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Answering the Call: 18 Alumni on their Careers in Education Cindy Copland on First Grade Wisdom Reunion 2016
Editor Karin Storm Wood
Head of School Bruce L. Dennis
Writing Karin Storm Wood Tori Gibbs Contributors as noted
Director of Communications Karin Storm Wood
Photography Karin Storm Wood Tori Gibbs Contributors as noted Design Karin Storm Wood Class Notes Dona Metcalf Laughlin
The Packer Magazine is published twice a year by The Packer Collegiate Institute, 170 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Nothing herein may be reprinted wholly or in part without the written permission of Packer’s Development Office. The Packer Collegiate Institute © 2016 Packer is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Erratum: Due to an editing error, a highlighted statement on page 17 of the Winter 2016 issue was incorrectly attributed to English Department Chair Elissa Krebs. The statement was made by art teacher Elizabeth Eagle.
Communications Associate Tori Gibbs Director of Development Sara Shulman Director of Alumni Dona Metcalf Laughlin Director of Annual Giving Susan Moore Manager of Development Services Aaron Heflich Shapiro Development Associate Shriya Bhargava-Sears
Communications (718) 250-0264 Alumni Office
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www.packer.edu www.packer.edu/magazine
Board of Trustees Leadership 2015-16 Chair Ronan Harty P’15, P’17, P’20 Vice Chair Anne Giddings Kimball ’55 IV Ac Treasurer LisaMarie Casey P’16, P’17 Secretary Karen Tayeh P’09, P’17
Alumni Association Leadership 2015-16 President Geoffrey Brewer ’82, P’26 Vice President Sasha Baumrind ’00 Secretary Laura Elizabeth DeMarco ’63 IVAc Director Emeritus Ellin Rosenzweig ’52
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The cast and crew of the 2016 Middle School musical brought the house down with their sold-out production of “The Music Man.”
From the Head of School On Campus Art Gallery In Competition
18 The Calling Eighteen alumni reflect on how their experiences at Packer — particularly their connections with beloved teachers — shaped their decision to become educators. 31 Parent Association News 33 Alumni News Reunion 2016 Rachel Alter ’10 recalls a culture clash in Thailand 39 Class Notes 54 In Memoriam
On the cover: Approaching their work as both artists and zoologists, the third grade students of Liz Titone studied their favorite animals in depth, then rendered their beasts’ heads in clay, with careful attention to structure and form.
Alumnus Steven Mercado ’08 and Lower School librarian Megan Kilgallen read to the Puppies in the Hart Library. Steven returned to Packer first as a leader of Packer Playgroup, then as an associate teacher in the Pre-K Threes.
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From the Head of School
RAOUL BROWN
I
clearly recall when I made the decision to become a teacher. It was in my 11th Grade English class with the amazing Fred Koury. Mr. Koury showed me that there was so much more to a piece of literature than I typically observed in an initial reading. I wanted to do for others what he did for me, and so, after college, I spent nine years in the classroom, teaching high school English. So many aspects of teaching are rewarding. For me the greatest one was challenging my students with works of literature that they felt were beyond their grasp and — while channelling Mr. Koury as best I could — helping them come to appreciate and even enjoy them. This was especially true when we studied Shakespeare. I remember vividly how proudly my students carried their copies of Macbeth or Hamlet around the school so others could see what they were studying. Teaching is sometimes referred to as “the noble profession,” a distinction I find apt in a number of ways. Teachers are often the recipients of public gratitude, a hallmark of professions we consider noble. And, like many socially valuable professions, teaching has historically been underpaid, which suggests a note of altruism. Above all, perhaps, the nobility associated with teaching reflects the fact that most people hold in their heart a special teacher: a selfless mentor who revealed something incredible about the world — or saw something incredible in them. Serving as that kind of mentor to a young person is about the most important
role a teacher can play — and is certainly the most lasting. The special reverence we each have for a past teacher helps elevates the profession in our society. This issue of the Packer Magazine features reflections by a wide range of alumni who, like me, have pursued careers in education because of a revered mentor. Representing early education, higher education, and everything in between, their perspectives remind us of the impact of relationships that are forged in the classroom. The legacy of the many exceptional Packer teachers who remain in the hearts of our alumni — Jane Rinden, Linda Gold, and Ken Rush, to name a few — is carried on by our incredible and dedicated faculty today. As you read our alumni’s wonderful expressions of gratitude for their experiences at Packer, I invite you to remember those teachers who made a lifelong difference for you, wherever you found them.
bruce l. dennis
SUMMER 2016 | 3
Finding the Beauty in “Negative Space” In his first Babbott Lecture, Upper School English teacher Peter Melman built on an interpretation of a beguiling work of art.
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or years, Peter Melman studied images of Alexander Archipenko’s enigmatic bronze sculpture, Woman Combing Her Hair. At his first Babbott Lecture, entitled “Negative Space,” he spoke of his excitement about finally seeing the artwork in person at the Museum of Modern Art while he was first planning his remarks — only to discover that the sculpture was in storage. He drew a lesson from the unwelcome discovery: When circumstances offer no meaning, make your own meaning. Head of School Bruce L. Dennis remarked that the honor recognized Dr. Melman’s “exceptional work inside and outside of the classroom and his capacity to challenge students and encourage a love of literature and language.” Dr. Melman has published short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and essays. His historical novel Landsman, which recounted the participation of Jewish soldiers for the Confederacy, was named a Notable Book of the Year by 4 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
the American Library Association in 2007 and as “notable first fiction” by Publishers Weekly. The Babbott Chair was established in 1977 to “recognize the scholarly pursuits and teaching excellence of faculty members at Packer in the fields of literature and the arts.”
or thin, are they smiling? A grimace? Are her eyes large, or almondine, too far apart or too close? Or, you know, maybe it is a “him.” Or maybe we don’t have to speak in binary terms, after all. Maybe they’re a “they.” Maybe they’re not beautiful at all. An excerpt from Dr. Melman’s address: Maybe they’re disfigured. But only you can But back to her for a minute. Just look at discern all that. Only you will ever know. her. Her body. It’s beautiful, yes, but it’s That’s what her face is saying. It’s structured. Built. Provided for. We see that saying in its vacancy that it’s up to you, to kink of leg, her half-arm, the fluidity of me, to all of us . . . to intuit her individually. hand becoming hair. It’s presented before That’s where your perspective matters. us. Hell, it’s been sculpted for us. Irrefutably. It’s a Rorshach test, a visual And yet, what so struck me about this caesura. It’s Po from Kung Fu Panda idea — at long last, after thinking so unrolling the Dragon Scroll for the first deeply about it — is that our best lives time. Who are you, what do you believe, are there, written on her face. Our lives, what are you going to imagine where only who we are as people, our perspectives blankness exists? as individuals, are [all just] negative This isn’t some When you’re older, you’ll space. Nobody can prove to you what her get what I’m talking about bit. This is now. face looks like. The contours of her brow, To craft an image. Of yourself, for yourself, whether her nose is aquiline or pug or as best you know how. Roman. What about her lips? Are they full, And it’s time to start.
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
On Campus
Nurturing First Grade Wisdom Before finding her undisputed calling as an educator, 1st Grade Head Teacher Cindy Copland worked in retail and at a jewelry-buying office. Eventually she realized that her most satisfying moments in those positions were when she had to teach the job to somebody else. In 1987 she came to Packer, where she served as a 3rd grade teacher for eleven years. She has been a beloved anchor of the 1st grade teaching team for eighteen years, and in May she received the PA-sponsored Excellence in Teaching Award for 2016-17. Describe your first impression of Packer.
As soon as I interviewed with Irene Turner, hoping to join her at Packer as her assistant teacher, and then meeting the other people in the school, I knew it was a very special place. The vibe here made me never want to leave. What excites you about 1st Grade?
children come up with ideas that might never occur to adults. Just today a child told this riddle: “Everyone has it and no one can lose it. What is it?” Before one child responded correctly with “your shadow,” another pondered a moment and said, “your soul.” To me, that is both deep and full of hope.
What is the most important thing you try So many things! I like to think of 1st to impart to your students? Grade as a year of what ifs, when there’s still that delightful sense of curiosIt sounds very simple, but I want each ity in children. They want to learn of my students to be a good human everything. They want to try anything. being, a good person. I also try to get To be a part of the growth that occurs them to share who they are — an acaover the course of 1st Grade always demic, an artist, an athlete, a humaniastounds me. tarian, whoever. I try to draw attention And six- and seven-year-olds are a to those qualities whenever we witness hoot. That’s where I want to spend my them in the daily life of the class. days, with kids that age. There’s someWhy is it important for kids to see each thing very earnest and joyful about other and themselves in these ways? them. And sometimes they surprise you with their wisdom. We talk a lot about identity and Even in a fleeting moment such diversity in our class. That means many as our daily Jokes and Riddles time, things — certainly it refers to social
identifiers but it also means other identifiers, the parts of them that others may or may not see. I want to be sure that every child feels proud of something about themselves. At the same time, we don’t shirk from challenges. As teachers and students, we try to define a challenge or problem and figure out ways of solving it. That connects to another part of our identity conversations: the fact that different things challenge different people. I really want the atmosphere of the classroom to be very accepting: So-and-so can’t sit still; that’s who they are and they try their best. So-and-so struggles with learning to read; that’s who they are and they try their best. Each year, by the second day of school, everyone in my class knows why I always have a pencil in my hair: I struggle with my memory and I’m always writing little notes. I also ask the kids to remind me of this or that. Sometimes a student will say, I’ll help you remember! Or they will say to a classmate, You have a good memory: you remind her! So it’s also about them learning to support others. What do your students teach you?
They teach me to be more patient. They teach me the importance of joy and laughter. They teach me that “smart” comes in many forms. Some kids just blow me away with how socially smart they are, the way they care and notice other people. They notice what others need, and they strive to take care of them. Other kids are so smart in the way they analyze a situation or a problem. Others just have this way of expressing themselves that I can only dream of because I don’t have that [skill]. I connect these observations to the students’ thinking about their identities and strengths. What went through your mind when you received the Excellence in Teaching Award?
It’s such a great honor. My colleagues here are so invested, so thoughtful, such amazing teachers. To be selected in part by these people, who “get” teaching and know how hard it is — it’s big. SUMMER 2016 | 5
Zoe Ervolino ’16 presents her research on mid-19th century debates about race, gender, and power while co-panelist Nadia Grisaru ’16 looks on.
What was Packer like a century ago? Ask a current student.
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n its debut year, students in Dr. Sarah Strauss’s Advanced Topics elective, Making History, embraced hands-on historical research in Packer’s own archives, which have been housed at the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) since 2015. At their final presentations in May, held at the BHS and moderated by professional historians, thirteen juniors and seniors displayed a striking depth of knowledge in their individual areas of study: student activism at Packer in the 1970s; the study of science in the late 19th century; radical reproductive rights activist Bill Baird, a one-time Packer guest speaker; and more. Dr. Strauss said the sophistication of her students’ work far exceeded her expectations: “This first cohort has left what I am confident will be a lasting and important legacy that speaks to the value of conducting and sharing original archival research at Packer.” In this excerpt from “Shifting Perspectives: Late 19th Century Attitudes towards Nature at The Packer
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Collegiate Institute,” Nadia Grisaru ’16 [above left] describes a set of images in Packer’s archives: A number of artifacts in Packer’s archival collection from the late 1800s indicate a sentimentality for nature among teachers and students. A collection of glass lantern slides used in the classroom [at that time] depict images that suggest that a respect or reverence for nature was being taught at Packer. Many of the glass slides depict beautiful and awe-inspiring scenes of national landmarks, mainly out West in Yellowstone National Park, which was founded in 1872. The slides seem to idolize a pristine and untouched form of nature, in the process supporting the actions of the federal government to create national parks to preserve these lands. [The collection also features] a large number of images of the school’s garden. As Marjorie Nickerson, a former Packer English teacher and author of a 1945 book celebrating Packer’s 100th year anniversary, described in somewhat zealous language, gardens were important to the upper class living in Brooklyn Heights in the middle and end of the
1800s. Packer too had a garden that was reserved for strolls rather than play, and this green space was maintained even as the city grew up around it. Photographs show a central fountain and ivy covering the tall brick walls of the buildings, as if the school is being disguised and hidden from sight. This space must have seemed like a haven as what once was a suburb for businessmen working in Manhattan turned into a densely packed city. The creation of a seemingly natural, peaceful space in an increasingly urban area and the use of pictures of natural landscapes as educational tools seem to promote the philosophy of a nature that must be protected so that its sublimity can continue to be experienced by future generations. Exposure to the artificial nature of the garden and the awe-inspiring views of the national parks would likely have encouraged the students to form a personal attachment to nature. Through the promotion of nature as beautiful and in need of saving, Packer’s education and environment exemplified the sentimentality for nature prevalent, especially among the upper class, in the late 1800s.
lab work Program leaders Erin Schmitz and Lutz Holzinger had nothing but praise for the depth and professionalism of the seniors’ research projects — many of which were recognized at prestigious regional and national competitions. Joseph Baker ’16 [at left] Cancer detection 2nd place in Biochemistry, New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF) Benjamin Beaumont ’16 Solar cell technology Regional Finalist, NYCSEF Mitchell Black ’16 Antioxidant content of cacao seeds Ella Dyett ’16 Understanding the function of genes that might be related to cancer Regional Semi-Finalist, NYCSEF
In Praise of Science Research
Nathan Stone Fishbein ’16 The relationship between learning and puberty Regional Semi-Finalist, JSHS
Calling their three years in Packer’s Independent Science Research Program “far too beneficial, enlightening, challenging, exciting, and any number of other things to sum . . . up in two sentences,” the twelve seniors who completed the program this spring published a joint statement at the 2016 Science Symposium, excerpted here.
