2016 Winter Bulletin

BULLETIN

Campus Plan: Update on the new building and 610 renovations p 5

Alumnae Pioneers: Five women from the world of finance talk shop p 10

Social and Emotional Learning: Brearley’s new intentional curriculum p 21

THE BREARLEY SCHOOL

Brearley in .finance.

BREARLEY BRAIN TEASER

The photo to the right is from one of Brearley’s earliest Mountain Days. Name the year this annual event began.

Answer to last issue’s Brain Teaser: Brearley’s telephone EXchange name was… RHinelander, or RH-4, the two-letter + digit prefix. The numeric equivalent is 744, which is still the prefix for the main number of the School: 212-744-8582.

Mountain Day 2015

Conversation with teacher Katie Silberstein ‘11, Brearley composts, and more

Joelle Kayden ‘72, Nancy Goldsmith Mistretta ‘72, Cynthia Oakes ‘74, Carol Mathews ‘54

Head of School

Jane Foley Fried

Editor

Jane Newman

Graphic Designer

Jennifer Bartoli

Editing Staff

Josephine Bergen David ‘61, Director of Communications

Lewise Lucaire, Director of Institutional Advancement

Anne Bergen, Director of Development

If you have any questions or comments about this magazine, please contact Jane Newman: jnewman@brearley.org; (212) 570-8588.

Cover illustration by ballyscanlon/Photodisc/Getty Images. Adapted for use by the Bulletin

Special thanks to Eric Antanitus, Nathan Blaney, John Earle, Ashley Garrett, Jordan Hollender, Paul Schneck, Scott Thode and members of the Brearley community for sharing photos with us.

Ellen Jewett ’77, President

Carter Brooks Simonds ’95, Vice President

Christopher L. Mann, Secretary

Noah Gottdiener, Treasurer

Christine Frankenhoff Alfaro ’91

Reza Ali

Nicholas C. Bienstock

Virginia Connor

François de Ménil

Jane Foley Fried

Marisa Gardini ’85

Jane Gladstone ’86

Ivan M. Hageman

Munib Islam

Elizabeth Harpel Kehler ’79

Georgia Levenson Keohane ’90

Kathleen Moriarty ’71

Stephanie L. Perlman, M.D.

Julia Pershan ’88

David B. Philip

Naomi Press

Paula Campbell Roberts ’94

Modupe Akinola Robinson ’92

Terri J. Seligman ’78

Andrew K. Tsai

Honorary Trustees

Georges F. de Ménil

Evelyn Janover Halpert ’52

David T. Hamamoto

Stephanie J. Hull

Alan Jones

Caroline Kennedy ’75

Edward F. Rover

John F. Savarese

J. Kellum Smith, Jr.

Priscilla M. Winn Barlow

Faculty Representative

Susan Sagor

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF

SCHOOL

Festina Lente

Brearley, like a beehive, is a place of constant energy and action. One need only stand in a hallway of the School to witness all the activity: students chat animatedly with each other on their way to class, teachers meet students who have requested a “float,” the cafeteria crew adds snacks to empty baskets, tour guides share personal stories with prospective families and administrators walk the halls ready for a chance encounter with a student in need of extra encouragement. Amid this hustle and bustle music wafts through the halls as students warm up for dance or rehearse in ensemble and young Lower School voices rise up from the pier. This is Brearley, as vibrant and stimulating as ever! Yet with all this motion, how does a community find the time both to “keep school” (attend to daily life) and make progress on its strategic initiatives?

While it is true that an already busy educational community has become even busier, we are guided by our compass, Opening Doors, Brearley’s strategic vision and thoughtful, persistent pursuit of our objectives. Festina lente, hasten slowly, we heed as we think anew about our work in and out of the classroom. Invigorated by the possibilities and eager to join minds, Brearley’s devoted faculty and staff are making steady and impressive headway on several new initiatives, a sample of which I am pleased to share with you:

• The Dean of Academic Life, working with the Academic Affairs Committee, has created a process for curricular review, which the Learning Skills Department completed last year and Mathematics is preparing for this winter.

• Division Heads, faculty and administrators, with an emphasis on this year’s topics of citizenship, self-care and purpose, are collaborating on a new K–XII social and emotional learning curriculum.

• Admission colleagues are casting a broader net across the greater New York City area to attract applicants and, out of their partnership with Chapin’s admission department, the schools now provide a bus for Brooklyn students.

• Lower School has developed an early morning program for girls who arrive at school before 7:30 am.

• Faculty committees have been formed to reshape professional development opportunities for early-, mid- and late-career teachers and to develop a school-wide technology plan.

“ How does a community find the time both to ‘keep school’ and make progress on its strategic initatives?”

“ The route we must follow requires us to be aware of our blind spots, our history and our discomfort, at times, with change.”

• Faculty members in Art and Mathematics have created The CoLaboratory Initiative, which supports teachers across all divisions and departments who are interested in implementing technologies associated with “The Maker Movement”—such as 3D printing, tinkering, design thinking, digital fabrication, physical computing and “The Internet of Things”—into their classroom instruction.

• Community members are working with architect Marianne McKenna and the KPMB team and a host of consultants on the conceptual design of our new building and the renovations to 610.

• In its leadership role, our administration is working with outside experts to gain competence in the areas of mindfulness, diversity, inclusion and equity.

As we move ahead in all these areas, we know the route we must follow is not always direct. It may have twists and turns, and it requires us to be aware of our blind spots, our history and our discomfort, at times, with change. We must not expect perfection; we must give ourselves time to reflect and develop the skills necessary to accomplish our goals. Festina lente. Each step requires consideration of what we have learned, including how we can improve our process to achieve what trustee Reza Ali describes as the strategic vision in its most simple form: “We want our girls to do well, be well and do good.” As we know, simplicity is both a beautiful and an aspirational goal. All that we do is well worth the effort for our current and future Brearley girls.

