BULLETIN Spring 2022
Transforming our Campus The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship
The PO remains a popular gathering place for students throughout the school year.
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
BULLETIN
spring 2022
2 From the Head of School 4
The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship
19 Investing in our People 22 Learning How to Learn 24 Mountain Day 25 FGS Voices 26 Gunn Arts 34 Gunn Athletics 44 From the Archives 46 Alumni Events 50 Alumni News 58 Highlander Journeys 64 Trustee News 65 Class Notes 74 Remembering David Hoadley ’51 76 Faculty Profile
On the cover: An architectural rendering of the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship. Construction begins this spring with a targeted opening in the fall of 2023. Read more on page 4.
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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Frederick Gunn School Community, Did you know that in 1922 you could buy a share of stock in our
A remarkably positive future
school? Frederick and Abigail Gunn gave the school, then known as
There are two primary and absolutely essential types of deliberate effort
The Gunnery, to their son-in-law, John Chapin Brinsmade (1862), and
that the leaders of an institution like The Frederick Gunn School must
their daughter, Mary Gold Gunn, in 1881. Mr. Brinsmade served as
practice in order not only to withstand the forces of entropy, but also to
Headmaster for 41 years when, in 1922, a group of alumni, parents, and
give the institution its best chance at a remarkable — and remarkably
local friends of the school offered the Brinsmades a buyout. The school,
positive — future. For reference, we’ll use this definition of entropy: “a
including its assets and liabilities, belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Brinsmade
process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.” Neither
as a private institution. His leadership coincided with transformative
type of effort is more important than the other, though the first often can be undervalued because it is less
moments in our history (including the installation of the telephone and electricity, and the outbreak of World War I) along with the evolution of the school outside of the original family home (with the construction of the first Schoolhouse, a gymnasium, and dormitory), and the expansion of the curriculum to include labs to meet the competitive demands of college entrance exams. It is the nature of institutions to change over time, just as it is the nature of all things to change. (I tried to find a counterexample but came up empty.) The nature and quality of change at an institution, however, is neither inevitably good nor bad. All things, including institutions, eventually succumb
By locating our Entrepreneurship Program and the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy in this new building, we are both architecturally and programmatically connecting the work our students will do in math, science, and technology to questions of public purpose and active citizenship, and doing so at the heart of campus.
to the forces of entropy, unless those responsible for them make deliberate efforts to create a better future than that to which entropy leads.
and they are linked inextricably. The first is the work of maintenance/ stewardship with the long term in mind. The second is the work of creation/evolution. Maintenance/ stewardship are essentially conservative — having to do with conserving and preserving — while creation/evolution are essentially progressive — having to do with creating a future that is in some way different, and presumed to be progress, from the present. The generative interplay of the two is an ideal toward which every institution ought to strive. In 1968, the school took a significant creative and evolutionary
step when we constructed the original Science Building. Prior to that
It was just such an effort that The Gunnery Reorganizing
building, math and science (lab sciences in particular) were taught
Committee was making in 1922, when they initiated the buyout and
in classrooms, often in basements, retrofitted as labs. To create one
installed W. Hamilton Gibson (1902), then a teacher at Berkshire
building that brought together all of these classes and provided the
School, as the school’s third Headmaster. After 72 years as a family-
lab sciences with the latest tools for high school teaching, as well as
run enterprise, enterprising people connected to the school wanted to
an amphitheater, was the right next step for the school. To locate the
ensure that its future would be bright. The history is rich and complex.
building at the center of campus and choose a late-Modern, Brutalist
I encourage everyone to spend time learning more about this and all
design was a bold risk. (Some readers — alumni who began in the fall of
phases of this extraordinary school’s life. The short and medium-term
1966 and graduated in 1968 or 1969 — may remember the experience of
results were mixed. Much of Mr. Gunn’s founding principles, practices,
campus before the Science Building and after it arrived.)
and ethos was lost amidst the well-intentioned attempts to modernize
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inherently exciting than the second,
In the half century since the Science Building’s construction, the
the school and put it on firmer footing. The school endured and here
school has maintained it and has helped it to evolve. The forces of
we are today.
entropy have not been kind to the building and teaching in the sciences,
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page 4). First, we are creating best-in-class learning spaces for teachers and students in science, math, and technology — classrooms and labs that incorporate what teachers need today, and are flexible enough that we can adjust as teaching in these disciplines evolves in the future. Second, we are creating a beautiful jewel of a building at the center of campus, one that will be welcoming to students, teachers, and visitors, and integrated with the inherent natural beauty of our campus (see page 13). Third, by locating our Entrepreneurship Program and the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy in this new building, we are both architecturally and programmatically connecting the work our students will do in math, science, and technology to questions of public purpose and active citizenship, and doing so at the heart of campus (see page 15). Taken together, it is an extraordinary step for our school. We must attend to and celebrate maintenance and stewardship — of our people, our place, and our program. While we celebrate the news of Lizzie and Jon’s extraordinary generosity and the transformative project it makes possible (see page 10), we also celebrate the investments we have been able to make in our teachers through significant recent gifts to our endowment. This year, we instituted transparent salary bands for all classroom teachers as the first step in a long-term effort to ensure that not only are we equitably compensating the incredible people who work with our students day and night, but that we are competing to retain them and to attract the next generation of faculty to steward our school and our students (see page 19). The single greatest force essential to enabling an institution, and particularly a school, to counteract the forces of entropy is alumni rallying around their alma mater and investing in it generously, consistently, and over the long term. We are seeing that happen at math, and technology has accelerated quickly. We have known that it
The Frederick Gunn School today. It is exciting to watch and will set
was time to help the facilities dedicated to these subjects catch up as
the school up for an incredible future. I hope you will all come to visit
well as to make sure the facility itself was operationally sustainable. It
campus soon so that you can see this future take shape in person.
was in this spirit that planning for a renovation and possible addition to the Science Building began.
Go Gunn!
Jon Tisch ’72 and his wife, Lizzie, helped us see that, in tackling this project, we have an opportunity to do more than catch up on deferred maintenance. Instead, with thanks to their vision and generosity, we are creating a future for the school that is better in every way than where our original sights were leading us. The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship will accomplish a
Peter Becker Head of School
comprehensive range of strategic goals with one amazing project (see
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A Transformational Moment
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Historic Gift to Establish The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship On March 3, Head of School Peter Becker welcomed a very special guest to School Meeting, Trustee Emeritus Jonathan Tisch ’72, one of the school’s most esteemed alumni, who announced to students and faculty that he and his wife, Lizzie, were making a $25 million gift to the school. The largest philanthropic commitment in its 172-year history, their gift will allow construction of the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship to begin this spring, with a targeted opening in the fall of 2023.
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Inspired by a nearly 60-year connection to The Frederick Gunn School, the gift demonstrates the Tisch family’s tremendous philanthropic partnership with the school. The 24,000-square-foot, two-story center will take the place of — and nearly double the size of — the current Science Building, providing much-needed classroom space to meet the school’s current and future needs. It will house the school’s innovative science, math, engineering, technology, entrepreneurship, and citizenship curriculum in one location overlooking the historic Quad. It will also support the school’s strategic priorities of investing in its people, programs, and place, and its recommitment to Frederick Gunn’s values and ideals. “The Frederick Gunn School is changing the way people think about what a school is capable of doing. We are excited to help accelerate this transformation — a strategic vision that has been crafted and led by Peter Becker for the last nine years. In important ways, the strategic path is relentlessly committed to the school’s founder and namesake, Frederick Gunn. Mr. Gunn was a transformative leader, a pioneering educator, and a courageous abolitionist. He inspired students to be curious and thoughtful, to be active citizens, and to stand up for what they believe in — his ideas are as relevant today as they were 172 years ago. The school’s leadership continues to commit itself to investments supporting the 6
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best boarding school experience that is the modern embodiment of Frederick Gunn’s ideals and there has been no better moment than now to help accelerate this momentum,” said Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch.
A Place Where People Want to Be Beyond housing the school’s foundational courses in science and math, the new building will provide a permanent home for the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, which touches every student through its four-year citizenship curriculum, alongside flourishing programs in engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship. Those are important offerings for students in the 21st century. Combining them in close proximity within a beautiful, new space at the core of campus will create opportunities for collaboration and give The Frederick Gunn School a competitive advantage among its peer schools. “The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship will be, as the Strategic Plan says, a place where people want to be,” Becker said. “We see huge opportunities for these programs to be overlapping with each other in formal and informal spaces that are really central to campus, that look out over the Quad, that draw people into them, and send people out from them. And all the while our students will be learning about citizenship,
The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship learning about entrepreneurship, learning in a building dedicated to science, math, engineering, and technology. Our students are learning these things not just to become better learners and to become smarter, and to learn the language and practices of physics, chemistry, biology, environmental science, and the different fields of engineering, but ultimately, to make things, to do things with this knowledge.” The building will act as an interdisciplinary hub of learning, including state-of-the-art labs that will allow students and faculty to turn ideas into action. Students will experience learning environments dedicated to helping them to be curious, solve problems, take risks, think independently, and develop strength of character. Interdisciplinary classes will promote rigorous and reasoned dialogue, rational debate, and ultimately, active citizenship. Through this innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum that is connected to a four-year program of active citizenship development, students will learn what it means to be a citizen in the 21st century, what it takes to persuade others and to lead, and what it means to be an engaged group member. Learning to be an active and engaged citizen is Frederick Gunn’s legacy to the school, and by bringing all
of these curricular and character initiatives together in one building, graduates will be forces for good as they move on to their respective colleges, workplaces, and communities, equipped to be the next generation of leaders. “What we’re intending,” Becker said, “is that students will, in part because of the proximity of these programs and spaces to each other, learn to reflect on what kind of impact they want to have in the world. This building really is meant to create those opportunities for integration and interdisciplinary work much as we are already seeing in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center with the various art forms and community-making that happens there.”
An extraordinary philanthropic commitment The purpose of the new building aligns with both the school’s mission and commitment to its Core Values, and with Jonathan Tisch’s values, as evidenced by his distinguished commitment to furthering education through many of his philanthropic initiatives. In addition to being a longtime supporter of The Frederick Gunn School, Tisch has invested in educational missions at New York University and Tufts University. Through his extraordinary
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The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship philanthropic commitment to Tufts University in 2006 for the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, his visionary leadership has shaped a curriculum committed to encouraging students to take part in something greater than themselves that will enable them to effect lasting social change. Following two decades of success inspiring young minds to be active citizens at Tufts University, the opening of the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship on The Frederick Gunn School campus in the fall of 2023 will bring a similar commitment of being an engaged citizen to the unique opportunities of a boarding school environment. Combined with the founding principles of Mr. Gunn, this new building in the heart of the school’s campus will usher in the next generation of the school’s commitment to ensuring that its students become lifelong learners and principled, active citizens. “We are grateful for the continued confidence and partnership of Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch as all members of The Frederick Gunn School community work together to move our Strategic Plan forward. This announcement is a bold move that expands our partnership with a family committed to the pursuit of teaching young people the importance of being deeply curious learners and engaged and active citizens. There is no better environment for a teenager to explore being an active and engaged member of a community than at boarding school. On our campus this pursuit aligns with the mission set forth by our founder in 1850 and is even more relevant today as future leaders enter into an increasingly complicated, interconnected world. The generosity of Lizzie and Jon will immediately contribute to the ongoing transformation of our campus and, more importantly, will further accelerate the curricular programming initiatives already underway that build on Mr. Gunn’s values that so profoundly encourage active citizenship,” Becker said.
A hub at the center of campus The new building will include six math classrooms, four science labs (for chemistry, biology, physics, and general science), flexible meeting and classroom spaces, faculty space, and a two-story, glass atrium overlooking the Quad that will become “a hub” for the campus. In contrast to the Brutalist architecture of the Science Building, which was designed to contain programs, the new center is designed to be open to and embrace the outdoors. The use of glass will provide a sense of transparency, “to make sure that the life of the campus is part of the building, and that the building is part of the life of the campus, and wants to be more of a hub for the campus,” explained Vinicius Gorgati, Principal Architect for Sasaki, the Boston-based architecture firm selected for the project. “Like TPACC or like the dining hall, this building wants to be more extroverted. It wants to 8
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be a building that makes some addition to the idea of community on campus, and wants to expand the notion of learning on campus.” Since the Science Building was completed in 1967, enrollment has increased significantly, along with the school’s academic offerings. Only a fraction of the current offerings in math are taught in the Science Building, while the school’s newer engineering and entrepreneurship programs, and the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, are all poised for growth. “We realized that rebuilding in that area would be a benefit to the entire community and would create a new campus core, so that the Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship is going to be literally a beacon in the middle of campus,” said Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer. “It’s going to be open and light and collaborative and transparent. Inside, you’re going to actually be able to see all the great work that’s going on. You’re going to be able to see what happens in the entrepreneurship program and our engineering program, our citizenship program, and of course, science and math in our classrooms and labs. And then, we’re going to look at continuing our Strategic Plan objective of getting all of the academic, residential, and community spaces to the main campusside of Route 47. So you’re only crossing the road at the end of the day to get to sports — and we’re going to reimagine what that side of campus looks like in the same way that we’ve reimagined what this side of campus looks like.”
A commitment to sustainability In addition to being more integrated with the natural beauty of the campus, the new building will be more efficient in terms of its design and building materials. Triple-glazed glass will maximize energy efficiency and provide greater insulation, and the new center will be built to standards that are as close to carbon neutral as possible. “The roof is designed to accommodate solar panels, so that we can generate energy from the sun as well as the energy we get from the earth,” in the form of geothermal fields that will be installed on the Quad, Gorgati said. The building envelope, which is the separation between the interior and the exterior, was “designed
Jon Tisch has bought in entirely to the Frederick Gunn vision and model. He lives it in his own life as his family has for decades“ – Peter Becker, Head of School
to be super-efficient, to be highly insulated, so we can minimize the loss of conditioning in between the inside and outside, whether it’s in the summer or winter.” Associate Head of School Seth Low said the plans for the new center set the bar high for all future building projects on campus. “This is by far the most ambitious sustainability plan we’ve had,” he said. “TPACC was a critical first step in our institutional thinking about the way we build sustainability into our projects, and the fact that TPACC is LEED certified is significant for us as a school,” Low said. The new building takes that one step further. The open design will allow the building itself to function as a teaching tool for students. “It’s particularly important in the sciences to think about the building that way, and as we think about a building that in its very name is about active citizenship, to be a citizen of the world means to think about sustainability when you’re building. As Mr. Gunn’s school we have an obligation to be forward-thinking in terms of sustainability.”
A Huge Step Forward In the last two years, the school considered a substantial renovation and expansion of the Science Building, but that plan was determined not to be the best use of resources. “In 1966-67, the construction of the current Science Building represented a huge step forward for the school. It did everything it was supposed to do. It was a major architectural statement at the time, for good or bad, and catapulted
our science facilities into the post-war era. We caught up. The lecture space was really new and forward-looking and served its time. It gave way to a computer lab, and a few generations of legendary Frederick Gunn School teachers have done great work there, even as the building and labs began to fall behind the best new practices in science education. The building began to show its age and people began to question whether having a building with very few windows facing the Quad was a good thing long term,” Becker said. “In terms of the location and its impact on students and faculty and programs, and attracting the next generation of students and faculty, it is such an important strategic opportunity.” The current Science Building did its job well for over 50 years, and now it is time for it to be reimagined. The gift from Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch will allow that to happen. As Becker said: “Jon Tisch has bought in entirely to the Frederick Gunn vision and model. He lives it in his own life as his family has for decades. And as he has connected to the rediscovery and the recentering of Frederick Gunn in the life and the future of the school, his voice has lended incredible credibility to the design work and the building work that we’re doing to integrate Frederick Gunn into, really, every aspect of school life and the student experience. It’s given us, I think, a new kind of courage and a willingness to take prudent risk for the school, because he said, ‘I’m in, I’m ready to go.’”
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The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship
A Discussion With Jonathan Tisch ’72 Head of School Peter Becker welcomed Trustee Emeritus Jonathan Tisch ’72,
Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, co-owner of the New York Giants, and three-time
best-selling author, to the stage in the Tisch Family Auditorium on March 3, 2022, when
the $25 million gift in support of the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship was announced. What follows is an excerpt of their conversation. Watch the full discussion online at frederickgunn.org/academics/ciac.
Tell us a little bit about how you got to what was then The Gunnery at the time and maybe something about your student experience. The journey for our family actually goes back to 1963. We were living in Westchester County, New York, at the time. I would ask my mother, ‘Explain to me how we were growing up in Scarsdale, New York, and you found a very small, all-boys, preparatory school for my brother, Steve ’67 — how did that happen?’ She said: In 1962-63, they were working with a consultant, as people still do today, who gave them a list of schools and they came up here, and so Steve came here. I would come visit him on many, many occasions. The Dean of Students at the time was a lovely man by the name of Norman
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Lemcke P’84. I would stay with the Lemckes. I would spend the weekend. That was my indoctrination into The Gunnery (today, The Frederick Gunn School). I would say that it was my decision to come here. I saw how The Gunnery helped Steve become the person that he is today and I said, ‘I want in.’ And so I showed up in ’68, graduated in ’72, and had four very important years of my life in Washington, Connecticut. Do you have a favorite memory or an experience that stands out from your time? For my last two years during my tenure at the then Gunnery school, I drove the Zamboni. (audience laughter)
The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship Seriously? Oh, yeah. That was my job. The rink had no cover in those days, so there was no roof; it was exposed. If there was snow the night before a game and I was out there, the students found it very pleasurable and enjoyable to throw snowballs at the person driving the Zamboni. That was their fun for the day. I went to a summer program that Jim Haddick H’82 had up in Vermont. He had a farm up there. I learned how to drive a tractor and that helped me with my driving skills as related to cleaning the ice at The Gunnery school. So you went from here to Tufts and, about 20 years ago, you created the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts. Can you talk a little bit about how that represents who you are and what you’ve come to value in life? I’m not a big fan of the phrase ‘giving back.’ To me, that becomes too transactional. If you go to a dinner in New York, if you write a check, you’ve given back. What we learned at a very young age was a reference point: understanding one’s responsibility. Our family started with very little in Brooklyn. Through the hard work of my grandparents, my father, mother, aunt, uncle, today with my cousins, we have been able to have some success and have been able to — what I think is important — take on responsibilities that are outside of our day-to-day business activities. So having this notion of ‘understanding one’s responsibility,’ and then — how do you educate young people who are either at a preparatory school or high school and college, how do you have them understand what it means to become an active and engaged citizen? It’s a lot of what Mr. Gunn thought about 170 years ago and, fortunately for all of you (to the audience), a lot of what Peter Becker and his colleagues think about today at The Frederick Gunn School. That’s really the genesis of Tisch College at Tufts. The president of Tufts at the time was Larry Bacow. Larry is the one who came to me during the capital campaign at the time, which I was cochairing, and made the suggestion to endow and to give the resources to the Dean of Tisch College to have the right faculty in place, to have the right programs in place, to have the right curriculum, so that the students at Tufts can embrace this understanding of their role. No matter what your major is — if you’re an architect, if you’re an engineer, if you’re at Tufts Med, if you’re at Tufts Dental, if you’re liberal arts — that you become an active and engaged engineer, an active and engaged liberal arts major. That’s what we’ve been doing at Tufts.
