Buxton School Annual Report 2016-2017

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buxton school

Newsletter & Annual Report July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017

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Telephone: (413) 458-3919

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Annual Report 2016/17

Buxton School - Live Your Education

Table of

Contents Letter from Co-Directors, Pete & Franny

Page 4

Letter from Director Emeritus, Bill Bennett

Page 5

About Buxton

Page 6

Admissions

Page 8

Faculty and Staff

Page 10

Agriculture Program / Urban Intensive

Page 15

Work Program / Fall Play

Page 16

Alumni Gathering in NYC

Page 17

Reunion

Page 18

Giving Report

Page 24

Strategic Plan

Page 48

Letter from President of the Board, Grae Fincke

Page 51

Board of Trustees

Page 53

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Annual Report 2016/17

Dear Buxton Family, As you may know—or remember firsthand—the seniors come back to Buxton first. Several days before “opening day,” these oldest kids make the trek to Williamstown and get ready for their last year at Buxton. We have very deliberate meetings and conversations with them to talk about what it means to be a senior, how much they set the tone for the year, and how one never feels as old or as important as one actually is. (“How

can I be a senior? I’m nothing like those older, sophisticated seniors that were here when I was a freshman!”)

Along with that, we talk about how much the school changes from year to year depending on the people in it: each year has its own flavor, its own energy, its own ethos. By the time students have been at Buxton for a couple of years, they know that; they’ve felt it. And yet, we reassure them that whenever alums come back to visit the school, they are immediately struck by the fact that Buxton hasn’t changed. It is still the energetic, slightly chaotic, student-centric, smart, and beautiful place they remember.

But this notion, this action, of stepping into a new role every year is a potent part of Buxton. And that practice is very much in evidence these days in new and gratifying ways. Bill Bennett has retired from teaching but is staying with the school in a new capacity: he will be writing a book about Buxton’s history as well as doing significant fundraising for the school. The fact that Bill would put fundraising front-and-center in his life is significant. It signals that we are ready to secure the school’s future once and for all, and that we are excited to have everyone in the school’s history join us in that effort.

That effort began this year with the most successful annual fund in the school’s history! We broke records in terms of total dollars raised and numbers of people giving. We can feel the tide turning: people can see, feel, and understand the need for Buxton to thrive—now more than ever—and they know that in order for that to happen, they have to give back to the place that supported them and helped them grow up. Alums are stepping into a new kind of leadership role: instead of being head of a work program crew that supports the school, they are supporting the school from afar by spreading the word, donating time and money, and staying connected to each other and to us. Parents and friends are stepping into the role of stewards and leaders by volunteering to be on our board, helping us plan events, and contributing with appreciative generosity.

We’re excited by this perpetual growth, this adoption of new roles and responsibilities. It’s Buxton in action in all the best ways! Please enjoy this annual report—and remember to stay connected to and supportive of this one-of-a-kind place.

Franny Shuker-Haines and Peter Smith, Co-Directors

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I came to Buxton after Thanksgiving in 1969 to replace Denise Sheahan, a French teacher who decided quite suddenly in the fall to accompany her husband on his sabbatical. I thought that I would be working at Buxton until June and then find something else to do. Well, that’s not what happened, and thank goodness. I have become who I was meant to be (warts, quirks and all) in the last 47-and-a-half years, and I can’t imagine that having happened anywhere else (and I wouldn’t have wanted it to).

I turned 70 in May. Not that that’s some sort of talismanic number, but I do feel with some certainty that I’m not able to contribute as much as I would wish to Buxton in Williamstown as a teacher at this point.

When I was in New York some time last year, it quite suddenly came to me: what if I was in the city for extended periods over the course of a year and could really dedicate myself to meeting with many members of the larger Buxton Family, gathering material and organizing my thoughts to write about 1979

Buxton in some way, and helping the school to become more widely known and more financially stable. And, as I looked

around, the prospect of being in the city started to seem attractive, especially in relation to doing something for Buxton. Many people have asked me what I will miss most about not being at Buxton. This is how I attempted to answer this question at graduation in June:

“

S o, what will I miss most ? T here’s something that has happened t o m e a t B u x t o n e v e r y y e a r, a g a i n a n d a g a i n . I w i l l b e i n a m e e t i n g or conversation with a young person and we move, often quite un ex p e c t e dl y, in t o a r e a lm w h e r e i t ’s n o l o n g e r a b o u t me b ein g a teacher or their being a student. A state of openness and even mutual vulnerabilit y can occur where we’re just t wo human beings, and in those moments there are no right, teacherly answers to difficult questions. The differences in age or official role drop out of the picture. If they occur in the evening, I often can’t sleep for hours a f t e r t h e s e i n t e r a c t i o n s . I f e a r t h a t I w o n ’ t f i n d t h a t a g a i n .”

— Bill Bennett

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Annual Report 2016/17

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Our

Philosophy LIVE YOUR EDUCATION

THE ALCHEMY OF SMALL

For almost 90 years, Buxton School has been

Buxton is able to provide this unique and

educating students to be ethical and engaged

precious educational experience because it is small. All

citizens of the world. The school has long believed

teachers know all students. All students know each

that students’ entire lived experience is the most

other. Students from every kind of background get to

important aspect of their education; as a result,

know each other well, finding common ground through

Buxton was designed (and continues) to provide

layers of difference. Classes are focused and intense.

an experience that helps young people grow as

Students feel genuine ownership of the school they

thinkers, community members, creators and doers.

maintain (through Work Program and work jobs) and

Through small, challenging seminar-style classes,

help run (as dorm supervisors and crew heads). And

multiple leadership opportunities, hands-on service

our annual Urban Intensive Trip is an extraordinary

to the community, a broad and deep arts program,

exercise in vivid, lived education. Even our

a diverse student body, and an intentional living

graduation, which is the capstone and highlight of

experience, Buxton students have a high school

the year (and of many a student’s time at Buxton),

experience that is smart, compelling, and long-lasting.

would not be possible if the school were bigger.

“I have had the opportunity to do so much at Buxton. I am involved with theater, I have been in several shows, I directed my own show this past Spring Arts, I have made short films, and I do studio art. ” — Molly Weinberg ’17

Buxton School - Live Your Education

The Buxton student – and the Buxton experience – is like no other. We welcome diversity in all facets and believe that people thrive when differences are honored. We encourage our students to engage not just with each other but also with the world beyond our doors. We believe that young people can be trusted to live lives that are balanced, ethical and productive. We maintain that academic pursuits are a valid and just asset of a vibrant life.

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Annual Report 2016/17

NOTE FROM DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS, TORIE NICHOLS As Ellen Geer Sangster said in her “Buxton Believes” statement, “a school must provide challenges and outlets for all its potentialities. Human beings are intricate and many sided.”

This could not be more true of this year’s group of students. They are architects, dancers, entomologists, travelers, computer programmers, sneaker enthusiasts, activists, composers, writers, hikers and trilinguists. They hail from China to Rwanda, California to Maryland, and from large New York City public schools to one-room schoolhouses in rural Vermont. I am often asked “who is a Buxton student?” This diversity makes the answer complicated, but while our students come from all over the world, they are united in the core belief of valuing community, creative expression and academic achievement. They aspire to a high-school experience that is not a run-of-the-mill shuttle to college but one that has value in itself.

This brings me back to Ellen, who says that “the development of individual powers is rendered almost useless unless the individual can employ those powers effectively in a social situation.”

Buxton’s magic is in its diverse composition of individuals and its ability to create an authentic intellectual culture both in and out of the classroom. We are excited to see this happen yet again this year!

