Pingry Review, Fall 2016

Blueprint for Pingry

A Campaign success story

Picture Perfect Pingry Campaign Celebration • Homecoming • Violinist Kate Dreyfuss ’10 Uncovering Inner Artist Pingry the at the Olympic Trials •Reunion Postcards toCommencement the Library SUMMer FALL 2016 2016

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THE ARTS

AREA OF GREATEST NEED

ATHLETICS

FACULTY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

FINANCIAL AID

Every gift is a story… what will yours be?

This year you have the ability to direct your gift to one or more areas within The Pingry Fund. Your Pingry Fund gift has an immediate and tangible impact on students and faculty.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Please make your gift online or with the reply envelope included in this magazine.

Office of Institutional Advancement • (908) 647-7058 • pingry.org/give

THE PINGRY REVIEW

Homecoming attendees preparing for a photo shoot. Check it out, and see more Homecoming photos on page 64.

Blueprint for Pingry: A Campaign Success Story Page 4 En route to the overwhelming success of Blueprint for the Future, what was Pingry’s silver lining in the dark cloud of the 2008 financial crisis? How did planning evolve for the Athletics Center? How did Pingry determine its fundraising goals? Answers are revealed as the Campaign story is told.

On the cover: As fall begins, the Campaign ends. During

Homecoming Weekend, Big Blue celebrates the success of Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future.

Departments

From the Headmaster . . . . . 3 Philanthropy . . . . . . . . . 12 Scene Around Campus . . . 28 School News . . . . . . . . . 32 Athletics News . . . . . . . . 56

12 Celebrating the Campaign

Members of the Pingry community gathered during Homecoming to celebrate an enormous accomplishment.

In their remarks, four speakers expressed their gratitude, and attendees watched a video in which three students lead a tour of the “new” Pingry.

49 The Halls Are Alive with the Sound of Taiko Drumming, that is. Thanks to math teacher Chris Leone, taiko has become part of School culture and is a new club for the 2016-17 school year. What inspired Mr. Leone to develop his passion for this art form, and why have students embraced it?

60 Pingry at USA Swimming Olympic Trials Three Pingry athletes competed at the Olympic Trials this summer in Omaha, a remarkable testament to the Athletics program. Steve Droste P ’25, Head Coach of Pingry’s Boys’ Varsity Team, puts into perspective their collective accomplishments.

68 A Quartet of Roles for Violinist Kate Dreyfuss ’10 Alumni News . . . . . . . . . 61 Ask the Archivist . . . . . . . 76 Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . 77 In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . 86 Closing Word . . . . . . . . . 88

Ms. Dreyfuss grew up playing the violin, majored in French in college while taking a step back from the instrument, and then had a revelation. She is now able to focus on the violin for the first time, which has led her to four different endeavors and a packed schedule.

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Opening Shot

Fall 2016 | Vol. 73 | No. 1

Lower School students enjoying recess on a crisp fall day.

Editor Greg Waxberg ’96

Communications Writer

Editorial Staff Kate Whitman Annis P ’23, ’23

Associate Director of Institutional Advancement

Allison C. Brunhouse ’00

Director of Admission and Enrollment

Andrea Dawson Senior Writer

Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02

Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

Melanie P. Hoffmann P ’20, ’27

Director of Institutional Advancement

Edward Lisovicz Advancement Writer

Dale V. Seabury

Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing Feature Story written by Mike Coakley

Design and Layout Ruby Window Creative Group, Inc. www.rubywindow.com

Photography Peter Chollick Michael Gunselman Bruce Morrison ’64 Cherilyn Reynolds Debbie Weisman The Pingry Review is the official magazine of The Pingry School, with the primary purpose of disseminating news and information about the School, alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Contact the editor with comments and story ideas: The Pingry School 131 Martinsville Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 gwaxberg@pingry.org 908-647-5555, ext. 1296

The Honor Code

Pingry believes that students should understand and live by standards of honorable behavior, which are essentially a matter of attitude and spirit rather than a system of rules and regulations. Decent, self-respecting behavior must be based on personal integrity and genuine concern for others and on the ethical principles which are the basis of civilized society. The members of the Pingry community should conduct themselves in a trustworthy manner that will further the best interests of the school, their class, and any teams or clubs to which they belong. They should act as responsible members of the community, working for the common good rather than solely for personal advantage. They should honor the rights of others, conducting themselves at all times in a moral and decent manner while at Pingry and throughout their lives as citizens of and contributors to the larger community of the world.

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The Pingry Review

A Letter from the Headmaster

Dear Members of the Pingry Community Retreating from a challenge is not a characteristic found in Pingry’s institutional DNA. Ten years ago, when we were in the initial planning stages of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign, a feasibility study concluded that, with a single, large “anchor” gift of $10 million, in addition to two gifts of $5 million each, we could achieve our $65 million fundraising goal. With the official close of the campaign last June 30, I can say with absolute confidence that those gifts never materialized.

What transpired instead was that over 5,000 members of the Pingry community, over a span of six years, came together to collectively give, in smaller denominations, not $65 million, but more than $76 million in support of our six campaign priorities. Even the rigorous assessment of industry experts didn’t foresee the shear will—and goodwill—of our generous alumni, parents, trustees, faculty, staff, and current students. In a sense, by not having those anchor gifts, we began the Campaign with a $20 million deficit. To have surpassed our goal by $11 million is nothing short of remarkable.

Even the rigorous assessment of industry experts didn’t foresee the shear will—and goodwill— of our generous alumni, parents, trustees, faculty, staff, and current students...To have surpassed our goal by $11 million is nothing short of remarkable.

An achievement of this scope requires extraordinary effort. Pingry’s Office of Institutional Advancement is to be congratulated, and thanked. Additionally, unlike college and university capital campaigns, which are often heavily staff driven, we relied on a number of indefatigable volunteers, tirelessly led by Campaign Co-Chairs Stephan Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99 and Kathleen Hugin P ’11, ’13. The hardworking members of the Campaign Steering Committee and our Board of Trustees were also unflagging in propelling the Campaign forward. Pingry’s already bright future is brighter still, thanks to all their efforts.

The Campaign numbers, many of which are outlined in this issue’s feature article, speak for themselves. To put a more human face on it, spend just a few minutes walking the halls of the Short Hills and Basking Ridge Campuses and you will witness the Campaign’s impact: a student body of unparalleled curiosity, initiative, talent, and diversity, learning from faculty of remarkable and ever-growing skill and dedication, on two campuses equipped with state-ofthe-art academic resources and athletics facilities, all of which is made possible by the generosity of the thousands of donors to this capital campaign.

Imagining an ever-better future for Pingry made this campaign the success that it is. As the School advances, I invite us all to keep imagining. The campaign is over, but the imperative remains. What is the next challenge before us? How might we continue to make Pingry the best school it can be? Posing these questions—confronting the challenges—is what makes Pingry, Pingry.

As Stephan Newhouse observed at the Campaign Closing Celebration over Homecoming weekend, “It’s exhausting to refuse to rest on your laurels, but it’s also always rewarding.”

Sincerely,

Nathaniel E. Conard P ’09, ’11 FALL 2016

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Blueprint for Pingry

A Campaign success story

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The Pingry Review

For any institution, launching a capital campaign is a leap of faith—faith that the members of its community will support its mission, however ambitious. It must trust that its community believes in its direction and feels invested enough to take active ownership of its future. In 2010, Pingry took its most ambitious—and successful—leap with the launch of Blueprint for the Future, a capital campaign that aimed to raise $65 million, the School’s largest goal ever. When Blueprint closed on June 30, 2016, it had not only reached its goal, but exceeded it, with $76.7 million raised in support of financial aid, faculty support, campus modernization, athletics updates, and The Pingry Fund.

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The Pingry Review

More than 5,400 donors contributed to Blueprint, making the Campaign a true testament to the dedication and generosity of the Pingry community. In fact, such a wide contribution pool is unprecedented when it comes to capital campaigns; in most cases, a small group of stakeholders does all the “heavy lifting.” Kathy Hugin P ’11, ’13, who took over from Audrey Wilf P ’02, ’04, ’13 as Campaign Co-Chair in June 2013, joining forces with Co-Chair Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99, puts it this way: “Originally, the forecast or ‘gift pyramid’ for the Campaign predicted we would bring in a small number of very large gifts.”

The absence of a massive gift meant that Blueprint, more than most campaigns, had to be a true community effort. “For me,” says Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, who served as headmaster for the duration of the initiative, “the Campaign’s success drives home the incredibly broad base of participation and support within the community. Unlike some institutions’ fundraising efforts, where four or five people ‘make it happen,’ here we had a ton of people who were all excited to participate.”

The story of Blueprint, then, is the story not of a few generous families, but of a much larger community coming together to shape the future of Pingry. It is the story of parents and teachers committed so deeply to their students’ education that they have chosen to play an active role in supporting and improving their learning environment. It is the story of countless volunteers working tirelessly to spread their enthusiasm to others. It is the story of alumni giving back to the School that molded them and paying forward an even more impactful experience to future generations.

Most of all, it is the story of students—students the Campaign has equipped with resources and support to transform the world.

The Beginning Of the two multi-year fundraising initiatives that immediately preceded Blueprint for the Future, one was a capital campaign and one was a targeted initiative. The targeted initiative, which reached its conclusion in 2006, was the construction of The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School, which provided a new, age-appropriate learning space for students in Grades 6, 7, and 8. The previous capital campaign, The Campaign for Pingry, ran from 1995 to 2000 and funded, among other initiatives, the Hostetter Arts Center on the Basking Ridge Campus.

With a brand new space for the arts underway, many members of the community began to imagine a similar brick-and-mortar upgrade that would enhance Big Blue athletics. So began conversations about a new strategic plan and a new campaign—one that would comprise, among other objectives, a field house.

“The 2001 strategic plan—the one developed after the last campaign —talked a lot about athletics, specifically in regard to a new field house,” Mr. Conard says. He suspects that, were it not for the impending departure of Headmaster John Neiswender and the transition to his own headmastership, Pingry might have launched a campaign in 2004.

Streamers filling Hauser Auditorium at the Campaign Kick-Off on October 25, 2014.

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“I was so impressed by the enthusiasm for the Campaign and the deep affection so many people have for Pingry.”

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Campaign Co-Chair Kathy Hugin P ’11, ’13

––––––––––––– Mr. Conard’s tenure began in 2005, and a new strategic plan came out in 2007—a plan that involved not only bolstering the athletics program, but also strengthening Pingry in the areas of financial aid, faculty support, and academic facilities. As the School prepared a capital campaign that would make these changes possible, it turned its attention to stewardship. “We realized we wanted to do a lot of work in terms of engagement and stewardship,” Mr. Conard says.

“We started playing catch-up [from the prior campaign]. We hit the road and started meeting members of our community to listen to their perspectives on the direction Pingry should head.”

Trustees and campus administrators wanted to make sure they were connecting with alumni and parents to 8

The Pingry Review

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center at Homecoming on September 19, 2015.

further engage them in the life of the School. They aimed to empower the community to set the very direction and tone of the Campaign—to have a hand on the wheel that would steer Pingry into its future. Indeed, parent and alumni feedback and engagement proved instrumental in setting the Campaign’s objectives.

“There came a point when we were testing priorities that involved a $35 million athletics center,” Mr. Conard says.

“What we heard back from people was that that wasn’t the right priority. The biggest element can’t be athletics, they told us. Academics are the core of what we do here.”

To best settle on its priorities, the School partnered with Marts & Lundy, Inc. to complete a feasibility study and answer a few key questions: What fundraising goals would most accurately reflect the community’s values? How much could Pingry conceivably raise? And how could the School best raise that amount? The feasibility study generated excitement and optimism among those involved, but, just as it was reaching its conclusion, a disaster struck that few could have foreseen: the bottom fell out of the United States economy.

Challenges Overcome The original plan was to launch Blueprint’s silent phase in October 2008, but the global financial crisis and consequent recession stalled the effort. School leadership and the Campaign Steering Committee (CSC) believed it would be unwise to try raising funds in the midst of a crisis and opted to suspend the launch. Instead, the Board of Trustees focused on steering Pingry through the present: Then-Chair of the Board Jack Brescher, Jr. ’65, P ’99 turned his attention to securing financial support for families affected by the economic downturn.

“If there was one luxury of that crisis,” Mr. Conard says, “it was that of time. We were able to go back to the drawing board to rethink the scale of the athletics center and, more broadly, the balance of priorities.”

–––––––––––––

“If education is, indeed, a communal effort, then this campaign has told the students, loudly and clearly, that they have our full support.”

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Director of Institutional Advancement Melanie Hoffmann P ’20, ’27

––––––––––––– “Early on, a lot of people were not satisfied with the athletics center,” Mrs. Hugin says. “Taking a step back and looking at the campus holistically and creatively led to a much better design: a larger building, a better location, and a better layout. That got everyone excited!”

Eventually, the School settled on fundraising goals that reflected the present needs of the institution: $20 million for student financial aid, $9.35 million to modernize Pingry’s two campuses, One year after groundbreaking, The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center is on schedule to open in January 2017.

$14.4 million to improve athletics facilities, $5 million to attract and retain the best faculty, and $16.25 million to sustain annual support of The Pingry Fund, which funds the School on an annual basis. In the summer of 2010, Pingry launched the silent phase of its most ambitious fundraising effort to date.

A campaign’s silent phase is designed to generate momentum with “lead gifts” before a campaign is publicly announced.

Traditionally, an institution aims to raise 50 to 60 percent of its overall goal from board members, prominent community members, and donors with significant means—all before the public launch. Blueprint’s silent phase lasted four years and raised approximately $43 million, or 66 percent of the goal. On October 25, 2014, after years of planning and building momentum, Pingry formally announced the public phase of the Campaign with a kick-off event attended by more than 400 members of its community—a fraction of those who would ultimately contribute to its success.

Mission: Accomplished Following the launch of the public phase, only 20 months remained to raise at least $21 million. “That meant a lot of boots on the ground and personal outreach,” Mrs. Hugin says. “What I didn’t anticipate [early on in my tenure as co-chair] was how many new and interesting people I would meet along the way.

I was so impressed by the enthusiasm for the Campaign and the deep affection so many people have for Pingry.”

Even though it had been years since the initial shock, the tremors of the financial crisis continued to impact the community. “People had developed a slightly different perspective on their employment and income prospects,” Mr. Conard says.

“They were understandably less willing than they used to be to make multi-year pledges.” Still, he says, no amount of anxiety stopped Pingry alumni, families, faculty and staff members, and friends from showing their generosity. Although the largest gift was $3 million, the sheer number of gifts, many of them exceeding $500,000, more than compensated.

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What does this level of participation signify? “The funds raised are critical to building a school and an educational experience that truly prepares students to face the challenges of the future,” says Director of Institutional Advancement Melanie Hoffmann P ’20, ’27. “But they are also indicative of something less tangible, but equally critical: the passion that Pingry inspires in those it has impacted. If education is, indeed, a communal effort, then this campaign has told the students, loudly and clearly, that they have our full support.”

The School has wasted little time in making Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future a reality. Even before the Campaign closed, Pingry used its funds to renovate the Lower School, build a brand new science research facility on the Basking Ridge Campus, begin construction on the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center (on schedule to open in January 2017), and much more (specific updates and upgrades will be consistently detailed in The Pingry Review’s “Philanthropy” section each issue).

Upgrades aside, the overwhelming response to Blueprint for the Future has left those involved with a profound sense of optimism about Pingry’s future.

“We’ve learned a great deal about the strength and resolve of our community,” Mr. Conard says, “and it’s our goal, moving forward, to make sure everyone—no matter their generation, background, or present geographical location—feels like an important part of it.”

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The Pingry Review

Top: The new Wu Family 3rd and 4th Grade Commons at the Lower School exemplifies the modernization of the Short Hills Campus. Features include collaboration spaces for students, comfortable furniture, new lighting, and glass walls that offer views into and out of classrooms.

Above: The Hyde and Watson Science Research Lab includes mobile lab stations and extra space for the classroom.

Pingry campaign Ad 10 17 16.pdf

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Blueprint for the Future

Pingry Celebrates Successful Blueprint for the Future Campaign More Than 5,400 Donors Raised $76.7 Million to Exceed the $65 Million Goal by 118 Percent “Almost one year ago to the day, I had the privilege of taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony for [the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center]. Much like today, the Pingry community came together to celebrate Big Blue Athletics past, present, and future. Now, we’ve stepped into that future.”

Interim Upper School Director and Upper School Academic Dean Ananya Chatterji P ’25, Blueprint for the Future Campaign Co-Chair Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99, Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, and Student Body President Zach Keller ’17 at the Campaign Celebration.

Campaign Co-Chair Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99

Neither cloud cover nor the threat of rain could dampen Pingry spirit as alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends celebrated the success of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign on October 8 during Homecoming Weekend. The Campaign raised $76.7 million—118% of its stated goal, a number reflected on Pingry t-shirts handed out at the event.

The Blueprint for the Future Campaign Celebration was highly anticipated.

The large tent filled to capacity as Pingry community members gathered to hear remarks from Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, Student Body President Zach Keller ’17, Interim Upper School Director and Upper School Academic Dean Ananya Chatterji P ’25, and Blueprint for the Future Campaign Co-Chair Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99.

Whether delivered from the perspective of an administrator, a current student, an educator, or an alumnus, the speeches contained a common thread: each reflected on the transformative effect the Campaign has already had on Pingry, and anticipated those changes that, given Pingry’s history of striving for excellence, are sure to come.

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Mr. Conard extolled the improvements made on both the Basking Ridge and Short Hills Campuses, and took care to thank those who “care deeply enough to give of their time and treasure” to make those advancements possible.

“Blueprint for the Future was successful, in part, because of our ability to imagine—imagine possibilities for Pingry, and take the steps necessary to make them a reality.”

Zach Keller provided a student’s take on the impact of the Campaign, expressing gratitude and describing in detail how the modernized collaboration and research spaces are already being used to the benefit of Pingry students.

“I can also personally vouch for the effectiveness of the modernized classrooms,” Zach added, “having been part of the summer tech team that installed new SMART Boards, digitized our large collection of DVDs and VHSs, and uploaded them all (one-by-one) to our “What happened during new PLEX movie server.” Looking to the future, Zach echoed student enthusiasm for the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center, expressing envy that our Campaign is truly incoming freshmen would have more time to enjoy the facilities than he.

extraordinary, and I like to think that’s because our community is extraordinary.”

Ms. Chatterji gave some insight into her many roles at Pingry, as a parent, an educator, and an administrator, saying, “I’ve […] been able to see, from many different perspectives, the ways your support throughout this campaign has fundamentally changed the way students learn at Pingry for the better.”

She stressed that “education and mentorship are a top priority” at Pingry: “Teachers are constantly learning and improving for the students’ sakes.”

After the viewing of a video in which three Pingry students lead a tour of the new Pingry, Mr. Newhouse thanked the volunteers and donors who made Pingry’s Blueprint a reality. He spoke about the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center, “named for an exceptional teacher, mentor, coach, and friend.” Mr. Newhouse emphasized that the most important part of the impressive, 44,000-square-foot complex, with its eight squash courts and expansive Athletics Hall of Fame space, is its capacity to “help all Pingry athletes to reach their maximum potential.” Though his role as co-chair has ended, he still envisions a bright future for Pingry, drawing a parallel between the School and the most impressive quality of its athletes, concluding that “The Pingry School will not stop evolving, improving, and striving for excellence.”

Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11

With the celebration concluded, the Homecoming Barbeque could begin. Meanwhile, the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center opened to tours so that visitors could see the tangible effects of the Campaign taking place right on campus. Mr. Conard and other School administrators hosted a Campaign Coffee Corner to share with visitors, in a conversational setting, “what’s brewing” with the Campaign.

Even as the menacing clouds turned to a light drizzle, Pingry visitors stayed to cheer on their teams. Amidst the sounds of excitement and victory, the Blueprint for the Future Campaign Celebration stood out as a special moment to appreciate the hard work of the Pingry community—a community that, like the School so well-loved by alumni, families, and friends, is not content to rest on its laurels, but, instead, meets and surpasses every goal and every expectation.

Watch the Campaign Donor Impact Video Visit pingry.org/homecoming16 to join Megan Pan ’18, Alexis Elliot ’18, and Jessie McLaughlin ’17 as they take you on a tour of renovated Pingry spaces, showcasing the impact that the Blueprint for the Future Campaign is already having on both the Basking Ridge and Short Hills Campuses. Take a firsthand look at how the everyday lives of our students and faculty have been transformed by the efforts of our community. Special thanks to Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 and all of the Lower, Middle, and Upper School teachers who were so flexible and willing to share their time and classrooms with the crew!

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lower school dedication

Short Hills Campus Donors Honored at Lower School Dedication The Class of 2027 Classroom Homa Watts’ Classroom Given by an anonymous Pingry family, the classroom is dedicated to Pingry’s Class of 2027, which comprises the first students to experience the “before” and “after” effects of modernization. Members of the Class of 2027 who began Pingry in Kindergarten two years ago saw the introduction of movable furniture and collaboration spaces.

Mrs. Watts said the modernization has not only “made the teacher’s job easier, but it has made tailoring the lessons to each student’s needs more authentic and scientific.”

Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 and Grade 1 teacher Homa Watts.

Members of the Pingry community converged on the Short Hills Campus on September 12 for the Lower School Dedication, during which seven named classroom and office spaces were formally dedicated. The event, which followed this past January’s Rededication of 11 other spaces, was a second celebration of Pingry’s Lower School Modernization upgrades, which are geared toward fostering collaboration and original thinking among students.

The project was one of the six priorities of Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future Campaign, which exceeded its goal, and, thanks to the contributions of nearly 120 donors, Pingry’s youngest students are benefiting from one of the earliest examples of the Campaign’s tangible impact.

Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 kicked off the event in The Theodore M. Corvino Lower School Commons with several rounds of thanks to donors who chose to name one of the newly-modernized spaces; donors who made leadership gifts; the tireless efforts and vision of Assistant Headmaster and Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02, who partnered with many groups of people to “ensure the quality of the design and the results”; the Facilities staff; the Board of Trustees’ Building & Grounds Committee, chaired by Stuart Lederman ’78; and the Campaign Committee and Campaign Co-Chairs Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99 and Kathy Hugin P ’11, ’13.

“None of this progress would have been possible without the generosity of our donors…whose donations have reshaped the Short Hills Campus to provide the ideal environment for learning, collaboration, and innovation,” Mr. Conard said. “These spaces…represent the future of Pingry. Through the embrace of technology, hands-on learning, and individual and group work, our youngest learners gain confidence, comfort in collaborating with others, and the opportunity to follow their curiosity wherever it leads. These are skills that will serve them not just through the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, but also throughout life.”

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Mr. Corvino can already see the impact of modernization. “Our brand-new students walk into this Commons and immediately feel welcome. They’re at home in the new classrooms and common spaces, which are conducive to working together and to seamlessly integrating technology and exploration into the curriculum. Our teachers seek out new opportunities to collaborate as well because of their proximity to one another. The modernization has opened our eyes to a new way of learning, and we are continuously seeking ways to improve because of what the modernization has shown us.”

The main portion of the event took the form of a tour through the building, with stops at each of the named spaces, where Mr. Conard and Mr. Corvino made brief remarks about the donors’ contributions, and donor families had the opportunity to officially cut the ribbons on their newly-named spaces.

The Hao Family Classroom Sally Dugan’s Classroom Given by Jinli Hao and Yanping Fang, parents of Ryan ’27 and Charlotte ’28, who wanted to name a second-grade classroom in recognition of the excellent education that their children receive at Pingry.

Mrs. Dugan said, “The classroom was new when I came to Pingry 17 years ago, and the space is more user-friendly now.” She greatly appreciates the improvements to storage and movable cabinets—students can more easily access supplies for reading and writing on their own—and the new space has enhanced her ability to integrate different subjects into the curriculum.

Jinli Hao and Yanping Fang (Parents ’27, ’28) with Grade 2 teacher Sally Dugan P ’04, ’08.

The Hamako/Masoudi Family Classroom Aaron Kellner’s Classroom, formerly Kathryn Brintnall’s Given by Jerry Masoudi and Lisa Hamako, parents of Samantha ’27 and Gabrielle ’25. Impressed by the modernization of the School that was taking place during their daughters’ first year at Pingry, they decided to name a space in honor of Mrs. Brintnall, Gabrielle’s third-grade teacher.

Mrs. Brintnall, who has retired and was traveling in Kenya at the time of the dedication, composed a letter for the dedication to express her deepest thanks for the generous Campaign gift in her honor. “I was rendered speechless…It also immediately brought me to tears…I was so emotional because, for years, I have lived and breathed ‘teaching’ with a passion fueled by my desire to make a significant and positive difference in education. But I never dreamed that I would be recognized in this way…Our new spaces at Short Hills are truly a manifestation of many great ideas about all the different ways students learn.”

Grade 3 teacher Aaron Kellner with Jerry Masoudi, Lisa Hamako, and their daughters Samantha Masoudi ’27 and Gabrielle Masoudi ’25.

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The Sinins Family Classroom Kerry MacIntosh’s Classroom Given by Laura and Scott Sinins in honor of Mr. Sinins’ parents. When deciding which classroom to name, Mr. and Mrs. Sinins included their daughter Sydney ’25, now a fourth-grade student, in the process. As a family, they selected to name the classroom of Kerry MacIntosh, Sydney’s third-grade teacher. Mrs. MacIntosh not only provided Sydney with a smooth academic and social transition into Pingry, but also made sure that Sydney and her classmates had the opportunity to be some of the first students to experience the new playground. This thoughtful, inclusive approach to teaching inspired the Sinins, as well as many other families, to become and remain part of the community.

Mrs. MacIntosh mentioned that her son Will ’26 engaged in group learning in the first- and secondLaura Sinins, Sydney Sinins ’25, Grade 3 teacher Kerry MacIntosh P ’26, and grade commons and gained hands-on problem solvScott Sinins. ing experience in the STEAM classrooms and Spanish language lab. Of this space, she said, “My classroom is full of light, and the transparency of the glass walls allows me flexibility during the day for break-out sessions in the Wu Family 3rd and 4th Grade Commons.” She emphasized how “the layout of the entire space provides opportunities to collaborate with colleagues—essential to working together as a team.”

Nancy Kalkin ’82/Lincoln Miller Family Classroom Cathy Everett’s Classroom Given by Nancy Kalkin ’82 and Lincoln Miller, parents of Graham ’13, Georgia ’15, and Dorothea ’19.

“There is no better testament to an alumna’s dedication to the School than to send her children here.

This classroom symbolizes the very spirit of evolution, not only in the physical plan of the building, but also from generation to generation,” Mr. Conard said. Mr. Corvino noted that Ms. Kalkin’s parents have been associated with Pingry for as many years as he has.

Mrs. Everett said, “The fifth-grade commons has become the place Eugene Kalkin P ’80, ’82, GP ’13, ’15, ’19, Dorothea Miller ’19, Grade 5 social studies teacher Cathy Everwhere we all gather every morning ett, Nancy Kalkin ’82, Lincoln Miller (Parents ’13, ’15, ’19), and Joan Kalkin P ’80, ’82, GP ’13, ’15, ’19. to begin each day anew…. It has also been wonderful for my annual Skype session with our sister school in China.” Noting the tangible difference made by modernization, she gets at the heart of what modernization feels like: “My classroom has the same footprint, but you would never know it with the new cabinets and furniture, which can be arranged in a multitude of configurations to allow for various forms of collaboration and technological exploration.”

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The Huang Family Language Lab Diana Fiore’s Classroom Given by Grace and Sam Huang, who saw the excellent educational opportunities that their son Alan ’28 was afforded at Pingry and chose to make a gift in support of the language lab, as well as the Lower School Director’s Office. They named the language lab to help future Pingry students to have the same, if not better, opportunities for early exposure to the language arts.

Sam Huang, Grace Huang, their children Alice and Alan ’28, and Spanish teacher Diana Fiore.

Ms. Fiore has found that the flexibility provided by both the physical space and the integration of technology helps her to support different kinds of learners. Her students “are able to work together and independently to support opportunities for building positive relationships and community, as well as for developing autonomy.”

Lower School Director’s Office Ted Corvino’s Office Given by the Huang Family.

“They chose to name Mr. Corvino’s office because, as business leaders themselves, they understand and place great value on the importance of managing a school. They appreciate that the role of the Lower School Director requires a person who is professional, stable, and who has a love for education— and they see all of these qualities, as do all of us, in Mr. Corvino,” Mr. Conard said.