When you were either a student here or in your early years as an alumnus, to what extent were you aware of Frederick Gunn, what he stood for, what he talked about? Now that the name change has happened, it’s easier to say that the name of the school represents the vision for a man who, 170 years ago, was tackling some really difficult issues of the day, and did it in a way that today, his values are very much forefront for what you all are trying to accomplish here. I would probably admit to not having an awful lot of knowledge going back to my years here as a student. I don’t think the focus on Mr. Gunn’s beliefs was as prevalent as it is today, and that’s why the name change, once again, is certainly appropriate and that’s why the values that you and your colleagues have instilled in the school are certainly appropriate. When you leave Washington, Connecticut, whether it’s this May, next May, the May after that, and you go on to your next educational journey, you will have a background and understanding that I think is incredibly special and will allow you to take the next step in your life’s journey with some understandings that will really benefit you. I appreciate the way you just put that, and on behalf of the Board, appreciate how much you’ve really leaned into this moment for the school and how much you have done as a family for the school over many decades. I know part of the reason you are here today is to share some news with the school. I give a tremendous amount of credit to your Chairman of the Board, Patrick Dorton ’86, to fellow board members that I have had the opportunity to know and work with, one of whom is here today, my dear friend, Jon Linen ’62. The Strategic Plan that you all have been working on for the last two or three years, to understand the physical needs of The Frederick Gunn School, to understand the needs of recruiting the best administration and faculty, and supporting them as best you possibly can, and also ensuring that the endowment is robust enough to allow you to offer an education to people who might not be able to afford every penny of it; when you look at the work that you all have done — put it all in sort of the blender, to come up with the strategic plan of once again, capital projects, faculty, and endowment — it’s pretty compelling. So when I was here, and starting once again in ’68, the Science Building, which as you all very well know, sits in the middle of the campus, maybe in the prime (and I’m in the hotel business, so I love talking about real estate), but maybe in the prime, A1, mack daddy spot in all of the land that The Frederick Gunn School is spread out
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The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship over. When I was here, that building was so ugly. Guess what? Fifty years later, it has not improved. And so I would call Peter and I would speak to Patrick and Jon Linen, and I would say, ‘Well, what are you doing about the Science Building as part of the Strategic Plan?’ Peter smartly reached out to incredibly talented architects up in Boston, Sasaki. And he said, ‘We have an opportunity in Washington, Connecticut. We need to come up with a replacement for what has been known as the Science Building.’ When people ask me, ‘If you weren’t doing what you’re doing, running a hotel company, what would your career be?’ Unequivocally, I answer: ‘I wanted to be an architect.’ I love the design process. I’ve designed and built 15 hotels for our company. That’s sort of the good news and the bad news for Peter, because I became his project architect and really enjoyed working with, still ongoing, with Vinicius Gorgati, Principal Architect, Sasaki, and Marta Guerra-Pastrián, Senior Associate Architectural Designer, on what could be in this incredible location in the middle of this gorgeous campus. I noticed a building that the two of them and their colleagues had designed at Lawrenceville. The building is the Gruss Center for Art and Design. I said, ‘This is a template. This is a model, in terms of the focus, in terms of the exterior architecture, in terms of the interior fit-out. This is what we should be thinking about for the center of the campus at The Frederick Gunn School. So the designs continued. The drawings became more elaborate. There were lots of conversations about the use of glass and steel. And then Peter said, ‘This is all really good, but now there’s just one aspect that we
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have to talk about’ And I said, ‘What’s that?’ He said, ‘Well, we have to pay for it.’ I said, ‘I got you there, too.’ Today, I am very pleased to announce that on behalf of my wife, Lizzie, who unfortunately could not be with us today, that we are making a gift to The Frederick Gunn School of $25 million. A little while ago, you shared this news with the Board and it was a powerful moment for lots of reasons. Obviously, it was huge news, and from the bottom of my heart, and that of everyone here, and frankly, generations of students who are now going to benefit from your generosity and LIzzie’s generosity, thank you. When you shared it with the Board, it was also an emotional moment. To the extent that you want to talk about it, what do you think is going on there? It’s a reflection on our family and, once again starting with very little in Brooklyn, New York. Eighty, ninety years later, to be able to be in a position to make a difference at an institution that was very important for me, personally — I think the hundreds or so young people that are in the room, hopefully, would say the same thing — and to ensure that this school has an incredibly bright future. I’m sure you all went through this process, whether it was last year, two years ago, or three years ago; you have choices, and you have other institutions that have nice buildings, that have good faculty. But there is something very special about The Frederick Gunn School, and to compete in today’s world, you have to have everything. This building that we’re sitting in was the first step of that journey of our ability to make a difference to The Frederick Gunn School. The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship — it’s a bit of a long name; you’ll get used to it — that is the next step in the journey. And then, there are other pieces of the puzzle that have to come together. It’s all in the master plan. It’s all in your strategic vision of a fitness facility, of a health facility, of new dorms. But, we’ll get there. For Lizzie and myself — and she is 100% part of every conversation — to make this kind of gift is just so meaningful. When I talk about it, the flashbacks to coming here with Steve in 1963, ’64 — here we are all these years later, hopefully making a difference for generations and generations of students to come.
The Elements of Design To learn more about the design process that led to the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship, and how it will support the school’s academic programs and community, we spoke with Vinicius Gorgati, Principal Architect for Sasaki. Gorgati has over 25 years of experience creating award-winning work and has designed buildings for Dartmouth and Georgetown, among others. He holds a master of architecture in urban design from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of São Paulo. Gorgati collaborated on the design for the new building with Marta GuerraPastrián, Senior Associate Architectural Designer at Sasaki. Guerra-Pastrián holds a master of architecture and urban design from Columbia University, and is a licensed architect from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. What was clear from the beginning of the design process, Gorgati said, was that
the new building was part of the school’s master plan and needed to relate to the existing campus in terms of its history, buildings, and landscape. “Your community embraced this idea that every intervention on campus, whether it’s a building or a landscape or both, has to relate to a bigger picture. That’s the first thing that makes this project unique. The second was, if you traverse the campus from west to east, there is a certain vocabulary, there is a certain feel about the campus. There is a certain scale to the buildings and they have a certain tonality to their colors.
There is a certain geometry to the roofs. There is also a really powerful relationship to the landscape,” he said. While the new building will be larger than the Science Building, it is intentionally broken up into three pavilions so that it reads more to the scale of the campus. The interior and exterior spaces reflect conversations around community engagement and transparency combined with extending learning opportunities across the curriculum, and developing a heightened awareness of the beautiful landscape.
Your community embraced this idea that every intervention on campus, whether it’s a building or a landscape or both, has to relate to a bigger picture. That’s the first thing that makes this project unique.“ – Vinicius Gorgati, Principal Architect for Sasaki
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The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship When the architects looked at the building site, and studied the Campus Master Plan, they were struck by the fact that the location is really at the center of the campus, and relates not only to the Quad, but to the flow from the Quad to the Koven-Jones Glade and TPACC. “The existing building was not really making that connection. Immediately in our heads we said, ‘What if this building, in a way, stepped back to allow that connection, and celebrate that connection?’ And then the evolution of that was, ‘If we don’t step back, can we add that transparency?’” This inspired the design for the twostory, glass atrium in Pavilion A, which is imagined as a place for students to gather informally, or for community discussions or lecturers. “And if you’re coming down the Glade, you can peek and see through the building. It came from this notion of allowing the flow of the campus to almost reinvent itself,” Gorgati said. “The location is just so important,” said Jonathan Tisch ’72, who worked closely with the school and Sasaki, throughout the design process. “There is a bit of an elevation change as you go from the Quad to the area that is a bit closer to Bourne. You’ve got nature there and, most importantly, the use of glass. So when you’re on the outside looking in, you will actually see the classrooms and the students learning. And then when you’re on the inside looking out, you’ve got a view on the campus that deserves to be embraced.” The design was further influenced by discussions with faculty, administrators,
Principal Architect Vinicius Gorgati and Jonathan Tisch ‘72 discuss materials for the interior finishes with Marta GuerraPastrián, Senior Associate Architectural Designer at Sasaki. 14
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Trustees, and alumni, who spoke about places on campus that “become part of your memory as a student. You go through life and you remember those classroom moments, those hangout moments. We heard this from faculty, we heard this from dorm parents, from the alumni,” Gorgati said. “There are also places that can telegraph to the new generation of students who are coming to visit to see if they would feel comfortable here, if they would feel challenged here, if they would feel excited to be here.” From this perspective, the design becomes not only about what the faculty and the leadership want the building to be today and tomorrow, but what the building will need to be for students in five years, or ten years from now. Buildings need to be different things for different people, and that speaks to diversity, inclusion, equity, creating environments that can be embraced and occupied by a diverse community, Gorgati said.
“The power of place, beyond architecture, is to think that generation after generation of people have handled those knobs to open the door, have been to those classrooms even though the curriculum has changed, have looked out those windows, even as the campus changed around them. It’s this sense of both permanence and evolution, of heritage and change, of traditions and new traditions,” Gorgati said, explaining that one of the reasons he enjoys designing projects for schools is that they are adding to “conversations” that are multigenerational. “This is a campus that evolved over time. Every building that was built, I think, was built with the intent to move the school forward. We want to be embracing that heritage but we also want to be, if we can, agents or designers of places and spaces that help create new traditions, so in 50 years when someone is coming and adding other places and spaces on campus, they could add to that conversation.”
Building Our Programs for the Future Even before plans for the Lizzie
and Jonathan Tisch Center for
Innovation and Active Citizenship were announced, faculty have been developing the school’s
keystone programs in ways that provide exciting opportunities
for students. From new course offerings to hands-on lessons
in finance and investing to trips and partnerships that inspire
active citizenship, the school is
providing a strong base to grow our programs for the future.
Inspiring Active Citizenship During Winterim, Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, led 20 students on a six-day trip to Washington, D.C., where they made personal connections with the people, institutions, and iconic sites that embody our nation’s past and present. The purpose of Gunn Goes to Washington, which McMann co-taught with Kylie Regan of the English Department faculty, was for students to experience government in action. As part of the program, students explored Capitol Hill and visited famous monuments, which sparked discussions about the guiding virtues of liberty and equality. They toured world-renowned museums and hallowed institutions that define our history, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Library of Congress. Students met with a staff member from Congressman Chris Murphy’s office and were introduced to interest groups that promote active citizenship, such as the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit, public interest law firm. Ellen Hamlett, the institute’s
Students in the Gunn Goes to Washington Winterim class at the Jefferson Memorial
Activism Coordinator, spoke with them about the institute’s efforts to help individual citizens build coalitions and enact change in federal policies such as eminent domain. Hamlett was subsequently interviewed by Maram Sharif ’22 and Clara Prander ’22, editors of The Highlander Newspaper, for an episode of The Highlander Podcast titled, “How to Be a Force for Good.” In April, Hamlett led a webinar for juniors as they began preparing for their Civic Changemakers Project (CCP), which represents the culmination of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy’s four-year curriculum. Hamlett led students through the process of becoming actively engaged citizens using techniques and skills she has honed through her time at the institute. For example, this spring she was working on cottage foods legislation, which would allow individuals in Rhode Island to sell homemade, shelf-stable foods such as cupcakes, jam, or dried pasta. “We encourage them to contact their legislators. We encourage them to testify so their legislators know why this issue is important, and that will help get the bill to move along. I’m doing Spring 2022
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The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship a gift from Robert Levine ’55. Twenty-six teams of four were asked this type of work in a lot of states,” Hamlett said on the podcast. to choose stocks and given $10,000 in imaginary funds to invest in the Often, her work amounts to “David vs. Goliath battles,” where market. Using the MarketWatch platform, they were able to track the individuals are challenging government policies. “We like to call progress of their investments and compare success rates with their peers. ourselves happy warriors,” Hamlett said. “We collaborate with “What they’re tasked with is not only growing their investments decision-makers and work to change laws. Our activism team is through their portfolio, but finding strategic ways to invest, inspired by principles and driven by specific abuses. Traditionally, and socially responsible stocks to invest in,” said Maddie Smith, we focus on changing a particular policy or defending a particular who is leading the challenge for the two sections of Honors project. Usually that means working with entrepreneurs to help Entrepreneurship Seminar and one AP Economics class she is them fight for their right to earn an honest living in the occupation teaching this year. of their choice, providing children with increased educational “It is somewhat subjective,” Smith said, adding, “If a group opportunities, or making sure people can keep their homes when invests exclusively in Exxon/Mobil, we would ask them why, and the government decides they have a better use for it. We want our what that company is doing for people and the planet.” activism to be cutting-edge. We’re always thinking about new ways While some stocks have an to bring a unique plan of activism to new Environmental, Social, and Governance audiences and experiment with new grassroots There is a movement toward (ESG) designation, which makes it strategies. We try to be a force for good easier to gauge whether they are socially through all of the work that we do by trying helping schools redesign their responsible, students are encouraged to do new things, by working with new people, curricula to be more civictheir own background research. This year’s by finding new audiences, by expanding minded, and Gunn is on the challenge has been impacted by actual our reach.” leading edge of that work. stock market fluctuations tied to global Outside of this, McMann has had health, economic, and political events, and conversations about the school’s four-year a rise in inflation in the U.S. citizenship curriculum with Peter Levine, “It’s been quite volatile because of the pandemic, and in the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Lincoln Filene Professor past few months because of inflation and the supply chain shortage. of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Tufts University’s Jonathan Tisch We’ve seen a really big discrepancy in students’ success so far. It has College of Civic Life. McMann first met Levine in 2019, when he a lot to do with the choices they’ve made in their investments. One participated in the Summer Institute of Civic Studies at Tisch group is up $2,400, almost 25% from where they started. The group College at Tufts to learn more about the current scholarship on immediately behind them is only up $400, which is not great, seeing civic engagement. Levine was excited to hear about the plans for that we’ve been doing this for almost four months,” Smith said in the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active January. But she added, “I was impressed that they were positive. Citizenship at The Frederick Gunn School. There is a movement Some teams were down $2,000 to $3,000.” toward helping schools redesign their curricula to be more civicMany students started out investing in “obvious” stocks such minded, and Gunn is on the leading edge of that work. as Tesla, Nike, and other retail companies that were top of mind. “Our goal is for students to be intentional about everything “Those haven’t been doing great because of supply chain issues,” they do, to reject passivity and mindless consumption, and to Smith said. The key to the challenge is for students to see those embrace an ethos of action, of productivity, of meaningful work, of trends and adjust their investment strategy going forward. Those genuinely life-long learning,” McMann said. “We’re building a culture that have done so are finding success. of self-reliance, exactly what Frederick Gunn would have wanted.” “A lot of them thought it was a game. At this level it is, because Combining Financial Literacy With Social Responsibility these are imaginary dollars. Back in October, when Tesla stock had More than 100 students in Economics, AP Economics, Honors a spike, they were feeling great about themselves. Now that they’re Entrepreneurship Seminar, the Investment Club, and others have down $2,000, they’re realizing you need to diversify your portfolio. been learning about the value of early and thoughtful investing You need to be thoughtful and not invest in the shiny stock of the this year through a Stock Market Challenge. The “challenge” is moment, because that’s not going to give you sustainable growth. It’s the inaugural topic in the Financial Literacy program funded with not just having them understand how the stock market works, but 16
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Maddie Smith teaching her Honors Entrepreneurship Seminar class in TPACC
how to use the stock market responsibly,” said Smith, who double majored in economics and environmental science at Colgate. She has talked with students about BlackRock founder and chief executive Larry Fink’s 2018 letter demanding greater corporate social responsibility, and what it means to “vote with your wallet;” even in terms of where they buy their clothing can impact issues such as sustainability and climate change. “We’re teaching them that there are outlets that they can put their money into, causes they can support. The economy is changing. There is more of a demand for this now, and you’re probably going to make more money if you are investing in these companies that are more forward-thinking,” Smith said. In addition to the Stock Market Challenge, students in Honors Entrepreneurship Seminar participated in a Lemonade Stand Project and Paper Clip Challenge this year, which helped them learn how to think creatively and strategically about business, especially from a growth standpoint. For the Paperclip Challenge, which Smith had seen on TikTok a few years ago, students were each given a $0.02 paper clip that they could then trade for something else. They then had to trade that item, and so on, with the goal of accumulating value. “They had to be very thoughtful about watching that grow. Some groups made a trade and then found there wasn’t a demand,” Smith said. For example, one group traded a bag of Doritos chips for
a computer mouse. “From a monetary standpoint, it was worth more, but no one wanted it. They would have been better off trading it for $2 and buying food from the grocery store and having it grow that way.” The class raised a total of $360, which they then invested in a Lemonade Stand Challenge. Students had to come up with a pitch, sell their idea to the class, and then determine how much of the total funds should be allocated to their idea. “We made $800 in final profits from what was, initially, 14 $0.02 paper clips,” she said. The funds were donated to two, student-led fundraisers in support of Movember and Play4theCure in the fall.
Where Creativity and Innovation Reside This school year has brought students multiple opportunities to spend time in the IDEAS Lab as makers and creators, and with the opening of the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship, those opportunities will only grow. “I think it should be a space that everybody should use. Every subject could find a way to utilize the IDEAS Lab to collaborate. I want it to be capable of feeding students into the program so they’re ready to hit the ground running,” said Jay Bell P’25, Interim Director of IDEAS Lab, who introduced 3-D printing workshops to the weekend activities schedule this year as well as a new, Pixar-themed Winterim course, Imagineering IDEAS, which he co-taught with his Spring 2022
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The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship wife, science teacher Cheryl Bell P’25. Students in the Winterim class designed I always like to incorporate the economics and marketing and built a tabletop theme park complete aspect to the classes. I can teach all the theory in the world, with two roller coasters, a dark robotic ride, but to see the practical applications of things includes what a water ride, and a drop tower ride in the span of three weeks, learning about physics is someone’s motivation for using this project.” concepts and how to tell a story through – Jay Bell P’25, Interim Director of IDEAS Lab their project. Those who participated in the 3-D printing workshops focused on designing do an independent study or small group project focusing on one projects using the TinkerCAD program, but Bell noted that designs or more disciplines. A new Drafting and Design course will help can become progressively more advanced for those who utilize students hone their mechanical drafting techniques while learning the additional programs such as SketchUp, AutoCAD, and Fusion 360 as intricacies of AutoCAD and Fusion 360. well as the lab’s 3-D printer and CNC machine. “I really want to get “I’d like to take the engineering classes to the next level,” the IDEAS Lab more at the forefront of students’ minds. There are so Bell said. “The way I’m conceiving of it, it would be an à la carte many things that can be done here for fun,” he said. approach. If you’re more interested in architectural design, you could In terms of curricular offerings, students in Engineering I have do that as opposed to mechanical engineering. Everyone would have been learning about the engineering process by designing Rube the basics but then they can start focusing on the things they’re Goldberg projects, while those in Engineering II are designing and really interested in. I’ve got some students in my Engineering I class building a scale model of a military C-130 cargo plane equipped who are seeing what the Engineering II students are doing with the with a video camera. It is intended to help promote school spirit at airplane. Some of them are in pilot programs themselves and they’re events, and may have the capability to drop confetti or fly a banner. really interested in flying. That would be great for the aeronautic “They’re building it from scratch, scaling all the dimensions from an engineering class.” actual plane, and using Fusion 360 to design it,” Bell said. There is also the opportunity for future collaboration with the In Low Impact Design, students are designing a speculative economics or entrepreneurship classes. As Bell said, “I always like house with a negative carbon footprint, evaluating alternative to incorporate the economics and marketing aspect to the classes. I can energy sources, including solar and wind power. Their goal is for the teach all the theory in the world, but to see the practical applications of house to produce 80 percent of its own electricity and be able to sell things includes what is someone’s motivation for using this project.” the excess back to the grid, which will reduce electrical usage and save money. “This term I started out by offering an overview of climate change and some of the issues that have come up. Because of sea Students building a tabletop model of a level rise and global warming, environmental rollercoaster in the engineers really have to think about what is the Imagineering IDEAS best way to mitigate those problems,” Bell said. class during Winterim For 2022-23, Bell has revamped the IDEAS Lab curriculum with introductory, intermediate, and advanced-level engineering and robotics courses. In Engineering I, students will be able to focus on a specific discipline each term, including mechanical, civil/architectural, aerospace, and electronics engineering, while Advanced Engineering is designed to be a capstone for seniors looking to 18
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Investing in our People Throughout this academic year,
the school has continued to make
progress toward the Strategic Plan priority of investing in our people, beginning with the teaching
faculty who are developing new
courses and academic programs, advancing our mission, and
finding ways to make Frederick
Gunn’s values and ideals relevant to students today.
“What this school has stood for and will always stand for is the building of character, citizenship and scholarship in our students, and to do that we need to be the best,”
classroom, or on the field,” Gum said. “It’s a comprehensive take on what professional growth means at a boarding school, which is not just becoming a great classroom teacher.”
said Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning. “What the educational community comes down to is an excellent community of adults who are excellent educators.” The school’s Professional Growth Task Force has been looking comprehensively at the faculty experience, “because we believe that to be great educators, you need to see every experience with students as an opportunity for learning, whether in the dorm, in the
The focus of the task force this year has been directed toward what it means to grow as a faculty member at The Frederick Gunn School. “The other piece of that is the actual investment piece,” Gum said. “We have a Professional Development Fund, which gives faculty opportunities to explore different avenues, whether they want to grow in the classroom, as a coach, take a program or course, or just have the opportunity to learn something new so they can bring their passion here.”