Buxton School - Live Your Education

ACADEMIC YEAR 2017 - 2018

86%

4:1 90

FACULTY: STUDENT RATIO

BOARDING STUDENTS

CURRENT STUDENTS

41% STUDENTS OF COLOR

16 internatioNal STUDENTS

represented

50 CITIES 11 STATES

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18 BILINGUAL STUDENTS

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Annual Report 2016/17

faculty and staff

Adrian St. John ’00 Maths, Athletics

Allison Lerman-Gluck ’08 English, Drama, Fall Play

Amrita Lash ’99 Ceramics, Folk Singing

Andrea DeMayo Business Manager

Ben Ripley Photography, Geometry, Drawing

Callie Henriksen Academic Support

Chiara Carrino ’06 Geometry, Health, Soccer

David Denhard Music, Piano, Chorus, Orchestra

David Bluestein ’08 Chemistry, Algebra, Biology

Derek Yiu ESL, Spanish, Soccer, Basketball

Frank Jackson Art, Life Drawing

Franny Shuker-Haines Co-Director, English

faculty and staff

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Gabriel Guadalupe Spanish III, IV, V

Greg Roach Executive Chef

Henry Smith English, Progressive Ed, Work Program

Jeanne Conner Assistant to Director of Development

Justina Trova Admissions and Communications

Kathleen Oliver Dance, Drumming and Percussion

Kyle Henriksen English, Test Prep

Lawrence Smith Librarian, Computer Support

Linda Burlak Biology, Marine Science, Physics

Lindsey Wyatt School Coordinator

Margo Cardner Senior Recruitment Officer

Matt Kramer Farm Manager, Agriculture, Health

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Annual Report 2016/17

faculty and staff

Micah Manary Algebra, Precalc, Calculus, Math Team

Mike St. Pierre Director of Campus Facilities

Monique Duffy Assistant to the Business Manager

Peter Smith Co-Director

Rachel Ambrose French I, II, III, IV, VI

Story Southworth English, History, Soccer

Suzanna Konecky Director of Development

Timothy Shuker-Haines Social Science, Urban Intensive Trip

Torie Nichols Director of Admissions

Willie Binnie Video Production

Zhongwei Yang Chinese Culture, Mandarin, ESL

Buxton School - Live Your Education

in today’s world,

buxton values ARE MORE

RELEVANT THAN EVER

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Annual Report 2016/17

happening at school...

COURSES OFFERED FALL 2017 Advanced Calculus

English I, II, III, IV

Progressive Education

Agriculture

French I, II, III, IV, VI Trigonometry

Algebra I, II

Film History

Seven Wonders

American History

Geometry

Spanish I, II, III, IV, V

Biology

Health

Studio Art

Calculus

Marine Science

Study Skills

Ceramics

Music I, II, III, IV

Video Production

Chemistry

Photography

The Western Tradition

Chinese Culture

Physics

Drama I, II

Pre-Calculus

There is so much to share, we can’t do it all here.

Visit our website for updates thoughout the year.

Buxton School - Live Your Education

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agriculture program

urban intensive

The Buxton farm has been growing exponentially over

In 2017, Buxton went to Chicago for its urban intensive (aka “The All-School

the past three seasons with over half an acre currently

Trip”). Chicago was vividly dubbed the “Hog Butcher for the World…City of the

in production and the greenhouse operating year round.

Big Shoulders,” by Carl Sandburg in his famous 1914 poem, but now it must

One of the main focuses over the last year has been

adapt to a new economy, and it is a great place to explore the challenges and

on infrastructure such as deer fencing, a dedicated

possibilities of the post-industrial city.

agriculture workspace and tool storage, as well as a kitchen facility devoted strictly to food preparation and

Recently, it has been plagued with a soaring crime rate, and two Buxton

education. With the help of over sixty yards of manure

study groups looked at the problem from different vantage points: Crime and

and an integrated crop management style (cover

Gangs focused on the causes of crime, while Policing and Prisons explored

crops, crop rotation, pH balancing, etc.) this has been

institutional responses to it. On a more upbeat note, other groups focused on

by far the most prolific growing season yet. We are

different aspects of Chicago’s cultural legacy. We studied music, architecture,

currently providing the kitchen with a consistent

and comedy and theater—all arenas where Chicago shines. We also examined

supply of head lettuce, carrots, kale, rainbow chard,

water policy and environmental issues, immigration and neighborhoods,

kohlrabi, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, and herbs

homelessness and housing policy, education, and LGBTQ issues.

with more to come as the fall progresses. There are about ten students who hold a strong sense

As always, we gave back to the city by presenting a play, performing at a senior

of investment in the program; this includes those

citizen’s center, a VA hospital, and a youth home. We did our own adaptation

enrolled in the Agriculture class as well as the two

of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, which is itself an adaptation of Ovid’s

Student Farm Managers. Each of them spends about

classic about interactions between humans and gods. We combined some of

2-4 hours per week in the gardens. — Matt Kramer

her stagings of these ancient stories with folk singing, African drum and dance, and shadow puppetry, making use of (and showing off) the many talents of our remarkable students. — Timothy Shuker-Haines

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Annual Report 2016/17

Work Program

has received a bit of a shake-up

Our 2017 Fall Play

is

over the past two years. Perhaps the biggest change is that the student

Middletown by Will Eno. Middletown showcases

leadership has expanded to include three new positions besides the usual

the meaningful ways that folks living in a small

two Work Program heads. We call them Captains, and each is responsible

community can touch each other’s lives. Set in a tiny,

for overseeing a certain category of crews. (They’re like crew heads for

rural town, Middletown’s characters stumble through

crew heads!) There is a Wood Captain, who helps coordinate all of the

the joys and perils of living and being human. The play

wood crews, an Indoor Spaces Captain, who oversees cleaning, stocking

touches on substantial themes, including birth, death,

of supplies and keeps an eye on work that needs doing indoors, and an

parenthood, loneliness, connection, love, and human

Outdoor Captain, who manages everything from raking to garden work

resilience. This is my first directorial experience at

and trails. This has helped increase the number of students with a stronger

Buxton, but I have been directing and creating plays

sense of ownership of Work Program.

for the past decade since I graduated from Buxton!

Much of my work up to this point has involved

This year we are trying to have a greater number of long-term projects

directing the creation of new, community-based plays

built into Work Program. (As they say, the Forge wasn’t built in a day!) We

centered on resonant themes, such as rejection,

are hoping that a committed group of students can help create an outdoor

coming of age, power, and Jewish, feminist identity.

work space to the arts building, build a stone wall, and plant fruit trees

I am so excited to rejoin the Buxton community in this

around campus, among other projects. These projects will give ample

new role, and I’m beyond thrilled about the passion

opportunity for students to partake in sustained and rewarding work.

and excitement for theatre that I’ve seen from the student body thus far!

So far this year, we are still in training mode. Students are being rotated through various crews, one week at a time, so that they can all learn how to do each one, see what they like, and sign up for crews of their choosing after the rotations are done. It’s been one of the more effective training approaches we’ve had so far (don’t forget your goggles, splitters!) and students seem excited to be back to it!

— Chiara Carrino ’06 and Henry Smith, Work Program Faculty

— Allison Lerman-Gluck ’08, Play Director

Buxton School - Live Your Education

WE HAVE BEEN GATHERING Hope you can join us Last winter we had alumni gatherings in NYC, San Francisco, and Boston (pictures from NYC). This year we plan to do the same.

ALUMNI: We want to hear from you. We know you are doing amazing things out there in the world, so please contact our Alumni & Development office at 413-458-4970 or by email to suzy@ buxtonschool.org and tell us about what you’re up to. We’ll share it with the wider Buxton community.

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Annual Report 2016/17

Buxton School - Live Your Education

alumni reunion

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Annual Report 2016/17

Buxton School - Live Your Education

reunion weekend June 9-11, 2017

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Annual Report 2016/17

photo booth reunion - june 2017

Buxton School - Live Your Education

if you

believe

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in it,

invest “

in it

It is important for alumni to give. I know I benefitted, not just from financial aid, but also from programs that alumni donate to, like ceramics and agriculture.

It speaks volumes when people give.

We’re paying it forward.”

- Margarita Fuentes ’17

(who just made her first gift as she was starting her first week at Wesleyn University)

Collectively, we did something incredible over our alumni reunion weekend. We raised $48K to honor and celebrate Bill Bennett’s 48 years teaching as a Buxton faculty member. This $48K all went to our robust financial aid program, so that we are able to give more students a Buxton education and share the values that we hold so dear. We are grateful to everyone who helped us reach this ambitious goal and raise the bar for fundraising at Buxton.

