Summer 2021 Newsletter

Metamorphosis

Graduation Speech by Bex Derr, Class of 2021

I’ve always been fascinated by bugs and insects and all creatures creepy crawly, so you could imagine how excited I was to get the opportunity to raise my very own monarch butterfly caterpillar in Fifth Grade. The room was teeming with enthusiasm as we observed our new children, smaller than our thumbnails. As proud caterpillar parents, we fed them fresh milkweed leaves and measured their growth over time in our notebooks. Some were even lucky enough to watch theirs transform into a magnificent butterfly and release it into the wild, delicate orange wings aflutter in the breeze like a bright and valiant flag. The title “monarch” suits them well, their royal colors make them hard to miss. Just like a caterpillar has, throughout all of my time at TCS since I first came here at three years old, I’ve experienced massive growth. TCS has played a huge part in making me into the person I am today. Every year’s new challenges and opportunities shape me into a new form of myself, totally different than last year. In my head, I almost picture myself as a completely different person in each grade, and oh boy would chaos ensue if they ever met. For example, before Seventh Grade bike trip, I hardly knew how to ride a bike. I hadn’t touched one since about First Grade, and in a few months I had to travel 100 miles on one. It seemed like something I never would have dreamed of, much less enjoyed, but it was one of my favorite College School experiences, and without it I’m sure I would be a much different person. Bike trip taught me

to persevere when things get tough but also to slow down and appreciate the beauty around me.

From being a tiny big bender to the eighth grader I am now, I’ve changed in a million different ways. I mean, my hair isn’t even the same color. I’ve become smarter, stronger, and of course, cooler, although that one seems pretty obvious. But overall, I have become even more of myself.

The process of an insect maturing from an egg all the way to an adult is called metamorphosis. But unlike the majestic monarch butterfly, we are never truly finished maturing. There are aspects of me that are completely different than they were when I started Middle School, and sometimes I miss the old me. But I’m not the same person anymore, and that’s ok. As people, our metamorphosis is never really over. As life is constantly presenting new experiences and feelings, we adapt and grow to fit our environment, just like in nature. One of the reasons humans have survived so long on planet earth is because of their incredible ability to adapt to different conditions. Migrating from private middle school to public high school will be no easy task. But as long as I keep changing and growing and evolving and adapting, I’ll be an even more beautiful butterfly than I am now. n

Congratulations Class of 2021

This May, The College School hosted its graduation ceremony outside as we celebrated the Class of 2021. We wish this group of 21 students the very best on their next adventures.

Christian Brothers College High School

Ethan Dixon

Jack Pendleton

Clayton High School

Eva Lemon

Lindie Nielsen

Jackson Preparatory & Early College

Taylor Lim

Nerinx Hall

Julia Bernal

Nicole Bernal

Emma Dixon

Maya McConnell

Ella Munz

Caroline Smith

St. Louis University High School

Noah Brandt

Cooper Capdeboscq

Kiran Hunt

Aidan McCoy

Connor McCoy

Ronan Smith

James Unwin

Webster Groves High School

Bex Derr

Andrew Caddel

Kate Pawlicki

Faculty/Staff Anniversaries and Milestones

Congratulations to our dedicated and talented faculty on these milestones. We are so grateful for their service to TCS.

10 years teaching at The College School

20 years teaching at The College School

Saying Goodbye to Full-Time Teaching at TCS

By Mary Jo Wilmes, Former Visual Arts Specialist

Mary Jo retired from full-time teaching at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. She shares her reflections below.