In his remarks, Mr. Huang expressed his thanks to everyone at Pingry and further explained his family’s gift: “As entrepreneurs ourselves, we know that the leadership of the team is crucial, and Mr. Corvino provides inspiration and motivation. We are very happy to give to the modernization project.”

Sam Huang, Grace Huang, and their children Alice and Alan ’28 with Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 and Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11.

After these dedications, Mr. Corvino summarized what the attendees had just witnessed. “In the span of only about an hour, we saw the tremendous impact that has been made on our campus, and on our students’ lives and families, by the modernization project. This renovation came about meticulously, with careful research, planning, and tremendous thought and flexibility on the part of our teachers. But what I find most striking is the way it inspires our teachers to reach even higher. Seeing what’s possible in these newly-modernized spaces leads to new conversations, new forms of collaboration, and new questions. This modernization is representative of Pingry as an institution: excellence is the standard, but evolution is the rule.”

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Lower School Modernization

Modernization of Lower School Gym Floor and Music Suite

New shelving and mobile storage units in music teacher Patty Finn’s classroom.

Thanks to this summer’s modernization, Lower School students are enjoying a refurbished gymnasium floor and upgraded music facilities.

The gym floor has retained its original wood surface, but has been sanded down, repainted with the Pingry logo, and refinished to a bright shine. The scoreboards and lights have been replaced, and the basketball hoops are brand-new and feature electric lifts that allow them to be raised and lowered electronically. Acoustic sound panels have been installed in the gym to mitigate echo and lower the overall sound level. Adjacent to the gym, offices and locker rooms have been reworked to create a more open feel, and the locker rooms have new lockers and new benches.

Among the significant changes in the music suite, Tom Berdos’ classroom for Chorus, Band, and General Music has been opened up—a necessity for the 64-student 18

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Music teacher Tom Berdos preparing his modernized classroom for the next group of students. There is more floor space now, thanks to new storage closets at both ends of the room, and outlets have been installed under the electrical pianos on the right. The new wall, floor, and ceiling create “a more finished look,” in Mr. Berdos’ words.

Students enjoying the refurbished gym floor, which now features the Pingry “P.”

chorus—by adding new, wide closets that create space for organizing instruments, music stands, and chairs.

“Storing these items away has allowed me to keep the classroom much less cluttered,” Mr. Berdos says. He is also excited about a new motion-sensitive projector that detects his hand and arm movements so that he can write on a screen in front of the classroom.

Perhaps most exciting to music aficionados is the addition of a new sound system with speakers in the ceiling.

“It will allow for high-quality playback,” Mr. Berdos says.

“This greatly enhances the music history/appreciation component of the General Music curriculum in Grades 4 and 5. Students will be able to hear the sound of the bow on the string in the orchestra, and the breathing of the choir. This brings them closer to the performer.”

In Patty Finn’s classroom for K-3 music, many of the storage units are now mobile, allowing instruments to be easily moved from one area to another. Guitars and percussion instruments hang on new organizational panels on the wall, and there is new carpet.

With the gymnasium floor and music suite finished, the Short Hills Campus is a new school in an older shell, as several people have described it. “We’ve definitely seen some drastic improvement,” says Director of Facilities Mike Waelz. “Many areas have been completely modernized.”

Guitars and percussion instruments hanging on new organizational panels on the wall.

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Upper School Modernization

Chemistry Labs and Student Commons Benefit from Modernization

One of the most exciting results of the modernization of the Upper School has been the revitalization of the science labs. The biology labs were the first to receive an upgrade, and now chemistry has received its due, with the physics wing looking forward to a similar renovation in the near future.

The space for chemistry opened up this summer, with a fully-upgraded commons featuring power outlets, glass markerboards, and collaboration spaces, as well as much larger classrooms. The rooms can be utilized as needed— configured into a classroom formation for instruction, or reconfigured into a laboratory setup for independent or group work. “This makes our teaching much more flexible,” attests veteran science teacher Tim Grant P ’03, ’06.

The total number of laboratories has been upgraded from two to three, alleviating the need to schedule laboratory time in advance, which allows teachers to use the spaces whenever the curriculum requires. As enrollment in AP Chemistry has risen from an average of 12 students to this year’s total of 32, the larger spaces will also be able to accommodate the influx of new students.

This dedicated chemistry wing has its own equipment and supplies; the department has new centrifuges and burettes, along with more accurate balances. “The equipment will help us to be more sophisticated in our lab procedures,” Mr. Grant says.

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Proximity to the physics wing and shared use of the commons promotes cross-discipline collaboration, discussion, and research. For example, in an in-class journal club, students are reading and discussing current primary scientific literature, gaining crucial insights into the forefront of today’s research. In AP Chemistry, the brand-new equipment and materials are already being used by students to forensically test water for heavy metals such as lead and mercury. “It really feels more like a college lab than a high school lab,” Mr. Grant says. “As chemistry teachers, we love the new space.”

More space and new tables account for much of the chemistry teachers’ excitement about the modernized chemistry rooms. The tables have less-absorbent surface material and are on lockable rollers, so they can be used in a “U” shape for class discussions, repositioned into what Tim Grant calls “islands” for group work, or set up next to the sinks for lab work. Also convenient for lab work, an island can be placed in the middle of the room with easy access for students to gather their supplies (for example, materials needed to make crystals). Other new features include: • three powerful, efficiently-designed fume hoods • three new balances that provide more accurate measurements (three decimal points) • roll-out cabinets (stored in alcoves under the counters) • dishwashers for beakers and test tubes (a timesaver, instead of washing them in the sinks) • drying racks • pull-down cords that can be used to plug into six electrical outlets on each table • polished cement floors

The stairwell that connected the Upper School’s 200 and 400 wings (near the Hostetter Arts Center) was removed this summer, and a new stairwell, student commons, and collaboration space were built. The redesign follows the model of the new stairwell and collaboration spaces adjacent to the biology classrooms and will provide students a place to work together on projects and presentations.

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Philanthropy Philanthropy for Pingry’s Future Financial Aid At $20 million, the financial aid priority of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign is the largest, and for good reason.

Financial aid donations are directly responsible for making a Pingry education more accessible, offering greater affordability and access to a broader range of families. Though the impact of these donations may be less visible than others, the effect it has on our School is just as valuable—if not more so. “Having diverse perspectives in the classroom brings depth to discussion, vibrancy to debate, and a sense of personal history to scholarship,” says Ananya Chatterji P ’25, Interim Upper School Director and Upper School Academic Dean. Accordingly, nurturing a student body made up of students from differing backgrounds who can bring vibrant new talents and ideas to the School is one of our highest priorities.

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“So many people, both known and unknown, had invested in me and were responsible for my success.”

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Financial Aid Recipient Dr. Neha Pathak ’98

––––––––––––– Of equal importance is what the School gives back to those students. “A Pingry education cannot be taken for granted,” says Dr. Neha Pathak ’98. Dr. Pathak’s significant financial grant and experiences at Pingry took her from the inner-city schools of Elizabeth all the way to Harvard and now to a medical practice at the Atlanta VA Medical 22

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Center. “The gift of financial aid so early in my education gave me a profound sense of gratitude because I realized that so many people, both known and unknown, had invested in me and were responsible for my success.”

At the level of the average Pingry aid grant, this fund provides annual tuition for 20 students who would otherwise not be able to attend Pingry due to the financial obligation—this means 20 more great ideas, 20 more voices in the discussion, and 20 more success stories. The transformative power of financial aid donations, this miraculous ability to place the very best students in classrooms that they would not otherwise have access to, creates an exponential impact as students meet, collaborate, and learn from one another. Exposing our students to varied perspectives prepares them for the complexities of the world and allows them to thrive as confident, culturallycompetent individuals.

The Pingry Fund

New!

Directed Giving for The Pingry Fund Area of Greatest Need b The Arts b Athletics b Faculty Professional Growth b Financial Aid b Technology and Innovation

The Pingry Fund ensures the School’s commitment to excellence each and every year. Over the six years of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign, contributions to The Pingry Fund totaled in excess of $17 million and accounted for 23 percent of the funds raised. In 2016 alone, close to 2,500 community members contributed to The Pingry Fund, raising $2.8 million and highlighting the importance of this annual effort.

and with a great deal of flexibility to the needs of students as they arise.

The generosity of our donors means that The Pingry School doesn’t have to compromise to meet educational goals, allowing us access to cuttingedge lab equipment while improving our art, music, and athletics programs.

Gifts to The Pingry Fund affirm the shared belief of our parents, alumni, and entire community that every student at Pingry deserves a transformative education. Because the gifts can be designated for use in financial aid or utilized as needed, The Pingry Fund allows the School to react immediately

This year, The Pingry Fund is introducing directed giving for our donors.

Gifts can now be designated and used specifically for six categories, allowing our donors to choose how their funds will develop the School. Our donors can choose to give to Area of Greatest Need, the Arts, Athletics, Faculty

Planned Giving Planned gifts are a great way to contribute to Pingry’s legacy and ensure that many generations of students will benefit from that legacy. Planned gifts will usually support the endowment, and can be made in a will, IRA, or life insurance policy, or provide income over a lifetime. When Pingry is notified of a planned gift, the donor will be automatically enrolled in the C.B. Newton Society.

To see such generosity in action, look no further than the late William “Mac” Bristol III ’39, whose estate gift greatly benefited the arts and athletics at Pingry. His children (Brian Bristol ’69, Pamela, and Sandy) honored their father’s wishes by endowing the Madeleine Wild Bristol gymnasium

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Professional Growth, Financial Aid, and Technology and Innovation. Area of Greatest Need operates most similarly to the way The Pingry Fund has in the past, allocating funding to the most pressing concerns of the School, while the other options will contribute funds directly to the program of the donor’s choice. Regardless of where donors choose to direct their gifts, annual giving allows Pingry to fund its annual operating expenses and set the standard in modern scholastic enhancements, creating the best possible Pingry for our students each and every year.

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and contributing to the Madeleine Wild Bristol Music Prize Scholarship, both named for their mother. With substantial funds left over, and with the stipulation that the funds be used for the School’s endowment, Brian and his siblings decided to create a new fund that would uniquely honor their father’s legacy of extraordinary leadership—leadership he exhibited not only as a tri-county athlete and student council president at Pingry, but throughout his entire life.

The William McLaren Bristol III, Class of 1939, Leadership Scholarship Fund was founded with the goal of identifying and publicly recognizing students who exhibit capacity for leadership and who would also benefit from financial aid.

“Leadership is instilled early on,” Brian notes. He urges “that every family involved with the School support financial aid, through the annual fund or, if possible, the endowment.”

In addition to estate gifts, charitable gift annuities (CGAs) can be established.

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and The Pingry School in which the School receives a cash gift or other assets from that donor, while providing tax incentives and a lifetime fixed income. Upon the death of the donor, the School will keep the remainder of the gift as residuum.

This is an attractive option for those who would like to give to the School, but also seek the financial benefits of fixed annual payments.

If you are interested in learning more about philanthropy at Pingry, please call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 908-647-7058 or visit pingry.org/supporting.

Letter to the Editor On pages 28 and 29 of the Summer 2016 edition, there is a very nice article about the Apruzzese family [Apruzzese Family Spurs Unity and Dedication Through Giving]. But the text on page 29 incorrectly states that “Lynn…was a member of Pingry’s first coed class.”

Lynn graduated in 1980. The first coed class was that of her brother John, the class of 1976. I was a member of that class…admitted to Form V for the fall of 1974. On page 73 in the same issue, there is a picture of members of the class of 1976 at their 40th reunion.

Included there is Susan Yeomans Breen, one of the members of the first coed class.

For those women who were the first Pingry girls, and for all girls who have followed us, it would be nice to know that the School correctly remembers this important time in its history.

Diane (Wasserman) Feldman ’76 From the editor: Thank you for this important correction. We were not specific enough with our wording. Ms. Apruzzese was a member of the first coed class to rise through Grades 7-12 at Pingry, but the phrasing in the article implies that she was a member of the first coed class to graduate. We apologize for the error.

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Lower School visual arts teacher Russell Christian created limited-edition prints that highlight distinct landmarks on both campuses, some of which were made possible by the Blueprint for the Future Campaign.

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Scene Around Campus

Benjamin Zhou, Victoria Watson, Wesley Streicher, Yelena Salvador, Sophie Ricciardi, Gregory Naratil, Katharine Matthias, Nancy Lu, John Laurent, Akash Kumar, Akshina Gupta, and Tracy Cooper.

Cum Laude Society: Fall Inductions Pingry inducted 12 members of the Class of 2017 into The Cum Laude Society during the Upper School Fall Awards Assembly on September 23. Established in 1906 as the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, the country’s oldest collegiate honor society, The Cum Laude Society honors academic excellence and superior scholarship among its 382 chapters.

Membership in this prestigious academic organization is limited to 20 percent of the Senior Class, with half elected as juniors and half elected as seniors. The Society recognizes individuals who—in all areas of their lives—love to learn, share their knowledge with others, and demonstrate scholarship, honor, integrity, and good character.

The Society also hopes that all of its members will continue their cooperative and selfless pursuit of knowledge while serving as lifelong examples of The Cum Laude Society motto: Aréte (Excellence), Diké (Justice), Timé (Honor).

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Sgt. Tom Rich of STOPit speaking to Middle School students about safely using social media and the Internet.

STOPit In an era when social media and the Internet are prevalent aspects of our daily lives, how can students use them safely?

When students contribute to the country’s 19.1 billion daily text messages, are they contributing wisely? These were just two questions that Middle School students considered during a presentation about cyberbullying given by Tom Rich, the cyber safety expert for STOPit and a sergeant with the Summit Police Dept.

While making students aware of specific settings that might need adjusting on their devices (such as those that attach locations to their posts), he emphasized that most information that people publish online is saved somewhere, making it permanent. Much of his presentation offered general advice and raised questions:

• If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online.

• Why do we text so frequently, instead of talking to each other?

• You don’t know what people are dealing with—everyone has a story.

• What kind of person are you, and does your content reflect that?

• Think before you post. There can be consequences. Who will see it, and what will they think?

To prevent cyberbullying, Sgt. Rich’s ultimate message is that students should talk to each other and get help from adults when needed. He reminded them, “It is the world wide web— how will it affect you and others?”

Fall Art Exhibition: John Ruddy “Subcontinental: Paintings Inspired by India and South Asia,” an exhibit of works produced by John Ruddy over the past three years, was displayed in the Hostetter Arts Center Gallery in September and October. Depicting gods, goddesses, and mythological figures, and using themes of dance, music, and poetry, the pieces reflect the influences of Hindu and Buddhist stories and iconography.

In several cases, Mr. Ruddy also “reinterprets the past in a contemporary setting” (for example, the New York City skyline in “Seated at the Crossroads” is intended to be a metaphor for growth and change since September 11, 2001).

“I hesitate to call them ‘religious’ paintings,” Mr. Ruddy said when he met with visual arts students during a campus visit. “The paintings are expressions of ideas through these figures. Art does have a mystical or spiritual aspect.” He also discussed his use of vivid colors; frames that become part of the art and “show off” the paintings (“Song of Spring” for example); individuals who have served as models (his daughter is depicted in “Seated at the Crossroads”); and striking a balance between photographing a visual and enjoying a visual with his own eyes while traveling. Also a firefighter, Mr. Ruddy said that the loss he witnesses in that job motivates him to create beautiful art.

“Song of Spring” (acrylic and jewels on canvas and wood), built around a line from a poem by Hafez, a 14th Century Persian poet.

“Seated at the Crossroads” (oil and acrylic on canvas).

“Durga-Ma Receiving the Adoration of the Widows” (oil and acrylic on canvas).

“The Three Jewels” (oil and acrylic on board; depicting Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha).

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Dr. Pingry’s Birthday

Pingry Welcomes AFS Student Luis Mora Ortiz

The School celebrated Dr. Pingry’s 198th birthday on September 26. Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 addressed students during lunch to share some history about the School, and he posed questions, such as what students thought Dr. Pingry might think about his school today. Students and faculty also joined in a rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 (Middle School) and Student Body President Zach Keller ’17 (Upper School) read some remarks during each division’s Morning Meeting:

By Yelena Salvador ’17

“I would like to share with you a passage from a eulogy: ‘He was not a great man because of his worldly possessions, but he was rich in character, in his power and influence as an educator, religious teacher, and citizen.’ This was written about our School’s founder, Dr. John Francis Pingry, who was born on this date 198 years ago in 1818. Dr. Pingry founded The Pingry School based on the principles of academic excellence, honor, strength of character, and a commitment to service. While many things have changed since he established our School in 1861, it is quite clear that his mission lives on through today’s Pingry students. It is important that we take a moment to recognize his vision and work, which have provided thousands of students throughout three centuries a transformative educational experience. We are a part of something truly special here at Pingry—we are his legacy. I can only imagine how proud he would be of our School today and how it continues to evolve and support its students and faculty, while remaining committed to his founding motto, ‘Greatest respect is due students.’ As we continue our academic year, I encourage you to join me in thinking about how you would want to be described decades from now and emulating those characteristics.”

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This school year, Pingry welcomes 15-year-old AFS (American Field Service) student Luis Mora Ortiz from central Madrid, Spain. Pingry has partnered with AFS for over 55 years to host foreign exchange students.

A member of Pingry’s junior class and staying with the McManus family (Emilia ’16, Alexandra ’14, Matthew ’21), Luis arrived in the United States for the first time in mid-August and is not the only member of his family to live in America this year; a triplet, Luis has a sister who is attending a high school in Ohio, and his brother is home in Spain. When asked what his AFS student Luis Mora Ortiz. most difficult adjustment has been since arriving at Pingry, Luis says, “It is challenging not being a native speaker, especially in my English and history classes. It takes me a lot longer to comprehend what I’m reading. But, the teachers are very friendly and eager to help. It’s challenging, but not impossible.”

The language barrier has not stopped Luis from being involved in the School community. He likes that Pingry offers so many sports and is eager to try many of them. “There is definitely more of an emphasis on sports at Pingry than at my school in Madrid. I am part of Pingry’s soccer team, and it is my first time playing the sport competitively. The daily practices really allow me to improve.”

After the soccer season, Luis plans to play basketball, which he plays back in Madrid, and either lacrosse or tennis in the spring.

Luis observes that life in suburban New Jersey is different from his life in central Madrid, where he could catch a city bus right outside his front door. But, homesickness hasn’t settled in just yet. For now, he simply misses the bread and cheese from his home country. Pingry welcomes Luis and looks forward to sharing this year’s adventures with him.

Postcards to the Library All summer long, they trickle in to the Short Hills Campus from across New Jersey, the United States, and the world.

Some are handmade by their young senders; others represent the towns, cities, and countries from where they were mailed. At the start of school this year, the summer crop totaled 1,182.

What are they? “Postcards to the Library,” a beloved summer tradition among Lower School students for well over 10 years. Launched in 2004 by Lower School Librarian Ann D’Innocenzo, pictured above, the summer ritual invites students in Grades K-5 to mail a picture postcard to the library for every book they read from June through August.

It can be sent from anywhere, but the book title, the author’s name, and the student’s name must be included. Brief descriptions of the book or the student’s summer activities are also welcome. On the first day of school, 10 postcards are randomly drawn from the giant wicker basket in which Mrs. D’Innocenzo carefully collects them. The “winning” students receive gift cards to Barnes & Noble to nourish their literary hunger.

Recalling the origins of the project, Mrs. D’Innocenzo explains, “I was responsible for issuing summer reading, but, when the kids came back to school in September,

“it helps students to remain connected to Pingry during the summer months. It also helps new students to feel that they’re a part of the School, which helps to ease those first-day jitters in September.”

Every year, thanks to the work of parent volunteers and the library staff, submitted postcards are strung up on ribbon and displayed in the hallway outside of the library. In the spring, postcards are transferred into binders, where they join over 30 others on a corner shelf of the library for Pingry posterity. This past May, a group of graduating seniors— the first Kindergarten students to send postcards when the tradition began 13 years ago—visited the Lower School on Field Day. Participation is optional, but the fun factor Fondly remembering the postcards, they means that even the most reluctant read- asked Mrs. D’Innocenzo about them. Much to their delight, she pulled out the 2003-04 ers are eager to join. Independence is binder, and they spent the good part of an encouraged: students can read as many or as few books as they wish, whether on hour reminiscing, texting photos of old postcards to their friends and families. or off the summer reading lists that Mrs. D’Innocenzo sends home at the end of How long will Mrs. D’Innocenzo keep it the school year. She asks students to set up? “As long as I’m here at Pingry,” she reasonable goals for themselves and keep answers. “The second summer, I wona log of each book. When students recon- dered whether or not I should continue vene in the fall, compare their goals to it, but many parents have shared that this their final log, and make book recommen- program really encourages their children dations to their peers, proud smiles and to read during the summer. The students animated conversation always ensue. are taking ownership of their reading, and “Not only does the program instill a I hope they’re developing a love for it in ove of reading,” Mrs. D’Innocenzo says, the process.”

I always felt I had no idea if they had read or what they had read. I didn’t want to assign reading because that takes the joy out of it for them. I wanted it to be a fun experience, while still keeping a handle on their summer progress.” One day, when she received a postcard from a student, the idea struck her. “The first year, I thought maybe I’d get 100 postcards.

I had promised the kids I would display them. When 800 arrived, I wondered how on earth I would put them up! But we’ve been doing it ever since.” She reads every postcard, many of which contain anecdotes that are helpful when it comes to getting acquainted with new students.

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Convocation: Themes of Open-Mindedness and Responsible Speech As the school year officially begins, Pingry’s trustees, administrators, and faculty assemble in Hauser Auditorium, Middle and Upper School students submit their Honor Code pledges and sing “Old John Pingry,” and each speaker chooses a theme. This year, the 30th Convocation ceremony, there was a remarkable unplanned overlap among the speeches.

Senior faculty member Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, in his 58th year on the faculty, based his Invocation on Pingry’s successful completion of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign. “What is your blueprint for the future? Will you lead by example, will you participate, will you give back in some way, or will you stand on the sidelines, content to let others do the work while you simply reap the benefits?”

Student Body President Zach Keller ’17 advocated for open-mindedness. After quoting a University of Chicago letter to incoming freshmen that promotes exploration of ideas, Zach said, “We grow, emotionally and intellectually, every time we challenge and reexamine ourselves. We should, therefore, be accepting of situations that push us beyond our comfort zone.” He offered students a few suggestions and encouraged them to learn from others at Pingry.

Honor Board Chair Sean Wang ’17 discussed trust, which he said is a bond that allows us to rely on each another and that must be reciprocated. Sean’s challenge for the student body is to

Student Body President Zach Keller ’17 speaking about the importance of open-mindedness.

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Middle and Upper School students submitting signed Honor Code pledges.

take on the trust of another person and reciprocate. Zach and Sean then collected Honor Code pledges signed

by Middle and Upper School students.

Reflecting on the Olympics, Board of Trustees Chair Jeff Edwards ’78, P ’12, ’14, ’18 spoke about the core values that are integral to the games: Excellence, Friendship, and Respect. Mr. Edwards used the story of two runners who earned the International Olympic Committee’s Fair Play Award to encourage Pingry students to consider the values of Olympism: “set personal goals and do your best; seek true friendship in the Pingry community; and demonstrate respect, with the Honor Code as your guide.”

Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 recognized the Magistri, faculty members who have taught at Pingry for at least 25 years. Collectively, the Magistri on the

Honor Board Chair Sean Wang ’17 discussing trust, a bond that allows us to rely on each another and that must be reciprocated.

2016-17 faculty have served Pingry for 1,018 years. In his remarks, Mr. Conard focused on responsible speech, a theme prompted by news stories about the exchange of ideas on college and university campuses. While many people would argue that campus censorship is an issue of freedom of speech, Mr. Conard said that “truly free speech” allows people to promote unpopular, wrong, offensive, and hurtful ideas—but that it is difficult to say that offensive or hurtful ideas are protected by the First Amendment. Also quoting The University of Chicago’s back-to-school letter, Mr. Conard read a passage in which he sees tension between two statements. One says the university is committed to freedom of inquiry and expression “without fear of censorship,” but the other says that “freedom of expression does not mean the freedom to harass or threaten others.”

“With freedom of speech comes the imperative to speak responsibly, but how is that imperative to be enforced, and whose judgement should guide decisions about what is responsible versus irresponsible speech, or what is challenging versus hurtful?” he posed.

We must ask ourselves if what we are saying is responsible, even if it is challenging, or if it is irresponsible or even hurtful. He pointed out that, by signing the Honor Code, students are the answers to his questions. “I charge you to exercise your right to speak, and I remind you of your pledge to speak thoughtfully.”

Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 charging students to speak responsibly and thoughtfully.

Board of Trustees Chair Jeff Edwards ’78, P ’12, ’14, ’18 promoting the values of excellence, friendship, and respect.

New and Improved Pingry.org!

Pingry is sprucing up its image for the 2016-17 school year. Students, parents, alumni, and prospective members of our community can now feast their eyes on a more modernized, streamlined, mobile-friendly website. User-responsive and brimming with photos, it brings the Pingry community and culture to life. Profiles, like the one to the right, are woven throughout to give voice to all the remarkable stories and experiences of Pingry scholars, athletes, artists, faculty, and alumni. Here’s a peek at how it looks on a smartphone:

Myles Bristow ’10

Multimedia Artist Even before he stepped foot on Pingry’s campus in Grade 7, Myles Bristow ’10 was a visual artist (indeed, the school’s breadth of arts programs, facilities, and resources lured him here). But, when he arrived, he took a dance class with Mrs. Wheeler and discovered an interest in movement (later, in high school, he even started a dance group with three of his friends called “The Pingry Academiks”). A drama class with Mrs. Romankow and performances with friends during Multicultural Day Assemblies sparked a love for performing. Then, he took a poetry class with Dr. Dineen and developed an interest in performance poetry. And conversations with his track coach and English teacher, Mr. Shilts, led to a curiosity in film. By the time he graduated, his passions were numerous.

“I was definitely all over the place at Pingry, and even in college,” he says.

(He graduated from Trinity College in 2014 with a degree in fine arts, focused on illustration and film studies.) “But the freedom to explore, to experiment, is really what the School afforded me.

I didn’t want to do just one thing; I wanted to bring together different styles and types of art and find a way to make it all work in harmony.”

See for yourself! Visit pingry.org

Want to read more about where Myles is now, and his advice for current Pingry artists? Visit pingry.org/arts/pingrycollegiate-artists.

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Board of Trustees Welcomes Six New Members Todd C. Builione and his wife Karen are the parents of Sophia ’24, Ava ’26, Isabella ’28, and one child who is not yet school age. He is a Member of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and is Co-Head of Hedge Funds and the COO of Public Markets & Distribution. Prior to joining KKR, he served as President of Highbridge Capital Management, CEO of Highbridge’s hedge fund business, and a member of the Investment and Risk Committees. Mr. Builione serves on the Advisory Council of Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and the Board of Directors of Harlem RBI, a community-based youth development organization. He received a B.S., summa cum laude, from Cornell University and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

––––––––––––– Arlyn Davich ’99 is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of PayPerks, the leading rewards program for low- and middleincome consumers. The company, which Ms. Davich founded in 2009 after winning the Columbia Business School Lang Fund Entrepreneurship Award, has been honored for its innovation and impact by The White House, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the Department of the Treasury, where Ms. Davich is a frequent speaker and thought partner. She also founded the Bowdoin Startup Series, a bi-annual class at Bowdoin College that provides students with an opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship from alumni who have been successful at founding or funding companies. Ms. Davich received a B.A. from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

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The Pingry Review

Steven M. Lipper ’79 and his wife Ann Marie are the parents of Catherine ’09, Matthew ’12, and Stephanie ’14. Mr. Lipper rejoins the Board following a four-year tenure as President of the Pingry Alumni Association (2008-2012) and continues to serve on the PAA Board, including as Co-Chair of the Achievement in the Arts Award Committee. He works at Royce & Associates, LP, an investment adviser to The Royce Funds, as a managing director, senior investment strategist, and president of Royce Fund Services.

Prior to joining Royce & Associates, Mr. Lipper worked for Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, serving most recently as a member of the Asset Allocation Investment Committee. Previously, Mr. Lipper was Executive Vice President of Private Client Services at Reuters and worked in various roles at Lipper Analytical Services.

He received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Robin A. Oxendine and her husband Randall S. Beard have three children, including Connor ’17 and Alexandra ’19.