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Annual Report 2016/17

GIVING

REPORT FY 2016/17

Buxton School - Live Your Education

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Annual Report 2016/17

INFINITE THANKS

we want to

to everyone who welcomed me to Buxton this year and helped to make the year such a success. Our annual fund raised over $430,000 —far surpassing any prior annualfund year. I started at Buxton in January, knowing very little about what a unique and dymanic school this is. Over the course of the spring, I completely fell in love with the community, the educational philosophy, and the mission and values that drive Buxton. I know that every dollar we raise goes to support a progressive and meaningfully lived experience for the students who learn and grow here.

celebrate

Thank you all for helping us achieve a banner year as we begin to establish a new normal of giving back to Buxton. As I continue to get to know this community, I would love to hear from you. Never hesitate to reach out with your ideas and feedback—I want to know!

who truly make this possible

and

thank

our donors

We have big plans for this coming year: more alumni gatherings around the country, staying in better touch with all of you, and a celebration when Buxton turns 90 next year. Now, more than ever, we need to secure Buxton’s financial future in a permanent way. I look forward to doing this important work with all of you. Here’s to a great year ahead!

Best,

Suzy Konecky, Director of Development

Buxton School - Live Your Education

First-Time Donors The following people gave their first gift to Buxton this year, and these gifts totaled $42,675.89. Our Board of Trustees matched first-time gifts up to $30,000—$72,675.89 was generated from first-time donors. Every gift matters.

Sherif Ahmed Mike Akula Robert and Deborah Andrus Elisabeth Beck Yoseff Ben-Yehuda Molly Blank Lindsey and Patricia Boyd-Robertson Barbara Burke Yun and Jing Cao Sammy Chamino Bill and Sharon Cooke Eric Crawford Kathryn Dean Lola Dement Myers Mae Dement Arantha Farrow David Gardner and Phyllis Guerra Robert and Marta Gordon Mary Holland Bradley Howard

Frank Jackson and Amy Podmore Keith Jameson Stephen Kenney Suzanna Konecky and Matthew Ball Elissa Larabee Efrat Levy Meirav Levy-Bernstein Karlie Llanes-Kidder Sarah Loiselle Francis Magai Mardi Manary Giselle Martinez Katharine Maunz and Peter Hawkins Jonah Maurer Max Merrill Matthew Mondanile Cindy Parrish and Jonathan Post Renaldo Payne Emma Post

Winfred Proffitt Jr. and Beth Proffitt Kevin Pryor Greg Roach and Robin Meyer Melissa Rosa Zoe Rosenbloom Raven Ross Kelso Kevin Rutledge Aja Samuel Troy Charles Schiff and Christine Califra Schiff Craig Senior Rose Shuker-Haines Darnell and Sherniece Smith Epy Smith Jacob Sollins Story Southworth Rodney Sunada-Wong and Carol Yukie Sunada-Wong John Sweeney and Lauren McGovern The Loki’s Fund

Erica Thompson Gabriel Troy Stefan Ward-Wheten Adria Weatherbee Everett Williams Asher Woodworth Paul and Stephanie Wright Lindsey Wyatt Yoshihiko and Kyoko Yamashita Derek Yiu Zhibin Zhou

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Annual Report 2016/17

Fiscal year 2016 - 2017 in review July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017

$430,000+ in total giving

570

donors made

670 gifts

8 new recurring

first-time

donors

donors *

raised over our reunion weekend

increase in total giving

69

(monthly)

$48K

50%

30 DONORS GAVE IN-KIND GIFTS TO BUXTON

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gifts given in honor of a Buxton community member

*It’s easy to become a recurring donor on our website. Recurring monthly gifts are easier on your bank account, and you don’t have to worry about forgetting to send a check. Our goal is to have

30 new recurring donors this year—become one of them!

Buxton School - Live Your Education

Last 3 Fiscal Years - Comparison FY 2014 - 2015

FY 2015 - 2016

FY 2016 - 2017

Amount

No. of Gifts

Amount

No. of Gifts

Amount

No. of Gifts

Buxton Fund

$196,175

349

$225,146

352

$313,449

526

Scholarships

$66,899

51

$47,267

56

$42,019

61

Yearbook

$6,746

82

$6,568

99

$7,492

80

Other

$14,230

4

$11,050

3

$76,474

3

Total

$284,151

486

$290,032

510

$439,435

670

Last 3 Fiscal Years - Totals $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000

FY 2014/ 2015

FY 2015/ 2016

FY 2016/ 2017

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Annual Report 2016/17

these donors have made a steadfast commitment to buxton by giving for 5 or more consecutive years Arjun Achuthan Genna Lewis Anderson ’51* Anonymous ’50 * Alex Azima ’67 * Bill Beardsley ’56 * Stephanie Goldstein Begen ’72 * C. William Bennett * Theresa Bensew P’08 Barbara Berska (’01) and Daniel Simons ’02 Tal Birdsey P’13 Tom and Kathy Bishop P’98 * Lou Bluestein P’08 * Mark Boyer and Barbara Millen Boyer P’83 * Elizabeth Breeze P’91 * Paul Brooke (’63) and Kathleen McCarragher P’97 * Ann Brown ’85 * Grant Brown ’75 Thelma Bullock P’85 * William and Nancy Burstein P’00,’09 Crystal Campbell P’80, G’08 * Margo Cardner * Tobe and Margaret Carey P’02 * Lea Carnevali P’13 Ann and W. Bradford Caswell ’60 Don and Susan Churchill P’79 Laurance Clark ’79 Matthew Coughlin and Chrissie Hines P’11 Andrea Currier ’74 * Arianne Dar P’07 Andy and Roberta Denenberg P’08 * Art Desimine and Liz Weiss P’15 Richard Dieterly P’89 * Susan Draper Walker ’74 Adam (’78 ) and Pamela Emmerich * Priscilla Fairbank P’05 *

Sophie Fels ’92 * Grae Fincke (’61) and Heidi Urich * Pauline Fleszar G’11 Robert and Carol Foresta P’00 Steven Forman and Constance Eeghen P’09 * Jeff Franzen P’12 Gerald and Sheree Friedman P’01 Sarah Friedman (’01) and Paul Salama Winfried and Silke Fuchshofen P’13 Lynne S. Gilson and Joel Schuman P’98 * Steven and Christine Glazer P’95 * Doug Green ’73 Henry and Elizabeth Harrison P’93 Mickey and Jackie Herbert P’93 Bonnie Holden Daniel and Patti Holland P’11,’14 * Robert and Cora May Howe P’77,’79 Dorianne Hutton Samuels ’71 Walter Kernan ’74 * Dayle Klitzner Kellner ’71 Judy and Philip Lescarbeau * Charlotte Levine G’00 * Robert A. Levy ’67 * Nan Lombardi P’87 Bill Low ’70 * Jean MacFadyen ’73 Ronald and Patricia Malvin P’08 * Ed Martin ’72 * Janet McGhee P’11 * Gary McKinstry ’62 * George and Carolyn McLellan P’91,’98 * Mark Meachem ’72 * Alice Mello P’14 Smokey Minot ’62 * Bernard and Jennifer Mirling P’91,’98 *

Peter Mitchell and Suzette Barclay P’00 * Frosty Puestow Montgomery ’59 * Michael and Hannah Moore P’08 * Dottie Needham P’97 * Nancy Newberger P’09 * Jonathan and Sigrin Newell P’93 David Oliver and Roberta Bonisson Machado P’11,’17 * Bruce Pandolfini and Roselyn Abrahams P’04 * Katherine Perls P’91 Eric and Ellen Petersen P’88 * Elizabeth and James Pickman P’95 * Diana Hitt Potter ’51 * Horatio Potter and Elizabeth O’Connell Potter ’82 * Gregory Prestopino ’65 Josh Reisner ’95 * Philip Rickey ’78 * Bruce and Lori Rosenblum * Amanda Ross ’84 Ken (’47) and Nina Peek Rothchild * Tony Rousmaniere ’91 David Rubin ’70 * Nancy Baker Rullo P’92,’95 Patricia Ryan P’78,’84 * Evan Sachs ’49 * Lawrence Sapadin and Marilyn Segel P’09 Anthony Schneider ’98 * Franny and Timothy Shuker-Haines P’16 * Jeffrey Shumlin ’78 * Alison Bidlack Smith ’76 * Peter and Jane Smith ’74 * Henry Smith and Torie Nichols Sheila C. Smith P’74, G’09,’14 Ann Steadman ’55

Buxton School - Live Your Education

Edward Stockman ’66 * James Stockman ’60 Christopher and Mary Stone P’00 * Henry Stroke ’44 * Mattie Sydnor P’76 Jonathan Sylbert ’76 * Jinx Tong * Jim and Cindy Tuite P’04 * Bruce and Caron Ulmer P’07 * Viola van der Meulen and Jim Morrison Robert and Nancy Vaughn P’01 * Maria Vincent * Peter and Barbara Waksman P’06 * Frank Weddell ’62 Beatrice Weinberger ’76 * Joan Wentworth P’97 B. Harton Wolf ’62 *

* Indicates a donor who has given for 10 or more consecutive years.

