Sycamore Magazine / Winter 2022

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Diane Borgmann

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dr. Catherine Pangan President

HEAD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

Jennifer Williams

HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL

Tiffany Stahl

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Katie Baker

DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Duane Emery

DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Holly Lee

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Patrick Juday

SYCAMORE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

Christine Santori

President

PARENT PROFILE

BOB MOORTHY Interview with Former Sycamore Parent

ON THE COVER Jacob Salzinger pushes the ball up the field in Sycamore’s IISL semifinal soccer match. Salzinger and his teammates went on to lead the Eagles to the league title. Read the full story and see more photos beginning on page 14.

Dear Sycamore Friends,

GREETINGS!

Our first semester at Sycamore has been stimulating and full of activity. What a joy it is to focus our attention on things that have nothing to do with COVID!

We are full of excitement regarding our current campaign, which you’ll read about in this edition. We hope to significantly transform our Media Center, to create a fund to support faculty and staff renewal, and to maintain annual support through the Sycamore Fund. These initiatives will help to keep Sycamore moving forward.

This issue is packed with good stories. Our 5th/6th boys’ soccer team won the first ever IISL Championship for Sycamore! You will read about their amazing season. You’ll also learn about some of the social-emotional learning that happens at Sycamore and how our core values are reinforced.

You’ll get to read about an amazing trip to Ecuador last summer as well as a 5th Grade trip to the Indiana Dunes this fall.

These trips are examples of our belief that experiential learning is very powerful for kids. Being out in the world is sometimes better than being in the classroom.

Included are some historical perspectives from long time Sycamore supporters and the Donor Roll of current supporters.

As you read, I hope you find this issue informative, relevant, and stimulating. Sycamore is a place of passion, and I love being a part of it!

Onward and upward!

Best regards,

Diane Borgmann Head of School

by Diane Borgmann

SYCAMORE INSPIRES CAMPAIGN

Sycamore has transformed itself over the years in order to provide an exemplary experience for Sycamore scholars. We have stayed abreast of educational research and responded to issues of the times. We have modified and added to our facilities to best support our programmatic efforts.

In 1989, Sycamore moved into its current facility, leasing it from Washington Township. In 1996, Sycamore purchased the building. At that point, it was ours to mold to meet our needs. Our first capital campaign was in 1998-2000. We raised $4.1M to construct the Early Childhood wing and remodel the Middle School wing. In 2002-2005, after raising $5.1M, we

SYCAMORE INSPIRES CAMPAIGN

An architect rendering of the new Media Center at Sycamore School

embarked on our second campaign to relocate the Library, to renovate the Lower School and front entrance, and to build the Gymnasium and Theater. Our third and largest campaign was in 2014-2017. The result of that $6.7M campaign was the construction of the Guenthner Lobby, the Bhatia Technology Lab, the Innovation Lab, the Hagerman Family Commons, the Quest Room, and the Scott A. Jones Family Board Room as well as the expansion of our ability to offer financial aid.

The current Sycamore Inspires campaign has three elements: the transformation of the Media Center; the creation of the Borgmann Inspiration Fund, from which faculty and staff can apply for grants to rejuvenate themselves professionally or personally; and the maintenance of the Sycamore Fund for two years.

There are very few spaces in our facility that have not been transformed over the last 26 years. One of those spaces is our Media Center. Since it was relocated in 2005, it has stayed pretty much the same. It’s time to transform the Media Center, and we have amazing plans to do just that! In order to make the space more inviting and more learner-friendly as well as to expand possibilities for the ways it is used, the new Media Center will boast:

• Multiple zones for instruction

• An iconic tree feature, including a loft

• Flexible spaces and furnishings

• Natural light

• Murals, colors, and textures

• Added technology and access

• A video/audio production room

The Media Center transformation is expected to cost around $1.1M.

The Borgmann Inspiration Fund will set us apart from other schools in the area. Understanding that teachers have an all-consuming and intense job, providing for a means of rejuvenation and rediscovery of their passion for teaching could be just the recipe to re-inspire them and remind them why they chose their profession in the first place. Inspired teachers inspire and motivate kids! Unlike professional development funds, these

grants will be to fund big projects that faculty and staff could undertake in the summer. They will be encouraged to think big: an undersea adventure, an African safari, an archaeological dig, or another meaningful project. Through an application process, Sycamore hopes to be able to award two or three grants each year in the beginning and more as the fund grows. Initially we are aiming to raise $500,000 to get the fund started. It would be a quasi-endowed fund, so we would not spend the corpus.

The last element of the two-year campaign is the maintenance of the Sycamore Fund for two years, a total of $1M. The tuition we charge does not fully pay for a Sycamore education, so we raise funds philanthropically to support our operating budget in areas like professional development, technology, arts, athletics, and all programmatic needs. Maintaining the Sycamore Fund throughout the campaign will help us keep tuition as low as possible.

The ultimate goal of the Sycamore Inspires campaign is to raise $2.6M to fund all three components of the campaign. We have a rich history of successful philanthropic efforts that contribute to each child’s Sycamore experience. Our Sycamore community has been impactful not only on our own students, but also on professionals in the field of gifted education across the nation and the world, and we plan to continue to inspire ourselves and others. •

a foreign language is probably the single most impactful and empowering thing we can do. It’s changed me to my core. It’s helped me mature, become a better global citizen, and be a better neighbor here in Indianapolis.”

Sycamore students and alums hike in El Cajas National Park

“Learning

— BRANDON FITZSIMMONS

Since his first year at Sycamore, in 2019, Spanish teacher Brandon Fitzsimmons had thought about launching a summer trip for students to a Spanish speaking country, and he wanted to go to Ecuador specifically. With past experiences leading study trips to foreign countries, the well-traveled teacher, known as “Profe’ Fitzsimmons” to his students, knew that his experience of working with the group Fundación Taylor nearly a decade ago as their assistant director made it a possibility that he could put together a group to travel from Sycamore to South America.

“I’m a graduate of Taylor University and they’ve had a really meaningful school-tocommunity connection there for almost two decades. A lot of my close friends down there have been a part of the program. For me, it changed my life when I was a student there,” Fitzsimmons says. “I think Ecuador was eye-opening for me to go back after almost a half decade of having been gone and to really have my eyes open again to the perfect place for an immersive experience.”

Fundación Taylor is a program that provides training to professionals and students in various areas through local and foreign alliances with Taylor University.

“I know that there is no more meaningful way to take a step forward and learn the language except for immersing yourself,” Fitzsimmons says. “I wanted our Sycamore students to have that opportunity if they were interested in it.”

In the summer of 2022, Fitzsimmons was able to take a group of 14 students to Ecuador, match them with host families for a week, and make it possible for students to immerse themselves in the culture and the language of the country. He says the foundation works best with 12 to 15 students, and it worked out perfectly. There was one alumnus from 2020, three rising 8th Graders, and ten 2021 graduates.

The Sycamore group on the bus ride to El Cajas.

“We felt that when we were looking at a group of 7th Graders going that might be best for them to be able to go with a friend,” Fitzsimmons says. “In some cases, there might be a case where siblings would go and maybe stay with the same host family. There were a couple of our students and their parents who decided they wanted to maximize immersion as a family. And those students loved every second of it.”

Fitzsimmons says the real crux of the entire experience is the host family component. “If I go back to my first year here when I was kind of piloting an idea for a trip, the real richness comes with living with families, and the Fundación Taylor has a really extensive network. It reminds me a lot of the Sycamore community. It’s a bunch of folks who kind of come together and they share everything from education, to faith, to just community life.”

Sycamore 8th Grader John Coutant was one of three current Sycamore students who made the trip. “My favorite part was hanging out with all of my friends in a different atmosphere than normal,” he says. “I will always remember all of the fun we had riding horses, taking mud baths, or even just talking in the buses.”

Maria De Lourdes, who has a personal relationship with the Ecuadorian families, is the executive director of Fundaciõn Taylor and was the partner for Sycamore. Many of the families have been hosting students anywhere from 5 to 15 years. Fitzsimmons says they host mostly collegeage students but many of them also have their own children around our Sycamore students’ ages. “Maria really hit a grand slam and just paired our students with the right families,” he says. “They had the right types of host siblings and host parents with shared sets of interests and roughly similar age groups.”

Student stop for ice cream in downtown Cuenca

Derek Ai, another of the current 8th Grade students who went on the trip, liked his host family experience too. “The host family was very friendly and the home

I stayed at almost felt like my own house. I liked how nice and kind the family was.” He felt the immersion into family life mixed with the activities and experiences were what made the trip great and he was kept engaged with “hiking in the mountains in the Cajas National Park, horseback riding, going shopping in the market, and going to the Incan ruins.”

For the eight-day program, students arrived in Cuenca on a Saturday around lunchtime. “It was a great time to arrive because lunch is the time that families culturally gather around the table every day, even on working days,” Fitzsimmons says. “That’s where they start to bond. So we were there for that first weekend lunch together. It also gave them a whole afternoon for the family to do anything that might be a great welcome event or activity in Ecuador. People often say Cuenca is a city that is very European and it’s almost like someone dropped a European Spanish City in the middle of the Andes Mountains. It is very beautiful and these families are proud of where they’re from. It’s warm and welcoming and safe for that part of the world. It’s remarkably

safe in terms of health care, and in terms of relatively low levels of crime.”

During the trip, the families receive the students and treat them as if they are another child in their family. “The families are trained, and I think naturally disposed to just love and welcome any guests and their families as though they were an additional part of their family,” Fitzsimmons says. Students were involved in a variety of projects. They had two weekends in Ecuador including five school days or five work days. During those days, students were able to go take collegelevel courses at a local, private university called Universidad del Azuay.