Pursuing professional development
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We have a Professional Development Fund, which gives
Faculty are encouraged to pursue faculty opportunities to explore different avenues, whether professional development opportunities and they want to grow in the classroom as a coach, take a training that support their specific teaching and coaching responsibilities, as well as program or course, or just have the opportunity to learn their work with adolescents in a residential something new so they can bring their passion here.“ community. The school funds the entirety or – Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning a portion of such professional development and training on a case-by-case basis. The fund has already helped several moving forward.” faculty members to begin or complete higher degrees. Math teacher English teacher Kori Rimany ’14 is benefiting from another Austin Arkin completed his master’s degree in mathematics at professional development option available to Gunn faculty: the Fairfield University in August 2020. Arkin was able to use the Independent School Fellowship Program at Mount Holyoke knowledge he gained to offer a popular Winterim course on Cryptography in December 2020 and 2021, and this year introduced an Advanced Computer Science course as part of the regular math curriculum that focused on the details of writing computer software using the Java programming language. “My capstone project was on Applications of Chaos Theory to Cryptography. I chose this program because they offered in-person classes and I was able to attend them in the evenings while I was working full time here. In general, I wanted to learn more about the subject I was teaching and how I could make more connections for students to higher level math beyond just the high school curriculum,” Arkin said. “Most schools have a standard track that focuses on algebra and calculus, but this is only one branch of mathematics. Completing this grad school program has shown me that there are many different types of math, and that there is a way to introduce these to high school students.” Director of Residential Life and Spanish teacher Cassie Ruscz received support from the fund to earn her master’s degree in education from the University of Delaware. Ruscz is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Educational Practice and Innovation with a major in Educational Systems Improvement at the University of South Carolina. “I really wanted to continue on with my education,” said Ruscz, who is researching adolescent leadership development and student voice. “I work with kids all day, every day, and understanding as much as I can about how they function as students, and then looking at the systems we have in place on both large and small scales, can help to better the experience for both students and faculty here — even if it makes a small difference. Having more information and knowledge will help me with the ever-changing environment in education. I like to feel prepared for any possible outcome and I hope more knowledge will help me feel more prepared
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College. Fellows apply what they learn right away, becoming both more effective educators and earning a master’s degree at the same time. Over the course of two years, fellows develop pedagogy and leadership skills, build relationships with other independent school educators, and work with mentors who challenge them and help them grow. This spring, Rimany shared some of her work on social-emotional learning with faculty and conducted a focus group on what faculty can do to support each other and their emotional well-being. In January, her paper, “A New Twist on Social-Emotional Learning: Prioritizing Educator Well-Being in the Age of COVID-19,” was published by the National Association of Independent Schools on The Independent School Magazine Blog. In addition to this, Rimany was one of eight faculty members who participated in a civic-minded retreat on campus and in Hudson, New York, in June 2021 sponsored by the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy. Over the course of four days, faculty studied the school’s four-year citizenship curriculum and discussed how to create a thinking and learning culture on campus that promotes active citizenship.
Ongoing opportunities for professional growth The faculty retreat, which will be held again in August, is one example of the school’s ongoing commitment to providing faculty with professional growth opportunities. Last summer, all teaching faculty were invited to read Brene Brown’s #1 New York Times Bestseller Dare to Lead, and examined various components of Brown’s approach to growth and leadership, and in December, participated in a goal-setting workshop. In his role as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, LaDarius Drew has offered ongoing opportunities for DEI development and awareness through programs such as a conference
The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship last summer on anti-bias teaching, sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, and Fairfield University’s Open VISIONS Forum in March on discussing issues of racial diversity, as well as through his role as a member of the CAIS Commission on Diversity in Independent Schools.. Similarly, the Dean of Students Office has introduced programs in connection with the school’s residential life programming, such as the faculty workshop led by Brooklyn Raney, lead trainer and founder of One Trusted Adult. The organization’s research-based programs and professional development opportunities teach the fundamentals needed to build strong connections and healthy boundaries with young people.
Endowing faculty chairs In September, the school announced the establishment of a new endowed faculty chair through the leadership and generosity of Trustee Tom King ’60 and his wife, Kathy. Their gift of $1 million to the school’s endowment was given to honor esteemed Frederick Gunn School educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, and entrepreneurship. The new Thomas R. King ’60 Family Teaching Chair will be bestowed on a rotating basis to an exemplary member of the school’s faculty. Each holder of the chair will receive an immediate stipend, and while the chairperson will change every three years, the stipend will renew annually for as long as the honored faculty member remains employed by the school. The
Head of School, or his designee, will announce the first recipient at Convocation in September 2022. Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer, is hopeful that additional positions at the school will be endowed, particularly in relation to keystone programs such as the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, Entrepreneurship, Gunn Outdoors, and the Center for Academic Excellence. “The leadership example Tom and Kathy King have provided in establishing the Thomas R. King ’60 Family Teaching Chair sets the bar high, but it is a financially sustainable model and one we fully support in the realm of caring for our adult community members. Not only will the Fund provide a stipend for the recipient during and after their term as chair, it is also designed to provide supplemental compensation to the faculty at-large,” Brown said. “We hope to deploy this model with a ‘partner’ chair for the humanities as well as chairs for the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Director of Counseling, and a number of other departments and programs. Ultimately, any department chair or teaching role could be supported by an endowment.”
Ensuring equity and transparency “There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes,” said Chief People Officer Amanda Colarusso. Quantitatively, the school has implemented faculty pay bands to help ensure that compensation is equitable across the board, and that the process is transparent. Additional strides have been made to bring greater transparency to the policies and process around faculty housing assignments. “The goal is to create an equitable and transparent process that we can share out to our community that has standards and expectations for all parties involved. We are looking to create a community that a faculty member can come into at any stage in their life and feel comfortable here,” Colarusso said. The process will acknowledge that housing needs can change after a faculty member gets married and starts a family or has grown children who are leaving for college. “We’re trying to build a process that we can fairly make those moves and accommodate the requests and be able to have faculty stay throughout those cycles.”
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A Focus on Learning How to Learn
At a School Meeting in October, Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, talked with students about the Academic Merit system, and the ways that it exemplifies Frederick Gunn’s educational philosophy. “Academic Merit is our secondary grading system. It’s really core to how we think of our academic identity,” Gum said. “It’s part of our school motto, A Good Person is Always Learning. Academic Merit gives you feedback on learning how to learn.” Academic Merit is feedback that comes from every teacher at the end of the term and is intended to help students measure their progress in five key areas: preparedness, completion and conscientiousness, engagement, collaboration and group work, and self-awareness and persistence. These are the skills that help students to understand how they learn, and to develop a lifelong love of learning. “We basically teach three big ideas,” Gum explained. “We teach a knowledge-rich curriculum. We teach that what you learn should 22
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
help you have an impact in the world. And the thing that holds it all together is learning how to learn.” Students need deep knowledge. They need math and the sciences, and they need history, a world language, and to be able to write and communicate, but what a Frederick Gunn School education also teaches is that the purpose of possessing all of that knowledge is to be an active citizen in the world with an entrepreneurial spirit. That is why students engage in a four-year citizenship curriculum under the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, why they are encouraged to take a deep dive into one big question or idea during Winterim, and why they are encouraged to problem-solve in the Ideas Lab and entrepreneurship classes, Gum said. The idea that holds all of this knowledge, imagination, creativity, innovation, and impact together is being a great learner. “It’s how to be great at learning and putting that knowledge into practice. As a learner, you have strengths and weaknesses and
At left, Emily Gum speaks to students during a seminar in the Reading Room; above, students work together on a science lab project; below, demonstrating teamwork in French class.
particularities that are unique to how you learn. Most of the time, no one talks about this until you have leadership training in the world as an adult,” Gum said. But, she added, “To understand ourselves as learners is to understand the world. We take that seriously here. Every time you get a report card, and every time you receive feedback from your teacher in the form of Academic Merit, you are learning about the things that make you a great learner in the world.” The school’s focus on students learning how to learn emanates from Frederick Gunn. “A person who is humble, open to new knowledge, open to new thought, that really has defined the school since its founding. Academic Merit helps us capture the moral quality of learning beyond the limitations of our grading system,” Gum said. In The Master of The Gunnery, U.S. Senator Orville Platt wrote of Mr. Gunn: “His idea of education, acted upon in his own college experiences as well as when he came to be a teacher, was in the
perfecting of noble manhood — the creating of a noble life. He studied rather for the effect of study upon the mind and heart than for position in his class. He had no desire to be thought a scholar. He acquired learning that he might know himself as a man. He was singularly oblivious to what the world calls fame. He would never contend for place. Others might have the honors of his class; he was content with the consciousness of power and benefit derived from study.” As Gum explained: “What he was mainly interested in was students understanding themselves and figuring out how to make knowledge active in the world. The way to do that was to be a great student of the world.” We see this in the way Mr. Gunn approached the natural world with his students, leading them on walks through the woods, where he offered lessons on botany and ornithology, or sending them under the canopy of trees beside his school to practice their elocution or part in the play. Mr. Gunn adopted an experiential approach “even in the way he taught Latin. His students didn’t learn the grammatical content of Latin,” Gum said. Instead, he preferred to have his students read Latin verse aloud. “As a school, we’ve always taken a comprehensive approach to learning,” Gum said. “There’s a movement in education now to talk about mastery in education, and what it means to deeply grasp information and knowledge through a person’s participation in the learning process for the purpose of using it in the world. Related to this is discussion about experiential education and project-based education. We as a school have been thinking about that for a very long time. The whole approach started with Mr. Gunn and was based on his belief that knowledge helped you to be morally good in the world because it helps you to have a positive impact in the world. It’s not just knowledge but learning, and the humility that comes with that is what allows you to do good. That is the thread that is carried through The Frederick Gunn School.”
To understand ourselves as learners is to understand the world. We take that seriously here.“ – Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning
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Mountain day!
Despite lower than average temperatures in January, students spent more time outdoors than ever before. The month marked the return of the annual Freshman Trip to Lake Placid and the school’s inaugural Mountain Day. Classes were canceled for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, who spent the day skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing at Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall along with 30 faculty members. It was a great deal of fun and a wonderful example of how our community has been able to return safely to spending time together outdoors in the spirit of our founder, Frederick Gunn. Other examples of this were seen in our Outdoor Leadership co-curricular program, which engaged students in rock climbing, trail building, and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, the expansion of our competitive ski program to include boys and girls varsity teams (see page 38), and the continuation of our Live Like Fred Community Weekends. For the winter edition of Live Like Fred in February, students went ice fishing at Mount Tom State Park, tried curling at Linen Rink, went hiking and birding at Macricostas Preserve, and viewed bald eagles at Shepaug Dam, among many other outdoor activities. 24
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Frederick Gunn School Voices
Tabitha Simmons P’22 with sons Dylan McDean, left, and Elliott McDean ’22, right.
For more than 170 years, the vision Frederick Gunn articulated has inspired the lives of all of us who are a part of The Frederick Gunn School community. In January, we caught up with Tabitha Simmons P’22 to inquire about her family’s experience at Gunn. Simmons is a New York-based stylist, designer, creative director, a fashion editor at Vogue. She has two sons, Dylan and Elliott McDean ’22.
Q: Why did you choose The Frederick Gunn School?
Q: How has Elliott grown in his time at The Frederick Gunn School?
A: I remember when Elliott and I did quite a lot of tours; we
A: He’s actually really enjoyed learning much more than where he
did day schools as well as boarding. He saw the engineering
was. He has recognized his strengths and weaknesses, and I think he’s
department [at Gunn] and his eyes lit up. He really loved
become a lot more independent. It sort of sets you up for college. I’ve
that. He loved the community and the atmosphere of the
seen a real shift in that. He’s really self-advocating. I think he’s really
school. We loved that it was small. It has great advantages
enjoyed school.
because you know everybody in the school. He’s friends with freshmen as well as seniors. He’s doing entrepreneurship,
Q: What are your hopes and dreams for Elliott?
which he’s absolutely loved. I think Mr. Becker is a
A: I want my children to be really happy and well-adjusted. I hope he
phenomenal Head of School. I think he’s brilliant, and he’s
does something that he loves. I hope he takes on something he really
another reason we chose the school.
loves in college. I hope he does something he’s really passionate about so he won’t have to work a day in his life.
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Visual Arts Students Win State, Regional, and Local Awards Students in The Frederick Gunn School’s visual arts program were featured in state, regional, and local art exhibits in the fall and winter terms. Jenny Shen ’23 received a Silver Key Award in the painting category at the 2022 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Her self-portrait, titled “Me, Myself and I” was featured in a juried exhibit at the Donald and Linda Silpe Gallery at the University of Hartford from January 18 through February 4. The exhibit is part of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. The best Connecticut student artwork is selected for the exhibit by professional artists and university art faculty. Students in grades 7-12 from public, parochial, and private schools statewide are encouraged to participate. Shen is currently enrolled in the AP Studio Art class and has previously taken classes in drawing and ceramics at the school. She also studied drawing, painting, and fashion design through a summer program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. “I like to watch people. I like to draw eyes. I think a person’s eyes can express a lot about them,” said Shen, who is drawn to paintings by van Gogh
“Me, Myself and I,” by Jenny Shen ’23
and Monet but is also a fan of Surrealism. “People have said the eyes in my portraits express a lot of emotion.” Her self-portrait was her first attempt at oil painting, and she has since created two additional selfportraits that show a shift toward Surrealism. “The work that she is doing right now for the AP Studio Art portfolio is more about trying to get into the person’s mind, trying to show in the portrait more about the person through color, and additional things,” noted Visual Arts Chair Andrew Richards P’20 ’23.
Kent Art Association Student Show Twenty-eight student-artists were featured in the 30th annual Kent Art Association Student Show in February. Students in the Artistry and Technique winter co-curricular program entered work in multiple categories, including painting, drawing, photography, and ceramics. Anna Gleason ’23 received an award for her entry in ceramics. This year’s show featured art created by students at eight public and private high schools in the region, and awards were presented to eight students. In addition to The Frederick Gunn School, participating schools included Hotchkiss School, Millbrook School, Kent School, South Kent School, Marvelwood School, Forman School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. The show was juried by Billy Morrison and Ellie Place of Morrison Gallery in Kent.
Anna Gleason ’23 at the potter’s wheel; at right, her award-winning ceramic vase.
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
“Hermosa,” by Anna Gleason ’23
“Reaching or Falling,” by Clari Leonard ’22
A Celebration of Young Photographers The 11th annual Celebration of Young Photographers featured six original photographs by five students from The Frederick Gunn School. Oliver Chen ’22, Winifred Ezenwata ’22, Anna Gleason ’23, Clari Leonard ’22, and Sarah Zhang ’24 were among 60 finalists whose work was selected by a panel of professional photographers through a blind judging process. Their work was exhibited at Bryan Memorial Town Hall in Washington in November. The theme for this year’s competition was “Space.” “Each year, we prompt participants to think about a specific theme, and this year our panel chose Space,” organizers from the After School Arts Program (ASAP!) said. “The word ‘space’ has many different meanings. After a year of quarantine and all that came with it, how is space meaningful to you? How do you use, hold, treasure, loathe, or dream of space? How will you capture and express this in a single image?”
“Travelling Through Light,” by Sarah Zhang ’24
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The Return of
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Live Theatre
This school year brought the return of live theatre, beginning with the Connecticut premiere of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, adapted for the stage by Dwayne Hartford. Performances were held November 11-13, 2021, in the Tisch Family Auditorium of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. “I was introduced to this play in 2014 at the world premiere in Tempe, Arizona, at Childsplay, and fell in love with the play. I fell in love with the story, the theatrical quality of everything, the characters we meet along the way, and also Edward’s journey. Instantly I said, ‘I want to do this play at some point, either produce it, direct it, be in it, whatever it is.’ And here we are with the Connecticut premiere of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It’s really amazing,” Kent Burnham, Director of Theatre Arts, said in welcoming the audience on closing night. “This is so great. We’re back in this building, we’re communing, we’re getting to see a play live. I’m so excited.” The 80-minute play featured 10 actors portraying 29 characters, including Edward, an unfeeling, vain, china doll rabbit, acted by an outstanding Alder Curry ’22, and all of the people he encounters along the way. “The story of Edward Tulane is a fantastic and powerful story about learning to love and be loved, and how we all play various roles for various people at various stages in our lives. It takes bravery to learn from our losses, to be willing to open our hearts, to connect, and to continue to move forward. We, the viewer, are allowed to witness Edward as he goes on a 20year journey to learn what it means to love, the pain of losing that love, and the courage to love again,” Burnham said in his director’s notes. “The change in Edward is truly remarkable. Edward begins the play thinking he is the center of the universe. But, through his travels, his adventures, and his relationships, he learns that human connection, and our willingness to actively listen, can have a profound impact.”
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A competition that teaches the definition of success In February, The Frederick Gunn School
Like the 2021 fall play, The Miraculous
“Can you use that in a sentence?” Becker
Theatre Program presented the Tony Award-
Journey of Edward Tulane, the musical featured
winning musical comedy, The 25th Annual
an ensemble cast and focused on the themes
Putnam County Spelling Bee, conceived by
of storytelling and the impact of human
principal Douglas Panch, played by Joseph
Rebecca Feldman, featuring music and lyrics by
connection. The story, as described by Playbill,
Shaker ’24, responded.
William Finn, and book by Rachel Sheinkin.
centers on an eclectic group of six, socially
“I’m thrilled to share this funny, moving,
asked sheepishly. “Please. Spell. COW!” cranky vice
“But beneath the eccentricity and hilarity,
awkward middle school students who find joy,
the play has undercurrents that might resonate
heartfelt, and sly musical with The Frederick
heartache, and purpose as they compete at a
with most of us in this driven, competitive
Gunn School community. I say sly, because like
regional spelling bee.
society,” Burnham said. “It shines a light on the
any well-written play, the more you investigate
Through audience participation, the core
culture of success at any cost, and winning as
the piece, the more it reveals to you the world
cast of six is expanded nightly, making for a
the measurement of worth. These young kids
of the play, the character development, and the
slightly altered version of the play each time
teach us that what is essential is often what we
shared humanity that makes theatre so unique,”
it is performed, and potentially adding to the
are not looking for, striving for, or what we are
Kent Burnham, Director of Theatre Arts, said
hilarity, such as when Head of School Peter
told makes one ‘successful.’”
in his director’s notes.
Becker was asked to spell “cow.”
These young kids teach us that what is essential is often what we are not looking for, striving for, or what we are told makes one ‘successful.’ “ – Kent Burnham, Director of Theatre Arts
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Spring 2022
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The Magic of Music
Live performances this winter featured Gunn students, faculty, and special guests On December 14, 2021, The Frederick Gunn School Music Program presented its first-ever holiday concert in the Tisch Family Auditorium
The repertoire included a diverse range of selections, including
of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. “The Magic of
African Bell Carol, a version of Carol of the Bells with African-inspired
Winter” featured performances by String Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble,
rhythms and percussion, featuring every student, adjunct faculty member,
Band, and special guests. The live performance was one of several
and guest on stage. Vocal Ensemble performed a choral piece titled
presented during the Winter Term, which featured appearances by the
Betelehemu, sung entirely in the West African language of Yoruba, while
Yale Whiffenpoofs, a jazz quintet, and the Sherman Chamber Ensemble.
String Ensemble performed Hanerot Halalu, a traditional prayer sung
“I am so elated to be performing live again,” Ron Castonguay, Director of the Arts, said in December, “and the fact that this was the
during the Hanukkah season. Vocal Ensemble and String Ensemble combined to perform an
first holiday concert in TPACC just added that much more ‘magic’ to
emotionally stirring Glow, a choral arrangement originally written by
the music. Our students worked so hard to put on this concert for our
Eric Whitacre for the World of Color Honor Choir as part of the World
community, alongside our music adjuncts and special guest artists, who
of Color – Winter Dreams show that premiered at Disney California
also participated in many aspects of this year’s holiday concert.”
Adventure® Park. The program also included traditional holiday selections
The seasonal program opened with a reading of Wizards of Winter, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, narrated by Kent Burnham, Director of Theatre Arts, which was followed by an a cappella performance of
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performed by String Ensemble, Band, and special guests.
such as I’ll Be Home for Christmas, featuring the entire adjunct faculty with Castonguay on saxophone. “Our students have had the distinct pleasure of playing with some of
Thirty-Second Fa La La (words and music by Donald Moore), featuring
our adjuncts and guest artists in the area,” Castonguay said. “This is a great
Vocal Ensemble, and Wizards of Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra,
opportunity to introduce them to the community.”
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Above: the Yale Whiffenpoofs performing in the Tisch Family Auditorium; below, students performing in the holiday concert.
Castonguay revived a great Gunn school tradition, closing the concert with Twelve Days of Christmas, led by Vocal Ensemble. The audience was invited to sing along, which many alumni may remember doing at the holiday concerts they attended in the Meeting House on the Green.
America’s oldest collegiate a cappella group The school welcomed the Yale Whiffenpoofs, America’s oldest collegiate a cappella group, for a special performance in TPACC on December 7. The group consists of 14 Yale University students who are selected annually at the end of junior year. They take senior year off, postponing graduation, to perform more than 200 concerts together across six continents. The Whiffs performed a variety of old Yale tunes, holiday classics, and hits from across the decades, including songs by Elvis Presley, the
Sherman Chamber Ensemble on stage in December Following the concert, students in Vocal Ensemble and String Ensemble were invited to join the Whiffenpoofs for a master class, and then Gunn students took to the stage to perform Betelehemu for the Whiffs.
Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, and Cole Porter, who was once
On December 9, the community enjoyed a special performance
a Whiffenpoof. The eclectic repertoire included Down by the Salley Gardens,
by a local jazz quintet, featuring standards and holiday songs, and on
by William Butler Yeats, Jim Henson’s Rainbow Connection, familiar to fans
February 17, Sherman Chamber Ensemble performed Grand Nonet
of both “The Muppet Movie” and “Glee,” House of the Rising Sun, by the
for Winds & Strings, F major, Op. 31, by Louis Spohr, featuring nine,
Animals, and The Whiffenpoof Song, which the group has performed at the
world-class musicians on flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin,
end of every concert for over 100 years.
viola, cello, and bass.