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SANGSTER SOCIETY Buxton’s Sangster Society recognizes the outstanding generosity of those individuals who have made a planned gift to Buxton. This important committment is a critical step to ensuring the vitality and financial stability of the school.

Anonymous P’94

E. Garry* (’59) and Medarda Kerr

Bill Bennett

Michael Kroxta ’75

Louise See Bingham ’40

Frosty Montgomery ’59

Paul Brooke (’63) and Kathleen McCauragher P’97

Philip Rickey ’78

Drs. John (’79 ) and Robin Churchill

Fred Savard ’79

Matthew Sokolowski Roberts ’80

David Dickinson and Ann Morse P’02

Laura Stochholm ’49

Lynne Gilson and Joel Schuman P’98

Helga Mauer (Wagner) and Paul Wagner ’64

Susan Prentice Gould ’57

*Deceased

Mattie Sydnor P’76

Anyone can make a lasting contribution to future generations. By making a planned gift, you are invited to join the Sangster Society, named for Buxton’s founder and pioneering educator Ellen Geer Sangster. Please contact Suzy or Jeanne in the Development office to find out more about planned giving to Buxton.

Planned Giving is a way to make a charitable gift now or after your passing, while enjoying financial benefits for yourself and your heirs. Whether a donor uses cash, appreciated securities/stock, real estate, artwork, partnership interests, personal property, life insurance, a retirement plan, etc., the benefits of making a planned gift can make this type of giving valuble to both the donor and to Buxton.

Types of Planned Giving to Buxton include: •

Bequests: Include Buxton in your will or living trust

•

Charitable Lead Trust: Provide income to Buxton for a specified length of time, after which the trust assets pass to your heirs

•

Charitable Remainder Trust: Income for you or your beneficiaries, with the remainder going to Buxton

•

Gift from your life insurance or retirement plan

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Annual Report 2016/17

LIFETIME GIVING RECOGNITION WE HONOR THESE DONORS WHO HAVE GIVEN TO BUXTON AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE HELPED COUNTLESS STUDENTS AND PROVIDED ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR PROGRAMMATIC AND PHYSICAL RESOURCES AT BUXTON. $2,000,000+ Wrinkle in Time Foundation Andrea Currier ’74, President $1,000,000+ Gerald and Sheree Friedman P’01 $500,000+ Diana Hill Potter ’51, P’82 $250,000+ Anonymous Cynthia Croatti P’02, P’05 Jane Greenberg ’77, P’07 Horatio and Elizabeth O’Connell Potter ’82

$100,000+ Paul Brooke (’63) and Kathleen McCarragher P’97 Adam (’78) and Pamela Emmerich Grae Fincke (’61) and Heidi Urich P’93 Henry and Mary Flynt* P’74, P’77 Daniel and Patti Holland P’08, ’11, ’14 Christa Lancaster P’01 Nancy Newberger P’09 Ann Wiener P’79, P’80 Joanne Woodward P’73 Charlie (’72) and Shelly Yedlin P’03

*Deceased

Buxton School - Live Your Education

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introducing: giving levels for our annual fund donors Gifts of $10,000+

Gifts of $2,500 - $4,999

Dorm Supervisors take on the biggest leadership role in the dorms, handling the logistics of work jobs and room cleanup, and also act as “big brothers” and “big sisters” to the new students. Dorm Supervisors are de facto liaisons to the faculty and staff and represent the rest of the students.

On Saturdays, the students take over the kitchen! It’s a chance for people to share recipes, learn kitchen skills, and make their favorite foods. Yum.

Anonymous P’06 Andy and Roberta Denenberg P’08 Gerald and Sheree Friedman P’01 Daniel and Patti Holland P’08,’11,’14 Diana Hitt Potter ’51, P’82 Charles Price and Cheryl Costa-Price P’16 Tom and Mimi Rutledge P’16 Charles Schiff and Christine Califra Schiff P’19 Justin Theroux ’89 Wrinkle in Time Foundation Andrea Currier ’74, President

the forge Gifts of $5,000 - $9,999 A beloved campus building built by students many moons ago! Also the name of a student publication that solicts input from all students.

Barbara Berska (’01) and Daniel Simons ’02 Judy Denenberg G’08 David Donaldson ’80 Kevin and Beth Ellingwood P’15 Adam (’78) and Pamela Emmerich Grae Fincke (’61) and Heidi Urich P’93 Jeff Franzen P’12 Nancy Newberger P’09 Horatio Potter and Elizabeth O’Connell Potter ’82 Amanda Ross ’84, P’17 Ken and Nina Peek Rothchild ’47

Bill Beardsley ’56 C. William Bennett Timothy Collins and Kirsten Dahl Collins P’17 Arianne Dar P’07 Adrienne Humblet ’05 Dorianne Hutton Samuels ’71 Nicholas (’82) and Cami Lenett P’19

senior service Gifts of $1,000 - $2,499 Sunday nights are a special time on campus because a senior delivers remarks to the entire school community. Everyone dresses up for these occasions!

Sherif Ahmed ’08 Mark Alkiewicz ’86 Grant Brown ’75, P’14 Lea Carnevali P’13 Ann (’60) and W. Bradford Caswell P’94 Sammy Chamino ’07 Kathryn Dean ’18 Richard Dieterly ’89 Susan Draper Walker ’74 Meg Ellingwood ’15 Josh Fincke ’93 Robert Flynt ’74 Catherine Eddy Gallagher ’74 David Gardner and Phyllis Guerra P’19

Lynne S. Gilson and Joel Schuman P’98 Doug Green ’73 Henry and Elizabeth Harrison P’93 Brenda Harris Jews P’82 Walter Kernan ’74 Jeffrey Ladd ’73 Siiri Lane ’86 The Loki’s Fund Jean MacFadyen ’73 Jill Machol ’64 Ed Martin ’72 Alexander Matisse ’03 Bruce Merrill P’11 Jessica Mezzacappa ’85 Peter Mitchell and Suzette Barclay P’00 Michael and Hannah Moore P’08 Elizabeth and James Pickman P’95 Philip Rickey ’78 Bruce and Lori Rosenblum Marjorie Rosenthal Tony Rousmaniere ’91 David Rubin ’70 Fred Savard ’79 Jeffrey Shumlin ’78 James Stockman ’60 Mattie Sydnor P’76 Robert and Nancy Vaughn P’01 Rebecca Vitali-DeCola ’00 Ahsie Warner ’78 Ann Wiener P’79, ’80, ’84 Everett Williams ‘90

ANNUAL GIVING LEVELS: GIFTS JULY 1, 2016 - JUNE 30, 2017

dorm supervisors

kitchen crew

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stove stokers ANNUAL GIVING LEVELS: GIFTS JULY 1, 2016 - JUNE 30, 2017

Gifts of $500 - $999 Keep the fire burning! There are fewer wood stoves on campus now, but several buildings still have wood -burning stoves, and stoking those stoves is as important as ever.

