Cathedral Magazine (Spring 2022)

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E C AT H E D R A L S C H O O L O F ST. J O H N T H E D I V I N E

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Cathedral T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E C AT H E D R A L S C H O O L O F ST. J O H N T H E D I V I N E S P R I N G 2022

Head of School Erica Corbin Director of Institutional Advancement Elizabeth Oswald Editor Chris Starr Writers Melanie Baker Carly Caiola Daniel Hrdlicka Elizabeth Oswald Chris Starr Design Aldeia www.aldeia.design Photography Marjorie Becker David Rider Filip Wolak Printing Lane Press Please send magazine submissions to: The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine ATTN: Cathedral Editor 1047 Amsterdam Ave. New York, NY 10025 news@cathedralnyc.org

@cathedralnyc #CathedralNYC #TheCathedralSchool #KnowWonder Cover/TOC/Back Cover photos by Filip Wolak

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I am grateful for every kind word, every Morning Music shimmy, and every Joy Bubble that this community has directed my way.

Considering all that is now behind us, I truly cannot wait for the times ahead of us.

ERICA CORBIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

F E AT U R E S

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Erica Corbin: In Her Own Words Erica Corbin returns to The Cathedral School after 15 years—this time as Head of School. Though much has changed in that time, Ms. Corbin’s passion for leadership, education, and storytelling is stronger than ever.

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Decades of Dedication: Honoring Michelle Whittle and Brian Delacey Celebrating the unique careers and extraordinary impact of Cathedral’s longest-tenured employees.

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Looking In, Looking Out From kindergarten to 8th grade, the process of reflection underpins every aspect of our Cathedral School program.

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The Ties That Bind Three alumni share memories of their time as students and what it means to be back on the Close as Cathedral School parents.

D E PA RT M E N T S

02 L etter from the Head of School 03 Notes from Amsterdam Avenue 10 Uniquely Cathedral 14 O n the Close 40 Beyond Cathedral 48 The Last Word

Letter from the Head of School ERICA CORBIN

You likely already know that there is nothing quite like the spectacle of spring arriving here on the Close, but this year we are also experiencing a spring of the spirit in New York City. After three academic years of terrible challenges due to the ongoing global pandemic, we have reached a point where a critical partnership of science and communication has brightened the light at the end of our tunnel. We have a much clearer vision of the possibilities that will return us to a standard of physical presence, community access, and a future beyond fear. As I shared during Convocation this past fall, we may not know exactly where our future will take us, but we know now that we are on our way.

It’s important to allow the lessons of the past to inform our future, and our Morningside Heights neighborhood is a vibrant, vital example of this concept. As outlined in his book Morningside Heights: A History of Its Architecture and Development, Andrew Dolkart relates that, in consideration of a holistic approach to life, this area was envisioned to serve needs of mind, body, and soul—mind in the arrival of Columbia University in 1896; body in completion of St. Luke’s Hospital (now Mount Sinai Morningside) in 1896; and soul in construction of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, conceived in 1892 as a house of prayer for all people.

This was followed shortly thereafter by the founding of The Cathedral School in 1901 as a home for the educational, spiritual, and musical growth of the Cathedral children’s choir.

While much looks different today, The Cathedral School has been indelibly shaped by this legacy, and these monuments to Better Living continue to inspire the intentional design of our academic and social programs. When it comes to the mind, Cathedral students explore ways in which academic endeavors like mathematics can tell stories that illuminate issues of representation and justice. Through P.E., mindfulness, and athletics, they consider how their bodies can be utilized as instruments of peace and perseverance. Their elevated study of literature, music, and visual art encourages a high value of the spiritual links they

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P H OTO : M A R J O R I E B E C K E R

A Spring of the Spirit

Head of School Erica Corbin stands before the Education Bay in The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. One of 16 sub-bays in the nave of the Cathedral, each representing an inspiration and aspiration of the human spirit, the Education Bay— like our Cathedral School program—celebrates how we as humans learn about the world, expand our potential, and come to appreciate our world’s intellectual treasure.

notice within themselves and between others. The sum of these parts creates the lived whole of our school’s mission— producing academic excellence through a curriculum that integrates critical thinking, the arts, athletics, and leadership development.

My inaugural year of headship is ending on as high a note as I could have ever imagined. I am grateful for every kind word, every Morning Music shimmy, and every Joy Bubble (see p. 10) that this community has directed my way.

Considering all that is now behind us, I truly cannot wait for the times ahead of us. s Cathedral

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Notes from Amsterdam Avenue

Notes from

Amsterdam Avenue

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Notes from from Amsterdam Notes Amsterdam Avenue Avenue

In May 2021, when she was still Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer visited Cathedral to learn about our then-3rd grade’s passion for advocating against plastic waste.

Now in 4th grade, the students are continuing their environmental advocacy. Recently, they designed prototypes of robots that can skim waterways and oceans for oil and plastic waste.

Plastic Stops Here M A N H AT TA N B O R O U G H P R E S I D E N T G A L E B R E W E R V I S I T S C AT H E D R A L

In May 2021, former Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer joined our then-3rd grade students and their families for a special presentation on the Pulpit Green.

The students had invited Ms. Brewer to visit Cathedral and learn about their yearlong, grade-wide effort to reduce plastic waste. “We, the 3rd grade at The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, are here to tell you about plastic pollution and ask you to help us stop it,” said Nilla T. ’26 in opening remarks to Ms. Brewer. Nahaira G. ’26 added, “Plastic pollution is wrong. We made posters, speeches, wrote letters, read interviews, and even made a website. We are serious about it.”

After listening to a number of passionate speeches and receiving a bag full of individual letters from the students, Ms. Brewer addressed them. “Thank you. I have to say, I listen to a lot of speeches and attend a lot of

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events, but this is about the best. I am here to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for these phenomenal presentations and the letters. I will keep in touch with your school, and I will keep you updated with ideas that are coming about so that you can continue to be involved,” she declared.

Throughout their 3rd grade year, the students had worked extensively on this environmental activism across multiple disciplines, including science projects, reading and writing assignments, artwork, and technology. Readers can view the culmination of their work and listen to speeches by visiting the website they created at cathedralnyc.org/plastic.

Currently in 4th grade, the students have not abandoned their passion and commitment. Just before Spring Break 2022, they conducted a poll to determine their priority values as a class.

They categorized a variety of value statements like, loyalty, honesty, working hard, wealth, and friendship and individually chose their favorites. The highest vote went to environmentalism.

That priority was on full display during a mid-trimester deep-dive in the Innovation Lab during which students created working prototypes of machines that could traverse waterways while skimming oil and plastic waste. In addition, a core group of the 4th grade now meets once a week during their lunch period to discuss plastic pollution, ecology, activism, and ways that they can continue to advocate for a better world.

The class is a model of leadership in the Lower School and a shining example of the ownership of learning that takes place at Cathedral as students progress through their K–8 years.

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SCHOOL’S OUT(SIDE)!

L OW E R S C H O O L U S E S T H E C L O S E A S C L A S S RO O M Cathedral students are always eager to take their learning outdoors. With so many acres of space at their disposal there is ample opportunity. Whether it is taking advantage of plant and animal life, utilizing art and architecture for project-based learning, contemplating the beauty of our surroundings for more poetic pursuits, or getting physical to energize a science lesson, the Close is a powerful classroom.

A PLETHORA OF INSECTS Kindergarten students have been learning about living things, and specifically, they have been comparing and contrasting life cycles. Each year, they do an in-depth study of insects—learning about their anatomy, habitats, reproduction, and growth cycles. Then, they take to the Close and its varied open spaces to scour the grounds and identify as many species of insects as possible.

1ST GRADE TOURS For 1st graders, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine and surrounding Close are the inspiration for a signature project—compiling illustrated guidebooks for visitors by scouring the nooks and crannies outside and within the Cathedral. Using source material such as the Compass Rose, Chapels of the Tongues, Nelson Mandela Sculpture, and more, students hone their investigative skills and showcase their writing and illustrating talents. The culmination of the project is a booklet they present and use to take their families on guided tours.

S E A RC H I N G F O R P O E T I C I N S P I R AT I O N ↑ In 2nd Grade Reading and Writing Workshop, students work on their poetry skills. The class has used poems by Zoe Ryder White and Valerie Worth as inspiration for students to create their own works.

Embracing the concept of looking at the world through a poet’s eyes, and turning the ordinary into extraordinary, there is no better place from which to draw inspiration than the Pulpit Green, the Rose and Biblical Gardens, and their surroundings.

C U LT I VAT I N G T H E T E R R AC E G A R D E N ↑

AN ELECTRIFYING SCIENCE GAME↑

Throughout the year, Lower School Science Teacher and Equity and Engagement Coordinator Deja Williams takes 3rd grade students into the Terrace Garden to connect them to an understanding of living sustainably. The Terrace Garden plays a large role in helping students better understand the origins of their food. Each year, kindergarten also does a farm study in their classrooms during social studies. They learn about farming communities as well as the jobs on a farm. In science, Ms. Williams makes explicit connections to this farm study and students learn about the parts of a plant and its life cycle.

Our 4th grade students learn about about electricity in science class.

As an energetic corollary, STEAM Coordinator Meglena Zapreva invented an electricity game to simulate how basic parallel and series circuits perform. Students used this fun outdoor activity to physically explore how electrons move along a circuit depending on the strength of an energy source and the number of resistors. Students played various roles such as battery, light, electron, buzzer, motor, and switch. Utilizing the outdoors to act out these concepts physically gives students a deeper understanding of the process.

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© 2022 , DAV I D M R I D E R . A L L R I G H T S R E S E RV E D.

Notes from Amsterdam Avenue

Above: The Choristers have the opportunity to participate in major choral events at the Cathedral and abroad. Here, they join the Cathedral Choir in performing a memorial service for Archbishop Desmond Tutu in February.

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The Chorister program continues to flourish and is enjoying one of its largest memberships since the 1960s.

Currently, there are 30 Choristers and 10 Novices (in their first year) for a total of 40 singers—amounting to more than 25% of students at Cathedral old enough to participate.

“Choristers are ambassadors for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and The Cathedral School at a very high level, and that’s a huge thrill,” Choirmaster Bryan Zaros explains.

“They get to participate in major choral events at the Cathedral and abroad, and I think that’s a big draw.”

Angela O. ’22 says, “I am excited to be a part of the Choristers because it gives me an opportunity to sing at events beyond the School and because I can help the younger kids.

I was helped when I joined and I felt welcome. I want to do the same.” A supportive community adds to the popularity of the Choristers, as does its mentoring structure. As Avery P. ’22 explains, “One special aspect this year is returning to cherished traditions like the investiture service— where 5th and 6th grade students are inducted; 7th graders are promoted to Deputy Choristers; and 8th graders are named Head Choristers.” As students advance in age, they gain an increasing sense of responsibility and loyalty to the group.

Mr. Zaros notes that there are also no religious requirements, which opens the Choristers to a wider pool of students. “We truly focus on making music. Yes, they’ll be exposed to the Christian faith, but we’ve had membership from all faith traditions, as well as atheists,” he says. Another contributor to growth is the reputation the group has gained with families. “This year, I have about seven sets of siblings. That’s big and shows that parents have found the experience valuable and want younger siblings to join,” Mr. Zaros adds.

Though the pandemic has limited travel, Mr. Zaros hopes to return to Europe next year. And now that in-person services are recurring at the Cathedral, Choristers have increasing opportunities to hone their performance chops. One such opportunity was their performance at the highly visible memorial for Archbishop Desmond Tutu in February.