Jane Foley Fried January 2016

BUILDING UPDATE

On January 28, 2016, a palpable excitement was in the morning air as some 200 members of the Brearley community filled the Common Room for a presentation by architect Marianne McKenna of KPMB on the School’s campus project: construction of a new building across East End Avenue that will be known as 590 East 83rd Street and renovations to 610. Board President Ellen Jewett ’77, Jane Foley Fried and Dr. Jim Mulkin, Dean of Academic Life, also spoke.

After an introduction by Ms. Jewett, Ms. McKenna, with accompanying slides, shared the latest plans for 590, which include state-of-the-art science laboratories for Classes VII-XII, a regulation-size gymnasium and a large, flexible auditorium with modern acoustics to fulfill the needs of Brearley’s flourishing performing arts program and for accommodating and expanding our community gatherings. The building will also be home base for the Lower School, with a library, common room and play space and Classes K through IV each having three homerooms.

Ms. Fried then discussed, among other topics, the timeline for construction. We plan to break ground in early 2017 and reach completion by September 2019. During the summers and after the new facilities at 590 are ready for use, we will turn our focus to 610 and address the upgrades and renovations it requires.

Next up was Dr. Mulkin, who described the tremendous and immediate effect the construction of 590 will have on the work of our faculty. Once our chronic space shortage is resolved, our outstanding teachers will have access to worldclass resources to enhance and strengthen our academic and extracurricular programs to create the best possible school for our students.

Concluding the event was Ms. Jewett, who provided an overview of the project’s financing and with Ms. Fried opened up the floor to questions from an enthusiastic and eager audience. As always, Brearley looks forward to keeping the community updated on the project. We thank our constituents for their continued support and encouragement during this momentous time in the School’s history.

2015 BOOK FESTIVAL AUTHORS RECEPTION

Brearley parents, students, alumnae and staff joyfully celebrated a love of books during the inaugural Book Festival Authors Reception on November 18. Eight community authors read excerpts from their latest books, described their writing process, and revealed what inspired them to become writers in the first place. Refreshments followed in the Library, where the authors chatted and signed books. There was shopping, too, as the Book Festival began its annual sale and the General Store offered the latest spirit wear and accessories.

— Lorena Lopes, P.A. Communications Officer

Rose ‘77

Send Us Your Submissions!

LOIS KAHN WALLACE BREARLEY WRITERS AWARD

Submissions are now being accepted for the Lois Kahn Wallace Brearley Writers Award. The Award, established in 1999 by the late Lois Kahn Wallace ’57, honors and encourages a Brearley alumna at the beginning of her career as a published writer, or the beginning of writing in a new genre. Fiction and non-fiction works are eligible, as are books for children and young adults in addition to those for adults. The award is conferred approximately every two years and carries an honorarium. Please apply, or if you know someone who deserves the award, encourage her to apply. Please submit four copies of the work of your choice to Daryl Gurian Stern, Alumnae Relations Manager, The Brearley School, 610 East 83rd Street, New York, NY 10028. If you have any questions, contact Daryl at 212-570-8516 or dstern@brearley.org.

For a list of past winners, please visit www.brearley.org/alumnaeawards.

Caroline Bicks ‘85

Margie Ruddick ’75

Emily

Back row (L to R): William Finnegan, P’20, Kenneth Fisher, P’15 and ‘21, George Hagen, P’06 and ‘19, Rachel Urquhart ‘81, Jee Leong Koh, English Faculty; Front row (L to R): Terri Seligman ‘78, P’06 and ‘19, Jane Foley Fried, Janice P. Nimura ‘89, P’18, Josh Lieb P’28, Martha Mendelsohn ‘60, Naomi Press, P’15 and ‘19.

Library Bulletin Board: Faculty and staff’s favorite middle school books. See full list on facing page.

What was YOUR favorite book in Middle School?

FACULTY AND STAFF SHARE THEIRS WITH THE LIBRARIANS.

MR. BLANEY The Ashley Book of Knots

MS. BYERLY The Phantom Tollbooth and A Wrinkle in Time

MR. BYRNES My Side of The Mountain

DR. CASIMIR Brave New World

MR. CHEAH I Hear The Owl Call My Name

MS. CHOW Belgariad Series

MS. DILLON Anastasia Absolutely

MS. DUCKETT The Giver

MS. FRIED A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

MS. GOMEZ The Rag Coat

MS. HARRIS ‘10 Key to The Kingdom and Sabriel Series

MS. L. HEINEMAN To Kill a Mockingbird

MS. JACKSON The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

MS. JONES From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and The Egypt Game

MS. KELLY Of Mice and Men

MS. LUCAIRE Rebecca

MS. MALUF Dune Series

MS. MARCUS The Merlin Trilogy

MR. MCDONALD From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

MS. MEDINA A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

MS. MEINRATH The Giver

DR. MULKIN Fahrenheit 451

MS. NEWMAN Anne of Green Gables

MS. OLSEN Diary of Anne Frank

MS. PATRICK ‘02 Swallows and Amazons Series

MS. PERRY Holes and Harry Potter

MR. WHITE Treasure Island and The Count of Monte Cristo

610...Again!

HOW LONG DID YOU ATTEND BREARLEY AS A STUDENT?

Kindergarten through the 8th grade.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS YOU CAME BACK TO 610? DID YOUR YEARS AT BREARLEY ESPECIALLY INSPIRE YOU TO GO INTO TEACHING?

My experience in the Lower School was incredible. Several teachers shaped my personality and the way I thought in a profound way. They guided me to be curious, to ask questions, to be independent and confident. Part of it was being at an all-girls school, certainly, but the lessons I learned at a young age stayed with me, and I realized that perhaps I could have that impact on students and pass along to them what I continue to appreciate so much. Many of my Brearley teachers are still here, and I feel I’ve come full circle to learn how to teach from those same teachers who taught me how to learn.

HOW/WHEN DID YOU DECIDE ON TEACHING AS A CAREER?