Nadia Grisaru ’16 Targeting genetic mutation in asthma treatment Regional Semi-Finalist, NYCSEF
[Our first presentations as sophomores] went fine; they weren’t nearly as bad as we expected them to be, and the upperclass students were not as scary or intimidating as they had appeared. Our allotted fifteen minutes went by in the blink of an eye. Ms. Schmitz’s comment on one of our presentations did highlight a significant area for improvement though: “Don’t be so nervous — you look like you’re about to throw up!” Looking back, this all seems a very long time ago — so much has changed. We all have extensive lab experience now, and have made it through the entire course. The program’s size has grown even more, and now we are the “scary, intimidating” seniors that get to help the first-year students through not only their first presentation but also the first journal article they read leading up to it; their search for a lab to work in; and the numerous other struggles that create a common bond for Science Research students. There is a certain amount of pride to be had in this role, as many of us still fondly
remember those in the classes above ours, and how they helped us. We have not only learned difficult lab techniques and gained extensive knowledge of the scientific world; we have learned various life skills as well. How to give a presentation and sound absolutely confident in what we’re saying; how to manage our time so we don’t have six hours of work to do the night before our meeting; how to successfully collaborate with others; how to accept and learn from failure when experiments do not produce the desired results. All of these abilities, not just the academic knowledge, are invaluable to us as we leave high school and head to college and beyond. And so, to the rest of the Science Research class and all future members, remember to check for grammatical errors and inconsistencies in your presentations, get those new lab attendance sheets signed, and never give up on the honest pursuit of scientific knowledge.
John Devon Joseph ’16 DNA analysis of local oysters species Alexandra Kunzle ’16 Proteins in cell signaling pathways related to breast cancer Regional Semi-Finalist, NYCSEF Cecilia Mastrogiacomo ’16 Body Mass Index (BMI) and cognition Regional Semi-Finalist, NYCSEF Georgica Popcorn ’16 Targeted protein synthesis for cancer drug delivery Giancarlo Sabetta ’16 Semiconductor capacity Regional Semi-Finalist, NYCSEF Regional Finalist, JSHS Alexandra Stutt ’16 Using laser microscopes to study why protein-based drugs lose efficacy Regional Semi-Finalist, NYCSEF National Finalist, JSHS
— The Science Research Class of 2016
SUMMER 2016 | 7
Global Spring Break Trips Inspire Real-time Reflection
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hile Upper School students sat in a bustling Beijing restaurant sampling Peking duck, their classmates brought dramatic, musical, and written coursework of their own design to children in South Africa. From across the globe, these Upper Schoolers posted poignant and thoughtful reflections on their experiences on the Packer Travel Blog [www.packer.edu/2016travelblog]. Students traveling to China developed their interest in Chinese language, culture, and history, visiting the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. They explored the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Beijing’s 798 Art Zone, and Shanghai’s Bund and Yu Garden. The group also visited with two school groups in Beijing to learn about the experiences of their Chinese peers. Director of Global Outreach, Service, and Sustainability Tené Howard explained the trip’s value: “While one can be a global citizen without necessarily traveling the world, having the opportunity to learn about a culture from direct personal experiences is incredibly important.” 8 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
In an ongoing partnership with Artworks for Youth, Upper School students traveled to Joe Slovo Township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to lead visual and performing arts-based activities and to mentor the students. Overnight Travel Coordinator Tory Lacy, who led the South Africa trip, spoke to the trip’s importance in forging connections between Packer students and those in the Joe Slovo Township: “Everything we do is aimed
at really learning about others.” The goal, he said, is to foster the understanding “that can only be achieved by going out into the world and making deep, long-lasting connections.” In addition to these culture and service trips, Middle School language students traveled to Puerto Rico and Canada, while Upper School performing arts trips brought jazz students to New Orleans and the Chorus to Italy.
m o o re su p p o r t f o r t e a c h ers In a fitting tribute to the outsized role played by Barbara Moore in her 26 years as a Middle School teacher, a fund for Middle School professional development was established by the Moore children, Alec ’95, Meredith ’97, and Annie ’00, and Barbara’s husband, Dick, at the time of her retirement last year.
Barbara was not only an exceptional teacher who shaped scores of young minds during the critical Middle School years, but also a leader among the faculty, serving as a mentor and graciously sharing her experiences and thoughts on teaching with her colleagues. Barbara received the
Dick and Barbara Moore at Barbara’s retirement party in May 2015 Parent Association Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008.
New Leaders Join the Community Elizabeth Hastings is has extensive experience in curriculum design, in coaching Packer’s new Assistant and supporting faculty, and in inspiring others to do their Head of School and best work on behalf of student learning.” Academic Dean. She was Elizabeth is moving to New York with her daughter, most recently the middle Lauren, who will be joining Packer’s 10th Grade in the fall. school director at the Blake School in Minneapolis, MN, Kofi Donnelly is Packer’s new Science a position she held for the Department Chair. He began his last six years, having served teaching career in 2003 as the science as Blake’s assistant director department chair at the Abraham Joshua of middle school from Heschel High School in Manhattan, 2007 to 2010. Before moving to Minnesota, she worked where he taught physics, mathematics, as the director of studies at Allen Academy in Bryan, TX; and coding. He looks forward to working a lecturer at Texas A&M University; and an elementary with Packer’s “engaged, thoughtful, and focused” students. and middle school teacher. Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s “It was clear that they were excited about learning,” he said. degree at Texas A&M University in interdisciplinary studies and her master’s in curriculum and instruction at Paul McElfresh has joined Packer’s National-Louis University in Germany. faculty as the new 7th and 8th Grade “For me, the most rewarding element in this profession is Dean. He previously served as a 5th to be a part of the ever-evolving creation of an outstanding Grade core and math teacher and team and authentic learning experience shared with talented leader at the Dalton School on the educators, students, and families,” she said. “I look forward Upper East Side. After visiting campus to joining the Packer community.” this spring, Paul remarked that he Ms. Hastings is an educator “with a single-minded focus was “inspired by the community’s deep investment in each on what is best for children,” said Dr. Bruce L. Dennis. “She student and its commitment to laying pathways to success.”
f a c u l t y f a re w e l l s Three esteemed members of Packer’s faculty retired this spring. For 22 years, Middle School science teacher Bill Siletti upheld some of Packer’s most beloved traditions, including the annual Fifth Grade Rocket Launch, which was inspired by a selective NASA Space Center seminar he attended in 2000. Head of Middle School Noah Reinhardt praised Mr. Siletti’s ability to nurture his students beyond the classroom walls: “Bill has an uncanny gift for connecting to a wide range of kids and for creating a space in his classroom that is engaging and purposeful but also where kids feel safe, known, and connected.” Jack Fay ’16 was inspired by Mr. Siletti’s enthusiasm for space: “Learning astronomy from Mr. Siletti was one of the favorite things I did [in 15 years at Packer] . . . He made it so fun and engaging and interesting.”
After 17 years, Performing Arts Chair Debbie Pressman has retired. In addition to chairing the Arts Department, Ms. Pressman was the key driving force behind the Upper School Symposium. Joelle Wellington ’16 reflected that Ms. Pressman influenced her students “in the way we performed, the way we honored the work and the stage, and in the way that we pushed ourselves to do our best.” Lou Campagna retired from Packer this June after a long career as a math teacher, the last five years of which he spent as a member of Packer’s Upper School faculty. Mr. Campagna is known as an enthusiastic and thoughtful educator. Dr. Bruce L. Dennis, who first met him several decades ago, remarked upon his cheerful demeanor: “Lou brings a tremendous energy and enthusiasm to his work. There is a positivity about him that I continue to find remarkable.”
Fifth Graders celebrating the success of Mr. Siletti’s last annual Rocket Launch
Debbie Pressman
Lou Campagna
SUMMER 2016 | 9
New Trustees Join the Board
Jamillah Hoy-Rosas
Lisa Lambert
Hillary Ripley
Evan Roth
Mimi Somerby
Demetrios Yatrakis
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at its annual meeting on June 6, 2016, the Packer Board of Trustees elected six new trustees. Jamillah Hoy-Rosas ’94, P’22, P’27 has been a member of the Packer community since 1990 when she entered as a 9th grade scholar of the Albert G. Oliver program. She met and married her husband Jason Rosas ’94 at Packer, and their two children now attend the School. Jamillah received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her RD and master’s degree in public health nutrition at New York University. She is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She currently works as the director of health coaching and clinical partnerships at City Health Works. Jamillah serves as the Chair of the Packer Parent Association’s Diversity Committee and is active on the Community Service Committee. She serves as the chair of the missions committee at her church, where she has also run a girl scout troop for the past six years. Lisa Lambert P’22, P’25 has been a Packer parent since 2010 and has two children at the School. Lisa joins the Board this year as President of the Parent Association. She has served as PA Programs Chair and led the Community Service Committee. Lisa is also an active volunteer outside of Packer, serving various community organizations. Lisa previously worked at American Express as director of securitization funding. Hillary Ripley P’18 has been a Packer parent since 2010. She is a vice president at IFM Investors, LLC, an infrastructure investment firm, where she focuses on business development in North America. Prior to joining IFM in 2012, Hillary worked in private equity and capital markets for 22 years. She also volunteers her investment management expertise at Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope and has served as Technology Chair for Packer’s Parent Association. Evan Roth P’25, P’27 co-founded and is a managing partner of BBR Partners. Evan graduated from the Wharton School and holds an additional degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a
member of the CFA Institute. Evan is the treasurer of both the Gotham chapter and the Northeast Region of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO); the development chair of the Jewish Community Project; a life trustee of the Kentuckians of New York; and is actively involved with the Mary Byron Foundation and Bancroft NeuroHealth. Evan is a co-host of the business podcast “Breaking the Mold” and resides in Tribeca with his wife and three children. Mimi Somerby P’ 17, P’19 has been a Packer parent since 2004. She is the coowner of a design/build firm in Brooklyn with her husband, Richard. As an active member of the Parent Association, Mimi has co-chaired the Winter Skate Party, served as a Class Rep, and sat on the Food Committee. She also served on the Strategic Planning Task Force for Buildings and Grounds. Mimi has been a member of several non-profits including the advisory board at Grace Church School in Brooklyn. Demetrios Yatrakis ’01 is a partner and co-founder at Lonicera Partners, a real estate development company. He is also an associate at Granite International Management. Mr. Yatrakis received both his BA and MBA from Columbia University. Demetrios is the chair of the Atlantic Avenue BID as well as a member of the Columbia College Capital Campaign Steering Committee. Previously, Demetrios was the director of Soccer Without, a member of the Prospect Park Development Committee, and a member of Brooklyn Community Foundation’s Brooklyn Now Board. Four trustees were re-elected: Stacy Blain P’18, P’21, P’25, Paul Burke, Steve Fineman P’20, P’22, P’29, and Ronan Harty P’15, P’17, P’20.
