Country Connections 2012

CountryConnections celebrating education that lasts a lifetime

The Country School | Spring 2012

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The Country School Board of Trustees Sarah Barber Laurie Bottiger, Ph.D., Head of School John Chobor P ’11, ’13, Board Chair James Cianciolo P ’00, ’02, ’06, ’09 Diana Glassman P ’05, ’07, ’09 Janet Scharr Gochberg P ’12 Lynn Haversat P ’12, ’15 Jennifer Jackson P ’11, Vice Chair Ed Keating P ’15, Secretary Timothy Kish P ’13, ’15, ’17, Treasurer Linda Lee P ’05, ’07, ’10 Kathleen McNary ’97 Peyton Patterson P ’12 Mauricio Salgar P ’14, ’16, ’18 Dean Singewald II P ’15, ’20 Michele Volpe P ’13, ’15 Heidi Worcester P ’09, ’11, ’15 Chris Zane P ’10, ’12, ’14

Our Mission At The Country School, we are committed to creating an environment which is both academically challenging and responsive to the social and emotional needs of growing children. Encouraging close relationships among students and teachers and cooperation between home and school, we foster a feeling of family. The school community strives to nurture each child, valuing his or her unique gifts in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

The traditional disciplines of reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign language form the core of our academic program. Because we seek to educate the whole child, the school is also committed to a vital arts program, strong offerings in physical education, and challenging opportunities for individual growth. Our teaching is spirited and promotes active learning. We provide experiences which are sensitive to different learning styles and stages of development. We guide students to discover their own strengths and develop confidence in their abilities to learn. Our program is rich and flexible, offering many pathways to success.

Alumni Board Members Jeff Burt ’61, P ’00, ’03 (Co-Chair) Diana Glassman P ’04, ’07, ’09 (Co-Chair) Suzette Bavolack P ’12 Katherine Cahouet Connolly ’77 P ’21 Linda Lee P ’05, ’07, ’10 Liz Lightfoot ’77 P ’05, ’07, ’08, ’12 Duncan MacLane ’64 Karen Rosenthal ’85 P ’20 Pam Sachs P ’07, ’11 Renee Smith P ’09, ’11 Dani Woods P ’06 Jeanne Boyer Roy P ’01, ’06, Director, Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations

We recognize our responsibility to prepare students to meet not just academic challenges, but personal and ethical ones as well. Our faculty provides leadership for character development, guiding students toward self-reliance. We encourage our students to look beyond themselves, to work cooperatively with others, and to serve their communities and the larger world. We expect much of our students, because we believe they have much to give.

As we honor the creativity, sense of wonder, and exuberance in childhood, we hope to stir in our students enthusiasm for learning as an exciting, lifelong activity. We work to equip each student with a solid mastery of essential skills, healthy self-esteem, and a clear sense of values. At The Country School, we strive to empower young people to reach their highest, not only in school but also in life.

Thank you to the many alumni who contributed to this issue of Country Connections. Your stories make us proud, proving that an education really can last a lifetime.

Email your news and photos to communications@thecountryschool.org.

See more news at www.thecountryschool.org.

Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter: @countryschoolct The Country School 341 Opening Hill Road Madison, Connecticut 06443 (203) 421-3113

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Table of Contents 4 New Leadership for TCS: Dr. Laurie Bottiger 4 Sitting Down with Laurie Bottiger: Priorities for The Country School 5 Remembering The Country School’s First Headmaster, David T. MacLane 7 Celebrating 55 Years of TCS Students Studying Under the Gaze of a Stuffed Archimedes,

by Jackson Holahan ’01 8 Alumni in Education Joining that “Noblest of Careers,” by Elizabeth Walbridge ’03 9 Alumni in STEAM Making Discoveries in the Laboratory: Zef Konst ’04 Designing for the America’s Cup: Duncan MacLane ’64 Working Toward More Women in STEAM: Marian Firke ’05 Studying Diet and Health in the Amazon: Doug London ’76 Forming a Strong Foundation: Eliza Nguyen ’05 The Next Steve Jobs? Jesse Youngblood ’04 Woman of Innovation: Elisa Jorgensen ’99 Motivating the Next Generation: Tyler Jorgensen ’02 13 Alumni in the International Arena Working to Advance Women: Stephanie Bradford ’04 13 Alumni in the Visual Arts Drawing Outside the Lines: Rebecca Joslow ’04 Jewelry Designer: Ann Lightfoot ’80 16 Alumni in the Performing Arts Performer, Choreographer, Writer, Teacher: Tandy Beal ’60 18 Alumni in Sports Passion is Universal: Working with female athletes in Mali, by Isabel Clements ’07 Sports Medicine: Dayne Mickelson ’97

23 Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Alumni at TCS Images from alumni events Loyalties that Never Fade: Alumni Reunion on Field Day 2011, by Mary McGee ’05 How Lucky Our Children Are: Excerpted from a speech by former trustee JoAnne Staten 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award: Ted London ’77 28 Save the Date First Annual TCS Golf Classic – June 25, 2012 28 Advancing The Country School TCS Unveils New Website Keeping the Founders’ Promise: Scholarship Fund expands, helping scores of students Giving Back: The Woods Family Embracing – and Exceeding – the Challenge Founders’ Promise: Making a Difference for Families 30 Former Faculty News We and the World Are Better for Knowing You: Michele Schofield Anticipating a Sequel: Former Head of School Steve Davenport on “Saving Miss Oliver’s” Climbing New Mountains: Former Head of School Bill Powers Honoring a Student: Alice Castelli Proudly Looks On Hitting the Road: Happy Trails to the Tuckers Looking to Make Meaningful Things Happen: Former Head of School Steve Danenberg Preserving Nature: Former librarian Christine Dauer Not Riding off into the Sunset Just Yet: Jim Storms is still at it From TCS to the Circus: Interim Head of School Martha Gates Lord Making Music in Texas: Catching up with Susan Wiles Still the DO-ER: Janice Crampton

20 Alumni Writers Maine Publisher: Nathaniel Barrows ’59

34 Remembering and Celebrating Friends Former Trustee Bill Elmore Michael Hallberg ’05 Priscilla Wood Dundon ’65 Connie Pike, Former Trustee

21 Alumni in the Outdoors Learning from the Woods and Waters and Mountains, by Kate McNally ’09

36 Class Notes The Amazing Alumni Board, by Jeanne Boyer Roy, Director Institutional Advancement

22 Inspired Parents: Alumni with children at TCS Karen Rosenthal ’85 P ’20 Katherine Cahouet Connolly ’77 P ’21 Other Alumni Parents on Campus

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New Leadership for TCS: Laurie Bottiger, Ph.D.

As you read through these pages, we think you will see many examples of education lasting a lifetime. Whether in a science laboratory, on the stage, or in a classroom where they now find themselves the teachers, TCS alumni are making a difference.

In this issue of Country Connections, we salute more than 55 years of Country School graduates and the many ways in which they are putting their education to good, meaningful, and lasting use.

We also look forward to The Country School’s next chapter, as, under the guidance of Dr. Bottiger, another generation of students is prepared to make a difference in our ever-changing world.

Sitting down with Laurie Bottiger: Priorities for The Country School Q: You have been at The Country School since July. During the past several months, what have you come to see as the school’s greatest strengths?

A: The passion that this community has is absolutely its strength. There is a deep, deep belief in what children can do, who they are, and that they should get to be who they are. No matter who you talk to and when they attended The Country School, there is this spirit of energy and fun which we call ‘exuberance.’ I see that spirit enlivened in every family, and it is a major part of what attracted me to TCS.

As The Country School entered its 56th year, the community was delighted to welcome Laurie Bottiger as our new Head of School. A visionary educator who has already had an enormous impact on TCS through her passion, energy, and knowledge, Dr. Bottiger came to TCS from Esperanza Academy, a tuitionfree girls’ school in Lawrence, MA, where she served as founding Head of School.

The second piece that I see is the deep commitment to academic excellence. This dual commitment – to rigor and to nurture, and never one in lieu of the other – helps guide our work as teachers as we encourage our students to explore, think, ask questions, grow, and at the same time remain authentically themselves. When children are educated in this way, with a true balance between rigor and nurture, we know that they will come away from their up-to 11-year experience at TCS absolutely ready for whatever comes next. It is a joy to be a part of that journey.

A seasoned educator who specializes in elementary school education and curriculum and leadership development, she has more than 20 years of experience in independent and public schools, both in the United States and abroad. Dr. Bottiger has several areas of interest and expertise, including utilizing brain research to inform teaching, character and affective education, and the advancement of 21st century skills, including STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), Design Thinking, and global awareness.

Q: Tell us something about yourself. What made you want to become an educator?

A: I come from a long, long line of educators, so at family gatherings everyone was a teacher, and at home everyone was a teacher. As such, you become good at what you experience all the time. My mother tells a story about me as a little girl. I was a September birth so I think I was three and really upset that everyone else was going out to get on the school bus, so I got dressed that day to get on the bus as well. Of course, they wouldn’t take me because I was too young, so my mother loaded me into the family station wagon and drove to a nearby Head Start program and said, ‘She’s dying to go school and I’ll do whatever it takes – I’ll volunteer – can you please let her in?” And so that was the beginning of my per se formal education.

Explaining that what attracted her to TCS was the school’s inherent balance of rigor and nurture, its commitment to excellence and to the whole child, Dr. Bottiger said she also noticed something else during her very first day as Head of School. “The Country School is a place that allows children to explore their passions, to become the best they can be – academically, artistically, athletically, and ethically,” she said.

“But perhaps most important, it allows individual students to achieve excellence and at the same time remain true to who they really are. That is a real gift. It’s what makes an education truly last a lifetime.”

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Remembering The Country School’s First Headmaster, David T. MacLane

I’m a school junky. I love learning. I will be nosy and I’ll read every bulletin board and everything that I can immerse myself in and think, “What else can I learn and how can I learn it so I’ll embrace it?” It might even be an addiction… I have a mental dialogue inside my head. I’m constantly saying, “I wonder, I wonder – what is the perfect setting for learning more?”

In late 2011, The Country School was deeply saddened to learn of the death of David T. MacLane, our school’s first Headmaster. Mr. MacLane passed away on November 25, 2011, in Oregon, where he had lived in recent years.

I love to go to school. I love my work. I’m happy that I get to share that love and hope that every child who attends the school where I am has the opportunity fall in love with learning too.

Q: What are the priorities for The Country School in the 2012-2013 school year?

Mr. MacLane was appointed Headmaster in 1956, one year after The Country School was founded. He served as Head of School for 11 years, through 1967, a time of formative growth in the school’s student body, campus, curriculum, character, and philosophy.

A: The Board of Trustees, the leadership team, and I have worked together to set our priorities, which include articulating a vision for the 11-year TCS experience and evaluating our programs across that 11-year span, beginning with an in-depth look at math, global language, and science, technology, engineering, art, and math (or STEAM). We will ensure that 100% of our teachers are trained in basic brain research and its implications for learning, and we will work to define and enhance team leadership skills. Perhaps most important, we will make sure our faculty have what they need to produce a world-class program with excellent outcomes for all students.

During his tenure, Mr. MacLane helped shape a community committed not just to academic excellence but to personal and collective responsibility; to kindness, patience, and the benefit of working together; and to the vital importance of embracing change and growth. In short, David MacLane laid the foundations for the school we know today.

Q: What future do you see for education? For The Country School?

A: It’s an exciting time to be in education. Twenty years ago, we began to realize that science can inform teaching, and so now we look at neuroscience and pedagogy – that art and science of teaching – and we couple them together. We know how students learn, how they experience things, and how they hold on to that learning to inform their next steps.

At The Country School we are in a great position, because parents here have always wanted their children to have experiential learning and to collaborate with each other; they want children’s ideas to be embraced. All of those are underpinnings for the soft skills of the 21st century, so when kids have to be excellent at collaboration, communication, and thinking outside of the box, that’s what The Country School has nurtured all along. When we couple that with our affective and character education programming, our outdoor program which asks students to work together to do things that people don’t think are possible, and our commitment to common core academics – including our belief that by engaging in challenge-based and problem-based learning exercises, for which the nouveau word is STEAM – I think we will lead the pack.

David MacLane in 2006 with then Head of School Bill Powers.

Although Mr. MacLane left his mark on countless aspects of The Country School, he is particularly remembered for developing the arts, English, and math programs and for growing the student body from a small handful to more than 100. Mr. MacLane also initiated the first Lois MacLane Poetry Recitation, the school’s oldest and one of its most beloved traditions, an annual recitation he established in honor of his sister, Lois. Each year during The Country School’s Prize Day, the David MacLane Creative Writing Prize is awarded to an 8th Grader who has shown fondness for and adeptness at creative writing, another of Mr. MacLane’s passions.

Our teachers are eager, willing, and energized as they continue to learn to be that world-class faculty. If my children were young, this is absolutely where I would have them.

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In an email after learning of Mr. MacLane’s death, Tandy Beal, a member of the Class of 1960, shared this recollection about her headmaster:

school’s 50th Anniversary. During that visit, Mr. MacLane was still able to recite lines of poetry his students had delivered during the Lois MacLane Poetry Recitation. Mr. MacLane’s son, Duncan ’64, has returned to campus twice to serve as a judge for the recitation finals.