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Boys Varsity Hockey Advances to New England Championship Final Boys Varsity Hockey participated in the New England Prep School Athletic Council postseason tournament, winning the quarterfinal against St. George’s School and the semifinal against The Governor’s Academy before taking on Pomfret School in the 2022 New England Championship Final on March 6. The Highlanders were the #2 seed in the 2022 NEPSAC Boys Ice Hockey Piatell/Simmons Tournament Bracket. All tournament games were held on the campuses of the highest seeds, which placed the Highlanders at home for all three games. Gunn supporters turned out in force to cheer on the Highlanders at Linen Rink, which was packed with students, family members, faculty, and alumni. The final was a rematch from the 2020 New England Championship, when the Highlanders beat Pomfret. This year, Pomfret won 4-2. “I thought we played well. In the beginning of the game, we came out a little bit too amped up. We were running around a little bit and didn’t play much in the way of structured hockey and had some turnovers,” said Head 34
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Boys Hockey Coach Craig Badger. “I think we had good energy. Their goaltender made a bunch of really good saves. I think we were outplaying them and gave up an unfortunate breakaway after putting the pressure on them for a long time, and they scored and we didn’t. That’s just how the game goes sometimes. You can outplay a team and still lose.” Neither team scored until well into the first period. Gunn scored two goals in the second period, the first one on the power play. The puck moved up top to Kiernan Gately ’22, who moved it to the middle and fired a pass down low to Kyle Smyth ’23, who was able to tip it in. “It was a good look by Kiernan to see that open seam on the outside and drive the puck through, which somebody was able to bury,” Badger said. The Highlanders scored again by working the puck in the offensive zone, which was something the team focused on game in and game out. “Nate Stachowiak ’22 was able to pick it off the cycle and find Julian Facchinelli ’22, and he
put it up top and buried a really nice goal. There were about three minutes left in the period on that one.”
Across the board, everybody did well. We just didn’t take advantage of all of the
on to beat #6 seed The Governor’s Academy 3-1 on March 5. “It was a lot of fun. Obviously, we
Badger said the entire team
opportunities we had and
want to win but in the end, we don’t
played well. “I think in general our top
they took advantage of the
win them all,” Badger said. “We had a
guys tended to be up front,” he said, naming Ryan Novo ’22, Facchinelli, and Michael Murtagh ’22 among the leading scorers for Gunn this season.
late one that they got.”
good group of kids. They were really
– Head Boys Hockey Coach Craig Badger
kids who worked hard. I think we were
They played well in the final, along with Stachowiak and Aiden Lindley ’22. Defensively,
talented on the ice but really nice certainly a better team by the end of the year. That, ultimately, is the goal.“
This year’s roster included 13 seniors, among them
Gately had a good game, as did Gus Hinckley ’22, Christian
the team’s four captains, Novo, Lindley, Gately, and Head
Wood ’23, and goaltender Joseph LoVullo ’22. “Across the
Prefect Eddie Rayhill ’22. Looking ahead to next season,
board, everybody did well. We just didn’t take advantage
Badger said the Highlanders will have some strong
of all of the opportunities we had and they took advantage
returners. Goaltender Ryan Crowshaw ’23, who split the net
of the late one that they got,” he said of Pomfret.
with LoVullo this year, will be a four-year senior so he will
Boys Varsity Hockey finished its regular season strong
back in goal and provide some leadership for the team
with a 3-1 win over Berkshire School on February 26, and
along with Wood, Jacob Rothman ’24, Luke Calabria ’25 and
a record of 22-12 under the leadership of Badger and
Smyth, who Badger predicted will be the team’s leading
Assistant Coaches Shane Gorman ’10, James LeBlanc,
returning scorer. “We would expect that he’ll play a huge
and Chris Gragnano. In the postseason, the Highlanders
role next year.”
beat #7 seed St. George’s School 3-1 on March 2 and went
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Gunn Alumnae play in Beijing Olympics Nemo Neubauerova ’18 and Tynka
Patkova ’18, former classmates and teammates on the Gunn Girls Varsity Hockey Team, represented the Czech Republic in women’s ice hockey at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. Patkova, who played for the HTI Stars in Canada for one season following graduation, is a sophomore at the University of PHOTOS: OLYMPIC.CZ
Vermont, and Neubauerova is a senior at Colgate University, where she is majoring in psychological and brain sciences with a minor in writing and rhetoric. “The Olympic Games is something you dream of as a kid and making
Olympic teammates Tynka Patkova ’18 and Nemo Neubauerova ‘18
it there seems almost impossible to believe,” Neubauerova said in an article on the Colgate Women’s Ice Hockey website. “When we qualified in front
matchup against the U.S. and was also able to rip off a
of all the fans and my family and friends, it was just such a
shot on goal,” the Maroon-News reported.
special feeling that I cannot even describe. I just remember
“So thankful and so proud that I could have
watching the clock as the last seconds of the game were
represented my home country with my second family.
going by and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, we did it.’”
Thank you to everyone who was supporting our team!”
In Beijing, Neubauerova had an assist in Game #1 of the Women’s Preliminary Round on February 3, in which
Patkova said of her Olympic experience via Instagram.
if you don’t get points, just knowing you’re part of the team
Both Incredible Students and Three-Sport Athletes
there and part of the victories or losses … it’s still really cool
During her years at The Frederick Gunn School, Patkova
to be a part of it,” she said of her experience in an article
played ice hockey, soccer, and softball, and she was
published March 4 in The Colgate Maroon-News.
inducted into the National Art Honors Society. In her senior
the Czech Republic beat China 3-1. “It felt good, and even
The Czech Republic went on to beat Sweden 3-1,
year at Gunn, Neubauerova was captain of the Girls Ice
Denmark 3-2, and Japan 3-2, and fell to Denmark 2-1 before
Hockey Team and named Most Valuable Player. Prior to
taking on the United States in the women’s Quarterfinal on
college, both also competed for three seasons with the
February 11. Reuters called the game against the defending
Czech Republic National U18 Women’s Ice Hockey Team
Olympic champion U.S. team “tougher-than-expected.”
in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World
“While the American hockey powerhouse rarely find
Championship, a precursor for selection to the Czech
themselves on the backfoot, the twice-gold medalists did not claim the lead until the third period,” the news agency
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“Neubauerova got 22 shifts in the Quarterfinal
Olympic team. “They were both incredible students, three-sport
said. The U.S. won 4-1, and advanced to play Canada in the
athletes, incredibly hard workers in the classroom,
Women’s Gold Medal Game, which Canada won 3-2.
and great citizens in the community,” reflected
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Neubauerova sitting on the boards (below) and with Patkova (above) in Beijing Kate McMann ’05, Director of College Counseling, who was
as a freshman that it was her dream to play in the Olympics.
Neubauerova’s and Patkova’s advisor. “Obviously, they’re
The Czech Republic didn’t have a women’s ice hockey team
very talented hockey players but also very humble and
at that time. It has been her dream to compete at that level
outstanding character-wise.”
and it’s awesome to see that she accomplished her goal.”
Asked what she thought when she first heard her
McMann, who previously coached girls hockey at Gunn,
former advisees were going to the Olympics together,
said both alumni are outstanding role models for current
McMann said: “I was so excited. I remember Nemo saying
students. “It helps our female athletes here in having a greater sense of pride, seeing girls going on to compete at the college level and at the olympic level. It’s very inspiring. You could not ask for better role models.” “For our girls to see Frederick Gunn School athletes complete in the Olympics is inspirational on all levels,” agreed Dan Allen, Head Coach for Gunn Girls Varsity Hockey. “That’s a huge deal for their teammates and for the girls that are here now. It’s something that only happens once every four years. It’s a very hard thing to do, and a very inspiring thing to do.”
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Fueled by Expansion, Varsity Ski Teams Compete in NEPSAC Championship Ten members of the boys and girls varsity ski teams participated February 16 in the 2022 NEPSAC Boys and Girls Alpine Skiing Championship at Wachusett Mountain in Massachusetts. The Class C race was held near the close of a historic season for the school’s ski program, which doubled in size and expanded to include two varsity teams for the first time. Representing the Boys Varsity Ski Team at the NEPSAC Alpine Skiing Championship were: John Adams ’22, Liam Koval ’22, Luke Miller ’22, Andrew Baron ’24, and Oliver Levick ’24. The Girls Varsity Ski Team was represented by: Lea Ritzenhoff ’22, Quinn Hedden ’23, Grace Harlow ’25, Stella Leonard ’25, and Zane Leonard ’25. Athletic Director Mike Marich P’23 ’24 said the decision to expand the program to two teams this year was an easy one. “We had a lot of student interest in skiing, so much so that we needed to figure out how to make it accessible. We were able to expand from one coed team to male and female teams.” The expansion of the ski program, along with programs such as the Live Like Fred Community Weekends and this February’s inaugural Mountain Day (see page 24), underscore the school’s overall commitment to the outdoors, inspired by our founder, Frederick Gunn and his love of nature. Head Coach Sal Lilienthal, who also teaches history this year, and is the Crew Team Operations Coordinator, and Assistant Coach Austin Arkin, who also teaches math,
John Adams ’22
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Quinn Hedden ’23
The Girls Varsity Ski Team at the 2022 NEPSAC Class C Alpine Skiing Championship, from left, Lea Ritzenhoff ’22, Quinn Hedden ’23, Zane Leonard ’25, Grace Harlow ’25, and Stella Leonard ’25 accompanied 28 students to Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall for ski practice each day during the winter season. In previous years, the ski program was limited to a maximum of 13 student-athletes. “The idea was to have a boys team, a girls team, and a recreational skiing program. That’s basically what we were managing this year. We race slalom and giant slalom races and everyone’s really excited about the girls program,” said Lilienthal, who collaborated with Marich on the design for the new FGS ski racing uniforms, which were produced by a New Hampshire company with manufacturing facilities in Italy. The varsity ski teams compete in the Brigham Ski League, which includes The Frederick Gunn School, Berkshire School, Cheshire Academy, The Ethel Walker School, Forman School, Loomis Chaffee, Miss Porter’s School, Salisbury School, Suffield Academy, and The Taft School. “It’s very competitive,” Lilienthal said. “The schools that we’re up against are some of the best schools in New England. I’ve been really impressed with the level of performance of our athletes and the competition. And it’s a young team so I think that we should be improving over time.”
Liam Koval ’22
Lea Ritzenhoff ’22
A Strong Finish Highlanders Place 12th in New England Championship, and Two Named All-Stars The Boys and Girls Varsity Cross
Massachusetts. Kaltalioglu finished
Country Teams participated
20th and Macler 23rd in their
in the NEPSTA DIII New England
respective varsity 5000-meter races.
Championships at Great Brook Farm
“It was a fun season this year
State Park in Carlisle, Massachusetts,
getting back into racing after last
on November 13, 2021. Some students
year’s practice-only season,” said
recorded personal records at the
Head Coach Morgen Fisher ’03. “I
event and the boys varsity team
always like to see the energy, the
placed 12th overall. Team members
atmosphere, and the dynamics they
Serdar Kaltalioglu ’22 and Jennifer
have and it was a good group. If they
Macler ’22 finished in the Top 20 in
can carry on with the energy they
their respective races. Kaltalioglu
have, and the culture of the team
finished 15th in the Boys Varsity race
stays as strong as it is, it will continue
with a time of 17:58, and Macler placed
to be a rewarding experience for
15th in the Girls Varsity race with a
the kids individually, and for the
time of 21:49. Based on their results,
coaches. Anyone can go out and run
both qualified for the NEPSTA Cross
individually, but when you are part
Country All-Star Meet November 20
of a team, it’s that team culture that
at St. Mark’s School in Southborough,
makes it rewarding.”
Serdar Kaltalioglu ’22 and Jennifer Macler ’22 with their medals from the New England DIII Cross Country Championship
Representing Gunn in the Girls Varsity championship race were (left to right): Jade Vu ’25, Iris Hubbard ’22, Vivian Boucher ’23, Jenny Shen ’23, Lila Lovejoy ’25 and Jennifer Macler ’22.
Participating in the Boys Varsity championship race (left to right): Paul Clement ’22, Sean Hall ’22, Leo Vitarelli ’25, Nick Danforth ’24, Tim Yu ’22, Colin Hall ’24, and Serdar Kaltalioglu ’22.
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Maya Sellinger ’23
Kayla Clark ’22
Katie Porrello ’22
Varsity Field Hockey Advances to New England Championship The Girls Varsity Field Hockey Team ended its fall season with a record of 13-3, advancing to the 2021 New England Class C Girls Field Hockey Championship. Gunn, the #2 seed, played Proctor Academy, the #7 seed, in the quarterfinal on November 17, 2021, at Deerfield Academy. “I’m proud of them,” Dean of Students Ashley LeBlanc said at the close of her first season as Head Coach. “We started to talk about New Englands about halfway through the season as in, ‘We’re on track.’ Two-thirds of the way through we were in the Top 3.” The team also ended its regular season with an 81 percent win average. The Highlanders fell to Proctor 0-2. Part of LeBlanc’s approach this season was to instill humility as well as confidence in her student-athletes, and to make sure each member of the team was prepared mentally, emotionally, and physically to bring their best to the game. “It’s really exciting that this is where the program can be,” she said. “We’re really excited about the development of the JV program, and just continued
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
field hockey education and commitment. I think that’s where there’s a lot of heart, a lot of pride. I’m just so thrilled, so proud, and so excited about where we’ve already gotten to, and where we can go.” The team played their last regular season game against Canterbury, and won 2-1 at Canterbury Day, earning the school a point toward the CanterburyGunn Cup. Gunn also brought home a win against Kent School early in the season, when the Highlanders took on some tough opponents. More wins followed in quick succession during regular
Nine Highlanders Named to ALL-NEPSAC and All-State this fall The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council announced in December that nine Frederick Gunn School student-athletes earned All-NEPSAC and All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention Awards for achieving standout seasons in their respective fall sports. This fall’s All-NEPSAC selections included: Katie Porrello ’22, Girls Varsity Field Hockey; Jenny Macler ’23, Girls Varsity Cross Country; Abbey Agrodnia ’22, Girls Varsity Soccer; Serdar Kaltalioglu ’22, Boys Varsity Cross Country; and Anabel Lota ’22, Girls Varsity Field Hockey. The All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention Award recipients included: Annie Scovill ’22, Girls Varsity Field Hockey; Eddie Rayhill ’22, Boys Varsity Soccer; Jason Fritz ’23, Boys Varsity Soccer; and Kayla Clark ’22, Girls Varsity Field Hockey. In addition, Fritz was selected for CSCA All-State honors by the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association.
season games against Ethel Walker, Berkshire School, Suffield Academy, and St. Luke’s School, as LeBlanc continued to instill confidence in the Highlanders. “There became a moment, really halfway through the season, where they started to believe more and more. As our confidence grew,
Katie Porrello ’22
Jenny Macler ’23
Abbey Agrodnia ’22
Serdar Kaltalioglu ’22
Anabel Lota ’22
Annie Scovill ’22
Eddie Rayhill ’22
Jason Fritz ’23
Kayla Clark ’22
our skills grew, and they continued to trust the game plan and build on the game play,” LeBlanc said. This year’s team included nine seniors and a handful of studentathletes who were not only new to playing at the varsity level, but had never played field hockey before. “Goalie Jordan Hopping ’24 never put on the pads before and is dedicated and committed and just absolutely flourished. Forward Poppy Kellogg ’25, forward Beatrice Flynn ’24, defender Jenna Hunt ’22 — all just really good student-athletes, really complementing a diversely talented team,” LeBlanc said.
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Girls Soccer Program Expands to Include JV Team This fall, the school expanded its athletic offerings to
school it highlights strong female enrollment and interest
include the first Girls JV Soccer Team in recent history. With
from female students.”
33 student-athletes rostered, compared to about 24 in a typical year, Athletic Director Mike Marich P’23 ’24 gave a
gave a nod to the U.S. women’s national team, which she
green light to expand the program to include varsity and
follows closely. “They did so well this year, and their story
JV teams at the start of the season. The JV team went on
during the Olympics as well — they were the favorite and
to beat Canterbury early — and win the first point of the year
they didn’t win. Their journey, and the women’s national
toward the Canterbury-Gunn Cup — racking up another
team news around equal pay and women’s sports in
point in November, when the Highlanders beat Canterbury a
general — these topics are getting more air time. I think
second time, 4-1, at Canterbury Day on the Saints’ home turf.
more girls are interested in the sport based on the recent
“In the past, we had wanted to create a girls JV team, but we did not have the numbers to make it viable. This year, we did. By all accounts the experience has been really
experience they’ve had watching the women’s national team or the Olympics.” Word of mouth and the influence of friend groups were
positive. The coaches worked well together,” Marich said,
also contributing factors, especially among those who
attributing the success of the program to the collaboration
were not three-sport athletes and decided to take a risk by
among the coaches: Emily Abelson, Head Coach for Girls
playing soccer for the first time. “The girls who’ve played for
Varsity Soccer, Alisa Croft, Assistant Coach, and Jess Lyon,
a couple of years have had a good experience,” Lyon said.
who took on the role of Head Coach for Girls JV Soccer this
“They’re excited to be there and they talk about that. I think
year. “It is my hope that the program will continue to grow
that’s how other girls join.”
under Emily’s leadership,” Marich said. The JV team ended its season with a record of 4-3,
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Asked what is driving the increased interest, Abelson
“If you looked historically at the pattern to girls soccer, you’d have some years where there were 26 kids on the
while the varsity team finished with a record of 8-5-2.
team, and some years where there were less than that.
“Both teams had incredible seasons,” Abelson said. “For the
If you graph it, it kind of goes in waves. I think a lot of that
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Five Earn ALL-NEPSAC Recognition for Winter Sports plays to friend groups, but it’s also a little natural,” Croft said. From a coaching perspective, Lyon said, “It’s been
In late March, five Gunn studentathletes received All-NEPSAC and
awesome that all three of us have worked to build the
All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention
team. We collaborate as coaches and we are working so
Awards for their respective winter
great together, which is something the girls see.”
sports, and one was named a NEPSAC All-Star.
The three coaches ran a combined JV and varsity
The school’s All-NEPSAC selections this winter
practice every afternoon. “We keep everything together
included: Tristan Davis ‘23, Boys Basketball, and Lea
in our technical and foundational skills,” Abelson said. “We
Ritzenhoff ‘22, Girls Alpine Skiing. All-NEPSAC Honorable
pair up a JV and a varsity player and expect that they are
Mention Awards went to: Bea Flynn ‘24 (forward) and
working as hard as they can to ensure they are at the level
Abbey Agrodnia ‘22 (defense), Girls Ice Hockey, and
that we as a college-preparatory program expect them
Natalia Zappone ‘23, Girls Basketball. Zappone also
to work at. The younger kids get to know some of the older
earned NEPSAC All-Star honors, according to Amy
kids, they get skills exposure. They get exposed to kids who
Paulekas, Head Coach, Girls Basketball.
do things at a faster pace. They know what they’re working toward.”
Abbey Agrodnia ’22
Lea Ritzenhoff ’22
Having a JV team helps students to build confidence and provides a nice segue to the varsity level. “I have talked to girls through the admissions process this year about our program in general, and I’m so excited that we have this place,” Abelson said of the JV team. “You get to work on developing your skills with other players that have the same mentality as you, and also compete at a super high level because we’re practicing with varsity.”
Natalia Zappone ’23
Tristan Davis ’23
Bea Flynn ’24
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Master of The Gunnery This winter, The Frederick Gunn School reprinted The Master of The Gunnery: A Memorial of Frederick William Gunn with a new cover and forward by Head of School Peter Becker. Published in 1886, five years after Mr. Gunn’s death, the book remains one of the best resources about Mr. Gunn’s educational philosophy and who he was — as an educator, outdoorsman, abolitionist, baseball enthusiast, and citizen of Washington. We looked into the Paula and George Krimsky ’60 Archives and Special Collections to learn more about the making of this well-loved memorial volume. Letters from the 19th century tell the story of the book’s creation by a dedicated group of alumni, who met soon after Mr. Gunn’s death to discuss plans to honor him in two ways — first, by erecting a monument at his gravesite in Washington Green Cemetery, and second, by publishing a “memorial volume.” William Hamilton Gibson (1866) led a committee overseeing the memorial volume. A renowned naturalist, painter, and author, Gibson also served as the book’s editor, and contributed 77 original illustrations that provide a sense of what life in Washington was like for students of Mr. Gunn in those early days. The book includes seven chapters written by Mr. Gunn’s former pupils based on their own reflections and the shared remembrances of family, alumni, and friends. The authors included: George A. Hickox (1855), an attorney who became editor and publisher of
A receipt for two copies of The Master of The Gunnery shows they were purchased for $4 each in 1887. The book was sold by Dr. William J. Ford (1865), town physician, state representative, and friend of Senator Platt’s. In Ford’s obituary, it was noted that the influence of Mr. Gunn “had a marked effect on his subsequent life.” The Litchfield Enquirer; Henry H. B. Howard (1865), who later edited an extensive history of the City of Brooklyn, New York; Clarence Deming (1866), a journalist and contributor to The New York Evening Post; Ehrick K. Rossiter (1870), noted architect and founder of Steep Rock; James P. Platt (1868), a federal judge, and his father, U.S. Senator Orville Platt, who was a student of Mr. Gunn’s at Washington Academy and later accompanied him to Towanda Academy as his teaching assistant.
