toddler faculty members will introduce
Children in grades four and five can learn to code and program their own robot in “Raging Robotics” camp, while younger campers learn to replicate figures from popular computer games in one of four “Bricks 4 Kidz” camps. Middle School students can have fun with math in the “Equations: The Game of Creative Math” camp. Other students may want to explore language and writing options in “Children Write the Future Writers Workshop,” or a class that combines reading and art in “Exploring Art through Literature and Writing.” The Summit offers “Traveling through the Art Zone” for students who are in grades one through eight, and “Encaustic Painting – Painting with Wax” for grades nine and older.
Montessori toddler curriculum during weeklong themed lessons. • In the Montessori Program, children from ages 3 to 6 will continue to explore and expand their knowledge of Montessori materials and the educational process. • In Day Camps, children who are ages 3 through 8 will engage in fun activities based on educational themes. Topics include Chinese culture and language, endangered animals, care for the environment, art around the world and more. • In Classes and Camps, students from age 3 through grade 12 will explore academic, artistic and athletic pursuits. In addition to new science offerings, math classes will help students review what they learned or get ahead for next year. Some academic classes are offered in the summer to free up high school student schedules during the school year. Fun athletic camps are back again this year offering students of various grade levels the chance to learn and practice new skills in football, soccer, golf and volleyball.
Summer Exploration at The Summit is divided into four sections. • Toddler Bridge is a program designed for current Summit students, ages 2 to 3, who will transition into the age 3-6 program but need to acquire certain required
Summer Exploration classes are also open to non-Summit students. Class sizes are restricted, and discounts are available for multiple weeks. See a complete curriculum guide and register at a secure online site: www.summitcds.org/ summerprograms.
School might be out for the summer, but parents can help minimize learning loss during their break by enrolling their children in fun but educational classes and camps at The Summit Country Day School, as part of the annual Summer Exploration program.
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2016 Summit Summer Exploration Montessori • Day Camp • Classes and Camps
DAY CAMP ACADEMIC CLASSES
CSI Science and Writing Camp (June 13–17) CP U.S. Government (June 13–July 1) Video Game Creation — Platform Style (June 13–17) Kudo Video Game Creation — Adventure Style (June 13–17) Modding, Networking and Hosting with Minecraft (June 13–17) (Aug. 8–12) Children Write The Future — Writer’s Workshop (June 13–17) (June 27–July 1) Chess Camp (June 13-17) (Aug. 8–12) Summer Studies in the Latin Language Castra Latina! (June 13–17) (June 20–24) (June 27–July 1) (June 13–July 1) ACT Preparation (June 13–17) Upper School Health (June 13–July 1) Better Baby Sitters Class (June 14 and June 16) Kidz Home Alone (June 15 and 17) Drawing Characters Art Camp (June 20–23) Raging Robotics: Coding with LEGO Mindstorms (June 20–24) Bricks 4 Kidz – “Galaxy Far Away” Space Camp (June 20–24) Spanish Immersion Camp (June 20–24) Upper School Financial Literacy (July 5–15) Bricks 4 Kidz – Mining and Crafting I (July 11–15) Exploring Art through Literature and Writing (July 11–15) Bricks 4 Kidz – Mining and Crafting II (July 18–22) Bricks 4 Kidz – Bricks 4 Girlz (July 18–22) Equations: The Game of Creative Mathematics (July 18–22) Spanish Language Camp (July 18–22) (July 25–29) Jump Start with Reading, Writing and Technology (Aug. 1–5) Study Skills and Life Skills (Aug. 1–5) High School Placement Test Prep Course (Aug. 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12) (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and Nov. 5) Video Game Creation — 3D Concepts (Aug. 8–12) Video Game Creation — Arcade Style (Aug. 8–12) Kudo Video Game Creation — Like Mario Go-Kart Style (Aug. 8–12) Review of Algebra I Fundamentals (Aug. 10–12, 15–19) Typing for Middle School (Aug. 15–18) Study Smarter Not Harder! (Aug. 17–19) Summer Piano Lessons (June 13–Aug. 19) Encaustic Painting - Painting with Wax (June 13–17) Traveling Through the Art Zone (June 13–17)
ATHLETICS
Toddler Bridge Week 1: June 20–24 “Young Chefs in the Making” Toddler Bridge Week 2: July 11–15 “Science Exploration” Toddler Bridge Week 3: July 18–22 “How Does Your Garden Grow?” Toddler Bridge Week 4: Aug. 1–5 “Wet and Wild” Week 1: June 13–17 “A Walk in the Garden” Week 2: June 20–24 “Art Around the World” Week 3: June 27–July1 “Sports, Fun and Games - The Physics of Sports” Week 4: July 5–8 “Endangered Animals Around the World” Week 5: July 11–15 “Authors from Around the World” Week 6: July 18–22 “Let’s Take Care of Our Beautiful World“ Week 7: July 25–29 “Kids in the Kitchen” Week 8: Aug. 1–5 “Birds of a Feather” Week 9: Aug. 8–12 “Chinese Cultural Exploration” Week 10: Aug. 15–19 “Wet and Wild”
ART
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9th 10th 11th 12th Gr. Gr. Gr. Gr.
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Boys and Girls Golf Lessons (June 13–Aug. 19) Summit Football Camp (June 25) Boys and Girls Soccer Camp (July 25–29) The Soccer Players Academy (July 25–29) Girls’ Volleyball Camp (Aug. 1–4)
Summit Magazine
Register and see details and updates at www.summitcds.org/summerprograms.
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2015 Summit Community Survey Results Summit parents in all divisions and students in grades five through 12 were surveyed in October to seek their opinions about the school’s performance. This feedback helps administration and faculty ascertain how well are we delivering on our mission. The same survey instrument is used by other independent schools in the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). This allows us to compare The Summit’s results with the best schools in the Midwest. This year’s ratings for The Summit were extraordinarily high in the absolute. Parents and students gave high marks in most aspects of the school’s image and performance, and in many cases, scores were higher than the ISACS benchmark.
Parent Ratings: The Summit vs. Other Independent Schools Overall quality of education Overall education comparison for comparable schools Commitment to racially, culturally, economically diverse environment Right emphasis on grades and student evaluation Mission is widely known and endorsed Mission is largely achieved Innovative in its educational offerings Caring and community environment Faculty (discipline, teaching ability, role model, collegiality) Administration (approachability, leadership, problem-solving) Academics (class size, teaching styles, technology, students match program) English/Language Arts Math Foreign/World Languages History/Social Studies Science Public Speaking Social/emotional development Character/ethical development Leadership development Classroom facilities Counseling and guidance Athletic program (emphasis, success, coaching, variety, participation) Community service (emphasis on participation, variety) Extracurricular activities (emphasis on participation, variety) Security The Summit Other schools in the Independent Schools Association of the Central States
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Student Ratings (Grades 5-12): The Summit vs. Other Independent Schools Overall quality of education Overall education comparison for comparable schools Commitment to racially, culturally, economically diverse environment Right emphasis on grades and student evaluation Mission is widely known and endorsed Mission is largely achieved Innovative in its educational offerings Caring and community environment Faculty (discipline, teaching ability, role model, collegiality) Administration (approachability, leadership, problem-solving) Academics (class size, teaching styles, technology, students match program) English/Language Arts Math Foreign/World Languages History/Social Studies Science Public Speaking Social/emotional development Character/ethical development Leadership development Classroom facilities Counseling and guidance Athletic program (emphasis, success, coaching, variety, participation) Community service (emphasis on participation, variety) Extracurricular activities (emphasis on participation, variety) Security The Summit Other schools in the Independent Schools Association of the Central States
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% Excellent/ Very Good Summit Magazine 15 15
Our
Our Global Summit When you walk down the main hall of The Summit, look up. You will see flags from around the world that represent the nationalities of our community. More than 22 countries are represented in our current student body and this show of colors embraces the expatriates, naturalized citizens and international students who broaden our cultural identity. In this special report on our global curriculum and the students and graduates it has affected, we show how we are living the part of the school’s mission that calls on us to develop our God-given spiritual, intellectual, physical, social and artistic talents and use them to make the world a better place.
16 Spring 2016
The Upper and Middle Schools celebrated Chinese New Year in a big way this year. During this assembly, two dragons paraded through Flannery Gym. Chinese international students helped orchestrate a dumpling-making contest, and following tradition, red envelopes containing Chinese currency or well wishes were given to younger children.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Chinese Cheerleader Enjoys American Cuisine, Independence By Chang Gao ’17 My name is Chang Gao. Most people know me by my American nickname, Krystal. I am from Chengdu, China. With 10 million residents, Chengdu is five times larger than Cincinnati. I was shocked when I first came to Cincinnati. Compared to Chengdu, Cincinnati is quiet. The air is cleaner. People are friendly. Even strangers say, “Hello.” I came to America when I was 15 years old. Even though I was their only child, my parents decided to send me here because they thought I could get a better style of education – one that focused more on teaching me to think than expecting me to memorize facts. When the plane landed I was a little scared. Most of what I knew about America I had seen in movies. Now that I have lived in America for three years, I realize that 60 percent of what the movies depict as teenage life is not truly “American life.” Thank goodness! Adapting to this culture and new environment was a huge challenge. For example, I didn’t understand why Americans use the word “restroom” to refer to the toilet. I thought a restroom must be a place where you get rest. If you are “beat,” it means you are tired; you haven’t even been punched. If you “get it,” it means you understand; not that you are acquiring something. Food was probably the biggest hurdle. What most American Chinese restaurants serve is nothing like food in my home in the Szechuan Province (and FYI, fortune cookies are NOT Chinese). But I adapted. I learned slang. I’ve come to love such typical American food as spaghetti, burritos, kielbasa with sauerkraut, Greek chili and French fries. I do typical American teen chores, although not without making mistakes here and there. I can’t remember how many times I forgot to put laundry detergent in the washer or shrank my clothes. But for the first time in my life, I feel independent. This is not so different from my American friends. Still, coming to The Summit for high school was definitely a life-changing experience for me. I was
A native of Chengdu, a city of 10 million people in China’s Szechuan Province, Chang “Krystal” Gao ’17 works on a project in art class. She is one of 26 international students on campus this year.
worried if I would fit in. I told myself I would try new things since I now have freedom to choose for myself and opportunities I didn’t have in China. I played lacrosse. I became a cheerleader. I joined clubs. But the best thing is I have been able to explore art in depth. I took photography freshman year, and we developed black and white photos in the darkroom. It was an unbelievable experience. I fell in love with art. I am a junior now and planning to attend an American college. I don’t know where this journey will take me, but I am grateful to have this American experience at The Summit where I am encouraged to pursue my dreams. Summit Magazine 17 17
By Shabnam Fayyaz ’16 In September 1996, the civil war between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Afghanistan ended and the Taliban came to power. I was born in November of that same year, in a village in Ghanzi, Afghanistan to a Hazara family. Hazaras are an ethnic minority group in Afghanistan. We speak Farsi and are Shia Muslims. My father named me Shabnam. Shabnam is a Persian, Urdu, Turkish and Hindi name meaning “morning dew.” The choice of my name was shaped by the characteristics of the dew. Dew is a tranquil thing. Dew forms everywhere and it harms nothing. Dew makes everything seem fresh and different. When I was born, my father was tired of war and the violent period that followed in Afghanistan under the Taliban. I, Shabnam, was like the dew to end the dark night for a refreshing morning. Now my name adds to my own definition of who I am – a calm girl with big dreams.