It’s hard to leave The College School – that’s for sure. The connections run pretty deep through my family and through myself. My stepson Peter Lang went to TCS in the 70s and my son Martin Lang graduated in 2009 (or something like that). My husband, Tom, was head of the Visual Arts program at Webster University, which is located in the ‘old’ College School building on Webster’s campus – so the family connection is real. And now

New Hires

Jordan Struckmann – Visual Arts Specialist

Jordan joined The College School this fall as Visual Arts Specialist. She graduated from Webster University with a B.A. in Studio Art and a minor in Psychology. Jordan earned her M.A. in Counseling and Art Therapy from Lesley University in Boston. In her previous roles, Jordan has served as an art instructor and art therapist, most recently for Youth in Need, where she facilitated individual and group art therapy for K-12 students in the Francis Howell School District. n

Rachel Schroeder – Second Grade Teacher

Rachel joined Suzie Schmidt in Second Grade this fall. Rachel has taught students in the Pattonville and Webster Groves School Districts ranging from First Grade to Fifth Grade. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology from St. Louis University. Rachel gained experience with project-based learning while working in the Webster Groves School District and understands the value of a student’s interest helping to guide their learning. n

Recipe from Chef Monica’s Kitchen: Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwiches

3. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil. Break each frozen graham cracker in half and cover the bottom of the dish with a single layer of graham crackers. Reserve remaining ones for later.

4. Pour strawberry yogurt mixture on top of graham crackers. Add the second layer of graham crackers on top.

1. Wash and chop strawberries, place them on a cookie sheet, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place graham crackers on another cookie sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes.

2. Combine cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice. Once combined, add the honey, mix on low with a hand mixer to combine until smooth. Then fold in the semi-frozen berries.

5. Freeze the tray for about 4 hours. When ready to eat, lift from foil and cut with a sharp knife to make individual sandwiches.

6. Serve immediately or wrap individual servings in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to serve. n

my nephew, Dan Miller, and his wife, Maggie, have two daughters who are going to TCS -- the adventure continues for me. As I spent the month of June going through the art room to clear out the last 20+ years, I was constantly reminded of projects created in the art room, of former students’ work stashed in the flat files, on shelves, and in cabinets, and so many pictures of special events, artists visits, and student creativity. It was hard and fun and exhausting and emotional. As I move away from the classroom and creating curriculum, I made a promise to continue supporting class trips and adventures. Honestly, it’s too hard to just walk away, and as I have seen in my other colleagues who have retired, there is always something pulling us back to TCS. It’s a combination of the feeling you get walking in the door and the kids calling out your name and the comfort of visiting classrooms

where you know you are always welcome. It’s seeing the buses lined up and waiting to take kids exploring. It’s the work on the walls that reflects all the learning and adventures. It’s the greenhouse, it’s the theater, the Preschool and the Middle School hallways. It’s the candy drawer in First Grade (thanks, Melissa!) and the couches in Middle School classrooms. It’s the parents in the pickup line at the end of the day or waiting in the parking lot on the return from a campout, Chicago, New Orleans, or North

As one of our favorite artists, Keith Haring, said about the

process - “Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.”

Carolina. really want to thank all of the young artists who have inspired me throughout my years at TCS, who have grown and discovered and explored ideas with me and trusted me to guide them. I want to thank Jan Phillips for hiring me years ago and giving me the TCS family. I also want to thank all the faculty who I have had the opportunity and pleasure to travel and collaborate with, who have sat around campfires telling stories, who have gotten lost in the woods, on a trail, in a city, and not panicked and carried on with the knowledge that we had each others back and true adventure is about just that – finding your way. I want to thank them for the hallway planning, the backstage excitement, the curtain going up, the crazy ideas that bloomed and flowered, the support for all things creative--and the love. n

John Colbert Middle School Teacher

Uchenna Ogu Kindergarten Teacher

Kathryn Bruntrager Early Childhood Teacher

Sarah Gravemann Middle School Teacher

Heather Walka Middle School Teacher

John McElwain Director of Sustainability & LaBarque Campus

Enjoy this creation from our very own Chef Monica!

As a true artist would do, Mary Jo left the school a visual representation of her College School journey over the years. She and her husband, Tom, plan to move to France in the coming years.

creative

Mary Jo and Jan Phillips at The College School LaBarque Campus

The Peacekeeper Project

By Jill Pampel, Director of Admissions & Marketing

This past school year, the Second Grade class recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day by discussing what the day means and how to use MLK’s message in their everyday choices. From their discussions, the Peacekeeper Candle project began.

Follow Along on Social Media

Be sure to follow The College School on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with our adventures.