“It’s a great university and staff there,” Fitzsimmons says. “That allowed the students an opportunity to step out and not just learn more about the culture and practice speaking. It was entirely immersive in Spanish.”

The final project that the students were able to complete was a presentation about their trip to a room of about 50 individuals, mostly Ecuadorian, with the exception of Fitzsimmons and a couple of Sycamore parents that participated in the trip. The host

Oscar Hyatt finds a spectacular view at El Cajas National Park

families and a few of the local college students also attended.

“It’s a great way to kind of get baptized by fire and get the jitters out in an auditorium full of 50 native speakers and have to talk in their language and try not to just read off of a PowerPoint or off an entire note card,” Fitzsimmons says.

He says some of the 7th Graders (who are now Sycamore 8th Graders) have already seen how their language skills are at another level since they had that experience. “They’re cruising right now in Spanish class and it’s just clear that

they’ve crossed onto another plane because of that immersive experience.”

“We sent out a survey at the end of the trip and it was encouraging. We had 100% positive feedback,” he says. “I think there was not a single kid that said they wouldn’t recommend going back. In terms of the spirit of the trip, I’ve gotten to know my students pretty well. It was just neat to see them come alive in ways I’d never seen here within our walls. I mean, they’re awesome kids doing awesome work with awesome potential. But to see them thrive abroad and then be navigating a marketplace together and be going out of their way to use Spanish when they could just cut corners and use Spanglish or just insist on finding someone who speaks English was awesome to see.”

Skyline view of the city of Cuenca

“I’ve been dreaming of going everywhere in the world since I was five years old,” Fitzsimmons says. “I never thought about Ecuador until I lived with an Ecuadorian, who was my roommate at Taylor, and we became close friends. And he said, ‘Come with my family for a summer,’ and that was one of the best summers of my life. It changed everything. I would not be here right now if it wasn’t for that. I don’t expect our students to go on and become Spanish teachers, but I tell them, ‘Having this is a tool, as something in your belt, whether you’re a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, a business owner, or a psychologist.’ Being bilingual or multilingual, having multicultural understanding only makes you more effective and more impactful. It does not just enrich others’ lives, but it will enrich your own life. You can’t go wrong. You can’t.” •

Sycamore Soccer Wins IISL Championship

For the first time in school history, the Sycamore 5th/6th Soccer team captured the Indianapolis Independent School League (IISL) Championship, capped by a thrilling 2-1 finals win over Park Tudor. After picking up a shutout 8-0 win at home over Bethesda in the league semifinals, Sycamore earned the IISL Championship when Sycamore’s Jacob Salzinger scored the game’s first two goals in the final match held at The Orchard School.

In the quarterfinals, Sycamore topped Traders Point with a 9-0 victory at home as Salzinger celebrated his birthday with the three-goal hat trick. An excellent save by goalie Tyler Stahl helped keep Traders Point scoreless. The squad finished the season 10-2, and after entering the IISL Tournament with a #2 seed, swept through the playoffs, outscoring opponents 18-1 in the three tournament games.

[ CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ]

Jacob Salzinger (below) and Liam Parker (above).

Each player had a good mix of sportsmanship, willingness to learn, ability to encourage all players, and an unwillingness to give up.

“The team was a mix of tenacious defenders with some skilled offense players who pushed the pace of the matches,” Sycamore’s Savion Sprowl, who just wrapped up his sixth year as coach, says. “Our defensive unit was something to be afraid of,” Sprowl says of a team that allowed just nine goals scored the entire season. I thought our defense worked relentlessly throughout the season to control the flow of play.”

After a pair of early season losses, including a loss to Bethesda that they would avenge with the win in the Semifinals, Sprowl says he noticed the team changing fo the better, especially after beating Park Tudor in the regular season, the first time they had done that in five years.”

“We came together after our first game against Park Tudor,” Sprowl says, “That was a game we played very tough against a physical opponent, and, at the time, we were just getting on our feet. The intensity and determination from the players after that game was simply amazing.”

“When you talk about a complete back line, you think of this unit,” he says of his

team’s defense. “Talking to the whole field and each other, they were able to be moving that ball where it needed to be, setting up strategic plays to push the ball forward, continue and improve our full field, and following the game plan of choking passes off, containing the ball, and making plays happen when we needed them most.”

The crispness of the defenders allowed the offense to take chances and be aggressive. “Our midfielders and strikers did an outstanding job of working together and following the ball after a shot attempt,” Sprowl says. “Our offense knew what matchups they had on the field and played to their own advantage.”

Sprowl and assistant coach Kent Phillips focused on teaching players to work on pushing the ball down the line and keeping opponents off balance. “Our offense knew how to keep pressuring and focus on applying force and capitalizing on moving the ball fast. We knew that this league would move fast, and we had to match that same energy and did.”

Sprowl says it was a group of athletes who had success because they worked hard. “This team came into the season mentally prepared,” he says. “It wasn’t difficult to coach teamwork and sportsmanship to this group because they came in thinking that way. Each player had a good mix of sportsmanship, willingness to learn, ability to encourage all players, and an unwillingness to give up. It was a team that gave it their all every time they set foot on the field. It was an amazing run.” •

Jesse-Robert Momodu

Parker Phillips

Suraj Shah

Steven Mason

It wasn’t difficult to coach teamwork and sportsmanship to this group because they came in thinking that way.

Sycamore History Teacher Tony Young Earns CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center Honors

Sycamore History teacher Tony Young was honored with the 2022 Terry Fear Holocaust Educator in Action award winner at the annual “An Evening of Light” at the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center. At a dinner at the Indiana Historical Society in downtown Indianapolis, Young was one of five educators who were finalists for the award, and one of two who won. They were recognized, along with two students, in front of the sold-out crowd at the inaugural event.

The CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center recognizes educators each year through the Terry Fear Holocaust Educator in Action Award, which was established in 2022. CANDLES honors Terry’s legacy by presenting the award to educators who support Holocaust and genocide education. The award seeks to identify, support, and celebrate educators who live and teach in a way that honors the life and work of Terry Fear.

Young has taught History at Sycamore since 2004, and for many years, has taken his class to the CANDLES Museum in addition to coordinating the Sycamore trip to Washington DC and bringing in experts and guest speakers to talk to his students. He focuses on teaching pre-WWII history beginning in the final six weeks of 7th Grade history classes and continues in 8th Grade for ten weeks with an exploration of the history of the Nazis and fascism in Germany and the Holocaust. •

THE AWARD SEEKS TO IDENTIFY, SUPPORT, AND CELEBRATE EDUCATORS WHO LIVE AND TEACH IN A WAY THAT HONORS THE LIFE AND WORK OF TERRY FEAR.

DO JUSTICE. LOVE MERCY. MARCH PROUDLY.

These words guided Terry Fear, who served on the CANDLES Board of Directors and volunteered as a docent at the museum. Her dedication to Eva Kor’s mission was selfless and unwavering.

As an educator for 35 years, she was an advocate for social justice who promoted peace through Holocaust and genocide education. She believed the world could be a more compassionate place and worked tirelessly toward this goal.

CANDLES HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER

IS A MUSEUM IN TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, WHICH EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST. THE MUSEUM WAS FOUNDED BY HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR EVA MOZES KOR, WHO WAS SUBJECTED TO HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION UNDER JOSEF MENGELE AT AUSCHWITZ.

TONY YOUNG

Bob Moorthy PROFILE OF A PAST PARENT

Bob Moorthy says he first discovered Sycamore School the same way many others say they found out about the little school that focused on gifted education: through word of mouth.

Moorthy, who would go on to be a longtime member of the Board of Trustees, says there were early Sycamore parents who directed him along the way. Valerie Purvin, Jerry House, and Sharon Hoover were three who were instrumental in assisting him in finding out about a school for the family’s two girls, Meena, Class of 2013, and Priya, Class of 2015. At Sycamore, Moorthy says there were a number of teachers who would make an impact on his daughters.

“Meena liked Math teachers, Mrs. O’Keefe and Mr. Tormoehlen, and also History teachers, Mr. Young and Ms. Crady (Mihm). For Priya, it was her friend group, the Christmas Gifts Galore, Mr. Young in History, and the Art of Mrs. Prince,” who Moorthy calls the “World’s Greatest Art teacher.”

Meena would go on to become a Wells Scholar at Indiana University and was accepted at Northwestern Medical School, where she is now a second-year student, following in the steps of her parents, who are both ophthalmologists. Priya is also studying at Northwestern University, where she is a senior, majoring in Marketing and Communications.

The Moorthy Family: Bob, Priya, Meena, and Sheila

Looking back at the years the family spent at Sycamore, Bob says some of their best memories of his daughters attending Sycamore were built around the special programs and traditions. “The show and tell for Priya in EC was a favorite because we loved the kids’ curiosity, and also the Choir and Band programs. Eileen Prince giving my wife and me and two other parents a tour of the Chicago Art Museum was a highlight.”

Moorthy says he thinks some of the most important traits about a Sycamore education that his daughters carried forward in their lives were learned outside the classroom, during field trips and events. “Discipline and hard work were instilled in 3rd Grade onward,” he says. “Creativity was always encouraged in the fine arts and music. Sycamore was great prep for high school, with time for deep dives into topics at Sycamore, especially in Middle School. Sycamore gave the girls a well-rounded education.”