According to Mr. Zaros, “I have much to praise in my members. A lot of the qualities I’m looking for are inherent in Cathedral students—teamwork, maturity, a sense of community, a sense of commitment, hard work, and willingness to put in the time. Every word used to describe a Cathedral student would describe a Chorister,” Mr. Zaros reports.

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Notes from Amsterdam Avenue

From left: Deans Suzanne Oster, Kevin Hughes, Delilah Lora, and Alan Donaldson with Head of Upper School Dr. Worokya Duncan.

“Being a 5th grade Dean allows me to build relationships with 5th grade students and families as they undergo a momentous transition to life in the Upper School. Also, focusing on the earliest grade of Upper School allows me to have and share a clear perspective with families and faculty on what is expected, what is developmentally appropriate, and what the challenges and celebrations are at this age.”

ALAN DONALDSON, 5TH GRADE DEAN

Meet the Deans An integral element of Cathedral’s Upper School leadership team, the Deans serve a special role in assessing the day-to-day social dynamics and learning styles of a grade level as well as monitoring the overall academic workload and intensity. They are point people for parents when concerns arise and a sounding board and organizing force for advisors. They work with Head of Upper School Dr. Worokya Duncan and Associate Head of Upper School Delilah Lora to ensure the individual needs of each student are addressed while the overall needs of the grade level are considered.

“I think the most meaningful aspect of being a Dean at Cathedral is working as a team to support each child. Partnering with our Head of Upper School and our Associate Head of Upper School, we collaborate with all the faculty to share observations and interpretations of student wellbeing. I see my role as helping to quarterback the conversations and actions that our team decides to take in support of each child.”

KEVIN HUGHES, 6TH GRADE DEAN

“I am the link between students, families, and teachers. I am able to see the day-to-day progress that students make and share it with families during grade-level parent chats. I can connect with students and families on this other level and make sure that the 7th grade team is doing everything we can to support each student.”

S U Z A N N E O ST E R , 7 T H G R A D E D E A N

“As Deans, we develop a keen sense of the needs of each child and the grade as a whole. We create community-building activities, plan ways to support our advisees’ academic and social-emotional needs, and incorporate opportunities to have fun and get to know the students. The best part is seeing a child or a class’s growth from September to June!”

D E L I L A H LO R A , A S S O C I AT E H E A D O F UPPER SCHOOL AND 8TH GRADE DEAN

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Notes from Amsterdam Avenue

Left: Latin Teacher Theodore Follini-Press uses reading and listening exercises in a method of instruction called Comprehensible Input to make learning Latin more intuitive to fit a wide range of learning styles. (Photo by Filip Wolak)

A LEGACY OF

LATIN ABSORBING A CLASSIC LANGUAGE THROUGH INTUITIVE MEANS In the Spring 2020 edition of Cathedral magazine, Dr. John Vitale said, “Although it is an ancient language, Latin never gets old. It is a treat instead of a treatment, once you get the hang of it.” For 26 years, Dr. Vitale fostered a love of language through his Latin classes—a tradition that continues as Upper School Latin Teacher Theodore Follini-Press embraces scholarship and inclusivity.

Mr. Follini-Press uses an approach to Latin instruction called Comprehensible Input—a term coined by the educator Stephen Krashen. By providing input in the form of reading and listening, this method allows students to absorb a language through intuitive means. “I believe there is a way students can absorb grammatical principles without only learning them in the abstract,” Mr. Follini-Press says. “By carefully ramping up the reading level, students are able to implicitly understand the quirks of the language, internalizing as opposed to memorizing the rules. When you are communicating in a meaningful way with another human being, it matters less if you can identify a verb usage as the hortatory subjunctive or a noun in the ablative of means.”

Mr. Follini-Press frequently incorporates readings that use what is called a sheltered vocabulary. “This might be a short novella that only uses 125 unique words,” he explains. “The result is that by the time students are

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halfway through, they are familiar with almost all of the vocabulary. By building up their confidence in this way, they are able to understand grammatically complex sentences and experience the joy of reading and thinking in Latin without converting it to their first language. The beauty of Comprehensible Input is that it can be tailored to many different learning styles. If you want to explore the deep inner-workings of grammar and syntax, you can go down that avenue. If you learn best by being immersed in a story that is more reflective of your experience, there’s room for that, too.”

Just as Dr. Vitale brought a love of language and Latin to decades of Cathedral students, Mr. Follini-Press is continuing that tradition hand-in-hand with Cathedral’s focus on equity and inclusion. He sees Latin as a vehicle to provide another avenue for students to grapple with the past and critique the ways in which our modern world has been shaped by it. “Recently, 8th graders unpacked the complexities of Roman ‘virtue’ while reading about the Carthaginian wars. While the concept underpinned some positive aspects of their society, it was also something that was only available to men—the Latin word for man is ‘vir.’ This allows us to contextualize the patriarchal structure of modern society, and I believe that there is something liberating about understanding how our societal structures have been perpetuated over time. I want students to see Latin and the ancient world not as something to be put on a pedestal but as a way to propel modern conversations and help us bring about structural change,” says Mr. Follini-Press.

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Notes from Amsterdam Avenue

High School Prep Class and Leadership Lab A S PAC E T O C O L L A B O R AT E For the 2021–2022 school year, 8th grade students benefited from a new class in their academic schedule—High School Prep Class and Leadership Lab. “During the fall of 8th grade, students met in weekly group sessions for additional mentoring in the high school application process, to share ideas and feedback with each other, hone interviewing skills and application essays, and to generally ensure they were well supported in finding their best fit for academic, social, and extra-curricular success after Cathedral,” explains Jackie Berney, Director of High School Counseling.

“High schools and universities are looking for students who are willing to offer their voices and ideas, listen to the ideas of others, and accept and expand upon those ideas,” explains Ms. Berney. “We have been preparing our students throughout their time at Cathedral to be just these types of individuals.”

Though Cathedral students are well-prepared as scholars and individuals for the secondary school application process, this additional classroom time gives them a community space to support each other as they manage application logistics and deadlines and mitigate anxieties they might face during the essay-writing and interviewing process.

“Our goal is to help them reflect on what they have learned about themselves throughout their Cathedral experience and translate that into what they are hoping to find in their new school,” Ms. Berney relates. The class is in addition to all of the

Director of High School Counseling Jackie Berney keeps students informed of their many options for a compatible secondary school.

Associate Head of Upper School Delilah Lora moderates the discussions in the 8th Grade Leadership Lab.

prior work students engage in starting the spring of their 7th grade year. Initially, Ms. Berney meets with students and their families to introduce the process. Then, during the summer before 8th grade, students complete a detailed questionnaire designed to highlight strengths, talents, ideas, and feelings that might be especially helpful to focus on during application season in the fall.

“The part of the process they are most anxious about is the interview. We build on the interview prep and mock interview work we have always done by digging deeper as a class to explore and ease that anxiety, discuss interview questions, and help each other prepare for mock interviews with volunteer faculty and staff members. We ask them to prepare three points about themselves—passions or interests they have—that they want to make sure they mention to an interviewer as well as some questions they might want to ask about the school. Some schools also ask students to participate in group challenges and observe their interactions. We mimicked this in class by arranging a fish-bowl activity that allowed students to not only participate in a group challenge but also step back and observe their peers’ participation and offer support and feedback,” adds Ms. Berney.

Following Winter Break, after all the applications had been filed, the High School Prep Class switched gears and became a Leadership Lab. For the remainder of the year, students used a framework to cultivate effective habits in teens—such as being proactive, prioritizing, setting goals, focusing on outcomes, developing listening skills, and working synergistically. “Our overarching goal is not only to support students in their individual transition to high school but to provide a space for them to support one another while they are going through the process—an added layer to provide space for them to collaborate,” explains Delilah Lora, Associate Head of Upper School and Leadership Lab Moderator. With this additional layer of support, the high school counseling process at Cathedral further celebrates the intellectual and personal development that has been so central to our students’ K-8 experience. The High School Prep Class and Leadership Lab are an incubation space to explore the strengths, interests, and self-awareness that poises the class to identify the most appropriate next step in their academic careers.

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P H OTO : F I L I P WO L A K

Uniquely Cathedral

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I found so much joy in finally being able to watch a Cathedral girls varsity basketball game in-person. I can’t wait for more in-person events.

S I L K E S A H L , P ’23

Bubbles

P H OTO : M A R J O R I E B E C K E R

In her inaugural State of the School remarks, Head of School Erica Corbin referred to herself as “Chief Hope Gardener—tending to a plot of joy, gratitude, and abundance.” In that capacity, she introduced the Cathedral community to the concept of Joy Bubbles.

She said that a Joy Bubble occurs “when we are in the midst of something that is just so perfectly delightful.” Ms. Corbin went on to explain, “I want Cathedral to be full of Joy Bubbles: that Joy Bubble of hearing one of our favorite songs first thing in the morning; that Joy Bubble of working really, really hard on something that leaves us excited to see what happens next; that Joy Bubble of seeing someone whose mere presence makes our heart happy; that Joy Bubble of overseeing a moment of pure kindness between two young people.” Within these pages, please enjoy a celebration of some of The Cathedral School’s many Joy Bubbles.

I love flowers and watching everything grow. I love the colors, scents, beauty, and happiness that blossoms every spring.

N I C O L E B E RT R A N D, P ’29

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Uniquely Cathedral

Reading great books aloud to my class. Go 4J! B E N J AC O F F, 4 T H G R A D E T E AC H E R

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◀ Fishing

We’ve all been through so much with the pandemic, but when I hear my silly kids giggling, it just brings warmth to my heart!

It reminds me of what is truly important.

with the guys from work.

J A M I E B U S S A N T, O P E R AT I O N S TEAM MEMBER

L I Z C O N B OY, P ’2 5

Little stationery that I use to write lunchbox notes and jokes to send with my kids to school.

C AT H Y S H U, P ’26

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Adding new rocks, minerals, and crystals to my collection! And showing them to my students!

A L L I E S P E C TO R , 1 ST G R A D E A S S O C I AT E T E AC H E R

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Uniquely Cathedral

My family brings me joy because they are amazing! My cat also brings a lot of joy because she is awesome.

LO R E T TA K . ’23

Early morning walks on a Saturday or Sunday morning, when it is really quiet before the city fully wakes, bring me tremendous joy.

D E VOY N N E P R O P H E T, C H I E F O F STA F F

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Once the term Joy Bubbles had taken hold in the Cathedral lexicon, Laura Higgins, Head of Lower School, tacked a large sheet of butcher paper to a bulletin board in the second floor hallway with that phrase written upon it. Within minutes, faculty, staff, and students began to fill the wall with their bubbles of joy.

The Cathedral School!

R A E B . ’26

Time with my wonderful advisees.

D E L I L A H LO R A , A S S O C I AT E H E A D O F U P P E R S C H O O L

Wacky Wednesday! ◀

Gazing at the moon.

T I F FA N Y W I L L I A M S , 2 N D G R A D E T E AC H E R

D R . WO R O K YA D U N C A N , HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL

◀ Dancing my heart out.

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JANICE BROOKS, LOW E R S C H O O L A S S O C I AT E T E AC H E R

Quidditch. Space.

H E N RY B . ’27

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On the Close

On the Close

S E A S O N S O F LOV E As we watch the seasons change on the Close and the colors and textures evolve, our community has a myriad of moments to pause and be mindful of the beauty that surrounds us all. This fall, during a Mindfulness and Movement period, Math Teacher Kevin Hughes did just that with a small group of students.

Above: Sixth graders from Julie Sarasohn’s homeroom joined Kevin Hughes collecting leaves around the Cathedral Close in a Mindfulness and Movement exercise. (Photo by Kevin Hughes)

P H OTO : K E V I N H U G H E S

“This activity is a tradition for me. I try to choose a warm, sunny day when trees are at peak color. Students in my Mindfulness and Movement group walk through the entire Close, picking up leaves of all colors, sizes, and shapes. We bring all our favorite leaves back together, and then we sort them by color. It is a fun, relaxing activity for the kids that takes advantage of our Close.”