Our second graders said the following about what it means to be a Peacekeeper:

“ To be kind and grateful for each other.” - Raelyn

“ Let others be first, and stay calm.” - Cami

“ When people are disagreeing and fighting, rather than using a fighting voice, use a talking voice.” - Santi

Alumni Memories

Students created key guides representing their Peacekeeper traits, including, “A Peacekeeper cares for others,” “Peacekeepers are responsible for their own actions.,” and “A Peacekeeper can let others be first.”

Each trait was given a designated color with students creating candles that symbolized ways they would be Peacekeepers. The candles were unique to each student and a constant reminder to the classroom and to our community that we are all Peacekeepers. n

Take a stroll down memory lane as a few TCS alumni share some of their favorite moments.

My time at TCS is one that I often think back on, still, 30 years later. Obviously the field trips and overnights are what still stick out to me, but I fondly remember learning photography in the dark room, learning about a new subject for the science fair, epic games of capture the flag, the book fair, and making amazing friends. The one trip that really helped me to grow was the days and nights spent spelunking after rappelling into a cave, wading through freezing cold water, drying off, and cooking a delicious meal. I enjoyed it so much that I went back and did it again as an Eighth Grade volunteer. You don’t realize it until you’re much older, but these trips help you grow and build confidence so that you can face the many obstacles life throws at you and boy have there been several in the last year and a half!

- Chris Norlander ‘92

The Time Capsule ceremony occurred when I was in Second Grade, my first year at the school. The time capsule is the concrete block at the top of the main steps on the Newport entrance. I recall the fanfare and excitement as representatives from each grade, parents, faculty, and staff placed a bunch of meaningful “stuff” in a box, to possibly be revealed generations later. I contributed a clay brick I made in art class with the old “The College School” logo stamped into it. The ceremony was memorable because of the balloons, the speeches, and the extremely happy and celebratory atmosphere. I think it marked when the

school had paid off the loan it had taken out to purchase the building (or we had become more in control of our own destiny in some way, which was the main purpose of the celebration).

-Kevin Folkl ‘88

I was stuck climbing a cliff on the Sixth Grade camp out. I was probably half way up and could not reach the next hand hold. I was petrified, crying, and hungry. We were going to eat lunch on the top. After what seemed like an hour, but was probably 10 minutes, Mrs. Phillips free climbed, gave me a push, and made it possible for me to finish the climb.

-Peggy Knock ‘75

I was in Second Grade, and we took a field trip to my house. When I was a kid at TCS, we had a very unusual house that was, literally, built into the side of a cliff, located north of Eureka and I-44 off Highway 109. We also had six acres of land with abundant Missouri wildlife including lots of snakes, lizards, and critters. The teachers who organized the field trip were my favorite, Ms. Hartley and a new PE teacher, Ms. Phillips -- and of course my Mom. One day my whole class came out, and all I remember was that we ran around a lot and that Ms. Phillips knew a lot about plants and taught us even after we were tired of hearing about them. Somewhere (I’ll keep looking) I have a few black and white snapshots from the day.

-Howard Park ‘71. n

2020-2021 Donors

The College School relies on the generous support of our families, friends, alumni, and community to maintain a strong program dedicated to providing the best experiential education in St. Louis. Thank you to those listed here and all who believe in The College School’s mission and philosophy. n

$10,000+

Jill & Dan Arbet

Melanie & Ben Schmickle

Robert J. Trulaske, Jr. Family Foundation

$5,000-$9,999

Anheuser Busch Foundation

Kyle & Marisa Eash

Nancy & Peter Kraemer

Coral & Ron Levin

Steve & Sara McConnell

Michael & Cynthia Montana

Michelle Miller-Thomas & Louis Thomas

$2,500 - $4,999

Kathy Casso & Jody Dixon

Alison & Steve Clark

Give Back Foundation

Anthony & Beth Hasek

Molly Keegan & Ted Thomas

Natasha & Scott Marrus

Meghan & Ryan Murphy

Jenny & Josh Sturm

$1,000-$2,499

Melissa & Josh Allen

Penny & Davis Allen

Brie Alley & Josh Shelley

Nancy Bartlett

Lysa Young-Bates & Mark Bates

Lori & Matt Bell

Michelle Ong & Dan Berg

Vicky & David Bernal

Kelli Rae Patton & Michael Bierman

Peter Brightman

Gina & Nik Brym

Joyce Buchheit

Barbara Berg Cohn

Charles Cunningham

Stephanie & Jemal Dents

Maureen & Dave Ebenhoh

Energizer Holdings, Inc.