As a longtime supporter of Sycamore, Moorthy says he still gets excited when he gets to be a part of something happening at the school. “Meeting young parents and their curious children and hearing from Diane Borgmann are highlights, and seeing former teachers and their concern for our children. The school has built a great reputation in the community to spur broad support beyond just the families. Everyone at Sycamore is like family, even 10 or 15 years after we left.” •

Sycamore was great prep for high school, with time for deep dives into topics at Sycamore, especially in Middle School. Sycamore gave the girls a well-rounded education.

TEACHER PROFILE

IN HER OWN WORDS Eileen Prince

When I was asked to discuss how I had seen Sycamore change since it was founded in 1985, I realized that the dozens of things I started to jot down were not actually “changes” as such. They were enhancements and improvements, but the school’s mission has remained steadfast over the years. While it was always intended to support gifted children, in its earliest days the wonderful parents who founded the school debated whether the primary focus of the curriculum should be on Science and Math (this was before STEAM) or the whole child. Thankfully, the decision was made to focus on the whole child, and that has set the tone for Sycamore since its inception, leading to fantastic humanities and sports programs, clubs, field trips, psychological support staff, and countless other activities and benefits that let pupils develop their interests.

At the same time, we wanted our students to lead “responsible, constructive, fulfilling lives,” and more internalize recently identified core values, which I interpreted as calling upon our school community not only to do “well,” but to do “good.” There is a meme on Facebook that I have always disliked. It states something to the effect that we should worry more about whether our children are kind than whether they are gifted. I really hate false dichotomies, and Sycamore is proof positive that a curriculum can focus on both.

—EILEEN PRINCE

One of my favorite developments of the past has been the interrelated nature of the Middle School Humanities Department. Paula Fair, and Ann Maitzen, former Sycamore teachers. and I had read “Arts

and Ideas” by William Fleming, and we all appreciated how brilliantly the author had integrated the humanities by using significant philosophies throughout history. At a time when most curricula were being organized around random themes, it says a great deal about the school’s respect for the arts that they listened to a science/theater teacher, a music teacher, and me when we suggested a historical timeline as the unifying factor. There has certainly been amazing growth since I joined the faculty during the school’s first year. The most obvious is our facility. The original location we rented involved sharing spaces and even using some trailer classrooms. Because we shared the buildings with others, we could not leave things out in our rooms or use the walls for display. The spring art show was a single

night

EILEEN PRINCE WAS SYCAMORE’S FOUNDING ART TEACHER, RETIRING IN 2020. SHE WAS A FORCE FOR GOOD AND AN INSPIRATION TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS DURING HER TIME AT THE SCHOOL, AND THE ART ROOM IS NAMED IN HER HONOR. FOR THIS EDITION OF THE SYCAMORE MAGAZINE, WE ASKED PRINCE TO REFLECT ON THE CHANGES SHE EXPERIENCED WHILE TEACHING FOR 35 YEARS AT SYCAMORE.

The insistence upon high standards has never changed; if anything, each successive year, Sycamore raises the bar, and the curriculum becomes more outstanding.

Prince leads a student tour of the Art Institue of Chicago.

where student work was placed on tables and chairs and then collected at the end of the evening. When we moved to our current location, it seemed like a paradise by contrast, even with the continued use of trailers, the famous orange and green carpets in the hallways, and the infamous gymnacafetorium.

I don’t think any of us could have imagined the fantastic facility that the school occupies today, including terrific Science, Art, and Music rooms, a Media Center, flexible spaces for discovery and after-school activities, a beautiful theater, an entire wing for Early Childhood, the outdoor track and playgrounds, and a spectacular gym where the basketballs and volleyballs don’t get stuck in the ceiling joists. I believe that our students received an excellent education even in

Tribute to Lauren Ditchley

At the beginning of the new school year, Sycamore faculty and staff thoughtfully participated in a tribute to Sycamore art teacher, Lauren Ditchley, who passed away unexpectedly at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Lauren brought creative energy to the art department and her involvement in the Indianapolis art community was far reaching. Lauren was very passionate about social practice art and community art— creating art to bring a community together. She started a Sycamore tradition in 2016 with our 8th graders—the Object (Self) Portraits. These were non-traditional self-portraits as students chose something to hold in their hands that helped define them or gave us a glimpse into their interests, talents, and personality. Lauren would photograph their hands holding the object. This was meant to also serve as a personal photographic time capsule of reflection that asked, “What might you want your future self to remember about your current self?”

Faculty and staff at Sycamore honored her and celebrated her art and passion for photography by taking their own versions of her great photographs at the beginning of the school year.

our earliest years, but no one would argue that teachers can simply do far more with the current amenities.

Of course, Sycamore’s technology has developed over the years as well. (It’s probably come even further in the short time since I retired.) Long gone are the days when grade cards and essays were written by hand and “robots” referred to machines made in labs and written about in sci-fi stories.

Among the things that have not changed but have certainly developed is the Board of Trustees’ support for the faculty and staff. I remember a retreat that was held not long after our move to 64th Street that focused on long-range planning. One of the participants commented that the aspirations we had ultimately listed regarding pay and benefits were highly unlikely ever to be realized. Fundraising was practically nonexistent during our earliest years, and most non-public schools had neither retirement programs nor health coverage. Needless to say, Sycamore far exceeded any of our expectations. The same is true of the wonderful support given by the Sycamore School Association after it was founded. Teachers’ week, the winter auction, Grandparents’ Day, materials for classrooms - the benefits are too numerous to list here.

The administration, staff, and faculty are also among those factors that have always

been excellent but have grown larger and even better over the years. Sycamore added people to lead after-school programs, expanded its support for the students’ social-emotional as well as physical well-being, and started a band under the auspices of the amazing Paula Fair, (will those of us who were here ever forget when that band played Carnegie Hall?), developed an entire Technology Department, expanded its Physical Educational options, added EC, LS, and MS heads, a wide variety of support staff for teachers, and created a position that helped plan field trips among other things.

Originally we had only teachers, a Head of School, a Curriculum Coordinator, and a secretary. Of course, one of the reasons for this increased faculty and staff is the wonderful growth of our student body. When Sycamore started, we had five grades, only one class per grade, and fewer students per class. Eventually, we were able to add grades and students per class. Sycamore has always had the feeling of a family, and that continues to this day.

We have always communicated with parents and the community, but in 1985, none of us could have predicted doing so through text, email, YouTube, or Zoom. The insistence upon high standards has never changed; if anything, each successive year, Sycamore raises the bar, and the curriculum becomes more outstanding.

One of the greatest advantages a student obtains by attending Sycamore is to be surrounded by other gifted kids, and this has become even more true, as the baseline for entry rose from our earliest years.

I’m sure I have omitted something important, and, if so, I apologize. You may have noticed I mentioned almost no names. If I started listing all the special founders, faculty, leadership, and staff down through the years, not only would I inevitably leave out some important individuals, but the length of this article would probably double because I have been blessed to work with and for some amazing individuals. My experience throughout the 35 years I spent at the school was extraordinary. I was privileged to work with amazing parents, students, and colleagues, and that is something that never changed. •

Character Rocks at Sycamore

Sycamore dedicated a space on the Early Childhood playground for the EC Character Rocks during a ceremony attended by all the EC students and teachers. Uniquely painted rocks were brought outside to create a “rock garden” in the southwest corner around the playground tree. According to Jennifer Williams, Sycamore’s Head of Early Childhood, the rock garden idea came from a book called Thrivers by Michele Borba. Borba writes about a school in San Antonio that created a rock garden using rocks that identified their students’ character strengths. In her book, Borba examines reasons why some children thrive and others struggle. She says it comes down to character.

Confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism are more important than grades and test scores.

“Each school year we create an identity display featuring our Early Childhood students,” says Williams. “The book gave us the idea to replicate the rock garden here at Sycamore for our Early Childhood students. We began by asking parents to talk to their child about one or two character strengths they identified in them, wrote them down, and sent them to us.”

After the rocks were painted, teachers added descriptors to the rocks before students placed them outside on our EC playground. Sycamore art teacher, Chrissy

Students painted rocks, with words representing character traits then written by teachers, before the students created an outdoor rock garden.

Sweigart, spent several of her art classes at the beginning of the year helping the children decorate and paint their rocks.

Pre-Kindergarten teacher Catherine Kirkendall says the rocks have given life to an area of the playground that was never used, and the students look forward to interacting with the character rocks. “Students like finding their own rocks as well as the rocks of their classmates,” she says. “One day on the playground, a few students from both classes found all of the rocks from each Pre-K class. Then they placed the rocks into two lines and compared the quantity from each class.”

The rocks have also introduced new vocabulary words to students, according to Kirkendall. “Students are frequently coming up to the teachers asking us to read the word on the rock and then asking for the meaning, especially words like zest and perseverance,” she says. “The students also enjoy hiding the rocks in the tall grass and then hunting for them. They love the rocks.”

Williams says that the traits that are written on the rocks can be taught and fostered by both parents and educators.

“We want our kids to know that we value all parts of them and their identities. We care not only about what they are learning in language arts, math, science, etc. but how they are developing as humans. These character traits are what will truly help them thrive and not just survive,” she says.

Williams mentions there are rules surrounding these rocks while students are at recess. Teachers agreed that students may touch, move, stack, and interact with the rocks as long as they stay in the corner mulch area. The rocks are not to be moved to other areas of the playground, nor should they be buried under the mulch. Williams reminds the students that they should treat the rocks carefully.