In the Tower, one of the 77 illustrations Gibson made for the memorial volume; In the background, The Gunnery in 1880 by Gibson. 44
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
First editions, held in the archives, feature the original, gold leaf cover design by Gibson.
The archives include several wood blocks and copper-plate electrotypes, or “electros,” used in the original printing by T.L. De Vinne in New York City. One of the blocks is marked “return to H. Gibson.”
Gibson’s portrait of Mr. Gunn is the frontispiece of The Master of The Gunnery. In his introduction, Gibson attributed the eighth chapter of the book, Mr. Gunn’s Written Words, to Amy Kenyon (1861), a faculty member from 1865-1885, who researched, collected, and collated “a large amount of the literary material of the volume.” The archives include some of her handwritten notes and correspondence with alumni, including Charlie Goodyear (1861) and Nellie Lyman (1864). In a letter dated May 6, 1884, and transcribed this fall by Susie Jackson, Gibson’s great-granddaughter, Kenyon wrote that she was planning to interview Mrs. Gunn, specifically to record her memories of the early days of the school, from 1850-1855. Mrs. Gunn and other family members were to be consulted on the book, and given the opportunity to make changes, Kenyon wrote. John C. Brinsmade (1862), Mr. Gunn’s son-in-law, and the second Head of School, was also a member of the committee overseeing the book’s publication.
A postcard addressed to Amy Kenyon in Brooklyn, New York, inviting alumni to a meeting at the St. Nicholas Hotel on January 24, 1882, to discuss the memorial project
Newspaper clippings in the archives, from The New York Tribune, The Independent, and Harper’s Monthly, among others, touted the publication of the book in 1866 and highlighted the fact that Mr. Gunn was known and respected far beyond Washington, Connecticut.
Alumni and faculty on the steps of the first Schoolhouse in 1886 (back row, left to right): Louise M. Brown (1886), Mary E. Hall (1866), Annie M. Gibson (1866), Abbie U. Tolles (1866); Second row, from left: Mary Dodge Brown (1869), Anne L. Brinsmade (1870), Abigail Gunn, Mary Brinsmade Church (a descendant of Elias Boudinot), Katherine A. Brown, Nellie Ford; Front row: Margaret Shedd Gold (wife of Abigail’s nephew, Cornelius Boudinot Gold), Lillie M. Gunn Smith (1886), William Brinsmade (John’s brother, who taught Latin and Greek and started a Glee Club at The Gunnery and also founded the Ridge School), Frederick Gunn Brinsmade (1898) (John and Mary’s son), Ada Colton Brinsmade (William’s wife), John and Mary Brinsmade. Spring 2022
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ALUMNI EVENTS
Highlanders Celebrate the Holidays The Alumni & Development Office welcomed alumni, Trustees, parents, and friends at three festive holiday receptions in December. These in-person gatherings, held in Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C.,
provided opportunities for Highlanders to reconnect, engage, and catch up on the latest news from campus. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, and celebrate the holidays with our extended Gunn clan!
Alumni gathered on December 7 at Ocean Prime in Washington, D.C. In attendance were (left to right): Bill Curren, Matt Vredenburgh ’04, Carrie Cameron ’13, Hildy Maxwell ’16, Katie Lyons ’82, Charles Thomas ’84, Kim Shiff P’24, Peter Becker, Patrick Dorton ’86, Andrew Shiff P’24, Alec Cornell ’14.
On December 8, alumni gathered at the Yale Club in New York City. The gathering included (front row): Logan Adams ’15, Brendon Vejseli ’17, Tim Cervera ’17, Dana Ross ’17, Michael Cohen ’13; (second row): Phil Dutton ’81 P’23, Jane Moore ’14, Claire Lavelle ’16, Amanda Payne ’14, Jan Silverman ’16, Lena Mak ’16, Josh Vidro ’06, David Elsberg P’25, Kathy Ellman P’24, Natalie Elsberg P’25, Lexi Nanavaty ’17, Jackie Hagopian ’13, Katie Quinlan ’13, Tess Mindham ’13, Laura Reckdenwald ’11, Poppy Baldwin ’80; (back row): Paul McManus ’87 P’21 ’23, Bill Curren, Virginia Dodenhoff ’15, John Robards ’80, McKay Flanagan ’16, Zach Larson ’12, Alan Ellman P’24, James Estreich ’06, Marlon Fisher ’01, Nathan Weinstein ’05, Omar Slowe ’97, Jesse Terry ’97, Jaren Taenaka ’12, Scott Schwind ’89, Eric Kim ’11, Adlai Small ’91, Xavier Parkmond ’11, Mark Kessenich ’11, Rick Hahn ’11, Chris Babcock ’68, Florence Sheers P’22, Mary Clarke, Peter Becker, Peter Clarke ’70, Alex Sheers P’22.
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
In Boston on December 9, an evening reception was held at The Oceanaire Seafood Room. Guests included (front row): Jesse Greenstein ’07, Nick Bianchi ’07, Aaron Townsend ’04, Nellie Simmons ’11, Logan Adams ’15, Christian Bianchi ’08; (second row): Tom DellaCamera ’94, Pat Schwarz, Hilary Benjamin ’08, Lisa Della Piana, Jack Reynolds ’68, Tom Meek ’81, Aaron Levy ’12, Willy Charleton ’08, Bobby Hooper ’14, Kara Grogan ’07, Hiller Sperry ’15, Mallory Farmer ’05, Peter Becker, Eli Dorf ’19, Justin Charles ’10, Marlon Fisher ’01, James LeBlanc.
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ALUMNI EVENTS
Garden Manager and Head Gardener Denise Arturi at Judea Garden
A Garden Dedicated to the Common Good (1866) about the relationship between the school and the town: Throughout the pandemic, despite the need for social distancing “Of equal moment as bearing on the outcome of the Gunnery and isolation, there were moments that brought communities closer plan [Mr. Gunn’s plan for the school] was the keen sympathy and together. In Washington, some of those moments played out at Judea interest between the village and the school. Each seemed to live Garden, a small, organic, community garden that has been helping for the common good of both, and each reflected on the other the to nourish residents of Washington and surrounding towns for 13 mutual good-will. Town boys and Gunnery boys fraternized on even years. On November 20, The Frederick Gunn School honored Judea terms, and so identified were the school and the village that one Garden with its 2021 Friend of The Green Award. Denise Arturi, hardly knew where the one ended and the other began. The active Judea Garden Manager and Head Gardener, accepted the award interest of the teacher [that is Mr. Gunn] during a virtual celebration organized by in all town affairs, the attendance of day the Alumni & Development Office. scholars of both [genders], the ball games, The work happening at the “The Frederick Gunn School created and the annual school exhibitions, all tended the Friend of the Green Award in 2010 garden not only enriches our to perpetuate and solidify the union. In all to honor an individual, group, or an town by bringing volunteers the forces which wrought for the Gunnery, organization in Washington that has together, working together, its stature and its growth, this environment contributed to the well-being of the town. of a temperate, wholesome, and harmonious It is one of our school’s ways of carrying on but literally nourishes community must be counted first.” the goals and traditions of Frederick Gunn and feeds people in our “I think that’s a really great description and his wife, Abigail,” said Head of School community.” that we can all reach for and reach towards Peter Becker, who shared two excerpts as we think about the school, now in its from The Master of The Gunnery, including – Peter Becker, Head of School 172nd year in the town of Washington,” these words written by Clarence Deming 48
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Becker said, noting that through The Friend of The Green Award, the school has, for 11 years now, recognized individuals and organizations like Judea Garden, “who do something on behalf of the town or for the town’s common good.” Nestled on just half an acre of Steep Rock’s Macricostas Preserve, Judea Garden is tended by a core group of about 20 volunteers who give their time and talent at least one day a week during the growing season. They are supported by many more individuals and groups, including the Rotary Club and students from local schools. Students from The Frederick Gunn School helped to build deer fencing protecting the garden rows, and assisted with fall clean-up last year. Students from Washington Primary School planted seeds for the garden last spring, and students in the Shepaug Agriscience program grew seedlings for the garden in their greenhouse. “People give up a lot of hours of their time. They come in the cold, they come in the rain, because they want to help. They want to do something,” said Arturi, a Certified Master Gardener who has overseen the project since the first crop was harvested in 2009. She and the volunteers now grow, harvest and distribute over 36,000 pounds of fresh produce that is distributed to those in need via three locations: Washington Town Hall, the Washington-Warren Food Bank, and New Milford Food Bank. Those who volunteer at the garden benefit as much as the recipients, although in different ways. “To be outside working, to connect with the soil, it’s magical,” Arturi said, noting that volunteers worked straight through the pandemic. They socially distanced and were masked, but they kept coming. “The fun thing, too, is all the individuals become their own community. They watch out for each other, support each other, joke with each other,” she said. Judea Garden was started in 2008 by Ann Burton and Marlene Smith of St. John’s Church off Washington Green. After the economic downturn of 2008, neighbors could, through the garden, support their community through actually growing much-needed food. In 2014, the garden partnered with Steep Rock Association, which became the primary sponsor of the garden. “It’s been this invaluable resource for the local community,” Becker said. “The work happening at the garden not only enriches our town by bringing volunteers together, working together, but literally nourishes and feeds people in our community. Over 100 individuals, schools, churches, civic organizations, and businesses have volunteered their time to give back to the garden, and therefore to the town, over the years. The garden, the volunteers who make it possible, and chief among them Denise, represent everything that is great and good about Washington.”
Past recipients of The Friend of The Green Award 2020
The Town of Washington’s COVID Response Team 2019
Fran and Michael Keilty 2018
Denise DeVault Trevenen 2017
Lake Waramaug Association 2016
Washington Lions Club 2015
Sheila Anson, Washington’s Town Clerk and Vice Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission 2014
The Institute of American Indian Studies 2013
JoAnne Torti, Executive Director of the After School Arts Program 2012
The Washington Fire Department and Washington Town Hall employees 2011
Kirsten Peckerman,
Steep Rock Association board member 2010
Phil and Gretchen Farmer P’05,
board members and past presidents of
the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum
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ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Small Businesses Light the Way Through Pandemic Times
If there was a silver lining to the global pandemic, perhaps it was all of the creativity that blossomed in response to living in lockdown with the stress and unpredictability of COVID. We were cooking and baking, nurturing house plants and gardens, building out our basements and backyards, but some of those pandemic hobbies, a lot of them in fact, translated into small businesses. In June 2021, Salesforce reported that entrepreneurs started new businesses in record numbers during the pandemic, due to a confluence of accessible technology, home confinement, and spare time. “According to the Census Bureau, more than 4.4 million new businesses were created in the U.S. during 2020 — the highest total on record. For reference, that’s a 24.3% increase from 2019 and 51.0% higher than the 2010-19 average. Half a million new businesses were started in January 2021, alone,” Salesforce said, noting that, in a B2B survey conducted last April, 57% of respondents said creativity was the most important quality entrepreneurs needed during the pandemic. “The entrepreneurial-minded found ways to disrupt their own jobs to fit the times or start that side hustle to fill a sudden need in the locked-down economy.”
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
The ritual of lighting a candle For Kori Rimany ’14, who has been teaching English at The Frederick Gunn School since 2018, the pandemic created an opportunity to take a simple, comforting ritual, the lighting of a candle, and turn it into a small but successful business. The creation of her English Teacher Candle Co. was fueled by her entrepreneurial spirit, social media savvy, and the power of scent memory. “I’ve been making candles for family and friends for a while. It wasn’t until the pandemic, truthfully, that I had time to think about launching a business,” said Rimany, whose days are typically consumed by teaching, coaching field hockey and ultimate frisbee, serving as an advisor and dorm parent, and taking online graduate classes. Her apartment in Teddy House, the freshman boys dorm, doubled as her classroom beginning in March 2020, when the school moved from in-person to online learning in response to COVID. “Every morning I would wake up and light a candle and sit at my desk, which was, at that time, in our living room, and be on a screen all day. A candle was my way of making it a positive for me.” Rimany, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, where she double majored in English and gender and women’s studies, with a minor in mathematics, credited her partner, Joey Fallon ’14, with giving her the push she needed to start her company. “Joey was the one who said, ‘You should sell these.’ I had just made a batch for Christmas for a bunch of family and friends. I said, ‘That’s ridiculous. I can’t do that.’ He said, ‘What do you have to lose?’” Fallon, who majored in economics and finance at Princeton, helped Rimany to determine the pricing and profit margins for her
Orders packed and ready to ship following the launch of the spring collection in April 2021 products, and build a website (englishteachercandleco.com). They launched the company on February 26, 2021, and sold 3,200 candles in less than a year. “There is a lot of ritual associated with candles. For instance, last year, when my grandfather passed away from COVID, there was a national candle lighting ceremony, and at his funeral, we lit a candle. There’s a lot of sentimental value in candles. We use them for birthdays. They hold purpose and emotion,” she mused.
The power of scent memory When people were not able to leave the house freely, or travel due to COVID, lighting a candle was one way they could change the atmosphere in their homes. For Rimany, it all depends on the scent you choose. The scent of coconut milk reminds her of the beach. If she is missing home, she will light one of her signature Skiff Mountain Summer candles, which carries the scent of tomatoes ripening on the vine. “Tomato vine is the smell I associate with my mom in the summer and working in the garden and dirt on her hands. I have these very strong associations with smells. I’ve tried to turn some of those memories into candles.” Spring 2022
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Each season, Rimany has introduced a new collection with three scents. These have included oatmeal honey almond, sandalwood and vanilla, and mahogany and shea, along with one of her signature scents: Skiff Mountain Summer, Skiff Mountain Winter, and Skiff Mountain Fall. All are based on her personal scent memories. But, she noted, “It’s more than a personal thing now.” In the two weeks before Christmas 2021, The English Teacher Candle Co. sold over 1,000 candles alone. “Physically, we’ve run Clothespins help center the wicks out of room. Our living room was a candle during curing. There is a lot of ritual warehouse for four weeks,” Rimany said. In addition to her website, she has more associated with candles. scented version. You can find them among than 1,000 followers on Instagram the locally grown and made products at For instance, last year, when @englishteacher_candleco, and her handWoodford’s General Store in Kent, at Ace my grandfather passed poured, small batch, soy candles are available Hardware in Litchfield, which ordered a away from COVID, there was in retail locations throughout Litchfield custom cedar and spruce scent, inspired by County and beyond its borders. Maggie a national candle lighting White Memorial Preserve, and at Hope & Colangelo, who runs The PO on Washington Honey, a Litchfield gift shop and boutique, ceremony, and at his funeral, Green, was the first business owner to place which requested candles with custom labels we lit a candle. There’s a a retail candle order from her. Rimany had that read, “Searching for Stars Hollow,” lot of sentimental value given Colangelo a candle as a gift, to thank inspired by the popular TV series, “Gilmore her for opening her bakery/cafe in the fall in candles. We use them Girls.” of 2020. In response, Colangelo offered to In Cornwall, the outdoor sporting for birthdays. They hold support Rimany’s candle business. ”She goods company, 3 Guys Ski & Ride, ordered a purpose and emotion.” reached out and said, ‘Would you want to custom label for its 3 Guys Ski & Pine scent, try selling them here?’” – Kori Rimany ’14 which they sold at Christmas. Closer to Rimany’s espresso and sweet cream campus, Depot Dog now carries a whole line scented candles, sold with a custom label, of Rimany’s candles in custom scents with “Mornings at The PO,” are now a fixture at the custom labels, including Pumpkins & Puppies, and Puppy Kisses. “I popular eatery. “She believed in me and my candles, which gave me have some people who come in here just for the candles. They don’t the extra confidence boost to really launch this business,” Rimany even have a dog, but they like the candles,” said shop owner Electra wrote on her Instagram. “This experience has been 1 part terrifying Varnish, who was looking to source local products and discovered and 2 parts gratifying. I feel vulnerable with my candles out in the Rimany’s candles at The PO. world, but I also feel a surge of happiness and hope each time I hear “She’s a really good businesswoman. She’s so easy to work with from a customer or bump into someone who has tried a candle.” and she gets so excited about it. She gives great attention to detail. Followers of the brand will now find Rimany’s candles in New She did her homework as far as what scents mask smells,” Varnish Milford at The Safari Collective, a sustainable lifestyle shop, and said, picking up a candle as she described the scent. “It’s linen, it’s The Hunt, a curated vintage shop, which stocks a lemon and mint light, it’s clean.”
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Math, chemistry, and a penchant for baking Wholesale and custom orders now account for about two-thirds of the business. “The demand has been amazing,” said Rimany, who has created custom scents with personalized labels (sold in quantities of 12 or more) for baby showers, weddings, schools, corporate holiday gifts, and thank-you gifts for nonprofit organizations to give to donors. Connecticut College, her alma mater, purchased her largest order to date: 700 candles that were mailed to donors. “When I got the initial email, I laughed,” she said, recalling that in order to meet the deadline, she quickly calculated that she would need to pour 100 candles a day over the course of seven days. Of course, she did. “I feel
Mini matchboxes with titles drawn from Rimany’s English I and AP like I could do anything now.” Language classes That attention to detail Varnish referenced? It comes through vessels. Rimany uses clothespins to center the wicks in each one, and when Rimany speaks about her materials and process, which allows then she waits. her to use her mathematics background, a bit of chemistry, and “A candle has to cure anywhere from five to 14 days. It’s not like some of her penchant for crafting and baking, too. Her candles are I can pour a candle and sell it the next day. Those candles have to made using braided cotton wicks, a blend of phthalate-free and wait for the soy wax and the scent to bind together, which is why my environmentally-friendly essential oils and fragrance oils, and 100 house looks like a candle factory,” she said, adding, “Candles are a percent soy wax made from soybeans grown in the U.S. “Soy wax is lot like wine in that the longer they’re cured, quite a bit better for the environment, but the stronger the scent. If you were to burn a also for the consumer. A lot of candles are candle that I poured yesterday, it would give a blend of paraffin,” which is derived from off a very weak scent. It wouldn’t give off any petroleum, she noted. scent throw.” She works in small batches, making 10 Although Rimany briefly considered to 12 candles at a time, and can now pour naming her company for her little black up to 150 candles per day, compared to just dog, Bailey, who is at her feet every time she 15 when she started in 2021. Her process has is pouring candles, she chose a name that improved but time is still a factor, and a lot connected her work as a maker to her work of it comes down to trial and error. Making as a teacher. In keeping with that theme, a new scent can require two weeks of testing Rimany uses 100% all-natural soy wax “with Rimany created a line of tiny matchboxes to achieve the proper balance between the no additives or dyes, ever.” adorned with the covers of the books she fragrance “load” and the optimal size wick. “It teaches in her English classes, including Toni Morrison’s Home, depends on what the fragrance is and what the vessel is. Once I’ve Oedipus Rex, The Great Gatsby and My Ántonia. For Christmas she done the testing, I’m ready to move into production,” she said. chose How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Merry Christmas, Steganona. The wax comes in a flaked form that “looks like parmesan Although teaching will always be her priority, and she plans the cheese.” It is poured into a vessel that resembles a crock pot with release of her collections around her schedule, she has added candle a spigot, and heated to melting temperature, or 185 degrees, then making workshops — for Gunn students and faculty, Connecticut transferred to a pitcher. Fragrance is added immediately, and the College alumni, and local businesses — to her repertoire. “My bigger mixture is stirred for two minutes. Rimany inserts a thermometer plan is that the signature collection will be available year-round. I never and waits until the wax has cooled to between 135 and 145 degrees. really expected it to be so successful, which is a good problem to have,” Once the wax reaches an ideal temperature, it can be poured into she said of the business. “It just keeps growing and growing.” four-ounce tins, or seven-ounce white ceramic or recycled glass Spring 2022
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ALUMNI NEWS Courtney Febbroriello ’93 at the door to Metro Bis Restaurant in Simsbury, Connecticut
At Metro Bis, Flexibility and Resilience Were Key to Survival The food service industry, and restaurants in particular, took a huge hit from COVID-19. Government-mandated
shutdowns, indoor dining
restrictions, ongoing supply chain issues, and labor
shortages forced many
businesses to close. “The
restaurant industry, more
than any other industry in
the nation, has suffered the most significant sales and
job losses since the COVID-19
outbreak began,” the National Restaurant Association has said. “More than 8 million
restaurant employees were
laid off or furloughed, and the industry lost $280 billion in
sales during the first 13 months of the pandemic.”