K E V I N H U G H E S , U P P E R S C H O O L M AT H T E AC H E R , 6 T H G R A D E D E A N , C O - L E A D, C O M P E T I T I V E M AT H T E A M

W H AT I S M I N D F U L N E S S A N D M OV E M E N T ?

Every day, if an Upper School student is not participating in that day’s Clubs or Affinity Groups, they attend a Mindfulness and Movement period.

This break in the day takes place in their homeroom but with a different faculty member every day. Sometimes they participate in a mindful practice like meditative breathing, or it may be an art project, a discussion of current events, or a student-initiated activity.

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2006

I N T E RV I E W BY DA N I E L H R D L I C K A

IN THE 2006–2007 issue of Cathedral magazine (known as Close Up at the time), a feature titled “New Faces at Cathedral” introduced readers to the School’s new Development and Communications Associate: A New Yorker by birth who is very happy to be back in the fold, Erica Corbin has joined

Erica Corbin, Cathedral’s 19th Head of School:

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our Development Office. With a passion from childhood for reading, writing, and storytelling, Ms. Corbin’s educational background includes a B.S. in Mass Communication from the University of Evansville and an M.S. in Television from Boston University. A former teaching assistant with professional experience in advertising, Ms. Corbin looks forward to helping spread the message of The Cathedral School.

Fifteen years later, it is the great pleasure and privilege of Cathedral magazine to once again introduce Erica Corbin—this time as Head of School. While much has changed in the years since, Ms. Corbin’s passion for leadership, education, and storytelling is stronger than ever.

In Her Own Words Cathedral

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T H E MTAG H EA M Z IAG N E AOZFI NTEH O E FC AT T HH E ECDAT R AHLE D S CRH AO LO SL CH OO F OST. L OJFO ST. H N JTO HH E ND T I VHIEN ED I V I N E

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have always been a writer, and even before I was in school, there was this story that I dictated to my mother about having adventures with a group of goblins in a goblin town. All of my life, that’s what I would do, and we still have composition notebooks of long chapter novels that never went anywhere—writing throughout middle school with all of the sturm und drang and angst that you would expect for those years—usually about a girl out in the world, trying to find her way.

In addition to her love for stories, Ms. Corbin also developed a deep appreciation for music, citing Prince, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, and Mariah Carey (“A fellow Long Island girl, let’s do this together!”) as early inspirations.

My dad loved music, and it was something that we always had in our house growing up—when we were celebrating, mourning, or even just bored, there was, and is, music. In thinking about what I love about Cathedral and what I wanted to have a role in amplifying as Head of School, the fact that this is a school born of music—and that this presence has remained and been honored throughout our history— means so much to me. Morning Music on the Front Porch is a little way each day to remind ourselves that this still matters here.

In middle school, Ms. Corbin and her family moved from Calverton, Long Island to Knoxville, Tennessee—a transition she describes as challenging and deeply formative.

Standing before her manifestations for the new academic year—Joy, Hope, Laughter, Resilience, and Music—Erica Corbin addresses the assembled community at Convocation in September 2021.

(Photo by Marjorie Becker)

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In terms of my school experience, I saw firsthand the harm that teachers can do to a child experiencing a significant change in their life and also the ways in which I had other teachers who were absolute heroes and champions for me at that exact same time. Those first teachers weren’t trying actively to hurt me or make me feel small—they were just focused on what they had known and replicating how they had

grown up, and there wasn’t room for me in that narrative.

After graduating high school as Senior Class President, Corbin attended the University of Evansville, where she earned a B.S. in Mass Communication before being named Outstanding Graduating Woman.

Studying communication just felt like a natural thing for someone who had seen and really experienced life as a storyteller like me. I have always loved taking information and sending it back to people in a way that is going to work for them, figuring out, “Well, this is how you need to hear this, while another person might need to hear it this way.” And there’s nothing wrong with that—just different ways of communicating and learning.

I also had a regular column in The Crescent, our student newspaper, and it was an incredible experience forcing myself to approach strangers and ask them to talk about things that might be personal or difficult for them. I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into what I had written, and then to turn it over to an editor who could just pull it apart was deeply humbling. That’s where I learned to not fall in love with my own words, to be surgical with language, and to recognize that, while something might be a perfect sentence, it may not be needed here.

Ms. Corbin went on to graduate studies at Boston University, earning her M.S. in Television—a field she approached through an educational lens.

My professional and academic interest in television blossomed when I learned about the development of Sesame Street, and how it was built as a vehicle to bring preschool to kids and give them access to this information in their homes. Now, we’re so used to the idea of Universal Pre-Kindergarten,

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but at the time, there was something revolutionary about using TV as an educational device… And so what I really wanted to do was use TV to bring ideas, stories, identities, and experiences that people might not have access to in their own daily lives into the comfort of their own home—very much in the Norman Lear tradition.

For me, TV was going to be a sort-of school in a box, right there in everybody’s home… How can we give people more and better information, directly to them?

Ms. Corbin plays a word game with 2nd graders in Marilyn Diosa’s classroom. (Photo by Filip Wolak)

After a brief stint in advertising, Ms. Corbin found herself drawn to the nonprofit world.

Advertising can be exceptionally demanding, and what I quickly learned was that you really have to have a passion for the work—if you don’t, this is not the life for you. I wound up looking for jobs on Idealist, which at the time was the hot new thing for jobs in nonprofit organizations. I kept seeing jobs for independent schools and didn’t understand why they were there until I learned more about how they operated as nonprofit entities. That is how I came across the job post for The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, to be an associate in what was then known as the Development Office.

Ms. Corbin remembers her on-campus interview vividly.

I showed up at the address and thought, “This can’t be right, right?”

Arriving on the grounds, the physical environment of it was unbelievable, with these fabulous birds walking around like they owned the place. I distinctly remember seeing a father and daughter hugging on the driveway before she went running up to class.

This was a Black dad and daughter, and as someone who grew up attending public schools my whole life, I really

didn’t have access to private schools beyond what you would see in pop culture, which are often very white spaces. That’s not what I was seeing within the first seconds that I showed up and I just thought, “God, I hope I get this job.” I met Ms. Linda Brown at the door and thought, “I really, really like it here.”

As Development and Communications Associate and then Associate Director of Constituent Relations, Ms. Corbin wrote and designed for publications (including this magazine); served as liaison to the Parents Association; processed and acknowledged charitable contributions to the School; and supported special events, including Spring Fair and the Absalom Jones Benefit. She also co-chaired Cathedral’s Diversity Advisory Council and began collaborating with independent school colleagues throughout New York City.

The Diversity Advisory Council was a group of faculty, staff, parents, Trustees, and community members who met regularly to ask, “How do we hold ourselves accountable to who we say we are? What does diversity work look like at the School; what do people need to know; what do we need to do differently; and what should we be thinking about for the future?”

At Cathedral and then at Collegiate, my colleagues knew that equity work was an interest of mine, and they began asking me to speak with their classes, recommend a text, or lead a panel discussion on equity-related issues. My involvement kept growing, and that’s how I wound up transitioning from advancement at Cathedral into community service work at Collegiate—all tied into the broader umbrella of community life, which is where DEI work was existing in a number of schools at the time.

After working in development, service, and community life at Collegiate School from 2008 to 2015, Ms. Corbin accepted the role of Director of Community Life and Diversity at The Chapin School, which allowed her to focus fully on equity and inclusion work as a member of the senior administrative team. Ms. Corbin also co-founded the Critical Analysis of Race and Learning in Education (CARLE) Institute for White Educators in Independent Schools and became founding co-director of the Justice, Equity and Diversity Institute ( JEDI) with the New York State Association of Independent Schools.

I was always interested and invested in the environments that we’re able to shape and create for families with

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Erica Corbin and Antonio Rodriguez enjoy Spring Fair 2022 with their daughter Zuri and son Maceo.

(Photo by Marjorie Becker)

many stories and different experiences within independent schools, and as I met more people and came to know more schools, I also recognized the need for more robust professional development opportunities regarding identity and justice—if there’s something that you’re looking for and it doesn’t exist, you have to create it—and this is really where my work with JEDI and CARLE stemmed from.

A national search for Cathedral’s 19th Head of School was undertaken in Summer and Fall 2020.

I received a call to apply—truth be told, I hadn’t even considered it—and it made everything pause for me… At first

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I thought, “I can’t do that!” but I asked myself, “What are the skills that I think are important for a Head of School to have?” I do have experience doing those things, and I have a history of being successful in those arenas. I have a love for being in this environment as well as an interest in not only future-setting but also the day-to-day management of schools.

I love being around students, and I also really love working with educators and adults in that space. For a Head of School, I think there has to be a holistic view of the school community… How do we recognize and work towards the fact that all of these people have to be wholly seen and healthy for the School itself to be

healthy and reach its goals in terms of mission and values?

I also think there’s a shift away from this idea of schools only working to make a really difficult academic program. A curriculum is challenging and robust when it brings many different perspectives, histories, problems, and solutions in front of students and says, “What do you think?” And that’s the goal of a really beautiful education— how can you help people feel confident in what they bring to the table while having the humility and history to understand why it is necessary to bring others along and work in partnership with them to create these answers? As a Head of School, there are spaces where you have to be the one out in front and lead, and there are spaces where you have to make sure that other people who are often not heard, for any number of reasons, have access or get to be the ones in front. As a school leader, you’re the person who’s going to turn on that switch.

It’s such a shift in terms of not leaving who you are at the door—which I think was very much the traditional mindset in education—away from the belief that if you’re truly and properly academic you must be objective. We have to recognize that you can’t separate who you are from the work, and the question becomes—how is how you experience life going to better inform how we do this math, approach this writing, conduct these experiments, ask these questions, or tell these stories?

As she reflected on the role of Head of School, Ms. Corbin also notes that she did not want to be Head of just any school—rather, Head of this school, The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine.

I’ve worked in different schools and have worked in partnership with many more schools, seeing many ways of proceeding that can work really well, but it means something to me that

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some of my best friends are people whom I met when I was working at Cathedral. It means something to me that when I was thinking about independent schools and if that was going to be a path that we would take for our own children, I thought, “Well, it would be Cathedral, of course—I really can’t think of anywhere else.”

And it means something to me that the history of the Episcopal Church, and specifically the Cathedral itself, is such that it is a space that has historically recognized and honored people whom I value and without whose contributions we cannot be great as a nation— well, all of those things were the reason why it could only be The Cathedral School for me.

As she arrives at Cathedral for her second tenure, Ms. Corbin celebrates the enduring qualities of our community…

What has remained the same would be what is valued—being nice, being kind is not a small thing in the community; rather, that is something that people appreciate and value and name about one another. There is also a willingness to jump in and do whatever needs doing, and while I think you can always hear that in independent schools, at Cathedral, it’s not just that it happens but that it happens with a great willingness and an appreciation amongst colleagues and family members within the school community.

I also think the way that it feels tied to something bigger is still very much present—the history of the Cathedral itself and the history of New York City are very much part of the place and very much part of the air that we breathe each day. We don’t feel brand new, because we’re not, and we also don’t feel like we are solitary in this work. I think there is a deep sense of connection to things that are bigger than who and what we are—all of that is very much the same.

…while remaining mindful of the ways in which Cathedral has grown and changed.