Officers for 2016-2017 will be: Deborah Juantorena P’19, Chair; Anne Kimball ’55 IVAc, Vice Chair; Karen Tayeh P’09, P’17, Secretary; Karen Snow P’21, P’25, Treasurer; Anthony Guarna P’18, P’20, Officer. Stepping down are LisaMarie Casey P’16, P’17, Melissa Glass P’16, Andrej Rojek P’01, P’08, and Lilla Smith ’78 P’19.
Transitioning to Leadership Roles Bill McCarthy is Packer’s new of Head of Pre and Lower School, after serving for a year as Director of Learning Support. “The Pre and Lower School offers a warm, nurturing environment that encourages children to become confident, motivated, and curious learners,” he said. “I am excited to expand the work we do to allow children to engage in practical and collaborative learning experiences throughout the day.” Dr. Bruce L. Dennis said he is confident that Bill will use “his talents and expertise to build upon the many strengths of our Pre and Lower School.”
“We want our students to gain a Bessie Oster will healthy identity development . . . and assume the role to be allies and advocates for others in of Middle School our city and beyond. As a community Dean of Student we are ready to reflect, explore, and take Life. Entering her action,” said Ms. Smith-Williams. sixth year at Packer, Dr. Dennis spoke to her rich she was formerly an classroom experience: “Semeka will 8th Grade Head Teacher, the Middle approach her diversity work from the School advising coordinator, and a perspective of a teacher who lives with health educator in the Middle and the daily challenges of how to develop Upper Schools. In her new role, Bessie curriculum, address students’ sense of is most excited about curating “precious wellbeing, and communicate effectively moments outside of the classroom with with parents.” care, consideration, and intentionality.” Ali Gaskell has been
named the Dean of the Class of 2020. Joining the Middle School science Semeka Smithfaculty in 2012, Ali Williams is the transitioned to new Director of Upper School physics in 2015. Before Diversity and Equity, Packer, she taught at the Skinners’ transitioning from School in England and in a rural coma ten-year role as a munity school in Malawi. “I can’t wait Kindergarten Head to be part of such an important time Teacher. She was also the Lower School in students’ lives,” said Ms. Gaskell. “I Diversity Coordinator and co-led the hope to celebrate their accomplishfaculty mentoring program. ments with them and the community.”
f a c u l t y n o t es Eight faculty members were inducted as 2015-16 Fellows of the Academy for
Upper School theater teacher Ali Boag was named the Interim Chair of the Arts Department for 2016-17. He most recently managed the Stahl Theatre, a school and public venue attached to the senior independent Oundle School in the UK.
science teacher Stephanie Rapciak discussed using sensors to build student understanding; Spanish teacher Dallas Rico shared ways to incorporate
Teachers, where they attended master podcasts into language instruction; classes with scholars in their disciplines: and computer science teacher Annie history teacher Sarah Strauss, English Barrows presented on 3D printing in the teacher Peter Melman, Upper School classroom. Dean and English teacher Loryn Evanoff, In May, instrumental music coordinator coach and physical education teacher Paul Riggio conducted three concerts George Boutis, science teachers Lutz at LaGuardia School of Music & Art and Holzinger and Alice Lurain, and visual Performing Arts, featuring his original arts teacher Mike Miller. This spring, compositions and arrangements of Mr. Miller also helped organize the first works by Rodrigo, Kabalevsky, Sousa, Alliance Film Festival, a statewide film and Ellington. competition for high school students. Departing Lower School head teacher Several faculty members led David Youngblut was awarded a master workshops at the NYSAIS Teaching of education degree with a major in leadwith Technology Conference: English ership from Bank Street College. After Department Chair Elissa Krebs pre12 years at Packer, he and his family are sented on e-book digital reading groups; relocating to Rochester, NY.
Camp Fort Greene, the business of Kindergarten teacher Chloe Taylor (above), was honored at the Best for NYC awards in May. The camp was honored for its inclusive hiring practices and scholarship opportunities for neighborhood children. Last July, Middle School theater teacher Patricia Runcie-Rice welcomed Cassidy Juliet (top). In January, Math Department Chair Amy Hand welcomed Winona Margaret Bowie (middle), and in February, Loryn Evanoff welcomed Etta Luba (bottom).
SUMMER 2016 | 11
JULIE BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY
A Send-Off with Purpose and Heart Speakers at Packer’s 169th Commencement invoke the importance of empathy and vision in matters of equity and social justice.
O
n Thursday, June 16, the 91 members of Packer’s noticed it, Packer has been putting a lot of emphasis on thinking Class of 2016 were granted diplomas at the School’s deeply as it pertains to learning. They’ve been encouraging us 169th Commencement, held in the Alumni Garden. to develop a sense of comfort being at the center of our own Under blue skies, Head of School Bruce L. Dennis learning, assigning us fewer tests and more projects and essays opened the ceremony by encouraging the graduates to carry — assessments that require us to think rather than memorize beyond the School’s walls the empathy and kindness they facts. Consequently, we have been able to take this critical lens cultivated at Packer. with which we view our studies and turn outward and inward, Throughout life, he told to think about ourselves, our them, “the most important community, and those struggling thing you can do is offer your around us. Therefore it is no inherent goodness to the world surprise to me how involved “It is no surprise to me how involved (and there is so much goodness many people in our grade are there, as you have repeatedly with issues surrounding social many people in our grade are shown us) . . . and to do well for justice, community service, and with issues surrounding social yourselves by doing good for just general good person-ness justice, community service, and just the world around you.” (which is my favorite one of Ben Hinton ’16 was elected the three, by the way). So I say general good person-ness . . . So I say to give the Senior Class Speech, don’t worry about the facts and don’t worry about [memorizing] the in which he reflected on the really think about the way you’re facts and really think about the way wisdom of novelist David looking at them because that is Foster Wallace’s notion that where real learning takes place. you’re looking at them because that education involves a deepening [. . .] Our paths to success is where real learning takes place.” awareness of the world, rather are each going to be drastically — Ben Hinton ’16 than specific knowledge: different. From immediately How has Packer helped us develop our awareness? Packer’s mission is to develop students who Think Deeply, Speak Confidently, and Act with Purpose and Heart. To me, the key word there is think — a word that is completely different from terms like learn, memorize, facts, and knowledge. Whether or not we’ve
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entering into a pre-professional college program to taking a gap year off, we will all follow different journeys of varying length and difficulty. But no matter how long and hard our journey to success is, it is and always will be of the utmost importance that you slow down, take time to appreciate the really small stuff, and not let life pass you by.
Jennifer Allyn (mother of Jordan ’16) was the invited speaker at this year’s ceremony. As the Diversity Strategy Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ms. Allyn is responsible for designing and implementing internal initiatives that promote a diverse range of individuals to leadership positions. Her understanding of social bias inspired her to encourage the graduating Pelicans to reach outside of their own frameworks as they go to college: For those of you who just took Driver’s Ed, you know that your blind spot is real. It is a literal hole in your vision where you can’t see. We know they are dangerous . . . It turns out we have blind spots in other areas, where our brains take shortcuts in an attempt to organize all the information we have to process. One of the most difficult blind spots to overcome is the “similarity effect.” Research shows we are drawn to people who are like us. Familiarity leads to comfort, which leads quickly to trust. This dynamic can be good — think love at first sight — but it is also the foundation of most pyramid schemes and frauds where someone shakes your hand and says, “Just trust me.” . . . These unconscious assumptions are often more pervasive and harder to recognize. In the workplace, we found the problem was less about people excluding others who were different and more about people advocating for and helping those who were like them. Think about that: I’m not against anyone; I’m just for my group, my people. What could be wrong with that? Well, if the people at the top are all the same, then they only see talent in colleagues who remind them of themselves.
Ben Hinton ’16
Jennifer Allyn P’16
[More speech excerpts at www.packer.edu/magazine.]
Class of 2016 Matriculation University of Edinburgh (2) Emory University Georgetown University Goucher College (3) Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Loyola University New Orleans (2) Maryland Institute College of Art McGill University University of Michigan (2) Middlebury College Morehouse College Mount Holyoke College New York University (3) Northeastern University Northwestern University (2) Oberlin College (5)
University of Pennsylvania Princeton University Rhodes College Skidmore College (3) University of Southern California (2) University of St. Andrews Swarthmore College Syracuse University (4) University of Texas Austin The New School The Ohio State University Trinity College Tufts University (2) Tulane University Union College Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University (3) Whitman College Yale University (2)
JULIE BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY
American University Bard College Barnard College (2) Bates College (2) Boston University Bowdoin College (3) Brown University (2) California Institute of Technology Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University University of Chicago (2) Claremont McKenna College (2) University of Colorado Boulder (2) Colorado College Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University (2) Dartmouth College University of Delaware (2) Duke University
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{ ART GALLERY }
This page, clockwise from top left: Sophia Fox ’16; Madeleine Giles ’16; Sasha Miasnikova ’17; Carden Katz ’18, Julia McCormick ’18, and George Rukan ’18 [film still]; Eve Berrie ’18
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This page, clockwise from top left: Charlie Fleischer ’16 (Scholastic National Award Winner), Lea Wong ’21, Kaylie Harlin ’21, Amber Ramos ’16, Lukas Martin ’16
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{ IN COMPETITION }
#teamlove
Co-Ed & Ninth in the Nation
The SOFTBALL team finished the regular season as the undefeated AAIS regular season champion, finishing with an 8-0 record in the league and 12-3 overall. As league champion, the team earned a bid in the NYSAIS tournament as the number 7 seed. Head Coach Russell Tombline reflected on the team’s strong season. “I have not coached a team with such positive spirit and encouragement toward their teammates in a long time. The only thing that stood out above the team’s success was their energy and enthusiasm. Every player embraced the team slogan #teamlove.” This year’s AAIS All-Stars were Logan Blunt ’16, Rhea Lieber ’18, and Ava Horn ’19.
Packer’s SQUASH players squashed the competition this winter, achieving their highest ranking ever with a ninth-place finish at the National Team Championship in Philadelphia. Head Coach Barry Stelzner said the team’s outstanding season finish was “a testament to the talent of this elite group of athletes. As a team, they improved throughout the season, getting better as their chemistry grew.” The team had a 12-2 record during the regular season and a 3-1 showing at Nationals. Remarkably, Packer’s co-ed squad, captained by Lucy Martin ’16, competed in the boys’ division at Nationals — the only co-ed team to do so. Andrew Douglas ’17 earned the number one ranking in the country in the Boys Under-19 group and was named a US Squash All-American player.
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MIKE MILLER (TOP); CHRIS RUCK
Champs in Year Two Founded only last year, the BOYS ULTIMATE FRISBEE team had a remarkable season, winning the DiscNY Championship 13-9 against an established team from Brooklyn Latin School. Captains Alex Borinstein ’17 and Zach Pine ’16 were instrumental in leading their team to victory. “Considering that last year most of our team were learning the rules and how to throw, this win was historic for Packer Athletics,” said Head Coach Nicholas Kirkbride. “They played their hearts out, with some unforgettable catches in their end zone, including the winning point.”
Talent (in the) Pool The BOYS SWIM team finished with an impressive 8-0 undefeated season record and a first-place finish in the ACIS Championships. This season the Pelicans were able to capture a victory over Riverdale Country School, a member of the competitive Ivy League. “The boys’ team knew that they had the pieces to make a run at a championship,” said Head Coach Chris Ruck. “They went for it at each and every meet, and the results were truly outstanding.” Combined with the girls’ team, Packer’s varsity swimmers broke 14 school records this season.