I’ve enjoyed working with children since 8th or 9th grade when the opportunity first arose. I volunteered to tutor, coached at a basketball clinic and was a counselor at day camps nearly every summer in high school and college. Working in a school was a no-brainer for me when the time came to apply for jobs.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?

It’s hard to boil it down… but I think good teachers are those who encourage their students to make mistakes. It’s okay to get the wrong answer, or to say you don’t understand. All you can ask of someone is to try her hardest and put forth her best effort.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE STUDYING MOST AS A 1ST GRADER AT BREARLEY?

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?

Math. So many manipulatives to play with, it made learning about numbers and developing a number sense really fun. I loved reading The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss. Also Meanwhile, by Jules Feiffer.

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING BACK, THIS TIME ON THE FACULTY SIDE?

Eye opening! As a student all I had to do was show up and everything was ready— sharp pencils, fresh markers, paper to draw on, colorful decorations on the walls, laminated name tags, contact paper on everything. It never occurred to me that someone had to make it that way!

WHAT’S CHANGED THE MOST?

Technology. There are iPad carts everywhere, Smartboards/Eno-boards in almost every room (instead of the chalk boards I had), students swipe in and out of school with IDs (instead of a sign-in/out sheet), and there’s a new jungle gym set on the pier.

WHAT’S CHANGED THE LEAST?

This might sound strange, but the School still has the same smell!

Brearley welcomes back Katie Silberstein ’11, who joined the faculty this fall as a Class I Associate Teacher.

THANK YOU

to all the alumnae, parents and friends who generously support Brearley each year. Your gifts through the Annual Fund benefit faculty salaries, financial assistance and core educational needs.

So far this school year, our community has made Annual Fund gifts of over $2.3M. Together, we can reach our $3.5M goal before Last Day. Every gift makes a difference for today’s students and faculty. Last year 42% of alumnae and 99% of parents made a gift through the Annual Fund. Another strong finish will have a tremendous impact.

Brearley is grateful for your loyalty and commitment! www.brearley.org/donate

THANK YOU

Brearley Composts

Franziska Harling (XI) and Isabel Tadmiri (XI), BEAC Co-Heads

On the morning of December 8, 2015, seven composting bins were delivered to East 83rd Street with pickup scheduled to begin that evening. This initiative goes back to October 2014, when Doris Coleman, Brearley’s Director of Construction and Facilities, first reached out to the New York Department of Sanitation asking it to include Brearley in its growing list of institutions that compost; she had heard about the program after speaking to an alumna parent whose son’s school takes part in it. After confirming that Brearley met all of the criteria to qualify for the composting service, Ms. Coleman realized that what had long been a dream of many students could actually become a reality. The contents of the bins are picked up daily between 4:00 pm and midnight and are then brought to a transfer farm in Brooklyn. So far, the city has not yet outlined any requirements for the School to meet regarding waste reduction, but the student body and faculty are keeping an eye out for ones that may pop up in the future.

As the Upper School co-heads of BEAC (Brearley’s Environmental Action Committee), we view the composting program as not only a way for Brearley to mimimize its waste but also a great opportunity for education. A few days after the arrival of the bins, I (Franziska) was sitting in the cafeteria where I was soon joined by a group of eight Kindergarten students who had come to draw during their snack period. The bins, an intriguing new addition to the scenery, allowed the teacher to divert the attention of the students from their crayons to the unexplored world of environmental sustainability. The teacher explained to the girls what composting was and then asked them to identify some items that could be thrown into the bin. Soon enough, a student questioned the necessity of composting, which allowed the teacher to delve further into why environmental sustainability is important. What I had witnessed was a delightfully natural exchange of knowledge and an example of one of the many ways this new program will benefit Brearley’s community.

THE BULLETIN WON TWO AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE!

The Bulletin’s Summer 2014 and Winter 2015 issues both received nods for “Best Redesign” from the University & College Designers Association (UCDA). The UCDA holds an annual design competition in 61 categories, and out of 1,100 entries the Bulletin was among 165 winners. In receiving an Award of Excellence, Brearley was recognized for its “excellence in concept, design, illustration, typography, printing, and message as well as effectiveness, quality, and creativity in solving the problems inherent in institutional design.”

SAVE THE DATE!

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY

4.7.2016 7:30 PM

Waitress on Broadway

Directed by Diane Paulus ‘84

Includes a talk-back with Diane

Space is limited

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.brearley.org/waitress

FRIDAY

4.8.2016 12:00–7:00 PM

Tours of the School

Luncheon, keynote addresses by 50th and 25th reunion speakers

Turbo Talks (TED-style presentations)

Afternoon classes and student panel

Cocktail Party

Class Parties (off-site)

SATURDAY

4.9.2016 9:15 AM–12:30 PM

Buffet breakfast

Kids’ activities

Up Close with Jane Foley Fried: What’s New at Brearley and the Campus Plan

Turbo Talks (TED-style presentations)

Class Parties (off-site)

women were not

given, probably in

SITTING PRETTY: Carol Mathews ‘54, retired New York Post financial journalist, on the floor of the American Stock Exchange one evening in 1977. For years,

allowed on the floor of the nearby New York Stock Exchange, the preferred venue for this promotional photo, much less allowed to become members. The reason often

jest, was the lack of bathroom facilities for women.

WOMEN IN FINANCE

Brearley Pioneers ventures into finance. Our mission was to talk to alumnae from earlier decades, when finance was not as common a professional choice for women as it is today. Our research led us to graduates from the 70s—a time often referred to as the “second wave” of the women’s liberation movement—and specifically to Joelle Kayden ’72, Nancy Goldsmith Mistretta ’72 and Cynthia Oakes ’74, all of whom built thriving careers in the field: CEO, Managing Director, Venture Philanthropist. We also found our way to Carol Mathews ’54, who in the previous two decades was making a name for herself in the world of finance as a reporter covering the stock market—and as a nationally syndicated columnist on personal money matters. In describing their professional trajectories, these women touch on many topics, among them gender inequality in the workplace, balancing career and motherhood, Brearley’s meticulous preparation and advice they would give to students and alumnae considering entering finance today.