Ms. Oxendine is President of the Pingry School Parents’ Association (PSPA) for the 2016-17 school year. She has been an active member of the PSPA, serving as First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Spring Soirée executive board liaison. She also volunteers with New Jersey SEEDS. Previously, Ms. Oxendine worked with Procter & Gamble for over 15 years, first as a chemical engineer and then in Brand Management/ Marketing, leading the successful launch of Crest toothpaste in China and introducing Pringles flavors in Northeast Asia. Ms. Oxendine and her husband funded the Earl Hughes Oxendine Scholarship and a teaching fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, which her ancestors founded in 1887 to educate and improve the lives of members of her Native American tribe, the

Campaign Co-Chairs Named Honorary Trustees Kathleen M. Hugin P ’11, ’13 (trustee from 2010-2016) and Stephan F. Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99 (most recently a trustee from 2010-2016) have also retired from the Board and are among a select group of former trustees who have been named Honorary Trustees—a distinction reserved for trustees who made an extraordinary impact on the direction of the School. Mrs. Hugin and Mr. Newhouse also received The Cyril and Beatrice Baldwin Pingry Family Citizen of the Year Award at Commencement in June, recognizing their tireless efforts with the Campaign.

Along with acting as Campaign Co-Chair, Mrs. Hugin served for two years as vice chair of the Board and contributed her talents to advancing multiple goals of the Board; participated on the Committee on Trustees, the Finance Committee, and the Dashboard Committee; and chaired the Strategic Planning Committee.

Serving early on as an annual fund chair and a member of the PAA Board, Mr. Newhouse served as a Pingry trustee from 1986-2001 and as an Honorary Trustee from 2001-2010, then re-joined the Board in 2010. Beyond his leadership of the Campaign Steering Committee, Mr. Newhouse served on the Strategic Planning Committee and the Committee on Trustees.

Lumbee nation, who were not allowed to attend North Carolina colleges due to segregation. Ms. Oxendine earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. at Wharton.

––––––––––––– Norbert W. “Woody” Weldon ’91 and his wife Mary have three children, including Thomas ’23. Mr. Weldon will be President of the Pingry Alumni Association for two years. He is Vice President of Weldon Materials, Inc., a fifth-generation construction materials business headquartered in Westfield, New Jersey. Prior to joining Weldon Materials, Mr. Weldon worked as a credit analyst at Chase Bank and then received an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in 2000. He has been an executive board member for his state industry association for 12 years and is in his seventh year as a member of the Pingry Alumni Association. He received a B.S. in Mathematical Economics from Wake Forest University.

Gwen Li and her husband David Wu have two children, including Matthew ’27.

She is a director of Hudson Cove Capital, her family office focused on fixed income investments. Previously, Ms. Li worked at China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing as the Director of Business Development and Strategic Planning. Prior to CCTV, she worked at Investor Asia Private Equity in Hong Kong and Salomon Smith Barney, Investment Banking Division in New York. Ms. Li also volunteers with child development organizations and, for over five years, has supported New Hope Foundation, a China-based foster home that rescues sick and abandoned babies. She was also the China Advisor of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), Hong Kong, and a board member of the China Association for Children’s Health and Development.

Ms. Li received a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Smith College and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

What’s Next for the Board?

Now that the Campaign has concluded and positioned Pingry well for the future, the 2016-17 school year will be a transition year for the Board of Trustees. While continuing to focus on advancing the initiatives that were enabled by the Campaign, the Board will now pivot to beginning a new development cycle. The first stage in that cycle, and the priority for the upcoming year, will be a new Long-Term Strategic Plan. What is the Board’s starting point for this plan? “We try to take a step back and assess what, as the world evolves, an education at Pingry should be in the future, how we are currently positioned to provide it, what gaps need to be addressed, and how to best address them,” says Board Chair Jeffrey N. Edwards ’78, P ’12, ’14, ’18.

“Pingry is never in a state of completion. The question is always, ‘What’s next?’”

For those unfamiliar with the Board’s governance, trustees are not involved in the School’s day-to-day operations. Instead, they focus on “big picture” topics such as strategic direction and policy, management of resources (including tuition and budgets) and investments, and hiring/empowering the Head.

Mr. Edwards is clear in his appreciation for the work of his fellow trustees.

“We should all feel fortunate to have such a talented group of people, year in and year out, who dedicate their time and effort to help position the School to move forward and to continue delivering on its mission.”

Thank You, Retired Trustees Elliot S. Berndt P ’18, ’20, PSPA President from 2015-2016, played a significant role in strengthening the Pingry community through events such as Spring Soirée and “A Taste of Pingry”—with record attendance.

She was a member of the Building & Grounds Committee.

John T. “Josh” Connor ’92, trustee from 2013-2016, was vice chair of the Finance Committee, providing financial guidance during the Blueprint for the Future Campaign. He also played an integral role in supporting one of the Campaign’s earliest modernization efforts, that of the Short Hills Campus.

The Josh ’92 and Patricia Connor Classroom serves as an enriching space for fifth-grade students.

Kurt G. Conti P ’07, ’09, ’15, trustee from 2010-2016, demonstrated incredible leadership as vice chair of the Building & Grounds Committee, of which he was a member since he joined the Board. During his tenure, he also served on committees for Finance, Compensation, and Employee Benefits.

His time on the Board aligned with the duration of the Campaign, and, this past winter, The Conti Group led the excavation phase of the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center.

Peter L. “Chip” Korn, Jr. ’89, PAA President from 2012-2016, devoted much of his time to connecting more alumni to the School in new ways. The founder of the mentoring network, he continued that spirit of mentorship by introducing alumni affinity groups and networking events. He was also vice chair of the Audit Committee, a member of the Building & Grounds Committee, a Reunion chair, a Pingry Fund volunteer, and the 1980s decade chair.

Louis G. Zachary, Jr. P ’14, ’16, ’19, ’22, trustee from 2011-2016, served as treasurer of the Board and as a member of the Investment and Finance Committees, the Committee on Trustees, and the Campaign Steering Committee. He played a key role in ensuring Pingry’s financial health for the present and future.

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Welcome New Faculty and Staff Julia Allain, AP Psychology teacher and assistant coach for Girls’ Varsity Soccer, joins Pingry to fill in for Shelby Bartlett ’08, who is earning a master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University.

A psychology major and writing minor at Providence College, Ms. Allain played a year of soccer for the Friars and interned for the college’s clinical sports psychologist before being inspired to pursue sports psychology. She earned a master’s degree in Sports Psychology at McGill University.

Bria Barnes, Middle School English teacher, taught a year of sixth-grade English in the Plainfield School District, taught Grades 4 and 5 in the Prospect Park School District, and volunteered as a traveling teacher for AmeriCorps.

A 2015 graduate of William Paterson University with a degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and a Middle School English endorsement (involving an extra set of courses), she was also an English Writing major in their Honors Performing and Literary Arts Track. At Pingry, she will also help with the Middle School play. Fun fact: she writes poetry and is co-author of Images of America: Prospect Park (Arcadia Publishing, 2014).

Andrew Brown, Upper School math teacher, comes to Pingry from King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan, where, for two years, he taught algebra, geometry, and philosophy. Prior to King’s, he taught math at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart for five years. Originally from Tennessee, he graduated magna cum laude from Carson Newman 36

THE PINGRY REVIEW

University with a B.S. in Religion and Philosophy, and earned a Master of Divinity in 2008 at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Hannah Decatur, Upper School history teacher, taught 10thgrade world history and 11th-grade U.S. history at the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia for three years before coming to Pingry. She lived and worked in one of the girls’ dorms, served as an assistant coach for their JV and girls’ varsity lacrosse teams, was a faculty sponsor for their Model U.N. Club, and was an advisor, among other roles. She earned a B.A. in History at Johns Hopkins University and is working toward a master’s degree in Liberal Studies at Wesleyan University. At Pingry, she is an assistant JV field hockey coach and yearbook advisor.

Lori Esmond, Middle School English teacher, enjoyed a 17-year tenure at Tuxedo Park School, where she held numerous roles in addition to her work as an English teacher: English Department Chair, Director of Academics, and the Director of Secondary School Placement. She also taught elective courses such as Writing for Publication, Poetry Circle, and SSAT Prep. At Pingry, she will also work with the Educational Technology Team and advise students in Grade 8. Ms. Esmond earned a B.A. in English at St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree in English Literature at Purdue University.

She is a published poet.

Lori Esmond, Brenda Hamm P ’09, ’11, Josh Morgan, Nancy Ring, Lorian Morales, William Lagarde, Sandy Lizaire-Duff, Andrew Brown, Aaron Kellner, Graig Peterson, Dana Sherman, Kathryn Marie Smith, Jessica Weinberger, Mike Coakley, Julia Allain, Bria Barnes, Herbert H. Toler, Jr., and Ryan Staude. New faculty and staff not in the group photo are pictured next to their listings.

Dina Glasofer, who worked in Admission in 2015-16 and will work with them again in 2016-17, supported the Communications Office while Dale Seabury was on maternity leave. Mrs. Glasofer is a graduate of Duke University, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology cum laude, and of NYU’s Stern School of Business, where she earned an M.B.A. She has experience in marketing at Avon Products, Procter & Gamble, and Dannon, and more recently has worked as Senior Associate Director of Executive MBA Admissions and Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business. In addition to her work at Pingry, she has been a part-time M.B.A. admissions coach and senior marketing consultant for Fortuna Admissions.

Brenda Hamm P ’09, ’11, Interim Middle School Director, is a graduate of Yale— where she majored in Architecture and was a three-sport varsity athlete and captain of the field hockey team— and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has most recently run two schools. At the first, Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, she served as principal for two years. At the second, Albany Academy for Girls, she served as associate head of school for the past year. Ms. Hamm has also worked at Newark Academy as a middle

and upper school math teacher, coach, and associate director of college counseling; at Emma Willard School as assistant academic dean, math teacher, coach, and dean of students; at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School as a teacher, coach, dean of students, and associate director of admission; at Bentley College as assistant director of admission; and at other schools and colleges (Newton North High School, Hanover High School, and Dartmouth College) as a teacher and coach.

Helen Huang-Hobbs, Upper School chemistry teacher, completed a master’s degree in Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

She has worked at the Charter High School for Architecture and Design in Philadelphia, where she developed and ran the science center, and has conducted research in several labs, including the University of British Columbia’s NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) facility. She earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry (bio-organic focus), with honors, at McGill University as well as a master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of British Columbia.

In addition to her teaching role, Ms. Huang-Hobbs will help coach the Middle School’s Science Olympiad Team.

Aaron Kellner, Grade 3 teacher, taught Grades 2 and 4 at Buckingham Browne & Nichols in Cambridge, Massachusetts before his arrival at Pingry. Entering his 12th year teaching Lower School students, he has also taught at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia, and at Trinity School, Corlears School, and The Hewitt School, all in New York City. He earned a B.F.A. in Theater Performance at Chapman University in Orange, California, an M.F.A. in Dramaturgy at SUNY Stony Brook, and a master’s degree in Elementary Education at Bank Street School of Education.

William Lagarde, Upper School math teacher, arrives at Pingry having graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Applied Mathematics. He student-taught math at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and at Phillips Exeter Academy. A wrestler and sailor, he will assist with Pingry’s wrestling program.

Edward Lisovicz, Advancement Writer, most recently worked for the Glen Ridge Board of Education, teaching students in Grades K-12, organizing school events, and providing in-classroom teacher support. He was also a research assistant for Vanity Fair the summer before his junior year in college. In 2013, Mr. Lisovicz earned a B.A. in English, with a writing concentration, at Gettysburg College, and a master’s in Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh in 2015. He is a published poet.

Sandy Lizaire-Duff, Ph.D., Assistant Lower School Director, began her teaching career in 1999, working at the Edgemont Montessori School in Montclair. Over the last 15 years, she has held a number of teaching and administrative positions in the Teaneck School District, developing and implementing interdisciplinary curriculum units, supervising student teachers, mentoring firstyear teachers, and conducting teacher training workshops, among other projects and initiatives. She has also served as an adjunct professor of graduate-level courses at New Jersey City University, and currently serves as Vice President of the Lady Liberty Academy Charter School Board of Trustees. Dr. Lizaire-Duff earned a B.A. in Psychology at Montclair State University, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a doctorate in Education at Rutgers University.

Lorian Morales, Admission Coordinator on the Basking Ridge Campus, comes to Pingry after working as a personal stylist for J. Hilburn, a luxury menswear company. Prior to that position, she worked as a project manager for Bank of New York Mellon. She earned a B.A. in Sociology at Bucknell University.

Josh Morgan, Major Gifts Officer, comes to Pingry from the Claudio Reyna Foundation, where he served as executive director for six years. He also served as director of Tab Ramos Soccer Programs and manager of scholarship development at St. Benedict’s Prep.

A graduate of St. Benedict’s Prep and Belmont Abbey College, where he earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies, he received the CASE Certificate for

Institutional Advancement in 2005. Mr. Morgan serves on the Platinum Minds Leadership Council and as a volunteer soccer coach in Wall and Howell. He played for St. Benedict’s, against Pingry, in the infamous Scott Aimetti ’89 hand ball game (“Those who were there, remember!” he says.) He is assisting with the boys’ soccer program while at Pingry.

Nancy Ring, teaching Middle and Upper School art during Jennifer MackWatkins’s maternity leave, is a professional artist with 12 years of classroom experience, most recently in Maplewood and at the Far Brook School in Short Hills. The recipient of numerous grants, awards, and artist-in-residence positions for her paintings and installations, she has an art studio in Newark and regularly exhibits her work both regionally and nationally.

She earned a B.A. at Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts and an M.F.A. in Painting at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. After working as a pastry chef to support her art career, she chronicled her experiences in the culinary memoir Walking on Walnuts (Bantam Books, 1996). You can visit her website at www.nanring.com.

Dana Sherman, teaching fourth- and fifth-grade writing, has taught English and writing for over 15 years at public schools in Montclair, Basking Ridge, and Berkeley Heights. She earned a B.A. in English at SUNY Albany and a master’s degree in Teaching English at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Kathryn Marie Smith, Upper School Latin teacher, has researched classical studies at the American Academy in Rome and conducted research at The American School of Classical Studies at Athens. She earned a B.A. in Classics at Skidmore College and a master’s degree in Classical Studies at the University of Kansas, where she was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship and became a primary instructor in Greek and Roman mythology. At Pingry, she will also serve as an assistant coach for the Girls’ JV Basketball Team and help to facilitate the LGBTQ Affinity Group.

Ryan Staude, Ph.D., Upper School history teacher and a debate team coach, comes to Pingry after 10 years as a history teacher at the Windward School in FALL 2016

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Los Angeles. For eight of those years, he was chair of the department. He previously taught at various colleges and universities in upstate New York. He earned a B.A. summa cum laude, an M.A., and a Ph.D., all in History, at the University at Albany, SUNY. He is working on a book manuscript about the presidency of George Washington.

Faculty and Staff in New Roles

Herbert H. Toler, Jr., Ph.D., Upper School history teacher, is a career educator and historian, specializing in American history. He has been a Fellow at the Institute for Research in AfricanAmerican Studies and the Institute of African Studies, both at Columbia University, and a faculty member at St. Hilda’s and St. Hugh’s School in New York City, where he taught social studies for 17 years. Dr. Toler has also taught undergraduate courses at the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University, City College of New York, and Columbia University. He traveled around the U.S. as a Bradley/Fieldsted Fellow, investigating how black churches revitalized communities. He has worked and conducted research at the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress. Dr. Toler earned a B.A. in History at Hampton University and master’s degrees at Howard University, Union Theological Seminary, and Columbia University. He holds a Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University, where he was a Ford and Mellon Fellow. In addition to teaching, he will help organize a research journal for history and the humanities.

Mike Coakley, Middle School English Mr. Coakley joined the Office of Institutional Advancement in 2015 as a Development Specialist Writer and assisted with numerous projects in the final year of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign. He earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

Jessica Weinberger, Upper School math teacher, comes to Pingry after 15 years at Morristown Beard, where she also taught math. She served in many other roles at the school, including as a grade-level Dean of Students, director of their community service program, advisor to their Key Club service group and Habitat for Humanity, summer camp director, and assistant swim coach. In addition to her teaching position at Pingry, she will serve as co-advisor to Student Government. She earned a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society at Vassar College, and a master’s degree in Mathematics Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

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Ananya Chatterji P ’25, Interim Upper School Director Ms. Chatterji has held numerous faculty and coaching roles at Pingry since her arrival in 1996, most recently as Upper School Academic Dean, college counselor, and math teacher. She is still serving as Academic Dean and a college counselor, but is not teaching this year. At her first Upper School Morning Meeting of the school year, she shared a story to promote a culture of kindness: “It’s about perspective. What does someone need?”

Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Mrs. Francisco has worked in several capacities since her return to Pingry in 2011, including Associate Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, Co-Director of The Pingry Fund, and, most recently, Director of The Pingry Fund. She has been working with generations of alumni on events such as Reunion Weekend, the Golf Outing, regional receptions, and PAA Board committee programs.

Alexandra Logerfo ’11, Upper School Biology Teacher Ms. Logerfo joined the science department last year during Dr. Morgan D’Ausilio’s maternity leave. She earned a B.S. in Biology cum laude at Georgetown University, where she was involved in a number of student-run businesses. In addition to her teaching, research, and lab duties, she will assist with winter track.

Graig Peterson, Upper School English Mr. Peterson taught Middle School math last spring during Nicole Cabral’s maternity leave, and is teaching Upper School English during Meaghan Singer’s maternity leave.

A graduate of John Burroughs School, he earned a B.A. in English at Dartmouth College, where he was a four-year member of the men’s varsity swim team. He was a consultant for The Monitor Group before founding a small business, Hounds Around Town, a premium pet food and supplies boutique in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Mr. Peterson is earning a master’s in English at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English.

Dr. Azadeh Samadani, Expansion of the Independent Research Team Dr. Samadani joined Pingry’s science faculty—and the Independent Research Team (iRT)—for the 2015-16 school year. This year, along with her teaching role, she will lead the expansion of iRT into additional STEM fields (physics, applied math, bioengineering, and computer science). She was a physics professor at Brandeis for nearly a decade before arriving at Pingry.

Newly-Created Position David M. Fahey ’99, Assistant Director of Operations & Strategic Initiatives Working under the direction of Chief Financial Officer and Director of Operations Olaf Weckesser P ’25, Mr. Fahey brings his legal and relationship management experience to the Business Office—as a result of Pingry’s sharp focus on forward-thinking efforts, Mr. Fahey is assisting with campus operations (such as tuition, transportation, and insurance) and exploring strategic initiatives for long-term projects. Previously, Mr. Fahey held a number of senior roles on campus, most recently as Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics. Prior to returning to Pingry in 2011, Mr. Fahey worked as an attorney at Gomperts Penza & McDermott after successfully completing a clerkship in the chambers of The Honorable Jo-Anne B. Spatola, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration, with a focus on entrepreneurship, at Boston University, and a J.D. at Rutgers University School of Law. Mr. Fahey has also served as an assistant coach for the Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team for more than a decade.

Farewell to Faculty and Staff Rachelle Bastien, Advancement Services Associate for a yearand-a-half during the Blueprint for the Future Campaign, has found a new and exciting opportunity with another organization.

Kathryn Brintnall, Grade 3 teacher, retired after eight years at Pingry. Along with her classroom work, she helped develop tools for teachers to evaluate students’ writing and served on the committee that helped design the new Lower School playground. Some of her favorite Pingry memories include working in the garden with her students; watching them care for the seedlings they planted; researching, planning for, and performing in Earth Day assemblies with her students; and collaborating with the Visual Arts department on projects that supported the social studies curriculum.

“By far, my favorite part of my Pingry experience has been the people—the children, of course, but also the adult members of the Pingry community,” she says. “They challenged me and made me grow into a better teacher and person. I have been blessed to be a part of this community of learners and plan to maintain ties to the Pingry community.”

In retirement, Mrs. Brintnall plans to follow her passions for adventure travel and photography, re-learn how to play the piano, spend more time at her Florida home on Sanibel Island (southwest of Fort Myers), and become more involved with CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife).

Dr. Denise BrownAllen P ’13 (known affectionately in the Pingry community as “DBA”), Upper School Director for eight years, assumed the positions of Associate Head of School and Head of the Upper School at the National Cathedral School (NCS), an independent day school for girls, Grades 4-12, in Washington, D.C. She is providing strategic vision for NCS’s curricula and programs for all grades, and is responsible

for the largest of NCS’s three divisions, with 315 students. “I attended an all-girls high school, so I am returning to my roots, in a way,” Dr. Brown-Allen says.

At Pingry, she led a team of 80 faculty members, including eight department chairs, who teach more than 550 students in Grades 9-12. Assistant Headmaster Jon Leef P ’15, ’18 says that Dr. Brown-Allen thought of them as “her” students and “her” children, always concerned about their well-being. “Every face has a story, and every story has challenging chapters. DBA always had an interest in and curiosity about what has brought a person to this moment.

She appreciated each individual’s journey and understood that the journey is not always easy,” he says.

Dr. Brown-Allen was at the forefront of initiatives such as student and parent education (Pre-Prom meetings and guidance for the transition to college, for example), leadership opportunities for faculty, and programs for health and wellness. She played a key role in the School’s transition from a five-day schedule to a seven-day schedule, for which Mr. Leef praises her organizational skills, calling her spreadsheet for the project “a thing of beauty, with clarity, detail, timing, and goal-setting—we probably should have printed and framed it.”

Dr. Brown-Allen was also the catalyst for the 1-to-1 laptop program, allowing for a more effective learning environment, and helped to launch Pingry SITE (Summer Institute for Teaching Excellence), which, among other topics, offered guidance about effective use of technology in the classroom. Dr. Brown-Allen also taught AP Statistics and served as an advisor. Like Pingry itself, Dr. Brown-Allen did not rest on past accomplishments—she believed that any program could be improved.

During one of her final Upper School Morning Meetings, she spoke about the importance of being open and welcoming, being accountable to each other, and what she considers her legacy: “looking people in the eye and greeting them with a smile.” As she would say at the conclusion of every Morning Meeting, “Take good care of one another.”

Caroline Burke, Upper School Latin teacher for two years, left Pingry to teach Latin and coach at The Winsor School in Boston (where she was a student from Grades 6-12). At Pingry, she was Head Coach of JV field hockey and assistant coach for girls’ varsity ice hockey and girls’ varsity lacrosse.

Phil Cox, Middle School Director for 12 years, has become Director of Enrollment Management at Rippowam Cisqua School in Bedford, New York, an independent, coeducational day school for students in preschool through Grade 9.

For Pingry’s Middle School, he oversaw 270 students and 30 faculty, and his leadership played a major role in three major events that happened in the Middle School during his tenure: the opening of The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School (2007), creation of a new seven-day schedule, and implementation of the 1-to1 laptop program (the latter two in conjunction with the aforementioned changes in the Upper School). More than any other achievement, colleagues highlight his forging of a Middle School identity/community and working with the faculty to create a safe space in which Middle School students can make mistakes and deal with challenges that are common to that age group.

“It is an oversimplification to say that the new building led to the Middle School establishing its own identity as a ‘community within a community.’ Phil was the energy behind that evolution. His perspective and understanding of that age group were important, but he was also enthusiastic about forming a Middle School identity at Pingry,” says Assistant Headmaster Jon Leef P ’15, ’18. He explains that, when Grades 7 through 12 were housed in one building, many teachers taught in both the Middle and Upper Schools, and all grade levels were treated similarly—great for school unity, but not great for student development or leadership in the Middle School because teachers were not able to dedicate their time to that age group, and FALL 2016

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the oldest students on campus were in charge. “Phil fostered leadership opportunities in the eighth grade and developed programs for Grades 7 and 8, setting the stage for the opening of the Middle School building. When it did, he established a Middle School-dedicated faculty with far fewer crossover teachers—a minuscule number compared to what it used to be—and he integrated Grade 6. With two-thirds of Middle School students [Grades 6 and 7] new to campus in the building’s first year, Phil capitalized on that momentum.” Mr. Leef also notes that Mr. Cox was willing to try things, such as creating the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl, and that he wanted students to embrace the singing of “Old John Pingry.”

Having worked with Mr. Cox as a teacher and then as an administrator, Middle School Dean of Students Barrington Fulton recalls that Mr. Cox “created an environment that encourages collaboration and creativity for teachers across and within grade levels. He was very present in students’ lives—he ran Morning Meetings, observed Power Ball, and connected with them, sharing details about his life and his family. He also wanted to make sure that 1-to-1 was Middle School-appropriate and that the Middle School had what it needed in the new schedule.” Those connections, according to Middle School Office Coordinator Pat Egan, who worked with Mr. Cox for 10 years, extended to impromptu office visits. “The kids always knew that they could pop in on Phil to simply chat or talk about how their day was going or the latest problem on the Power Ball Court!” More than one person says of Mr. Cox, “I loved working for and with him.”

Luke De, Upper School biology teacher for 10 years, sought an environment more conducive to a healthy, outdoorbased lifestyle and moved to San Francisco, where he is developing a research program and teaching his Mechanisms of Cancer class at The Nueva School. At Pingry, he coordinated the research program—Journal Club, Project 80, iRT (Independent Research Team), the annual Research Exhibit—and mentored students who were semifinalists in the Intel and Siemens competitions. In 2015, he received the James P. 40

The Pingry Review

Luke De with Laura White ’10, the first student to walk into his first class when he joined Pingry in 2006.

Whitlock, Jr. ’60 Faculty Award for the Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology.

“I’ve always worked backward, thinking of something a student will see a million times in their life, and teaching them the skills they need to make decisions about that topic,” he says. He is most proud of several accomplishments during his decade at Pingry: the enormity of the research program, including the growth of the Research Exhibit (“students listening to science on a Saturday”); mentoring students and watching their achievements over the years; and enabling students to see science as “a way to solve problems, not just a body of knowledge.”

Kyrie Eiras, Middle School English teacher for one year, has moved to a school closer to her home in New York City.

She is teaching Grade 5 at Poly Prep Country Day School in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.

Carolyn Gibson P ’03, Assistant Lower School Director, retired after 22 years at Pingry and a 47-year career in education. She and her husband moved to the Gaslamp District of San Diego to be near their son Tomo ’03 and his wife, whose first child is due this fall. Mrs. Gibson joined Pingry as a fourth-grade teacher, but soon transitioned to sixth-grade English. Upon being asked to become Assistant Lower School Director, she taught fifth-grade essay writing, poetry, and realistic fiction —even with her administrative commitments, her schedule allowed her to

teach one day in each six-day schedule cycle (days named for each letter in “PINGRY”). Her main responsibility in the Assistant Director position was to oversee the curriculum, research trends, and be aware of the best teaching practices for the 21st century—a fitting tie-in to her work as Co-Chair of the Pedagogy subcommittee during Pingry’s Curriculum Review. She received the Herbert F. Hahn Junior Faculty Award (1999), The Albert W. Booth Master Chair (2002), and the Senior Class Faculty Chair (2009).

“My favorite role was as an observer/ advocate who knew the students as learners and complicated social beings from their admissions visits until I read their names at [Moving Up Day],” Mrs. Gibson says. “I had the privilege and perspective of watching them overcome shyness, take an intellectual risk, make a new friend, and develop empathy and organization because of the incredible expertise and patience of my Short Hills colleagues.” Other memories?

Collaborating with teachers, the ingenuity of STEAM projects, the focus of young musicians, and “crossing the stone bridge with startling lines of student poetry humming in my head at the end of a long day.”

Phil Gratwick, Upper School history teacher for 14 years, is teaching Upper School history at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale; his son Peter, who was a member of Pingry’s Class of 2024, is attending Pine Crest. At Pingry, Mr. Gratwick taught American Society and Culture, AP U.S. History, World History 9, and World History 10, coached Middle School boys’ tennis and coed Cross Country, and served as faculty advisor to the Model Congress Club. “My wife Marina and I, having lived in Russia for two years before moving to New Jersey, really want to experience life outside the Northeast,” he says. “We are excited to explore a new part of the country.”

Evelyn Kastl, Middle School English teacher, retired after 47 years at Pingry.