Shabnam Fayyaz ’16, a student from Afghanistan, is enrolled at The Summit for a post-graduate year to prepare for college in the U.S. She will attend Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., this fall.
Afghanistan Teen Adapts to Life in America This is an excerpt of a Chapel Talk given by Shabnam Fayyaz, a student from Afghanistan, who is enrolled at The Summit for a postgraduate year to prepare for college in the U.S.
18 Spring 2016
When I was just six months old, my family fled to Pakistan from Afghanistan to escape the Taliban’s violence. We – my father, mother, four siblings and I – lived in one small room. My father worked day and night to feed his family. My mother made our clothes and cared for us. Later, I attended a school run by Afghan refugees, including my father who was an engineer and taught math. We spent nine years in Pakistan, before we were able to return home to Kabul, Afghanistan. As a young child, I struggled to understand the strange situation of making a life in a new country where we were not welcome. All the time, I knew how deeply my parents missed their home and their lives in Afghanistan. Now I realize the hardships created the deep bonds that formed between me, my parents and my siblings. When we returned home to Afghanistan, we helped my father rebuild our home with our own
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS hands. I was 10 at that time and my job was to carry bricks to my father and brothers as they built the walls of our home. These are the memories that nurture me and allow me to persevere when I face new situations and difficult challenges. My father was unusual, for he encouraged his daughters, as well as his sons, to become educated. My older sister, Parwana, graduated from Stanford University in June 2015. She was the first woman in my family’s history to be educated. She helped me imagine what might be possible, and she inspired me to have the courage to leave home in pursuit of a better education. So, after finishing high school in Kabul, I applied to the Access Academy – an English language immersion program – at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. Granted admission and a scholarship, I left home at just 16. In my new school, I was homesick. I struggled to learn in English. But, I loved my studies and the opportunity to participate in activities like debate, sports and community service – all for the first time. My roommates were from Bhutan and Bangladesh. We were curious about each other’s cultures, religions and families. And we learned from our different perspectives and traditions. I felt seeds of confidence growing within me. I realized that strength comes from facing difficulties with calmness and imagination. After graduating from the Access Academy, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to come to the United States for a year of additional study at The Summit before applying to an American college. I arrived in August, just a few weeks before school began. Recognizing that I was feeling overwhelmed by the transition, my host family encouraged me to participate in a sport. I could not compete as an international student, but I was given permission to run with the cross country team. I experienced the empowering feeling of running freely, gaining fitness, competing, having my coaches encourage me and hearing my teammates cheer for me. My body and spirit grew stronger and more resilient. When my cross country team won the district championship this past October, I felt pride and a new sense of belonging. These feelings were
different from those I had when I first started running last August. Was it OK to run with a group of tall girls and young boys? Was it okay for an Afghan girl to run at all? I felt confused and everything was difficult, but I did not give up. I soon found running made me feel happy and alive. Eventually, I stopped questioning myself and focused on improving my sense of movement. Soon I was running with my teammates side-by-side. Now I want to run in college. And I dream of running for the Afghan national team someday. More importantly, running has given me a sense of myself as an individual and the confidence to imagine a future for myself beyond that of a traditional Afghan woman. This year I am taking courses in English, American History and Social Justice. In English, I discovered a love for British and American poetry. In American History, I began to understand why America – this “land of new traditions” as my father calls it – is a land of hope, a hope that comes with being free, a land where everyone has the freedom to speak and to practice their religion, a land where women have rights, a land with such a diversity of people and ideas. Through my Social Justice course, I became fascinated with questions of justice, poverty, inequality and human rights. Asked to undertake a service project, I chose to pursue a project related to refugees – a subject I am deeply interested in as a result of my own experiences. I applied for and was selected to work for the refugee resettlement program in Catholic Charities. In college, I want to learn and understand more about social justice issues through my studies in politics, philosophy, sociology and history. Eventually, I hope to attend law school with a focus on social issues. I want to use my education to work on behalf of women and refugees around the world. When the situation in Afghanistan permits, I want to return home to work alongside and on behalf of Afghan women. I want to see the hope and strength I now feel in the eyes of every Afghan woman. Thank you to my advisor, my teachers, my coaches and my fellow students at The Summit for helping me to grow so much – both personally and intellectually – this year.
Summit Magazine 19 19
U.S.-Born Junior Is Proud of Her Nigerian Heritage By Zafe Udegbe ’17 Ever since I was little, I have enjoyed the luxury of traveling to a different country every holiday, and also traveling to different parts of the United States during the summer with my Nigerian parents. When I would come to the U.S. in the summer, I usually chose to stay with one of my many relatives. However, two summers ago was quite different. As usual, I came to stay with my cousins – this time the ones in Ohio. But this time, I traveled unattended for the first time in my life and I ended up staying when summer vacation was over. At first, I did not think I was ready to live without my parents or leave my old friends Zafe Udegbe ’17 is an American citizen but her parents are Nigerian. They have sent her to The Summit to finish high school. behind. I was used to being the youngest child in the family with of extreme poverty, disease or conflict you often see in siblings at least 10 years older advertising for African charities. Yes, Africa is the most than I am. I was not at all ready to live with my little underdeveloped continent in the world. But there are cousins who are only a couple of years younger than very many beautiful and thriving places in Africa. I am me. I soon adapted to the new environment. I would proud to be from there. I lived in a sprawling city called love to say I adapted with ease, but that would not be Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. With about 3 million very truthful. people, Ibadan is more populous than Cincinnati. My mom is a professor of psychology at the University of When I first got here, I struggled a lot with people Ibadon. My dad is a chemical engineer, and he runs his asking me about where I am from and why I moved own company. I attended Catholic schools there. I lived here. To everyone, I was just another international in a big house, not a hut like some people might have student. It took a while for people to understand that assumed. I am not an international student but am in fact a U.S. citizen. I was born on U.S. soil – in Los Angeles, I have never regretted living in Nigeria. There, I to be specific. I just happened to be raised in Nigeria. learned many valuable lessons and met some of the I have experienced some of the negative stereotypes smartest and most amazing people I know. I am also that are associated with Africa, and I am happy to very grateful that I am living here now. Although it dispel them. I was asked once what “village in Africa” was difficult to start in a completely different place, I I am from. I am very sure that the person who asked am very proud of my Nigerian heritage as well as my this was under the impression that all of Africa is American background. underdeveloped and imagine people living in the kind 20 Spring 2016 20
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Sophia Nery ’25 was born in Texas but has an appreciation for her parents’ home countries – Turkey and Brazil.
Multinational Third Grader Learns Fourth Language By Sophia Nery ’25 My name is Sophia. I am eight years old and am in the third grade. I was born in Texas. My younger sister was born in Brazil; so was my dad. My mom was born in Turkey. After I was born, we moved to Brazil. We stayed there for four years until we moved to Indianapolis where we stayed for two years. Then finally we moved to Cincinnati. I can speak English, Portuguese, Turkish and I’m learning French at school. I love arts and crafts. I like reading. The Percy Jackson books are my favorite. I take piano and voice lessons on Saturdays and play soccer on Mondays. My favorite foods are feijoada, a Brazilian black bean stew with pork sausage and sun-dried beef, and manti, a Turkish ravioli with garlic yoghurt sauce.
I have visited my relatives in Turkey and Brazil. I like Turkey because it doesn’t get too hot or too cold there, and because Turkey has a lot of fish. I really like fish. I like Brazil because of all the beaches. When you go to Brazil and you fly over it in a plane, you see a lot of green. Brazil has a lot of animals in the rainforest. I am really interested in animals and plants. My favorite animal is the cheetah. I want to help endangered animals and plants. I also want to help animals that are hurt. I have a cat named Agita who is about three years old in human years. I got Agita when I was six. Her breed is called Birman. Agita has a bit of international background, too. Her name is Portuguese. Her breed is said to have come from Europe and Australia, but she looks a bit like a Siamese cat. But like me, Agita was born in the U.S. Also like me, people at The Summit come from all over the world. I like The Summit because the people here are very kind.
Summit Magazine 21 21
Karmah Khoury ’20, of Palestinian descent, and Western Saharan immigrant Salka Barca took part in the naturalization service hosted by The Summit in November.
Eighth Grader Gives Voice to Western Saharan Refugee in New Book By Karmah Khoury ’20 For the past few years, The Summit has hosted a naturalization ceremony in which new citizens have pledged their allegiance to the United States of America. During this event in November, I was singing a song with the choir called, “An American Celebration,” which helped me realize how happy the soon-to-be naturalized citizens were because they were becoming citizens of the U.S. My parents are of Palestinian descent, having lived in Jordan. They went through the same process, and they were excited to become citizens because of the new culture, new people and new values that cherish “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” They were proud to become citizens of this country because they felt American values reflect the wishes and aspirations of humans across the globe.
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During Diversity and Inclusion Club meetings, we try to create ways to represent the different ethnicities and cultures to make one community; therefore, the different faces at the ceremony represented the creation of one community because they became citizens of one union. For my eighth grade capstone project on justice, I interviewed a Western Saharan woman named Salka Barca, who works with my mother as an interpreter, and I saw her, coincidentally, at the naturalization ceremony taking the oath to become a citizen. Interestingly, she was the first Western Saharan to become a United States citizen. Ms. Barca lived in Western Sahara until the Moroccans invaded and occupied their land. She was forced to become a refugee in a camp in Algeria. Ms. Barca was so distraught by the cruelty of the Moroccans, especially
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS against women’s rights to free speech, that she started to speak up about women’s rights, but eventually was threatened by the Algerian forces for the work she was doing. The American non-governmental organization that was working and visiting the camps at the time Ms. Barca was there valued the work that she was doing and understood the risks that she was taking on a daily basis. They decided to help her flee the camps to the U.S. to keep her safe. The price she had to pay for leaving, however, was not being able to return to Algeria, even to visit her parents, who eventually passed away in the camps. I see Ms. Barca as a person who is passionate for equal rights, no matter who you are, what you look like, what your story is or where you came from. The eighth grade’s capstone project involves interviewing people and connecting with them by listening to their stories of injustices and/or justices. Before I interviewed Ms. Barca, I didn’t know what to expect and I had my own perceptions of what I thought she would look and be like. Then I met her, talked to her and listened to her – realizing that every person has an identity that is shaped by a story of his or her history. After she told me about the injustices of Western Sahara, I was shocked. At the time, so was she, because she realized how valued she felt just by being able to share her story. She told me the only way I can prevent injustices like these from happening again is to speak and use my voice. Rosie Sansalone, my English teacher, reinforced for me the importance of having empathy and compassion. I realized that by helping Ms. Barca tell her story, I was, in a way, helping her voice the injustices of her people. At the naturalization ceremony, I saw the diversity of humanity, knowing that each person had his or her own story, and that, to them, the chance of becoming a citizen was the opportunity for freedom and justice. They realized that the United States is a country where freedom and justice is a right, and through this, happiness and self-dignity can be found. And although for most of them America became their new home, the home they came from still and forever will be in their hearts, souls and minds.
Born in Great Britain, Humphrey Domville ’21 now calls the U.S. home.