JEAN ERVASTI (TOP); DARRIN FALLICK
A First in Thirteen Years The BOYS BASKETBALL team had a tremendous season, winning the C-Bracket NYSAIS Championship for the first time since 2003. The team nearly tripled their wins from the previous season (from 9 to 24 wins) and, with only five losses, finished third in a competitive ACIS league. Head Coach George Boutis praised the team’s determination throughout the season: “These boys were resilient, gritty, and accountable. They were a true team that represented Packer well.” He continued that the team “took on difficult challenges with enthusiasm, maximum effort, and teamwork.” Zach Pine ’16, Victor Akujobi ’17, and Blake Martin ’17 were named ACIS All-Stars.
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TENÉ ADERO HOWARD ’97
The Noble Profession ALUMNI REFLECT ON THEIR CAREERS IN EDUCATION
W
hy teach? For 18 Packer alumni, the
The commitment, idealism, affection, and
answers vary widely: the satisfaction of
sheer pleasure expressed by the alumni below
sharing one’s passion with others; the joy of
demonstrate that education is truly their calling
connecting with young people; a drive to level
— a calling that, for each of them, resonates with
the playing field for future generations.
memories of Packer.
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A
s Packer’s first Director of Global Outreach, Service, and Sustainability, Tené Adero Howard oversees the School’s international travel programs, service learning, and environmental initiatives. Having earned degrees in sociology and international educational development from Amherst College and Teachers College respectively, she has dedicated her career to “learning spaces” outside of the classroom that “honor students’ passions.”
My desire to be an empathetic, committed educator has grown out of the education and relationships I had here at Packer. Susan Hinkle, the former Head of Lower School who led a diversity program housed at Packer, taught me that I had a voice that was important — and that it was my responsibility to share it. Linda Gold was magical, creative, and so connected to her own humanity that she enabled us to connect to our own. Both George Snook and Erland Zygmuntowicz gave me an appreciation and love of getting to know a thing, listening, researching, and then — and only then — forming my opinions about it. Whether I was in his yoga class or working with him as a peer supporter, George Boutis helped me listen to and hear both myself and others. In my work as an educator, I aspire to epitomize the best of all of these traits — being myself and expressing my voice while being a patient and dedicated listener; helping students to find their passions and connect their own experiences to those of others; and encouraging them to be seekers of truth and understand that everyone’s truth is a bit different.
STELLA GOLD ’00 For Stella Gold, teaching “was the only job I could think of where I could talk about my favorite subject — books — all day.” In choosing education, she followed the path of her mother, the late Linda Gold, a beloved member of Packer’s faculty for 30 years. With a degree in English from Brown University, she assistant-taught at Packer while earning her masters at Hunter College. She then moved to the Lycée Français de New York, where she has been teaching elementary English for five years.
I fondly remember evenings at home helping mom plan her “Hamlerama” celebration for her senior elective on Shakespeare. If she could show only three film versions of Hamlet to her class, which should they be? Was Hamlet’s possible Oedipus complex relevant
to the Kenneth Branagh version, or only the Olivier and Mel Gibson versions? These were the kinds of questions that I grew up with. I think I had no choice but to become a teacher. I learned something about teaching from many of the excellent instructors that I had at Packer. My 3rd grade teacher, Irene Turner, taught me the importance of patience. My Middle School French teacher, Cob Powlen, taught me the importance of having a sense of humor in the classroom. My European history teacher, George Snook, taught me the importance of being passionate about my subject. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the two Lower School teachers who trained me when I was an associate teacher at Packer. Sara Baumrin taught me everything I know about teaching creative writing, as well as how to prepare a snack while teaching a math lesson! Tim Jensen taught me everything I know about teaching social studies, as well as how to apply a Tiny Lincoln beard to a little girl’s face. In teaching it’s the small moments with students that give the greatest sense of meaning. I recently crossed paths with a former 5th grade student who is now in high school, and he told me that just that week in English class he had used a technique that I had taught him. It made me feel very special to know that something I had said four years earlier still had value for this child. That’s why teaching is such a big responsibility: you never know how much one word or gesture can impact a student, for better or for worse. Hopefully always for the better!
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of what I do, but I know that — at some unknown time, somewhere, and for reasons far beyond simply being in my class — what my students experience in my class will become part of their future, in one small way or another.
After college, Kurt Kahofer worked in historic preservation. But a part-time job at a school for children in the juvenile justice system led him toward a career that was more involved with people, and he enrolled in a graduate education program at Long Island University. Kurt has been an elementary school teacher in Sag Harbor, LI, for the past 23 years.
It was my teachers at Packer — and the admiration I had for them — that influenced me the most in my career as an educator. I know how dedicated my 8th grade English teacher Virginia Spriggs was not only to instruct but to enlighten us. She piloted a canoe field trip to the New Jersey red pine forest that left me with the idea that education can easily happen outside the classroom. My 9th grade English teacher Jane Rinden showed me how to write effectively and exposed me to the arts. I am forever in debt to her for that. Erich Cluxton showed me how history is alive and well, and how the past remains current. I was not just taught at Packer, but shown how to learn. When I start a new year of 3rd Grade, I know that things will change and evolve, and I have to change and evolve with the students since they grow so quickly. They gain a new perspective on how to manipulate numbers in math. They realize that reading everything opens up a new place for them. Knowledge of cultures around the world excites their curiosity and imagination about life. Often I can’t directly see the results
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A decade into his career as a graphic designer, Peter Branscombe volunteered to work with low-income and homeless children, creating murals around New York City. He soon realized that he was having much more fun doing that work than he was at his regular job. He earned a master’s degree and has been an educator for almost 20 years, the last twelve as a fourth grade teacher at the Key School in Annapolis, MD.
As a teacher, I think a lot about Packer and my experience as a student there. The sense of community was very important, especially the connections that we made with each other and our teachers. I always felt that my teachers were friends as well as mentors. Ken Rush is someone who has stayed with me. He gave unique projects that pushed me to improve my skills. His studio was also a great place where we could hang out and work on projects in our free time. Ken possessed a great sense of knowing how far we could go to express ourselves as artists, students, and young people — and how to rein us in before we went too far! Music and chorus teacher Warren Swenson could be tough, but we knew he cared deeply about all of us and wanted us to excel. In Judith Jordan’s English class, I learned the importance of expressing and defending one’s ideas. Like Packer, the Key School is Pre-K to 12, so I have known some of the students for a long time. I love watching them grow up and seeing what they accomplish. But mainly when I think about what teaching means to me, it is that the kids make me laugh, and it is a great way to spend the day.
STEVEN MERCADO ’08 After graduating from Gettysburg College, Steven Mercado returned to Joralemon Street to lead Packer’s afterschool playgroup. In 2015 he became an associate teacher in the Pre-K Threes class. In September he will begin a prestigious graduate fellowship at Bank Street College of Education.
My experience as a student at Packer is one of the main reasons for my teaching path. No school prior to or after my time at Packer has given me the relationships and sense of community that this place has. Three people have stayed with me from my time as a student. Dawn Marie Warner, a former language teacher at Packer, was one of my major influences in my career choice. Her ability to speak to the soul of a student was uncanny. Even after her passing, I try to keep that aura with me in the classroom. Semeka Smith-Williams’s mentorship and leadership, even though she never taught me, gave me the final push to choose this career. And Wendy Lashley in the Upper School Office, a consistent and familiar presence in my life for almost a decade, is now someone I call a friend. At this point in my career, what is most meaningful and impactful are the little changes and sparks of growth that I see within my students. The growth of children is truly one of the most beautiful and fascinating phenomena one can ever see.
KAHOFER: SAG HARBOR UFSD
KURT KAHOFER ’80
PETER BRANSCOMBE ’82
T
he challenge that lies before us is to work towards institutional leadership and faculties that are as diverse as our student bodies.
LUCIE TAUBENBLATT LAPOVSKY ’69 IV AC
PEGGY MCHALE JOSEPH
Lucie Taubenblatt Lapovsky has had a distinguished career in higher education administration. An avid math student at Packer, she was an economics major at Goucher College. As a graduate student at the University of Maryland, she became interested in the impact of tuition increases on college choice and college attendance. That topic, coupled with tuition discounting, has been the focus of her research over the past 40 years. In 1999, after serving as the chief financial officer of Goucher for nine years, Lucie became the president of Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She served in that role for five years and today remains a member of the faculty as a professor of economics. Lucie also works across the country as a higher-education consultant and is a columnist for Forbes.
As CFO at Goucher College and president at Mercy College, I was driven by seeing how to provide a quality education as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. One of the privileges of working at a college or university is that you get to be around students and be a part of the face of the future. Mercy College, a large low-tuition private college with a very diverse student body, offered me extraordinary opportunities in this regard. We benefited from the multitude of backgrounds and frames of reference that our students brought to the classroom and to our co-curricular activities. Whether in an English, chemistry, or economics class, we were able to explore the different things each of us took for granted — as well as topics many of us were hesitant to explore. A course at Mercy that explored death and dying, for instance, brought to light differences in the ways that students from various backgrounds addressed these issues. Race, ethnicity, and income were not the common denominator in these discussions, but
rather religious beliefs and spirituality. We often learned that, alongside our differences and preconceived assumptions, we had more in common than we had ever thought. My experiences in education have taught me the value of learning from others. Great faculty are wonderful for designing our curriculum and motivating us to learn, but the richness of the classroom experience comes from the different lived experiences of all of the participants. The challenge that lies before us is to work towards institutional leadership and faculties that are as diverse as our student bodies. Hopefully by educating our students with people who don’t always look like them, we will see significant changes in the diversity of our faculty and the leadership of our country in the decade ahead.
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T
he philosopher Raimond Gaita defined teaching as showing one’s students something they can love; I might say, something worthy of their love.
JANET LEVARIE SMARR ’66 IVAc Janet Levarie Smarr earned her doctorate at Princeton and has spent half her career in comparative literature and the other half in the history of theater and dramatic literature. Currently a professor at the University of California at San Diego and the author of several books about Renaissance literature, Janet taught for 20 years at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
My career in education came about from several sources of motivation. As the child of a professor, I grew up among academics and enjoyed hearing their conversations and exploring their bookshelves. As an only child, I also loved school from an early age and simply never left. Some great experiences at Packer also influenced my decision, namely the interactions with terrific teachers whose teaching — and lives — fascinated me. Carol Tocci, who taught Latin, lent me books on feminism and existentialism, recounted her experiences in the Underground during World War II, and encouraged my creative writing in Latin. Tina Stiefel — who taught history without a textbook, sending us instead to multiple scholarly sources — emphasized cultural and intellectual history rather than kings and wars, and hung around school with a few of us to carry on discussions outside class. I was intrigued that she had started as a dancer and then discovered the excitement of an intellectual life. After I graduated from Packer, she became a lifelong friend. Rose McGuire 22 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
Smith, having to be out of town for a week, asked me to teach the Aeneid to our Latin class. She indicated how much to cover and what to assign and left me to imitate her methods as well as I could. I enjoyed it immensely and valued her trust. Many years later I dedicated to her my published translation of Boccaccio’s Latin Eclogues; sadly, I learned that she had passed away, but a nephew of hers was pleased with the dedication. Both in my departmental classes and my general education courses, I have continued to teach the kind of cultural and intellectual history that Tina Stiefel introduced me to and to make use of my years of Latin in the study of Medieval and Renaissance literatures. I love the way teaching forces me to keep learning and the way it has led me to see emerging patterns of human and social behavior. The moments when a student suddenly lights up with a new path of thought opening before him or her are among the greatest rewards of the profession. I am also pleased by students who tell me years later that I taught them how to write better or that they still think about a text from my class. The Australian philosopher Raimond Gaita, in a lecture that I heard many years ago, defined teaching as showing one’s students something they can love; I might say, something worthy of their love. And that includes not just the objects of study but the activity itself.
FRANCINE VARADY ’66 CO In her 35-year career, Francine Varady was recognized as a master science teacher. A winner of numerous grants and teaching awards, she also secured a coveted spot in NASA’s Teacher-InSpace Program, a training program that helped educators bring a handson understanding of aeronautics and space exploration into their classrooms. Constantly seeking effective ways to make the sciences come alive for young minds, Francine also taught math and science pedagogy to graduate students at Mercy College.
I was a biology major at Packer’s Junior College, and I had always been interested in
I
can’t stress enough how formative my Packer years were in my development as a teacher.