Mr. Mac was kind and thoughtful. That first year, the school had purchased second hand desks. We each were to refinish our own – and then we would have the desk for the whole of our time at The Country School. (Wow, in the 50s, girls got to do shop – thanks, Mr. Mac! And he took us seriously ... a huge wow and thanks). At age 9, I got distracted sanding and left the sander on in the same spot and made a huge dent. I remember standing looking at it with him and he oh so calmly said, “Well, there it is. You can manage with that curve. What color do you want to stain it?” Truth told kindly and without blame – just responsibility. And I did manage...

David Tyler MacLane was born on January 20, 1922, in Utica, New York. He was raised in New York and Connecticut, graduating in 1943 from Dartmouth College, where he majored in math, English, and the arts. In 1945, he was married to Marcia Reynolds, who, along with her husband, had a tremendous impact on The Country School, particularly in the areas of art and music. Mr. and Mrs. MacLane’s two sons, Donald ’63 and Duncan, are both Country School graduates.

In Mr. MacLane’s later years, he became known for his landscape and abstract art and for his appreciation of music.

Survivors include Mr. MacLane’s companion of 15 years, Beverly Jean ‘BJ’ Blacy, Donald (Lorah) and Duncan (Jo Anne), four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. We were already planning to include the following item, retrieved from the TCS archives, in this issue of Country Connections when we learned of Mr. MacLane’s death. Although it resonated when we first read it, it bears even more significance now that its author is no longer with us.

Tandy, a renowned performer, director, and choreographer in California, also recalled the sense of connectedness, joint responsibility, and community Mr. MacLane helped create in the student body. “The first year of the school in Madison, he had us collect stones from the playing field – the whole school together! – for an hour a day so that we could play on it, learning about patience and working to get there, the whole school singing together, reciting poetry and words of wisdom, the whole school skating together, the whole school cleaning up the grounds together,” she said. “My mother told me a story about when she was picking me up, sitting in her car. In front of her a parent threw a candy bar wrapper out the window onto the grounds and a little 7 year old went over, picked it up, and handed it back, saying, ‘We don’t throw things on the ground at our school.’ Sharing at a community level was the daily lesson as we stretched our minds.”

CHANGE From The Country School Archives:

by David T. MacLane Written for the “The Owl,” a school publication, in 1958 The most exciting aspect of The Country School is change.

Young and growing, the School is dynamic. It changes and grows, not occasionally but steadily. It is not always the same, day after day, year after year. The students grow and change, the faculty changes, the plant changes, and ways of doing things change.

Country Capers, the school yearbook, included the following tribute to Mr. MacLane upon his departure after 11 years at TCS:

To some people change is frightening, something to be avoided at almost any cost. Such people want things to be always the same so that they know what to expect; the new and different they avoid as much as possible. This is a sad way to live since life itself involves changes. The very nature of growth is change; without alteration growth is impossible.

Mr. MacLane, the debt we owe you can never be measured. Neither can the hours you have devoted to all of us who have attended The Country School – hours spent teaching five different subjects in one year alone; spent planning the marvelous educational program for which our school is well known; spent with your wife and sons Donald and Duncan, in the early years, clearing the athletic fields of a hundred thousand rocks; spent studying new programs of learning; spent listening to problems from every different direction; spent discussing building plans for additions to the school plant … leading us in chapel, in the classroom, as a coach, Headmaster, and above all, close friend. In brief, sir, we do thank you and always shall thank you in our deepest thoughts.

The nature of any good school is growth, and we at The Country School should welcome changes necessary to our growth.

We should not resist the new, simply because it is different. We should meet the new with pleasure, select that which is good, and use it as a foundation for further growth which will lead to further changes.

The Country School extends condolences, to BJ, Duncan, and Donald and to their extended family. We also join the writers of the Country Capers tribute and former student Tandy Beal in saluting Mr. MacLane for doing so much to shape the school we know today.

Mr. MacLane was most recently back on campus in 2006, when he returned to Madison from Oregon to celebrate the

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As, in the following pages, you read about TCS alumni and the contributions they are making to the world, we invite you to join us in tipping our hats to the man who set it all in motion. Thank you, David MacLane, for laying the foundations for a community committed to academic excellence, personal and collective responsibility, and a willingness to embrace change and growth.

Mr. McGee’s musical interpretation class and tackling Shakespeare with Mr. Storms in 8th Grade English are two experiences that I remember fondly. Translating Latin for Mr. Wainio or trying to beat Hamden Hall under Mr. Perzanoski’s watchful gaze are two important learning experiences that you just won’t get anywhere else. It can take years away from a place to understand the richness of the gifts that were given to you while there.

A scholarship fund has been established in honor of David and Marcia MacLane. Watch for more news about the David and Marcia MacLane Endowment. Contact advancement@ thecountryschool.org for more information.

Mrs. Hartsoe’s science classes proved to be some of the most challenging, yet instructive classes I’ve taken to date.

There’s something special about a place that can at once be challenging and encouraging. My teachers at The Country School made learning important for me. It’s something I will keep with me forever.

Share your memories of Mr. MacLane with The Country School: communications@thecountryschool.org.

Every time I hear Pachelbel’s Canon I immediately fly back to sitting on the gym floor, watching Mr. Danenberg greet the entire student body as we gathered for our weekly all school meetings. I haven’t been back to Opening Hill Road in over 10 years, but in many ways, a great deal of it remains with me.

Celebrating 55 Years of TCS Students

In Lanterns on the Levee, author William Alexander Percy says, “Calling to mind with gratitude those to whom we are indebted on our journey is not only a sort of piety, but one of the few pleasures that endure without loss of luster to the end.” The experience that the teachers of The Country School gave me is certainly a debt that cannot be paid, and one for which I will forever be grateful.

Studying Under the Gaze of a Stuffed Archimedes

by Jackson Holahan ’01 1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to spend three years at The Country School, the last of which was more than a decade ago. The Country School is an important place and most of its students seem to understand this. Like all great schools, it’s the exceptional teachers that make it great.

After The Country School I went to Choate with a good number of my TCS classmates and then on to Georgetown.

I’m in the Army now, and since graduating Ranger School in October 2010 I’ve been stationed in Vicenza, Italy. I encourage any TCS alumni to get in touch with me if they are traveling through, or living in, Europe.

In addition to serving his country, Jackson Holahan writes book reviews for The Christian Science Monitor. TCS history teacher Sarah Barber says she still has an essay Jackson wrote because it was so moving. Jackson’s mother, Kyn Tolson, has her own memories of Jackson in history class. “I remember the morning I walked into Sarah Barber’s history class and Jackson and another student were standing on chairs wrapped up in sheets as Roman orators. Debate, Romein-Madison style.”

Jackson Holahan ’01 in a TCS history class.

Whether I was learning about the Islamic caliphates Jackson Holahan, Ft Benning, GA with Mrs. Barber or sweating summer 2010. over Mr. Bennett’s Billiard Ball project, each teacher made me consider the issues, and most importantly, made me grind it out to get there.

Mr. Shaw’s jazz band and Mr. Acheson’s wood shop and photography studio are just a couple of places where my peers and I did more than our fair share of learning, and not of the sort that is in the average classroom.

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Alumni in Education

respective fields, and I doubt she or I would be pursuing this path were it not for Mr. Acheson or Mr. Storms. Mr. Danenberg was not surprised at all by our choices; he had expected as much from us, and he wished us all the best in “the noblest of careers.” I had the opportunity at the reunion to experience a new closeness with my former TCS teachers as they shared with me stories, trade secrets, and helpful advice.

Joining that “Noblest of Careers”

by Elizabeth Walbridge ’03 Liz Walbridge back in the day at TCS.

Now, as I sit, preparing to teach at Choate this summer and at Andover in the fall, I find that the gaps between my former teachers and their former student are quickly shrinking.

Perhaps, we are growing to be something of colleagues. In this way, my time at TCS has given me two educations: the first being the excellent preparation for secondary school, and then the opportunity to learn from my teachers twice as they prepare me, once again, to venture out with both the knowledge needed to succeed and a new sense of self.

Yet again, I thank you.

Liz and her TCS mentor Jim Storms. Liz delivered a tribute to Mr. Storms at Prize Day upon his retirement from TCS.

Liz Walbridge is a graduate of TCS, Choate Rosemary Hall, and Boston University, where she received a BA in English and a BFA in Theater Arts. In a letter to TCS just before she graduated from high school, Liz wrote, “Every part of TCS made an incredible impact on me.

My teachers, especially, gave so much of themselves to me throughout my time at TCS, inspiring me to be the best I could be. They taught me such incredible lessons that I will take with me forever. I could never forget the kind of passion they devoted to me during my four years. I see myself teaching in the future, and if I could be half the teacher that they were to me, I could change the world.”

It looks like she will have that chance.

Returning to campus this spring for an Alumni Reunion, I was lucky enough to run into so many of my former teachers from TCS: Mr. McGee, Mr. Bennett, Mme. Burnett, Mrs. Hartsoe, and Mrs. Barber, to name a few. Perhaps it was because I was accompanied by one of my best friends, Rebecca Figler, that I was so easily recognized. In Middle School, she and I were inseparable. We did everything together, and we were even ridiculed together during the 8th Grade roast. One former faculty member who knew us immediately was Steve Danenberg, our beloved headmaster, and we lost no time in catching up on the past some eight years.

Sarah Hurtt ’02 is teaching math at Choate. One of her students this year is Alastair Clements ’08.

Quickly, we summarized: high school, college. We both continued to do well academically and socially after TCS, and we both felt fulfilled by our undergraduate careers.

Interestingly enough, we both decided to become teachers – Rebecca for art and I for English. It was during this encounter that I realized that our commonality had everything to do with both our passions and our foundation. Rebecca and I have been consistently nurtured by talented teachers in our

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Visit http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni in education, including:

Zef Konst, a senior at Haverford College who spent last summer and fall working in an Organic Chemistry lab at Yale University, never would have predicted that he would find an interest – never mind a career – in science and academia. But close to eight years after his TCS graduation, that is precisely where he finds himself.

Kathy Kalin Medlock ’77 a French teacher in Washington State Betsy Chin ’77 an anthropology professor at Occidental College Ted London ’77 a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business Adam Shaw ’86 teaching computer science at the University of Chicago Kathleen McNary ’97 an administrator at the Dalton School in New York City Chase du Pont ’98 teaching history and coaching at Hamden Hall Jesse Brockwell ’00 a full-time tutor for Learning Consultants Group, an educational consulting firm Emilie Waters ’02 teaching science and coaching fencing at Hopkins Rebecca Figler ’03 a student teacher at Ipswich High School in Ipswich, MA

As he did over the summer, Zef spent the fall semester conducting his own research project with Professor Seth Herzon at Yale, trying to create a spiroquinazoline molecule that is enantiomerically pure, or an exact geometrical replica of the natural molecule. Zef, whose work was featured on the Haverford College website, attributes his academic success to the encouragement he found in the classroom when he arrived at TCS for Middle School. Here is what he wrote to us:

Simply put, TCS was the most important and influential school I have attended. I decided to go a couple of weeks before I was to enter 6th Grade in public school. I was nervous about going into Middle School, having relatively poor reading skills and having struggled quite a bit up to that point. Needless to say, I bombed my entrance exam and was held back so I repeated 5th grade. The teachers were great and for the first time I started doing somewhat better as the teachers were much more approachable.

Alumni in STEAM As The Country School focuses on advancing 21st century skills, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, we are pleased to make a special note of alumni who are excelling in these critical and innovative fields.

It was at TCS that I first found a love for academics that I never had before. Math and science with Mr. McGee and Mrs. Hartsoe over-prepared me for high school to such a degree that I started to think of myself as someone who was actually good at those subjects (you end up finding out for sure in college...). The academics at TCS marked a pivotal point in my life. Although my parents assure me that I would have done fine without it, I don’t believe them at all.

Making Discoveries in the Laboratory: Zef Konst ’04

On top of the academics at TCS, the friends I made there have remained my best friends through high school and college. It was an extremely positive experience for me and really shaped my life in many ways. I think that Middle School is a precarious time period in people’s lives. For me, it was when I started to become interested in school for the first time, and I could have easily gone the other way.

This winter, Zef returned to Haverford, where he is co-captain of the squash team, to finish up his degree. He plans to apply to PhD programs in Chemistry. To read the article about Zef on the Haverford College website, go to: http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/53141/51.

Zef Konst ’04 in a chemistry lab (from the Haverford website).

“He looks exactly the way he looked when he was in my chemistry classroom,” TCS science teacher Terrie Hartsoe remarked.

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Designing for the America’s Cup: Duncan MacLane ’64

Girls and Science: Working towards more women in STEAM Marian Firke ’05 attends Swarthmore College, where she hopes to create a special major so she can study Chemistry and Education. “I’ve known since I was at TCS that I want to be a teacher, and I think it’s extremely important that teachers find ways to make science education engaging, especially for girls,” Marian said in an email correspondence a while back.

A recent report by the American Association of University Women decried the underrepresentation of women in science and math fields. The report, “Why So Few?” found that although women have made gains in STEAM fields, stereotypes and cultural biases persist, leading fewer women to enter and remain in the arena. Not if Marian can help it.

Duncan MacLane in 1st Grade.

Duncan MacLane today.

“Science is still an extremely male-dominated field, and the only way to change that is to inspire young women to become part of it,” she says. “And you can’t do that unless you manage to show them that, in fact, science can be really, really cool!