British Expatriate Finds Himself Quite at Home in Queen City By Humphrey Domville ’21 I was born in Devon, a county in southwest England, in 2002 but moved to Cincinnati in 2005 when my mom became president of F+W Media, a book and magazine company. This year my parents and brothers, Tristan and Rupert, are able to vote in their first U.S. presidential election as we became citizens three years ago. Prior to that, I always thought it was funny that our official status was “legal aliens.” I had thought that aliens were green with eyes popping out of their heads, but clearly this is not always the case. At The Summit I have always felt welcomed for who I am. I enjoy being just a fellow student, but I also like being an example of diversity, with a different accent, background and way to spell a word. We can all learn from each other, and The Summit is the place that enables me to flourish and thrive. Summit Magazine
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European World Language Trip Gives Summit Students Savoir Faire By Leah Fightmaster Some students are hands-on learners. When the subject is Spanish and French language and culture, sometimes the lesson takes place in Europe. Every other year, students at The Summit Country Day School have the opportunity to sign up for a trip to Europe, headed by Upper School French and Spanish teachers Mary Jean Feldhaus and Monica (Haas) Desch ’90. A bike tour of Barcelona, a nighttime view of the Parisian panorama from the top of the Eiffel Tower, a stroll through Parc Güell in Madrid and a dip in the Mediterranean Sea – all are experiences that serve practical, experiential and educational purposes. The trip is an extension of The Summit’s World Language curriculum, which requires Summit students study a World Language every year from age two through 12th grade. The 10-day trip includes a lot of time for the group to explore together – a morning tour after breakfast together, then an afternoon visit to a museum or cultural show, followed by dinner as a group as well. But what Mrs. Feldhaus thinks is a critical aspect is lunch.
That connection is what makes the lesson memorable. Not only are students immersing themselves in a culture that isn’t their own, but they are also able to experience first-hand the places and customs they were taught about in class. Mrs. Feldhaus says the connections continue into the next year, when they revisit a place or tradition in class that they experienced on the trip. Students who travel on the European trip – which have included groups as few as 10 students and as many as 46 – learn lessons that only travel can provide. Senior Maddie Amend said that exploring the side streets and neighborhoods of Paris, as well as visiting the top of the Eiffel Tower at dusk, were two favorite activities she couldn’t have done at home. “I learned what life was like outside of the United States and the societal norms of those in Europe,” she says. “I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who has the opportunity.”
“We will stop for lunch at one location in the city and tell them they are free to go explore in smaller groups for a few hours,” she says.“They spend the time shopping, interacting with other people, exploring on their own and eating local food.” It’s that free time that ends up having a great impact on their experience in a foreign country. Students overhear conversations of the people around them and order a meal in the native language, allowing them to stretch their linguistic muscles. “They’ll come back to me and say, ‘Mrs. Feldhaus, I understood what they were saying!’” she says. “You see the excitement on their faces when we visit somewhere we learned about in class.” 24 Spring 2016 24
Summit students on last summer’s World Languages trip pause for a photo in front of the Château de Fontainebleau in Paris. Bottom row, L to R: Senior Maddie Amend, junior Katie Anne Headley, sophomore Meghan Byrne, senior Taylor Ayer, senior Olivia Northrop and sophomore Avery Walter. Top row, L to R: Mary Jean Feldhaus, Sophomore Lauren Jones, senior Emily Ray, sophomores Maggie Harsh, Kate Marx and Elizabeth Dolcimascolo, senior Denisha Herring and Spanish teacher Monica (Haas) Desch ’90.
Global Curriculum Global Evening Enlightens and Enchants Audience By Nancy Berlier On Pentecost Island in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, young men jump from 90-foot wooden towers with tree vines wrapped around their ankles to break their fall. This bungee-jumping practice, called land diving, is one of several coming-of-age rituals seniors Janel Bond and Ana Nieto researched for their poster at this year’s Global Evening in the Upper School. Judging by the constant crowd in front of their display, it was one of the most popular presentations among their Upper School audience. In its second year, Global Evening celebrates the global awareness, experiences and curriculum of The Summit’s faculty, students and families. Organized by Upper School social studies teacher Tracy Law ‘85 Ph.D., this year’s event included the launch of the all-faculty curriculum mapping project (see pages 2829). The featured faculty talk was presented by Upper School biology teacher Karen Suder, who reflected on her forensic anthropology fieldwork in Albania as well as her views of the contemporary culture, gender differences and geography of the Balkan nation whose entire population is only slightly larger than Greater Cincinnati. The evening also included a student art exhibit called the Art of Place and a performance of Colombian folk dancing featuring junior Alejandra Valencia, her sixth grade brother, Luis, and their father, Louis Valencia II ’78, who not only performed but also narrated the traditions of the dance. “We want students, parents and faculty to see that global citizenry crosses departmental boundaries and includes everything from the obvious – social studies, religion and world languages – to literature and science,” says Dr. Law, who serves on both the Global Citizenry and Upper School Diversity & Inclusion committees. “Our extracurricular programs, including clubs, summer travel and mission experiences, are also extensions of our attempts to encourage students to see their connections to the bigger picture, to imbue them with tolerance for people with cultures and traditions that are different from their own and equip them with confidence in their own communication and social skills.” Keys to Global Evening were the research posters presented by the students in Advanced Placement
Alejandra Valencia ’17 and her father, Louis Valencia ’78, demonstrate a traditional Columbian folk dance at Global Evening.
(AP) Human Geography course, taught by Dr. Law, who is among a select group of teachers across the country who grade AP exams on the subject. This year’s research presentations centered primarily on urban development and cultural preservation. Among this year’s research topics, senior Anny Fang and junior Justin Zhou explored “Gentrification around the World,” senior Haley Bosse researched “Avant Garde Fashion: The Mutual Influence of East and West,” seniors Rachel Stines and Maggie Taylor presented “Who are Child Soldiers” and Alejandra Valencia increased awareness of “Corruption in Latin America.” Some posters were closer to home, such as “An Inquiry into the Political Typology of the Summit Senior Class” by seniors Dustin Argo, Tony Ortiz and Steven Craig, and “Cincinnati: What Makes the Queen City Unique?” by junior Jennifer Whitehead. Senior Jenny Zhang gave a talk on “The Vanishing Hutongs in Beijing, China” featuring drawings created by a friend of her father. Senior Jared Bulla presented “Ohio – the Political Bellwether,” exploring why Ohio’s political leanings are viewed as predictive of the nation as a whole. “The key theme of the course is answering the question of how and why people differ across place,” Dr. Law says. “This includes everything from demographics and migration, to culture, politics, economics and urbanization. I have heard back from alumni about how the class has helped them across a variety of college majors, given the practical applications of the material to everyday life.”
Summit Magazine
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Teachers Put The Summit’s Curriculum on the Map By Laura Adkins True educators are intensely passionate about learning and growth, not only for their students but for themselves as well. For this reason, Summit faculty members routinely challenge themselves in their areas of interest. The idea for and the execution of the “Our Global Summit” web-based map was born out of this passion. The global work in which teachers have engaged through curriculum and programming – including Diversity and Inclusion speakers, clubs and conferences – has grown through the years. Because of the faculty’s own experiences and recognition of diverse cultures present on our campus, a desire for empathy and understanding among people of different cultural backgrounds has become a priority. In approving the 2011 strategic plan, the school’s Board of Trustees called for global education. Middle School Director Mike Johnson, who led the initial Global Citizenry task force, helped set the faculty on its mission to define the global curriculum. “While seeing ourselves as global, we wanted to understand best practices for ensuring a systemic
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Third graders Tanner Berry, left, and William Hartmann read pen-pal letters from the Yantai American School in China. The exchange, Spring 2016 which began a year ago, helps students learn about each others lives, schools and customs.
approach to preparing our students for the many diverse relationships they are developing and will develop into the future,” Mr. Johnson says. The interactive, online mapping project was the faculty’s reaction to the charge. Through our meetings and effort, the faculty committee members realized that most of the expertise necessary to infuse a global perspective throughout the curriculum already existed within our own community. Committee members from all divisions discussed the interesting and interactive lessons in which students are engaged and how they learn empathy and understanding toward people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. • • • •
Montessori students study many countries, and they often include the families of the students from those countries. Recently, they studied India and the Philippines and invited the family members of students to share their experiences. In 2014, the Lower School’s program, “Empathy: The Key to Global Citizenry – A Celebration of Japan,” gave the students a day to discover and explore the life of a child their age in Japan. Teachers held sessions which included calligraphy, a tea ceremony, traditional storytelling, cherry blossom art, traditional games, Aikido demonstration and a Japanese- style lunch in the classroom; additionally, they have invited speakers and followed up with other activities about Japan since that day in 2014. The Middle School curriculum includes several aspects which help students learn global citizenry, and they even work in conjunction with the Upper School at times. Each year, Upper School students who are from China visit classrooms of the sixth grade students to talk about life in China today after they have studied the history in language arts, geography of China in social studies and read a memoir about a woman who grew up during the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960s. The Upper School’s Global Evening (see page 25) is a celebration of global curriculum, community and experiences.
As the faculty committee discussed divisional versions of global citizenry, committee members envisioned
Global Curriculum a resource in which teachers could discover The Summit’s connections with a particular country. So, for example, if a Middle School class is reading a work by Lithuanian author Rita Septys, the teacher could see that additional resources might be available from the Upper School’s U.S. Holocaust and Human Behavior class, or that the Montessori’s exploration of the country includes foods, clothing and customs. After discussing many formats, we decided to share the information interactively on our website. “We knew we wanted to celebrate what faculty, staff and students already do at The Summit, while hopefully inspiring ways to take it to the next level through collaboration across curricular areas and divisions,” says the map’s chief creator, Lower School French teacher Amy McDonald. Through several professional development days, the entire faculty worked together to gather examples of The Summit experience and organize it into six key areas – trips, service learning, heritage, curriculum, programming and professional development. The map was launched at the Global Evening on March 22. We expect the points on the map to grow as we gain more experiences and discover more connections with The Summit community.
Five-year-old Montessori preschooler Jack Dougherty traces a country in South America. In this exercise in the 3-to-6-year-old academic classes, students memorize the names and shapes of the countries by recreating a map that they can take home and hang up on their walls.
Please visit Our Global Summit’s interactive webpage at www.summitcds.org/globalcitizenry.
Fifth graders Owen McEachern, left, and Trey Butler carry a hand-carved icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas, in the procession for this year’s Spanish Mass celebrating the Immaculate Conception.
Sophomores Maddie Hendrix and Sydni Brooks carry water jugs in the Hands Across the Water walkathon. Lessons about the global water crisis are covered in classrooms before the event which raises funds for waterpurifying packets for children in underdeveloped countries. The walk simulates the kind of trek children in developing countries must make to bring water to their homes and Summit schools. Magazine 27 27
Our
How the Mapping Project Works Teachers in all divisions collaborated on a web-based, interactive map which shows examples of curriculum, programs, educational travel, service learning, heritage and professional development at The Summit. Website visitors can click on a pin to see a pop-up box listing Summit connections to that location. A navigational bar on the right of each box allows the user to scroll down to see a complete list of activities in the Montessori through Upper School. Some boxes in this illustration show a partial list. To see and interact with the Springgo 2016 28map, to www.summitcds.org/globalcitizenry
Global Curriculum
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Adam Dalia ’06 stands outside a medical center in Santo Domingo during a medical mission.