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Courtney Febbroriello ’93, who co-owns the award-winning Metro Bis restaurant in Simsbury, Connecticut, with her husband, Chef Chris Prosperi, knows this story well. In February 2019, the couple had just moved their restaurant to a new, much larger location — their third in Simsbury since opening in 1998 — the historic Joseph Ensign House. The interior renovation of the expansive dining and event space had just been completed in March 2020, when the global pandemic was declared. “We were booked solid with events all the way to July. Everything canceled immediately, which left us sort of lost.” Even after everything they have been through in the last few years, Febbroriello sees signs of resiliency and hope. She has also viewed the pandemic as an opportunity to reevaluate priorities and focus on the things that fulfill us. That has meant finding ways to connect with art and with nature, sometimes in combination, like the TheaterWorks Hartford production of “Walden” she attended last summer, on the banks of the Connecticut River. She also loves to dine out at other restaurants whenever she can. “I’m always fascinated by the tenacity and the strength of the restaurant community, and the innovation. The things I have seen restaurants do to survive and thrive and reinvent themselves in the past two years has been tremendous. It makes me have so much pride in what we’ve been able to do for the community. People have done incredible things in terms of redesigning their parking lots to be incredible locations” for dining al fresco, she said, adding, “It takes a very scrappy person to run a restaurant to begin with, and to see that play out with such incredible strength and survival mechanisms is inspiring.”
Getting established Febbroriello, who holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Connecticut College, and a master’s in accounting from the University of Hartford, met Prosperi when she was still a student at The Frederick Gunn School. She was working at The Bistro in New Milford, where he was the chef. After she earned her undergraduate degree, they married and decided to open their own restaurant. “We looked everywhere,” she recalled. “We actually were financed by a couple who were regular customers at The Bistro. They financed the
location in Simsbury. That’s how we ended up over here.” Simsbury is about an hour from Gunn. Visitors and residents alike are drawn to the state parks and forests with hiking trails and recreation along the Farmington River, and to the charming downtown area, filled with historic houses and fine restaurants. Their first location was a jewel-box of a restaurant with 64 seats. The decor featured light fixtures from a Paris Metro station, and a set of wooden train doors, which is how the restaurant originally got its name. “It took a solid two years until we broke even,” Febbroriello said. “Many of the recipes and the dishes that Chris brought from New Milford were things that people here didn’t want. It took a while to figure out what the palate was for this population in order to be successful here.” Fifteen years later, when their lease came up for renewal, the couple decided it was time for a change. They looked around town to see what other commercial spaces were available, and landed on the 1820 House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “It’s a beautiful property,” Febbroriello recalled, noting it is also the birthplace of Gifford Pinchot, a conservationist and the first head of the U.S. Forest Service. The restaurant could seat 96 on the main floor and 80 additional people on the lower level, which, unfortunately, had no windows. The kitchen was also in the basement, “which was very challenging,” she said. “People loved our food, we were still having events, but it was harder to work within that space. You’d get your steps in.” In February 2019, the couple made the decision to move again,
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It takes a very scrappy person to run a restaurant to begin with, and to see that play out with such incredible to their current location in the Ensign House, Metro Bis then began preparing meals built in 1906 by Joseph R. Ensign of the for hospital nurses and other healthcare strength and survival neighboring Ensign-Bickford Company, which workers — anyone who needed them, mechanisms is inspiring.” specialized in the manufacture of Primacord, a Febbroriello said. “We took all of the food – Courtney Febbroriello ’93 slow burning detonating cord used in blasting. that was going to get thrown away and gave William Bickford invented the safety fuse in it to the visiting nurses association and the England in 1831 and started an operation in fire department. We were at Saint Francis Connecticut that led to the construction of the adjacent factory, still Hospital’s Emergency Department and the COVID floor, and then in business today. Hartford Hospital and the nursing homes. We went to Saint Mary’s In 1965, the Ensign family home was sold to the First Church Hospital in Waterbury, and to Manchester, just to have something of Christ for use as a parish house. The church added an annex with to do. Our customer base supported that mission, and made a chapel, now the main dining room of Metro Bis, and a fellowship donations to support the food cost so we could keep going. We’re hall that is the restaurant’s event space. The main dining room seats not good at not doing anything. We were like, ‘We’re going to just 64 people like the original location, but there is also a Courtyard keep going to work.’” Room that seats 24 people, a Gallery that seats 126, plus 36 on a As restaurants started to welcome customers back, Metro Bis, porch, a front porch that seats 80, a Drawing Room that seats 36, like so many other restaurants, had almost no staff left. “We cut it a Serenity room that seats 14, and one hotel room to accommodate down to me, Chris and two people. We started to do takeout and overnight guests. “It’s a beast. It’s big,” Febbroriello said. people could come and eat on the porch.” The space is tastefully decorated with antiques, including No one wanted to eat inside a restaurant at that point, and in the Paris light fixtures and train doors from the original location, order to accommodate social distancing guidelines, seating capacity which the couple took with them each time the restaurant moved. on the front porch needed to be reduced by half. So Prosperi and Longtime customers will recognize the old British bus stop bench in Febbroriello moved half of the tables from the porch onto the front the Drawing Room, and the antique hutch in the sitting room with lawn. They were able to host small weddings for about 20 people, the fireplace, where a colorful collection of carnival glass pieces is and then accommodated larger gatherings of 50-60 people under a mounted on the wall. A friend made the light fixtures in the main tent on the lawn. “We were really lucky to be here,” she said. dining room, which is also adorned with etched glass windows that allow guests to The seating area in front of the original fireplace is decorated with Febbroriello’s collection of glimpse the goings-on in the kitchen, and the carnival glass and an antique hutch that has moved with them from one location to the next. bar was built using sections of the old steam radiators that were original to the house. When COVID started, the state mandated all restaurants to close through May 1, 2020. “I think it was almost six weeks,” Febbroriello said. When Metro Bis reopened, they began making prepared meals to go, which were sold at Fitzgerald’s Foods, the family-owned grocery store next door. Fitzgerald’s was also making local deliveries, so Metro Bis meals were delivered to customers at home, Febbroriello said, noting the store owners were very supportive of the restaurant during that time. 56
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The main dining room features a chapel ceiling. The windows at left provide a glimpse into the kitchen, while those at right overlook the front porch.
“We did really great until the second week of November 2020. Then it just dropped like a rock. Once COVID came back, nobody would eat inside.“ At Thanksgiving, they served takeout meals to about 600 people. In pre-COVID times, that number would have been closer to 300 to-go meals, and the restaurant would have served Thanksgiving dinner to another 350 people in-house. Still, switching to a takeoutexclusive business model was not a huge leap compared to the way Metro Bis had operated pre-COVID. “Our first location was so small, we were always looking for ways to increase revenue. We do to-go food through most of December anyway — Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s — so we were already well-versed,” she said. As the preferred caterer for the Talcott Mountain Music Festival, a five-concert series featuring the Hartford Symphony Orchestra outdoors each summer at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center, Metro Bis already had all of the takeout containers they needed to make the new business model work. In terms of in-person events, the restaurant did take a hit. Metro Bis hosted 80 Christmas parties in 2019. In 2020, they had none. To further complicate things, the Town of Simsbury implemented a mask mandate and then removed it, which led to confusion. A lot of older people and those with health risks were still afraid to eat in the main dining room. As a result, Prosperi, Febbroriello and staff made the decision to continue wearing masks voluntarily. “We keep COVID tests on-site now. Masking is just part
of our new norm,” she said. The restaurant now has 15 staff, down from 29 in pre-COVID days, and changed its menu, scaling back from about 35 different appetizers and entrees to two, streamlined fixed-price menu options. “That sets the floor economically and allows us to create the experience we want to provide, and allows us to limit that experience because of the price point and having fewer staff,” Febbroriello said. While she anticipates there will be COVID-related closures going forward, as of early spring things were moving full-steam ahead. “The volume of parties that is coming in the next four months is astronomical. It’s two years’ worth of events that are trying to cram into a four-month period,” she said. For example, baby showers and bridal showers were traditionally morning or afternoon weekend events. Now they are cocktail party evening events “because the calendar is so full.” Febbroriello expressed optimism for the future. “I feel very hopeful. One of the reasons we wanted to come here was for celebrations. People love to come together. They love to celebrate milestone events, and that’s what we wanted to focus on … You really have to be flexible. Lose your expectations, that’s key, and just keep changing and growing and trying to figure out what’s next. You can’t keep doing what you were doing before. The world has changed and the tighter you hold on, the harder it is for you to accept it and be happy. That’s what it’s all about for everyone at this point. If you keep holding on, then you can’t find the joy in what it is now.” Spring 2022
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Maddie Aitken ’19 in her office at The Tufts Daily.
Maddie Aitken ’19 Reflects on Her Role as Editor in Chief of The Tufts Daily
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Making Her Mark
In February, we caught up with former Head Prefect Maddie Aitken ’19, who had just wrapped up her junior fall at Tufts as editor in chief of The Tufts Daily, and was settling into a study abroad program at King’s College in London. Aitken, who is double majoring in English and film and media studies, talked about what
“I feel like our generation, my generation, there’s this sense that everybody wants to change the world,” the Montclair, New Jersey native said from London via Zoom. “I think journalism is sort of a tangible way to feel that I’m contributing to a positive future. People want to do something to change the world, but how do you
it has been like to work at and lead the Daily, an independent, student-run newspaper, as well as her life in London, and where she will land next. “At the core of it, I’m just interested in writing. I love to write and share stories. I’m figuring out exactly what direction I want to take,” she said, envisioning a career in long-form, magazine journalism, audio journalism, nonprofit communications, or an editing and publishing track. “I’m trying to keep my options open.” Her future plans may include living in New York City, the Pacific Northwest, or New Zealand after graduation. “My dad is from New Zealand and I’m a citizen of New Zealand. I’d like to live there a bit,” she said. There is also the possibility of returning to London, or starting a graduate school program in journalism, which she views as a path to active citizenship.
actually do that? That’s a big question that I’ve had, and probably one that Frederick Gunn had in his time. Dispelling misinformation and putting information out into the world is a gratifying part of journalism that I quite enjoy.”
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
A significant accomplishment Aitken joined the staff of the Daily in her freshman year. She wrote news and feature stories and worked her way through the ranks each semester, taking on the role of editor in chief in September. “I was a bit more bright eyed and bushy tailed, a freshly minted junior not yet sure what the school year would bring me,” she wrote in an end-of-semester reflection published in December. “I didn’t know what to expect in terms of a third COVID-19 school year, and I didn’t know how I would balance being editor in chief with being a
From Highlander to Jumbo student and, not to mention, a regularly functioning human being. Aitken was bitten by the journalism bug early. In her junior year Truthfully, I didn’t even know if I had what it takes to run a daily at The Frederick Gunn School, she was part of a team of editors, newspaper at 20 years old.” including Sylvia Wang ’18, who implemented a redesign of The During her tenure, the Daily established a new science section, Highlander newspaper led by Mark Choi ’18. The summer before revamped a video section, and revised its website. The staff “covered senior year, she participated in a five-week journalism program everything from sports games and concerts and plays (all for the first at Northwestern, and as a senior, she became The Highlander’s time in a long time!) to local elections and newsworthy happenings,” editor in chief. In that role, she led the effort to move the printAitken wrote. “We’ve shared opinions about foreign politics and only paper into the digital realm by launching a new website. crosswalks, we’ve profiled incredible students and faculty alongside At Prize Night, she took home The Gunnery News Award for businesses from ice cream stores to coffee shops. We’ve made Excellence in Journalism, and the next day, delivered the Head podcasts and graphics and videos … we even worked through a Prefect address at Commencement, as the first female Head hacking of our website.” Prefect in recent history. Outside of day-to-day management, Aitken has had the Her decision to enroll at Tufts opportunity to write about significant issues, including the was encouraged by Choi, who insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, matriculated there a year earlier. He 2021. Six days later, the Daily published Dispelling misinformation is studying philosophy and political Aitken’s story about Jessica Turner, an science, became an Assistant Editor appointed member of the Affordable and putting information out at the Daily as a freshman, and Housing Trust Fund in Somerville, into the world is a gratifying is currently a Features Editor. “I Massachusetts, a town the paper covers part of journalism that I love that we have that connection. regularly. Turner had been a participant in We became friends through the storming the Capitol and implicated herself quite enjoy.” newspaper at Gunn. It’s cool to have by tweeting about her actions. “‘We have – Maddie Aitken ’19 him at Tufts and at the Daily,” Aitken breached the steps,’ Turner wrote in a tweet said, noting that Choi imparted to on Jan. 6,” Aitken reported. her another piece of influential advice: “I wrote about that and got to talk to to join the Tufts Wilderness Orientation (TWO) program. several different Somerville residents and officials who worked with “It’s a program that’s run for freshmen in August, before her and didn’t know that at all,” Aitken said. “When that got posted orientation starts. I did the program as a freshman at Mark’s on The Tufts Daily social media, there were comments.” recommendation. We did a backpacking trip through New For another story, Aitken covered a protest movement Hampshire on the Appalachian Trail,” Aitken recalled. Some organized by Students for a Free Tibet in conjunction with the 300 incoming Jumbos participate in the five-day program, Tibetan Association of Boston and others, who were seeking to shut backpacking and canoeing alongside upperclassmen, who are down the Confucius Institute at Tufts University (CITU). group leaders. “As of February, there were 541 Confucius Institutes worldwide, “I ended up having this great group,” said Aitken, who met and as of August, there were 75 Confucius Institutes in the United her best friend and college roommate through the program. In States, 65 of which are part of universities,” Aitken reported. August 2021, she had the opportunity to experience TWO for a “Sponsored by Beijing, Confucius Institutes have recently come second time — as a student leader — along with Gwen Brown ’20, under fire because they are partially funded by the People’s Republic an environmental studies major at Tufts. of China under guidance from the Chinese Communist Party, “I love being outdoors, and I always have. I love hiking, I love according to the U.S. Department of State’s website.” backpacking, so I loved participating in it,” Aitken said of the “They decided that they were going to protest every week until TWO program. “It was rewarding to be on the other side and give Tufts agreed to shut down the Confucius Institute. That was quite that experience to a new group of people and watch them bond an interesting political piece. I talked to the administration and they and become friends and set them off on their Tufts journey.” sort of pushed back against it,” she said. Spring 2022
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Focusing on the now Asked how her experience at Gunn prepared her for where she is now, Aitken said: “I would say academically, I feel very rooted in my Frederick Gunn education. I do feel like it prepared me very well for college. My involvement with The Highlander newspaper made me want to join The Tufts Daily in the first place, and made me interested in journalism on a more serious level.” By the spring of her sophomore year, she became the Executive News Editor at the Daily. “I was heading the news section, which is about 40 writers, editors, and assistant editors. I was managing the planning of content, assigning the content to writers, making sure writers were able to go through the process smoothly and then overseeing the editing process. I would do final edits. I was in charge of recruiting and training new writers. I learned a lot about day-today organization and management and planning for the future while focusing on the now.” Although her experience as editor in chief was a bit of a balancing act, she clearly relished the experience of ending each school day and heading into the offices of the Daily at 6 p.m. “There’s something about going into the office that feels like you’re totally entering that world. We’re in this little basement space that has no windows and there’s no concept of time as it’s passing. I really loved going there every night. It’s fun to be doing something that requires a lot of precision and attention. I got good at time management and staying on top of stuff. I think that’s something Gunn helped
Aitken, second from left, with the Managing Board of the Daily, outside their offices on the Tufts campus me with — the schedule of classes all day, and then sports or cocurriculars, and then dinner and study hall. I got good at living with a schedule. It taught me the skill of how to put yourself in a routine.” These days, her routine revolves around living in a flat in South London with three Brits who are also students at King’s College. When not in class, Aitken has taken to exploring the city, going on runs with the goal of discovering hidden parks and green spaces. “London has incredible public transit but is also very walkable. It’s bustling in the way New York is, but has great museums reminiscent of Washington, D.C. It’s vibrant. I like the pace and the way of life and the people.” She plans to rejoin the Daily in September, when she returns to Boston. “I will retire, as we say, probably back to the news section, because that’s where I started and I think I’d like to write for the arts section. I’m ready to be in the back seat and watch the next generation shine. My plan is to enjoy senior year at a more relaxed pace. I’m excited to spend time with friends and soak up my last bits of Tufts before I graduate.” Head Prefect Maddie Aitken ’19 accepting her diploma from Head of School Peter Becker
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Gary Wingfield, Sr. ’74
Fostering Connections Among Alumni of Color In celebration of Black History Month, we checked in with Gary Wingfield, Sr. ’74, who recently retired
from Deloitte Consulting and has been researching Gunn Black alumni with the goal of creating ways for all alumni of color — and current students — to engage, network, and talk about their shared, lived
experiences. Through these efforts, Wingfield hopes to amplify the accomplishments of alumni of color, instill a sense of pride among the entire Highlander community, and link the past to the present.
Shoulders to stand on “There was this adage I heard: ‘You don’t know where you’re going until you look at where you came from,’” said Wingfield, whose research was inspired in part by an opportunity he had as a student to meet Fred Easter ’59, the school’s first Black graduate and first Black Trustee. “He did a lot after he left The Gunnery,” Wingfield reflected. “He went on to Harvard and finished there and he worked in several universities in the capacity of expanding diversity. He is just amazing, and he is one of the nicest gentlemen that you’ll ever meet. The last time I got to talk to him was at a reunion. He would be the one I would like to feature should we do any type of [programming] connecting alumni of color. He is the one whose shoulders those of us in the succeeding years are standing on.” Born in Harlem, New York, Easter attended what was then The Gunnery through the National Scholarship and Service Fund for Negro Students. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in American History in 1963 and embarked on a career in education. He has devoted his life to building hope, empowerment, opportunity, and a sense of community for at-risk students. In addition to Easter, Wingfield began researching school founder Frederick Gunn, and was interested to learn more about his actions and convictions as an abolitionist. “He was a man of great principle and one of the things that I just shook my head at was that Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was so
impressed with him that she sent her children to The Gunnery. The connections are so interesting, and how he was active on the Underground Railroad, to basically free slaves of that terrible institution of slavery. He was outspoken about it. These are the kinds of connections that help us get to where we are today,” Wingfield said. Wingfield hopes to work with the Alumni & Development Office to incorporate more stories of alumni of color into School communications, celebrating the different backgrounds of Gunn alumni, highlighting accomplishments, and promoting inclusivity. Wingfield also raised the possibility of arranging Zoom calls for alumni groups to discuss things they have in common, and the creation of a directory of names, phone numbers and class years to help alumni of color connect. Students in the Black and Latinx Union (BALU) could “talk to alumni from the past and tie everything together. If these organizations are able to get these connections … I think it would make them have more pride and be more interactive to let them know they are making history.” The Alumni & Development Office is working to create a series of affinity groups, including a BIPOC affinity subcommittee. The office is working with Wingfield and Crystal Taylor-Julius ’00 on this effort. “I think networking is such an important thing. It would be very nice to be able to network with the other alumni of color,” he said. Spring 2022
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A chance to talk about connections Wingfield has already experienced firsthand the value of these interactions, having reconnected through his research with childhood friends who, like him, attended private high schools through programs such as A Better Chance (ABC). Since the 1960s, the nonprofit organization has helped talented students of color attend the nation’s premier college preparatory schools with the goal of becoming leaders.
are sometimes memories that are way back in what I call ‘the file cabinet.’ You get a chance to express, and I think the surprising thing when you make connections like this is, there are certain things that haven’t changed.”