Each of the students was photographed with their rocks, and the pictures are on display in the EC hallway. “I hear them talk about their rocks when they are looking at the photo display outside of my office— especially the kids who are being picked up from Quest in the afternoons,” Williams says. “They like to stop by with their parents to show them their photo and the photos of their friends and talk about their special rock that is out on the playground.”

We care not only about what they are learning in language arts, math, science, etc. but how they are developing as humans.

“I’m so glad EC did this project,” Kirkendall says. “It has been fun to see the different ways that kids interact with that space.”

Education students from Butler were at Sycamore on the day the rocks were placed around the tree on the playground.

Williams says the group from Butler was so inspired that after they returned to campus, the class created a special rock to donate to the Sycamore collection. They wrote positive traits that they observed in the teachers and students at Sycamore during their visit. That rock is now part of the collection in the Early Childhood garden. •

SOLIDARITY PROJECT

ow in its fifth year, the Solidarity Project at Sycamore is an initiative for 3rd Grade students to build a spirit of kindness, foster a collaborative environment, teach respect for differences, and nurture the value of looking out for one another.

Dr. Samantha Outcalt, Sycamore’s Psychologist, says the original inspiration for the idea came from the teachers and staff seeing a need to equip 3rd Grade students with the skills to address and prevent bullying behavior. “We looked into multiple programs and determined that there wasn’t a suitable curriculum for gifted students focused on this topic,” Outcalt says. “Glenna Lykens (the Head of Lower School at the time) and I decided that we needed to create our own Sycamore initiative. I curated multiple evidence-based methods for preventing bullying and empowering kids to stand up for themselves and others, and then we shaped them to fit the specific needs of our unique population of students.”

The title “Solidarity Project” highlights the idea that students are all in this together, working as one team, and looking out for one another as a means of nurturing our collective community.

“Our intention, at its core, is skill building,” Outcalt says. “We want to teach skills and create opportunities for kids to practice skills that they will carry with them throughout their school experiences and lives. Although we were motivated by the prevention of bullying, the interpersonal and group skills that we cover are critical in a variety of scenarios and environments.”

She says the goals are to build a spirit of kindness among the grade levels in addition to fostering a collaborative environment where students honor each others’ differences. “We want to cultivate a value of looking out for one another. The Solidarity Project is just one piece of Sycamore’s broader emphasis on social and emotional intelligence, which aims to position students to lead ‘responsible,

SOLIDARITY PROJECT

constructive, fulfilling lives’, as is written as part of our mission statement.”

Gifted kids tend to have unique emotional and social characteristics. Outcalt says they feel and care deeply, crave strong attachments with others, and have a rich capacity for empathy. “Sometimes we then mistakenly expect them to navigate peer relationships easily and successfully. But it’s complicated. Those characteristics don’t automatically translate to skillful handling of complex moments like when a best friend turns on you, peers are vying for popularity, or classmates become academically competitive with each other. Gifted students feel more confident in their interpersonal skills when they have an opportunity to learn and practice what to do when social challenges present themselves.”

In the program, 3rd Graders start and end the day together as a whole grade level, but in between, they rotate through six stations of the Solidarity Project: Empathy Building;

Not-so-Random Acts of Kindness; Definitions of Rude, Mean, and Bullying; Being an Upstander; Collaborative Problem Solving; and Celebrating Each Other and Our Differences.

“At these stations, students work through hands-on activities, role-playing, gross motor games, focused discussion, and other avenues for skills practice, all with a focus on building solidarity,” says Outcalt. “Each station has a maximum of seven students at a time, so they have abundant opportunity for meaningful exploration of each topic.”

Outcalt says the program has improved each year as they make small adjustments to a station or adapt to questions and feedback that emerge from students. Her vision is for the program to grow beyond the current grade-level focus. “I would like to build additional opportunities to reinforce the concept of solidarity in older grade levels after the students move beyond 3rd Grade.” •

STUDENT PROFILE

by Mary O’Malley

Dominic Gasper

Sycamore Class of 2023

Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Recipient

During his first year at Sycamore as a Seventh Grader, Dominic Gasper already made a name for himself, a name that can be added to a short list of an esteemed group of Sycamore alumni. Brian Liu, 2016; Emma Hermacinski, 2018; Nate Liang, 2020; and Emily Hackwelder, 2020, were all recipients of the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship. Dominic is the fifth Sycamore student to be awarded this prestigious honor within the past five years.

This full four-year, merit-based high school scholarship is awarded annually to a maximum of 30 students from across the nation and can be used nationally for any high school that best fits the scholar’s intellectual, academic, and personal needs. It enables high-ability middle school students to explore and have access to unlimited high school opportunities. A Caroline D. Bradley Scholar represents the highest ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, and community service. Additionally, the Institute for Educational Advancement, which hosts the scholarship, provides individualized educational counseling from high school selection to college applications. Following a rigorous application process, only 27 class of 2027 CDB Scholars were selected from a large nationwide pool of highly qualified,

DOMINIC

I would encourage all Seventh Graders to apply. The application does take some time and work to pull everything together, but it is a lot of the same stuff you will be pulling together the next year for your high school applications anyway.

accomplished applicants. Dominic is the only student from Indiana on the list. When asked what this means for him specifically, Dominic shares, “The most obvious answer is that my full high school tuition will be paid for by the Bradley Foundation at the Institute for Educational Advancement, which is amazing. The less obvious answer is that the scholarship will also provide me with access to a community of current and former scholars. Beginning next year, I will meet with them in person once a year for a weekend conference in Pasadena, California. In addition, the program directors for the scholarship also help with finding the right high school for me and provide academic counseling during high school and through the college search and selection process.”

“To apply, I had to take the SSAT (Secondary School Aptitude Test), provide a copy of my report cards and NWEA scores from the last several years, provide information about extracurricular activities, provide information about honors and awards, answer several shortanswer questions, write three essays, and provide a work sample. For my work sample, I provided a video of a 3-D video game that I designed from code that I taught myself when I was bored during COVID. I also needed two recommendation letters from Mr. Young and Coach Brannigan and the Parents’ Statement.

I submitted all of that in April, and then I received a phone call in May telling me that the program directors wanted to interview me in Indianapolis. Just before Labor Day, I received another phone call informing me that I was being awarded a scholarship.”

Dominic’s Seventh and Eighth Grade History Teacher, Tony Young, in his recommendation for the scholarship endorsed Dominic saying, “In addition to his abilities as a student, Dominic is a leader in his class. He and a few of his business partners started and operated an after-school activity to engage younger students in the fundamentals of basketball. He played a key role in the design and launch of the business. It was quite impressive to watch his engagement and development throughout the design process.”

It is evident that during the short time that he has been at Sycamore School, Dominic has flourished. Here is his Sycamore story: The summer before Sixth Grade the Gaspers moved to the north side of Indianapolis where he attended a public school. That fall his parents took him to Sycamore’s Open House. At that time he explains, “I was taking a bus to the high school for math and going to another grade for science, so everything always felt disjointed.” After a shadow visit in January of Sixth Grade, Dominic decided not to

FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT

The program, which began in 2002 and is generously funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the United States. To date, IEA has awarded more than 350 scholarships to gifted learners and alumni who are already making their mark on the world. Currently, there are 225 alumni, 125 of whom have graduated from college and are in the workforce, attending graduate school, or participating in international service and fellowship programs.

switch schools because he had already made friends at the public school and thought that everything would improve when the COVID restrictions lessened.

At the beginning of Seventh Grade, however, he continues, “It became apparent that COVID wasn’t the problem, and that’s when I decided to switch.”

Middle School Coordinator, Linda Mihm, relays, “While I’ve never had the pleasure of teaching Dominic, I see him often during social time before and after school and at lunch. You can tell a great deal about a person when you see how they interact with others in unstructured time, and it’s easy to see that he is a kind and friendly young man. He possesses a great sense of humor that is well-balanced with a mature outlook. When hanging out with his friends, and there are many of them, Dominic exchanges barbs with the best of them but in the most consistently positive of ways. I’m also his supervising ‘teacher’ for his Indiana Online Chinese courses. He is impressively independent with that work and has clearly learned a great deal through that endeavor.”

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and one that is not easily earned,” says Middle School Language Arts teacher Beth Simpson. “In June, Dominic and his family informed us that he was a CDB semifinalist and had scheduled his interview. Mr. (Duane) Emery and I met with him to practice interviewing, and I enjoyed learning about his educational journey and what this scholarship would mean to him and his family. After struggling to find a school that could meet his needs, Dominic joined Sycamore as a Seventh Grader and appreciates the rigor, opportunities, and like-minded peers. Having the opportunity to find the absolute best high school fit will be invaluable, and I am excited to see what Dominic and his family choose.”

Dominic is keeping an open mind regarding his secondary education choice and has shadowed a few area high schools. He offers this advice: “I would encourage all Seventh Graders to apply.

PART OF 8TH GRADE TEACHER, TONY YOUNG’S SCHOLARSHIP ENDORSEMENT FOR DOMINIC

The application does take some time and work to pull everything together, but it is a lot of the same stuff you will be pulling together the next year for your high school applications anyway.”

There is no doubt that Dominic made the right choice coming to Sycamore not only because of the academics but also, and just as importantly, because of the people, both students and staff, who share his interests. “It’s been easy to make friends. The teachers are great and the classes are interesting and fun. We’re always learning something new,” he concludes.

Dominic is on the short list of Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship recipients, and we are all glad he is on the Eighth Grade class list of students. •

In addition to his abilities as a student, Dominic is a leader in his class. He and a few of his business partners started and operated an after-school activity to engage younger students in the fundamentals of basketball. He played a key role in the design and launch of the business. It was quite impressive to watch his engagement and development throughout the design process.