She joined Pingry through the merger with Short Hills Country Day School, and her versatility enabled her to teach a variety of age levels and subjects,

including Grade 1, Grade 7 Language Arts, Grade 8 English, Reading Comprehension, and Computers. At one time, she was also the Supervisor for K-3. In the late 1980s, Mrs. Kastl commuted between Pingry’s two campuses to teach computers and English, until she took on English 8 and English 9 (four sections total) in 1990.

That arrangement continued until 2007, when The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School opened, at which time Mrs. Kastl decided to become a dedicated Middle School English teacher (Grade 8, specifically) because of her comfort level with younger students.

Involved with community service focused on special-needs children, she also managed Pingry’s collaboration with ECLC of New Jersey (Education, Careers & Lifelong Community; formerly Early Childhood Learning Center) for 15 years. In 2007, she received The Albert W. Booth Master Chair.

“It was a great 47 years—I enjoyed every minute of it, and I am reluctantly giving up my third seat at Convocation!”

Mrs. Kastl says, referring to her position behind Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 and Manny Tramontana P ’85, ’87 at the School’s annual opening ceremony. “The Middle School is a very special place. Everybody cares about each other.

It has been home to me for a lot of years and got me through some very tough times, including the illness and death of my husband. Pingry was my safe spot.”

She thrived in the Middle School for other reasons, too. “Teaching in the Middle School kept me young because my mind stayed active. I was challenged every day by new questions and perspectives. I also read about what I taught, so my message came from what I know. Lesson plans became engraved in me. My teaching evolved because of interactions with students.”

Mrs. Kastl, who co-owns an antique shop in Pennsylvania with her sister, is staying in New Jersey and plans to spend Saturdays watching her grandson play soccer at Loyola University. She also plans to read to students at St. Justine’s Preschool, which is under the leadership of one of her former students, Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20.

Ariana King ’11, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations for one year, is pursuing new opportunities.

Katie Kutney, Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship for twoand-a-half years, moved to Massachusetts to become Associate Director of Advancement for Berkshire School. For Pingry, she managed all donor communications, recognition, events, and reporting.

Judy Lee, Upper School math teacher for 31 years, retired from teaching math and coaching girls’ swimming, but she will continue to coach field hockey and plans to substitute in the Math Department.

During her three decades at Pingry, she taught nearly every Upper School math course—her assignments included Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, AP Calculus, Advanced Pre-Calculus (formerly known as Math Analysis), and various levels of Algebra. From 1992 to 1995, Mrs. Lee held The Edward G. Engel Chair for Mathematics and Science.

Mrs. Lee hit the ground running in 1985.

She was given four courses to teach and took on an extra course from another teacher, so she was responsible for five different classes and coaching field hockey. “That first month, I was full of doubts, but I had teaching experience, so I was in familiar territory. It became a really positive experience because I got to know 150 students in the first month! Having come from the public schools, I also loved the idea of Conference Period,” she says.

In the athletics arena, she fondly recalls the Varsity Field Hockey Team’s first state championship in 2000, a 4-0 shutout in the NJSIAA Group 1 final. “That process was challenging because of the teams they had to defeat, and the team they did beat [Gloucester] was incredibly strong.” The undefeated 2000 team (25-0, a season record) was ranked No. 2 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 and was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. The 1988 Field Hockey Team had been inducted in 2004.

Breanne Matloff, Major Gifts Officer since 2015, left Pingry after six years to become Senior Director of Development for JCC Manhattan (Jewish Community Center). She joined the School as Development Assistant to work on the Blueprint for the Future Campaign, became Campaign Manager in 2011, organized the Campaign launch that took place in October 2014, and transitioned to major gifts in 2015. “It was an amazing six years working at the School and getting to know the community. I felt fortunate to see the community rally around the Campaign effort,” she says. Pingry supported her graduate work in Public and Organizational Relations at Montclair State University.

John Murray ’65 retired after seven years as a Middle School English teacher and coach, concluding a 27-year teaching career. He has relocated to Bluffton, South Carolina and is being sought after for his lacrosse coaching prowess at the local high school. “John was single-minded in his desire to produce ‘thinkers’—not just readers and writers,” says Phil Cox. “John spent many mornings and afternoons conferencing with students over papers.

He never let children submit papers that reflected less than their best work. And in the true Country Day philosophy, he was a teacher on the field as well, exhorting his boys to work hard, play fair, and leave it all on the field.”

Dr. Michele Parvensky, Upper School Chemistry and Honors Chemistry teacher, retired after 31 years at Pingry. She was also an assistant coach for Middle School Track and Field for nearly 15 years. The School benefited from Dr. Parvensky’s interest in Indian culture, which took shape while she was attending graduate school in Utah. To increase Pingry’s awareness of Native Americans, she initiated the Native American Club, served as its advisor for many years, and took students to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for community service during Spring Break.

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“It was an extremely positive experience for the kids, and a lot of work for me, but it was worth it,” Dr. Parvensky says. Under her guidance, Pingry students adopted two families from the reservation, raised money and collected clothing for them, and exchanged letters with the families to facilitate cultural learning. In addition, Pingry held the popular Native American Food Day each year, and Dr. Parvensky published the monthly newsletter Eyapaha (“herald” or “crier” in Lakota) to present information and perspectives about Native Americans.

Outside the classroom, Dr. Parvensky was committed to attending conferences and sharing new techniques with the Science Department. She won the McClelland Fellowship for the top independent study project among independent school teachers in New Jersey, and was one of 26 teachers out of several hundred applicants to be accepted into the Woodrow Wilson Institute for Environmental Chemistry at Princeton University. She took her chemistry students to Franklin Elementary School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania for their annual “Science Day”—the Pingry students helped Franklin’s third-grade students perform experiments and then presented a “demonstration show” with Franklin students as volunteers. “Both groups had a blast,” Dr. Parvensky recalls. She also managed the Merck State Science Day competition for many years, and her Honors Chemistry students competed in the NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) Chemistry Olympics, making Pingry the only independent school to compete against some of the largest public schools in the state—with several first-place finishes.

Payal Patel, Upper School math teacher for two years, got married this summer and moved to upstate New York, where her spouse joined Colgate University. She plans to create resources for math students and continue to work on her research of math education. At Pingry, she was also involved with Middle School yoga, the Middle School Science Olympiad, and the Mindful Awareness program.

John Pratt, Chief Operating Officer since 2012, left Pingry after 19 years to assume the position of Director of Finance at The 42

THE PINGRY REVIEW

Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, New Jersey. In his most recent role at Pingry, Mr. Pratt provided oversight on regulatory and legal compliance, pension plan administration, transportation, insurance, and risk assessment and management, and worked with the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees to manage the School’s endowment portfolio. He joined Pingry in 1997 after 13 years of providing the School with auditing and accounting services in his role with Suplee, Clooney & Company, Certified Public Accountants.

His first position was Senior Accountant, responsible for financial reporting related to the $45 million Campaign for Pingry.

He later held the positions of Controller (overseeing the School’s finance and accounting and daily operation of the Business Office) and Chief Financial Officer (overseeing all aspects of the School’s financial and general operations). While at Pingry, Mr. Pratt was involved with and oversaw a number of major undertakings, including The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School, The John Taylor Babbitt ’07 Memorial Field, and the renovation of the clock tower.

––––––––––––– Shelby Bartlett ’08 is on leave for the 2016-17 school year to purse a master’s degree as a Klingenstein Fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is focusing on student leadership development in the Upper School.

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Head Coach Transitions BOYS’ VARSITY ICE HOCKEY John “Mags” Magadini stepped down after a 20-year tenure, a record of 213-195-42, two Skyland Conference Championships (2011 and 2012), multiple “Coach of the Year” honors, and inductions into the New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame (2012) and New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame (2013). Many of his players earned “Player of the Year” and scholar-athlete awards and went on to play at the collegiate level. He will continue to be involved with Pingry’s team as Emeritus Head Coach.

Scott Garrow, assistant coach for the 2015-16 season, will succeed Coach Magadini while continuing his roles as assistant coach of boys’ freshman soccer and JV lacrosse. He was a four-year varsity ice hockey player at Western Michigan University, serving as assistant captain his senior year, setting a school record by playing in 161 consecutive games, and receiving the team’s Catherine Lawson Sportsmanship Award. He then spent 20 years as an assistant coach for a number of Division I programs, including Western Michigan, Cornell University, and Princeton University. While at Cornell, he helped Big Red to six NCAA tournament appearances, four ECAC championships, and four Ivy League titles. Most recently, during his second season at Princeton, three players were named All-Ivy, one All-ECAC, and five of its six seniors played professionally after the conclusion of the season, two signing NHL contracts.

GIRLS’ VARSITY ICE HOCKEY Sean McAnally stepped down after 19 years with the team, six as assistant coach and 13 as head coach. Having grown up playing ice hockey in Edmonton, Alberta, he brought his passion for the sport to Pingry and was devoted to the team and to helping the girls improve their game. Because Pingry is one of a handful of schools in the area to offer a varsity ice hockey program, Big Blue was fortunate to benefit from his skills in and zeal for the sport.

Kate Whitman Annis P ’23, ’23, assistant coach for the 2015-16 season, will succeed Coach McAnally, with many years of playing and coaching on her résumé. She competed and coached at Essex Hunt Club and the Bridgewater Sports Arena, played at Deerfield Academy, and was recruited to Wesleyan University, where she helped to lead the Cardinals to three “Little Three” conference titles over Williams and Amherst. From 2012 to 2015, when her family lived abroad, she skated with the Jayhawks, a Flemish men’s team in Leuven, Belgium. Passionate about the sport, she continues to skate at Essex and

with a women’s league in Somerset. She is going to focus the team on developing good skills and habits during the season.

program. Coach Molinaro is also a personal trainer and regional manager for Dynasty Sports Training.

GIRLS’ VARSITY SOCCER

GIRLS’ VARSITY SWIMMING

Andrew Egginton stepped down after a 15-year tenure during which he led his teams to a record of 246-49-17, six NJSIAA state championships, five Somerset County Championships (finalists 11 times, including 10 in a row at one point), and 11 conference championships. The 2004-05 team received the top state ranking by The Star-Ledger, three of his players earned high school All-American status, and many more have pursued the sport at top Division I and III colleges and universities across the country. On four separate occasions, he was selected as the North II “Coach of the Year,” and he was named NJGSCA “State Coach of the Year” (2006), NJSIAA “Coach of the Year” (2006), and NSCAA “Regional Coach of the Year” (2007).

Judy Lee stepped down after 29 seasons (at one point in the mid-1990s, she coached both the girls and the boys), five Non-Public State Championships, five Prep “A” Division Championships, three Conference Championships, and induction into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame. She plans to continue as Big Blue’s Field Hockey Coach, obtain an officiating certification in swimming, and continue to swim on the master’s circuit.

Lauren Molinaro, Head Coach of the Girls’ JV Soccer Team in 2014 and 2015, succeeds Coach Egginton. A standout at the collegiate level, she was recruited by the University of Connecticut, competed in the NCAA National Championship finals her freshman year, and was captain of the team her senior year. While a junior, she was invited to play in the Pan American Games with the U21 National Team, which won the gold medal. After college, she was drafted by the Bay Area Cyber Rays, the first professional women’s soccer league, but suffered a broken leg during preseason. Finding herself at a crossroads, she returned to UConn to pursue a master’s degree in education while playing semi-professionally for the Western Mass Pioneers (2004-2005) and New England Mutiny (2006-2010). Along with many player development and national youth soccer camp coaching roles she assumed over the span of a decade, she coached the girls’ varsity soccer team at Manchester High School (Manchester, Connecticut) for four seasons (2004, 2005, 2009, 2010) and later became Head Coach for the Mutiny. From 2006 to 2008, she served as Assistant Coach for the girls’ varsity soccer team at the University of Rhode Island, then helped to launch Texas A&M’s Division I women’s soccer

Deirdre O’Mara P ’17, ’19, ’21, an assistant varsity coach on and off for many years since she began teaching at Pingry in 1995, is succeeding Coach Lee. She has also led the Middle School team and served as all-around pinch-hit head coach when needed. In addition to coaching together, Coach Lee and Coach O’Mara have been competing together on the master’s circuit at Berkeley Aquatic Club for many years. Now, Coach O’Mara is at the helm of a serious—and seriously competitive—swim program (Big Blue swimmers practice six days each week, two hours per day). In addition to her own competitive swimming and coaching experiences, her passion for swimming is a family affair: her daughter Grace ’19 joined the team last year as a freshman, and her older daughter Claire ’17, a standout swimmer for Berkeley Aquatic Club, competed in the Olympic Trials this summer in the 200-freestyle.

GIRLS’ AND BOYS’ VARSITY TENNIS Marion Weber, the assistant coach since 2011 and an NFHS Certified Interscholastic Coach, is the new head coach, succeeding Jhon Diaz. A professional tennis coach who organizes and leads a variety of clinics, leagues, and tennis programs, Coach Weber was a top singles and doubles player on the junior circuit and a professional tour player prior to coaching. With over 30 years of experience, she incorporates mechanics, strategy, and mental aspects of the game into her coaching, encouraging players to develop their own styles and strengths.

Faculty News Middle School visual arts teacher Jane Kunzman published a children’s book this fall (read more on page 70) and was the subject of a solo exhibit, “Jane Kunzman: Water and Words,” in the Caldwell University Art Therapy Gallery.

The exhibit’s title was taken from the combination of her watercolors and hand-lettering pages (done in Gouache, which are opaque watercolors).

Music Man by Russell Christian.

Lower School visual arts teacher Russell Christian presented his work in three exhibits this fall. At the South Orange Performing Arts Center, he displayed two framed works in an exhibition titled “POL!T!CO: Art & The Humanities,” which explored the intersection of art and politics. Mr. Christian was one of three artists in the show “Un-Common-Place” at the Domareki Gallery at Columbia High School, Maplewood, presenting 65 flat works in various media, “salon-style.” Third, he presented several small paintings on paper in the Contemporary Artists Forum Exhibition at Maplewood Arts Center.

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Faculty Awards and Chairs Knowing that a strong faculty is key to the School’s reputation for excellence and honor, Pingry places a high value on the professional development of its teachers. The School enables its faculty to attend conferences and workshops, make educational trips, pursue advanced degrees, conduct research, and learn skills to enhance current courses or develop new ones, among other professional growth activities.

With the following endowed award funds, generous donors seek to encourage excellent teaching and recognize teachers’ contributions to the School. The following awards were presented in June 2016; two three-year Chairs are still held.

Albert W. Booth Master Chair Established in 1993 by a group of donors and first awarded in 1995 to honor one of Pingry’s beloved master teachers, Albert “Albie” Booth, whose Pingry career spanned 64 years.

This chair is awarded to a faculty member from any department who has taught at Pingry for at least five years and who reflects those qualities of honor, integrity, idealism, dedication to students, and reverence for scholarship that defined Mr. Booth’s life and work.

2016 – 2017

Pingry’s first endowed Chair, established in 1984 by the Engel family and first awarded in 1989.

This chair is awarded to a faculty member in the Mathematics or Science Department who has taught at Pingry for at least five years and who has made a significant contribution to the life of the School outside the classroom.

2014 – 2017

William Bourne

Ann Dickerson

Science (Upper School)

2016 – 2017

b

German and English (Upper School)

Patricia Euwer Grade 3 (Lower School)

b The David B. Buffum Faculty Chair Established in 1998 by the late Henry H. Hoyt, Jr. ’45 and first awarded in 2005 to honor David B. Buffum, whom Mr. Hoyt called “the best teacher I had in school or college.”

This chair is awarded to an outstanding faculty member in the History Department who embodies Mr. Buffum’s dedication to and love of education and history at Pingry.

2016 – 2019

Mark Facciani History (Middle School)

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Edward G. Engel Chair for Mathematics and Science

The Pingry Review

The Woodruff J. English Faculty Endowment Fund Established in 1996 by the English family and first awarded in 1997.

In addition to embodying the spirit of the Honor Code personally and professionally and reflecting and instilling the Code’s ideals in his or her interaction with others, the recipient should be a teacher who instills the love of learning for learning’s sake and has a commitment to living the Honor Code’s ideals for their intrinsic worth and not for his or her own personal gain.

Herbert F. Hahn Junior Faculty Award Established in 1992 by a group of donors and first awarded in 1993.

This award is given to encourage young, experienced teachers to stay in teaching.

It recognizes good teaching, the successful performance of multiple extracurricular responsibilities, and other informal efforts with Pingry students. The intent is to reward those young teachers who best personify the Country Day School philosophy.

2016 – 2017

Jason Murdock History (Middle School) 2016 – 2017

Rebecca Sullivan Visual Arts (Upper School)

b E. Murray Todd Faculty Chair Established in 1986 by a gift from Mr. Todd’s estate and first awarded in 1989.

2016 – 2017

This chair is awarded to a faculty member from any department who has taught at Pingry for at least five years and who has shown extraordinary dedication to our students.

Educational Technology Specialist (Lower School)

Stephanie Romankow

Jill Driscoll 2016 – 2017

Dr. Megan Jones History (Upper School)

2016 – 2019

Drama (Middle and Upper Schools)

The Norman B. Tomlinson, Jr. Chair for History and Literature

Senior Class Faculty Chair

ESTABLISHED IN 1989 BY MR. TOMLINSON AND FIRST AWARDED IN 1989.

This chair is awarded to honor a distinguished teacher and provide a stipend to provide professional and curricular development in his/her discipline.

This chair is awarded to a faculty member in the humanities who has taught at Pingry for at least five years and who has made a significant contribution to the life of the School outside the classroom.

2014 – 2017

JUDITH LEBOWITZ English (Upper School)

b The James P. Whitlock, Jr. ’60 Faculty Development Fund for the Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology ESTABLISHED IN 2005 BY DR. WHITLOCK AND FIRST AWARDED IN 2007, TO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR TEACHERS WHO FOSTER SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AND WHO CREATIVELY INTEGRATE MATH, NATURAL SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. DR. WHITLOCK BELIEVES THAT UNDERSTANDING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS CRITICAL TO MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS THAT AFFECT OUR FUTURE. This award recognizes outstanding teachers in the disciplines of natural sciences, mathematics, and technology.

2016 – 2017

AYE THUZAR

Computer Science and Mathematics (Upper School)

ESTABLISHED IN 2000 BY A GROUP OF DONORS AND FIRST AWARDED IN 2007.

2016 – 2017

DOUGLAS SCOTT

Physical Education & Strength and Conditioning (Upper School)

b

The Greig Family Endowed Faculty Chair ESTABLISHED IN 2011 BY THE GREIG FAMILY AND FIRST AWARDED IN JUNE 2015.

This chair is awarded to a faculty member who has been at Pingry for at least five years in recognition of his/her excellence in both teaching and coaching. The intent is to honor those teachers who best exemplify the Pingry philosophy of educating students both in and out of the classroom. The award should not only recognize exceptional teaching, but also reward those teachers who dedicate themselves as a coach in the Upper School, with a preference for a head coach, but who may coach in any capacity, including as the head coach of a sport in the Middle School.

2016 – 2017

MICHAEL WEBSTER

(Middle School history and Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse)

Blueprint for the Future Campaign Yields New Faculty Award Funds Ittycheria Computer Science Endowment Fund ESTABLISHED IN 2016 BY DEV C. ITTYCHERIA TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN FACULTY AND COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS TO ENHANCE CURRICULUM THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY CODING PROJECTS.

b

The Wilf Family Collaborative Learning and Innovation Fund ESTABLISHED IN 2011 BY THE WILF FAMILY TO PROVIDE ANNUAL STIPENDS AND TRAVEL AND RELATED PROGRAM EXPENSES TO COLLABORATIVE TEAMS OF FACULTY CHOSEN TO RESEARCH INNOVATIVE LEARNING METHODS FOR NEW AND EXCITING CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS.

b

The Chen Family Faculty Award for World Languages ESTABLISHED IN 2015 BY BECKY AND DANIEL CHEN TO RECOGNIZE ONE FACULTY MEMBER EACH YEAR WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING A WORLD LANGUAGE, WITH A PREFERENCE GIVEN TO FACULTY MEMBERS WHO TEACH MANDARIN.

b

The John “Mags” Magadini Varsity Boys’ Ice Hockey Coaching Position ESTABLISHED IN 2016 BY A GROUP OF DONORS TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF JOHN “MAGS” MAGADINI AS THE HEAD COACH OF THE BOYS’ ICE HOCKEY TEAM FROM 1996 TO 2016. PINGRY’S FIRST ENDOWED COACHING POSITION, THE AWARD SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE VARSITY BOYS’ ICE HOCKEY COACH EACH YEAR.

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In Summer Fellowships, Perspectives on Slavery and the Benefits of Learning Chinese Summer fellowships provide professional growth opportunities for teachers, which, in turn, translate to enhanced learning experiences for students. Pingry remains grateful to the donors whose generous funding helps make these fellowships possible.

Christine Taylor

Connecting the Slave Trade with American Literature An occasional teacher of American Literature, a Pingry course that opens with Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, English Department Chair Christine Taylor wanted to learn more about slave history and the slave trade. With that motivation, and to supplement her studies of Pan-African history when she was an undergraduate student at Drew University, she traveled to Ghana’s coast to visit sites that were involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Specifically, Ms. Taylor toured historic slave castles and fortresses, structures that were built several hundred years ago to house slaves during the trade.

Ms. Taylor reports that they are wellmaintained in the government’s attempt to encourage Ghanaians and tourists to interact with the past. On her list were Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, which she calls “the largest and best-maintained of the slave castles on Ghana’s coast. They resemble forts with holding cells.”

She also spent time at national landmarks such as the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture.

Through her experience, Ms. Taylor also learned how Ghanaians relate to the slave trade as part of their cultural history. “There is a general sense of ‘feeling taken advantage of’ and a bit of guilt from having, in the very beginning, participated in the trade.

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During her trip to Ghana, Christine Taylor visited the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture.

The celebration of independence [from Great Britain in 1957] is a pretty big deal for them.” What she didn’t expect was the country’s promotion of Pan-Africanism. “Ghanaians are trying to connect with people in other places of the world who share their cultural heritage. This idea of having a diasporic vision and approach is really important. There should be more discussions about the importance of connections among countries.”

Back at Pingry, when she next teaches Frederick Douglass’s narrative, Ms. Taylor can give her students better context for the importance of that work and other similar narratives and poems about slavery. “History isn’t over,” she says, “but something we need to interact with every day because it informs what we do today.”

Weiwei Yu P ’23, ’26

What Are the Benefits of Learning Chinese?

Always eager to show her students how to apply the knowledge they learn in class, Upper School Mandarin teacher Weiwei Yu sought to answer this question. Yet, rather than providing abstract ideas about why Chinese is useful, Ms. Yu went a step further—conducting interviews to find actual examples of how people use Chinese in their professional lives, and, specifically, how proficiency in Chinese boosted their career prospects.

Interviewees included high school teachers, college professors, entertainers, advertisers, founders of travel agencies, CEOs, Ph.D. students studying linguistics, and people whose work promotes the relationship between China and the United States. “One person is a mechanical engineer who works in the U.S. and expanded his company to China. He emphasized that being able to communicate in Chinese helps to network and build business relationships with people he would otherwise not have access to and ultimately leads to bringing in more work for the company,” Ms. Yu relates. “I found that, for some jobs, learning Chinese is a prerequisite. For other jobs, it either helps people to broaden their knowledge related to their professions or helps people connect with their co-workers on a deeper level.”

Ms. Yu also plans to include details about well-known figures who are not accessible, perhaps Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or the Prime Minister of Australia. Even though she believes the project should continue, Ms. Yu’s goal is to share these profiles in class. Those who are interested in sharing their experiences using Chinese professionally, or who can recommend others to be profiled, are encouraged to contact Ms. Yu at wyu@pingry.org.

Global Programs Take Students to Costa Rica and Central Europe Twenty students traveled to different parts of the world this summer, building a playground, touring the world’s only carbon-neutral coffee company, and studying graffiti as political expression, among other eye-opening experiences.

Costa Rica Thirteen Middle School students, led

by Middle School Dean of Students Barrington Fulton and Upper School English teacher Eleanor Lear P ’25, ’27, traveled to the Talamanca Mountain region. Part service-learning, part cultural immersion, the trip engaged students in the richness of Costa Rican life.

Students were paired with homestay families, many of whom didn’t speak English, and ate lunch with them daily.

The group’s primary destination was Santa Maria de Dota, where they stayed in cabinas and helped construct a playground for the town’s elementary school; before they left for their trip, the Middle School students raised over $1,600 to help provide materials for the new play space. When they weren’t laying cement for the new playground, they were learning Spanish and soccer tricks from the schoolchildren. They also got a firsthand look at Costa Rica’s biodiversity and the eco-friendly practices the country works so hard to maintain. A tour of the Coopedota coffee factory (a cooperative), which repurposes its coffee bean husks into fuel to power the roasting machines, taught the students about carbon footprints. They also toured a banana plantation and planted fruit tree

saplings in a nearby rainforest—another strategy to offset carbon emissions.

“My biggest takeaway was witnessing the way in which, as their town thrived on the normally so-environmentally destructive coffee industry, the people of Santa Maria de Dota managed to stay true to and preserve the rich biodiversity and natural splendor of the mountains,” remarks Natalie DeVito ’22. “I was impressed with the effort Coopedota had gone to in order to make their factory completely carbon-neutral and sustainable for the environment. I was also excited by the windmills dotted around the countryside, showing the effort Costa Rica was making to switch their country to sustainable energy.”

Beyond the Wall Two years ago, Upper School history teacher Dr. Megan Jones used a summer fellowship to visit Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Struck by the way in which the shared Communist history of these countries is told differently through their monuments, museums, and memorials, she planned a student trip. “Communism is such a dominant force in 20th-century world history, but high school kids today, born after the Berlin Wall fell, have a hard time understanding it,” she says. “I thought this would

Students in Costa Rica, showing off their artwork created completely from recycled materials. They are joined by World Leadership School trip leaders.

be a really interesting, experiential trip for them to widen the classroom lens and see how people reacted to Communism and how they talk about it now.”

So, “Beyond the Wall” was born, a sevenstudent voyage through Berlin, Prague, and Budapest; Germany was added in place of Poland because, Dr. Jones argued, the Berlin Wall perfectly symbolizes the divide between Eastern and Western Europe and provides a look at the history of fascism. Led by Dr. Jones and fellow history teacher Julia Dunbar, students were asked to compare how each city commemorates its Communist past. “We wanted to be travelers, not tourists,” Dr. Jones says. “We weren’t just going to see the places, but to investigate historical questions.”

In Berlin, they visited a section of the Wall known as the East Side Gallery, where artwork—detailed paintings and graffiti—has been a common vehicle for political expression. While viewing a World War II memorial built in 2014, the students’ guide in Budapest, a political science professor, told them about the protests surrounding its erection, as many felt it didn’t acknowledge Hungary’s complicity in fascism. “I think the students came to understand that history is contested. It’s not just a single narrative in a textbook,” Dr. Jones says.

Traveling to Europe a few months after Budapest’s train station was flooded with Syrian migrants, and a few weeks after Turkey’s uprising, the students recognized the current political unrest.

Myla Stovall ’17 comments, “Being able to go on a Pingry trip that focused on the history and politics of a country was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Students on the terrace of Buda Castle, overlooking the Danube River in Budapest: Myla Stovall ’17, Isabel Giordano ’18, Kiara Smith ’17, Aidan Dillon ’18, Ish McLaughlin ’18, Darlene Fung ’19, and Kayla Thau ’17.

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Academic Support Expands to Lower School For 10 years, Pingry has offered academic support for all Middle and Upper School students who need help improving their learning skills. Now, Lower School students can benefit, too.

“It’s such an important service that it’s being extended. Parents with children in the Middle and Upper Schools, who often have children in the Lower School, have benefited from consultations and asked for academic support in the Lower School as well. This is a good thing because we now have another resource to help students reach their fullest potential in the classroom,” says Director of Academic Support Services Dr. Martha Torres P ’03, ’10, a psychologist and educational therapist whose work is based on cognitive science research. “The earlier that students learn how to learn, the better. If there are challenges, they are identified and addressed in a timely manner by a person who can talk to students, teachers, and parents. We want to give students the best possible education.”

Dr. Torres’ counterpart on the Short Hills Campus is Middle School Counselor Dr. Alyssa Johns, who will continue to serve as Middle School Counselor while

Common Types of Academic Support Teaching: • Learning mindset • Metacognitive skills for learning and studying • Organizational tips • Time management spending time at the Lower School.

“We now have someone qualified to do this work,” says Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02. “Alyssa has expertise in working with students and parents and expertise in education.