Arjun Achuthan ’86 David and Louisa Acosta P’98 George Albrecht G’17 Peter and Lizzy Beck Lou Bluestein P’08 Yun and Jing Cao P’17 Tobe and Margaret Carey P’02 Laurance Clark ’79 Bill and Sharon Cooke G’17,’20 Deanna Dement Myers P’16,’19 Adam and Karen Falk P’14 Steven and Christine Glazer P’95 Owen Goldfarb and Priscilla Fairbank P’05 Mary Holland ’08 Robert and Cora May Howe P’77,’79 Maria Huffman P’94 Keith Jameson David Kelso Thalia Kidder P’16 Mr. Ashwan Malhotra Janet McGhee P’11 Bernard and Jennifer Mirling P’91,’98, G’10 Frosty Puestow Montgomery ’59 David Oliver and Roberta Bonisson Machado P’11,’17 Katherine Perls P’91 Eric and Ellen Petersen P’88 Josh Reisner ’95 Judith Ross P’84, G’17 Nancy Baker Rullo P’92,’95 Katherine Shorey Herold ’78 Peter Shumlin ’74 Peter (’74) and Jane Smith P’09,’14 Randy Smith and Tina Cohoe P’12 Michael and Christine St. Pierre P’99 Edward Stockman ’66

Valerie Swarbrick G’16 Jim and Cindy Tuite P’04 Robert Yedlin ’03 Zhibin Zhou ’15

rec committee Gifts of $250 - $499 One of the most coveted leadership roles at Buxton is to be in charge of “Rec Committee.” This group of students takes charge of generating an all-school activity every Friday night. Whatever the activity, whether silly or serious, the value of these Friday nights is that we are making exciting things happen together.

Genna Lewis Anderson ’51 Theresa Bensew P’08 Tom and Kathy Bishop P’98 Mark Boyer and Barbara Millen Boyer P’83 William and Nancy Burstein P’00,’09 Christian Dauer ’83 Catharine Fincke ’68 Mickey and Jackie Herbert ’93, P’13 Reese Laughlin ’82 Robert A. Levy ’67 Bill Low ’70 Clove Lynch ’87, P’19 William Morse John Parkinson ’80 Renaldo Payne P’18 Christopher Pratt ’76 Ann Pratt ’76 Ali Rubinstein ’82 Franny and Timothy Shuker-Haines P’16 Lindsey Siegal ’95 David Skutch ’78 Rodney Sunada-Wong and Carol Yukie Sunada-Wong P’18 Katherine Sweet ’79 Viola van der Meulen and Jim Morrison Jeff Von Arx ’87 Christopher Werler ’88

the gate Gifts of $100 - $249 The Gate is not only a beloved dorm but also the very first building that visitors to campus come upon. Last summer we completed an important renovation to the dorm, adding another bathroom as part of a plan to make this a gender-neutral space.

Jeanie Cooper Ahanotu ’62 Mike Akula ’03 John and Leslie Akula P’03 Robert and Deborah Andrus G’20 Anonymous ’50 Breck and Lani Arnzen P’13 Alex Azima ’67 Bernard and Cecelia Bandman P’99 Liam Brown ’14 Heather Brown P’07 Hetty Jo Brumbach ’60 Thelma Bullock P’85 Margo Cardner Crystal Campbell P’80, G’07,’08 Don and Susan Churchill P’79 Tim and Sandra Clark P’15,’17 Alden Cohen P’73,’75 Barbara Davis ’66 Art Desimine and Liz Weiss P’15 Frances Ehrenberg-Hyman ’65 Michael Finney and Kathleen Ramunno-Finney P’91 Robert and Carol Foresta P’00 Michael Freed P’99 Steven Freed ’99 Castle and Alice Freeman P’93,’96 Sarah Friedman and Paul Salama ’01 Winfried and Silke Fuchshofen P’13 Nicholas Glass ’83 Robert and Marta Gordon G’19 Prudence Grand ’61, P’89 Richard Green and Gina Qualliotine P’16,’18 Peter and Jean Green G’16,’18 Jessica Grindstaff ’96

Buxton School - Live Your Education Matthew Sokolowski Roberts ’80 Carol Roosevelt P’73,’81 Lisa Rosenthal P’16 Phillip and Sylvia Rowlands P’05 Kevin Rutledge ’16 Patricia Ryan P’78,’84 Stephen Saltonstall ’63 Michael Sand ’83 Charles and Martha Schneider P’98 Bonnie Schorske P’87, G’19 Sheila C. Smith P’74, G’09,’14 Jacob Sollins ’05 Siphay Sreiy ’95 Marilyn St. John P’00 Ann Steadman ’55 Louis Steadwell and Christine Swearingen P’00 Henry Stroke ’44 Ingrid Strong 77 John Sweeney and Lauren McGovern P’20 Jonathan Sylbert ’76 Peter Tacy P’81,’84 Joel Teenyanoff and Jill Glassmith P’14 Dirk van Loon ’57 Erika Vesely Visnevskaia ’10 Peter and Barbara Waksman P’06 Adria Weatherbee P’18 Beatrice Weinberger ’76 Joan Wentworth P’97 Melinda H. White-Bronson P’93,’96 B. Harton Wolf Dan and Annette Woodside P’17 Asher Woodworth ’05 Yoshihiko and Kyoko Yamashita P’17 Charlie(’72) and Shelly Yedlin P’03 Nancy Yedlin ’71 Yi-Bing Zhang ’02 Tenley Zinke ’89

Gifts under $99 Anonymous M. Radh Achuthan P’86 Jessica Fafnir Adamites ’95 Ralph and Elisabeth Arlyck P’94 Susan Ray Aronson ’79 Stephanie Goldstein Begen ’72 Yoseff Ben-Yehuda ’06 John Benjamin ’86 Ada Bird Wolfe ’71 Tal Birdsey P’13 Molly Blank ’06 Mel and Rita Blieberg G’16,’18 Lindsey and Patricia Boyd-Robertson G’18 Michael and Mary Brandt P’03 Linda Bratton ’61 Elizabeth Breeze P’91 Lynnea Brinkerhoff and Michael Pergola P’16 Paul Brooke (’63) and Kathleen McCarragher P’97 Ann Brown ’85 Candace Brown P’96 Mike Browne ’03 Barbara Burke G’17,’20 Molly Campbell P’81,’84,’85,’91 Joey Carey ’02 Alfred Carroll Jr. G’19 Sarah Cooke P’17,’20 Marga Cooper Sproul ’63 Janet and David Corrigan P’13 Matthew Coughlin and Chrissie Hines P’11 Eric Crawford ’90 Edith Davidson P’81,’85 Tim and Aimee Davis P’16 Andrea DeMayo Mae Dement G’16,’19 Lola Dement Myers ’16 Charlie Elster (’76) and Myrna Zambrano Arantha Farrow ’10 Sophie Fels ’92 JoHanna Flacks-Dunning ’88 Pauline Fleszar G’11 Steven Forman and Constance Eeghen P’09

ANNUAL GIVING LEVELS: GIFTS JULY 1, 2016 - JUNE 30, 2017

Andrew Gross and Linda Koenig P’15 Candida Harper P’09 Alan Haymond P’09,’13 Lucinda Hodgson ’90 Bonnie Holden Bradley and Marquita Howard P’06,’11 Frank Jackson and Amy Podmore P’11 Kay and Sandy Jacques G’17 Joanie Kemsley ’71 Emelie Kenney P’08 Medarda Kerr Dayle Klitzner Kellner ’71 Pascal Lafontant and Tamara Beauboeuf P’15 Amrita Lash (’99) and Adrian St.John ’00 Maggie Laurie ’94 Nan Lonbardi P’87 Jiaying Liu ’09 Ian and Sylvia Lucas G’15,’17 Mimosa Lynch ’03 Ronald and Patricia Malvin P’08 Mardi Manary Robert Martel ’55 Preston and Cynthia McAdoo P’91,’94 Allen McCullough ’76 Fred McMane and Cathrine Wolf P’05 Malcolm McPherson and Kelly Gross P’19 Kathryn Merriam P’86,’88 Jacob Mitchell ’00 John Moortgat ’51 Bob Mulliken ’59 Judy Nagler P’99 Richard and Carolyn Neely P’99, ’06 Eugene and Leslie Newman P’06 Max and Edna Nigh G’95 Richard and Lorna Post G’11,’14 Lindsay Potts ’73 Gregory Prestopino ’65 Winfred Proffitt Jr. and Beth Proffitt P’19 Kevin Pryor ’89 Neil Reilly Daria Walls Rice ’89 Benjamin Ripley ’99