Indiana Dunes Field Trip

In the fall, Sycamore’s 5th Grade students traveled to Indiana Dunes National Park, the second year the grade has journeyed to the northern Indiana park. Middle School Language Arts teacher Beth Simpson is an excellent writer, so we share her words and details along with pictures taken by Sycamore teachers Brad Lowell, Trent Tormeohlen, and Leslie Obst, and parents who were chaperoning the field trip.

“We arrived at camp Monday morning, got settled, and ate lunch. Students then divided into our trail groups and went on a hike, discussing the different ecosystems in the area: their traits, inhabitants, and various tools scientists might use when conducting research. While it was misting throughout our hike, the rain largely held off and had completely cleared by the time we returned to camp.

“Each trail group created their research question for them to begin investigating on Tuesday’s all-day hike. After dinner Monday, groups did some background research and played a few games before going on a night hike. Our group heard a barred owl a couple of times, which was super cool.

“In a fun-filled (and jam-packed) day two at the Dunes on Tuesday, we gathered after breakfast in our trail groups, all set for our

all-day hike and ready to investigate our research questions. We hiked a little over 4.5 miles through wetlands, an Eastern deciduous forest, one of the few remaining Oak savannas, and forested dunes, all while gathering data and charting our findings.

“Midway through our hike, we made it to the beach where we lunched and played for a bit. After some free time and dinner, groups began compiling their research findings in preparation for our presentations Wednesday morning and returning to school Wednesday afternoon.

“When students returned to Sycamore, the research poster projects were put on display outside Mr. Lowell’s science room for parents, students, and visitors to see.” •

Alumni News and Notes

Hanna Warren, Class of 2020, Illustrates Spanish Book

Abhinav Ramkumar wins National Defense Fellowship

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded its prestigious National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) fellowships. One of their 2022 recipients is Purdue ME Ph.D. student Abhinav Ramkumar, Sycamore Class of 2013.

Ramkumar came to Purdue from the University of Pennsylvania’s Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), where he studied physics, materials science, and engineering. He now is a Ph.D. student using statistical physics and network science to pioneer cutting-edge predictive modeling techniques for understanding and designing complex physical systems.

Sycamore alum Hanna Warren, currently a junior at Park Tudor High School, contributed to the artwork for No toques las obras de arte! (Spanish Edition), a book authored by Bill Langley, Park Tudor’s Upper School Spanish Teacher. The book is designed for students in their first or second year of learning Spanish. It is now available on Amazon.

“Drawing has always been a big part of my life, whether that meant submitting work to magazines, drawing in my sketchbook, or just doodling in the margins on random pieces of paper.” Hanna says. “After we did a few drawing activities in my sophomore year Spanish IV class, my teacher, Señor Langley, saw my art and asked if I’d be interested in illustrating his book, which we had already read in class. I was excited to participate in this unique opportunity and spent some hours over the summer coming up with ten drawings that fit his specifications. I’m so grateful that I was chosen for this project; it is amazing to actually see my work published in a book and on Amazon for others to view commercially. Señor Langley’s novel is truly impressive, what with the amount of time he spent writing and editing. I’m glad I had the chance to contribute and hope to publish a book of my own someday.”

The three-year NDSEG Fellowship program gives financial support to doctoral candidates whose research aligns with the goals of the US Department of Defense. In Ramkumar’s case, his research at Purdue focuses on energetic materials.

Gerdisch Family Donates Piano To Sycamore

Former Sycamore Board of Trustees member Dr. Marc Gerdisch and his wife Lori Ann, parents of alumni Robert ‘11 and Matthew ‘13, generously donated their family piano to Sycamore this year. The Early Childhood music program is certainly enjoying it and putting it to good use. Pictured here are Pre-K student Charlie Egleson and Preschool’s Majesty Woods with their music teacher Mrs. Perry.

ALUMNI

High School Athletics

It has been an exciting fall sports season for our alumni at their respective area high schools as they set records, helped their teams to victories and championships, won awards, and committed to playing at the college level.

TJ McWilliams, Class of 2019, North Central Panther Football Star

North Central senior wide receiver TJ McWilliams has verbally committed to Purdue University. The 6 foot, 175 pound McWilliams had football scholarship offers from Marshall, Miami of Ohio, Akron, Army, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Toledo, West Virginia, and Western Michigan. He is rated the #5 receiver in Indiana. His accolades include:

• IndyStar Super 25 Team as a junior and senior

• 1st All MIC Conference selection

• 1st Team All State as a junior

• 2021 North Central MVP

• Ranked #5 player in state of Indiana

• Selected for All-American Bowl, which will be featured on NBC

• Academic Honor Roll

Akshay Guttikonda, Class of 2020, Wins Individual State Doubles Title

North Central junior Akshay Guttikonda helped the Panthers clinch the recent State Boys’ Tennis Championship. He won at #1 Doubles as they defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 3-2 to win their state-leading 21st title in IHSAA Boys’ Tennis and the first since 2015. Akshay and his doubles partner then went on to win the Individual Doubles title in the state of Indiana with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the doubles team from Columbus North.

Sia Patel, Class of 2019, Sets Park Tudor Golf Record

Congratulations to senior Sia Patel She is the new Park Tudor Girls Golf record holder for 18 holes. Sia shot a 74 at The Edge Golf Course during the Lapel Invitational in August and then later a 73 in the Marion County Tournament, earning her a second place finish in that event. In September she led her team to a sectionals golf title and went on to the regionals. Sia was named the WISH TV “Athlete of the Week.”

Patrick Lilly, Park Tudor Head Golf Coach, stated in the news segment, “The young players can take an example from Sia. She is absolutely a leader for this team.”

Sia concluded, “It is surreal to say that I am a record holder.”

Patel was also the recipient of the 2022 Fall Crown Award for both athletic and academic achievement at Park Tudor.

>>>>>

To follow Sycamore’s sports happenings more closely, follow @sycamoreathletics on Instagram and @SycAthletics on Twitter

Sycamore Alumni Lead Park Tudor To Boys, Girls 1A Soccer Titles

Sycamore alumnae Katie Hur, Abby Cheng , Molly McDonald, and Neela Gussick helped Park Tudor win the 2022 1A Girls IHSAA soccer championship. Katie Hur got Park Tudor on the scoreboard in the 55th minute of the finals with the game’s first goal. Park Tudor came in top-ranked and finished at 21-1-1 on the season.

Katie also won the 2022 Mental Attitude Award. She is a four-year varsity soccer athlete and has been a team captain the past two seasons. She was selected to the Pioneer Academic Athletic All-Conference First Team this season, as well as being honored as Pioneer Academic Athletic Player of the Year. Hur was also named Academic All-State this season. She was a member of Park Tudor’s State Runner-up team as a Sophomore and State Championship team as a Freshman

Congratulations also to Sycamore alumni Daniel Peyton, Class of 2021, as well as Connor Kacena-Merrell and Alex Cheng , both of the Class of 2022, who were part of Park Tudor Boys 1A Soccer state championship team this season. Second-ranked Park Tudor completed the climb to the top in emphatic fashion by beating Greenwood Christian, 9-0, to claim the program’s first state title.

Katie Hur

Sycamore graduates playing on the state champion Park Tudor team include Katie Hur (bottom row, 3rd from right), Abby Cheng (top row, 8th from left), Neela Gussick (top row, 3rd from left), and Molly McDonald (top row, 4th from left).

SYCAMORE news

Sycamore 5th in Nation at National Science Bowl Championships

Sycamore School, who won its regional competition in March for the 2022 National Science Bowl (NSB), competed in the NSB National Finals on July 9-11 in Washington, D.C. Sycamore finished 5th in the nation.

The school’s previous best was a national runner-up finish in 2016.

Five former Sycamore 8th graders, now high school freshmen, traveled to Washington D.C. to compete against the best teams in the nation. Owen Zhang, Justin Puno, Connor Kacena-Merrell, Sophie Liang, and Alex Cheng represented Sycamore School in two days of competitions, including the Cyber Challenge (6 hours), the Discovery Challenge (2 hours), and the main event, National Science Bowl (8 hours).

The team was coached by David Schuth, Sycamore Middle School Science Teacher. While in D.C. the team was also able to take in some of the sights after the days of the competition.

Science Bowl 2022-23 Team Announced

A group of 29 students from 6th-8th Grades pitted their wits and knowledge against each other in competition to earn a spot on the 2022-23 Science Bowl Team. “This year’s competition was especially close and highly competitive,” Science Bowl coach, David Schuth, says. “There were five people tying for the last four slots.”

2022-23 SCIENCE BOWL TEAM: Derek Ai (8) Alex Bramhill (7) Sonali Guttikonda (8) Sawyer Jackson (7) Riva Jain (8) Shayen Maun (7) Isaac Rabuck (8) Justin Warren (7) Sameer Zaidi (8) Nathan Zhang (8)

Sycamore’s Science Bowl Team

New Video Release: How and Why Series

Episodes of the new “How and Why “ digital series are online on the Sycamore YouTube channel. In the first episode, released earlier this fall, we peek behind-the-scenes with Chrissy Sweigart and her art students to watch them create their own prints, hear her talk about the history of printmaking, and how she learned the craft, and why the process is so satisfying for students. Thus far, six episodes have been released.