There’s a bolder voice to The Cathedral School today, in saying who we are as a K-8 school with a smaller student body. I know we’re set back from the street and you kind of have to know that we’re here, but we are here. Also, being known as a school that does not see equity and identity as topics that are separate from academic life, and being loud and really bold about that—that is something that’s not only present here but also heralded. I think the relationship and the warmth between the Cathedral and the School has really grown and blossomed in recent years, and I’m really glad to be a part of it. I feel like I’m joining something that is deeply supportive and respectful of the work that we’re each here to do, both apart and together.

And finally, I think there’s a future-mindedness at The Cathedral School that I really appreciate. For older independent schools like ours, it’s very, very easy to just sort of be, and I would say that there’s a feeling of excitement and opportunity at Cathedral that has grown over the years. One song I really appreciate from Encanto—a big presence in my life right now because of my preschooler—is “What Else Can I Do?” which is framed: “I did this amazing thing, and what else is possible for me? What else am I capable of ?” I think of Cathedral today in very much the same capacity—what else can we be doing?

Ms. Corbin acknowledges the difficulty of these last three academic years and looks forward with gratitude, hope, and joy.

has been for most of us, the most difficult time in our lives… I’m feeling surprisingly emotional in saying this, but I just think it is incredible what people have made room for and what they have decided to find joy in each and every day, even when we’ve been making really hard choices and burying loved ones and worrying about our own health and the health of those whom we love and care for… that these are still folks who come to work each day and dance on the driveway while listening to Morning Music, that makes me incredibly proud.

As we look to the future, I’m thinking a lot about how I can be more present on a day-to-day basis with students because I don’t know how you can enjoy working in a school and not have direct engagement with students—they are, every day, hilarious and inspiring and thoughtful and so careful with one another in a deeply genuine way.

I’ve really loved the opportunities that I’ve had to go into classrooms and hear when students are presenting or debating or just talking about what’s going on in the world and what they’re thinking about it.

I want to see and hear students’ stories and art and music about what this time has been like for them, and I want to see parents hanging out on the Close and catching up with their friends while their kids run around and play together. I want to see colleagues jumping into ideas, like what if we do this together or bring the class here, without having to check data before showing up somewhere.

And I just want us to again have the opportunity to be spontaneous as a Cathedral School community, carrying a shared wisdom of what we’ve been through, what it taught us, and how we’re better for it. s

What our faculty and staff have been able to provide every day to our students and their families at, for what

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Decades of Dedication Honoring Michelle Whittle and Brian Delacey STO RY BY C H R I S STA R R P O RT R A I T S BY F I L I P WO L A K

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On two separate occasions this fall, the Cathedral community came together to honor our longest-serving faculty and staff members—Michelle Whittle and Brian Delacey.

Director of Food Services Michelle Whittle has been at The Cathedral School for more than 33 years and is the School’s longest-serving employee.

In December, she was surprised by a special gathering attended by faculty and staff members and her family. She was lauded for her service and honored with special gifts including a personalized engraved carving board, a cookbook, an album full of recipes from members of the Cathedral community, and artwork from students.

In October, the School also had a surprise for Upper School Art Teacher Brian Delacey, who has served for more than 30 years. Head of School Erica Corbin declared the 30th day of school “Delacey Day.” He was presented with a large framed picture containing thank you messages from students and photos of him throughout the years. When Mr. Delacey left school for the afternoon, the community and his family greeted him with cheers, applause, and colorful hand-made signs.

“Brian and I have so much shared experience at Cathedral. Whether or not we worked closely on a day-to-day basis, just spending so many years together at Cathedral has made us close,” says Ms. Whittle. Mr. Delacey remembers, “It used to be that the art room was downstairs and shared a wall with the kitchen, and walking down those stairs was such a treat with all those wonderful smells!”

As a community that places a high value on service and dedication, Cathedral magazine is thrilled to celebrate their unique careers, the contributions they have made to the daily life of students, and their long-term impact at The Cathedral School.

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Brian Delacey and Michelle Whittle, pictured with Arden Delacey, represent decades of commitment to The Cathedral School mission.

MICHELLE WHITTLE When Chef Whittle joined the School in 1988, a family-style dining program existed, but much was yet to be discovered about the role lunch programs could play in supporting the health and cognitive development of students and little was done to understand and accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions. Ms. Whittle would learn much in the years ahead and make many changes to grow the program. She came to Cathedral, though, having already learned quite a bit.

Ms. Whittle was raised in Brooklyn as the only child of a nurse at Harlem Hospital and a computer programmer.

She attended Brooklyn Technical High School, where she majored in Civil Engineering and made the Dean’s list— an accomplishment she also achieved at Kingsborough Community College.

It seemed she was well on her way to a career in STEAM, meaning Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math— not the steam that emanates from a boiling pot. Ironically, it is the latter that she ultimately embraced.

“While studying engineering, I had an instructor who told me a story about a civil engineering disaster in Japan, and it turned me completely away from the field. After that, I thought, even though I was one of the top students in my class, if you could make a mistake that could have

a devastating impact on a community, it might not be the right field for me. With the culinary arts, I can have a positive impact with more emphasis on health and connection,” relates Ms. Whittle.

She then made the decision to pursue her alternate passion and immediately enrolled in New York City Technical College in a Hospitality Management degree program. At New York City Tech she also excelled and was the recipient of the Les Dames d’Escoffier Scholarship.

To this day, though, Ms. Whittle retains her technical background. “I’m still interested in technical details. I mean, if somebody’s coming to my house to fix something, they better really know what

they’re talking about, because I already know,” she chuckles.

Not surprisingly, math and science still play a huge role in her success as Director of Food Services at Cathedral. As Ms. Whittle explains, “Cooking has a lot of math in it. People don’t believe it, but I do math every day while cooking. When scaling up recipes and cooking times for large crowds, math and chemistry skills play a big role. So my past education goes hand-in-hand, really.”

To Ms. Whittle, cooking is also a metaphor for education. Mistakes are made, and lessons are learned. She brought that metaphor to an After School cooking class. As she explains, “That’s

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the fun in teaching an After School class, because the students are little and they make mistakes and worry about whether they got something wrong. I say to them, ‘One thing we’re going to learn right here and now is that nothing is ever ruined.’ You can always add something to balance the taste. I always showed them a trick to fix their mistakes. Nobody ever went home feeling bad about themselves.

Balance can always fix it.”

Ms. Whittle has passed down her dual interests in the arts and sciences to her son and daughter. Son Kyle is a few classes away from earning his degree in Sports Management; he is also a poet and published author.

Daughter Kiara is a professional chemist working for a robotics company.

“My daughter always says, ‘One of us came from your left brain, and one of us came from your right.’”

Over the years at Cathedral, Ms. Whittle has not only watched but contributed to the expansion of the School. She has managed an increasingly complex and robust food services program, advising on improvements to the kitchen facilities to support that program. “When I first started, there were fewer people in the kitchen because the school population was smaller, and everything was simpler.

With fewer people, you had fewer

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dietary restrictions to accommodate,” Ms. Whittle relates. As the years went on, and the school population grew, Ms. Whittle skillfully tailored the menu and offered an increasing array of options. Today, due to her talents and her wonderful team, students, faculty, and staff eagerly await lunchtime. The family-style nature of the dining program provides a platform for students to hone their social skills, and the method of serving and assisting younger students in the process reinforces leadership, kindness, and cooperation.

Ms. Whittle remains modest about her contributions. In fact, when asked about her oftenanticipated macaroni and cheese, she says, “I really don’t know how that took off. I mean, it just seemed like one day people were referring to it as my famous mac. I don’t know how it became so popular so fast. I really don’t.” Her mac and cheese is now one of the single most cherished meals in the community. It was a family recipe passed down through her southern roots, and she says it is one of many recipes she has modified for wider consumption at the School. She is also known for signature meals—including chicken and rice pilau, the Kwanzaa lunch, Grecian delight, and more.

Family and community are extremely important to Ms. Whittle.

She chose to work at the School over three decades ago because she felt it would be a family-friendly workplace.

During her children’s school breaks, they came to work with her during the day and were well-known at Cathedral.

The community has also been the reason Ms. Whittle has remained for so long. “The community here is a really strong one and ready to pitch in no matter what happens. I’ve been at Cathedral a long time, through many lifestyle changes. I got married. I had children. I experienced the death of a parent. People have been so supportive—not just colleagues but parents and students,” Ms. Whittle relates.

As a testament to that commitment to community, she says, “You develop a certain amount of loyalty. I really think it’s the community at-large and how, even though people come and go, there’s still a basis of caring and understanding.” That basis for caring and understanding came into play at the beginning of the pandemic when in-person dining was curtailed. Ms. Whittle’s Food Services Team became a Well Care Team. As cleaning and maintenance of the building intensified, Ms. Whittle and her team pitched in wholeheartedly. She assisted with students’ day-to-day “cuts and booboos” as she relates, as well as broader issues of ensuring the School was sanitized, organized, and fit for the needs of the rapidly changing moment. Ms. Whittle also managed the interim needs of the lunch program, managing an external caterer for a period and then lovingly orchestrating the community back to in-person meals as winter drew to a close.

On February 28, 2022—after two years of COVID-19 disruption—students, staff, and faculty joyously returned to the Dining, Common, and Morningside Rooms for in-person dining with Ms. Whittle at the helm. These spaces are, once again, full of her delicious creations and a daily celebration of her talents, loyalty, and decades of service to The Cathedral School.

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DECADES OF DEDICATION We celebrate the entire community of faculty and staff who illustrate their dedication every day through their caring interactions with students and each other—together they also represent Decades of Dedication. Here, we celebrate those who have been with the School for five years or more cumulatively* 5-10 Years of Service Edward Adams Shawna Altdorf Janice Brooks Kaitlyn Chyau Terri Decker Mike Demianiuk Worokya Duncan Daniel Hrdlicka Ben Jacoff Delilah Lora Lucy Oswald Ana Torres Deja Williams Meglena Zapreva Lynn Zimmerman 10-15 Years of Service Nafija Ahmetaj Jamie Bussant Luis Colon Marilyn Diosa Laura Higgins Monika Jasinska Peter Maas Patrice Samuels Ronald Stokes Tiffany Williams 15-20 Years of Service Jackie Berney Santos Caballero Mandy Cole Mario Flores Jessica Orsini Mark Thomas Leslie Tracy Kristie Valentine 20-25 Years of Service Yesenia Aguilera Maria Anagnostopoulou Melanie Baker Alan Donaldson Kobi Mannarino Terry Pfeifer 30+ Years of Service Brian Delacey Michelle Whittle

*Community members with a start date prior to December 31 of an academic year are awarded service for that year

BRIAN DELACEY When Brian Delacey was in middle school, he discovered a passion. “I was in 6th grade. I was collecting baseball cards, and a friend found an old comic shop on 18th Street and 7th Avenue,” he shares. “I went there the next day and found an old Spiderman comic from the ’60s. I remember the smell of the ink and the exciting colors­—the brilliant, bright ink of those covers. I started by drawing superheroes and

collecting Spiderman comics, which I’m still very passionate about today.”

That passion for drawing simmered throughout his school years. From New York City public school in the early ’70s, he transitioned to Village Community School and then high school at Friends Seminary—where he met an art teacher, mentor, and advisor that turned that simmering interest into a full-blown pursuit. “I had a lot of interests, but this mentor ignited my passion to pursue art professionally,”

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he explains. He received his B.A from Bennington College in Painting and Printmaking with a minor in Social Studies and History and went on to obtain a Master of Fine Arts from Hunter College in New York.

In 1991, Mr. Delacey joined The Cathedral School; in his words, he was the right person in the right place at the right time. “At the time, there was one art and music teacher, and during the School’s recent NYSAIS evaluation, the department had been singled out as an area for growth. The School decided to expand the program, and I began that expansion,” he explains.