The path to Gunn
Growing up, Wingfield lived in a New York City housing project called Forest Houses. He attended city schools through ninth grade and still remembers the day he was approached by a guidance counselor at Junior “Before coming to The Gunnery, there A candid photo of Wingfield from the High School 120. “The guidance counselor was an orientation that the ABC program 1974 Red and Gray. He included a quote brought me in and I was trying to figure out had sponsored. They wanted us to know what with the picture: “I thank God for pushing me this far, and my Mother for her strength if there was something I had done that wasn’t it was like to stay in a dormitory, and have in times of crisis.” quite right, that they were bringing me into the same class schedule that I would have the office,” Wingfield said, chuckling softly at at Gunn,” Wingfield recalled. He recently the memory. “He said, ‘We have a program that sends students away to reconnected with a student who was in the same dormitory suite private high school.’ I said, ‘My mother is never going to go for this.’” with him during that orientation, which was held at Williams Returning home that afternoon, Wingfield related what College. They had not spoken in 50 years. happened at school. “I told my mother, ‘They had this idea of me Students he knew from his neighborhood in the South Bronx going away and I knew you would never go along with that.’ She attended Gould Academy in Maine, The Darrow School in New looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘You’d York, and Delbarton School in New Jersey better go back to that guidance counselor through such programs. Some went to and tell him that you changed your mind, schools in Pennsylvania, and others were She understood the that you talked to your mother and she’s OK not far away in Connecticut, at South Kent importance of a school with you going away.’” School, The Ethel Walker School, Hotchkiss, like this. She trusted What Wingfield did not know at the Choate Rosemary Hall, the Taft School, and what she put in me over time was that his mother had attended a Canterbury. college preparatory school in the South. “She “When I would come home for breaks, the years. She realized I understood the importance of a school like it was like homecoming. All of these guys needed to get out of the this. She trusted what she put in me over the had stories about what happened to them neighborhood and this years. She realized I needed to get out of the when they went to these various schools,” school was going to be a neighborhood and this school was going to Wingfield said, recalling that after growing be a plus — and it has been.” up in the city, his transition to Washington plus — and it has been. ” During his time on campus, Wingfield “was in many ways a culture shock. In the – Gary Wingfield, Sr. ’74 was one of about five students of color. He city, there was always some kind of noise. My developed a lifelong friendship with Kenneth project was in the flight path of LaGuardia Walton ’75, who is now an attorney in California. The two met after Airport. There was always a plane going by, and if it wasn’t that, Wingfield was featured in a story in The New York Daily News there was all kinds of activity going on outside.” in 1971. In the future, he hopes to reconnect with other alumni, “Getting a chance to talk about the connection that all of us including Martin E. Love ’71 and Gary Stocks ’76. have is cathartic. It does something for you,” Wingfield said. “There
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Wingfield, far right, was a member of a student group called The Sibrobond. According to The Red and Gray, it was a Black organization on campus “formed to get the minority groups together.” It hosted several social affairs and conferences and its members attended similar functions at other schools. With him in the yearbook photo are (front) Keith Simmons ’75 and Keith Best ’76, (second row) Gary Stocks ’76, Keith Jefferson ’75, (top) Kenneth Walton ’75 and Dale Mitchell ’75.
“When I was at Gunn my first semester, The Daily News sent political science and government. He worked for 17 years for Pfizer, a reporter and a photographer up to talk about the experiences of Inc. before pivoting to jobs in financial planning and strategic the students of color who were part of the program that I was part benefit consulting. He joined Deloitte in 2018 as a corporate trainer of,” Wingfield recalled. “There was a classmate, Jeffrey Richardson and business solutions advisor. ’73, who was a year ahead of me, who talked to the reporter during Asked if his life would have been different had he not taken dinner time. The reporter asked me, ‘Would you mind sharing what his mother’s advice and come to Gunn, Wingfield said: “My you have experienced here?’ He asked me a few questions, and I told neighborhood was a hotbed for gangs. I do believe I still would have him what I thought. A few weeks later, a pretty nice size picture of gone to college and I do believe that I would have made an impact. I me appeared in The Daily News. I still have the article. It’s titled, do believe that Gunn opened up the possibilities for more. I would ‘The astonishing journey of Jeffrey from Brownsville.’ That was the never have heard of Tufts or Wesleyan. It’s a matter of exposure.” title and yet there’s this huge picture of me. The school newspaper took a picture of me, too, and I appeared in The Gunnery News. It was such a great experience for my mom. She worked tirelessly to make sure that we were solid citizens. When that newspaper article came out, everybody in our neighborhood called her. It was nice for people to recognize, ‘Here is your child and it’s not a bad story.’ At the time, I was cognizant of the implications for her.” In his first year at Gunn, Wingfield also remembers attending a conference hosted by the Black Student Union at Phillips Exeter Academy with Trustee Bob Bellinger ’73. “That was one of the most amazing experiences and it shaped my viewpoint Above, Wingfield with his late brother, Earl Nelson Wingfield. “He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and earned every possible award on the battlefield, including the from that point on,” Wingfield said. Distinguished Service Cross and multiple Purple Hearts. He is the bravest man I ever knew.” From Gunn, Wingfield went to Tufts, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in
At right, Wingfield’s children, Gary Wingfield Jr., Monique M. Yost, and Erik J. Wingfield
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TRUSTEE NEWS
A Warm Welcome The Frederick Gunn School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of a new board member. Damien Marshall P’24 was appointed to the Board in October 2021. Marshall is a Partner in the Trial and Global Disputes Practices Group at King and Spalding. He focuses on the resolution of complex business disputes over a broad range of substantive areas, including antitrust, securities, consumer protection, and general commercial disputes. Marshall has extensive experience representing clients on a broad range of litigation and regulatory matters, with particular emphasis on defending financial institutions and technology companies in class action and Multidistrict Litigation proceedings. Prior to joining King and Spalding in June 2020, Marshall was a Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner for 19 years. He led representations focused on the financial services, technology, and private equity industries. Some of his clients included The Bank of New York Mellon, American Express, and HSBC. Marshall also focused on the resolution of multifaceted business disputes over a broad range of substantive areas, including antitrust, securities, RICO, and general commercial disputes. He represented both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes matters, often with an international component. Marshall graduated magna cum laude from both
Damien Marshall P’24 Georgetown University Law Center and the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was a law clerk for Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and Judge Rosemary Barkett, after she was named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit by then-President Bill Clinton. Prior to that, Barkett was the first woman to serve and the first female Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. A member of the Georgetown University Law Alumni Board and the UCLA New York Regional Alumni Committee, Marshall was named to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list and recognized in Commercial Litigation by “The Legal 500.” He and his partner, Irene Ricci, live in Cos Cob, Connecticut and are the proud Gunn Parents of Declan ’24.
Leaving a legacy “Everyone should consider the legacy
they leave behind. The Frederick Gunn School relies on alumni and friends to achieve its current and future goals. Whether it’s $5 or $5 million dollars, we should all give from the heart.” - Nicholas “Nick” Molnar ’72, Underhill Society member
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Consider making a lasting legacy to the Gunn community through a planned gift like Nick Molnar ’72. All alumni, parents, and friends who have The Frederick Gunn School in their estate plans and alert the school are honored through the H. Willets and Samuel Jackson Underhill Bequest Society. For more information, please contact Bill Curren at currenb@frederickgunn.org.
What have you been up to since you last were in touch with us?
Drop us a line and tell us your news!
Email classnotes@frederickgunn.org or fill out the form at
GoGunn.org/classnotes. = will celebrate reunion in June 2022
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A. Leonard Parrott dropped us a note in
February: “I am alive and well, much to my surprise!”
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John Fisher wrote in October: “I have just
come out of semi-retirement to take on two new clients: 1) A three- month assignment to market the opening of The Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden and 2) helping a publisher of community magazines, The Inside Press, introduce a third magazine Inside Pleasantville.”
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In December David Nashel said he was still teaching via Zoom a weekly radiology conference for Georgetown University residents and fellows in the rheumatology training program.
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Peter Smith has been working closely with
his Frederick Gunn School classmates on a 65th reunion celebration this coming June. He reports that his children and grandchildren continue to be happy and well.
1959
Fred Easter, Jr. sent this update in January:
“I am dancing with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. The cancer is taking the lead. I’ve lost about 50 lbs, down from 275. I could go back to playing shortstop. Trouble is: I can’t score from third on a triple. My four grandkids are poised to take my place in the world. The twin men, Marcus and Mason, 24, are launched in careers.
Charlotte, 22, is a COVID, red-shirt junior at Yale. The ‘baby,’ Vanessa, has just signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Pepperdine. I feel good. I am still living independently; driving like I learned in Harlem. Life is good!!”
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Sandy Van Sinderen said in October: “I
am happily retired. The days are full; I am a member of the Bethany United Methodist Church in Albemarle, North Carolina. Looking forward to our 60th!”
1963
Raymond White said he has been reading
Abigail Tucker’s Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct to his daughter and grandchild, who is 6 months old.
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George Cookman shared an extended
update: “I have a much richer life now than I could have imagined: Three adorable grandchildren — Liam George, 6, Audrey Grace, 3, and August Morris, 1. The youngest arrived a year ago on January 10, seven weeks early. He is the son of our daughter, Maggie, and her husband, Ben, who live in Venice, California. Auggie is the happiest kid I have ever loved. We FaceTimed with him tonight, and he was nothing but smiles as he navigated the furniture that surrounded him (AKA ‘Baby Jail’), falling and getting up again as he strengthens his tiny legs. And the love of my life, Sally, has been a part of it for almost 44 years. Tonight, we saw pictures of Liam’s first after-school ski day. He’s in kindergarten in Kingston, New Hampshire, a small town with a small grade school. He’ll be a natural, and will
Raymond White ’63 at home in California
graduate to a snowboard because that is what Daddy has. His sister, Audrey, is a very cute, sassy redhead. If I had my way, she would not be allowed to date until she was 35. We are truly blessed with two wonderful daughters and their husbands, who are in the process of being great fathers to our grandkids. Nobody told me it could be this good! The pandemic forced us to limit our activities, but we managed to sneak off to Rangely, Maine, for a couple of nights last February. It has been a time of Sally and me growing closer together as we witness the world we thought we knew struggle to maintain a semblance of stability and dignity. Sally had lower back surgery (‘fusion’) three weeks ago. Given COVID, we were very lucky to get the surgery done. As her 24/7 caregiver, week one was terrifying, week two was much better, and this week has seen tremendous improvement. Spring 2022
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CLASS NOTES
In my last Class Note, I talked about this possibly being a time for our best performance. I am not sure I can say it has been, but I have kept at it. I started cooking meals for the elderly in Harpswell in 2019. In terms of age, Harpswell is the oldest town in Maine, the oldest state in the union. The group for which I volunteer puts out upwards of 140 meals for about 40 people every two weeks. Last fall, I signed up to assist a start-up nonprofit called ‘Life House.’ The goal is to purchase and equip a house in the Greater Brunswick area to provide a temporary, safe home for expectant mothers through their pregnancy, and the first year of their newborn’s life. My time at Gunnery was bedrock for me as I made my way through the many phases of family, faith, education, and work life. Go, Gunn!” Phil Hoyt sent this greeting in January: “Hi,
y’all! Not everyone can be a successful bourgeois. But then again, the late Dick Klingenstein, as an aside at our 25th, told me in his view, survival is the only real measure of success. So, here I am with heart still ticking at the ripe old age of 75 years, posing for a Thanksgiving day snapshot along with daughter, Palmore, and grandson, August, in their San Francisco home.
A Gladwellian outlier, I live as a self-styled American sadhu, with three decades of ventures into South Asia, to study ancient yoga practices known by us all as meditation. I write and draw and paint and exercise and garden for pleasure. All these activities are wonderfully therapeutic during this time of social isolation, as are friends and loved ones. And this freedom of spirit is directly related to my days, almost 60 years ago now, living atop Green Hill Road. In the words of Mr. Gunn, ‘Think boldly, fearlessly, never fear where unfettered thought will lead you.’”
1965
In February, we heard from Steve Knight: “The pandemic is still impacting all of our lives. I still teach college classes, on Zoom, and wait for better days!”
1967
In January, we heard from Charlie Green: “After 35 years in Alaska, I moved south in 2007 to enjoy the beautiful beaches of the upper Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, where I reside, happily retired, with my wife Joyce.”
Bill Oman ’67 and his husband, Larry Crummer, on their travels last August.
Bill Oman sent this travel update: “In July,
we had a spectacular time circumnavigating Iceland on Viking Ocean Cruises. The waterfalls are spectacular and the Icelanders were welcoming. In August, my husband, Larry, and I flew to Prague for three glorious days before going to Budapest. Prague is the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited. We spent two days in Budapest and boarded a Viking River longboat. We traveled through Hungary, Austria, Germany, and The Netherlands, ending in Amsterdam. The bucolic landscape along the way made us think we were in an E.M. Forster novel. It was our first river cruise and we already booked another in Russia next year. Thanks to Christian Bianchi ’08, Associate Director of Reunion Programs, it was great fun to reconnect recently with classmate, Andy Glantz and briefly meet his beautiful wife, Roberta.”
1968
Lance White wrote: “My wife Jane and I are
Phil Hoyt ’64 celebrating Thanksgiving in San Francisco with his daughter, Palmore, and grandson, August
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still living in Mantoloking on the Jersey Shore. Our daughter, Perrie, is with FEMA, our son, Taylor, is with Jivox digital advertising, and our daughter, Audrey, is working for Homeland Security. Jane and I have been running our real estate business as Team White for several years. And just to be sure I stay busy, I am the mayor of the town. It’s been an interesting couple of years, to say the least. I wish my wonderful classmates and the school community my very best.”
He gave back to others through his love of flying, often transporting medical patients and wounded warriors or their families.”
1977
Rich Barre wrote: “I am a new grandfather to
MacKenna Vargas, born on April 19, 2021.” John Yerger ’68 and David Coburn ’68 hold a picture from their days at Gunn when they were roommates.
York, Harris attended Cornell University and continued to reside in Ithaca, New York, until moving to Cape Coral, Florida, in 1994. In 2016, he relocated to “the Country,” aka East Fort Myers, according to his obituary. “Sandy was an excellent chef who enjoyed serving his culinary creations all his life. He believed, ‘if they are hungry, feed them with food for their bodies and also food for their souls.’ He was also an insurance agent for many years. But his true joy was serving the Lord as a Recovery Pastor.”
Jane and Lance White ’68, aka Team White Realtors in Bay Head, New Jersey
Former roommates John Yerger and David Coburn caught up in December in Claremont, California, and shared fond memories of their days at Gunn.
1969
Bob Kritzler is living in Chicago. He has
retired from Aetna and is now an independent healthcare consultant.
1972
The Gunn community was saddened to hear in January that Sandy Harris passed away in March 2021. Born and raised in Rochester, New
1975
Pilot, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Barry Lerman passed away in February, in Bradenton, Florida. According to an article in The Pilot, Lerman graduated from Bryant College, in Providence, Rhode Island and became an accomplished aviator who was nationally known and respected in the Phenom jet, Eclipse jet, and Cirrus aircraft communities. “Following a brief sales career, he cofounded his own companies, Lerman Container and Custom Bottle. As a highly successful business executive in Connecticut, Barry touched many lives, personally and professionally, and always found time to give back to his community.” He never slowed down in retirement, The Pilot said. In fact, “he had more time on his hands to help others, giving finance and business advice to friends, and through his association with the Vistage CEO Groups.
1978
Goetz ‘Spike’ Eggelhoefer sent an update
in January: “Despite having to navigate the occasional ‘COVID hurdle’, life goes on as normal on our small island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. My wife, Fiona, and I recently became proud grandparents and, perhaps as the result of some associated sibling pressure, my eldest son, Kyle, has also announced his plans to be married. Since retiring, I have become involved in a London-based Water Charity (Just-A-Drop) that provides water and sanitation to rural communities in the seven countries that are lowest on the UN poverty list. Prior to the pandemic, this involved regular visits to these countries. It is something that I look forward to getting back to once travel restrictions have been lifted. I follow the progress at The Gunnery — I still struggle to call it The Frederick Gunn School — with great interest from afar and I am impressed with the way that the school managed through the pandemic, a situation that no one could have reasonably foreseen. My best wishes for the future.” Scott Leigh is working at Villanova
University in the Department of Safety. He and his wife, Cindy, have been married for 40 years. “We served as missionaries in the Dominican Republic for several years. Cindy has taught school for 34 years. We have two children, Rachel Leigh, an accountant at Corteva Corp., and Joshua Leigh, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University.”
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CLASS NOTES
1980
Last year was a year of many challenges, said Chris Young, “but always a blessing to catch up with old Gunnery friends. Caught up with Steve Horan on a trip to Boston. Chris Craig and I connected again via the phone, and a longer catch up in the works. And I had the chance to see Jim Kersten and Pete Strandes ’79; they and their spouses traveled up to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for my father’s 88th birthday party. Thanks for lifetime friendships!”
1984
Arnd Wehner has been working for BMW
Group in Warsaw, Poland, since the beginning of 2020. “Warsaw is a great city and Poland a beautiful country to visit, though not on
the ‘radar’ of most European travelers. Great exchange with Leonard Auchincloss over the phone during Christmas time. I hope COVID will allow me to visit the U.S. again this upcoming summer.”
1987
Paul McManus P’21 ’23 has joined Comerica
Bank & Trust, N.A. as Senior Vice President, National Head of Advisor solutions. McManus will be responsible for the development of the Ultra High Net Worth market segment for the trust company. He brings a diverse financial services background comprising both management and business development responsibilities in asset management, brokerdealer, and corporate trustee businesses spanning over 28 years to Comerica.
Peter Klemm ’90 on the cover of Top Agent Magazine; He was ranked among the nation’s top 250 realtors by Real Trends based on individual sales volume for the sixth year.
1990
From left to right: John Sibson, Pete Strandes ’79, Jim Kersten ’80, Chris Young ’80, Steve Spetnagel and Trent Pate at a party to celebrate the 88th birthday of Chris’ dad, Jack Young P’78 ‘80 68
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
Proud Gunn parent Carolyn Klemm P’90 wrote to let us know that her son, Peter Klemm, was featured last fall in Top Agent Magazine. “Those considering the purchase or sale of a luxury property in Connecticut’s Litchfield County, know that Peter Klemm’s phone number is the right one to dial. Famous for his unstoppable work ethic and his desire to provide each client with an unmatched level of service, Peter has been immersed in the real estate industry since childhood. He entered the family business after a short spell on Wall Street, concluding that he would rather serve the community he calls home and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of the real estate business,” the magazine said. “We spend a lot of time with our clients and frequently become good friends, which plays a huge part in our company’s success,” Klemm told the magazine. A Washington native, he and his family have close ties with the community. His wife, Christina, is President of Gunn Memorial Library, and the family supports many other local organizations, including Steep Rock Land Trust, Rumsey
Hall School, and Spring Hill Arts Gathering (SHAG) festival. He and his wife enjoy spending time together with their three young daughters. They play tennis and golf and love to travel. “We enjoy luxury hiking trips around the world and also love culture and finding great restaurants everywhere we go.”
1992
We heard from Matt Cohen in November: “Looking forward to our 30th Reunion, reconnecting with classmates and walking around campus.”
1996
Annie Blackmer Gresh lives in Noblesville,
Indiana, with her husband, Tyler, and two kids, Holden (12) and Harper (8). She is back in the veterinary field at a brand new clinic in Westfield, Indiana, called The Integrative Veterinary Clinic. “After 14 years as a veterinary assistant/tech, it turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks!” she said. She is learning about
Annie Blackmer Gresh ’96 at work at The Integrative Veterinary Clinic in Westfield, Indiana
holistic and alternative veterinary medicine at this clinic, including acupuncture, laser, and ozone therapy for loveable companion animals.
1997
the Rams’ win, it was the 19th SES Sports client to earn a Super Bowl ring. Confetti angels never get old! The day before the Super Bowl at Pepperdine, I got to play and catch TD passes from boy idol Doug Flutie, all to benefit Wounded Warriors.”
In February, Sean Stellato wrote: “Excited to be back at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. With
Sean Stellato ’97 at Super Bowl LVI with place kicker and SES client Ryan Santoso of the LA Rams; and with former football quarterback Doug Flutie, Team Captain, at Celebrity Sweat’s 22nd Annual Celebrity Flag Football Challenge at Pepperdine University.
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CLASS NOTES
2007
Jessica Cofrancesco has been selected as
Addison Grace Zambero is the daughter of Jamie and Mark Zambero ’99.
1999
J.P. Moore and his wife, Catalina, welcomed
their first child, Theodore Parker (Teo), into the world on November 3, 2021. “Mama and baby boy are doing fabulously well,” he said. They were looking forward to a Gunn campus visit and Steep Rock hike in late Spring 2022. Congratulations to Mark Zambero and his wife, Jamie, and big sister, Hailie, who welcomed a daughter, Addison Grace Zambero, on February 13, 2022.
2003
Peter Lorenz and his wife, Katie, welcomed
their new addition, George, on November 30, 2021.
2004
Cameron Brown and Malachi Garff ’05
were married on October 23, 2021, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Cameron is an attorney in Vermont and Malachi runs a business called “Magda Made.” (See the Bulletin, fall 2021, page 57.) They reside in Burlington, Vermont.
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one of 22 United States Marine Corps Officers to serve as a Foreign Area Officer. Shortly, she will be assigned a region to become proficient in cross-cultural capabilities, interpersonal communications, and foreign language skills, which provide unmatched time-sensitive situational awareness to senior leadership while improving Marine Corps integration with the Inter-agency. “A Foreign Area Officer (FAO) is a commissioned officer who is a regionallyfocused expert in political-military operations holding an inimitable blend of strategic focus, regional knowledge, with political, cultural, sociological, economic, geographic awareness, and foreign language expertise in at least one of the main languages in their assigned region. A FAO will normally serve multiple tours abroad as a defense attaché, a security assistance officer, or as a political-military planner in a service’s headquarters, Joint Staff, Major Commands, Unified Combatant Commands,” she said.