GABRIEL PAQUETTE ’95 Becoming an educator was a natural career path for Gabriel Paquette: his mother was a teacher, and he always loved being a student. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Gabe earned a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and has taught at Cambridge (where he was a fellow of Trinity College), Harvard University, and Wesleyan. Now a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University, he specializes in the history of European empires and also directs JHU’s program in Latin American studies. His second book, Imperial Portugal in the Age of Atlantic Revolutions: The Luso-Brazilian World, c. 1770-1850, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2013.
I can’t stress enough how formative my Packer years were in my development as a teacher. History teachers Erland Zygmuntowicz, George Snook, and Kathy Emery, English teachers Barbara Seddon, Elizabeth Marshall, and the late Linda Gold, and former Head of School Dr. Geoff Pierson were all master teachers. What was common to their pedagogy was the combination of academic rigor and intellectual playfulness. My imagination,
curiosity, and individuality were nurtured in their classrooms, but at the same time these teachers never hesitated to use a red pen on my essays, require multiple revisions of written work, or challenge the underlying (often faulty) assumptions of my arguments. They communicated that what we were doing in the classroom was important: literature, history, and philosophy mattered. Our ability to engage with ideas — as well as to express our own — was an indispensable part of preparing for adulthood. And it was fun! If I manage to combine such intellectual seriousness with a sense of adventure and purpose in my own teaching, I count that as a success. My interest in history was piqued before I arrived at Packer, but it was more of a vague if sincere enthusiasm for the past than anything else. It was at Packer that I actually learned how to study history: how to interpret primary source documents, how to detect bias and assumptions, how to use very different types of sources to shed light on the same event, how to recover the voices of those left out of (and sometimes intentionally silenced in) traditional histories, whether slaves or workers or children. It was a great thrill to learn how to think in this way.
In my junior year, Mr. Zygmuntowicz and Ms. Gold advised my independent study project on the history of social welfare in America, from the New Deal to the Great Society. It was a lot of fun to research and write a project of that scope, especially under the guidance of such caring and incisive teachers. I began to wonder whether a future as a researcher and teacher might suit me. I’m grateful to Packer for setting me on the path I ultimately took to become a history professor. My research has permitted me to travel widely, learn languages, study at foreign universities, write books, and talk with people from all over the world. My teaching has enabled me to share what I have learned. Teaching is never a unilateral, one-way transmission of knowledge: I probably learn as much from my students through class discussion as they learn from me. Some classes are more successful than others, of course, but when the classroom becomes a vehicle for collaborative learning, it’s an exhilarating experience. On those days, it’s hard to believe that I actually get paid to do this job!
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RACHEL NISSELSON ’96
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Having been a camp counselor, Rachel Nisselson knew that she enjoyed working with children, but her decision to teach was also a practical one. Becoming an educator allowed her to pursue activities she had enjoyed as a high school student: foreign language, sports, peer leadership, photography, and more. Rachel began her career as an English teaching assistant at the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France. After a year at the Millbrook School, she taught at Packer as a French and Spanish teacher. Today she is the chair of the modern and classical languages department at the Loomis Chaffee School, a boarding school in Connecticut.
I began studying French in 7th Grade at Packer. Though I wasn’t able to study Spanish until sophomore year of college, my interest in Spanish dates back to 9th Grade when I wanted to understand what two of my Latino classmates, Dan Rivera ’96 and Urayoan Martinez ’96, were saying to one another. My interest in and knowledge of languages and cultures paved the way for a number of lifelong friendships as well as many trips abroad. Highlights include traveling with students to France, Costa Rica, and Morocco, and participating in the grape harvest in Burgundy, France. These experiences broadened my worldview and provided insight into a multiplicity of perspectives. I happened to be abroad during some challenging, controversial, and confusing moments in American history:
the Lewinsky affair, the 2000 election debacle, September 11th, and the initial phase of the war in Afghanistan. The conversations I had about these events helped me develop a more nuanced understanding of the U.S.’s position on the global stage. When I think about the kind of teacher, advisor, and coach I want to be, I think often of my mentors at Packer. Elizabeth Marshall (11th and 12th grade English), Mark Clizbe (10th grade history), Eric Baylin (photography), Ken Rush (art history), and Rich Domanico (soccer) were experts in their fields, creative in their pedagogy, and generous with their time. They cared about us as individuals and strove to make us better informed, sharpen our analytical minds, and foster our empathy. When I became their colleague, Eric, Ken, and Rich (and Mark, whom I re-encountered at Millbrook) continued to be mentors to me. I hope to pay their kindness and wisdom forward as a mentor to younger teachers.
NISSELSON: JOHN GROO
the sciences. While a student there, I spent time in the Kindergarten and Pre-K classes. I really enjoyed being with little children and found it so fulfilling when they learned something new because of my lesson. As an elementary school teacher, I realized that many of my colleagues enjoyed teaching reading and writing. I felt that the sciences got short shrift. I made it my mission to encourage the teaching of science by developing curriculum and by teaching teachers how to present content through hands-on activities and inquiry. Marjorie Sweeting and Anita Brown, science teachers at Packer, used these techniques before they were widespread, and they intrigued me. I took my experiences at the NASA workshop and translated them into science units throughout the elementary grades. This included a schoolwide Air Fair, at which children explored flight and the laws of physics. We even had a helicopter fly in! Spreading my enthusiasm for science learning and teaching gave my 35 years in education a great sense of meaning.
PAUL FORBES ’91
G
oing to Packer . . . taught me what a small community means and what it can do.
Paul Forbes has dedicated his career to urban education reform. Today he leads the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) at the New York City Department of Education, which aims to improve college- and career-readiness for Black and Latino young men. ESI is part of the Young Men’s Initiative, an ambitious program created by Mayor Michael Bloomberg that served as a model for President Obama’s national program My Brother’s Keeper.
I was born and raised in Crown Heights in a home with two parents and three siblings. I was selected for Prep for Prep and got into Packer, but my brother and two sisters attended public high schools. Packer offered resources and opportunities that my siblings could not comprehend. Even at different schools within the public school system, their experiences varied widely. The story of the “haves” and the “have-nots” was playing out right before my eyes. When I graduated from Packer, my plan was to take a few years off before enrolling in NYU’s accelerated pre-med program. During that time my sister, who was student-teaching in East Harlem, took me to a talk by Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew.
Whether it was seeing a black man in this role, or his vision and ideas, I knew I wanted to work for him one day. Instead of NYU, I decided to follow in my two sisters’ footsteps and enroll at Hunter. During my senior year, I was recommended for the Hunter Public Service Program, which offers internships at not-for-profits, government offices, and city agencies. When the Board of Ed submitted an internship in their Office of Community Relations, I went to interview and told them, “No one else is coming. I’m going to be your first choice!” The rest, as they say, is history. Going to Packer is an experience that I will never forget, as it gave me connections and opportunities that I know I would not have had otherwise. It also taught me what a small community means and what it can do. We try to provide that experience to students at ESI schools. Many of our schools have seen the benefits of creating single-gender advisories to create opportunities for young men to take down their guard and talk about some of the challenges they face day-to-day outside of school. That helps them come together better inside the school, which has reduced suspensions and improved how teachers communicate with their young men.
Since the Expanded Success Initiative is dedicated to working on race, class, and gender, we create spaces at ESI schools to talk about these issues. Those are the critical and courageous conversations we need to have to understand our own biases and how they affect policies, practice, and procedures. Simply providing access for our young people can make such a difference in the trajectory of their lives. It does not require millions of dollars, but it does require a committed effort, a mindset of What can I do with the resources around me? Most ESI schools take kids on college visits in 9th Grade. Sure, we would like to take them to see historically black colleges or Ivy League schools, but if we can’t, we’ll take them to see a CUNY school. They get a Metrocard, they get on the train, and they go. I don’t consider what I do work. It’s a calling. I genuinely love what I do. In my various roles over 20 years, I have always ensured that, whatever I do, I stay connected to young people and school communities. As often as possible, I take my young men to cultural events and social gatherings. I do my best to provide them access to an array of opportunities and options. Who knows which of those experiences will make the difference for one or more of them?
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REBECCA CHOVNICK BECK ’02 After graduating from Muhlenberg College, Rebecca Chovnick Beck assistant-taught English at a high school in Japan. During her two-year stay, she would often study Japanese in the school library. “That’s when I became aware as an adult of what a welcoming place libraries are,” she recalls. She earned a masters at Pratt Institute and became the elementary school librarian at Mary McDowell Friends School in 2014.
From an early age, I have enjoyed working with children. In sixth grade, I remember always looking forward to our Frameworks class with Elaine Klasson because I worked with the Pre-K Fours. Ms. Klasson was very vocal about the talent for teaching that she felt I had, and she always encouraged me to consider going into education. My interest in working with younger kids was supported for the remainder of my time at Packer. Every summer I worked as a counselor at Packer’s summer camp. As a senior in Stephen Koplowitz’s advanced dance class, I used to help out with Lower School dance classes. There is something special about a PreK-12 school where older students are given the responsibility of being leaders and creating an inclusive atmosphere for students in every grade. Inclusiveness and community were important values at Packer, instilled in students at an early age. For my entire thirteen years at Packer, Chris Rush was the Lower School librarian. I have extremely fond memories of listening to her read in the Hart Library. When I read 26 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
certain Roald Dahl books or Jon Scieszka’s The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, I can still hear her voice. Packer was a second home to me. My teachers always had a real interest in my opinions and experiences. Some of my favorite Packer moments happened outside of our regular classes — First Fridays, Model Congress, art museum trips with Ken Rush — and part of that was getting to know my teachers beyond the classroom. It’s essential as a teacher to create an emotionally safe and welcoming environment, and I am fortunate to work in a school that shares these values.
MAGGIE LEVINE ’82 Maggie Levine majored in English at Barnard College. For sixteen years, she has shaped the reading and writing of hundreds of Packer students. Her inspiration for becoming an English teacher was “undeniably” Jane Rinden, who taught English at Packer from 1967 to 1981 and served as the Chair of the English Department.
I could come extremely close to listing every book I read in Jane Rinden’s Upper School
English classes, as well as to citing every project she designed and every paper I wrote. One project I particularly recall was when she assigned each student in her American literature class to research one artist in the newly renovated American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum. I immersed myself in the work of Mary Cassat and was surprised to discover a feminist spark in her tranquil scenes of domesticity. When Ben Katock ’82, Packer’s 6'8" star basketball player, gave his presentation on the pugilist paintings of George Bellows, I delighted in the cleverness of Jane’s student-artist pairings. Jane did not put grades on our papers. If you wanted to know your grades, you had to ask her after class, and as much as I was dying to know, I knew she frowned upon our asking. I learned the importance of truly reading her comments and appreciated the thought she put into them. This year, the students in my elective Literary Memoir did not know the grades on their papers until the last day of the semester. It was agony for them, but Jane knew what she was doing. Jane introduced me to the idea of assigning students current books. In 1981, we read Mary Gordon’s just-published The Company of Women, and I felt oh-so-in-the-know studying a novel that was being discussed in the New York Times. Jane assigned these texts not only to expose her students to contemporary writers, but also because she wanted to read them herself. The best lesson that Jane taught me is that teachers never have to stop learning. Superficially, Jane and I are nothing alike. Like her inimitable handwriting, Jane is iris thin. She is deliberate in her word choice, methodical, refined, and soft-spoken. Although my energy is less contained than Jane’s, I hope I channel her passion: to expose students to great literature and to design work that allows them the freedom to make discoveries and to deepen their thinking.
M BARBARA MINAKAKIS ’71 IV Ac
y Packer teachers were feisty characters who taught their own way; they knew, and loved, their subjects and seemed to get a kick out of us.
Over a nearly four-decade career, Barbara Minakakis taught Middle and Upper School English at Adelphi Academy, the Spence School, and the Chapin School. She also served for eleven years as chair of Chapin’s Middle School English Department.