Parent Education Series Events for Winter

Upcoming events:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2:15 PM

Sycamore’s Math Curriculum, hosted by Ruth Moll, Jean Wright, and Trent Tormoehlen

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 8:15 AM

Six Traits of Writing, hosted by Deb Stewart and Beth Simpson

Sycamore Holds Blood Drive

Sycamore’s Wellness Committee hosted a blood drive on October 27.

Each year, more than four million people need blood transfusions. Blood donations bring hope to the families of premature babies, cancer warriors, trauma patients, and countless others. The Wellness Committee (a committee of ten Sycamore employees) that serves to strengthen our staff community through health and wellness activities, organized the event as part of Sycamore’s community service. All donated blood went directly to our local hospitals, where it will help the people in our community.

Food Drive Surpasses Goal With Crooked Creek Donation

The Sycamore students and families contributed in record numbers to the Spirit Week Food Drive for the Crooked Creek Food Pantry in September. Sycamore was able to donate 6,125 items—over one ton of food—to the pantry.

Early Childhood: 1,906 items

Lower School: 2,166 items

Middle School: 2,053 items

The director of Crooked Creek, Steve Claffey, expressed his appreciation of the entire Sycamore community, telling students that he is thankful the families of Sycamore are invested in the health and well-being of those in our community. He is especially grateful that the food donated by Sycamore families was the same type of food we would share with our families at home, which is especially meaningful for the recipients of the donations.

Sycamore Middle School teacher Beth Simpson donates during the October blood drive at Sycamore.

Sycamore Students Earn Summer Competition Honors

Academic Competition

The International Academic Competitions Elementary & Middle School US National Championships was held in June 2022 in Orlando, Florida, with more than 1,200 students from around the country in attendance, including several from Sycamore.

In the 6th Grade Division Evan Ting placed 1st for the Historical Geography Exam. Sameer Zaidi reached the semifinals in the 7th Grade Division of the US History Bee and the National History Bee and the quarterfinals of the National Science Bee.

Ting was also 3rd for the US Military History Exam, 4th for the Asian History Exam, and made the finals of the US History Bee (placing 5th overall) and the Academic Bee (placing 6th overall). Evan also made the quarterfinals of the National History Bee and the National Science Bee, and the octofinal for the International Geography Bee.

National History Day

The National History Day Contest took place over the summer with five Sycamore students representing the state of Indiana for this year’s theme of “Debate and Diplomacy.”

Shayen Maun placed 5th in the country in the Junior Individual Documentary category with his submission “Ping-Pong Diplomacy: Thawing the Ice between China and the USA One Shot at a Time.”

Avery Neumeister placed 6th in the country in the Junior Individual Exhibit category with her submission, “Panda Diplomacy: It’s Not Black and White.”

Both were the top placing finalists across all categories in submissions representing Indiana.

History Olympiad

The International History Olympiad was held in July in Princeton, New Jersey and included participants from 27 states and 15 countries.

In the Elementary Division, the team of Evan Ting (captain), Gavin Sigua , and Albert Zhang representing the state of Indiana finished 2nd in the International History Bowl and 3rd in the Hexathlon.

For the Overall Individual Olympiad Championship, Sigua finished 2nd and Ting finished 8th in the Elementary Division.

For Ting, Top 10 Finishes in Bee Competitions included the International History Bee (7th), History of STEM (2nd), Visual History (3rd), Recent History (3rd), Knockout (4th), Art History (4th), Scramble (6th) and Blitz (7th). Top 10 multiple choice exam finishes include the International History Battery Exam (6th), American Indian History Exam (4th), East Asian History Exam (4th), and South Asian History Exam (9th).

Sigua finished 2nd in the Short Answer Written Exam and 1st for the Legacy of Alexander the Great Historical Simulation. Gavin also had several Top 10 Finishes in Bee Competitions included the International History Bee (5th), Recent History (6th), Knockout (9th), Art History(5th), Scramble (8th) and Blitz (5th) as well as the American Indian History Exam (8th).

2021-22 Sycamore School Donor List

Sycamore Circle: $10,000 or more

Jeff Hagerman

John and Jennifer Hur

Young and Stephanie Kim

Eli Lilly and Company

Michael and Julie Mervis

Dick and Jamie Schulte

Hale Stuart and Rachel Simon The National Bank of Indianapolis

Visionary: $5,000 to $9,999

Sumeet and Sumeeta Bhatia

Thomas and Rose Campbell Nick Blesch Clark and Tina Clark

Goelzer Investment Management, Inc.

Greg Merrell and Melissa Kacena

Tom and Linda Kaplan

Chris and Kim Kovalchick

Sandy and Cindy Lange

M.R. Metzger

Family Foundation

Bob Moorthy and Sheila Valluri

Daniel and Christine Mytelka

Marty and Leslie Obst

Troy Payner and Cara Peggs

Brian Tabor and Dawn Brooks

Fred and Marla Thompson

Jon Ting and Sam Yeap

Ruel and Cynthia Williamson

Head of School Circle: $2,500 to $4,999

Rick Bains and Anjali Godambe

Jon and Sonal Bazeley

Ray and Erika Biederman

Bill and Lisa Boncosky

Bob and Diane Borgmann

Neil and Lisa Brierley

Kent Butcher and Celeste Spaans

Eugene and Mimi Ceppa

Shan Cheng and Alison Klenk

Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

Toby and Jennifer Cole

Conner Insurance

Randy and Pam Cross

Tom Dorantes and Sunah Kim Dorantes

Joe and Whitney Faires

Kyle and Cate Falk

Parag and Sangeeta Garhyan Amir Hajrasouliha and Raheleh Rahimi

Steve and Jane Hartsock Jeff and Sharon Hearn Tim and Cami Hovda David Huang and Xiaochu Hu Stuart and Ann-Marie Hyatt Matt and Laura Jones Charles and Nadine Kahi

Peter Kelly and Vicki Valandra

Richard and Soojin Kim Rob and Cory Martinson

Andrew McDaniel and Sarah Burgin

Jared and Samantha Outcalt

Roland and Catherine Pangan

Patrick and Taeran Park

John Vito Salerno and Christina Santangelo-Salerno

Mark Salzinger and Ruth Belin Roger and Pam Singh

Rob Siwiec and Christine Santori Mark and Elizabeth Stetzer Andrew and Sumi Swearingen Nathan and Amanda Swingley Tom and Emily Wilson Dave and Melissa Wong

Leader: $1,000 to $2,499

Louis Abukhalaf and Brittany Lane Anuj and Manisha Agarwala Minrong Ai and Xiu Yang Mark and Meg Alberts AmazonSmile Foundation Bryan and Ginny Burney Peter and Doris Cheng David and Carrie Coutant Sean Deng and Sheila Duan Ankit and Archita Desai Scott and Harriet Dunitz

Michael Eaton and Dohee Kim Duane Emery

George and Julie Gasper Marc and Lori Ann Gerdisch John and Robyn Glushik

JP and Molly Hanlon Mohamed Heikal and Noha Ahmed John and Laura Hillenburg Frank and Janice Hrisomalos Jinghui Hu and May Qiao Jude and Margaret Momodu Blake Johnson and Dani Campbell Joe and Cindy Thomas Vikas and Maitri Kalra Dave and Annette Kandel Kiran and Leah Kareti John and Susan Karpicke Abhishek and Nidhi Khemka David Klauz and Dina Belinsky Eric and Holly Lee Mike and Megan Leivant Suthat Liangpunsakul and Attaya Suvannasankha Mike and Glenna Lykens Ron and Nathalie Mastouri Kenji Matsuki Dipen and Sumi Maun Howard and Susie Maxwell Julia Clay and Dustin Mergott James and Erin Moore Rob and Amy Nichols Srinivas and Sneha Pai Nirav Patel and Andrea Shin Wayne Patrick Ben Pecar and Leslie Thompson Howard and Deborah Pollack-Milgate Karthik Polsani and Samatha Madhavarapu Philip and Courtney Pryor Deept Rana and Pooja Mandalia Mike and Jessica Rehmel Alex and Ashleigh Rexford Jeremy and Wendy Reymer Mary Schuth

Jeff Seifert and Hong Liu-Seifert Ninad and Nirali Shah David and Julie Sheffield Kevin and Notch Sigua Abhinav Singh and Vidhya Srinivasan

Alex and Chris Smith Mark and Jennifer Sniderman Jared and Abbe Spaans Bobby and Kristi Stephens Jeff and Janet Stroebel

Jack and Laurie Tanselle

Peh Keong Teh and Kelly Ooi

Juan Tejada and Vicky Romero

Evan Templeton and Ali Dethoff

Trent and Laura Tormoehlen Thong Tran and Vivian Vo John Lu and Tingting Wang Jay and Rori Watson

Jack and Alyssa Wei

Libo Yan and Huiying Gu Timur Yurtseven

Adeel Zaidi and Areeba Kara

Supporter:

$500 to $999

Ben and Nichole Abraham

Tom and Jenny Berger

David and Katie Brinkmeyer

Justin and Amanda Brown

Ann Burgess

David and Donna Butcher

Patrick Byrne and Jessica DeCook

Patrick and Jennifer Cauley

Yujie Chen and Ke Xu

Kyle and Kristen Clemens

Laura Conder

Brian and Julie Cunningham

Badr Elhosseiny and Suzanne Farid

Brent and Tolly Epstein

Lawrence and Lynn France

Andy Fry and Emily Watkins Jim and Linda Gange John and Lauren George Andre and Regina Guillaume