30 Spring 2016
Global Alumni Dr. Adam Dalia ’06 Humbled by Medical Mission, Credits Summit Faculty for Perseverance, Character-Building Lessons By Kathy Schwartz Dr. Adam Dalia ’06 has a couple of effective treatments for dealing with the rigors of being a medical student: 1. Spend a week helping underserved patients in a developing country. 2. Remember the character-building lessons from the teachers at The Summit. Adam is in his final year as an anesthesiology resident at the Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. In November, a team of about six from the center went on a medical mission to the Dominican Republic. He and other residents in anesthesiology and ear/nose/throat (ENT) surgery performed about 30 free operations, including repairing cleft palates, removing goiters and mastoid (inner ear) microsurgery. It was extremely rewarding to witness the patients’ appreciation, he says. “Medical education is very laborious, a grind,” Adam says. “You’re missing family and friends’ events, missing out on your early 20s.” The seven days in Santo Domingo was an opportunity to provide care and apply his medical education without the bureaucracy of health insurance questions and forms. The Dominican trip wasn’t Adam’s first exposure to medicine outside the United States. While attending Northeast Ohio Medical University, he accompanied his mother, who is an anesthesiologist at Cincinnati’s Christ Hospital, to Jerusalem with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Practicing medicine in America is hard enough. A mission to an underserved country “brings you back to the roots of medicine and humbles you,” Adam says. “It reminds you why you got into the field and grounds you.” He also credits The Summit for providing lessons about perseverance. His math teacher challenged him to excel and though Adam’s focus was on science, he says it was retired English teacher Carole Fultz who helped mold him into who he is today. “If something was difficult, I tended to avoid it,” he recalls. “She really strengthened me mentally.” Mrs. Fultz encouraged her students to
dive in whenever they were scared or doubted their abilities. Now Adam seeks out opportunities for a challenge. The nearly annual mission trips to the Dominican by Ohio State anesthesiology and ENT surgery residents began 10 to 20 years ago. Contacts in Santo Domingo prescreen patients before the physicians arrive from the United States. Some of the patients have to travel to the capital from villages two or three hours away. The main health threats they face in their neighborhoods are a lack of access to clean water and substandard sanitation, Adam says. The team from Columbus slept in close quarters on the medical campus and worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. But the center does not have overnight accommodations for patients, so the OSU team had to send them on their way after surgery, hoping for proper post-op care at home. Their youngest patient was age 2, and the oldest was 82. Most of the patients are adults, so the trip offered a chance for Adam and the others to apply the full breadth of their education, from pediatrics to geriatrics. Team members brought some of their own equipment, such as microscopic and fiber-optic surgery tools, and left behind excess medication. Because the medical center in Santo Domingo has limited resources, the Ohio State doctors were asked to save plastic tubing so it could be sterilized and used again. In the United States, the tubing would be thrown away after it had been in a patient’s mouth. The center’s anesthesia machines dated to the 1980s, “but we made it work,” Adam says. Adam will complete his Ohio State residency in June. Then he moves to Boston to begin a one-year Harvard fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology. After that, he would like to come home to Cincinnati. While at The Summit, he volunteered at Christ Hospital, and he worked there during college as a nurse’s aide. He’s also drawn to the academic research side of medicine and the University of Cincinnati’s reputation in that field. Summit Magazine 31 31
Lily Raphael ’08 shears with Kichwa women in Pulingui San Pablo, Ecuador in 2015.
Lily Raphael ’08 Feels at Home in Canada, Ecuador, Taiwan By Kathy Schwartz Lily Raphael ’08 has felt at home around the world, whether studying and working in Quebec, assisting agricultural families in Ecuador, or hosting meditation sessions in Taiwan. Now she is back in Cincinnati – thinking globally, acting locally and encouraging others to do the same. Lily is working as a program manager for UpSpring (formerly Faces Without Places). The nonprofit strives to remove barriers to education for children experiencing homelessness. Through her job, Lily has begun an after-school program at Newport (Ky.) Intermediate School with a Science, Engineering, 32 Spring 2016 32
Technology, Art and Math (STEAM) curriculum centered on the theme “Think Global, Act Local.” Lily’s family of travelers inspired her worldview and desire to make a difference. Her mother worked in marginalized communities and lived among diverse populations in Harlem and St. Croix. Her father took foreign trips while working for General Electric. Her brother Max has made a life for himself in Taiwan, teaching English and working with a nonprofit. Another brother spent six years in China. A third lives in the melting pot of New York and visits a new place on the map every year. Lily has also traveled to Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey, France, Italy and England.
Global Alumni The Advanced Placement Human Geography class taught at The Summit by Tracy Law ’85 Ph.D also influenced Lily to follow a global path. Lily had considered an English or journalism degree until Dr. Law’s class fueled her interest in anthropology. “I just love community. That’s what I’m all about – a community that knows its values,” Lily says.
filtration systems, to a rural area. It then trains local entrepreneurs, especially women, in order to create a sustainable economy and improve the region’s health and education. While teaching others, Lily received her own lessons in adaptability. When visiting families during her field work, she’d stay in one- or two-room homes with outhouses. In the country’s northern highlands, there was no hot water, and she’d take bucket showers. After that first literal splash in the face, “I’m now totally immune and feel at home,” she says.
She majored in international development studies and minored in Arabic languages at McGill University in Montreal where she discovered that in her dorm of just 36 people, there were residents from Turkey, South Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia and Holland. “The world is represented on that campus,” Lily says. While at McGill, Lily traveled twice to Ecuador and once to Nicaragua. In Ecuador, she managed a community agriculture volunteer program. Later she completed undergrad thesis field work on efforts to preserve traditional ecological knowledge among AfroEcuadorian coastal communities. Lily makes adobe bricks for an organic farm’s new library in Vilcabamba, Ecuador in 2009.
By the time she graduated from McGill in 2012, Montreal felt like home. She interned there with the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade, researching markets in Latin America and East Africa and reviewing investment proposals. She followed that with a year at an immigration law firm and then returned to the alliance, focusing on fundraising and writing proposals for sustainable trade activities in agricultural communities. Two years after college, Lily decided she wanted to be abroad again. She spent part of 2014 and 2015 in Ecuador working for Community Enterprise Solutions. The nonprofit introduces products with “high impact,” such as eyeglasses and water-
Lily explored Taiwan and Bali last summer with her brother Max where she hosted meditation sessions in public spaces as an ambassador of Cincinnatibased True Body, a movement that helps girls and women feel comfortable with their bodies and find their voices. Since last summer Lily has been considering a return to Canada for graduate studies in regional planning – though her new job with UpSpring could put those plans on the back burner. Last fall, The Summit recognized her work with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Lily advises other students considering a global path to “let it be what it is.” Break down any expectations about how things should be and understand situations from the local perspective. There won’t always be the familiar comforts of home, but don’t be afraid to dive in to studying or working abroad, she says. “Remember, there is always something you can learn from these experiences.” Summit Magazine
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Nicholas Kolentse ’03 and his wife, Jessica, pause for a snapshot at Hagia Sophia during their travels in Istanbul, Turkey.
Nicholas Kolentse ’03 Teaches in Southeast Asia, Colombia By Kathy Schwartz After six years teaching in South Korea and Myanmar, Nicholas Kolentse ’03 and his wife, Jessica, moved “a little closer to home” to work in Bogota, Colombia, where Nick is in his second year teaching middle school social studies. In this Q&A, he talks about living and teaching in a different country. What led you to a career in international education? I was fortunate enough to begin studying abroad during my freshman year at Boston College. I traveled with a group of students to Athens, Greece, to learn more about the Olympics. Traveling and learning abroad quickly became an addiction. Jess and I met while studying in Florence, Italy, two years later. When we returned to the States, we decided that 34 34 Spring 2016
we would combine our passion for traveling with our passion for teaching and learning by accepting positions in Ulsan, South Korea, at a K-8 English school. Studying abroad helped us to explore values in such an engaging and authentic way. How did The Summit help influence your worldview? Kelly Cronin’s history classes challenged me to look with historical lenses and the importance of perspective. Leadership programs with Dr. Tom Monaco (former Upper School director), Mike Johnson and Laura Haas helped develop my sense of responsibility to a larger community, and English classes with Carole Fultz and Pat Kelly helped challenge my values.
Global Alumni What are some of the highlights of your global experiences? Korea was a wonderful culture to begin our transition abroad. It provided us the opportunity to travel almost every weekend to national parks around the peninsula. We followed Korean baseball, traveled to the Demilitarized Zone and backpacked through the countryside.
far. We welcomed our second son, Owen, into the world on Dec. 11, 2015, so we have been having a lot of family fun. You spent part of summer 2015 in Spain. What other countries have you visited? We have spent time in more than 23 countries since graduation. We backpacked through Southeast Asia, lived in a treehouse in Laos for a few days, wandered the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, trekked through the jungles of Chiang Rai, Thailand, sailed through Vietnam’s Halong Bay, spent time in an orphanage in Kathmandu, went to tea houses at the base of the Himalayas, drove overland from Nepal to Tibet, watched fireworks celebrations of Chinese New Year in Beijing, saw the tranquil temples of Nara and Kyoto in Japan, rode the adventurous rails of the Rajasthan region of India and soaked in the sun and culture of Bali.
In 2011, we were ready to take on a new challenge. At Boston College, I studied Asian history with a focus on American foreign policy, so I accepted a position at the International School of Myanmar in Yangon, where I taught middle school social studies for three years there. Living and working in Myanmar gave us a chance to experience history firsthand. We were there for their first open elections in 2012 when Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy were voted into the Hluttaw (legislature). Daw Phyu Phyu Thin, a member of the parliament and an Complete this sentence: AIDS activist in Yangon, “It’s important to be helped my class learn how globally aware because individuals have the ability …” to shape a community. Nicholas, Jess and son Theodore ride a trishaw in Yangon, Myanmar. She arranged a visit It is important to be with Daw Aung San Suu globally aware because Kyi (president of Myanmar’s National League for we are living in a period in which inequality and Democracy party), who explained the importance of injustices are rife in our world. By listening and this period for their country and the role they should attending to the stories of those individuals living on all play in helping to shape the country in the best the edges of our globalized world, we can help to interests of all citizens. encourage change and a process of growth. Global citizens are individuals who are able to help their After the birth of our son Theodore (born in communities find a voice and work to redress issues Bangkok, Thailand, in October 2013), we accepted of social injustice. positions at Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota. Colombia’s vibrant culture is evident in the dancing, Read about more alumni activities around the music and passion of all the people we have met so world on page 52. Summit Magazine35 35
The Summit community celebrated the “party of the century” for the 125th anniversary gala, Knight of Stars, at Music Hall. After dinner, everyone was energized by a live auction and dancing.
Lindsey Huttenbauer and Deb Schaefer, event co-chair.
Jeff and Sherry Driessen.
Lavina and Keton Ambani.
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L to R: Dr. Brent and Lisa Warren, Kristin and Matthew Carcieri, Susan and David Waltz.
L to R: Mike Stagnaro Sr. ‘87 and Amy Stagnaro; Jen Ragland, Caroline Joseph, Ron Joseph Jr. ‘81, Lisa and Tim Michel.
Correction: The printed edition of this magazine incorrectly identified one of the event co-chairs. The co-chairs were Deb Schaefer and Beth Shaw.
Cecily Fassler, Karol Hellman and Lisa McSwain, auction co-chair.
Dr. Patrice (Callery) McCarter (att.) and William McCarter.
(Circle left) L to R: Lindsay B. (Byrnes) Reynolds ‘97, Karrie Crowther and Sarah Rosebraugh Brown ’92.
Dr. Meg Grulee ‘92 and Dr. Charles A. Cavallo.
Kathy and Ed Tyrrell, former head of school.
Tricia Headley, auction co-chair; former Bengal Dhani Jones, auctioneer; and Lisa Nicholson, auction coordinator.