It still infuriates me that my 2nd Grade teacher (not at TCS, naturally!) truly believed that girls weren’t capable of doing math and science at the same level as boys, and that she graded me accordingly. My hope is that the special major combination will help me to progress further in Chemistry while also finding ways of passing my knowledge on to others.”

Researching Diet and Health in the Amazon

Duncan’s boat designs.

Duncan MacLane, the son of The Country School’s first headmaster David T. MacLane, is a renowned naval architect and world class catamaran racer who has played a key role in six America’s Cup campaigns. He was a member of the legendary Stars and Stripes 88 catamaran design and sailing team with Dennis Connor, and most recently was hired as a consultant to two-time defending America’s Cup winner Alinghi.

Duncan was also one of the main designers behind Patient Lady series of catamarans and winning skipper of the Little America’s Cup six times. In addition to his full time job as Vice President of Engineering at Express Marine, he serves as president and CEO of MacLane Marine Designs.

Doug London ’76 with his family, wife, Taxa, and daughter, Yasuni.

Doug London ’76 has been using his TCS education in the science, international, and human rights realms for years. This fall, he took it to Ecuador, where, with a Fulbright Fellowship, he is researching the connection between diet and health among Ecuadorian hunter gatherers in the Amazon jungle.

Joining him is his wife, Taxa, and their young daughter, Yasuni Tikal Leon London.

Duncan graduated from TCS, went on to Middlesex, and then received a BA from Swarthmore College. He began his career as a teacher, following in the footsteps of his father. Duncan’s love of – and skill at – sailing led him to change directions and become a naval architect. He went back for a second four-year degree in naval architecture from the Webb Institute, a naval and marine engineering college.

Doug is the author of We Were Taught to Plant Corn Not to Kill, a human rights book he produced with Mayan artists, including his wife, Taxa, about the Mayan genocide

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in Guatemala. He is also the founder of a human rights organization called Brainrights for the Americas and of a mental health clinic for the poor in Central America. Doug received his BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins, his MA in International Nutrition from Columbia, and is currently a PhD candidate in Medical Anthropology at Arizona State.

Doug was on the faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School for five years.

at Queralt. He does CSS/Web design for 1internetplease and AlbumSpotter, and is an iPhone developer for the upcoming AlbumSpotter app. In addition, he is the co-founder of a new adaptive learning engine startup.

Jesse was pleased to hear about The Country School’s commitment to advancing STEAM and Design Thinking.

“It’s fantastic to hear about the renewed focus on science and technology,” he said. “I believe that influence from an early age is extremely important, and completely believe I might not be where I am now had it not been for the experiences I had there. The Country School very positively impacted me in my time there and I’d actually love to stop back by sometime!”

“I always appreciated my time at The Country School and we learned so much beyond academics because of the great teachers and programs we had there,” Doug writes.

Developing a Passion and Forming a Strong Foundation: Eliza Nguyen ’05 Eliza Nguyen is majoring in History and Science and fulfilling her pre-med requirements at Harvard, where she is also writing for the Harvard Crimson. Eliza took a gap year between her senior year in high school at Phillips Academy Andover and her freshman year at Harvard, during which she researched zebra fish and stem cells at Pfizer. During that year, she came to TCS to speak to current and prospective families about her experiences at TCS and in the sciences. She shared this observation:

Woman of Innovation: Elisa Jorgensen ’99 Elisa Jorgensen, a medical student at Yale, was recently named a finalist for the Connecticut Technology Council’s Women of Innovation Awards. Elisa, who graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall and then the University of Michigan, where she concentrated in Biology and Women’s Studies, began doing research at age 16. She is currently studying the long-term effects of environmental exposures during pregnancy on epigenetic regulation in offspring. At Yale, she is co-president of the Women in Medicine student group.

She also mentors undergraduates in her laboratory.

I love that science is always evolving. The search for improved techniques and better information generates excitement among scientists and researchers. This past year, as I have been working in one of the stem cell labs at Pfizer, I have seen the passion with which my colleagues pursue their work. It is because of my education in science at The Country School that such passion resonates with me. The Country School science program played a large role in forming the foundation of my interest in the subject. Not only did TCS help develop fundamental skills necessary for research; it fostered the enthusiasm that has enabled me to do advanced scientific study today.

Motivating the Next Generation of Scientists: Tyler Jorgensen ’02

The Next Steve Jobs? Jesse Youngblood ’04 Although he is still an undergraduate, Jesse Youngblood has been an IT entrepreneur for years. While in high school at Cheshire Academy, Jesse founded and became the lead programmer for Tooble, a company that downloads and saves internet video. Working alongside him was his former TCS classmate, Alex Catullo, now a student at Northeastern, who oversaw media relations.

These days, Jesse balances his academic responsibilities at Carnegie Mellon, where he studies Information Systems, with his entrepreneurial initiatives in the tech world. Jesse remains the sole programmer for the Mac OS X version of Tooble and is also the lead software engineer and interface designer

Back in the Day: Tyler Jorgensen, left, and pals on one of the Outdoor Ed trips.

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You might say that the Jorgensen family is living proof of the power of a strong STEAM foundation. In addition to Elisa, siblings Tyler ’02 and Olivia ’06 are pursuing studies and/or careers in science. We recently caught up with Tyler, a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and Yale University who is now working in management consulting with a special focus on the pharmaceutical industry. Read about Olivia in Class Notes: http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read more about these and other alumni in STEAM, including: Andrew Griswold ’74 the director of EcoTravel for the Connecticut Audubon Society Marietta Lee ’83 corporate secretary and vice president with the Lee Company, an engineering business Nicole Clarke Henderson ’93 a government contractor supporting the EPA Taylor Bashaw ’00 a recent Cornell graduate now working as a materials engineer at Surmet Corporation Samir Gautam ’00 a medical student at Yale Ben Tyler ’01 who has his own business inventing parts for trucks and engines Emilie Waters ’02 teaching science at Hopkins Sarah Bashaw ’03 a Skidmore graduate who has been researching the early detection of cancer and disease markers in the body and plans to attend medical school Amelia Holmes ’03 who studied the intersection between art and the environment at Bennington College Gracie Brown-Geist ’04 majoring in Biology and Cognitive Science at the University of Virginia and planning to go to medical school Sage Aronson ’04 a neuroscience major at Oberlin Connor Ginsberg ’05 majoring in Biology at Boston College with a pre-vet concentration Elizabeth Esposito ’05 majoring in Environmental Science and Policy at Smith College Harrison Tross ’05 majoring in math-based Economics and focusing on game theory and industrial organizations at Brown Olivia Jorgensen ’06 a sophomore at Yale who, like her brother, Tyler, and sister, Elisa, is focusing on the sciences Amanda Stout ’07 interning in an infectious diseases lab at Yale Peter Augusciak ’07 studying at MIT Billy Irwin ’07 studying engineering at the University of Michigan and developing new apps

“I have a lot of fond memories of TCS and in particular am a strong believer that we need more young students motivated to go into the sciences,” Tyler said, adding that he believes the sciences “seem to have this bad reputation of being difficult with little to gain,” an assessment with which he clearly disagrees.

When he graduated from TCS, Tyler went on to Choate, where he focused as much as possible on science and math.

At graduation, he was awarded both the Physics Prize and the main general science prize. He went on to the University of Wisconsin because he wanted to attend a large research institution and also experience world-class athletics.

During the summer, Tyler did research in Biophysics for Tom Steitz, a Yale professor and Nobel Prize winner. “My research was in determining the structure of very large molecules using a technique called x-ray crystallography,” he said. “More specifically I was trying to solve the structure of a ribosome, the cellular body that is responsible for building proteins from our genetic material, which is one of the most basic processes in a living organism.”

He was so inspired by his work with Professor Steitz that he applied to transfer to Yale. After he was accepted, he began to also focus on applied mathematics and statistics, ultimately doing research and writing his senior thesis on modeling error-prone binomial data, “which in more plain terms I applied to developing statistical models that would predict the carcinogenicity of a molecule,” he said.

Tyler now works for ZS Associates, a company he describes as a general management consulting firm that is particularly dominant in the pharmaceutical industry. “Although it takes me further away from the research side, I really enjoy working on the business side of pharma, mostly because I feel like the decisions we make (or advise) ultimately have a bigger impact,” he says.

Tyler appreciates the foundation he received at TCS. “I’ve noticed that the hard sciences are something of a one-way street where people only drop out of them into other subjects/ majors (you never hear of somebody getting fed up with their history major and signing up for physics), so having a good foundation is really key to success,” he said.

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Alumni in the International Arena

Heather Lennon Beani ’84 who formerly worked as a chef at the U.S. Embassy in Rome and now runs her own exporting business in Italy Nathan Lane ’90 living in Switzerland and working for Butterfield and Robinson, a travel company James Matschulat ’00 who, after receiving a Masters in Medieval Scottish Poetry from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), is serving as Global Community Manager for a French company specializing in cloud internet storage Judy Joslow ’01 who studied abroad and focused on globalization studies at NYU and is now working for American Express Natalie Baumann ’03 who, after two different stints is Africa, is interning at The Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund, named in honor of Liberian President and recent Nobel Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Daniel Hartsoe ’05 a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a double major in Chinese Language and Political Economy Eliza Nguyen ’05 a pre-med student at Harvard who recently made her fourth trip to the Middle East, this time on a Kennedy School of Government trip Graeme Clements ’05 an international relations major at Stanford who studied in Cape Town, South Africa Angus Maguire ’05 spending his junior year abroad in China Marissa Irwin ’05 a Finance major at Boston College who is spending her junior year abroad in London

Working for the Advancement of Women: Stephanie Bradford ’04, an Athena Scholar Stephanie Bradford, right, and her family on top of the Met in New York City.

When Stephanie Bradford was at TCS, she loved her Latin classes. When she got to Pomfret, she continued to study Latin and also began learning Ancient Greek, which turned out to be very helpful in her Political Theory classes. Now in her senior year at Barnard College of Columbia University, Stephanie says “It is fascinating to study the works of Thucydides, Plato, Demosthenes, and Cicero in their original Classical languages.”

A political science major with a concentration in International Relations, Stephanie plans to go to law school to study international law. At Columbia, she is involved with the Columbia University International Relations Forum (CUIRF), which invites diplomats, journalists, scholars, government officials, and other political leaders to campus to speak and engage in Q & A sessions directly with students. In recent years, CUIRF has hosted the ambassadors of Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and Egypt and the editor of Foreign Affairs. During her senior year, Stephanie has been serving as chair of CUIRF’s executive board.

Alumni in the Visual Arts

Last spring, Stephanie interned for a political consulting firm that promotes global women’s issues and women political leaders. A participant in the Athena Scholars Program at Barnard, she would like to continue working for the advancement of women “because the percentage of women in political and other leadership roles is far too small.”

Drawing Outside the Lines: Rebecca Joslow ’04 When Rebecca Joslow was at The Country School, she had a transformative experience in David Acheson’s art studio. “Mr. A. chopped off the erasers of the pencils,” she said, recalling that she was surprised and frustrated – initially. And then she realized that what it really meant was that she didn’t have to keep her pencil on the same line. “You could be more creative,” she said. “You could use the line and go someplace else.

I didn’t see it before but now I see that it was liberating.”

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni in the international realm, including: John Burt ’71 who has lived and worked in Cambodia and recently produced the Cambodian rock opera “Where Elephants Weep” Doug London ’76 a scholar, author, scientist, and human rights activist who is currently researching the connection between diet and health in the Amazon Ted London ’77 a professor at the University of Michigan whose work focuses on alleviating global poverty

Rebecca has continued to expand that sense of liberation. An aspiring fashion designer, she entered her senior year at Parsons School for Design last fall. Rebecca sent us this report:

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Upon graduating Suffield Academy, I moved to New York to attend Parsons School for Design. This was the next logical step towards my career, which I determined in 6th Grade. Well, my choice of profession was clustered along with any other youngster’s dream of being a firefighter, doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, model, race car driver, etc. For me, it was between an astronaut or a fashion designer. Once I found out that one needs to get blood work done before take off, I decided a fashion designer was less scary, as no needles are involved.

Freshman year was challenging and many people dropped out, but somehow I kept going. That summer, I got an Accessories Design internship at Ralph Lauren’s Rugby brand. The experience was excellent and I won a competition amongst all of the interns to present my line to the head designers of Ralph Lauren.

Sophomore year went by and though it was stressful, I managed to land a show in Connecticut at Chester Gallery. That summer, I interned for a small luxury travel publishing company called MVP/NY for the magazines, IN New York Magazine and WHERE New York Magazine. These are in-room references for luxury hotels. Over the course of the summer, I assisted on scouted venues, organized fashion photo shoots and did market research for the Art Department. By the end of the summer, I had put together a four-page spread of the top trends for the Fall fashion September issue.

Rebecca Joslow ’04, painting in Marrakech.

Design by Rebecca Joslow.

Junior year was exciting, yet demanding and rewarding.

I wrote and illustrated a children’s book about a subway rat named Bradley, which was on display at Dacia Gallery in the Lower East Side. Back in November, I was one of 10 artists to receive a grant from NYU under the Emerging Jewish Artist Fellowship. I put together a culmination of drawings and multimedia pieces to provoke discussion about the intersection of religion and philosophy in modern day Judaism. In May, I was in a fashion event called Arlekino at a boutique in the Lower East Side. This was the first solo runway show of my own designs entirely. Needless to say, the night was a success and I am looking forward to summer because I will be working on brand development on a garment I’m launching at a New York City boutique!