—Jane Foley Fried

TAKE RISKS

Founder

and CEO, Accolade Partners

”At the end of the day, everyone has to find her own path. There is no one single course of action to get to your goal.”

by James

JOELLE KAYDEN ’72

Above photo

Kegley

Recently I was fortunate to spend an hour talking with Joelle Kayden ’72, who is the Founder and CEO of Accolade Partners, a venture capital and growth equity fund of funds with industry leading performance. In our time together, we covered topics from the venture capital field to technology to her experience at Brearley. Her over-arching message over the course of our conversation: Don’t be afraid to take risks. Joelle may not have had a strategic road map that got her to where she is today, but her willingness to take risks helped shape her career.

Risk 1: In 1982, Joelle moved to Alex Brown after one year at Goldman Sachs. Alex Brown was a small firm which, at the time, lacked name recognition but was quietly building a franchise in investment banking for growth companies. Once there, Joelle quickly became one of four women partners after serving as CFO for the firm’s venture capital fund and then helping to build its capital markets business. She never felt that opportunities were withheld due to the fact that she is a woman—this may have been helped by the fact that the firm was growing rapidly and needed competent and hardworking people willing to take on responsibility. Joelle raised her hand often and jumped at each opportunity offered.

Risk 2: During the course of 18 years at Alex Brown, Joelle identified new business opportunities for the firm and didn’t hesitate to lead them. She was best known for building an industry-leading practice covering venture capital firms at a time when technology had yet to take off and the idea of covering principal investors as opposed to companies was not well formed. Joelle was fortunate to have strong tailwinds in Alex Brown’s franchise as the leading underwriter for venture backed initial public offerings.

Risk 3: When Joelle took this risk, it was to strike out on her own in late 1999 to start her own venture capital/growth equity fund of funds. She was raising money for her new fund in one of the hottest markets in some time (times had certainly changed since she started at Alex Brown eighteen years before!). About one-third of the fund’s initial investment came from former colleagues at Alex Brown. The remaining two-thirds of the investment came from business associates. Joelle’s first fund, Accolade I, launched just 10 days before the Nasdaq peaked around 5,000 in 2000. The bubble proceeded to burst shortly thereafter which led to several exceptionally stressful years. It was Joelle’s sense of responsibility and moral obligation to Accolade’s investors (she knew each of them personally) that kept her going. At the time, there was no clear indication that things would ever turn around. Joelle fired half of her fund’s managers, regrouped, refocused the fund’s strategy and has since gone on to launch four more exceptionally successful funds with institutional backing from leading endowments and foundations.

While the overarching theme of our discussion was around taking risks, Joelle also made clear that she focused on doing what she loves best. She loves companies and making money for her investors. And, she loves talking to the managers building companies in one of the most dynamic sectors in the United States economy.

Her time at Brearley helped to shape her drive and taught her that you never give up. The rigorous education, which has always included a focus on strong analytical skills and writing, prepared her for all that was to come.

Joelle stressed that you should work with people you like and who have a vested interest in your success. Make sure to work as hard as you can and, again, take risks. If it doesn’t work out, there is so much opportunity today and it is completely acceptable to move on. For women who do want a career, do not leave the work force. Plan appropriately for this time. It can be exceptionally difficult to get back in once you are out. Unfortunately, career opportunities diminish after five to ten years. And, those years are ones that you can never make up for in your career.

At the end of the day, everyone has to find her own path. There is no one single course of action to get to your goal. And, goals and priorities can change. Thankfully, Brearley girls have the skills and fortitude to deal with change.

Emily Rover Grace ‘95 is a Financial Advisor at Bernstein Private Wealth Management.

NANCY GOLDSMITH MISTRETTA ‘72

Nancy Goldsmith Mistretta ’72 spent three decades as a pioneer in the financial services industry as it underwent expansion, consolidation and ever-growing complexity. With JPMorgan Chase and its heritage institutions, she served in a variety of roles including Managing Director in the Investment Banking division, running the Global Diversified Industries Group and taking responsibility for the investment bank’s merger integration effort with Bank One (among many other roles). If one career wasn’t enough, she subsequently leveraged her network and M&A capabilities at one of the most distinguished executive search firms, Russell Reynolds, where she worked in the Not-for-Profit sector. I had a chance to speak with Nancy before the New Year, and it was clear that she’s got as much energy as ever, and an accumulation of wisdom to share.

Photos by Ashley Garrett

HOW DID YOU GET FROM THE HALLS OF 610 TO THE HALLS OF JP MORGAN?

After Brearley, I went to Smith College. I majored in psychology and initially thought I’d become a school teacher. But I ended up getting a job at “Manny Hanny” [Manufacturers Hanover] at the time, before it merged into Chemical Bank, and then ultimately JP Morgan Chase.

GIVEN IT WAS A DIFFERENT PATH THAN THE ONE YOU EXPECTED, WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISHED YOU HAD DONE TO BE BETTER PREPARED?

I never intended to stay in banking, but I did the analyst training program, which is a great way to get into the business for young people. In terms of being prepared, I didn’t take a single math class at Smith. There might have been a few classes I wished I had taken, like accounting, but those weren’t offered by most liberal arts colleges. I think that is the easiest part of the job to learn. The harder part, and the part I discovered I excelled at, was the client interaction.

AS THE WOMEN’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT WAS WELL UNDERWAY DURING YOUR BREARLEY AND COLLEGE YEARS, DID IT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON YOUR CAREER CHOICE, OR OPEN A DOOR TO A PROFESSION YOU NEVER BEFORE WOULD (OR COULD) HAVE CONSIDERED?