Over three decades later, that expansion is evident in the breadth and quality of art that adorns the School’s hallways.

Cathedral now houses two dedicated art rooms with full-time Upper and Lower School Art Teachers and an equally robust music program.

“It feels like only yesterday,” Mr. Delacey recalls. “I can vividly remember my first interview. I sat in the Head of School’s office with peacocks squawking outside. I fell in love with this place. I had known about the School, but I’d never actually seen the wonderful grounds.”

His initial goals were to expand the budget and facilities, get the art room up-to-date, and start collaborating with teachers. His priority has always been to integrate the arts as a vital part of the School, both creatively and intellectually. For Mr. Delacey, conversations with other teachers are vital in building the curriculum and connecting it to projects outside of the art room.

“Just like other disciplines, art is a problem-solving process. In art, though, students are creating their own unique answers. There is a right answer to a math problem. There may be one definition for a vocabulary word. But in the art room, there are no wrong answers.

That’s why it is a great complement to other subjects,” he notes.

Mr. Delacey creates an environment where students feel safe and confident to create. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had students transfer from other schools and say, ‘My art teacher

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So much beauty surrounds us— beautiful windows and playgrounds; the wandering peacocks; the architecture; the Cathedral itself.

Let’s just step back a minute and look.

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was so scary and told me what I was doing was wrong,’ and I have to explain that my desire is for them to be confident in their creativity rather than be the next Leonardo,” he says.

While cultivating that love of art in his classroom, outside the classroom Mr. Delacey was finding a love of his own. Early in his career, he met Ms. Arden Gilbert (now Ms. Arden Delacey), who was working as a music teacher at Cathedral from 1994 to 2019. “We were colleagues, and we discussed collaborative projects. One day, we ended up going on a trip to a museum, and that started a closer friendship. We dated in secret for a year and a half before getting engaged. We didn’t want students to know in case we broke up,” he explains.

“I popped the question in 1997 during Spring Break in Venice on the Rialto

Bridge,” he explains. “She wore the ring to school when we returned, and no one believed I was her fiancé. They thought it was an April Fools joke,” he relates with a smile.

“It was beyond wonderful to work with him for 25 years,” says Ms. Delacey of her husband. “We inspired each other in our projects and encouraged each other to stretch. We held to our artistic vision for our students while adjusting to curricular innovations. We held each other to a high standard. Having our son Weston attend Cathedral was also amazing. He would greet us with a tremendous smile and an energetic hug at lunchtime. It was wonderful.”

The Delaceys became famous for their play productions. She directed the 8th grade musical for almost two decades, including choreography,

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staging, blocking, and logistics. He has been using the art room as a scene shop for almost three decades—designing scenery and props for all of Cathedral’s play productions. One year, parents gifted them both a bag and apron imprinted with Delacey and Delacey Productions. “Living our artistic lives together within the Cathedral community was an amazing experience,” Ms. Delacey recalls.

Over the years, the Delaceys helped shape a robust internal visual arts and music program at the School. Mr. Delacey also contributed to school life and community outside the arts program. “I worked with the Student Council for 20 years and with many great student presidents. We created Spirit Week. We created Yankee Day, where we’d sell tickets to parents and all attend a Yankees game. We organized penny wars and talent shows. I worked with [former chaplain] Patti Welch for many years in Mission Outreach during numerous fundraisers,” he recalls.

When not in the art room at Cathedral, Mr. Delacey can be found in his Tribeca studio furthering his own creative passions. His work has been exhibited in the city, at the Cathedral, and at shows of Cathedral community artists he has curated over the years.

“There’s a wonderful balance in my life between family, teaching, and surviving as an artist in New York,” he explains.

When asked what has kept him content at The Cathedral School so long, he summarizes by saying, “There’s an aesthetic to this school. It’s a wonderful place to come to work. So much beauty surrounds us—beautiful windows and playgrounds; the wandering peacocks; the architecture; the Cathedral itself.

Let’s just step back a minute and look.”

What wonderful advice from an individual who has dedicated his entire teaching career to the appreciation of art, beauty, and creativity. The Cathedral community is honored to take this moment to step back and look and celebrate Mr. Delacey’s storied career and dedicated service to budding young artists and creative intellectuals throughout the years. s

IN TRIBUTE TO… MICHELLE WHITTLE

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Ms. Whittle and her staff are weaved into the fabric of The Cathedral School. She always offers a warm smile, a hug if needed, or a simple treat. My family always enjoyed the Kwanzaa feast the most! Everything was so delicious, and although she was tired after cooking, she always served with a smile. She is near and dear to our hearts!

I’m always so impressed with the work that Brian does to support Cathedral’s performing arts program.

From the 6th grade play to the 8th grade musical, Brian’s vision for design is unmatched. He works with the students to create gorgeous backdrops and props that literally set the stage for stunning performances.

Satrina Boyce, P ’19, ’21

Director of High School Counseling

The vast majority of our energy has been supplied by Ms. Whittle over the last three decades! She has fueled so many recess sessions, classes, basketball games, and runs—none of us could have done it without her!

Mr. Delacey was one of my biggest cheerleaders. I always loved his classes because I could model things— foam-core buildings, furniture, and more—which served as the foundation for my interest and pursuit in Landscape Architecture. I graduated with my Master’s this spring!

Alan Donaldson, 5th Grade Teacher

Our family has known Ms. Whittle for 13 years, and she never fails to greet us with a kind smile and a warm, “How are you doing?” We are all so grateful to have her in our lives!

Sarah Joyce Koch ’18

Michelle prepares food for the Cathedral School community with the same care she prepares a meal for her family. Her mantra is: “I don’t want to make angry food.” Michelle is very intelligent, coupled with great wit. She and I laughed together often.

Linda Brown, Former Faculty/Staff

Michelle is the heart of the School and a beloved friend who has endured and brought an amazing spirit to the School. Her joyful love of the children is beyond compare.

She is a treasure.

Jackie Berney,

Jenna Wu ’09

I have always had a love for art, and Mr. Delacey made that love even stronger. He is always pushing my classmates and me to try new things and get out of our comfort zones.

Simone B. ’22

The students loved art class with Brian—whether they were sculpting modern versions of Egyptian sarcophagi, silk-screening medieval coats of arms with their chosen symbols, or painting contemporary self-portraits—they were learning, they were invested, and they were thrilled to share what they were creating.

Jessie Chaffee, Former Faculty

Arden Delacey, Former Faculty, P ’15

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Looking In The Cathedral Experience is Rooted in Reflection From kindergarten to 8th grade, Cathedral students learn to look, seeing and knowing themselves as they come to understand others and the world around them. This carefully calibrated blend of looking in and looking out underpins every aspect of our Cathedral School program—an educational journey of reflection.

Looking Out STO RY BY C H R I S STA R R P H OTO S BY F I L I P WO L A K

Upper School Art Teacher Brian Delacey asked students to reflect on their hopes and dreams for the future— either near or far—and express these visually in the shape and frame of an eye, a symbolic representation of reflection: looking in and looking out.

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T H E P RO C E S S O F R E F L E C T I O N As they learn and grow, Cathedral students engage in a meta-curricular process that permeates every subject, every activity, and every interaction. This is the process of reflection: looking inward to develop a firm understanding of their own identity and using that self-awareness as a foundation for looking outward as they grow in their understanding of a richly complex world. In many ways, this process of reflection is the very spirit of a Cathedral education—a goal and guide as they progress through the grades into high school, college, and beyond.

Head of School Erica Corbin explains: “You can’t learn to look at something critically and fully understand it without a process that involves reflection. Having insight into yourself, a love for who and what you are, and an appreciation and love for who and what others are is critical to cognitive development and what we see as academically possible. All opportunities for growth are rooted in reflection.”

“Our Identity Curriculum is now over a decade old, with years of trial and preparation having been undertaken prior,” Ms. Corbin continues. “Cathedral is a school that knows this work intimately and authentically.”

REFLECTING ON IDENTITY AND AFFINITY “We very deliberately dedicate space in our program to deepen students’ awareness of Identity (everything that makes up who we are on the inside and out) and Affinity (having a similarity or understanding of something or someone because of a shared aspect of identity),” explains Deja Williams, Lower School Equity and Engagement Coordinator. “The Lower School Identity Curriculum, coupled with Affinity Groups in the Lower School, provide students with an increasingly sophisticated vocabulary and sensitivity to issues while supporting their cognitive development and critical thinking.” These skills are further nurtured in Upper School as students attend dedicated Equity and Justice classes in 5th through 8th grade and participate in Upper School Identity and Affinity Groups.

For example, in one Affinity lesson, students in 3rd and 4th grades discussed the concept of intersectionality and wrote “I Am From” poems inspired by the work of George Ella Lyon, sharing aspects of their identities such as family traditions, neighborhoods, and physical attributes. They published a collection of their poems, adding watercolor illustrations and recordings of themselves reading their poems. “In writing the ‘I Am From’ poems, children were able to reflect on the specific details that make up their life and identity. The process of writing the poem showed each child their individuality while putting the poems together in a book collectively illustrated the uniqueness of our classroom community,” explains Crystal Elmore, 3rd Grade Head Teacher.

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“ You can’t learn to look at something critically and fully understand it without a process that involves reflection... All opportunities for growth are rooted in reflection.”

ERICA CORBIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

B O O K S A S M I R RO R S A N D W I N D OW S Students in kindergarten to 6th grade attend dedicated Library Science classes where they not only learn the tools and technologies of research but also the pure enjoyment of reading and discovering themselves and the world in books.

Considered the mother of multi-cultural literature, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop first used the words mirrors and windows in referring to the reflective power of books.

Ricca Gaus, Director of Library and New Media, explains, “Every child should have the experience of seeing themselves being reflected back at them from a book. Also, every child should have the experience of a window into a different person’s experience, whether that is through religious celebration, race, family structure, or socioeconomic class. I try to vary the books so that every student is having both of those experiences, mirrors and windows, as regularly as possible.”

Ms. Gaus carefully curates the collection to represent books that are culturally relevant and illustrative of a broad range of experiences within our community, country, and world. The physical arrangement of books is also a subtle prism for reflection. They are arranged by reading level so that students in any grade can situate themselves in the library and view the stories that came before, the books that beckon now, and those on the horizon.

E D U C AT I N G T H E S P I R I T As a school in the Episcopal tradition that seeks to honor all faiths, the Cathedral curriculum carves out time for reflection through weekly Chapels and special community Evensongs, often student-led. As Chaplain Gina Gore shares, “I explain to students that these rituals support three things that are vital to our time together: celebration,

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P H OTO : F I L I P WO L A K

“A mirror can be useful in so many ways,” says Lower School Art Teacher Kristie Valentine. Her 1st grade students, for example, create “Infinity Portraits” inspired by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

“Kusama was fascinated with the concept of infinity and individuality. Students use mirrors to create self-portraits and then incorporate patterns and designs around their faces… When we look into a mirror, we see not only ourselves but also see the world around us—that is why it’s so fun to use mirrors in art class. I want Cathedral students, even at this young age, to explore their identities and see themselves as individuals in a vast and wonderful universe,” Ms. Valentine says.

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prayer, and reflection. We reflect on the idea of becoming— becoming who students want to be as young people and as good citizens.”

These opportunities to explore the broader meaning of faith and its connection to learning inspire students to deepen their own understanding of spirituality, while celebrating the rich diversity of faith and non-faith perspectives. “Religious exposure and contemplation of spirituality are essential to the Cathedral experience—committing to a faith practice is not. Our goal is that students will be able to enter any type of religious setting, like a mosque or temple or church, as an informed and respectful guest,” explains Ms. Corbin.