“I loved my TCS experience and I wanted to give back,” Rebecca said.

She also had some great advice for current TCS students: Don’t just dream big.

Figure out what excites you and how to do it and just make it happen.

Postscript: Since Rebecca sent the above report, we have learned that she had a wardrobe stylist internship at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and worked as a fashion design intern for leading designer Rebecca Taylor. In December, she joined us at TCS for the Light Up the Stage Fashion Show, where she showed off her designs, talked about her TCS experiences, and offered her services for a fashion design workshop for TCS students – with proceeds earmarked for the Founders’ Promise Fund for Scholarship.

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of Erica Tannen Semple P ’09, former TCS Parent Council president, who at the time owned a women’s clothing store in Guilford called Glee. Ann began supplying jewelry to Glee and then a few more local stores, and the rest is history.

Jewelry Designer: Ann Lightfoot ’80

These days Ann’s jewelry can be purchased at local shops and galleries such as the Lori Warner Gallery in Chester and the Kimberly Boutique in Guilford. Or you can travel farther afield – to New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or London – and find it in Donna Karan’s DKNY stores. Ann’s work has been featured in Bon Appetit and Lucky magazines, and you can sometimes spot her one-of-a-kind designs on celebrities, including Diane Sawyer and Carla Hall of Top Chef fame. Of course, TCS teachers, students, and moms are some of her biggest fans; Ann has been kind enough to donate her jewelry to TCS auctions and events for years.

TCS is still very much a part of Ann’s life. Ann has been a TCS parent since 2002. Her oldest son, Joab, graduated in 2010, while Henry is an 8th Grader this year. Ann lives with her sons, twin daughters Agatha and Beatrice, and husband, Faulkner, in Lyme. To see more of Ann’s work visit www.annlightfoot.com or see her page on Facebook, annlightfootjewelry.

As a little girl growing up in suburban New York, Ann Lightfoot resisted going off to school every morning. That changed when her family moved to Connecticut and she enrolled at The Country School. Suddenly school became fun, and much of that had to do with the creative way Ann Kalin ran her 4th Grade class.

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni artists, including:

Instead of just reading books, students would create their own books – literally create them. They not only wrote and illustrated their stories, but they also made the books from scratch, stitching together pages made from hand-made paper.

Ann also remembers the art studio and woodshop fondly, and her parents Dick and Judy Lightfoot (grandparents of six TCS students, including two of Ann’s four children) still use a wooden cutting board she created at TCS. In a school where she could use her creativity and imagination Ann thrived, and she went on to enjoy the classroom elsewhere, in Lyme, at The Williams School, at Choate Rosemary Hall, and later at Harvard, where she majored in History and Literature. She even experienced the other side of the classroom, teaching English to Cambodian refugees in Thailand and then serving as the Bangkok-based administrator for World Teach in Thailand.

Jonathan Waters ’66 and Haiku.

Jonathan Waters ’66 a sculptor who installed his sculpture Haiku on campus this fall Adrien Broom ’94 named a photographer to watch by W magazine with shows this spring at galleries in Florence, Italy, and New York City Jared Madere ’01 working as an artist in New York City Antone Konst ’01 a recent graduate of CalArts now working in New Haven

When her stint in Asia concluded, Ann returned to the United States, trying her hand at several different occupations, from law to retail to fitness. What she found she really enjoyed, though, was creating – first pottery, then knitting, and finally making jewelry, a talent she discovered after she came across some interesting African beads on the street in New York and decided to make a necklace. She gave a few pieces away to family and friends and soon her designs caught the eye

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Tyler Lipp ’02 who graduated from Salve Regina University with a double major in Graphic Design and Interactive Communication Technology, and is working as a paper engineer at Structural Graphics Rebecca Figler ’03 now teaching art in high school Amelia Holmes ’03 an artist in Northampton, MA Devon Maloney ’05 studying art and architecture at Connecticut College Garrett Wilkes ’05 studying film and studio art at Colgate University Sophia Harvey ’07 studying film at NYU’s Tisch School

and the Oakland Ballet. She was the choreographer for Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas as well as for corporate events for the San Francisco 49ers, Oracle, Pixar, Lucas Films, MCI and more. To read more about Tandy and her myriad awards and accomplishments, visit www.tandybeal.com.

Alumni in the Performing Arts

Born into a creative family (she is the daughter of the late actors John Beal and Helen Craig, a former TCS trustee who directed plays at TCS in the early years), Tandy found The Country School gave her a strong foundation in academics, music, and art, as well as a “deep sense of what is important in life.”

We caught up with Tandy when she contacted us after learning of the death of her headmaster, David MacLane. In addition to sharing memories of the man she called Mr. Mac (see Remembering The Country School’s First Headmaster), she reminisced about the years she spent on Opening Hill Road as a child. She talked about clearing stones from the playing field for an hour each day so she and her classmates could play sports and about the whole school singing together, reciting poetry, skating together.

Performer, Choreographer, Writer, Teacher: Tandy Beal ’60

“You know, I simply loved The Country School and am so grateful for it,” Tandy said. “Having Latin from Grade 5 onwards, my vocabulary was set in motion from those early classes – and my love of reading. Having French from the get-go put us on a world stage and made us know we were part of something much larger.” She also tips her hat to Marcia MacLane, aka Mrs. Mac, whom she credits with providing wonderful art and music appreciation opportunities.

“I was given a great education, went on to more great teaching at Hopkins/Day Prospect,” Tandy said. “I never went to college, rather going to New York to work in dance right away, but find I am as well educated as most because of the excellent early schooling.”

Clearly the critics find her well educated and intelligent as well. She is a “choreographer of taste and intelligence … with a sure sense of theater,” The New York Times writes.

From the New York Post: Tandy’s work is “theatre at its most vibrant.” And the San Jose Mercury News: “Tandy Beal and Co. astonishes us and stimulates us thoroughly … the wonderment keeps you glued.”

Tandy Beal and the Class of 1960.

Tandy Beal today.

The Country School has a long tradition of alumni who have gone on to pursue careers in the performing arts, from actors and theater producers to musicians, opera singers, and playwrights.

World-renowned performer and choreographer Tandy Beal, a member of the Class of 1960, is a shining example.

Tandy has also been an educator herself, having taught at major universities around the country and in Europe and Asia.

She chaired the dance program at Cabrillo College for many years, and continues to teach at the University of California, the Esalen Institute and has been a guest artist at the University of Utah.

A self-described “performer, choreographer, writer, teacher, and dreamer,” she has worked on four continents and created more than 100 works, both for her own company – Tandy Beal & Company – and for other companies, including the Moscow Circus, Frank Zappa, Pickle Family Circus, the Baltimore Opera, Bobby McFerrin, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company,

When we spoke to her, Tandy was heading off to China to investigate a project there. After returning home to the Santa Cruz mountains where she lives with her “companion and coconspirator of many years, composer Jon Scoville,” she was due to return to China with Bobby McFerrin a few months later.

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We are looking forward to welcoming Tandy back to Madison, where she can visit the playing field that she helped clear and the classrooms where she used to recite poetry and study Latin and French. We’re not sure that she will be able to visit the desk she over-sanded (see her reminiscences in the story about David MacLane), but we are confident that she will be able to see remnants of the creative spirit she and her family helped foster, as well as the “deep sense of what is important in life.”

Dear Helen, June 2, 1957 The children are still so full of the play that they asked me this morning to call them by their play names, and of course I’ve obliged. They wanted to express their sentiments to you – those that were here. There are several casualties today. Poor Gayle, after recovering from measles and expecting to be back, came down with mumps today!

Our whole family (Chuck, John, and I) expected over the weekend to call you to express our congratulations on the production, but whenever we were all at home, we couldn’t get the line. But it was a lovely thing, brought forth from your blood, sweat, and smiles, as well as talent, taste, and all that is you.

Love and thanks, Kay [DeFrancis, the first TCS teacher]

Theater at TCS from the Archives Several years ago, while going through her parents’ boxes, Tandy Beal came across some hand-written letters from 1957.

The letters were addressed to Helen Craig Beal, Tandy’s mother, in appreciation for her assistance with a school play, and Tandy kindly sent them back to TCS for the archives.

We reprint some of them here: Dear Mrs. Beal, March 14, 1957 Thank you very much for all the work you put into our play, both in the choosing of it and especially for helping us to act our parts. It somehow felt good to have help from an expert. It was the best play I’ve ever been in. I truly hope that if we’re to have another play, you will direct it.

Sincerely yours, Renze

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni who were inspired on The Country School stage, including: John Burt ’71 whose Cambodian rock opera “Where Elephants Weep” earned him an audience with the Cambodian king Jerry Davis ’74 a movie and theater producer Daniel Shaw ’90 who serves as artistic director of Composer’s Choir, a music group in Middlefield, CT Conor Dubin ’91 an award-winning movie and television actor Paul Erik Lipp ’95 a celebrated musician and songwriter who has performed in the warm-up band for Bon Jovi and for the USO in Guam and Japan Jordan Lipp ’98 who has performed alongside older brother, Paul Erik, in the critically acclaimed band Clarias and now works as a production assistant on the Food Network Brian Mummert ’01 a Yale graduate and former Whiffenpoof who is studying to be an opera singer and performing in New York Katie Hartsoe ’02 a graduate of NYU, working in theater in New York City Charlotte Madere ’03 who majored in English Literature and Theater at Trinity College Dublin, has interned for literary agents and is writing a culture blog in New York Matt Siretta ’04 studying film at SUNY Purchase Katelyn Cunningham ’04 a stand-up comic Ben Firke ’04 writing plays at Wesleyan University Garrett Wilkes ’05 a studio art major and film minor at Colgate who

Dear Mrs. Beal, March 14, 1957 Thank you for taking the time in helping with the play.

Your pick was the best you could pick if you spent a large number of years. I think it was a good pick because it had more than one hero. I now see what you mean. A play is lots of fun.

Sincerely yours, Walter Greene Dear Mrs. Beal, March 14, 1957 Thank you for helping us with the “Stone in the Road.”

I thought you were very nice with me and the other people that got a little out of control. It was a lot of fun working with you.

Sincerely, Quint Waters Dear Mrs. Beal, June 2, 1957 I had lots and lots of fun practicing with you. It was a beautiful play. I think the fans and crowns were lovely.

The costumes were beautiful too. Thank you for taking so much time for practicing.

Love from Susan Wallace

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performs in the Colgate a cappella group, the Resolutions Allie Hershman ’05 a student at Suffolk University in Boston who was selected to perform the national anthem at a Celtics game Alta DuPont ’05 majoring in Psychology and Dance at Princeton Harrison Tross ’05 singing with the Brown University chorus Marina Sachs ’07 who performed recently at TCS and is now part of an a cappella group at Connecticut College Hannah Johnson ’08 leader of an a cappella group at Hopkins Ben Ballard ’08 celebrated thespian at Choate and Williams

The girls, ranging in age from 3 to 14, amaze me with their skills and fiery passion for the game. They yell at their opponents, rip at their shirts, thrust their seemingly frail bodies with astonishing might at the other players. Sometimes they seem angry and competitive, sulking when the other team scores, chastising a teammate when she loses possession of the ball, arguing over a disputed goal.

I have been told that the girls I am playing soccer with have a prescribed future. Like most girls in Mali, any formal education is limited; most will attend school for no more than three years. Sometime in the not-too-distant future, they are likely to undergo female circumcision, experience the first of many pregnancies, perhaps become just one of their husband’s several wives.

For two weeks during my visit to Mali, a landlocked Muslim country in West Africa where the annual per capita income is a little over $600, I hardly see anyone who looks like me or sounds like me. I don’t even eat off my own plate with a fork and knife, as communal platters and eating with fingers are the Malian custom. It is all so strange and foreign.

Alumni in Sports Passion is Universal: An excerpt from an essay about working with young, female soccer players in Mali, West Africa

by Isabel Clements ’07

And yet, when I hand the players the donated uniforms I have brought with me, I recognize the excitement in their voices.

Passing the soccer ball back and forth, connecting on a pass and scoring a goal, I share the smile, the arms raised in victory, and the triumphant cheer. Together, we wipe dust and sweat from our eyes and ignore the skinned knees.

Running alongside these small, agile athletes as they kick, brawl, and yell, I know exactly who they are. Watching these girls play soccer with the same passion and fervor with which my teammates and I play at home, I realize our connection.

We are no different. Passion is universal.

Isabel Clements, a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall, was recruited to play soccer for Lehigh University’s Division I Mountain Hawks. She wrote this essay about her experiences during the summer of 2010, when she collected hundreds of donated soccer balls, cleats, and uniforms and delivered them to Mali to support a program called L’Association Malienne pour la Promotion de la Jeune Fille et Femme, a program that seeks to empower girls through soccer. Founded in 2000, AMPJF currently has 1,100 girls playing on a network of teams across the country, and virtually every player on the team that won the national title is still in school, and still playing intense soccer, at 18, 19, and 20.

I hear rats scamper up the trees under which we sit. I jump, startled by each falling leaf, afraid one has slipped. The little girls bang sticks together and shout at the rodents in a language that is incomprehensible to me. Djenebou, the littlest of all the children, wraps a protective arm around me and whispers something in Bambara, Mali’s native language. She hands me her drink, a bag tied at the top with a small hole where she has chewed through the plastic to let the water out.