I never thought much about the women’s lib movement at all...either at Brearley or at Smith. Even though both were all “girls” schools, I always felt that I could “compete” with any man in my career, simply BECAUSE I went to Brearley...and if you could get through Brearley, you could do anything!

STILL, I IMAGINE THERE WEREN’T MANY WOMEN IN THE FIELD AT THE TIME. WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING IN A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY AFTER 17 YEARS OF ALL-GIRLS EDUCATION?

You are right, there were not many other women when I started. Probably 85-90% of my intake class was male, but I never thought twice about being the only woman in the room. I just hunkered down and worked hard.

HOW DID YOUR EARLY EDUCATION YEARS PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER?

I never worked harder than I did at Brearley! The School instilled an incredible work ethic. And from an early age, you are were taught that you were expected to do something intellectually substantive with your career. Because of Brearley, I also had the ability to write well and to communicate clearly. I can remember giving oral reports and reciting Shakespeare in 5th grade which was great preparation for giving presentations to clients and Boards of Directors.

YOUR DAUGHTER (LAURA MISTRETTA KIRK) WENT TO BREARLEY TOO (CLASS OF 2000), AND ALSO ENDED UP IN FINANCE. HOW DIFFERENT WAS HER EXPERIENCE FROM YOURS?

We talk about this a lot. There are many things that are different, such as more women pursuing careers in finance, better maternity support, and the technology of cell phones and blackberries… In my day, many of the successful women at the bank were either unmarried or did not have children. I think that has changed. However, in finance, it still seems that many women self-select out of roles because of the travel or the challenging hours. Perhaps that is less true now. My daughter now has 2

children under 3 and a full-time career at Goldman Sachs. She just gets up earlier and works harder than most!

ANY STORIES ABOUT WHEN THE JUGGLE WAS OUT OF BALANCE?

My kids sometimes laugh at some of the stories, like when my son was sick and chanting the name of the deal I was working on in the middle of a fever fit, or when I attended my daughter’s swim meet while trying to close a deal on the phone… turns out the photos I took of her swimming were not of her, but of another girl!

YOU HAVE MENTORED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN YOUR CAREER. WHAT MAKES MENTORING SUCCESSFUL?

I have strong beliefs here…I think mentoring is more productive when it is informal vs. formal and internal vs. external. For example, one of my mentors from old Chemical days and through the mergers was Jimmy Lee. He was a tough guy who cared deeply about our clients. I did things to prove I could add value to him in his role, and he saw that. It was obvious to me that his star was rising fast, and he identified me as an upand-comer. Mentoring works best if it is a two-way street.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG GRADUATES?

I think people should always pursue their passion, but need to have an overlay of realism. I wish people were more realistic when they chose a career. Recognize that if you are choosing a path that is not lucrative, it has implications for your lifestyle and that is fine if it is fully understood. I feel strongly that women should be financially independent.

Lila Preston ‘94 is a Partner at Generation Investment Management and the mother of Sage (Class III) and Summer (Kindergarten).

FROM THE TRADING FLOOR TO THE BEIRUT BOARD ROOM

Venture Philanthropist, Alfanar

“I didn’t want to pretend to be a man just to fit in.”

CYNTHIA OAKES ‘74

Photos by David O’Driscoll

When Cynthia Oakes ‘74 reminisces about her career in finance, one anecdote inevitably surfaces regarding how she failed 8th grade math with Judith Conant. With a lot of hard work, tutoring from Jamie “Sunny” Bernstein ‘70 and “floats” in the Brearley hallways, she recovered from that small setback and went on to Princeton, where she was among the first co-educational graduating classes, though women only represented 25% of the student body.

After graduating from Princeton, Cynthia moved back to New York City. At the time, the city was in the midst of a financial crisis and Cynthia wanted to do her part to help the city she loved. She joined the New York Department of City Planning to help administer a federal block grant. While she loved working for the city, she longed for something faster paced and where she could see the immediate impact of her efforts.

Cynthia was drawn to the private sector and ultimately joined Salomon Brothers, where she went to work on the trading floor in New York and London. She later joined Morgan Guaranty Ltd in London, which was spearheading the bank’s involvement in the innovative and fast-paced Eurobond market. At the time, there were few women on the trading floor. But, as a Brearley girl, she did not allow gender issues to impede her. She credits her Brearley education with giving her the confidence to cope—and thrive—in this male work environment.

Being one of the only women in a predominantly male workplace was a learning experience for Cynthia and had a lasting impact. One of the things that frustrated her was the concept of feeling like a “token” woman—the idea that you needed to hire only one woman to effectively “check the box” on gender diversity. She remembers a boss at the time insinuating that one woman was “enough”; once the team found one competent woman, she was more than sufficient.

Further, Cynthia continues, the rarity of women on the trading floor— especially in London—led “us to self-censor ourselves, in terms of language, appearance and conduct, in an effort to be less obvious. There was a prevalent feeling of ’them and us.’” Even more damaging, however, was the common view shared by most of her peers that in order to survive—and succeed—on the trading floor, women had to act as though they were “one of the boys.” She remembers it being difficult to toe the line between “fitting in,” which was important in order to progress professionally, and not imitating male behavior, which was occasionally quite uncomfortable. “I didn’t want to pretend to be a man just to fit in,” Cynthia said.

When asked about how women balanced careers in finance with being wives and mothers, Cynthia points out that, in the 1980s, investment banks weren’t set up to accommodate working mothers. There was no paid maternity leave, flexible work schedule, on-site daycare or lactation rooms for nursing mothers. Today, investment banks view strong gender diversity as critical to success and are focused on attracting and retaining top female talent. To promote this, most investment banks have put in place support mechanisms to encourage women to continue working after becoming mothers—extending maternity and paternity leaves, providing back-up day care and creating support groups for new mothers. While there is a still progress to be made, it is a tremendous improvement from the environment thirty years ago.