She complements what is already being done in the classrooms, and it’s an important resource that teachers didn’t have before—someone who is equipped to help them.”

Appointed to the faculty in 2015, Dr. Johns earned a master’s degree in Psychology at New York University and a doctorate in School Psychology at Rutgers’ Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, and has worked in settings that range from prestigious medical centers to schools. Her training

focuses on mental health, learning, and behavior. Dr. Johns will not only help expand a valuable service, but also ensure a smooth transition from Lower to Middle School because she knows the expectations for Grade 6. “I am excited to help Lower School students succeed. This is a collaborative process, and parents are part of it, so I encourage all families to reach out if they have questions,” Dr. Johns says.

Pingry has the same process for academic support on both campuses. Students, parents, teachers, Dr. Torres and/or Dr. Johns, and other relevant experts discuss the challenges and possible solutions, and Academic Support Services follows up to see if the recommendations have worked. If necessary, those involved try a different plan, and the School can recommend outside support.

“Kids learn best in different ways,” Mr. Corvino adds, “and we’re trying to increase the tools in our toolbox.”

Parents who have questions or concerns are encouraged to reach out for a consultation. Similarly, if students realize they are having trouble, they should request guidance instead of trying to solve the problem themselves.

Grade 6 “Retreats” to Discuss the Honor Code Following Pingry tradition, Middle School kicks off each school year with unique learning experiences, including off-site trips, before the formal start of classes. This year, for the first time, Grade 6 experienced a three-day, on-campus retreat, with interactive group activities and workshops centered around the Honor Code.

“In the past, the only time Middle Schoolers spoke about the Honor Code was for 10 minutes before they signed it,” says Middle School math teacher and retreat coordinator Nicole Cabral.

“They know why they’re signing it, but they don’t really think about it. They’re going to be living it until senior year— and, hopefully, the rest of their lives— so we really wanted them to explore it more deeply.” This was a tall order: make learning about the Honor Code 48

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fun and exciting, and teach it in such a way that 92 students—one-third of whom are new to Pingry—will retain the information.

Honor Code, part of a larger workshop on responsible use of social media. “It is important to give students practice using digital devices in a constructive manner, considering the importance of social media to their lives,” says Dr. Megan Jones, Pingry’s Educational Technology and Innovation Coordinator.

“We wanted to give them an activity that allowed for creativity, but in a supervised manner. Students thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming a story on the fly and filming their actions.”

So, in three packed days, sixth-grade students learned about the history of the Honor Code, gathered in small groups to redefine it in their own words, and role-played a number of scenarios.

Among the activities was a video competition (judged by Middle School student government) to illustrate the

All in all, the retreat was well received

by Pingry’s new class of sixth-grade students. “It really created a strong bond among all of my classmates,” says Maddie Humphreys ’23. Her classmate Ava Kotsen ’23 agrees. “My takeaway was that, with teamwork and the aid of your peers, anything is possible.”

The Halls Are Alive with the Sound of Taiko A simple suggestion from a college professor made an enormous difference for Upper School math teacher Chris Leone, which, in turn, has brought a new sound to Pingry.

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“It’s nice to find a new way to express yourself, and taiko drumming gave me a taste of a different culture. Mr. Leone turned kids who didn’t know how to use drumsticks into kids who could play and choreograph a song.”

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Annie Leithead ’19

––––––––––––– “I’ve always enjoyed performing, having been in theatre, chorus, and jazz band during high school. This has given me a more unique creative outlet where I could express myself in ways I couldn’t before. It’s helped to give my life more focus,” he says. “This” refers to Japanese taiko drumming (“taiko” means “drum”), to which Mr. Leone was introduced while taking a global music course at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ); to help him complete a project, the professor suggested a performance by a Japanese drumming group.

“It blew me away,” Mr. Leone relates.

“I loved the energy and raw intensity of the players. Instead of listening, I could feel the rhythm in my body. And it wasn’t just people hitting a drum on stage—

An Earth Day drumming party at the campsite in April. Coincidentally, in Japan, taiko are traditionally constructed from a single piece of a tree—“a lot of beauty within the craftsmanship,” in Chris Leone’s words.

In North America, it is more feasible to make the drums from refurbished wine barrels.

there was a lot of movement and choreography. It felt like an all-encompassing art form. I was getting an adrenaline rush watching them perform.”

When he began playing with his college group, TCNJ Taiko, Mr. Leone’s body position and arm movements felt unnatural, but the drumming eventually became more second-nature, especially after he attended an intercollegiate taiko conference. “To do it well, it takes time and practice. You’re not in a stance for the sake of ‘being in a stance’—there is a reason for every position. You’re planting your feet for a solid foundation, your core is centered for your balance, and the movement of your arms allows you to hit the drum powerfully without putting too much stress on the arm muscles.”

A performance of “Raku” at A Taste of Pingry in May. The piece usually features three people rotating around a drum, but there were four students at A Taste of Pingry and two for a performance during an Upper School Morning Meeting in September. Also featured is a shinobue, a traditional Japanese flute made from bamboo.

The vocalizations in “Raku” are Japanese syllables—random shouting meant to convey energy.

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“I was a drummer before coming to Pingry, and learning taiko put me back into the music scene. I was able to perform at A Taste of Pingry and feel the pride that comes with a successful endeavor.”

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Thomas Campbell ’19, leader of Taiko Drumming Club

––––––––––––– Last year, Mr. Leone enthusiastically introduced taiko to Pingry, and students embraced it in workshops, performances at School events (A Taste of Pingry, an Earth Day drumming party at the campsite, and Chinese lion drumming at the Lunar New Year Celebration), even a mention in the Commencement speech by Matthew Newman ’16. Mr. Leone is grateful to former Upper School Director Dr. Denise Brown-Allen P ’13. “She really encouraged and supported my efforts to pursue sharing my passion with the Pingry community.” Mr. Leone owns one of the big drums; the School has rented, borrowed, or purchased others. His main challenge has been to find places for the group to practice because the drums are loud.

Now, with 2016-17 in full swing, student interest has led to taiko becoming an official club, music to Mr. Leone’s ears.

“I would like to see taiko become a performing group at Pingry, like the Buttondowns, Balladeers, or Jazz Band.

I will be beyond happy if that happens.”

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An Expert Teacher for Pingry’s Youngest Musicians Patty Finn playing a guitar in class is a familiar sight for Lower School students.

answer is the time she needs to write a song—about a half-hour.

Encircled by Kindergarten students, who fill the perimeter of a colorful rug, Lower School K-3 music teacher Patty Finn is holding up a pair of wooden rhythm sticks, one red and one blue. “What should I do with these?” she innocently asks the students, before demonstrating the sound they make when you tap them together…a dull sound if held tightly or a vibrating sound if held loosely. She even illustrates the concept of vibration by asking students to feel their throats while singing “Happy Birthday.” When they understand the idea of an object vibrating by moving back and forth, she continues, “Hold the sticks loose so you hear that ‘clickety-click’ sound.”

Mrs. Finn then initiates an activity in which each student has the chance to lead the stick tapping however he or she chooses in the moment—and Mrs. Finn smiles broadly at times, amused by the creativity. “You had so many interesting ideas. Sharing ideas is one way that you learn from each other,” she tells the group after every student has taken a turn.

So proceeds one of Mrs. Finn’s classes, in which she introduces music to the youngest learners. In doing so, she also uses the piano, sing-alongs, rhyming poems, and subtle introductions of musical words and ideas. For example, students are asked to assume the “rest” position (the aforementioned sticks are 50

The Pingry Review

placed on the floor, with the students’ hands in their laps), encouraged to “make it up” (improvise), and instructed to “follow the leader.”

Besides her teaching, Mrs. Finn is well known for composing music for School concerts, if she feels that a certain type of piece is needed, and she also writes music to supplement classroom studies.

“Teachers ask me to write a song if they have a subject they want kids to know facts about. So, I will say, ‘Give me the facts you want them to know,’ and I try to fit as many as I can. I get those requests two or three times each year.

I’ve recently written songs about dinosaurs, Alaska, Australia, and New Jersey.”

A fairly easy question for Mrs. Finn to

A more difficult question is where she gets her melodies. She looks up toward the ceiling, points, and laughs. “The cloud!” On a more serious note, she adds, “I sit at the piano and play around with it. It is like painting with sound, and writing music is very much like writing a story. You have an idea, equivalent to melody. You make an outline, equivalent to the introduction, repeated sections, counter-melody, endings, and so forth. You flesh it out, equivalent to harmony and instrumentation. Then, you embellish it, equivalent to dynamics and tempo changes, all the time keeping your audience in mind.”

In the realm of doing good for others, about 25 of Mrs. Finn’s pieces have been published in the teaching magazine Music K-8 for other educators’ use.

“I submit something if I think it’s fairly unique. The magazine owns what it publishes, so people are allowed to photocopy from it.” When asked if she is concerned about copyright for any of her work, Mrs. Finn shakes her head.

“It’s nice to see someone else use it. I’ve even searched for some of my songs on YouTube and seen other schools performing them—that’s awesome.”

In addition to composing, Mrs. Finn spends a lot of time arranging music to help students learn and play music more easily, especially to suit individual needs—she believes this approach is the basis of teaching. For example, she doesn’t think that lesson books are always good resources. “If a book is written with mixed instruments, students can play from the same book. But that’s not always the best approach for, say, a beginning flute player.” So, she will arrange a particular piece for a solo flute.

As director of the Handbell Choir for more than 30 years, Mrs. Finn constantly makes new arrangements of handbell music because the size of the ensemble changes from year to year,

and because the new players’ capabilities might not be the same. Timing can also necessitate a new arrangement—if an event is going to take place sooner than would be ideal, she can make the piece easier to perform to compensate for having less rehearsal time.

Ring in the New School Year with New Handbells

What is noteworthy about Mrs. Finn is her humility…even though she has been making arrangements for most of her life, she knows it is a subjective process. “Students are very intuitive.

If they change a note or two, and the next class does the same thing, you know they’re right.”

Although Mrs. Finn was an inexperienced handbell performer when Pingry hired her in 1984 (she took a course at Westminster Choir College the summer before she joined the faculty), she had other instruments firmly under her belt, including the piano (since age six), flute (age 11), guitar, harp, and bagpipes.

She frequently plays the flute at School concerts and the guitar during classes.

Mrs. Finn also composes music for a flute quartet with whom she plays every few weeks, and, continuing with an art form that she began in college, she paints landscapes at home, usually acrylic on canvas. She occasionally receives commissions.

More than anything, Mrs. Finn is inspired by Pingry students when she writes music. “The kids are the catalyst.

I love to hear them perform,” she says. Some of the performers in that Kindergarten class will probably grow up to be members of Pingry’s Upper School ensembles, reflecting about how Mrs. Finn started them on their musical paths.

Handbells “Spring” to Life A handbell contains a spring that prevents the clapper from randomly moving and making noise, so handbell players must use force to play the instrument— casual hand movements will not produce sound. For a louder sound, players make bigger circles with their arms; for a quieter sound, smaller circles.

Patty Finn leading the Handbell Choir at the Lower School Holiday Concert in December 2015.

Lower School handbell players can look forward to playing on a full set of new handbells when they reach Middle School, courtesy of Schulmerich Bells and its Chairman, Jonathan Goldstein ’89. The bells will be used by Middle School handbell classes as well as the student-driven Upper School Handbell Club.

With the shiny new bells, both groups will be able to perform in the Winter Festival. “Deck the Halls” and “Maoh Tzur,” two holiday favorites, will be played with a full octave and register, accompanying chorus, band, and strings.

The idea for the new bells began when Mr. Goldstein spotted the Handbell Club performing for the 2014 Winter Festival in the Fall 2015 issue of The Pingry Review. His keen eye noticed that the club was playing Malmark bells and generously offered to expand the program by donating a new set of Schulmerich bells. “I’m interested to hear the difference in sound quality,” Mr. Winston says.

“These are the top bell manufacturers in the country.” The donation also includes an extra octave of bells and, if it can be arranged, a tour of the factory in Hatfield, Pennsylvania for the students and club members.

Music students on the Basking Ridge Campus will receive the bells this fall, replacing an older set of bells. “A brand-new set of top-quality bells will allow the kids to really take pride in the instruments,” Mr. Winston says.

“Knowing that they are the inaugural class for the new bells will make the experience that much more special.”

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Student News later, she began rehearsing it at the performing arts camp she had been attending, French Woods Festival. Sixth months later, it was selected for presentation at a prestigious forum for emerging artists, the Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) in New York City. She was the youngest playwright in the festival by many years, and the musical ran for three sold-out nights at the end of July.

The Ambitions of Student Playwright Natalie Lifson ’17 Summer 2015, 4:00 in the morning: While Skyping with a friend/musical composer, and batting around ideas for monologues that captured “the most ridiculous situations we could think of,” Natalie Lifson ’17 came up with one that stuck: a chair that wanted people to stop sitting on it. “We thought the idea was hilarious,” she recalls. “So we decided to build a musical around it.”

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“The ultimate goal of a playwright is to make people feel things—to laugh, to cry, to invoke both in the span of 10 minutes.”

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Natalie Lifson ‘17

––––––––––––– Within three days, she had written the book, lyrics, and melody for Furniture: The Musical. (She evolved the concept into a quirky, modern riff on the “lives, loves, and interactions of the sentient pieces of furniture that live in a college freshman’s dorm room.”) Two weeks 52

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It was Natalie’s first professionallystaged musical, but hardly her first staged performance. Since the age of 12, the Pingry senior has been writing songs, stories, and plays. By her estimation, about 100 of her works have been published or staged, or have won awards. (Another of Natalie’s plays, Flight of Icarus, directed by Pingry’s Drama Department Chair Al Romano and starring classmates Stephen Hricko ’17 and Lucas Vazquez ’19, with props and set designed by Katherine Trejo ’17, also premiered at MITF last spring and won Best Play in their Short Play Lab.) Currently, Natalie has six works, including one musical, two one-act plays, and three films in various stages of production. (And Furniture: The Musical was just accepted into next summer’s The Strawberry Theatre Festival in midtown.)

Add to all this the seven Pingry classes, including drama and film, which she is taking this semester, and “busy” doesn’t begin to describe her schedule.

What was it like to see her first musical professionally staged? “Incredible,” she sighs. “The ultimate goal of a playwright is to make people feel things—to laugh, to cry, to invoke both in the span of 10 minutes. I remember watching the audience a lot for their reactions. That interaction is what I love about playwriting.

I love the aloneness that comes from writing and the collaboration that comes from producing.”

In addition to applying to the dramatic writing program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts this fall, for matriculation next year, screenwriting (both film and TV) and video are next up on Natalie’s growing list of undertakings. One day, she says, she would like to have a musical on Broadway, open her own production company, and be a showrunner for her own original television series.

Pingry looks forward to following her every step of the way.

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Kiara Smith ’17, Budding Anthropologist Nonverbal communication wasn’t a subject Kiara Smith ’17 knew much about. But for 25 weeks last school year, from mid-February through July, she became somewhat of an expert— so much so that she can now read facial and postural cues to tell when

someone is lying. She knows that differing social norms across countries—like handshakes versus cheek kissing—can flummox outsiders. She can also explain how the layout of spaces influences behavior and emotion, like the way in which the sharp angles, fluorescent lighting, and whiteness of hospitals can make people feel uncomfortable.

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––––––––––––– It was all thanks to Pioneer Academics, a competitive online learning program that she was selected to participate in last winter and spring. The program pairs promising high school students from around the world with professors at top-ranked American colleges and universities for a collaborative, researchbased educational experience. Based on her application, Kiara was matched with psychological anthropologist and Professor Emeritus at Hamilton College, Dr. Douglas Raybeck. One of Dr. Raybeck’s areas of expertise is social and cultural anthropology and nonverbal communication, and—via regular video seminars and mentoring—he shared his knowledge with Kiara and three other students in their group: two girls from China and a third from Istanbul. For the final, required research paper, Kiara observed children between the ages of three and five, in a variety of settings and across socio-cultural groups, to see how they establish respect (she used nonverbal communication cues to analyze the children’s behavior).

Academics aside, Kiara says the program was an eye-opening experience.

“Getting to know students from across the world and sharing our perspectives was so interesting. We had a lot more in common than I would have thought,” she remarks (a Chinese language student at Pingry, she had fun conversing

Learning about nonverbal communication across cultures, in the company of three international students, and from an expert in the field, made her more aware, she says. “I feel as if I’m not as biased of others anymore. I’m more receptive to all different kinds of people.” Her newfound understanding has already been put to the test at Pingry.

As a Peer Leader, she attended the freshman retreat at the start of the school year. When she spotted a new Pingry student, who had just arrived from China the day before, looking a bit lost, she knew the social and cultural norms—the nonverbal cues—that he was having to navigate. And she stepped in to help.

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Emily Stass ’21 Competes on Chopped Junior

By Yelena Salvador ’17 Have you ever eaten boar or heard of pig lollipops or limburger cheese?

Neither had Emily Stass ’21, who, after a video audition and Skype interview with the show’s executive producers, was selected to compete on the cooking show Chopped Junior, which aired on Tuesday, July 19. In just 30 minutes, she had to use the above ingredients to concoct an appetizer that celebrity chef judges would love.

“When I opened the first basket [its contents were revealed to her and her three fellow contestants just moments before the clock started ticking], I was really stressed out,” the eighth- grade student recalls. “Most of the ingredients I had to use were things I didn’t even know existed.” Despite cooking with unfamiliar ingredients under the time constraint, Emily was able to impress the

Credit: The Food Network

Learning about nonverbal communication across cultures, in the company of three international students, and from an expert in the field, made her more aware.

with the two girls from China).

Commenting on the student from Istanbul, and the political tumult occurring in Turkey at the time of the program, she notes, “Sometimes she wasn’t allowed to be online because she had to switch houses, or because women weren’t permitted to be on electronic devices certain days. We didn’t pry, but we would record our sessions and send them to her later so she could catch up.”

judges—actress Ali Larter, Food Network star Arnold Myint, and chef and restauranteur Chris Santos—and advance to the entrée round. (She was later “chopped,” or eliminated, after working valiantly with Branzino, liverwurst, kale, and purple potatoes.)

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“Most of the ingredients I had to use were things I didn’t even know existed.”

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Emily Stass ‘21

––––––––––––– Emily found her passion for cooking around the age of six, when she began helping her grandmother, who is part Italian and part Slovakian, cook pancakes, spaghetti and meatballs, and mac and cheese. She has since continued to practice her skills and now cooks for her family all the time.

Emily’s episode, entitled “Boared Silly,” was filmed in a single day last February.

She credits Pingry with helping her to work hard and push herself to try new things. “Everyone on the show was very friendly, and the atmosphere was laid back. We really helped each other stay focused and think of new ideas,” she says. “Although I didn’t win, I will never forget the experience.” And yes, she plans to continue cooking!

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In Their Own Words platform, my team created an app that connected students in boarding and private schools across the country.

Girls Who Code was a great summer experience and one that I will never forget. A summer program that I was originally unsure about quickly proved to be seven weeks of exploration and discovery. * In 2014, as an eighth-grade student, Alexis was named a finalist in the Warren Buffet-sponsored “Grow Your Own Business Challenge” for her EduPair idea.

Makerspace

By Lindsey Yu ’18

Alexis Elliot ’18 presenting her final project—an app named “Private Planner” that connects students in boarding and private schools across the country—at NJIT’s Girls Who Code summer program.

Girls Who Code

By Alexis Elliot ’18 The description of the Girls Who Code summer immersion program was something along the lines of, “A seven-week computer science program, in which high school girls learn to code and bond over the craft.” To me, that sounded awful! But, as a teen entrepreneur, I have learned that starting and running a business has no guidebook. You need to teach yourself the necessary skills. In my case, learning computer science was vital to the health of an online start-up business I created called EduPair,* a website platform that globally connects students through study tools.

During the last school year, I had to negotiate with computer programmers on how EduPair would be built.

Developers would constantly mention computer science terms such as Mongo DB or SSL Keys, which I would have to research extensively after our meetings.

Not understanding what was being put 54

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into the creation of my website was risky. When my mentor, Professor Leon Fraser from Rutgers University, told me about Girls Who Code, hosted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to learn more.

For six weeks last summer, I explored a different kind of jungle: the concrete jungle. As a student in The Cooper Union’s Summer STEM program, I woke up each morning to catch the 7 a.m. bus to Port Authority. Navigating the sweaty turns of the subway station, I would prepare myself for a long day of designing, coding, and presenting.

Cooper Union’s Makerspace program (one of its many STEM offerings), located in its Albert Nerken School of Engineering, supports high school sophomores and juniors in identifying a real-world problem that they would

For the first five weeks, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., I, along with the other girls in the program, learned six different coding languages—the basics of conditionals, loops, and variables. The last two weeks, we built our own platform.

Bonding with over 50 girls from so many different backgrounds and with many different talents was a priceless experience. But what I will hold onto the most from Girls Who Code was Final Project Week, the culminating project of the program. We had to build either an app, a robot, or a website using the languages learned during the first six weeks of the program, or a new language altogether. After extensively learning about Ruby on Rails, the coding language needed to build our

Lindsey Yu ’18 working in the pH lab to make a sensor probe for her invention.

like to solve, conceiving of an invention and prototyping it, presenting it weekly for critique, and filing a provisional patent application for it. As one of 25 students selected to participate in the Makerspace program, I was granted access to the school’s cutting-edge resources, ranging from plasma laser cutters to 3D printers.

On orientation day, we were challenged to “think outside the box” and come up with an innovative idea. Examples of farfetched inventions that previous participants had actually created inspired me to come up with my own creative idea: gardening and farming software that uses an accompanying probe to collect environmental conditions and an algorithm to determine which plants would best fit the user’s space. My objective was to optimize the planting process, so less-experienced gardeners and farmers can plan out a more efficient and sustainable garden.

On the second day, we pitched our ideas to the whole class and formed five teams. My teammates selected my idea for our group project, and now, operating under the software name “plantSTEM,” our team worked every day together to build a final product.

At the end of our time at The Cooper Union, we presented our final project in the Great Hall to all of our colleagues and teachers in the STEM program, standing on the same stage where Abraham Lincoln once delivered his Cooper Union speech.

College Application 101

By Yelena Salvador ’17 High school is a time of a lot of ups and downs. We have all succeeded and failed, whether in friendships, sports, or grades. But two of the most memorable experiences I think we will all recall when we are older are dating and the college process. What do they have to do with each other? Everything.

1. Know What You Want: When you’re searching for a date, you take some time to figure out what you’re looking for in a person. College is the same thing. Do your research and look for schools that can give you the opportunity to succeed. Make a list of what you’re looking for and start picking out potential schools.

2. Make A Good Impression: So you find a person you like, and you want to make a good impression. You know what you want to say to that person, and you go for it. The equivalent of this in the college process is getting your common application ready. If you make a mistake—slur your words when you’re talking to the person you like or get a few bad grades on your transcript—it’s ok. You don’t have to be perfect. Be yourself and give schools a sneak peek of who you really are (minus your transcript) through your personal statement.

3. Get to Know Each Other: Everything is going well and you start talking to the person you really like. You text a lot and maybe go out on a date or two. So this equates to getting a feel

for the colleges on your list—visiting them, sitting in on some classes, talking to people you know who go there, or meeting with alumni. This should be fun, because you get to know what it’s like on campus and you get the feel of whether or not you can see yourself thriving there for four years.

4. Make it Official: You like this person.

You got to know them, and you want to keep learning new things about them in a relationship. In the college process, this means applying somewhere. You can apply early or just stick to regular admission, but sending your application with all of the supplements to a college takes a lot of courage, because, like dating, rejection is always a possibility.

5. Other Fish in the Sea: Sometimes things don’t turn out your way. That’s life. Maybe the person you like doesn’t like you back and things just don’t work out. During the college process, we will likely all face rejection. But keep this in mind: “Why would I want to go to a place that doesn’t want me?”

6. Happy Ending: I believe that things work out for the best, whether it’s dating or applying to college. You can end up with the person you really liked, or you can end up with someone totally unexpected. Similarly, you can end up in the college you’ve always wanted, or you could be going somewhere you only recently discovered was a good fit. No matter where you think you want to go, keep an open mind. Everything will work out in the end, whatever your decision.

I hope to use the knowledge I gained at The Cooper Union last summer to continue to work on the invention more while at Pingry, with the help of some of the faculty and school technology. I also hope to bring some of my experience to GirlCode, the girls’ coding club I started with Jessica Li ’18 and Daria Fradkin ’16, and to the Student Tech Committee, for which I serve as the communications liaison.

Hopefully, I can turn my provisional patent application for plantSTEM into a more polished product and figure out exactly how I plan to get the idea out and used by the public.

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Athletics

BIG BLUE ROUNDUP Spring 2016

Baseball: 15-10 Skyland Conference/Mountain Division: 3rd place Skyland Conference All-Conference/Mountain Division: Jack Laurent, Carson McLaughlin (1st team), Miles LeAndre, Nathan Hefner (2nd team), Brian Miller (Honorable Mention) Courier News All-Area: Jack Laurent, Carson McLaughlin (Honorable Mentions)

1,000 career strikeouts, doubled to lead off the ninth inning, stole third, and scored the winning run in the ninth inning in the team’s 5-4 victory over Peddie in the Prep A finals—only the 18th player in state history to achieve 1,000 strikeouts during a high school career.

Katie also played in the NJ Pride Super 36 North-South Senior All-Star Game, which featured 36 players from across the state, chosen from an original pool of more than 175 seniors who were nominated by their high school coaches.

Softball: 13-9

Boys’ Golf: 12-3

NJISAA Prep A State Tournament: Champions (1st Prep A championship in program history) NJSIAA Tournament, North Jersey, Non-Public A: Semifinalists Somerset County Tournament: Quarterfinalists Skyland Conference: 3rd place Prep A: Katie Marino, Amanda Van Orden (All State), Kassidy Peterson (Honorable Mention) Skyland Conference All-Conference/Valley Division: Katie Marino, Amanda Van Orden, Kassidy Peterson (1st team), Maddie Parrish (2nd team) Courier News All-Area: Katie Marino (1st team), Amanda Van Orden, Kassidy Peterson (Honorable Mentions) Star-Ledger All-State: Katie Marino Katie Marino threw three no-hitters (against DePaul Catholic, Summit, and Bernards) and won her 50th career game with a 9-3 win over Blair Academy (the semifinals of Prep A State Tournament). She recorded

Skyland Conference Tournament: Champions (2nd consecutive year) • Jake Mayer placed 2nd (69) • Justin Chae placed 3rd (74) Somerset County Tournament: Tied for 2nd place (321) • Jake Mayer won his second consecutive individual championship (even par 72) • Justin Chae placed 7th (78) NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public B: 3rd place • Jake Mayer won the individual championship (75—four over par) NJSIAA Non-Public B: Jack Mayer placed 5th and finished with the 7th best score in All Groups Tournament of Champions: Jake Mayer tied for 26th out of 129 players (76) Courier News All-Area: Jake Mayer (1st team) Star-Ledger All-State: Jake Mayer (1st team)

The Softball Team celebrating a memorable day—their Prep A Championship and Katie Marino’s 1,000th strikeout.

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The Boys’ Golf Team celebrating their second consecutive Skyland Conference Championship.

Girls’ Golf: 7-8 Somerset County Tournament: 3rd place (348) • Christine Shao placed 2nd (70) • Ami Gianchandani placed 4th (74) Red Devil Girls Golf Tournament: • Ami Gianchandani shot 76 and placed 2nd after a one-hole playoff • Christine Shao shot 78 and placed 4th on a match of cards Skyland Conference Tournament: 3rd place (334) • Ami Gianchandani placed 1st (66—six under par) • Christine Shao tied for 2nd (70) NJSIAA Tournament of Champions: • Ami Gianchandani placed 4th (75) • Christine Shao placed 9th (77) Courier News All-Area: Ami Gianchandani, Christine Shao Star-Ledger All-State: Ami Gianchandani (1st team)

Somerset County Tournament: Finalists (2nd consecutive year) Skyland Conference: 2nd place Pingry was named Skyland Conference Team of the Year Star-Ledger: Ranked No. 2 in New Jersey Nike/Lacrosse Magazine: Ranked No. 21 in the country USA Today: Ranked No. 24 in the country Skyland Conference All-Stars/All-Raritan: Ben Shepard, Thomas Zusi (1st team), Austin Chang, Jamie Zusi, Jake Moss (2nd team), Ollie Martin (Honorable Mention) Ben Shepard scored his 100th career point and graduated as Pingry’s all-time career scoring leader.