L to R: Sharon Bond, Tonya Warren, parent and Cincinnati City Manager Harry Black, Sheryl Black.
SPA President Kathy Kelly.
Summit Magazine 37 37
Faculty Members Create Summit Legacies for Anniversary By Leah Fightmaster The Summit Country Day School and its founders, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, have a long, rich history. To commemorate the school’s 125th anniversary, three Summit teachers will leave their mark on school history through books they have authored. “Throughout three different centuries, The Summit has fulfilled the loving mission of St. Julie Billiart by filling classrooms with dedicated and learned adults who gave decades of service to teaching not only for the present day, but also for eternity,” says J. Patrick Kelly, Upper School English teacher and school historian. “One hundred twentyfive years is just the start of The Summit’s mission.” Two years ago, Communications Director Nancy Berlier began to plan projects for the anniversary year. Wanting to recognize The Summit’s place in the history of Cincinnati, she began to organize the resources – authors, photographers, photo technicians, proofreaders, researchers and volunteers – needed to make an impact. Soon, four books were in motion. Mr. Kelly had a head start because he had written The Summit: 1890-1990 for the school’s centennial celebration. As he compiled the last 25 years of Summit history, Mrs. Berlier was amassing and researching historic photos. Suli Yang ’15, an international student from China, spent her Senior Search (a capstone project at the end of her senior year) photographing the hand-carved pew ends and the Stations of the Cross in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel for a 38 Spring 2016
To Grow in Grace and Wisdom The History of The Summit Country Day School
By J. Patrick Kelly
To Grow in Grace and Wisdom The History of The Summit Country Day School
By J. Patrick Kelly
comprehensive digital catalog. Robert A. Flischel was commissioned to photograph the art and architecture of the Chapel and the school. Parent volunteers found and digitized old photos. Many members of the faculty and staff were called to identify and date the images. Mr. Kelly wrote his manuscript for To Grow in Grace and Wisdom: The History of The Summit Country Day School, while former English teacher Carole Fultz penned the foreword. Sister Rose Ann Fleming ’50, former executive head of The Summit, agreed to write the foreword for Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel: The Heart of The Summit,” while Upper School teacher Tracy Law Ph.D ’85 began weaving together interesting vignettes about the windows, pews, statuary, lobby, Rookwood fountain, the architect and other details to accompany the engaging images provided by Mr. Flischel in her book. “Even though I’ve always been fascinated by the incredible detail within the Chapel, artistically and architecturally, there were still things that I realized I’d never noticed in the 36 years I’ve been here as a student and teacher,” Dr. Law says. “I was stunned to realize I had never noticed the coffered ceiling in the front entryway to the school. It really opens your eyes to never assuming you know everything about a place.” The third legacy book arose when Mrs. Berlier came across the authentication papers for the chapel relics. She asked Latin teacher Kim Ashcraft to undertake the laborious task of deciphering the calligraphy and translating the information, mostly from Latin, Italian and French, on the papers and the relics themselves. “Determining some of the relic authentication dates was difficult at first,” Mrs. Ashcraft says. “In addition to the fact that some of the calligraphy was very difficult to read, the officials writing the authentica used a variety of different methods of notation, which added a layer of uncertainty when translating the documents.” In her book, The Relics of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Mrs. Ashcraft’s translations are
Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel The Heart of The Summit
Tracy Law Ph.D. ‘85
Summit Magazine
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juxtaposed with photos of the authentication papers and images of the relics inside their thecas, which are the decorative pocket-sized cases with glass fronts, photographed by Mrs. Berlier. “I am hopeful that this book will be useful to teachers, students and visitors, as the photos make it easier to see the tiny relics of the saints and the English labels clearly identify who they are,” she says. Students also had a hand in memorializing the 125th Anniversary of The Summit in the form of a book. Lower School students in grades one through four worked with their teachers and the three literacy coaches to describe Summit traditions and history through the perspective of a child in the book S is for Summit. An aspect of Summit tradition was chosen for each letter of the alphabet, of which students wrote poetry or expository compositions. Those writings were illustrated and juxtaposed with its illuminated letter – all created by students. The book was then designed by Lower School art teacher Hilary Carvitti and edited by Literacy Coach Patti Kenney. The book, while a childfriendly tool to celebrate this year’s special anniversary, was also a distinctive lesson on cooperation and how the writing process works. “S is for Summit is not only a literary and artistic masterpiece, it is a collaborative masterpiece as well,” Mrs. Kenney said. “There were 185 student artists and authors, 30 teachers and teaching assistants and seven additional editors who worked a tireless process to deliver a quality piece of work.”
The Relics of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Mrs. Carvitti said that during the design process, her students took their illustrations seriously, aiming to portray each letter’s subject accurately and clearly. She added that the book project provided a new lesson for her students in terms of illustration style and cross-curricular topics.
Translations by Kim Ashcraft
“The students created our own illuminated alphabet, an important component they were introduced to as an added interest and design to manuscripts in the Middle Ages,” she says. “The students worked tirelessly to draw our illustrations using perspective and proportion,
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The books ensure that Summit history endures long after contemporary faculty and staff members are gone.
people who inhabited these halls are not forgotten,” Mrs. Berlier says. “As a practical matter, we wanted these books to be available for a very long time by using an online, print-ondemand publisher.”
“I wanted these projects to be a legacy for future generations so the stories about special places and
Read more about the books or purchase them at www.summitcds.org/books.
and used colored pencils meticulously to fill in all the imagery on each page.”
S is for Summit Written and Illustrated by students in The Summit Country Day Lower School. Lead Editing and Art Direction by Patti Kenney and Hilary Carvitti.
Patti Kenney
Hilary Carvitti
Summit Magazine
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NEWSMAKERS An international jury selected works of seven Lower School students for the 45th annual International Children’s Art Exhibition sponsored by Pentel. Gold awards were given to Jackson Campbell ’24, Lenni Mellin ’25 and Maria Min ’25. A silver award went to Daniel Min ’26. A bronze award went to Colleen Busher ’24. Honorable mentions went to Charlotte Woods ’26 and Zoe Jackson ’26. The show’s seven-city, eightmonth tour debuted at The Summit in November.
Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao ’18
Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao ’18 scored among the top 2.5 percent of 400,000 ninth and 10th graders taking part in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) in February. Sherry also scored in the top 2.5 percent her freshman year. Sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America, the AMC is the longest-running and most prestigious math contest in the U.S. Dustin Argo, Lillian Lu, Jack Meyer, Elena Montag, Tony Ortiz and David Temming,
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all class of 2016, were named finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, allowing them to compete for National Merit scholarships. Students are selected based on academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership, employment and honors and awards received. Five Summit students won awards in the 2016 Scholastic Art Competition. Jodie Hutchins ’16 won a Gold Key for her ballpoint pen drawing titled “Lunch.” She also received a Silver Key for her drawing called “Fine Dining” and an honorable mention for a drawing. Jordyn Northern ’17 won two Silver Keys, for a painting and a drawing. Meghan O’Brien ’16 won a Silver Key for a drawing. Jietong “Thomas” Zhang ’20 received a Silver Key for a pen-and-ink drawing. Honorable mention went to Cara Kirkpatrick ’16 for a linoleum block print.
Seventeen Summit students, administrators, parents, faculty and staff members attended the People of Color Conference in Tampa, Fla. in December hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools. Students attending were included, left to right, Hali Clark ’18, Cara Kirkpatrick ’16, Lucia Grandison’16, Lillian Chow ’17, Jaden Woodard ’18 and Joshua Campbell ’16. Faculty attending included Middle School teacher Penny Herr, Literacy Coach Patti Kenney, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Director and teacher Yngrid Thurston, D&I Chair Lama Khoury, Upper School Director John Thornburg, Upper School Administrative Assistant and D&I Coordinator Marsha Wermes, Upper School teacher and D&I Coordinator Gail Rosero, College Counselor and D&I Coordinator Laci Tucker, K-6 Coordinator Cary Daniel and Athletic Director Greg Dennis.
Yinuo “Jenny” Zhang ’16 was given the HondaOhio State University Math Medal Award, which recognizes top senior mathematics students in southwest Ohio. She received a medal, a plaque and $100 gift card from Honda of America Manufacturing and Ohio State University’s College of Engineering. She’s also eligible for a $3,000 scholarship at OSU’s College of Engineering.
Tommy DiPaola ’21 performed this winter with the Ohio Music Education Association’s seventh grade Honor Band. Tommy was one of 10 clarinetists selected for the band, which played at Princeton High School. Tommy was one of more than 400 musicians who auditioned, and he ranked fourth among all clarinetists. Tommy DiPaola ’21
Newsmakers
(L to R) Meredith Gilbert ’20, Burke Hinton ’20, Nick Bergeron ’24 and Wyatt Gockerman ’27
The Summit Country Day School placed second overall at the 2016 Ohio Junior Classical League convention. Joseph Delamerced ’18 won the top spot in overall points. A Summit certamen team took the top spot at the novice level. Members were Ryan Burns (captain), Connie Nelson, Kathryn Sullivan and Matthew Warden, all from the class of 2020. The Summit Country Day School placed second overall at the 2016 Ohio Junior Classical League convention. Joseph Delamerced ’18 won the top spot in overall points. A Summit certamen team took the top spot at the novice level. Members were Ryan Burns (captain), Connie Nelson, Kathryn Sullivan and Matthew Warden, all from the class of 2020. Eliot Schiaparelli ’17 won a “Best of Show” award for her 3-D model of “Iris Setting Fire to the Trojan Fleet” from The Aeneid. The following students won first-place awards: Alex Almaguer ’19 in multimedia; Hali Clark ’18 in pencil drawing; Joseph in the derivatives test, vocabulary test, charcoal drawing, 3-D poster, drawn map, drawn poster, illustrated children’s book and mixed media drawing; Caroline Klette ’18 in the mythology test and ink drawing; Connie in the mythology test; Alisha Shabbir ’21 in bead mosaic; Kathryn in the literature test and Roman life test; and Matthew in Roman history. Two students, Tullus Dean ’17 and Joseph, were elected to the league board. Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao ’18 took first place in her age group in the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Mathematics Contest. Seven Summit students competed against about 180 students from eight other local high schools. Other top award winners were Libin “Andrew” Zhou ’17, seventh place among juniors, and Charlotte Luo ’16, ninth place among seniors.
Jack Meyer ’16 was selected to compete at the University of Cincinnati Science and Engineering Expo. Jack previously presented his project, titled “Design and Implementation of a 3-D Controller,” at The Summit’s Science Research Institute Colloquium. His 3-D controller, the ColorCam, uses visible light to determine precisely a colored object’s position in space.
Two Middle and two Lower School students were chosen to display their art in two statewide exhibitions by the Ohio Art Education Association. Meredith Gilbert ’20 and Burke Hinton ’20 were chosen to exhibit their mixed-media abstracts. Nick Bergeron ’24 was selected for a torn paper self-portrait. Wyatt Gockerman ’27 painted a self-portrait using watercolors and tempera. Meredith and Wyatt were chosen for the 2016 Youth Art Month Exhibit, while Burke’s and Nick’s works were featured in the Young People’s Art Exhibit.
L to R: Grant Desch, Emily Bolan, Sydney Brinkman and Maria Min.