Chaplain Gore helps students explore their own sense of spirituality by creating a space where they can bring curiosity, wonder, and questions about faith. “At Cathedral, we consume knowledge and wonder, and we love ourselves

and others. This is the foundation of a useful and joyful life, and who wouldn’t want to bloom in that type of academic and social environment?” asks Ms. Corbin.

R E F L E C T I N G O N C H A RAC T E R At The Cathedral School, our seven Core Values—the foundation of our Character Education program—are woven into the daily fabric of community life.

“We have events and lessons that intentionally address them throughout the year, often in the form of cross-divisional activities with Lower School and Upper School, but the Core Values don’t just live there,” says Head of Lower School Laura Higgins. “They live in the heart and soul of everyday life at Cathedral, and that’s why they are so authentic here. It’s not uncommon to walk through the halls and hear students reference these values in conversation.

They have become a natural part of what we do, what we talk about, how we view our actions, and how we view the actions of others.”

During every Lower School Assembly, a beloved tradition, Ms. Higgins asks all of the students, “You know what it’s time for?” before they enthusiastically cry, “The Weekly Wonder Book!” The Weekly Wonder Book is a list of social and academic “good deeds” that members in the community have accomplished during the preceding week. Each week, a different homeroom categorizes these actions based on which Core Values they represent. By doing so, and by celebrating the book publicly at Assembly, students reflect upon the visibility and impact of their behavior in a larger community at a very early age.

“Our Character Education program not only teaches our students the meaning of Cathedral’s Core Values but also ensures that they internalize these values and live them out in their daily lives,” says Character Education Chair Jackie Berney. “The effect of the program can be seen in the kind and inclusive way that kindergartners play with their classmates at recess and in the patient and respectful work of 8th grade peer mentors as they help 5th graders with their academics, serving as positive role models for younger students.”

REFLECTION COMES TO F RU I T I O N: S E T T I N G S I G H T S ON THE FUTURE In Fall 2021, Upper School Art Teacher Brian Delacey asked students to reflect on their hopes and dreams for the future—either near or far—and express these visually in the shape and frame of an eye, a symbolic representation of reflection: looking in and looking out. The 8th Grade Class of 2022 completed the project as they entered their final year at Cathedral and undertook the process of applying to secondary schools, navigating an intimidating landscape with a strong understanding of self and a clear vision of

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what sort of school, culture, and community would best fit their personality and learning style.

As Associate Head of Upper School and 8th Grade Dean Delilah Lora relates, “At this point in their academic and character development, they are well-poised to reflect on all the qualities and values they have developed over their years at The Cathedral School and take these to the next level as they grow as students, individuals, and members of a global community.”

Dr. Worokya Duncan, Head of Upper School, adds, “While there are many benefits of reflection throughout their kindergarten to 8th grade journey, the biggest benefit for our 8th graders is using that mirror to see how far they’ve come and that window to see what lies ahead.”

“By providing that foundation—a love for self and others— to our students in these critical K–8 years, when they enter a new space for high school, they do so with their heads held high, proud of who and what they are in a way that softens the sharp edges of adolescence,” concludes Ms. Corbin.

“The fact of the matter is that all independent schools have strong academic programs. The real difference rests in the lived school experience at Cathedral, beyond the classroom walls. Cathedral is a school that encourages students to work hard and truly challenge themselves but never lose sight that they are more than any test score; that they are more than any admissions decision; that they are inherently deserving of dignity and respect; and that they are expected to view other people through that same lens.” s

“ By providing that foundation— a love for self and others—to our students in these critical K–8 years, when they enter a new space for high school, they do so with their heads held high, proud of who and what they are in a way that softens the sharp edges of adolescence.”

ERICA CORBIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

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The Ties that Bind When alumni—years after leaving the Close—rejoin the Cathedral School community by virtue of enrolling their children into their alma mater, memories come flooding back. Cathedral magazine spoke to three alumni parents and their current Cathedral students and explored the evolution of the Cathedral experience.

While there have been many changes since the time these alumni—whose class years span from 1975 to 1994—attended, the essence of a Cathedral education remains the same. Parents and students alike spoke of a classroom experience steeped in curiosity, playfulness, and wonder—and of a school culture defined by strong values and a deeply bonded community.

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Cathedral Alumni Return to the Close with the Next Generation of Learners and Leaders I N T E RV I E W S BY E L I Z A B E T H O S WA L D P O RT R A I T S BY MARJORIE BECKER

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What do you love about Cathedral: The Lego Wall and the Library Favorite part of the school day: Morning duties, especially reading the Morning Message Looking forward to: Building robots in 1st grade LUCAS S. ’30

=m Jennifer Mota CLASS OF 1994

Coated in Magic Grades Attended: Kindergarten through 4th Grade Matriculated to: Visitation School (5th–8th) Cardinal Spellman High School Cathedral Child: Lucas S. ’30 How did you find your way back to Cathedral as a parent of a Cathedral student?

In order to talk about how I returned, you have to flash back to my time as a student. I only attended kindergarten through 4th grade, but even then I knew just how remarkable a Cathedral education was.

At a really young age, I would insist that if I ever had kids, they would attend Cathedral. My friends would tease me and say, “Why don’t you make it to prom first?” I recognized that a lot would need to transpire

If you had told 3rd grade “Jenni” that 33 years later she'd be standing with her Cathedral kindergartner on the Front Porch, she wouldn't have been surprised.

From a young age, Jennifer dreamed of sending her child to Cathedral! Here she is pictured with her classmates during the 1988–1989 school year.

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before that happened, but it was always a dream for me because I had such a great appreciation for everything I was exposed to in my five years on the Close.

So, over the years, I would keep tabs on the School and Google it every once in a while to see what was new. And then when we got pregnant with Lucas, I spotted a kindergarten Open House and we went! We are planners, and so I knew that if we decided that we wanted a Cathedral education for our future child, we would need to build our lives around it.

I wasn’t sure how the Open House was going to hold up to my childhood memory of the place, which was coated in magic and covered in glitter and fairy dust. By the time the Open House ended, my husband and I exchanged one look and we knew. “Okay, we’re doing this,” he said. Any doubt we might have had was squashed by the projects we saw hung up in the hallways and the conversations we had with the students. They really blew us away; those children were simply spectacular.

What about your Cathedral experience did you hold so dear?

In some ways, I didn't know how much I loved Cathedral until I left Cathedral.

We were a family of five children, so five private school tuitions weren’t in the cards for us. I switched to a totally different kind of school—both in terms of its approach to learning and also school culture—and the contrast highlighted just how wonderful Cathedral was (and still is).

From a learning perspective, Cathedral taught me how to think. My subsequent schools relied so heavily on memorization, but Cathedral ensured that we actually got the concepts.

Cathedral also built up my academic confidence. I was taught that whatever my head came up with had value, and my classmates’ ideas and thought processes had merit, as well, even if they differed from mine. It gave me the confidence to think on my own for

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which I credit Cathedral to this day. The fact that I was taught to respect everyone’s ideas really feeds into what I felt then and continue to see reflected today in the School’s culture. That sense of respect stemmed from the fact that we were exposed to so much—both in terms of the people I encountered but also in the breadth of topics and concepts. As a kid born and raised in New York City, you see diversity of all kinds every day, everywhere. It was something I took for granted because the Cathedral community reflected the city I saw in everyday life. It was only after I left Cathedral that I acquired a set of labels, and it dawned on me that I was being relegated to a certain box. As a result, my friendship options and opportunities for self-expression were limited. At Cathedral, I was friends with boys and girls of all backgrounds. It didn’t matter that I was a Spanish girl. My identity was never seen as something that could be utilized to exclude me; it was just a data point along with all of the other identities in my class.

What has it meant for you to share Cathedral with Lucas?

Oh my, I could cry thinking about that.

It’s literally a dream come true. You know, it wasn’t easy for us to be able to send Lucas to Cathedral. We planned for years in order to make it logistically and financially feasible. And when the time came, it felt like the stars were aligning and that life was telling us that things were going to be okay. It has a depth of meaning that I don't have the words to express. I really don't. Perhaps this story will illustrate my feelings more fully…

So, of course, the Cathedral community is familiar with the Hungarian Pastry Shop that's right across the street from the School. For years, before we even had Lucas, my husband and I used to go after work. We’d split an almond horn and a hot chocolate and we’d talk about how we could work to make a Cathedral education possible for our future child and what would it mean to us if we did. Of course, we had no idea

“ I love dinosaurs and reading. My mom loved reading at Cathedral, too!”

LUCAS S. ’30

if it was going to happen, so we used to joke and say that on their first day of school, we were going to both take off work, drop them off at school, sit at Hungarian, split an almond horn and a hot chocolate and then pick them up together. And that’s exactly what we did on Lucas's first day. We got that almond horn and split a hot chocolate and waited for his day to end. It was so significant, and we were just so delighted.

=m Noah Greenhill CLASS OF 1983

Music, Grounds, and Community Grades Attended: 7th and 8th Grades Matriculated to: The Bronx High School of Science Cathedral Children: Max G. ’20 & James G. ’23 What commonalities do you see at the School now in thinking about your time as a student?

Something I really appreciate is that Cathedral has stayed true to the things that I feel really differentiate the School: its musical foundation, the building and grounds, and the diverse community.

The importance of music and the performing arts is part of the School’s ethos. I remember our 8th grade production of The Prince and the Pauper so well. I wasn’t a Chorister, but two of my best friends were, and the Choir Director was a fabulous musician who

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Favorite Core Value: Courage What do you love about Cathedral: The community, especially my friends Favorite Cathedral Memory: Playing chess in the After School program JAMES G. ’23

“ In general, it’s just special to be able to walk the same driveway that my dad walked at my age.”

JAMES G. ’23

wrote original music that students performed. A bunch of us ended up performing in bands together, and a number of my friends from Cathedral went on to professional careers in music and the arts. I’m so glad that the performing arts remain an important part of school life and that there are multiple outlets for expression whether that be Lower School Chorus, Choristers, assemblies, plays, or musicals.

There’s something kind of magical about the physical space that has been preserved in a way that’s largely untouched. And the Expansion to the School was done in a way that respects the history of the building’s original architecture and remains consistent with other buildings on the Close. It really adds to the experience of being a student here—having room to play and the ability to observe these architectural and design masterpieces.

Both Noah and James take great joy in exploring the Close—a beautiful expanse that has changed with time while retaining its spirit and splendor.

When we were considering schooling options for our kids, we really wanted them to experience a representation of different people from varying kinds of families. And I remembered that being the case during my time at Cathedral.

Not only was it diverse socioeconomically and racially, there were also lots of professions in the parent body: performers, musicians, artists, professors, lawyers, doctors… you name it! That was still the case when it came time for us to apply, and that was hugely appealing for us. I think about some of my closest relationships, many of which

stem from my Cathedral days, and those friends came from all different backgrounds. And so when I entered Bronx Science after Cathedral, which was also very diverse, it felt very natural to become a part of that community. And it prepared me for my life beyond high school as well.

Of course, the city has changed drastically since I was a student, and schools have had to respond to a competitive landscape and professionalize more.

As a Trustee, I can say that the realities of running a school are much more demanding now. And so Cathedral is

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more organized than it used to be, and perhaps a little less funky, but it has to be that way given today’s environment.

At its core though, Cathedral still has the special quality that I remember so fondly.

=m Christopher Brown C L A S S O F 1975

What is your favorite Core Value, and how were Core Values emphasized during your time as a student?

They’re all important values to have, but if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say Passion for Learning. For me it’s a lifelong value that was really sparked at Cathedral. I’ve remained curious by nature and generally open to learning— both professionally and personally—and it’s something that really fulfills me.