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ANNUAL GIVING LEVELS: GIFTS JULY 1, 2016 - JUNE 30, 2017

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Annual Report 2016/17 Melodie Kauff ’10 Sarah Freeman ’96 Nancy Glowa ’73 Robert Gluck and Pamela Lerman P’08 Christine Greene-Owens ’82 Susan Grigsby P’91 Eric Harris-Braun P’17 Henry Hasenbush ’64 John Hood P’83 Bradley Howard ’06 Tina Howard ’82 Michelle Jimenez ’05 Avie Kalker Stephen Kenney P’08 Sheila Allen King P’90 Marlyn Klee P’87 Blair Kloman and John McLeod P’13 Suzanna Konecky and Matthew Ball Sarah Koshar (’05) and Rodolfo Velazquez Elissa Larabee Judy and Philip Lescarbeau Charlotte Levine G’00 Efrat Levy P’09 Meirav Levy-Bernstein ’09 Nora Lisman Zimbler ’96 Karlie Llanes-Kidder ’16 Christopher Locke and Lisa Williams P’18 Sarah Loiselle Francis Magai ’16 Rowan Magee ’16 Giselle Martinez ’07 Katharine Maunz and Peter Hawkins P’20 Jonah Maurer ’07 Gary McKinstry ’62 George and Carolyn McLellan P’91,’98 Mark Meachem ’72 Alice Mello P’14 Max Merrill ’11 Smokey Minot ’62 Matthew Mondanile ’04 Melanie Mowinski Dottie Needham P’97 Charles Neely ’06

Peter Neuman ’84 Jonathan and Sigrin Newell P’93 Linda Hoe Palmer ’63, P’97 Bruce Pandolfini and Roselyn Abrahams P’04 Cindy Parrish and Jonathan Post P’11,’14 Kim Pawlick ’79 Paolo Pepe ’78 Emma Post ’11 Janet Rilance ’65 Greg Roach and Robin Meyer Jeffrey Robbins ’69 Dirck Roosevelt ’73 Melissa Rosa ’10 Zoe Rosenbloom ’10 Raven Ross Kelso ’16 Susan Roth ’58 Evan Sachs ’49 Aja Samuel Troy ’12 Lawrence Sapadin and Marilyn Segel P’09 Anthony Schneider ’98 Jerome Segal and Naomi Nim P’08 Craig Senior ’60 Rose Shuker-Haines Pamela Skyrme P’08 Alison Bidlack Smith ’76 Virginia Hall Smith Darnell and Sherniece Smith P’14 Epy Smith ’14 Henry Smith and Torie Nichols Lawrence Smith and Linda Burlak Jane Sobel P’81,’83 Story Southworth Peter Starenko and Stefanie Solum P’18 Christopher and Mary Stone P’00 Frederika Podnos Sumelius ’68 Mark Sylbert ’77 Cynthia and Skip Thomayer Erica Thompson ’97 Jinx Tong Gabriel Troy ’05 Bruce and Caron Ulmer P’07 Anne Undeland P’18

Maria Vincent Phoebe Walker ’86 Stefan Ward-Wheten ’07 Frank Weddell ’62 Adam Weinberg and Amy Brentano P’17 Brandon Weiss ’05 Lindsey Wyatt Heidi Elshtain Welch ’80 Paul and Stephanie Wright P’17 Rebecca Wu-Norman ’98 Derek Yiu Dustin Ziegler ’01

special thanks to these businesses for their gifts to buxton Adams Community Bank Adelson & Company PC AmazonSmile Berkshire Fairfield Insurance Agency LLC Greylock Federal Credit Union Mark Smith Design Inc. Penguin Random House LLC Overland Summer Camps, Inc. Quality Printing Company r.k. Miles, Inc ST Insurance Agency Inc. West Oil Company

Buxton School - Live Your Education

ANYONE can be a PHILANTHROPIST. every gift matters

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Annual Report 2016/17

alumni Class Giving 1944 Henry Stroke 1947 Ken and Nina Peek Rothchild 1949 Evan Sachs 1950 Anonymous 1951 Genna Lewis Anderson John Moortgat Diana Hitt Potter 1955 Robert Martel Ann Steadman 1956 Bill Beardsley 1957 Dirk van Loon

1962 Jeanie Cooper Ahanotu Gary McKinstry Smokey Minot Frank Weddell B. Harton Wolf

1971 Ada Bird Wolfe Dorianne Hutton Samuels Joanie Kemsley Dayle Klitzner Kellner Nancy Yedlin

1963 Paul Brooke Marga Cooper Sproul Linda Hoe Palmer Stephen Saltonstall

1972 Stephanie Goldstein Begen Ed Martin Mark Meachem Charlie and Shelly Yedlin

1964 Henry Hasenbush Jill Machol

1973 Nancy Glowa Doug Green Jeffrey Ladd Jean MacFadyen Lindsay Potts Dirck Roosevelt

1965 Frances Ehrenberg-Hyman Gregory Prestopino Janet Rilance 1966 Edward Stockman Barbara Davis

1958 Susan Roth

1967 Alex Azima Robert A. Levy

1959 Frosty Puestow Montgomery Bob Mulliken

1968 Catharine Fincke Frederika Podnos Sumelius

1960 Hetty Jo Brumbach Ann Caswell Craig Senior James Stockman

1969 Jeffrey Robbins

1961 Linda Bratton Grae Fincke Prudence Grand H

1970 Bill Low David Rubin

1974 Andrea Currier Susan Draper Walker Robert Flynt Catherine Eddy Gallagher Walter Kernan Peter Shumlin Peter Smith 1975 Grant Brown 1976 Charlie Elster Allen McCullough Ann Pratt Christopher Pratt Alison Bidlack Smith Jonathan Sylbert Beatrice Weinberger 1977 Ingrid Strong Mark Sylbert oratio and Elizabeth O’Connell =

1978 Adam and Pamela Emmerich Paolo Pepe Philip Rickey Katherine Shorey Herold Jeffrey Shumlin David Skutch 1979 Susan Ray Aronson Laurance Clark Kim Pawlick Fred Savard Katherine Sweet 1980 David Donaldson John Parkinson Matthew Sokolowski Roberts Heidi Elshtain Welch 1982 Christine Greene-Owens Tina Howard Brenda Harris Jews Reese Laughlin Nicholas Lenett Elizabeth O’Connell Potter Horatio Potter Ali Rubinstein 1983 Christian Dauer Nicholas Glass Michael Sand 1984 Peter Neuman Amanda Ross 1985 Ann Brown Jessica Mezzacappa Cardner

Buxton School - Live Your Education

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these buxton alumni did what few other buxtonites did: they gave back to the school last year. Any gift, large or small, makes a big difference for the current students and the future of the school. special Thanks to these alums!