We feel a connection despite the language barrier.

Our water break is over, and the girls sprint back out to the soccer field made of dirt and stones and riddled with goat waste. Two sticks standing upright, with another stick tied across the top, form goals at either end of the field. Dust fills the air while sandaled feet swing violently at barely inflated ball that is brown with overuse.

Isabel thanks the TCS families who donated in 2010 and TCS Athletic Director Chris Wallack, who agreed to donate 50 used TCS uniforms for another delivery. Isabel also thanks Mr. Wallack, her first soccer coach, for his encouragement and support. When she was in 5th Grade, just starting out on the

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soccer field, Mr. Wallack told her she had talent and should pursue it. She thanks him for helping her discover her passion.

Kerry Wallack ’06 a basketball player at the University of Rhode Island who was featured on CBS as an up and coming player Jack Crampton ’07 playing basketball at Colby College T.J. Staten ’07 a standout basketball player at Loomis-Chaffee who is now a practice player for the Elon University women’s basketball team Peter Augusciak ’07 rowing for MIT Marina Sachs ’07 sailing at Connecticut College Sarah Bradford ’07 rowing at Connecticut College Katie Tyler ’07 competing at horse shows across the country Jordan Glassman and Will Steiner both ’09 winning accolades on the soccer field Alexandra Wagner ’11 swimming at Hand and helping to coach the TCS swim team MacKenzie Hawkes ’11 continuing to earn championships on the golf course

Sports Medicine: Dayne Mickelson ’97 Last winter, TCS Athletic Director Chris Wallack had a visit from someone he hadn’t seen in a while. Dayne Mickelson was in town to interview for medical residencies, and he stopped by the De Francis Gymnasium to say hello to his former coach.

Dayne, who didn’t graduate from TCS because his family moved to Washington state, still remembered his Middle School years fondly, particularly the man who mentored him on the basketball court. As Dayne (now 6’ 8”) told his former coach, he kept getting taller and he kept playing basketball, eventually going to Lehigh University, where he majored in computer science and did well enough with his teammates to play in the NCAA tournament.

After college, Dayne decided to go into medicine. He ended up at the University of Washington. When he stopped by TCS, he was interviewing for positions at Yale. His area of interest? Sports medicine.

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni who were inspired on the athletic field, including:

Kerry Wallack ’06 (left), a member of the Division I University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball team.

Margot Broom ’98 who recently opened Breathing Room Yoga in New Haven Alexis Sablone ’00 a professional skateboarder Alex Roy ’01 a law school student who, after a successful interscholastic career in the hockey rink, had an internship with a sports and entertainment law firm Stephanie Burnett ’04 who has had a successful soccer career at Bishop’s University in Canada Trey Benincosa ’05 playing lacrosse at the University of Miami (Ohio) Remy Lee ’05 competing at horse shows across the country Graeme Clements ’05 rowing at Stanford Chelsea Lipp ’05 playing tennis at Drew University, where she was named to the Landmark Conference All Conference Team Kat Lauer ’06 rowing at UCLA Nate Roy ’06 who, after a “redshirt” year at Hofstra, joined the Connecticut College men’s lacrosse team this spring with the hope of landing a NESCAC title

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Alumni Writers

After graduating from TCS, Nat ended up working on his high school newspaper, then his college paper, and then went up to Maine and stumbled across the Penobscot Bay Press. He has been serving as editor and publisher there ever since. A web cam on the web site overlooks the harbor from his office window. The web cam has about a thousand views each week from all around the world.

Nathaniel Barrows ’59: Publisher of Penobscot Bay Press

Nat Barrows, left, and his one classmate in the class of 1959, Walter Greene.

On a personal note, Nat tells us he and his wife, Ann, enjoy their children and grandchildren. Their youngest daughter married a local lobsterman. They live on a salt water farm property with their two children. The entire family attended the marriage of his oldest daughter in Scotland. She studied in Scotland, married a Scot, and the entire family was able to participate. His son works for the International Rescue Committee and has enjoyed assignments all over the world, including recent stints in Egypt, Haiti, Ivory Coast and Kenya. He has done community development work in Jordan and Afghanistan. In his various jobs, he traveled and lived on all seven continents by his mid-20s.

Nathaniel Barrows at his daughter’s wedding in Scotland.

For the December 1957 issue of The Owl, the TCS literary magazine, Nathaniel Barrows, a 7th Grader, submitted three pieces: a poem called Halloween (“Halloween is the magical time of year, When ghosts and goblins do appear….”), an essay about one of his hobbies (“An Interesting Experience: Stamp Collecting”), and “Critique of D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Piano,’” an analysis of the poem by the British author.

Nat tells us their middle daughter lived in Australia for several years then graduated with a zoology degree from the University of Tasmania in Hobart. She ran a marine research station in the Coral Sea off Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and is current living near them on the Island, teaching Spanish in the Island High School and working as a marine educator at the Marine Environmental Research Institute in Blue Hill.

Given that other students offered one or perhaps two submissions, it may come as no surprise that Nathaniel chose to make his living in the world of journalism and publishing.

A resident of Stonington, Maine, Nat runs the Penobscot Bay Press (www.penobscotbaypress.com), which publishes three weekly newspapers, books, and a website. It also has Facebook pages. A few years back, Nat was named Maine’s Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press Association.

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni authors and writers, including: Stephen Davis ’70 executive director of the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance at the Yale School of Management, and the author of The New Capitalists: How Citizen Investors are Reshaping the Corporate Agenda Jerry Davis ’74 a movie and theater producer who with his wife, Katie, recently published a children’s book, Little Chicken’s Big Day Greg Kats ’74 president of Capital E, a national clean energy advisory firm and the author of Greening Our Built World: Costs, Benefits, and Strategies Doug London ’76 author with Mayan artists of the human rights book We Were Taught to Plant Corn Not to Kill Ted London ’77 a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business who wrote Next Generation Business Strategies for the Base of the Pyramid: New Approaches for Building Mutual Value Alvin Bess ’77 who recently published his autobiography Betsy Chin ’77 a professor at Occidental who wrote Purchasing Power: Black Kids and American Consumer Culture

Nat bought the Penobscot Bay Press in 1968. He had graduated from college, and it being the ’60s, was interested in doing something independent. “The opportunity came to buy this little paper with the press and paper on an island off the coast of Maine and be my own boss,” he says. “I ended up doing that in 1968 and have been here ever since. Being in communications is a chance to make a difference. You give people information and they can choose to process it the way they like, but you can help bring about change.”

Nat came to journalism naturally. “I think it was the unfulfilled career of my father,” he says. “My father was a reporter for the Boston Globe in ’20s and ’30s, and he wrote a bestseller.… He became a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Daily News, and traveled all over the world in the 40s.

He won all sorts of awards and was nominated for a Pulitzer.

He was killed in plane crash in 1949 in India when he was on assignment. I was only 3 at the time, and I was the only child. My mom, I think, subtly programmed me to go into journalism.”

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Every morning at 6:30 I walk into the barn and climb into the hayloft. I toss down 20 pounds of hay to stuff into a container for our horse, Sal. Then I get water from the pump and feed from the barrel for the chickens. After I finish my chores, and my cabin mates have finished theirs, we all sweep the barn and walk together to breakfast just after sunrise.

Liz Lightfoot ’77 who wrote Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope Amy Westfeldt ’81 the 9/11 reporter for The Associated Press Jennifer Elmore ’85 a poet Conor Dubin ’91 an award-winning actor who recently wrote a children’s book, Kate’s First Mate Harry Bradford ’00 writing for The Huffington Post Sam Dangremond ’01 writing for Town & Country Magazine Jackson Holahan ’01 a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army who writes book reviews for The Christian Science Monitor Liz Walbridge ’03 who shares her experiences as a teaching fellow at Phillips Academy Andover in her blog, Middlemunch (or Great ExBake-Tations) Eliza Nguyen ’05 a pre-med student at Harvard writing for the Harvard Crimson Marissa Irwin ’05 a Boston College student who is a regular contributor to the blog Her Campus and the author of a blog Chic Plus Geek Bianca Salkin ’06 a sophomore at Villanova University, who shares her fashion insights in the blog College Fashionista Luke Sherman ’08 editor of The Williams School’s student newspaper Will Gregory and Alastair Clements, both ’08 editors of The Report, a current events publication at Choate Rosemary Hall

For the fall semester of my junior year, I am attending Chewonki semester school on the coast of Maine. If you haven’t already guessed from the description of my morning chores, it’s a little different from your average high school experience. All of the students are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the school and facilities. We harvest the food for our kitchen, help make the meals, split wood, wash all the dishes, clean bathrooms, do building and cabin repair…

Trust and responsibility are at the core of everything. We are responsible for our community and are therefore invested in it, and care deeply about it. All of the classes are based around the natural world and our relationship with it as people. We learn about the world through Agriculture, exploration of the Maine coast, and sustainability.

Within my small class of 41 students in Maine, I often find myself thinking fondly of another small class of 33 in Madison.

Returning to the comfort and support of a close community feels like a homecoming that I didn’t even realize I was longing for; something I haven’t truly been a part of since leaving The Country School. The true gift that this school gives is to allow us to be children, while challenging us academically. By connecting learning with the world and from the world, back to me, my joy of discovery has been rekindled.

Every night I see the big dipper low over the trees and think of singing around a campfire on the last night of the Southwest trip. Four years ago I was looking at those very same stars. In most ways I am the same as I was then, but in others ways I have changed. Those same stars are exactly how they were though, and will be throughout my time. I picture children camping in the forest of Kent, along the banks of the Delaware Water Gap, and in the Utah desert. Looking at that constellation during my fall wilderness trip while cooking over a pack stove with my classmates, I couldn’t help but think of similar scenes in my past and be beyond thankful that the school of my childhood so fostered my love of the outdoors.

Alumni in the Outdoors Learning from the Woods and Waters and Mountains

by Kate McNally ’09

Outdoor education has been essential in the way I view myself, and my relationship with the planet. I am constantly reminded of the fortitude, and the fragility, of the earth. This interest in the natural world started in my home, was kindled and fueled at TCS, and is now strongly sustained at Chewonki. Learning from the woods and waters and mountains somehow makes everything I learn in the classroom make more sense.

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about other alumni who were inspired by Outdoor Education, including:

Kate McNally ’09 at Chewonki last fall. Kate is a junior at Hopkins.

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Karen Rosenthal returned to TCS as a parent this fall, when her daughter, Tessa, entered Kindergarten in Clark House. She recently shared her thoughts:

Taylor Burt ’00 a chef at the Center for Whole Communities, a leadership development organization that fosters innovative and collaborative responses Peter Tucker ’00 leading NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) courses and “living his dream” Hilary Burt ’03 who has studied the environment and worked in a series of outdoor venues Amelia Holmes ’03 who studied the relationship between humans and the environment through a series of art and science courses at Bennington College Will Cooley ’04 who recently finished courses in Permaculture, Sustainable Living Skills, and Natural Building at Aprovecho in Cottage Grove, OR Vicky Cooley ’05 a student at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, and a certified Wilderness First Responder and a rock climbing instructor

When I was an 8th Grader at TCS, it was the first time I experienced the big fish in a little pond feeling – and what a feeling it was! Although the experience of being a senior in school happened again in high school and then in college, there was nothing quite like the thrill of being 12 years old and “ruling” the school. At TCS, seniority came with responsibility and in addition to the fun (Washington, D.C., trip with Bob McGee, serving hot lunch, working on the yearbook) we 8th Graders were expected to be the mature elders of the school.

When the time came to enroll my daughter in Kindergarten, we knew we wanted her to be a part of a special community. A community where the parents are all connected by a shared commitment to education and where the students are connected by being members of the same school family—from three year olds all the way to those sage elders—the 8th Graders. And so of course, we chose The Country School.

Inspired Parents: Alumni with children at TCS

There are many concrete reasons why we knew TCS was the place for our family. The educational philosophy, the beautiful campus, commitment to outdoor education to name a few. But there was also a feeling that I remember from being a student here that I very much wanted my daughter to experience. A feeling of being a part of a family that extends beyond the walls of any given classroom and one that envelops each child throughout his or her day. Kindergarteners cheering on the 1st and 2nd Graders at MacLane Poetry Recitation, reading buddies, holding hands while singing at the Winter Concert, a 5th Grader helping a preschooler across the monkey bars on the playground after school—I loved these interactions as a student years ago and I continue to delight in them as a TCS parent today.

Karen Rosenthal ’85, P ’20

As I think about the journey ahead, I think about my daughter growing here at TCS and experiencing all the school has to offer. She will memorize poems, go on amazing trips, play sports, audition for the school musical, become an older reading buddy, and one day, unbelievably, be one of those wise 8th Graders to whom the whole school looks up. We couldn’t be more excited.

Karen Rosenthal and her family: husband, Peter; daughter, Tessa (Kindergarten); and son, Milo.

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Matt Griswold ’81 was a proud parent in the audience last June, as son, Max, graduated from TCS. (Younger son, Eli, is a current 7th Grader; Max is now a freshman at The Williams School.) Matt continues to run Judges Farm, a wholesale grower of premium perennials, in Old Lyme, and this year – as he has for the past five years – Matt and his business partner, brother, Martin, donated all proceeds from their fall plant sale to TCS.