Andrew & Berkeley Gillentine

Jennifer & Tom Hillman

Devyani & Mitchell Hunt

Monica Bishop & Omar Jassim

Stephanie & Nathan Johnson

Alicia & Brandon Konstantinovich

Melody Abesamis & David Lamb

Emily & Casey Levin

Sonia Levy

Microsoft Magda & Daniel Miller

Jean & Cristobal Morales

Barbie & Pat Murphy

Robert & Lori O’Blennis

Carl Pelofsky

Elizabeth & Mike Purcell

Jane & Lee Quarles

Kristin & Tom Rea

Refinitiv

Lynn & Evan Reid

Robert Half

Suzie & Steve Schmidt

Kathy & John Seibel

Jenny Lenhard & Tim Sharpe

Lisa Braun & Mark Smith

CC & Adam Steinberg

Jennifer Dau-Sullivan & Timothy Sullivan

Kathleen & Don Unwin

Danielle & Geoffrey Uy

Virginie Haffenreffer

May Yeh & Steve Wang

Carol Stanton & Kirk Warner

Victoria Wilks

Russ & Rose Willey

Kate Wissehr

Thomas & Janet Wissehr

Heather Wood

$500-$999

Perry & Erica Abbenante

Holly & Chris Aguirre

Zainab Mohammed Taqi & Hasan Al-Janabi

Sarah Jensen & Josh Amato

Lesley & Jonathon Backus

Crista & Brian Beracha

Mr. & Mrs. Barry Beracha

Mindi & Steve Brothers

Bryan & Patty Burns

Jody & Allen Capdeboscq

Dr. James Connell

Jay Eversman

Carolyn & Kevin Folkl

Dionne & Andrew Grabowski

Elana & Tim Grayem

Patsy & Joe Hanrahan

Lisa & Alan Hautly

Thea & David Hromadka

Tricia & Thomas Jostlein

Lori & Brad Knoblauch

Michael Lim

John & Sunny McElwain

Nelczyk, Inc. (Dairy Queen)