1986 Arjun Achuthan Mark Alkiewicz John Benjamin Siiri Lane Phoebe Walker 1987 Clove Lynch Jeff Von Arx 1988 JoHanna Flacks-Dunning Christopher Werler 1989 Kevin Pryor Daria Walls Rice Justin Theroux Tenley Zinke 1990 Eric Crawford Lucinda Hodgson Everett Williams 1991 Tony Rousmaniere 1992 Sophie Fels 1993 Josh Fincke 1994 Maggie Laurie 1995 Jessica Fafnir Adamites Josh Reisner Lindsey Siegal

1996 Sarah Freeman Jessica Grindstaff Nora Lisman Zimbler 1997 Erica Thompson 1998 Anthony Schneider Rebecca Wu-Norman 1999 Steven Freed Amrita Lash Benjamin Ripley 2000 Adrian St. John Jacob Mitchell Rebecca DeCola 2001 Barbara Berska Sarah Friedman Dustin Ziegler 2002 Joey Carey Daniel Simons Yi-Bing Zhang 2003 Mike Akula Mike Browne Mimosa Lynch Alexander Matisse Robert Yedlin 2004 Matthew Mondanile

2005 Adrienne Humblet Michelle Jimenez Sarah Koshar Jacob Sollins Gabriel Troy Brandon Weiss Asher Woodworth 2006 Yoseff Ben-Yehuda Molly Blank Bradley Howard Rowan Magee Charles Neely 2007 Sammy Chamino Giselle Martinez Jonah Maurer Stefan Ward-Wheten 2008 Sherif Ahmed Mary Holland 2009 Meirav Levy-Bernstein Jiaying Liu 2010 Arantha Farrow Melodie Kauff Melissa Rosa Zoe Rosenbloom 2011 Emma Post Max Merrill 2012 Aja Samuel Troy

2014 Liam Brown Epy Smith 2015 Meg Ellingwood Zhibin Zhou 2016 Lola Dement Myers Karlie Llanes-Kidder Francis Magai Raven Ross Kelso Kevin Rutledge Rose Shuker-Haines

We believe the information in this report is accurate.

Please accept our apology for any error.

If you have a question regarding your giving anywhere in this report please contact the Development Office at 413-458-4970 or email suzy@buxtonschool.org and we will be happy to review your record and make any necessary changes.

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Annual Report 2016/17

MEMORIAL AND HONORARY GIFTS HONORARY GIFTS

HONORARY GIFTS

MEMORIAL GIFTS

C. William Bennett

Imran Dar ’07

Jerry Bidlack P’73, P’76

Andy and Roberta Denenberg P’08 Judy Denenberg G’08 Robert Flynt ’74 Owen Goldfarb and

Priscilla Fairbank P’05 Efrat Levy P’09 Bernard and

Jennifer Mirling P’91, P’98 Ann Wiener P’80, P’84

David Bluestein ’08 Lou Bluestein P’08

Grant Brown ’75 Beatrice Weinberger ’76

Tavish Clark ’17 Ian and Sylvia Lucas G’15, G’17

Smokey Minot ’62

Arianne Dar P’07

Henry Flynt P’74, P’77

Grae Fincke ’61, P’93

Robert Flynt ’74

Jeff Franzen P’12

Keith Jameson

Garry Kerr ’59

Matthew James Newton Tivy ‘79

Medarda Kerr

Fiona Post ’14 Richard and Lorna Post G’11, G’14

Emma Post ’11 Richard and Lorna Post G’11, G’14

Abigail Price ’17 Charles Price and Cheryl Costa-Price P’17

Clint Ulmer ’07 Bruce and Caron Ulmer P’07

GIFTS IN-KIND Becks Printing C. William Bennett Grant Brown ’75, P’14 Liam Brown ’14 David Donaldson ’80 Kevin and Beth Ellingwood P’15 Ted Farris P’17 Grae Fincke (’75) and Heidi Urich P’93 Frank Jackson P’11 Walter Kernan ’74 Shixian Lai and Yali Ding P’19

The following people made gifts in-kind this past year. Though these are non-monetary gifts, they nevertheless had a huge impact on the life of the school, whether it was a donation to our alumni reunion auction, a donation of a space for a gathering, or books/supplies for students.

Amrita Lash ’99 Nicholas (’82) and Cami Lenett P’19 Alexander Matisse ’03 Anna McNicol Horatio and Elizabeth O’Connell Potter ’82 Greg Roach and Robin Meyer Tom and Mimi Rutledge P’16 Lawrence Smith and Linda Burlak Christine St. Pierre P’99 Michael St. Pierre P’99 Williams College

Buxton School - Live Your Education

We are so grateful to the Class of 1982 for underwriting the printing of this newsletter & annual report. Their generosity enabled us to bring such a robust report to all of you, and to use a local small print shop right here in the Berkshires. Most importantly, the Class of 1982 is ensuring that we are using more of YOUR gifts for our students, campus programming, and facilities here at Buxton.

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Note from director of Trustee Development Committee Chair

TOM RUTLEDGE P’16 Dear Buxton Community:

Upon hearing the term “development,” you are entitled to a moment of skepticism. Isn’t “development” a euphemism?

Aren’t we really just talking about shaking people down for money? Well, yes. But, no! It’s true that Buxton has a fundraising campaign and that, given the school’s generosity with scholarships and its endowment needs, the money is very important. In Buxton’s case, however, the warmer connotations of “development” actually apply quite nicely.

Thanks to the last year’s worth of dedicated work by faculty, alumni, board members, and staff—mostly notably the arrival of Suzy Konecky as our new director of development—the Buxton community has developed in many ways. Gatherings of Buxton people developed all over the country, from San Francisco to Boston. Buxton classes and local associations have developed Facebook connections like never before. In June, we developed a reunion format that had scores of Buxton folks reminiscing, reconnecting and reveling like we all knew you could.

Lo and behold, when you create connections for people around a place and a time in their lives as meaningful as Buxton, guess what else develops? Money, that’s what. The number of gifts were up 31% and dollars donated were up 51% over the previous school year.

Buxton is grateful for your support—the social kind, the spiritual kind, the financial kind...really, any kind of involvement that makes sense for you. With all of us contributing however we can, I can’t wait to see what develops next.

giving by group fy 16/17 OTHER 1% TRUSTEES 34%

We are so grateful for our alumni and their families who together gave over half of our total donations last year. More of our curent families are donating generously to the school to support and enhance their children’s experience.

ALUMNI 20%

CURRENT FAMILIES 8%

ALUMNI FAMILIES 37%

Buxton School - Live Your Education

Financial

Review JULY 1, 2016-JUNE 30, 2017

$5,522,539 OPERATING BUDGET

FUNDING SOURCES Tuition 78% Annual Fund 16% Other Income* 4% Endowment 2%

* **

USES OF FUNDS** Teaching & Student Support 68% Kitchen & Facility Operations 16% Administration 9% Admission 4% Development 3%

“Other Income” includes summer rental income and Buxton Mall “Teaching and Student Support” includes financial aid, teachers’ salaries & benefits, and the costs of the academic programs and resources “Kitchen and Facilities Operations” includes all food, maintenance, some insurances, utilities, and other occupancy expenses “Administration” includes business office expenses, some insurances, and other overhead

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Annual Report 2016/17

last year’s

donations helped us accomplish all this and more...

Replaced all the windows in The Main House Added a bathroom to The Gate House with plans to transform it into a gender-neutral dorm Gave several staff/faculty the opportunity for professional development Awarded more financial aid than ever before Added additional faculty to reduce English class sizes Renovated our fitness room and updated equipment Continued to expand our agriculture program Acquired new arts & ceramics equipment/supplies

Buxton School - Live Your Education

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power of collective impact the

your work. our work.

this work is it is

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Annual Report 2016/17

The Legacy of Endowment, Past, Present, and Future You’re going to hear us talking more about Buxton’s endowment in the coming years.

I often use the term “the alchemy of small” to describe why Buxton is such a powerful and effective school. It is because of our small size that we can know every student, that we can have responses to them that are specific and sympathetic, that we can have such lively classes, and that we can take our annual Urban Intensive Trip. Our size is our superpower, and we are deliberately and proudly committed to remaining the small, intimate anti-institution that we are.

There is one area, though, in which our size is a little less of an advantage and a little more of a challenge: fundraising and endowment. Over the years, we have been lucky enough to amass a small endowment—thanks to some wise investments during some boom times, and thanks to a lot of generous donors both before and during our capital campaign ten years ago. But, unfortunately, that endowment is simply too small to sustain us anymore.

In order to keep Buxton small, in order to keep Buxton beautiful, in order to keep Buxton the diverse, non-elitist, accessible place that it is, we need a bigger endowment.

Tuition dollars alone can’t cover our proudly robust scholarship program or our honors-level seminarstyle academic classes or our remarkable arts program. We need the security that comes from an endowment that allows us to cover all of our expenses every year without acquiring debt or dipping into our investments.