Four Lower School students won awards in the 2016 Jerry Tollifson Art Criticism Open. In Division 1 for grades one and two, Emily Bolan ’26 and Sydney Brinkman ’26 received first and second place, respectively, for their essays on “The Subway” by George Tooker. In Division 2 for grades three through five, Grant Desch ’24 won first place for his essay on “The Walk” by Marc Chagall. Maria Min ’25 received an honorable mention for her essay on “Separation” by Edvard Munch. The students’ essays will appear in the Ohio Art Educators Association’s ArtLine publication and on its website. Lisa Poffenberger ’17 was chosen for the 2016 TAP MD program sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Health Council. High school students from across the region explore medical professions over a year. They witness a live surgery; observe emergency, medical trauma and Lisa Poffenberger ’17 primary care physicians; attend a med school lecture; and participate in hospital rounds. Since 2011, when the program started, 17 Summit students have been accepted and participated. Summit Magazine
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Newsmakers
L to R: Seated, Carter Fee, Patrick Bissmeyer (Summit Team Blue), Cat Alway, Logan Bush, Liam Lindy. Back row, Ruku Pal, Jared Bulla, Matt LaMacchia, Caroline Kubicki, James Speed and Sunanda Tamraker.
Team Silver from The Summit qualified to move on to regional mock trial competition after a strong showing against 48 other teams at the Hamilton County district contest. It’s the tenth time in the last 11 years that a Summit team has advanced to the regionals – a feat achieved by only three other schools in the county. The attorneys on Team Silver were Sunanda Tamrakar ’16, Matt LaMacchia ’17, Ruku Pal ’18 and Caroline Kubicki ’19. Witnesses were Jared Bulla and Logan Bush, class of 2016, and Carter Fee and Liam Lindy, class of 2017. Caroline won the Outstanding Attorney Award in round one, while Jared took the Outstanding Witness Award. In round two, the Outstanding Attorney Award went to Logan. Timekeepers were Cat Alway and James Speed, class of 2019. All three of the school’s teams competing in the University of Cincinnati Math Bowl received superior honors in the competition. On the Level 1-Calculus team were senior Jack Meyer ’16, Matt LaMacchia, Jinghan “Hailey” Zhang and Libin “Andrew” Zhou of the class of 2017, and Wanyi “Sherry” Xiao ’18. On the Level 2 Algebra 2-Geometry team were Shang Qing “Albert” Cao and Keith Meyer of the class of 2018 and Hanchen “Jeffery” Huang ’19. On the Level 3-Algebra team were William Fassler, Connie Nelson, Ryan Burns, Kathryn Sullivan and Jietong “Thomas” Zhang, all class of 2020. Latin students from The Summit Country Day School won all levels – novice, intermediate and advanced – at the
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University of Cincinnati certamen competition. Students from 12 area schools competed in the game of fast recall of facts about classical civilizations. On the novice team were Lucia Boadas, Ryan Burns and Kathryn Sullivan, class of 2020; intermediate students were Alex Almaguer and James Speed, class of 2019; and advanced winners were Dustin Argo ’16, Tullus Dean ’17, and Caroline Klette and Joseph Delamerced, class of 2018. Jesse Campbell ’15, a UC freshman and Latin scholarship winner, served as a moderator. Laura Fitzpatrick, Jack Crane and Thomas Lamarre of the class of 2022 finished second in the regional FIRST LEGO league competition. The team’s score placed it in the top 5 percent of all 320 teams in
Ohio. Following their achievement, the three sixth graders presented their invention of a solar panel made from aluminum cans and robots built with LEGO blocks to Tech Cafeteria, a gathering of technology professionals sponsored by the local company Gaslight. The team members demonstrated the computer programming they created to instruct the robots’ actions and described the engineering process and design features of their robots. One Summit team took a top spot and the others finished in the top five as the school hosted its 20th annual Latin competition. About 100 students from 10 area schools competed at three levels. The Summit’s novice girls team, composed of Erin Devine ’21,
Connie Nelson ’20 and Kathryn Sullivan ’20, won a narrow first-place victory over a Summit boys team made up of Ryan Burns, Mac Hoeweler and Matthew Warden, class of 2020. At the intermediate level, The Summit’s veteran group finished second. Those players were Alex Almaguer, Julia Dean and James Speed, class of 2019. The beginner team made up of Andrew Foley and Brendan Ochs, class of 2018, and Colby Gordon and Filippo Tosolini, class of 2019, made a good first-time showing. At the advanced level, Dustin Argo ’16, Tullus Dean ’17, and Joseph Delamerced and Caroline Klette, class of 2018, ended third. A second-time certamen team of Patrick Casanas, Davis DeFoor and Michael Warden, class of 2018, placed fourth. Photographs by Clare Mathile ’16 and Maddie Shelton ’16 were chosen for the Selections ’15 art show at Mount St. Joseph University. The exhibit, in its 17th year, spotlights art by area high school students. Upper School art teacher Melissa Joseph chose a close-up of an insect by Maddie and a portrait by Clare. Drew Hagerman ’23 took third place in his division in the Cincinnati Scholastic Chess Tournament at Lakota West High School. Drew was coached by Robert Chenault and Jon Applebee, who teach chess as an After School Special at The Summit.
Faculty Newsmakers
Kat Roedig
Upper School Biology teacher Kat Roedig received her Master of Arts in Biology degree in December from Miami University through Project Dragonfly’s Global Field Program. In the master’s degree program, Ms. Roedig explored conservation and education in Baja, India and Namibia.
Ashley (Gayonski) Volpenhein presented her work with the Charis Retreat in Cincinnati to the Ohio Catholic Educators Association Conference in Cleveland in November. She taught a workshop on how Cleveland teachers could offer this Ashley (Gayonski) retreat in their own schools. For the Volpenhein past four years, Mrs. Volpenhein has served on the leadership team for the Archdiocese’s Charis Catholic School Teacher Retreat that takes place every spring. In that role, she has recruited new team members and planned and led a retreat for Catholic School teachers in their 20s and 30s to foster their call to teach in a Catholic school. Ed Escudero attended the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Diego, Calif. in March. Working with teachers from Chicago and Phoenix, he presented a four-hour workshop entitled “Potpourri of Polymer Projects: Take a Byte out of the NGSS.” In addition, he was responsible for three sessions called “Basic Polymer Science for the Science Classroom,” “How to Change an Old Lab to Do New Tricks” and “Polymers: New Twists on Old Favorites.” Also, a lesson presented by Mr. Escudero to a group of teachers at ChemEd 2013 in Waterloo, Ontario was the subject of an article written in the December/January issue of Chem 13, a national journal published for chemistry educators. Sharon Geyer from Pompey School wrote the article on how she integrated methods she learned in Mr. Escudero’s workshop, “Make and Take: Construct an Inexpensive and Calibrated Spectroscope,” to teach spectromity into her high school chemistry laboratory. First grade teacher Sharon Nista performed with an anniversary cast of Up with People (UWP) in August in Orlando, Fla. UWP started in 1965. Primarily a dancer, Mrs. Nista was part of a cast which was asked to perform many songs and dances that UWP has Sharon Nista done over the last 50 years. The cast performed at the Dolphin Resort and Disney World. Mrs. Nista joined Up With People after graduating from the University of Arizona and performed at Mardi Gras, the Indianapolis 500, Super Bowl and many events in the U.S. and Mexico before beginning her career as a teacher. She has been with The Summit since 2001.
(L to R) Julia Almaguer, Ceil Johnson and Kirstin Pesola McEachern Ph.D.
In February, Lower School Math Specialist Julia Almaguer, first grade teacher Ceil Johnson and Kirstin Pesola McEachern Ph.D., curriculum and instruction director, attended Solution Tree’s Professional Learning Communities conference in Phoenix. More than 2,000 educators from across the country attended this conference to learn more about the PLC process, particularly how it relates to school culture, grading practices, differentiated instruction, and, of special interest to The Summit, the subject of math. Attending this conference enabled The Summit’s group to extend the PLC work with Lower School teachers and the math curriculum. In addition to other faculty, the three have participated in a local, ongoing PLC workshop sponsored by Xavier University. In Phoenix, they heard more about the principles of PLC work from those who pioneered it.
L to R: Julie Currie, Laura Dennemann, Mike Johnson, Megan Rademacher, and Rosie Sansalone
Julie Currie, Laura Dennemann, Mike Johnson, Megan Rademacher, and Rosie Sansalone published a white paper on a “Mindful Reawakening.” This experience was designed to allow Middle School faculty to reflect deeply on a relevant topic and to share our professional expertise in a written response. The topic was chosen by the participating faculty with input from their colleagues. Mr. Johnson, Middle School Director, hopes to make the “Middle School White Paper Forum” an annual event. Summit Magazine
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Recipients of the endowed scholarships awarded to members of the class of 2020 pose for a group photo after an awards ceremony in March.
Three Newly Endowed Scholarships Are Awarded By Nancy Berlier Among the 42 merit and 21 endowed scholarships awarded in March as The Summit Country Day School welcomed the Class of 2020, three newly endowed scholarships were awarded for the first time. The Perin/Tyler Scholarship was established in 2015 by Pat and Joe Perin and is their second fully funded scholarship at The Summit. Perins and Tylers are a multi-generational Summit family. Mrs. Perin, Patricia Tyler Perin ’45, is the mother of Patricia Perin-Donovan ’70 and Joseph Perin SBS’ 69. The scholarship is unrestricted but first preference will be given to boys who display an enthusiastic and energetic spirit. The inaugural scholarship was given to Will Bachman, an eighth grader at St. Margaret of York School. “Our hope is that they are inspired and that they rise to the challenge to become the very best they can be. It is a very special and blessed
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opportunity that they are being given,” Mrs. Perin says. “Not a single day goes by that I do not thank the good Lord for my Summit education. It has served me well in both my personal and professional lives. I was so blessed and privileged to have many fabulous and dedicated educators, especially Sr. Marie Emile, who taught me, among many things, to have the courage of my convictions and always ... ‘Unto thine own self be true.’” The Mildred Herschede Jung Scholarship and Mary Lois Jung Scholarship were founded by Cindy and Robert Conway Jr. in 2015 in honor of Mr. Conway’s aunts. The Conways are Summit parents and Mr. Conway’s mother, Ruth (Jung) Conway was a 1946 graduate. These are the second and third scholarships the Conways have endowed. A fourth scholarship is still in the development stage. The two new scholarships will be given to girls who have an interest in science and medicine. The Mildred Herschede Jung Scholarship was awarded to Isa Bishop, an eighth grader at Royalmont
Academy. The Mary Lois Jung Scholarship was awarded to Emely Villalba, an eighth grader at St. Columban School.
Robert T. Hertzel ’81 Memorial Scholarship: Murph Kearney, School for the Creative and Performing Arts.
“The Summit has had a huge influence on my mother and my aunts, and through them, my entire family,” Mr. Conway says. “I appreciate how the values they learned here at The Summit and shared with my family continue to guide us. I know that The Summit will provide the recipients of these scholarships with the best possible education. I hope that these students can appreciate that the gift of a Summit education gives them an advantage in college, careers and life and that they will use their own intellectual gifts to make the world a better place.”
Marge and Charles J. Schott Scholarship: Jessie Headley, Nagel Middle School.
In addition to the three new scholarships, endowed scholarships awarded at the March 16 event included:
Mary Foss Brinkmeyer ’67 Scholarship: Sydni Black, Summit Middle School.
“We are thankful to the many families who have endowed scholarships at The Summit,” Development Director Jim Jackson says. “These scholarships help us with our efforts to attract bright students from all across the region who help us achieve our mission of producing exceptional scholars and leaders of character who can use their God-given gifts to make the world a better place.”