NJILCA All-Americans: Ben Shepard and Thomas Zusi (first time in program history that two Pingry players received this honor in the same season) NJILCA: Ben Shepard (1st team, All Non-Public), Thomas Zusi (1st team, All Non-Public), Jake Moss (2nd team, All Non-Public) Courier News All-Area: Thomas Zusi, Ben Shepard (1st team), Jake Moss (3rd team), Jamie Zusi, Austin Chang, David Metzger, Frankie Dillon (Honorable Mentions) Star-Ledger All-Freshman/Sophomore: Jamie Zusi (1st team), George Enman (2nd team) Star-Ledger All-Junior: Jake Moss (1st team) Star-Ledger All-Non-Public: Ben Shepard (1st team), Thomas Zusi (1st team), Jake Moss (2nd team) Star-Ledger All-State: Ben Shepard (1st team), Thomas Zusi (2nd team)

Epic Victory for Boys’ Lacrosse Team

(tied for most wins in program history)

In the semifinals of the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, Pingry stunned top-seeded and unbeaten Bridgewater-Raritan with an epic 8-7 victory, snapping Bridgewater-Raritan’s two-year, 42-game winning streak. In what many people called the biggest win in Pingry lacrosse history, this upset propelled Pingry into the finals for the first time in program history and lifted Pingry to No. 18 in the USA Today Super 25 Boys Lacrosse Expert Rankings, which are based on results from the current season, quality of players, and strength of schedule. Pingry finished the season ranked No. 2 in New Jersey and No. 24 in the Super 25 rankings.

NJSIAA Tournament of Champions: Finalists (first time in the finals in program history) NJSIAA Non-Public B: State Champions (2nd consecutive year)

Head Coach Mike Webster was named Courier News “Boys’ Lacrosse Coach of the Year,” Skyland Conference “Coach of the Year,” and NJILCA State Non-Public “Coach of the Year.”

Boys’ Lacrosse: 17-4

The Boys’ Lacrosse Team celebrating their second consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public B State Championship.

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Girls’ Lacrosse: 10-12

Girls’ Track: 0-4

Skyland Conference: Ranked No. 4 in Top 10 NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 1: Semifinalists Somerset County Tournament: Semifinalists Skyland Conference All-Stars/Delaware Division: Mary Pagano (1st team), Amanda Cosentino (2nd team) Mary Pagano scored her 100th career goal.

NJSIAA South Jersey, Non-Public B: Sectional Champions • Anna Wood placed 1st in 3200 in 11:51.56—the only runner to break 12 minutes—and placed 2nd in 1600 • Sophia Weldon placed 1st in triple jump (36'25"), 2nd in high jump, and 4th in long jump • Libby Lee placed 5th in long jump • Julia Dannenbaum placed 1st in pole vault (11'6") • Sophia Cortazzo and Alaina Brotman placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in pole vault • Sarah Moseson placed 3rd in 100-meter hurdles and 5th in 400-meter hurdles • Grace O’Mara placed 4th in javelin • Mackinley Taylor placed 8th in javelin NJSIAA Non-Public B: 2nd place • Sophia Weldon placed 1st in high jump (5'2"), 1st in triple jump (35'9"), and 5th in long jump • Libby Lee placed 6th in long jump • Julia Dannenbaum (12') and Sophia Cortazzo (10'6") placed 1st and 2nd, respectively, in pole vault • Sarah Moseson placed 3rd in 100 hurdles • Anna Wood placed 4th in 3200 and 7th in 1600 Somerset County Championships • Julia Dannenbaum won pole vault NJSIAA Meet of Champions: • Julia Dannenbaum placed 3rd in pole vault • Sophia Weldon placed 10th in triple jump and 14th in high jump Skyland Conference: 5th place Somerset County Tournament: 7th place Skyland Conference All-Conference/Raritan Division: Julia Dannenbaum (1st team, pole vault), Sophia Weldon (1st team, triple jump and high jump), Sophia Cortazzo (2nd team, pole vault), Anna Wood (At Large, 3200) Star-Ledger All-Non-Public: Julia Dannenbaum (1st team, pole vault), Sophia Weldon (3rd team, high jump), Sophia Cortazzo (3rd team, pole vault) Sophia Weldon set the School triple jump record (37'10").

Julia Dannenbaum set the School pole vault record (12'1/2").

In an NJ.com poll, Sophia Cortazzo was voted the best field athlete competing at a non-public school.

Boys’ Tennis: 15-4 NJSIAA Non-Public B: Finalists NJSIAA South Jersey, Non-Public B: Sectional Champions Somerset County Tournament: Jeff Zucker won 1st singles for the third consecutive year. Andrew Lee won 3rd singles.

NJSIAA Singles Tournament: Jeff Zucker was a semifinalist.

Skyland Conference/Delaware Division: Andrew Lee (1st team, 3rd singles), Jeff Zucker (2nd team, 1st singles), Jonathan Lee (2nd team, 2nd singles) Courier News All Area: Jeff Zucker (singles), Neel Sambamurthy and Jack Schiffman (doubles) Courier News Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Jeff Zucker— undefeated in the Skyland Conference

Boys’ Track: 0-3-1 Skyland Conference: 4th place Skyland Conference Meet: 14th place Skyland Conference Meet Relays: 14th place • Austin Parsons placed 5th in javelin Somerset County Tournament: 12th place Somerset County Meet Relays: 11th place Somerset County Meet: 12th place NJSIAA South Jersey, Non-Public B: 2nd place • Jamie Barker placed in 1600, 800, 4x800, 4x400 • Jamie Barker placed 4th in 800-meter run • Ben Vazquez placed 5th in 800-meter run • Michael Carr placed 2nd in high jump and 6th in 100-meter dash • Sean Wang placed 9th in 400-meter • Thomas Tarantino placed 5th in 1600 and 2nd in 3200 • Matthew Peacock placed 5th in 3200 • Nic Ladino placed 7th in 110-meter hurdles and 9th in 400-meter hurdles • Jackson Hoit placed 10th in discus, 2nd in javelin, and 7th in shot put • Jackson Artis placed 9th in shot put NJSIAA Non-Public B: 9th place • Thomas Tarantino placed 3rd in 3200 • Mike Carr placed 3rd in high jump • Jackson Hoit placed 4th in javelin • Jamie Barker and Thomas Tarantino placed 6th and 7th, respectively, in 1600-meter run • 4x800-meter relay team (Thomas Tarantino, Sean Wang, Ben Vazquez, and Jamie Barker) placed 2nd Skyland Conference All-Conference/Raritan Division: Michael Carr (1st team, high jump), Jamie Barker (1st team, 1600), Jackson Hoit (2nd team, javelin and shot put), Sean Wang (2nd team, 800), Thomas Tarantino (Honorable Mention, 3200), Austin Parsons (Honorable Mention, javelin) Alex Strassner set the freshman triple jump record (35').

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Sophia Weldon ‘18 set Pingry’s triple jump record and placed 1st in triple jump in the NJSIAA Non-Public B Championships.

Girls’ Swimming All-Americans

NJ.com’s Mount Rushmore Project Pingry was chosen to be one of 15 high schools featured in NJ.com’s Mount Rushmore project for high school athletics, with fans asked to vote for the four best athletes/coaches in Pingry history—they voted from a list of 28 that was compiled by NJ.com with assistance from Pingry’s Athletics Department. Out of nearly 70,000 votes, here are the results and descriptions from NJ.com:

Credit: Judy Brown

The girls’ 200-meter freestyle team from the 2015-16 season: Ingrid Shu ’16, Hollie Hopf ’16, Darlene Fung ’19, and Keileh Atulomah ’16. They placed second at the Meet of Champions in a school record-breaking, All-American time of 1:35.74.

The NISCA released its list of All-American honorees who earned top 100 performances nationwide among high school athletes. Big Blue’s Ingrid Shu ’16, Hollie Hopf ’16, Darlene Fung ’19, and Keileh Atulomah ’16 were recognized for their school record-breaking 200-meter freestyle relay performance at the Meet of Champions last winter—they placed second in 1:35.74. Ingrid will swim for Amherst College, and Hollie will swim for Kenyon College.

Golfer Ami Gianchandani ’18 Qualified for Girls’ Junior Open Championship

Nicholas Ross ’97, Soccer/Ice Hockey/Baseball (13,243 votes) Nick won 10 varsity letters among these three sports. He captained the undefeated 1996 boys’ soccer team; was a member of three county championship teams and two state championship teams in soccer; and was a first team All-State selection in 1996. He also captained the baseball team and was a co-captain of the hockey team. Nick played a year of soccer at Lafayette College and three years at Rutgers. He was an Honorable Mention on The Star-Ledger’s All-Decade Team for soccer.

Daniel Kellner ’94, Fencing (12,194 votes) He made a name for himself as a foil fencer at Pingry, but really took off following his graduation. Dan was named the “NCAA Fencer of the Year” (1998), was a four-time All-American and a three-time All-Ivy first team selection at Columbia, and became the top-ranked foil fencer in America. He was ranked No. 10 in the world, a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, Pan-American champion, U.S. National champion, U.S. Junior National champion, and an eight-time member of the U.S. World Championship team.

Casey Rupon ’08, Soccer (10,301 votes) She starred as Pingry’s goaltender. Pingry claimed the Non-Public A championship in 2006 and was co-champions with Red Bank Catholic in 2005. She played for Rutgers University.

Congratulations to Ami Gianchandani ’18 on her performance at the 2016 USGA Girls’ Junior Qualifier held on June 27 at The Apawamis Club in Rye, New York. Having recently been selected to The StarLedger’s All-State First Team, along with Jake Mayer ’17, Ami won the tournament, scoring a low round of 74 on a challenging course.

With the win, Ami qualified for the 2016 USGA Girls’ Junior Open Championship (an annual under-18 national championship) held at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus in July. In the most prestigious worldwide junior golf event of the year, 156 girls from across the globe qualify to play two rounds of stroke play, with the top 64 advancing to single elimination match play. Ami shot a four-over par 77 in the first round, and 81 in the second.

Lacrosse Players Selected for Under Armour Tournament

Credit: Frank H. Conlon/For NJ Advance Media

NISCA—National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association NJILCA—New Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association NJISAA—New Jersey Independent Schools Athletic Association NJSIAA—New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association USGA—United States Golf Association

Kate Northrop ’15, Fencing (17,221 votes) One of the top fencers in Pingry and state history, she won districts each of her three years competing, and, in her senior year, guided Pingry’s girls’ fencing team to its first championship match and its best finish in program history. Kate is fencing for Princeton and represented the USA in the fencing world championships.

Midfielder Jake Moss ’17 and goalie Stelio Kanaras ’19—members of the Big Blue team that made its first appearance in the Tournament of Champions lacrosse finals—were selected to represent the New Jersey region in the 2016 Under Armour Underclassmen Lacrosse Tournament (June 30-July 3 at Towson University in Maryland). The tournament, which its website characterizes as “the definitive gathering of lacrosse elite,” assembles the best high school lacrosse players from across New England and states in the Mid-Atlantic, South, Southwest, and West. Jake was selected for the Highlight Division, featuring players from the Classes of 2017-2018, and Stelio played in the Command Division, featuring student-athletes from the Classes of 2019-2020.

New Middle School Records in Track Carol Ann Perry ’20: high jump (5') Kelsey Ransom ’20: 200-meters (26.9), 400-meters (64.8), and long jump (15'3") Lauren Taylor ’20: 100-meters (12.85) Nicole Vanasse ’20: 1600-meters (5:18.6) and 800-meters (2:27.0) Henry Wood ’21: 800-meters (2:18.6) Carol Ann Perry ’20, Dylan Anidjar ’20, Caroline Dannenbaum ’20, Kelsey Ransom ’20: 4x100-meter relay (54.2) “This was the best girls’ team we’ve ever had—not only in ability, but also showing tremendous drive and dedication,” says Middle School track coach Sarah Christensen.

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Three Pingry Athletes Swim at the Olympic Trials In late July, when U.S.A. Swimming’s 2016 Olympic Trials took place at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, three—yes, three!—Pingry athletes were on deck.

Pingry record-holder and former University of Georgia phenom Nic Fink ’11, who was profiled in Swimming World last winter as one of America’s—indeed, the world’s—top breaststrokers, made his second appearance at the Trials. He fell short of the Olympic ticket in the 100- (1:00.39) and 200-meter (2:11.55) breaststroke, placing seventh in the finals for both races. (His older sister Regan ’10 was also a standout swimmer for Big Blue, and went on to swim for Kenyon College.)

Another Pingry record-holder, freestyle sprinter Sebastian Lutz ’15, who made serious waves on Harvard’s team last year as a freshman, earning an NCAA All-American Honorable Mention in the 200-free relay, competed in the 50-meter freestyle (23.29). In the same event for Harvard last year, he swam the school’s third-fastest time ever.

Claire O’Mara ’17, also a Pingry recordholder who has swum for the Berkeley Aquatic Club since the age of nine and is ranked number three in New Jersey by CollegeSwimming.com, qualified for the Trials in the 200-meter freestyle (2:03.59).

Claire’s mother and Pingry faculty member, Deirdre O’Mara P ’17, ’19, ’21, also Head Coach of the Girls’ Varsity Swim Team, was poolside for the big event, as was Claire’s father, who competed at the 1988 Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle when he was in high school. And Steve Droste P ’25, Head Coach of the Boys’ Varsity Team—and

Nic Fink ’11.

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Claire O’Mara ’17.

Nic’s and Seb’s former coach—was also present, cheering for Pingry’s studentathletes. He puts into perspective their collective accomplishments.

“At a national level, the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials is one of the most competitive meets in the world, next to the Olympics themselves. For ninety-five percent of the competitors, it’s the experience of a lifetime. For the other five percent—those who are seriously looking to make the Olympic Team, like Nic was—it’s incredibly stressful. Just to final in both events as he did was huge.”

Nic, a 19-time All-American who graduated last spring from the University of Georgia with a degree in Agricultural Engineering—and numerous scholarathlete awards under his belt— was selected to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, as well as the Southeastern Conference’s prestigious McWhorter Scholarship for postgraduate study. Whether tempted by graduate work or another Olympic bid—or both—Nic has yet to decide on next

steps. Last March, before the Trials, he told USASwimming.org: “I won’t retire until I feel I have accomplished everything up to my potential. I believe I have time and options when it comes to my future, so I’m not rushing into making any decisions yet.”

A few years behind Nic in her swimming career, Claire—who verbally committed to entering the admission process at Yale—fully absorbed the Trials experience and is looking ahead to the next one, when she’s four years older, four years stronger. “I was trying not to look star struck—warming up, competing, and spectating with all these famous swimmers,” says the senior, who is no stranger to major national competitions, including the Senior National Championships. But this one was different, she says. “I’ve never been to a swim meet of this size, this scope.

There was a huge hospitality suite for all the athletes who were competing— ping pong tables, an entire wall of fridges stocked with chocolate milk and smoothies, free massages, ice baths, hot tubs. It was just at a different level.”

For Coach Droste, getting to watch all three swimmers from Pingry compete on the sport’s largest national stage was a pride-filled moment. “It was just amazing to watch three kids from Pingry swim at an event of that caliber. It’s pretty impressive for such a small school,” he says. “I’m so happy for them.”

Sebastian Lutz ’15.

College Athlete Accolades

Katie Ruesterholz ’13.

Field Hockey

Nicole Arata ’13 (Tufts University), Katie Ruesterholz ’13 (Columbia University), and Nicole Witte ’13 (Haverford College) were elected co-captains for the 2016 season.

Men’s Soccer

Jack Casey ’16 (University of Notre Dame) was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s “Team of the Week” on September 27 for his performance against Syracuse. The freshman midfielder came off the bench and scored his first collegiate goal to give the Fighting Irish a 1-0 lead on their way to a 2-1 win against the previously undefeated Orange.

Christian Fechter ’13 (Davidson College) was elected co-captain for the 2016 season.

Women’s Soccer

Rachel Corboz ’14 (Georgetown University) was named BIG EAST Conference “Offensive Player of the Week” three times within the first month of the 2016 season.

She scored three goals in the first 29 minutes of the team’s season-opening 6-0 victory over Towson, both goals in a 2-1 overtime upset over Rutgers, and the gamewinner in a 3-2 upset over Virginia.

Rachel is also among 36 of the nation’s top male and female soccer players selected to the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Only six other Hoya women’s soccer players—including her sister Daphne—in the history of the program have been selected to the list.

Corey DeLaney ’12, Drew Topor ’14, and Rachel Corboz ’14, all of whom played soccer at Pingry, reunited this fall as three of 11 starters for the Georgetown Hoyas. Corey, a three-year All-Ivy League player at Dartmouth, was eligible to play on the team because she is attending graduate school this year at Georgetown. Drew and Rachel have started for the team since their freshman years.

Amanda Haik ’13 (Middlebury College) and Carly Rotatori ’13 (Harvard University), who were elected co-captains for the 2015 season, were re-elected cocaptains for the 2016 season.

Danielle Sedillo ’13 (Lafayette College), a fouryear starter and co-captain for the 2016 season, was named Patriot League

“Goalkeeper of the Week” in early September after she made seven saves to keep the Leopards undefeated with a 1-1 tie. As of that announcement, the team had made its best start in program history with a 3-0-2 record, and Danielle was carrying a 0.61 goals-against average, third in the league rankings.

Scholar-Athlete Accolades Sarah Williams ’12 (Sailing | Dartmouth College)—Spring 2016 Academic All-Ivy League MAC—Missouri Athletic Club

Listed are the honors and achievements that the editorial staff of The Pingry Review is aware of as of press time; we are always happy to receive news about our college athletes.

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Class of 2016 Student-Athletes Head to College Teams Twenty-six Pingry seniors are bringing their athletic skills to college teams—10 different sports on 18 new campuses for some of the nation’s most premier college athletics programs. Four of these seniors are playing at Division I schools, which required signed national letters of intent, but many more will also be playing for other top Division I and III athletics programs.

Jamie Barker Haverford College, cross country and track

Hollie Hopf Kenyon College, swimming

Chris Browne Hamilton College, hockey

Yash Jaggi Cornell University, squash

Alexa Buckley* University of California, Berkeley, swimming

Ryan Lane Washington University in St. Louis, basketball

Big Blue’s 2016 graduates represent the following sports in college: basketball (2), crew (1), cross country (1), football (1), ice hockey (1), lacrosse (3), soccer (6), softball (1), squash (3), swimming (4), and track & field (3). Here is a list of these 26 seniors and their schools, along with a fun group photo of everyone proudly sporting their college gear. Go Big Blue student-athletes!

Austin Chang Swarthmore College, lacrosse

Front row: Holly Butrico, Madeline Temares, Matthew Zeikel, Christina Costa, Michael Carr, Julia Rotatori, Josh Gully, Alexa Buckley, Sophia Cortazzo, Austin Chang, and Jackson Hoit. Back row: Katie Marino, Libby Parsons, Ingrid Shu, Jamie Barker, Thomas Zusi, Jack De Laney, Chris Browne, Yash Jaggi, Jack Casey, Ryan Lane, Drew Gagnon, Lindsay Stanley, and Hollie Hopf.

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Holly Butrico University of Pennsylvania, crew Michael Carr Middlebury College, football John “Jack” Casey* University of Notre Dame, soccer

Sophia Cortazzo Johns Hopkins University, track & field (pole vault)

Elizabeth Lee** Hamilton College, squash/track Katie Marino* University of Notre Dame, softball Libby Parsons University of Notre Dame, track Alex Ramos** Tufts University, soccer Julia Rotatori* Bucknell University, soccer Ingrid Shu Amherst College, swimming

Christina Costa Colby College, soccer

Lindsay Stanley University of Pennsylvania, squash

John “Jack” De Laney Tufts University, soccer

Madeline Temares Columbia University, soccer

Drew Gagnon Bowdoin College, basketball

Matthew Zeikel Washington & Lee University, swimming

Josh Gully Cornell University, lacrosse

Thomas Zusi Washington & Lee University, lacrosse

Jackson Hoit Emory University, track & field (javelin and shot put)

* Division 1 Letter of Intent signee ** Not pictured

Colleges and Universities Attended by the Class of 2016 Amherst College (2) Babson College (1) Boston College (1) Boston University (4) Bowdoin College (1) Brown University (1) Bucknell University (1) California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (1) Carnegie Mellon University (1) Colby College (1) Colgate University (2) College of William and Mary (2) Columbia University (6) Cornell University (6) Dartmouth College (1) Davidson College (1) Duke University (3) Emory University (1) Franklin and Marshall College (1) Georgetown University (2) Georgia Institute of Technology (1) Hamilton College (2) Harvard University (1) Haverford College (1) Indiana University at Bloomington (2) Johns Hopkins University (1) Kenyon College (2) Lafayette College (1) Lehigh University (4) Loyola University Maryland (1) Manhattan School of Music (1)

Middlebury College (1) New York University (4) Northeastern University (1) Northwestern University (5) Oberlin College (2) Pennsylvania State University (1) Princeton University (1) Stanford University (1) Suffolk University (1) Swarthmore College (1) Tufts University (2) The University of Alabama (1) University of California, Berkeley (3) University of Chicago (2) University of Delaware (1) University of Michigan (3) University of Notre Dame (7) University of Pennsylvania (9) University of Richmond (1) University of Rochester (1) University of Southern California (2) University of St Andrews (1) University of Virginia (1) Vanderbilt University (3) Vassar College (2) Villanova University (5) Washington and Lee University (2) Washington University in St. Louis (2) Wesleyan University (1) Williams College (2) Yale University (3) Gap Year (1)

Jenn Korn ’17 Accepted Early to USC Honors Program Jenn Korn ’17 began college one year early this fall, having been accepted into the Resident Honors Program at the University of Southern California; her acceptance includes the merit-based USC Dean’s Scholarship. She is one of only 18 students selected from a nationwide invitation-only applicant pool—and the only student from New Jersey.

In the fall of her junior year, Jenn attended St. Stephen’s International School in Rome, where she studied Italian, continued to cultivate her passions for art history and Latin, and realized that “there is so much I want to do in the world. Seeing the world through an international lens was an amazing experience, and it helped me to define what I want to pursue in college and my career.”

With a dream of becoming a wartime correspondent or an investigative journalist for 60 Minutes or CNN, she is double majoring in International Relations and Journalism. “I am really, really excited about [starting] college a year early,” Jenn says.

“I feel absolutely prepared, and, as someone who is proudly independent, I am confident I can handle the challenge.”

Thanks to The Pingry Record and Abby Bauer ’16 for some of the information in this article.

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Homecoming 2016

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Homecoming 2016 [ 1 ] Thumbs up at the Boys’ Varsity Soccer game! [ 2 ] Richard Smith P ’10, ’15, Boys’ Varsity Ice Hockey Emeritus Head Coach John Magadini, and Tyler Smith ’10. [ 3 ] Jackie Chang ’18, Parth Patel ’17, Stuart Clark ’20, Lexi Brauer ’18, Will DiGrande ’17, Akash Kumar ’17, Rebecca Lin ’18, and Jenny Fish ’18. [ 4 ] Isabel Giordano ’18 and Olivia Virzi ’18 with Big Blue. [ 5 ] Front row: David Lawrence, Honorary Trustee Vicki Brooks (Parents ’02, ’04), and John Leathers ’57. Back row: Trustee Genesia Perlmutter Kamen ’79, P ’11, ’13, former trustee Harriet Perlmutter-Pilchik P ’76, ’79, ’80, GP ’11, ’13, Honorary Trustee Ned Atwater ’63, Karen Bigos, Mark Bigos ’79 (Parents ’22), and Martine Bigos ’22. [ 6 ] Ann Meyer Abdi ’89, P ’23, Hanah Abdi, Jabbar Abdi P ’23, and Jake Abdi ’23. [ 7 ] Continuing the tradition of running with the Big Blue “Spirit” Flag and the letters in “PINGRY” on Parsons Field.

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Homecoming 2016 [ 8 ] Members of the Varsity Field Hockey Team. Front row: Myla Stovall ’17, Shruti Sagar ’18, Lauren Shelby ’19, Alli Simon ’19, and Josie Cummings ’18. Back row: Hannah Dillon ’20, Bailey Romano ’19, Avery Didden ’19, Margot Present ’19, Sana Sheikh ’18, Sophie Ricciardi ’17, Lindsey Lubowitz ’17, and Lindsey Larson ’18. [ 9 ] Bronson Van Wyck ’63 and Mary Lynn Van Wyck. [ 10 ] Attendees taking a tour of the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center, on schedule to open in January 2017. [ 11 ] Boys’ Varsity Soccer battling against Gill St. Bernard’s. Pingry won 1-0. [ 12 ] Jenny Coyne ’18 of the Varsity Field Hockey Team, facing off against Hillsborough in the quarterfinals of the Somerset County Tournament. Pingry won 2-1. [ 13 ] The Varsity Football Team celebrating its first victory of the season, a 21-14 win over South Hunterdon. [ 14 ] TapSnap Photo Booth: Attendees had an opportunity to superimpose their photos on backgrounds of some of Pingry’s modernized spaces—progress made possible by the Blueprint for the Future Campaign. [ 15 ] The Wu Family 3rd and 4th Grade Commons. [ 16 ] The Theodore M. Corvino Lower School Commons. [ 17 ] The Hyde and Watson Science Research Lab. [ 18 ] The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center.

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Where Are They Now?

A Quartet of Roles for Violinist Kate Dreyfuss ’10 An emotional tug during the summer of 2013 made Kate Dreyfuss ’10 realize that she was missing something.

Even though Ms. Dreyfuss played in Princeton’s orchestra after demonstrating her violin prowess at Pingry, she didn’t think she would become a professional musician, so she played the violin for fun and pursued other interests that were available in college.

Working in Paris, though, she was wistful for the instrument, so she resumed her playing, and it has since become the focus of her life. Now, her schedule is packed with four different responsibilities: freelance performer, arts administrator, teacher, and student.

For the past two years, Ms. Dreyfuss has played with the New York City-based group Contemporaneous (www.contemporaneous.org), an ensemble of 21 freelance musicians that performs and promotes works of living composers through concerts, commissions, recordings, and educational programs. Having grown up playing traditional classical repertoire, Ms. Dreyfuss attended summer music festivals during high school and was exposed to the world of contemporary classical music written by living composers, which offered new possibilities. “I used to think my path would be limited—soloist, quartet, maybe an orchestra—but there are so 68

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Credit: Karjaka Studios

“I was working in sales at the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Paris, on the Champs-Elysées, and considering looking for a full-time job that would let me use French [her favorite class at Pingry and her major at Princeton University, all because Kelly Jordan P ’04, ’06 instilled in her the drive to master the language].

But I missed the violin and could not think of anything I was as passionate about as playing the violin.” This sentiment is understandable, considering that she has played the instrument since age three, enamored with the violin’s ability “to channel human emotion.”

many young chamber ensembles built from the ground up. After college, I decided to continue with contemporary music in addition to continuing with my study and performance of more traditional classical music.”

Contemporaneous is one of those ensembles, founded at Bard College six years ago. Ms. Dreyfuss met the director at a summer festival and had the chance to play with the group while she was attending Princeton. She impressed the group so much that they invited her to become a core member in 2015 to succeed a musician who left the ensemble. As a core member with administrative responsibilities, Ms. Dreyfuss is among the 21 musicians who are called first to play in a performance, and she works on public relations and social media for the group.

As a teacher, Ms. Dreyfuss already has several experiences under her belt. She thoroughly enjoyed being an undergraduate chamber music coach at Stony Brook University in the fall of 2015. “Chamber music requires a special kind of playing—breathing with your colleagues, making eye contact, and working together to make musical decisions,” she explains. “Chamber music teaches you how to be a more sensitive musician because it puts you in a more vulnerable position as a performer. It demands an organic, unspoken connection between members of a group

that enables the ensemble to play together as one collective instrument.”

Through a connection with Stony Brook, in January 2016 she taught master classes to teenagers and adults in Ecuador (in private lessons, a teacher can focus solely on the student, whereas master classes require engagement with the audience, to make sure they feel like part of the event). Thanks to another connection, Ms. Dreyfuss is also on the violin faculty of the Music Conservatory of Westchester, teaching children ages four through seven one day each week.