U.S. Marine Corps Foreign Area Officer Jessica Cofrancesco ’07
2008
Hilary Benjamin and Michael Powers were
married February 19, 2022, in New York City. The wedding guests included Frederick Gunn School alumnae Liz Calderoni ‘07, Kelley Davies ‘07, Kara Grogan ‘07, and Sarah Macary ‘07.
(Above) Hilary Benjamin ’08 and her husband, Michael Powers, outside The New York Public Library on their wedding day; Among the Gunn alumnae in attendance were (below, left to right) Liz Calderoni ‘07, Kelley Davies ‘07, Kara Grogan ‘07, and Sarah Macary ‘07.
the fall of 2019 as an Admission Counselor for the University of Maine, Farmington, my first visit back since graduating in 2012. I would love to reconnect with any Gunn alumni currently living or studying in Europe and especially German-speaking alums. Tschüss!”
2013
Christopher DePaola ’10 and Sky Drazek on their wedding day
John Vazzano and his wife, Brianne, are
expecting a baby boy this spring.
2010
From proud Gunn parent Ted DePaola P’10 we heard: “On August 21, 2021, Christopher DePaola married Sky Drazek at Candlelight Farms in New Milford, Connecticut, after the postponement of their August 2020 wedding. They met on the Hobart Crew Team. They are both working in the Boston area living in Arlington, Massachusetts.”
to safely travel this summer, making my way to Italy (Süd Tirol), Spain (Valencia), and a couple of cities within Austria (Graz and Innsbruck). I was even lucky enough to make it back stateside for a trip to Maine as well as the East Coast of Canada. I was happy to visit the FGS campus in
MLB Pitcher Justin Dunn was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in March, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Dunn was traded with Seattle Mariners teammates Jake Fraley and Brandon Williamson. “In Dunn, the Reds get a pitcher who made his MLB debut in 2019, and has started 25 games since. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 5-4 career record and a 3.94 ERA over that time,” the newspaper said.
2018
Jack Cary wrote to let us know his classmate, Wade Sansone, is heading into his final
season of baseball with the Sewanee Tigers. “He had a .429 batting average with 1 HR in a COVID-shortened season last year.”
2012
Sarah Auchincloss is pleased to announce
her engagement to Peter Kirk of Bainbridge Island, Washington. Peter and Sarah make their home in Salt Lake City, Utah. A fall wedding in the Wasatch Mountains is planned for 2023. Taylor Dube wrote in January: “Servus aus
Wien! One year ago, I began my master’s at the University of Vienna while studying and learning German. I just recently received my B1.1 language certification! I was lucky enough
Sarah Auchincloss ’12 and her fiance, Peter Kirk
Taylor Dube ’12 in Italy’s northernmost province last summer
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CLASS NOTES
We heard from Christian Kummer: “This fall, I was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society as a junior at Middlebury College and received a full-time job offer in People Operations at Google! I am finishing my final semester of college abroad in Madrid this spring and will be traveling in Europe throughout the summer!” After graduating from Rollins College, Gabby Lescadre will be pursuing her Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Pennsylvania come fall. She will also be pursuing a career as a teaching fellow at The Lawrenceville School, teaching English literature. In addition, Lescadre’s first book Horrible Prettiness; a Performance of the Girlesque, Grotesque, and Camp will be published in late May.
2019
Caleb Dorf is looking forward to working
in Boston as a Product & Portfolio Strategy Intern at Eaton Vance! He is finishing his undergraduate studies at Bentley this summer and will begin his master’s coursework next fall.
2020
“Combine a front handspring from gymnastics with a flip throw from soccer and a half court heave from basketball and you’ve got William Smith College basketball player Cailin Kessman’s viral video that’s taking social media by storm this week,” the Hobart Statesmen said in early January. Viewed more than 250,000 times across Instagram and Twitter accounts, including @espnW, the ninesecond video features Kessman, who played basketball, soccer, and lacrosse at Gunn, doing a front handspring over a basketball at midcourt. “As her feet return to the floor, she grabs the basketball and fires it up into the air and swishes it to her delight and other members of the team,” the school said on its website, noting that Kessman originally made the trick shot on her second try but did not film it until a few days later. “The video was initially posted to
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forward with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. ”It was amazing! He had a great experience living with his team for a full season,” she said. Hoins plans to play another year in juniors in the NAHL and will be training this summer.
Johno Hoins ’21 signing for the Notre Dame Hounds in November
the team’s Instagram story (@HeronHoops) and from there it started to spread, going out on the HWS Athletics Instagram and Twitter accounts a day later and then the HWS Colleges accounts and then off-campus accounts, most notably @espnW.”
2021
Proud Gunn parent and former faculty member Kristin Hoins P’21 shared that her son, Johno Hoins, just finished his first juniors season in Canada. He is a
“Let’s hear it for Declan Long who had a SHUTOUT in his first career start!!! What a night for the rookie!” University of Virginia Men’s Ice Hockey @WahooHockey exclaimed via Twitter on November 5, 2021, after Virgina beat Richmond, 3-0. In addition to playing recreational hockey, Long is majoring in aerospace engineering at UVA. Michael Sirota was selected to the LA
Dodgers in the 16th round of the MLB Draft last summer but did not sign with the MLB, opting to fulfill his commitment to Northeastern University, where he is playing for the Huskies. In March, the team recorded three consecutive wins against nationally ranked North Carolina State University and one week later, embarked on a six-game winning streak, beating Clemson, Bryant, Merrimack, Brown, and Holy Cross in a double-header at home.
Declan Long ’21 recorded a shutout in his career start with the UVA Men’s Ice Hockey Team in November. Photo credit to proud Gunn parent Alessandra Messineo Long P’21
IN MEMORIAM The Frederick Gunn School Community is saddened by the loss of many cherished sons and daughters and sends its condolences to their friends and families:
Michael Sirota ’21 was named the CAA Rookie of the Week after his first career weekend in February and again in March, with two doubles, three runs scored and a team-high four RBI’s in Northeastern’s three-game sweep at NC State.
Sirota, who is the great-nephew of Hall-ofFame pitcher Whitey Ford, was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week twice, said Brandon Poli, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications at Northeastern.
Former Faculty
pieces that are meant to be cherished for generations. “When this works, this is high art,” Wolff said of his stoneware pieces, which like his flowerpots, are produced in his Litchfield studio, although more rarely. “I just take it very, very seriously. When I’m making a flowerpot, I’ve really thought about the shape of it before I make it. When I’m making these,” he said, pointing to a piece of stoneware, “it’s a conversation.” Watch the video at youtube.com/watch?v=ZfXOa0VON98.
Susan Eanes H’91 P’90 GP ’20 ’23 ’25
brought to our attention a video on HGTV Handmade, featuring master potter and former faculty member Guy Wolff. “He wasn’t with us for long but pretty sure the kids who had him as a teacher would remember him and enjoy an update. He often said to me, ‘I can’t believe your husband [former Head of School Michael Eanes H’91 P’90 GP ’20 ’23 ’25] hired me!’ Those were still ‘tie and jacket’ days and he was anything but. He was rockin’ the bandanna,” Eanes wrote. Wolff, whose historically authentic flowerpots grace the gardens at Williamsburg, Winterthur, Monticello and Mt. Vernon, and are well-known favorites of Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey, taught fine art classes at the school from 1982 to 1995, and returned to teach a daylong master class at Gunn in 2010. In “Making Stoneware Pottery With Guy Wolff & Rajiv Surendra,” Wolff talks about the process of making and firing lasting stoneware
Mr. John R. E. Booker ’44 P’89 ’91
12/6/17
Mr. Chester T. Delvalle ’44
2/27/17
Mr. Frank J. Gavel ’47
8/12/21
Mr. Donald T. Grady ’47
4/19/19
Mr. George H. McNeely III ’47
9/2/20
Mr. Louis F. Kreyer, Jr. ’49
10/19/21
Mr. Arthur K. Stedman ’49
12/27/21
Professor Dwight E. Wilson ’49
2/15/22
Mr. David N. Hoadley ’51
1/14/22
Reverend Paul R. Nicolson ’51
3/30/20
Mr. Richard B. Clarke ’54
9/12/21
Mr. David J. Moore ’57
11/1/21
Mr. Craig S. Carragan, Jr. ’62
9/15/21
Mr. Philip R. Magnuson ’62
11/22/21
Mr. Donald N. Ethier, Jr. ’63
2/1/22
Mr. Robert N. Fountain II ’64
1/20/22
Mr. Charles M. Fulkerson, Jr. ’66
11/6/21
Mr. Gary P. Holtz ’68
12/2/14
Mr. Craig F. Yarde ’70
2/15/22
Mr. Carroll B. Harris ’72
Wolff making pottery on a wheel donated by Wykeham Rise alumnae during a master class he taught at Gunn in 2010
3/1/21
Mr. Stephen W. Wilson ’72
4/24/19
Mr. Barry S. Lerman ’75
2/11/22
Mr. Peter K. Obuhanick ’06
10/4/21
Mr. Lucas Rosati ’20
3/22/22
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Spring 2022
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Remembering David Hoadley ’51 Trustee Emeritus David Hoadley ’51, one of the school’s longest serving Trustees, one of the first inductees to the Athletic Hall of Fame, and a generous and long-standing supporter of the school, passed away January 14 at his home in Brookside, New Jersey. He was 88 years old. A dedicated alumnus, David was instrumental in the construction of the Edward G. Buxton Alumni Center, and served for 28 years as a Trustee of the school, President of the Alumni Association, and Chairman of the Annual Fund. He is the namesake of the Hoadley Society for the Annual Fund, The Hoadley Boys Soccer Award, the Hoadley Podium in the new Tisch Family Auditorium, the David N. Hoadley ’51 Alumnus of the Year Award, and the title currently held by Gunn faculty member Jeff Trundy, the David N. Hoadley ’51 Baseball Coach.
Hoadley, far left, leading the Alumni Weekend parade in 2016 with Head of School Peter Becker and his family 74
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
One of five children, Hoadley grew up in Washington, Connecticut, and as a young boy found his way to the baseball and football fields at what was then The Gunnery. In an interview at his home in January 2020, he recalled practicing with The Gunnery baseball team from the age of 9. He would catch fly balls in the outfield, drawing the encouragement of then Coach Edward Buxton, who later became his coach, teacher and mentor, when Hoadley was a Gunnery student. “Coach Buxton told David and me that we should try pitching for the varsity, even though we were freshmen,” recalled Bruce Bradshaw ‘51. “After a few days of practice, ‘Bucky’ told me, ‘Dave’s arm is too strong for pitching, and he’s a little wild, so he’s moving to center field.’ David threw a lot of base runners out over the next four years.” Hoadley was described in his yearbook as “one of the illustrious Day Boys,” a “go-getter” and all-around athlete who played football, basketball and baseball, and served as captain of the baseball team. He was a leading sports writer and Associate Editor for The Gunnery News, and a tenor in the Glee Club and Choir. “Whether on the playing field or in the classroom, Dave applied himself seriously, and for this won the respect of all,” the editors of The Red and Gray concluded. “I spent four years with Dave, always admiring his wit, and determination in the classroom and on the athletic field,” Roger Walters ’52 reflected this spring. “I can still hear him call out to Bradshaw in only Dave’s way. He will be missed by many.“ A lifelong athlete, Hoadley was one of the first eight inductees to the Athletic Hall of Fame and returned to the school consistently through the years. A black-and-white photograph displayed in the Buxton Alumni Center shows him, dressed in suit and tie, throwing out the first ball on the reconstructed Samuel J. Underhill Memorial Field in 1990. “I have a lot of good memories,” Hoadley said in 2020, sharing details from baseball games he played (he drove in the winning run in a game against Taft that went 15 innings) and lifelong friends he met along the way, including Ogden D. Miller, Jr. ’50 P’84, who joined Hoadley’s middle school class at Washington Consolidated School. The two remained friends long past their years at Gunn, calling each other for decades on their birthdays, which were five days apart — Miller’s is March 10, and Hoadley’s, March 15.
In April 1950, as the captain of the baseball team, Hoadley placed flowers at the memorial to Alexander Compton, Class of 1893, who perished on the Titanic.
Hoadley as a freshman in 1947
Hoadley graduated from Yale, where he majored in American Studies and played baseball, and served in the Army ROTC. Returning to Washington, he married the girl next door, Margaret “Penny” Whittall, in May 1956. He served for two years as a Second Lieutenant and platoon leader with the 65th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion’s Battery B in Okinawa, Japan, where, according to local newspaper reports, he also played for the football and basketball teams, and for the Ryukyu Islands’ All-Star softball team in the Army Forces Far East and Eighth Army Softball Tournament in Seoul in 1957. Following his military service, Hoadley worked briefly as a sales rep before joining Smooth-On, Inc., a manufacturing company founded by Penny’s grandfather. He became Vice
Gretchen Burke and Cathleen Hoadley, and grandfather of 10. He took up running in 1960 and ran his first marathon in Boston in 1969, after training for just four months. Although he did not finish that race, Hoadley was resilient. He continued training and competing, setting a goal to run 50 marathons by the age of 49, which he did in 1982, and then ran four more. “What have I learned from all these miles and miles? I know what it means to be truly physically fit and the great mental outlook you can have. I’ve run across the Golden Gate Bridge, along the Thames, and around the Imperial Palace and never met a runner I didn’t like,” he wrote in September 1982. “Goals should be set and strived for even if all are not reached, and lastly, winning and losing are not as important as playing.”
President of the company, which today is a leading manufacturer of silicone rubbers, polyurethane rubbers and plastics, retiring in 2011. He was the proud father of three daughters, Susan DeGeorge,
A persistent fundraiser who once traded Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian David McCullogh his copy of The New York Times in exchange for a $1,000 donation to Yale, he considered his greatest accomplishment to be his philanthropic efforts on behalf of institutions including his local library and church, Yale, and The Frederick Gunn School. “The Gunnery gave me four years learning to handle success in the classroom and on the athletic field and to believe in myself,” he said, adding that it was “always a pleasure to return” to his hometown of Washington and be part of the positive experience of his school. “He just loved being here,” Head of School Peter Becker recalled. “He lived a beautiful life and leaves a tremendous legacy.”
“I spent four years with Dave, always admiring his wit, and determination in the classroom and on the athletic field. I can still hear him call out to Bradshaw in only Dave’s way. He will be missed by many.” – Roger Walters ’52
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FACULTY PROFILE
Ten Minutes With Teresita Magaña Teresita Magaña’s role at The Frederick Gunn School is unique. She is the only native Spanish speaking member of the World Languages faculty and in 2019, joined the Science Department faculty to launch the school’s first Pre-Med course. Magaña grew up in Belize on the eastern coast of Central America. She attended private schools, graduating from St. John’s College Belize with an associate degree in biology, and was inspired to become a medical doctor in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. An estimated 11,000 people in Central America died, and the death toll rose even higher due to outbreaks of cholera, leptospirosis, and dengue fever, in part due to the lack of physicians, particularly in remote areas. Magaña earned her medical degree at the Latin American School of Medicine, an international public medical school in Cuba. Returning to Belize, she worked for five years as a general practitioner with the national health insurance program, which provides free medical care to communities in the most impoverished areas of the country. “I am a general practitioner with experience diagnosing and treating and establishing a doctor-patient relationship with people of all ages and various cultural backgrounds,” she said, noting that culture plays a role in how care is administered. “The way you treat someone with diabetes if part of their culture is to eat a lot of starches is different than for someone whose diet is totally different.” Magaña became the medical director of a polyclinic and was the only doctor in a village of about 3,000 people. She has delivered babies and performed general surgical procedures. “It was very, very peaceful. I lived in a fishing village. My clinic was on a beach. I looked out my window and the sea was there.” She emigrated to the United States in 2010, became a U.S. citizen and started a family. She has two daughters, Sophie and Penelope. She also started a new career, teaching middle school science, math, and Spanish at Hunter Montessori School in New Hartford, Connecticut, prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School in 2017. Students in her Pre-Med course benefit from her hands-on learning approach. For example, in February, her students learned
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The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
about surgical procedures and had the opportunity to practice chest tube insertion on a pig cadaver with guidance from a guest teacher, Daniel Kleiner, M.D., P’25, a surgeon and the Associate Program Director of the general surgery residency program at Quinnipiac University Netter School of Medicine. Magaña took a similar approach when she teamed up with Science Department Chair Morgen Fisher ’03 to teach an Emergency Responder class during Winterim 2020. They taught students how to take a blood pressure and pulse, listen to heart and lung sounds, administer CPR, and use compression to stop bleeding, among other skills. Q: What advice do you have for new students? A: You don’t realize the importance of living with people from different backgrounds and cultures. You don’t realize how much it will change you for life knowing the stories of people who come from all over. It changes you. You become a better person, a more accepting person, more open-minded. You don’t know that until you leave and you’re older. I wish students would understand that now and take advantage of learning from people from all over the world. When you know people from all over the world, and different cultures, you show more empathy, because you understand. Q: What is your favorite lesson or day of the year? A: Every year my lessons change a little. I see what students enjoy the most and what they don’t and I try to bring more of what they enjoy. I also go back to when I was a student. For example, in Pre-Med what I enjoyed in medical school the most was hands-on. I bring that to Pre-Med. We did phlebotomy and I said, ‘You need to practice on a real person, so here I am!’ They were so excited. I know they will remember that forever. Q: What is your favorite Frederick Gunn School tradition? A: I love when they celebrate the different cultures with food and when they decorate like when they did the Lunar New Year. I love all the colors. We should do it more for all the cultures because we have so many. Education St. John’s College Belize — Associate degree with major in biology Latin American School of Medicine — MD Current Responsibilities Teaching Spanish I, Chemistry, and Pre-Med Advisor Dorm parent — Gunn Dorm Head Coach, Girls JV Lacrosse
THE FREDERICK GUNN SCHOOL BULLETIN SPRING 2022 Peter Becker Head of School BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021-22
DESIGN John Johnson Art Direction, Riverton, Conn. PRINTING David Emery ’73, GHP, West Haven, Conn.
OFFICERS 2021-22 Patrick M. Dorton ’86 Board Chair Neil Townsend P’18 ’20 Vice Chair Wanji Walcott P’19 Vice Chair Beth W. Glynn Secretary Ashleigh Fernandez Treasurer
Stephen W. Baird ’68 William G. Bardel Peter Becker, Head of School Robert Bellinger ’73 Kevin Bogardus ’89 Sarah Scheel Cook ’82 Jon C. Deveaux Gretchen H. Farmer P’05 Susan Frauenhofer ’88 Adam C. Gerry P’21 Sherm Hotchkiss ’63 Peter R. Houldin ’92 Thomas R. King ’60 Jonathan S. Linen ’62 Damien Marshall P’24 Paul McManus ’87 P’21 ’23 Len Novick P’18 ’21 Krystalynn Schlegel ’96 Omar Slowe ’97 Richard N. Tager ’56 Robert M. Tirschwell ’86 Dan Troiano ’77 Rebecca Weisberg ’90 MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Doug Day Chief of Enrollment Strategy & Marketing dayd@frederickgunn.org Jennifer Clement P’22 ’25 Bulletin Editor clementj@frederickgunn.org ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT
Sean Brown P’22 Chief Development Officer browns@frederickgunn.org
TRUSTEES EMERITI Stephen P. Bent ’59 Leo D. Bretter ’52 P’88 Jonathan Estreich P’06 Edsel B. Ford II ’68 Joan Noto P’97 Jonathan Tisch ’72 Gerrit Vreeland ’61 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Laura Eanes Martin ’90 P’20 ’23 ’25 President Omar Slowe ’97 Vice President Scott A. Schwind ’89 Krystalynn M. Schlegel ’96 PARENTS FUND COMMITTEE Keith Gleason P’19 ’21 ’23 Committee Chair
The Bulletin is produced biannually (spring and fall) by The Frederick Gunn School Marketing &
Communications Department.
ADMISSIONS
Suzanne Day Director of Enrollment & Admissions days@frederickgunn.org CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Peter Becker, Jennifer Clement P’22 ’25
The 1850 Fund
FUELING THE FREDERICK GUNN SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
From experiential learning opportunities and faculty development to student life activities, athletics, and financial aid, your annual gift to The 1850 Fund enhances the experience of every student at The Frederick Gunn School. Gifts of all sizes from alumni, parents, and friends, collectively help ensure that our programs, our campus, and our faculty are the very best for our students.
Make Your Gift Today: Venmo: @GoGunn1850 Online: GoGunn.org/Give By phone: 860-350-0103 By mail: using the enclosed envelope
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Cheryl Bell P’25, Czech Olympic Committee, Nic Danforth ’23, Phil Dutton ’81 P’23, Joey Fallon ’14, Chris Ferenzi, Morgen Fisher ’03, Gentil and Myers, Christine M. Hurley, Sal Lilienthal, Bart McMann, Kori Rimany ’14, Ali Heck Southworth, Tony Spinelli, Rebecca Tocci
THANK YOU! Spring 2022
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ALUMNI WEEKEND 2022
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