Katherine Cahouet Connolly ’77 P ’21

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to learn about other current parents who have children attending TCS, including: Bill Palmer ’71 (Blakeslee ’10 and Isabelle in 8th Grade) Liz Lightfoot ’77 (Graeme ’05, Isabel ’07, Alastair ’08, and Honor in 8th Grade) Chris de Chabert ’78 (Will and John in 2nd Grade) Ann Lightfoot ’80 (Joab ’10 and Henry in 8th Grade) Randel Osborne ’81 (Garrett ’08, Floyd ’10, and Roald in 7th Grade) Marietta Lee ’83 (Cashen in 8th Grade and Maggie in 6th Grade) Jeff Graybill ’91 (Scarlette in PreSchool)

Katherine Cahouet Connolly expresses a similar sentiment about her decision to send her son, David, to her alma mater.

I am grateful to be able to send my son, David class of ’21, to TCS. His class is in the Clark House. Miss Clark was my first grade teacher, and I loved her. It is great to enter a building each morning in honor of one of my favorite teachers! As I walk around campus, I am filled with many wonderful old memories. It is important to me that school feel somewhat like an extended family network at this young age, and the intimacy of TCS brings that feeling still today.

Chris de Chabert ’78 with sons Will and John, wife Katie, and daughter Jane.

Other TCS Alumni Parents:

Matthew Griswold XI ’81, known as Matt, and Matthew Griswold XII ’11, known as Max, celebrate Max’s TCS graduation.

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Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Alumni Events

In celebration of the 55th Anniversary, several old friends returned to campus. A painting of the Farmhouse was unveiled, a gift from local artist Cora Ogden, left, and the Lombardi family. Also pictured above are Jeff Burt ’61 (second from left) and Roberta and Tom Lombardi.

First through 3rd Place medal winners for the 2012 MacLane Poetry Recitation (there were two ties) with the MacLane Judges, left to right (back row): Former trustee Tammey Rooney P ’03, ’06; Duncan MacLane ’64; Paul Erik Lipp ’95; and Kingsley Goddard. Michelle Chan Brown, middle row, far right, a poet and creative writing teacher (and Paul Erik’s wife), also served as judge.

Former Heads of School Carol Robinson, Bill Powers, Ed Blatchford, and Steve Danenberg join Interim Head of School Martha Gates Lord at the 55th Anniversary.

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West Cove Gallery belongs to sculptor Jonathan Waters ’66 P ’02. The Waters family has been connected to TCS for three generations: Jonathan’s mother, Priscilla (far left), was an early trustee and founder; Jonathan’s brother, Quint, was one of the original students; and Jonathan (second from left) and his wife, Michelle (second from right), were parents for many years when their daughter, Emilie ’ 02 (at right), was a student.

Following the 2012 recitation and luncheon, a special celebration was held to honor the late David T. MacLane, The Country School’s headmaster. Duncan MacLane shared reminiscences of his father and the school’s early years and announced a scholarship fund being established in memory of his parents. John Chobor, chair of the TCS Board of Trustees, presented Duncan with a memento: the All School photo from 1957, which featured both of Duncan’s parents; his older brother, Donald; and a 1st Grade Duncan.

Past parents Deetsie Bradford and Laury Walker hosted a Parking Lot Reunion at TCS in June. The invitation cover featured a decade of class graduation photos and the following question: When your kids were at TCS, remember where you went to find out what was really going on? When you opened the invitation it said, “The Parking Lot; Yep, the Parking Lot.”

Last Spring the school community came together at the spectacular West Cove Gallery in West Haven for a special celebration and fundraiser.

To see more alumni photos, visit the Alumni Events page on the TCS website: http://www. thecountryschool.org/page.cfm?p=678.

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Present at this event were former students as well as former and current faculty.

Scores of alumni returned for reunions in 2011, including the traditional Fall celebration and a special alumni reunion on Field Day. In November, the Class of 2011 gathered under the school’s new electronic scoreboard, a gift from the most recent graduates and their families.

Many of the returning students were coming back for the first time since their 8th Grade graduation and were surprised by how much had changed on campus, while at the same time they were surprised by what remains exactly as they remember it. Walking around campus for the first time in six years Vicky Cooley, class of 2005, made two observations. First, that the gym smelled exactly the same even after all this time. And second, that even though the school had made changes in the past six years it was still the school she remembered.

Loyalties that Never Fade: Alumni Reunion on Field Day 2011

by Mary McGee ’05 Students throughout the years remember field day as a day of fun yet fierce competition.

No matter how much time has passed, an alum of TCS would be able to tell you exactly which team they were on and most likely how many years in a row their blue or gold team won the overall victory.

Other special attendees included former Head of School and “the king of blue and gold” Steven Danenberg, and the allteacher band They Might Be Teachers. The day kicked off with a performance by David Bennett, Bob Borden, Harlan Brothers, and John Gage playing songs including the well-loved “Countrified: Boom Like That.”

While the field day that you remember still occurs, this year former students were invited back to campus with the hopes of reconnection on a day that remains bright in their memories.

At 4 p.m., after the final baton race had been run (a blue victory, although the overall Field Day 2011 title went to gold), alumni gathered on the field for an old fashioned barbecue.

As many of you remember, this all-teacher band really knows how to rock, and their reunion performance was a special treat for former students and faculty who remembered many of their on-campus performances very well. Following the faculty performance, alumni Marina Sachs ’07 and

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Ben Gelfand ’08 performed and dedicated a special rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon to Mr. Danenberg. They even asked for Mr. Danenberg’s signature “Moment of Silence.”

Mary McGee ’05, a junior at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, spent the summer of 2011 in the TCS Alumni Office, helping the school reconnect with alumni. A double major in Media Communications and History, Mary hopes to pursue a career in Public Relations.

While this alumni reunion was designed as an occasion for alumni to return to campus and reconnect with former students and faculty, the day also had a larger purpose. This year, Michael Hallberg ’05 passed away and The Country School lost a beloved member of its community.

As a lifer, Michael was actively involved in many areas at TCS, and had an enormous impact on the arts program. In remembrance of Michael, art teacher David Acheson is reconstructing a sculpture that Michael made while here at TCS. When finished, the sculpture will be placed in the library.

In addition, responding to interest from donors, the Alumni Association established a Michael Hallberg Memorial Fund.

Read a tribute to Mikey on page 35.

Are YOU interested in being a TCS summer college intern and earning a stipend? This is an amazing experience for the right person. Contact: Director of Alumni Relations Jeanne Boyer Roy at jeanne.roy@thecountryschool.org.

How Lucky Our Children Are: A Parent’s Perspective

Excerpted from a speech by JoAnne Staten, former Trustee and parent of TJ ’07, Miller ’09, and Eddie and Joey ’11 Delivered during the Class of 2011 Alumni Induction Ceremony

TCS says in its Mission Statement: The school community strives to nurture each child, valuing his or her unique gifts in an atmosphere of mutual respect. And I think this class has really embraced this concept. They have been given the opportunities and the tools from a very young age to express who they are or figure out who they are and not be afraid they will be laughed at. This starts in PreK with circle time and show and tell, morning meetings and Friday all school meetings, 4th Grade Me-ology, and so on. This isn’t taught by text books or lecturing to the students.

It is taught by example – by the mutual respect shown by the teachers, and that respect makes the students feel safe and secure, which enables them to figure out who they are and to accept those around them.

The Country School is a place where a “kid can be a kid” but somewhere along the way they grow into the remarkable young adults we have here today. As I was driving by the school the other day with my 16-year-old son, Miller, he told me that if he ever has kids of his own he would enroll them at The Country School. When I asked him why he said, “Because it allowed me to be me.” Isn’t that what we should expect from every school? How lucky our children are.

A cardboard replica of Mikey’s sculpture.

Although our ties to team blue or team gold may have faded, the ties that alumni have to The Country School will never fade. The gymnasium still smells the same, and the faculty are still the same passionate, enthusiastic teachers you remember.

There was an amazing turn out this year at the Alumni Reunion on Field Day and hopefully next year even more alumni will be able to attend to reconnect not only with each other, but with the school that has always meant so much.

To read JoAnne Staten’s entire speech, visit the TCS website.

Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/page.cfm?p=769,

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Save the Date:

2011 Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to Ted London ’77

Fore! Join us for the first Annual TCS Golf Classic on June 25, 2012, a special event to raise funds for the Founders’ Promise Fund for Scholarship. Watch the TCS website for details or email advancement@thecountryschool.org to learn more.

Advancing The Country School TCS Unveils New Website Thanks to the generosity of several key supporters, The Country School was delighted last spring to introduce a new, interactive website, an invaluable tool as we showcase an education that lasts a lifetime.

The 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Ted London, an expert on the intersection of business and poverty alleviation. Ted, a member of the Class of 1977, is a professor at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a senior research fellow at the William Davidson Institute.

Ted returned to campus to receive the award, accompanied by his mother, Elizabeth London. Former teacher Alice Castelli also joined them for the celebration. In addition to receiving the award, Ted delivered a lecture – Building a Better World – in which he told students about his efforts to help alleviate global poverty.

A graduate of Daniel Hand High School, Lehigh University (BS, Mechanical Engineering), the Peter Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University (MBA), and the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School (PhD), Ted is the author and/or editor of numerous articles and books and a frequent lecturer. After visiting The Country School, he spoke at the Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University.

Do you know someone who should be nominated for a Distinguished Alumni Award? Submit your nomination to alumni@thecountryschool.org. Please be sure to submit your nominee’s graduation year along with the reason you feel he or she is deserving of the award. Thank you!

Visit www.thecountryschool.org to explore our new website’s many layers. Be sure to check out the slideshows, videos, news stories, calendar functions, and content, including a deep alumni section, where we are thrilled to be able to share our graduates’ stories.

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“The Country School has been a generational inspiration to our family,” Dani said. “We want other families to experience the joy of learning that our family has. Since 2006, nearly $500,000 has been raised for TCS scholarships. This fundraising helps reinforce the TCS mission of ‘creating an environment which is both academically challenging and responsive to the social and emotional needs of growing children.’ By supporting the mission, we are all creating a more diverse learning environment.”

We welcome feedback & submissions for our website!

Email communications@thecountryschool.org with your news, suggestions, questions, and comments.

Thank you!

Keeping the Founders’ Promise: Scholarship Fund experiences exponential growth, enabling scores of students to attend TCS

Dani points to her husband’s and her daughters’ experiences.

After he graduated in 1975, Bill went to Hand High School, where he thrived. He then went on to Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in accounting, followed by Suffolk Law School in Boston. He worked for Price Waterhouse, obtaining his LLM in Accounting from BU in Boston. Bill and Dani moved back to Madison, where he joined his father’s accounting practice, their daughters were born, and he and Dani became active members of the community.

The twins are similarly goal-oriented and civic-minded. After graduating from TCS, Tyler and Kendall attended Hamden Hall Country Day School, where they excelled academically and athletically and volunteered for various causes and organizations. Kendall is now a sophomore at Bucknell, where she is an English major (she says her inspiration was Mr. Storms, with “his passion and joy for teaching”). She is a reading tutor with Head Start and a club lacrosse player. Tyler is majoring in History and Political Science at George Washington University, where she interns for U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), is a founding member of an international association of marketing students, and also plays club lacrosse. (As her inspirations, Tyler counts Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Barber for “bringing history alive.”) Last year, Tyler and Kendall were co-recipients of the Greater New Haven 2011 Junior Volunteer of the Year award for work they did in Nairobi and New Haven.

Jeff ’61 and Taylor ’00 Burt

When in 2006, in honor of The Country School’s 50th Anniversary, Jeff Burt ’61, his wife, Allee, and children, Taylor ’00 and Hilary ’03, established The Founders’ Promise Fund for Scholarship with a $50,000 gift, no one could have imagined that their generosity would prove so providential for so many Country School children.

As it turned out, the economy took a nosedive, and when families found themselves unable to attend TCS – either because they could no longer afford to pay full tuition or because they didn’t think they could apply in the first place – the Founders’ Promise Fund was able to help many of them.

For the 2011-2012 school year, 20 percent of enrolled students received tuition assistance, including $119,000 in grants from The Founders’ Promise Fund. Since 2006, 50 students have received awards from The Founders’ Promise Fund.

The fund has also proven attractive to donors, many of them parents or alumni – and sometimes both – who want to give other children the same opportunities their families have been fortunate enough to experience.

Giving Back: The Woods Family The Woods family is a perfect example. Bill Woods ’75 and his wife, Dani, sent their twin daughters, Tyler and Kendall (both Class of 2006), to The Country School. Both girls are thriving, and all four want to give back so, as a family, they agreed to chair alumni giving to the Founders’ Promise Fund for the current school year.

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successful individual fund raising initiative in the school’s history and we are grateful for the outstanding efforts by Dr. Ballard, his team and all the donors who helped us raise over $112,000. These funds will help many deserving children to experience an education that lasts a lifetime.”

Embracing – and Exceeding – the Challenge: Founders’ Promise Endowment Established in Record-Breaking Year In 2011, an anonymous family came forward with a challenge: they would give TCS $55,000 toward creating a Founders’ Promise Endowment Fund, monies earmarked strictly for a scholarship endowment, provided the school could match that amount in gifts from other donors.