A Passion for Learning, along with the other Core Values, were certainly upheld while I was a student at Cathedral—just not formally in the way they are now. There were clear expectations in terms of how people treated each other, and those expectations were rooted in respect, integrity, and kindness, as well as an emphasis on overall personal development.

I think the School’s association with the Cathedral Church helped to infuse those values, as well. It wasn’t heavily religious in overtone; it was more of an undertone of reflection that carried over to the School. And we would see the clergy and employees who worked there frequently. There was something sacred about it all—a reverence really.

Chris and Hudson both share a deep respect for Cathedral teachers and credit them for paving their path forward into high school and beyond.

Here, Henriette Descours—a beloved French and Spanish Teacher— works with 8th grade Chris in 1975.

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Building Resilience Grades Attended: 1st through 8th Grades Matriculated to: Riverdale Country School Cathedral Child: Hudson B. ’22 What are some of your favorite Cathedral memories?

Our class was so special in that we were really family. There was a familial DNA to the School then that I think has carried through to today. We loved like family, and we even fought like family.

We were rough and tumble—mentally and physically.

In 5th or 6th grade, West Side Story was a big deal, and so we knew all the songs and would sing them through the hallways. On the playground, the reenactment was simply a vehicle to get to the rumble scene—and so we would divide into Sharks and Jets. We had elaborate Star Trek performances on the playground too, and everyone had their role. I remember we made communicators out of boxes. The entire class would participate when we were younger.

As we got older, sports became more popular, and we would play pickup basketball and football games before and after school. We wore blazers and ties back then, and so we looked a mess before we even got to school because we had already

roughhoused outside. It was such a joyful experience.

I really think the fact that we tested each other enabled me to discover what I was made of. And because we were so close and comfortable with each other, that testing was being done in a very supportive environment, so we felt safe. It’s that testing that really prepared me for the professional world. The second company I joined was a sales company, and the culture was competitive. Coworkers would give each other a hard time, but I took it in stride. I was able to respond in jest and immediately earned the respect of my new colleagues. That’s a skill I got from Cathedral. Cathedral let kids be kids, and in my case, it allowed me to feel things out and built my resilience and confidence.

In your observation of Hudson’s experience, what has changed since you were a student?

The world has changed so much, and so Cathedral has had to shift in response to some of those changes. For example, teaching philosophies have changed fundamentally from a stricter mindset to one of greater interpersonal support.

Through it all though, Cathedral has sustained a certain closeness that still exists in the community. There are always good times when families get together on the Pulpit Green; that is very similar to what it was like back then.

One of the things that's different—and I'm glad it's different—is that there is much more emphasis on collaborative projects and group work. When I was at Cathedral, most classes were lecture based, and students had very little opportunity to present their work. I think it was really a trend in education at the time because I didn’t have many opportunities to present in high school or college either. And then I got into the workforce and was expected to present all the time. It freaked me out at first, until I acquired the skill set.

So it was a relief to me when early on in Hudson’s Cathedral experience (in kindergarten and 1st grade even!) I saw

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What do you love about Cathedral: The community, especially my teachers who really take the time to make sure you understand and who form substantive and genuine relationships with us as students Cathedral highlight: Traveling to London with the Choristers, which my uncle did when he was a Chorister, too! ­H UDSON B. ’22

him and his classmates getting up in front of a huge Lower School Assembly audience without fear. That was a big deal for me to see that shift.

Of course, one thing that has obviously changed—for the better—is that the facility is much improved. I’m glad that Hudson has the chance to enjoy a building that is much better looking and that he can benefit from the School’s Expansion. Of course there’s a certain castle quality that will always feel like it did in the old days. I can still remember sitting in some of those classrooms during inclement weather and feeling so secure in this fortress of a building. And those radiators used to really pump (and still do!)—you’d look out the window knowing it was freezing outside but we were always nice and toasty. It was a good feeling. s

Chris has no shortage of stories from his Cathedral days, which often stem from the deep bond and sense of trust shared between him and his classmates—a sentiment that he and Hudson share.

“ My dad has a lot of stories from his time running around on the Close, and his love for Cathedral comes through when he reminds me of ways the campus has changed. Now that I’m graduating, I’m reflecting on my memories, too!

I’ll always love Cathedral. At the same time, I’m ready to switch things up and go to another school for high school. I’m especially grateful to my teachers for helping me with high school applications—especially Ms. Berney. I know having gone through this exmissions process at Cathedral will serve me well when I apply to colleges four years from now.”

HUDSON B. ’22

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Maya Jasinska ’13 and her former kindergarten teacher Alan Donaldson participate in a show and tell session with current KD students.

They are presenting a book Ms. Jasinska and her classmates made to celebrate Mr. Donaldson’s wedding in 2005, when she was in his KD.

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<< FROM KD TO KD WITH MAYA JASINSKA ’13

Class Notes

Maya Jasinska ’13 has returned to the classrooms of her youth to serve as an interim teaching assistant at Cathedral. She is learning the fine art of teaching in the kindergarten homeroom of Ms. Cynthia Diaz, (called “KD” after Ms. Diaz.) Coincidentaly, Maya was a KD student herself in Mr. Alan Donaldson’s kindergarten homeroom (called KD after Mr. Donaldson) in the 2004-2005 school year. That KD-to-KD round trip has her contemplating the cycle of learning and the unique bond between student and teacher.

“I’m grateful to be exploring the field of teaching in a community that is deeply familiar from my years as a student,” Ms. Jasinska explains. “Cathedral, naturally, has strong associations with learning for me. Now that I am a student of the craft of teaching, I realize how porous the membrane is between the student and teacher.

It has been very special to share my experiences and memories as a Cathedral student with my current students who are just crossing that threshold into identifying as Cathedral students themselves.”

As an adult member of the Cathedral community, she sees from a fresh perspective while much remains familiar.

“Cathedral has always been a school that prioritizes relationships. Though I graduated, I’m grateful for the way I felt like I never actually left the Cathedral community—my best friends remain those I made while I was a student, and I have also remained in close contact with many of my teachers over the years. As a result, my transition ’back’ into the community has been very smooth. While much about the School has changed—from the students and building to the faculty—its ethos and core mission remain the same,” says Ms. Jasinska.

Not only does Ms. Jasinska have a history with Cathedral, she has a connection to Ms. Diaz. Her best friend in college went to Brearley and was a student in Ms. Diaz’s KD classroom there—from KD to KD, it’s a small world after all.

1946

Howard Esquirol is 90 and spends six months of the year in Florida and six months in Minnesota. Howard has great memories of his four years at Cathedral.

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Robert Marble recently attended a commissioning of two Lieutenants to the rank of Captain in the United States Army. His son, who is a retired Brigadier General, led the commissioning. Robert and his wife were very happy to spend time with their son and daughter after two years of the pandemic. Robert describes the things he took away from his time at The Cathedral Choir School as...“a love for good music; a faith in God and His Truth; a love of singing; a knowledge and understanding of church history; and an appreciation for lifelong learning.”

school (though he wasn’t a boarder).

Scott remembers, “There were about 40 kids in the School, all boys, 6th-8th grade. Alec Wyton was Choirmaster, and Canon Landon was Headmaster. It was a wonderful experience and an incredible musical education!” Scott has devoted much of his life to the study and performance of Turkish music. He sings and plays a Turkish lute, called an oud, and violin. The instrument pictured is Scott’s own invention—a combination guitar, Arabic oud, and Turkish saz—a bridge between three cultures. In 1980, Scott and his parents gave a music and dance presentation in the Common Room at The Cathedral School, and Scott travels to Ankara, Turkey every year to give concerts and perform at musical events.

Scott adds, “I am forever indebted to Cathedral for a wonderful learning experience!”

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Three alumni, John Leahy ’66, Harry Takourian ’68, and G. Justin Zizes Jr. ’69, attended an alumni get-together at V&T Restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue last July to reminisce and share Cathedral School memories.

Scott Wilson ’68 playing an instrument of his own creation

1969 Left to right: Harry Takourian ’68, John Leahy ’66, G. Justin Zizes Jr. ’69

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Scott Wilson came to Cathedral School in 1965, the last year it was still a boarding

D. Stuart Gray recently took a road trip to Selma, Birmingham, and Montgomery, Alabama on a Civil Rights tour, as part of his training to become a Tour Director. He is starting his own company, Correct Our Culture Tours & Guides, and is even hoping to someday create his own alumni-led tour of the Cathedral. In March of 2021, Stuart also became a certified COVID Compliance Officer. For information on attending

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a tour of Selma, Alabama please email him at: stumaster1@gmail.com.

Omonike Akinyemi ’87

Christopher Estrella is the Director of Operations for KIPP Academy Boston K–8, where he manages budget, compliance, nutrition, and safety. Three years into the role, Chris has led his school community through pre-COVID, remote, hybrid, and in-person formats of instruction. Next year, he will be pursuing an MBA at UVA’s Darden School of Business. Chris currently resides in Cambridge, MA with his fiancé, who is an Attending Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Linara Davidson Greenidge recently accepted a new position as Associate Dean for Communication Strategy, Development and Alumni Affairs at Columbia School of Social Work.

(Photo below)

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D. Stuart Gray ’69 at a stop on the Civil Rights Tour

David Kirk reminisces about his Cathedral experience: “My time at The Cathedral School certainly directed me and clarified my vision for a life of Sacred Music. Being Head Chorister was a true honor, and working with both Alec Wyton and Marilyn Kaiser was an absolute joy.”

1976

Andy Bernstein is living in Paris, where he has worked as a partner at the law firm Cleary Gottlieb for 25 years. In 2021 he helped the Government of Iraq in a major energy transition project focusing on reducing natural gas flaring and improving water usage and solar power. Andy is also helping the Republic of Lebanon to resolve its international debt.

Andy Bernstein ’76

In October 2021, Claudie Mabry accepted a position as the Inaugural Director of Social Innovation at the Kaufman Music Center. In this role, she works to build pipelines for music education that reach underserved communities. Claudie attributes this success to her days as a young musician in Ms. Arden Delacey’s music class and as a Chorister at Cathedral.

Elise Ferguson is currently in graduate school studying Environmental Policy.

Between college and graduate school, Elise worked in education, teaching a variety of subjects to children from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Claire Hawkins is a former Cathedral Chorister, who continued her love of music by studying at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she had the opportunity to study abroad in Berlin, Germany and Paris, France. While at NYU she also completed a secondary major in French language. After graduating in 2019, Claire moved to

1987

Omonike Akinyemi teaches dance at Albany High School in Upstate New York. She has been making short films over the last few years with Image Quilt Cinema and Dance Theater, including a new narrative fiction film series in the works titled Emancipado which is a historical drama set in Nigeria’s 19th century.

Linara’s family: her two boys, Ronald (2) and Ryan (1), her husband, Henry, and daughter, Cameron (10)

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Beyond Cathedral

Dublin, Ireland and embarked on her first international tour, the Foreign Voices Travelers Tour. This tour was in support of her travel-themed EP Foreign Voice. Sticking to the theme of travel, all shows on this tour took place in hostels. In total, she played 18 shows in 14 cities across nine different countries, and shared her experiences on the road in music-themed travel videos on her YouTube channel. Though the pandemic cut her tour short, Claire is still traveling and looking forward to organizing her next tour. Last summer she released her latest single “Small Doses.” She worked with a fantastic team of Irish creatives to shoot a music video for the song while she was still living in Dublin, and is now working on some new music and looking forward to sharing it soon! For links to Claire’s music, videos, and tour dates, visit www.clairehawkinsmusic.com.

2011

After graduating from Cathedral, Annah Heckman went on to attend Friends Seminary, followed by Bard College.

She is currently working at Friends Seminary as the Associate for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, and says, “I love my job because I get to help students engage with non-profits all over the city!” During her time at Friends, Annah also had the opportunity to do some work in Alumni Engagement, which she truly enjoyed, and is hoping to be involved in working with the Cathedral alumni community in the future.