In her fourth role, that of student, Ms. Dreyfuss is pursuing a master’s degree in Violin Performance at Stony Brook, studying with Jennifer Frautschi, Arnaud Sussmann, and the Emerson String Quartet’s Phil Setzer, as well as additional chamber music studies with the Grammy Award-winning quartet.

She is also auditioning for doctoral programs with the goal of teaching at the university level. “Until now, I never had the opportunity to focus completely on playing the violin at the highest level,” she says. “In high school, there was a constant pull between the violin and academics, so academics took precedence. Now that I am pursuing graduate work in music, I have the luxury to fully commit to the discipline for the first time in my life.”

For more information, visit www. katedreyfuss.com.

Credit: Robert Altman for The New York Times

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Pingry in Print

Fill the Sky: A Novel Katherine (Apruzzese) Sherbrooke ’85 SixOneSeven Books

After writing her first book (the family memoir Finding Home: A True Story), Ms. Sherbrooke has published her first novel. Fill the Sky was inspired by a trip she took with 11 other women to Ecuador five years ago. “I was mesmerized by Ecuador…the shamans, their reliance on nature. It was life-changing,” she says. The novel’s plot involves characters traveling to the same locations in Ecuador, but, this time, the journey is undertaken for a dire reason.

According to a press release that describes the book’s premise, “Fill the Sky is about three friends who travel to Ecuador, hoping that the shamans there can save one of them from cancer. They soon learn that shamans are less interested in physical ailments than emotional ones, and are each forced to recognize her own deep need for healing.”

“One of the friends is a skeptic,” Ms. Sherbrooke explains, “because most people are not familiar with the shamanic world and would not put Ecuador on top of their list of places to visit if they had an illness. Her point of view is an important entryway to the story.” Bestselling author Anita Shreve called the book, “richly imagined and beautifully rendered, a deeply moving 70

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novel.” The title Fill the Sky, intended to be intriguing and hopeful, reflects Ecuadorian culture’s reliance on nature.

“It runs through everything they do.

They don’t take water for granted. So the idea is that nature has to ‘fill the sky’ before it rains. We don’t usually think of it that way,” Ms. Sherbrooke says.

She hopes the novel will be embraced by book groups because “it’s filled with timely topics, like the trade-offs between career and family, and complex questions women face in mid-life.

It’s helpful to have characters whose choices are not obvious or that readers might disagree with.”

For more information, visit www.kasherbrooke.com. For those interested in reading Fill the Sky in a book group, click on “Book Groups” to sign up.

Greenwood: A Garden Path to Nature and the Past Peter P. Blanchard III ’70 Greenwood Gardens

According to Mr. Blanchard, the founder of Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, “The book presents the many aspects of Greenwood Gardens—its origins, lore, and aspirations both as a former private garden established just before World War I and, now, as a public garden. Twenty-eight acres in size,

surrounded by or adjacent to over 2,000 acres of parkland, Greenwood serves as an oasis of learning and repose in the midst of a vast urban/ suburban world—the greater New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.”

ABC Dogs Middle School Visual Arts Teacher Jane D. Kunzman Mrs. Kunzman illustrated her own 32-page children’s book, an A-B-C of dog breeds, published in September (for more information, contact Mrs. Kunzman through her website, abcdogsBook.com). However, there is a deeper meaning to the book than introducing dog breeds to younger readers. Mrs. Kunzman believes that the project also creates an entry point for discussions about inclusion and diversity.

“No one dog is better than another dog,” she says. In fact, as she explains in her Author’s Statement, “I am always looking for ways to lead students to respect and honor each other. It seemed like the love we have for our dogs, and the tail-wagging nonchalance they have for each other, could open a conversation about diversity.” The book owes its contents to friends, family, and strangers who sent Mrs. Kunzman photos of their dogs.

Pingry Events

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Pingry Events Golf Outing: [ 1 ] Lynn Mennen P ’21, ’22, Mary Hou Henriques P ’19, ’22, ’24, Ellie Gibson P ’21, ’23, Tammye Jones P ’16, ’19, Rosa Morriello P ’21, ’22, Dr. Anju Thomas P ’19, ’22, Sonia Jay P ’19, ’22, ’24, Carolyn Mason P ’21, ’24, and Maureen Matthias P ’17, ’19, ’23. [ 2 ] Jacob Paul, Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, David Lesense, Bernard Davidson P ’17, ’19, and Tom White. [ 3 ] Nolan Convery ’98, Kevin Schmidt ’98, Bif Brunhouse ’00, and Boys’ Varsity Soccer Assistant Coach David Fahey ’99. [ 4 ] Patrick McLaughlin, John McLaughlin P ’78, ’80, ’83, ’84, GP ’12, ’15, ’18, ’21, and Dr. Mark McLaughlin ’83. [ 5 ] Michelle Kean, Reed Kean ’86 (Parents ’29), and Trustee and PAA President Woody Weldon ’91, P ’23. [ 6 ] Varsity Field Hockey Coach Judy Lee and Jill Kehoe ’04, assistant coach for JV Soccer and Varsity Softball. [ 7 ] Gil Lai ’86, P ’19, Brad Bonner ’93, P ’20, ’23, ’25, and Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20.

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Boys’ Golf Team Honors Memory of Alumnus This spring, the Boys’ Golf Team honored the memory of William F. Little III ’64, a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army who was killed in action in Vietnam when he gave his life to protect one of his own men. At the suggestion of co-captain Jake Mayer ’17, the team participated in the Folds of Honor Military Tribute Program, which gives back to the families of soldiers killed or severely wounded in service to the United States. A high school or college golf program can honor a fallen or severely-wounded American soldier by having team members carry a golf bag displaying the name, rank, and branch of service of the soldier being honored. The Pingry Golf Team worked hard and raised money to send to Folds of Honor in Lt. Little’s name.

“We wanted to honor Lt. Little’s sacrifice.”

Jake Mayer ’17

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“We wanted to honor Lt. Little’s sacrifice,” Jake says.

“I like community service through golf, and I like giving back to the military because my grandfather fought in World War II.” The team chose Lt. Little based on his family connection to Pingry (his sister Alison Little ’82 is a Pingry parent) and the Class of 1964’s 50th Reunion gift to Pingry in his memory.

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Bruce Morrison ’64, Boys’ Golf Team Head Coach Joe Forte, Alison Little ’82, her daughter Julia Saksena ’22, 2016 Boys’ Golf Team Co-Captains Jake Mayer ’17 and Justin Chae ’16, and Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20.

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Pingry Events Golf Outing: [ 8 ] Boys’ Varsity Golf Head Coach Joe Forte, Kyle Boylan ’15, Alex Wolfson ’15, and Joshua Baum ’17. [ 9 ] Matt Margolis ’99, Ben Lehrhoff ’99, Michael Lehrhoff ’05, and Daniel Lehrhoff P ’99, ’99, ’99, ’05. [ 10 ] Dean of Faculty for Teaching and Learning Dr. Reid Prichett P ’23, Middle School math teacher Nicole Cabral, Diane Ross P ’12, Nick Cabral, and Hamish Ross P ’12. [ 11 ] Alumnae Field Hockey Game: Front row: Jessica (Saraceno) Carroll ’02, Meiko Boynton ’01, and Gretchen (Weiss) Oatman ’89, P ’20, ’20, ’23, ’23. Back row: Middle School Latin teacher Margaret Kelleher ’01, Katherine Scott Old ’99, Lauren Callaghan ’02, Catherine Crowley-Delman ’98, Martha (Ryan) Graff ’84, P ’15, ’17, ’20, Edie (McLaughlin) Nussbaumer ’84, P ’18, ’21, Leslie Springmeyer ’08, Katie Parsels ’09, Georgia Cook ’09, Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach Judy Lee, and Cameron Lan ’09. [ 12 ] Alumni Soccer Game: First row: Roberto De Almeida ’15, Brendan Kelly ’16, Charles Zhu ’16, Jamie Smith ’15, Louis Monteagudo ’14, Yanni Angelides ’16, Chris Lucciola ’15, and Joseph Padula ’15. Second row: Freddie Elliot ’12, Peter Martin ’10, KC Eboh ’12, Andrew Martin ’12, Anthony Tripicchio ’02, Andrew La Fontaine ’10, Jon Cumpton ’66, Tyler Smith ’10, Brian Combias ’06, Park B. Smith III ’06, James Miller ’01, Boys’ Varsity Soccer Head Coach Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, and John Rhodes, Jr. ’02. Third row: John Dziadzio ’88, P ’19, Boys’ Varsity Soccer Assistant Coach Kim Kimber III ’76, P ’07, Will Munger ’05, Boys’ Varsity Soccer Assistant Coach David Fahey ’99, Todd Kehoe ’99, Jeremy Goldstein ’91, Mike Roberts ’99, Chuck Allan ’77, Skot Koenig ’77, Tom Trynin ’79, Frank DeLaney ’77, P ’12, Peter Hiscano ’75, Woody Weldon ’91, P ’23, Thomas Ellis ’01, Amadi Thiam ’03, Andrew Holland ’01, John Geddes ’62, P ’95, Stuart Lederman ’78, and Charlie Stillitano, Jr. ’77, P ’17.

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[ 13 ] Jersey Shore Reception: Attendees included former trustee and former PAA President Jubb Corbet, Jr. ’50 (host), Joan Corbet (host), Margaret Corbet ’78 (host), Lewis Dames, William Corbet ’77, Carolyn Corbet, Sarah Thomas ’90, Greg Entringer, Jonathan Robustelli ’90, Rita Robustelli (Parents ’23, ’25), Ava Robustelli ’23, Jonathan Robustelli ’25, Trustee and PAA President Woody Weldon ’91, Mary Weldon (Parents ’23), Peter Weldon ’67, Fran Weldon, Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94, Christian Hoffman ’94, Middle School history teacher Mike Webster P ’24, ’27, ’27, Assistant Headmaster Jon Leef, Heather Leef (Parents ’15, ’18), Anne DellaRosa Pierce ’01, Patrick Pierce, Courtney Mac Kenzie, Bruce Mac Kenzie, former Director of College Guidance Dave Allan, former Grade 1 teacher Connie Allan (Parents ’75, ’77, ’79, ’83), Stephen Waterbury ’49, former trustee and former PSPA President Pat Waterbury (Parents ’82, ’85), Amy Waterbury Bagliani ’82, Darlene Kennedy, Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Bill Ledder ’52, Peter Benton ’53, Philip Scrudato ’53, John Meszar ’57, Joe Cornell ’58, Anke Cornell, John Davis ’58, Mary Lou Davis, Dave Rogers ’61, Nancy Priest, The Reverend Robert Scott ’62, Don Wiss ’68, Taylor Wright, Lindsey Wright (Parents ’12, ’15, ’18), Mike Lucciola, Helen Lucciola (Parents ’11, ’13 ’15, ’17, ’17), Lee Shelley ’74, Janet Shelley, George Donohue, Barbara Donohue (Parents ’83, ’86, ’90), Mark Donohue ’90, Rob Williams ’76, Susan Williams (Parents ’06, ’08, ’12), Grant Smith ’77, P ’19, ’22, ’28, Jonathan Younghans ’79, former trustee and former PAA President Chip Korn ’89, Kara Korn, Chris Franklin ’96, Maggie Franklin, former trustee Charles Thomas, Suzanne Thomas (Parents ’88, ’90, ’92), Patrick Higgins, Jennifer Higgins (Parents ’12, ’18), and Theresa Korth P ’16, ’20, ’21.

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Teaching Tips from a Former CIA Analyst-Turned-Educator

By John Green ’60

These tips complement Mr. Green’s essay in the Summer 2016 issue in which he described his rewarding second career as a Middle School social studies teacher at the National Presbyterian School (NPS) in Washington, D.C. He hopes that his observations will prove useful for anyone considering a career change or second career, or anyone weighing the merits of a career in education.

1. Find a Mentor in an Experienced or Master Teacher

4. Incorporate Real-Life Anecdotes

7. Embrace Extracurricular Activities

1 4 7 2 5 8 3 6 Having a senior teacher mentor me during my first year teaching 6th grade at NPS was truly a blessing. I also benefited from observing my mentor’s and other colleagues’ classroom procedures and demeanor, and from their knowledge of the personalities and learning styles of my students who were in their classes.

Sharing anecdotes from my former career with the CIA attracted students’ attention and, at times, offered examples that enhanced their understanding of current events relating to U.S. foreign policy. In the same way, field trips and other activities beyond the classroom can bring greater clarity to prepared lessons and heighten student interest.

2. Be Mindful of the “Fishbowl Effect”

5. Ally with Parents

A teacher’s words, actions, and demeanor are closely followed by eager, young ears, eyes, and minds— you are on display to students throughout the school day. And you may be surprised, as I was, how often students seek you out for your opinion and guidance. I have found that remaining “cool” during trying times and making myself available to students outside of class times serve me well.

3. Be Flexible; Adapt to the Unexpected

The best-laid lesson plan might be curtailed by the last-minute cancellation of a guest speaker or the malfunctioning of a piece of technology. When this happened to me, I utilized a Jeopardy!like contest, dividing the class into boy and girl teams asking questions on sub-Sahara Africa, since our visitor represented an African country and we were studying the African continent.

Pingry alumni possess an amazing array of talents and experiences that would bring so much to today’s classrooms.

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John Green ’60

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Open communication with parents can be very helpful, whether via e-mail, telephone calls, or in-person meetings. I initiated two techniques of parent communication. One was to send a short e-mail praising a student’s notable achievement, which I wanted parents to be aware of.

Second, when students were scheduled to give a class presentation, I invited parents to attend.

6. Get Creative with a Cross-Disciplinary Approach

Whenever possible, I enjoyed being innovative with lesson plans. At NPS, I was able to integrate aspects of our social studies curriculum, focusing on geography and contemporary U.S. history, with other subjects in the sixth-grade curriculum. For example, I collaborated with the drama teacher in selecting our class drama, entitled “A Night at the Museum,” after it had been released as a Hollywood movie. Each student assumed the personality of a 20th Century notable and performed a short monologue, dressed in appropriate attire based on that individual’s life.

Taking on additional responsibilities beyond the classroom is a great way to establish a stronger rapport with your students. I was fortunate to be selected to lead NPS’s Geography Club, which had a large membership of students wishing to enhance their knowledge for the yearly school geography bee.

8. Remember Your Own Teachers and What Made Them Memorable Like many Pingry alumni, I remember Mr. Booth and his extraordinary talent of keeping students engaged in translating some obscure Latin verses.

Likewise, I recall being fascinated by Mr. Buffum, my senior-year American history teacher, with his gruff voice recounting his experiences in World War I. That was my first time hearing an individual tell of what war was like, and its impact.

These remembrances helped spark my interest in teaching and inspired me to use, when appropriate, some of their memorable practices.

Albert Booth teaching Latin. His talents helped inspire Mr. Green to become a teacher.

It’s a

Win -Win

A Charitable Gift Annuity allows you to give back to Pingry while providing annual income for you or your loved ones.

Considering a gift to Pingry?

This type of planned giving may be attractive if you: Can donate different types of assets Would like to receive a lifetime annuity from your gift, payable to up to two annuitants Want to capitalize on the tax incentives offered in conjunction with your charitable donation For more information, or to support Pingry through any kind of planned gift, please contact: Melanie Hoffmann

Director of Institutional Advancement (908) 647-5555, ext. 1233 mhoffmann@pingry.org

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Ask the Archivist

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First-Grade Classroom, Circa 1955 If you recognize anyone in this picture, or would like to share memories of the activities that were taking place in the classroom, please contact Greg Waxberg ’96 at gwaxberg@pingry.org or 908-647-5555, ext. 1296.

Thank you to Bill Cook ’57, Paul Baiter ’58, Mike Taranto ’59, and John Geddes ’62, P ’95 for supplying the names in the photo of Mrs. Clayton’s Lower School art class on page 87 of the Summer 2016 issue.

1. Bill Cook ’57 2. Billy Wuester ’58 3. Bob Burks ’56

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4. Paul Baiter ’58 5. Don Geddes ’58

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Class Notes Share all your news!

Send Class Notes to Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ‘02, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, at hfrancisco@pingry.org or The Pingry School, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920.

Credit: Copyright © 2016, U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland, www.usni.org

Arthur Oschwald ’38 with Big Blue Summer Camp Director Gerry Vanasse P ’14, ’20, Mr. Oschwald’s daughter Diane Meissirel, granddaughter Marie Diane Schwebig, and great-grandchildren Oscar Schwebig and Athina Schwebig.

1938 Arthur Oschwald turns 97 this fall, and his daughter Diane reports that “he is doing well for his age— his brain remains sharp! He had the joy of going to Pingry this summer because five of his great-grandchildren attended the Big Blue summer camp. He was so excited about having his great-grandchildren attend summer camp at the School. He showed us all the old yearbooks and spoke with [Big Blue Summer Camp Director] Gerry Vanasse for quite a while about his sports accomplishments at Pingry [including] captain of the soccer team and running track.” For his part, Mr. Vanasse says, “What an honor it was to meet Mr. Oschwald and have his great-grandchildren in the Big Blue Summer Camp. As he shared a few of his fondest Pingry memories, most notably his track and field achievements—particularly the one-mile

relays—it was quite apparent that he still embodies Pingry Pride and a love for his alma mater.”

1962 Harry Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative, was featured on the PBS NewsHour in August in a report about reshoring, “Why some manufacturers are returning to the U.S.” In the segment, he explains, “When [American companies] first went offshore, say to China, the Chinese wages were so low that the price differential was 30 or 40 percent, but, now that the Chinese wages have come up, that gap might only be 15 or 20 percent.” He believes that those increased wages make it difficult to justify the other costs associated with offshoring, such as shipping. “Each one [of those costs] might only be one or two percent, but, when you

Fleet Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, Jr., Class of 1900, was featured in the April 2016 issue of Naval History Magazine.

In his letter to readers, Editor-in-Chief Richard G. Latture writes, “In this issue’s cover story, ‘Dear Admiral Halsey,’ John Wukovits touches on a different aspect of the admiral—his larger-than-life persona. Halsey’s bold talk, spiced with salty language, caused his superiors ‘anxiety and embarrassment,’ according to historian Thomas Buell, but reporters and the public ate it up. Letters from average Americans flooded Halsey’s office. Ranging from humorous to haunting, they form the core of Wukovits’ article and illustrate how the home front supported the admiral’s efforts as well as sought answers and comfort from him.

In ‘Halsey and Spruance: A Study in Contrasts,’ E. B. Potter analyzes the two admirals who alternately led the Central Pacific Force during the final 16 months of the Pacific war, and in the process highlights Halsey’s penchant for publicity.” To receive a copy of the issue, call the Naval Institute’s Member Services Department at 800-233-8764 and identify yourself as an alumnus or alumna of The Pingry School.

Harry Moser ’62 speaking at Mississippi State University in August.

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Frank Ali ’62 with his wife Catherine and Delaware Governor Jack Markell at the dedication of Fort Miles Artillery Park.

Frank Ali ’62, a volunteer with the Fort Miles Historical Association (FMHA) in Delaware for four years, including being a member of the Board of Directors, has been heavily involved with the restoration of Fort Miles, and he helped plan the dedication of Fort Miles Artillery Park. It was held on September 2, the 71st anniversary of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri, ending World War II. Frank writes, “The dedication was held under the restored Missouri barrel #371, the center barrel in gun turret #1 on the U.S.S. Missouri. The Japanese surrender actually took place behind this same barrel, one deck up.

The event was attended by two U.S. Senators, Delaware Governor Jack Markell, and nine other state legislators. Bob Saupee, now 96, was on the Missouri when the surrender took place, and he cut the ribbon with the Governor, the Director of Delaware State Parks, and Senator Tom Carper.”

Notably, Fleet Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, Jr., Class of 1900, served on the Missouri and was behind the surrender table on the quarterdeck, standing with Admiral Nimitz, when Japan formerly surrendered.

have 30 of them at one or two percent, you can make up for a 15 or 20 percent price difference.” In his estimate, nearly one million manufacturing jobs could return to the U.S. “if companies did the math.” According to the PBS report, the U.S. is making progress with reshoring. After losing nearly six million manufacturing jobs (2000-2009), 265,000 jobs with 900 companies have been created or reshored since 2010, mostly in the appliance, auto, and furniture industries—most of that progress is due to the need for faster delivery. Critics of Harry’s argument say that, for the U.S. to return to being a manufacturing giant, the country needs to revise its tax, trade, and tariff policies, and Harry agrees that those changes would make a big difference for reshoring.

1963 Alan Neebe writes, “After 43 years, I have retired as Professor of Quantitative Methods at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC at Chapel Hill. I credit Pingry with giving me a great start to an academic career. I still remember Mr. Atwater and Mr. Cissel laboring to convince me that a ‘minus times a minus is a plus.’”

1970 Peter Blanchard III has written a book about the history of Greenwood Gardens. Read more on page 70.

1973 Richard Kurtz’s artwork was featured in “Live Bravely: The Art of Richard Kurtz,” an exhibit in August at JUX. Santa Fe. In her blog, photographer Jennifer Esperanza writes, “His distinctive and explosive vision takes the world of outsider art to a powerful yet playful level of messages and imagery.”

1976 Steven Mufson traveled to Paris last December to report about the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Read more on page 84.

1977 Peter Kimm writes, “Relocated to the Chadds Ford area five years ago. Not far from the worldrenowned Longwood Gardens.

Working for Wells Fargo Private Banking Trust Services in Wilmington, Delaware.”

FMHA is building a $9 million World War II museum inside Battery 519, one of the only World War II museums in the country to be housed inside a World War II casemate. For the museum, FMHA wanted a 16-inch gun and found one at St. Juliens Creek Annex of Norfolk Naval Base. The gun, “Mighty Mo’s Big Gun,” had been there since the 1950s after it was removed from the Missouri because of wear and tear, and was scheduled to be scrapped. It is a 120-ton, 68-foot-long gun barrel that fired 2,700-pound shells more than 20 miles in 50 seconds. FMHA paid over $100,000 for the gun to be moved by rail to Delaware in 2012; it was moved to a permanent display at Fort Miles in Cape Henlopen State Park this year and is now the centerpiece of the Artillery Park.

“As a veteran, I have become very involved in preserving military history, and the story of Fort Miles is one of the best-kept secrets along the East Coast,” Frank says. More information is available in Dr. Gary Wray’s and Lee Jennings’ book Images of America: Fort Miles and at www.fortmilesha.org.

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Lou Caiola ’87 and Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20 met up in June in Montauk. Lou lives in Watermill, New York.

Dr. Mark McLaughlin ’83 with Physical Education Department Chair Joe Forte and Sharon Forte at The Westin Hotel in Princeton.

Dr. Mark McLaughlin ’83 was inducted as an “Outstanding American” into The New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on September 18. An internationally-registered neurosurgeon, author, speaker, and teacher, he is Medical Director for Princeton Brain and Spine Care, and Director of Neurosurgery at the University Medical Center at Princeton.

During a pre-recorded interview for the ceremony, Mark emphasized the impact that wrestling made on his life; he thinks about and acts on everything based on his wrestling experiences. Further, he spoke about the three lessons he learned from wrestling: resilience, life-long learning, and finding mentors and being a mentor. Later, in his acceptance speech, Mark said, “You don’t have to be in the operating room to save a life. You can be in a wrestling room or a classroom and have the same effect. Wrestling changed my life, and I promise to make sure it will change many others to come.” After 15 years of coaching a successful youth program in Princeton, Mark is working to establish a youth wrestling program in Trenton.

Mark was a four-year wrestler at Pingry, becoming the first wrestler at the time to reach 99 wins (99-10 with 70 falls). He was also New Jersey Prep State Champion in 1982, a finalist in the National Prep Tournament, and an All-American Honorable Mention in Amateur Wrestling News. “He is one of the most energetic, aggressive wrestlers I’ve ever had,” says Coach Joe Forte. Later, Mark was a four-year starter and captain at William & Mary, leading the team to a state championship. Twice named an All-American, he was the college’s Outstanding Senior Athlete and Wrestler of the Decade. He was inducted into William & Mary’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000 and Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

1981 Brian O’Donnell returned to Pingry this summer. He is an assistant coach for U.S. Soccer’s U20 Men’s National Team, which trained for a week on the Basking Ridge Campus. They were training to qualify for the U20 World Cup in South Korea in May 2017.

Ketaki Tavan ’19, Leo Zhu ’19, Ethan Malzberg ’19, and Miro Bergam ’19 with The Denan Project’s Vice President, Jarret Schecter, during last spring’s walk-a-thon.

Pingry Students Partner with The Denan Project Last year, Jessica Barist Cohen ’88 reached out to Pingry’s Director of Community Service, Shelley Hartz, in an attempt to recruit students to help increase awareness through social media of a charity she is involved in—The Denan Project (TDP). “The Denan Project is a non-profit run entirely by volunteers, and we love the idea of getting younger people involved and encouraging philanthropy early in life,” she says. Pingry students Miro Bergam ’19, Ethan Malzberg ’19, Ketaki Tavan ’19, and Leo Zhu ’19 eagerly answered her call.

TDP is devoted to providing medical clinics, potable water, education, and economic development to some of the most impoverished places in the world, including Denan, Ethiopia; Uratari, Peru; Tariat, Mongolia; and Chinle, Arizona, a Navajo reservation in the United States. While it is officially stationed in Connecticut, its volunteers lend their help from all over the world—for example, Jessica, the Director of Communications, lives in Belgium.

Impassioned by their work with TDP, Miro, Ethan, Ketaki, and Leo have gone far beyond simply advocating awareness of the organization through social media. Together, they have organized several fundraising events, including a pizza sale and walk-a-thon, and, among other future initiatives, plan to create a student network that connects other schools to the charity.

“We thought it might be a great fit if Pingry students could help us with Facebook or Twitter outreach, but it turned out that they had many more ideas than just social media,” Jessica says. “I shouldn’t have been surprised—Pingry has always helped students develop an incredibly strong work ethic, and it’s fabulous that the School now focuses on community outreach as well. We are thrilled to have these kids on our team. They have already made a tremendous impact.”

For more information, please visit www.thedenanproject.org, and follow the organization on Facebook and Twitter @thedenanproject.

1985 Katherine (Apruzzese) Sherbrooke has published her first novel. Read more on page 70.

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Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20, Frank Vallario ’88, Olivia Hauck ’22, Elisa (Della Pello) Hauck ’88, P ’22, and Middle School math teacher and coach Tom Boyer P ’96, ’98 met up in June.

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Lisa Friedman traveled to Paris last December to report about the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Read more on page 84.

Woody Weldon P ’23 joined Pingry’s Board of Trustees as the new PAA President. Read more on page 34.

Day Rosenberg married Lauren Bergland on August 3 with family and friends in Turks and Caicos. Day’s sister and father, Tara Sluyter ’98 and Dean Sluyter P ’90, ’98, and Jon Robustelli ’90, P ’23, ’25 were in attendance.

1992 Mark Dubovy, who earned a B.S. in Resort Marketing at Cornell University and spent years working in the corporate world, is pursuing his passion to live and work in the mountains—and applying what

Day Rosenberg ’90 with his wife Lauren and son Jack.

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The Pingry Review

ate it if you could like our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ mtnrstconcierge, and follow us on Twitter (@MtnrstConcierge), Instagram (mtnrstconcierge), and LinkedIn. Thanks, in advance, for all your support, and I hope to see some ex-classmates in the mountains some day!”

he has learned about the needs of the luxury traveler. He writes, “Hi, everyone. I want to officially announce the launch of my business, Mountain Resort Concierge, based in Vail, Colorado. We are a lifestyle management company offering one-stop shopping for all your vacation needs with a focus on the secondary home rental market (examples: VRBO, HomeAway, AirBnb). Once you book your accommodations, we contract with a variety of third-party vendors to set up numerous hospitality amenities ranging from restaurant reservations and transportation to concert tickets, ski/bike equipment, and groceries all delivered to your door. In other words: ‘It’s your job to have fun and relax. It is our job to manage the rest!’ Please visit our website at www.mountainresortconcierge. com, and share it with all your friends, family, and co-workers. In addition, I would greatly appreci-

1994 Amanda Freeman, founder and CEO of SLT (Strengthen • Lengthen • Tone), was profiled in July as part of The Huffington Post’s “Paradigm Shifters,” described on the site as “a series of interviews with a select group of women and men from eclectic walks of life. It will highlight unspoken, real-life insights on how they have been able to turn weakness into strength.” In the interview, Amanda spoke about her decision to become a single mother and shared her philosophy about life: “You regret the things you don’t do, much more than the things you do…If you’re debating over something, just take the leap. I mean that in particular for women…Women need to be bold and not afraid of failure, not afraid to ask for things they want…

You just have to do what you think will make you happy.”