Making a Difference for Families Patricia Trapasso, the mother of one TCS graduate and one current student, also shares her gratitude. “Your generosity has enabled my son to attend TCS for the last three academic years, thus changing the trajectory of his life forever,” Patricia said. “As a parent, I know that one of the greatest gifts I can give my child is a strong education.

The Founders’ Promise Fund helped me do just that. I sincerely thank each and every donor from the bottom of my heart.”

In came Dr. Robert Ballard, the renowned oceanographer and parent of Ben ’08 and Emily, a current 8th Grader. At the request of the donor, Bob spearheaded a fund-raising campaign to meet the challenge, something he and his fellow donors not only met but exceeded, adding $112,000 to the endowment in a few short months.

“Our family is very fortunate to have been a part of this community for many years and to share in the educational experience that a child receives here,” Bob said. “The Country School is unique in its ability to provide an environment where children grow intellectually, athletically, and artistically, while at the same time acquiring leadership skills, self-confidence, the ability to collaborate, and a concern for others.

The Country School also thanks all of our generous donors. To learn more, see our Report of Giving or visit our Giving page on line at www. thecountryschool.org/reportofgiving. To make a gift on line, go to https://www.thecountryschool.org/ onlinegiving.

“Like many private schools, however, the cost of an education at The Country School is beyond the reach of many families, especially given the uncertain economy we live in. All of us involved with The Founders’ Promise Fund recognize the importance of a quality education and we are dedicated to providing that opportunity to children who would be enriched here but who face difficulties from a financial standpoint.”

Former Faculty News We and the World Are Better for Knowing You: Michele Schofield retires after 42 years in the classroom

The beauty of an endowment fund is that it will last in perpetuity. As additional monies are raised, the Founders’ Promise Fund endowment will continue to spin off a portion to be used for scholarship, ensuring that a TCS education will be available to deserving students well into the future, regardless of what happens with the economy.

All of which pleases Jeff Burt. “We are delighted that supporters of this wonderful school understand the importance of offering a TCS education to those who otherwise would not be able to afford it,” Jeff said. “Our founders never envisioned an exclusive institution, but rather one that would create an open and diverse community of learners.”

Trustee Timothy Kish, chair of the Board’s Finance Committee, shared a similar sentiment. “The Board wants everyone who was involved in this campaign to accept our sincere thanks and appreciation,” he said. “This was the most

Students present an origami mobile – and lots of hugs – to Madame Schofield upon her retirement.

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After 42 years in education and nearly 20 years teaching world languages at The Country School, Michele Schofield retired at the end of December.

While he was Head of School, Bill Powers made it a point to accompany 8th Graders and their advisors on the Southwest Trip, and he often joked that he had a standard question when he interviewed faculty members: Do you own a pair of hiking boots?

“A consummate student as well as teacher, Mme. Schofield has decided to retire from her day job as a world languages teacher at The Country School so that she can explore some of the other arenas that interest her and also spend more time with her family,” Head of School Laurie Bottiger said in announcing Michele’s retirement. “I know that she will keep learning and teaching, and the lessons she has shared with so many of her students over the decades will stay with us forever.”

So it may come as no surprise that after Mr. Powers resigned from TCS he took on a new post with Mountain Workshop, the outdoor adventure company that partners with TCS for our Middle School excursions. These days, he has traded in the suits and ties for an outfit of hiking boots and wool socks. He still looks good in a suit, though, and students were delighted to welcome him in October when he returned to campus to celebrate the life and contributions of former trustee Bill Elmore.

On the final day of school before the winter break, students arrived in Mme. Schofield’s classroom for a surprise celebration, presenting her with a range of handmade gifts – from a book of thank you notes made by students in PreK to a mobile featuring a globe and peace cranes made by 3rd Graders. The mobile bore the following message: We and the world are better for knowing Michele Schofield.

Honoring a Student: Alice Castelli is on hand as her former student receives Distinguished Alumni Award

Anticipating a Sequel: Former Head of School updates us on life at the fictional “Miss Oliver’s School” So many of us enjoyed Saving Miss Oliver’s, the first novel by former Head of School Steve Davenport, and we can’t wait to read the sequel. Like his first endeavor, this next one will focus on the life of (or lives inside) a fictional independent girls’ boarding school, Miss Oliver’s.

“I’ve just finished what I think is a pretty decent draft of the sequel to SMO,” Mr. Davenport writes. “It covers the next year and is told in first person by Rachel Bickham [readers of SMO will recall that Rachel Bickham took over as head of school at the end of the novel]. It has been interesting to inhabit the mind of a 36-year-old African American woman as an 80-yearold white man.”

A wearer of many hats during her years at TCS (from teacher to admission director), Alice Castelli returned to campus last winter to see her former student, Ted London ’77, receive the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award.

TCS is hoping that Mr. Davenport will visit campus and give us a reading of his latest book, as he did with his first. For anyone who hasn’t read Saving Miss Oliver’s, a copy is available in the Elmore Library.

Hitting the Road: Happy Trails to the Tuckers Former Middle School teacher Lois Tucker and her husband, former substitute teacher/basketball coach Skip Tucker, report that they have sold their house and hit the road.

Climbing New Mountains: Former Head of School Bill Powers

“We are pretty lucky to have our boys spread out all over the country so we can visit cool places to see them,” Lois tells us.

“This has brought us to selling our house and getting ready to become gypsies for several months until we decide where we will park ourselves for the next few years. It will definitely be out West, and a good possibility is Santa Fe. We’ll see in a few months after traveling around in our truck and trailer to see what is out there for us. It’s pretty liberating to take off unencumbered, but there are some sweaty palms about this whole unknown as well.” Happy and safe travels, Tuckers!

(Read about the Tucker boys on line in class notes: www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes)

Mr. Powers received a rock star’s greeting when he returned to campus this fall for a special event to remember former trustee Bill Elmore.

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Still Looking to Make Meaningful Things Happen Former Head of School Steve Danenberg is enjoying retirement but hasn’t slowed down much.

Last summer, he and his wife, Mary, traveled to Greece, the first time they had been there since 1970.

He and his entire family, including grandchildren Caroline and Christopher, now 6 and 10, also spent a week in Cape Cod.

From TCS to the Circus: Interim Head of School Martha Gates Lord takes on new challenge When Head of School Bill Powers announced in the late spring of 2010 that he planned to step down after six years at the helm, The Country School was fortunate to bring in Martha Gates Lord as Interim Head of School.

Working alongside faculty, administration, staff, and the Board of Trustees, Mrs. Lord helped guide the school through initiatives begun under Mr. Powers’ tenure: re-accreditation by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools; the creation and launching of an interactive, new school website; and the dramatic expansion of the Founders’ Promise Fund for

Mr. Danenberg served as honorary chair of Alumni Reunion on Field Day. He even pulled out his blue and gold tee-shirt for the occasion.

Mr. Danenberg volunteers weekly for Habitat for Humanity, where he is helping with the permitting process to build a house in Norwich and through which he supervises a crew from York correctional institute in maintaining the area around the Habitat office in New London. He also continues to be active politically.

Mr. Danenberg was touched when, during Prize Day 2011, the Spirit and Passion Award was renamed in his honor. As he wrote to a faculty member afterward, “During my long life in five different independent schools, I worked with many great faculty and staff. TCS is blessed to have the most dedicated, hard-working, strong-willed, mission-driven (obsessed), loving, caring, trusting, and nurturing group of educators with whom I have ever had the privilege of working. They, all together, made meaningful things happen.”

Preserving Nature Christine Dauer, former TCS librarian, writes that she misses the people at TCS. She reports that she “went to Denali this summer and the outdoor program helped me see it through appreciative eyes of what is out there in nature that needs to be preserved.”

Not Riding off into the Sunset Yet: Jim Storms Seventh Graders and their teachers were thrilled to have an old friend escort them on their traditional bike ride around Wethersfield to study the setting of the novel Witch of Blackbird Pond. Even though he officially retired almost two years ago, beloved former English teacher Jim Storms has joined 7th Graders and their teachers to squire them around the town he grew up in and knows so well.

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Scholarship. Among other initiatives, such as a fund-raiser that enabled campus-wide technology improvements, the year also saw the successful completion of a nationwide search that resulted in Dr. Laurie Bottiger being named Head of School.

After leaving TCS, Mrs. Lord took over as interim executive director of the Big Apple Circus.

building the music program at All Saints’ Episcopal School.

She directs two choirs, teaches three piano classes, directs a chamber orchestra, and advises the lab band. “John Gage [former TCS band teacher] and I laugh,” she says. “He is directing 9th Grade choir in addition to his bands, and I am directing an orchestra in addition to my choirs!”

Making Music in Texas: Catching up with Susan Wiles We were delighted to catch up with former music teacher Susan Wiles through Facebook. Susan, who accompanied her husband, Preston, to Texas after he was named the George and Ann Race Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, writes that she is busy

Susan is also musical director for the school’s musical, Little Shop of Horrors, “so basically I have no life now. But it’s all good. I LOVE teaching high school; my students are smart and nice – a great combination – and the school is great AND we are out of the silent phase and into the active phase of fundraising to build a state of the art Fine Arts Center.”

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was also deeply involved in long range planning, through which he sought to strengthen and sustain the school community and create an environment that would encourage development of the unique gifts, confidence, and independence of each student.

“That said,” she continues, “I REALLY MISS EVERYONE AT TCS — I always have a desire to sleep under the skies in October and June, and I think of the choir and kids on the holiday concert date.”

Still a DO-ER: Janice Crampton Former Director of External Relations (DOER) Janice Crampton continues to DO a lot. The executive director of the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals, Janice oversees an organization that touches thousands of individual and school members all over the world. Janice and AISAP were on campus in December for a workshop for admission professionals and trustees.

Perhaps Bill’s greatest legacies are ones that can’t be seen.

Instrumental in crafting The Country School Mission Statement, Bill’s life philosophies are embodied in the document that guides every facet of The Country School: a belief in the whole child; an assumption that a school has the responsibility to nurture each child, valuing his or her unique gifts in an atmosphere of mutual respect; an understanding that a school is responsible for preparing students to meet personal and ethical challenges as well as academic ones; the notion that a school should empower students to reach their highest, both in school and in life; and the assumption that all of this should be accomplished while still honoring the creativity, sense of wonder, and exuberance of childhood.

Do you have a memory of a TCS teacher you would like to share? Are you a TCS teacher who would like to share your news? Post your tribute and/or news on Facebook (go to TCS Alumni) or email us at alumni@thecountryschool.org.

In November, close to 40 members of the TCS community gathered in the Elmore Library to remember, celebrate, and honor Bill as a former trustee, past parent, and dear friend.

Remembering and Celebrating Friends Who are No Longer with Us Former Trustee Bill Elmore: A special gift for leading and listening When longtime TCS trustee Robert W. Elmore died on October 20, 2009, at Yale-New Haven Hospital, his passing was mourned by family and friends from many quarters. The Country School, just one of dozens of endeavors to which Bill had dedicated countless hours, was both bereft at Bill’s loss and grateful for his immeasurable contributions.

Bill served TCS in a variety of capacities for 20 years, bringing a calm, peaceful, effective force to all he did. Bill literally touched every area of the school, serving as a member or chair of Development, Long Range Planning, Finance, Buildings and Grounds, and the Committee on Trustees. He also served on the Search Committees that brought Ed Blatchford and Steven Danenberg to TCS as Heads of School.

One of his most visible legacies is having chaired the most successful capital campaign in TCS history, resulting in the building of the Blatchford Learning Center. The centerpiece of that building is the Elmore Library, named in his honor. Bill

Enjoying a light moment as friends recall former trustee Bill Elmore and his many contributions to TCS.

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During the celebration, Middle School teacher Bob McGee unveiled the Elmore Initiative for Leadership and Listening, an attempt to honor – and give life to – the unique qualities that Bill brought to TCS. The Elmore Initiative will “take some of the skills Bill modeled so well, teach them to our kids, and allow them to go out and be effective leaders,” Bob said.

Watch for more news about the Elmore Initiative and how it is being implemented at TCS.

Remembering Mikey: A Tribute to Michael Hallberg ’05 Members of the TCS community turned out in force to remember Michael Hallberg, a beloved member of the Class of 2005, who died in November 2010. Remembered for his kindness, his unforgettable and ever-present grin, and his sense of mischief, Mikey was everyone’s friend.

Those who came together to remember and celebrate Bill included: former Heads of School Ed Blatchford and Bill Powers; former faculty members Beth Lane, Alice Castelli, Jim Storms, Jane Shaw, and Peggy Chappell; former trustees Starr Sayres, Barbara Novick, Tammey Rooney, Fred Murphy, and Susan Cayer Stout; Bill’s wife, Sharon, and daughter Jennifer ’85; as well as many other friends.

Head of School Laurie Bottiger welcomed the special guests back to campus, saying, “You’re really not guests here; this is your home. So welcome home.”

During his memorial service at The Williams School, almost the entire Class of 2005 was in attendance, along with several other former schoolmates and faculty and staff members.

When Daniel Hartsoe ’05 walked to the front of the auditorium to read a Chinese proverb, his TCS classmates stood up and joined him as, together, they remembered their inimitable classmate.

Back at school, teachers went through their photo albums and found pictures of Mikey, starting with his first day of PreK. In almost every photo, he was smiling from ear to ear, his eyes sparkling. The photos were collected in an album for the Hallberg family, mom Susan, Dad Jon, sisters Sarah ’96 and Liz ’98, and brother James ’03.