A.J. Cohen Memorial Scholarship: Sam Luttmer, Summit Middle School, and Jimmy Stines, St. Gertrude School.
To contribute to an endowed scholarship, contact Jim Jackson, Development Director, at (513) 871-4700 ext. 242.
Farrell Ackley Memorial Scholarship: Mac Durban, Indian Hill Middle School.
Arthur and Irma Theobald Scholarship: Amir Johnson, Finneytown Secondary Campus; Erynn Robinson, Corryville Catholic School; and Ellis Ramsey, St. Joseph Catholic School. Johnny Warrington ’05 Memorial Scholarship: Rachel Martin, St. Vivian School. Richard F. Williams SBS ’58 Scholarship: Sophie Pilon, St. Columban School.
Patricia and Joseph H. Clasgens II SBS ’37 Scholarship: Maliah Bricking, Royalmont Academy, and Grace LaLonde, Summit Middle School. James E. Evans Scholarship: Isha Tamrakar, Corryville Catholic School. Amelia Hamberg Foss ’24 Scholarship: Derrick Kinross, St. Margaret of York School. Marc Gerard Fragge ’83 Memorial Scholarship: Aidan Lindy, Immaculate Heart of Mary School; Jake Simpson, St. Margaret of York; Matthew Warden, Summit Middle School; and Sophia Young, Summit Middle School.
L to R: Eighth graders Will Bachman, St. Margaret of York School; Emely Villalba, St. Columban School; and Isa Bishop, Royalmont Academy are the recipients of three newly endowed scholarships.
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Honor In Action
Summit Sports Winter Season Roundup By Sarah Cooney and Maddy Johns ‘12 The Silver Knights had success across the board, this winter season, with three teams taking home first place in the Miami Valley Conference. In addition to team success, 11 individual student athletes were named to the all-MVC first team and three were awarded Player of the Year. Multiple others were given honorable mention in MVC and AP Division III. One coach was named the MVC Coach of the Year. Overall, it was a successful winter season for our teams, coaches and athletes. Swimming and Diving Led by MVC Coach of the Year, Susan Maxwell, and new coach, Bret Miller, the swimming and diving team had 32 swimmers and set nine new school records. Competing at districts were eight girls and four boys. Junior Emma Hellmann and sophomores Ali Miller and Garrison Herfel qualified for the state meet. Three student athletes – Senior Maddie Amend and sophomores Ali Miller and Garrison Herfel – made MVC first team and the girls’ swimming team was MVC champions for the first time in school history. Girls Basketball Coach Beth Simmons and her girls clinched their second consecutive MVC Scarlet Division title. They finished in the second round of playoffs with a final season record of 20-4. Senior Gabbi Gehner and sophomores Ravin Alexander and Alea Harris received MVC first team honors. Gabbi was named MVC Player of the Year. Alea and Gabbi also received AP Division III all-district honorable mentions. Ravin was named AP DIII Girls Basketball Player of the Year and received AP all-state honors. 48 Spring 2016
Sophomores Garrison Herfel and Ali Miller at the state swim meet in Canton.
Sophomore Ravin Alexander.
Mason Moore
Indoor Track Coached by Kurtis Smith, the indoor track team boasted large group of distance runners and a smaller group of much-improved sprinters. One girls’ relay team qualified for the indoor state meet, along with junior Tullus Dean in the 3,200-meter run. Bowling The bowling team consisted of both boys and girls competing together up until the sectional tournament, at which point the girls competed individually. At sectionals, junior Lillian Chow and senior Elizabeth Farrell qualified for the district tournament. The season record was five wins and 19 losses.
L to R, seated: Andrew Bissmeyer, Harrison Schertzinger, Zairn Davis and Xavier Johnson. Standing: Coach Pat Cosgrove, Alex Dahling, TJ Walker, Allen Waltz, Lennox Brooks, Nathan Melson, Alonzo Motley, Sam Martin, Blake Warren and Henry Schertzinger. Not shown: Coach Scott Martin and Coach Jerry Hilton.
Wrestling Led by Head Coach Jim Covert, the wrestling team had great successes. Junior Joshua Campbell and senior Davionne Laney qualified for the district tournament. Josh finished fifth in his weight class at districts and continued on to the state tournament as an alternate. His final record was 21-7 and Davi completed his final season with a record of 26-8. Both boys received MVC first team honors. Boys Basketball Coached by Pat Cosgrove and Scott Martin, the boys basketball team ended the season 24-3 as district champions for the Scarlet Division and regional runner-up in a well-played game versus Roger Bacon High School. Juniors T.J. Walker and Sam Martin received MVC first team honors. Sam was also named MVC Scarlet Division Player of the Year and received an AP Division III all-district honorable mention. Cheerleading Although small in number, the cheerleading squad was an enthusiastic one and had a great time supporting the boys’ basketball team under Coach Sheila Woods. Senior Sara Bissantz received MVC first team honors.
Six Summit athletes signed letters of intent on Feb. 3 to play college athletics at Division I, II and NAIA schools. L to R: Rielly Dowling, University of Rio Grande, soccer; Brendan Jones, Marshall University, soccer; Charlie Maciejewski, Bowling Green State University, soccer; Davionne Laney, Seton Hill University, football; Grace Kunkel, Morehead State University, soccer; and Addy Smythe, Xavier University, soccer. Summit Magazine
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Class Notes
50s Sr. Rose Ann Fleming ’50 was honored in November 2015 by Pro Seniors as a “Senior Who Rocks.” This honor is awarded to seniors who are an inspiration for their achievements.
60s Thomas Dreyer SBS ’63 just celebrated 47 years of “total happiness” with his wife Patricia. Tom served his country in the U.S. Army from 1968-1972. He was a linguist with the Army Security Agency and was with the 82nd Airborne Division. Tom retired from GE Aviation and is enjoying his time traveling and spending it with his four grandchildren.
Class of ’69 members gathered at Tellers in December 2015 to celebrate the holidays and their lifelong friendships.
70s
Dianna (Hogan) Indorf ’70 retired after teaching special needs children for 36 years. She lives in Ossining, NY with her husband Stephen and their children, Kyle and
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Samantha. Although Dianna has “retired,” she is keeping busy with her tutoring business, traveling, hiking or arranging flowers. Next stop is a river cruise along the Danube. Eileen (Steinle) Alexander ’76 was appointed director of the new Master of Science in Health Economic and Clinical Outcomes Research at Xavier University in August 2015. This program is one of only six similar programs in the United States. Scott Silberstein BMS ’78, co-founder and executive producer at HMS Media in Chicago, celebrated the company’s 28th anniversary in February. “First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb,” the first HMS special to premier on PBS, aired in November. HMS received an Emmy nomination for “Our City, Our Shakespeare,” bringing their Emmy count to 17 wins and 25 nominations. Scott was invited to become an artistic associate at Lookingglass Theatre Company, a Tony award winning resident theater company where he performs, after serving eight years as a production affiliate. He is currently working with the vocal group, Under the Streetlamp, shooting their newest PBS Pledge Special.
90s
Class of ’73 Members of the class spent a week together in Ft. Myers, Fla., for sun and relaxation. L to R, front row: Diane (Huddle) White, Jeanne (Tateman) Howe and Kathy (Williamson) Watters. Second row: Laurie (Rohan) Sylvester, Brianne (Looby) Fox, Peggy (Selzer) Gleason and Karen (Wilton) Crane. Back row: Sally Mercurio, Karen (Uehlein) Crumley and Monica (Foy) Tuohy. Rob Sanders ’91, (center) spoke at the Regional Youth Leadership of Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Criminal Justice Day in October 2015. With him are juniors Matthew LaMacchia and Hannah Pilon.
Our
Jason Eager ’96 moved to Christchurch, New Zealand in 2000 with his wife Beth. He is working at Trimble Navigation as a senior embedded software engineer. In July, Jason will be in the chorus for New Zealand’s opera production of “La Traviata.” He has appeared in productions of “La Boheme,” “Don Giovanni” and “Aida” in concert.
Class Notes Elli McSwain ’09 being a lifer at The Summit is proud to be able to come back to school as a teacher in the Montessori division.
Chip Workman ’96
Chip Workman ’96 was promoted in November 2015 to president of The Asset Advisory Group. In addition to his roles as a lead financial advisor and shareholder, Chip will be responsible for strategic planning, staff and other related business issues.
00s
10s
Vincent Tamer ’10 began his MBA studies at The Kogod School of Business at American University and will graduate in 2017. Benjamin McBride ’11 graduated with honors from Indiana University in Economics. He has accepted a position at Oracle, a software company, in Austin, Texas.
BIRTHS
Molly (Bayer) Bonilla ’01 and her husband Alejandro welcomed son Liam Michael on Nov. 18, 2015.
Lauren Kearns ’10 welcomed daughter Layla Marie Langley on July 26, 2014.
WEDDINGS In the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Paul Serrianne ’01 and his wife Katy are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Leo Evan, born on Oct. 26, 2015.
Anna Leverone ’08 and David Dillman, Nov. 21, 2015 Olesya Lovkova and Benjamin Roy ’00, Dec. 12, 2015
Austin Berry ’07
Austin Berry ’07 has joined Cincinnati’s new United Soccer League club, FC Cincinnati. Austin has played professionally in Chicago and Philadelphia and most recently played on loan for FC Anyang in South Korea.
Kathleen (Durkin) Kleemeyer ’93 and her husband Joshua welcomed daughter Grace Nicole to their family on April 28, 2015.
Christopher Burke ’08 had his first solo photograph exhibit in January 2016. The exhibit, “Cincinnati’s Black and White Blues,” is a collection of black and white photos that reflects Cincinnati’s transformation during the past two decades. Garrett Hickey ’09 will serve as the head brewer at a new family-owned brewery Streetside Brewery. Garrett graduated from Brewlab in Sunderland, England.
Lindsay (Masters) Cassady SMS ’96 and her husband Colin welcomed daughter Claire on Jan. 12, 2015. Claire joins big brother Carter.
Rachel Tepe GMS ’97 and Ted Twyman, Jan. 16, 2016
Jack Deardorff ’02 and his wife Liz welcomed their first child, son Jack Robert (JR) on June 24, 2015.
Lauren (Johnson) Schlembach ’06 and her husband are happy to announce the birth of their daughter Lillian Viola, born on Jan. 1, 2016.