Credit: San Francisco Chronicle

Adam Plotkin ’94 and Adam Abrahams.

Adam Plotkin married Adam Abrahams on March 20 on the Grand Terrace at St Pancras International Station in London, with brother-in-law Adam Keil ’96 in the wedding party. Adam and Adam live in New York and spend lots of time in Los Angeles.

1998 Gideon Lewis-Kraus, a writerat-large for The New York Times Magazine, wrote the July 23 cover story about the Democratic National Convention.

pleting a master’s in filmmaking at the University of Texas at Austin, Rosenberg strikes a calmly uncomfortable tone.” Speaking about You Don’t Know Me (2011), Rehearsal (2013), and Nothing Human (2015), Tom has said the films are about “people struggling to define and come to terms with a big trauma that doesn’t totally make sense.”

2004 Max Haines-Stiles won The San Francisco Marathon Full Marathon on July 31, crossing the finish line in 2:30.42.

2006 Zachary Cordero writes, “I recently started as an assistant professor in the Materials Science &

Nanoengineering Department at Rice University. I’m a metallurgist, and my wife Margaret Angelo is a ceramic artist, making sculptures and some functional ware, so, between the two of us, we’ve got most of the topics in materials science covered. I benefited immensely from the great teachers at Pingry, and I’m very excited that I now get to pay it forward by teaching the next generation of materials engineers.”

1999 Arlyn Davich joined Pingry’s Board of Trustees. Read more on page 34.

2003 Tom Rosenberg was named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine. The profile describes his short films as “spooky and spooked, lucid recordings of events that can be seen but never fully processed. In three short films made during his time com-

David M. Fahey ’99 at Finnegan Fahey’s birthday party, attended by the Convery, Kasserman, Fahey, Sarro-Waite, Vernicek, Margolis, and Kimber/Schmidt families.

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Front row: Eliza Ricciardi ’09, Jack Gandolfo ’06, Colleen Kent, Caroline Burke, Bard Ricciardi ’06, Julia Dunbar, Meaghan Singer, Liz Zoidis ’07, and Lillie Ricciardi ’10.

Middle row: Frances Callaghan ’06, Carl Ruggiero ’06, Dr. Megan Jones, Brian Burkhart, and Matt Horesta. Back row: Tai DiMaio ’06, Brian Combias ’06, Kevin Miicke ’06, Anthony Feenick ’06, and Andrew Donnantuono ’06.

Jeremy Teicher premiered his second feature film Tracktown at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival.

He worked with his longtime collaborator, cinematographer Chris Collins ’05, who also attended the premiere. Tracktown was executive produced by Chris Bender ’89, making for a strong Pingry showing on the red carpet. Jeremy cowrote and directed Tracktown with his fiancé (and Dartmouth classmate) Alexi Pappas, who also stars in the film.

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Credit: Fred Goris

Bard Ricciardi married Pingry history teacher Julia Dunbar on July 2 at the Ricciardi home in Morristown, New Jersey. Many members of the Pingry community celebrated with them, including sisters of the groom Eliza Ricciardi ’09 and Lillie Ricciardi ’10; alumni Jack Gandolfo ’06, Liz Zoidis ’07, Frances Callaghan ’06, Carl Ruggiero ’06, Tai DiMaio ’06, Brian Combias ’06, Kevin Miicke ’06, Anthony Feenick ’06, and Andrew Donnantuono ’06; and current and former Pingry faculty members Colleen Kent, Caroline Burke, Meaghan Singer, Dr. Megan Jones, Brian Burkhart, and Matt Horesta.

Scholar, the highest award given to a student for academic achievement. During the school’s Honors Convocation Ceremony, he was also awarded the Libraries Student Research Prize, for students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and in the use of library and research resources, as well as the Geraldo Vasconcellos Thompson International Award, for students who show exemplary work and leadership in the management of portfolios. Shaan works as an investment banking analyst at Moelis & Company in Manhattan.

Actor Andy Buckley, co-director Alexi Pappas, producer Chris Bender ’89, and co-director Jeremy Teicher ’06 attending the premiere of Tracktown.

2012

2009

Connor McLaughlin graduated magna cum laude from Bucknell University this May with majors in Biology and Chemistry.

He accrued numerous accolades over his senior year, including the Gerald W. Commerford Orange and Blue Award, given to the student who demonstrates passion, spirit, and a committed desire to make Bucknell a better place, and the Bison Award for Excellence in

Brooke Conti married Patrick Trousdale ’08 on June 4 in Summit, New Jersey.

2010 Kate Dreyfuss is a violinist in the New York City area, pursuing a master’s in Violin Performance. Read more on page 68.

2011 Nic Fink competed this summer in the Olympic Trials. Read more on page 60.

Shaan Gurnani, who graduated in May from Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics with a B.S. in Finance, was selected as a Lehigh University President’s

Patrick Trousdale ’08 married Brooke Conti ’09 on June 4 in Summit, New Jersey. Those in attendance included Mary Lee Donahue Trousdale ’78, P ’08, ’13, Austin Conti ’07, Hunter Conti ’15, Justin Trousdale ’13, Sandy White, Chip Carver, Jr. ’77, Anne DeLaney ’79 (Parents ’09, ’11, ’14, ’14), Emma Carver ’09, Jacqueline Reef ’09, Jonathan Reef ’07, Erik Moss ’08, Henry Burchenal ’08, Gordon Peeler ’08, Ryan Maxwell ’08, Brandon Preziosi ’14, Megan Finlayson ’09, Eileen Roach ’09, Stephen Roach ’08, Katherine Contess ’09, Christina Vanech ’09, and Alex Salz ’09.

2016

Co-Curricular Activities, recognizing his contributions as a Class President, an Admissions Tour Guide, an Alumni Board Student Member, an Undergraduate Researcher, and numerous other roles. During commencement weekend, he received the Louis W. Robey Prize, given to the man and woman in the senior class who best exemplify the aims of a Bucknell education. The Robey Prize represents the highest honor that the Division of Student Affairs can bestow on a student.

Connor matriculated into medical school this August and is enrolled in the M.D. program at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Photo: 16-Angelides

2014 Corey DeLaney ’12, Drew Topor, and Rachel Corboz reunited this fall at Georgetown University. Read more on page 61.

Matt Mangini and Brian Costa ’13, playing soccer at Princeton University, and Max

Lurie ’15, playing soccer at Dartmouth College, competed against each other when the two teams faced off on October 1. The game ended in a 2-2 tie.

2015 Sebastian Lutz competed this summer in the Olympic Trials.

Read more on page 60.

Former Pingry teacher and coach Tony Garcia P ’06, ’10, ’10, Brian Costa ’13, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, and Matt Mangini ’14.

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Behind-the-Scenes: Alumni Journalists at Climate Conference in Paris Steven Mufson ’76 and Lisa Friedman ’90 traveled to Paris last December to report about the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, where 200 countries negotiated the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Steven was covering The White House and now covers energy news for The Washington Post, and Lisa is now Editor-in-Chief of ClimateWire (a publication of E&E News), which reports about climate change as part of the publication’s focus on energy policies; she was Deputy Editor at the time of the conference. The Pingry Review spoke with them about their experiences.

This conference took place a few weeks after the terror attacks in Paris. What was the atmosphere?

SM: Tense. Life was somewhat back to normal in certain neighborhoods, but there was a lot of security.

LF: There was a feeling of rallying.

The French government made the decision immediately to proceed with the conference. It was politically and personally important to the government, to show the world international unity.

There was enormous security, and the conference was in a fairly secure location. The French government did a really good job making people feel safe.

What were the challenges of covering the conference?

SM: There are too many White House correspondents for all of them to accompany the president, so there is a rotating pool system. As a member of The White House press corps pool that day, I was subject to the president’s schedule and couldn’t wander around to interview people. Whatever the president does, whether it’s getting on his plane, 84

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giving a speech, playing golf, or going into a meeting, you send a report to the listserv for all the other White House correspondents. After sending those reports, you write your own story—it’s a juggling act. Plus, lots of things happen in closed-door meetings, some of which The White House tells people. It’s challenging to fully figure out what’s happening behind closed doors.

LF: A million things were happening in different places—discussions by and big speeches from heads of state, negotiations behind closed doors, side events with other discussions—so the challenge was in figuring out where the important news was happening. I also know the diplomats, which is helpful because many journalists only know the diplomats from their own countries. So, you cover official things, have your ear to the ground, and talk to people who represent different points of view.

What should U.S. citizens know about the climate talks?

SM: The agreements reached were substantive and important, and, yet, nowhere near enough if climate scientists are correct in their projections of the next 30

years. The forecasts are pretty dire. It is a serious situation that requires a lot of effort. Obama is the first U.S. president to express urgency about climate change, and he believes it is politically feasible to slow it down. Climate change certainly seems real, and, if mankind is going to have any impact on global warming, people in every single country need to start doing what they can now to mitigate and adapt to it. There are some people who say they still doubt that climate change is real, but not many; there is an almost unprecedented amount of consensus in scientific circles.

LF: More than 200 countries came together and agreed that climate change is a major threat to economies, livelihoods, and ecology. They are committed to doing something about it, which is a significant change from how climate change had been talked about, as a problem for rich countries to fix. Now, more countries are taking responsibility for the problem.

Many people felt that [the 2009 conference in] Copenhagen was a failure. When Paris was chosen, there was a massive mobilization to make sure it didn’t fail. Also, on the final day of the conference, there was a crisis over the words ‘shall’ versus ‘should’ in the final agreement, in the phrase ‘developed country Parties shall continue taking the lead by undertaking economy-wide absolute emissions targets.’ The Obama administration wanted the language to be softer, with encouragement for developing nations, and not make the cuts legally binding.

reached out to big and politicallyimportant greenhouse gas emitters—China, Brazil, India—to cultivate agreements with them. The coal and oil industries are trying to say that he’s doing too much, but the reality is that it’s probably too little. He’s done more than any other president to raise this issue on a list of priorities, and his involvement in the conference was a highlight of his presidency.

LF: I was surprised by the efforts of the small island countries.

Some of the world’s smallest, and those most threatened, are taking positions that might hurt them economically, but these countries know they need to do something.

They are acting as moral voices and feel that the problem shouldn’t just be on the shoulders of the U.S., China, and other big countries.

Did India and China demonstrate enthusiasm for solutions?

SM: China is enthusiastic for its own reasons. Conventional pollution from coal plants is choking China’s cities, and this is not just an intellectual issue anymore. The entire Chinese population, especially the middle class that has been striving for a better life, is upset about the level of pollution.

Curbing the visible traditional pollutants will also curb CO2. So, China has already launched its own independent efforts.

LF: Yes for both. China had made agreements with the U.S. prior to Paris.

What surprised you at the conference, or what did you learn that left an impression?

Does the will exist among world leadership to act on the principles and goals agreed to in Paris?

SM: It was impressive that Obama thought ahead about this meeting, and part of the reason for his work ahead of time was that the meeting six years earlier in Copenhagen didn’t work well… that conference was chaotic and full of surprises. This conference in Paris was better planned. Over the course of the previous year, he

SM: There is a surprising degree of support, but they still fall far short of what the world needs to do if climate scientists are accurate in their forecasts, or even half right. What Obama hopes is that there will be so much technological progress that countries will be willing to up the ante at the next climate conference.

LF: Climate change can fall off the radar, since it’s not as important as jobs or the economy, so big global events are useful for keeping pressure on governments. The countries who attended have signed agreement with significant promises. Only time will tell.

What are the most important actions that need to be taken to implement the agreement?

SM: In the U.S., the Clean Power Plan* must go into effect and not be thrown out by the Supreme Court. Automobile fuel efficiency targets, up for revision in 2017, must not be loosened, but maybe even increased. Technology must keep advancing, especially on battery storage and renewables.

China’s and India’s lists are longer and, perhaps, more challenging.

LF: Money is a huge factor. Some poor countries have made commitments to reduce emissions, but they need assistance from wealthier countries because it costs money to put energy efficiency plans in place. *The Clean Power Plan would set the first national limit on carbon pollution produced by power plants, and create customized goals for states to cut their own carbon pollution.

Thanks to Green Group Advisor Peter Delman P ’97, ’98 for contributing some of the questions.

Michael Arrom ’13 was invited to play alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mike Stoller in June in a tribute concert to his deceased songwriting partner Jerry Leiber; Mr. Stoller and Mr. Leiber were among the earliest writers of rock and roll and penned Elvis Presley hits such as “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock.” The concert was hosted and presented by Mr. Stoller’s daughter-in-law Tricia Tahara, Michael’s classmate in and a 2016 graduate of USC’s Popular Music program. In her notes for the concert, Ms. Tahara writes that Michael was selected as an up-and-coming star “to honor Jerry’s enthusiasm for nurturing young talent.”

Later in the summer, on July 27, Michael was invited to lead a USC band at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in Scotland. He writes, “My band was composed of seven members selected from current students and recent alumni of the USC Popular Music program. We performed at the invitation of the International Society of Music Educators, an association of faculty from music conservatories around the world. This invitation was noteworthy because we were the first popular music band to be invited to perform at this annual conference— conservatories have traditionally only taught classical or jazz music.

The USC Thornton School of Music is an innovator for including popular music in the traditional curriculum. The Popular Music program is only six years old [prior to that time, Thornton offered classes in popular music, but no degree], but we’ve received recognition from Rolling Stone Magazine as ‘the cutting-edge department that’s become the site of Los Angeles’ most productive new music scenes.’ Our program is getting attention from educators around the world, and we were invited to showcase the work that we’ve done—in terms of USC’s development of its curriculum, faculty, and student body, and as a band of USC students with performance and songwriting skills. We performed all-original material, including two songs which

I wrote or co-wrote. In addition to directing the band and playing keyboards, I also sang lead vocals on my original song, ‘I’m the Man.’ I’m beginning my final year of studies at USC and am excited to be developing my Senior Project with the support of prominent composer and former Michael Jackson guitarist, Paul Jackson, Jr.” Michael has been directing bands since freshman year, but says, “What was special about being music director on the Glasgow project was that it was the first time that I was representing USC at a public international performance.” As a side note, Michael clarifies the difference between a conductor and a music director. Both do their main work during rehearsal, but the main difference is visible during a performance—a conductor stands in front of the musicians with a copy of the sheet music and uses a baton to direct the pace and dynamics, while a music director achieves the same thing through subtle gestures while playing with the band.

To commemorate their graduation from Pingry, Chris Browne ’16, Bryce Weisholtz ’16, Carson McLaughlin ’16, Brendan Kelly ’16, Sam Kececi ’16, Charlie Zhu ’16, Yanni Angelides ’16, Matt Newman ’16, Justin Chae ’16, and Jonathan Lee ’16 traveled to Greece. The group visited ancient ruins, traditional restaurants, historic villages, and many beaches! It was a great way to spend their last bit of time together before going their separate ways for school. All are now doing well and really enjoying their first few months at college.

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In Memoriam John Simpson “Jack” Eldridge ’38 August 6, 2016, age 95, Cranford, NJ

Mr. Eldridge graduated from Yale University with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and transferred to the U.S. Marines as a dive-bomber pilot with Squadron VMSB-244, the “Bombing Banshees,” based in the Solomon Islands. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Mr. Eldridge worked for several companies, ending with Continental Insurance Company. After retiring, he sang baritone in four choruses, including the New Jersey Masterwork Chorus. He was predeceased by his wife Emmy Lou and older siblings Janet and Tom. Survivors include his son John, Jr. and daughter Leslie.

Paul Richard Slutzker (Sloane) ’38 March 29, 2015, age 94, Upper Montclair, NJ

Mr. Slutzker, who changed his last name to “Sloane” in college, graduated with honors from Princeton University, where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He served for five years in the U.S. Navy Air Force as a flight instructor and pilot and flew off the carriers Sangamon and Sidor in the Pacific during World War II. Following the war, he worked for Standard Oil in research and development. For over 30 years, he represented Indonesian interests to American and foreign automobile and truck companies and set up the specs for an assembly plant that assembled Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, and BMW. He also worked in the Philippines and Russia. Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Ragna, and sons Erik (Sharyn) and Paul.

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Wilfred Wesley Weppler ’38

Dr. James Graham Waddell ’46

Mr. Weppler spent two years in the Merchant Marines before enlisting in the AAF (Army Air Forces) for four years. He owned Aetna Felt Corporation in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and he also ran his farm, Box Hill Farm, at his home in Clinton Township, New Jersey. Survivors include his wife of 73 years, Virginia; son James; daughter Janet (Dennis); granddaughter Elizabeth (Chris); great-grandchildren Ethan and Chance; sister Marian; and brother Robert (Hazel).

Dr. Waddell graduated from Phillips Andover Academy and Harvard University and went to medical school at McGill University.

He spent two years as a captain in the U.S. Army with the 31st Infantry Battlegroup, 7th Division in Korea. During his career, Dr. Waddell practiced general medicine and orthopedic surgery. Survivors include his wife Janet, daughter Ann (Richard), son William (Teresa), sisters Betsy and Jane, and grandchildren Louisa, Calista, and William.

December 24, 2015, age 96, Lebanon, NJ

Paul Fromer, Jr. ’41 Robert H. Gibson ’41 Brunswick, ME

Mr. Gibson was CEO of Gibson Associates, Inc. in Sudbury, Massachusetts, a family-owned and familyoperated business specializing in laboratory furniture and equipment for New England.

The company was sold to lab furniture company Hamilton Scientific and renamed Laboratory Solutions of New England, of which Mr. Gibson became Executive Vice President. Hamilton Scientific has since been liquidated.

Walter W. “Bud” Patten, Jr. ’45 May 29, 2016, age 88, Beacon Hill, MA

Mr. Patten earned a degree at the Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, joined the U.S. Air Force, and, as a lieutenant, flew 55 combat missions with the Royal Bengal Tiger Squadron during the Korean War. He joined the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, working in sales with the Publications Division, spending a major portion of his years with BusinessWeek. Mr. Patten was active with the Peabody Essex Museum and on several historical society boards. Survivors include his wife Charlotte and brother John.

October 7, 2016, age 88, Wilmington, DE

Dr. Frederick B. “Bruce” Lewis ’47 July 19, 2016, age 85, White Bear Lake, MN

While attending Pingry, Dr. Lewis studied piano, and, at age nine, was soloist with the Elizabeth, New Jersey Philharmonic, playing Mozart; the posters for the event called him “Little Amadeus.” At Harvard University, he divided his time between medical studies, practicing piano, and working as the music editor for The Harvard Crimson. After attending medical school at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, he was stationed at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., rising to the rank of Captain.

He worked a medical residency in New York City and had fellowship training in hematology in Boston (later, as a working doctor with four children, he studied for and attained boardcertified status in oncology). His first hospital employment was with the University of California San Francisco. His second was in Minnesota, where he spent the rest of his life working with various medical groups. He last practiced with Minnesota Oncology Hematology, P.A. and practiced regularly at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Lewis was active with many arts groups in Minnesota and was a board member of both the Guthrie Theater and the Minnesota Orchestra. Survivors include his wife Diana; son Jordan (Pamela); daughters Beth (William), Jessica (Paul), and Antonia (John); and 13 grandchildren.

Cyrus Porter Smith ’56

J. Scott Glascock ’70

Mr. Smith graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in Fine Arts. As an ROTC graduate of the college, he served his country from 1961 to 1964 as an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Officer in the U.S. Army at Ft. Polk, LA. Mr. Smith worked for Travelers Insurance in Newark, New Jersey and Frank H. Taylor Insurance Agency of East Orange. In 1971, Mr. Smith incorporated his design expertise with his successful sales experience and worked for New Associated Services of Plainfield. Four years later, he became an Account Executive with Impact Exhibits of Dayton, specializing in custom design trade show exhibits. Mr. Smith served as president of the Mid-Shore chapter of CCA (Coastal Conservation Association); volunteered at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Habitat for Humanity, Creekwatchers, his parish church, and the Oxford Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary; and served on many boards. Mr. Smith was predeceased by his brother William.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years (and college sweetheart), Deborah; children Katharine (Carmen), Christopher, and Eugene (Kathryn); grandchildren Nicole, Collin, and Andrew; brother Russell (Joan); sister-in-law Barbara; and nieces and nephews. “Some of his classmates gave him a special gift by sending a card signed by those attending the 60th Class Reunion in May,” Deborah writes. “He smiled as I read each name, and there was a twinkle in his eye when I brought him the 1956 Blue Book so we could look for each classmate’s photo.

Thank you, Class of 1956!” Mr. Smith died from heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Mr. Glascock received a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University. His career included positions as Associate at Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O’Donnell & Weyher (1977-1981); Senior Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (1981-1984); and Senior Associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy (1984). He was a Financial Consultant at Shearson Lehman Brothers (1984-1993) and a Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch (19932002). Mr. Glascock was also a professional actor and voiceover artist, a member of SAGAFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and Actors Equity, and a life member of numerous theatrical clubs. Other affiliations included past president of The Amateur Comedy Club; past president and life member of New England Society in the City of New York, which honored him with the J.P. Morgan Award (2014) for outstanding service and devotion to the society; and president of The Yale Club of New York City. Mr. Glascock was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1968 Soccer Team. He is survived by his mother Adelaide. Mr. Glascock died from a four-month battle with esophageal cancer.

June 30, 2016, age 77, Oxford, MD

August 27, 2016, age 64, New York, NY

Joshua Fishman ’14

August 31, 2016, age 20, Walla Walla, WA and Short Hills, NJ

Mr. Fishman was a junior and pre-med major at Whitman College, studying biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology. He most recently interned at Baylor College of Medicine in their summer surgical internship program. He is survived by his parents, Pam and Michael, and his sister Anna.

Faculty

Billie Jane Ruth Foil

June 19, 2016, age 76, Roswell, GA

At Pingry, Mrs. Foil taught Kindergarten (1980-1982) and Grade 2 (1988-2000).

She graduated from Catawba College.

Survivors include her beloved husband of 55 years, Frank; son Bradley (Jennifer), daughters Wesley (George) and Olivia; grandchildren Austin, Rylie, Logan, Tanner, Adam, Samantha, Charli, Ansley, Delaney, and Brady; brother Wiley (Lucille); and sisters Marian and Jackie (Clay).

Caryn Joy Lane

October 8, 2016, age 58, Chatham, NJ

Mrs. Lane was a part-time strings teacher from 2008 to 2016. A violinist and native of Wales, she played with youth and professional orchestras in that country; taught elementary and high school and played with orchestras in England; and, upon moving to New Jersey, played with local orchestras and taught privately. At Pingry, many people credit her for the growth of the Lower School strings program. Music teacher Tom Berdos says that Mrs. Lane “chose very engaging music for her students to perform, drawing on her experiences in teaching strings in England. She was very supportive of student pianists who would accompany her performing string groups, and would teach them right along with the string players.” Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 remembers, “I was always impressed with the way she managed to guide her students into performances that became so much more than just the sum of their individual talents.” Survivors include her husband Simon, children Tom and Beccy, and all of her sisters.

Mrs. Lane died from NSCLC cancer (non-small cell lung cancer).

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Closing Word

Faculty members wrote to Blueprint for the Future Campaign donors, expressing appreciation for their support. These are excerpts from a few of those letters.

Science Teacher Chuck Coe P ’88 and Bill Bourne P ’08 Modernization of the Physics Suite For the 30-plus years that both of us have been here, the physics area of the School has served as a home to instruction (with various eclectic lab materials visible in the classrooms), and as a before-school, conference period, and free period study/relaxation area for many students. The visible lab materials have been a continuous source of questioning by the students, and we believe they have served to spark interest and curiosity about our subject.

The comfortable, informal office area Thanks to your has provided space for students to generosity, our get questions addressed (often by mulnew, moderntiple teachers) and to work cooperaized rooms will tively, knowing their teachers were nearby to answer any urgent questions. enable us to take Many students, both current students advantage of and returning visitors, have voiced their Internet resources appreciation of the relaxed atmosphere and extend in the office. One returning 2008 gradcooperative uate actually told us that “hanging out” learning in the in the physics area was her most memorable and most educational classroom. experience at Pingry!

We are looking forward to the modernization of the physics suite, and we are determined to work with the architects to maintain the physics equipment visibility and welcoming atmosphere in the physics area. Thanks to your generosity, our new, modernized rooms will enable us to take advantage of Internet resources and extend cooperative learning in the classroom. Your generosity will also permit students to use laptops and Internet resources more reliably for lab work and research.

With the modernization, we’ll have the best of both worlds— exceptional, technology-enhanced workspaces and a friendly, student-centered ambiance.

Science Department Chair David Maxwell Modernized Science Wing Having the ability to design a space ideal for scientific research and exploration allows us to deliver the kind of education we want our students to have. The renovations of the Biology spaces have been transformative. We have been developing an extensive research program at Pingry over the last decade. As we’ve grown, we’ve had to cobble together space and resources on a “good enough to work” basis. The renovation allowed us to think through how to best match the physical space to the teaching we want to do.

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Most importantly,

The teaching labs include the new space mobile bench space so that the room can easily be reconincludes small-group figured to move from content work spaces. delivery (lecture), to discussion, to lab. This allows us to get the most out of the space while ensuring that students have the ability to learn science by doing science. The new collaborative office for faculty has fostered greater collaboration among teachers. Previously, teachers made offices in whatever nook they could carve out in closets, prep, and storage spaces. Having a central location where we can share spontaneously has increased group cohesion and innovation. Most importantly, the new space includes smallgroup work spaces. It is typical to see students using the whiteboard spaces to collaborate. I was concerned that this would increase the amount of noise in the wing and distract from our main goal. On the contrary, it has provided places where kids can collaborate in small groups on projects.

I look forward to the day when [all of the modernization projects for science are] completed because I believe there will be a synergistic effect when these functions are housed more closely together.

Squash Coach Ramsay Vehslage Squash Courts on Campus The outpouring of support that we have seen over the past four years speaks I am honored to have volumes about the kind of been given the chance to community that we are.

When the new athletics bring the sport that has center opens its doors in meant so much to me to January, the Pingry squash the Pingry community. teams will, at long last, have a permanent home.

It is almost unreal to think that, in a few short months, we will have a state-of-the-art, 8-court facility on campus. Squash has been an incredibly important part of my life for as long as I can remember. The lessons that are learned on the squash court about honor, discipline, and hard work translate to all aspects of our students’ lives, and I am honored to have been given the chance to bring the sport that has meant so much to me to the Pingry community.

calendar of upcoming events Alumni Class Notes Send us your latest news!

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Do you have a new job? New baby? Just married? Recently moved? Or any updates to share with your classmates? We are collecting class notes and photos for the next issue of The Pingry Review.

Basking Ridge Campus – 11:30 a.m.

Hosted by Richard Tetrault and Lynn Apruzzese Tetrault ’80 – 6:00 p.m.

Email them to Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02 at hfrancisco@pingry.org or mail them to Holland at The Pingry School 131 Martinsville Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Friday, May 5, 2017

Hosted by Bonnie and Andrew Solmssen ’90 – 6:30 p.m.

Short Hills Campus – 9:00 a.m.

Back-from-College Lunch Tuesday, January 10, 2017

San Francisco Reception

Hosted by Bernadette and Kenneth Wachter ’64 – 6:30 p.m.

Los Angeles Reception

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

New York City Reception

Hosted by The O’Toole Family at The Racquet and Tennis Club – 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 13, 2017

Boca Raton Reception

Hosted by Barbara and Joe Wortley ’60 – 6:00 p.m.

Facebook: Pingry School Alumni Twitter: @PingryAlumni LinkedIn: Pingry Alumni Network

Vero Beach Reception Thursday, March 16, 2017

Naples Reception

Hosted by Mary Ann and Bill Smith GP ’16, ’18, ’20, ’21 at Royal Poinciana Golf Club – 6:00 p.m.

Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20, 2017

Reunion Weekend Dedication of the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center Basking Ridge Campus

Monday, June 26, 2017

Pingry Golf Outing Hamilton Farm Golf Club

Check Pingry.org/AlumniEvents and watch your email for information about upcoming events.

For volunteer opportunities or any additional questions, please contact:

Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02 Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving hfrancisco@pingry.org (908) 647-7058

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The Pingry School Basking Ridge Campus, Middle & Upper Schools Short Hills Campus, Lower School 131 Martinsville Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Change Service Requested