2015 & 17

In early October, former Cathedral parent Sally Thurston traveled up to Middlebury College in Vermont for parents’ weekend. It wasn’t her first time making

the trip, but this year was a little different, because she had two kids to visit instead of one! Emily Power ’15 was joined at Middlebury this year by her brother, Alexander Power ’17, and Emily “couldn’t be more stoked” to have him there.

Emily is used to having her brother nearby since, after graduating from Cathedral, both siblings also attended the same high school—Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Alex is now hoping to join the Middlebury College Ski Patrol, while Emily rows for the Women’s Crew Team. Although they don’t have any activities or classes together on campus, the Power kids make sure to catch up during their weekly sibling lunches. From Cougars to Eagles to Panthers, life can’t seem to break them apart. (Photo on following page)

IN MEMORIAM James Knapp ’56 1943–2020

Hilary Blair ’96 1981–2021

Alexander Jones ’97 1983–2021

Family, friends, former teachers, and Cathedral classmates gathered on the Pulpit Green on September 26, 2021 to celebrate the life of Hilary Blair ’96. Back row: Dr. John Vitale, Danny Shinn-Krantz ’96, Wendy Blair, Sam Rivers ’96, Alexander Carey ’96, Clifton Coker ’96, Isabel Leonard ’96, Fred White, Genevieve Bergeret ’96, Sonny von Gutfeld ’96, Cynthia Kendall, Julia Martinez Weber ’96 Front row: Jim Blair, Jennifer Pingeon, Arden Delacey, Albert Bergeret, Gail Wofford

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Embodiment of the Mission

Bethany Donaphin ’94 Why my parents chose Cathedral I N T E R V I E W B Y C A R LY C A I O L A

Left to right: Sally Thurston, Alex Power ’17, and Emily Power ’15

2017

Aksel Katz is a firstyear student at the University of Toronto, focusing his studies on solutions to climate change and environmental innovation. He has spent the past three summers working as a farmhand on a sustainable agriculture cattle farm in Upstate New York. Aksel feels that Cathedral prepared him exceptionally well to reach out for resources and build on his academic and personal relationships with teachers, in high school and in college. Other than loving school and finding Canada fascinating, this year Aksel became a copy-editor for Synergy, an undergraduate academic journal on Asian politics. Askel believes that Cathedral was integral in his development, saying, “The Core Values are so important to me and helped form who I am.

Everyone at Cathedral gets the tools to be able to succeed, and every individual will define what that means for themselves.”

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Bethany Donaphin ’94 is a Cathedral alumna and current member of the Cathedral Board of Trustees.

After graduating from Cathedral, Bethany attended the Horace Mann School, followed by Stanford University, where she earned her BA in Public Policy.

Bethany then went on to earn her MBA in Marketing and Operations Management from The Wharton School. After playing college basketball for Stanford, Bethany played professional basketball for a number of years, both in the Women’ National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Europe. After finishing her professional basketball career, Bethany shifted her focus back to Management and Marketing and is currently the Head of League Operations for the WNBA. Bethany and her family reside in Oakland, California.

What made you want to serve on the Cathedral Board of Trustees? At that time, when members of the Board reached out to see if I would be interested in being engaged with the School again, I happened to be thinking about school for my daughter, who is fiveand-a-half now. I was remembering the impact Cathedral had on my life and talking to my mom about why she chose it and how happy she was with my experience there. I just felt like I had something to contribute back to the community, and I thought serving on the Board would be a good opportunity to do that.

What are your strongest memories of Cathedral? Some of my strongest memories are of the tightly-knit community. The small size of our classes allowed for so much connection and understanding of who my classmates were and who my teachers were. I knew all my classmates’ families, so Cathedral really felt like my home away from home.

The other thing that I really remember is being in the Cathedral itself— going to Evensongs in the chapel and just how majestic that space is. It has been interesting to go back and visit the Cathedral as an adult and think about how gigantic the building must have felt as a little kid—I’ve been back several times and I love that feeling. I also remember being together in the lunchroom, sharing meals, and celebrating different

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that was a very special thing. As someone whose faith is important to them, I also think Cathedral does a masterful job of weaving in the thread of being part of something bigger than yourself, which is not an easy concept to impart on kids so early in their development. Having that interwoven into how I was learning about life was really profound.

cultures by doing things like having Passover Seders and saying grace. We did all this amazing exploration as young people that is really hard to replicate. I think that’s why alumni want to come back to campus—it’s a special place, and one that I know was certainly important in my development and forming who I am as an adult. Now that I have a child who is of school age, it has been interesting to see her go through her schooling and realize how special it was for me to grow up in a place like Cathedral.

What aspects of Cathedral do you feel most shaped the trajectory of your future education and work? What are the things you feel like you took with you? I think the incredible academic program set a foundation that I carried with me throughout all of my schooling post-Cathedral. I always felt I was prepared and equipped to handle the academic challenges in front of me at the three institutions that I went to afterwards. From a social standpoint, the exposure to a diverse population was so valuable, and it’s something I have taken with me in terms of how I relate to different kinds of people—we all had an understanding of how to treat each other and how to be a good person out in the world. It was Cathedral’s approach to learning, and the approach to how we built community, and how we had fun, and just everything really—it was so wholesome—and I think

What would you want other people to know about Cathedral? What has struck me, since becoming re-engaged with Cathedral as a Trustee, is that the School has figured out how to retain some of the beautiful traditions that I enjoyed in the early ’90s and also add to and augment the curriculum.

When I look at the kinds of things that the children are learning today, and the kinds of conversations they are having—particularly in the climate that we’re in now—I think having authentic and challenging conversations at this age is going to serve them so well going forward. The Cathedral education looked different for me, but it has evolved in a way that I think stays true to the roots of the School.

And I would want people to know about the little quirks, like the peacocks, and all the lovely things that I’m sure I took for granted when I was at the School but now have a new appreciation for. I think Cathedral just stands apart.

“I also think Cathedral does a masterful job of weaving in the thread of being part of something bigger than yourself, which is not an easy concept to impart on kids so early in their development. Having that interwoven into how I was learning about life was really profound.”

B E T H A N Y D O N A P H I N ’94

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Graduation

Class of 2021 Congratulations to the 26 members of the Class of 2021 who received acceptances to the following independent, public, and diocesan schools.

Independent Day Schools Berkeley Carroll School Brooklyn Friends School The Browning School The Calhoun School The Chapin School The Dalton School The Dwight-Englewood School Ethical Culture Fieldston School Friends Seminary Grace Church School Hackley School The Hewitt School The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School Loyola School Marymount School of New York The Masters School Montclair Kimberly Academy The Nightingale-Bamford School The Packer Collegiate Institute Riverdale Country School The Spence School

Trevor Day School Trinity School The United Nations International School York Preparatory School

Class of 2017

Barnard College Binghamton University Boston University Cornell University Davidson College Emory University Fordham University Howard University Kenyon College Lehigh University Middlebury Northeastern University

Where Are They Now? Members of the Cathedral Class of 2017 matriculated at the following colleges and universities:

Boarding Schools Bard Academy at Simon’s Rock Blair Academy The Ethel Walker School The Frederick Gunn School The Lawrenceville School The Masters School Millbrook School Miss Hall’s School Miss Porter’s School The Peddie School St. George’s School Westminster School Diocesan Schools Cardinal Spellman High School Fordham Preparatory School Iona Preparatory School Notre Dame School of Manhattan Xavier High School

NYC Specialized Public Schools The Bronx High School of Science High School of American Studies at Lehman College Stuyvesant High School NYC Screened Public Schools Bard High School Early College Eleanor Roosevelt High School High School for Environmental Studies Dutchess County Public Schools Red Hook High School London Schools Alleyn’s School Emanuel School

Rhode Island School of Design Rice University Skidmore College Stevens Institute of Technology University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Texas Austin University of Toronto Wake Forest University The Cathedral School Class of 2021

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Graduation

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The Last Word

Life is about Planting Seeds

BY M E L A N I E B A K E R , V I O L I N T E AC H E R , P ’0 4 , ’07

Teaching is an act of faith. It is all about planting seeds without knowing if they will sprout and thrive or not. To be honest, all of life is about planting seeds. Whether we are laying the foundation for an education, a relationship, or a career, we all do our best to act with care so that what blossoms in a year, or two, or twenty is something we can cherish.

As a Black woman violinist, I am familiar with the idea of life being an act of faith. Every element of my being has, at some time or other, been at odds with the prevailing view of what I “should” be. So, the idea of planting seeds is necessary—a bulwark against despair. If I can carry in my mind the possibilities, then there is less room for the negative images.

What I hope to bring to the School, and to my teaching, is the idea that we all have something to say. It may be on the violin, in art, in literature, or in sports. Whatever it is, however, it is expressed—we need to hear it—we need to listen.

Faithfulness is sometimes portrayed as something passive and meek, but the people who spring to my mind are fierce: think John Lewis, Ida B. Wells, Desmond Tutu, and that gentlest of warriors, Marian Anderson.

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The book My Grandfather’s Blessings, by Rachel Naomi Remen, starts with a story about a visit from her grandfather during which he gives her a small cup with dirt in it.

His instructions are that she is to put a little water in it every day, that she is not to miss a day. At first, she does it eagerly, then resentfully—for a four-year-old city dweller this does not compute. Then, during the third week, two leaves emerge, and every day they get a little bigger. She is astonished and expects her grandfather to be, as well, when she sees him.

Of course, he is not surprised, but tells her that there is life everywhere, “hidden in ordinary and unlikely places.” “And all it needs is water?” “No, all it needs is your faithfulness.”

We are still going through a time that is testing our faithfulness. I hope this period is also reminding us to cherish each other and our time together. I hope it is teaching us to reach out to each other, appreciate each other’s strengths, and laugh and learn from each other’s foibles. And I hope it is helping us to open our hearts to music, love, and laughter. s

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T H E C AT H E D R A L S C H O O L M I S S I O N STAT E M E N T The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine–an independent K-8 school rooted in the Episcopal tradition–educates students to become articulate, confident, and responsible citizens of the world through rigorous academics, innovative approaches to learning, and the nurturing of their aspirations in a diverse community of all faiths.

T H E M I S S I O N E N AC T E D : T H E S C H O O L’ S C O R E VA LU E S The Cathedral School is committed to academic excellence in a curriculum that integrates critical thinking, the arts, athletics, and leadership development. The School believes that the recognition and appreciation of differences in race, socioeconomic status, cultural or religious tradition, age, gender, ability, or sexual orientation enhance the individual’s sense of identity and broaden respect for others. Through curriculum and informal school experiences, students at The Cathedral School come to understand the inherent value of all people and the importance of working towards equity in all that they do.

The School’s mission is brought to life through seven Core Values: Cooperation, Courage, Integrity, Kindness, Passion for Learning, Respect, and Responsibility.

2021 -202 2 B OA R D O F T R U ST E E S The Right Reverend Clifton Daniel, III Chair and Dean of the Cathedral Katie Conway President Troy Wagner Vice President Martha Escobar Secretary David Gray Treasurer Erica Corbin Head of School Nick Bazos Jamie Roth Becker Amelia Brewer Joseph Ciancaglini Bethany Donaphin ’94 Tim Dwyer Carey Flaherty Thomas Foo ’77 Sandra Frenz John Gallo Noah Greenhill ’83 Kristy Milkov Lee Morakis Rachel Posner Jennifer Potter Daphne Rubin-Vega ’99 Alexa Shore Artiea Smith Brian Smith

1047 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10025 212.316.7500 www.cathedralnyc.org