As reported in “Loyalties that Never Fade: Alumni Reunion on Field Day 2011” by Mary McGee ’05, art teacher David Acheson also went through his archives and found several images of Michael’s artwork. He has recreated one of Michael’s sculptures, which will be on display outside the library, permanently commemorating Mikey’s creative spirit.

Priscilla Wood Dundon ’65 The Country School was saddened to learn of the death of Priscilla Wood Dundon, who died on Sept. 8, 2009, at the age of 56 at her home in Bristol, ME. After attending TCS, Priscilla graduated from The Williams School in 1969 and entered Mount Holyoke College with the Class of 1973.

In 1985, she graduated from Yale College with a major in American Studies, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

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She was the daughter of the late Walter B. Dundon, Jr., and Clarissa V. Dundon, of Bristol. She and her mother owned an antiques business, specializing in fine early American furniture. She is survived by her mother; her sister, Martha Dundon Dunlap, Class of 1964, and her husband Mark E. Dunlap of Yarmouth, ME, as well as by three nephews and a niece.

Class of 1963 Condolences to Donald MacLane on the passing of his father, The Country School’s first headmaster, David MacLane.

Donald and his wife, Lorah, live in Portland, OR. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Class of 1964 We also extend condolences to Duncan MacLane. Duncan has been back on campus several times recently, both to judge the Lois MacLane Poetry Recitation and for a special celebration to honor the memory of his parents.

Connie Pike, Former Trustee, Advocate for Education, Open Space, the Environment When longtime TCS trustee Constance Pike of Old Lyme passed away on Sept. 5, 2009, The Country School – and the shoreline area – lost a great friend. Throughout her life, Connie was committed to family, friends, education, and the love of learning. She was also committed to the responsibilities of citizenship, social justice, the preservation of open space, and the environment. For many years, Connie devoted her considerable energies to The Country School, where daughter, Adele, and son, William, were students.

Duncan is a naval architect and world-class catamaran racer who played a key role in six America’s Cup campaigns. (See “Alumni in STEAM” for more information.)

In the past few months, Duncan has also taken on a new mission at TCS: to honor the memory of his parents in a way that these lifelong educators would have found most meaningful; Duncan has established the David and Marcia MacLane Endowment for Scholarship to support tuition assistance at The Country School.

Class Notes

“I am a firm believer in the importance of scholarship efforts, both to the individual students who receive them and also to the life of a school,” Duncan said. “I was the beneficiary of scholarships throughout my education, and I know that without that support I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Below, find Class Notes from the first two decades of students at TCS. Visit the website, www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read about alumni in subsequent decades. If you have news or photos you would like to share, please email submissions to alumni@thecountryschool.org.

Duncan believes his parents would be thrilled to see that The Country School is thriving, and he knows they would be delighted that, in their honor, “we will be able to make the TCS experience available to more deserving children.” To learn more about the David and Marcia MacLane Endowment for Scholarship, contact advancement@thecountryschool.org.

Class of 1959 We were pleased to catch up recently with Nathaniel Barrows, one of two members of the Class of 1959. Read more about Nathaniel and his career in publishing in “Alumni Writers.”

Class of 1965 The Country School was saddened to learn of the death of Priscilla Wood Dundon. Read “Remembering Old Friends” for more information.

Class of 1960 Tandy Beal shared her recollections of TCS in its early days and on the school’s first headmaster in “Inspired on Stage: Alumni in the Performing Arts” and “Remembering The Country School’s First Headmaster, David T. MacLane.”

Tandy is an award-winning choreographer and performer who has appeared on stages across the globe. We look forward to welcoming her to The Country School’s stage in the near future!

Class of 1966 Jonathan Waters hosted a spectacular 55th Anniversary celebration for TCS at his West Cove Gallery in West Haven.

Jonathan, a renowned artist, opened his gallery and studio for the event, “Celebrating 55 Years of Creativity,” providing a setting that couldn’t have been more fitting. Visit http:// www.thecountryschool.org/cf_media2/index.cfm?chnl=33 to see more photos from the event. This fall, Jonathan returned to TCS to install his sculpture, Haiku, on campus. You can’t miss it when you arrive on campus; it sits on top of a bed of shells (in homage to Jonathan’s previous career as an oyster fisherman) in front of the Farmhouse.

Class of 1961 Jeff Burt continues to be an alumnus extraordinaire, leading the TCS Alumni Association and serving as the founder and prime cheerleader for the Founders’ Promise Fund for Scholarship. Read more about Jeff and his efforts in “Living the Founders’ Mission: Expanding the Founders’ Promise Fund for Scholarship.” The Country School is indebted to the Burt family for many years of service to and leadership at The Country School. Jeff was a co-recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Class of 1970 Stephen Davis serves as executive director of Yale University School of Management’s Millstein Center for Corporate

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Governance and Performance and lecturer on the Yale SOM faculty. He is the co-author of The New Capitalists: How Citizen Investors are Reshaping the Corporate Agenda. Steve’s son, Gabriel, graduated from TCS in 2010.

was the original concept creator and scientific consultant for All Bird TV, a cable television series on bird watching that aired on Discovery’s Animal Planet. He also helped create the Connecticut River Eagle Festival, he has conducted bird surveys for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and he leads trips for the Connecticut Audubon Society to Canada, Texas, South Florida, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, and other destinations. He lives in Essex with his wife, Mirlou, and son, Sam.

Class of 1971 John Burt is working on his Ph.D. in expressive arts therapy.

Although he did his coursework at Columbia, the teaching component of John’s doctoral program has been taking place in Switzerland. In addition to pursuing his doctorate, John continues to be involved in theater and Cambodia. Last year he was summoned to Phnom Penh for an audience with the Cambodian king, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni. The king wanted to see the individuals responsible for “Where Elephants Weep,” a modern Cambodian rock opera which John helped produce. John is the Founding Board Chair Emeritus of Cambodian Living Arts, an organization that works to support the revival of traditional Khmer performing arts and inspires contemporary artistic expression. John was The Country School’s 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Class of 1975 Bill Woods and his wife, Dani, are serving as chairs of The Country School’s Founders’ Promise Fund effort for 20112012. Their daughters, Kendall and Tyler, are members of the TCS Class of 2006. Read more in “Giving Back: The Woods Family.”

Last year was the first year Lauren Fusco Baumann hasn’t had a child at TCS in many years. Oldest daughter, Natalie ’03, started in PreK (she recently graduated from Colorado College), and youngest child, David ’10, began PreK in 2000 (he is in his sophomore year at The Hopkins School). Middle child, Janie ’05, started PreK and is now a junior at Ole Miss.

For most of her children’s time at TCS, Lauren was an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Trustees and working with the Alumni Association. Although she may no longer have one of her offspring enrolled at TCS, she does still have a connection: Godson, David Connolly (son of Katherine Cahouet Conolly ’77 and Joe Connolly) is now in the TCS PreK class.

Class of 1974 Jerry Davis and his wife, Katie, have published a children’s book, Little Chicken’s Big Day. Jerry, a movie and theater producer who was one of the brains behind Toy Story, Robots, and Ice Age, was The Country School’s 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Greg Kats is the senior director of and director of climate change policy for Good Energies, a global private investment firm in renewable and clean energy technologies. He recently wrote Greening Our Built World: Costs, Benefits and Strategies, published by Island Press, a resource for professionals seeking to cost-effectively green their buildings and communities.

Greg, who was The Country School’s 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, is a founder of New Resource Bank and serves as Chair of the Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group for LEED, the US green building standard.

Greg served as the Director of Financing for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy and co-founded and chaired the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, his MBA from Stanford, and his MPA from Princeton.

Class of 1976 Doug London We caught up with Doug London just before he left for Ecuador with his wife and young daughter. Doug will be there working with the last remaining hunter-gatherer group in Ecuador, researching and living in the Amazon jungle to study the connection between diet and health. Read more in “Alumni in STEAM.” Class of 1977 Ted London, a professor at the University of Michigan, was awarded the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his effort to alleviate global poverty. Read more in “2011 Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to Ted London ’77.”

When he received his Distinguished Alumni Award, Greg returned to campus to speak with students about how his experiences at TCS helped inspire him to work on behalf of the environment. (His stories included finding salamanders behind the baseball backstop.)

Annette Sachs Cook designs handbags through her company, Pink Tulips. She lives in Killingworth, CT. Katherine Cahouet Connolly returned to TCS in 2010 with a new role: mom. Katherine’s son, David, the godson of longtime TCS trustee and parent Lauren Fusco Baumann ’75 (P ’03, ’05, ’10), is a member of the TCS Class of 2021.

Katherine lives with David and her husband, Joe, in Essex and does research for Joe, a Wall Street Journal and WCBS radio reporter. Katherine is also an active member of the TCS Alumni Association. Read more in “Inspired Parents: Alumni

Andrew Griswold continues to serve as director of EcoTravel for the Connecticut Audubon Society, a position he has held since 1996. He graduated as an honor student in Biology from Hartwick College, where he worked at their biological research station in the Bahamas and studied avian ecology. Andrew

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who have sent their children to TCS.”

for seven years. Welcome back to TCS, Chris! And welcome to the rest of the de Chabert family as well.

Kathy Kalin Medlock is a high school French teacher in Washington state. We caught up with her mother, former teacher Ann Kalin, when she called The Country School recently. Ann said Kathy fondly remembers her TCS French classes, and they may have inspired her to become a French teacher.

Andrea Tiffany resigned after 13 years with Amtrak to become a full time caregiver, working privately in people’s homes.

Most of her cases are clients with terminal illnesses who want to die at home, she writes, adding that she usually work closely with hospice. “I love my work and have met some incredible families,” she says. Andrea and her husband also have a small farm in Clinton where they raise cows, vegetables and flowers.

After TCS She went to a small, private boarding school in Sedona, AZ, called The Verde Valley School. “It was a great fit for me,” she says.

Betsy Chin teaches anthropology at Occidental. She is the author of Purchasing Power: Black Kids and American Consumer Culture.

Diana Staley-Lynch has joined her brother, Paul Staley ’79, in a new venture: Splash American Grill in Guilford. Diana is a graduate of Choate and Harvard, where she was an All American squash player. After playing tennis professionally, she began a career in business.

Nick Burke works in computer science and information systems. He recalls that his TCS days influenced his future career. “I had lots of science classes, essentially dissembled and reassembled microscopes, and it gave me the fix-it bug for life!”

Alvin Bess recently published his first book, The Objective Narrative Of An Undaunted Black Male And Deliberate Blue-Collar Scholar Strolling Slowly Circumspectly Amongst Chameleon Scarecrows And Outwitting The Pitfalls, Insecurities And Stigmas Of Standardized American Selective Retardation.

The book, which he calls “an unruffled authobiography,” is available through amazon.com (ISBN-13: 978-0-615-46491-6).

Deborah Purvis MacDonell ran into Katherine Cahouet Connolly in Florida this winter. Deborah lives in Niantic and is public relations director at Connecticut College.

Class of 1979 Congratulations to Paul Staley on the opening of his new restaurant, Splash American Grill. For years we have been enjoying Paul’s confections at Madison Chocolates on Boston Post Road in Madison. You can still find Paul’s amazing chocolates at Splash, located down the road at 535 Boston Post Road in Guilford, but there are all sorts of other delicious offerings at the restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Cyndie Armenia (formerly Cynthia Echlin) lives in Killingworth with her husband, Joe, and their three children, all of whom attended TCS. She continues to work for Vintage Construction and New England Commercial Properties, the companies she and her husband own and operate. Eldest son, Iggy ’04, is attending Quinnipiac; Jake ’07 recently graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School and is also at Quinnipiac. Nicole ’08 is a star lacrosse player at H-K, where she was named All-State and All-Shoreline. She plans to attend Quinnipiac as well. Read more about the Armenia kids in their class notes.

Paul, who was trained at The Culinary Institute of America and had stints at top kitchens in Atlanta, Palm Beach, and Denver, also had the chance to work alongside such culinary luminaries as Jacques Pepin.

Liz Lightfoot continues to work in the TCS Advancement Office. A reporter by training, she began to work at TCS after serving as a volunteer for years. All four of her children have attended TCS – Graeme ’05, Isabel ’07, and Alastair ’08 are graduates, and Honor is in 8th Grade. Liz also works as a freelance writer.

To preserve resources class notes are now online.

To read the complete Class Notes (through the Class of 2011) please go to www.thecountryschool.org/ classnotes. Please send us your news!

Email alumni@thecountryschool.org.

Class of 1978 Chris de Chabert lives in Madison with his wife, Katie, and their three children, twins Will and John (both new members of the TCS 2nd Grade) and Jane, 3. We caught up with Chris recently when he toured TCS with his family, and we are delighted that the twins enrolled this fall. After TCS, Chris and his family lived in Paris, where he attended the American School of Paris. He then went to Kent School in Kent, CT, graduating in 1982, and to Colorado College, graduating in 1986. For the past 15 years he has been a credit officer with American International Group Inc. He has lived in Madison

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Thank you to the wonderful volunteers on our Alumni Board who have helped us organize alumni reunions, celebrations, and communications. If you are interested in being actively involved with the Alumni Association, please contact alumni@thecountryschool.org. All are welcome!

Please check in regularly at www.thecountryschool.org/alumni

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