In I Academic [9th Grade], during Standards, Dr. Schafer and Greta Osborne gave us something called a Kuder Preference Test, designed to determine our talents and future careers. It informed me that I would make a very good clock repairman; my area of least interest was education. I saw myself as an archaeologist, an architect, or a veterinary surgeon; and so, in college, confused, I majored in English. After graduate school, I obtained a job in publishing and endured several hot New York City summers before a teaching position at an independent school fell my way. Looking forward to resuming summer vacations, I took it. And so, finding that teaching was interesting, I spent the next 37 years or so tinkering with the fine mechanisms of young people’s reading, thinking, and writing — intricate stuff requiring patience and some meticulousness. Perhaps Kuder had it right after all. The first educator I ever thought of as a real person was not a Packer teacher, but a Packer-educated teacher, Carole Vames Vamvaketis ’60 IVAc, ’62 Co, who taught at the small parochial school I attended. She was a wonder — intelligent, with a wry sense
of humor and a no-nonsense way about her. At the end of 5th Grade, Miss Vames gave me a paperback copy of Jane Eyre — I still have it — with the inscription “May your future search for knowledge be as fruitful and successful as it has this year.” Without shame, and largely in tribute, I have over the years written the same thing to some of my own students. Like Miss Vames, my Packer teachers were feisty characters who taught their own way; they knew, and loved, their subjects and seemed to get a kick out of us. They were originals — and fine educators. One thinks of Barbara Charton (biology); Mabel Fisher (trigonometry); Lourdes Zavitsas (analytical geometry and advanced algebra); Frances Bloom (history); Marilyn “Red” Berger and Sallie “White” Burger, who both taught history and gave their students credit for more than academic work; and so many others. Jane Rinden sent us off to Manhattan to see foreign films. Above all, she listened to what we had to say — in my case, probably with exquisite equanimity. People used to ask me how I could teach the same things over and over — as if a work of literature (or, say, the poetry of William
Butler Yeats) can ever be taught the same way twice, given that the students reading them are always different and bring their own individual experiences to the texts. Watching students’ faces light up with comprehension, helping them to turn their thoughts into precise, and even lyrical, prose — I can’t think of better fun. Except, perhaps, grammar. My kids kept me thinking and laughing. Remembering my sophomores’ smartalecky but apt remarks that punctured my favorite passages in Homer’s Iliad, the seniors’ astonished remonstrations when I showed compassion for the protagonist in The Tale of Genji, the dances my sixth graders created to wow me when I walked into their classroom, and my seventh graders’ performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream — with their riotous Pyramus and Thisbe segments — I realize that my students made me see, with new eyes, not just literature and language, but life itself. I hope I gave them something in return. And as it happened, I was able to incorporate into my English lessons archaeology, architecture, and science. Things worked out after all.
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K
athy Emery and James Brodie made me the teacher I am today without even knowing it.
ANDREA ROSARIO DE JESÚS ’93 Andrea Rosario De Jesús was a student at Wesleyan University when, over two summers, she served as a house parent and teacher to 7th grade students at CityBridge, a program that offered academic enrichment to gifted students of color and underprivileged white students. After that, she knew she “wanted to be involved in education for good.” She earned a masters in education from Tufts University and now teaches middle school English at the Dalton School.
Two of the teachers I admired most at Packer were Kathy Emery, my 10th grade history teacher, and James Brodie, my 9th and 11th grade English teacher. They were pivotal in shaping me as an analytical thinker. They brought texts to life for me in ways I didn’t know possible. They made history and literature relevant, exciting, and engaging. They were (and still are) brave, devoted, outspoken, passionate, and dedicated people. Because of their teaching, I developed a deep value and respect for stories from all walks of life. They made me the teacher I am today without even knowing it. As a teacher, I get the privilege of having a direct impact on the thinking and learning that children experience at school. I get to share with them one potential lens they might use to see the world. I get to be myself in the classroom and in school. Working in education has also brought me the gift of humility. Once a day, I am faced with experiences and concepts that 28 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
are new to me. Over time, I have developed the confidence to ask for help, to articulate what I do not know, and to learn from those around me. This has made me a better, more conscientious person in the world.
MARGARET VAN BAAREN ’82 From an early age, Margaret van Baaren knew that she would be a teacher. While a psychology major at Kenyon College, she had a field assignment with disabled children that led her to pursue a career in special education. Since 1994, she has been the director of the Center for Academic Strategies and Achievement
at Northfield Mount Hermon School, a boarding school in Massachusetts.
I’m not sure any one experience led me to the decision to teach. Maybe it was the times spent as a counselor at Packer’s summer camp. I liked being around children; it suited me. I liked the connections; I liked the return. My first teaching job was as an assistant teacher at a school for preschool children with special needs. I loved figuring out how to reach and teach children who could not thrive with standard teaching methods. Before Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences became popular, many special educators were already teaching to students’ individual strengths using out-of-the box strategies. I was hooked. As an academic coach, I help students understand why their brains work the way they do and teach them strategies to increase their efficiency. I also support faculty in their work to better reach and teach adolescents. My goal is to foster my students’ selfawareness, self-efficacy, and self-advocacy — and my reward is watching their confidence and competence grow before my eyes. At the heart of my work, really, lies my love for the connections that I have made with my students. Teaching has felt like a calling: it is what I do, who I am. My students keep me young and interested. They help me to grow and see the world in new ways. Sometimes teaching adolescents is tricky, but I would have it no other way.
ZACHARY PAUL WRIGHT FORBES ’91 ’01
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steadfastly believe that education is, and has always been, the core civil rights issue in this country.
PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG
Zachary Wright is a fixture at the Mastery Charter School network’s Shoemaker Campus in West Philadelphia, having taught senior English to nearly every student the school has graduated, more than 700 over the past six years. For forging a unique college scholarship program exclusively for Mastery Charter School graduates at the University of Vermont, his alma mater, as well as for his outstanding work in the classroom, he was named Philadelphia’s 2012-13 Outstanding Teacher of the Year by Mayor Michael Nutter.
After college, I connected with physical education teacher and coach Russell Tombline about substituting at Packer. One day I covered an Upper School health class. The topic was drugs and alcohol, and I remember having a conversation with the students that was based upon mutual respect and honesty. As class let out, I felt a surge of energy, a distinct feeling of purpose, mission, and inspiration. I had found my calling. The Mastery Charter School network was founded upon the belief that schools can be turned around and made into successes with the same student-body profile as before. We do not have entrance exams or tuition fees. If a family resides in the school’s zip code, their child has a spot at the school. Before Mastery, I taught at Philadelphia’s most persistently dangerous and lowest performing high school, which has since been torn down. I broke up fights, stopped drug deals, and witnessed school police officers throwing students into cages. I came face to
face with an all-too-common fact of urban schools: that segregation remains, is tacitly approved of, and is deeply entrenched. I steadfastly believe that education is, and has always been, the core civil rights issue in this country. The very families that are told to lift themselves up by their bootstraps, are the ones who — after displaying resilience and grit unseen in many affluent schools — still cannot afford college. I have come to understand that no matter how amazing a student of mine might be, to the larger world, he is another black or brown face in a hoodie, a face that inspires fear, and all too often, violence. In my day, the Packer community, blessed as it was with considerable means, retained a sense of higher moral obligation. Even though many of my friends and I came from wealthy backgrounds, there was a streak of urgency in regards to social justice and equality. It is a quality that I hope remains.
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SCOTT ZACHARY WOLFSON WRIGHT ’91’96
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When Scott Wolfson was a studio art major at Wesleyan University, a professor asked if he was interested in teaching printmaking at a summer arts camp. He said yes: having access to the campus art studios over the summer and housesitting for a professor “sounded very professional and exciting.” After earning an MFA at Hunter College, he worked as a museum educator at MoMA, the Whitney, and other institutions. For the past five years, he has taught middle and upper school art at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx.
In many ways, I see my career path as being somewhat inevitable. I had great teachers in both high school and college who were mentors and role models for a lifestyle that somehow made perfect sense before I even fully grasped the gravity of the profession. Since I was very little, I have always liked making art and working with my hands, but it was in high school at Packer that I became very seriously engaged with art and began to think of myself as an artist. Ken Rush’s encouragement truly sparked and nourished my desire to learn about, see, and make art. I had the freedom to experiment with different materials and processes. I even loved the smell of the art studio. Those first 30 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
experiences — making etchings, mixing oil paints, stretching canvases, working with charcoal — are all very fresh in my mind. When I teach, I often return to those moments and try to tap into that excitement; I try to offer my students the same wide-eyed fascination and the notion of limitless possibilities that I had at their age. I try to make the art studio a place of openness, a place for experimentation, questioning, and creating. In many ways, those times in the art studio at Packer distinctly shaped who I am today. Teaching is a creative act that consistently deepens my own relationship to both making and thinking about art. I am constantly thinking about the inner workings of art objects: what an artist does in their studio, how an art object comes to be, starting from an idea and leading straight through to its fully realized state. For better or worse, I can no longer look at an artwork without
thinking about all aspects of its being and how I might engage in a conversation about it with a student. Seeing students grapple with materials, process, and meaning keeps me doing the same in my own practice. Working at Fieldston has shown me just how sophisticated and excited so many teenagers are about all aspects of their world. The art studio is a place where conversations begin with art, but then those conversations evolve, connect to, and inform so many other facets of my students’ lives. I’ve realized that I teach not only the specific subject of art, but also how to be in the world — in terms of our relationships with objects, ideas, and even other people — and how we can affect and in turn be affected by those different elements. Witnessing students becoming excited about the possibilities inherent in making, looking at, and thinking about art gives my teaching a great sense of purpose.
DEBBIE KRIGER
try to make the art studio a place of openness, a place for experimentation, questioning, and creating. In many ways, those times in the art studio at Packer distinctly shaped who I am today.
PA News Researcher Links Learning to Emotional Intelligence
t h a n k y o u , v o l u n t eers ! From the Skate Party to the Book Fair, and all the merchandise sales in between, PA events came to life this Spring thanks to your efforts.
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emotion; Understanding emotion; Labeling emotion; Expressing emotion; Regulating emotion. One of the tools that Dr. Brackett has developed and implemented to help students label their feelings is the “Mood Meter,” a graphical representation of mood that plots energy level against pleasantness in a color-coded grid. The Mood Meter facilitates discussions of students’ moods and, ultimately, makes emotional adjustments more accessible. Dr. Brackett’s message was clear: Emotions can either fuel or thwart learning. “You’ve got to name it to tame it,” he said. He concluded with the idea that the evening was intended to raise awareness of the importance of emotion, especially at school. The specific skills and strategies that can strengthen students’ (and parents’) emotional regulation require plenty of practice. The rewards of that work? Happier, more productive, and more creative people. — Claire Nitze P’24
ENERGY
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n April, Dr. Marc Brackett, Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, led an interactive workshop for the Packer community to highlight the central role that emotions play in our everyday interactions and experiences, and the difficulty we often have in understanding and discussing them. Much of his presentation focused on strategies for supporting students as they face their own emotional challenges. In a study with 22,000 high schoolage youth, Dr. Brackett revealed how deeply children’s emotional wellbeing impacts their ability to learn. Students who believe that what they are learning is relevant and meaningful to their lives — and who report that their teachers deliver engaging lessons — experience more positive emotions in school, such as interest, respect, and happiness. Brackett developed the schoolbased program ruler to teach the five critical components of social and emotional learning: Recognizing
LISA LAMBERT
Parent Association sponsors talk by Yale psychologist Marc Brackett
PLEASANTNESS
Tina Heslin P’24, P’27, Sarah Taplitz P’21, P’24, Erica Weinberger P’22, P’25, Dawn Fischer P’21, P’22, and Jenifer Buice P’21, P’25 at the 2016 Book Fair
Shadow Pine P’16 and Olga Bellas Staffen P’16
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A Mardi Gras Masquerade to Benefit Packer’s Libraries
PHOTOS BY ANN BILLINGSLEY P’13, P’15
The 2016 Spring PA Gala brought hundreds to Brooklyn’s “Bourbon Street.”