These days, Cynthia uses her background in finance in impact investing—investments that promote social good. She spends most of her time on venture philanthropy in the Middle East, primarily as a board member of Alfanar, an NGO focused on Lebanon and Egypt, which was founded by her late husband, Tarek Ben Halim. Established in 2004, Alfanar (www.alfanar.org.uk) is the first venture philanthropy organization working exclusively in the Arab world. Its mission is to help social enterprises improve the lives of more people while increasing their financial sustainability. Alfanar does this by providing tailored technical and financial support to ambitious grassroots organizations, helping them to achieve lasting social change in their communities. In particular, Alfanar focuses on investments that improve children’s education and women’s economic empowerment, convinced that influencing change in these areas will help boost wider social and economic development.

When asked what the greatest impact Brearley had on her, Cynthia said, “Brearley validates you. It is hard to acquire that inherent sense of self confidence.” She further reflected, “Change is positive and necessary—it is great to be part of it. Working on a trading floor I learned a lot about resilience, keeping focused on the issues that matter, and negotiation. I became quite a good negotiator.

Olivia Wassenaar ‘97 is a Managing Director of Riverstone.

FINANCIAL JOURNALIST

”There was no woman on the staff of 19 men, so every week for six months I went to the office to ask when they planned to hire me.”

Above: Deep into an interview at my desk at the New York Herald Tribune in 1965, a half-century ago, when I was the lone female reporter on the financial news staff. The phone, the typewriter, the file box of contact information, the file cabinets in the background—all have been replaced with computers and smartphones.

CAROL MATHEWS ‘54

There were only five career choices readily available to a college-educated woman in 1958: marriage/housewife, nurse, teacher, librarian and secretary. Upon graduating from Vassar that year, I became secretary to an editor of a weekly investment magazine in New York City.

I shared a large room with my new boss, typed his weekly column and his letters, answered his phone and made coffee. About the second week at 10 am, he opened one of the filing cabinets, pulled out whisky and began to drink. From then on, I wrote the column under his name, suggested I needed a separate office, which I got, and began to write one or two articles a week on publicly held companies of interest to Wall Street. I used information from phone interviews, luncheon meetings, tips from investors and corporate press offices.

At that time, women typically were not allowed to author influential articles read by an all-male investment community. So I came up with aliases—C.R. Mathews; Rutgers Carroll; Matthew R. Mathew, etc. Further, women were only allowed to sit in certain areas of the top restaurants on Wall Street. Once, when a corporate officer trio from Cleveland made the reservation, the staff still sat us in purgatory near the kitchen.

After about three years, I decided I wanted to be a financial reporter at the New York Herald Tribune. There was no woman on the staff of 19 men, so every week for six months I went to the newspaper’s office to ask when they planned to hire me.

I was hired in late 1962 and, since the Tribune was a morning newspaper and closed its pages at 7:00 pm, my hours were 11 to 7. My beat was the American Stock Exchange, mutual funds, aspects of the energy industry and other stories as they developed. Thanks to the union to which we all belonged, my salary and work conditions were identical to those of the men.

One of the more interesting moments of my time there was the decision by an Ohio company to sue me, the Tribune, and its owner, John Hay Whitney, for $36 million in today’s money, claiming an article of mine willfully slandered the company. On the contrary, my article outlined how the company was lying about its financial position and overstating sales of its new television sets. The false claims had sent its stock way up; my article led to a sharp decline. The Tribune won the case; the Ohio company went under shortly after.

I moved to the New York Post in March 1966, then owned by Dorothy Schiff, New York’s first and, to date, only female newspaper publisher (and a Brearley alumna, Class of 1920). I produced a daily article for the financial section, developed a thrice-weekly syndicated column called “Money Watch” distributed to 150 papers by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, and signed with a speakers bureau to give talks around the country at conventions, investment seminars and women’s groups.

Rupert Murdoch purchased the Post in 1976 and rejuvenated the paper with his singularly robust brand of journalism. In 1986, I decided to join my husband of five years and retire after a bracing 28 years of writing daily about the stock market, Wall Street, and just about any financial, business or money-related issue that caught my fancy. I loved it.

THOUGHTS ON BREARLEY’S INFLUENCE

While a Brearley education was often hard and tiring, I remember learning as a joyful undertaking. I was not a scholar. My grades never rose above a C+ average. But Brearley’s influence has been with me every step of the way during my career and since. The ability to learn in an environment that values

In 1966, at the New York Herald Tribune. We worked among lots of paper, with no air-conditioning, using manual typewriters anchored to hard wood desks and sitting on chairs that the men would sometimes cause to collapse. The men’s hands never left the keyboard as they continued typing on deadline, and someone would push another chair under them.

girls allowed me to assume the world did the same. It does not. Overtly discriminatory actions no longer exist, by law. However, they seem to have been replaced with more implacable and less obvious gender barriers.

Of all the wonderful teachers I had at Brearley, the one who has a special place in my heart is our gym teacher in the late 1940s/early 1950s, Miss Carling. I was a washout at sports, but I must have heard every word she ever said about posture. For I have followed her advice to stand up: shoulders back, head high, stomach in. Always. For those who sit in chairs for hours on end at work, or who hunch over a smartphone, this guidance is key to a good life. Few backaches. Fewer neckaches. General well-being. She is gone, but Miss Carling is still with me.

—Carol Mathews ‘54

Candidate Ronald Reagan came to the New York Post newsroom in the fall of 1980 to solicit the newspaper’s backing for his presidential run.

DO YOU KNOW A PIONEER?

We need your help! We are looking for Brearley Pioneers—alumnae trailblazers of all kinds. Are you a Pioneer, or do you know a Pioneer? Please send your ideas to Bulletin Editor Jane Newman. We want to hear from you!

JNEWMAN@BREARLEY.ORG • 610 EAST 83RD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10028

What is Social and Emotional Learning?