The good news here is that, because we are small and purposefully “un-showy,” it wouldn’t take a very big endowment to secure Buxton’s future once and for all. And we are convinced that our school, our alums, and our devoted families are ready to start building that endowment now. Because Buxton itself is a precious resource, lending your resources to this exceptional, growth-promoting, horizon-broadening, life-enriching school truly would be an alchemy of small.

— Franny Shuker-Haines, Co-Director

Buxton School - Live Your Education

This report is available online at buxtonschool.org/support-buxton We hope you enjoy this print version, underwritten by the Class of 1982!

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Strategic Plan: The Case for Buxton Protecting What’s Precious • Building on What’s Best • Securing the Future Since 1928, Buxton has been a standard-bearer for a new and needed kind of education, one that is focused on students, that uses lived experience as its most powerful tool, that sees both individuality and community as equally important and powerful.

Since its founding, Buxton has remained true to its core progressive values while growing, adapting, and keeping itself relevant in the 21st century. In the global world our students will inherit, the Buxton values of compassion, flexibility, curiosity, and smart stewardship are more important, more needed, and more compelling than ever.

Buxton has recently developed a strategic plan to help it plan for the future—because high-school students deserve a Buxton education for decades and generations to come. This plan identifies key areas of strength, growth, and hope for the school.

Broadly speaking, the plan builds on current strengths, looking for ways to more robustly support what make Buxton Buxton; it also looks at areas where there is room for growth, paving the way for Buxton to become even stronger and more sustainable; and it identifies and plans for ways to protect and preserve Buxton for the indefinite future.

Hand-in-hand with the strategic plan, Buxton will be embarking on a new fundraising campaign that reflects both where we are and where we would like to be. We are seeking to raise funds that will protect what is most precious about Buxton, help us strengthen its signature approach and programs, and ensure a long future for this unique and extraordinary educational experience.

Protecting the Present • • • The Scholarship Fund One of the signature values of Buxton is that it is a non-elitist, diverse place with room for kids of all backgrounds, talents, and interests. The varied mix of students—and the myriad ways they are knit into each other’s lives—is much of what makes Buxton exciting, stimulating, and truly educational. We are able to do this through an unusually robust scholarship program—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Major donations of any kind to our current scholarship fund or our several endowed scholarship programs would allow Buxton to continue to be the special, open, tolerant, and diverse school it has always been. Help us make Buxton accessible to the kids who want and need this experience the most.

• • • Preserving the Annual Urban Intensive Trip The annual Urban Intensive (previously known as the “The All-School Trip”) is a highlight of every student’s Buxton education. It is the premiere example of the kind of education we provide: immediate, intensive, earned. This community experience bonds and inspires us year after year, and both our international and domestic trips truly open the eyes of our students to the complexities and possibilities of the world around them.

Contributions to our annual fund help underwrite the Urban Intensive experience. We also have ways for donors to give directly to this effort.

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Building on Our Strengths • • • Support for the Arts Buxton’s unusually broad and deep arts program is a central part of the school’s identity and experience. Support for the annual fund helps us maintain our studios, retain our faculty (all of whom are working artists as well as teachers), and expand our offerings.

We will also be seeking capital funds to build and maintain a dedicated dance and fitness studio. Our theatre is a bustling hub of the school, but with so many performing-arts programs vying for space, we know we could do even more if we had a separate stateof-the-art facility. And, given the Berkshire winters, a fitness facility would enable students and faculty to stay active year-round.

• • • Improving our Infrastructure Part of the charm of Buxton is its setting: the campus is a beautiful step backward in time to the original Sangster family farm and estate. The buildings are distinct and charming. They are also old and in need of updating. Support for the annual fund helps us repair and maintain the function and character of the heirloom buildings on campus. Dedicated donations aimed at specific updates and repairs—like the recent gift to replace all of the windows in The Main House—are especially helpful.

Securing the Future • • • Building our Endowment Buxton is a unique educational experience that needs the protection of an endowment to ensure its continued vibrancy. For every family, for every kid, who ever “needed” Buxton in their lives, there are others who deserve this life-changing, and utterly necessary form of education. Those who have benefitted from Buxton can secure that benefit for future students, families, and generations by giving generously to Buxton’s Endowment Fund.

With even an $8 million endowment, Buxton will be able to weather even the worst cyclical financial storms and be a presence in the lives of families for another 90 years.

Annual Report 2016/17

save the dates

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NOV 10, 2017 brooklyn gathering NOV 17 - 19, 2017 FALL ARTS

jan 19, 2018 nyc alumni gathering feb 24-march 4, 2018 Trip!

MAY 25-27, 2018 SPRING ARTS

june 9, 2018 graduation Date TBD alumni gatherings in SF & Boston

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IS BUXTON CHANGING? - THOUGHTS FROM

GRAE FINCKE ‘61, P’93, President of the Board Is Buxton changing? I first heard this question in 1956, when I arrived at Buxton at age 13. There were about 40 students then and all classes were in The Main House, The Barn or The Glen House (now occupied by Mike St. Pierre and his family). Things moved slowly. I remember thinking that big things were happening when new fluorescent lights were put up in the English classroom!

Has the school remained true to itself in the face of the tremendous social, economic, and cultural changes since Ellen Sangster founded it 90 years ago? Yes, it has. How it has done so seems mysterious and almost magical, but the mystery and magic may in the end come down to the self-sustaining culture of the place.

Everyone in the Buxton community is united in caring for each other and by the feeling that they can make a difference in each other’s lives. It is a community in which all grow, discover what moves them, learn as they go, and emerge valuing what they have become.

So, Buxton is the same school that you always knew. You may not know, though, that half its income goes to scholarships, and it should go without saying that the Buxton community would be very different if that were not so. Gifts to the school from people like you are what make that possible, and they are also what is needed to secure its future.

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W

e are educating those who will inherit our world.

Our world needs them. Your donations change their lives.

Buxton School - Live Your Education

Our Board of Trustees OFFICERS

FACULTY TRUSTEES

Grae Fincke, MD ’61, P’93, President

C. William Bennett, Director Emeritus

Nancy E. Glowa, Esq. ’73, Vice President

Linda Burlak

Dan Simons ’02, Treasurer

Frank Jackson P’11

Diana Hitt Potter ’51, P’82, Clerk

Franny Shuker-Haines P’16, Co-Director Peter Smith ’74, P’09,’14 , Co-Director

TRUSTEES Arjun Achuthan ’86

PARENT TRUSTEE

Elizabeth Beck

Cami Lenett P’19

Grant Brown ’75, P’14 Andrea Currier ’74

HONORARY TRUSTEE

Dwight Donaldson ’80

Ann F. Wiener P’80,’84

Beth Ellingwood P’15 Walter Kernan ’74 William Morse Nancy Newberger P’09 Horatio R. Potter ’82 Amanda Ross ’84, P’17 Nancy Rullo P’92,’95 Tom Rutledge P’16

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Annual Report 2016/17

it’s a new year: time to give again GOING FORWARD, WE WILL USE THESE NEW (UNIQUELY BUXTON) GIVING LEVELS FOR OUR ANNUAL FUND

dorm supervisors Gifts of $10,000+

the forge Gifts of $5,000 - $9,999

kitchen crew Gifts of $2,500 - $4,999

senior service Gifts of $1,000 - $2,499

stove stokers Gifts of $500 - $999

rec committee Gifts of $250 - $499

the gate Gifts of $100 - $249

Buxton School - Live Your Education

WAYS TO GIVE BACK TO BUXTON VISIT “SUPPORT BUXTON” ON OUR WEBSITE sign up for a monthly gift

SEND A CHECK, PAYABLE TO BUXTON SCHOOL 291 South Street Williamstown, MA 01267

APPRECIATED SECURITIES AND PLANNED GIVING write to the Director of Development at suzy@buxtonschool.org

LOOK INTO YOUR COMPANY’S MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM

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Buxton School 291 South Street Williamstown, MA 01267 If this publication is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni and Development office of his or her new mailing address at (413) 458-3919, ext 116 or suzy@buxtonschool.org Thank you!

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291 South Street

Telephone: (413) 458-3919

suzy@buxtonschool.org

@Buxtonschool on Instagram

Williamstown, MA 01267

Development: (413) 458-4970

www.buxtonschool.org

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