The 2016 Packer Spring Gala kicked off with a parade led by a Bourbon Street brass brand, followed by a showdown between dueling pianos. Guests danced the night away to DJ Luciean’s jams in Packer’s own French Quarter. Special thanks are due to the members of the Gala Committee who helped orchestrate 32 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
the successful event: Anna Harrington P’25, P’27, Margie Perra P’22, P’26, Carey Dack-Reidy P’23, P’25, Joanna Latham P’18, P’21, P’23, Melissa Stewart P’17, P’20, Barbara Wilding P’23, P’25, Ginger Komar P’22, Natalie Stewart-Nhambiu P’20, Jodi Schwartz P’20, Megan Sheetz P’23, P’24, P’26,
Wendy Story P’17, P’19, P’24, and Ali Hill P’22, P’24. Along with the Giving Tree, designed by John Clement P’24, P’26 (top right), this year’s gala raised significant funds for the refurbishment of Packer’s Hart and Blackburne Libraries.
Alumni News
REUNION 2016
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undreds of alumni returned for Packer’s 134th Alumni Reunion over two sparkling spring days. At the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association in the Packer Chapel, Ellin Rosenzweig ’52, former member of the Packer Board of Trustees and Director Emeritus of the Alumni Board, presented to Lura Swift Provost ’56 IVAc the Joan Buehler Eisenstein ’51 Award for Service to Packer, which recognizes an individual who demonstrated outstanding generosity, leadership, and service to the School. Lura attended Packer from the third through the twelfth grades. She volunteered to be a Class Agent in 1999 and has served ever since. She also co-chaired her class’s Reunion in 2007 and chaired Reunion in 2011. “For a wonderful 17 years Lura Swift Provost ’56 IVAc she has led by example and has encouraged her classmates to support Packer in any, and every, way possible,” said Ellin. “Of those to whom much is given, much is expected,” responded Lura. “I always knew that I wanted to be a contributor to our great world.” She recollected treasured memories of Packer: Ms. Wright taking her class to the opera Carmen, and the poet Carl Above: Members of the Class of 1996 Mark Philip, Abbie Hooper, Folake Ologunja, Michelle Smith, Cory Davis P’29, Perry Licata
Sandberg reading “Fog,” his “deep, resonant voice” echoing through the Chapel. Dr. Bruce L. Dennis then presented the Alumni Award of Honor — for “exemplifying the values inherent in a Packer education” — to two members of the 70th Reunion class: Dr. Mary Margaret Miller Mack ’46 and Dr. Betty Selverstone Gerstley ’46. Both were trailblazers in the field of medicine at a time when women were sometimes met with resistance in an overwhelmingly male profession. In 1940, Mary Margaret Miller entered Packer’s First Academic (I Ac) class, or 9th Grade. Having been inspired and encouraged by Packer chemistry teacher Miss Giddings, she attended Barnard College where she majored in chemistry. After Mary Miller Mack ’46 only three years at Barnard, Ms. Miller was accepted to the Long Island College of Medicine (later the State University of New York College of Medicine) and became the first female intern ever at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, PA. The following year, she was a fellow at what later became Memorial Sloan-Kettering. After leaving New York City, Dr. Miller became the first female chief resident at Anker Hospital in St. Paul, MN, which was followed as chief medical resident at the SUMMER 2016 | 33 SUMMER 2016 | 33
University of Minnesota Hospital where she met her future husband, Dr. Gerhard Mack. The Macks opened a private pediatric practice in Cheshire, CT, in 1958, and practiced together for nearly 30 years. Because Dr. Mack was unable to attend Reunion, Dr. Dennis read her letter of acceptance. Dr. Mack praised Packer’s 1940s faculty. The teachers “taught you to think, they taught you to write. They were dedicated to their students — kind, patient, and committed to teaching,” she wrote. “I was especially excited by chemistry classes with Miss Giddings. She was a charismatic teacher who inspired me to pursue the study of science.” When Dr. Mack applied to the Long Island College of Medicine in Brooklyn, she was told by her advisor that she was “wasting her time because the men returning from war would be given preference.” Nevertheless, she was accepted to one of ten spots that had been set aside for women, a mere 10% of the entering class. The second recipient of the Alumni Award of Honor, Betty Jane Selverstone, also entered Packer for the IAc. Following in the footsteps of her Packer mentor, English teacher Katherine Clingan, she attended Wellesley College. She graduated as a Durant Scholar with a degree in philosophy. After medical school, she went on to a National Institute of Health fellowship in cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania and was asked to join the teaching faculty. Dr. Gerstley also cared for cardiac patients at the Fox Chase Cancer Center for many years. Betty Selverstone Gerstley ’46 Dr. Gerstley, who had many family members in attendance, described how delighted she had been to be accepted into only the third co-educational class at Harvard Medical College. However, in her first year at Harvard, the Dean informed the newly married Mrs. Gerstley — whose husband attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania — that as a female medical student she could not be married. “You have broken all the rules,” he declared. So that she could “attend to her marriage,” he arranged for her to be accepted to Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Dr. Gerstley recounted similar obstacles in her early career — all of which she surmounted with tenacity and grace. She closed her remarks by noting that she was busily preparing for her third re-certification — nearly 70 years after she first entered medical school.
1. Front row: Susan Falsey, Betsy Shands, Katie Plumb; second row: Cynthia Gardstein, Mary McCarthy Gustow, Sarah Falsey; third row: Susanne Szabo Rostock, Alice Angelo Huff, Connie Kittle Neer, Joan Benvenuto Skerry, Leslie Ornstein Austin; back row: Helen Khouri Walker, Maggie Stamm DellaFera, Nancy Goliger, Ellen DiFazio Matragrano, Anne Hoffman 34 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
2. From left to right: Mariya Rizzutti, Jessica Rose P’26, P’28, Hilary Wilson Jordan, Ben Herbert, Tyler Maroney, Dyanne Rosado, Harrison Karp, Corey McBeth P’22, P’28, Jenn Delmhorst Berton, Katy Robbins Ritz, Alex Jovanovic, Liz Kessler Fernandez, Lisa Wolfe, Mali List Mayer, Anna Lawler
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3 3. Front row: Merrill Carey, Adam Kerzner, Jessica Levy, Nina Katan-Kourako, Jon Kinzel; Back row: Patrick Hazlewood, Keisha Bell, Keith Dewar P’24, Andrew Haber
REUNION 2016
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7 5. Juniors and seniors perform songs from Key Change, the musical they conceived, wrote, and scored in the Symposium class, Writing a Musical in One Week, led by English teacher and Upper School Dean Richard Brownstone.
8. Front row: Evan Touhey, HaeNa Waechter, Andrew Coren, Lisa Klein Sparrow, Morgan RestaFlarer, Liz O’Connell, Demetrios Yatrakis; back row: Alan Cooper, Ben Spencer, Anne Bode,Marcin Rojek, Jordan Farnham
6. Joan Tribble Coe and Lura Swift Provost
9. The Class of 1996, front row: Cory Davis P’29, Mia Korot P’25, P’27, Ramsey Hinkle, Mark Philip, Garfield Davidson, Seth Wright; back row: Coreysha Lothrop Stone, Larry Whilshire, Abbie Hooper, Scott Wolfson, Mikayla Cuyler Marquis, Perry Licata
7. Front row: Mikaela Monous, Natalie Kass-Kaufman, Anne Wenk, Grace Benz, Sophie Fishbein; middle row: Adrian Nugent-Head, Nani Harakawa, Judy Romano, Kristen Vesey, Elizabeth Furman; back row: David Miller, Adam Saul
10 10. Front row: Allyson Chung, Anthony Dhani, Chris Woll; second row: Max Boland, Nneka Mitchell, Elizabeth Weintraub Brozena, Max Bosworth; third row: Amany Soliman, Alex Shulan, Ian
Janer, Millie Fung (guest), Samantha Hankovszky; back row: Eric Bernstein, Kate Block, Kate Andersen, Max Cady, Hilary Kennedy, Christina Boland, Michael Lewis
SUMMER 2016 | 35
Back on Campus The Alumni Office collaborates with faculty to invite alumni to speak with students and engage in school events. Your presence enriches our community!
Packer on the Road
Brendin McDermott ’07 (far right) co-curated the Carol Shen Gallery’s “One Thousand Words” — selected works by painter and calligrapher Agnes Lee — with co-curator Elizabeth Eagle, visual arts teacher (third from right).
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1 2 This winter Sara Shulman, Director of Development, and Dona Metcalf Laughlin, Director of Alumni, traveled to Florida to meet with former Packer trustees and alumni up and down the east coast. Beginning in Vero Beach, the group gathered at the Ocean Grill. Classmates from 1959 IVAc Dorothy Napp Schindel and Susan Welles Appel met for the first time in many years and enjoyed renewing their friendship. The final leg of the trip brought Packer to our favorite Key Biscayne haunt, The Rusty Pelican, where alums caught up on the latest news from their alma mater while enjoying the great views of Miami.
36 | THE PACKER MAGAZINE
Spring took Head of School Dr. Bruce L. Dennis, President of the Alumni Association Geoff Brewer ’82, P’26, Sara Shulman, and Dona Metcalf Laughlin to Washington, DC, and the Capital Grille for the annual alumni lunch. Dr. Dennis gave a school update and Geoff spoke about the joys of having his son, a second grader, attend Packer. Alumni in attendance spanned the graduation years of 1948 to 2008. Above: Dr. Elizabeth (Ann) Roberts Stewart ’45, Martha Luther Argue ’62 IVAc, Dorothy Napp Schindel ’59 IVAc, Susan Welles Appel ’59 IVAc, and June Arata Pickett ’51 attended the luncheon in Vero Beach, FL.
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Spouses,Spouses, Partners,Spouses, Partners, and Grandparents Partners, and Grandparents and welcome! Grandparents welcome!welcome! Wednesday, Wednesday, May 6, Wednesday, 2015 May 6, 2015 May 6, 2015 3:30 – 4:30 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Carol in the Shen Carol Gallery in the Shen Carol Reception Gallery ShenReception Gallery Area Reception Area Area at Packerat Packerat Packer R.S.V.P by replying R.S.V.P by toreplying R.S.V.P this email by toreplying this email to this email or by calling or (718) by calling 250-0228. or (718) by calling 250-0228. (718) 250-0228.
While at Packer, While pick at Packer, While some pick great at Packer, some children’s great pick some books children’s great books children’s books at the Parent at the Association Parent at the Association Book Parent Fair!Association Book Fair! Book Fair! Help us spread Help theus word: spread Help theus word: spread the word:
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1. HaeNa Waechter ’01 and son James Mathney, Andrew Coren ’01, Rebecca Chovnick Beck ’02 and daughter Emma 2. Ainka Shackleford Turner ’92, P’31 (Will Turner ’90), daughter Margaret, and mother-in-law Irene Turner, Lower School Head Teacher 3. Leila Ross, daughter of Sam Ross ’04 4. Grandfather Paul Dillon with Azuolas and his mother Justina Dillon (Matt Dillon ’03) 5. Rex with dad Cory Davis ’96, P’29, P’31
l o g o b y l e o g a l l a g h e r ’15 a n d z a c h a ry l o b e l ’15
Francisco Tezen ’93, VP for institutional giving and strategic partnerships at the Food Bank of New York, spoke to sixth graders about food scarcity.
l o g o b y l e o g a l l a g h e r ’15 a n d z a c h a ry l o b e l ’15
Soyini Driskell ’04 (above), Rebecca Chovnick Beck ’02, Will Kuntz ’02, Matt Spiro ’02, Akeem Layne ’05, and Gabriella Antonio ’13 spoke to 7th Grade history students about experiencing 9/11 while at Packer.
New on the Alumni Board Packer’s newest Alumni Board member, Alba Regina Mazzuca, graduated from Packer in 1973. She entered as a fourth grader and witnessed the dramatic changes that the late sixties and early seventies brought to the school. She attended Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science, where she received degrees in chemical engineering. Later, she earned an MBA from New York University. Alba has many fond memories of her years at Packer and looks forward to participating on the Board.