Paul Helft and Melissa Cavaghan Chris and Jenny Hinshaw

Kyle and Michelle Hummel

Nathan Keith

Mike and Abby Klemsz

Matt and Kara Levy

Pai Liu and Xiaojing Li

Joe and Susan Loftus

Dwight and Lisa Lueck

Greg and Megan Maurer

John and Susan McNett

Chris and Seema Mernitz

Linda Mihm

Justin and Julie Moeller

James and Erin Moore

Pete and Betsy Morse

Scott and Denise Murray

Pat Murray and Suzette Solomon

Mary O’Malley

David and Chelsea Overstreet

Lily Pai

Xd Peng and Ada Yeung

Francis and Marianne Price

Jeff and Aileen Puno

Santosh and Preeti Rajmane

Evan Ramey and Jennifer Alyea

John and Lauren Rapp

Nathan and Naomi Rich Jeff and Kristine Rickard

Sashi Sagi and Santi Gottumukkala

Tom Schroeder and Julia Hipps

Jeremy and Carley Schutz

Ateet and Anjali Shah

Sheila Hyatt

Fred and Helen Stehman

Mitch and Val Stucky

Chris and Meghann Supino

Jan and Christy Szatkowski

Anand and Sweta Tandra

Aj and Tammy Wilkerson

David Wintermeyer

Herman Wong and Gloria Lee

Marcelle Stucky and Emily Wootten-Stucky

Dabao and Min Zhang Jie Zhang and Yun Wang

Friend: $1 to $499

Dino and Jennifer Alcantara David and Mary Allen Steven and Mary Jo Alonso

Susan Amen John and Fran Amer Andrew and Susan Appel

Ted and Marissa Argus Jim and Vickie Auth Jay and Bhairavi Avashia Michael and Suzanne Baach Ben and Pegah Bahrami

Jadwiga Baker

Nancy Baker

Brent and Katie Baker

Robert and Christine Baldwin

Phil Bansal and Jessica Harrison

Terry Baumer and Patricia Gabig

Don and Carla Bennett

Mark and Fran Berg

Evelyn Berry

Joshua Betsey

Richard and Joanne Bick

Kathy Biederman

Bob Bishop and Mila Aslanyan

Mark and Susan Blank

John Blatt and Eliza Holladay

Suzy Blesch

Wayne and Libby Bloomquist

Sam and Shannon Bloomquist

Debbie Bonhomme

Charlie and Julie Bookwalter

Taylor Bowen

Steve Brady and Nancy Colone

Kevin and Melissa Branigan

Clay and Cathy Bravard

Ray and Kathy Brinkmeyer

Tad Bristow and Peggy Folz

Phil and Barbara Brooks

Lott Brooks and Denise Crawford

Harold and Bette Brown

Noah Brubaker and Lauren Ditchley

Noah Buchholz

Anton and Michele Cabellon

Mike Camosy and Inna Aroutiounova

Fred and Sue Campana

Pfenne Cantrell and Amy Denkmann

Michael Carroll and Meggan Smith

Joe and Kata Carter

Julia Cassel

James Chen and Chunjie Wang Carolina Landaberger

Danny and Bridget Clark

Julie Clawson

Bruce and Susan Colston

Chad and Courtney Corcoran

Patty Corzine

John and Maria Cote’

John and Betsy Coutant

Mark and Denise Cudworth

Julia Cummins

Todd and Jenna Dailey

Mark and Terrye Davidson

David Dawson and Susan Guyett

Michael and Amy DeRosa

John and Ellen Dethoff

Denny and Margie Dinn

Judith Dorantes

Bob and Cyndi Dowart

Timothy and Cassandra Dowers

Casey Dregits and Jill Mattingly

Jeff and Jessica Eastman

George Efta and Carol Mooney

Dan and Trisha Egleson

Joe Eisinger

Ed and Kathy Elliott

Martin and Janine Erlenbaugh

John and Joyce Ertel

Bob and Debbie Falk

Dave Farnum and Shelley Etnier Chris and Matthew Feltrop-Herron

David Fink

Brandon Fitzsimmons

Courtney Floyd

Kevin Fortner and Christine Efta Ryan and Eleanor Fox Mark and Monie Freeman

Anna Freije

Paula French

Ryan Fuhrmann

Steve and Doris Fulwider

Joan Gabig

George and Gayle Gasper

Sarah George Ken and Marjie Giffin

Don Gigliotti and Linda Kleiser

Jane Glushik

Shailesh and Deepa Godambe Bradford and Stephanie Grabow Jo Dee Grau Paul and Janice Greco

Jill Grossman Sharyn Gussick

Margie Gutierrez

Rachel Hackel

Scott and Kathleen Hackwelder

David and Barbara Hagerman Mark and Mary Kay Hagerman

Amir Hajrasouliha and Raheleh Rahimi

Elizabeth Halloran Mike and Dee Hanlon Christie Hanna Christine Hansen Jim and Juanita Harger Tim and Erica Harrison Jim and Linda Hartz

Ponnamma Hasanadka Takashi and Hiromi Hato Tucker and Mary Hawkins Joe and Ellen Hawkins

Allison Hayden

Christina Hayes

Scott Hayes and Janice Guttery Chuck and Jan Heitholt Marcus and Jennifer Hendry Danny and Debbie Hillenburg Simon and Kim Hillier

Thomas and Mia Hindman

Ruth Holladay

Daniel Hopp

Barbara Horine

Cooper Hovda

Mary Howard

Tim and Susie Howard

Randall and Karen Hradek Allan and Janet Hribar

Dan and Cynthia Hummel

Bernie and Linda Hutter

Benjamin and Rachel Ilnicki Greg and Karen Jacobs

Roberta Jaggers

Manish Jain and Shiroo Parshad Bill and Suzanne Jannetta Joe and Patty Bowling

James and Marilyn Jeray Jim and Carolyn Noland Prakash and Alka Jog

Maddie Johnson Joanna Johnson Melissa Johnson

Venkatesh and Sheela Jois Joanne Jones

Deb Jones Tom and Madonna Jones

Julie Thornburg Ryan and Bonnie Kandel Nyle Kardatzke

Prasad and Sarala Kareti Leslie Katz

Maggie Kauer

Daniel and Katrina Kirkendall Jeramy and Catherine Kirkendall Ray and Nancy Kirtley

Paul and Melissa Ko John and Teresa Kofodimos Jack and Betty Krebs

Linda LaLiberte Thomas and Katherine Laubacher Marie Lawlor

Harold and Jessica Lee Jane Leeds

Jerry and Tina Lehr Daniel and Ora Leivant Mabel Leonard Danyce Letkewicz

Cliff and Linda Lewis Jay and Pam Link

Yunlong Liu and Yue Wang

Darryl and Amanda Lockett

Brad and Kristi Lowell Dan and Ellen Lugosch Jay and Michele Lugosch

Milea Maddox

Ansuya Mandalia Logan and Brittany Mann

Maria Fulton

Yale and Carol Martin

Nick and Kristyn Mason

Barry and Melody Mathew David and Ashlen Mathew

Tom and Debbie Mattingly

Mickey and Janie Maurer

Olivia Mayer

Firdausi and Sherenaz Mazda

Ryan and Michelle McDonald

John and Rhea McDonald

Brian and Cecelia McDonnell

Nancy McDowell

Emily McDowell

Kenzie McGaffey

Doug and Cindy McKay

Kevin McKelvey and Lakshmi Hasanadka Sharon McLaughlin

Claudia Mercado

Walter and Marlene Meredith, Jr.

Dan and Karen Millar

Shawn and Alex Miller Ken and JJ Miller

Mike and Amy Miltenberger

Steve and Ruth Moll

Matt and Emilie Molter

Javad Momayez and Ling Xuei

Greg and Marylee Moore

Andy Mulvey and Nina Mutone

Doug and Kristie Neumeister

Evan and Allison Nisonson

Michele Noel Mike Oberthur

Colin Oberthur

Teri Obst

Monica Oclander

John Ottensmann and Jan Neuenschwander

Roger and Robin Outcalt

Tony and Sandi Owens Sangeeth Pai Kirk and Mikel Pak

Skip and Nancy Panozzo

Anthony Panozzo and Monica Mazda

Anna Papazian

Tom and Kim Papp

Aleta Parran

Michael and Jaclyn Parran

Robert Pascuzzi

Simit Patel and Katrina Malhotra

Jeff and Debra Peek

Laura Perry

Jane Pesek

Mike Petro and Julie Janlewicz

Kent and Anna Phillips

Ron and Michele Porter

Ron and Fran Porter

Damon Price and Tenisha Meredith

Patrick Price

Irwin and Eileen Prince Jeff and Kim Pursch

Josh and Jessica Rabuck

Azad Raiesdana and Teri Greco

Mahesh and Bhadra Rajpura Don and Lora Ramey

John and Leslie Rapp Mike and Cara Raunick Tim and Deb Reidy

Lori Reiter

Derek Reymer

Lane and Terri Rich

Todd and Surisa Richardson

Larry and Amanda Risk

Putnam and Eileen Robbins

Michael and Missy Roch

Katrina Rodriguez

Erik and Flor Romero

Robert and Lisa Schroeder

Jeff and Betsy Sajdak

Robert Sanborn

Bob and Elaine Sandy David and Catherine Santori

DíAnna Saul

Clint and Melissa Sausaman

Ella Savoy

John and Judith Scappucci

Peter and Barbara Schauland Ryan and Meryl Schroeder

Josephine Schumm

John Schumm and Alyssa Brune David and Jane Schuth Wayne and Tami Sears Hwasoon Shin Charles and Sara Jo Shoup Ross and Beth Simpson Hardeep Singh and Kelli Beil Jesse and Maria Siwiec Adam Smith and Laura Kirtley Smith