Dr. Keba Rogers, Director of Counseling and Wellness, and Michelle Wonsley ‘97, Director of Community Life

It has become possible for a person 18 years of age to graduate from high school without ever having had to do a piece of work on which somebody else truly depended; without ever having cared for, or even held, a baby; without ever having looked after someone who was old, ill, or lonely; or without ever having comforted or assisted another human being who really needed help…No society can long sustain itself unless its members have learned the sensitivities, motivations, and skills involved in assisting and caring for other human beings.

—Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner, Developmental Psychologist

One of the initiatives of Brearley’s new strategic vision, Opening Doors, is the introduction of a formal social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. While the School has always valued and celebrated the intangibles of a Brearley education, the SEL curriculum serves to further enhance our program by providing a shared language.

According to The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a leading organization advancing the development of academic, social and emotional competence for all students, “social and emotional learning is a process through which children and adults learn to apply knowledge and skills acquired, for the purpose of managing themselves and their relationship to people and the world around them.” SEL has five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. As SEL has been the subject of substantial research over the last 20 years, these areas of competence have been found to have positive impact, not only on academic performance, but also on

students’ self-esteem, social behavior and motivation.

While attention has always been paid to SEL at Brearley, the specific components of the framework were never employed. Hence Brearley’s “new” SEL initiative, launched in fall 2014, focuses on three unifying themes that translate well across Lower, Middle and Upper School: citizenship, self-care and purpose. These areas of focus were chosen by a cross-divisional SEL team. Next year, Dr. Rogers, our new Director of Counseling and Wellness, will lead our efforts in developing and implementing the curriculum.

Our evolving SEL approach allows us the opportunity to examine the use of common time (such as advisory and assemblies) within and between divisions. It also enables us to assess our current SEL curricular strengths and challenges. As the above quote from renowned psychologist Dr. Bronfenbrenner underscores, there are vital life skills young adults may be lacking. An intentional and strategic SEL curriculum can make the difference.