The Alumni Office is looking for the following alumni. If you have information about them, please contact Alumni Director Dona Laughlin at (718) 250-0229 or dlaughlin@packer.edu. Thank you! Marjorie Olinda Beauregard ’37 Suzanne Seymour Boyd ’37 Elizabeth Ritchie Churchill ’37 Shirley Ruger Hurt-Orban ’37 Cynthia Vernam Ingraham ’37 Ruth Stone Lessin ’37 Margaret Ripperger Milbrath ’37 Marion Yoe Nash ’37 Ruth Norris ’37 Elizabeth Weyrauch Pearsall ’37 Eileen McNulty Rand ’37 Catherine York Rawlings ’37 Dorothy Reynolds ’37 Virginia Richmond ’37 Patricia Anderson Savidge Dorothy Schluter ’37 Audrey Wolff Shutzer ’37 Betty Smith ’37 Elizabeth Winslow Tillotson ’37 Jeanne Christgau ’42 Jean Holden Collins ’42 Virginia Collins ’42 Evelyn Haddad ’42 Margaret Infantino ’42 Barbara Newman Kaplan ’42 Hope Shatara Murphy ’42 Nancy Gould Wood ’42 Joan Wohrley Brower ’47 Sandra Thiesen Cerio ’47 Mary Charlton Christensen ’47 Margaret Dickeman Datz ’47 Mary Westfall Davies ’47 Martha Kister Davis ’47 Marjorie DuBois ’47
Barbara Street Halsted ’47 Walteen Watton Horchner ’47 Helen Skinner Longo ’47 Regina O’Neill ’47 Mary Fallon Smith ’47 Audrey Weiss ’47 Joy Zwerling ’47 Belle Beckley ’52 Geryl Schenkman Marks ’52 Madeline Armellino ’57 Co Sheila Condon ’57 IVAc Virginia Pittman Duncan ’57 Co Jane Gaynor Feder ’57 IVAc Judith Arenson Friedman ’57 IVAc Mary Homer Kotrotsios ’57 Co Rita deFelice Loche ’57 IVAc Nancy Zoller Nadler ’57 IVAc Susan Lopez O’Malley ’57 IVAc Sara Salvio Rescigno ’57 IVAc Anne Heflin Schmidt ’57 IVAc Deborah Sheen Simon ’57 IVAc Micheline Lindenbaum Stamler ’57Co Anne Guest Stewart ’57 Co Alicia Tishman ’57 Co Pamela Bender Bender ’62 IVAc Louise Herbert Castellano ’62 IVAc Elizabeth Draper ’62 IVAc Elizabeth Cooper Feiner ’62 Co Mary Harkins ’62 Co Michelle St. Armour Hines ’62 Co Elizabeth Jackson ’62 IVAc Christina Resina Johnson ’62 IVAc, ’64 Co
Class of 2016 Alumni Volunteers New Class Correspondent Logan Blunt ’16 (above left) came to Packer in 9th Grade, having just moved from Mississippi. She took advantage of Packer’s many leadership opportunities as a Peer Supporter, a member of Senior Committee, and Captain of both the Varsity Volleyball and Softball teams. Logan will attend Mount Holyoke College in the fall. New Class Correspondent Immanuel (Manny) Farmer ’16
Madaline Belgard Jontry ’62 Co Jean Armour Lidderdale ’62 Co Carla Naylor Mah ’62 IVAc Kathryn Manness Manness ’62 IVAc Diane Blanchard Marr ’62 IVAc Carol Pullman ’62 Co Jane Santoro ’62 IVAc H. Stephanie Reiche Schramm ’62 Co Linda Weissenberg Suchy ’62 Co Constance Sellitti Taylor ’62 IVAc Shirley Weinberg ’62 Co Susan Willner Willner ’62 IVAc Jean Hance Zagayko ’62 Co Susan Boasberg Zephro ’62 Co Linda Nadelson Bahremand ’67 Co Carolyn Beam ’67 Co Mary Bookis Canonis ’67 Co Arlene Marie Capotosto ’67 Co Patricia Corsalini ’67 Co Florise Corsanos ’67 Co Bettye Lou Fedor ’67 Co Mary-Lou Bonsignore Florida ’67 Co Hildreth Fritz ’67 IVAc Emily Weiss Golden ’67 IVAc Stephanie Grennell ’67 IVAc Jill Jacobson ’67 IVAc Susan Kalmus ’67 Co Julia La Bella ’67 IVAc Kathleen Mulvey Lobsiger ’67 Co Jeanette Cantalupo Malet ’67 IVAc Wendy Mouradian ’67 IVAc Lucille Norstrand ’67 IVAc Patricia Pinch ’67 Co Rosemary Cerullo Romeo ’67 Co Melanie Whitney Rushworth ’67 Co Janet Snyder ’67 Co Catherine Stearns ’67 Co Daisy Takoes ’67 IVAc Barbara Turner ’67 Co Linda Tyndall ’67 Co
enrolled at Packer in the 7th Grade. He co-led the Men’s Ensemble (Packer’s a capella men’s choir) and was an avid participant in Packer’s theater department, both on stage and behind the scenes. He will be pursuing his passion for performing at Goucher College in Towson, MD, where he plans to study Spanish, Italian, and Arabic. Both Logan and Manny served as Senior Class Representatives to the Alumni Board.
Mary Sekas Vassilakos ’67 Co Marsha Wagner ’67 Co Susan Zolnier ’67 IVAc, ’69 Co Ann Carlson Casey ’72 Co Helen Cutler, MD ’72 IVAc Helen Frazer ’72 IVAc Vivienne Gorra ’72 IVAc Ermetta Williams Greenidge ’72 Co Carol Tolley Hastings ’72 IVAc Eugenia Hatgipetros ’72 IVAc Jill Oshin Kahn ’72 IVAc Melanie Kershaw ’72 IVAc Marilyn Lenz ’72 IVAc Claudia Samuels Lewis ’72 Co Mariana Markell ’72 IVAc Marie Paul ’72 IVAc Bonnie Carlson Peters ’72 Co Stephanie Schoggen Rollins ’72 IVAc Jill Sticker ’72 IVAc Deborah Weil ’72 IVAc Dana Stein Dince ’77 Penny Psome Flinkman ’77 Sarah Charton Kibbe ’77 Roxanne Medina Lewko ’77 Ana Lopez ’77 Erica Obey ’77 Diana Williams ’77 Mary McGlynn Borek ’82 George Constant ’82 John Delury ’82 Ann Wagman Kenyon ’82 Farokh Mahdavi ’82 Eva Ostrum ’82 Patrik Schumann ’82 Katie Vuolo ’82 Toni Agard ’87 Peter Chernoff ’87 Mary Deem ’87 Sarah Deem ’87 Scott Gregory ’87
Laura James ’87 Jesse Kalb ’87 Elizabeth Kaplan ’87 Paul Katzer ’87 Susannah Kury ’87 Kimberly Mack ’87 Peter Orlov ’87 Leila Esty Poutiatine ’87 Dana Rosen ’87 John Salzinger ’87 Gunjan Sinha ’87 Adrian Truax ’87 Maria Wordsworth ’87 Susan Amlani ’92 Jacob Dinov ’92 Daphne Gilles Grant ’92 Amber Molholm ’92 Laurisse Rodriguez ’92 Hamed Anvari ’97 Kristina Babbitt ’97 Brian R. Chun ’97 Chris DeChillo ’97 Luke Di Tommaso ’97 Antonio Guzman ’97 Joshua Slater ’97 Leslie Smith ’97 Anthony Spartalis ’97 Michael Tracy ’97 Karin Anderson ’02 Nicole Bazelais ’02 Julia Bruce ’02 Anna Gurton-Wachter ’02 Yasmine Kohli Fordham ’02 Dana Levin ’02 Christopher McIntyre ’02 Andrew McSween ’02 Stefany Ramos ’02 Radiance Salem ’02 Merlyn Ashford ’07 Jesse Douglas ’12
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Eyes as Open as Watermelon Rachel Alter ’10 describes an unexpected culture clash in her Thai classroom.
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jarn Laah told me I was hyper, disrespectful, and constantly seeking to undermine her authority. If I didn’t change my behavior, she would have to fire me. For those of you who don’t speak Thai, Ajarn means teacher. Ajarn Laah was the tutor I had hired to give me private language lessons while I was living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. At this moment, it was not going well. I called my mom. “What did you do that was so offensive?” she asked. My answer: “I asked too many questions.” In the U.S., especially at liberal arts schools like Packer, asking questions is a way to show the teacher you are engaged, meticulously working to process the material, and hungry for more. I had been encouraged my whole life to ask questions. In Thailand, it is quite the opposite. Asking a teacher a question is akin to saying, “You’re bad at your job because I don’t understand, and it’s your fault!” I’d seen it with my own students at Payap University. They never asked questions. Better to lie and say they understood than to disrespect me. It usually wasn’t until I was grading their exams that I realized how much they had missed.
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It would be easy for me to say that I prefer the Western model of education. But it’s naïve to brand a cultural value as right or wrong when you’ve been living in that culture for less than a year. After all, in Thailand, not questioning a teacher is one manifestation of respecting your elders. The reverence with which my students talked about their parents astounded me. Most lived at home and counted caring for their grandparents as an extra-curricular activity. And, what’s more, my students showed me this same respect. Students, even those who weren’t mine, bowed to me as I walked down the hallway. If I told market vendors I was a teacher, I often got a discount. Ajarns rank third in the social hierarchy. First comes the King, then the Priest, then teachers — that meant me! It made me wonder, what would education be like in the U.S. if teachers were afforded this respect? Maybe we have something to learn from Thai culture. To be happy in Thailand, I needed to accept the country as it was. I started with Ajarn Laah. I stopped asking questions. If I was confused, I would often say “jam mai dai:” I cannot remember. Doing this stopped Ajarn Laah from feeling criticized, leaving her free to explain happily
whatever I was struggling to understand. Soon, our Thai lessons became the best part of my week. Ajarn Laah even asked me to help write messages to potential suitors on Englishlanguage dating websites. When I told her that she shouldn’t let the suitor who lied about his age “have his cake and eat it too,” she made me write down the phrase so that she could add it to her repertoire. My students’ aversion to questions was a bigger dilemma. If I wanted to make sure they understood, I would need to hear them repeat the material back to me. I set aside the last ten minutes of class to ask each student a question that they had to answer in a complete sentence. While more time consuming than ending class with a simple “any questions?,” this reinforced the material and let me see who was struggling. Back in the States, I’m often asked what teaching in Thailand was like. It’s hard to fully describe, so to do it justice I’ve appropriated some similes that my students wrote: Have you ever feel that you are in the wrong place like a black sheep in a big group of goats? It was like trying to drive a roller coaster on the ground. But then there were those rare moments when I got something right. And in those moments: It’s like I’m in the heaven of Hello Kitty. I feel fresh my eyes is open as watermelon. I am as confident about this as a queen on stage. And that’s a pretty hard feeling to beat.
In 2014, Rachel earned a BA in English and Theater Studies from Princeton and moved to Thailand as a Princeton in Asia Fellow. Now back in Brooklyn and working as a television writer, she recently wrote for David Chase’s upcoming HBO miniseries, “A Ribbon of Dreams.”
Great things happen PACKER when we work together! The
Magazine
WINTER 2016
2 From the Head of School 3 On Campus 10 Performing Arts 12 Athletics
Elizabeth Eagle teaches printmaking to her 8th grade students. “I try to create an environment where there’s a real sense of community as well as of risk taking,” she says. “I want my students feeling the confidence to say what they think and not being afraid of saying the wrong thing.” Read about the Middle School program in this issue’s cover story.
14 Meeting Kids Where They Are Packer’s Middle School program offers students a rich and exciting intellectual experience while supporting young adolescents’ need for independence, self-discovery, and fun. 26
Embracing the Virtues of Doubt
At Packer’s 104th Founder’s Day, Slate foreign affairs writer Joshua Keating ’03 spoke about Russian billionaires, the “Google race for eyeballs,” and “the truth about adulthood.”
28 In Good Health (Education) Health classes at Packer put self-awareness at the forefront of an innovative program that emphasizes sound decisionmaking and other critical life skills. 32 34 37 52
Parent Association News Alumni News Class Notes In Memoriam
Thank you to everyone who made a gift to Annual Giving 2015-16. Together, we raised over $2,600,000!
On the cover: Middle School students enjoy the breathtaking new mezzanine that was created — along with three new state-of-the-art classrooms — during the 2015 renovation of the fourth floor of the Middle School, housed in the former St. Ann’s Church.
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address service requested If this publication is addressed to an alumna or alumnus who no longer lives at home, please share the correct address with us by visiting www.packer.edu/contact or calling (718) 250-0228.
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