Paul and Susan Sniderman Leo and Barbara Spaans Sathyabama Srinivasan Nick and Tiffany Stahl Vincent Starnino and Marina Sulastri

William Starsiak and Lisa Martin Bob Stephens

Bill and Deb Stewart

Richard and Cindy Strup Don Stuart and Constance Matts

Jim and Tracy Swearingen Lee and Chrissy Sweigart

Bill and Julie Szolek-Van Valkenburgh

Robert and Cathy Tabor Tomi and Andrea Takase Sy and Paula Tamaddoni Michael Tamaddoni and Andrea Del Guidice Floyd Tandy Tina Tandy

Bill and Janet Taylor Phebe Taylor

John and Marcy Taylor Gary Thompson and Leigh Harris

Mike and Cindy Thrine Steve Tilden and Suzanne O’Shea Allison Timmons Tom and Barbara Laubacher Carol Toft

Joe and Robin Tormoehlen Rachel Toyne Thong Tran and Vivian Vo Tom and Maria Truesdale Skip and Karen Tucker Sharon Turner

Scott Turner

Matt and Christine Ullom Matt and Christine Ullom Adrian and Sally Van Osch

Greg Vanduesen and Marna Shopoff

Dale Varble and Pamela Pangan-Varble Praveen and Karen Vohra Bill and Susan Warren Zaiyan Wei and Yang Wang Scott and Sharon Weigand Myron and Myrna Weinberger Jason Welton Sam and Jane Wendel Tom and Freddie Williams Kit and Jennifer Williams Keith and Bonnie Williamson Fred and Jacquie Winters Peter Winters and Heather Grisham-Winters Steve Wolf and Pam Westermann James and Liane Wong Bob Wootten Aaron and Jean Wright Nate and Heather Wyatt Tony and Shae Young Shanxiang Zhang and Lin Bai

Class of 2021 Legacy Gif t Donors

IN HONOR OF MARISSA ARGUS:

Blake Johnson and Dani Campbell

IN HONOR OF EDISON ASLANYAN: Bob Bishop and Mila Aslanyan IN HONOR OF CARLA BENNETT: Shelia Hyatt

IN HONOR OF DIANE BORGMANN: Christine Hansen Roberta Jaggers

IN HONOR OF JULIE CLAWSON: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF AMY DEROSA: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh Amir Hajrasouliha and Raheleh Rahimi

IN HONOR OF DAVID FINK: Jack and Betty Krebs

IN HONOR OF JENNIFER HENDRY: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh Amir Hajrasouliha and Raheleh Rahimi

IN HONOR OF CHRIS HERRON: Blake Johnson and Dani Campbell

IN HONOR OF RACHAEL ILNICKI: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF MADDIE JOHNSON: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF NYLE KARDATZKE: Robert and Christine Baldwin IN HONOR OF CATHERINE KIRKENDALL: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF MILEA MADDOX: Blake Johnson and Dani Campbell

IN HONOR OF OLIVIA MAYER: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF JJ MILLER: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF RUTH MOLL: Blake Johnson and Dani Campbell

IN HONOR OF BETH SIMPSON: Bill and Lisa Boncosky Christine Hansen

IN HONOR OF TIFFANY STAHL: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF JULIE THORNBURG:

Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF TRENT TORMOEHLEN: Christine Hansen Jeff and Aileen Puno

IN HONOR OF JENNIFER WILLIAMS:

Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF JEAN WRIGHT: Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

IN HONOR OF TONY YOUNG: Christine Hansen

IN MEMORY OF MATTHEW GERDISCH Marc and Lori Ann Gerdisch

IN MEMORY OF POLLY GRABOW: Brad and Stephanie Grabow

IN MEMORY OF CHRIS GREENE:

John and Nancy Farrar Dan and Karen Millar Bob and Elaine Sandy

IN MEMORY OF JESSICA WELCH: Don and Carla Bennett Shelia Hyatt Bob and Elaine Sandy Hal and Theresa Schoen Fred and Helen Stehman Monte and Marilyn Welch

Ray and Erika Biederman

Sam and Shannon Bloomquist Bill and Lisa Boncosky Bob and Diane Borgmann

Kevin and Melissa Branigan David and Katie Brinkmeyer

Noah Brubaker and Lauren Ditchley

Kent Butcher and Celeste Spaans

Patrick Byrne and Jessica DeCook

Anton and Michele Cabellon

Caldwell Farms

Patrick and Jennifer Cauley Eugene and Mimi Ceppa

Shan Cheng and Alison Klenk

Julie Clawson

Julia Clay and Dustin Mergott Kyle and Kristen Clemens Aaron Cohen-Gadol and Isabelle Saparzadeh

Toby and Jennifer Cole

Contour Hardening, Inc. Chad and Courtney Corcoran David and Carrie Coutant Ryan and Jennifer Cox Randy and Pam Cross Mark and Denise Cudworth Brian and Julie Cunningham Becky Deischer Michael and Amy DeRosa Ankit and Archita Desai Dick’s Sporting Goods Dogtopia

Tom Dorantes and Sunah Kim Dorantes

Jeff and Jennifer Eastman Duane and Stephanie Emery Joe and Whitney Faires Chris and Matthew Feltrop-Herron

David Fink

Jonathan and Jill Fiur Ryan and Eleanor Fox

Paula and Joy French Greg and Lori Fulk Steve and Doris Fulwider Islam and Ronia Ghoneim John and Robyn Glushik

Marcus and Jennifer Hendry

Kevin Heraly and Morgan Howard James and Cara Hermacinski John and Laura Hillenburg Tim and Susie Howard Kyle and Michelle Hummel Dan and Cynthia Hummel Ben and Rachel Ilnicki Cheryan Jacob and Merin Abraham

Patrick and Krenta Juday

Tom and Linda Kaplan Kiran and Leah Kareti Leslie Katz

Young and Stephanie Kim Jeramy and Catherine Kirkendall

Chris and Marla Laystrom Eric and Holly Lee Jane Leeds

Mike and Megan Leivant John and Leah Lickliter Brad and Kristi Lowell Jay and Michele Lugosch Mike and Glenna Lykens Rob and Cory Martinson Dipen and Sumi Maun Greg Merrell and Melissa Kacena Ken and JJ Miller Justin and Julie Moeller Steve and Ruth Moll Pat Murray and Suzette Solomon Bob Nargang and Linda DiMeglio Doug and Kristie Neumeister New Riff Distillery

Michele Noel Marty and Leslie Obst David and Chelsea Overstreet Srinivas and Sneha Pai

Lily Pai

Roland and Catherine Pangan Troy Payner and Cara Peggs Jeremie Peace

Jon Pesek and Jyothi Varanasi Woody and Beth Peyton Kent and Anna Phillips

Alex and Ashleigh Rexford

Jeremy and Wendy Reymer

LeRoy and Janette Richins

Sally Roberts Pasquali

Katrina Rodriguez

Michelle Russell

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

David and Jane Schuth

Peter Schwartz and Shari Rudavsky

Erica Scott

Ninad and Nirali Shah

Ateet and Anjali Shah

Petei Shi and Hu Li

Kevin and Notch Sigua Ross and Beth Simpson

Abhinav Singh and Vidhya Srinivasan

Hardeep Singh and Kelli Beil

Rob Siwiec and Christine Santori

Andrew and Annie Skinner

Alex and Chris Smith Mark and Jennifer Sniderman Southern Glazer

Sparkle Buggy Detail Nick and Tiffany Stahl

Bobby and Kristi Stephens

Mark and Elizabeth Stetzer Bill and Deb Stewart

Marcelle Stucky and Emily Wootten-Stucky

Nathan and Amanda Swingley

Brian Tabor and Dawn Brooks

Tina Tandy

Diane Thompson

Fred and Marla Thompson

Andy and Julie Thornburg

Jon Ting and Sam Yeap

Trent and Laura Tormoehlen Thong Tran and Vivian Vo Tom and Maria Truesdale

Matt and Christine Ullom Greg Vanduesen and Marna Shopoff

Curt Warren and Sara Naderi

Weston Family Farm Kit and Jennifer Williams

Ruel and Cynthia Williamson

Ted

Rick Bains and Anjali Godambe Brent and Katie Baker

Jon and Sonal Bazeley

John and Allison Bentel

Tom and Jennifer Berger Ben and Vanessa Bick

Goldfish Swim School Max and Naomi Goller Alex and Irena Goloschokin

Jeff Hagerman

Steve and Jane Hartsock Joe and Ellen Hawkins Lisa Haynes

Patrick Price

PRP Wine International Philip and Courtney Pryor

Jeff and Kim Pursch John and Lauren Rapp Mike and Cara Raunick Mike and Jessica Rehmel

Peter Winters and Heather Grisham-Winters

Steve Wolf and Pam Westermann

Aaron and Jean Wright

Nate and Heather Wyatt

Tony and Shae Young

Adeel Zaidi and Areeba Kara

PERSONAL SERVICE AND ATTENTION ARE UNMATCHED BY OTHER BANKS.”

It’s time you receive the service you deserve.

Private Banking at The National Bank of Indianapolis is personal, local and rooted in expertise. You will receive personalized service from one of our experts who will advise you through complex financial situations and provide custom banking solutions.

“THE

1750 West 64th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260

Permit No.984 Indianapolis, IN

SYCAMORE

A popular car line drop-off event this fall was “Bring Your Dog to Carpool” day.