WEDDINGS Elsewhere
Kaitlyn Pandzik ’03 and Blake Weatherly, New Orleans, LA., May 23, 2015
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Class Notes Singh ’74 and Jane (Babbitt) Koenig ’76, Jan. 18, 2016 Robert Dziech, father of Rob Dziech ’88, March 5, 2016 Mike Hartung, brother of staff Bruce Hartung, Oct. 14, 2015 Carl Hilker Jr., father of Carl Hilker III ’89, Feb. 20, 2016 Meghan Cullen ’06 and Colin Leu, St. Anne’s, Mackinac Island, Mich., July 18, 2015
Edward Makstell, father of Nadine (Makstell) Whitsett ’74 and Lloyd Makstell ‘77, Oct. 30, 2015 Nicholas Neu, father of Lower School faculty, Hilary Carvitti, Oct. 16, 2015 Elaine Rippe, mother of Bruce Rippe ‘76, Jan. 27, 2016 Elizabeth “Betsy” Rohs, wife of Henry F. Rohs, SBS ’49, Nov. 24, 2015
Mizi Chen and Matthew Lippert ’08, Shanghai, China, July 18, 2015
IN MEMORY
Barry Thiel, brother of staff Lisa Nicholson, Dec. 15, 2015 Patricia von Wahlde, mother of Mark Wahlde ’81, March 8, 2016
Alumni Thomas Huninghake SBS ’45, Feb. 16, 2016 Jeanne (Eggers) Heekin ’48, Jan. 19, 2016 Joyce Burtschy ’50, mother of Julie Rebensdorf ’73, Jan. 16, 2016 Loretta Curran ’95, Oct. 20, 2015 Joseph Milburn att, father of Joseph Milburn ’79 and John Milburn ‘83 Friends Mary Grace Babbitt, mother of Edward Babbitt SBS ’66, David Babbitt, SBS ’69, Barbara (Babbitt) Mount ’71, Mary Helen (Babbitt)
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Submit your news Please send us news about new degrees, new jobs, marriages, births and other notable passages in your life. Go to summitcds.org/ submityournews Nominate Alumni If you would like to nominate alumni for the Athletic Hall of Fame or other Alumni Awards, please find nomination forms at www.summitcds.org/ alumniawards
Alumni Share Experiences around the World
Our
By Janine Boeing Alix Alway ’08 recently returned from Vietnam where she participated in a three-week program offered through the University of Montana where she is a graduate student. She traveled throughout the Mekong Delta studying culture and climate change. “I enjoyed getting to explore a new country and culture through the lens of my camera,” she says. “This was my first time traveling to a non-English speaking country, and I loved it. I was so inspired to learn more about Vietnam and Asian cultures and history, and I’m excited to plan my next travel adventure to continue exploring the planet. I’ve been working on becoming a better photographer, and I was really inspired by this trip. I am excited to share some of those images.” Alix is a graduate of Acadia University.
in a mixed culture of Asian and Western influences. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts and Microbiology from Clemson University in 2004, his M.Phil. in Breast Cancer from the University of Hong Kong and returned to Clemson to earn his Ph.D. in Breast Cancer in 2013. “Since cancer research is very competitive and requires a lot of global collaboration, I am glad the platform in Hong Kong allowed me the connections without the language barriers.”
John O’Brien ’97 moved to the East Midlands region of England in November 2014 with his wife and four children. He is on a three- to four-year international assignment with Cummins, an American company which designs, manufactures, sells and services diesel engines and related technology around the world. He is leading a project involving diesel electric hybrid powertrains.
Chiara Passerini ’06 spent two summers in Paris while in high school intending to pursue French as a college major. But an independent art class with retired art teacher Mark Wiesner took her in another direction. While at Bates College in Maine, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in art and visual culture, she took one year off to live in Florence, Italy. Enrolled in the University of Florence, she worked for the local UNESCO chapter. In 2011, Chiara moved to London where she earned a master’s degree in cultural
Eric Lee ’00 was born and raised in Hong Kong
Mia (Escudero) Myers ’06 traveled to Tanzania in 2012 for a service trip. For six weeks, she and a fellow nurse from the University of Missouri worked in a clinic to deliver care to the residents in remote locations. Marisa Escudero ’09 is spending a year in Australia as an au pair for a Melbourne family.
Our Global Summit - Alumni
Ericha Franke ’05 graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in Spanish. She studied Spanish and volunteered at a child laborer center in Peru; led a summer exchange program in Spain; studied education, Fante (a local language) and taught English to junior high students in Ghana; studied Portuguese in Brazil; and received her certificate in teaching English as a second language in Ecuador. anthropology at University College London. She is currently in New York pursuing another master’s degree, this time in urban policy analysis and management at the New School. As part of her studies, she received a grant to spend a few months in Mumbai where she collected oral histories from women as part of Mahila Milan, a collective that strives to improve the living conditions in informal settlements. Tiffany Ashcraft ’07 studied at Audencia School of Management in France for two months to complete her degree in international business from the University of Cincinnati. She visited Berlin, Germany in 2010 to study the culture and language as a complement to her German history studies. Chris Lapp ’07 received his bachelor’s degree from the London School of Economics in 2010 and law degree from New York University School of
Law in spring 2015. He’s working in London as an attorney. Matt Lippert ’08 began his journey in Chinese studies while at The Summit. He received a bachelor’s degree in Chinese area studies and economics from Kenyon College. After college, Matt moved to Shanghai and is currently working as the general manager for TSC Apparel. Brian Koch ’09 studied in Chile and Spain as part of the Council on International Educational Exchange program. While in college, he studied one semester in Morocco where he taught English at a local non-government organization. Most recently, Brian traveled to the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Switzerland and Norway where he lived with locals and learned the local cultures.
Margot “Annie” Dale ’10 spent six months living in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2012 through Georgetown University. Annie matriculated into an Argentine university to study Latin American politics and economics. “Living in the region that I am most passionate about and learning from some of the forefront experts in Latin American politics was an invaluable experience,“ she said. “Not only was I able to mature my Spanish language skills, but I had the opportunity to live with an Argentine family, make friends from all over and experience the Porteño culture.” Annie’s wanderlust took her around nine more Latin American countries and as far away as Cambodia and the Philippines. “Traveling and learning about other cultures has become a passion and priority for me, as my experiences across the world have been some of the most formative and memorable in my life.” Ariana Dietrich ’10 traveled to Peru during high school, visiting different parts of the country while volunteering at an orphanage in Ayacucho. She attended Northwestern where she majored in psychology and minored in Spanish. She also studied in Cuba as part of a public health program, taking classes in Cuban history and culture. Kelly Kear ’10 graduated from Ohio State University (OSU) with degrees in finance and operations management. Kelly studied abroad in both London and Athens. She is working for Cardinal Health in a leadership development program called Emerge. Now in her second of three rotations, she is working in Puerto Rico as a senior financial analyst. Christy Blum SMS ’11 is studying abroad for four years in Paris. She is attending
Parsons Paris studying fashion design. Hannah Hart ’11 graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. As part of her college experience, she interned as a graphic designer in Hong Kong. She currently lives in Bali, Indonesia “running my freelance business amongst the rice fields and black sand beaches.” Alex Nourse ’11 studied abroad in Beijing, China last summer at the Beijing Culture and Language University and created a blog at the request of The Alliance for Global Education. Read all about his adventures at aredheadinbeijing. wordpress.com. Hannah Krone ’11 visited Scotland while a Summit junior and fell in love with it, so much so that she decided to attend the University of St. Andrews. In spring 2015 she graduated with a degree in social anthropology. She is now pursuing a master’s degree at St. Mary’s in London. Ultimately, she’d like to join a multinational company in the United Kingdom where she has opportunity to travel. Hannah says the Advanced Placement Human Geography class, taught at The Summit by Tracy Law ’85 Ph.D., encouraged her to consider international studies as a career route. She found diversity at St. Andrews has given her a front-row seat to informal talks about foreign policy. For example, she heard a Palestinian housemate’s view of Palestinian-Israeli relations and students from Hong Kong and China discussing democracy.
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Our Global Summit - Alumni
Our
Matthew Schiess ’12 participated in a four-week study abroad program in Maastricht, Netherlands through Xavier University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and entrepreneurial studies. “This was one of the greatest experiences in my life. I was able to travel Europe and experience new places, meet wonderful people
and immerse myself in unique cultures. During my four weeks I traveled to Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, London and spent an extra week in Barcelona. Being able to walk the streets of a different country and see how different people interact was extremely fascinating. Whether it was the breathtaking views of the Barcelona beaches or the picture-perfect dollhouses of Amsterdam, marveling at the historic art museums around all of Europe, watching “Wicked” in a historic theater in London, learning the true brewing techniques at the Heineken Brewery or accidentally stumbling upon Buckingham Palace, I was constantly in amazement of the beauty of the world and its people.”
Ty Wahlbrink ’12 traveled with a group of University of Cincinnati students to Nicaragua for a service trip in January where they dug trenches to supply running water to the rural community of La Coyatera. In addition to mission work, Ty explored the culture in many different cities and climbed a volcano.
Joanna Pogue ’09 traveled to Thailand last summer when she was a first-year veterinary student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She and other students stayed at the veterinary school in Chiang Mai to work primarily in rehabilitation of elephants. Thailand has government-funded camps for the care of elephants, no matter the age or injury. “The experience taught me about practicing medicine in much different atmospheres than a hospital, the different treatments for exotic animals versus the typical small or farm animal, and most importantly about the vast cultural differences that you encounter in medicine.”
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Darien Lord ’13 took off the year after high school and traveled to China to learn about the Chinese culture, and to hone his skills in Mandarin. He enrolled in Beijing Language and Culture University. While there, he traveled to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou as well as small villages in more rural areas. “Overall it was definitely an enriching experience, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to take a similar trip.” Darien is currently enrolled in Cornell University at the Hotel School of Administration.
Save The Date May 29, 2016 Class of 2016 Graduation Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, 2 p.m. Aug. 20, 2016 Marc Bohlke Memorial 5K Walk/Run Front Circle, 8 a.m. Sept. 7, 2016 Leaders of Character Reception Drees Pavilion, Devou Park, 6:30 p.m. September 23, 2016 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Cocktail Reception 6 to 8 p.m. All alumni are invited. Class years ending in “01” and “06” are encouraged to plan individual reunion gatherings on Saturday, Sept. 24 If you are interested in helping organize your class year reunion, please email Janine Boeing at boeing_j@summitcds.org or call 513-871-4700, ext. 240. Submit your news Please send us news about new degrees, new jobs, marriages, births and other notable passages in your life. Go to www. summitcds.org/submityournews Nominate Alumni If you would like to nominate alumni for the Athletic Hall of Fame or other Alumni Awards, please find nomination forms at www.summitcds.org/ alumniawards
A Few Last Words to Alumni “A teacher plants the seeds of knowledge, sprinkles them with love and patiently nurtures their growth to produce tomorrow’s dreams.” The Summit has been blessed throughout the years to have some of the best and brightest faculty and staff. Our teachers have inspired our students to dream big, reach for the stars and go out into the world to make a difference. On page 9, we told you about some of the members of our community who will move on to their much anticipated and deserved retirement this year. Each of these faculty and staff members have planted seeds of knowledge in our students which have allowed them to blossom and brighten the world in which they live. The Summit has seen our alumni become business leaders, doctors, nurses, teachers, medical researchers – the list is long and impressive. I know that if you ask any of our alumni, they will recount the teachers who influenced them. These people have guided, taught, strengthened, moved and challenged our students to be the best versions of themselves, to go out into the unknown, think outside the box, to treat others with the utmost respect and be true leaders of character. That is the kind of caring that makes us a family. There are many emotions that are tied to being a family. We are sad that members of our family are leaving us, but happy for them as they begin a new journey. We would love to hear your stories about how our retiring faculty, and the ones who will still be here carrying on, have made a difference in your lives. Did they challenge you with a project that made you take a different path? Did they teach you how write so you would do well in college? Did learning how to conduct research help you land your dream job? Did they teach you to persevere when you thought you just couldn’t get that math question right? As a chapter closes on this school year and we wish good luck to those who are moving on, remember that you are you because of The Summit and those people who have guided you to be the best versions of yourselves. Make sure you take the time to thank the people in your lives that have shaped you into the person that you are today.
Janine Boeing Alumni Engagement and Gifts Officer P.S. To share your stories with us about your favorite faculty or staff members, or if you would like to be included on our webpage “What Alumni Say,” please send me an email at boeing_j@summitcds.org.
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