BIRTHS

1983 To ELIZABETH KRAMER, a daughter, Sophia Lee Kramer1

1989 To Douglas and JOLIE ROCKETT GLICKMAN, a son, Dashiell Rockett Glickman

1994 To Steven and CAROLINE GIUSIO JOUY, a daughter, Zoë May Jouy2

To Robert and EMILY COLBY MCLELLAN, a daughter, Sylvia Jane McLellan3

1995 To Talbott and CARTER BROOKS SIMONDS, a daughter, Lindsay Mead Simonds

1996 To HADLEY FREEMAN, sons, Max Anthony Freeman Bull and Felix Ronald Freeman Bull4

To CAROLINE MAHER and Matt Steege, a daughter, Willa Michele Steege

To GWYN WELLES and Benjamin Gray, a son, Gideon Welles Gray5

1997 To LYDIA PACE and Erik Wurster, a son, Anders Philip Wurster

1998 To Simone and KATY BRODSKY FALCO, a son, Theodore Arcangelo Falco

To TATIANA GRIGORENKO and Pierre Edouard Dumora, a son, Orphée Dumora Grigorenko

1999 To Shawn and NATALIE BERG HESSELGRAVE, a daughter, Evyn Mae Hesselgrave

To DANIELLA HIRSCHFELD and Will Weddig, a daughter, Noa J. Weddig6

To BOO MARKUS and Justine Sullivan, a son, Sam Aloysius

2000 To Parker and ALEXANDRA MACRAE CONRAD, a daughter, Ellis Conrad7

To FRASER TAN and Eric Seidel, a son, Owen Nathaniel Seidel8

To Benjamin and PENELOPE TANG AUGUST, a daughter, Rowen August

2001 To Todd and NORA GOUGE MOORE, a daughter, Fiona Anne Moore9

To ELIZABETH HARRIS and KELLY KLEINERT, a son, Isaac

2002 To JESSICA SMITH and Willy Friedman, a daughter, Ruby Max Friedman

2003 To Peretz and KATE FROMMER CIK, a son, Ezra10

To LUCY WHIDDEN and Jon Hampton, a daughter, Anne (Annie) McCalla Hampton11

MARRIAGES

1993

1994

JESSICA GREEN to Craig Wilson1

KIMBERLY KAHN to Satadru Pramanik

1997 KATY FORSYTH to David Gearey2

1999

KATE HAMILL to Jonny Betts

2001 ANNA DICKERMAN to Clint Kenley

2004 EMMA HABERMAN to Caleb Powers3

2006 LITA TANDON to James Ligtenberg4

EMILY WALKER to Lev Menand

2008 SKYLER WALLEY to Hugh Redford5

2009

LISA MILLER to Tyler Smith6

IN MEMORIAM

1933 Dorothea Wilder Kidder Smith

1934

Julia Peterson Cameron

1937 Katharine Weld Bacon

Alice Whitney Lorillard

Catherine Gerdes Maher

1940 Elizabeth Gallaher von Klemperer

1942 Dorothy Ashton Rago

1945 Alicia Holland Arnold

Elsa Hurlbut Cole

1946 Cynthia Lee Macdonald

1948 Louise Neale Greene

1950 Ann Brunie Wonham

1953 Linda Rodgers Emory

1957 Elizabeth Lynes Hollander

1958 Rosalind Reinecke Eggum

1959 Linda Childs-van Wijk

1963 Mary Jane Quinlan Peterson

1974 Brookie Maxwell

1979 Victoria Seggerman

1993

Meridith Conyers

A Celebration of the Life of Marty BurMan

by Annabel Gordon, Music Department

When Marty Burman joined the Brearley Music Department as a guitar instructor in 1997, he was already well versed in the School’s culture. Being married to Linda Boldt ’64, who retired from Brearley as Head of Learning Skills last June, gave him an insider’s knowledge of the institution and helped him to form a wide circle of friends among the faculty and staff. Over the years, he established the rightful place of rock music and the study of the guitar at Brearley. Marty inspired a dedication to the instrument in his students, many of whom played the guitar throughout their years in all three divisions. He cared about his guitarists and was happy to support and help them in various musical endeavors. Brearley was his musical home. Marty tailored his students’ lessons to their different personalities and musical styles, encouraging them to compose their own works. The 5th floor resounded with their singing and strumming of songs ranging from “Yellow Submarine” to “House of the Rising Sun”; the repertory encompassed the Beatles, other folk and pop legends and Marty’s original compositions. An enthusiastic collaborator, he was the organizer of the Brearley Faculty/Staff and Student Rock Band, which played to great acclaim at assemblies and, notably, as the closing act at the “Brearley Jams” Benefit at Chelsea Piers in 2009. He painstakingly arranged the Band’s songs for the forces at hand, welcoming strings, trumpets and saxophones. Marty chose selections that would show off the adults’ singing talents and volunteered his time to work with Band members in small groups. Outside Brearley, he was a published songwriter who had previously served as the Musical Director at the Labor Theatre in Manhattan. Marty also taught at the Highland School, where he was the sole music instructor in song, recorder and guitar to hundreds of students in grades K to 8 for more than thirty years. Brearley was greatly enriched by his devotion to music, his students and the School. A lyric from his beloved Beatles sums up his contributions, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

2015–2016 PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP

PRESIDENT Naomi Press

VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER Rosalind Crystal

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Lorena Lopes

VICE PRESIDENT Kristen Chae

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

K Caren Pasquale Seckler, Aliza Pressman, Kashmala Sharif

I May Kang Ho, Jyoti Patil*, Kimberly Shariff*

II Caroline Sincerbeaux King ’94, Shellae Versey*

III Ultan Guilfoyle, Nancy Park*

IV Cathy Chawla*, Cory Nangle

V Monica Machado, Kate Spade*

VI Pamela Selin*, Athena Tapales

VII Bethel Gottlieb, Julie Rosefsky*

VIII Bridget Lacey Collin*, Caroline Gottschalk*, Jessie Vanamee

IX Mona Baird, Laura Forte*

X Janice Nimura ’89*, Grace Offutt*

XI Elizabeth Chandler, Eloise Donofrio*

XII April Grasso*, Claire Mann

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION Katherine Shutzer Brennan ’92, Jennifer Usdan McBride ’91*

BENEFIT Donna Fergang, Pamela Sole

BOOK FESTIVAL Cynthia Brauer*, Wandy Hoh, Maria Kourepenos*, Reshma Shamdasani*, Nandita Sodhi

BREARLEY ATHLETIC SPIRIT Lisa Brainerd ’78*, Ashley Garrett, Nancy Gillman

BREARLEY UNOFFICIAL Jennifer Lee*, Margaret Lee*

B+STEAM Andrea Fisher, Robert Massick, Jennifer Usdan McBride ’91

COMMUNITY LIFE AND DIVERSITY Joyce Abernethy*, Sheila Hopkins, Abby Moses ’88*, Purva Patel-Tsai

COMMUNITY SERVICE LIAISON Deborah Brown, Hannah Stebbins*

E-NEWS FROM BREARLEY Elisabeth Cannell*, Melissa Raso

FAMILY ACTIVITIES Michelle Jacoby, Shaba Keys*

FESTIVAL OF CULTURES Hannah An*, Paula White*

GENERAL STORE Sheri Feigen, Vicki Kwok*, Ellen Masseur, Michele Post*

HOSPITALITY JoAnn Allen*, Lisa Mandl*, Melissa Roske

JOINT SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES Marty Haessler (V), Lauren Turteltaub (V), Jisoo Im* (VI), Wendy Leon* (VI) Jenny Carragher ’88* (VII), Diya Sawhny Puri (VII), Barrie Frankel (VIII), Rena Krasnow* (VIII) Maria Gottdiener* (U.S.), Claudia Rader (U.S)

LIAISON TO PARENTS IN ACTION Ann Wozencraft Willey

LIBRARY ASSISTANCE Medora (Dolly) Geary, Eric Ross*

LOST & FOUND Katherine Shutzer Brennan ’92*, Suzanne Sarka

PHOTOGRAPHY Denise Spillane*, Patricia Walker

SAFETY PATROL Bob Massick*, Natalie Ross*, William Scherlag

SPEAKER SERIES Cassandra Berger, Namita Luthra*, Laura Morgan-Moscahlades

UNIFORM EXCHANGE Kim Jennifer Cook, Fernanda Piedra*

VALENTINE BREAKFAST AND FACULTY CELEBRATIONS Elizabeth Gormley*, Hallie Nath

WELCOMING Annamaria Boccia Smith*, Julie Gamboa, Alison von Rosenvinge

Provide a Brearley education to the girls of tomorrow. “SO

Create a legacy for Brearley by...

• Including Brearley in your will or trust

• Naming Brearley as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401K or other retirement plan

Join this generous group of supporters, and become a member of the Samuel Brearley Society, honoring those who have included Brearley in their estate plans.

For sample estate language and further information, please contact Phoebe Geer, Assistant Director of Development at (212) 570-8609 or pgeer@brearley.org.

Three generations of Brearley girls: Kimberly Kleinbaum ‘98, Charlotte Tsesarsky, Class of 2028, and Wendy Slote Kleinbaum ‘61.

610 East 83rd Street

New York, NY 10028

Teachers know the power and pleasure of translating literature into another medium, whether a structural model of an act in King Lear, a mobile of the Ptolemaic Universe, a representation of Hell—in addition, of course, to the always magnetic effect of playing Shakespeare. One long-lived literary project has been the creation of a manuscript out of faux Middle English portraits that depict modern pilgrims on their way to a shrine—Congress, Earth Day, Mount Rushmore, a supermarket, the airport—inspired by the portraits. Since The Canterbury Tales became an XI elective at Brearley (in 2010–2011), the project has produced particularly spectacular results.

—Heyden White Rostow ‘67, English Department