The Novel Neighbor

Jill & Robert Pampel

Brian Pendleton

Susan Barrett & Chris Poehler

Lindsey & Daniel Roberts

Alejandro Rodriguez Orozco & Bridget Rodriguez

Pam & Chip Samson

Susan Corcoran & Joshua Sanes

Fred & Lauren Schwarz

Jason & Jamie Shupp

Ali & Scott Stiber

Linda & Galen Thomas

Cathy & Jeff Todisman

Hank & Nita van der Werff

Stephen & Tammy Vuylsteke

Angela Marino & Dan Will

Mary Jo Wilmes & Tom Lang

Anita Uhlmann & Adam Wilson

$250-$499

Nui Jarassri & Max Amnuayprayot

Kimm & JB Anderson

Nicole & Chris Arnett

Meryl Perlman & Michael Barry

Anthony Clark

Kristen & Randel Easley

Robert & Linda Elkow

Edward English

Sharon & Thomas Eversman

Dawn Finley

Elizabeth & Charles Harkins

Kellie & Tim Hasken

Jessie & Shaun Hautly

Cindy & Joe Henken

Veronika & Baba Samson Hillary

Beth & Chris Kellett

Miyoko Kinard

Colin & Rebecca Kohn

Brooke & Kevin Lacey

Bridget & Jose Lozano

Mallinckrodt Corporate Giving

Program

Rosa & Matthew Marden

Tonya & Tony Marin

Dan Masters

Erin Mayberry

Denise & Alex Micka

Lynda Morrison

Susan & Eric Nielsen

Yarda Tables-Redden & Maurice Redden

Alexa Reimelt

Hannah Krigman & Jon Ritter

Robyn & Ben Slen

Sari Rotskoff & Stephen Snipes

Emily & Zachary Tebb

Karen Thomas

Mary Walsh

Julie & Damon Williams

Bill & Gina Wischmeyer

$100-$249

Natasha & Jason Bass

Julia & Nick Batz

Beverly & Ed Bayham

Katy & Michael Benoit

Joann Berger

June Beuckman

Frank and Marion Bloom

Patricia Bohn

Jessica & Matthew Boyd

Max Bruch

Ashley & Louise Cadwell

Jan Clinite & John Colbert

Pat & Lars Cole

Denise & Tom Cotter

Dory Dehne

Mimi & Alex Denes

Chelsea Denlow & Jonathan Davis

Lori & Charles DeRemer

Nicole Berndt & Ben Derr

Bernard & Marianne Derr

Ruth & Patrick Donohue

Lauren & Russell Draper

Jessica & Chad Evenson

Kerri & Clayton Fair

Susan Finley

Jessica Reimelt Greengrass

Corinne Groark

Cherissa Hanson

Scott & Ruth Hanson

Carrie Walker & Andrew Hume

Tom & Diane Hunsaker

Amy & Paul Inman

Carolyn & Jody Jachna

Pam Johnson

Marcus & Regina Jones

Melissa Jonson-Reid

Angela & Hans Jostlein

Tiffany Khang

Shari & Jacob Klein

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Patrick Lyons

Katie Malone & Jesse Traw

Militza Marin

Ashley Maurer

Cleitus Maurer

Scott & Carlyn McClintock

Mindy & Bruce McCoy

Peter & Joanne Montana

Amy & Sean O’Brien

Anne Ojeda

Dolores & Barrett Parker

Mark Pelofsky

Jan & Abe Phillips

Andrea & Tim Ranek

Mary Ann Rea

Sherman & Dora Rotskoff

Rahul Saha

Diane & Philip Shelton

Darel Shelton & Laura Westhoff

Julie & Craig Smith

Julia Stevens

Caroline & Ronald Strong

Lori & Thomas Tangaro

Lashaunda & Brandon Taylor

Jamie & Zac Tredway

Caroline Twenter

Ted Twenter

Brian Vaught

Eulis & Vivian Weeden

Ellen Wilson

Tim & Paula Wood

Michele & John Yancey

Leah Zueger

$1-$99

Amazon Smile

Mindy & Raj Bhuyan

Box Tops for Education

Cindy & David Bruns

Kathryn & Peter Bruntrager

Jeremy Caddel

Brittany Campbell-Kellman

Melissa Boshans & AJ Cesena

Rano & Whitney Chatterjee

Tom Cunningham

Nicole & Lucas Dalton

Matt Diller

Melissa Ganim

Sarah Gravemann

Madeline Hasek

Sarah Hassing & Seth Wahlman

Lori & Ari Holtz

John & Ruth Iannarelli

Karen Johns

Laurie & Terry Knies

Annie Kopp

Will Langton

Denise & Tim Lenhard

Jonathan & Cheryl Maayan

Jen Martin

Maureen McGovern

Mayuko & Joseph McGuire

June Mueller

Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Neumeier

Laura Notrica

Uchenna Ogu

Margaret Paget

Carl Pandolfi

Theresa & Mark Pawlicki

Kim & Darin Quayle

Margaret & Bill Rowe

April Shinell

Stefani Weeden-Smith & Rodney Smith

St. Louis Community Foundation

Kerry Moran-Tangaro & Drew Tangaro

Rebecca & Eric Thompson

Pat & Jim Tornatore

Heather & Nick Walka

Judy Zueger

Donors, who made a gift between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021, are listed in this publication.

We sincerely apologize for any errors and ask that you please send corrections to development@ thecollegeschool.org

The College School is incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our alumni and alumni families. Thank you to the following classes for making a gift to TCS during the 2020-2021 school year.

Preschool through Eighth Grade 7825 Big Bend Blvd.

Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 962-9355 thecollegeschool.org

Thank you for a wonderful Summer Camp season!

We enjoyed playing, exploring, and learning with all of our campers. See you next Summer!